Tante Tina

Ingredients 1 tbsp olive oil 1/2-3/4 lb spicy sausage 2 medium onions, chopped 2 cloves garlic, chopped 5 cups water 1 lb dried lentils 1 stalk celery with leaves, chopped 1 green pepper, chopped 3/4 tsp pickling spice 2 cans tomato and chili peppers 2 tsps salt Directions Sort and rinse dried lentils and set aside. Chop the sausage into small rounds and, over medium heat, brown in a large saucepan in olive oil. Add onion and garlic and allow to become translucent, about five minutes. Add remaining ingredients except for salt, cover, bring to a boil, reduce heat and allow it to simmer for 1 hour. Add salt and simmer a further 1/2 hour or until lentils are well-done. Serve with salad and crusty bread. The next day the leftovers can be thinned with: ...

Ingredients 3 cups grated carrots 2 cups white sugar 1 cup cooking oil 4 eggs 1 tsp baking soda 7 tbsp warm water 1/2 tsp salt 1 tbsp vanilla 3 cups all-purpose flour 1 cup raisins or currants 1 cup chopped nuts 1/2 cup glazed cherries 1/4 cup lemon peel 1/4 cup orange peel 1 tbsp cinnamon Directions Measure sugar, oil, eggs, soda and water and beat until smooth. Mix in salt, vanilla, flour and cinnamon. Combine with the fruit and carrots. Bake at 350 for 1-1/2 hours or until done. Makes two loaves or one angel food pan.

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3/4 cup granulated sugar 1 1/2 tsp baking powder 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/4 tsp salt 2 eggs 2/3 cup plain yogurt 1/4 cup melted butter 1/2 tsp almond extract 3 apples, peeld and thinly sliced Topping 3 tbsps sliced blanched almonds 2 tbsps granulated sugar 1/2 tsp cinnamon Directions Stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. In separate bowl, beat eggs, stir in yogurt, butter and almond extract. Stir into flour mixture just until combined. Pour into greased 9" spring-form pan and arrange apples over batter. (an optional addition here is 1/2 cup of raisins) Combine almonds, sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over apples. Bake in 350 degree oven for one hour. Nellie’s recipe

Serves four Ingredients 1 tbls olive oil 1 lb sirloin steak trimmed of all fat and cut into 1/4" strips 2 cups coarsely chopped onion 5 garlic cloves, finely chopped 4 jalapeno peppers, seeded and minced 2 cups chopped fresh plum tomatoes 1-1/2 cups beef broth 1/2 lb black beans, cooked 3 tablespoons chili powder, or to taste 2 tsp ground cumin 2 tsp dried oregano 1/4 tsp salt freshly ground pepper 1/2 cup chopped green onion, white part too! Directions In a large stockpot or very large skillet, heat the oil over medium-high heat. Saute the sirloin just until no longer pink; do not overcook. Remove the meat with a slotted spoon to a bowl and set aside. Add the onion and garlic to the pot and saute over medium heat until tender, about 8 minutes. Stir in the jalapeno pepper, tomato, broth, beans, spices and salt. Lower the heat to a simmer, cover and simmer for 30-45 minutes. Add the sirloin and simmer for 15 minutes; taste and adjust the seasoning. Serve immediately, garnished with chopped onion. Crusty rolls are nice.

Ingredients 1 lb sweet italian sausage, casings removed and meat crumbled 4 to 5 cups unsalted chicken broth, preferably homemade 2 tbsps olive oil 1/2 cup finely chopped onion 1 small garlic clove, minced 1 cup uncooked italian medium-grain white rice 1/2 cup peeled, seeded and chopped fresh plum tomatoes, drained 1 tbsp chopped fresh basil 2 tbsps unsalted butter 1/4 cup freshly grated parmigian cheese or more to taste salt to taste ground pepper to taste 2 tbsps packed, torn, fresh basil leaves Directions Brown the sausage in a heavy skillet, stirring and breaking up into small pieces. Spoon out one tbsp of the sausage fat and set aside. Drain and discard the remaining fat and set aside the browned sausage. Heat the chicken broth in a small saucepan until boiling. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer. Combine the reserved sausage fat and olive oil in a heavy saucepan and heat over low heat. Add the onion and saute until golden, about 8 minutes. Add the garlic and saute 1 minute more. Stir in the rice and saute over low heat, stirring, about 2 mminutes. Add enough of the hot broth, about 1/2 cup, to just cover the rice. Adjust the heat to maintain a steady simmer and cook the rice, stirring constantly, until almost all of the broth has been absorbed, about 3-4 minutes. Add another ladle of broth. Cook, stirring constantly, until all the broth has been absorbed. Continue adding the broth, one ladle at a time, cooking and stirring. Add the next ladleful when the broth is absorbed and the rice begins to pull away from the sides of the pot as it is stirred. Add the tomatoes, chopped basil and half of the reserved cooked sausage during the last ten minutes of cooking. Cook until the rice is creamy and firm, but not chalky in the centre when it is tasted. The total cooking time is 30 minutes or more. Remove from the heat. Stir in the butter, cheese and salt. Briefly reheat the reserved browned sausage. Spoon the risotto into shallow bowls and divide the warmed sausage evenly among the bowls. Sprinkle with the ground pepper and basil leaves. Serve with additional grated cheese.

Ingredients 1/2 cup butter 2 tbsps corn syrup 1 tsp baking soda 1/4 cup boiling water 1 cup rolled oats 1 cup shredded coconut 1 cup all-purpose flour 1 cup sugar Directions Melt butter and corn syrup in large saucepan over low heat. Add baking soda mixed with the boiling water. Combine the dry ingredients in a mixing bowl and pour the melted ingredients into the centre. Mix to a moist but firm consistency. Drop teaspoonfuls of the mixture onto a cold greased baking sheet. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 25 minutes, until golden brown. Cool for a few minutes on the baking sheet before lifting onto wire rack. Yields 40 cookies.

Ingredients 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 3 tbsps granulated sugar 2 tsps baking powder 1/2 tsp salt 1/2 tsp baking soda 1/3 cup soft margerine or unsalted butter, cold 1 cup rolled oats 1/2 cup currents or raisins 2/3 cup buttermilk 2 tbsps icing sugar Directions In a large bowl, sift or stir together flour, sugar baking powder salt and baking soda. Cut margerine into flour mixture until it is in tiny bits. Stir in oats and currents. Drizzle buttermilk over all and gather dough into ball. Do not overknead. Pat dough out on floured surface to thickness of about 1". Cut out 2" rounds. Pat extra dough together gently and continue cutting rounds until all dough is used. Place scones on baking sheet lined with foil. Bake in pre-heated 375 degree oven for 20 minutes, or until puffed and golden. Cool on racks. Sift icing sugar over baked scones. Source Bonnie Stern, Simply Heartsmart. page 248

Ingredients 2 tbsps vegetable oil 1/2 cup diced cooked ham 2 cloves garlic, minced 1 red onion, chopped 3/4 cup tomato, peeled, seeded and diced 1/2 sweet green or red pepper, chopped 3/4 cup corn niblets 1 bay leaf 1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped 1/2 tsp salt 1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes 1/4 tsp pepper 1 cup water 2 cups red kidney beans, cooked, drained and rinsed 2 cups brown long-grain rice, cooked 1/4 cup green onions, thinly sliced Directions In saucepan, heat oil over medium heat; cook ham, garlic and red onion, stirring often, for 5 minutes. Add tomato, green pepper, corn, bay leaf, parsley, salt, hot pepper flakes and pepper. Stir in water; bring to boil. Reduce heat and cook for 2 minutes. Crush half of the beans; stir crushed and whole beans into pan. Cook, stirring often, for 10 minutes. Discard bay leaf. Serve over rice; garnish with green onions. Makes 4 servings.

Ingredients 1 onion, diced 2 stalks celery, diced 1 carrot, diced 2 clove garlic, crushed 1 bay leaf, broken 1 clove 1 cup chicken broth 1 large can of plum tomatoes, chopped 2 tbsps parsley, chopped 1 tbsp lemon juice 1/4 tsp thyme 1/2 tsp each of basil and oregano 1 tsp salt 2-1/2 lbs frying chicken or 1 lb skinless boneless breast 1/2 lb spaghetti The biggest pot we have! ...

Ingredients Crust 1 cup almonds 1 cup vanilla wafers 1/3 cup sweet butter, melted Filling 1 1/2 tbsps unflavoured gelatin (1 1/2 envelopes) 1/4 cup water 3 eggs, separated 1 1/4 cups sugar 1 cup warm milk 1 lb chilled cream cheese 1/4 tsp almond extract 1/3 cup amaretto liqueur 2 cups whipping cream Garnish Whipping cream (reserved from filling above) 3 tbsps amaretto liqueur 2 tbsps icing sugar, sifted 1/4 cup sliced almonds, toasted Directions Place almonds in food processor and pulse until coarsely chopped. Add vanilla wafers and process until fine. Blend in butter until crumbs are moistened and remove. Press mixture into bottom and partly up sides of 10" springform pan and refrigerate. Place 1/4 cup water in a medium sized, heavy saucepan. Sprinkle with gelatin and let stand for 5 minutes. Rinse and dry work bowl and steel knife. Add egg yolks and 1 cup sugar. Process until light in colour. Add milk through feed tube and blend. Dissolve gelatin over low heat and stir in milk mixture. Cook over low heat until custard begins to thicken. Cool for about 5 minutes. Cut cream cheese into cubes and add to work bowl. Add almond extract and liqueur and blend. slowly add custard, blend and scrape down sides of bowl. Arrange a mixing bowl nested in a larger bowl lined with ice cubes. Pour mixture into nested bowl. Stir occasionally to prevent setting around the outside edges. Cool unti mixture is thick and syrupy. Beat eggwhites with 1/4 cup sugar until stiff. Whip cream until light and fluffy. To lighten the custard, stir 1/3 of the beaten egg whites into it first, then fold in remaining egg whites and 2/3 of the whipping cream. Turn mixture into prepared crust and refrigerate. To the remaining cream, add icing sugar and liqueur. Whip until stiff. Pipe or spoon cream attractively over cake. Sprinkle the top with sliced toasted almonds and refrigerate the cake for 2-3 hours before serving. This cake can be prepared a day ahead of serving time and can also be frozen.