Gluten Free Banana Bread
This made such a non-gritty and moist banana bread, no one would ever know it was GF!
click here
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Gluten Free Oatmeal Crisp
(I used rhubarb and raspberries, but anything will be delicious)
Click here
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~Overnight Cinnamon Bun Recipe
This is so easy and just delicious! Click here
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Garlic Expressions
Salad dressing, marinade, dipping sauce
- what can you do with it? click here for ideas
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2 tsp instant yeast
1/4 tsp sugar
1 1/3c warm water
2 T olive oil
3 2/3c flour
shake of salt
In a small bowl: dissolve yeast and sugar in the warm water; let sit until mixture begins to foam - about 10 minutes - then stir in olive oil.
Sift flour and salt together into a medium bowl and form a well in the centre. Add the liquid to the well and combine by stirring the flour into the liquid. When the dough begins to come together, turn it out onto a floured work surface - & wash out the bowl. Knead the dough by hand until smooth - it should be moist but not sticky - add more flour as needed.
Lightly coat the inside of a clean bowl with olive oil, return the ball of dough to the bowl, and turn it over once to coat with oil. Cover bowl tightly with plastic wrap. At this point you may refridgerate the dough up to 2 days. Set aside dough in a warm area to rise - until doubled in size (2-3 hours).
Place a pizza stone (or inverted baking sheet) on the bottom rack of the oven and remove any racks above it. Preheat to broil. (we set it at 500 degrees) Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper and dust with flour. Set aside.
Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and divide into 10 pieces.
Using your palms, roll douh into balls, and then into 6" rounds using a rolling pin. Place rounds on parchment lined baking sheets and cover loosly with plastic. Return to warm area to allow to rise 20-30 minutes.
Bake pitas in batches: lift them individually off the parchment and place directly onto the hot pizza stone. Remove once they are puffed and brown - about 3-6 minutes depending on your oven. Continue until all pitas are baked. Serve warm with hummus, or cool on wire racks and enjoy them with taco filler, hamburgers, chicken, etc etc. Deicious and fun to make!!
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Rose Glazed Brie
Serve with crackers for an impressive, elegant appetizer. Be sure to use roses that have not been treated with pesticides.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 5 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Ingredients:
1 15-ounce round brie cheese, or camembert cheese
Rose petals, pesticide-free rinsed and patted dry to taste
1 envelope unflavored gelatin
1/4 cup cold water
2 cups dry white wine
Remove the rind from the top of the brie cheese round, leaving a 1/2-inch border. Place on a plate an arrange rose petals on and around brie wheel.
In a small bowl, soften gelatin in the 1/4 cup cold water for 5 minutes. In a saucepan over medium heat, combine white wine with softened gelatin and heat, stirring, until gelatin is dissolved. Transfer to a bowl and let cool, stirring. Gently brush rose petals and cheese with gelatin mixture. Chill until set. Serve with crackers.
Yield: About 12 servings
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18lb frozen, then thawed apples (commercial or crab apples)
30+ cups rose petals (off your very own rose bush - freeze in baggies, then thaw)
8lb white sugar (about 12cups)
1L pineapple or cranberry juice (for acid)
1L white grape juice concentrate
12 crushed campden tablets (available at Wine Kitz)
2 banana skins (for tannin)
4tsp yeast nutrient (available at Wine Kitz)
3tsp yeast enzyme (available at Wine Kitz)
pkt wine yeast (available at Wine Kitz)
Mix and set aside last 3 ingredients.
Using your 23L primary pail: dissolve Sugar into about 10c hot water. Add juice, campdens. Stir well. You can just throw the thawed fruit into the juice, but its less work later on to put all your apples (squishing by hand as you put them in the bag), rose petals, banana skins into mesh bag. I just made one out of scrap fabric.
Top pail up to 23L mark. Temperature of the juice should be 30-35 degrees celsius. Starting SG should be 10.080 or so. Apply a heat blanket or brew belt to keep up the temperature. After 12-24 hours, add the yeast mixture.
Squeeze the fruit bag (or stir if not bagged) mixture 1-2 times/day for 5 days. Remove fruit (compost!) Top up with about 4-6c sugar dissolved in warm water.
Once SG is at .0998 or less - add 12 crushed campden tablets, 1 pkt kieselsol, stabilizer and STIR STIR STIR for about 6 minutes with the drill extension mixer.
Wait 15 minutes to an hour and add 2 pkts clarifier. Stir 1 minute.
Wait another 15 minutes to an hour, add last pkt kieselsol, stir 30 minutes and leave covered to clear (about 2-3 days) DO NOT MOVE your pail during this time!!
After the 2-3 days, rack to carboy. Allow to bulk age, racking every 3 months or so. I would let this age at least a year.
I find that homemade scratch wines take 5-9 years to be good. So, if you were hoping to drink something now - buy a winekit from Lumsden Florist etc. and it will be drinkable as soon as 7 days if you use an accelerator!
Good luck
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Edible Flowers
Which types of flowers are edible? Here is a short list:
*carnations *bee balm
*chrysanthemums *bachelor buttons
*dandelions *dill
*daylilies *sage
*geraniums *gladiola
*apple and plum blossoms *hollyhock
*jasmine *malva
*lavender *primrose
*roses *geranium
*dandelions *dill
*daylilies *sage
*geraniums *gladiola
*apple and plum blossoms *hollyhock
*jasmine *malva
*lavender *primrose
*roses *geranium
*nasturtium
*squash blossoms
*calendula
*marigold
*hibiscus
*snapdragons
*pansies
*violets
*violets
*lilac
*pea
*Anise Hyssop (agastache)
Candied / Crystallized Flowers
Candied flowers make beautiful decorations for desserts and can last up to one year. This job takes a little patience. It seems to go more quickly if you do it with a friend.
Prep Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour
· Rinsed and dried edible flower blossoms, separated from the stem (see below)
· 1 extra-large egg white, at room temperature
· Few drops of water
· About 1 cup superfine sugar
· A small paint brush
· A baking rack covered with waxed paper or parchment paper
In a small bowl, combine the egg white with the water and beat lightly with a fork or small whisk until the white just shows a few bubbles. Place the sugar in a shallow dish.
Holding a flower or petal in one hand, dip a paint brush into the egg white with the other and gently paint the flower. Cover the flower or petal completely but not excessively. Holding the flower or petal over the sugar dish, gently sprinkle sugar evenly all over on both sides. Place the flower or petal on the waxed paper to dry. Continue with the rest of the flowers.
Let the flowers dry completely; they should be free of moisture. This could take 12 to 36 hours, depending on humidity. To hasten drying, you may place the candied flowers in an oven with a pilot light overnight, or in an oven set at 150 degrees to 200 degrees F with the door ajar for a few hours.
Store the dried, candied flowers in airtight containers until ready to use. They will keep for as long as a year.
Suggested flowers include apple or plum blossoms, wild roses, lilac florets, rose petals, scented geraniums, violas, violets, Johnny-jump-ups, nasturtiums, and pansy petals.
Holding a flower or petal in one hand, dip a paint brush into the egg white with the other and gently paint the flower. Cover the flower or petal completely but not excessively. Holding the flower or petal over the sugar dish, gently sprinkle sugar evenly all over on both sides. Place the flower or petal on the waxed paper to dry. Continue with the rest of the flowers.
Let the flowers dry completely; they should be free of moisture. This could take 12 to 36 hours, depending on humidity. To hasten drying, you may place the candied flowers in an oven with a pilot light overnight, or in an oven set at 150 degrees to 200 degrees F with the door ajar for a few hours.
Store the dried, candied flowers in airtight containers until ready to use. They will keep for as long as a year.
Suggested flowers include apple or plum blossoms, wild roses, lilac florets, rose petals, scented geraniums, violas, violets, Johnny-jump-ups, nasturtiums, and pansy petals.
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Date and Marigold Muffins
Makes 12 Small muffins
¾ c milk
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1c Self Raising Flour
2/3 c Sugar
½ teasp Salt
1/4c coarsely chopped Dates
2 tbsp Marigold Petals, (Blossom) chopped
Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin.
Place the milk, oil and egg in a small mixing bowl and whisk to thorough blend. Set aside.
Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl, stir to combine then add the chopped dates and marigold petals and mix to distribute evenly throughout the mixture.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture then pour in the egg mixture and stir until just moistened. Do not over mix.
Divide the mixture between the greased muffin cups sprinkle with the white sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean.
Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack.
¾ c milk
2 tbsp Vegetable Oil
1 Egg, lightly beaten
1c Self Raising Flour
2/3 c Sugar
½ teasp Salt
1/4c coarsely chopped Dates
2 tbsp Marigold Petals, (Blossom) chopped
Preheat the oven to 400F and lightly grease a 12 hole muffin tin.
Place the milk, oil and egg in a small mixing bowl and whisk to thorough blend. Set aside.
Place the flour, sugar and salt in a large mixing bowl, stir to combine then add the chopped dates and marigold petals and mix to distribute evenly throughout the mixture.
Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture then pour in the egg mixture and stir until just moistened. Do not over mix.
Divide the mixture between the greased muffin cups sprinkle with the white sugar and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until a wooden pick inserted in centre comes out clean.
Remove muffins from tin and cool on a wire rack.
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Tulip Tuna Salad Makes 4 servings
12 brightly colored tulips
2 cans albacore tuna packed in water, drained
3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 / 3 cup mayonnaise
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lettuce for garnish
2 cans albacore tuna packed in water, drained
3 stalks of celery, coarsely chopped
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 / 3 cup mayonnaise
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
Lettuce for garnish
Remove petals from 8 of the tulips, cutting off 1 / 4 inch where petal was attached to eliminate bitter part of flower. Thinly slice petals; set aside. In large bowl mix together tuna, celery, curry, mayonnaise and pepper to taste. Add sliced petals and toss gently. Cut off the stems and remove the pistils and stamens from the reserved tulips. Place each tulip on a bed of lettuce. Gently spoon the tuna mixture into the tulips. Serve.
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Lilac Wine
- 3-1/2 quarts lilac flowers
- 1-1/2 lb granulated sugar
- 10.5 oz can of Welch's 100% white grape juice frozen concentrate
- 1-1/2 tsp lemon juice
- 1/8 tsp tannin powder or ½ banana skin
- 7-1/4 pts water
- 1 tsp yeast nutrient
- Champagne yeast
Put water on to boil while culling through and rinsing flowers. Put flowers into a mesh bag. When water boils pour over sugar and welches juice in 4L primary pail. Stir until dissolved.
Add the banana skin to the mesh bag and place in pail with lemon juice. Once temperature reaches 28 – 35 degrees, add yeast nutrient and yeast. Cover, and put in a warm place for five days stirring and squeezing the mesh bag twice daily. Do not exceed this time.
Transfer liquid to secondary and fit airlock. Ferment 30 days and rack, top up and refit airlock. Rack again every 30 days until wine is clear and no longer dropping sediment. Rack into bottles and allow to age 3-6 months.
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Dill Pickle Soup – sounds weird, but it’s delicious!
1 lb Dill pickles with juice
3 Tbsp butter
1c chopped onions
2 garlic cloves minced
6c veg or beef stock (I used onion)
½c diced carrots
2c cooked sausage
Drain pickles & reserve juice. Slice pickles. Melt butter and sauté onions n garlic. Once soft, add pickles and cook for 1 minute. Add 1c of the stock and bring to a boil. Add remaining stock, carrots and pickle juice. Simmer uncovered for 15 minutes. Add sausage and cook another 15 minutes. (At this time we tried adding some bowtie pasta as well)
Knead together into a ball:
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp flour
2 Tbsp dill weed.
Add the ball to simmering soup and stir to dissolve. Cook 2 minutes until soup thickens. Remove from heat and add 1c cream
Serve with sour cream if desired. Brought to you from Rosemont School.
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Aunty Kay's
3 minute Chocolate Cake
3 minute Chocolate Cake
4Tbsp flour
4Tbsp sugar
2Tbsp cocoa
1 egg
3Tbsp milk
3Tbsp oil
vanilla
3Tbsp chocolate chips
Mix all ingredients in a small bowl. Spray Pam cooking spray into a large coffee mug (or ceramic bowl). Microwave 3 minutes.
Invert onto a plate and serve warm with ice cream, berries, bananas, booze, whipped cream... you get the idea.
Serves 2-3
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Gourmet Macadamia Nut Butter
1/2 oz DaVinci Gourmet Macadamia Nut Classic Syrup (available at Lumsden Florist)
- 1/4 pound (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened
- Using an electric mixer, whip butter and syrup together. Transfer to a bowl and refrigerate. Enjoy on toast or in hot buttered rum!
Yield - 1/2 cup
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Brandy Eggnog Cocktail
Brandy Eggnog Cocktail
- 2 oz. Brandy
- ground nutmeg (garnish)
- 1 scoop crushed ice
- 1 cup milk
Mix all ingredients except the nutmeg in a shaker. Pour into a glass. Sprinkle the nutmeg on top.
Yield: One 8-ounce serving
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Coming soon:
Aunty Sandys Famous Pickled Carrots and/or Beans
