My Kitchen Table

Easter Feast

2011-04-02T16:08:00.000-07:00

With the Easter and all the other spring celebrations quickly coming with the strength of the sunshine it seems, we have yet another reason to prepare a celebratory feast for our family and friends. This is one of my favourite reasons to spend time preparing a menu, then shopping for ingredients and cooking, and finally sitting down to eat and spend time with our loved ones.

This is one of my favourite meals to share at Easter.

Apple-Maple Glazed Ham

10 pound bone in fully cooked ham and a 1 ½ cup glaze

To make glaze boil 2 cups of apple cider on high heat, to reduce to about ½ cup. Reduce heat to low and add ½ cup real maple syrup, ¼ cup dijon mustard and ¼ teaspoon of nutmeg

To get started with the ham you should preheat oven to 325 degrees

trim any skin that might be on the ham, score diagonal crosshatch pattern with a sharp knife without cutting into meat (just fat bit).

Put the ham flat side down on a wire rack in the roasting pan with about ¼ inch of water in the bottom of the pan.

Bake in oven for about 2hours or so then increase heat to 400 degrees pour ½ the glaze over the ham and brush to fully coat the ham. Then continue to bake for 30 to 40 minutes basting with glaze every 10 minutes until it is the most beautiful thing that you have ever seen.

I would make this with Scalloped Potatoes , Green Beans, any salad with of course a special Easter dessert like French Vanilla Ice Cream and fresh berries with a little left over Easter chocolate from the morning Easter egg hunt.

I hope you enjoy this recipe with your family and friends this Easter

Peace and Love

Deb

Children's summer vacation

2010-06-01T09:55:00.000-07:00

Our children are just about finished school for the summer vacation, and it is important that we start to plan not only what the will do, but also what they will eat.
The summer in Canada is amazing we have a great variety of fresh fruits and vegetables, we need to encourage our children to enjoy the opportunity of such a harvest.
Try to take your children to a farmers market or berry picking, it gets them outside to enjoy the sun and the tastes of the summer.
My son and I always pick strawberries and make jam, it is his favourite and he will not eat any store bought jam. I think he love's it so much because of all his work that he puts in it.
The end of June is when the berries should be ready but call your local farm for there picking times, and enjoy this pleasure with your children

Peace and Love
Deb

St Patrick’s Day- another day to celebrate with Food !!!!!

2010-02-28T14:06:00.000-08:00

You all have heard the expression that we are all alittle Irish on
St Patrick’s day. Well I think it is a great idea to cook and eat some Irish food even if we are only pretending to be Irish for the day.
Some Recipes that are great are Irish Stew, Potato Pancakes, Cornbeef and Cabbage and Soda Bread. But my favorite has to be Champ..Try it and you will love it, I make it all the time with just about anything like roast chicken, roast beef or lamb..

Champ
2 pounds russet potatoes, peeled, cut into 1-inch pieces 1/2 cup whipping cream 1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter 1 bunch green onions, sliced (about 1 1/3 cups)
Cook potatoes in pot of boiling salted water until very tender, about 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, bring cream and butter to simmer in heavy small saucepan over medium heat, stirring often. Mix in green onions. Remove from heat. Cover and let steep while potatoes cook.
Drain potatoes thoroughly. Return potatoes to same pot and mash. Add cream mixture and stir until blended. Season to taste with salt and pepper. (Can be prepared 2 hours ahead. Cover; let stand at room temperature. Rewarm over low heat, stirring often.)

Valentine Dinner for you Sweetheart

2010-02-04T15:28:00.000-08:00

Everyone knows the way to your heart is with food..(not just for men)
There is nothing that shows someone you care than taking the time to make a meal for them..
There is only one rule when doing so..Cook with love and it will always come out great..
For my sweetheart it will be his favorite meal, Prime rib with Yorkshire pudding. But whatever your sweetheart loves is a great place to start.
Make sure you have something sweet for dessert, it might just be you!
Remember cook with Love, serve with a Kiss …and you will have a Valentine Dinner that will be special.
Simple Sweetheart Pasta:
3cups cook pasta
¼ good olive oil
½ cup grape tomatoes cut in half
1 clove garlic crushed
1 cup cooked chicken breast diced
1 cup fresh spinach
½ Parmesan cheese
salt & pepper to taste
In a large fry pan: add olive oil, garlic, tomatoes, cook for 1 – 2 mins, add chicken and pasta, spinach, toss with salt and pepper and ¼ cup parmesan cheese..
Put in bowls and top with remaining cheese.
Nice to serve with Caesar salad, and a glass of white wine.
Enjoy
From my kitchen to yours
Deb

Food Rules

2010-02-01T05:19:00.000-08:00

I have been thinking alot about food lately, (how is that different?) I have always wanted to put healthly food on the table for my family and friends, but in North American that can be difficult. I know that sounds odd with the abundance of everything in the supermarkets, but in my search for real food, there is just so much processed food on our tables.

I would recommend to everyone to see the movie that came out in Nov 2009 called FOOD inc.
Chris, Cole and myself watched it over the weekend..it was every informative...it is all about were our food comes from..it is a must see.. for anyone wanting to eat real food.

Then I would suggest Michael Pollan's Book FOOD RULES.. very easy read..and will give you a place to start taking process food out of your diet..(you might not think it is there but chances are we all eat it)
With that said, I think that if we make a couple changes in what we buy, we will all be better off.

Remember to live well, we must eat well !!
Peace and Love from my kitchen table to yours

Deb

Happy 2010 from My Kitchen Table to Yours

2010-01-01T14:43:00.000-08:00

Lets make 2010 the year of eating fresh,nutritious food that is good for our bodies,minds and spirits. Lets forget about all the crazy diets of deprivation that are impossible to maintain more than a couple weeks, leaving us just starving for anything but so called diet food.
So let's commit to eating healthly fresh food, that is simple to prepare and that our families will love, we might even trim our waist lines a bit.
Our mantra should be eat and enjoy fresh healthly food in correct portions, so we can be the best we can be.
I am going to cook and share my fresh and delicious food with you, I hope you and your family will enjoy them as much as mine.

Eat Well, Live Well.
Deb

Boxing Day Turkey

2009-12-26T09:51:00.000-08:00

With the spirit of Christmas in the air, we remember the Feast of St. Stephen, deacon and martyr of the Church, who was charged with overseeing the distribution of goods to the community. It's also Boxing Day, a traditional British holiday where we remember those less fortunate. So take some time to think about something you can do to help someone else today.
Now for a easy dinner using the leftover turkey, that everyone will love. This recipe is a take off of a Jamie Oliver recipe that I found.
Turkey and Leek Pie
Ingredients
• 2 bacon, roughly chopped
•1 teaspoon thyme and 1teaspoon sage both dried
• 2 tablespoons olive oil
• 2 tablespoons butter
• 4-6 leeks, washed, trimmed; white end chopped into chunks, green end finely sliced
• sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
• 3-4cups cooked turkey meat, torn into big chunks
• 2-3 tablespoons plain flour, plus extra for dusting
• 3cups turkey, chicken or vegetable stock
• 2 tablespoons of sour cream
• 1 x 500g packet puff pastry
• 1 egg, preferably free-range or organic, beaten
Preheat your oven to 375°F. Put your bacon in a large pan on a medium heat and add your thyme . Add olive oil and the butter and let it all fry off a few minutes. Add all of your leeks and fry them off for about 3 minutes so they are well-coated in the butter. Add a pinch of salt and pepper then pop the lid on top, turn the heat down to medium and let them cook away gently for 30 minutes, stirring every 5 to 10 minutes to make sure they don’t stick. When your leeks are ready, add the turkey meat to them and stir. If you’ve got a bit of stuffing mixed in there you can put that in too. Add the flour, mix it in well then pour in your stock and stir again. Add the sour cream then turn the heat up and bring everything back up to the boil. Have a taste and add a bit more salt and pepper if it needs it then turn the heat off. Pour the mixture through a sieve over another large empty pan and let the wonderful gravy from the mixture drip into the pan while you roll out your pastry. Get a deep baking dish roughly 22 x 30cm. Dust a clean surface and a rolling pin with a bit of flour and roll your pastry out so it’s about double the size of your dish. Spoon that thick leek mixture from your sieve into the pie dish and spread it out evenly. Lay your pastry on top, tuck the ends under then gently score the pastry diagonally with your knife. Add a pinch of salt to your beaten egg then paint this egg wash over the top of your pastry. Pop your pie in the oven for about 35 to 40 minutes or until the pastry is puffed up and golden brown. When the pie is ready, re-heat the lovely gravy and serve with your pie, along with some peas, green beans or even a salad. A glass of wine is great with this feel good meal.
Then dinner is served..this is great because you can make it early and eat when you are ready.

Eat, Drink and be Merry !!!

2009-12-22T07:43:00.001-08:00

The holiday season seems to be stressful for most people, I believe this is because people put to much pressure on themselves to have a Holiday season that they see in the movies or on TV..

As for me it is all about the family, friends and food...

The family should only be the one you like and don't have to impress !!!
The friends should be the best of friends, you know the ones that are always there,even in the bad times.
The Food should be whatever your hearts desire..you can do traditional, or whatever you are into at that time.

For me I go traditional all the way....Turkey with my mom's stuffing, potatoes,carrots green bean and gravy...
With a desert of sticky toffee pudding....Yummy!!!
Whatever you decide to do, just have fun, this time of year should not stress you out, it should bring you peace..
Merry Christmas from my kitchen to yours!!
Deb

Sunday Morning Breakfast

2009-12-13T13:07:00.000-08:00

My family loves to eat breakfast, ( really anytime of the day). This morning my hubby (Chris) and I decided that Eggs Benedict should be on the menu. After were poached the eggs, made the bacon, the hollandaise sauce was next...cracked the eggs, whipped in butter..and the results OK but not great..the search is still on for the perfect Hollandaise (I'l find the easy one).

So we will keep trying and will post the minute we find it...

The best part is cooking together anyway !!!!

These cookies make great gifts

2009-12-12T15:03:00.000-08:00

I was sitting thinking how expensive the holiday season can be for everyone. For those of you with kids in school, like me, there is the teacher gift in addition to friends and family.

This cookie recipe is quick, easy and tastes great, it was given to me by a friend and I decided that if I put them into a holiday tin, that would make great gifts...we all know everyone loves to get homemade treats during the holidays.

Ginger Cookies
Hard with cracks ing their sugar coating...
3/4 cup lard
1 cup brown suger
1 egg
4tablespoons molasses
21/4 cup flour
2 teaspoons baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1 teaspoon ginger
1/2 teaspoon cloves
white sugar

Blend lard and sugar , add egg and molasses and beat until blended..Sift flour, salt,baking soda and spices, add to creamed mixture and blend. put the dough in a cold place till it is well chilled. Shape into balls the size of a small walnut, roll them in white sugar and put 2 inches apart on a greased baking sheet, pressing them a bit flat with a fork.
Back at 350 degrees for 10 to 12minutes.

Don't buy the dreaded can of Cranberry sauce !!

2009-12-11T12:23:00.000-08:00

The thought of that really bad cranberry sauce in a can makes me want to skip Christmas dinner.. But I have a great recipe for you this year.. really easy and quick and you will impress friends and family at the same time. This recipe gives you enough for 8 250ml jars..keep some for yourself, 1 for Christmas dinner and 1 for dressing on your turkey sandwiches with the leftover turkey. Then put some ribbon on the other 6 jars and give as gifts.. But be careful they will want this every year.

Cranberry Sauce

9 cups of fresh cranberries (3bags)

3 cups of sugar ( to taste)

zest of 1 clementime

fruit and juice of same clementime chopped as fine as possible

3cups water

Put all of the ingredients in a large pot and bring to a boil.
Reduce and simmer until it gets thick, stirring and smashing cranberries to the texture you like

This will take less than a 1/2 hour and now you don't have to eat that canned stuff.
Jar as you would jam. or you could cut the recipe and just keep in the fridge in airtight container for couple of days.