[ candied pecans ]

WHO DOESN'T love candied pecans? So yummy on ice-cream or just for munching on their own. I'm currently loving them sprinkled on salads ~ can't get enough of them! These are a cute gift to give as well, packed into a mason jar or cellophane bag.

what you need:

1/2 cup sugar
1/4 brown sugar, packed
1 egg white
2 teaspoons cinnamon
5 cups raw pecans

how to:

1} Preheat oven to 300F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
2} In a medium bowl, combine sugars and cinnamon then set aside.
3} In a small bowl, whisk together egg white with 1 tbsp water until frothy then set aside.
4} In a large bowl, combine pecans with egg white mixture and toss to coat well. Stir in sugar mixture until evenly coated.

5} Spread pecans evenly onto parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Bake for 25-30 minutes, stirring halfway through baking. Let cool completely before serving.

Enjoy!

lisa

[ cake mix cobbler ]

SOMETIMES I love a dessert that you can pull together with minimal effort ~ snoop around in your pantry and see what you find. This cobbler uses a simple cake mix and any type of canned fruit {or fresh or frozen}. Add some cream cheese and you're off to the races!

lisa's peach blueberry cake mix cobbler

what you need:

1 box of white or yellow cake mix

1/3 cup butter, softened

28 oz can of peaches, well drained (or 4-5 fresh peaches)

1 cup frozen blueberries {optional}

2 eggs

8 oz pkg cream cheese

1/3 cup sugar

1 tsp vanilla

how to:

1) Preheat oven to 350F. 

2) In a large bowl, mix together cake mix, 1 egg and butter until crumbly. Set aside 1 cup of crumble for topping.

3) Grease a 9x13" glass dish and press remaining crumble into dish to form a crust. Bake for 10 minutes. Meanwhile, slice peaches into 1" pieces.

4) Beat together cream cheese, 1 egg, vanilla and sugar until smooth. 

5) Remove baked crust from oven and layer peaches and blueberries over crust. Spread cream cheese mixture over fruit. Sprinkle reserved crumble over top.

6) Bake for 30-40 minutes until golden and fruit is bubbling. Allow to cool 30 minutes before serving ~ delicious with vanilla ice cream. Yum!

lisa

[ apple of my eye ]

WHEN you are craving something for dessert, there's nothing like baking up an apple cake. I love that there are no special ingredients ~ just pantry staples so you can bake one any time you like!

lisa's scrumptious apple cake

This cake is simple to make and you can use any apples you like {I use a mix of Granny Smith and Gala just because it's what I usually have on hand}. This is a light, fluffy cake and the apple slices will sink right into it when it bakes. Tastes delicious as is, or serve it even yummier with ice cream and caramel sauce!

what you need:

1/2 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1 egg

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 Tbsp baking powder

1 tsp cinnamon

a sprinkle of nutmeg

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup milk

3 apples peeled, cored and cut into thin wedges

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp cinnamon for topping

how to:

Preheat oven to 350F. 

1. Sift flour with baking powder, 1 tsp cinnamon, nutmeg and salt. Set aside.

2. In a large bowl, cream butter and sugar until light. Beat in egg and vanilla until fluffy. 

3. Add flour mixture to the creamed mixture, alternating with the milk {begin and end with flour mixture}. Spread the batter into a greased 9" square baking pan.

4. Place apple slices in rows on the batter, pressing in slightly {I alternate apple varieties}. If you have a few too many, just wedge them in there! Sprinkle with brown sugar and cinnamon.

5. Bake for about 50-60 minutes or until apples are tender and a toothpick inserted comes out clean.

Enjoy!

lisa

[ beef filets in red wine sauce ]

IF YOU'RE looking for an elegant dinner for a special occasion, the holidays or New Year's Eve, this is it. It sounds fancy but it's really very easy. I first made it about 12 years ago for my guy's birthday and it's always a hit ~ I don't know why I don't make it more often! Delicious with mashed potatoes and green beans.

beef filets in red wine sauce

what you need:
2 beef filets, approximately 1" thick
2 tbsp butter
2 garlic cloves, chopped or 1 tsp minced garlic in a jar
2 small shallots, chopped
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tbsp flour
1 cup canned beef broth or beef bouillon cube dissolved in water
1 cup dry red wine

how to:
Season beef filets lightly with salt and pepper.

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a heavy skillet over med-high heat. Sear beef on both sides until brown outside but still pink in centre, about 3-4 minutes per side. Remove beef from skillet and transfer to plate to rest.

Add remaining butter to skillet. Add garlic, shallots and thyme and sauté about 3 minutes. Add flour and stir for about 1 minute.

Add broth and wine. Boil sauce until it thickens and reduces to about 3/4 cup, about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Return beef to skillet with any collected juices on plate and heat through for a minute or so in the sauce. Check filets for doneness and continue cooking for a couple minutes if too pink for your liking. Transfer to plates and serve with sauce.

{This makes enough sauce for 4 filets so if you are serving 4 people, just add a couple of beef filets}.
Yum!

lisa

[ soup's on! ]

THERE'S nothing like a warm, comforting bowl of soup on a cool day. This chicken and rice soup recipe is so easy and you can freeze individual portions so they're ready anytime. Enjoy with a warm slice of homemade bread for the ultimate in comfort food.

lisa's chicken and rice soup

what you need:

1 tbsp butter

1 small onion, finely chopped

1 tbsp flour

6 cups chicken stock or broth

3 cups water

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery stalks, finely chopped

2 uncooked boneless chicken breasts (or thighs)

1/2 cup brown rice

1/2 cup long grain rice

1 tbsp chicken bouillon

1/2 cup sliced shiitake or button mushrooms

1 cup frozen mixed vegetables (peas, carrots, corn, green beans)

2 tbsp light sour cream or plain yogurt

salt and pepper to taste

how to:

Melt butter in a large pot on medium heat. Add onion and saute until soft. Add flour and stir around for another minute.

Add chicken broth, water, garlic, celery, brown rice and chicken. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

Add long grain rice, chicken bouillon, mushrooms and frozen vegetables. Cover and simmer on low for 25 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Remove chicken breasts from pot and shred with two forks. Return to pot and add sour cream. Add more water if soup seems too thick for your liking. Heat through. Taste and add salt and pepper if needed. Serve.

Makes 6-8 servings. Enjoy!

lisa

[ pucker up ]

LEMON desserts are high on my list of favourites and this lemon square recipe is not only easy, it doesn't require a lengthy list of ingredients. If you don't have fresh lemons, you can use bottled lemon juice {although I think adding in the zest of a lemon into the crust makes them extra delicious!}

lisa's pucker-up lemon squares

what you need

crust

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, cold, cubed

1/2 cup sugar

zest of one lemon (optional)

filling

4 eggs

4 tbsp all-purpose flour

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 tsp baking powder

2 large lemons, juiced (1/2 cup of juice)

how to

Preheat oven to 350F (175C).

In a medium bowl, combine flour and 1/2 cup sugar. Grate in lemon zest. 

Cut in cubed butter with a pastry blender.

Press into an ungreased 9x13 pan. Bake for 15-20 minutes until golden.

Whisk together all filling ingredients. 

Once crust is baked, pour filling over the baked crust and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven and let cool (squares will firm up as they cool). 

When cool, dust with icing sugar, cut into squares and serve (or refrigerate to serve them chilled). Yum!

lisa

[ monkey business ]

TODAY I'm sharing my recipe for monkey muffins...

Perfect when you're craving some ooey gooey sticky yumminess. These are so easy that this is barely a recipe since it's just about throwing a few things together. Warning: these are not low-cal!

lisa's ridiculously gooey monkey muffins

This recipe makes as many as you have Pillsbury biscuits {I used a package of 5, so I got 5 "muffins"}

what you need:

Pillsbury Grands biscuits

small can sweetened condensed milk {I had 1/2 can leftover}

butter

cinnamon

brown sugar {I used Splenda brown sugar blend since that's all I had}

how to:

Preheat oven to 375F.

Put 1/2 tsp butter into bottom of each muffin tin and sprinkle some cinnamon and sugar on top.

Cut each biscuit into 3 segments and roll each into a little ball.

Combine some brown sugar and cinnamon in a small bowl. Drop each little dough ball into mixture and roll around to coat. Place 3 balls into each muffin tin. Top each "muffin" with 1/2 tsp butter. Sprinkle a bit of extra cinnamon on top.

Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and bubbly.

Remove from oven and pour a generous amount of condensed milk over the top of each muffin {since I used a small package of biscuits, I had about 1/2 a can leftover}.

Allow to sit for a bit to absorb the condensed milk {as you can see, I was VERY generous}.

Scoop out with a spoon and dig in! Yum yum! 

{store extras in the fridge and microwave for a few seconds before serving}.

lisa

[ the perfect pasta salad ]

LOOKING for the perfect pasta salad recipe? I think this is it! Some pasta salads are so bland, especially after refrigerating {why is that?} but this one really seems to keep its flavour. You can leave it plain, or add diced chicken, bits of cooked bacon or tuna like I did here...

lisa's perfect pasta salad

what you need:

2 1/2 cups uncooked shell or spiral pasta

1 small carrot, diced small

1/4 cup diced green pepper or cucumber

1/4 cup diced celery

1/3 cup grated cheddar cheese

1 hard cooked egg, chopped {optional}

3/4 cup fresh broccoli florets {optional}

dressing:

1/2 cup light Hellmans mayo

1/4 cup prepared ranch salad dressing

3 tbsp milk

1 tbsp dried minced onion

1/2 tsp seasoned salt

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes

1/4 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp yellow mustard

how to:

Cook pasta according to package directions, drain and rinse in cold water.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, veggies, cheese {and egg if using}. 

In a small bowl, combine the dressing ingredients; pour over top and toss to coat. Stir in chicken, bacon or tuna if desired.

yum!

Oh! And my favourite tuna to use...

...super flavourful with the added benefit of olive oil which I probably don't get enough of in my diet.

lisa

[ weekending ]

SO WITH my guy back in Canada for a week, I'm having a quiet, relaxing weekend just puttering around.

Yesterday after walking to the Marina Mall, I decided to take a load off and enjoy a ride back on the water bus...

for only 2 dirhams {about 50 cents}, I saved myself a 25 minute walk and enjoyed a 5 minute boat ride from the mall right back to my apartment...

mr. bus driver...

it's fun to see the buildings from the water...

and I'm home...

My guy is enjoying some of the things that we always miss being away from Canada and like the brat that he is, had to email me a pic of his lunch yesterday {one of my favourite things}...

What was I having? Well, I decided to whip up my perfect pasta salad and threw some tuna in it. My guy hates tuna so I had it exactly the way I like it {I'll post the recipe this week}...

I also did a bit of sewing which I haven't done in a while. You'll never guess what I transformed this into...

You'll have to stayed tuned for the reveal {I know, I'm such a tease!}

So, what's your weekend been like?

lisa

[ crockpot french dip sandwiches ]

IF YOU are looking for a super-easy, delicious meal, how about french dip sandwiches in the crockpot? This couldn't be easier...

lisa's ultimate french dip sandwiches

This recipe is so easy! I used 2 small roasts since that's all there was available in the grocery store at the time. Pile onto soft buns, and serve with the 'au jus' liquid it cooks in.

what you need:

3 lb beef roast (I used rump roast)

1 packet dry onion soup mix

15 oz can of beef broth or 2 OXO beef cubes dissolved in 15 oz boiling water

1/2 cup water

buns (I used Portugese rolls)

how to:

Put roast into crockpot (remove any strings holding it together). 

In a medium bowl, combine beef broth, onion soup mix and water. Stir until combined. Pour mixture over beef, put lid on crockpot and cook on low for 7-8 hours.

An hour before serving, shred meat with two forks or slice thinly. (If you want your 'au jus' for dipping to be lump-free, strain liquid from crockpot to remove onion bits from the onion soup mix. Then return all liquid to crockpot). Put shredded meat back into crockpot for another hour.

Pile onto rolls. If you like, you can top with some mozzarella cheese slices and put under broiler until cheese melts. Serve with a bit of 'au jus' from the crockpot in a small bowl on the side. Yum!

lisa

[ mmm... coffee cake ]

LOOKING FOR an easy recipe for a little treat to enjoy with your latté or afternoon tea? This is it! Makes a small cake in an 8" square pan.

lisa's streusel coffee cake

what you need

topping:

1/2 cup brown sugar or Splenda Brown Sugar Blend

1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, room temperature

1 tsp cinnamon

handful of finely chopped pecans

cake:

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

2 1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp salt

a good sprinkle of cinnamon

a pinch of nutmeg

1 egg, beaten

3/4 cup granulated sugar or Splenda Granulated

1/3 cup melted butter or oil

1/2 cup milk

2 tbsp plain or vanilla yogurt

1 tsp vanilla extract

how to

Preheat oven to 375F.

In a small mixing bowl, combine topping ingredients. Blend with fork or pastry blender until crumbly. Set aside.

Whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg in a small bowl.

In a medium bowl, beat together egg, sugar and melted butter. Add milk, vanilla and yogurt. Stir in flour mixture and mix well.

Pour some batter into a greased and floured 8" square pan. Sprinkle half of topping mixture evenly over batter. Pour on rest of the batter and smooth out. Bake for 15 minutes, then...

sprinkle on remaining topping mixture and bake for approximately 10 minutes more or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Yum!

lisa

[ pokin' around ]

ARE YOU all familiar with poke cakes? I had heard of them but have never made one until today! I decided to try my variation of The Country Cook's Banana Pudding Poke Cake...

I don't tend to make many desserts anymore since I've had to change my diet but sometimes I want to surprise my guy with something yummy.

All you need is: a yellow cake mix, 2 boxes of instant banana pudding and some whipped topping.

{I decided to add 2 mashed bananas to my cake mix and I used sugar-free vanilla pudding since I couldn't find any banana pudding here in Dubai}.

Just bake your cake according to the box and after it has cooled for a few minutes, poke holes all over it...

Then mix up your pudding and pour all over it so it trickles down into the holes...

Spread the remaining pudding over top and refrigerate. Then add a layer of whipped topping {CoolWhip or real whipped cream}. You can top with some crushed vanilla wafers if you like.

Done!

For more detailed instructions click here .The Country Cook has all kinds of delicious southern recipes so be sure to check out her blog here. 

What have you been baking lately?

lisa

[ my almost famous spaghetti and meatballs ]

HAPPY MONDAY everyone! I hope you had a great weekend! I ended up doing everything I had planned ~ I'm about 1/2 way through my book Girls in White Dresses and I'm loving it so far {she's got a great sense of humour}, we saw Avengers {which my guy wanted to see}, then we saw Five Year Engagement {which I wanted to see} and I whipped up a batch of my spaghetti & meatballs.

I realized that it's been a while since I shared a recipe so here's my delicious sauce and meatball recipe. You'll seriously never want to buy jar sauce again ~ this is so easy, makes a lot, and you can just freeze portions into ziploc bags for later. Why buy jars of sauce? It's delicious even without the meatballs!

lisa's almost famous spaghetti & meatballs

what you need for sauce:

3/4 cup finely chopped onion (or about 1/8 cup of dried minced onion)

3 cloves minced garlic (I use the kind in a jar)

1/4 cup olive oil

6 oz can tomato paste

2~ 28 oz cans crushed tomatoes (or 3~500g cartons of crushed tomatoes)

2 tsp salt

1 1/2 tsp oregano

1 tsp sugar

1 3/4 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1 bay leaf

1/2 cup red wine (I buy the tiny bottles and freeze the half leftover for next time)

1/4 cup water

how to:

In a large saucepan or dutch oven over medium heat, saute onion and garlic in olive oil until onion is translucent. Add in tomato paste and swirl it around a bit (this removes the uncooked taste of it). Stir in tomatoes and all the other ingredients. Cover and reduce heat to low and simmer for an hour, stirring occasionally. 

While the sauce is simmering, make the meatballs...

what you need for meatballs:

1 lb lean ground beef

1 cup fresh bread crumbs (I keep a bag in the freezer and take from there)

1 tbsp dried parsley

1 tbsp grated parmesan cheese

1/4 tsp ground black pepper

1/4 tsp garlic powder

1 egg, beaten

1/4 tsp italian seasoning

1/4 tsp salt

sprinkle of dried minced onion or onion soup mix

1/4 cup milk

how to:

In a large bowl, combine all ingredients and mix together well with wooden spoon. Form into balls (I like mine about the size of large truffle chocolates and usually get 26-30 meatballs). Put bowl of balls into fridge while sauce is simmering.

Once the sauce has simmered for an hour, simply drop the meatballs into the sauce (I know! No pre-cooking the meatballs required! This gives them a nice, soft texture. If you prefer a chewier meatball, you can fry or bake them before adding to the sauce). Cover and continue simmering for about 50 min more and meatballs will be fully cooked. Serve over pasta. Yum!

I've received a ton of compliments on this simple recipe and I guarantee that it will become your new go-to spaghetti and meatballs recipe! Mangia!

lisa

[ happy weekend! ]

SO WHAT  have you got planned for this weekend? I plan on...

a bit of reading...

definitely a couple of these...

maybe seeing this...

and cooking up some of this...

Have a great weekend everyone!

lisa