Spiced Pork Tenderloin and Lemony Pear & Cranberry Relish

Spiced Pork Tenderloin

Pork
1/2 tsp. cinnamon
1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. black pepper
1 tsp. safflower oil (or other oil, I used olive)
1 lb. pork tenderloin

Relish
1 firm pear, halfed, cored and diced
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbs. chopped dried cranberries
2 tsp. grated ginger
zest of 1 lemon
1 tbs. lemon juice
2 packs of stevia (I used a little sugar)

Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare relish and let the flavors meld.
Prepare pork. In a small bowl combine the spices and rub all over the pork. Heat a skillet to med/high and brown pork on each side for about 3 mins. Place the pork on a baking sheet (I used my handy cast iron skillet) and bake for 20 mins (I left it in the oven for about 25. I don't like pink meat.) Place pork on cutting board and let stand for 5 mins before slicing. Serve with the relish.

Taiwanese Corn and Beef Kefta

Sorry...these items are not cooked...they disappeared way to quickly after they were finished cooking. :)

Taiwanese Corn

4 ears corn
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 teaspoons sugar
1 medium shallot
1 large garlic clove
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Crush the garlic clove, mince the shallot. Mix the soy sauce and the sugar then add it to the shallot and garlic mixture along with the chile powder. Add the vegetable oil until it is emulsified.

Spread sauce mixture onto corn with a brush and grill. Grill about 2-3 minutes per side until grilled all around.


Beef Kefta

Mix one pound of ground beef, 2 minced shallots, 3 minced garlic cloves, 1/2 cup of chopped parsley, 2 teaspoons each of cumin, coriander, paprika and dried mint, and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon. Form into balls; skewer and grill.

No Knead Bread and chicken Soup

This bread recipe goes against every bread making rule that I have ever learned. It's so easy to make a that even a monkey could do it.

No-Knead Bread

3 cups all-purpose or bread flour, more for dusting
1/4 teaspoon instant yeast (not a typo, strange I know)
1 1/4 teaspoons salt (that's a lot of salt, I reduced this amount a lot and the bread tasted fine)
1 and 1/2 cups of water
A big heavy lidded pot (cast iron or dutch oven).
Cornmeal or wheat bran as needed (I used cornmeal).

1. Mix all of the ingredients (except for the cornmeal) together. That's it! It makes a really gloppy, sticky mess and you will think there's no way you've done this step right. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let it sit there for 12-20 hours. (Note: do this step before going to bed if you want bread for supper.)

2. With floured hands shape the dough into a ball shape and let it rest for 2 hours on a floured dish cloth (not a terry cloth, the dough will stick). My dough wasn't overly sticky so I used a bit of cornmeal instead and it didn't stick to the dish cloth.





3. Preheat your oven to 450 F. Put the dutch oven in the hot oven to preheat.

4. When the dutch oven is hot, dust the bottom with some cornmeal or wheat bran and plop the dough on top of it. I also scored my bread because I can't help myself, but you don't have to do this. Put the lid back on and bake for 30 minutes on 450F. Then remove the lid and continue to bake for another 15- 20 mins (it was less than 15 mins for me.)



5. The end result. The bread is crusty on the outside and soft on the inside.


Chicken Soup



1 whole chicken
celery
carrots
bay leaves
garlic
onions
tumeric
pot herbs
salt and pepper
rice
frozen or fresh peas

Put a whole chicken in a pot with some celery stocks, carrots, garlic, onions and salt and pepper. Cover with water and boil the chicken until it is cooked and remove it from the pot. Place the stock in the fridge over night and in the morning remove the layer or partially remove the layer of fat that has risen to the top. Fat does add flavor but if you are watching your fat intake, you may want remove this layer. Put the pot of the stove to boil and add some chopped carrots, celery and rice. Add in some salt and pepper to taste. My little secret is that I add in some tumeric to give the soup color. I don't like using bullion but I don't want my soup to look like ditch water either. The tumeric adds the color you like to see but without the artificial coloring and flavoring found in the bullion. Tumeric has numerous health benefits as well. Simmer with bay leaves and pot herbs of your choice. Add in some cooked chicken and frozen peas at the end. Dip the yummy bread in the homemade soup and try not to make love making sounds like my husband does while eating it.

Bread Pudding

Bread Pudding Recipe

4 slices day old bread or enough to fill the pan you are using, cubed or torn
apple pie spices
1 1/2 cups of milk
1/2 cup of raisins or dates
1 egg
3/4 cup of brown sugar (this is a lot of sugar, you can reduce this amount)
1 tsp. vanilla
salt
pecans, maple syrup and brown sugar (optional)

Place bread in a buttered pan and sprinkle generously with apple pie spices. Add the raisins or dates on top. Mix together the milk, egg, brown sugar, vanilla and salt and pour over the bread. Bake in an oven at 350 for 30 minutes or until done. You can double the recipe but I wouldn't double the sugar. If you want to add a topping for a bit more interest and yumminesss, you can mix together some pecans, maple syrup and brown sugar and put it on top of the pudding prior to baking. It tastes wonderful served with caramel sauce and topped with whipped cream.

Beer Can Chicken

Beer can chicken is so simple to make and is really tasty. All you need to do is rub a chicken with your favorite spice blend (we usually use Jamaican jerk seasoning). Then you pop open a can of beer and drink half of it. Then just shove the half empty can of beer up the chicken and pop the chicken on the BBQ. It's done in about an hour or so. I personally never test a meat for doneness by using a thermometer but chef Micheal Smith is more detailed in his description if you'd like to follow this link. I didn't notice that I took of photo of the back of the chicken until I looked at this post but hopefully you will get the drift.

Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Pulled Pork Sandwich Recipe

Dry Rub:

3 tablespoons paprika
1 tablespoon garlic powder
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon dry mustard
pork- I used tenderloin

Mix the above ingredients together. I used a pork tenderloin because it is a lean cut of meat, even leaner than chicken. I removed all of the visible fat first then I rubbed the spices all over it. I placed the seasoned meat in my slow cooker and cooked it on high until it was finished. I think I put it in at lunch time and we ate around 5:30ish. When it's fully cooked shred the pork with two forks and make the sauce...

3/4 cup of cider vinegar (don't confuse this with apple cider vinegar. You may want to reduce this amount even further than I did. The original recipe called for 1 and 1/2 cups.)
1/4 cup of yellow or brown mustard (you may also want to further reduce this amount as well.)
1/2 cup of ketchup
1/3 cup of brown sugar
2-3 cloves of pressed or finely chopped garlic
1 teaspoon of salt (I omitted)
1 teaspoon of cayenne pepper (you may find this too much if you don't enjoy spicy food. You can omit it if you like.)

Mix all of the ingredients together and allow the sauce to simmer until is has thickened and the sugar is no longer grainy. Spoon the pulled pork and sauce over some crusty bread. I served it with some parsnips, carrots and brussel sprouts that I roasted in the oven with olive oil, garlic, onions, and a little bit of salt n' pepper. It makes delicious leftovers, if you have any. I had to beat my husband away from the slow cooker.

Salmon Cakes with Yogurt Dill Sauce

My husband will literally eat anything, except Salmon. Especially after he was hospitalized and it was on the menu. I can't imagine trying to swallow poorly cooked, stinky fish when I'm not feeling well. It makes me queasy just thinking of it. He will happily devour these though...

Salmon Cakes

Salmon- I used fresh and cooked it. You can use canned if you like.
Potatoes, cooked, drained and mashed
onions and garlic, chopped and sauteed (this ensures that you don't chomp down on a raw onion, while everything else is nice and mushy.)
dill- I had dried on hand, you can you fresh if you like
tiny bit of lemon zest
black pepper and salt to taste.

Mix all the in ingredients together and form into a patty with your clean hands. Fry them in a little oil or non- stick cooking spray until they are crusty, brown and delicious

Yogurt Dill Sauce

plain yogurt
dill- fresh or dried
lemon zest
tiny bit of mustard

mix everything together and let the flavors marry one another. It's going to be a white wedding. Spoon the sauce over the fish cakes.

Beef Stew and Focaccia Corn Bread

Beef Stew
beef stewing meat, trimmed of fat
potatoes, cubed skins on
carrots, cubed
turnip, cubed
parsnips, cubed
onions, chopped
frozen peas
bay leaf
pot herbs
1 cup of water
2 tbs. flour
2 tsp. or more of beef bullion
oil for frying if the meat is lean.

I like to make my stew in a cast iron frying pan. I brown the beef and add the onions, then add the veggies. I take a large glass and add around 2 tbs. of flour, along with the beef bullion, and then I fill the glass with water. Pour the mixture into the pan with the beef then add the veggies. Add the bay leaf and allow the stew to simmer until the gravy has thickened. Then add the pot herbs and frozen peas lastly.


Focaccia Corn Bread

Add focaccia bread spices to your favorite corn bread recipe, you won't be disappointed. Here's my recipe that I got from a Better Homes and Gardens bread cookbook. I picked the cook book up at a yard sale several years ago, when we first moved into our house.

1 cup of flour
1 cup of yellow corn meal
1/4 cup of sugar
4 tsp. of baking powder
3/4 tsp. salt (reduce if you like, the focaccia spices with add flavor, you won't miss the salt)
2 eggs
1 cup of milk
1/4 cup of oil or shortening (I use olive oil or canola oil)
focaccia bread spices (around 1 to 1 1/2 tbs. is my best guess.)

Stir together flour, cornmeal, sugar, bp, and salt. Add eggs, milk, focaccia bread spices, and oil. Beat just until smooth. Turn into a greased 9x9 pan. Bake at 425 F for 20 to 25 minutes. Tip: if you have time, I would suggest adding the bread spices to the oil for a while prior to mixing all of the ingredients together. It softens the spices and your bread will be more moist.

Pineapple Beef Stir- Fry

I think everyone has a go to meal, this would have to be ours. It requires simple ingredients that we always have on hand and it's easy to put together. I got the recipe from a Company's Coming cook book that my dear friend, Jocelyn gave me for my birthday last year. I am not much of a recipe follower, but I understand that some people do prefer to cook with a one, so I've written it out for you. This recipe makes enough for two people...

Pineapple Beef Stir- fry

2 tbs. ketchup
2 tbs. soy sauce- I reduce this because of the high salt content
1/4 tsp. ground ginger- I use freshly grated ginger
1/8 tsp. garlic powder- I use crushed garlic
1/2 pound beef stir fry strips
cooking oil
2 cups of stir fry veggies
1/2 cup of pineapple tidbits- you can used canned- I use fresh
1 tbs. pineapple juice- I use fresh pineapple juice, you can use canned if you like
1 tbs. toasted sesame seeds- you can omit these if you are following a low fat diet like ourselves.
hot cooked Jasmine rice- it's our favorite, but any rice will do.

Directions:

Combine first 5 ingredients in a bowl, reserve 2 tbs in a small cup. Add beef to bowl. Stir until coated and let stand in the fridge for 30 mins (it's not a big deal if you're in a hurry and don't have time for this. The meat will not be as tender or flavorful, but it'll work fine). Stir fry the beef mixture until done. Remove the beef from the pan and add the next 3 ingredients until the veggies are tender crisp. Add beef and reserved ketchup mixture. Sprinkle with sesame seeds. I serve it over hot jasmine rice.

nutritional information provided in the Company's Coming Cook book:
I think it would be substantially lower in fat without the sesame seeds.
per serving (half of recipe without rice): 346 calories, 14.8grams of fat, 26g carbohydrate, 3 g fiber, 28g protein

Orange- Roasted Cornish Game Hens

I found the recipe here:

Mediterranean Vegetable, White Bean & Feta Penne

We try to have 1 day a week that we don't eat any meat. We both enjoy this pasta, it's great cold as well. My husband's cousin came over and I had some left over in the fridge and asked her to try it. She thought it was great and couldn't stop eating it. She was a little embarrassed when she saw the bottom of the bowl. I was happy that she did! The original recipe involved sauteing the veggies, but I prefer to roast mine, it brings out the flavor more.

6 oz of whole grain penne
1 cup cooked or canned white beans
2 medium tomatoes, chopped
4 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tbs. balsamic vinegar
1 tsp. dried oregano
1/4 tsp. dried pepper flakes
1/4 tsp. sea salt
1 tbs. plus 1tsp. extra-virgin olive oil, divided
1 medium zucchini, cut into small chunks
1 medium bell pepper, cut into chunks
1 small onion (red), cut into chunks
1/2 tsp. dried rosemary
1 cup crumbled reduced fat feta

1. Cook penne and drain.
2. In a bowl, combine tomatoes, vinegar, basil, pepper flakes and salt: set aside
3. Roast the zucchini, garlic, bell pepper, onion and garlic with the olive oil- leave the veggies a little crunchy.
4. Then just add the rest of the ingredients together.

This is the nutritional information printed bellow the recipe:
per 1 1/2 cup serving
Calories: 353
Total fat: 12g (I think you could reduce this easily by using less or no oil when roasting the veggies)
Fiber: 11g (11grams!!!!)

Seafood Corn Chowder

Seafood Corn Chowder

1 T extra-virgin olive oil
1 White onion chopped
2 large carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery chopped
Sea salt and fresh ground black pepper to taste
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped (seeded if you'd like to reduce heat)
1 t smoked paprika
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1 lb russet potatoes, peeled and chopped (I like the skins on)
3 cups of frozen corn
1 cup of low-fat milk
3/4 lb sea scallops
1/2 lb scallions, white and light green parts, thinly sliced

I found this recipe in the Clean Eating magazine. I really like their recipes.

1. cook the onion, carrots and celery in the oil, season with salt and pepper. Cook until soft; season with salt and pepper. Add jalapeno, paprika and thyme and cook for 1 minute, stirring well. Add 3 cups of water, increase heat and bring to a boil. Add potatoes and reduce to simmer until just tender. Add corn and milk: season with salt and pepper, and simmer for 3 more minutes.
2. 2. Take 3 cups of the mixture from the pot and puree. I did this the blender. Transfer puree back to pot, stir to combine and return to medium heat: bring to a simmer.
3. Add scallops to pot and simmer for 3 minutes. Add shrimp and simmer for 2 minutes or until shellfish are opaque in center. Next time, I would just saute the shellfish in the oil with some garlic to add flavor.

Valentine's Day Dinner

Since Valentine's Day fell on a Monday we felt well, "Mondayish." We thought about going out to eat but that is a difficult task in a small community with restaurants that only serve fried food and Tracey has to follow a low fat diet. We opted to make dinner at home instead. The only candles we had in the house were emergency ones, so we lit those and turned out the lights. We ate quietly at the kitchen table with the cat watching us from the window sill. Since we weren't in a restaurant, Tracey was happy that he could wear his baseball cap. We had to wash the dishes afterward but we didn't have to tip a waitress! Tracey brought me the beautiful flowers that you see on the table. We made a lighter version of chicken cordon bleu, you can find the recipe and nutritional information here and roasted red pepper and feta mashed potatoes, which I found way too sour. I would omit the lemon juice and cut down on the yogurt the next time. It was a nice evening, it was our 16th Valentine's day together or half of my life.

Haddock fillets with Corn Relish

Fish
cornmeal
red pepper flakes
cayenne pepper
salt
pepper
fresh haddock or any kind of fish
1 egg

Mix the first 5 ingredients together. Crack the egg into a bowl and beat. Dip the haddock in the egg first and then coat with the cornmeal mixture. Fry it in a pan with non-stick cooking spray. If I made this again, I think I would just bake the fish in the oven.

Corn Relish
green peppers
red onions
garlic
cayenne pepper
corn (I used frozen)
tablespoon of balsamic vinegar

Saute the first ingredients together with a bit of olive oil. When the vegetable are soft add in the corn and heat thoroughly. Add the balsamic vinegar lastly.

I found the recipe a bit bland but Tracey liked it. I would season the cornmeal mixture a bit more next time.

Tortellini Primavera

Tortellini Primavera
1 pkg (19 oz) frozen cheese tortellini (I used fresh pasta that I found at the Super Store)
1/2 lb. sliced fresh mushrooms
1 small onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 tsp, butter (I omitted this to make the recipe even leaner)
2/3 cup of fat free milk (I used 1%)
1 pkg. (10 oz) chopped spinach, thawed and squeezed dry
1 pkg. (8 oz) fat-free cream cheese, cubed
1 tsp. Italian seasoning
1 large tomato, chopped
1/4 cup shredded parmesan cheese

Cook the pasta according to package directions. In a large skillet, coated with non- stick cooking spray, saute the mushrooms, onion, and garlic in butter until tender. Stir in milk; heat through. Stir in cream cheese and Italian seasonings; heat through. Drain pasta; toss with the sauce and tomato. Sprinkle with parmesan cheese.

Nutritional information (serves 5):
serving size: 1 1/4 cups
calories: 341
Fat: 10 grams
Fiber: 4 grams

Lemon dilly potatoes

Lemon dilly Potatoes
potatoes
fat free sour cream
lemon
fresh dill

Cut the potatoes into chunks (I would have left the skins on but Tracey had already taken them off before I asked him to do otherwise), boil and allow to cool. Juice a lemon and pour on top of the potatoes. Chop the dill and add to the potatoes along with the sour cream. We ate them with a Greek salad and souvlaki. It was the perfect comfort food for a snowy day.


Our good friend, Jamie and his daughter Ireland came over and plowed our driveway for us. Perhaps we owe him a meal...

Low fat Burgers

Did you know that some cuts of beef are actually lower fat than chicken? It's true! Check out this link.
I had my butcher trim all the visible fat from an inside round roast and grind it into hamburg. Keep in mid that a lower fat cut of meat means that it's going to be much dryer than a fattier cut. So here is what did to make a tender, juicy burger:

Burgers

200 grams of beef (enough for two people)
2 cloves of garlic and about 1/4 of an onion fried in cooking spray. Cooking them first adds moisture and flavor to the burger. It also ensures that you don't bite down on a half cooked onion because the burger cooks fast).
2 tsp. of old bay seasoning (recipe to follow)
1 tbs. of oatmeal (yes oatmeal!) you can use bread crumbs if you wish
1 egg white

Mix everything together and form into hamburger patties. You may need to refrigerate the patties if they're too soft to handle. Fry the patties in in a pan with cooking spray and don't over cook them or flatten them down or they'll loose moisture. Voila!
Each 100 gram beef burger is around 3 grams of fat. A lean ground chicken burger is 6 grams of fat/100 gram burger. No burger is complete with out fries...

Oven Fries
3 Large potatoes
1 tablespoon of olive oil
cajun seasoning

Cut the potatoes into long strips to resemble french fries and place on a baking sheet sprayed with cooking spray. Poor the olive oil over the fries and sprinkle generously with the cajun seasoning. Toss the fries around to coat evenly- get your hands in there! Bake in a 450 degree oven until they are crispy and browned. I've never been a fried french fry lover but have always enjoyed these.

Chicken Curry

Curried Chicken
1tsp. oil
2 boneless skinless chicken breasts (cut into bite size pieces)
1/2 cup of chopped onion
2 teaspoons of hot curry paste (I used curry powder)
1 glove of galic minced
1/2 tsp. of grated ginger root
salt/pepper
1/2 cup of applesauce
1/3 cup of plain yogurt
1tsp. of cilantro or parsley (I used dried cilantro)

Fry the chicken in the cooking oil on medium heat and season with salt and pepper, until done. Transfer the chicken to a plate and cover to keep warm.

Add next 6 ingredients to the same frying pan. Cook for about 5 mins, until onion is softened.

Add the applesauce. Stir, Add chicken, stir until coated. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cook, covered, for about 5 mins. Remove from heat, add yogurt, stir. Sprinkle with cilantro.

Makes enough for two.

Egg Rolls

I made these with the left over phyllo pastry I had laying around. We ate them with some rice and stir fry veggies. I'm going to call them egg rolls because they have the same filling as an egg roll but you can easily make them into spring rolls using bean sprouts and other spring rollish ingredients. And since they baked, not fried they are low in fat. I don't have a formal recipe, I just kind a threw things together. I'll try my best to tell you how I made them...

Egg Rolls

Makes 6
1/4 of a medium size cabbage grated
1 carrot grated
1/4 of a small onion grated
-1 stalk of celery grated
-2 cloves of garlic minced finely
-1/2 cup of frozen shrimp (tails removed)
-pinch of tumeric (optional) but it gives it a lovely color and tumeric is an anti-inflammatory!)
-1/2 teaspoon of crushed red pepper flakes (optional) We love hot food
-pinch of salt
-1/2 teaspoon of soya sauce (optional) I am the salt police so I didn't add this but I do suggest that you do)
-ground black pepper
-4 sheets of phyllo pastry

Saute the shrimp with non-stick cooking spray or a small amount of oil and add a bit of tumeric. Remove the shrimp from the pan. Grate the cabbage, carrot (you can skip this step by buying a coleslaw mix), and celery. Add all the the cabbage mixture into the same pan you used to fry the shrimp then add the minced garlic, salt, soya sauce and crushed red pepper flakes (if desired). Continue to fry until it is soft and transparent. Mix the cabbage mixture and shrimp together and set aside and allow to cool a bit. Spray a cookie sheet with non-stick cooking spray.


Cut two layers of phyllo pastry into three long strips and then pile 1/6 of a portion onto the middle of the long strips. Fold of the ends over to meet with the other end. Then roll the filling and pastry, tucking the ends in to cover the filling and prevent it from falling out. Continue to do so until you reach the end of the pastry. You can seal the end with some egg whites if you like. Then place the roll seal side down on the greased cookie sheet. Bake at 400 F for 10-15 mins (or until the pastry is golden brown). You could also make these vegetarian by simply omitting the shrimp.

These are virtually fat free I think other than the phyllo pastry that has just 1 gram of fat/sheet.

Sunday Morning Blueberry/Banana Pancakes with Blueberry Sauce

Blueberry/Banana Pancakes
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt (I omitted this)
1 egg, lightly beaten (I used 1/2 cup of egg whites instead)
1-1/4 cup fat free milk
3 medium ripe bananas, mashed
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1-1/2 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
Maple syrup, optional

In a large bowl, combine the flours, sugar, baking powder and salt. Combine the egg, milk, bananas, blueberries and vanilla. I used a non stick pan and Pam cooking spray to fry them. I used a quarter cup measuring spoon to ladle the pancake batter onto the pan.

Nutritional information per 2 pancake serving (without syrup):
Calories: 195; Fat: 2g(would be less with the egg whites rather with the whole egg) Cholesterol: 31mg; Sodium: 317mg (less if you omit the salt like I did); Carbohydrate: 41g; Fiber: 4g; Protein: 6g
I found the recipe and nutritional information here

Blueberry Sauce
1/2 cup of frozen blueberries
1 tsp. corn starch
1-2 tbs. sugar
1 tbs. water
cinnamon

Throw all of the ingredients in a sauce pan and bring a boil on medium heat and wait until the sauce thickens. Double the recipe if you are making a full batch of pancakes. There is only the two of us here, so I halved the pancake recipe. This sauce is easy peasy to make and better than syrup.

I always try to use local produce if possible. The frozen berries I used were wild ones from Oxford, NS. You can see a photo of the bag below. You can also see my newly finished kitchen back splash, it was a DYI project that we are very proud of.

Corn Chowder and Crusty Onion Bread

This meal reminds me of my grandmother because she can make even the most simple meal taste delicious. If you tasted my grandmother's corn chowder, I'm sure you would say it's the best you've ever eaten. Make the meal count and make it taste good, I think that's what my grandmother has instilled in me.

Corn Chowder
5 large potatoes
1 large onion
1 large can of cream of corn
1 can of 2% can milk
2 bay leafs
pot herbs
a chunk of cheddar (optional) I didn't add this as my husband is following a low fat diet)

Peel the potatoes (I leave the skins on some) and dice. Boil the potatoes until tender but not mushy then drain. Saute onions in a small amount of oil until they're soft and transparent. Add the onions, creamed corn, can milk, pot herbs, bay leaves into the pot with the potatoes and warm on stove. If your using cheddar, add to the pot a few minutes before serving to allow for it to melt. Stir often because canned milk burns easily.

Crusty Onion Bread
2 1/4 cups of water
1/2 package of onion soup mix
2 tablespoons of shortening or oil ( I used only 1 tbs of olive oil)
1 tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt (I omitted this as there is already lots of salt in the soup mix)
5 1/2 cups - 6 cups of flour (will vary depending how humid the day is, it was more like 4 1/2 cups the day I made it.)
1 package active dry yeast
cornmeal
1 slightly beaten egg white
1 tablespoon of water.

In saucepan combine the water and soup mix, cover and simmer for 10 mins. Stir in oil, sugar, and salt. Allow it to cool ( I waited until it was lukewarm because if your water is too hot it will kill the yeast).

In a large bowl combine 2 1/2 cups of the flour, the yeast, and onion mixture. Beat it hard until it smooth- you may use an electric mixer. Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can using a spoon. Then turn it out onto a lightly floured surface and knead in more of the remaining flour and knead the dough until it is elastic (about 6-8 mins). Shape the dough into a ball, it should look like the second photo at this point).
Place it in a lightly greased bowl and cover the bowl with a damp tea towel. Allow it to rise until it's doubled in size (about an hour). Punch down, and cut dough in half and allow it to rest for 10 mins. Shape the dough into 2 round loaves and place on a baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Let it rise again until it is almost double in size (keep it covered with the tea towel. With a sharp knife, make diagonal cuts across the bread. Bake it in a 375 degree oven for 20 mins. Then brush it with the egg/water mixture and continue to bake for 10 more minutes. The egg mixture gives the bread the shinny coating.

Apple Strudel

Ingredients

* 6 medium-size apples, such as Northern Spy or Gala (I used local cortlands)
* 3 wide strips lemon or orange peel
* 1 cup (250 mL) apple cider or juice
* 1/3 cup (75 mL) raisins
* 2 tbsp (30 mL) granulated sugar (I reduced the sugar in half to make it a little more healthful)
* 1/2 tsp (2 mL) cinnamon
* 1/4 tsp (1 mL) ground nutmeg
* 2 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar
* 1 tbsp (15 mL) store-bought fine dry bread crumbs
* 6 sheets phyllo pastry
* Cold water
* 1 to 2 tsp (5 to 10 mL) butter, melted
* 2 tsp (10 mL) icing sugar (optional)

1. Peel apples. Slice into halves. Cut out and discard cores. Thinly slice. They should measure about 8 cups (2 L). Place in a large frying pan with lemon peel, apple cider, raisins, granulated sugar and 1/4 tsp (1 mL) each cinnamon and nutmeg. Place over high heat and boil, uncovered and stirring occasionally, until apples are tender and all of liquid is evaporated, 15 to 20 minutes. Stir often for last few minutes of cooking. Turn mixture onto a baking sheet and refrigerate to quickly cool, at least 10 minutes. If making ahead, cover mixture with plastic wrap and keep in refrigerator overnight.

2. When ready to bake, preheat oven to 400F (200C). In a small bowl, stir brown sugar with bread crumbs and remaining 1/4 tsp (1 mL) cinnamon. Lay 1 sheet of phyllo on counter with long edge of pastry facing you. Lightly brush with water, then sprinkle with a scant 2 tsp (10 mL) sugar mixture. Repeat process, adding 4 more sheets of phyllo and using all of sugar mixture. It's OK if some of pastry rips or has holes. Top with remaining phyllo sheet, but don't add crumb mixture.

3. Discard lemon peel from apples. Mound filling lengthwise in centre of phyllo, leaving about 2 inches (5 cm) uncovered at both ends. Lightly brush edges of phyllo with a little melted butter. Fold 1 long edge over filling, then fold in both shorter ends to enclose filling. Roll tightly into a log. Place seam side down on an ungreased baking sheet. Brush with remaining butter. Cut diagonal slashes about 1 inch (2.5 cm) apart on top of strudel. Bake in centre of preheated 400F (200C) oven until golden, 20 to 25 minutes. Remove from oven and let stand 5 minutes before slicing with a serrated knife. Dust with icing sugar. Delicious warm or at room temperature. Great with caramel ice cream or frozen yogurt.

This is a low fat dessert but it is very tasty.

Serves 6
Nutrients per serving
* 2.5 g protein
* 2.7 g fat
* 58 g carbohydrates
* 4.2 g fiber
* 252 calories
I found the recipe here: