Food Friday: Witches' Fingers

Witches’ Fingers

Ingredients

• 40 (40) whole, blanched almond
• Red icing gel, optional
• 1 cup (250 mL) CRISCO® Golden Shortening
• 1 cup (250 mL) icing sugar
• 1 (1) egg
• 1 tsp (5 mL) almond extract
• 1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla
• 2¾ cups flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp salt
• 15-20 drops green food colouring
• 50 ml strawberry jam

Instructions

1. Using a small paint brush, paint each almond with red icing gel. Set aside to dry..
2. In a bowl, beat butter, icing sugar, egg, almond extract and vanilla until smooth.
3. Add flour, baking powder and salt and combine.
4. Mix in green food coloring, a few drops at a time, until color is as desired. Divide dough in two, wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 325º. Spray two baking sheets with cooking spray.
6. Shape 1 heaping tablespoon dough into finger shape. Make slashes in several places with a sharp knife to form knuckles. Place on baking sheet and press painted “nail” in one end of finger. Continue until dough is used up.
7. Bake for 20 -25 minutes until golden. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet.
8. When cooled, remove nail from finger, place dab of strawberry jam on nail bed, and replace nail, pressing down lightly so that jam oozes out from beneath.

Food Friday: Beef Stroganoff with Dill

Beef Stroganoff with Dill

Ingredients

• 200g crinkly noodles
• 600g lean stewing beef, cut into very thin strips (or use hamburger)
• 4 tablespoons butter
• 1 cup chopped onion
• 150g mushrooms, sliced
• 3 tablespoons flour
• 500ml water
• 4 teaspoons beef bouillon
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ⅛ teaspoon pepper
• 250ml sour cream
• 1 teaspoon dried dill

Instructions

1. Cook noodles according to package directions.
2. While noodles are cooking, heat butter in a cast iron frying pan over medium heat. Sear meat (do it in about 3 batches, for easier stirring). Make sure it is cooked through. Set aside and keep warm.
3. Add onion and mushrooms to the skillet and sauté for 5 minutes, until golden brown.
4. Whisk in flour. Gradually add water and beef bouillon. Heat for 3 minutes, until sauce is thick and bubbly.
5. Stir in beef and dill. Add salt, pepper and sour cream. Heat through but do not boil.
6. Serve over noodles.

Food Friday: Fish Stir-fry

Fish Stir-Fry

Ingredients

• 1½ T canola oil
• 5 green onions, minced
• ½ inch fresh ginger, minced
• 1 garlic clove, minced
• 1kg fish fillets, chopped
• ½ cup fresh mushrooms, sliced
• ½ cup fresh asparagus, diced
• ½ cup green pepper, diced
• ½ tsp fish sauce
• 1 T teriyaki sauce

Instructions

1. Heat canola oil in a wok or frying pan until lightly smoking.
2. Add green onion, ginger and garlic and fry for about 1 minute.
3. Add fish and fry until it flakes easily. Remove from pan and set aside.
4. Add remaining ingredients and cook until just tender but not soft.
5. Return fish to pan and heat through.
6. Serve on steamed rice.

Food Friday: Crunchy Honey Chicken Wings

Crunchy Honey Chicken Wings

Ingredients

• 2 cups buttermilk
• 2 tablespoon hot pepper sauce
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp onion powder
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1kg chicken wings, separated at joints, tips discarded
• 3 cups cornflakes, crushed
• ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup cornmeal
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup honey
• 1 tablespoon crushed red pepper flakes

Directions

1. In a bowl, mix together the buttermilk, hot pepper sauce, salt, pepper, onion powder, and garlic powder. Pour into a large Ziploc bag.
2. Add the chicken wings to the bag, seal and shake to coat. Let sit overnight in the fridge.
3. Preheat oven to 400°. Coat two baking sheets with cooking spray.
4. In a bowl, combine the crushed cornflakes, flour, cornmeal, and salt and pepper. Remove the chicken wings from the marinade, and squeeze off excess. Discard the remaining marinade. Coat the wings with the cornflake mixture and place on the baking sheets. Spray the top of the wings with nonstick cooking spray.
5. Bake about 30 minutes or until the meat comes easily off the bone,.
6. While the chicken is baking, stir together the honey and red pepper flakes in a small saucepan over medium heat until the honey thins. Keep warm until the wings are ready.
7. Once the wings are done, place them in a large serving bowl and drizzle with the honey sauce. Toss until evenly coated.

Food Friday: Peach Cobbler

1-2-3 Peach Cobbler

Ingredients

• ½ teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1 tablespoon vanilla
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 1 cup peach nectar
• ¼ cup juice reserved from canned peaches (or more nectar)
• 2 16-ounce cans of peaches, packed in juice, drained, (or 1¾ pounds, fresh, sliced)
• 1 tablespoon tub margarine
• 1 cup pancake mix
• ⅔ cup flour
• ½ cup sugar
• 160ml evaporated milk
• 1 tablespoon brown sugar
• ½ teaspoon nutmeg

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 400°.
2. In a saucepan, combine cinnamon, vanilla, cornstarch, peach nectar, and peach juice. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and bubbles.
3. Add sliced peaches. Reduce heat and simmer for 5–10 minutes.
4. While peaches are simmering, melt margarine in the microwave. In a bowl, combine pancake mix, flour, sugar, and melted margarine.
5. In a separate bowl, combine the brown sugar and nutmeg.
6. Lightly spray 8-inch-square cake pan with cooking spray. Pour hot peach mixture into pan.
7. Add milk to flour mixture and stir. Quickly spoon over the peach mixture and sprinkle the brown sugar-nutmeg over the top. Bake for 15–20 minutes or until golden brown