BIZZY BAKES

I have found many of the Jewish sites have a huge amount of workable recipes and I enjoy visiting them, especially at holiday time, to get the best recipes.  Joy of Kosher, not only has Jamie's recipes but many  Baked Gefilte Fish Cakes   - adapted from Joy of Kosher Ingredients: 1 loaf frozen gefilte fish, defrosted (22-ounce) ½ cup diced red bell pepper 1 small red onion, diced 2 celery stalks, diced 1½ cup light mayonnaise, divided ¼ teaspoon Freshly ground black pepper 1 egg 1 cup potato starch Duck Sauce Method: In a large bowl combine gefilte fish, peppers, onions, celery, ½ cup mayonnaise, salt, pepper, egg and potato starch and stir well to combine.  Using slightly wet hands, scoop ¼ cup and form into patties.  Cover a cookie sheet with parchment paper and place patties on this sheet. Later on I transfered this to a 9  x 13 pan and place a teaspoon of Duck Sauce on each patty.  Yum. ...

I fell in love with recipes by Ellie Krieger in our original group CEiMB and have done that again in our new group Eating with Ellie, EwE.  I probably say this every week but that is what happens with true love.  Ask my hubby. This week, I chose a simple vegetable recipe which had spinach and corn, two of my favorites and zucchini which fits anywhere.  I made this about a month ago and all I remember is that we liked it.  It is an uncomplicated  side dish, won't be spectacular but it should be good to eat and goes with everything. To see what the other gals did this week, stop by Eating with Ellie (EwE )

Kayte chose Chicken Poached in Coconut Curry . I had thought about selecting this one also. I am a fan of chicken and coconut, only in certain forms. I do not like a cake with lots of coconut coating the frosting but I love using coconut milk in recipes or added shredded coconut to fruit salads. Chicken is good in almost any form with almost any seasonings. I did most of my cooking for Wednesdays with Donna Hay and Eating with Ellie ahead of time because of the oncoming Jewish holiday of Passover (Pesach). Ask any Jewish woman who keeps this holiday strictly how she feels the weeks before the holiday and I am betting , she will say, "Tired!!!!!!". I enjoy the work but I am exhausted and the blog has to take a backseat to other parts of my life. I did want to keep up as best as I could with the two groups mentioned ahead and I cooked whatever was possible ahead of time. I made this Chicken Poached in Coconut Curry, weeks ago and I don't remember the details bu...

Since, I learned to appreciate vegetables, I look for dishes like this one.  The variety of veggies that can be used makes it pleasing to a majority of people.  Use your imagination and see what happens..  I saw this recipe on  The Veggie Table .  I believe it comes from the Moosewood books, originally. Recently, I have been cautiously making dishes from India and loving them.  I still do not know enough about Indian cooking to jump in but I can follow recipes.  I stayed pretty close to this one although I was missing a few ingredients.   Vegetable Biryani   (adapted) Ingredients: 1½ cups brown rice (Basmati),    3 tablespoons Canola oil,   pinch turmeric,    ½ teaspoon salt, 2¼ cups hot water,  1 cup chopped onions,   2 teaspoons fresh ginger -  peeled and grated,   1½ teaspoon ground cumin,  1½ teaspoons ground coriander, ...

You may feel like Joy Bauer is living in your home.  I certainly do and she would make a great guest and we would be eating healthier and more delicious meals.  I am doing second best and simply cooking her recipes and we are a happier family. My husband loves meatloaf and I tolerate it.  When I eat it, I like it but I wouldn't just make it if hubby didn't consider it a favorite.  I saw a photo of this Mediterranean Meatloaf i n Joy's book, Slim and Scrumptious.  The picture showed this turkey mixture loaded with veggies and it was pretty with all the colors shining out.   I made it that night.  Mediterranean Meatloaf  (adapted from Joy Bauer) 1 pound lean ground turkey  1 cup packed chopped spinach cup diced roasted bell peppers (in a jar)   I must include these more  often. ½ cup shredded zucchini ¼ cup oil-packed sun-dried tomatoes, diced (another winning addition ) ¼ cup dice...

The idea of a chili soup is quite appealing, if you like chili, which we do.  We had this last week when the weather was North Pole style.  Going outside was a challenge if you were not bundled up from the tip of your head to your toes.  The wind was galloping to the point that it moved me a foot down the street.  Winter certainly arrived with a full force. This soup was just right.  It was warm and it was filled with goodies. Darcy's Veggie Chili Soup (adapted from MyRecipes) Ingredients: 2 teaspoons olive oil  1 1/2 cups chopped onion (about 1 large)  5 teaspoons chili powder 1 tablespoon brown sugar 1 tablespoon ground cumin 1 tablespoon dried oregano 1/2 teaspoon dried coriander 1/8 teaspoon ground allspice 1/8 teaspoon ground cloves cayenne pepper to taste 1 1/2 cups water 1 cup diced red bell pepper (about 1 medium)  1 cup diced green bell pepper (about 1 medium)  3 tablespoons tomato paste...

I mention, in another post, I am cooking lots of side dishes.  We really don't ever run out of sides.  There are those from veggies, rice, quinoa, pasta, greens and bread.  The combinations are endless.   The book, I found the recipe in has been on my shelf since 1994.  There are a whole series of 365 Ways books highlighting different areas of cooking.  This one is right for me since it is vegetarian.  Although, I am not a vegetarian, a good share of my cooking is purely veggies.  The more we eat, the more we like our vegetables. Why don't children like vegetables?  It makes no sense to me.  Guessing, the parents are to blame.  A lot of the child's choices have to do with what is put in front of her or him as a baby.  (Is that why I like chocolate?) On the other hand, there are some inborn preferences.  It happens my youngest child does not like bananas and has not offered it to her baby.  My husband lov...

I know that I have posted a number of stir fries (or  frys) recently but the seasoning in this one was different and we liked it.  I also added extra cashews.  Could not resist them after they were toasted.  Instead of asparagus, I used a combination of extra veggies, I had on hand, green beans, red bell pepper, broccoli and carrots.   We don't use oyster sauce so I added more soy sauce to take its place.  The same applies to fish sauce.  You can find the original recipe here . Chicken Stir Fry 1/2 cup raw cashews 1 1/2 pounds skinless, boneless chicken breasts, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces 2 tablespoons soy sauce 2 tablespoons oil 1/2 cup  low-sodium vegetable broth 2 cups vegetables of choice 1 tablespoon soy sauce 1 tablespoon fresh lime juice 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 cup chopped basil 1/4 cup chopped chives Freshly ground black pepper Preheat the oven to 350°.  Spread the cashews in ...

This week, Margaret selected a Vegetable Stir Fry to my delight.  We have had too much meat the past month with the Jewish holidays in full force. Another easy dish (you must be sick of being saying this) with flavor.  A little soy sauce, sugar and black pepper plus red chilis and basil (which I forgot) gave personality to this dish.  Tons of veggies make it a healthy choice.   This could be made with different vegetables and I am sure, still be good. Do check out our cooks and see what they thought of this dish. Gaye                          Sarah                    Margaret Linked to:   Weekend Potluck           Best of the Week       Weekend Retreat     Saturday Night Fever                        Happ...

We love that rich golden chicken soup with chunks of vegetables and chicken swimming around.  We also love rich and creamy soups.  I decided with the use of an immersion blender to transform one to the other. Almost anything can go into chicken soup.  I have used almost any vegetable around over the years.  I have different combinations dependent on what I have in the house.  You can have chicken pieces or just keep the broth.  It has always come out to be loved by all. I can't give you a straight recipe since I rarely make it the same way but I can give you the basics. A large pot, at least 8 quart (you might as well make some for the freezer while you are at it) filled 3/4 of the way with cold water.  Turn on the heat and add 4 chicken bottom s.  You can use whole chickens or just bones.  Cook the chicken for a few hours.  Often, I make it before I go to bed and leave it on simmer for the night.  Add water if you have lo...

After making two giant pots of chicken soup, I had lots of soup vegetables, left over. Rather than throw them out, I put them in the refrigerator, hoping I would think of something to do with them. My husband is the hero and suggested patties and offered to get the muffin tins, for me. Silly me asked him which he wanted, vegetable pancakes or muffins and he started to say the pancakes until I frowned and said, “They’re fried.” Muffins of a sort is what we got and they were definitely baked. I am going to do my best to re-create this recipe . It was one of those that I put ingredients in, as I thought of them. Soup Veggi Muffins Ingredients: About 3 cups of assorted soup vegetables – carrots, onions, sweet potato, turnip, celery and parsnip. 1 cup potato starch 1 cup ground walnuts (no seasoning since the soup had plenty) 2 eggs (add more potato starch if you think the mixture is too wet.) 1-2 teaspoons dried parsley to sprinkle on top or if you have fresh parsley, please us...

I love corn pudding.  I have made different corn puddings since I first got married.  There is something endearing about the creamy dish with pieces of corn and a touch of sweetness. Corn Chive Pudding - adapted by Paula Deen (The Lady and Sons) Ingredients: 2 10-oz packages frozen corn, thawed 1/4 cup sugar 1/4 teaspoon salt 4 large eggs 2 cups Rice Milk 1 tablespoon olive oil 1/4 cup chopped fresh chives 3 tablespoons gluten-free  flour (Brown Rice) 1 teaspoon vanilla extract  Method: Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.  Grease a baking dish.  In a food processor, pulse half of the corn until coarsely chopped; transfer to a mixing bowl.  Add the remaining corn and sprinkle with the sugar and salt; stir to combine.  Whisk together the eggs, milk, oil, chives, flour, and vanilla, and combine with the corn.  Pour into the baking dish and sprinkle with nutmeg. ...

Since I bought two rolls of polenta, I want to use them but I want to do something, I know we will like, with them. Since, we are vegetable aficionados, I decided vegetables of some kind, had to be involved. "Eating Well" comes through time and again with good, solid, healthy recipes so that is where I turned for an idea. With a name like, "Polenta and Vegetable Bake", I couldn't go wrong. If you have not made polenta or bought the rolls, I suggest you give them a try. They are versatile and I have a feeling, as I am more comfortable cooking with polenta, my imagination is going to be the drive that determines the recipes. Polenta and Vegetable Bake (adapted from Eating Well) Ingredients: 2 tablespoon olive oil 3 cups broccoli florets 1 small zucchini, finely diced 1/8 teaspoon ground pepper 1 1/2 cups marinara sauce 1/2 cup chopped fresh basil or oregano or cilantro 4 slices prepared polenta 1 1/2 cups shredded Mexican cheese, divided Method: ...

I realized, I have put up only a few of the wonderful chicken recipes, I have made over the year.  I thought it was time to add at least one of them.  This is from the present summer and it took advantage of our barbecue. Hubby brought home a new outside grill a few weeks ago.   Despite this, we have only barbecued a few times and this is one of them.  I think it is due to our busy lives.   Hubby was excited about getting a new grill and brought it home and immediately set it up in anticipation of using it.  He doesn't usually talk about "things" but this time, he did.  A new grill was definitely a good addition.........even though we did not use it right away. This recipe came out nicely on the grill.  In a pan, I made the onions and yellow peppers which I served with the cutlets on top.   Grilled Chili Chicken Cutlets Ingredients: 2 pounds chicken cutlets 1/3 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup chopped onions 1/2 cup chili sauce 1 yell...