Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares

My grandmother is a wee bit old school (aren't they all?) and she tends to make meals that represent a different time. They are the same meals my father ate growing up and the same meals I ate while living there. Yummy, but not very adventurous. However, some things have become such a tradition for me that I simply can not go a Christmas without partaking in the unhealthy fats that are found in her Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares. I call them old school because every one you meet has had them in some shape or form at some point in time in their lives. They are simple, easy to make and gooey ooey delicious. I have found myself whipping up a batch every Christmas for the last few years, as our Boxing Day family Christmas celebrations faded out as more and more people moved away from our dear little city. So, my husband and I eat the sticky goodness, licking our fingers and smacking our lips over the delicious little treats.

Peanut Butter Marshmallow Squares

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup peanut butter
• 1 pkg butterscotch chips
• 1 pkg coloured marshmallows (mini ones)

In a double boiler (or if you are fancy like me, a big pot and a large metal mixing bowl), melt the butter, peanut butter and chips. Mix well. Allow to cool for about 10 mins. Fold in marshmallows and press into a buttered (or glass) 9 x 13 pan. Cool and cut into squares, store in fridge. 

Christmas Baking: Gingerbread Cupcakes

My husband and I were in Boston in November. We did all the typical touristy stuff, wandered along the Freedom Trail, wonder at the age of the various graveyards, drooled over the shops on Newbury St., watched the many talented entertainers performing for free near Faneuil Hall, shucked an oyster in Quincy market, cheers in Cheers. Basically, we did it all and more but the one thing that really stood out for me was the cupcakes. That's right, I enjoyed the history and the shopping and the laughs we shared but most of all, I enjoyed the delicious cupcakes we shared. My husband thoughtfully bought me the little cute recipe book that Sweets sold, sharing their divine secrets with me. I hadn't yet broken out the recipe book as I was hoping to work off some of the food and treats I devoured while in Boston. However, with Christmas literally right around the corner, I decided to try out one of their Holiday Specials - The Gingerbread Cupcake. Four words: Heaven In My Mouth. The batter is light and comes out fluffy while the frosting is soft and delicate. Delicious. I really encourage you all to try them out.

Gingerbread Cupcakes

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1 1/4 tsp ginger
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 tsp ground cloves
• 2/3 hot water (boiling works best)
• 2/3 molasses
• 1/3 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
• 1/3 cup sugar
• 2 1/2 tbsps egg beaters (egg in a carton)

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Line 12 muffin tin cups with paper cupcake liners. 
3. Sift the flour, baking soda, and spices together in a bowl. 
4. In a seperate bowl, mix the hot water and molasses together, well. 
5. Beat the butter until fluffy (I used an electric beater, it never got REALLY fluffy, but it did get light). Gradually add the sugar and mix well.
6. Beat in the egg beaters until well blended.
7. Reduce speed to low, add flour mixture and molasses mixture alternatively, beginning with the flour and ending with the flour, in three batches. Beat gently until smooth.
8. Pour the batter into the lined cupcake pan evenly. 
9. Bake for 8 minutes, rotate, and bake for another 8 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 
10. Allow to cool before moving cupcakes to wire rack. 
11. Top with Whipped Cream Frosting (recipe to follow)

Whipped Cream Frosting

• 1/3 cup confectioners sugar
• 3 1/2 tsps whipped cream stabilizer (Whip It by Dr. Oetker, in your baking aisle)
• 2 cups heavy cream

1. Add all ingredients and beat with a wire whip attachment or an electric beater (like me) on a low speed to blend all the ingredients together. 
2. Turn up to a high speed and mix until it is light and fluffy. 
3. Top cooled cupcakes. 

Sweet & Sour Pork

Remember when you were a kid and your parents got Chinese take out? there was that level of excitement about finding out what sticky, sweet and delicious picks your parents had made as they slowly popped off the white lids off of those foil pans. My parents pretty much stuck to the same thing each time; chicken fried rice, chicken balls, garlic spare ribs and sweet and sour pork. I would drizzle that unnaturally red sweet and sour sauce all over my rice and my chicken balls, enjoying that portion much more than the actual food I was eating. Of course, afterwards, my stomach would bloat and I would sit there, uncomfortable and wishing it would all just digest already. Ordering Chinese food is a rare event in my household as I am just not a fan of how bloated it all makes me feel. I know, it is all that MSG and even when they claim they don't use MSG, it seems as though the food is overly greasy and heavy and deep fried. I tend to avoid fried food these days, and I know that is a good thing. However, I miss Chinese food. So, I have began to search for the perfect Chinese take out recipe and I think I just might have found it.

When my husband and I ate this, we both just about died out of pure enjoyment. I LOVED this and while it was a wee bit more time consuming than picking up a phone and dialing, the fact that I could eat a huge bowl and feel full but not bloated made it all worth it. I truly recommend giving this one a try. It was really really yummy.

Sweet and Sour Pork


Pork


1 lb pork shoulder, cut into cubes (I had the butcher remove the skin and bone)
2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp white sugar
2 1/2 tsp soy sauce
2 egg whites
3 green onions chopped

Mix all the ingredients and marinate the chopped pork for at least one hour. Coat the marinated meat in cornstarch once you are ready to cook.

Veggies
1 tbsp olive oil
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 red sweet pepper, cut into bite sized chunks
1 yellow sweet pepper, cut into bite sized chunks
1 medium white onion, cut into wedges
2 spoons of minced garlic (I used pre-minced garlic, find it in the Produce section of your grocery store)

Sauce
1 cup water
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 1/2 cup white sugar
1/2 cup ketchup
1 tsp soy sauce
1 can pineapple chunks, undrained
3 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 1/2 cup water.

Directions

1. Heat up 1 quart of oil (I used a soy based oil that was half and half Virgin Olive oil. Fry the prepared pork in the heated oil about 8-10 mins, until evenly browned. Drain on paper towel. 
2. Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan over medium heat. Stir in the celery, peppers, onion, and garlic. Cook until tender. Remove from heat and set aside. 
3. In a mixing bowl, mix together the water, salt, sugar, vinegar, ketchup and soy sauce. Add to a large pot and bring to a boil. Stir in the cooked pork, vegetables and pineapple chunks with juice. Return to a boil and mix in the cornstarch & water mix to thicken the sauce. Cook until it reaches your desired thickness. 
4. Serve on a bed of rice. 

Making Mushrooms Magic

I am a big fan of the many kinds of mushrooms out there, and I often add them to all kinds of dishes even if they don't call for them. I love them raw, cooked, grilled, marinated and fried (though I tend to peel the batter off of fried mushrooms, I do love the yummy greasiness of said mushroom). Basically, it is one of my favourite things. My husband, on the other hand, does not particularly care for the mushroom, in all forms. He has gotten to the point where he can handle them in sauces, cooked well but he won't be switching his beef burger for a portobello mushroom top anytime soon. I can forgive him for this, after all, it often means I have a lot more mushrooms in my serving. Tonight I felt like making something that was with out meat. Andre wasn't going to be home and I had a craving from something different. I came across a recipe from Martha Stewart that I thought I would try - Mushroom Tart. I tweaked it, as I am often known to do and it turned out lovely. What a perfectly easy and simple meal that looked all kinds of delicious.

Mushroom Tart


1 - frozen puffed pastry, thawed.
1 medium white onion, sliced
1 pepper sliced (I used a yellow pepper, a sweet one is best)
Minced garlic to taste
Olive oil
Assorted mushrooms, chopped (I used white mushrooms, portobello and cremini - use only the tops)
1 small package of baby spinach
Salt and pepper to taste
1 package of plain goat cheese, crumbled.

1. Begin by rolling out the puff pastry into a rectangle, using flour to prevent it from sticking to the counter or the rolling pin. Score around the edge like a crust and poke the pastry with a fork. Bake in a pre-heated oven at 400 degrees. Bake until lightly browned, approximately 15 mins. If your pastry puffs up too much, you can slightly flatten once it is out of the oven.
2. Heat oil in a sauce pan that has a tight lid. Add the garlic, onion and pepper and cook until the onion begins to golden. Put aside and add the mushrooms to the pan. Cook, covered, until they become soft and add the spinach and seasonings. Cook, covered, until the spinach has wilted.
3. Top the pastry with the spinach and mushroom mixture, top with the onions and peppers. Sprinkle the goat cheese over top and return to oven. Bake for another 15 mins, until the cheese starts to slightly brown.

Something Sweet To Start

I have a sweet tooth. I have tried hard to ignore it, to push it out of my mind but ultimately, I give in to my desires and start baking. The only bonus is that after all the hard work of baking, I tend not to over eat the baked goods. However, my husband does. I will say this cookies are soooo yummy raw, that I do take a few nibbles of the cookie dough.

Peanut Butter and Chocolate Chip Cookies

Ingredients:

• 2 1/4 cup of white flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup of melted butter
• 3/4 cup white sugar
• 3/4 brown sugar
• 1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 pkg peanut butter chips
• 1/2 pkg milk chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Heat oven to 375 degrees
2. Stir together flour, salt and soda in a small bowl. In a larger bowl, beat the butter, sugars and vanilla until creamy. Add one egg at a time and mix.
3. Gradually add the dry ingredient mix. Mix well. Stir in chips.
4. Drop by tbsp onto a cookie sheet (grease if it is not a non-stick pan)
5. Bake 8-10 mins. Cool on rake.

To make these a chocolate cookie, add 1/3 cup of cocoa to the flour mixture. 

Mix It and Forget It

Everybody seems to have a crock pot in their cupboard but how many of us remember to use it from time to time? I often forget about it, turning towards meals that require a lot of dishes and a lot of time but sometimes that doesn't work for me and my family. Sometimes I just want to get something cooking and be able to walk away from it, while the smells permeate the house. Today was the perfect day for that. My husband was busy cleaning the house top to bottom, in preparation for his travels and I was watching my young son practice his new-found ability to crawl. So I pulled out the crock pot and threw some things in there to create a heavenly Beef Stroganoff. I served it over a bed of egg noodles and a side of asparagus to make it a complete meal.

Slow Cooker Beef Stroganoff
Ingredients:

• 1 lb cubed beef (stewing meat works well)
• 2 cans of condensed golden mushroom soup
• 1/2 a large Spanish onion, chopped
• 1 tbsp Worchestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup of water
• 1/2 tbsp of minced garlic
• 1/2 package of onion soup mix
• 1 1/2 cups chopped mushrooms
• 1/2 cream cheese
• 1 tbsp of sour cream

Directions:

1. Add the meat, onions, garlic, soup, water, Worchestershire sauce and onion soup mix to the crock pot. Mix it all up and put the lid on. Cook on low 5-6 hours. 
2. A half hour before you eat, saute the mushrooms and add them to the pot. Stir in the cream cheese and sour cream. 
3. Serve over a bed of cooked egg noodles. 

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