quick

Quick Waffles with Vanilla Pudding and Blueberry Syrup

By Cheri in Breakfast, Mothers Day, Valentine's 11 Comments Tags: , , , , , , ,

Quick Waffles with Vanilla Pudding and Blueberry Syrup

I bought a waffle maker for my birthday a couple of months ago. We used to make them all the time in Canada but I had to leave my waffle iron behind in the move and I’ve been waiting to get one every since. I think we had forgotten just how much we loved waffles and now we can’t seem to get enough. In fact, we have now started a new Sunday morning tradition. Waffles. With vanilla pudding and blueberry syrup.

My husband’s family has a tradition of eating their waffles with homemade vanilla pudding. It’s a common thing to do in the community that he grew up. And, I accepted it readily because who doesn’t want their waffles covered in warm vanilla pudding? We’ve since added the blueberry syrup because it’s such a great compliment and adds a punch a flavour and color.

I’ve tried numerous waffle recipes on my husband but this one is always his favourite. And who am I to complain? It’s the most simple to make! The vanilla pudding is my mother(or sister)-in-law’s recipe and the blueberry syrup is my mom’s. I’m in love with every aspect of this dish and each of us waits eagerly for Sunday morning to arrive so we can have it again.

I couldn’t figure out a way to take a photo of this without it looking messy. But to me it looks like a tasty mess. One that I would happily clean up with my fork and mouth. :) Full disclosure: I do not actually put that much pudding or syrup on my waffles. It was for the sake of the picture because it looks so much prettier messier this way.

This is also wonderful topped with sliced strawberries in place of the blueberry syrup. Just toss them in a little bit of sugar and let sit for a couple of minutes and you’ll have softened strawberries in a syrupy sauce. Yum!

I’d love to know, what’s your favourite topping for waffles?

Quick Waffles

  • 2 eggs
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1.5 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1.5 teaspoons sugar
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  1. Beat eggs until thick. Whisk in milk and oil. Add dry ingredients, mix until smooth. Cook in waffle iron according to manufacturers instructions.

Makes approximately: 6 waffles

Vanilla Pudding

  • 1 1/4 cups milk, divided
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 3 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg yolk
  • 1/2 teaspoon vanilla
  1. Bring 1 cup milk to a boil in a small saucepan set over medium-high heat.
  2. Meanwhile mix together flour, sugar and salt. Slowly whisk in 1/4 cup milk, making sure there are no lumps. Whisk in egg yolk.
  3. Slowly whisk flour mixture into boiled milk. Bring back to a boil, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm.

*If doubling you can use one whole egg instead of two egg yolks.

Blueberry Syrup

  • 1 cup fresh or frozen (not thawed) blueberries
  • 2.5 tablespoons sugar
  • 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon vanilla
  1. Place blueberries, sugar, lemon juice and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil, crushing berries as they cook. Let boil 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in vanilla. Serve warm or cold.

 

Kids in the Kitchen: Jumbo Cashew Cookies

By Cheri in Cookies & Bars, Kids, Sweets 5 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , , ,

Kids in the Kitchen: Jumbo Cashew Cookies

If you’ve been around here for a while you know that I like to keep homemade baking mix on hand in my fridge at all times. It makes last minute cooking/baking so much easier. The other day I was wanting to whip up some cookies real quick so I could go back to relaxing and spending time with my hubby. When I first saw this recipe I was drawn to the word cashews but when I saw that it also used Bisquick mix my mind was made up. I love finding new recipes to use my baking mix!

I was a tad bit skeptical at first. I knew the baking mix made great pancakes but I was afraid the cookies would be.. well.. pancakey. But they weren’t. They were nice and chewy and cookie-y. And, ginormous. These are the kind of cookies I like to eat for breakfast. Not too sweet and full of oats.

Now that my son is almost three years old I’ve been cooking with him a lot more in the kitchen. It has been so much fun and he is learning so much! Like, that raw potatoes don’t taste very good. And, Mommy has been learning lots to. Like, keep your eyes on him at all times or he’ll put pepper in your cookies. I’ve been letting him dig his hands in and get dirty. And, surprisingly there haven’t been too many mishaps as long as I’m careful about the jobs I give him.

This is the type of cookie that a little older kids could conquer all on there own. Or at least with very little help from mom. They’ll have fun shaping the dough and watching them grow to gargantuan size.

If you don’t like cashews I think they would be equally delicious with peanuts. Or, if you want a sweeter cookie you could add a cup of white chocolate chips. I think I’m gonna try that next time, but I also love them just the way they are.

Jumbo Cashew Cookies

  • 1 1/4 cups packed brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 2 eggs
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 2 1/2 cups homemade baking mix (or Bisquick mix)
  • 1 cup rolled oats
  • 1 cup chopped cashews
  1. Cream together sugar and butter. Mix in eggs and vanilla. Stir in remaining ingredients until evenly mixed.
  2. Drop onto parchment lined or greased baking sheets by 1/4 cupful amounts, 3 inches apart. Using your hands roughly shape into circles and press down to 1/2 inch thick.
  3. Bake at 375ºF for 8-10 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Allow to cool 3 minutes on baking sheets before removing to wire racks or paper towel to cool.

Makes: 16 cookies

Adapted from Betty Crocker

Chicken Salsa Ranch Wraps

By Cheri in Lunch, Main Dish, Poultry 13 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Chicken Salsa Ranch Wraps

James has been traveling for work quite a bit lately so I’ve been doing a lot of cooking for just me and Max. Normally that means I take a break from the kitchen and make things like hot dogs and poutines. But something has gotten into me lately and I’m finding myself wanting to make real dinners even when my hubby’s gone. But, since I’ve got both kids by myself I like to keep it simple and quick.

Recipes like this one are what help me keep it healthy when it’s just me and the kids. It comes together so quick it doesn’t even enter your mind that there might be something simpler to make. This coming from a girl who microwaves ham and cheese quesadillas on a regular basis for lunch. Because who wants to go through all of the work to preheat a pan? (Sad I know, but I honestly don’t mind them this way. These Chicken, Bacon and Black Bean Quesadillas on the other hand are far to special to make in the microwave.)

I’m very lucky because Max is not a picky eater. But, you can always tell when he REALLY likes something because he eats just as much as me (sometimes more). Pizza, waffles and spaghetti are a few of the items on that list and these wraps just joined them.

I love the way the sauce coats the chicken and thickens up a bit once it hits the hot pan. Makes my lips smack together just thinking about it. Although, if you want to pack this in a picnic lunch I would advise simply stirring the salsa and ranch together and using it as a dressing to drizzle over the wraps before rolling up. You could skip the whole cooking process altogether by using cooled leftover chicken as well. Either way it’s super quick and super tasty.

Chicken Salsa Ranch Wraps

  • 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into strips
  • salt and pepper, to taste
  • 1/2 cup salsa
  • 1/4 ranch dressing
  • tortillas
  • shredded cheese, lettuce and sliced red bell peppers, to serve
  1. Heat a skillet over medium high heat. Add a small amount of oil to the pan, add chicken and season with salt and pepper. Cook, stirring occasionally until cooked through. Stir in salsa and ranch. Cook until bubbly.
  2. To serve: Place a tortilla on a plate. Top with chicken mixture, shredded cheese, lettuce and red pepper. Roll up and serve.

Serves: 4

Adapted from Kraft.

Kids in the Kitchen: Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

By Cheri in Cookies & Bars, Easter, Kids, Sweets 8 Comments Tags: , , , , , , , ,

Kids in the Kitchen: Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

I got the sudden urge to decorate sugar cookies last week. As you can see I got as far as making the cookies. :) But that was fun in and of itself. I did make one batch of the glaze and got approximately five cookies done before Max had already decorated (read: eaten) three cookies and Alli woke up wanting some attention. So I put that idea behind me and decided to freeze the rest in case the time ever came that I was able to decorate again (I am in no way a super mom and I’m ok with that).

Kids Can:

  • knead dough
  • help roll out dough
  • cut out shapes
  • older kids can decorate with icing bags
  • younger kids can spread the glaze on the cookies and decorate with sprinkles

I’m not usually a fan of sugar cookies. But these I can actually eat on their own without icing. I’m really into tea lately and these cookies are a perfect accompaniment to that.

These are the easiest sugar cookies I have ever made. Sugar cookies aren’t all that hard to make but there’s generally a lot of waiting time for the dough to chill before rolling, then trying to roll out a stiff dough or wait for it to soften before you roll it out. Simple enough really but it’s enough to stop me from making them on a whim. These cookies on the other hand were whipped up and baked in the time it took for James and Max to go grocery shopping. They left. I got the urge to bake. They came back. Half the cookies were baked and cooling on the counter while the remainder were in the fridge awaiting their turn in the oven.

The key to these cookies being able to be made so last minute is the fact that you don’t have to soften the butter. Cold butter means there’s no chill time before rolling it out which cuts the prep time down considerably. Plus they roll out like a dream. I made the original cookies at Christmas this year and knew they would be my sugar cookie of choice from then on.

I wanted the flavours to suite Easter so I opted to add some grated lemon zest to the dough. Delish!

Tips to Perfect Sugar Cookies

I’m no expert on sugar cookies but I do know a couple tricks to get them nearly perfect every time. At least it works for me!

  1. Roll Out on Parchment Paper. Rolling the dough out on a floured piece of parchment paper means less flour is used (meaning softer cookies) and easier transportation to the baking sheet (which means less stretching and breaking).

  2. Refrigerate Before Baking. Since this recipe is not refrigerated before rolling out you want to be sure to refrigerate it once the shapes are cut. That way it keeps it’s form and doesn’t spread.

  3. Chill Before Cutting Out Delicate Pieces. If you’re wanting to make smaller cutouts in the cookie (like I did with the flowers) do so after they have chilled in the fridge, just before baking. This way you don’t have to worry about any delicate parts breaking when you transfer it to the baking sheet and it will hold it’s shape better.

The glaze for these cookies is lemony and sweet. Much sweeter then royal icing. You can’t really compare the two but it is much easier to make and decorates beautifully (just look at Amanda’s cookies). But, as I said it is very sweet so if you’re worried about that you may want to stick with royal icing.

Easy Lemon Sugar Cookies

  • 3 cups flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • 1 cup sugar
  • 1 cup cold salted butter, cubed
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • zest of one lemon
  1. Combine flour and baking powder.
  2. In a separate bowl, cream butter and sugar. Add egg, vanilla and zest. Mix until incorporated.
  3. Add flour in three additions, scraping down as you go. Beat until combined (will be crumbly).
  4. Divide dough in half to roll out. Knead each piece on counter top until smooth. Roll out on floured parchment paper. Cut into shapes. Place on parchment lined baking sheet. Freeze for 5 minutes (or refrigerate for 15 minutes) to firm up.
  5. Bake @ 350 for 10-12 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes before removing to wire rack or paper towel to cool.

Makes approximately 4 dozen cookies

Lemony Sugar Cookie Glaze

  • 1 cup icing sugar
  • 1.5 tablespoons lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon corn syrup
  1. Sift sugar into a bowl. Mix in lemon juice and corn syrup. Spread or pipe onto cookies.

Tip: If piping onto cookies check the consistency by doing the 10 second ribbon test. Drag a knife through the glaze and lift to make a ribbon. It should smooth out in 5-10 seconds. If the icing comes together before 5 seconds add more sugar. If the glaze comes together after 10 seconds add more liquid. This will ensure that it is firm enough to pipe but still loose enough to flood the cookie.

Makes enough for approximately 1 dozen cookies.

Sugar Cookies adapted from bake at 350. Sugar Cookie Glaze adapted from i am baker.

 

Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

By Cheri in Fall, Main Dish, Meat, Poultry 44 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

For the longest time my quick, go-to Chicken Pot Pie recipe involved canned cream of chicken soup and a homemade biscuit topping. I’m *trying* to stay away from processed foods and to feed my family more naturally, so I came up with this recipe. Which, in my mind, tastes way better then the original anyways.

I simplified it with an even easier biscuit topping, using the homemade bisquick mix that I always keep on hand in my fridge. The cheesy sauce is such a breeze to make that it honestly hardly takes any longer then throwing in a can of soup, and the yummy taste and healthful benefits more then make up for it. The added cheese in the crust really puts this over the top for me, making it that much more hearty and comforting. And, the way the cheese caramelizes in the crust while it’s baking…mmm.. it’s enough to fill your dreams.

This would be a perfect way to use up any Thanksgiving leftovers whether that be turkey, ham or vegetables. It’s a very versatile recipe and can be ready from start to finish in 40 minutes or less.

How are you going to be using up those Thanksgiving leftovers?

Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

  • 2 cups chopped cooked chicken (or turkey, or ham)
  • 2 cups leftover, fresh or frozen vegetables
Cheese Sauce
  • 2 tablespoons butter
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1 cup chicken broth
  • salt & pepper to taste
  • 1 cup shredded cheese
Biscuit Topping
  1. Place meat and vegetables in a 9 inch round or 8×8 square baking dish.
  2. Make the sauce: Melt butter over medium heat, add flour and cook 1 minute to take out the raw flavour. Slowly add chicken broth, whisking constantly to avoid lumps. Bring to a simmer, whisking occasionally. Remove from heat, add salt and pepper to taste and stir in cheese until melted. Pour over meat and vegetables. Mix well.
  3. Biscuit topping: Stir together all ingredients with a fork until even moistened. Spread thinly over mixture in casserole dish. (Don’t worry if there are gaps, it does not need to be perfectly covered and it will fill out more as it bakes.)
  4. Bake at 400ºF for 25 minutes or until topping is golden and filling is bubbly.

Makes: 4 servings

*if using fresh chicken, simply chop 2 chicken breasts into bite size pieces and saute until cooked through.

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Last Minute Strawberry Jam

By Cheri in Condiments, Featured 22 Comments Tags: , ,

Last Minute Strawberry Jam

Nothing beats a good homemade jam. The only reason I don’t make it very often is because it’s a fairly lengthy ordeal. Waiting until you get a huge amount of fruit and then spending the day slicing, canning and making jam. The results are well worth the effort but sometimes you just don’t have the time.

This recipe is seriously so quick that I whipped it up this morning and photographed it this afternoon. All you do is puree strawberries, add sugar and lemon juice, boil for ten minutes, allow to cool to room temperature and done! How’s that for fast jam?

When using fresh, in season berries, this has such a wonderfully fresh taste that just can’t be beat by any store-bought jam. And, I really like the fact that it makes such a small amount since I don’t very often have more then two cups of strawberries sitting on my counter. I did halve Martha’s recipe since I don’t think we will use up more then this in ten days time, although you can make as much of it as you like.

What are some of your favourite quick jam recipes?

Last Minute Strawberry Jam

adapted from Martha Stewart

  • 2 cups strawberries, hulled
  • 1/4 cup sugar
  • 1 Tbsp. lemon juice
  1. Place the strawberries in a food processor or blender and process until smooth or chunky, whichever way you like.
  2. Put strawberries, sugar and lemon juice into a non-stick skillet and bring to a boil over medium-high heat.
  3. Let boil rapidly until reduced and thickened, approximately 10 minutes (you’ll know once it’s thickened, so if your doubtful keep on cooking).
  4. Pour into a jar and allow to cool to room temperature before covering and storing in the fridge.
  5. Refrigerate for up to 10 days or freeze for longer storage.

Makes: 3/4- 1 cup

*Since this recipe doesn’t use pectin it doesn’t jell like most canned jams. But, it should have a thick, spreadable consistency, especially once refrigerated.

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