Chocolate & Avocado Pudding

This recipe is a great and healthy alternative of chocolate pudding.  They are also good as fudgesickles


Ingredients:
25 dates
1 avocado
2 Tbsp cocoa powder

Steps:
1. Soak the dates in water overnight
2. The next day, add soaked dates into the blender with a bit of the water from the soaking.
3. Add the avocado and the cocoa powder.
4. Blend until creamy and smooth. Add more of the soaked water if pudding seems too thick

* recipe provided by my friend Leslie

Spinach & Feta Cream Cheese

Ingredients:
1 package of Cream Cheese
1 Tbsp Oregano
1/8 Tbsp Whole Pepper
1/8 package of Chopped Spinach
100 grams of Feta Cheese

Mix everything together well.

Herb & Garlic Cream Cheese

Ingredients:
1 package of cream cheese
1Tbsp Oregano
1 Tbsp Basil
1 Tbsp Garlic
1/4 tsp White Pepper

Mix everything together.

Carrot Muffins

If you have a sweet tooth, add cream cheese icing after the muffins have cooled down.


Ingredients:

1/2 cup pecans or walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

2 cups grated raw carrot

1 large apple, peeled and grated

2 cups flour

1 1/4 cups sugar

3/4 tsp baking soda

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon

1 cup shredded coconut 

3 eggs

3/4 cup oil (corn is good)

1 tsp vanilla extract

Steps:

1.      Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (180 degrees C)

2.      Chop finely and toast the pecans or walnuts for a few minutes or until lightly browned and fragrant. 

3.      Grate the carrots and apple and set aside.

4.      In another bowl mix the flour, sugar, baking soda, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add the nuts and coconut. Set aside.

5.      In another bowl whisk the eggs, oil, and vanilla extract. Add the wet ingredients and the carrots and apple into the flour mixture, stirring just until moistened. 

6.      In muffin cups add the bater and bake for 20-25 minutes  

Taken from JoyofBaking.com

Cream Cheese Icing

Ingredients:

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 cup cream cheese
3 tbsp icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract

Beat together the butter and cream cheese until very smooth. Gradually add in the icing sugar and vanilla until smooth.

  Taken from JoyofBaking.com

Pizza Crust

2 ¼ cups flour

½ cups flour

2 pkg yeast

2 tsp salt

2 tsp sugar

1 ½ cup very hot water

2 tsp oil

Step 1: In a bowl, mix 2 ¼ cups flour, yeast, salt and sugar.

Step 2: In another bowl, mix water and oil.

Step 3: Gradually add hot liquid to flour mixture.

Step 4: Add ½ cup flour slowly, mixing well.

Step 5:Knead dough until elastic and smooth. Form a ball and let rest covered with wet paper towel for 10 minutes.

Step 6: Oil a baking pan, spread dough evenly. Add a very light layer of oil onto top of dough (this prevents sauce from seeping through the dough). Add sauce and garnish.

Step 7: Cook in centre of oven for 20 to 25 minutes at 425F.

Strawberry flavoured jam

5 cups of green tomatoes

4 ½ cups sugar

1 large strawberry jello box

Step 1: Blend tomatoes.

Step 2: Add tomatoes and sugar in pot and mix everything

Step 3: Boil everything for 10 minutes with medium heat, mixing often.

Step 4: Remove white foam many times.

Step 5: Remove from heat and add jello powder immediately.

Step 6: Mix properly and add into jars. Once cooled down, refrigerate.

Cream of Zucchini

I have an interesting story with this recipe, the original recipe did not say to cool soup down before blending, I have done it this way many times. However, this one time, my blender malfunction and as I locked it into place, it exploded into my face and gave me a few second degree burns. Therefore, my advice to everyone is to one, cool the soup down before blending, and two, make sure the blender is unplugged until you are ready to turn it on. Anyways, here is the much anticipated recipe.

4 zucchinis

6 cups of chicken broth

3 Tbsp butter

3 Tbsp flour

1 medium onionView Blog

1 pinch of thyme

1 bay leaf

1 Tbsp of parsley

¼ cup of milk or cream

pinch of pepper

Step 1: Bring broth to boil, keep hot.

Step 2:Melt butter; add onion. Cover and cook for 4-5 minutes

Step 3: Add thinly sliced zucchinis to onions, pepper, thyme, parsley and bayleaf. Cover and cook at medium heat for 15 minutes.

Step 4: Remove cover and add flour. Mix well.

Step 5: Pour broth over zucchini mixture and cook without its cover for 15 minutes at medium heat. Mix often.

Step 6: Remove from heat and cool down.

Step 7: Blend well. Add milk and mix well.

Bagels

(oven 375)


Ingredients:
4 ¼ to 4 ¾ cups flour
4 ½ tsp yeast
1 ½ cup warm water
3 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar


Step 1: Combine 1 ½ flour and yeast.

Step 2: In the water, add sugar and salt. Then pour over flour mixture and beat. Add remaining flour and knead until dough forms unto a still and smooth ball. Place in greased bowl and cover for 10 minutes.

Step 3: Shape into balls. Punch hole in centre. Pull each to make 1 ½ -2 inch holes. Place on greased pans and cover and let rise for 20 minutes.

Step 4: Broil 5 inches from heat for 4 minutes turning once. (Tops should not brown)

Step 5: Heat 1 Gallon water and 1 Tbsp sugar to boil; Reduce heat. And cook 3-4 bagels at a time for 7 minutes, turning once; drain.

Step 6: Place on greased pan. Bake for 25-30 minutes.



Flavored Bagels:
Herb Bagel:
Prepare as above; add tsp dried marjoram; or 1 tsp dried dill weed; or 1 tsp tarragon; or ½ garlic powder to the flour mixture.

Onion Bagel:
Prepare as above; cook ½ cup finely chopped onion in 3Tbsp butter till tender but not brown. Brush onion mixture over bagels after 15 minutes of baking.

Poopy seed or Sesame seed Bagels:
Prepare as above; before baking, brush tops with beaten egg; sprinkle with seeds.


Recipe taken from Better Homes Cookbook

French Bread

(oven 375)

Ingredients:

5 ½ – 6 cups flour

4 ½ tsp of dry yeast

2 tsp salt

2 cups warm water

cornmeal

1 beaten egg white (optional)

1Tbsp water (optional)

Step 1: Combine 2 cups of flour, yeast and salt. Add warm water and beat.

Step 2: Stir in remaining flour and continue to mix. When mixing with a spoon becomes hard, knead the remainder flour with hands until dough is elastic and smooth. Shape into ball and placed in greased bowl to rise and cover for 1-1 ¼ hours)

Step 3:Punch down and divide into half (or as many pieces as you want.). Cover and let rise 10 minutes.

Step 4: Shape and taper ends. Place on greased baking sheets and sprinkle with cornmeal. Press down ends of loaves. Brush with egg mixture. Cover and allow to rise 45 minutes.

Step 5: Make 3 cuts along top. Bake for 25-30 minutes. (Brush again after 15 minutes if desired)



Recipe taken from Better Homes Cookbook.

Corn Bread

For this recipe, I have also tried substituting the milk for vanilla rice milk. I enjoyed the added flavour and will continue to use this when baking corn bread.

(Preheat oven at 425)

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1 cup yellow cornmeal

¼ sugar

4 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp salt

2 eggs

1 cup milk

¼ cup oil, or melted shortening

Stir flour, corn, sugar, baking powder and salt. Add in wet ingredients (egg, milk and oil) and beat until smooth.However avoid overbeating. Turn into greased pan and bake for 20 to 25 minutes.

Recipe taken from Better Homes Cookbook.

Cinnamon Buns

Cook time: 20 minutes

The Rolls:
3 1/4 tsp yeast
1/4 cup water (warm)
1/2 cup shortening
1/3 cup sugar
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
1 egg
4 to 5 cups of sifted flour

melted butter
brown sugar
cinnamon

Vanilla Frosting:
2 cups icing sugar
1 Tbsp butter melted
1 tsp vanilla
2 to 4 Tbsp milk


Cinnamon Buns
Step 1:
Add warm water to yeast and soak 10 mins.

Step 2:
Scald milk and pour over shortening. Add sugar and salt and cool. Add yeast and beaten egg. Add 4 cups flour, one at a time until firm to handle.

Step 3:
Knead on flowered board until elastic and smooth. Turn dough into well oiled bowl. Let rise for 1 1/2 hours.

Step 4:
Press dough down, in workable size, roll into rectangle. Cover with melted butter. Then layer with a thick coating of brown sugar. Sprinkle cinnamon.
Roll up

Step 5:
Cut up slices, add to VERY WELL GREASED pan, placing one in the middle and the others around it. Press down together, then let rise for 1 hour.

Step 6:
Bake at 350 for 15-20 minutes. If rolls get brown, cover with tin foil until the end of baking. "Don't Over bake"

Step 7:
Remove immediately from pan by tipping onto plate, then again onto another.

Step 8:
Add frosting while they are still warm.

Frosting
Beat sugar, butter and vanilla. stir in enough milk to reach thick frosting. (It should be hard to stir).


**Recipe taken from Better Homes cookbook.

Carrot-Ginger Soup

Created this on my own, using left over ingredients from the fridge. Turn out to be really good!

Ingredients:
1/2 cup butter
2 cups onion
1/4 cup finely chopped ginger
9 cups water
5 cups diced carrots
1/2 cup rice (not the minute kind)
4 Tbsp vegetable broth

Melt butter, and slightly fry onion and ginger with it. Add water, carrots, rice and broth.
Bring to a boil then reduce heat and let simmer for 20-25 minutes. Remove from heat and puree in blender.
Reheat and serve.

Testing Yeast

If the expiry date has already past, yeast may still be active, find out if yeast is still active by following the test below.

Add 1 tsp sugar into 1/2 cup of warm water (110 degrees or so), mix well. Add 2 tsp of yeast.
Leave mixture to stand for approximately 10 minutes. If mixture begins to foam and creates 3 equal parts, the yeast is still active.

Store in freezer for it to last longer.

Homemade Mayo

I've altered this recipe a tad while preparing it, I will post the recipe I used, and will add my alterations in green. The end product was very good, however I still find it quite runny and a tad too much mustard. I plan on trying it again with a little bit less mustard, although I would like to know if anyone else has suggestions for me to try to make it creamier and less runny.

Homemade Mayo - (Makes approx 1 1/2 cups)

Ingredients:

• 1 egg (2 eggs)
• 1 tsp mustard
• 1 Tbsp lemon juice or vinegar (or both) 
• 1/4 tsp salt + pepper
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1/4 tsp Paprika

Have all ingredients reach room temperature before using. Mix all ingredients well, add oil slowly and mix well. 

*Keeps in the refrigerator for 1 to 2 days.

Soft Pretzels - similar to the movie theatres.

As soon as you walk into the theatre the first thing you smell is popcorn. Have you ever stood there long enough to smell the pretzels? Those big delicious smelling pretzels? Well here is a recipe that is very similar to those. They are quite time consuming, yet very simple to make, and worth the effort.

During this attempt, these pretzels were created with rock salt as its final coating. However I will attempt them again one day using less salt within the recipe and with variations, such as; sesame seeds, cheese, and anything else that comes to mind for the coating.

Soft Pretzels   -(Makes 16)
(Oven 350)

Ingredients:

• 4 - 4 1/2 cups of flour
• 1 pkg of dry yeast (2 1/2 tsp)
• 1 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 2 Tbsp oil
• 1 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 Tbsp salt 
• 2 quartz of water
• 1 slightly beaten egg white
• Coarse salt, or sesame seeds..(or anything you want as a coating)

Step 1:
Combine 2 cups of flour & yeast (room temperature works best) in a bowl.
Heat milk, sugar, oil and 1 1/2 tsp salt in saucepan until warm (115-1120 degrees); stir constantly. Add to flour mixture.
Beat on low for 1/2 minute, then on high for 3 mins while adding more flour. Once the beater gets hard, knead the remaining flour by hand until the dough becomes moderately stiff, smooth and elastic. Shape into a ball and place in a greased bowl, rolling once. Cover with a damp paper towel and let rise for 1 1/2 hours.

Step 2:
Punch dough down, and cover for another 10 minutes.

Step 3:
Divide dough into 16 sections. Roll each section into a long rope (approx 16" long). Shape into pretzels. Moisten and press ends to seal. Let rise, uncovered for 20 minutes.
Step 4:
Dissolve 3 Tbsp salt (I found this to be too much) in boiling water. Add 2-3 pretzels at a time & boil for 2 minutes, turning once. Remove and place on paper towel for a few seconds then place on VERY well greased pan **(They tend to stick to the pan during the baking process, be generous with the greasing!!).

Step 5:
Brush with the egg white and 1 Tbsp water mixture. Sprinkle with desired coating. And bakeat 350, for 25-30 minutes or until golden brown.