Irish Soda Bread


Irish Stew

Potato & Leek Soup

Jalapeno-Cilantro Hummus

Cranberry-Blueberry Flaxseed Muffins

2 eggs
1 cup flaxseed, ground
1 cup all purpose flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup natural bran
1 T baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp salt
1 ½ cup buttermilk (or 1% milk)
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1 ½ cup berries (frozen or fresh, cranberries and blueberries)

Mix together flaxseed, flours, bran, baking soda and powder, salt and cinnamon.

In a separate bowl mix eggs, milk, sugar and oil and then pour over the dry ingredients and gently fold mixture together. Add in berries, gently folding into mixture.

Spoon into muffin tins and sprinkle some whole flaxseeds on top.

Bake at 375F for 20 minutes.

Many people go out to fancy dinners for Valentine's Day. To me there is nothing better than staying at home and cooking a delicious meal together. Here is a sample menu for Valentine's Day including a starter, main course, dessert and cocktail. Happy Valentine's Day.

This is an extremely easy appetizer. The sweetness of the balsamic vinegar is balanced by the sharpeness of the aged cheese, while the textures of the juicy mushrooms followed by the crunch of the crostini and the melted cheese is brilliant on the palette.

1 1/2 cups mixed mushrooms sliced (cremini, portabello, white)

1/2 cup dried cranberries (cherry flavored)

balsamic vinegar

1 baguette, thinly sliced

olive oil

garlic clove

Cheese, shredded (an aged or sharp is nice)

Heat the oven to 400F. Place the thinkly sliced crostini on a coookie sheet and brush lightly with olive oil. Bake for 10 minutes until lighly golden brown. Once the crostini is done, take out of the oven and rub a clove of garlic on each crostini.

Meanwhile heat a skillet over med high heat. Add a couple tablespoons of butter. Once semi melted add the mushrooms and sautee for 2-3 min. Add some balsamic vinegar (start with a bit and add as desired for flavor) and sautee for 3 more mins. Add the craisins (dried cranberries, cherry flavored) and sautee until mushrooms are a nice consistency/cooked throughout.

Place mushroom mixture on top of crostini and sprinkle any type of cheese over mushrooms. Place in oven for 5 min until cheese is melted.

Serve immediately.

We have been hit with a ton of snow lately which has made snowshoeing really beautiful. Last weekend after a morning snowshoeing followed by hot chocolate at a local cafe with friends, I went home to make this lasagna. One of my favourite lasagna's is a roasted veggie lasagna which I usually make once or twice a year. This year I wanted to try something a bit different. My father had given me a butternut squash this summer which I cut into chunks and froze. I did not want to make anymore squash soup and thought it would be perfect in a a lasagna. I'd have to say this recipe is a combination of a few recipes, but largely adapted from Cooking Light. All the flavors blend so well together. Each bit you get the creamy texture of the ricotta cheese mixture, followed by the juiciness of the sauteed spinach and roasted butternut, ending with a hint of spice from the nutmeg.

3 cups chopped onion

10 cup fresh spinach

3/4 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

1/2 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley

1 tsp salt

1 tsp nutmeg

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

2 large eggs

1 (15oz) carton part-skim ricotta cheese

1 (15oz) carton fat-free ricotta cheese

3 cups diced peeled butternut squash

6 cups Marinara Sauce (Recipe Below)

12 whole wheat oven-ready lasagna noodles

1 cup shredded mozzarella cheese for the top or freshly grated parmesan

Preheat oven to 375°.

Heat a large Dutch oven coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion; sauté 4 minutes or until tender. Add spinach; sauté 1 1/2 minutes or until spinach wilts.

Combine 3/4 cup of mozzarella, parsley, salt, pepper, eggs, and ricotta cheeses and nutmeg in a large bowl.

Place squash in a microwave-safe bowl. Cover and cook on high 5 minutes or until tender. Or roast in the oven for 25 min at 425F.

Coat the bottom and sides of a 8x8 or 10x10 baking dishes with cooking spray.

Spread 1/2 cup Marinara sauce in the bottom of one prepared dish.

Arrange 4-5 noodles over sauce.

Spread 1/2 of the cheese mixture over noodles.

Arrange 1/2 squash over cheese mixture.

Spread 1/2 spinach and onoing mixture

Spread 1 cup Marinara sauce over squash.

Arrange 4 more noodles over sauce.

Spread the other 1/2 of cheese mixture over the noodles.

Spread remaining squash.

Arrange the rest of the onion and spinach mixture over squash.

Spread 1 cup sauce over onion and spinach mixture.

Arrange 4 noodles over sauce.

Spread 1 cup Marinara evenly over noodles.

Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese.

Cover pan with foil and bake at 375° for 30 minutes.

Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes.

To freeze unbaked lasagna: Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen unbaked lasagna: Thaw completely in refrigerator overnight. Preheat oven to 375º. Remove foil and plastic wrap. Cover lasagna with foil; bake at 375º for 1 hour. Uncover and bake an additional 30 minutes or until bubbly.

3 T olive oil
3 cups chopped yellow onion

1 T sugar
3 T minced garlic (about 6 cloves)
1 tsp salt
2 tsp dried basil
1 1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1/2 tsp fennel seeds, crushed
2 T balsamic vinegar
2 cups fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
3 (28-ounce) cans no-salt-added crushed tomatoes

1 tsp red chili flakes

Heat oil in a large Dutch oven over medium heat. Add onion to pan; cook 4 minutes, stirring frequently. Add sugar and next 7 ingredients (through fennel seeds and chili flakes); cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in vinegar; cook 30 seconds. Add broth and tomatoes; bring to a simmer. Cook over low heat for 55 minutes or until sauce thickens, stirring occasionally.

Ricotta Cheese Layer

Spinach and Onion Mixture