Veal, Zucchini and Sage Risotto with Roasted Peppers

 Risotto is a very easy dish to make. It takes patience since you have to stir the rice during the entire cooking process, but this is the secret to having a nice, creamy rice. The most common recipe for risotto is made with mushrooms, so I will post this recipe soon. This dish is normally eaten on its own with a piece of bread and a glass of wine. You could omit the meat and serve it as a side dish.

Magic Cookie Bars

I know this looks like meat with potaotes and cheese, but no, this is a yummy dessert! It is so easy to make but so good. You can freeze these bars for upto one month. I am offering these this year for Christmas along with my macaroons, gingerbread men, and Christmas sugar cookies. Enjoy!

Prep and cook time: 30 minutes

Ingredients 

• 1 1/2 cup graham craker crumbs
• 1 tablespoon sugar
• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 175g (6 oz) semi-sweet chocolate-chips
• 1 1/2 cups flaked coconut
• 1 cup chopped walnuts or peacans
• 1 can condensed milk

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Mix graham crumbs, sugar and margarine together. Press in a 9 X 9 inch pan.
3. Scatter chocolate chips, nuts and coconut over graham crust.
4. Pour condensed milk over the top and bake for about 22 mintues. 
5. Broil for about 3 minutes for coconut to get golden, or else it will be very white (see pictures below)
   
6. Cool for 1 hour and cut into small bars. Do not wait too long before cutting, or else it will be very hard!

Recipe inspired from my physiotherapist Lynn.

Vegetable Tian with Goat Cheese

Last night I was invited at a potluck and was told that I had to bring the side dish. I first thought that cooking the side dish was boring and wanted to make the appetizers instead. But then I found this recipe, and thought that it was an original way to serve vegetables. You can easliy make this recipe ahead of time and re-heat in the oven at 350 degress F for 15 minutes. Even better, only add the goat cheese before re-heating. Mmmmm...this was delicious and healthy!

Cook and prep time: 1h15

Serves 6

Click here to see original recipe

Ingredients

• 1/3 cup olive oil
  
• 1 small red onion, sliced thinly
  
• 2 large garlic cloves, minced
• 2 yellow zucchinis, sliced 1cm thick
• 2 green zucchinis, sliced 1 cm thick
• 4-5 italian tomates, sliced 1 cm thick
• 2 teaspoons herbes de Provence
• salt
  

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 375 degrees F.
2. Line bottom of baking dish with onions, half of the garlic, half of the herbes de Provence and salt. Drizzle with half of the olive oil.
3. Overlap sliced vegetables. Season with salt, remaining garlic, herbes de Provence, and oil.
4. Bake for about one hour, or until vegetables are tender.
5. If desired, add sliced goat cheese to top of vegetables 15 minutes before end.

 

Gratin Dauphinois

Ingredients 

• 6 large potatoes
  
• about 1L whole milk
  
• 3 bay leaves
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon salt
• nutmeg
  
• pepper
• about 1/2 cup 15% cooking cream
  

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. 
2. Slice potatoes thinly and place in a saucepan. Cover potaotes with milk. Add nutmeg, bay leaves, salt, and pepper.
   
3. On med-low heat, bring potatoes to a boil. Once potaotes boil, reduce heat and cook for about 10 minutes, stirring frequently and scraping bottom of pan, until milk has become creamy and potatoes are slightly tender (don't over cook potaotes since they will bake in oven).
   
4. Transfer potates (with the milk of course) to a large baking dish (3 L).  
5. Add cream and a little nutmeg to the top of potatoes.
6. Bake for about 35 mintues, until bubbly and golden brown.
7. Serve!

Recipe inspired from Chocolate and Zucchini

Christmas Sugar Cookies

Prep and cook time: 1 hour
Makes about 30 cookies

Ingredients 

• 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 3/4 cup sugar
  
• 3/4 cup butter, cubed
  
• 1 large egg, beaten
  
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons lemon zest

Frosting: very easy to make! Just combine all ingredients, mix at high speed until smooth and creamy.

• 1 egg white
• 2 cups frosting sugar
• 1/2 lemon juice
  

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack to highest part of oven so bottom of cookies don't burn!
   
2. In a large bowl, mix together butter, sugar, salt, egg, and vanilla extract until a nice creamy texture forms.
3. Add lemon zest and flour and mix well to form a ball of dough.
   
4. Let the dough rest for one hour.
5. The dough will seem dry, so before rolling it out on a floured surface, work it with your hands.
   
6. On a floured surface, roll out dough to about 3mm in thickness.
7. Cut out different shapes and place on a greased baking sheet.
8. Bake for 10 minutes, or until golden on the bottom.
9. Once cookies are completely cool, decorate with frosting that you have either made or bought.

Recipe inspired by a la distasio

Gingerbread Men

Prep and cook time: 1 hour
Makes about 30 cookies

*Note: The dough is very sticky, so make sure you flour your hands, rolling pin, working surface, and even dough. There will be flour everywhere in the kitchen, but gingerbread men are so much fun to make that it is worth the mess!

Ingredients 

• 1/2 cup margarine, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup molasses
  
• 1 egg yolk
  
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
  
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 1/2 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1/2 teaspoon nutmeg 
  

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F. Place oven rack to highest part of oven so bottom of cookies don't burn!
   
2. In a large bowl, mix together margarine, sugar, molasses, and egg yolk.
3. Add flour and mix well, until a nice ball of dough has formed.
4. To the cookie dough add the rest of the ingredients.
5. On a floured surface, roll out dough to about 5mm in thickness.
6. Cut out men (and/or women) and place on a greased baking sheet.
7. Bake for 8 minutes, and cool on a plate.
8. Once cookies are completely cool, decorate with frosting that you have either made or bought.

Frosting: very easy to make! Just combine all ingredients, mix at high speed until smooth and creamy.

• 1 egg white
• 2 cups frosting sugar
• 1/2 lemon juice

 Recipe inspired by Renee from Recettes du Quebec

Cranberry Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

Finally, a good low-fat oatmeal cookie recipe. I have modified the original recipe by adding less oil, more yogurt, and some whole wheat flour. I must have tried at least ten different oatmeal cookie recipes before this one. The cookies were either too hard, or too soft, or simply not tasty enough.

Walnut Pesto with Cheese Ravioli

Ingredients

• 1 cup packed parsley
• 3/4 cup roasted walnuts
• 1 small garlic clove
  
• 1/2 cup olive oil
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese
  
• hot pepper flakes, to taste
• salt and pepper

• Cherry tomatoes
• Cheese ravioli
  

Directions

* This recipe makes a good amount of pesto. You will only need to use part of the pesto made for the ravioli. The leftover pesto can be added to your sandwiches, homemade pizza, or grilled vegetables. To keep pesto fresh, place in jar and drizzle a layer of olive oil. Refrigerate for one week, OR, freeze!

1. In a food processor, chop parsley and walnuts.
2. Add cheese, garlic, hot pepper, salt and pepper. Pulse, slowly pouring in olive oil.
3. In a large sauce pan, bring salted water to a boil. Cook ravioli according to instructions on package. Reserve some cooking water.
4. Add pesto and cherry tomatoes to ravioli and mix gently, adding some of the reserved cooking water if needed.

Recipe taken from A la Distasio

Graham Cocoa Bars

Ingredients

• 2 cups graham crumbs
• 1/3 cup cocoa powder
• 1 can condensed milk, such as Eaglebrand
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Place oven rack to highest part of the oven.
   
3. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
4. Place mixture in a greased 9x9 inch baking dish.
5. Bake for 20-25 minutes.
6. Cut into squares.

Recipe inspired from my physiotherapist Lynn.

Carrot Soup

Ingredients

• 2 tablespoons olive oil or butter
  
• 1 large onion, chopped
  
• 10 carrots, sliced
• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and cubed
• 1 1/2 teaspoon Herbes de Provence
• 1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
• Pepper
• 2 bay leaves
• 6 cups chicken or vegetable broth
  

Directions

1. In a large saucepan, heat olive oil.
2. Saute onion, carrots, potatoes, and spices for about 10 minutes.
3. Add broth and bring to a boil. Add bay leaves.
4. Once soup boils, reduce heat and simmer for about 30 minutes, or until vegetables are tender.
   
5. NOTE: Only add salt if needed, since broth is already salty
6. Once soup is cooked, transfer to a food processor and pulse until texture is smooth. NOTE: Add milk to food processor if soup too thick.
7. Serve!

Recipe taken from Recettes du Quebec

Macaroons

Prep and "cook" time: 35 minutes
Makes 30 macaroons

Ingredients

• 1 can of low-fat condensed milk, such as Eaglebrand
  
• 400 g non-sweeted, shredded coconut
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
  
• 1 1/2 teaspoon almond extract

Directions

1. Pre-heat oven to 325 degrees F.
2. Place oven rack to highest part of the oven.
   
3. In a bowl, combine all of the ingredients.
4. Place spoonfuls of mixture on a greased baking sheet, baking 12 at a time.
5. Bake for 10-12 minutes, until golden around the edges.
6. Cool on a plate.

Recipe taken from Eaglebrand