Cast Iron Peach Cobbler

 Last year my sister got me a LODGE cast-iron skillet and cookbook for my birthday.  She raved about her own cast iron skillet and how much they cook in it.  Even though I owned one, I didn't cook very often with it. I'd read that it may help with low iron which is something I struggle with and the cookbook had so many great ideas and even tips on how to cook with cast iron.  So I jumped in with both feet and have really enjoyed using it.  At some point in the last year I attempted a peach cobbler which turned out great, so tonight I wanted to make it again for dessert (I have some very ripe peaches in my kitchen!).  For some reason I couldn't remember the recipe I used and kept flipping through my book with no luck. I tend to leave notes beside a recipe I've used and had no luck with the recipes I thought it was. 

So I picked one, tweaked it and hoped for the best. And the result was so amazing: the edges were caramelized and crunch, the peaches so tasty, the batter light and fluffy .  The kiddos said that this was way better than the last time (the secret is alcohol!) so I made sure to make my notes in my cookbook and as an extra precaution, I'm adding it to my blog!

Ingredients:
-11 oz peeled, pitted and sliced peaches
-1 cup granulated sugar
- 1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
-1/2 cup plus 2 tbsp flour
-juice of about 1/3 lemon
-1 tsp cinnamon, divided
-1/4 cup butter
-1/4 tsp baking powder
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 cup milk
-1 tbsp liquor, like Jack Daniels whiskey

Directions:

1. Place a 10" cast iron skillet in the oven and preheat it to 350F. 

2. Stir together the peaches, 1/2 cup granulated sugar, brown sugar, 2 tbsp flour, lemon juice, 1/2 tsp cinnamon in a bowl.  Set aside.

3. When the oven is preheated, add the butter and return to the oven to melt and brown.  The butter will brown around the edges and foam.  The butter needs to be very hot!

4. Add the liquor to the peaches and give it another stir. 

5. While the butter is melting, stir together the remaining 1/2 cup flour and granulated sugar, baking powder, salt, 1/2 tsp cinnamon.  Add the milk and stir until the batter is just combined.  The consistency should be like pancake batter.

6. Pour the batter over the butter in the hot skillet.  Do not stir. Immediately spoon the peaches on top of the batter, making sure to include all the liquid that has accumulated.  Bake until the crust looks golden and crisp, about 30-35 minutes. 

7. Serve warm, topped with freshly whipped cream and a sprinkle of icing sugar (if you please!).  Enjoy! 😊

Ready to go in the oven!

The finished product.

Plated and ready for my belly! 

Stuffed Red Peppers

 I have always loved red peppers, especially sautéed with onions, garlic and my nonno's sausages.  When I make pizza, red peppers are a guaranteed topping!  I've tried a few different stuffed peppers recipes, but they never really hit the spot until this one!  I still haven't mastered the correct ratio (I always end up with more meat than peppers), but there's always enough for lunch the next day - and really it tastes even better the day after! The recipe as I share below will have leftover meat, so feel free to start another tray with more peppers....or save the meat to eat on its own (or in tacos!)!

Ingredients:
800g lean ground beef
1-1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/2 tsp baking soda
4 large bell peppers (red, yellow or orange)
3 tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, finely chopped
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
1-1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1/2 tsp dried oregano
2 cups tomato sauce
2 cups cooked rice
1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, grated

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 425F.

2. In a medium bowl, mash the beef with 1 tsp salt and the baking soda, using your hands.  Let it sit for approximately 20 minutes while you move on to the other steps. 

3. Lightly spray the bottom of a 9x13" baking dish.  Cut the bell peppers in half from stem to the bottom, and remove the core and seeds. Place the peppers cut side up in the baking dish and drizzle with 1 tbsp olive oil. Sprinkle with the remaining salt.

4. Roast the peppers for about 20 minutes, until they are slightly browned and tender-crisp.  It is okay if liquid accumulates in the bottom of the peppers. 

5. In the meantime, heat the remaining oil over medium heat in a non-stick skillet.  Add the onion and cool,  stirring frequently, until it is soft and translucent, about 3-4 minutes.  Add the garlic and cook for another minute, trying not to brown things.  Add the ground beef and spices; increase heat to medium-high. Cook, breaking up the meat, until the meat is browned and almost cooked through, 5-7 minutes. 

6. Add the tomato sauce and bring to a boil; reduce heat to medium-low, cook uncovered until the meat is cooked through.  Add the rice and half of the cheese; stir until melted.  Remove from heat. 

7. Remove peppers from the oven and spoon the meat filling equally into each pepper half.  Sprinkle with the remaining cheese and return to the oven.  Roast for 10-15 minutes until the filling is hot and the cheese is melted and bubbly.  Serve. 

The stuffed peppers before
going in the oven.

The meat filling.....

I almost forgot to snap a picture;
I was so eager to enjoy it!

Some of the leftovers!

Matcha Swirl Refrigerator Cookies

 Ingredients:

• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1.5 cups sugar
• 1 egg, lightly beaten and then divided
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 tsp peppermint
• 2.5 cups flour
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1.5 tsp baking powder
• 3 tsp matcha, candy cane or peppermint flavoured
• red and green food colouring
• Christmas sprinkles

Directions:

1. Because you are making two doughs to create the swirl, you will be working with half the ingredients and making two batches. The first dough is the vanilla-flavoured red dough.
2. In a small bowl whisk together 1-1/4 cups flour, 1/4 tsp salt and 3/4 tsp baking powder.
3. In a large bowl mix 1/2 cup butter on slow speed.  Slowly add 3/4 cup sugar. 
4. For the red dough, add 1 tsp vanilla and half of the egg, scraping down the sides periodically.  Add a few drops of red food colouring.
5. Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
6. Roll out the dough in large square.
7. Next you will make the peppermint-flavoured green dough.  To do this, repeat the steps above, starting with the dry ingredients.  This time you will add 3 tsp of matcha to the dry ingredients.
8. In another large bowl, repeat the process with the butter and sugar.  Next you will add the peppermint extract and the other half of the egg, scraping down the sides periodically.  Add a few drops of the green food colouring.  Add the dry ingredients and mix until the dough comes together.
9. Roll out the green dough to the same shape as the red dough.  Place one on top of the other and roll gently to flatten them together. 
10. Roll up the two-layer dough lengthwise into a log; roll in Christmas sprinkles so that the outside layer is covered.
11. Wrap the dough in wax paper and refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.
12. Preheat oven to 375F.  
13. Cut the dough into 1/4" thick rounds and place on a large parchment-lined baking sheet leaving space between.
14. Bake for 7-9 minutes until just starting to brown.  Cool for 1 minute on baking sheet before moving to a cooling rack to completely cool.

Makes 5-6 dozen cookies. 

Christmas Crack

 This is such a great treat to have in the house.  It gets its name from how tasty and addictive it is. It is a lovely addition to a cookie box around the holidays. 

Ingredients: 

• 40-45 salted saltine crackers (approx. 1 sleeve)
• 1 cup unsalted butter
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 1 tsp vanilla
• salt
• 1 pkg (300 g) semi-sweet chocolate chips
• Additional toppings:
• chopped walnuts
• candy sprinkles
• toffee bits
• white chocolate chips

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375F.  Lined a rimmed cookie sheet with parchment paper and grease with cookie spray.
2. Place crackers side by side on the lined pan; set aside.
3. In a large saucepan combine butter and brown sugar.  Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and boil for 3 minutes, stirring constantly.
4. Remove from heat and stir in the vanilla extract.
5. Pour the mixture over the crackers, making sure all crackers are covered.
6. Bake in the preheated oven for 3-5 minutes.  Be careful not to burn the caramel!
7. Remove from oven and sprinkle chocolate chips over the top.  Let stand for 3-5 minutes and then spread the melted chocolate over the crackers and caramel using an offset spatular.  If the chocolate is not melted enough, you can always put the tray back in the oven for a few minutes to melt it.
8. Sprinkle the chocolate with salt and whatever toppings you'd like.  I love adding chopped walnuts and candy sprinkles.  You can always melt white chocolate and drizzle over top. 
9. Cool completely in the fridge for at least 2 hours, then break into pieces.
10. Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to a week.
    
    

The Christmas Crack is around the outside.

Tea Cookies

These cookies come together rather quickly and are fairly easy to make; plus they taste great.  I always get compliments when I make these cookies.  The butter gives it a flaky texture and the nuts give it a nice crunch!  They are a great addition to any holiday baking tray!

Ingredients:

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup powdered sugar
1-1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
dash salt
dash baking powder
3/4 cup finely chopped walnuts (or other nuts)
powdered sugar for dusting

Directions:

1. In a bowl beat together the butter and powdered sugar until smooth and creamy.

2. Add vanilla.

3. Blend together flour, salt and baking powder. (Don't forget it's just a dash!)

4. Add flour mixture to butter mixture, blending well.

5. Add the chopped nuts; combine well.

6. Roll the dough into two balls.  Wrap each ball in plastic wrap an chill for at least an hour in the refrigerator.

7. Flatten dough out and cut into 15 or 16 equal size pieces.

8. Shape into small marble-sized balls.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets.

9.  Bake at 400F for 10-12 minutes until firm not brown (one cookie sheet on each rack).  About halfway through baking, rotate the baking sheets to the one that was on top is now on the bottom and the one on the bottom now on the top.  Watch closely that the cookies don't brown too quickly and burn!

10.  Cool the cookies on a rack while still on the tray.  While still warm, dust with powdered sugar.

11.  Let cool completely.  Roll again in powdered sugar.

Makes about 30 cookies.

Cookies rolled and ready to bake.

The final product!

Garlic & Veggie Risotto

Risotto is a well-loved dish in my household and I'm always looking for ways to change it up.
I recently saw a post by Lidia Bastianich for a garlic risotto which sounded interesting but I was hesitant about the amount of garlic and lack of other veggies.  I made a few modifications, but I now have no doubt the original would have been wonderful the way it was!  You could easily pick any vegetable or combination of veggies for this risotto.

Needless to say, this risotto was a huge success!  The kids ate it up and the husband was very impressed.  This served our family of four with a protein and salad, with leftovers for another day. 

Ingredients:
7-8 cups chicken stock
2 cups arborio rice
1 head of garlic (approx. 14 cloves), peeled and crushed
1 cup white wine
olive oil
salt to taste
1 onion, chopped
1 cup chopped green beans
1/2 red pepper, seeded and diced
2 tbsp unsalted butter
1/2 - 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated

Directions:

1. Bring the chicken stock to simmer over medium heat and season with salt.

2. In a frying pan over medium heat, add a couple of tablespoons of olive oil.   Toss the green beans red peppers and cook until tender.

3. Puree the garlic and white wine in a blender or food processor.

4. In a large, shallow pot, heat a few tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat.  When the oil is hot, add the onions and cook until they are tender, but not starting to brown, about 5 minutes. 

5. Raise the heat to medium-high and add the rice, stirring constantly until the grains are coated in oil and translucent, about 2 minutes.  Add the wine-garlic puree and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed.

6. Ladle in about 2-3  ladlefuls of stock, stir and cook until the liquid is mostly absorbed.  Repeat this process, adding in a couple of ladlefuls of stock each time the liquid is mostly absorbed, until the rice is al dente, about 20 minutes.  With about 5 minutes left, add the green beans and red peppers.

7. When the rice is al dente, turn off the heat and stir in the butter and Parmesan cheese.  Season with salt and pepper if necessary.  Serve immediately (with more cheese if you like!)

Banana Buckwheat Muffins

Banana Buckwheat Muffins

Being home during the pandemic has allowed for a lot more time to bake.  This is evident for many people it seems as it is getting increasingly difficult to find flour and yeast. 

So I decided to try a recipe I have never tried with some other flours I had in the house.  This is a slight adaptation from the original recipe found in Nourishing Meals by Alissa Segersten and Tom Malterre.

Banana muffins are a staple in my house, so I thought this would be a easy recipe to try and especially test out on the kids to see if they would notice a difference.  These muffins are dairy-free, gluten-free, egg-free and refined sugar-free.  They are great for anyone who has allergies to any of these ingredients.

I've never used buckwheat flour before, but I had recently picked up a small bag by Bob's Red Mill to try out.    The muffins smelled amazing - just like any other banana muffin I've made before.  They had a much darker colour, almost like I had mixed cocoa in it.  The muffins were a little denser than I'm used to, but they still had a very texture.  The flavour is distinct; I'm assuming it is the buckwheat flour.  It was not subtle and the kids definitely picked up on the flavour and of course for them it was "not a banana muffin" anymore.  That is not to say that it was still not good.  My husband and I enjoyed the muffins, but it is definitely different from what I was used to.

So without further ado.....here is the recipe:

Ingredients:
Dry:
2-1/4 cups buckwheat flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

Wet:
2 cups mashed bananas (about 5 bananas)
1/2 cup coconut sugar
1/3 cup avocado oil
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup non-dairy milk (I used oat milk)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a 12-cup muffin pan with liners.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the dry ingredients.

3. In another (medium) bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Begin with about 1/2 cup of the milk.  Pour the wet ingredients into the dry and whisk together.  If the batter is too thick, add more milk up to the other 1/2 cup.  The batter should come off the whisk, but not so much that it is thin and runny.

4. Fill each cup all the way.  If you fill 3/4 of the way, you will get about 18 muffins instead.

5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.  Cool completely on a wire rack before storing in an airtight container.