All posts by Melody

Elegant Carrot Souffle

Wow your dinner guests with this easy, but elegant carrot soufflĂ©. They’ll think you slaved in the kitchen all day, when this can be made ahead several days in advance and then put in the oven a hour before dinner!

Ingredients for soufflé:
1 lb. carrots, peeled and cut into one inch chunks
3 eggs
2/3 cup sugar
6 tablespoons flour
2 teaspoons Watkins Vanilla
1/4 cup melted butter
1/4 teaspoon Watkins Nutmeg Continue reading Elegant Carrot Souffle

Moms Homemade Pumpkin Pie

If you are craving homemade pumpkin pie just like Mom used to make, this one is for you! This is a fairly easy, basic, old fashioned recipe, that’s tried and tested. You can use fresh cooked pumpkin or canned.

Ingredients:
1 Cup / 250 ml Sugar
1 Tablespoon / 15 ml All-Purpose Flour
1/2 teaspoon./ 2.5 ml salt
1 Tablespoon/ 15 ml Watkins Pumpkin Pie Spice
3 Large Eggs
1-1/2 Cups / 375 ml canned or mashed, cooked pumpkin
1 Cup / 250 ml Evaporated Milk
1 Unbaked 9-inch / 23cm Pastry Pie Shell Continue reading Moms Homemade Pumpkin Pie

Apple Pecan Stuffing Muffins

This is a wonderful side dish any time you serve chicken, turkey or poultry as the main course meal. These stuffing muffins are very easy to make, and they look and taste great. Poultry cooks quicker if you cook it unstuffed so these are a real time saver as well.

Ingredients:
1 recipe Homemade Bread Stuffing
3/4 cup finely chopped pecans
2 apples – peeled, cored and diced
1 egg, well beaten
Watkins cooking spray Continue reading Apple Pecan Stuffing Muffins

Quick And Easy Homemade Bread Stuffing

This is one of the quickest and easiest bread stuffing recipes you’ll ever make as it’s made on the stove top. You can whip this up in 10 minutes to serve with turkey, chicken and other poultry, it also goes well with pork or fish or any time you want bread stuffing. This recipe calls for items you can easily have on hand in your pantry or cupboard and tastes better than a boxed mix.

Ingredients:
3 1/2 cups Bread Cubes, dry unseasoned
2 Tablespoons Watkins Parsley
2 Tablespoons Watkins Onion Flakes
2 teaspoons Watkins Chicken Soup and gravy base
1/2 teaspoon Watkins Poultry Seasoning
1 1/4 cups Water
2 Tablespoons Butter, Margarine or Watkins grapeseed oil` Continue reading Quick And Easy Homemade Bread Stuffing

Basic Whipped Cream Recipe

Nothing tastes better than real whipped cream, it makes an every day dessert extra special. Here’s a good basic whipped cream recipe, the powdered sugar helps act as whipped cream stabilizer so it doesn’t separate as easily.

watkins vanillaIngredients:

1 cup/240 mL heavy whipping cream
2 to 4 tbsp/30 to 60 mL powdered sugar, or icing sugar (depending on sweetness desired)
1 tsp/5 mL Original Double Strength Vanilla Extract

Directions: Chill the small bowl and beaters of an electric mixer. Beat the cream in chilled bowl until it begins to thicken. Add the powdered sugar and vanilla and beat until stiff. Use promptly, refrigerate or freeze any left overs. Makes about 2 cups whipped cream topping.

Tips from the kitchen: Continue reading Basic Whipped Cream Recipe

Traditional Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing

Before you know it, it will be Thanksgiving so here is a traditional roast turkey recipe with chestnut stuffing and homemade gravy for you to enjoy with your family. Roast turkey makes a wonderful meal any time of the year so don’t save it just for the holidays.

roast turkey with stuffingIngredients for the chestnut stuffing:
1/4 cup whole chestnuts or dried if you can’t find whole
1/4 cup raisins
2 Tablespoons Watkins grapseed oil
1 onion, peeled and diced
2 celery ribs, diced
2 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
1 teaspoon Watkins sage
1 teaspoon Watkins rosemary
1 teaspoon Watkins thyme
1 cooking apple, peeled, cored and diced
1 egg, lightly beaten
5 cups stale bread, cubed
1 cup boiling water
1 teaspoon Watkins Chicken soup and gravy base

Ingredients for the turkey: Continue reading Traditional Roast Turkey with Chestnut Stuffing

How to Cook Rice

Rice is one of the easiest things to cook but it can be one of the most challenging as well if you don’t know how. Rice is convenient, goes well with many dishes, tastes great and it’s good for you too, especially if you choose brown rice. It’s available in a wide number of varieties, you can choose white long grain, short grain, jasmine, red, whole grains and my personal favorite is basmati rice.

Here’s how to cook long grain rice:

rice1 cup white long grain rice
1 & 1/2 cups water

Place rice and water in a 1 quart sauce pan, bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover with a light fitting lid and cook for twenty minutes. (see tips below)

If you prefer a healthier whole grain version, here’s how to cook brown rice: Continue reading How to Cook Rice

Bison And Vegetable Kabobs

Have you tried bison? It is a wonderful, delicious and healthy alternative to beef. Here’s a great video showing you how to make Bison and Vegetable Kabobs with Cous Cous Salad. I written out the recipe for you as best as I could.

Ingredients for Kabob Marinade:

1/2 cup olive oil or Watkins grapeseed oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tablespoon Watkins garlic granules
1 tablespoon Watkins basil
1 tablespoon Watkins oregano
1 teaspoon Watkins thyme
2 teaspoons Watkins sea salt
1 teaspoon Watkins cracked black pepper Continue reading Bison And Vegetable Kabobs

Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

It’s apple season, so I’m busy picking, using and putting away the bounty from my trees. You probably don’t have an orchard so check out your local farmers market for apples at their peak of fresh picked goodness. This is our favorite easy, apple crisp recipe as it makes a quick dessert.

Ingredients:apples and cinnamon
4-5 medium sized apples, peeled and cored
1/3 -1/2 cup /75-125 ml sugar, depending on tartness of apples
1 teaspoon/5 ml Watkins cinnamon

Ingredients for topping:
2/3 cup /150 ml flour, all purpose or whole wheat
2/3 cup /150 ml oatmeal
1/2 cup/125 ml brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon/1 ml Watkins nutmeg
1/2 cup/125 ml butter, softened

Directions: Continue reading Easy Apple Crisp Recipe

Sweet and Sour Refrigerator Pickles

These sweet and sour refrigerator pickles are nice and crisp because the vegetables aren’t cooked. This recipe is very easy and great for anyone who is new to home canning. Making a batch or two is a good way to use up some of your extra garden produce, if you don’t have your own garden pick up some fresh produce at your local farm market. Your delicious homemade pickles would also make a welcome gift for someone special.

Ingredients for pickles:
4-6 cucumbers, thinly sliced
2 medium onions, thinly sliced
1 medium green or red bell pepper, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pickling or kosher salt
4-5 glass pint jars and lids

Directions: Wash vegetables with Watkins Fresh Wash and slice. Place prepared vegetables in a large nonmetal bowl, add pickling salt, mix well and let stand for 2 hours. Prepare syrup while cucumbers, onions and pepper are sitting in the brine. Drain vegetables well and pack loosely into sterilized glass jars. Read how to sterilize canning jars, if you are new to home canning or need a refresher. Pour the following syrup over top making sure to cover vegetables.

Ingredients for syrup:
2 cups sugar
2 cups white vinegar
1 Tbsp. Watkins Pickling Spices
1-1/2 tsp. Watkins Celery Seed
1-1/2 tsp. Watkins Garlic Flakes, optional

Directions: Combine syrup ingredients, let stand for 2 hours or until sugar dissolves. Keep refrigerated. Turn the jars occasionally to mix spices. Your pickles will be ready to eat in 3 days, flavor improves after a week. Makes 4 pints. Keeps well for 6 – 9 months but I’m sure they won’t last that long!

Watkins Pickling Spices is a traditional mixture of whole and broken spices, herbs and seeds, it’s a pantry basic used for pickles, corned beef brisket, seafood, marinades and other dishes. This seasonal spice is generally available from March to October. You can order it and your other spices in the Watkins US catalog or the Canadian catalog.