This is a favourite in my family. We got the recipe from very close family friends, the Pearse family. It's easy to make, and can actually be made the day before if you need to. It's the best reheated mashed potato that I've found! It stays hot, and doesn't dry out.
Ingredients:
6 large potatoes, for mashing
1 package of light cream cheese
1 large egg
2 cups of grated/shredded cheese
Method:
Peel, chop, and boil the potatoes until tender.
Drain them well, and mash them with a hand-masher.
When you have most of the lumps out, mash in the block of cream cheese and the egg, mixing well.
Place mixture into a casserole dish, and cover with the grated/shredded cheese. Bake in a 350 degree/180 degree Celsius oven for around 30 minutes, or until the cheese is golden and bubbly.
If you do make it the day before, just increase the cooking time until it is completely heated through. I hope you enjoy it as much as our family do!
Serves: 8
Weight Watchers: 6
Saturday, March 15, 2008
Sunday, March 2, 2008
Tortellini Soup
It's been a while since I last posted a recipe. Here is a new recipe that I tweaked tonight. Matt and I both said we would eat this again, and we're not soup eaters! It didn't take long to make, mainly food-prep.
I'm adding Weight Watchers information to the bottom of each recipe from this point forward, to help out anyone who is following Weight Watchers (as quite a few in our family here in America are doing right now).
I'm adding Weight Watchers information to the bottom of each recipe from this point forward, to help out anyone who is following Weight Watchers (as quite a few in our family here in America are doing right now).
Tortellini Soup
Ingredients:
1 can Swanson "Low-Sodium" Chicken Broth
1 can Swanson "Roasted Garlic" Chicken Broth
2 cups (uncooked) Barilla Spinach and Cheese Tortellini
4 cups (uncooked) Napa/Chinese Cabbage, finely shredded
1 cup sliced carrots
1/2 cup finely diced onion
2 cloves garlic, crushed or sliced (yes, we like garlic...)
1 tbsp tomato paste
Method:
Start heating water for boiling tortellini in a separate saucepan on the stove.
In a large deep skillet or saucepan, spray non-stick spray. Heat over medium-low heat.
Saute carrots, onion and garlic in pan for around 5 mins, until tender.
Add broth, cabbage, tomato paste to the pan. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer until tortellini is cooked.
Add tortellini to now-boiling water, and cook as per directions on package. Halfway through cooking, take approximately 2/3 cup of the boiling water and add to the soup.
When tortellini is cooked, drain and add to the soup. Serve immediately.
We added some finely grated Romano cheese to ours, and some salt and pepper to taste.
For those in Australia, you may need to substitute something for the tortellini if you can't find it over there, and maybe the flavoured broth.
Makes 4 servings (1.5 cups)
Weight Watchers: 4
In a large deep skillet or saucepan, spray non-stick spray. Heat over medium-low heat.
Saute carrots, onion and garlic in pan for around 5 mins, until tender.
Add broth, cabbage, tomato paste to the pan. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat to simmer until tortellini is cooked.
Add tortellini to now-boiling water, and cook as per directions on package. Halfway through cooking, take approximately 2/3 cup of the boiling water and add to the soup.
When tortellini is cooked, drain and add to the soup. Serve immediately.
We added some finely grated Romano cheese to ours, and some salt and pepper to taste.
For those in Australia, you may need to substitute something for the tortellini if you can't find it over there, and maybe the flavoured broth.
Makes 4 servings (1.5 cups)
Weight Watchers: 4
Saturday, January 12, 2008
York Peppermint Pattie Brownies
This is a recipe that was sent to me by my good friend Michelle. She got the recipe from her wonderful Mother-in-law, Barbara Oldani. I haven't tried these yet, but I have been told they're absolutely delicious. Thanks, Barbara!
(I have added Celsius temperatures, for the Aussies.)
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius), or 325 if using a glass baking pan (160-165 degrees Celsius). Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat until well-blended. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir it into the butter-sugar mixture and blend well.
(I have added Celsius temperatures, for the Aussies.)
Yields 36
1½ cups butter or margarine, melted
3 cups sugar
1 tablespoon vanilla extract
5 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup Hershey’s cocoa
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
24 (1 ½ -inch) York Peppermint Patties (unwrapped)
Grease a 9-by-13-inch baking pan. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (180 degrees Celsius), or 325 if using a glass baking pan (160-165 degrees Celsius). Beat together the butter, sugar and vanilla. Add eggs and beat until well-blended. Mix together the flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt. Stir it into the butter-sugar mixture and blend well.
Reserve 2 cups of the batter, spreading the remaining mixture in the prepared pan. Arrange the peppermint patties about ½ inch apart in a single layer over the batter. Spread reserved batter over the patties. Bake 50-55 minutes or until the mixture begins to pull away from the sides of the pan. Cool completely in pan and cut into 36 brownies.
Mars Bar/Milky Way Slice
The other day, I don't know what made me think of it, but I remembered a slice we used to make when I was in school.
In Australia, we call this "Mars Bar Slice", because we use Mars Bars... But our Mars Bars are what Americans call Milky Way!
I have adapted the recipe for American measurements, and this recipe will do a double batch, which will fit a regular rectangle baking dish.
Grease your baking dish/slice tray.
Australian Ingredients:
6 x 65g Mars Bars, chopped
180g Butter
6 cups Rice Bubbles
American Ingredients:
6.5 x 58g Milky Way bars (total of 195g needed), chopped
180g butter (approx. 1 stick of butter plus almost 7 tbsp. butter.)
6 cups of Rice Krispies
Chop up the Mars Bars/Milky Way bars and combine them in a saucepan with the butter over low heat, without boiling, until the mixture is melted and smooth. (This will take quite a while, and you need to watch it carefully and keep stirring it. DO NOT turn the temperature up, no matter how tempted you are to get it done quicker.)
Stir the mixture into the Rice Bubbles/Rice Krispies until they look evenly coated. Press the mixture into the greased dish/tray.
Icing/Topping Ingredients:
400g Milk Chocolate (I ONLY use Cadbury for this. But you can use whatever.)
60g Butter (American: approx. 4.5 tbsp butter, or just over half a stick of butter)
Melt the butter and broken up chocolate in a bowl over hot water, stirring constantly until melted and smooth.
Spread the chocolate evenly over the slice mixture and refrigerate until topping is set.
Cut slice into squares. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, or freeze wrapped very well in plastic wrap and foil.
Enjoy!
In Australia, we call this "Mars Bar Slice", because we use Mars Bars... But our Mars Bars are what Americans call Milky Way!
I have adapted the recipe for American measurements, and this recipe will do a double batch, which will fit a regular rectangle baking dish.
Grease your baking dish/slice tray.
Australian Ingredients:
6 x 65g Mars Bars, chopped
180g Butter
6 cups Rice Bubbles
American Ingredients:
6.5 x 58g Milky Way bars (total of 195g needed), chopped
180g butter (approx. 1 stick of butter plus almost 7 tbsp. butter.)
6 cups of Rice Krispies
Chop up the Mars Bars/Milky Way bars and combine them in a saucepan with the butter over low heat, without boiling, until the mixture is melted and smooth. (This will take quite a while, and you need to watch it carefully and keep stirring it. DO NOT turn the temperature up, no matter how tempted you are to get it done quicker.)
Stir the mixture into the Rice Bubbles/Rice Krispies until they look evenly coated. Press the mixture into the greased dish/tray.
Icing/Topping Ingredients:
400g Milk Chocolate (I ONLY use Cadbury for this. But you can use whatever.)
60g Butter (American: approx. 4.5 tbsp butter, or just over half a stick of butter)
Melt the butter and broken up chocolate in a bowl over hot water, stirring constantly until melted and smooth.
Spread the chocolate evenly over the slice mixture and refrigerate until topping is set.
Cut slice into squares. Store in an air-tight container in the refrigerator, or freeze wrapped very well in plastic wrap and foil.
Enjoy!
Monday, December 24, 2007
Pumpkin Bread
Here's a "holiday" recipe that you could really make any time of the year. My sister-in-law Amber shared it with us. Matt loves it, and my Mum begged for the recipe. I believe this recipe makes 3 loaves.
Thanks for sharing, Amber! (As typed by Amber.)
Thanks for sharing, Amber! (As typed by Amber.)
3 ½ cups flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
3 cups sugar
2 teaspoons salt
1 cup oil
1 teaspoon baking powder
4 eggs – beaten
1 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1 can pumpkin (15 oz)
1 teaspoon ground allspice
2/3 cup water
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
½ teaspoon ground cloves
Cream sugar, eggs and oil. Add pumpkin and mix well. Add flour and spices to batter alternating with water. Mix well. Grease and flour 3 1 lb. loaf pans (8” x 3 ¾” x 2 3/8” disposable aluminum pans – it seems to do better in the disposable ones. Can make in another). Divide batter between the 3 pans and bake. Bake at 350 degrees for 1 hour or until done. Use toothpick method to test for doneness.
When the pumpkin bread is done I let the pans cool about 20* minutes and then wrap in Saran or Reynolds type plastic wrap (Glad Wrap). The plastic wrap seals in the moisture as the pumpkin bread cools. I have left some without doing the wrap, as it stays moist for the short time we have it before eaten.
* This is still hot but you should not burn your fingers.
Merry Christmas: Celebration Turkey!
Since I started this blog on Christmas Eve, I think it's only fitting that my first recipe should be my Celebration Turkey! I roast my turkey this way for both Thanksgiving and Christmas, and I always get wonderful compliments.
1 Turkey (of course), around 15 lbs depending on number of family and friends
1 bottle of Tony Chachere's "Creole Butter" Injectible Marinade
20 oz (around 600ml) of good quality apple juice
20 oz water
2 Lemons
1 Onion, peeled
Seasoning Salt
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (around 260 degrees Celsius).
In the bottom of your baking pan, pour in the apple juice and water. (Apple juice is a great substitute for white wine in recipes, and adds a nice tang to the gravy, if you make it from the pan drippings.)
Prepare your turkey as you normally would, taking out the neck and gizzards (I discard mine, but some people roast them in with the turkey or put the gizzards in the pan drippings for more flavour). Wash and dry your turkey.
Put the turkey in a baking pan, preferably on a rack, breast side up.
Cut the lemons and onion into quarters, and stuff them into the turkey cavity.
Inject the marinade into the turkey's breasts and legs. This helps the turkey to stay wonderful and moist, and also adds some wonderful buttery flavour. I use about half of the bottle to inject.
Pour the remaining marinade over the top of the turkey, and sprinkle with seasoning salt for a bit of colour and taste.
The turkey is now ready to put into the oven! Put the baking pan as low in the oven as you can, so that the top of the turkey doesn't dry out or burn.
Set the timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, you need to make an aluminium foil "breast shield" for the turkey. Get a double thickness of foil, and press in and over the breasts, to protect them from drying out and burning. You can also take this time to cover the tips of the wings, if needed.
You will also, at this stage, turn the oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (around 175 degrees Celsius).
The best way to guage if your turkey is cooked is with an oven-proof digital probe thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast, through the foil.
Set the alert (if you have one) to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or 74 degrees Celsius). The minimum internal temperature should reach 165 °F for food safety.
When the alert sounds, remove the turkey from the oven, and let rest for at least 15 minutes. I like to leave mine rest for 30-40 minutes, which gives me plenty of time to put my Mashed Potato Casserole and my Sweet Potato Casserole in the oven.
1 Turkey (of course), around 15 lbs depending on number of family and friends
1 bottle of Tony Chachere's "Creole Butter" Injectible Marinade
20 oz (around 600ml) of good quality apple juice
20 oz water
2 Lemons
1 Onion, peeled
Seasoning Salt
Preheat your oven to 500 degrees Fahrenheit (around 260 degrees Celsius).
In the bottom of your baking pan, pour in the apple juice and water. (Apple juice is a great substitute for white wine in recipes, and adds a nice tang to the gravy, if you make it from the pan drippings.)
Prepare your turkey as you normally would, taking out the neck and gizzards (I discard mine, but some people roast them in with the turkey or put the gizzards in the pan drippings for more flavour). Wash and dry your turkey.
Put the turkey in a baking pan, preferably on a rack, breast side up.
Cut the lemons and onion into quarters, and stuff them into the turkey cavity.
Inject the marinade into the turkey's breasts and legs. This helps the turkey to stay wonderful and moist, and also adds some wonderful buttery flavour. I use about half of the bottle to inject.
Pour the remaining marinade over the top of the turkey, and sprinkle with seasoning salt for a bit of colour and taste.
The turkey is now ready to put into the oven! Put the baking pan as low in the oven as you can, so that the top of the turkey doesn't dry out or burn.
Set the timer for 30 minutes. When the timer goes off, you need to make an aluminium foil "breast shield" for the turkey. Get a double thickness of foil, and press in and over the breasts, to protect them from drying out and burning. You can also take this time to cover the tips of the wings, if needed.
You will also, at this stage, turn the oven down to 350 degrees Fahrenheit (around 175 degrees Celsius).
The best way to guage if your turkey is cooked is with an oven-proof digital probe thermometer. Insert the probe into the thickest part of the turkey breast, through the foil.
Set the alert (if you have one) to 165 degrees Fahrenheit (or 74 degrees Celsius). The minimum internal temperature should reach 165 °F for food safety.
When the alert sounds, remove the turkey from the oven, and let rest for at least 15 minutes. I like to leave mine rest for 30-40 minutes, which gives me plenty of time to put my Mashed Potato Casserole and my Sweet Potato Casserole in the oven.
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