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I made a delicious spiced orange juice for my cookie swap last week which was a great change from the usual apple cider!  I plan to make it again over the Christmas holidays for a family gathering I’m hosting.  This is what I did:

Make two cans of frozen orange juice as per the instructions on the can directly in the crockpot.

Add 2 tbsp. of mulling spice.

Cover and simmer on low for several hours!  Voila!

It’s VERY easy.  If you don’t have a pre-made mulling spice mix like I do (mine is with whole ingredients that you need to strain either before serving, or as you pour each cup), here is a simple homemade mulling spice mix:

1 cup brown sugar, 2 tsp. ground cinnamon, 1 tsp. ground cloves, 1 tsp. dried ground orange peel (opt.), 1 tsp. ground allspice, 1/2 tsp. ground nutmeg.  Use about 1/2 a cup or more.  Taste to see how much you need!

Toward the end, right before you serve it to guests, slice up an orange including the peel and let it float in the juice.  It looks pretty and adds a little extra orange zest!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!

So I’m a little behind this week!  Life has been crazy!  We had a great weekend and got to see a Toby Mac concert, and visit with family.  My grandmother is visiting with us from out of town, so it’s been a weekend/week full of good things!  Here is my menu for this week:

Monday: Sloppy Lentils

Tuesday: Almond Chicken (NEW! See below.)

Wednesday: Baked Beef & Pasta (NEW! See below.)

Thursday: Out for Dinner

Friday: Fish, Mashed potatoes, Veggies

Saturday: Potluck - I’m bringing scalloped potatoes!  (NEW! See below.)

Sunday: Leftovers

Almond Chicken:

1 1/2 lbs. boneless chicken, 1 can chicken broth, 2 tbsp. bacon bits, 1 1/2 cups diced celery (optional), 1/2 cup sliced onion, 1 can mushrooms, 2 tbsp. soy sauce, 1 tbsp. corn starch, 2/3 cup slivered almonds.

Combine chicken broth, bacon bits, celery, onion, and drained mushrooms.  Dissolve corn starch in soy sauce and add to chicken broth mixture.  There are three ways to cook this: 1.) place all of the above including the almonds into a ziploc bag and put in the freezer.  Then put into the crockpot when you’re ready, and cook on low for 6-8 hours or high for 3-4 hours.  OR 2.) Stir fry immediately in a pan on the stove top.  OR 3.) Don’t freeze, but immediately put into the crockpot (I do this!).

Half-way through the cooking you can add more veggies.  I added a can of water chestnuts and half of a sliced green pepper!  Serve this with rice!

Baked Beef & Pasta:

1 lb. ground beef, 1/2 cup chopped onion, 1 cup sliced carrots, 1 1/2 cups frozen peas, 2 cloves minced garlic, 1 tsp. dried thyme, 1/2 cup grape juice, 1 can tomatoes (28 oz.), 1 1/2 cups uncooked pasta, 1 cup shreeded cheese. 

Place 2 1/3 cups browned ground beef into crock pot.  Add 1/2 cup onion, 1 cup frozen carrots, and 1 1/2 cups forzen peas to the pot.  Combine garlic, thyme, juice and diced tomatoes.  Mix thoroughly and distribute evenly over the ingredients in the crockpot.  Cook the pasta until tender but firm and then combine with the meat mixture just before serving.  Sprinkle cheese on top just before serving. 

Scalloped Potatoes:

2 tbsp. butter, 1 onion peeled and chopped, 6 medium-sized potatoes thinly sliced, sprinkle of salt and pepper, 2/3 cup milk, 3/4 cup grated cheese.

Put butter and onion in a sauce pan and saute until tender.  Meanwhile arrange half of the potatoes in a round casserole dish.  Spread onion and butter over.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Arrange rest of potatoes evenly over.  Pour the milk over.  Sprinkle cheese on top.  Cook at 375 for 60 minutes or until cooked through.  It might be necessary part-way through to stir and return to the oven.  Sprinkle with more cheese to serve!

Monday: Fish, Rice, Veggies

Tuesday: Mac ‘n’ Cheese

Wednesday: Chicken Pot Pie - SO great in a crock pot and easy to assemble and just cook up for busy nights!!

Thursday: Appetizers Galore!  Check out this vegetarian appetizers link, and this one too for appetizers including meat!  I’ll post some of the recipes next week after our guests come.  My dear friend Serena just discovered my blog, so I wouldn’t want her to cheat and know what she’s having! 

Friday: Out for dinner

Saturday: At a Christmas Party!

Sunday: Potato Latkes (we like to make these when Hannukah starts, even though we’re not Jewish!  Hannukah really starts on the 12th, but we’re not home that night!)

Potato Latkes:

3 large potatoes, 1/2 onion finely chopped, 1 egg, 1/4 cup flour, salt and pepper, oil

Peel the potatoes and finely grate.  Let them drain in a colander for 10 mins.  Press down with the palms of your hands to extract extra liquid.  Combine the potatoes in a bowl with the onion, egg and flour.  Mix well.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Heat frying pan to medium heat.  Coat the bottom with oil.  Drop enough batter to form a potato latke (pancake!).  Fry on both sides until golden brown and crisp.  Keep warm until ready to serve.  Serve with sour cream or apple sauce. 

What are you cooking for dinner?

Over at Passionate Homemaking they’re hosting a Nourishing Crockpot Carnival!  Go there to join in, or leave a comment here with your own Crockpot recipes!

Life can be busy, and schedules are rushed and sometimes you need to use your crockpot in order to make sure you eat a healthy dinner, but in a timely manner!  I have two amazing soup recipes that I want to share that are perfect for quick assembly and delicious when you come home at night.  Don’t forget to make some homemade bread to enjoy with them!  

 This will help solve your problems for what to eat on a night where you know you’ll be rushed.

Corn Chowder:

10 slices of bacon (fry until crisp and chop), 1 medium chopped onion, 1 red pepper chopped, 1 cup diced potatoes and/or carrots, black pepper and salt to taste, 1 can of cream of corn, 1 can of mushroom soup (or any creamed soup), 1 cup of milk.

Fry the onions and then add the potatoes (only if fresh), red pepper, salt and pepper.  Cook all until tender.  Add cream corn, soup and milk.  Simmer for 1/2 hour or put in crock pot on low.  Can be left for several hours.  Serves 4. 

Squash Soup: 

2 tbsp. butter or coconut oil, 1 cup chopped onion, 2 cups chicken stock, 2 cups yellow squash mashed, 4.5 oz. apple sauce, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/8 tsp. pepper, sour cream or plain yogurt for garnish.

Put butter or oil into saucepan.  Saute onion until soft and clear.  Add remaining ingredients.  Run through blender and put into crockpot.  Simmer on low for several hours.  Garnish with a dab of sour cream or yogurt to serve.

Curried Squash Soup: Add 1 tsp. curry powder.  Simmer gently before serving. 

Monday: Quebecois Chicken, Mashed Potatoes, Veggies

Tuesday: Sausage Pasta

Wednesday: Baked Fish Florentine (see below), Rice, Veggies

Thursday: Couscous, Masoor Daal, Naan Bread, Oregano Beef Keftas, Fresh Cucumber & Tomatoes, Chickpea Curry

Friday: Out @ our "Go For Souls" Conference!

Saturday: Out @ at a Concert

Sunday: Beef Pot Pie (using chicken pot pie recipe and substituting beef chunks and beef flavour instead of chicken flavour), Salad

Baked Fish Florentine Recipe:

2 fish fillets, 3/4 tsp. salt, 1/4 tsp. pepper, 1/4 cup mayonnaise, 2 tbsp. sour cream (or plain yogurt), 2 tbsp. parmesan cheese, 2 tsp. all-purpose flour, 1/2 cup finely diced onion, 1/4 tsp. paprika.

Coat the bottom of a 9x13 baking pan with oil.  Arrange fish in a single layer in dish and sprinkle with 1/4 tsp. of salt and pepper.  In a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, sour cream, parmesan cheese, flour, and onion until smooth.  Spread over fish.  Bake fish, uncovered at 450F about 10-15 mins. or until cooked through.  Sprinkle with paprika.

What are you cooking this week?

The fall inspires me to cook warm and hearty and delicious meals!  I’m sure we all have our favourites.  I asked friends of mine to give me input on different types of recipes they’d like to see, and so in honour of them I’m going to share some of my favourite fall recipes in the categories they requested!

Vegetarian:

Mac ‘n’ Cheese - This recipe is one of my absolute favourites!  My friend Tammy passed it along and we really enjoy it.  Especially on a day like today where it’s rainy and chilly and you just feel like something comforting!  To make it more vegetarian you can substitute soy milk for regular milk like I do. 

Sloppy Lentils - If you enjoy sloppy joes, then you’ll enjoy this vegetarian substitute!  It’s so yummy and filling and it’s another delicious comfort food.

Salads:

Alsace Salad - This one is a childhood favourite of Peter’s.  It’s so tasty and the dressing is light and always a nice change!

Lettuce, Tomato, Onion, Sliced Egg, Salt, Pepper, 1.5 tsp. Dijon Mustard, 2 tbsp. vinegar, 5 tbsp. oil.  Combine the first 4 ingredients in a large salad bowl.  Combine the rest of the ingredients in a sauce mixing container (we got ours at the dollar store!).  Just before serving, toss salad with dressing.

Couscous Salad - This one is a good one on it’s own or delicious partnered with some middle eastern foods for a heartier meal.  It’s creamy and light and has a great middle eastern flavour!

Soups:

Pumpkin Soup - I LOVE pumpkin soup!!!  It’s so perfect for the fall.  If you enjoy all things pumpkin then try this!  It’s a nice starter for a fall meal, or nice on its own with some homemade bread.

2 tbsp. butter

1 small onion, chopped fine

2 tbsp. flour

1 tsp. salt

2 cups chicken broth (or vegetable broth)

2 cups of cooked, mashed pumpkin (either fresh or from a can)

2 cups of milk

1/4 tsp. nutmeg

1/8 tsp. thyme

Melt butter in a large pot.  Add onion and saute until soft but not brown.  Blend in flour and salt.  Add broth, pumpkin, milk and spices.  Cook stirring constantly until slightly thickened. 

Peanut Soup - This African inspired favourite is delicious.  I first tried it in a local cafe, but have since loved it in our home.  Be sure to try this one if you love peanut butter like I do!

Slow cooker:

Chicken Pot Pie - Pot pies are delicious and this one is even easier to make as you just have to assemble it all in your slow cooker!  It makes your house smell great while it’s cooking!

3-4 cups mixed frozen vegetables uncooked

1 can cream of chicken soup

1 small onion, chopped

2 or 3 pieces of cooked chicken, cubed

1 box of stuffing

Mix vegetables, onion, soup and chicken pieces together.  Prepare stuffing and put on top of other ingredients.  This can be cooked in the slow cooker or backed at 350F until soup bubbles (approx. 30 mins.).

Quebecois Chicken - Anyone who has tried this has loved it.  It’s a favourite of my husband’s! 

If you have a fall favourite that fits into one of these categories, please leave a comment with a link or the recipe!