Mini Pizzas

These pizzas are a treat around our house. They're even better than regular pizzas!


Ingredients:
Pizza sauce (recipe on my blog)
Pitas
Your favourite pizza toppings
Cheese


Preheat oven to 400.

Spread pizza sauce on the pitas. Sprinkle on the pizza toppings and then add cheese.
Put the pizzas in the oven and bake until the cheese on top is slightly toasted.

Banana Hazelnut Split Cake

This is such a good cake!
I made it for my grandma's birthday. I especially like it because I LOVE whip cream!

1 cup margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups sugar
3 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
3-4 mashed bananas
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 tsp. salt
3 cups flour
2 tsp. baking soda
2 tsp. baking powder
2 cups whipping cream
1 teaspoon vanilla
3 tablespoons sugar
Nutella (chocolate hazelnut spread)
1 pint fresh strawberries


Mix butter and sugar.
Beat in eggs...and vanilla, bananas and buttermilk.
Combine flour, salt, baking soda and baking powder.
Add to banana mixture; stir until blended.
Pour into two well greased nine inch round cake pans.
Bake at 350 degrees for about 40 minutes...or until set in centre.
Allow cakes to cool completely.


To assemble:


Whip cream, vanilla and sugar until stiff.
Split each cake layer in half horizontally.
Spread the bottom half of each cake with a generous layer of Nutella, and reassemble to form two cakes.
Create a flat top on one of the cakes by shaving off the rounded top.
Set this layer on a cake plate...and spread with whipped cream, sliced strawberries and more whipped cream.
Gently set remaining cake layer on top.
Frost with whipped cream. Garnish with strawberries.

Hot Chocolate

For 4 servings you need:

1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup boiling water
4 cups of hot milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract (optional)

Serving for one:

1 tablespoon cocoa
1 tablespoon sugar
a bit of boiling water
1 cup hot milk
a drop of vanilla extract if you want, but is just fine without

Stir together the cocoa powder and sugar.
Add the boiling water to dissolve the cocoa and sugar.
Add the hot milk.
Top off the cocoa with your favorite toppings like, marshmallows, whipping cream, sprinkles, or a sprinkle of cinnamon

Corn Muffins

These Corn Muffins are a staple at our house whenever we have chili! They are easy to make and delicious!

Ingredients:
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 tablespoons brown sugar
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup thick sour milk
1/4 cup oil.

Mix together dry ingredients.
Combine the eggs, sour milk, and oil together and then stir into the dry ingredients until just moistened.
Pour into greased muffin tins and bake at 375 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes. Serve hot.

Cranberry Orange Scones

These scones are delicious! When I made them we didn't have any orange zest so I used a few drops of orange essential oil, it worked really well!
I'm planning on making these for a tea party going on next month.

Ingredients for Scones:
2 cups flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup butter, chilled
3/4 cup fresh cranberries, coarsely chopped
1 tablespoon finely grated orange peel
1 egg, beaten with a fork
3/4 cup buttermilk

Combine the dry ingredients.
Cut in butter until the mixture resembles course meal.
Mix in the coarsely chopped cranberries and orange zest.
Combine the buttermilk and the egg; add to the dry ingredients and mix until the dough sticks together.
Drop by large spoonfuls onto a parchment lined baking sheet.
Bake at 400F for 15 minutes or until golden.
Cool slightly and then drizzle with glaze.

Ingredients for Glaze:
3/4 cup icing sugar
1 teaspoon orange zest
3 tablespoons orange juice

Combine the ingredients and stir until smooth. Using a spoon, drizzle the icing over the scones.

Enchiladas

A note about the tortillas. The corn tortillas must be softened before they are rolled and boaked in the casserole. Frying them gently in a little oil greatly enhances the flavor of the tortillas.

Ingredients:
Grapeseed oil (or another high smoke-point oil such as peanut or canola oil)
12 corn tortillas
1 medium onion, chopped
1 clove of garlic, minced
1 cup salsa (Do not use salsa made with fresh, uncooked tomatoes)
3 tablespoons of tomato paste
1 cup water
1 cup of canned crushed tomatoes (preferably fire roasted)
Olive oil
1 lb of jack cheese, milk cheddar or longhorn or any mild yellow cheese, grated
A handful of cilantro
1 cup sour cream
Half a head of iceberg lettuce

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F

In a large frying pan at high heat add 3 tablespoons of grapeseed oil. Add a tortilla to the pan. Cook for 2-3 seconds, lift up the tortilla with a spatula, add another tortilla underneath. Cook for 2-3 seconds, lift again, both tortillas, and add another tortilla underneath. Repeat the process with all the tortillas, adding a little more oil if needed. This way you can brown and soften the tortillas with out using a lot of fat. You do this process to develop the flavor of the tortillas. As the tortillas brown a little, remove from the pan one by one to rest on a paper towel, which absorbs any excess fat.

Saute up the chopped onion and garlic, then turn off the heat. Add 1 cup salsa. Dissolve 3 tablespoons of tomato paste into 1 cup water, add to pan. Add 1 cup of crushed fire roasted canned tomatoes. Taste. If the sauce tastes to vinegary, add a teaspoon of sugar.

Put some olive oil on the bottom of a large casserole pan. Take a tortilla, cover 2/3of it lightly with the shredded cheese, then roll up the tortilla and place it in the casserale pan. Continue until all the tortillas are rolled and filled. Add sauce to the top of the tortillas in the casserole pan. Make sure all are covered with the sauce. If not, add a little water. Cover the whole thing with the rest of the grated cheese. Put the casserole in the oven for 10 minutes or until the cheese melts.

Garnish with cilantro and sour cream. Serve with sliced iceberg lettuce that has been dressed only with vinegar and salt.

Pizza Sauce

Easy, quick, and a lot better than the sauce in a can (and a lot cheaper)! It has a really nice italian flavour too.

1 can tomato paste
1 1/2 cups water
1/3 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt
pepper
oregano/basil/rosemary

Mix together and let sit for a couple hours.