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My husband Peter makes the BEST crepes!  It’s his speciality.  Anytime we feel like have a rather indulgent late-night snack, crepes always get chosen!  They can be topped with jam, nutella, peanut butter, chocolate sauce, caramel sauce, berries, ice cream, or just plain old butter and sugar!  That is Peter’s favourite option.  Here is the recipe for his delicious crepes:

Peter’s Crepes: 

3 cups flour

2 cups milk

3 eggs

1 tbsp. sugar

A pinch of salt

2 tbsp. oil

2 cups water

In a large bowl combine flour and milk.  Mix thoroughly for at least 3 minutes.  In a small bowl beat eggs until they are slightly foamy.  Add the eggs to the flour mixture and mix thoroughly.  Add sugar, salt, oil and water.  Mix until the batter is smooth without lumps.  Warm a non-stick frying pan.  Put about a ladle of batter into the pan and disperse evenly over the surface of the pan by tilting it.  When slightly golden brown on the bottom, flip over.  Crepe is done when both sides are golden.

We used to use a normal frying pan to make our crepes, but over a year ago now we purchased a crepiere pan.  It was worth the investment, and has been excellent for making crepes!  We also purchased a plastic icing spatula from the dollar store which is what we use to flip the crepes.  Happy Crepe Eating!

I have a lot of extra produce leftover from a party on Friday night, and so this week’s menu is going to be a bit vegetarian! 

Monday: Picnic (pack up some easy leftovers, and head to the water with my husband!)

Tuesday: Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches

Wednesday: Broccolli Soup with Homemade dinner rolls

Thursday: Thai stir-fry (This will be an experiment, of which I will post another time!)

Friday: Veggie Pizza (no real recipe - just going to use sauce, veggies and cheese and cook it up!)

Saturday & Sunday: Leftovers

Philly Cheesesteak Sandwiches: This recipe is from Sara!

Cut steak into strips and fry on high with a little bit of oil.  Set them aside and keep warm.  Next, cut up your bell peppers and onions into strips.  Fry them in a bit of oil as well.  Next, pour in some barbeque sauce.  Mix together.  Add the steak back in.  In the meantime, slice up some french bread and toast it in the toaster.  Put the sliced bread on a cookie sheet.  Place a generous amount of the steak/veggie/bbq mixture on top of the slices.  Top with shredded cheese.  Broil in the oven until the cheese is melted. 

Broccoli Soup:

2-3 cups of frozen or fresh chopped broccoli

1 cup of water

1 can of condensed cream of mushroom soup (scroll down through the link for the recipe!)

1 1/4 cup milk

2 tbsp. butter or margarine

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 tsp. pepper

Cheddar cheese for garnish.

Cook broccoli in water.  Do not drain.  Add remaining ingredients and simmer for 3 or 4 minutes.  Run hand blender through the mixture, then simmer again with some cheddar cheese added in.  Garnish with more cheese.

What are you cooking this week??

I have been in HEAVEN since buying my bread maker last week.  I had been thinking about buying one for a while since I’ve had such poor luck in making bread by hand.  So, when we were at wal-mart I noticed a Black and Decker one on sale, and I snatched it up!  Since then, I’ve been extremely impressed at what I can do!  Or rather…what IT can do!

For my Black and Decker All in One Automatic Breadmaker, it comes with various recipes in the instruction manual.  So far I have stuck to those and have enjoyed the results.  Here are a couple of recipes straight from the manual (with a few minor adjustments from me to use whole wheat flour more often):

Whole Wheat Bread:

1 1/4 cups water (80-90F)

2 1/2 tbsp. unsalted butter or margarine, cut into pieces

2 tbsp. honey

1 1/4 tsp. salt

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour

2 1/2 cups bread flour

3 tsp. active dry or bread machine rise yeast

Measure ingredients into bread pan in the order listed.  Follow your bread machine’s instructions to set it up for whole grain bread and choose the appropriate loaf size (2 lb.) and colour. 

Dinner Rolls:

1/4 cup milk (80-90F)

1/4 cup water (80-90F)

1 large egg, at room temperature

1/4 cup sugar

2 tbsp. butter or margarine, cut into small pieces

1/2 tsp. salt

2 cups bread flour

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

2 1/4 tsp. active dry or bread machine yeast

Measure ingredients into bread pan in the order listed.  Follow your bread machine’s instructions to set it up for dough.  This recipe can also be used for cinnamon rolls.  When the dough is complete you roll out the dough on a lightly floured surface to be 9x14" rectangle.  Brush with 2 tbsp. melted butter.  Sprinkle with a mixture of 3 tbsp. sugar and 3 tbsp. ground cinnamon.  Top with 1/4 cup raisins.  Roll up jelly-roll style starting at the long end.  Cut into 1-inch slices and arrange in greased 9x12" baking pan.  Cover and let rise in warm place until doubled in size (about 45 minutes).  Bake at 350F for 30 mins. or until golden.  Remove from oven and cool on wire rack. 

I have also been enamoured with the clean-up process.  Why?  Because there really isn’t much of one!  Once the bread has been made, or the dough has been prepared, the bread pan generally just needs to be wiped out.  It’s not really dirty at all, which is wonderful!

Here is a recipe from a fellow blogger, Emily!  Check out her blog post about a soaked whole wheat bread machine bread! 

So, do you have a bread maker?  If so, what are some of your favourite recipes?  Please leave them in the comment section, or post them on your blog and leave a link in the comment section, and leave a link back to this post on your blog!  Happy bread making!

I will actually post my menu plan for this week on Wednesday as that is the day my week will begin due to vacation.  But all will be back to normal next Monday!  I promise!  Tune in then for a full week of recipes.  In the meantime, enjoy this delicious muffin recipe!  It’s a good one…

Blackberry Crumble Muffins:
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups blackberries 
3/4 real maple syrup (not that fake junk!!)
1 egg, lightly beaten
1/3 cup butter or coconut oil, melted

Topping, optional:
2 Tbsp whole wheat flour 
1/8 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 cup rapadura (or brown sugar)

Preheat oven to 375F.  Lightly grease 12 muffin cups.  In a large bowl, mix together 1 1/2 cups flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, beat together blackberries, maple syrup, egg and melted butter or oil. Stir the berry mixture into the flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon batter into prepared muffin cups, filling 3/4 full (Definitely fill all 12, otherwise they will overflow). 
Optional: In a small bowl, mix together 1/4 cup rapadura (or brown sugar), 2 tablespoons flour and cinnamon.  Sprinkle topping over muffins.  Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into center of a muffin comes out clean. 

Banana Variation: Replace 2 cups of berries with 3 mashed bananas.

When you think of spinach perhaps you envision Popeye and his spinach diet!!  Well, the truth is, spinach can make you healthy and it is filled with all kinds of nutritious stuff!!  

Spinach is rich in iron and calcium.  Apparently, a 180 gram serving of boiled spinach contains 6.43 mg of iron, whereas one 6 oz. (170 gram) ground hamburger patty contains at most 4.42 mg.  Spinach has a large nutritional value and is extremely rich in antioxidants, especially when fresh, steamed, or quickly boiled. It is a rich source of vitamin A (and lutein), vitamin C, vitamin E, vitamin K, magnesium, manganese, folate, iron, vitamin B2, calcium, potassium, vitamin B6, folic acid, copper, protein, phosphorus, zinc, niacin, selenium and omega-3 fatty acids. 

To help you incorporate spinach into your diets, I have found some delicious recipes that include spinach for each meal of the day!   

Breakfast - Green Smoothies:

It doesn’t sound so appealing, but it truly is!  You all know what smoothies are.  Fruits, etc. blended together to create something truly delicious!  Have you ever thought of adding spinach to your smoothies??  Did you know that through one green smoothie you can enjoy 5-8 servings of fruits and vegetables?  This is probably one of the easiest ways to get all of your daily fruits and veggies in!  AND it’s easier to digest.  

This is the combo I like to use:

2 cups of liquids (milk, fruit juice, coconut milk, etc.)

2 cups of fruit (I like blackberries, bananas, mandarin oranges, apples

3 handfuls (or more, if you want!) spinach

Honey to sweeten

Blend it all up in your blender, and enjoy!  

Lunch - Easy Bake Strata: 

1 small onion, chopped

1/2 cup  chopped red pepper

4 cups torn fresh spinach

1 pkg.  (120g) Stuffing Mix for Chicken

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

6   eggs

1/2 cup Mozzarella Shredded Cheese

Preheat oven to 375°F. Spray large skillet with cooking spray. Add onion and red pepper; cook and stir on medium-high heat 5 min. or until softened. Stir in spinach; set aside.  Prepare stuffing mix as directed on package; stir in onion mixture and parsley. Beat eggs; mix with stuffing mixture. Pour into greased 8-inch square baking pan. Sprinkle with cheese.  Bake for 35 min. or until firm. Cool 15 min. Cut into strips or squares. Serve warm. 

Snack - Spinach and Cheese Dip:

1 pkg. (250 g) Brick Cream Cheese, softened

1/2 cup Mayonnaise

1/3 cup sliced green onions, divided

6 cups of spinach, torn (less or more if you want!)

1 cup Shredded Cheese

1/2 cup  chopped roasted red peppers

Beat cream cheese, mayonnaise and half the onions in medium bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until well blended. Add spinach; mix until just blended.  Stir in shredded cheese and peppers; cover.  Refrigerate at least 1 hour before serving. Sprinkle with remaining onions just before serving.  This is delicious with crackers or tortilla chips!  

Dinner - Cannelloni alla Fiorentina:

1 pkg. (454g) ricotta cheese

6 cups chopped spinach

1 egg, lightly beaten

1/2 cup  Parmesan Grated Cheese, divided

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

24   oven-ready cannelloni

1 can (680 mL) pasta sauce, divided

Preheat oven to 350°F. Combine ricotta cheese, spinach, egg, half of the Parmesan cheese and the basil. Fill cannelloni with the spinach mixture.  Spread 1/2 cup of the pasta sauce onto bottom of 13x9-inch baking pan. Arrange stuffed cannelloni in single layer over sauce; top with the remaining sauce, making sure to cover all of the cannelloni with sauce. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan cheese; cover with foil.  Bake 45 minutes or until cannelloni is tender. 

Dessert - Spinach Strudel: 

1 bunch spinach, or 1 (10-ounce) bag, stemmed and rinsed 

1/2 Granny Smith apple, peeled, cored, and finely chopped 

1/3 cup dried currants

1/2 cup chopped walnuts 

1/8 cup + 2 tablespoons honey

1 teaspoon grated lemon zest 

4 sheets whole wheat phyllo 

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Line a baking sheet with foil, coat it lightly with oil or cooking spray, and set it aside.  Saute the spinach in a skillet until tender but not soft, 4 minutes. Transfer it to a colander and cool under cold running water. Squeeze out most of the moisture (there will be 1 1/2 cups cooked) spinach. Finely chop, then fluff the spinach. In a mixing bowl, combine the spinach, apple, currants, nuts, the honey, and the zest. Set the filling aside.  Lay out 1 sheet of the phyllo with the long side facing you and brush lightly with butter. Top with another sheet, brush lightly with butter. Repeat, ending with the fourth sheet brushed lightly with butter. Arrange the filling 2" above the bottom of the dough in a long log, leaving 1" at either end. Fold the bottom edge up to cover the filling. Fold in the sides and roll up. Press the seam with your fingers to seal it. Transfer to the baking sheet, seam side down. Brush with the remaining butter.  Bake 45 minutes, or until golden brown. Cool it on the baking sheet. Use a serrated knife to cut the strudel, serving it at room temperature. 

Of course, you can always use spinach as your main base for a delicious salad.  Add any combo of things that you would usually use in a salad!  

How do you use spinach?? 

Another Monday has arrived, and with it another set of recipes! We are leaving town again later this week, so my menu will be shortened. But never fear - I have a set of blogs all ready to go even while I’m away! Stay tuned for post about the benefits of spinach (and recipes!), how to organize your jewellery and more!

And now, for the menu…

Monday: Homemade Lasagna

Tuesday: Baked Curried Lentils, Salad, Homemade biscuits

Wednesday: Meatballs, Rice, Veggies

Thursday: Adios!!

Homemade Lasagna:

8 oz. lasagna

1 pkg. flavoured cream cheese

1 lb. ground beef (or turkey/chicken)

1 tbsp. balsamic vinegar

28 oz. pasta sauce

1/8 tsp. nutmeg

1/2 cup parmesan cheese

4 cups spinach, ripped

2 cups shredded cheese

Cook lasagna according to package directions. Drain, immerse in cold water, and drain again. Cook ground beef until browned. Drain. Add vinegar to the pan. Stir over high heat just until mixture is hot. Remove pan from heat and stir in pasta sauce, nutmeg and parmesan cheese. Spread each noodle on one side with cream cheese mixture. In a 9x13 baking pan layer the pasta sauce, noodles cream-cheese side up, and sprinkle with spinach and shredded cheese. Repeat until the final layer is complete. Top with more shredded cheese. Bake uncovered at 375F until pasta is hot in the centre (30-35 mins.). Let cool for 10 mins. Makes 8 servings.

Baked Curried Lentils:

1 tbsp. olive oil

2 large onions,

chopped 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed

1 tbsp. curry powder

5 cups chicken broth

1 lb. lentils

1 cup shredded cheese

Heat oil in 5-6 quart pan over high heat until hot but not smoking. Add onions and garlic; cook, stirring until onions are tinged with brown. Stir in curry powder. Add broth and bring to a boil. Meanwhile, sort and discard debris from lentils. Rinse lentils, drain, and add to broth. Cover and simmer until lentils are tender to bite (30-35 mins.). If mixture is soupy, boil uncovered until liquid is just below surface of lentils; stir often. Pour lentils into a shallow 2 1/2-3 quart casserole (At this point you can choose to cool, cover and chill up to 1 day). Bake, covered, in a 350F oven until lentils absorb most of the liquid (about 30 mins.; if chilled, 1 to 1 1/4 hours). Uncover and sprinkle with cheese. Bake until cheese melts (about 5 mins.). Makes 8-10 servings.

Meatballs:

2 lbs. ground hamburger meat

1 envelope onion soup mix

2 cups bread crumbs

salt and pepper to taste

2 eggs

Meatballs:

Mix all together, roll in small balls and place in a square dish.

Sauce:

1 3/4 cup brown sugar

3/4 cups white vinegar

1 tbsp. dry mustard

Mix sugar, vinegar and mustard. Pour over meatballs. Bake 30 mins. at 350F.

Homemade Biscuits:

2 cups flour

3 tsp. baking powder

1 tsp. salt

6 tbsp. oil

2/3 cup water

Mix all ingredients together. Add enough flour to knead easily. Knead on floured board about 30 seconds. Roll out to 1/2 inch thick. Cut with small cutter. Place on ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 450F for 10-12 mins. Makes 6 biscuits.

Let me know if you try any of the recipes!