Nonni's Raisin Muffins

 

Makes 10-12 

Both my Italian and Ukrainian grandmothers made these muffins for us. You can make them in the mini muffin pans for little snacks for toddlers. The brown sugar gives them a rich dark color with a molasses flavor. They are delicious with a bit of butter. 

To make these vegan, substitute vegan butter and an egg replacer.

Ingredients: 

1/2 cup unsalted butter (room temperature) 

2/3 cup brown sugar 

1 extra large egg 

1 tsp vanilla 

1 1/2 cups seedless raisins or sultanas 

1 1/2 cups water 

1 1/2 cups plus 2 TBS plain flour 

1 tsp baking powder 

1 tsp baking soda 

Directions: 

Gently boil the raisins and water together in a small pot for 20 minutes, on medium heat. Cool. 

Cream the butter, sugar, egg and vanilla. Add the dry ingredients and mix well. Add the cooled raisins/water mixture, stirring gently just until blended. Do not overmix. 

Spoon into greased muffin pans and bake at 350F/180C for 15-20 minutes till golden brown. 

Let cool in tins before removing them. 

Reduce baking time if using the mini muffin pans. 

Healthy Dog Treats

Ingredients:

2 cups of rolled oats, or oat flour

1/2 cup natural peanut butter (no added sugar or xylitol)

1/2 cup soft fruit or vegetables 

(cooked apple, carrots, sweet potato, pumpkin or one banana). 

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 200F (105C) 

If using oatmeal, place it in a food processor and blend it until the oats are mostly ground. This is how you can make your own oat flour.

Add the banana and peanut butter and process until the dough comes together. If it seems too dry, add more peanut butter or more banana. Shape into a ball and roll out to 1/4" thick. 

Cut out your shapes using a cookie cutter, or just cut into squares. Re-roll edges and bits. 

Place on two cookie sheet and bake until the dog treats are dry and crisp (about 1 1/2 to 2 hours). 

Keep checking on them every so often. The cooking time will depend on how thick you rolled them out. Less time will be needed if the treats are thinner. Watch carefully so they do not get too dark. 

Once the treats are fully dehydrated, they can be stored at room temperature for a few weeks. Once cooled, they should 'snap' when broken in two pieces. 

Makes about 60 treats when cut into 1" squares.

A convection oven works well and helps to dry out the biscuits. 

Dog Treats

  
  

Gingerbread Cookies (Vegan)

 

Makes 8 - 10 cookies

Ingredients: 

100g/ 1 cup of almond flour 

1/2 tsp powdered ginger 

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp allspice 

1 1/2 TBS of molasses 

2 TBS maple syrup 

1.5 TBS of coconut oil 

Directions: 

1.  Stir the almond flour and spices together.  Add the molasses, maple syrup and coconut oil and mix till dough holds together. 

2. Using a tablespoon, roll the dough into balls. 

3. Place on a cookie sheet, lined with parchment paper.  Using a fork, press lightly to create a cross-hatch design.  

4. Bake at 180C/350F for about 10 minutes until golden. The cookies will be soft and chewy. 

5. Cool on baking sheets for 5 minutes, and move to a rack to cool. 

Store in an airtight container for 5 days. These will stay about 2 weeks in the fridge or 3 months in the freezer. 

Vegan Peanut Butter Cookies

 

Ingredients: 

1 cup natural peanut butter (270g), creamy or crunchy (or almond butter) 

1 cup coconut sugar or pure cane sugar (192g) (or reduce to 3/4 cup sugar for a less sweet cookie)

6 TBS almond milk at room temperature 

2 tsp vanilla extract 

1 cup flour (120g) spelt, unbleached all-purpose, almond flour or 1-1 gluten-free blend 

1 tsp baking soda 

pinch of salt if nut butter is unsalted 

1/2 cup vegan chocolate chips or chopped chocolate (optional)

Directions: 

Preheat oven to 350F (180C). Line a cookie sheet with silicone mat or parchment paper, or leave ungreased. 

In a large bowl, add the peanut butter and sugar and mix till creamy.  Stir in the almond milk and vanilla.  Next, add the flour, baking soda and salt and mix to combine. The dough will be tough to stir, but you can use your hands to mix it together. 

Using a 1.5 TBS scooper, scoop out the dough and roll into balls, about 1 1/4 ".  Place the balls of dough about 2 1/2 inches apart on a baking sheet. Using the back of a fork, (dipped in sugar) flatten in a crisscross pattern. Sprinkle with sugar or coarse salt (optional). 

Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes.  (12 minutes will give you a crispier cookie that is tender inside). 

Let cool a few minutes, then transfer to a wire rack.

Makes 20-24 cookies. 

Recipe can be cut in half or doubled. 

Store cookies in an airtight container on the counter for 5 days. To keep longer, store in the refrigerator for up to 2 weeks. They can also be stored in a freezer safe container for up to 2 months. 

Steaks on the Barbecue

Tenderloin steaks or thick cut strip steaks 

Directions for perfect steaks! Medium Rare

1)  Take the steaks out of the fridge about 1/2 hour before you want to cook them so they are at room temperature.  Pat dry with a paper towel. 

2) Season the steaks 5 minutes before cooking, on both sides with your favorite steak spice. I like the spice from The Lord Nelson in Burlington, Ontario, or Barbarian's or Weber is also very good. 

3) Turn all the barbecue burners on high heat. Brush the grill with oil when it is hot. 

4) When the barbecue is 450-500, put the steaks on the grill for 2 minutes on direct/high heat. (1 to 1 1/2" steaks). Sear for 3 minutes if the steaks are thicker (2"- 2 1/2"). 

5) Turn the heat down to medium and flip the steaks.  Close the lid. Cook on Medium/ Direct heat for 6 minutes. Then flip them again and cook an additional 2 minutes. So total cooking time is 10 minutes. 

6) Put on a plate, add a dot of butter on each one, and cover loosely with foil. Let them rest for about 5 minutes before cutting into them. 

7) To check for doneness during cooking, press gently with the ginger or a finger.  They should be fairly soft like the inside of your palm. If you need to cook them more, put them back on the grill on in-direct heat for a couple of minutes. 

8) Adjust the cooking time for Rare or Medium. 

Best Gourmet Hamburgers

 Makes 4 

Ingredients:

1 lb. ground beef (80-90% lean)

   For Vegan burgers, substitute Gardein ground beef 

   or Beyond Meat ground beef

1 TBS water

2 TBS barbeque sauce

½ tsp salt or steak seasoning 

¼ tsp pepper

1 tsp Dijon mustard

1 egg, or equivalent egg substitute

¼ cup dry breadcrumbs

Mix the egg, water, mustard, barbeque sauce, salt, pepper together in a bowl with a whisk or fork till smooth.  Add the breadcrumbs and whisk.  Then add the ground meat and mix gently with a wooden spoon till it holds together.

Make 3 - 4 patties per pound of meat. Each one is about 4-5 oz.  Make a ball and then press flat to about ¾ “ thickness.  Handle gently.

Barbeque on med-high heat for about 4-5 minutes per side.  Turn once and do not move them once they touch the grill till you’re ready to flip them. (Otherwise they’ll stick).  Do not press them while they are cooking.  (They’ll dry out).

Top with sliced cheddar cheese or vegan cheese.  Lightly toast the buns. 

You can add salt & pepper before serving.

Serve with your favorite condiments. 

Fettuccine Alfredo - with Crispy Prosciutto

 

Serves 2
as a main course 

or 4 as a side dish 

Ingredients: 

1 lb or 375g of Fettuccine Pasta *

6 TBS butter 

1 Garlic clove (minced or pressed) 

1 1/2 cups of heavy cream (35% whipping cream)

1 1/4 cups of grated parmesan cheese 

1/4 tsp pepper 

salt (as needed after tasting) 

2 TBS fresh Italian Parsley, chopped 

3 strips of Prosciutto, sautéed and chopped

Instructions: 

* You can used dried or fresh pasta. The fresh pasta cooks very quickly in 4-6 minutes and the dried will take longer. 

1) In a large pot, boil the water till you see a rapid boil. Add salt. Once it is boiling, turn the heat down to medium high, add the fettuccine and cook according to package directions. 

2) Heat a non-stick frying pan on medium-high and add a little oil. Lay the prosciutto slices down in a single layer and fry till crisp. Turn once. Remove. Let cool and chop into diced pieces. Reserve. 

3) In a large skillet or pan, heat the butter over medium heat. Add the minced garlic and cook for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the heavy cream. 

4) Let the heavy cream reduce by simmering on med-low for 5-8 minutes. Stir occasionally. Then add 1/2 cup of the grated parmesan to the pan and whisk till smooth and the cheese has melted. 

5) Drain the fettuccine and save some of the pasta water (about 1/2 cup). It can be used to make the sauce a bit thinner of if is a bit dry. 

6) Toss the noodles in the saucepan and add another 1/2 cup of the parmesan cheese.  Add a bit of the pasta water if the sauce is too thick. 

7) Serve in pasta bowls with a fork and spoon to twirl. Sprinkle the chopped parsley and chopped prosciutto on each serving. Serve remaining 1/4 cup of grated parmesan in a bowl for guests to add.  

Salt & pepper as needed. 

Recipe adapted from Modern Honey