Summer BBQ

The last (nearly two) months have been a bit of a whirlwind. The spring is prime fundraising time and we had two major events which kept my brain occupied. And while there have been some good dishes there hasn't really been much time to write about them.

But today, with Homer away at band practice and summer breathing down my neck I figured a little post was in order. I had a really awesome meal on Saturday, pot luck meals can be a real crap shoot but this one came together like no one's business. Smoked turkey and asparagus (courtesy of Ian), Coleslaw (courtesy of Jenny and Kinnon) and Gnocchi Not-Potato Salad (courtesy of me).

The not-potato salad is from your favourite and mine ol'Rachael Ray and is versatile since it can be served warm, or room temp. It keeps well in transport, and is a real snap to make. The perfect antidote to a sort of less than perfect month.

Gnot - Potato Salad

From Rachael Ray

Ingredients

2 Packages gnocchi

3 tablespoons Dijon Mustard

2 tablespoons white wine vinegar

1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

Salt and Pepper

4 ribs celery finely chopped (from the heart)

1/2 red onion, finely chopped

2 roasted red peppers, chopped

1 small jar marinated mushrooms (4oz), though I just used regular old canned mushrooms

Preparation

1. Place a large pot of water over high heat to boil the gnocchi

2. Once the water is boiling, drop the gnocchi into the pot and cook the

m for 3 minutes or until they float.

3. While the gnocchi are cooking, grab a large mixing bowl and whist together the Dijon, vinegar, and olive oil into the bowl and whisk to combine. Then season with salt and pepper. Add the veggies to the mixing bowl. (Here is the thing, really just do this step first and then get on with gnocchi, cause seriously, who has all this crap prepped and can do it in 2 minutes, not I).

4. Drain the gnocchi and toss them, still hot, into the mixing bowl. Serve the salad now or let it chill in the refrigerator for a couple of hours (more flavour).

5. Everybody get happy.

I think it is a sort of sick person who is sitting in a spinning class thinking about recipes.  Trying desperately to burn off some calories all while thinking about how to use up the variety of meats in your fridge and freezer is sort of like going to synagogue and fantasizing about a ham and cheese sandwich.  

But this is exactly what I was doing tonight, frankly thinking about food consumes probably a solid 60% of my day, even if I am not writing about it here with much frequency.

I had a good, albeit slightly gluttonous weekend.  Friday night was filled with oysters and delicious wine (though note to self oysters by themselves are NOT a substantial enough meal to drink the better half of France) and Saturday was good old fashioned sleep over with the gals you see above.   I have known them for the better part of 10 years, and Saturday was a comforting reminder that the more things change, the more they stay the same.  

Originally the party was supposed to be at my friend Amber's house but due to a flood we had to relocate and my house was available so I offered it up.  As is my way I made and purchased way more food than was needed, and put probably a little too much brain power into exactly what to make, but out of this quest for a good slumber party snack came this little dandy below.

Behold the chicken potpie popover.

I made them a bit too large to really function as appetizers, and you probably could make them smaller for a little cocktail function.  If you do opt for the size the recipe recommends they freeze amazingly well and can be taken in for a quick lunch, perhaps with a green salad or soup.

Unfortunately there is no photo due to *cough* a slightly higher than normal wine consumption.  Just imagine a puff pastry triangle and you are there.

Chicken Pot Pie Popover 

Adapted from Individual Chicken Potpie Pockets in The Big Orange Book by Rachael Ray

*This is really easier if you have some baking mats (thanks mom!), that way you don't have to muck around with butter in your pan.

1 cup ground chicken

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons all purpose flour *plus more for dusting

1/2 cup low sodium chicken stock

1/2 cup skim milk

Salt and Pepper

1 teaspoon Dijon Mustard

2 scallions finely chopped

1/4 cup frozen peas

1 small carrot, grated and finely chopped

2 tablespoons fresh dill, finely chopped

2 sheets prepared puff pastry defrosted

1 egg, lightly beaten with a splash of water.

Preheat over to 400.

Cook ground chicken in a non-stick skillet until lightly browned and cooked through.  Set aside.

Heat the 2 tablespoons of butter in a small saucepan over medium heat.  When it melts, whisk in the flour and cook for 1 minute, then whisk in the stock and milk.  Season with salt and pepper, cook for a couple of minutes until thickened, then stir in the mustard.  Remove from the heat.

Combine the chicken, scallions, peas, carrots, and dill in a mixing bowl.  Pour the sauce over the mixture and stir to combine.

Dust your work surface lightly with flour and roll out one sheet of dough to the thickness of a nickel, and cut into squares.  Cut each quarter into 2 triangles.  Transfer the triangles to the baking sheet and make 8 more triangles with the second sheet of dough.  Divide the filling among the triangles on the baking sheet, leaving a little room at the edges to seal the pockets.  Brush with edges with the egg wash and place a second triangle on top; press the edges to seal or crimp with the tines of a fork.   Brush the tops of the pockets with more egg wash and cut a small x in the top of each to vent.  Bake for 20 minutes or until deeply golden and crisp.  Serve hot.

Scoobi Doo Can Do Do but Jimmy Carter is Smarter

I have in fact, fully recovered. And boy did I have plenty to recover from. Aside from my little (ha!) illness it was play reading week last week at work. I lasted 5 readings, the good, the bad and the just plain ugly (and everything in between).

I called it a kind of survivor, I had to work until 5 or 6 then try to rush home for a very quick dinner and then rush back for an 8pm curtain. I did this through some pretty lovely snow storms somehow managing to eat out for only one meal that week (including lunches). But how?

MEAT SAUCE. It warrants capitals, it is a saviour. It is better than Aretha Franklin's Inauguration Hat. It is so much more than that. You need a Sunday to do it, but it is so worth it.

The recipe makes a lot and in truth I froze some for this week when I made the enchiladas you see in the very last picture. Rachael Ray offers 4 prepared recipes and a multitude of suggestions for this sauce, and I tried 3 of them. The Inside-Out Pizza (with homemade dough thank you very much!) fed Homer, me and our friends Michael and Ryan on the Sunday the sauce was made with leftovers for lunch the next day (no photo, the pizza roll though very tasty was not pretty). The pasta recipe I offer below fed Homer and I for 3 lunches and some dinner during last week. And then tonight we ate enchiladas (which fed us for dinner and then some lunches).

Recession I laugh in yo' face. Like Bruce Springsteen laughed in America's face this Sunday.

Meat Sauce

Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray February 2009

Makes 7 Cups

(You need about 3 hours total for this sauce)

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

1/4 cup chopped pancetta**

1 onion, finely chopped***

1 carrot, finely chopped***

2 ribs celery, finely chopped***

1 clove garlic, finely chopped****

2 pounds EXTRA LEAN ground beef

1/2 cup dry red wine

1 x 28 ounce can tomato puree

Salt and Pepper

** I used turkey bacon because our lackluster Loblaw's does not sell pancetta (I am sure the flavour would be better with pancetta but this was "healthier")

***Put all in a food processor and chop within an inch of its life.

****Tip, grate it on the smallest setting on a box grater to avoid being at the counter for the rest of your life mincing.

1. In a large, heavy pot, heat the olive oil over medium-low heat. Add the pancetta and cook until the fat is rendered, about 5 minutes. Increase the heat to medium, add the onion, carrot and celery and cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 5 minutes (especially if you used the food processor). Stir in the garlic and cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Increase the heat to medium-high, add the beef and cook, breaking it up, until no longer pink, about 8 minutes. Stir in the wine and cook until the liquid is cooked off, about 5 minutes.

2. Stir in the tomato puree and 1 cup of water; season with salt and bring to a simmer. Partially cover and cook over low heat, stirring occasionally for the last 30 minutes, until thickened, about 2 hours. Season with Salt and Pepper.

And here my loves is where the title comes from grab some Scoobi Doo Pasta and make this with your meat sauce. If you want healthier just use light feta and skim milk.

People Like Me

In beginning this post I was a little torn in which way to take it.  What I started wanting to write about is this great roasted vegetable pizza that I have been making lately.  However, after this Sunday I also kind of wanted to write about how to throw a fairly stress free party.  

The two items are not mutually exclusive, seeing as I made said pizza for a party I threw on Sunday.  My birthday party in fact.  It was such a great day, that I wanted to share it.

I am one of those creatures who finds the prospect of cooking for 15 or so people relaxing instead of stressful.  The planning, the preparation, the execution, even now if I could do it again I would.  Not that I didn't have help from my friends and boy I am ever grateful for it.

I kept the food simple fare that I could pretty much make in advance and then just keep warm throughout the party, making "stations" so people could serve themselves.

The first was a chili station with the veggie chili I blogged about a few posts ago kept warm in my slow cooker.  The second was the roasted veggie pizza I am talking about today.  

That is right, I made all vegetarian food.  No meat in sight.  Why would someone who loves cured meat as much as I do such a thing?   Well, number one, I had a few vegetarians coming and I wanted them to be able to eat and two, meat is hard to keep at a consistent texture for 8 hours unless you are a trained chef with catering equipment (and even then it is dicey).

My friends helped by bringing snacks and booze of their choosing, and while there was some overlap for the most part it all got eaten and kept everyone with a relatively full belly.

I used disposables so clean up was easy. However, if I really did have to do it all over again, I would have pre-ordered biodegradable disposables from Green Shift instead of the evil evil Styrofoam I used instead.

But let's not dwell on the negative and instead get to the recipe.

I'll give you 2 guesses as to who I adapted this recipe from?

....

Rachael Ray!

Roasted Veggie Pizza

Adapted from Everyday with Rachael Ray November 2007

*This version is the meat and brussels sprout one I usually make, however, for the party I substituted the brussels sprouts with 8 oz sliced mushrooms (because the brussels sprouts were HUGE and would never have cooked) and omitted the meat.  That being said Don't Fear the Sprout! I hate hate hate brussels sprouts and I Love this Recipe.

4 slices Canadian bacon sliced thinly

1 Pillsbury Pizza Crust Tube

Canola Oil Spray

1 1/2 cups fontina cheese (I have tried others but fontina really works the best)

1 cup of brussels sprouts halved or quartered depending on size

3/4 head cauliflower, broken into small pieces (about 3 cups)

1/3 cup julienned sun-dried tomatoes packed in olive oil and drained

3 cloves of garlic minced

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1/2 teaspoon salt

Pepper

1.  Position a rack in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 500.  In a skillet cook the bacon, as per package directions.

2.  Grease a baking sheet with canola oil spray, place the pizza dough on top and press and stretch the dough as close to the pan edges as possible.  Sprinkle half the cheese over the dough and bake for 5 minutes.

3.  In a pot of boiling salted water, cook the brussels sprouts and cauliflower for 1 minute.  Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water until cool.  Transfer to a large bowl and add the sun-dried tomatoes, garlic, olive oil, salt and a TON of pepper;  toss well.  Spoon the veggie mixture evenly over the dough, top with bacon and remaining cheese.

4.  Bake the pizza until the crust is golden-brown and the cheese is bubbly, 10 to 12 minutes.  Let cool slightly before serving.

If you use the mushrooms instead of the sprouts, there is no need to boil them (obviously, but in the interest of full disclosure) just place on top of the cauliflower and bacon etc.

I pilfered photos from my friend Avery, with the exception of the pizza.  Love!

You Don't Win Friends with Salad

I don't remember exactly when my brother became a vegetarian.  I guess it isn't really something you mark on a calendar.  I think though it happened sometime either during my first year of university or last year of high school, in other words, a long time ago.

Slowly my mom also took too to cooking mostly vegetarian meals for herself and while she hasn't gone whole hog (excuse the pun) the vegetarian offerings at family meals usually out weigh anything meat related (not that I am complaining).

I know that I myself probably couldn't commit to a fully veg lifestyle, but to be honest the meat options in my little household are limited mostly to chicken and fish, with occasional pork thrown in.  Red meat is rarely here, mostly because I am not very adept at cooking it.

Over the last few weeks I have been debating about what I want to post, what is really worthy.  I have been cooking a lot and there is not shortage of material, just not a lot of photos I guess. But as we all know I am not really a photographer anyway.  Vanessa Heins, however is and she is the one who took the photo above, at a shoot we did for my Mom as a birthday present.

When Dylan came over to drop off the proofs from the shoot I wanted to make an evening of it with some dinner.  I looked on Rachael Ray for vegetarian recipes and found the chili below.  I didn't have high hopes for it but it really came through.  

Chili is a tricky thing, everyone has their own special recipe and preferences, I personally like Jamie Oliver's Chili Con Carne from the Happy Days with the Naked Chef book.   This however is my new favourite recipe for veg chili and I hope it will be yours too. Even if you are meat fan this will convert you (Homer didn't even realize it was meat free until I told him).

Three-Bean Chili

Adapted from Rachael Ray's Website

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, chopped

1 large red pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large green pepper, seeded and chopped

1 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and chopped

4 cloves garlic, crushed and chopped

1 cup vegetable stock

1 can crushed tomatoes (32 ounces)

1 can black beans (14 ounces)

1 can dark red kidney beans (14 ounces)

1 tablespoon ground cumin

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 tablespoon cayenne hot pepper sauce (several drops)

1 teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup spicy vegetarian refried beans

Toppings

Shredded Cheese

Scallions

Tortilla Chips for Dipping

Start by taking the onion, peppers, and garlic and blending them in a food processor into very very very small pieces (it will be a liquidy don't be scared!).   This is the key to faking out carnivores, no big chunks!

Over moderate heat, add the two tablespoons EVOO, two turns around the pan, to a DEEP pot. Add your blended vegetable mixture and heat for 3-5 minutes.  Deglaze the pan with broth add tomatoes, black beans and red kidney beans and stir to combine.

Season with cumin, chili powder, hot sauce and salt.  Thicken chili by stirring in refried beans.  Simmer over low heat about 5-10 minutes longer then serve up bowls of chili and top with shredded cheese and scallions.  Place bowls on charger plates piled with tortilla chips.

She's Back, and She Needs Work

I was going to start this post with a long and involved story of what has been happening for the last few months. How busy it has been, how much has changed, how much has stayed the same. 

But all you really need to know is that I have been cooking up a storm.  

What got me back here was Kinnon asking for a recipe for the lasagna I made on the weekend when she came over to bring us some art.  The recipe is from Rachael Ray's magazine (the December/January 2008 issue).

It is a little bit labour intensive, but the results are well worth it.  Plus it lasted us for 3 meals and it is vegetarian so it is a winner all around.  Great for dinner parties, just get it in the oven before guests get there and you have a solid 45 min to entertain and have the first course before you need to go back in the kitchen.

Portobello Lasagna with Basil Cream

6 Servings

Prep Time: 30 min

Bake Time:  45 min (plus cooling)

5 Tablespoons butter

1/4 cup flour

3 cups skim milk, heated

4 cloves of garlic - 1 smashed, 3 finely chopped

Salt

1/2 pound whole wheat lasagna noodles (really 9 noodles total)

2 large onions, chopped

Three 6-ounce packages of portobello mushroom slices (or 2 pounds whole stemmed and sliced)

1 bunch basil, stems discarded (or 2 tables spoons of the basil puree they sell in the herb section)

1 cup heavy cream

1 1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Pepper

1. In a medium saucepan, melt 3 tablespoons butter over low heat. Stir in the flour and cook for 2 minutes.  Slowly whisk in the hot milk, then the smashed garlic clove and 3/4 teaspoon salt. Bring the garlic sauce to a boil and cook, whisking, until thickened, about 5 minutes.  Set aside. It doesn't get real thick but that is ok.

2. In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the lasagna noodles for 10 minutes. Drain and transfer to a bowl of cold water.

3.  Position a rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 375.  In a large skillet, melt the remaining 2 tablespoons butter over low heat.  Add the onions and chopped garlic and cook until softened, about 5 minutes.  Stir in the mushrooms and cook until softened, about 7 minutes.  It looks like a lot but it reduces quite a bit.

4.  Using a food processor puree the basil leaves and cream (if you use the puree just combine the two).  Set aside 1/2 cup of basil cream.  Stir the remaining basil cream and 1/2 cup parmesan into the mushroom mixture; season with salt and pepper.

5. Grease a 9x13-inch baking dish and spread 1 cup reserved garlic sauce on the bottom.  Drain the lasagna noodles and lay 3 in the baking dish.  Top with half of the mushroom mixture, a layer of noodles, then the remaining mushroom mixture and noodles.  Combine the remaining garlic sauce and basil cream; spoon on top.  Sprinkle with the remaining 3/4 cup parmesan.

6. Bake until golden, 40 to 45 minutes.

Let stand for 15 minutes.

Kiss Me I'm A Pizza, Sorta

It's too bad that St. Patrick's Day falls on a Monday this year.  For us working stiffs it severely hinders the fun drinking potential.

With that in mind (as well as just missing them) I invited my friends Amber and Allan over for dinner on Friday night.  I hadn't seen them in a few months and since they had just gotten back from a trip to Cuba there was plenty to catch up on.

Amber and Allan actually lived in the UK for a few years after university and they are real anglophiles.  They are both up for just about anything food wise (except for pine nuts, which cuts out the salad from a few posts ago).

I decided to give a nod to St. Patrick's day while at the same time making something quick and easy.  With that I give you my version of the Reuben Pizza.  Another recipe stolen from Rachael Ray.  

I first made this about a week ago, and go so mad in trying to roll out the pizza dough in my tiny kitchen Tristan thought I had developed a minor case of tourrette's.  Then I had an idea. Instead of trying to divide the pizza dough and roll it out, I would just buy 2 Pillsbury pizza tubes and use one for the bottom and one for the top. It worked a treat!  

The picture above is from the initial try at the pizza when I was essentially trying to turn a rectangle into a circle.  The one from Friday basically looked like a rectangular version of what you see.  

Reuben Pizza Hilly's Short Cut Version

2 tubes of Pillsbury Pizza Dough

1 1/2 cups of shredded light Swiss cheese

1 pound deli sliced corned beef

1 cup sauerkraut rinsed.

1/2 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil

1/2 cup light mayonnaise (or whipped dressing)

2 1/2 tablespoons ketchup

2 tablespoons relish

1.  Position a rack in the lower third of the oven and preheat to 425.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  

2.  Pop open one of the Pillsbury Pizza Dough tubes, unroll it and lay it on the parchment paper.  This may require some repair to the dough on your part, it can be finicky.

3.  Sprinkle half the cheese on top, leaving a 1 inch border all around.  Arrange the corned beef and then the sauerkraut evenly on top. Top with the remaining cheese.

4.  Pop open the second Pillsbury Pizza Dough tube, unroll it and lay it carefully on top of the filling.  Tightly crimp the edges together to seal.  Brush the top with the olive oil and cut 3 vents in the center.

5.  Bake the pizza until browned and crisp, 20 to 25 minutes.  Let cool briefly.

6.  Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the mayonnaise, ketchup and relish.  Cut the Pizza into 4 pieces and serve with the sauce.

Needless to say the portions were HUGE when the pizza was in rectangle form.  Which was good because Amber and Allan brought two bottles of wine with them, in addition to the two bottles of wine I already had at my house.

Mayhem ensued.

And the Winner is...

Last night's Oscar ceremony was the first time in year's that I actually really cared about the awards, generally I just care about having or going to an Oscar party.

At the somewhat last minute I asked my friend Avery if she and her husband Ian would like to watch the Oscars.  Avery wasn't so sure Ian would be too interested in the ceremony, but then I had a stroke of culinary genius (modest much?).  Ian and I would both make appetizers and have a little cooking show down. 

Ian is one of the few people I know who is as interested in food as I am.  I knew he wouldn't disappoint.  Frankly, he kicked my ass (but then again I did have to travel with my appetizers, so I was somewhat limited in my scope).  However, I am nothing if not humble and I admit when the better person has won, just as so many other Canadian women did last night.

My Rachael Ray Mini Corn Dogs were cute but a pain to make.  They were also damn tasty and good for soaking up the copius amounts of sparkling wine we consumed.

I asked Ian to give me the recipe of the dish he liked the best.  Out of Black Bean Dip with Fried Tortilla Chips (homemade), Chicken and Green Onion Skewers and Crab Cakes, it was ultimately the Crab Cakes that won out.  You'll find his recipe below.

Some props to Ave who provided us with the baguette and Leslieville Cheese Dip you see below.  Spicy Mexican Smoked Mozzarella Dip to be exact.  If you are ever in Leslieville I can not encourage you enough to check out the Cheese Market.

Ian's Flay (as in Bobby) Inspired Crab Balls with Basil Aioli

Yields 8-10 Crab Balls

2 Cans PC Crab Meat (always pick over for shells)

1/2 red onion

2 cloves garlic minced

1 jalapeno diced and seeded

1/2 cup mayonnaise

1 1/2 tbl spoons of whole grain mustard

1/4 cup prepared horseradish

2-4 tbl spoons of whole wheat flour

Salt and Pepper to taste

1 cup whole wheat bread crumbs

1 teaspoon ancho chile powder

1 teaspoon chipotle chile powder

2-4 cups peanut oil

1.  Saute onion, jalapeno and garlic until soft (5-10 min) set aside to cool.

2. In mixing bowl add crab meat, mayo, mustard and horseradish together.  Mix well to break up crab meat into fine strands.

3.  Add jalapeno, onion and garlic when cooled - mix well.

4.  Slowly add flour (1 tbl spoon at a time) until mixture is thick and could be manipulated into ball form.

5. Refrigerate mixture for 1 hour up to 1 day.

6. Roll balls into size of golf balls.

7.  In a seperate bowl combine bread crumbs with ancho and chipotle chile powders.  Roll balls in bread crumb mixture until they are well covered on all sides.

8. Heat peanut oil to frying temperature (375 degrees)

9.  Fry crab balls for 5 minutes or until a deep golden browl.  Serve with basil aioli.

Basil Aioli

1 cup mayo

1 tbl spoon whole grain mustard

1 garlic clove finely minced

20 - 25 basil leaves

1 teaspoon lemon juice

1.  Blanche basil leaves in boiling water for 30 seconds.  Shock with ice water to cool rapidly.

2.  Finely chop the basil.

3.  Whisk together all ingredients.

4.  Serve immediately.

No Name or Puns Needed

This weekend was the first annual Family Day in Ontario, so I decided to head home and actually spend it with family.  Because my Mom knows I like cooking she had a Rachael Ray magazine saved for me to read.

A few times on this blog I have taken a Rachael Ray recipe and made it healthier.  But when I found this one, I realized it didn't really need any adjusting.  And it is suitable for vegetarians, which makes my mom happy.  It made me happy because I wasn't able to go grocery shopping this weekend and the only vegetable I had left in my fridge upon my return to the city were shallots.  

I divided the recipe in half so that I didn't have an over abundance, but here I offer the full version.  It so damn easy and really really tasty.  Buy good ingredients and show case them here if you have the occasion.

I refuse, though, to use her cutesy title (That's Shallotta Flavor Spaghetti).  I offer it up to you to name.

"Insert Recipe Title Here"

From Everyday with Rachael Ray, March 2008

1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil

10 shallots, halved and thinly sliced

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped (I used the minced kind in the jar, again working with what i gots)

Salt and Pepper

1 pound whole wheat spaghetti

1 cup grated parmigiano-reggiano cheese (use could also use Light Parmesean)

1/4 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley (I had to use dried, so I used less)

1. In a large skillet, heat the olive oil over medium low heat.  Add the shallots and garlic; season with salt and pepper.  Cook, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, 20 minutes (though mine took less time, keep an eye on it).

2.  While the shallots are cooking, bring a large pot of water to a boil, salt it, add the spaghetti and cook until al dente.  Pour 3 ladlefuls of the pasta cooking water into the cooked shallots and stir.  Drain the pasta and add to the shallots.  Add the cheese and parsley, season with salt and pepper and toss.

Cheesy Beef Potpie

I admit it, I love Rachael Ray. Well at least I love her recipes...her personality at times I find a bit too self-deprecating even for my taste. This recipe is an adaptation of her Beef and Cheddar Potpie with healthier ingredients. I like this because it you can make it and then freeze it for up to 4 months. Just cover it with plastic wrap and freeze. Then to reheat discard the plastic wrap, cover the potpie with foil and bake at 375 for 1 hour; uncover and bake for 15 minutes more.

Here come da recipe:

4 servings (umm more like 6 servings)
Prep Time: 40 min
Bake Time: 35 min


6 tablespoons margarine (low cal), chilled
1 small onion, chopped (pretty fine, nobody like a big chunk of onion)
1 1/2 pounds extra lean ground beef
1 28 -oz can diced tomatoes; drained
1 cup low sodium beef broth
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 cups shredded cheese (RR recommended sharp cheddar, I used Pizza blend)
1/2 cup skim milk

1. Preheat the oven to 375. Grease an 8-by-12 inch baking dish and set aside. In a large skillet, heat 2 tablespoons margarine over medium-high heat. Add the onion and cook, stirring, until softened but not browned, 3 to 5 minutes. Add the beef and cook, breaking it up with the back of a spoon, until no longer pink, about 5 minutes. Stir in the tomatoes and beef broth and season with salt and pepper. Lower the heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until most of the liquid has cooked off, about 20 minutes. Pour into the prepared baking dish and spread evenly.

2. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Using your fingertips or a pastry blender, blend in the remaining 4 tablespoons butter and the cheese until the mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Pour in the milk and stir quickly with a fork to form a dry, shaggy dough. Gather the dough together and knead lightly in the bowl. Transfer to a floured work surface and roll or pat into a large, 1/2-inch-thick round. Using a 3 inch cookie cutter, cut out 8 biscuits (as you can see, I got a few more). Gather the scraps of dough, form into a new round and cut out more biscuits. Continue until all the dough has been used up.

3. Place the biscuits on top of the beef mixture as close together as possible and bake until lightly browned, about 35 minutes.