Sweet and Sour Red Cabbage

Red Cabbage, shredded (1 head)
Onions, sliced or diced (1 large)
Vinegar (1/2 cup)
Sugar (1/2 cup)
Water (1 cup)
Salt (2 tsp)
Cloves, ground (1/4 tsp or more to taste)
Cornstarch (2 tsp)

Add onions to large pot (Dutch oven) with the butter. Cook for a few minutes then add the shredded cabbage. Toss so the onions and cabbage are distributed evenly. Add vinegar, sugar, water, salt and cloves. Simmer for an hour or more on low heat until the cabbage is very tender. Add the cornstarch to some cold water and then add the mixture to the juices to thicken slightly.

Sprinkle Cake Cookies

These are crazy delicious. If you love funfetti cake, you will love these cookies even more!

Flour (3/4 cup)
Funfetti Cake Mix (1 1/4 cup)
Baking Soda (1/4 tsp)
Butter, softened ((3/4 cup)
Egg (1 large)
Egg Yolk (1 large)
Vanilla (2 tsp)
Sugar (1/2 cup)
Brown sugar (1/2 cup)

Cream together the butter and sugars. Mix in the egg yolk, egg, and vanilla until creamy. Add in the flour, cake mix, and baking soda. Refrigerate for at least an hour.

Preheat oven to 350. Scoop heaping tablespoons of dough onto cookie sheets. Bake for 12-15 minutes, until the edges are golden.

Source: http://www.lovintheoven.com/2011/07/cake-batter-cookies.html

Scalloped Cauliflower

Cauliflower, chopped and steamed (1 head)

White Sauce
Butter (4 tbsps)
Flour (4 tbsps)
Milk (2 cups)
Nutmeg (1/4 tsp)
Dijon Mustard (1 tbsp)

Bread or Cracker Crumbs (1/2 cup)
Cheeses, such as cheddar, parmesan, gouda, havarti (1/2 cup to 1 cup, depending on your desired cheeziness level)
Paprika
Cayenne Pepper

Preheat oven to 350F and steam the cauliflower. While the cauliflower is steaming, prepare the white sauce. Melt the butter in a pan and whisk in the flour until blended and smooth. Remove the pan from heat and slowly whisk in the milk. Return the pan to the heat and bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until the sauce has thickened. Add nutmeg, mustard, and 1/4 cup or more crumbs.

Drain the cauliflower and place in casserole dish. Spoon over white sauce. Top with cheese, crumbs, paprika and cayenne. Bake until bubbly and browned on top–about 25 minutes.

Curried Chicken Salad

Chicken, cooked and diced into chunks (2 cups or more)
Currants OR Raisins (1/4 cup or more)
Green Onions
Chives
Almonds, slivered (1/4 cup or more)
Apple, diced (optional)
Celery, thinly sliced (optional)

Mayonnaise (1 cup or more)
Curry Powder (2 tbsps)
Dry Mustard (1 tsp)
Cayenne Pepper (dash)
Mango Chutney ( 1 tbsp)
Honey (1 tsp-1 tbsp)
Lime Juice (1 tsp)

Combine all of the first group of ingredients in a bowl. Mix up the curry mayonnaise separately and then mix it in. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Our Wedding Butternut Sage Lasagna

FILLING (11×15 pan):
Onions (2 large)
Garlic (8 cloves)
Butternut Squash (1 large, peeled and cut into ¾ in. cubes)
Mushrooms (sliced)
Sage (large bunch, chopped fine)
Nutmeg (1 tsp or more)
Pepper (to taste)
Salt (to taste)
Parsley (Optional)
Chili flakes (Optional)
Lasagna noodles (oven-ready)
Parmesan/Hard Cheese (2 cups grated)
Mozzarella/Cheddar/Soft Cheese (4 cups grated)

SAUCE:
Butter (½ cup)
Flour (1/3 cup)
Milk (5 cups)
Chili Powder (Optional)
Nutmeg (to taste)
Salt (to taste)

FILLING: First caramelize the onions in butter or olive oil, then add the mushrooms and cook until tender. Add salt, pepper, parsley, sage, nutmeg, chili flakes, garlic cloves and squash. Sauté until squash is tender and edible.

SAUCE: Melt butter in a saucepan, then add flour and whisk until a wet paste forms and cook over low heat for 2 minutes. Add milk and whisk; simmer for 15-20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add pepper, chili powder and nutmeg. If the sauce hasn’t thickened enough, add a tablespoon or two of flour and make a paste of it with a small amount of cold milk, working out all lumps, and gradually add a little more milk to dissolve it and then add it to the sauce. Take care not to burn the milk. Sauce will thicken as it cools.

ASSEMBLY: Lay down a base layer of sauce into your lasagna dish. Then stack up the layers as follows: noodles +filling + cheese+ sauce + noodles + filling + cheese+ sauce+ noodles, etc. Cover the top layer with your final sheet of noodles, and add a generous helping of sauce and cheese to the top. Garnish with paprika. Bake at 400 F for 30-45 minutes, until the noodles are cooked and the top is browned.

Toffee Nut Cake

Brown sugar (2 cups)
Butter, salted (1/2 cup)
Eggs (2 medium)
Vanilla (1 tsp) *Optional*
Flour (1 cup)
Toffee Bits (1/4 cup)
Pecans (1/4 cup)

Preheat oven to 350F. Melt brown sugar and butter on the stove or in the microwave until the sugar is dissolved–this takes about 2-3 minutes. Add the eggs and vanilla and beat until the mixture becomes smooth and very viscous. Stir in the flour. Once mixed thoroughly, add in the toffee bits. Pour the mixture into a 9×9 inch greased cake pan, then add the pecans on the top so they get nice and toasty in the oven. Bake for 20-30 minutes or until browned on the edges and a toothpick through the middle comes out clean.

Inspired by: Rogers Sugar recipe

Candied Sweet Potatoes

Sweet potatoes, peeled and evenly sliced in rounds 6 mm thick (3 medium)
Butter, salted (4 tbsps)
Brown sugar (1/4 cup)
Marshmallows (approx. 20 mini)

Preheat oven to 375F. Layer sweet potatoes in casserole dish large enough to fit them and has a lid. Poke in the butter so that it will melt evenly over all the sweet potatoes. Bake for 20 minutes then add brown sugar evenly throughout dish, stir the sweet potatoes, then place marshmallows on top. Bake for 20-30 more minutes or until completely tender. If you don’t like your marshmallows completely melted, wait until the end to add them to the top.

Potato Salad

Red Skin Potatoes, diced into 1/2 inch cubes (approx. 10 small potatoes)
Mayonnaise (approx. 1/2 cup)
Refrigerator Pickles
Onion, minced
Salt
Pepper
Optional:
Red Peppers

Boil potatoes until completely tender–around 15-20 minutes. Drain and cool. While cooling, mince onions and pickles. Add onions and pickles to bowl of cooled potatoes. Add mayonnaise, salt, and pepper to taste.

Spinach Artichoke Dip

Frozen Spinach, thawed, drained (approx. 3/4 cup)
Artichoke hearts or bottoms, canned or frozen, diced (1 can)
Mayonnaise (approx. 1/4 cup)
Cream Cheese (1/2 brick)
Roasted Garlic (approx. 5 cloves)
Onion, diced (approx. 1/2 cup)
Parmesan (or Asiago)
Mozzarella
Garlic Salt
Pepper
Optional:
Paprika
Water Chestnuts
Diced Carrot
Onion Powder

Roast as much garlic as desired at 400F for 20-40 minutes. While its roasting, prepare dip. First, cook onions in oil until tender–about 2-3 minutes. Add frozen spinach and artichoke hearts and cook until no longer frozen. Add cream cheese and stir until melted. Add mayonnaise and Parmesan to taste. Add some garlic salt and pepper. Take out roasted garlic and mix in. Top with mozzarella and paprika. Bake at 350F until top is browned (10 minutes should be enough) and stir halfway through.

Dippers:
Cut 6 pitas each into 6 triangles. Toast in oven until warm. Original flavour Sunchips are also tasty.

Inspired by: Asiago Artichoke Dip

Apple Cranberry Fruit Compote

Apples, peeled, diced
Cranberries, frozen, sliced, seeded
Lemon Juice
Sugar (approx. 4 tbsps)
Water (at least 1/3 cup)
Cornstarch
Cinnamon
Nutmeg

Place the apples in a pot with lemon juice and cook until tender on medium heat. Set aside. Place cranberries and sugar in pot on medium-low heat and cook until sugar is dissolved. Add water (add more if you want the compote to be more syrupy). Mix up some cornstarch and cold water and add it to the pot. Heat until cornstarch thickens. Add cinnamon and nutmeg to taste. Final result will look prettier if you add red food colouring, but it’s tasty either way!

Inspired by: Hungryman