My Corner of the World

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Category Archives: Recipes

Rhubarb Cheesecake Squares

I got this recipe from another site, but quite frankly, I didn’t find the author put enough cheesecake filling in. I also made it a little more nutritionally friendly. Note: Baking Splenda can be substituted with white or brown sugar and whole wheat flour can be substituted with all-purpose.

Ingredients:

Crust

  • 2 c. whole wheat (if you use the optional rolled oats and coconut, reduce the flour amount by a 1/2 cup)
  • 1 c. baking Splenda
  • 1 c. large flaked rolled oats (optional)
  • 1 c. shredded coconut (optional)
  • 1 c. butter, chilled

Filling

  • 4 c. chopped rhubarb
  • 1- 3 oz. pkg. strawberry or raspberry Jell-O
  • 3 bricks cream cheese (room temperature)
  • 2 1/2 c. baking Splenda (divided)
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla

Preparation:

  1. Preheat the oven to 350 F
  2. In a bowl, combine flour and sweetener. Cut in the butter and mix until texture is like coarse crumbs.
  3. Mix in coconut and rolled oats
  4. Pour half of the crust mixture into a greased 9×13 pan and press into the bottom and sides to create the crust
  5. Bake in the oven for 15 minutes and remove
  6. In a medium-sized bowl, coat the rhubarb with the jello and 1/2 c. of
    the sweetener and set aside. You can steam the rhubarb in the microwave for 5 minutes if you want to ensure it will be soft enough for someone without teeth to enjoy
  7. In a new bowl, combine cream cheese and sweetener until light and fluffy. Add eggs and vanilla. Mix at medium speed until well-blended
  8. Pour the cream cheese mixture over the partially-baked crust, and spread it evenly with caution to avoid breaking the crust up
  9. Sprinkle the rhubarb mixture over the cream cheese (be aware that the cream cheese mixture is soft, so you won’t be able to do a lot of spreading without getting it all mixed up). Top with the remaining crust mixture
  10. Bake at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes
  11. Cool on a cooling rack for about an hour before cutting into it
  12. Refrigerate for a couple of hours, but if you can’t wait at this point, that’s ok. Slice into it and enjoy!

Mild Taco Seasoning

This isn’t a spicy seasoning mix but it’s packed with flavour!

Ingredients:

  • 4 tbsp chili powder
  • 2 tsp paprika
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 5 tsp whole cumin seeds
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
  • 1 tsp onion powder

Preparation:

Well… mix everything together and use it 😉

Corn Salsa

Another one from the Canadian Living Test Kitchen (I trust their recipes)…  They listed the ingredients but no prep instructions.  I’ll make up my own 😉  I’m guessing they roast the corn before adding the tomatoes, etc., but I’m sure if you boiled it in water or steamed it in the Instant Pot, it would be just as good.  Brad and I have agreed to stick in in the BBQ (husk and all) and let it roast that way.

Ingredients:

  • 2 cobs corn (unhusked)
  • 1/2 cup coarsely chopped onion
  • 2 or 3 quartered Roma tomatoes
  • 2 tablespoons chopped fresh coriander
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice
  • 1 teaspoon minced jalapeno pepper (optional)
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Preparation:

Roast, boil, or steam corn.  Once cooled, remove from the cob.

Add everything, except corn, in a food processor and chop it until desired consistency.  Empty into a bowl, add corn and mix well.

Note:  We’re making many batches to can it.  Also, I add a bit more lime juice to bring out the taste.

Corn Relish

From the Canadian Living Test Kitchen (I trust their recipes)…

Ingredients:

  • 2 cups white vinegar
  • 1 cup granulated sugar
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon dry mustard
  • 1/2 teaspoon celery seeds
  • 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
  • 1/2 teaspoon hot pepper sauce
  • 5 cups corn kernels
  • 1 1/2 cup finely chopped onion
  • 1 cup finely chopped celery
  • 3 tablespoons all purpose flour
  • 1 cup diced sweet red pepper
  • 1 cup diced sweet green pepper

Preparation:

In large Dutch oven or saucepan, bring vinegar, sugar, salt, mustard, celery seeds, turmeric and hot pepper sauce to boil. Stir in corn, onions and celery; reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, until softened, about 20 minutes.

Whisk flour with 3 tbsp (45 mL) cold water; whisk into pan. Add red and green peppers; bring to boil and cook, stirring often, until thickened, about 5 minutes.

Fill hot 1-cup (250 mL) canning jars, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) headspace. Cover with prepared lids. Screw on bands until resistance is met; increase to fingertip tight. Boil in boiling water canner for 10 minutes.

Mild Salsa

This is a really nice salsa recipe that requires no cooking, it’s mild but has a little kick to it in the back of your throat (nothing major though).  If you want it spicier, add peppers.  The original recipe called for green tomotoes, but I had red ones to use and they worked out great.  A friend of mine did hers with green and she really liked it.

Ingredients:

  • About 13 cups chopped (quarters or eighths depending on size) Roma tomatoes
  • 2 medium onions (we used 1.5 but we had the stalks of the onions in since they were out of our garden)
  • 1 green or red pepper
  • 1 c. fresh cilantro
  • 2 tbsp. minced garlic
  • 1/4 c. sugar
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 8 – 10 tbsp. lime juice
  • 3 tbsp. fresh oregano (you could probably use dried too, just crush it in your fingers before to release the taste)
  • 3/4 tbsp. cayenne
  • a couple of pinches red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar

Preparation:

Combine tomatoes, onions, and peppers in a large bowl.

Mix cilantro, sugar, garlic, oregano, vinegar, and cayenne pepper together in a small bowl.

Fill food processor with about 2 cups tomato mixture, 1 tbsp. lime juice, and 1/4 of the spice mixture; blend to desired consistency and pour into a large bowl. Repeat processing with remaining tomato mixture, lime juice, and spice mixture, working in batches, until all ingredients are blended.  Stir complete batch together well.  

Can it or freeze what you don’t eat right away 🙂

Note:  You might have more tomato mixture left over than spice mix.  Don’t worry, just continue processing it to desired consistency and once it’s in the finished pot, stir it all together well.  Also, I added the remained of the lime juice into the processed pot.  If you don’t like much lime in it, use less.

 

Spaghetti Squash Pie

This year we had an abundance of spaghetti squash from our garden.  Today I finally tried to make a pie out of it, similar to a pumpkin pie.  It turned out great!  Basically it’s pumpkin pie, but with spaghetti squash.

Ingredients:

  • 1 small spaghetti squash (about 2 c.)
  • 1/4 -1/2 c. water
  • 1/2 can evaporated milk (coconut milk will do too)
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 2 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. ginger
  • 1/4 c.brown Splenda
  • 2 large eggs
  • Pie shell

Preparation:

Cut and peel the squash, microwave with the water for about 18 min.  Drain and mash well (I used my immersion blender).

Add remaining ingredients (except pie shell, of course) and mix well.  Pour into a pie shell.  Bake at 375F for about 15 min. then reduce heat to 350F and bake for another 20 min. or until the center has completely set.  Let cool/refrigerate before serving.

 

Red River Cookies/Cake – Base

So I’ve tried making cookies with this recipe and cake.  Both turn out well.  This recipe doesn’t make sweet cookies or cake so if you’re looking to use up the leftover Red River cereal and want something sweet, you’ll have to add sweetener, sugar, honey, maple syrup or whatever it is you’re wanting to make it sweeter with.   It would probably do well in a loaf pan as a “bread”.   I find it very nice with Betty Crocker French Vanilla icing.

Ingredients:

  • 2 c. all purpose flour
  • 2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1 tsp. salt
  • 1 tsp. cinnamon
  • 1/2 tsp. nutmeg
  • 1/2 tsp. ginger
  • 1/4 c.brown Splenda
  • 2 medium mashed bananas
  • 1 1/4 c. cooked Red River cereal
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 tsp. almond extract

Preparation:

Mix the dry ingredients together and set aside.  Mix the remaining ingredients.  When everything is mixed, if you want to add chocolate chips (or butterscotch etc. chips), shredded coconut, raisins, almonds or whatever, fold them into the batter now.

Cake:

Pour batter into a greased pan.  Bake at 350 C for about 45 – 60 min.   Check doneness periodically after 40 min.

Cookies:

Drop a tablespoon of batter onto a cookie sheet and leave about an inch of space between each.  Repeat until there’s no more room left.  Bake at 350 C for about 20 min.

Peanut Butter Banana Bread

OK, so we call it bread but it’s really cake in the shape of bread 😉 Anyhow, I came across a recipe for this and changed it up to make it a little healthier. Here goes…

Ingredients:

  • 2 c. all purpose flour
  • 1 tsp. baking soda
  • 1/2 tsp. baking powder
  • 1/2 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 c. sweetener (baking Splenda)
  • 1/4 c.brown Splenda
  • 4 medium mashed bananas
  • 3/4 c. creamy peanut butter
  • 1/4 c. honey
  • 1/3 c. milk
  • 2 large eggs
  • 1 tbsp. vanilla extract
  • 1 c. chocolate chips (optional)

Preparation:

Mix first 6 ingredients (dry ones) and set aside.  Mix remaining ingredients except chocolate chips.  When everything is mixed, if you want to add your chocolate chips (or butterscotch etc. chips), fold them into the batter now.  Pour batter into a greased loaf pan.  Bake at 350 C for an hour or so.

Beer Balls

So I had all this Garden Cocktail my uncle gave me that was past it’s best before date that I wanted to get used up.  Besides making cream of tomato soup (with soup mix legume/grain mix), I thought I’d try making some kind of beer ball dish.  What I came up with is actually quite good.  My uncle had brought down a pack of medium ground beef so I put my thinking cap on.  You could use lean or extra lean, but you might want to consider adding more eggs to hold it all together.

Ingredients:

Meatballs:

  • about 1 tbsp. bacon grease (use whatever oil you want, I don’t want to hear about bacon grease being unhealthy, it adds good taste)
  • 500 g. medium ground beef
  • 1 egg
  • 1/2 tube of soda biscuit, finely crushed (by hand is good enough)
  • a pinch of salt
  • a pinch of pepper
  • 1/2 small onion, diced

Optional:

  • 1/2 large onion, diced or thinly sliced (optional)

Sauce:

  • about 2 c. Garden Cocktail
  • the better half of a beer (I wanted to get Beck’s non-alcohol beer used up, it worked well)
  • about 2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
  • 1/3 c. Ketchup
  • 1/3 c. medium garlic sauce (e.g. VH sauce)

Preparation:

Heat the oil (the bacon grease in my case) in a large sauce pan or frying pan.  Mix the meatball ingredients together and form into balls about 1″ to 1.5 ” in diameter (try not to overwork the meat otherwise it will be a little tough, not the end of the world though).  Place each meatball in the hot pan and cook on medium heat.

Mix all the sauce ingredients in a bowl.

As the meatballs are frying, add the optional loose onion in the pan and cover.  Turn meatballs occasionally and cook meat entirely.  Once the meat is cooked and the optional onion is translucent, add the sauce.  Cover and bring to a boil for about 20 minutes while stirring occasionally, then simmer on low for about a half hour.  Serve with potatoes, rice, or whatever side you like.