This another fabulous vegetable to serve. Even the doubters will love it. Try it out, it may become a favourite of yours.
Serves 4-6
- 1 1/2 pounds broccolini (approximately 3 bunches)
- 3 tbsp butter
- 1 medium shallot, chopped
- 1 garlic clove, chopped
- 1/2 cup pecans, chopped
Day before: Bring a large pot of water to the boil. Add broccolini, stirring to separate and cook about two minutes. Transfer drained broccolini to paper towels to drain. Cool.
Wrap broccolini in several layers of clean paper towels and store in a plastic bag in the fridge.
Day of Dinner: Melt butter in large fry pan over medium heat. Add shallots, garlic and pecans. Sauté until the shallots are softened. Increase to high heat stirring constantly, until the butter is browned and pecans are aromatic (about three minutes). Add the broccolini and heat through. Serve.
I know, you could try to blush when you get all the compliments, but I doubt it. Just smile…who ordered that second martini?
Broccoli Orange Salad
Even Mikey likes this. My grandaughter (when small) called broccoli ‘trees’. So this is a nice way to eat the ‘trees’.
Serves 4-6
- 2 eggs
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 tsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp dry mustard
- 1/4 cup white wine vinegar
- 1/4 cup water
- 1/2 cup Hellmans mayonnaise
- 4 cups fresh broccoli florets
- 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 8 slices of bacon, cooked crisp and chopped
- 2 cups thinly slices fresh button mushrooms
- 1/2 cup toasted pecans
- 10 oz. can orange slices drained, or
- 2 blood oranges segmented (if in season)
In a saucepan, whisk the first six ingredients and cook until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in the mayo until smooth. Cool. Marinate broccoli in dressing for several hours. Add remaining ingredients and toss well.
Serve with grilled Italian Bread, two servings of warm sunshine, and a bottle or so of wine. Enjoy! Bring it on. Tell me, does this qualify as being “green”?
I know, that’s bad…later
Pear/Pecan Loaf with Lime Glaze
This is so great, it almost makes you want to go around the neighborhood and tell them you want to borrow a cup of coffee and you will bring the tasty treat.
- 1- 16 oz. can of pear halves
- 1 1/2 cups of flour
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 1 tbsp. baking powder
- pinch of salt
- pinch of allspice
- 1 cup whole wheat flour
- 1/4 cup Crisco Oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tbsp. lime zest
- 1 cup chopped pecans
- 3 tbsp. pear juice
- 1 cup icing sugar
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Drain pears but save the syrup. Reserve 1 pear half for garnish.
Puree the pears and add the syrup to measure 1 cup.
Mix pears with the oil, egg and lime rind. Sift the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and allspice. Stir in the whole wheat flour. Now stir in the pear mixture.
Blend in the nuts. Pour into a greased 9 x 5 loaf pan.
Cut reserved pear half into 6 slices and spread over the top of the loaf.. Bake for 50-60 minutes. When finished baking, remove from oven and spoon the thin glaze over the top. Store overnight before cutting (All things good are worth waiting for, right?)
Blend pear juice with icing sugar to make a glaze and drizzle over cake.
Note: You COULD have this for breakfast, but then I would put a pat of butter (or 2) in a frypan and brown both sides. Oh yeah! …..what diet?
While waiting for tomorrow to come, work on making martinis. Just sayin’ .
Pear And Oka Soup
This is a fabulous tasting soup. Certainly not your canned variety.
Serves 4
- 2 ripe Bartlett pears, peeled, cored and chopped
- 1 1/2 cups vegetable stock
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger
- 1/4-1/2 tsp. nutmeg, freshly grated
- 1 red skinned Pear, cored and Julienned (Do not peel)
- 2 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 2 tbsp. toasted pecans
- 2 tbsp. chopped dried cranberries
- 2 tbsp. unsalted butter
- 2 tbsp. flour
- 1/2 – 1 cup cream (more if needed)
- 3/4 cup Oka cheese, cut into small pieces
- 1/2 cup Piesporter wine
- Salt and Pepper to taste
Combine Bartlett pears, stock, ginger and nutmeg in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat and cook until the pears are tender. Set aside.
In a small bowl, make a salsa by mixing together the red pear, lime juice, pecans and cranberries. Set this aside.
In a small saucepan melt butter and add the flour, stirring to make a roux for about one minute. Do not brown the flour. Now with a whisk, add the cream and on low heat cook while stirring constantly for about four minutes or until it thickens. Add the cheese to the cream mixture and let it melt. Set aside.
In a blender, puree the pear and stock mixture until really smooth. Return to saucepan and add the cheese mixture and heat through. Gradually add the wine. When the soup is heated through (not boiled), ladle into your prettiest bowls and top with a spoonful of the salsa.
This is a really great soup and will make your guests glad they know you. You may also find that some of your guests (or family) will ask when they are AGAIN on the guest list.
Sun-dried Tomato and Chevre Cheese Pate
This is another nice way to say “welcome and we are delighted you are here”.
This will serve quite a few guests, but if serving only 4, this is ample.
- 3 oz. sun-dried tomatoes in oil, drained
- 8 oz. soft goat cheese (Chevre)
- 1/3 cup chopped pecans
- Fresh chopped basil
- Fresh Ciabatta bread, cut into 16 pieces
Place three-quarters of the tomatoes and goat cheese in a blender and blend until ALMOST smooth. Add the balance of the tomatoes and blend only to break up the tomatoes, allowing for texture.
Transfer to a bowl and add the pecans and mix well. Turn out into a pate dish.
To serve, sprinkle fresh basil on top of the pate and surround with toasted bread on a small platter.
Again, pretty cocktail plates with cloth napkins and spreader knives will help each guest.
Raspberry-Sour Cream Muffins
Here is another muffin recipe to add to the cache you are collecting.
- 1 1/2 cups brown sugar
- 2/3 cup Crisco Oil
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. almond flavouring
- 1 generous cup sour cream
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 1/2 cups raspberries
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans ( or pistachios for a pretty contrast in colours)
Preheat oven to 325 degrees. Beat the brown sugar, oil, egg, almond flavoring and sour cream well to combine.
Sift the dry ingredients and slowly add to the creamed mixture, but do not over mix. Fold in the raspberries and pecans.
Bake in texas size muffin pans that have been sprayed with Pam for 20-25 minutes.
While hot, ice the tops with cream cheese icing and let it melt and run down the sides. This way you get the taste of sweet but not thick like a cake.
Afternoon Cookies
By the time 2:30-3:00 p.m. shows up, it feels like a snack would be in order. Right? Then this is a great little snack and healthy too! (sort of).
- 1 cup butter
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1 cup white sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 cup white chocolate chips (good quality)
- 1 cup milk chocolate chips (again,good quality)
- 1 1/2 cup golden raisins
- 2 cups chopped pecans
Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Blend the butter, and both sugars together until light and fluffy. Add the eggs and the vanilla, beating well to combine. Sift the 4 dry ingredients together and add slowly to the butter mixture. With the mixer on s-l-o-w, add the remaining ingredients.
On parchment lined cookie sheets, shape the dough into golf sized balls and bake for about 10 minutes or until golden.
Cranberry Apple Bread
Now is the season for cranberries, why not make a few of these up and freeze them? Apples…cranberries….winter. Good match.
To make one loaf:
- 2 cups peeled and chopped apples (Granny Smith)
- grated zest of 1 large orange
- 3/4 cup white sugar
- 2 tbsp. Crisco Oil
- 1 egg
- 1 1/2 cups flour
- 1 1/2 tsp. baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1 cup fresh (or frozen) cranberries, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
Preheat oven tp 350 degrees. Lightly grease a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan.
Stir together the apples, sugar and oil. Add the egg and mix well. Sift together the dry ingredients, including the orange zest..
Now stir the dry ingredients into the wet, mixing only until moist. Stir in the cranberries and pecans. Spoon batter into pan.
Bake 35-40 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean.
To keep, wrap in plastic wrap and then tin foil. Freeze. Done!
This recipe is in my cookbook ” The B & B Cookbook“. Check it out.
Silk Chocolate Cheesecake
I know I said earlier that I wanted to make a lemon dessert for our dinner, but ran across this one and it is such a proven winner, I changed my mind. I have talked about this one, but not posted the recipe…..until now.
Once you make this and try it, you will make it over and over again.
- 1 1/4 cup toasted, finely chopped pecans
- 2 tbsp. melted butter
- 2 tbsp. brown sugar
- 3/4 cup berry sugar
- 32 caramels, unwrapped – have fun! Melted
- 3 tbsp. cream
- 3 pkg. cream cheese
- 3 eggs
- 8 squares Baker’s dark chocolate, melted and cooled slightly
- 1/2 cup toasted pecan halves
- jar of Caramel sauce
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Draw out a circle of parchment paper to cover a 9 inch spring form pan. Combine the pecans, melted butter, brown sugar and carefully spread over the bottom of the pan, on top of the parchment paper.
Peel the wrap off the caramels and with the cream, put in a bowl over a pot of simmering water to completely melt. Stir occasionally to make sure it is smooth. Pour this over the pecan mixture in the pan and cool completely.
Beat the softened room temperature cream cheese, berry sugar and eggs on low to completely blend and add to the melted chocolate. Pour over the cooled caramel layer. Wrap the pan with tin foil up to and including the sides of the pan and place in a larger pan filled 2/3 full with boiling water. Bake for 45-50 minutes. Run a knife around the edge to loosen and cool completely. Cover and place in the fridge overnight.
When ready to serve, drop a generous spoonful of caramel sauce on the plate and set a slice of the cheesecake on top, making sure it stands up. Drizzle in a zigzag pattern with some caramel sauce across the top and add a couple of pecans. If you don’t think this is enough, put a dollop of whipped cream on the side.
Note: The water bath will prevent the cheesecake from splitting and cracking. Just sayin’.
Also note…I have been baking for over 40 years and for the first time, I tried to take a shortcut and put the caramels in a microwave safe bowl and melt them. It almost set our house on fire. The smoke was horrible and, of course, it broke the bowl. Never again
Overnight Coffee Cake
This is a good one to start when you have invited the girls over for coffee in the morning. It is done when you get up and all you have to do is bake it.
- 3/4 cup butter, room temperature
- 1 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup sour cream
- 2 cups flour
- 1 tsp. baking powder
- 1 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 1 tsp. fresh ground nutmeg
Beat the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add the eggs beating well to combine and add the sour cream and, again, mix well.
Combine all the dry ingredients and gently combine. Pour into a 13 x 9 inch greased and floured baking pan.
Topping
- 3/4 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup chopped pecans
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
Combine the topping ingredients and sprinkle over the top of the cake. Cover with tin foil and set in the fridge overnight.
Remove from the fridge in the morning and let sit for 1 hour. Then bake in a 350 degreee oven for about 38-40 minutes.
Yummy!
Maple and Pecan Tarts
This is one I will make for sure this for my give-away trays. Absolutely the VERY BEST tarts. Unbelieveable how good they are. This is my favourite Maple Tart recipe EVER.
- 2 sheets frozen puff pastry, thawed
- 2 pkgs. Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup pure maple syrup (don’t cheat here)
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 1/4 cups pecans, toasted and chopped fine
Preparation: Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Starting from the short end of the rolled out pastry, cut into twelve equal circles. Flatten each circle with a rolling pin to make four inch shells. In a twelve cup greased muffin tin center the pastry and gently push in. Blind bake according to directions and let cool.
Mix all the ingredients except the whipping cream and cream together until smooth. Whip the cream to soft peaks and gently fold into the mixture.
Sprinkle a spoonful of pecans in the bottom of the tart shell and spoon the cheese mixture into each shell. Chill for at least four hours. Before serving, drizzle with a small amount of maple syrup and pecan halves.
So delicious, there won’t be leftovers.
Sticky Toffee Puddings
Oh my goodness, are these good. Let’s see…..yeah, you could almost lick your fingers, it is so good.
You need:
- 1 cup water
- 1/2 tsp. vanilla
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- 1 c up dried cranberries
- 3/4 cup butter
- 2/3 cup sugar
- 2 eggs
- 1 cup flour1/4 tsp. baking powder
- 1/4 cup finely chopped pecans
- 1 cup brown sugar
- 1/2 cup butter
- 1/2 cup whipping cream
Butter 8, 4 oz. ramekins. Bring water to a boil and add the vanilla and baking soda and cranberries, set aside to cool. Cream the butter and sugar until really light and fluffy. Lightly beat the eggs and add to the butter mixture gradually in three stages.
Sift the flour and baking powder together, gently folding into the batter. Fold cranberry mixture into the batter and portion into the ramekins and bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes.
To make the toffee sauce, combine the ingredients in a small saucepan and stir over low heat until the sugar is dissolved. Remove the puddings from the ramekin dishes by running a knife around the edge.
Invert on a plate and drizzle with the toffee sauce and a dollop of whipped cream.
The sound you will hear now is people trying to gather up every drop of the sauce. This one is definitely beyond yummy-yummy!
* A note….I just made this with dried tart cherries, by mistake I might add, and it is equally as delicious. In fact, Don says he prefers it.