Homemade Applesauce

Source: Emma Duran

ANTONIO RATING: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS

Why would anyone buy applesauce when it's SOOOO easy to make?

Ingredients

8 sweet apples (e.g. fuji, gala, delicious ...)

1/2 - 1 c. water

1/4 tsp. cinnamon (optional)

1/8 tsp. nutmeg (optional)

Directions

1. Peel, core and chop apples. Place in a medium saucepan.

2. Add just 1/2 c. of water to begin.

3. Place over high heat to bring to a boil. When it starts to boil, reduce heat to medium and simmer.

4. After about 4-5 min., using a potato masher, start to stir and mash the apples as they cook.

5. Keep cooking and mashing until the applesauce is the right consistency (some people like chunky applesauce, some people like it smooth. If you like really smooth applesauce, once it's all cooked use a hand blender to puree it down nice and smooth).

6. Add the cinnamon and nutmeg at the end.

7. Remove from heat and let cool.

Sweet Potato Fries

click to enlarge picture

Source: Emma Duran

ANTONIO RATING: UNRATED YET

Ingredients

2 small sweet potatoes, cut fries-style

1/4 red onion, diced

1 1/2 tsp. olive oil

sea salt and pepper

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

2. Mix everything together in a bowl.

3. Lay out on a single layer on a baking sheet.

4. Cook for 15 min.

5. Turn everything over once on the baking sheet.

6. Raise oven to 400 degrees.

7. Cook for another 5 min.

8. Turn everything once.

9. Cook for another 5 min.

Southwestern Shepherd's Pie

Click to enlarge picture

Source: Emma Duran

ANTONIO RATING:4 OUT OF 5 STARS

Ingredients

8 potatoes, diced

4 medium sweet potatoes, diced

2 Tbsp. butter

1/4 c. milk

1/2 tsp. salt

---------------

2 tsp. olive oil

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 lbs. lean ground beef

1 c. frozen corn kernels

2 Tbsp. chili powder

salt and pepper to taste

1/2 c. flour

1 1/2 c. skim milk

Directions

1. Bring the potatoes and sweet potatoes to a boil in a large pot of salted water. Cook until fork tender. When the potatoes are ready, drain them and then whip them with a hand mixer along with the butter, first amount of milk and salt.

2. Meanwhile, heat the olive oil in a large non-stick frying pan. Sautee the onions and garlic until the onions are translucent.

3. Add the lean ground beef and cook until all the pink is gone.

4. Drain as much of the oil off of the meat as possible.

5. Add the corn, chili powder, salt and pepper. Cook for 1 min.

6. Sprinkle the flour on top and mix it in.

7. Add the second amount of milk and cook for 3-4 min.

8. In a 9 x 13 in. casserole place the meat mixture in first, then top with the mashed potatoes.

9. Sprinkle with paprika.

10. Cover with tin foil and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30 min.

11. Remove the tin foil and bake for another 10 min.

Mom's Brownies

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Source: Muriel C.

ANTONIO RATING: 5 OUT OF 5 STARS

These are my mom's brownies with a little healthy twist, I couldn't resist!

Ingredients

1 c. flour
1/4 c. ground flax seed
2 tsp. baking powder

1c. butter

1c. white sugar

1c. brown sugar

3/4 c. cocoa powder

3 eggs

2 tsp. vanilla

Directions

1. In a small bowl mix together the flour, flax seed and baking powder.

2. Melt together the butter, two sugars and cocoa powder in a saucepan.

3. Remove from the heat and add the eggs one at a time.

4. Stir in the flour mixture first and then the vanilla.

5. Pour into a buttered 9 x 13 in. pan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees for 30 - 35 min. (Don't overbake!)

Borscht

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Source: Krystyna T.

ANTONIO RATING: 3 OUT OF 5 STARS

My Polish babysitter shared this recipe with me. I never knew dill and beets went together until I tried it!

Ingredients
1 Tbsp. oil
1 onion, diced
3 carrots, chopped
2 parsnips, chopped
5 large beets, diced
10 c. chicken stock
2 bay leaves
1 (798 ml) can of diced tomatoes, drained
1/4 c. chopped fresh dill
1/2 - 3/4 c. low-fat sour cream

Directions
1. Heat oil in a large pot.
2. Sautee onions, carrots and parsnips 3-5 min.
3. Add the beets, chicken stock and bay leaves.
4. Bring to a boil then lower to a simmer for 15-20 min., until the vegetables are tender.
5. Add the tomatoes and dill.
6. Simmer for another 5-10 min.
7. Remove bay leaves.
8. Serve with a dollop of sour cream on top.

Aji De Gallina (Peruvian Chicken Stew)

Source: Emma Duran



Antonio Rating:



This combination may seem strange but it's worth giving it a try. This traditional Peruvian chicken stew is served frequently in restaurants, and this recipe is very close to being exactly what you would get there. If you ate it in Peru you would get it with the sliced egg and whole kalamata olives on top, but if they would make the kids balk you can leave them off and just serve it over rice and/or potatoes. Oh, and give yourself lots of time - this is a Sunday afternoon kind of recipe, not a "come-home-from-work-and-whip-up-dinner" kind of recipe.



Ingredients
2 lb. Chicken Breast, bone-in
2 Onions, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic, diced
8 c. water
1 Tbsp. vegetable oil
1 loaf white bread
1 can evaporated milk
1/2 c. parmesan cheese
1/4 c. chopped walnuts
2 tsp. aji amarillo (hot yellow pepper paste) - more if you like spicy but be careful, it's hot!
2 tsp. turmeric

4-6 boiled yellow potatoes

2 eggs, hardboiled

16 whole kalamata olives



Directions
1. Boil chicken in water with 1 chopped onion, carrots, and 2 cloves of garlic for 30 min.
2. Strain stock and reserve for later.
3. Cool chicken then pull apart meat with your fingers into tiny pieces/strings.
4. Cube the loaf of bread, discarding the crusts.
5. Place bread, evaporated milk and 1/2 c. reserve stock in a blender and puree.
6. Add parmesan cheese and walnuts and blend.
7. Heat oil in a large saucepan.
8. Sautee remaining onion and garlic.
9. Add chicken pieces and aji amarillo and heat through.
10. Add cheese sauce and heat through again, stirring frequently.
11. Add as much stock as needed to make it creamy and smooth.
12. Simmer for 5-10 min.
13. Add turmeric at the end.
14. Serve over rice and yellow potatoes. Garnish with hard boiled egg slices and kalamata olives.

Cabbage Roll Casserole

click to enlarge picture
Source: www.Allrecipes.com

ANTONIO RATING: 3 OUT OF 5 STARS

Ingredients
2 pounds lean ground beef (or ground turkey)
1 cup chopped onion
1 (29 ounce) can tomato sauce (= 3.5 c. or 900 ml)
3 1/2 pounds chopped cabbage (= approx. 1 large head)
1 cup uncooked white rice
1 teaspoon salt
2 (14 ounce) cans beef broth (= 3.5 c. or 900 ml)

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
2. In a large skillet, brown beef in oil over medium high heat until redness is gone and drain off fat.
3. In a really large mixing bowl or pot combine the onion, tomato sauce, cabbage, rice and salt.
4. Add meat and mix all together.
5. Pour mixture into a 9x13 inch baking dish.
6. Heat the broth in a medium pot until just boiling then pour broth over meat mixture.
7. Bake in the preheated oven, covered, for 1 hour.
8. Stir, replace cover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Whole Wheat Rotini with Tomato Sauce and Pesto Cream

Source: Emma Duran

ANTONIO RATING: 4 OUT OF 5 STARS

Pesto Cream

2c. packed, coarsely chopped fresh basil
1/3 c. grated parmesan
1/3 c. olive oil
2 Tbsp. pine nuts or walnuts
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 clove garlic, smashed
1/2 c. half-and-half cream

1. Place all the ingredients into a blender and process until blended. Cover and refridgerate for up to 1 week or freeze for up to 3 months.

Tomato Sauce


4 cloves garlic, smashed
2 cans diced tomatoes
3 carrots, coarsely chopped
1 large onion, diced
1/2 can tomato paste
1/4 c. olive oil
2 bay leaves
1/4 c. finely chopped fresh basil
Sea salt to taste.

1. Heat oil in a large pot.
2. Add garlic, onions and carrots. Cook until the onions are translucent.
3. Add the tomato paste. Cook 30 sec - 1 min.
3. Add the tomatoes and bay leaves.
4. Cook for approximately 30-40 minutes until the carrots are soft.
5. Remove the bay leaves and using hand blender puree the sauce until completely processed.
6. Add the chopped basil and salt.

To Serve

1. Layer cooked whole wheat rotini then tomato sauce and a dolop of the pesto cream on top.

The Critics

My two kiddos and biggest critics ...

Antonio is 7 years old, in Grade 2, likes to play soccer and his favourite food is pizza.

Viviana is 2 years old, she likes to sing and dance and her favourite food is yogurt.