by Conni Attwell

Here are three breakfast recipes courtesy of the Sunrise Recipe and Team Recipe collection.

SUNNY FARM DELIGHT OMELETTE:

1 breakfast sausage link              1 slice bacon

1 tbsp olive oil                          1 cup frozen shredded hash browns

¼ cup chopped onions              1/4 cup chopped green peppers

½ tsp cilantro                           ½ tsp chopped basil

½ tsp black pepper                    ½ tsp salt

3 eggs                                       1 tbsp half and half

2 slices cheddar cheese               1 tbsp shredded cheese

Fully cook sausage and bacon. Cook potatoes in olive oil until golden brown. Add sausage, bacon, onions and peppers. Cook until vegetables are tender.

Whisk together eggs and half and half. Pour into hot pan and as eggs set, lift the edges letting uncooked portions flow underneath. Add sliced cheese half way through cooking. When eggs are completely set, spoon half of the meat and vegetable mix down the middle of the omelette.

Fold omelette edges inward and flip over. Spoon remaining  meat-and—vegetable mixture over the top. Sprinkle with shredded cheese and serve immediately.

KALE AND TOMATO EGGS BENEDICT:

2 tbsp light mayonnaise                        1 tbsp warm water

2 tsp whole grain mustard         1 tsp lemon juice

1/4 cup white vinegar                1 tbsp olive oil

2 strips bacon, chopped             1 shallot, thinly sliced

8 cups baby kale                                   2 whole wheat English muffins

1 tomato, sliced                                    4 eggs

 

To make the sauce, combine  mayonnaise, water, mustard, lemon juice in blender.  Process until smooth.

Fill a wide pot with 3 inches water, add vinegar and bring to gentle simmer.

Heat oil over medium heat in a small pan. Add bacon and shallots. Cook, stirring frequently until golden brown then add kale. Remove from heat and stir until just wilted. Season with pepper.

Toast the muffin.  Top each muffin half with tomato slice and spoon the bacon-kale mixture over the tomato.  Crack each egg and slip into simmering water. Cook until whites are done (3 to 5 mins) Remove eggs from water using a slotted spoon. Place an egg on each muffin half and drizzle with sauce.

SCAMBLED EGGS PROVENCALE:

4 whole eggs                             1 tbsp butter

1 green onion, thinly sliced       1 Roma tomato, cored and sliced

2 ounces Boursin cheese

Crack eggs into a bowl and whisk well. Heat butter in a small pan over medium high heat. Add green onions and tomato to butter. Add eggs and continuously turn until firm. Fold in cheese and serve immediately.               

By Conni Attwell

A Very merry Christmas and a Good New Year to all. Here are two special recipes and a ...

Scottish Grace

Some hae meat and cannae eat

And some nae meat that want it

But we hae meat and we can eat

And so the Lord be thanked.

(Translation needed? Call Conni at the James Bay Beacon office 250-380-6090)

Scented Cinnamon Christmas Ornaments

(not edible)

1 cup cinnamon (available in bulk department)

2 tbsp cloves

1 tsp nutmeg

¾ cup applesauce

2 tbsp white glue

In a medium bowl, combine cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg. Add applesauce and glue, stir to combine. Work mixture with hands two to three minutes or until dough is smooth and ingredients are thoroughly mixed. Divide dough into four portions; rollout each portion to ¼ inch thickness. Cut dough with two inch cookie cutters or desired shapes (hearts and gingerbread men look great). Using drinking straw or toothpick, make a small hole in the top of each ornament. Place cutouts on wire racks and allow to dry at room temperature for several days. For more uniform drying, turn ornaments over once each day. Thread with ribbon and tie with knots or bows.

Friendship Cake

1 cup friendship

1 cup hope

1 cup thoughtfulness

1 cup charity

Pinch of powdered tenderness

2 tbsp gaiety

1 cup faith

Cream together friendship and thoughtfulness with a pinch of tenderness. Very lightly combine with faith, hope and charity in a large bowl of loyalty. Add gaiety that sings and the ability to laugh at little things. Moisten with heartfelt sympathy if needed. Bake in a matured pan and serve with love.

By Conni Attwell

I came across an interesting recipe for Beer and Cheese soup, and since Oktoberfest is beer-oriented, decided that it was perfect for this month's recipes.

BEER AND CHEESE SOUP:

1 large sweet onion

2 carrots, finely diced

2 stalks celery, finely diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 bay leaf

1/2 stick butter

1/4 cup cornstarch

1 cup heavy cream

1 cup vegetable stock

2 cups dark beer

1 tbs steak sauce

2 tsp mustard

salt and pepper, to taste

1/2 Tbsp chili flakes

3/4 lb sharp cheddar, shredded

1/4 lb baby swiss, shredded

Cook the onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and bay leaf in the butter over medium heat. Stir continuously. When the onions become transluscent, reduce heat to medium low and sprinkle cornstarch over the mixture. Stir the vegetables and cornstarch together for about 4 mins or until cornstarch is well combined.

Add the heavy cream, veggie stock, and then the beer, stirring as you add each. Bring to a boil and simmer for five minutes (make sure to whisk once or twice as it simmers). Add the steak sauce, mustard, salt, pepper and chili flakes.

Add the cheese in batches, stirring vigorously to combine each batch. Once all the cheese has been added, simmer for an additional five minutes. Before serving, remove the bay leaf and top with warm garlic croutons.

CHICKEN AND CHEESE CASSEROLE:

2 or more chicken breasts

1 cup marinara sauce

2 cups multi cheese (mozzarella, romano, cheddar)

1 cup bread crumbs, cornflake crumbs, or flour

1Tbsp. Italian spices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Oil baking pan with olive oil. Put chicken breasts on bottom of pan, cover with crumb mixture. Add marinara sauce and sprinkle with spices. Add cheese on top. Cover and bake for 30 mins.

QUICK PEANUT BUTTER COOKIES:

1 cup peanut butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

Mix all ingredients together in a bowl. Take teaspoonfuls at a time, roll into a ball and drop on to a cookie sheet. Bake at 350 degrees for 8-10 minutes.

Conni's Cooking Corner

By Conni Attwell

Let's celebrate summer by having some Very Berry recipes to try. Enjoy!

Mixed-Berry Cream Tart

Pile on the berries! Love every delicious forkful of crunchy granola crust, creamy filling and tart berries. .

2 cups sliced fresh strawberries

1/2 cup boiling water

1 box (4-serving size) strawberry-flavoured gelatin

3 pouches Nature Valley* Crunchy Fruit Granola Bars

1 pkg cream cheese

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1/4 tsp almond extract

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

Thawed whipped topping, if desired

In a small bowl, crush 1 cup of the strawberries with pastry blender or fork. Reserve remaining 1 cup of strawberries. In medium bowl, pour boiling water over gelatin; stir about 2 minutes or until gelatin is completely dissolved. Stir crushed strawberries into gelatin. Refrigerate 20 minutes.

Meanwhile, leaving granola bars in pouches, crush granola bars with rolling pin. Sprinkle crushed granola in bottom of 9-inch ungreased glass pie plate, pushing crumbs up side of plate to make crust.

In small bowl, beat cream cheese, sugar and almond extract with electric mixer on medium-high speed until smooth. Drop by the spoonful over crushed granola; gently spread to cover bottom of crust.

Gently fold blueberries, raspberries and the remaining 1 cup strawberries into the gelatin mixture. Spoon over cream cheese mixture. Refrigerate about 3 hours or until firm. Serve topped with whipped topping.

Berry-Pear Crisp Pie

An irresistible pie, made fast with a prepared crust and finished with a crunchy oat and walnut topping.

1 box Pie Crusts

Filling

3 ripe pears, peeled, cored, thinly sliced (about 3 cups)

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 cup fresh raspberries

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tbsp cornstarch

Topping

1 cup old-fashioned or quick-cooking oats

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 cup packed brown sugar

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1/2 cup chopped walnuts, if desired

Vanilla ice cream, if desired

Heat oven to 425ºF. Unroll crust. Place in 9-inch glass pie plate; flute edges. In large bowl, gently toss filling ingredients. Spoon filling into pastry-lined pie plate. In large bowl, beat topping ingredients with electric mixer on medium-low speed until crumbly. Sprinkle topping evenly over filling. Line baking sheet with foil. Place pie plates on foil-lined baking sheet. Cover pie with foil; bake 15 minutes. Reduce heat to 375ºF; bake 45 to 50 minutes longer or until bubbly. Remove foil from pie; bake 20 to 25 minutes longer or until topping is golden brown. Cool completely on cooling rack.

Blueberry-Peach Cobbler with Walnut Biscuits

A delicious and unusual cobbler

Fruit Mixture

8 medium fresh peaches peeled, each cut into 6 wedges (Note: Two bags frozen sliced peaches, thawed, can be used in place of the fresh peaches, if you like).

1 cup fresh blueberries

1 tbsp cornstarch

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp lemon juice

1/4 tsp ground cinnamon

Dash salt

Biscuit Topping

1 cup Bisquick* mix

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

2 tbsp milk

2 tbsp butter or margarine, softened

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2/3 cup chopped walnuts

2 tsp milk, if desired

1 tbsp coarse sugar

Heat oven to 400ºF. In medium bowl, stir together fruit mixture ingredients; let stand 10 minutes to allow sugar to pull juices from peaches. Transfer to ungreased 8-inch square glass baking dish. Bake uncovered about 10 minutes or until fruit is bubbling. Remove from oven; stir. Bake 10 to 12 minutes longer or until bubbly around edges (fruit must be hot in middle so biscuit topping bakes completely). Meanwhile, in medium bowl, stir all biscuit topping ingredients except 2 teaspoons milk and coarse sugar until firm dough forms. Drop dough by 6 spoonful's onto warm fruit mixture. Brush dough with 2 teaspoons milk. Sprinkle with coarse sugar. Bake 25 to 30 minutes or until biscuits are deep golden brown and bottom of center biscuit is no longer doughy. Cool 10 minutes on cooling rack. Serve warm.

By Conni Attwell
From the Company's Coming Kids Cookbook

3 cups rolled oats (not instant)                        1/2 cup margarine

1 cup long thread coconut                               3 tbsp corn syrup

1 cup raisins                                                      3 tbsp honey

1/2 cup sunflower seeds                                  1 large egg

1/2 cup peanuts (chopped)                              1 tsp vanilla

1.2 cup mashed banana

Combine first 5 ingredients in large mixing bowl. Beat the next 6 ingredients in smaller mixing bowl with electric mixer until light & fluffy. Add the banana mixture to the rolled oat mixture. Combine well.

Spread in a greased baking pan and press down well.  Bake in a 325° oven until firm and golden brown.

When cool, cut into 36 bars.

By Conni Attwell
From the Company's Coming Kids Cookbook

3 egg whites (large eggs)

2/3 cup sugar

2 cups cornflakes

1 cup coconut

1 tsp vanilla

Beat egg whites in large bowl until foamy. Add sugar gradually while beating. Add vanilla flavouring and keep beating until stiff peaks form. Fold in the cornflakes and coconut using a spatula.

Lay some wax paper on an ungreased cookie sheet.  Take tablespoons of the mixture and drop onto the cookie sheet.  Bake in a 350° oven for about 20 minutes until lightly browned and crisp.  Makes about 2 dozen macaroons.

By Conni Attwell
From the Company's Coming Kids Cookbook

1 medium orange                                1/4 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 cup orange juice                            1 tsp. baking powder

1 large egg                                             1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 cup hard margarine                        2/3 cup sugar

1/2 cup dried cranberries                      1 tsp. salt

Cut the orange into 8 pieces. Place in blender with the orange juice until finely chopped. Add the egg and margarine and process, then add the cranberries until processed.

Combine remaining ingredients in large bowl, make a well in the centre and pour in the wet ingredients. Stir to moisten. Divide the mixture into 12 greased muffin cups.  Bake in a 400° oven until golden brown (about 15 mins) Let stand for 10 mins (if you can?)

 

1/4 cup plus 1 tbls all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1 medium ripe banana

1 egg, slightly beaten

1/2 tsp vanilla extract

Maple syrup or spreadable fruit, optional.

In a small bowl, combine flour and baking powder. Combine the banana, egg and vanilla: stir into the dry ingredients just until moistened.

Pour batter onto a hot griddle, coated with cooking spray: turn when bubbles form on top. Cook until the second side is golden brown. Serve with syrup or spreadable fruit.

4 tbls Dijon mustard

2 tbls honey

4 slices sourdough bread

4 ounces thinly sliced ham

8 thin slices apple

1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

4 1/2 tsp butter, softened

Combine mustard and honey. Spread 2 tbls of the mixture over two bread slices. Layer with ham, apple and cheese.

Spread remaining bread with remaining mustard mixture: place on top . Butter the outside of the sandwich.  In a small skillet, toast for 2-3 mins on each side or until cheese is melted.

2 Individual boneless, fully cooked ham slices

1 large sweet potato. peeled and thinly sliced

2 canned peach halves

1 tbls brown sugar

1 tbls butter

Place each ham slice on a double thickness of heavy duty foil (about 12 inches square). Layer with potato and peach halves. Sprinkle with brown sugar: dot with butter. Fold foil around mixture and seal tightly. Place on baking sheet.

Bake at 350° for 30-35 mins or until heated through and potato is tender. Open foil carefully to allow steam to escape.