All things food

New Year Simple Garlic Coleslaw

2014-12-31T09:42:00.001-08:00

It's that time of year again when we wrap up Christmas with New Year's celebrations. I am thankful that 2014 is coming to a close and that we can begin 2015 with a clean slate. Don't get me wrong I am grateful for so many things this year, the addition of some new garden space, my family and friends, my successful gall bladder surgery, my youngest daughter's graduation from high school, my "coming soon" newest niece, new friendships, etc.

On top of it all, I am also blessed to have made a wonderful friend this year (I will call her "G") who is an absolute gem. She is somewhat older than me, but to listen to her you'd think she was 40 years old. I love that she is quick witted, humorous and boy, can she cook. In a way she reminds me a little of Oprah Winfrey, Tina Fey and of Paula Dean all rolled up into one package. Her outlook on life is contagious to say the least and there is never a moment where she isn't laughing, smiling or building others up. She's truly is a blessing this year.

So in honor of "G" I am sharing her recipe for a coleslaw that she made for me this year with the optional addition of pine nuts. I am a pine nut freak and love them in coleslaw and salad.

Coleslaw Mix

1.5 cups finely shredded green cabbage
1.5 cups finely shredded red cabbage
2 large carrots, grated
4 green onions finely chopped
1/4 cup toasted pine nuts (optional)

Dressing

1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 tbsp salad dressing
1-2 tbsp white vinegar (this depends on your taste)
1-2 tsp sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp celery seed
1/2 tsp red chili pepper flakes
2 cloves garlic crushed

Prepare the coleslaw mix, except the pine nuts, and place in a large bowl. Blend all the dressing ingredients in a separate bowl and pour over coleslaw mix to coat. Garnish the coleslaw with the pine nuts and refrigerate.

This coleslaw has a stupendous flavour if made 24 hours in advance, however it can be made the same day you will be serving it. I have made it four hours before a dinner and the result is still to-die-for amazing.

This works very well with pork or beef and I would think would be delicious if done up with pulled pork in a wrap. Is anybody else getting hungry, or is it just me?

Enjoy!

Slow and Steady, Creamy Spinach Dip

2014-12-27T21:53:00.000-08:00

This Christmas was so very different in a lot of ways and so very much the same in others. We had lots of company throughout Christmas, tested out the new bar, drank, ate and were merry! On top of all that we had two new additions to the dinner table this year as the girls invited their significant others and we definitely shared many laughs.

In all the years past, even though we had lots of company we never thought the day would come that we would be breaking Christmas bread with our girls and their boyfriends. I think the most shocking thing this year was learning that both our girls are in very serious relationships and that wedding bells may be in the not so distant future.

As their mother I can say that I am nervous for my girls but I am also excited for them as they are each beginning a new chapter in their lives that is well worth the read.

When I first started blogging I was doing it because it felt good to experiment and get my ideas down on "paper" when I could, but today I am rethinking that. I now look at my blog as a family cookbook dedicated to my girls and (fingers crossed) future generations of our family.

So on that note I would like to share my slow cooker spinach dip. Now I don't make this often unless we are having a larger group, and then I will double the recipe because the family and company will gobble it up. The best part is that since it's made in the slow cooker it frees up the oven for any other hor d'oeuvres that need to be made.

Without further ado here is the recipe for a single batch:

1 - 8oz brick of cream cheese, cubed
1 cup plain Greek yoghurt
1/3 cup mayonnaise
1 cup shredded Havarti
1/4 cup finely chopped red pepper
1/8 cup minced sweet onion (can also be finely chopped green onion)
1 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp pepper
2 cups fresh spinach, chopped

Place all the ingredients in a slow cooker, cover and turn on high. Once the cream cheese is melted, keep the slow cooker on high for an additional 2 hours. Serve with pumpernickel rye bread, or crackers. I promise this no fail, delicious and will surely impress your family and friends.

Merry Christmas everyone, and as always enjoy!

Versatile Radishes - the pickle of dreams

2014-07-28T13:07:00.000-07:00

Last week I had talked about the radish as a "whole food" source and that all parts of the plant are edible. Strangely enough for the last week, and I kid you not, I have been dreaming of pickled radish seed pods!

It may come as a surprise to you but I have never had pickled radish seed pods. Now my subconscious has focused on this and I have been dreaming the dream of pickles. To satisfy my subconscious and my burning desire to taste something new, I decided that maybe it was time to give it a go.

Yesterday I pulled just over two cups of radish seed pods from the garden. Admittedly I munched on a few while working but I left myself two cups so that I could pickle a pint of them......

Now pickling anything is a labor of love, but this is much more true with radish seed pods as they are not very big. First I cleaned them by running them under cold water. Then I patted them dry and loaded them into a wide mouth pint jar. To this I added garlic scapes and a small head of garlic. Why not right? After all pickled garlic is wickedly good, so this should add a nice little punch to the seed pods.

Never having pickled radish seed pods I went to the internet looking to see if there is a simple recipe for first time radish seed pod picklers (talk about a mouth full). Let me just say there are many recipes, some pretty straight forward, others with an Asian influence and then the time consuming variety that takes at least two days to complete...yikes!

To keep it simple I followed this recipe at http://beekman1802.com/recipes/pickled-radish-pods/

It's a good starter recipe for someone who has never pickled seed pods before.

In a few weeks, once I am able to taste the pickles it should give me an idea of what I want to add or change. I'm thinking peppers and radish seed pods might work well together, then again maybe dill? I am also thinking of changing the standard white vinegar to a nice apple cider vinegar....maybe I will dabble in lacto-fermenting. I guess we will have to wait and see. Until then I leave you with this.....

First jar ever! I can't wait to taste these little babies.

Nourish beginnings, let us nourish beginnings. Not all things are blest, but the seeds of all things are blest. The blessing is in the seed. - Muriel Rukeyser

Enjoy!

Versatile Radishes

2014-07-20T16:55:00.000-07:00

Summertime is upon us and the weather just keeps getting weirder and weirder. This summer we have had rain up to the eyeballs followed by hot spells and cold spells. Needless to say it's been difficult on all farmers, both rural and urban.

I'd like to think of myself as a part-time foodie. Don't get me wrong I mix some pretty pedestrian foods into the household diet, but for the most part I love to play with my ingredients and my food. When I can, I make as much from scratch as possible. Bread, ice cream, yogurt, cheese and crème fraîche are just a number of things I have made in the past.

This year I am focusing on the almighty organic vegetable. Specifically the radish. Now most people I spoke to either love radishes or hate them. Some find them too hot when they're fresh and others hate the store-bought variety when they are not in season. But radishes are more then the red globe you find at the store.

All the radish plant is edible, from the sprout, to the red globe root vegetable, to the leaves, to the seed pods (aka the fruit pod). The seed pods by the way, are just as delicious as the radish, minus the intense heat when they are picked young. The seed pods can be eaten fresh or cooked and can also be pickled. The root vegetable can be served raw or roasted, the greens are great sauteed (they're a little too prickly to be eaten raw), pretty much like any other green and of course who can forget about that delicious little sprout? The possibilities are endless. Talk about a winning veggie!

Radishes are a great addition to your garden as they are easily replenished by reseeding. In about 7 to 10 days a new radish supply can be sprouted and in about 3 weeks a new crop can be harvested. If you are looking for just the seed pod this will take longer, however be sure to pull the pods when they are young, as older pods become very fibrous.

These days, I know most of us are conscientious when it comes to nutrition and what we put into our bodies. So I am including the nutritional information.

USDA Nutritional Information

Trust me when I say, you won't get fat eating radishes unless you sauté them in a pound of butter and bacon fat and then top them off with a couple of cups of cream! Personally I love my radishes straight up naked.

Not sure what the seed pod looks like? Take a look at this photo...

Here's our fresh radish seed pods on the bottom right of this photo

Here's the salad we had with dinner. Fresh everything! And yes the seed pods made it into the salad.

Home grown and organic. Purple and green leaf lettuce, arugula, kale, radish seed pods and nasturtium blossoms dressed with olive oil, white wine vinegar, lemon juice, fresh thyme, oregano and rosemary and a dash of salt and pepper.

The next time your in the mood for something different and are looking to be inspired, look to the multipurpose radish.

Crunchy Granola Bars

2014-03-31T13:44:00.000-07:00

For the last few weeks now I have been working on perfecting my granola bar recipe. I didn't want it to be like a cookie nor was I looking for brittle, rather I was trying to develop a recipe that was reminiscent of the crunchy granola bars you can buy off the shelf at the local supermarket.

Some of you may think, 'well why not just buy it off the shelf and save yourself the headache?' True this would be easier but then I lack the control of what goes into my granola bar, plus I miss out on the opportunity to "play" with my food. I prefer non GMO, organic foods with ingredients I understand.

Besides these last few weeks haven't been a total write off. In my search for quality ingredients, I managed to stumble upon the Red River General Store and the wonderful products they sell there. I bought 100% Rolled Naked Oats produced locally by Adagio Acres, seeds from +Baker Creek Heirloom Seed Company, microgreens, and essential oils. I also found a little tea shop not too far from home. The Exquisite Tea store is where I picked up a tea travel mug and some organic tea for my daughter's birthday and I found some raw honey from +The John Russell Honey Company there. All in all I would have to say that I found so many good products at some new places and I look forward to going back to get some new ingredients.

Back to the granola bars, here's a snapshot of these scrumptious little treats. I can say there was more than this but as soon as they were cool enough to handle, they started to disappear in droves.

These are simple to make and really take no time at all to prepare. On top of that you can substitute anything for the coconut, almonds, raisins, extract and yes even the type of oil you use. So you can really tune into your taste and make these your own.

Crunchy Granola Bars

1/2 cup toasted Organic Quinoa

1/2 cup toasted coconut

1/2 cup toasted, slivered almonds

1/2 cup raisins

2 cups oats

1/2 cup arrowroot flour

1/2 cup honey

1/4 cup olive oil

1 tbsp maple extract (or whatever flavor you like)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Begin by toasting the quinoa, then coconut, followed by almonds. Move these ingredients to a bowl and while they are still warm add the remainder of the ingredients. Blend in by hand. Cover a 16x9 cookie sheet with parchment paper and pour the mix into the center of the pan, spread the mixture over the pan. Using another sheet of parchment paper to cover the pan, use a rolling pin to spread the mixture out evenly. Once the mixture is evenly spread out, remove the parchment paper from the top of the pan. Bake for about 15-20 minutes.

When done remove from oven and let cool for about 10 minutes. Using a sharp knife or pizza cutter, if you have one, cut the mixture into bars about 2x4 inches. Do not remove the bars from the pan until completely cooled.

Once they are cooled, store in an airtight container in the refrigerator.

Makes about 20 bars.

Enjoy!

Life finds a way - follow-up

2014-03-19T18:33:00.001-07:00

Some time ago I had posted about growing vegetables from cuttings (asexual propagation). I wanted to let you know where I was at with my "experiment".

If you recall I has started fennel, cabbage and celery. Here's the good and bad news........

I have successfully transplanted the cabbage and celery (yay!) but the fennel was finicky and decided not to sprout any roots. Sadly the fennel and I parted ways. I think in the end what did the fennel in was that it was sitting in too much water so it started rotting. I will try this again and will try to create a humid environment without sitting the cuttings in water. I may also try coating the base of the plant with a thin layer of honey as this is supposed to be good at protecting the cutting from rotting. Back to the drawing board for this one.

Not to fear though I replaced the fennel with garlic, red onion, green onion, Savoy cabbage, red cabbage, romaine lettuce and Bok Choy.

I have since potted the celery, cabbage, and red onion, the green onion is fine in a glass of water as I just cut the tops off when some is needed for whatever I am cooking. Not to worry though once the ground thaws and I have planted my garden, I will be transplanting these to a pot to give them rest and let them enjoy some much needed nutrients.

I know when I first started this project well over a month ago I had my doubts, but now I have to admit, I am converted. I do think that if you want fresh all year long, even in the depths of a never ending polar vortex, you can have it, you just have to try. Let me share some of the most recent photos of my indoor garden.

That's garlic pushing it's way through the dirt!

Red onion growing strong!

Savoy cabbage, only a week old and is well on its way!

Red cabbage, a new addition exactly 2 weeks old and looks like it will do well.

Romaine lettuce is coming along nicely!

Bok Choy only a week old and is starting in high gear.

This cabbage is growing like wildfire, soon we'll be eating fresh cabbage.

I've been picking off the leaves of my very aromatic and versatile friend, celery! Now that it's potted it is growing quickly!

Here are some final thoughts that may help you along in your quest to becoming a true locavore.

I am finding above all that patience is key to getting these cuttings to do what they need to. Sure I could use products to encourage root formation but like anything, I think it's best to let the cuttings decide when they're ready.
The trick to keeping your cuttings healthy is to change your water often (every other day if possible). Keep your cuttings sitting in water at all times (okay maybe not fennel), not too much but just enough to cover the base so that the cuttings grow roots.
Most importantly monitor, monitor, monitor, your eyes and nose won't lie to you. If it stinks it's rotting, if it looks like it's forming roots it probably is. Transplant into a clean pot with nutrient rich soil to ensure your plant grows healthy and strong.
Keep your indoor garlic separate from your outdoor garlic. Why? Garlic may carry disease. If you transplant to your garden you risk infecting your whole supply.
Last but not least, enjoy a glass of wine, relax and grow, grow, grow!

The perfect ending of a long week...Heavenly Honey Chocolate Chia Tea Ice Cream

2014-03-08T17:50:00.001-08:00

This week felt extremely long because of the enduring cold and never ending snow. I found myself hiding in the kitchen more than anything else to shake the winter doldrums.

I find that it's weeks like this that will either see your creativity flare or it will drop it like a lead balloon. Thankfully my creativity is intact, because hey let's face it, there really isn't much else to do when you're surrounded by five and six foot snow piles.

This was dinner tonight....rosemary and garlic roasted potato wedges, Napa Cabbage Slaw and pan seared steaks with mushroom, onion and blue cheese sauce.

Needless to say, it was delicious!

However, the star dish tonight was the dessert. This was definitely the perfect ending to this week. Heavenly Honey Chocolate Chia Tea ice cream.

Here's the recipe:

2 cups heavy cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup honey
3 tsp Chia Tea (Epicure Selections variety) in a tea ball or basket
8 egg yolks, beaten
1 cup heavy cream
1 cup half and half
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tbsp cane sugar

Add 2 cups cream, vanilla and honey to sauce pan and warm over medium heat just until simmering. Remove from heat and steep the tea into this mixture for about 20 to 30 minutes. While the tea is steeping prepare egg yolks by whisking them in a bowl. Remove the tea from the mixture, add the remaining ingredients and return the pan to a medium low heat.

As your mixture begins to warm slowly incorporate 1 cup of the heated mixture to the egg yolks and whisk. Once your eggs yolks have been tempered, slowly pour it back into the sauce pan, and continue to whisk. Continue heating until the mixture begins to thicken, once this is achieved remove from heat and let cool down to room temperature. When the mixture has cooled pour into your ice cream maker and blend as per your manufacturers instructions.

I served this with blackberries and chocolate Biscotti, but either way dressed up or dressed down, you'll realize that you've been eating ice cream in black and white until you have this "full colour" version!

Enjoy!

Fat Sunday

2014-03-02T20:38:00.000-08:00

In our house, as I suspect in most homes, Sunday is usually the one night where we take the time to cook up something soulful and delicious. We call it Fat Sunday. Well today's Fat Sunday was no different than the last one. I got busy with a nice focaccia bread, a heartwarming potato, onion, garlic, kale and cream soup and then finished off with some stuffed pasta shells.

Needless to say dinner was delicious.

With spring just around the corner I have been busy setting up for the vegetable garden and doing a lot of reading on edible wildflowers, weeds, and berries. I have also been spending some time of late developing a Honey Chia Tea Ice Cream.

I recently bought Epicure's Chia Tea blend and I am so in love with the product and its heavenly flavour, which I can't begin to describe. Add to this the product is non GMO and completely organic, let's just say it's well worth the money and will inspire you to new heights.

While I haven't made the ice cream yet, I do plan to make this a recipe this month.

Back to the stuffed pasta shells. I remember trying to stuff pasta shells about 12 years ago and they ended up being mushy and not stuffed at all. I was disheartened and frustrated and decided I would not try stuffing pasta shells again until I was good and ready. Well today I was good and ready.

The trick to making up these puppies is to not overcook the pasta before they are stuffed. Something that I missed the first time. Today I cooked the pasta just until they started to soften, then I drained them and rinsed them in cold water to stop the cooking process. This makes it so easy to work with the shells and they don't fall apart when you fill them. Here's the recipe for the filling.

Meaty pasta shell filling

1.5 lbs cooked lean ground beef
1 large onion
2 cloves elephant garlic
1/2 red pepper diced
1/2 green pepper diced
200 grams button mushrooms, cleaned and sliced
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp thyme
1/2 tbsp basil
salt pepper to taste
750 g cottage cheese
1/2 cup fresh grated parmesan

1 cup grated mozzarella

On medium heat cook meat until there is almost no pink left and then add onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms, seasonings. Cook until onions are translucent and mushrooms are cooked through. Remove from heat and drain off any fat. Let the meat mixture cool.

While the filling is cooling line up shells in 9x13 pan. Depending on the size of box you bought you may have enough to also fill an 8x8 pan. Don't worry this recipe freezes well, and that means one less dinner you will have to make from scratch when you're in a rush.

Once the filling has cooled add the cottage cheese and freshly grated parmesan. Stuff the shells with the filling and place back in the pan. Top with homemade pasta sauce and mozzarella cheese. Place in the oven at 400 degrees until the top is bubbling, then remove and serve.

Homemade pasta sauce:

1 large can of diced tomatoes (or 1 quart home canned tomatoes)
1 tin tomato paste
a pinch of sugar
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp celery salt
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp oregano
1 tbsp basil
1 tsp rosemary
1 tsp parsley
1/2 tsp smoked paprika

Put all ingredients in a sauce pan and bring to a boil on medium heat. Stir occasionally to ensure that the sauce is not sticking to the bottom of the pan, lower heat and let simmer for about 1 and a 1/2 hours to reduce and thicken the sauce. When this is achieved, the sauce is ready.

If at the end of all this you decide you would rather not have the extra work of filling pasta shells, no problem. This sauce and meat mixture works really well with any pasta and makes a great lazy-mans pasta casserole.

Enjoy!

Oh Canada cherry cheesecake ice cream

2014-02-15T12:14:00.001-08:00

Yesterday was a busy day as I have been preparing for some out of town company. Not just any out of town company, my baby sister and her husband are here for the weekend. I have been looking forward to this visit for some time.

Last I spent some time trying to think about a dessert that my sister would enjoy while she was here. It didn't take long as I recalled a discussion that my mother in law and I had last week. We talked about ice cream and I had mentioned making a cherry cheesecake ice cream. This one had been rolling around in the back of my head because it was one of those things from my childhood that stood out in my mind. Every Christmas my mom made a no bake cherry cheesecake, it was a family favorite and it was yummy.

I know this is not an original idea as there are many cheesecake inspired ice creams out there. In the end it doesn't matter as long as it reminds us of our childhood, I am sure my sister will approve.

I broke this recipe down into steps which I find easier to work with. Don't worry it looks daunting but it really isn't.

Here's the recipe:

3 3/4 cup cream or milk or a combination of both
1 brick cream cheese

Bring this to a simmer over medium low heat, stirring constantly to ensure it doesn't burn on the bottom of the pan.

Once you've achieved a gently bubble, remove from heat and let cool down. This does take a while but for good reason as we're not interested in having scrambled egg yolk ice cream.

Step two

7 egg yolks
1 cups sugar
In a separate bowl combine the yolks and sugar until smooth and creamy.

Step three

Once the cream and cheese have cooled blend in the yolk and return to medium low heat for about 7 minutes. Just enough time to get it to a custard stage, then remove.

Step four

1 cup graham wafer crumbs
1+ tbsp vanilla
540 ml cherry pie filling

Add the cup of crumbs and a good glug of vanilla. I know glug is not technical but think of it as my way of saying more than a tablespoon less than two tablespoons.

Step five

Now set up your ice cream maker and freeze according to the manufacturers instructions.

Step six

Once your ice cream is ready transfer to a freezer container fold in the canned cherries. if you fold it in rather than stir it makes a beautiful blend of red and cream. It actually reminds me of the Canadian flag.

Step seven

Wait about three to four hours for the ice cream to firm up....Sit back relax, have a cup of tea, take a nap or nice hot bath.

Once it's ready, serve on a bed of graham cracker crumbs or straight up and enjoy!

From Canada with love......simple asparagus soup

2014-02-09T16:52:00.001-08:00

Today I decided to make an asparagus soup for something fresh, green and healthy to slurp up while spending the evening watching our Canadian athletes perform.

I intentionally saved the cut ends from last nights dinner so I could make this soup. Now reality is that I have never made an asparagus soup from just the base of the plant before, nor have I ever made asparagus soup, so this was either going to work or be an utter failure. Needless to say the soup was a definite success as there are no leftovers to be had.

I've been thinking about why this recipe worked and I figure it's because we all know what we like and what we don't like. The common bond world over is that our taste buds don't lie. While there are many different variations of this soup, at the end of the day I just went with what I felt would taste good and what I knew my family would be willing to try.

So here it is, from Canada with love, simple asparagus soup:

1 litre chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tbsp Epicure chicken bouillon, heaping
2 bunches of asparagus bases
1 tsp curry
salt and pepper to taste
bacon
smoked cheddar or parmesan
table cream

In a large stock pot, bring all your ingredients to a boil, reduce heat and let simmer until the asparagus has softened. Once softened use a hand immersion blender to puree the asparagus.

Top with bacon, sliced smoked Cheddar or Parmesan and pour in a small amount of cream, about a 1/4 cup.

Serve with an open faced grilled cheese.

Enjoy!

Ode to the Canadian Prairies, Saskatoon berry style

2014-02-08T17:49:00.002-08:00

I decided today I would try oven roasted endive. Now that everything is said and done, dinner eaten, belly sufficiently satisfied, I have to say it's not my favorite.

Don't get me wrong it does have a mellow enough flavor, that is until you get down to the base. It's quite juicy and tender for sure, but it is way too bitter. So now I am challenging myself to find a way to cook the endive where the bitterness is removed or at least less pronounced.

Next time I may try to brine the endive first, or salt the base, to pull some of the bitterness out....either way it's something to think about.

Now as for the rest of the meal, it was a definite winner.

What did we eat, you ask? Let me show you.....

Consider this my ode to the Canadian Prairies, Saskatoon berry style. Steamed asparagus and venison sausage (homemade) with a Saskatoon berry sauce.

While I can't share the recipe for the homemade sausage, as it belongs to the in-laws, I can share the Saskatoon berry sauce which goes so well with the venison sausage and will be an excellent compliment to a venison tenderloin.

Here's how I did it:

I cooked the sausage in a skillet in the oven, when it was just about cooked through, I moved it on to the stove top and finished off the sausage by searing it on medium high heat. Then I removed the sausage from the pan and added the following:

3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp bacon fat
1/3 cup sweet onion, finely diced
1 clove garlic, finely diced

I cooked this until the onion was translucent. Once the onion was cooked I added the following:

A splash of balsamic vinegar
1 cup of wine

I let this reduce then added:

1 heaping teaspoon of Ligonberry sauce (from Ikea)
1 cup of Saskatoon berries

I warmed the berries through and once the mix was frothing I added a heaping tablespoon of butter.

I removed from the heat and served with the venison sausage.

Final thoughts:

This sauce pairs so well with the venison and it's a great way to eat wild game and local berries. I also think you could use any berry jelly you have on hand.

As always, enjoy!

Olympic Gold Espresso Inspired Chocolate Ice Cream

2014-02-06T19:46:00.003-08:00

To celebrate the Olympics at home, I decided to make a chocolate ice cream with a wonderful hint of espresso flavoring.

I know you're thinking what I'm thinking....Olympians are healthy, heavy cream is not. But even Olympian fans need to eat right? Besides think about it, you are making this yourself; no stabilizers or mystery ingredients, so how is this not healthy? Besides I didn't say eat the whole container of ice cream, even though it would be super delicious.

The only warning about this ice cream or any other of my cream based recipes I could ever post is this: Moderation is key when it comes to using heavy cream or any cream as the primary ingredient in any dish. "User discretion is advised."

Here's the recipe:

70 grams Bakers Premium Dark Chocolate
30 grams Bakers Unsweetened Chocolate

Melt this in a double boiler. Once melted blend in the following ingredients in this order:

1/2 cup confectioners sugar
1 tbsp instant coffee grinds
4 cups heavy cream
4 egg yolks
1/2 cup Greek yogurt

Once everything is evenly blended pour your mixture into your 2 quart ice cream maker and blend.

Enjoy!

Nirvana for chocolate lovers world wide!

Quick "cup cake"!

2014-02-04T18:29:00.002-08:00

This is the mini version of the Quick Bake Epicure Cake. Heaven help me! Seriously. This has to be illegal, it's so easy to make and so good. Perfect if you are not interested in eating the whole cake but are looking to just satisfy that sweet tooth.

Here it is:

3 heaping tbsp cake mix, any kind will do.
3 tbsp water
1 tbsp greek yogurt

Blend all together until no lumps remain, microwave on high for about 1 to 2 minutes.

Note: If you are not sure how long it will take to bake in your microwave then start with 1 minute and increase by 30 sec intervals until your "cup cake" is done.

Seriously now, enjoy!

Divine cream of mushroom soup

2014-02-03T16:39:00.000-08:00

Homemade cream of mushroom soup. Have you ever heard of anything else so divine. I guess if your not a mushroom lover, this would turn you off, but if you are....well let's just say you'll never buy canned cream of mushroom soup again.

I was given a recipe from a friend about a year ago and then misplaced it. It was a very good soup so I tried to come up with my own version the first time I made it, some from memory the rest I made up as I went along.

Since the first batch I have found the recipe and mine is not too terribly different than his, good to know that my memory is pretty spot on.

This recipe calls for 3 different varieties of mushrooms. I always use white button mushrooms, portabellas and either shiitakes or oysters but I say use what you like because not all mushrooms taste the same.

Note: Remove the stem of the shiitakes as they are tough. Don't forget to clean the mushrooms thoroughly.

This recipe is adapted from Wilson Agawin's mushroom soup recipe.

1 medium sweet white onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 lbs assorted mushroom, sliced
3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 cup white wine
1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup butter
4 cups chicken stock (homemade preferred, if not, low sodium from the store)
1/2 tbsp thyme
1 tbsp basil
2 cups table cream
salt & pepper to taste

In a large stock pot sautée mushrooms, onion and garlic in olive oil. When mushrooms are cooked through add white wine and let cook down.

Move all the mushrooms to one side of the pot, melt the butter and add the flour. Whisk to ensure that a lump free roux is achieved. Let the roux cook for a minute or two to cook out the flour flavor then slowly add the chicken stock. Continue to whisk to ensure that the stock and roux blend well.

Once the stock and roux are blended let it boil gently for about 7 minutes then add the thyme, basil, cream and salt and pepper. Let the soup simmer for an additional 15 minutes then remove from heat and serve.

Serve with bread, smoked aged cheddar or garnish with garlic pesto.

Enjoy!

Quick Bake Epicure Cake

2014-02-02T14:39:00.001-08:00

So in my post Quick, Homemade, Ovenless, No Fat Potato Chips....WHAT?! I talked about my recent Epicure purchase. I also ordered a square steamer. I already had the meals planned out last week so I knew I wasn't going to be able to test it right away.

But of course that didn't last long as curiosity got the better of me. So I decided to try baking a cake with it in the microwave. I researched what feels like a gazillion recipes online, and I tried a few but wasn't happy with the overall results. Either they were too dry and crumbly or they were very heavy.

So today I continued my journey to discovering the best microwave cake and came up with my own recipe.

As the title of this post suggests it is quick and easy and can all be done in the square steamer, so no big messes to clean up after. I love this the best.

Here's the recipe:

4 cups boxed cake mix (any flavour, heck try two!)
2 tbsp oil and water to make one full cup
1/2 cup yogurt (the more yogurt you add the denser your cake will be)

Put all the ingredients in the square steamer blend with a fork until smooth and microwave on high for 8 minutes.

Let cake cool, top with whipped cream and dust with cocoa. Serve.

Note: You may have to play with the time to bake depending on the make and model of your microwave, but this is the easiest no fuss cake I have ever made.

This is definitely worth the investment I made in the steamer!

Enjoy!

Super Bowl Chili

2014-02-01T17:48:00.000-08:00

My younger daughter is a huge sports fan and with the Super Bowl literally just around the corner, tomorrow to be exact, she decided to make a chili.

This is her recipe (based on my recipe). So delicious.

1.5 lbs lean ground beef
3 large cloves of garlic, finely chopped
1/2 large sweet onion, diced
1 green pepper, diced
1 can mushrooms
1-796 ml can diced tomatoes, drained
1-156 ml can tomato paste
2-540 ml can 6 bean mix
4 tbsp taco seasoning (recipe follows the picture)

In a large stock pot brown beef on medium heat. Once browned, drain off any fat and return to pot. Add onion, garlic, peppers, mushrooms and seasoning. Cook until onions are translucent then add tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir. Let this cook on low slow heat for about 20 minutes then stir in both cans of beans and continue to cook on low slow heat. After 20 minutes remove from heat and serve. You may garnish with sour cream, green onion, cheese, olives, etc and serve with Tostitos scoops.

Enjoy!

Taco seasoning:

6 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp curry
1tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
2 tsp paprika
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1/2 tsp ground thyme

Life finds a way! Even in the dead of winter.

2014-02-01T08:58:00.001-08:00

I decided that even though I live in "Winterpeg Manisnowba" that gardening in the winter is just as important as gardening in the summer.

That's right, even if you live in a region where you get snow up to your eyeballs and weather so cold it makes Jack Frost think again, you can still eat fresh greens throughout the winter.

If you recall in my post "Rumor has it, I didn't have dinner with Adele", I made a fennel salad. In my other post "How dirty is too dirty?" I made coleslaw. Well what did I do with the plant waste? Let me show you.....

Here's the cabbage regrowing from the core:

Here's the fennel regrowing from the bulb:

And here's something else.....celery:

The trick is to take the ends and to place them in enough water to cover just the bottom. I put my cuttings into 1 quart mason jars to create a mini green house for them and then I leave them on my kitchen window ledge. Every few days I change out the water and inspect the base for new roots.

In about 2 weeks these plants are ready to be transplanted to nutrient rich soil. Keep them on the window sill, if you can, so they are within easy reach to use.

You can also do this with green onions, leeks, bok choy and romaine lettuce. You can also grow garlic, ginger and fresh herbs too. Imagine what you could create with all this fresh food!

Enjoy!

Quick, Homemade, Ovenless, No Fat Potato Chips....WHAT?!

2014-01-30T17:00:00.000-08:00

Who knew.....I love it when I buy a product for the kitchen and it works!

I am a huge Epicure fan, have been for many years. This week I remember why.

Earlier this week I ordered myself a Chipster and Slicer to make no fat potato chips and my order came today. Just like every kid at Christmas time I couldn't wait to take it for a spin. I came home, cleaned the Chipster and Slicer before using them for the first time and then I got to work slicing potatoes.

I placed my slices on the Chipster (just like the picture) and microwaved away.....

I used four potatoes in total and let me tell you I could have done a whole bag. The end result is a crispy, oil free potato that I get to control the salt and seasonings on....yummy!

If you are looking for a guiltless potato chip that you can proudly call homemade, this is the way to go!

You can also make sweet potato chips and apple chips (I have yet to try these, but I will!) I say this is well worth the money you will spend even if you're not a chip hound.

Note: I used red potatoes, they are more starchy than Yukon golds, so you may have to adjust the time in the microwave. Next time I'm using Yukon golds!

If you don't have an Epicure consultant send me a message and I will give you the name of one. No it isn't me.

What to do on a cold Sunday afternoon

2014-01-26T16:04:00.001-08:00

If there is something I totally detest besides waste, it's being bored. So today to break the boredom, due to the never ending polar vortex, I decided to use up the cream in the fridge. First I started my day by making butter.....some of you probably think that this is nuts, but if you've never tried it, don't knock it. After the butter and with plenty of cream left I decided to make another ice cream. (more on this another day)

Everybody else around here gets worried when I say I'm bored because it's a crap shoot as to whether I will want to deep clean the house, start another d-i-y project or if I will cook. Once they figure out what type of bored mood I'm in usually determines how fast they scatter to the four corners of the earth, or if they scatter at all.

I have been making butter for a few years now, it started out as a fun family project and blossomed into a "hell why not" routine. I watch for the sales and can usually pick up a litre of cream for about $2 if I play my cards right. Yes the cream is usually only a few days away from expiration but if I make all my butter the same day I buy the cream and freeze it, we end up with a lot of frozen butter to use up throughout the winter and I won't be paying almost $5 for a pound of butter when I need it.

Making butter is pretty easy and takes maybe 10 minutes from start to finish to whip up a batch.

Start by setting up what you will need:

Strainer
a large bowl of ice water
salt
bowl for buttermilk
air tight container
Either a mixer or jar for making the butter
heavy cream at room temperature
saran wrap / plastic wrap

Directions:

Start by pouring your cream into your mixing bowl. Place plastic wrap over the top of the bowl to stop the buttermilk from splashing everywhere, and begin mixing on medium to high speed.

For the purposes of these photos I kept the plastic wrap off.

Within the first couple of minutes you will already begin to notice a difference in the consistency of the cream.

Continue blending and very quickly you should see the fat beginning to coagulate:

You're not to far off from butter at this point.....and there it is.

Now the next steps are very important as they ensure that you don't end up with rancid butter after a day or two. Watch the video:

This is how much butter I got from my batch today:

Now if you're smart or lucky you will have home baked bread or some other goodies to spread this on. If you would rather store it for later, cover with air tight lid and freeze.

As for the buttermilk that you are left with, you can freeze this too or use fresh for buttermilk biscuits or some other pastry delicacy. You can also drink this up if you would like, it's really quite good!

One other reminder / warning butter can be addictive so please spread responsibly! :)

Enjoy!

Rumor has it, I didn't have dinner with Adele

2014-01-25T18:02:00.002-08:00

Sometime ago I had invited my sister Adele and her family over for dinner. I spent the better part of the week banging my head against the wall trying to think of something unique and delicious to prepare, and then it finally hit my like a bolt out of the blue;

Pork loin, infused with garlic and encrusted with Cajun seasoning served with barbecue sauce, a fennel orange salad and fresh homemade German inspired bread.

I was drooling at the very thought of a juicy Cajun pork loin and inspired by a fennel orange salad, and I couldn't wait to play chef to my sister, but it wasn't meant to be. Yesterday my sister let me know that they couldn't stay for dinner due to a last minute commitment they couldn't get out of.

There I was standing in my kitchen with all these great images of the culinary masterpiece I had only dreamed about, thinking that I would have to wait to prepare this meal for some special company. Then, of all things, Erma Bombeck popped into my head, and I remembered something that she said a long time ago "I would have burned the pink candle sculpted like a rose before it melted in storage."

My mom was a huge Erma Bombeck fan and I was the disinterested teenager who wasn't, but for some reason this is what came to mind. So I consider this meal to be my pink candle sculpted like a rose, and to my mom (Irma) and Erma B, this one's for you ladies, wherever you may both be.

The barbecue sauce was made using Chef Emeril's recipe:

http://www.rd.com/food/food/emerils-homemade-bbq-sauce-and-creole-seasoning-recipe/

I didn't change anything, but I will tell you it is very sweet. Next time I will use his recipe as a guide and I am going to switch the ketchup out for tomato paste. I will probably fiddle with the sugar amounts a little so my sauce doesn't end up too acidic.

For the pork:

I brined my pork for about 2 hours then rinsed it and then made cuts into the meat and put half a good sized clove of garlic into each slit. I then rubbed down the entire pork loin with the Cajun seasoning from my dirty rice post. I put the pork onto a grill in my roasting pan over water and roasted on slow low heat for about 2 hours.

For the salad I followed this recipe:

http://www.taste.com.au/recipes/10327/orange+fennel+salad+with+orange+vinaigrette

Was it good, yeah but I find that the amount of onion is too much and the fennel should really be served warm not cold. I will also be making changes to this recipe if you can't tell.

On to the bread.....I used a basic white bread recipe and then changed it up to pair better with tonight's meal.

Here's the recipe

2 cups warm water
2 tsp yeast
2 cups white flour with 1 tsp salt
1 cup whole wheat flour
1/3 cup molasses
2 tsp carraway seed

In a large bowl add yeast to warm water and let sit for 5-10 minutes. When the yeast has activated slowly begin to blend in the flours, molasses and carraway seed.

Once everything is nicely blended, cover the dough and set aside to double in size (about 30-45 minutes). Once doubled remove from bowl, knead on a well floured surface until dough is baby soft to the touch. Once this is achieved roll into a ball and place on a baking sheet. Cover and let rise again, about 20 minutes.

Once the dough is ready for baking brush the surface with olive oil. This keeps it from getting too crusty. Bake at 425 for 30-40 minutes.

When it's done, let cool slightly and serve with fresh butter.....Yummy!

Enjoy!

Macaroni, minions and the meal....

2014-01-20T16:36:00.000-08:00

As I was sorting through the pantry today I discovered a box of macaroni. And then I got a hankering for macaroni and cheese.

Sure I could make a box of convenient store bought mac and cheese but it doesn't compare to homemade. On top of that my family prefers homemade over boxed any day of the week. Sure homemade is not unnaturally orange but I guarantee it will be far more satisfying.

Most traditional recipes call for nutmeg, I prefer nutmeg in just about anything else but my macaroni so I have developed my own flavorful recipe.

While it is delicious, it can be time consuming so I suggest getting all the ingredients ready before you start making your sauce. If you have a minion or two handy (kid's or adults) have them give you a hand.

Preheat your oven the 350 degrees.

Prepare 5 cups macaroni, cooked to al dente and set aside.

Here is the ingredient list:

5 tbsp butter
1 clove garlic, crushed
1/3 cup flour
3 1/2 cups milk + 1 cup 18% cream (or you can just use milk)
1/2 tsp sage
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp celery salt
1 1/2 tsp salt
2 1/4 cups cheddar cheese (or whatever you prefer)
1/2 cup panko
parsley for garnish
paprika for garnish

In a large skillet or high sided sauce pan melt the butter, add the garlic and sautee for about a minute. Add the flour and whisk. Cook this for about a minute whisking constantly so the mixture doesn't burn.

Slowly pour in the milk and cream. Keep whisking to avoid lumps.

Once the mixture has thickened remove from heat and add the sage, thyme, smoked paprika, celery salt, salt and 2 cups of the cheese.

Pour this mixture over the macaroni and stir until it's coated evenly. Put this into a greased 13 x 9 pan.

Top with the remaining cheese, panko, paprika and parsley.

Cook this in the oven at 350 for about 30 minutes.

Et voilà, your mac and cheese is ready. Serve with whatever your heart desires. Enjoy!

Here's our meal from tonight.......

How dirty is too dirty?

2014-01-18T15:14:00.000-08:00

Tonight's dinner inspiration is Cajun based. Dirty rice with fresh cornbread and creamy coleslaw. I didn't have all the ingredients in the house for the dirty rice so I improvised.

Now the recipes I have found online all talk about using ground pork, bacon and chicken livers. For my recipe I used salt pork instead of bacon, ground chicken instead of pork and I omitted the livers. I also used a good quality brown rice instead of long grain white and I used my own spice blend for the recipe. Does this mean that it wasn't dirty enough? Nope, it just means it was a different kind of dirty, but it was still heavenly.

If you're looking to try dirty rice from scratch you may want to check out this recipe, it gives great step by step instructions:

http://www.simplyrecipes.com/recipes/dirty_rice/

The only problem with this recipe is that it is missing the Cajun seasoning ingredients, so if you are looking for a pretty straight forward seasoning recipe, check out, the Creole seasoning recipe from Chef Emeril Lagasse:

http://homecooking.about.com/od/spicerecipes/r/blspice14.htm

The difference between my Cajun seasoning and his is:

I add 2 tbsp smoked paprika + 1 tbsp regular paprika
I omit 1 tbsp salt and replace with 1 tbsp of celery salt
I add 1 tsp of crushed red chili peppers
I omit the oregano and add 1 tbsp of sage

If you are looking for something different, that makes your soul happy, this is it!

Enjoy!

Butterscotch (almond) breakfast buns- Ooey gooey good!

2014-01-17T18:46:00.002-08:00

The almond, cinnamon, honey stuffed loaf was my idea, the butterscotch almond breakfast buns were based on Chef Michael's recipe. Thank you Chef Michael!

Click the link to try these very simple to make yet delicious treats http://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/butterscotch-breakfast-buns/6842/

Meat loaf, who?

2014-01-12T15:42:00.003-08:00

What is it about a good meat loaf that is such a comfort food? I don't know about you, but when I think back to my childhood I didn't like meatloaf. To me it was a big brick of tasteless meat floating around in a sea of fat.

The only Meat Loaf I liked was the singer, everything else was "gross".

However, through the years (somewhere between there and here) I have discovered that not all meat loafs are the same, and depending on your experience level your meat loaf will only get better and better. Mine has gone from a grayish brown lump of cooked beef into a real treat.

This is an easy "asian" inspired recipe and I guarantee you'll be confident enough to serve this to company.

1 lb extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup panko bread crumbs
1 tsp celery salt
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
1/2 cup hoisin sauce
1/2 large onion, finely diced
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1/4 cup milk
1 egg, beaten

additional hoisin sauce

Blend all ingredients together and loosely pack into a loaf pan.

Bake at 350 for about 50 minutes. Remove from the oven and drain off any juices.

Move the meatloaf from the loaf pan and place on a baking sheet. Top with additional hoisin sauce and place back into the oven.

Bake for another 5-10 minutes.

Slice to the thickness of a deck of cards and serve with a fresh salad.

Enjoy!

The herb and spice girls.

2014-01-07T18:36:00.001-08:00

Herbs and spices who doesn't love them?

I think back to when I was just a kid myself and the food my Mom cooked for us. She was no Giada, Martha or Barefoot Contessa when it came to herbs and spices, but her homemade breads were to die for.

Most main dishes in our house were lightly salted and spiced with pepper; I think Mom always attempted to let the raw ingredients speak for themselves instead of letting the herbs and spices help tell the saga. Needless to say, both my sisters and I learned that this was the art to cooking. We were no herb and spice girls.

So imagine what happened the first time I cooked a chicken dinner for my husband. It wasn't pretty. He accused my food of being bland and cardboard like, and he suggested that I take lessons from his mom. My husband can be blatantly honest, God love him. It's that very honest feedback that made me want to be better, do better and cook better.

Fast forward to today....where would I be without my herbs and spices? Some of my personal favourites are celery, garlic, smoked paprika, basil, fennel, thyme, oregano, cardamom, cloves, chilies, rosemary, sage, lavender, dill and mint to name a few.

Every foodie, cook, wanna-be chef like me knows that these are our secret weapons to making a killer dish.

So in honour of all the herb and spice girls in my life, in laws included, I am sharing my own special hot chocolate blend that will warm you up from the top of your head to the tips of your toes.

1/4 cup cocoa powder
2 tbsp. instant coffee
1/2 cup dry milk powder
1/2 cup confectioner's sugar
1 square bakers white chocolate, shaved
2 tsp cinnamon
a pinch of cardamom

whole milk

Combine dry ingredients into an airtight container and shake.

To make up the hot chocolate use one heaping tablespoon per every cup of warm milk. Top with whipped cream and chocolate sauce or marshmallows.

Cozy up with someone special and enjoy!