Corn Bake

This tasty side dish makes a great accompaniment to any traditional meal.  It's one of our favourites to eat at Thanksgiving.

Ingredients:

10 oz. frozen sweetcorn kernels
1/4 cup chopped onion
1/4 cup chopped green pepper
2 Tbsp butter
2 Tbsp. flour
1 tsp. salt
1/2 tsp. paprika
1/4 tsp. dry mustard
dash pepper
3/4 cup milk
1 egg, slightly beaten

For topping: 1/3 cup cracker crumbs
1 Tbsp. melted butter

 
 
 

Cook and stir onion and green pepper in the 2 Tbsp butter.
 
 
 
 
 
 
 
 

Stir in flour and seasonings.  Cook over low heat, stirring until thick and bubbly.  Remove from heat.
 
 
 
 
 
 

Gradually stir in milk.  Heat to boiling, stirring constantly. Boil and stir for 1 minute.

 

 

 

Stir in corn and egg.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Transfer to ungreased 1-quart casserole dish.

Combine cracker crumbs and 1 Tbsp. melted butter.

Sprinkle crumbs over corn mixture and bake uncovered at 350 F (180 C) for 30-35 minutes.

Candied Yams

This festive dish makes an annual appearance as part of our Thanksgiving feast as well as other times of the year.  My husband never liked yams (sweet potatoes) before eating this dish.  Now he requests it!  So if you're looking for a way to throw some Vitamin A goodness into your family's diet, remember Mary Poppin's rule:

A spoonful of sugar helps the medicine go down.

  Or in this case, the sweet potatoes.

Ingredients:
2 kg yams (sweet potatoes)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup butter, margarine, or yogurt spread
2 cups mini marshmallows

Peel and chop yams.  Boil in a large pot of water until soft.  Transfer to a large mixing bowl, then add the brown sugar and butter or margarine.  Mash/blend until smooth and fluffy.

I like to use my electric hand mixer to ensure a well-blended mixture.






Once blended, transfer this 'yammy' mixture into a baking dish and top with the mini marshmallows.

Finally, bake in a 375 F degree (190 C) oven for about 20 minutes or until marshmallows are puffy and toasted.

Chinese Fried Rice

My friend, Min (from Singapore), taught me how to cook good fried rice.  This is her recipe and she was kind enough to serve up some good advice along with it.  Remember:

The key to cooking good Chinese food is to have all your ingredients prepped ahead of time.

  This is also a great dish for using up bits and bobs of leftover roast meat and vegetables.

Ingredients:

4 cups cooked Jasmine (or fragrant Thai) rice

1/2 cup each: frozen peas, sweet corn kernels, carrots

3 oz. pre-cooked ham, chicken, or turkey (diced) or

Vegetarian Option: diced extra-firm tofu or black beans

1 medium onion, chopped

2 spring onions, chopped

3 eggs, scrambled

1 Tbsp light soy sauce

1 Tbsp Chinese rice wine

3 Tbsp vegetable oil (I like to sub safflower or canola oil - it's a bit healthier)

pinch of salt and pepper

First, prep all your ingredients and have them ready to go.

In wok, heat oil until slightly smoking.  Stir fry onion, meat (in this case I used leftover turkey), soy sauce and rice wine until onions are translucent (about 2-3 minutes).

Add rice and scrambled egg, then stir fry for 2 minutes.

Next, add salt, pepper, and vegetables.  Stir fry 2 minutes more.

Finally, add spring onions.  Stir fry another minute then transfer to serving dish.

Occasionally, I like to add some toasted cashews (if I've got them lying around) for a little variety.  Add the cashews (if you desire) in the last step of the cooking along with the spring onions.

You can easily transform this dish into a vegetarian meal by substituting diced extra-firm tofu or black beans in lieu of the meat.

Butterflake Rolls

These rolls made a weekly appearance at our Sunday afternoon dinners when I was growing up. They are beautiful, delicious and make the perfect accompaniment to any soup or meal. This recipe makes about 3 dozen rolls and since they freeze well, they are worth the effort to make up a batch now and again.

Ingredients:

2 Tablespoons yeast
1/2 cup lukewarm water
2 eggs
1 + 1/4 cup evaporated milk
1 cup hot water
1/3 cup sugar
1 Tablespoon salt
6-8 cups strong white bread flour (or plain flour)

First, dissolve yeast in lukewarm water.

In large mixing bowl, beat eggs, then add milk, hot water, sugar and salt. Add yeast mixture, then add flour gradually using enough to make dough workable, but not stiff. I recommend using the dough hook attachment of your electric stand mixer:

Turn dough out onto a floured surface.



Divide dough in half.



Roll into a circle about 1/4-inch thick.


Spread on softened butter or margarine.



Using a pizza cutter, divide dough circle into fourths,

then cut each fourth into four or five triangle-shaped pieces.

Roll up like a crescent roll and place on a greased baking sheet.

Let rise for 2 to 4 hours:

Bake at 400 F (200 C) for 8-10 minutes.

Finally, brush the finished rolls with a light coating of butter to give them a golden, glossy look.

Oriental Cabbage Slaw

This recipe is one of many that I inherited from my mother. It's a classy salad with great flavour and is extremely versatile. Serve it as an entree by adding 2 cups diced cooked chicken, or skip the chicken and throw it alongside your favorite soup, casserole, or main dish. Makes a great offering for potluck suppers too.Ingredients:

4 cups shredded cabbage

2 cups diced cooked chicken (optional)

1 package chicken-flavored Ramen noodles

4 green onions, chopped

2 Tbsp sesame seeds

1/4 cup vinegar

1/4 cup salad oil

2 Tbsp sugar

1/2 tsp. salt

1 flavoring packet from Ramen noodles

1/2 cup slivered almonds

Place chicken (if using) and cabbage in mixing bowl.

Break up noodles and place in colander. Pour boiling water over to soften slightly.

Add noodles, green onions and sesame seeds to cabbage.


Combine vinegar, salad oil, sugar, salt and contents of flavoring packet.

Pour oil/vinegar mixture over cabbage. Mix well.

Cover and refrigerate overnight or for several hours.

Just before serving, stir in slivered almonds. Serves 6-8.