Minestrone Soup

A hearty and healthy soup

and filling enough for a complete meal.

Adapted from the Olive Garden

Minestrone Soup...

Ingredients:

2 tbsp olive oil

1 onion diced

2 celery stocks diced

2 carrots sliced

2 small potatoes cubed

2 tsp minced garlic

1 14oz can diced tomatoes

4 cups vegetable broth

1/4 cup tomato paste

2 tsp Italian seasoning

1/2 cup small shell pasta

1 15oz can small white beans,

drained and rinsed.

1 15oz can kidney beans,

drained and rinsed.

1/2 can green beans,

or frozen green beans. 

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups baby spinach leaves

Parsley for garnish. 

I used the small shells

Instructions:

Heat olive oil in a large pot, 

 cook the vegetables until tender,

the onions, celery, carrots,

 potatoes and garlic,

approx. 15 minutes.

Add the tomatoes,

 vegetable broth, 

tomato paste and

 Italian seasoning

and simmer Approx 30 mins.

Add the pasta to the pot.

with the beans.

Simmer 10-15 minutes or

until the pasta is cooked.

Season with salt and pepper,

add the spinach and cook

and additional 2-3 minutes

or until the spinach has wilted.

Garnish with parsley and serve.

Thanks for your visit

💜💜💜

Pumpkin Loaf

 Taste the flavours of Autumn with

 this delicious Pumpkin Loaf.

 

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp allspice

Optional, 1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1 cup pumpkin puree

(I used canned, store bought

purée for this recipe.

Homemade purée is good also)

1 cup sugar 

1/2 cup unsalted butter, melted

2 large eggs, beaten

2 tsp molasses

1/4 cup water

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350dge. F

Grease and line a loaf pan

Whisk together all dry ingredients,

including the walnuts,

all except the sugar.

In another bowl, stir together, 

the pumpkin purée, 1 cup sugar,

1/2 cup melted butter, 2 beaten eggs,

2 tsp molasses, and 1/4 cup of water.

Add the dry ingredients to the 

wet ingredients and stir 

until just combined.

Do not overmix.

Place in prepared pan 

and smooth the top

Bake 350deg.F for about 55-65 minutes 

(depending on your oven and your pan, 

dark pans and glass pans, 

 cook the contents more 

quickly than light pans).

Loaf is done when a toothpick or 

tester poked in the centre of the loaf,

comes out clean. 

Remove from the oven and

let cool in pan for 10 minutes.

Remove from pan and let

 cool on a rack completely.

Can be frozen and enjoyed later,

wrapped in saran wrap

 and aluminum foil.

For my recipe on homemade

 pumpkin purée,

click here

Also, for my recipe on 

Cranberry Pumpkin Loaf,

click here

Enjoy!!

Happy Autumn!
💛💛💛

Mini Pizzas

I like making mini pizzas to freeze

 and have on hand for lunch, 

snack or if the grandkids come by.   

Pizzas can be made with a variation of 

different toppings.

 This is one of my favourites. 

 

 

 

Ingredients:

1 large can pizza sauce(14oz).

1 pepperoni, I use Lester's.

1/2 green pepper.

Spices: Use what you have on hand.

I use oregano,

parsley, pepper, chives

and garlic powder.

Grated cheese.

Some mini tomatoes.

For the crust, 

One package of Naan Rounds, (16)

and 2 hamburger buns, separated.

(I wanted to use up all the sauce

so I added the hamburger buns.)

Directions:

Slice the pepperoni, 

and green pepper as

thin as possible.

Slice the tomatoes.

Spread the crusts on cookie sheets

and cover with about 1 tbsp of sauce.

Place on the pepperoni,

  green pepper and sliced tomatoes.

Add the spices.

Next top with shredded cheese

Bake in a preheated oven at 400deg. F,

for 10 minutes.

To reheat, warm up in the oven 

or microwave, a few minutes
or enjoy cold.

Sometimes instead of pepperoni,

I use sausages, taking off the casing 

and cook in a skillet, adding it to

the pizza. Less fat than pepperoni.

Thanks for your visit 

💛💛💛

Raspberry Lemon Scones

Taste the flavours of Summer with these

delicious raspberry scones.

I found this great recipe on

bakingthegoods.com

and adapted it for my blog.

 Its better to use frozen raspberries or

place your fresh raspberries

 on a cookie sheet

 into the freezer, until frozen, 

 to prevent the raspberries 

from turning to mush and

bleeding into the dough.

Ingredients:

2 1/2 cups flour

1/2 cup sugar

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

1 large lemon-zested and juiced

1/2 cup butter, cold and cut in pieces

1/2 cup buttermilk or heavy cream

2 large eggs-at room temperature

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries

In a large bowl,

whisk the flour, sugar, baking powder,

 salt and lemon zest together.

Cut in the butter

In another bowl or large measuring cup,

mix the milk, eggs, vanilla and

 2 tbsp of the lemon juice together.

(reserve the rest of the juice for the icing)

Add 2/3 of the egg mixture to the dry ingredients. 

Gently mix the dough just until it comes together

 before adding remaining milk mixture.

 Scrape the dough from the sides and bottom

 of the bowl using a spatula and 

add all the egg mixture.

 mix again to incorporate any floury scraps.

 Do not over mix.

Add the frozen raspberries as gently as possible,

then use a spatula to carefully 

fold them into the dough.

Turn the dough out onto a lightly floured surface.

Gather and pat a few times to 

get the dough to come together.

Don't knead the dough.

Gently form dough into one 7-8" disk for a larger scones or

two 3-4" disks for a smaller scones about 1 inch thick.

(Optional) Freeze the dough disks before slicing,

 I find it easier to slice. 

Transfer the disks to a parchment lined

 baking sheet and place in the freezer, about 20 minutes.

Then use a sharp knife to cut each

disk into pie-shaped wedges and 

return to the freezer to chill more

 while the oven preheats to 

350 deg. F.  

Bake in the middle of the oven, 

30-35 minutes for large scones or

 25-30 minutes for small scones.

The scones are ready when they turn a golden brown.

Transfer to a cooling rack to prevent sogginess.

For the glaze I used 1 cup powdered icing sugar and

a few teaspoons of the left over lemon juice 

and dribbled over the scones.

Also I make 

Rhubarb Cinnamon Scones

Thanks for your visit. 

💗💗💗

Cherry Rhubarb Pie

 

Taste the flavours of

Summer with this

Cherry and Rhubarb Pie,

 and it's fast and easy to make.

Ingredients:

2 cups chopped rhubarb

1 can cherry pie filling 

(21 ounces or 540ml)

3/4 cup white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch

Pastry for one double-crust (9 inch.)

or two 7inch smaller pies.

Directions:

Preheat Oven to 400deg.F.

Mix together the rhubarb,

 pie-filling, sugar and cornstarch

 in a large bowl.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

Meanwhile roll out your crust.

Fill with filling.

Bake 400deg. for 15 minutes then 

decrease oven temp to 

350 for 40-50 minutes.

I used glass pie plates and 

placed them 2nd rack up 

from the bottom of the oven.

I adapted this recipe from

all recipes.com.

Enjoy!!

💖💖💖

Old Fashioned Rhubarb Pie.

 

This old fashioned rhubarb pie

is so easy to make

with only 5 ingredients.

Growing up we always had rhubarb growing.

We would take a stock and dip it in sugar.

That was our candy. 

I adapted this recipe from

allrecipes.com

It is very similar to

my Mom's pie.

Ingredients

1 1/3 cups white sugar

5 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1 double piecrust for a 9-inch pie

4 cups chopped rhubarb

1 tbsp butter

Preheat Oven to 450deg.F

Place an oven rack in the lowest position.

Combine sugar and flour in a bowl.

Add the rhubarb and mix together.

Place in pie-pan.

Dot the top with butter

and add the top crust.

I use the same recipe and made two 7 inch pies

Bake in the preheated 

oven at 450, for 15 minutes.

Reduce oven to 350deg.F

Continue baking for another

 40-45 minutes, until filling is

bubbly and crust is golden brown.

Serve warm or cold.

Also delicious with ice cream. 

It's a good year for Rhubarb.

I have a huge patch. 

I also make Strawberry and Rhubarb pie.

 For the recipe, click here

Thanks for your visit.

💜💜💜

CrockPot Pouding Chômeur ~ CrockPot Maple Pudding.

• 
  
  
  Spring time here in Quebec, means maple syrup time.The syrup is collected from the maple trees and boiled into a sweet maple syrup.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  This maple pudding is greatfor dessert, if company is coming.My daughter made it for Easterand I liked it so much that Idecided to add it to mycookbook, (this blog).
  This recipe is adapted from ricardocuisine.com
  The recipe can be cut in 1/2for a smaller pudding.
  
  Ingredients:
  1 can 19 oz. (540ml) maple syrup2 cups (473ml) 35% cream
  1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour2 tsp baking powder1/4 tsp salt
  1/2 cup softened butter3/4 cup white sugar
  2 eggs3/4 cup milk1 tsp vanilla
  
  Directions:Grease the crock pot
  In a saucepan, combine the maple syrup and cream and bring to a boil.Pour into the crockpot.
  
  
  
  
  
  
  
  In a bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder and salt.
  In another bowl, cream the butter and sugar with an electric mixer.Add the eggs, one at a time and beat until smooth.Add the vanilla.
  At low speed, add the dry ingredients, alternating with the milk
  
  
  
  With an ice cream scoop, or a large spoon, scoop the batter on the hot syrup.
  
  
  
  Place 2 layers of paper towel (or a clean dishtowel),on top of the crockpot container,without touching the batter and cover with the lid to hold in place.This step prevents water from forming on the surface of the cake.
  
  
  
  Cook on high temperature,  for 2 hours. 
  
  
  
  It's done. Smells so nice...
  
  
  
  
  
  Serve warm or cold.
  
  An oven baked Pouding Chômeur,Poor-Mans Pudding, baked in the oven.Click here for the recipe.This recipe uses less maple syrup and cream and is delicious also.
  
  
  
  
  Thanks for your visit.
  🍁🍁🍁