Milk Chocolate Peppermint Fudge

Just before Christmas I was reading one of my favourite blogs A Charmed Wife and I read her post about Peppermint Dark Chocolate Fudge. Now I am not a big fan of dark chocolate, or not a fan at all. But I thought I could make this a Milk Chocolate Peppermint fudge. It turned out great!!
Here is what you need to make it:

• 2 Cups milk chocolate chips
• 1 Cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
• 1 Can sweetened condensed milk
• a pinch of sale
• 1/2 tsp peppermint extract (add more if you really like peppermint flavor)
• 4 crushed candy canes

How you make it:

In a heavy saucepan, over low heat, melt the chocolate chips with the condensed milk and your pinch of salt.

Stir almost constantly.Once they are all melted together remove from the heat; stir in the peppermint extract right away.

Spread evenly into a prepared 8 inch baking dish with a spatula. (Baking dish should be lined with waxed or parchment paper)Sprinkle the candy canes on top. Chill 2 hours or until firm.

Once it is ready remove from the baking dish, peel off paper, and cut into squares. It can be stored up to 2 weeks in the fridge.

ENJOY!!

Dutch Oven Beef Stew

I got a lot of new kitchen supplies for Christmas and I am looking forward to trying them all out. I decided to test out my new cast iron Dutch oven. I have wanted one of these for a long time, and was so excited to use it.

Here are the ingredients you will need for this aromatic beef stew:

• 2lbs stewing beef (cut into small chunks)
• 1 cup chopped sweet onions
• 1/2 cup chopped carrots
• 3 med. potatoes chopped
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 cup beer
• 1/2 cup beef broth
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp pepper
• 1/2 tsp thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 1/4 cup flour for coating beef

Here is how you make it:

Heat vegetable oil in a Dutch Oven over medium heat. Coat your beef chunks in flour and add to the heated oil. Braise the beef for a few minutes.

Add onions, carrots and potatoes.

Pour in Beer and Beef broth.
Add Salt, Pepper, Thyme, and the bay leaf. Bring to a boil; reduce heat, cover, and summer for 2 hours. Stir occasionally, adding more beef broth and/or beer if necessary.
ENJOY!!

Bacon-Wrapped Roasted Turkey

This is my very first attempt at cooking a turkey. My goal was to make a moist turkey with some amazing flavor. Some friends came over for an Ugly Sweater Holiday dinner.

Ingredients:
a 12- to 14-pound turkey
2 large yellow onions, cut into wedges
1 ½ pounds sliced bacon
1/2 cup white wine
Salt and ground black pepper, to taste
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
¼ cup water

Defrost your turkey completly. I put it in a sink with cold water and changed the water every few hours until it was defrosted (for 2 days).

Heat oven to 325 F. Place the turkey on a roasting rack set in a large roasting pan. Fill the pan with the onions. (I added the onions after, but it would have been much easier before)

Carefully separate the turkey's skin from the flesh, trying to avoid breaking the skin. Work strips of bacon under the skin, running them along the tops of the breasts. Three to 4 slices should fit on each breast. Pat the skin back into place over the bacon.
Place several strips of bacon inside the cavity of the bird, unless you plan to stuff it. Wrap several strips of bacon around each leg, interlacing them to keep them in place. Lay strips across the top of the whole bird, weaving them.

Roast for 3-to 3-1/2 hours, or until the breast registers 160 F and the thickest part of the thigh reaches 170 F. Allow the turkey to rest in the pan for 10 minutes. Transfer the turkey to a serving platter and let it rest another 10 minutes.


Gravy:
Add the white wine to the roasting pan and place over medium heat on the stovetop. Heat, using a silicone spatula to scrape up any bits stuck to the bottom. Strain the mixture into a small saucepan. Season with salt and pepper.

In a small bowl, mix the flour and water.

Bring the drippings in the saucepan to a boil over medium-high. Slowly pour in half the flour mixture, whisking constantly. Return to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes. Adjust the thickness of the gravy with more of the flour mixture or water until you get the desired consistency. Be sure to simmer for several minutes after each addition of flour.

ENJOY!!

Potato Thins

Ingredients:

• 2 potatoes /person
• Olive Oil spray
• salt
• pepper
• paprika
  Preheat oven to 450 degrees F.Cut the potatoes in thin slices (about 1/8 - 1/4 of an inch). Spread out in one layer on an olive oil coated baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt, pepper and a little paprika.

Bake for 15 minutes, flip, bake for an additional 15 minutes (check closely for last 10 minutes)

ENJOY!

Easy Eye of Round Roast Beef

This is a perfect weeknight roast that you can put on in the morning before you head to work! Come home to a cooked dinner and a house that smells amazing!
Ingredients:

• Eye of round roast beef
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 tsp black pepper
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 packages beef bullion
• 1 cup water
• 1-2 tbsp flour

Butterfly the roast by cutting length wise down the roast. Place in the slow cooker that has been coated with cooking spray. Sprinkle the salt and pepper over the entire roast. Stuff the garlic inside the roast where you cut.

In measuring cup mix 1 cup of hot water with the 2 packages of bullion. Pour over the roast. Cook on Low for 6-8 hrs. Baste occasionally if possible.
Remove roast from cooker and let set for 10 minutes. Carve.

Remove the drippings from the bottom of the cooker, add 1-2 tbsp flour and pour into a gravy boat. ENJOY!

Recipe File

Before I started this blog I always kept my favourite recipes in a word doc... Here it is if anyone is interested. I plan to make some of these recipes for the blog too!

Recipe File (the file looks a little funny because of the google docs)

If anyone has any fun, interesting recipe ideas please let me know!!

Quick Beef Chow Mien

This is a super fast, really flavourful chow mien dish!
Ingredients:

• 1 pkg fast fry beef, cut into thin slices
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 4 tbsp soya sauce
• 2 tbsp lime juice
• 1/4 cup matchstick carrots
• 1/2 a yellow pepper, matchstick
• a sprinkle of sesame seeds
• 1 pkg instant chow mien noodles

Boil a package of chow mein noodles as per instruction. (I use the instant ones, boil for 2 minutes)

Heat some sesame oil in a frying pan. Brown the beef, do NOT overcook.
Add 2tbsp soya sauce, lime juice, carrots, peppers and sesame seeds, mix. Cook for 1 minute. Put into a bowl and set aside.

Using the same pan from the beef, place the strained noodles in and add 2 tbsp soya sauce. Cook an additional 1 minute.

Add the meat back into the pan and stir fry for 2 minutes.

Serve and ENJOY!!

Oven Roasted Chicken

This is one of my new favourite meals, and a hit with anyone who tastes it! I have had multiple people ask me for the recipe, so here you go!! The key to this recipe is the basting... you have to do it often, so this isn't a good meal to make if you can't take the time to baste!

Ingredients:

• 2 medium sized lemons
• 1/2 cup honey garlic BBQ sauce
• 1 1/2 tsp Italian seasoning blend
• 2 large cloves of garlic, peeled, minced
• 1 - 3lb whole chicken
• 1 cup chicken broth or stock

Heat the oven to 350 degrees.

Cut the lemons in half and squeeze the juice into a bowl, set 2 lemon halves aside.

Add BBQ sauce to the lemon juice, add seasoning and stir.

Place the chicken in a roasting pan that has been sprayed with cooking spray.

Rub the chicken with the lemon halves, then stuff half of the minced garlic in each half of the lemon, and put the lemon halves in the cavity of the chicken- stuff it back as far as you can!!

Rub the chicken with salt and pepper and drizzle a bit of the bbq sauce mixture on top of the chicken.

Pour the chicken stock in the bottom of the roasting pan.

Bake for 1hr 45 minutes. Baste with the chicken stock every 15 minutes for the first hour. Baste with the lemon/bbq sauce every 10 minutes for the last 45 minutes.

Remove chicken from the oven and let sit for 10 minutes for the juices to set. Discard the lemon halves. Carve the chicken.

Reserve the pan drippings to pour over rice or potatoes. ENJOY!!

Pork Fajitas

This meal is made up of 3 recipes, Fajita seasoning, Pork Fajitas, and Apple Salsa.

Fajita Seasoning:
Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp chili powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp sugar
• 3/4 tsp chicken bullion powder
• 1/4 tsp garlic powder
• 1/4 tsp cumin

Mix everything in a bowl and pour into a spice jar or baggie and label. You will only use a few teaspoons for this recipe, but you can use the seasoning on pork, chicken or beef next time you make fajitas... it tastes much better then the pre-packaged seasoning!

Pork Fajitas

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• salt and pepper
• 1 red pepper cut into thin slices
• 1/2 onion, finely chopped
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 tsp fajita seasoning
• 1/4 cup lime juice
• 2 pork chops, cut into thin slices

Mix all of the seasonings and the garlic in a bowl and coat all of the pork slices evenly.

Heat oil in a large frying pan and add the coated pork- stir fry for 2-3 minutes.

Add the red peppers and onions- stir fry for another 4 minutes

Add lime juice and stir fry an addition 2 minutes, or until meat is cooked and the veggies are tender. Transfer to a serving bowl.

Apple Salsa

Ingredients:

• 2 tart apples, peeled and finely chopped
• 1/4 cup lemon juice
• 2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 3 tbsp fresh cilantro (I was out and just omitted)

Put the chopped apples in a bowl, add all ingredients to the bowl, and toss.

Assemble:

Set all the cooked pork and the apple salsa on the table with the fajitas. Place a spoon in each bowl and allow guests to assemble. ENJOY!!