Erin's Homemade breakfast bars

Two cups of oatmeal (thick cut or old fashioned) 

1/3 cup coconut oil 

1 cup peanut butter (all natural) 

1/4 cup of honey 

Handful of chocolate chips if desired 

Stir it all up and roll into bars or press and cut into squares

Butternut Squash Mash

2 large butternut squashes, trimmed, peeled, seeded, and cut into 3/4-inch chunks
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup milk
1 teaspoon brown sugar
Salt
Pepper

Heat oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add squashes and salt. Cover, and cook, stirring occasionally, until partially tender, about 8 minutes (reduce heat if squash begins to brown). Add milk and brown sugar, cover, and simmer over medium-high heat until completely tender and water has mostly evaporated, about 15 minutes. Mash with a potato masher. Season with pepper.

Roasted vegetables

Cut them zucchini in half and then cut them again in 4s so they are long, medium sized strips.

Cover pan in olive oil. Then cover zucchini in olive oil make sure fully covered in that. Sprinkle salt, pepper, and garlic powder on top.

After 10 minutes on 400F turn them and then cook another 5-10 minutes. Total 20 minutes cooking.

Note: Can do the same for carrots- make sure they are peeled and chopped. Cook about 20 minutes also on 400F.

Yule Log Cake

Buche De Noel

4 large eggs, separated

2/3 cup sugar, divided

2 tablespoons water

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/2 cup ground pistachios

1/2 cup sifted cake flour

3 tablespoons cocoa

1/2 teaspoon cream of tartar

Dash of salt

Rich Chocolate Buttercream (or Brandied whipped cream)

1/4 cup finely chopped pistachios

Garnishes: Meringue Mushrooms, bay leaves, crab apples

Grease bottom and sides of a 15" X 10" X 1" jellyroll pan; line bottom with wax paper.  Grease and flour wax paper.

Beat egg yolks at high speed of an electric mixer 5 minutes or until thick and pale. Gradually add 1/3 cup sugar, beating well. Add water and vanilla.  Fold in 1/2 cup ground pistachios.  Gradually fold in cake flour and cocoa.

Beat egg whites at high speed until foamy.  Add cream of tartar and salt; beat until soft peaks form. Add remaining 1/3 cup sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form.  Fold into yolk mixtures.  Spread into pan.  Bake at 375 degrees for 10 minutes or until top springs back when touched.

Sift powdered sugar in a 15" X 10" rectangle on a cloth towel.  When cake is done, immediately loosen from sides of pan, and turn out onto sugared towel. Peel off wax paper. Starting at narrow end, roll up cake and towel together; cool completely on a wire rack, seam side down.

Unroll cake; remove towel.  Spread cake with half of Rich Chocolate Buttercream; carefully reroll. Cover and chill. Cut a 1" thick diagonal slice from 1 end of cake roll.  Place cake roll on a serving plate, seam side down; position cut piece on top of cake to resemble a knot.  Spread remaining butter cream over cake.

Score frosting with the tines of a fork to resemble tree bark.  Top cake with chopped pistachios for moss.  Garnish sides of cake with Meringue Mushrooms, bay leaves, and crab apples.

Rich Chocolate Buttercream

2 (1 oz) squares unsweetened chocolate

2 (1 oz) squares semisweet chocolate

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

4 cups sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup cocoa

1/4 cup milk

2 teaspoons vanilla extract

Optional 1 tablespoon instant coffee powder for mocha buttercream

Place chocolate in top of a double boiler; bring water to a boil. Reduce heat to low; cook until chocolate melts, stirring often. Remove from heat.

Beat butter at medium speed of an electric mixer until creamy.  Add chocolate, powdered sugar, and remaining ingredients; beat until spreading consistency. 

Yield: 3 1/4 cups.

Brandied Whipped Cream

2 cups heavy (whipping) cream

1/3 to 1/2 cup confectioner's sugar, sifted

4 tablespoons brandy

Mix together until thick

Meringue Mushrooms

3 egg whites

1/4 teaspoon cream of tartar

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1/4 teaspoon almond extract

1/8 teaspoon salt

1/2 cup superfine sugar

1/2 cup semisweet chocolate morsels, melted

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon or cocoa

Combine first 5 ingredients; beat at high speed of an electric mixer until foamy. Add sugar, 1 tablespoon at a time, beating until stiff peaks form and sugar dissolves. (2-4 minutes)

Spoon mixture into a decorating bag, fitted with a large round tip.  Pipe 32 (1 1/4 inch wide) mounds to resemble mushroom caps, and 32 (1 inch tall) columns to resemble stems onto a parchment paper lined baking sheet.

Bake at 200 degrees for 1 hour, 30 minutes.  Turn oven off.  Let meringues stand in closed oven for 2 hours.

Spread a thin layer of melted chocolate on flat side of caps.  Trim rounded end of stems to make flat; press against chocolate to attach stems to caps.  Sprinkle caps lightly with cinnamon or cocoa. 

Yield: 32 mushrooms.

Garden Meatballs

Ingredients

1/2 lb. lean ground turkey
1 lb. lean ground beef
4 cups spinach, finely chopped
1/2 cup celery, finely chopped
4 green onions, white and light green parts only, finely chopped (or can do with red onion)
1 teaspoon sea salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375°F.
2. In a large mixing bowl, combine all the ingredients. With dampened palms, roll the meat mixture into meatballs and transfer them to a 9 × 13‑inch baking dish (or larger, depending on the size of meatballs).
3. Bake for 25 to 35 minutes, turning the meatballs over after 15 minutes, or until the meatballs are cooked through. Remove from the oven and cool. Serve warm or room temperature, or store to serve later.
4. These meatballs may be prepared in advance and frozen in freezer bags, divided evenly among 12 bags. On the day you plan to use them, thaw them in the refrigerator. They can be eaten cold or slightly warmed.

Mince & Tatties

Sieved white onion and large sliced carrot ready

500g mince

Heat pan first 

Beef in bottom of dry pan no oil

On high heat, brown it all until meat frees up

Want quality beef not much water

Once browned add onion

Stir until picking up juice from bottom and starting to go opaque 3-5 minutes

Add carrot

Then sufficient water to cover

Add a little bit of salt and pepper

Leave it to boil and then let simmer 30-45 minutes and will reduce over time 

Towards end, get some plain white flour and in bowl make paste of little flour and some liquid from the pan or water and add to mince to thicken

Can also add frozen peas in last few minutes and serve separately on the side 

Stewing steak and ask to mince - need some fat but not tons 

Shepherds pie- add Worcester sauce and tomato purée and then mash on top 

My Mom's Scalloped Potatoes

Mom’s Easy Scalloped Potatoes ( or most people call them Au Gratin Potatoes since the have cheese)

About 4-5 russet potatoes, depending on size (don’t use red/new potatoes--consistence not the same)

Whole milk or Half & Half - about 2 cups (or less)

Grated cheese/cheddar works best - 1 cup or more

Butter - ¼-½ cup should be enough

Flour - not much

Salt/pepper to taste

Sometimes I put in chopped onions, but normally don’t when I made for you.

Peel and thinly slice the potatoes. I use the side of the grater for slicing.

Set them in COLD water while getting other ingredients ready so they won’t brown.

In a flat casserole dish ( can use round if you want) BUTTER the bottom and sides.

Layer the above ingredients:

Thin layer of potatoes

Salt/pepper

Grated cheese

Small pieces of cold butter

Sprinkle of flour - not too much or it will “clump”

Pour a little milk (whole milk or half and half is best)

Start next layer with potatoes and repeat.

Be sure at end that most all potatoes are covered with milk. If liquid is close to the top, I would set this casserole on top of a cookie sheet covered in foil, since it may boil over while baking and make a mess!

Cover and bake about 45 min. At 350-375.  Take cover (foil works) off now and bake 10-15 min. More or until top browns.  Be sure potatoes are not crunchy--- if you sliced them by hand, it may take longer to bake.