Apple Cinnamon Instant Oatmeal Cookies

This is a great way to use up those instant oatmeal packets you may have stashed away in your cupboard! These cookies are crispy on the outside, super chewy on the inside, and have a delicious apple cinnamon flavour. You can also use this recipe as a base to experiment with other flavours of instant oatmeal - the possibilities are endless!

Ingredients:

1 cup flour

1/4 tsp. baking powder

1/2 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. cinnamon

1/4 cup white sugar

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 Tbsp. milk

1 egg

6 apple cinnamon flavoured instant oatmeal packets

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and line cookie sheets with parchment paper. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and cinnamon. Stir in the instant oatmeal packets.

In a separate bowl cream together the white sugar, brown sugar, and butter/margarine with an electric mixer. Add in the egg and milk. Gradually mix in the dry ingredients until combined.

Roll the dough into balls and place onto the prepared cookie sheets. Moisten your hands with water and gently press down on the balls of dough to slightly flatten them.

Bake for 10-12 minutes, or until the cookies are lightly browned. Allow to cool on cookie sheets for 2-3 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

*Recipe by Brooke McMillan

Creamy Avocado Pasta

This pasta dish is soo quick and easy but amazingly delicious! The avocado makes this sauce so creamy and flavourful - you won't believe that there is not a drop of cream in it! If you're on a diet (or vegan, or lactose-intolerant) and craving creamy fettuccine alfredo, then this is the recipe for you! 

Ingredients:

1 medium sized ripe avocado, pitted

1/2 lemon, juiced or 2 Tbsp. lemon juice

2 garlic cloves

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 cup fresh, chopped basil or 1/2 tsp. dried basil leaves

2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil

2 servings linguine or spaghetti, cooked

Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

 

Directions:

Cook pasta until al dente. Meanwhile, make the sauce by placing garlic cloves, lemon juice, and olive oil into a food processor. Process until smooth. Add in the pitted avocado, basil, and salt. Process until smooth and creamy. You can add more or less seasonings to your taste.

When pasta is done, drain in a strainer and place in a large bowl. Pour on sauce and toss until combined. Garnish with lemon zest and black pepper. Serve immediately. This recipe makes enough for two people so double or triple it if you're serving a larger crowd.

Note: This dish does not keep well as leftovers due to the avocado in the sauce, so please serve immediately.

*Recipe from Oh She Glows

Sweet Potato and Cauliflower Tagine

A tagine is a Moroccan dish that is named after the special pot in which it is cooked. It is similar to a slow-cooked stew and usually includes vegetables, spices, and meat or legumes. For this recipe you don't need a special tagine pot for cooking, but the end result is still a tasty, healthy stew that you can serve over rice or couscous! If you'd like to make this as a non-vegetarian dish, then chicken, turkey, lamb, or beef would all work well.

Ingredients:

2 cups white onion, chopped

1 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 and 1/2 tsp. ground cumin

1 tsp. paprika

1/2 tsp. ground ginger

1/2 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. pepper

1/4 tsp. cayenne pepper

3 cups cubed, peeled sweet potatoes

1 19oz. can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 cup fresh white mushrooms, sliced

1 and 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 cups cauliflower florets

1 cup frozen peas

2 Tbsp. fresh coriander, minced

Prepared brown rice or couscous

Directions:

In a large deep skillet or pot, heat oil over medium heat. Fry onions, stirring occasionally, until golden; approx. 5 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, paprika, ginger, salt, pepper, and cayenne pepper. Continue to cook for 1 minute.

Add sweet potato, chickpeas, mushrooms, and vegetable broth; bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 5 minutes. Stir in cauliflower, cover, and continue to simmer until it is tender; about 20 minutes. Add in the frozen peas and cook for an additional 5 minutes. Sprinkle with fresh coriander and serve over brown rice or couscous.

*Recipe adapted from Canadian Living magazine

O'Henry Bars

These bars are so quick and easy to make, and surprisingly they taste a lot like real O'Henry bars!

Ingredients:

4 cups rolled oats

1 cup brown sugar

3/4 cup margarine or butter, melted

1/2 cup light corn syrup

3/4 cup milk chocolate chips

3/4 cup chunky peanut butter

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and lightly grease a 9"x13" baking pan with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Mix together oatmeal, brown sugar, margarine/butter, and corn syrup. Evenly press into the prepared pan. Bake for approx. 10 minutes. Cool completely.

In the microwave, melt together the chocolate chips and peanut butter. Spread over the cooled oatmeal crust. Cover and refrigerate to cool and allow the chocolate layer to harden. Cut into bars once cooled completely. Store in the refrigerator to prevent melting.

*Recipe from Marion Brooks

Peasant Soup

Ingredients:

2 Tbsp. vegetable oil

3 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, diced

1 onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp.

1/2 tsp. dried dill

1/4 tsp. turmeric

1 28oz. can diced tomatoes

1/3 cup dried green lentils, rinsed and drained

1/2 large sweet potato, peeled and diced

1 Tbsp. tomato paste

1/2 cup macaroni pasta

2 cups vegetable broth

2 and 1/2 cups water

1 19oz. can bean medley, drained and rinsed

2 Tbsp. chopped fresh parsley

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat. Fry celery, carrots, onion, garlic, salt, dill, and turmeric, until softened, about 6 minutes; stir occasionally. 

Stirn in tomatoes, lentils, sweet potatoes, tomato paste, vegetable broth, and water. Bring to a boil; then reduce heat and simmer, covered. Cook until lentils are tender, about 25-30 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta until al dente. Drain and add to soup along with the beans and parsley. Simmer for 5 minutes. Serve with fresh, crusty bread.

*Recipe adapted from Canadian Living: The Vegetarian Collection cookbook. By Allison Kent and the Canadian Living Test Kitchen. Published Sept. 14 2010 by Transcontinental.

Cinnamon Apple Cupcakes

Cupcake Ingredients:

1 cup (2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1/2 tsp. vanilla extract

3/4 cup applesauce

2 and 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 tsp. baking soda

1/2 tsp. salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

1 and 2/3 cups cinnamon chips

These are like chocolate chips except instead of chocolate they are cinnamon flavoured! Hershey's makes them and you can also find them at Bulk Barn or the bulk bins in some grocery stores.

Icing Glaze Ingredients:

3/4 cup powdered sugar

2 Tbsp. warm water

Directions:

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Line two 12-cup muffin pans with paper liners. With a mixer, cream together the butter and sugar in large bowl. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Mix in applesauce. 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and salt. Gradually add the dry ingredients to the butter mixture, beating until well blended. Stir in the pecans and cinnamon chips. Fill the prepared muffin cups 3/4 with the batter. 

Bake 15-18 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre of a cupcake comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack before glazing. To glaze, stir together the powdered sugar and warm water until smooth. Use a spoon to drizzle the glaze over the cooled cupcakes.

This recipe can also be adapted to make a coffee cake instead of individual cupcakes. To make a cake, pour the same batter into a greased 13"x9" cake pan and bake in a 350 degree oven for 30-35 minutes. After the cake has cooled completely in the pan on a wire rack, drizzle with the glaze.

*Recipe adapted from Hershey's