Anna Sultana’s Banana Bread # 2 and Round Banana Bread

 

Covid-19 is still having an affect on what we can find on our stores' shelves.
People haven't been panic buying the way they did two years ago.
But the supply chains for everything have still been having a few glitches.
Just because the flyer says an item is on sale doesn't mean it'll be in the store.
Well, matters could be worse.

Covid-19 is also causing prices to rise, especially in the grocery stores.
One item that is still selling at its pre-Covid price is bananas.
Lucky for us bananas are available year-round.
So make them a regular part of your menu planning.

When bananas start getting brown and mushy, you can peel them, toss them in a freezer container, mash them and freeze for later baking.
But they do tend to get a rather nasty look.
Don’t let their look scare you.
The riper they are the strong the banana flavour will be.

As the old saying goes, ‘When life hands you bananas, make banana bread’.


Hints:

Cutting back on butter? Substitute 1/2 Cup margarine or 3 ounces oil for 1/2 Cup butter.

Creaming the butter and sugar together will make your banana bread lighter and more cake-like with a finer texture.
If you use oil or melted butter the bread will be denser and less crumbly.

There’s no rule on how smooth the mashed bananas should be.
If you prefer a few chunks of banana in your batter, that’s fine.

Substitute whole wheat or any whole-grain flour for up to half of the all-purpose flour.

Brown sugar gives you a denser, moister bread.
You could also use another sugar or sweetener, such as honey or molasses.

Use almond milk, kefir, buttermilk or water for the liquid in any banana bread recipe.

Don’t have the number of eggs called for in the recipe? No problem.
You can use less eggs or substitute egg whites for the eggs.

Baking time is affected by the moisture and sugar in your bananas and sweetener.
Start checking 10 minutes before it's supposed to be done and then every 5 minutes after.

To make muffins, line a muffin tin with paper liners and fill each cup about 3/4 full.
Check for doneness after 20 minutes.

Wrapped leftovers can be stored at room temperature for several days.
You can wrap the bread in plastic wrap and foil and freeze for up to 3 months.

About Banana Bread # 2…
You can add 2 Cups semisweet chocolate chips or 1 teaspoon cinnamon to the flour mixture or you could add both.
You could add nuts or a different spice, such as nutmeg to your batter.

For a stronger nut flavour toast them in the oven for 10 minutes.

About Round Banana Bread…
The topping of banana slices and butter is optional.
 

More banana recipes:

Anna Sultana’s Banana Bread
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2014/05/anna-sultanas-banana-bread.html

Anna Sultana’s Spiced Banana Cake
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2015/11/anna-sultanas-spiced-banana-cake-and.html

Anna Sultana’s Banana Oatmeal Crumb Cake
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2015/10/anna-sultanas-banana-oatmeal-crumb-cake.html

Anna Sultana’s Banana Pound Cake With Caramel Glaze
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2015/10/anna-sultanas-banana-pound-cake-with.html

Anna Sultana’s Easy Banana Ice Cream & Frozen Bananas Treats
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2017/07/anna-sultanas-easy-banana-ice-cream.html

Anna Sultana’s Pumpkin or Banana Smoothie
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2015/09/anna-sultanas-pumpkin-smoothie.html

Banana Daiquiri
https://imturning60help.blogspot.com/2015/06/strawberries-and-gardening-by-margaret.html


                        Banana Bread # 2

Makes 2 loaves

Grease 2  9x5x3-inch loaf pans

Place in a large bowl
6 ripe bananas, mashed
1 Cup buttermilk
1 Tablespoon baking soda
Let stand for 5 minutes.

While the bananas are soaking, sift together into another bowl
4 1/2 Cups flour
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
Set aside.

Preheat oven 350º F

Place in a large bowl
1 1/2 Cups butter, softened
2 Cups brown sugar, packed
Beat together until fluffy.
Add, one at a time, beating after each addition
2 large Eggs
2 teaspoons vanilla
the banana/buttermilk mixture
Add the sifted dry ingredients.
Stir until combined.
Scrape the mixture into the 2 prepared loaf pans.
Bake 60 to 70 minutes.
Cake tester inserted into centre should come out clean.
Remove pans from oven and place on a rack.
Let cool 15 minutes, then turn loaves out onto a rack.
Let cool another 10 minutes before slicing.


                        Round Banana Bread

Makes 3 loaves 

Melt
1/2 Cup butter

Brush melted butter on the inside of 3 9-inch round cake pans

Sift together
3 Cups Flour
1 Tablespoon baking soda
2 teaspoons salt
Set aside.

Peel and place in a large bowl
8 very ripe bananas
Mash and set aside.

Preheat oven 425º F

Place in a large mixer bowl
2 Cups butter
3 Cups sugar
Cream together until pale and fluffy.
Add, 2 at a time, while beating at medium speed
8 large eggs
Carefully scrape down the sides of the bowl while beating.
Add the mashed bananas and continue mixing while scraping down the sides of the bowl.
Add the sifted dry ingredients and mix until the batter is blended.
Pour the batter into the prepared pans.
Bake in the oven for 10 minutes.

While the bread is baking slice
1 to 4 bananas
 
Remove pans and top with banana slices.
Brush with melted butter.
Continue baking for 30 minutes. 
Remove from oven and place on racks.
Let cool 10 minutes before removing from pans.
Let cool on racks another 10 minutes.

Anna Sultana’s Fish Seasoning, Turkey Stew with Dumplings, and The Full Beaver Moon

Happy Thanksgiving to my American readers!

Hope it’s a day that has fine weather and safe road conditions, and that it leaves you with many happy memories. 

About two weeks ago I posted recipes for Pumpkin Pie Spice Blend, Sugar and Spice Christmas Blend, Homemade Seafood / Chicken Spice Blend, Meat and Poultry Seasoning Mix.

Hope you’ve been finding them useful.

Susan emailed and, since she loves fish, she asked if I had a second fish blend for a bit of variety.

Here you go, Susan!

                                   Fish Seasoning Spice Blend

1/4 Cup paprika

2 teaspoons salt

1/2 teaspoon basil leaves, crushed

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground marjoram

1/4 teaspoon ground thyme

1/16 teaspoon ground black pepper

Back to Thanksgiving…

Along with being left with the memories, I’ll bet you’re facing leftovers.

I know that in the movie A Christmas Story Ralphie and his family were looking forward to enjoying leftover turkey dinners all the way through to New Year’s.

Yeah, well, sometimes it’s possible to have too much of a good thing.

If your family is beginning to flip through their fast food coupon booklets, here’s an easy way to serve leftover turkey that, hopefully, will be new to the family.

Hints:

This recipe will also work with one pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces, or meatballs.

Brown either in oil before adding to the potatoes.

If you want a creamy stew stir in a cup of milk or a 10 ounce can of condensed cream of chicken soup. 

You can also use fresh carrots and cook them with the potatoes.

Canned vegetables can also be used, as can more vegetables, such as corn, cubed butternut squash, sliced mushrooms, and/or zuchini. 

Don’t like dumplings? You can serve the stew over rice, or as a soup with some nice crusty bread or biscuits.

Sometimes Ma added some fried bacon. 

Well, that is the Maltese way. 

                                   Turkey Stew with Dumplings

Wash and quarter
3/4 pound small red potatoes
Place in a dutch oven and cover with water or chicken broth.

Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer 15 minutes.

While the potatoes are cooking, cut into bite-size pieces
1 pound leftover cooked turkey

Cut into slices

1 onion

2 stalks celery

Add to the potatoes

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon ground thyme

the cut up turkey

the onion and celery
3 Cups frozen peas and carrots or mixed vegetables

Stir to combine and allow to simmer while preparing the dumplings.

                                   Dumplings

In a medium bowl combine

1 1/2 Cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

3/4 teaspoon salt

Add

1 Cup milk

Stir until just mixed.

Drop by spoonfuls onto the stew.

Cook, uncovered, 10 minutes.

Cover and cook another 10 minutes.

Another way to use up some leftover turkey is in Chicken Pot Pie.

Really, it will work.

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

November 23 - The full Beaver Moon at 12:39 a.m. In this phase, the visible Moon is fully illuminated by direct sunlight. Although the Moon is only technically in this phase for a few seconds, it is considered full for the entire day of the event and appears full for three days. Actually, this Moon has two names. Learn about them in this short Farmers’ Almanac video.

November 26  - High overhead at around 8 p.m. this week is a star configuration that people unfamiliar with the sky often mistake for the Big Dipper. The bowl is composed of the four stars of the Great Square of Pegasus, the Flying Horse. The handle is composed of four bright stars belonging to the constellations Andromeda and Perseus.

November 29 - Last Quarter Moon, 7:19 p.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon in the sky. One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is decreasing, on its way to the new phase.

Anna Sultana’s Easy Shepherd’s Pie / Mercury and Venus Pair Up

Goodness, we’re almost halfway through March!

We had a bit of snow last week, but, with the warmer weather, it’s been melting nicely.

Hope March is being kind to you, too.

Well, the last post was about Saint David's Day and had a Welsh Pancakes recipe.

It’s always handy to have another pancake recipe on hand.

Now it’s time to get ready for St. Patrick’s Day.

Shepherd’s Pie is also known as Cottage Pie.

it’s a nice basic recipe that has familiar ingredients.

The kiddies never get spooked by ground beef or mashed potatoes.

And it’s a great way to use up leftover bits in the fridge.

After all, we have to start making room to defrost the Easter turkey.

Looking for a few more Irish dishes to round out your family’s dinner? Try

Anna Sultana’s Irish Cakes / Boxties

Anna Sultana’s Shepherd’s Pie (Yes, there are other recipes.)

Potato and Cabbage Casserole

Anna Sultana’s Colcannon and Irish Cream

Irish soda bread

Don’t forget to top off your meal with a glass of Irish Coffee!

May you always have 

Walls for the winds, 

A roof for the rain, 

Tea beside the fire, 

Laughter to cheer you, 

Those you love near you,

And all your heart might desire! 

Hints:

Have a bit less than a pound of ground beef? Kidney beans, or any other beans, can be added to up the protein.

If you’re serving vegetarians, the beans can totally replace the meat.

Like your Shepherd’s Pie filling spicy? Add, to taste, any of the following:

cumin, basil, oregano, garlic powder, onion soup powder, chili powder or chili sauce. 

A mixture of thyme and crushed rosemary leaves (about 1/2 teaspoon of each) also adds a nice touch.

Don’t have any gravy on hand? 

Use BBQ sauce or a can of tomato or mushroom soup diluted with 1 can of water.

If you have leftover or canned mixed vegetables or mushrooms or corn or peas (or a combination), you can use that instead of the frozen. Creamed corn adds a bit more moisture, which is handy if you don’t have much gravy.

Have a bit of mozzarella or herb and garlic cream cheese in the fridge? You can use that instead of the plain cream cheese. Or you can leave the cheese out entirely.

You MUST allow the filling to cool down before adding the mashed potatoes. If you don’t the potatoes will sink into the filling. If you are in a rush let the filling cool in the refrigerator while you make the potato topping.

To get really creamy mashed potatoes, use a potato ricer or sieve. Be sure the mashed potatoes are hot when you spread them. Cold mashed potatoes is harder to spread. You want a textured surface on the potato topping, so rough it up a bit. It’s like adding the meringue to a lemon meringue pie - the points become nicely browned bits and make it look more appetizing.

If your mashed potatoes seem a bit dry or not quite enough, you can add sour cream.

Want to get fancy? Top the potatoes with pieces of bacon and fried onions.

You can prepare the pie in a casserole in advance, then refrigerate or freeze.

Cooking for one or two? The pie can be made into individual or for-two pies, using smaller pans. You can freeze the extra servings. Remember to defrost at room temperature before baking as directed in the recipe.

For a crisp golden topping, flash under the broiler for a few minutes before serving.

The kiddies might like a dollop of ketchup on their servings.

                        Easy Shepherd’s Pie

Finely chop 

1 or 2 garlic cloves

1 medium onion

Place in a large skillet

1 1/2 Tablespoons olive oil

Heat oil over medium high heat. 

Add the chopped garlic and onion.

Cook for 1 minute.

Add

1 pound extra lean ground beef

Cook, stirring, until browned.

Stir in

2 cups beef gravy  

4 Cups frozen mixed vegetables (carrots, corn, green beans, peas)

Pour the filling into a 6 cup casserole. 

Set aside, preferably in the refrigerator.

Peel and cut into 1" cubes

2 pounds potatoes

Cook in boiling water for 15 minutes or until soft. Turn off the stove.

Drain, then return the potatoes to the pot and place it on the burner you had used. 

Shake the pot briefly and allow the potatoes to steam dry for about a minute.

If there is excess liquid in the potatoes it will make the topping watery.

If you have a potato ricer or sieve, use it and return the riced potatoes to the pot before adding

2 Tablespoons butter

Mash until melted.

Add

1/2 - 3/4 Cup milk

salt to taste

a dash of nutmeg (optional)

Mash until smooth.

Preheat oven to 375º F

Spread the potatoes onto the filling, and rough up the surface.

Sprinkle with 

1/2 Cup shredded old cheddar cheese  (optional)

Bake for 20 minutes or until golden on top and bubbling on the edges. 

Stick a knife into the middle to ensure it is piping hot.

Let stand for 5 minutes before serving. 

About the sky, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

March 15 - Look to the western horizon after sunset to see Mercury and Venus paired up. Search for them low above the western horizon about a half hour after sunset. While both should be evident to the naked-eye, binoculars will certainly enhance their visibility against the bright twilight.

March 17 - New Moon at 9:12 a.m. In this phase, the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight and is completely invisible to the naked eye.

March 18 - About 45 minutes after sunset, look low toward the western horizon to sight an extremely narrow (2-percent) crescent Moon.  About 4-degrees to its upper right shines Venus, and a similar distance to Venus’ upper right will be Mercury, still shining at a respectably bright +0.4.

March 24 - First quarter Moon at 11:35 a.m. In this phase, the Moon looks like a half-Moon in the sky. One-half of the Moon is illuminated by direct sunlight while the illuminated part is increasing, on its way to full.

March 26 - The Moon is at perigee,at 1:26 p.m., which means that it is at the closest point to Earth in its cycle.

Anna Sultana’s Coconut Bread and the Orionid Meteor Shower

One thing I do not like about living in the prairies is the sudden arrival of the seasons, Winter and Summer, with a definitely short amount of time given to Spring and Fall.

Yesterday we were enjoying a comfortable Autumn day - the air was crisp and the leaves were golden.

Today we awoke to find snow covering everything.

Ah… October in the prairies.

One can’t assume there will be a long stretch of time before true winter weather hits.

I’ve already put my garden to bed and started packing away yard ornaments.

Another summer has flown by, and winter is fast approaching.

Last week I got a start on my Christmas baking.

Well, the oven was going with the Thanksgiving pumpkin pies, so I decided to make use of the oven’s heat for a fruitcake, so that it would have plenty of time to age.

I made a White Fruitcake, the one that has a cup of shredded coconut in it. 

After a few grocery shopping trips one comes to a realization - food often is not sold in the amount one needs - the hot dog buns are sold in a bag of eight, while the hot dogs are in a container of ten.

So it goes - one buys more of an item so there’ll be enough.

Coconut is not something I use regularly, like fresh fruit or bread.

If I just toss the leftovers on the shelf I know I’ll just forget about it, and buy another bag next year for another fruitcake.

The safest thing to do is to bake something with coconut in it for a dessert this week.

Something like Coconut Bread.

As Ma would say, Waste not, want not.

Hints:

If you don’t have buttermilk in the fridge, you can make a substitute for baking very easily. Place in a measuring cup:

1 Tablespoon lemon juice or vinegar

Add enough milk to reach the 1 Cup mark.

Let sit 5 minutes (more or less) and use in your recipe.

No, this won’t work as a substitute if someone wants to drink a glass of buttermilk.

here are a few more recipes that can use that leftover coconut:

Coconut Cream Pie 

Impossible Pie

Anna Sultana’s Pineapple Cake with Coconut Pecan Topping

Anna Sultana's Queen Elizabeth Cake (Date and Walnut Cake) / 

Brown Sugar Coconut Topping

Anna Sultana's Lamingtons / Strawberry Coconut Cake Squares

Anna Sultana’s Coconut Almond Snacks

Haystacks ( a handy recipe - it uses leftover cream cheese)

                        Coconut Bread

Grease a 9x5x3-inch loaf pan

Sift together in a large bowl

3 Cups flour

2 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 325º F

Combine in a large mixer bowl

1 Cup butter, softened

3/4 Cup sugar

Beat together until fluffy.

Add, one at a time, beating after each addition

2 eggs 

Scrape down the sides of the bowl after each addition and mix until blended.

Beat in 

1 Tablespoon lemon extract

Add the flour mixture alternately (3 dry and 2 liquid) with

1 Cup buttermilk

Just combine enough to mix the ingredients. don’t over beat.

Fold in

1 Cup shredded coconut

2/3 Cup finely crushed almonds

Place the mixture in the prepared pan.

Bake for 1 1/2 hours.

A toothpick inserted into the centre of the loaves should come out clean.

Place the pan on a wire rack and let cool for 10 minutes.

Remove the bread from the pan and place the bread on a platter.

Slice and serve as is, or with butter and/or jam.

About the sky this week and next, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

October 15 - The occultation of Regulus by the Moon. Before dawn, most of the contiguous U.S. (except the Pacific Northwest and parts of the Northern Plains) and Southeast Canada, and parts of the Maritime Provinces, will be able to see the Moon cover the bright bluish star, Regulus, known as the Heart of the Lion in Leo. See if you’re in the zone of visibility.  

October 16 - Look to the east about an hour before sunrise to spot the tiny crescent Moon above Venus and Mars.

October 19 - New Moon, 3:12 p.m. 

October 21 & 22 - The Orionid Meteor shower peaks ! This shower is the cosmic dust from the most famous comet, Halley’s comet. The meteors appear to emanate from a point near the Orion-Gemini border in Orion’s upraised club, hence the name. This year should be very favourable for viewing as the moon is just past new phase so skies will be dark. View overhead from 1 to 2 a.m. local daylight time until dawn; you may see 20-25 meteors per hour!

October 22 - Look an hour after sunset to spot the crescent Moon, the planet Saturn, and the star Antares low in the southwest horizon.

Anna Sultana’s Corned Beef Hash

What a fun weekend: first we celebrated St. Patrick, then St. Joseph!

And how else to celebrate a holiday or two than with lots of great food!!

Corned beef and cabbage for St. Patrick and Żeppoli for St. Joseph are a nice break from Lent type food.

Especially if you’re also raising a glass or two of ale or wine.

But, just like every other holiday, this weekend presents us with the eternal problem: what to do with the leftovers?

What else? Make Corned Beef Hash.

Hash is a recipe dear to any frugal cook’s heart.

Some leftover roasted meat - yes, you can make hash using beef, pork or lamb - and leftover potatoes, and, if you have them, a bit of leftover vegetables.

What’s not to love? 

An English variation of hash is bubble and squeak, made with leftover vegetables from a roast dinner. The vegetables are usually potato and cabbage, but carrots, peas, Brussels sprouts can also be added. They used to add chopped leftover roast, but now a vegetarian version is more popular.

Hash can be served for breakfast, as a nice change from bacon or sausages.

It’s delicious with eggs, and fried potatoes, toast or biscuits.

If you want to keep the Celtic flavour, serve Corned Beef Hash with Irish Soda Bread, or Irish Cakes, or Welsh Cakes.

In the southern United States, hash can be two other dishes:

Leftover barbecue pork mixed with barbecue sauce and served over rice. 

A thick stew made from leftover pork, chicken and beef and served with cornbread.

Do not use leftover corned beef in Maltese Corned Beef Pie.

If you do, well, don’t invite a Maltese person to eat it.

Trust me, it’s not the same as canned.

Trivia:

The name hash comes from the French verb hacher which means ‘to chop’. A hash recipe first appeared in Mrs Rundell's A New System of Domestic Cookery in 1806.

Bubble and squeak got its name from the bubbling and squeaking sounds that the cabbage makes while it’s being cooked. It is usually served with leftover cold meat, with pickles or brown sauce, and can also be served as part of a full English breakfast.

National Corned Beef Hash Day is September 27.

Hints:

Canned corned beef can be used in hash if you really have to substitute.

But NEVER use leftover fresh corned beef in Maltese Corned Beef Pie.

You’ve been warned.

Hash is a way to use leftovers, but try to keep the ratio to 2 parts meat to 1 part potatoes, with just a bit of vegetables.

You want your hash to be on the dry side so that it will brown well and have a bit of crunch. An excess of vegetables can make the hash mushy.

If you have a lot of leftover vegetables they might be better in a pot of bubble and squeak, and served on the side.

Back to the crunch… don’t crowd the meat and potatoes in your pan.

It’s like frying doughnuts.

They need space to get browned. Without the space they’ll get stewed.

If you’re serving a crowd, it would be better to cook in batches.

When you flip the hash cake it will break apart. That’s fine.

The bits will get more browned and add to the texture.

                        Corned Beef Hash

Serves 2

Chop leftover corned beef, enough to make 2 Cups

Finely chop

1 small onion

1/4 Cup leftover cabbage (optional)

Dice

1 Cup leftover boiled potatoes

1/4 Cup leftover rutabaga (optional)

1/4 Cup leftover carrot (optional)

Place in a large bowl 

the potatoes and corned beef 

Toss together lightly with a fork.

Place in a large skillet

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or butter

Over medium high heat melt the butter or heat the oil.

Add

the onions and optional vegetables

Stirring often, cook until lightly browned.

Add 

2 Tablespoons vegetable oil or butter

the meat and potatoes

Season with 

salt and pepper

Gently shape the mixture into a flat cake.

Let the mixture brown on one side, about 10 - 15 minutes.

Flip the mixture and let it brown on the other side, about another 10 - 15 minutes.

WHILE THE HASH IS COOKING:

Cook 2 to 4 large eggs (poach, fry, scramble, boil - your choice)

When the cake is nice and crispy, scoop half and place it in a plate.

Top with half of the eggs.

Repeat for the second serving.

Serve warm.

About the sky this week and next, thanks to the folks at The Farmers' Almanac…

March 20 – The Spring Equinox at 6:29 a.m. The last quarter Moon at 11:58 a.m. In this phase, the Moon appears as a half Moon in the sky. 

March 27 – New Moon at 10:57 p.m. In this phase, the Moon is not illuminated by direct sunlight and is completely invisible to the naked eye.

March 30 – Look to the western sky as darkness falls to see the the tiny waxing crescent Moon just eight degrees from Mars. Look low to the horizon and you might be able to spot Mercury with binoculars an hour after sunset. The Moon is at perigee, which means that it is at the closest point to Earth in its cycle.

Anna Sultana’s Shepherd’s Pie, Regular and Using Leftovers

No, Pop was not a shepherd.

Neither was Ma a shepherd.

But she grew up in Malta and had learned quite a few British recipes.

One popular British dish was Cottage Pie.

Cottage Pie was originally meant to help get poorer folks used to the idea of eating potatoes in 1791.

It was also a way to use leftover roasted meat.

Originally a pie dish was lined with mashed potatoes, filled with leftovers, then covered with even more mashed potatoes.

A mound of starch… what Maltese wouldn’t love that?

Cottage Pie is more popularly known as Shepherd’s Pie, since it originally was made using leftover cooked mutton.

Whether you use mutton or beef, it’s sure to please.

Hints:

If you don’t have gravy, you can substitute BBQ sauce.

or a can of mushroom soup or tomato soup. 

Or a mixture of soup and sauce.

You can also use turkey gravy, if you have some leftover from a holiday dinner.

Want more cheese?  Why not?

If you have mozzarella cheese or mild cheddar cheese, that will work, too.

Ma was trying to get more calcium into us, and, during the 50s and 60s, cholesterol didn't worry anyone's parents.

Don’t have - or want - cheese in your Shepherd’s Pie?

No problem.  Leave it out.

You can also top the potatoes with cooked pieces of bacon and fried onions.

If you don’t have a pound of cooked ground beef sitting in the fridge you can increase the meal's protein by adding cooked kidney, or other, beans.

Invited vegetarians?

Shepherd’s Pie can also be made using only cooked beans.

Feel free to use what you have in the vegetable department:

Chopped onions, mushrooms and canned corn - regular or creamed - are good in this dish.

Taste the meat / vegetable mixture before you spoon it into the pan.

If you’d like it spicier, add a few favourites.

Garlic, garlic powder, onion powder, cumin, steak spice, thyme, crushed rosemary are a few ideas, if you don't have a favourite go-to meat spice.

You can also make the casserole and freeze it for a future meal.

                        Shepherd’s Pie

6 servings

Place in a large pot

1 1/4 pounds red potatoes, cut into eighths

4 large cloves garlic, peeled

Cover them with water and bring to a boil.

Cook 20 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.

Drain the potatoes and return them to the saucepan. 

Add 

3/4 Cup reduced-fat sour cream

Mash potatoes until smooth. 

Stir in 

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese

Brown in a large nonstick skillet 

1 pound extra-lean ground beef 

Stir in 

2 Tablespoons flour

Cook 1 minute. 

Add 

4 Cups frozen mixed vegetables

2 Cups beef broth

4 Tablespoons ketchup

Cook 5 minutes. 

Heat oven to 375°F

Spoon the cooked meat / vegetable mixture into an 8 inch square baking pan.

Cover with the mashed potatoes.

Sprinkle over the meat

1/4 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese (optional)

Bake 30 minutes.

Serve with salad and crusty bread.

                        Shepherd’s Pie, Using Leftovers

6 servings

Mix until blended  

2 Cups mashed potatoes 

4 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese

Heat oven to 375º F

Combine 

1 pound cooked extra-lean ground beef  

with

4 Cups mixed vegetables, or leftover vegetables of what you have

2 Cups beef gravy 

Spoon the meat / vegetable mixture into an 8 inch square baking pan.

Cover the meat mixture with the mashed potato mixture. 

Sprinkle over the mashed potatoes

1/4 - 1/2 Cup shredded cheddar cheese (optional)

Bake 30 minutes.

Serve with salad and crusty bread.

Anna Sultana’s Cookie Truffles (Chocolate / Cream Cheese Treats, Unbaked)

Happy Holidays!

Hope it’s being one of your best!

Truffles are great for using bits that are left over from holiday baking or shopping.

Last year about this time I posted the recipe for Anna Sultana’s Truffles.

They are easy to make and open to all sorts of variations, depending on what's left over.

Cookie Truffles, just like the other truffles, don’t require baking.

So the kiddies can safely make them.

Think you have more than enough snacks in the house?

I’ve never seen anyone ever refuse a piece of chocolate.

Especially during the holidays.

Hints:

Have some leftover Oreo cookies?

Use a food processor to break the cookies, then add the cream cheese.

Vanilla Oreo cookies go well with white chocolate.

Truffles can also be made with gingersnap, peanut butter or chocolate chip cookies.

If you want larger balls, use two packages of cream cheese instead of one.

You can place in the centre of the balls any of the following:

Maraschino cherries

Candied cherries 

hazelnuts or other nuts

Instead of the semi-sweet chocolate you can use:

bitter-sweet chocolate

milk chocolate

white chocolate

dark chocolate 

You can also use an equal weight amount of chips in any of the above flavours.

Butterscotch chips are also good.

You can change the flavour by using any of the following:

orange extract

rum extract 

vanilla flavouring

Bailey's Irish Cream Liquor

You can coat the truffles with

chocolate sprinkles

crushed candy canes

crushed peppermint candies

red and / or green sugar sprinkles

christmas coloured sprinkles

chopped or crushed nuts

confectioners’ sugar 

plain cacao

These combinations go well together:

Kahlua and crushed almonds

Godiva chocolate liqueur with skor toffee and crushed pecans

white chocolate and raspberry extract 

You can coat with white chocolate and drizzle with milk chocolate.

Or coat with milk chocolate and drizzle with white chocolate. 

Plan to serve these after a fancy meal?

You could serve truffles with a dollop of whipped cream.

Leave the toothpicks in the truffles, and serve them as a party finger food.

Truffles freeze well, but if you’re planning on freezing, don’t dip them in either confectioners’ sugar or plain cacao before freezing.

If they’ve been coated with either, they would be a bit messy after they thawed out.

Have leftover melted chocolate?

Line a baking sheet with waxed paper.

Stir in some chopped nuts, then spread the chocolate over the baking sheet. 

Refrigerate until firm, then break into pieces. 

Store in a tightly covered container in the refrigerator.

                        Cookie Truffles

Makes 42 truffles

Toppings

Prepare the chopped nuts, or any of the above suggestions.

Set aside.

Truffles

Place in a large bowl

350 grams cookies crumbs, finely crushed

1 250 gram package cream cheese, regular or light, cubed

Add flavouring, if you wish.

Mix until well blended.

Refrigerate the batter for one hour before shaping into balls.

Shape into 42 (1-inch) balls. 

Put them in the freezer for 30 minutes to set.

Cover a baking sheet with waxed paper. 

Scoop about 2 teaspoons worth of mixture and shape into a ball. 

Place the ball onto the wax paper. 

Repeat with remaining mixture and place the balls on the baking sheet.

Refrigerate 2 hours. 

Coating

Place in a medium pot that has been placed in a larger pot holding water

450 grams package semi-sweet chocolate (or one of the options)

1 tablespoon shortening

Melt over medium heat, stirring regularly.

Let cool slightly.

Use a toothpick to dip the truffles into the chocolate, then use another toothpick to push the ball into the toppings. 

Roll the truffles in the topping, then return the truffles to the baking sheet.

Cover any bare spots with the toppings while the chocolate is still soft.

Refrigerate 2 hours or until chocolate is firm.

The truffles can be stored in the freezer.

Take them out about 45 minutes before serving.