Cooking in Pajamas

1 pkg (8 oz. ; 250 g) Cream cheese (light), softened to room temperature 1 container (1 L) Whipped topping (light), thawed in fridge 1/2 c. Sugar 24 Tart shells ( frozen or homemade) 2-3 c. Wild blueberries Several hours before tart assembly, wash the blueberries, lightly pat dry with paper towel and then air-dry as much as possible. Bake tart shells as instructed on the box or your recipe until the edges are slightly brown. Set aside and allow to cool. Using an electric beater, cream together the cream cheese and sugar. Beat in the whipped topping until just blended. To assemble the tarts, you have 2 options: Fold the washed blueberries into the cream cheese filling and divide them into the tart shells. Cover the bottom of the tart with berries.  Drop a large spoonful of cream cheese filling on the blueberries.  Place more blueberries on top of the filling.  (This works best with wild blueberries because they are smaller.) My comments: When I saw t...

3 c. Fresh berries (I used 2 c. Blueberries + 1 c. Strawberries) 3 tbsp Sugar 1/3 c. Orange juice 1/2 c. Rolled oats Dash of cinnamon 2/3 c. All-purpose flour 1/4 tsp Baking powder 1 pinch salt Dash of cinnamon 1/4 c. Butter, softened 1/4 c. Applesauce, unsweetened 1/2 c. Sugar 1 egg 1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract Preheat oven to 375°F. If you are using large berries, cut them into smaller size (approximately 1.5 cm big). In an 8" square baking dish, mix together the berries, 3 tbsp of sugar and orange juice.  Add the rolled oats and cinnamon.  Set aside. In a bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon and salt.  Set aside. In another bowl, cream the butter and 1/2 cup of sugar together until fluffy.  Beat in egg and vanilla extract. Add the flour mixture, stirring until ingredients are just combined.  Drop batter over the berry mixture using a rounded teaspoon. Try to cover as much of filling as possible, spread the batter with...

3 Zucchini 2 tbsp Basil, fresh 2 c. Chicken (or vegetable) broth, low sodium 2-3 tsp Curry powder 1 tsp Hot chilli sauce 400 mL Coconut milk Wash and cube the zucchini. Place the zucchini in the blender or food processor, along with the basil and chicken broth. Puree until the zucchini are fine and creamy. Transfer the soup to a large pot. Add the curry powder and the hot chilli sauce. Bring the soup to a boil. Once the soup starts boiling, reduce heat and continue to simmer for anoterh 30 min. If the soup is too thick, you can add some water. When the zucchini is cooked, stir in the coconut milk and warm up the soup, but do not boil. Serve with 1/2 tsp hot chilli sauce for extra heat!! My comments: If you are looking for quick recipe to impress a friend on a spur of the moment, this soup is for you. Prep time is minimal and it's mostly hands-free cooking. The combination of curry and coconut is classic and super tastey.  Zucchinis are light tasting ve...

7/8 c. Sesame seeds 1/8 c. Flax seeds 3/4 c. Brown sugar 4 Tbsp Butter, unsalted, softened 1 Egg 1/2 c. Flour 1/4 tsp Salt 1/8 tsp Baking powder 1 tsp Lemon juice, fresh squeezed 1/2 tsp Vanilla extract Preheat oven to 325°F. Toast the sesame seeds on a frying pan* until they are golden brown. Using an electric beater, beat the brown sugar and butter together until fluffy. Beat in the egg. Combine the flour, salt, and baking powder. Add to the butter mixture and mix well by hand. Stir in the vanilla extract and lemon juice. Mix in the toasted sesame seeds. Chill the dough for at least 30 minutes in the refrigerator. Drop a teaspoon-size cookie dough on the Silpat (or any silicone mats) or lightly oiled cookie sheet, leaving approximately 2" space in between the dough. Bake for 12-13 min, until the edges are slightly brown. Cool for a few minutes on the cookie sheet before transferring to a cooling rack. * To toast the sesame seeds, do them in batches...

1/2 c. Brown sugar 2 c. Flour 2 Banana, chopped 2 Eggs 1 can (14 oz) Crushed pineapple with juice 1 tsp Vanilla extract< 1/2 tsp Salt 1 tsp Baking soda 1/4 c. Vegetable oil 1/2 c. Applesauce, unsweetened Coconut shreds, unsweetened Preheat oven to 350°F. Mix together sugar, vegetable oil and applesauce. Stir in eggs, vanilla and pineapple with the juice. Add the flour, salt and baking soda. Mix well. Fold in the chopped bananas. Pour the cake batter into a greased 9x9" baking dish. (I used a silicone baking pan, therefore no need to grease.) Sprinkle the top with coconut shreds. Bake for approximately 30-35 min until the top is brown. Do the toothpick test to see if the cake is done. If not, cover with tinfoil and bake for another 10 min. Check for doneness again. Cool for 5 min before serving. My comment: My son's 2nd birthday is fast approaching and I wanted to bake him a cake. But I didn't want to do a boring banana cake because ...