Dan's Hearty Brunswick Stew

INGREDIENTS:

1 cup chopped onions
1 stalk celery, chopped
1 pound of ground venison (or beef)
2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut in 1-inch cubes
1 cup baby carrots, cut into 1-inch slices
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes, with liquid
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup barbeque sauce
salt and pepper to taste
1/2 green pepper
1/2 red pepper
8 oz. sliced mushrooms
1 19 oz. can cream corn

DIRECTIONS:

Heat the olive oil in a large skillet. Cook the venison until browned.

In slow cooker, combine tomatoes and liquid, ketchup and barbeque sauce. Add chicken, venison, corn, salt and pepper, red and green peppers, carrots, and mushrooms. Cover; cook on low for 6 to 8 hours.

Photo credit: justinlai

Oatmeal Maddy Cookies

I just took these cookies out of the oven, and since I had already made a cup of tea, well...I couldn't help myself. (One cookie turned into two...)I've had my fair share of oatmeal cookies over the years, but these are outstanding! They're moist and chewy, and this version is loaded with oats. This recipe is from "The IDEAL WAY to Cook: Food for Thought."

3/4 cup butter at room temperature
3/4 cup light brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1 large egg
2 tbsp. water
pinch of salt
2 tsp. vanilla extract
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/4 cup whole-wheat flour
2 tbsp. wheat germ
3/4 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. ground cinnamon
3 cups rolled oats
3/4 cup raisins
3/4 cup chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350F.

Cream butter and sugars in mixer until light and fluffy. Add egg, water and vanilla. Beat until combined.

In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, salt, baking soda and cinnamon. Add to creamed mixture. Mix until combined. Add oats, raisins, and chocolate chips. Mix with a wooden spoon.

Bake 12-15 minutes or until a rich brown colour.


IDEAL TIP: You should cool cookie sheets between batches to keep unbaked cookies from melting and thinning at the edges before they can be set by the heat of the oven.


Photo credit: Lara604

Cranberry Apple Crumble Squares

Great way to use up leftover cranberry sauce in a square that's to die for, whether you serve it warm and topped with vanilla ice cream, or right out of the fridge.

1 large Granny Smith apple

1/2 cup whole berry cranberry sauce

1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries

1 tbsp. lemon juice

3/4 cup each all-purpose flour and rolled oats

1/4 tsp. baking soda

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup butter

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly spray an 8-inch square baking dish with nonstick cooking spray. Peel, core and thinly slice apple. Place in a bowl along with cranberry sauce, cranberries and lemon juice. Stir until mixed.

In a medium bowl, stir flour with oats, sugars, baking soda, nutmeg, cinnamon and salt until mixed. Using your fingers, mix in butter until well combined and crumbly.

Press half the oat mixture on base of pan. Spoon fruit mixture overtop, evenly distributing fruit. Crumble remaining oatmeal mixture over fruit, pressing in lightly. Bake until crumble is golden brown, 40 to 45 minutes. Cool before cutting. Store squares in pan in fridge.

Makes about 20 squares.

Photo credit: anne.oeldorfhirsch

Heartsmart Pumpkin Streusel Muffins

From "The IDEAL Way to Cook: Food for Thought"

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1 tsp. cinnamon

1 tsp. nutmeg

3/4 cup brown sugar, packed

1/4 cup Becel oil

1 cup pumpkin (canned)

1 egg

1 cup skim milk

1/2 cup raisins

Streusel Topping

3 tbsp. brown sugar

2 tbsp. flour

1/4 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1 tbsp. margarine

Preheat oven to 400F. Spray muffin pan with Becel oil. In large bowl, mix flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In medium bowl, whisk sugar, oil, pumpkin, egg and milk. Stir liquid mix into dry. Add raisins. Combine topping ingredients in a separate bowl. Fill muffin cups. Sprinkle with topping and bake 20 minutes. Makes 12 muffins.

Photo credit: MllePeterson

White & Dark Chocolate Date Oatmeal Cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup quick oats

4 tbsp. ground flaxseed (optional)

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder

1/2 cup butter, room temperature

1/2 cup firmly-packed dark brown sugar

1/2 white sugar

1 egg

1 tsp. vanilla

1 cup chopped pitted dates

1/2 cup coarsley chopped semisweet white chocolate

1/2 cup coarsley chopped semisweet dark chocolate

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease two cookie sheets. Mix first five ingredients together in medium bowl. Using electric mixer, cream butter and sugars in large bowl until light and fluffy. Beat in egg and vanilla. Mix in oatmeal mixture. Stir in remaining ingredients. Drop rounded tablespoons of dough about two inches apart onto prepared cookie sheets. Bake until brown, about 10 minutes. Cool 5 minutes on cookie sheets. Transfer cookies to rack and cool completely. Store in airtight container. Makes about 2 dozen.

Gluten-Free Flour Substitute (for Celiac Disease)

Celiac disease affects one in 150 people and often occurs with other conditions such as Down syndrome. It is an inherited condition and can appear at any time in a person's life. Celiac disease causes a person to have a permanent allergy to gluten, which is a protein found in various wheats (durum, kamut, spelt, barley, rye and triticale).

When gluten is eaten, it causes damage to the absorptive lining of the small intestine and can result in malnutrition, anemia, nutritional deficiences and an increased risk to other diseases including cancers of the digestive system.

Celiac disease cannot be cured. It is a permanent condition, but can be controlled without medications by eating a gluten-free diet which includes rice and corn flours, some ancient grains (ie. amaranth), as well as flours made from various beans, potato and tapioca.

Gluten-Free Flour Substitute:
Substitute in equal quantities, cup for cup, for white flour in your favourite recipes.

2 c. RICE FLOUR (white or brown)
2/3 c. POTATO STARCH (do not use potato flour)
1/3 c. TAPIOCA STARCH or TAPIOCA FLOUR
1/2 teaspoon XANTHUM GUM

Mix all ingredients well together and store in an airtight container.
You may double or triple the recipe, but mix well.
Use in place of white flour in your favourite recipes for cookies and cakes.

ALL gluten-free baked products taste best the day they are made. They are good the next day. They get quite dry by the third day. Therefore, it is best to set aside a few cookies, for example, for two days and freeze the remainder in an airtight container.

(Information and recipe submitted by Addie Daabous.)

Photo credit: kthread





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