Decadent Brownies

I was working on this Decadent Brownies recipe at the fundraiser session at the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors.

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This recipe surely needs some muscle power as stirring the thick batter was quite tiring. But you will be rewarded with a decadent dessert.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 cups unsalted butter
  • 2 1/2 cups granulated sugar
  • 1 1/2 cups best quality cocoa
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla
  • 4 eggs
  • 1 cup flour
  • 1/2 cup chocolate chips

P/S: we substituted 1 cup chopped nuts with 1/2 cup extra chocolate chips due to concern of nut allergies for the fundraiser sale.

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Source: South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors

Makes a 9 x 13 pan

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Lemon Blueberry Muffins

These Blueberry Muffins will be sold in the fundraiser in the morning along with coffee for breakfast.

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The Blueberry Muffins were moist and bursting with lemony flavour.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups flour
  • 1/2 cup granulated sugar
  • 2 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1 egg
  • 3/4 cup milk
  • 1/3 cup melted butter
  • juice from 2 lemons
  • 1 cup fresh or frozen blueberries (toss with 1 tablespoon flour)
Topping:
  • grated lemon rind from 2 lemons
  • 4 tablespoons sugar

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Source: South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors

Yield: 12 medium-sized muffins

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Un-toppable Black Bean Soup

It’s fundraiser time again for the South Arm Community Center. It’s been a few years that the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors participated in the fundraiser for the Richmond Food Bank.

Stella, the coordinator reminded all the participants on hygiene and food safety for this session. This is so because the food made in this session will be sold to the public.

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It’s not all work without reward. Two of the seniors made the Un-toppable Black Bean Soup for the group while the rest focused on the recipes for the fundraiser.

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
  • 2 cups carrots, peeled and sliced
  • 2 teaspoons minced garlic
  • 1 tablespoon ground cumin
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 teaspoon dried basil
  • 1/2 teaspoon chili powder
  • 2 x 19oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
  • 5 cups vegetable stock
  • 1 cup low sodium V8 juice, or tomato juice blend
  • salt and pepper to taste
Optional Garnishes:
  • chopped cilantro
  • grated cheese
  • tortilla chips
  • sour cream
  • olives
  • chopped tomatoes

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Source: this recipe is adapted from Peas & Thank you

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Rula’s Pumpkin Spice Cookies

Rula, a volunteer in the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors shared a recipe which her kids love. It’s Pumpkin Spice Cookies.

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The glaze on these Pumpkin Spice Cookies makes a sweet treat.

Here are some notes from Michelle about pumpkin flesh:

  • the bright orange colour is due to carotenoids, which fight free radicals
  • rich source of Vitamin A which is good for the immune system and eyes
  • high in Vitamin C, fiber, magnesium, potassium and zinc
  • regular pumpkin consumption may have an anti-inflammatory effect, protect from joint inflammation and arthritis

Ingredients

  • 2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
  • 1 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 cup butter, softened
  • 1 1/2 cups white sugar
  • 1 cup canned pumpkin puree
  • 1 egg
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Glaze
  • 2 cups confectioners’ sugar
  • 3 tablespoons milk
  • 1 tablespoon melted butter
  • 1 teaspoon vanilla extract

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P/S: missing from the photo of the ingredients are flour and white sugar

Source: from grouprecipes.com

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Rosemary Chicken

Michelle incorporated a chicken dish in this week’s kitchen at the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors.

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This Rosemary Chicken is quick to prepare as it needs as little as 5 to 10 minutes to marinate in a yogurt marinate.

Ingredients

  • 1/2 cup low fat plain yogurt
  • 1 teaspoon fresh minced rosemary
  • 1 lemon, rind grated finely
  • 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne pepper
  • 1/2 cup or more bread crumbs
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
  • olive oil
Yogurt Dip
  • 1/2 cup yogurt
  • 1 lemon, juiced
  • 2 garlic cloves, crushed
  • pinch of cayenne
  • 1/4 teaspoon salt
  • minced parsley, optional

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Source: South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors

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Millet and Cauliflower Casserole

The ingredient introduced in this recipe is millet. Millet is a cereal grain with origins in Asia and Africa. Millet has been cultivated for 10,000 years. In India, it is often mixed with other grains to make flat bread. It is an important part of the diet in many parts of Africa.

Millet is gluten-free and rich in B vitamins.

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This Millet and Cauliflower Casserole is vegan, wheat and dairy free. However, this recipe is very adaptable. You may add Parmesan cheese to it to entice kids to eat. You may substitute the millet with other grain like quinoa. This casserole makes a great potluck dish.

Ingredients

  • 1 1/2 cups raw millet
  • 3 3/4 cups water
  • 4 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 large onion, diced
  • 1 large cauliflower, chopped into 1″ pieces
  • 3 large garlic cloves, minced
  • 1/3 cup tightly packed chopped Italian parsley
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt
  • fresh ground pepper
  • 1/4 cup lemon juice
  • 1 x 15 oz can Navy beans, rinsed and drained
  • vegetable broth
  • paprika

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Source: this recipe is adapted from The Whole Foods Allergy Cookbook

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Fennel and Celery Salad with Pumpkin Seeds

Michelle, the kitchen facilitator of the South Arm Cooking Club for Seniors tries to introduce new ingredients in the kitchen. We often shop for familiar ingredients and seldom attempt to try ingredients that we never use before.

For this recipe, Michelle brought in fennel bulbs from her garden. The Fennel and Celery Salad with Pumpkin Seeds is crunchy and refreshing. The fennel has a mild licorice flavour.

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This recipe is best prepared with a mandoline to thinly slice the vegetables. But, if you do not have a mandoline, do not let that be an excuse. Just slice as thin as you can.

Ingredients

  • 3 celery stalks, slice in an angle into paper-thin slices
  • 1 small fennel bulb, trimmed, halved vertically, slice paper=thin
  • 1/2 cup fresh Italian parsley leaves, chopped
  • 1/4 cup toasted salted pumpkin seeds (pepitas)
  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan cheese shavings (about 1 1/2 ounces)

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Source: Epicurious.com

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Sugar Pumpkin Soup

Minoo used the sugar pumpkin given by the Richmond Sharing Farm to make a warming soup for the colder fall weather.

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This Sugar Pumpkin Soup has a gingery and citrusy flavour with a spicy kick.

Ingredients

  • 1 sugar pumpkin
  • 2 onions, chopped
  • 1 stalk of lemongrass
  • 1 to 2 hot chili peppers
  • 1 garlic clove, minced
  • 2 to 3 cups vegetable stock
  • juice from 3 oranges
  • 1 to 2 teaspoons minced ginger
  • sour cream or creme fraiche for topping
  • herbs of your choice for garnishing (chives or cilantro)

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Source: South Arm Multicultural Community Kitchen

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