Recipes to keep the chill winds off

Conni's Cooking Corner

By Conni Attwell

I’ve been asked for a Pea Soup recipe for November, so here are three recipes to keep the chill winds off. Enjoy!

Split Pea Soup:

(from the Sidney Museum Recipe Book)

2 smoked pork hocks

5 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 1 lb package split peas         

5 stalks celery, chopped

2 large onions, chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

In a large pot, cover pork-hocks with water. Cover and simmer all day. Remove hocks and chill liquid overnight. When hocks are cool, separate the meat from the bone. Refrigerate meat in a container overnight. The next day, add split peas to hock broth after removing large layer of fat which has risen to the top of the broth. Discard fat.

Add more water and simmer peas and broth for two hours. Add chopped vegetables, salt and pepper to taste. Simmer another two hours. Delicious. This soup also freezes well.

Meat Loaf at its best:

(from Healthy Eating for Seniors)

½ lb lean ground beef

⅓ cup low-fat milk (skim or 1%)

1 egg

¼ cup rolled oats (reg or quick cooking)

¼ cup grated carrot

2 tbl chopped onion

¼ cup low-fat grated cheddar cheese

For topping:

1 tbl ketchup

1 tbl brown sugar

1 tsp mustard, prepared

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Break egg into medium mixing bowl and beat. Add meat, rolled oats, onion, carrot and cheese and mix together with large spoon. Pack meat mixture into small loaf pan or small casserole dish. Combine ketchup, brown sugar and mustard in a cup and spread over the meat mixture. Bake about 30 to 45 minutes, or until meat is fully cooked.

Pumpkin Raisin Muffins:

(also from Healthy Eating for Seniors)

1 cup whole wheat flour

¾ cup all purpose flour

½ cup sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1½ tsp cinnamon

½ tsp nutmeg

½ tsp ginger

¾ cup raisins

½ can pumpkin puree (not pie filling)

¼ cup vegetable oil

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk

2 eggs

Heat oven to 375 degrees F. In a large bowl, combine flours, sugar, spices, baking powder, baking soda, and raisins. In a smaller bowl, beat eggs, then add pumpkin, oil, and buttermilk. Make a large well in the centre of the dry ingredients and pour the pumpkin mixture into the well. Gently fold wet and dry ingredients until just combined. Do not beat. Spoon batter into paper-lined or lightly-greased muffin tins and bake in pre-heated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until firm to touch.