Baking Powder Biscuits

One of the first things we were taught to make in Grade 8 Home-Ec. A great, versatile standard. If you add a little extra milk, (on purpose or by accident) to make a stickier dough, you can either drop them onto the top of a bubbling stew to make dumplings, or drop them onto a greased cookie sheet for "drop biscuits". Add cheese and bacon! Add chopped green onion or chives! Add sugar and bake in round "cakes" to make scones! You can even use the baking powder biscuit as a pizza crust in a pinch. Perfect with soup or stew for dinner, or for breakfast, hot and fresh with jam or to hold an egg and ham sandwich.

2 cups all-purpose flour

4 teaspoons baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 cup of butter or hard margarine

3/4 to 1 cup milk

Lightly grease a baking sheet and preheat the oven to 375*F.

Mix the flour, baking powder and salt together in a medium sized bowl. Cut the butter in with a pastry blender. If you don't have a pastry blender, you can use a couple of knives to cut at the butter, or just use your fingers, kind of squishing the flour and butter together until the butter is broken up into little flour covered pieces and the mixture sort of resembles oatmeal.

Add the milk- start with 3/4 cup, and add a bit more if needed, gently folding it into the flour mixture with a rubber spatula until it holds together. (*if you use whole wheat flour, it will take more milk than with white flour) Dough should be in a lump together but not sticky. Turn onto a lightly floured surface and gently roll out to 2 inch thickness. Either cut into circles (or hearts, or shamrocks or Christmas trees...) and place on prepared baking sheet. You can gently gather the scraps together and recut it. OR (as I usually do) just cut the rolled dough into 12 squares and place on cookie sheet. 

Bake for 15-25 minutes, until biscuits are risen and golden brown.

If you add too much dough and it's quite sticky, just drop the dough onto the prepared baking sheet, dividing it into 12 mounds. Bake as indicated until risen and nicely browned.

VARIATIONS: 

To make dumplings for stew, add 1 cup to 1  1/4 cups milk to make a soft, sticky dough. Drop by Tablespoons onto hot stew. Cover and let the stew simmer for 15-25 minutes until the tops of the dumplings are firm to the touch. To make dumplings in the Slow Cooker, cover the top of the slow cooker (under the lid) with a clean tea towel. This keeps the condensing steam from dripping back onto the dumplings which keeps them from getting cooked properly on top.

Cheese Biscuits: Add 3/4 to 1 cup of grated cheese with the flour, either before or after you cut in the butter.

Cheese and Bacon Biscuits: Add 3/4 cup of grated cheese and 1/2 cup of cooked, chopped bacon before you add the milk.

Cheese, Bacon and Onion Biscuits: Add 3/4 cup of grated cheese, 1/2 cup of cooked, chopped bacon and 1/3 cup of chopped green onion before you add the milk.

Easy Scones: Add 1/2 cup of sugar to the flour mixture, and increase the butter to 1/4 cup. Divide the dough in half, after the milk is mixed in, and shape it into two 6 inch circles. Score the circles with a knife, cutting each into 6ths. Brush the tops and sides with a little milk or cream and sprinkle with sugar. Bake as directed for 25-30 minutes, until golden brown.

Hot Cheesy-Salsa Dip

This has become an Open House staple. It wouldn't be Christmas Open House at the Friesen's without the Hot Cheesy-Salsa dip. People have asked, and although they seem to believe me when I say, "Cheez Whiz plus enough salsa to make it just a little runny", I thought it might be time to do some measuring and make it official.


2 cups Cheez Whiz (or store brand jar of processed cheese spread)
1/2- 2/3 cup Salsa (home made or your favourite store brand)

I melt them together in a small slow cooker, on low heat. It takes about half an hour to an hour to have the dip melted together. You can also make the dip in the microwave; use microwave safe dish and microwave at 50% power for 1 minute at a time until ingredients are blended and hot.

Makes 2 1/2- almost 3 cups of hot dip.

If this is for a party or family event, you may need to turn the slow cooker off for short periods of time, because the slow cooker, even on low heat, will make the cheese quite hot. Over time, with evaporation, the cheese mixture will thicken; just add a little more salsa to thin it out as needed.

"Middle Eastern" Sandwiches

I found this recipe in a Better Homes & Gardens Slow Cooker book from the 1970's. After I'd taken out the red wine and twigged a few spices my family really liked it. Served in Pitas, these "sandwiches" are great for lunch time, supper time, company time- any time really! Makes a fun change for Sunday Dinner- and if you do the vegetable prep the day (or evening) before, you'll have a fabulous, delicious meal on the table in no time flat!


4 pounds boneless beef cut in 1/2 inch cubes
2 Tablespoons cooking oil
2 cups chopped onion
2 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
1 cup water
2 teaspoons beef bouillon powder
1 x 6-oz (156 ml) can tomato paste
2 teaspoons dried oregano
1 teaspoon dried basil
1/2 teaspoon dried rosemary, crushed
1 teaspoon cumin seed, crushed
salt to taste
1/8 teaspoon pepper
1/4 cup cold water*(see Note)
1/4 cup cornstarch
Pita bread pockets*
1 large tomato, diced
1 large cucumber, diced
1 cup plain yogurt
2 cups shredded, sharp cheddar cheese

In skillet brown meat, in oil, in batches. Use a little more oil if needed for additional batches. Transfer drained meat to slow cooker. Add onion and garlic to skillet; cook until tender. Add to meat. Add first amount of water to skillet with bouillon powder. Stir to scrape bottom of pan and dissolve bouillon powder. Add to slow cooker. Stir in tomato paste and spices. Mix well.

Cover; cook on low setting for 4 hours.

To serve, turn slow cooker to high heat setting. Blend 1/4 cup water with cornstarch; stir into meat mixture. Cook until thickened and bubbly, stirring occasionally.

Fill pitas as you would to make a taco- with meat filling, vegetables, cheese and yogurt as desired.

Makes 10 to 16 sandwiches, (depending on the size of the Pitas)

*NOTE: if you use whole wheat pitas, I guarantee your white bread loving family won't notice, so give them the extra fibre.

I serve the meat filling, vegetables and cheese in serving bowls with spoons, and we pass the fillings around, each person making their own sandwich.

To cut down on the starch a bit, plan an extra hour into the cooking time, and remove the cover for the last hour before serving. Turn the heat to high and let it simmer and steam; this should allow for some natural evaporation of liquid, causing the sauce to thicken without so much cornstarch being needed. If, after an hour, the sauce is still too runny, try 1 Tablespoon water with 1 Tablespoon cornstarch at a time to thicken it up.

Coconut Beef Curry

"This slow-cooker stew is perfect for family meals yet fancy enough for entertaining. Red curry paste is popular in Indian and Thai dishes and can be found in the Asian food section of the supermarket. If you can't find it, use curry powder instead. Serve with hot cooked couscous or basmati rice." So saith the intro to this amazing beef dish that I found in a Beef marketing pamphlet in the meat section at my grocery store. Try it. It's a little bit different, and just slightly exotic.

1 tablespoon (15 ml) vegetable/ canola oil
2 lb (1 kg) beef simmering steak (e.g. Cross Rib, Blade or Top Blade- although any beef roast or steak will do, including stewing beef)
2 onions, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tablespoons (30 ml) paprika
1 tablespoon (15 ml) ground cumin
2 teaspoons (10 ml) red curry paste (or 1 Tbsp/ 15 ml curry powder)
1 teaspoon cinnamon
4 medium potatoes, peeled and chopped (you could leave the peel on to add a bit of fibre)
1 lb (500 g) baby carrots, peeled (or regular carrots peeled and cut into chunks)
1 can (14 oz/ 398 ml) coconut milk (not sweet coconut cream)
2 tablespoons (30 ml) tomato paste
1 teaspoon (5 ml) salt
1/2 cup (125 ml) dried apricots, sliced
toasted silvered almonds or chopped fresh cilantro (optional)

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat in large nonstick skillet. In batches, cook beef strips for 2 to 3 minutes or until browned. Add onions, garlic, paprika, cumin, curry paste and cinnamon; saute for 2 minutes or until fragrant.

2. Transfer mixture to 14- 24 cup (3.5 -6 L) slow cooker; stir in potatoes, carrots, coconut milk, tomato paste, salt and 1/2 cup (125 ml) water.


3. Cook, covered, on low for 8 to 10 hours or high for 4 to 6 hours or until bubbling and vegetables are tender. Stir in apricots; cook for 15 minutes. Serve sprinkled with almonds or cilantro if desired.

Sweet and Sour Chicken or Pork

Make Sweet and Sour Sauce, and add cooked chopped chicken breast or boneless pork. Leftover roast pork is very nice when it's done up in a sweet & sour sauce. Very nice served with rice.

Sweet and Sour Meatballs

...detailed instructions for the uninformed... or my children who have left home!


SWEET & SOUR MEATBALLS: Season your uncooked, ground beef with a package of onion soup mix (a pound - a pound & a half per package soup mix), OR with 1/4 tsp. garlic powder, 1 tsp. onion powder, 1/2 tsp. seasoned salt, and a liberal sprinkling of pepper. Shape seasoned ground beef into balls. Cook meatballs in skillet (frying pan) until they're brown. (If you don't want to bake them for an hour, make sure the meatballs are cooked right through- until there's no pinkness in the middle of them. Cut the biggest one in half to make sure it's cooked in the middle) Remove meatballs to a casserole dish. Drain fat from skillet. Use the skillet to make the Sweet and Sour Sauce. Pour the sauce over the meatballs in the casserole dish. Bake meatballs in sauce at 350*F for an hour, (while you make the rice and wash the pan!). You can also make the meatballs and sauce ahead- the night before or in the morning, and leave it in the fridge. Just microwave it at suppertime til meatballs are hot and sauce is bubbly. I've also made sweet and sour meatballs, and instead of putting them in a casserole pot I've left them in the slow cooker on Low heat all day.

Aunt Helen's Sweet And Sour Sauce

For Hillary. When I asked my Mother-in-law for her so-good sweet & sour sauce recipe she said it was her Aunt-in-law's, and agreed that it was a most excellent one. The bonus? It's easy and versatile too. I've used it for S & S pork, chicken and meatballs. Try it. You'll like it.

1/2 cup each white sugar, packed brown sugar and white vinegar.
1 Tablespoon each cornstarch and soya sauce
3/4 cup water

Blend the sugars and cornstarch together in a small saucepan. Stir in vinegar, soya sauce and water. Bring to a boil, over medium heat, stirring constantly. Simmer together til sauce thickens and turns clear.*

Add leftover meat (chicken, pork or beef) and serve with rice, or as a dipping sauce for chicken fingers.

*If you're planning Sweet and Sour Chicken, Pork or Meatballs in the Slow Cooker, mix the sugars, vinegar, soy sauce and water together well, and pour over browned meat in Slow Cooker. Leave it, on Low setting, for 8- 10 hours. Meatballs should be pre-browned and well drained, to eliminate most of the grease. Lean chicken or pork can be placed uncooked in the Slow Cooker and covered with sauce. 15- 20 minutes before serving (while the rice is cooking) mix cornstarch and 1 Tablespoon water together, and stir into sauce in Slow Cooker. Stir often, until thickened.