Berry Bread Pudding

I love the idea of bread pudding: using an item that you thought was past in prime and transforming it into a nice dessert. I have to say that sometimes, I find bread pudding a bit on the soggy side of things. This recipe is not. The secret is very small bread pieces and the lack of milk. No milk and no eggs, it is quite cheap to make.


Ingredients

3/4 cup of butter or margarine
4 cups of diced bread, 1/2 inch dices
1 cup sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
2 cups of fresh or frozen berries of your choice
2 tbs lemon juice
1/2 cup brown sugar, well packed.


1. Preheat oven to 350 F

2. Melt your butter or margarine. Put your bread chunks in a large bowl. Add sugar and cinnamon. Add the melted butter. Mix gently and make sure your bread is completely coated with butter.

3. In a medium bowl, mix your berries, lemon juice and the brown sugar.

4. In a greased 7 by 11 inch dish, Add half the bread mix and top with half of the berry mix. Repeat this step.

5. Plop in the oven for 25 minutes. Eat either warm or room temperature.

Chicken Noodle Soup

My chicken noodle soup with fusilli

A timeless classic! Yet, lets not kid ourselves, most of us don't run to our cookbook when we want to use up our leftover chicken in this heart-warming soup. I have decided to put this up simply because everyone needs a starting point when they begin their cooking adventure. This is my very own soup, and I think is a good base for every new amateur cook to start with and build-up on.


Ingredients

1 tbls olive oil or butter
1 leek, thinly sliced
1 carrot, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
1 cup cooked chicken, diced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 tsp dried savory
1 bay leaf
8 cups chicken broth
1 to 2 cups of uncooked pasta, I prefer fusilli


1. On medium heat, heat the oil in your favourite pot. Add the leek, carrot and celery. Cook for 5 minutes, stirring gently now and then.

2. Add the cooked chicken, the stock as well as the herbs. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, partially cover and let simmer for 30 minutes.

3. Add the uncooked noodles and let simmer until cooked

4. Serve. Pass the salt and pepper at the dinner table.

Barbecue Wings, with a kick

As some of you may know, our family has a small tradition of Finger Food Friday, a day where we get to indulge in what I would normally feel guilty of feeding our family. Last week, I decided to make some chicken wings as I had bought a rather large pack at Costco on a previous trip. I was waiting for a "special occasion" but I just couldn't wait any longer. So here is my slow cooker recipe for these barbecue wings that do have a bit of a kick. Although I love buffalo wings, my significant other does not. He does really enjoy these though and I think that they make a nice alternative if you are hosting game night or if you just want to stuff yourself silly and not want to die of heartburn.

The Recipe

About 5 pounds of chicken wings
2 1/4 cup  ketchup
1/4 hot sauce (I use Frank's Red Hot, feel free to use your favourite and add some more if you want it   spicier)
2/3 cup white vinegar
1/2 cup plus 2 tbs honey
1/2 cup molasses
1 tsp salt
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp chili powder


1. Remove the tips of the wings and discard. Grease two large baking pans and place chicken. Bake at 375 degrees for 30 minutes, then turn them and bake for an additional 20 -25 minutes. the juices should run clear.

2. In the second half of baking time, prepare your barbecue sauce. Mix all remaining ingredients in a large saucepan. Bring to a boil . Reduce heat and let simmer, uncovered, for 25 minutes.

3. Drain your wings and add a third of them to a 6 qt slow cooker (optional size IMO). Cover with one cup of the sauce. Repeat this two times. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours. Stir and serve.

The Verdict


The idea of giving my own a recipe a verdict seems a bit off, so maybe this is just a little heads up. If you like your wings very crunchy, you might be disappointed as they have just cooked in a lot of sauce for a couple of hours. You could place them on a baking sheet and put them in the oven just so that they become crispier. I personally love that they are dripping with sauce, just make sure to have napkins on the table ;)