Easter Bread

2 packages of dry yeast

1/2 cups luke warm water

1 1/2 cups scolded and cooled to luke warm milk

1 cup sugar

3/4 teaspoon salt

4-5 egg yokes

1 1/8 cup butter

6 cups flour

1 cup raisins

3 tablespoons brandy

Directions:

-dissolve the yeast into the luke warm water

-mix milk, sugar, salt, egg yokes and soft butter into a large bowl

-beat in half flour and add raisins

-add brandy and yeast

-beat in the rest of the flour

-kneed dough until smooth

-put dough into a big greased bowl and let rise for 1.5 hours

-punch down and let rise for another 2 hours

-shape it and bake at 350 degrees for 30-35 min.

Enjoy

Italian Lamb Steaks

Italian Lamb Steaks

Prep: 20mins Cook: 20mins Serves: 4

8 lamb leg steaks (Heart Smart)
2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 garlic cloves, crushed
1/3 cup parsley, finely chopped
1 tbsp thyme leaves
2 tsp Tuscan seasoning
100g green beans, trimmed
1 Treviso radicchio, trimmed, torn
2 baby fennel, shaved
1/3 cup Deli style Vinaigrette
20gram shaved parmesan
135gram Fresh Red Peper

Tapenade, to serve

1. Preheat oven to 200° C (392 °F). Put lamb steaks into large roasting pan. Combine oil, garlic, parsley, thyme, Tuscan seasoning, salt and pepper in a bowl. Rub mixture onto steaks. Cover loosely with foil. Remove foil and roast for another further 10mins.

2. Meanwhile, cook beans in boiling water for 2 mins or until just tender. Drain and rinse under water. Combine beans, radicchio, fennel, dressing and parmesan. Toss until well combined. Serve steaks with salad and tapenade.

Canadian Stew

Canadian Stew
1 can of vegetable beef soup (Campbells Soup)
1 can of Tomato soup (Campbells Soup)
1 package of ground beef (fried)
Any herbs you may want to add
Any other veggies you may like to add
3-4 potatoes (preferably Idaho type potatoes- brown skinned ones)

Boil potatoes until tender, then drain the water; fry meat and drain grease; then add all ingredients together in a big pot and bring to a simmer. You may want to add a 1/2 cup or 1 cup of water so that the soup isn't to thick. Then serve.
Great for those cold days to warm the soul.
Not sure why it is called Canadian Stew... I got the recipe when I went on a camping trip with a church group up to Canada. So, I guess, hence the name.. lol

Meiterranean Torta

Meiterranean Torta

Need:

-5 flour tortillas (8 in)

-1 package creamed spinach (thawed)

-1 cup crumbled feta cheese

-1 jar roasted red peppers (12 oz and drained and chopped)

-1 large tomato (chopped)

- 1 1/3 cups French Fried onions

-3 tablespoons chopped black olives

-1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese

Directions:

Pre-heat oven to 350ºF. coat 8 or 9" pan with cooking spray. Place 1 tortilla in pan and spread tortilla with 3 tablespoons spinach. Top with 2 tablespoons of feta, roated pepers, tomato, french fried onions and 2 teaspoons olives.

Repeat to make 3 more layers. Place remaining tortilla on top and coat with cooking spray. Bake for 25 min or until heated through.

sprinkle top with mozzarella cheese and remaining french fried onions; bake another 5 min or until onions are golden brown

Caribbean Shrimp

Marinate time: 1 hr.
Prep time: 5 min.
Cook time: 3 min.

1 pound large or jumbo shrimp, cleaned, tails left on (frozen works fine)
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 teaspoon lime juice1 tablespoon garlic, finely minced
1 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary
1 teaspoon chopped dried thyme
1/4 teaspoon black pepper, freshly ground
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
1/4 teaspoon salt
Fresh limes for garnish

Combine all ingredients, except limes - 'cause they are garnish!

Marinate at room temperature for 1 hour.
Heat a dry skillet on medium-high.
When skillet is hot, lay shrimp in pan.
Cook shrimp 3 minutes per side, brushing them with marinade before turning.

Garnish with lime.

Serves 4

(The naughty monkey's recipe!)

Orecchiette with Broccoli Rabe & Chickpeas

The assertive flavors of broccoli rabe and rosemary are paired with sturdy chickpeas in this satisfying pasta dish. When buying broccoli rabe, check to make sure the bottoms of the stems are relatively tight, green and moist. If the broccoli rabe at your store is past its prime—or if you prefer a milder taste—use broccolini or regular broccoli instead. Garnish with a sprinkling of freshly grated Parmesan cheese.

2 servings, 2 cups each

Active Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

• 4 ounces whole-wheat orecchiette, or chiocciole (about 1 1/2 cups)
• 1/2 bunch broccoli rabe, ends trimmed and cut into 2-inch pieces
• 3/4 cup vegetarian chicken-flavored broth, (see Note)
• 2 teaspoons all-purpose flour
• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 large cloves garlic, minced
• 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh rosemary, or 1/8 teaspoon dried
• 1 8-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 2 teaspoons red-wine vinegar
• 1/8 teaspoon salt
• 1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper
• 
  

Preparation

1. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Cook pasta for 6 minutes. Add broccoli rabe and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until the pasta and broccoli rabe are just tender, about 3 minutes more. Drain. Rinse and dry the pot.
2. Whisk broth and flour in a small bowl. Heat oil in the pot over medium-high heat. Add garlic and rosemary and cook, stirring, until fragrant, 30 seconds to 1 minute. Whisk in the broth mixture. Bring to a simmer, whisking constantly, until it thickens. Add chickpeas, vinegar, salt, pepper and the pasta mixture. Cook, stirring constantly, until heated through and coated with the sauce, about 2 minutes.

Tips & Notes

• Note: Chicken-flavored broth, a vegetarian broth despite its name, is preferable to vegetable broth in some recipes for its hearty, rich flavor. Sometimes called “No-Chicken Broth,” it can be found with the soups in the natural-foods section of most supermarkets.

Nutrition

Per serving: 413 calories; 9 g fat (1 g sat, 6 g mono); 0 mg cholesterol; 74 g carbohydrates; 22 g protein; 14 g fiber; 655 mg sodium; 448 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (240% daily value), Vitamin A (210% dv), Iron (25% dv), Calcium (20% dv).

3 1/2 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 4 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 very lean meat, 1 1/2 fat

Mexican Polenta Scramble

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon extra-virgin olive oil
• 4 poblanos or 2 green bell peppers, diced
• 1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
• 2 teaspoons ground cumin
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 16-ounce tube prepared plain polenta, cut into 1/2-inch slices
• 1 bunch scallions, trimmed and sliced
• 1 cup shredded reduced-fat Cheddar cheese, preferably sharp
• 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 tablespoon lime juice
• 1 avocado, diced
• 2 tablespoons pepitas, toasted (see Tip)

Preparation

1. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add peppers and cook, stirring occasionally, until bright green and just starting to soften, about 3 minutes. Stir in tomatoes, cumin and salt; cook, stirring often, until the tomatoes start to break down, 2 to 3 minutes. Crumble polenta slices into the pan and cook, stirring occasionally, until heated through, 1 to 2 minutes. Stir in scallions, cheese, cilantro and lime juice. Serve the scramble topped with diced avocado and toasted pepitas.

Tips & Notes

• Tip: Pepitas, olive-green-hulled pumpkin seeds, are commonly used in Mexican cooking and are a perfect snack when roasted and lightly salted. Find them in the bulk-foods section of natural-foods markets, Mexican grocers or at melissas.com. To toast pepitas: Cook in a small dry skillet over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until fragrant and lightly browned, 2 to 4 minutes.

Nutrition

Per serving: 315 calories; 20 g fat (6 g sat, 8 g mono); 20 mg cholesterol; 26 g carbohydrates; 13 g protein; 6 g fiber; 600 mg sodium; 645 mg potassium.

Nutrition Bonus: Vitamin C (220% daily value), Calcium (45% dv), Vitamin A (35% dv), Folate (20% dv), Potassium (18% dv).

1 Carbohydrate Serving

Exchanges: 1 starch, 1 1/2 vegetable, 1 high fat meat, 2 fat