Get Involved!

If you are interested in becoming a member of the Connect Community Kitchen or would like to volunteer at the Connect Centre, please contact us:

Phone: 519-235-4275

Fax: 519-235-1991

E-mail: Connect@anago.ca

Exeter, Ontario

Thank You to Our Sponsors

Our kitchen would not be possible without the generous support of the following sponsors:

Hansens' Your Independent Grocer

Hayter's Turkey Products

Take Heart Huron

Recipes from July 20, 2006

Breakfast Fig and Nut Cookies
These oversized cookies are more like muffin tops, but calling them cookies makes them seem a bit more indulgent. They're chock-full of exercise-friendly ingredients like dried fruit and nuts. They're ideal with a glass of skim milk for breakfast after a morning workout.

3/4 Cup packed brown sugar
1/4 Cup butter, melted
2 large eggs
1/4 Cup finely chopped dried figs - we substituted dried apricots as they are easier to work with
1/4 Cup sweetened dried cranberries
1 tsp of vanilla extract
1 Cup all-purpose flour
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour
1/2 Cup unprocessed bran
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon allspice
1/4 Cup sliced almonds
2 tsp granulated sugar

1. Preheat oven to 350 F
2. Combine first 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Stir in chopped figs, cranberries and vanilla.
3. Lightly spoon flours into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flours, bran, baking soda, cinnamon, and allspice, stirring with a whisk. Add flour mixture to egg mixture, stirring just until moist. Gently fold in almonds.
4. Drop by level 1/4 cup measures 4 inches apart on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkly evenly with granulated sugar. Bake at 350 for 12 minutes or until almost set. Cool 2 minutes on pans. Remove from pans; cool completely on wire racks. Yield: 10 servings.

Greek Flavoured Turkey Burgers
From


Bursts of feta cheese, red onion, and fresh mint add spark to these flavorful burgers.

1 large egg white
1 cup chopped red onion
3/4 cup chopped fresh mint we substituted fresh oregano
1/2 cup dry breadcrumbs
1/3 cup (about 1 1/2 ounces) crumbled feta cheese
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon dried dill
1 pound ground turkey
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) hamburger buns,
split1 (7-ounce) bottle roasted red bell peppers,drained and cut into 1-inch strips

Place egg white in a large bowl; lightly beat with a whisk. Add onion and next 6 ingredients (through turkey); stir well to combine.

Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 1/2-inch-thick patty.
Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray.

Add patties to pan; cook 8 minutes on each side or until done. Place patties on bottom halves of hamburger buns. Divide peppers evenly among burgers; cover with top halves of buns.

Note: To freeze extra servings, wrap each uncooked patty individually first in plastic wrap and then in heavy-duty aluminum foil. Freeze for up to 2 months. To serve, thaw patties completely in refrigerator, and then cook and serve as directed. Yield: 4 servings (serving size: 1 burger) This is what we did

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 426(33% from fat); FAT 15.7g (sat 5.7g,mono 5.5g,poly 3.2g); PROTEIN 30.5g; CHOLESTEROL 101mg; CALCIUM 177mg; SODIUM 790mg; FIBER 2.8g; IRON 4.5mg; CARBOHYDRATE 40g

Creamy Spinach Lasagna
From


A less-sweet marinara sauce helps balance the flavor of this dish, with its smooth spinach sauce and rich mozzarella topping.
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 1/4 cups chopped onion (about 2 medium)
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 (16-ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed, drained, and squeezed dry
1/3 cup all-purpose flour (about 1 1/2 ounces)
3 cups 2% reduced-fat milk
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon ground red pepper
1 (26-ounce) jar marinara sauce, divided
Cooking spray
12 cooked whole wheat lasagna noodles, divided
1 1/2 cups (6 ounces) shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese, divided
Parsley sprigs (optional)

Preheat oven to 375°. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add onion; cook 10 minutes or until onion is browned, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and spinach. Reduce heat, cover, and cook 3 minutes or until spinach is tender. Set aside.

Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, milk, salt, black pepper, and red pepper in a small saucepan, stirring with a whisk. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat, stirring frequently. Reduce heat and simmer 1 minute, stirring frequently. Add 2 cups milk mixture to spinach mixture. Cover remaining milk mixture, and set aside.

Spread 1/2 cup marinara sauce in bottom of a 13 x 9-inch baking dish coated with cooking spray. Arrange 3 lasagna noodles over sauce; top with half of spinach mixture. Top with 3 lasagna noodles, 1 cup marinara sauce, and 3/4 cup cheese. Layer 3 more lasagna noodles, remaining spinach mixture, and remaining 3 lasagna noodles. Top with remaining marinara sauce. Pour reserved milk mixture over the top, and sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese.

Bake at 375° for 50 minutes or until lasagna is browned on top. Garnish with parsley sprigs, if desired. Yield: 8 servings (serving size: 1 piece)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 328(25% from fat); FAT 9.3g (sat 3.8g,mono 3.6g,poly 1.2g); PROTEIN 17.3g; CHOLESTEROL 19mg; CALCIUM 371mg; SODIUM 726mg; FIBER 6.9g; IRON 3.1mg; CARBOHYDRATE 45.6gLorrie Hulston Corvin Cooking Light, MARCH 2006

On With The Show

The group met on Monday July 17, 2006 for our planning night. We welcomed our new friend Wayne to the group. We planned to make 5 recipes: Breakfast Fig & Nut Cookies, Creamy Spinach Lasagna (Cooking Light) , Greek Flavoured Turkey Burgers (Cooking Light) , Curried Chicken with Plums and Ginger, and Spicy Chicken Cakes with Horseradish Aioli (Cooking Light) . 5 members were in attendance, due to holidays and other such commitments. The cost to each member was $8.00.

On Thursday July 20, we met for our cooking night and learned that our fearless leader and expert chef Randi was under the weather! What to do? An executive decision was made...the show must go on! However, due to the small group of members in attendance and all of our relative amateur cooking status...we decided to forgo both the Curried Chicken and Spicy Chicken cakes.

Also on this evening, our friendly neighbourhood reporter from the local paper, the Exeter Times Advocate came to take some pictures and do a story on our kitchen! Be sure to check out the article in next Wednesday's (July 26th) edition of the Times Advocate. In all of the excitement we even forgot to take pictures!

But the group stayed strong and pulled it together, Randi would've been proud! We manage to make the cookies, 2 lasagnas and the turkey burgers....A SUCCESS...but I guess the taste test will tell...

Each member took home 3 turkey burgers, a plethora of breakfast cookies and 4 servings of lasagna. All and all it was a fun-filled night and everyone learned alot!

A big thank you to our sponsors Hayter's Turkey Products and Hansen's Your Independent Grocer!

Recipes from June 12th

Nomad Salad

From:


Dried fruit and chickpeas turn a traditional summer tabbouleh into a salad meal. A generous serving has about 15 grams of fiber--more than half of your daily requirement.

1 1/2 cups uncooked bulgur or cracked wheat
1 1/2 cups boiling water
1 cup dried figs, halved
1 cup chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
1/2 cup sweetened dried cranberries (such as Craisins)
1/2 cup lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 (15 1/2-ounce) can chickpeas (garbanzo beans), drained

Combine the bulgur and boiling water in a large bowl. Cover and let stand 30 minutes. Stir in the figs and remaining ingredients; cover salad and chill thoroughly. Yield: 5 servings (serving size: 1 1/2 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 390(18% from fat); FAT 7.7g (sat 1.1g,mono 4.5g,poly 1.5g); PROTEIN 11.3g; CHOLESTEROL 0.0mg; CALCIUM 96mg; SODIUM 363mg; FIBER 14.7g; IRON 4mg; CARBOHYDRATE 75g

Turkey Tetrazzini
From:



This classic dish, created and named for 19th-century opera singer Luisa Tetrazzini, is a great way to use leftover cooked chicken or turkey. The thin pasta soaks up the sauce, forming a casserole that you can cut with a fork. To make it easier to toss the pasta and sauce, break the vermicelli in half before cooking.




1 tablespoon butter Cooking spray
1 cup finely chopped onion
2/3 cup finely chopped celery
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
3/4 teaspoon salt
3 (8-ounce) packages presliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry sherry
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
3 (14.5-ounce) cans fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
2 1/4 cups (9 ounces) grated fresh Parmesan cheese, divided1/2 cup (4 ounces)
1/3-less-fat cream cheese
7 cups hot cooked vermicelli (about 1 pound uncooked pasta)
4 cups chopped cooked chicken breast (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 (1-ounce) slice white bread

Preheat oven to 350°. Melt butter in large stockpot coated with cooking spray over medium-high heat. Add onion, celery, pepper, salt, and mushrooms; sauté 4 minutes or until mushrooms are tender. Add sherry; cook 1 minute.

Lightly spoon flour into a measuring cup; level with a knife. Gradually add flour to pan; cook 3 minutes, stirring constantly (mixture will be thick) with a whisk. Gradually add broth, stirring constantly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat; simmer 5 minutes, stirring frequently. Remove from heat.

Add 1 3/4 cups Parmesan cheese and cream cheese, stirring with a whisk until cream cheese melts. Add the pasta and chicken, and stir until blended. Divide the pasta mixture between 2 (8-inch-square) baking dishes coated with cooking spray.

Place bread in food processor; pulse 10 times or until coarse crumbs form. Combine breadcrumbs and 1/2 cup Parmesan cheese; sprinkle evenly over pasta mixture.

Bake at 350° for 30 minutes or until lightly browned. Remove casserole from oven; let stand 15 minutes.

To freeze unbaked casserole: Prepare through Step 5. Cool completely in refrigerator. Cover with plastic wrap, pressing to remove as much air as possible. Wrap with heavy-duty foil. Store in freezer for up to 2 months.

To prepare frozen unbaked casserole: Thaw casserole completely in refrigerator (about 24 hours). Preheat oven to 350º. Remove foil; reserve foil. Remove plastic wrap; discard wrap. Cover casserole with reserved foil; bake at 350º for 30 minutes. Uncover and bake an additional 1 hour or until golden and bubbly. Let stand 15 minutes.

Yield: 2 casseroles, 6 servings each (serving size: about 1 1/3 cups)

NUTRITION PER SERVINGCALORIES 380(29% from fat); FAT 12.2g (sat 6.6g,mono 3.4g,poly 0.7g); PROTEIN 33g; CHOLESTEROL 66mg; CALCIUM 319mg; SODIUM 964mg; FIBER 2g; IRON 2.8mg; CARBOHYDRATE 32.7g

Turkey Burgers With Special Sauce
From:


Turkey Burgers with Special Sauce Serve these great summertime burgers with table grapes for a refreshing and light meal.

1/4 cup chopped green onions
2 tablespoons fresh orange juice
1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
1 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger
1 garlic clove, minced
1 pound ground turkey breast
Cooking spray
4 (1 1/2-ounce) whole wheat hamburger buns
4 curly leaf lettuce leaves

Special Sauce
3/4 cup reduced-fat mayonnaise
1 1/2 tablespoons finely chopped green onions
2 tablespoons Dijon mustard
1 tablespoon honey
1 teaspoon fresh orange juice
1 teaspoon low-sodium soy sauce
1/2 teaspoon finely chopped peeled fresh ginger

Combine all ingredients in a medium bowl. Cover; refrigerate.
Yield: 3/4 cup (serving size: 2 tablespoons)



Prepare grill. Combine first 6 ingredients in a large bowl. Divide turkey mixture into 4 equal portions, shaping each into a 3/4-inch-thick patty. Place patties on grill rack coated with cooking spray; grill 6 minutes on each side or until done.

Spread 2 tablespoons Special Sauce over top half of each bun. Place lettuce leaves on bottom halves of buns; top each with 1 patty and top half of bun. Cut each burger in half.


Lentil Burgers with Yogurt Mint Sauce

Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine

1 1/4 Cups lentils, picked over and rinsed
1/2 Cups rolled oats
2 garlic cloves, minced
2 teaspoons ground coriander seeds
2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 large egg, beaten lightly
1/2 Cup plain yogurt
1/3 Cup chopped fresh mint leaves

Add lentils to a large saucepan of salted water and bring water to a boil. Cook lentils at a bare simmer until tender, about 15-20 mins.

In a blender or food processor grind oats into meal. Drain lentils in a sieve and in a bowl combine with garlic, coriander, cumin and 3 tablespoons ground oats. Mash lentils coarse with potato masher. Stir in egg and salt and pepper to taste and form mixture into six 3-inch burgers, each 1/2 inch thick. Coat burgers with remaining ground oats.

In a small bowl stir together yogurt, mint and salt and pepper to taste.

We individually wrapped the burgers and took them home to freeze.

In a large skillet heat 1/4 oil over moderately high heat until hot but no smoking and fry burgers until brown and crisp, about 3 to 4 minutes on each side.

Serve burgers in pitas with lettuce and yogurt mint sauce.

Banana-Pecan Pancakes
From:


These pancakes are served at the Thornrose House bed and breakfast in Stauton, Virginia, near one of the many wildlife-viewing sites.

1 Cup all purpose flour
1/2 Cup yellow cornmeal
1/4 Cup oat bran
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 Cups low-fat buttermilk
1/3 Cup mashed ripe banana
2 tablespoons reduced-calorie stick margarine, melted
2 teaspoons honey
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/4 Cup chopped pecans, toasted
Cooking spray
6 tablespoons maple syrup

1. Lightly spoon flour into a dry measuring cup; level with a knife. Combine flour, cornmeal, and next 3 ingredients in a large bowl. Combine buttermilk and next 4 ingredients; add to flour mixture, stirring until smooth. Fold in pecans.

2. Spoon about 1/4 cup batter onto a hot non-stick griddle or non-stick skillet coated with cooking spray. Turn pancakes when tops are covered with bubbles and edges look cooked.

Serve with syrup. Yield: 12 (4 inch) pancakes.

Thai Coconut Chicken
From London Free Press

1 1/2 lbs chicken breast, diced( can sub shrimp, tofu, dark chicken or beef)
1 can coconut milk
1-2tbls thai chili paste( red, green, yellow, masaman or panang)
2 stalks lemon grass, split in half
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 kaffir lime leaves
1tbls fish sauce


Saute chicken breast in a tbls of olive oil. Add curry paste and dry fry for 1 minute. Add coconut milk, broth, lime leaves, lemon grass and fish sauce. Simmer until meat is cooked thru. Remove lime leaves and lemon grass before serving. Serve with chopped peanuts and shredded basil on top. Serve over rice noodles or jasmine rice.