From my country kitchen....This is it!!

Laziness

2011-04-22T12:13:00.000-07:00

Well what can I say.....I can come up with lots of reasons as to why I have ignored my blog but mainly the fact that we have moved our whole live further north has taken quite a lot of our time up. We have spent the last three months organising the house, buying new furniture, settling into our new jobs, forming new friendships and now that Spring is starting to emerge we have been tidying the garden. The list of jobs seem endless but we are both thoroughly enjoying ourselves.

I have not forgotten my blog on may occasion I have thought about taking the odd photo of what we have had for dinner but too be honest it would have been a slap dash post. We have eaten many roasts, devoured many slow cooked meals (Butter Chicken, Beef Stew, BBQ Ribs) scoffed our way through untold hearty cooked brunches and nibbled on continental breakfasts (pan au chocolates, fruit salads). The amount of food is astronomical!!! I sort of lost my excitement with my cooking but it is slowly creeping back in.

This Easter weekend is probably the second meal where lots of preparation has been required. We have some friends staying with us for the Easter weekend from Vancouver. My excitement for cooking has come back and I am planning and cooking meals for the fun weekend to be had. Our friends should be arriving this evening and after a long 8 hour drive I though a simple spaghetti bolognaise and caeser salad would go down nicely (Yes I know we should be eating fish but spag bol rules). The big meal of the weekend is Easter Sunday. I thought a buffet style meal would be nice, baked ham, potato gratin, veggie dips and curried coleslaw followed by a blueberry pie saturated in thick whipping cream. Mmm roll on Sunday. I promise I will post pictures.

Happy Easter

Banoffee Pie

2011-03-05T14:51:00.000-08:00

This has to be the most easiest pudding ever to make. The pictures unfortunatley do not do it justice. You can't beat bananas, cream, caramel. They are a match made in heaven and the taste is oh so worth it. Ian and I devoured the whole pie in one evening. The best thing of all there is really no cooking involved at all.

Banoffee Pie

2 Bananas

1 Cup Whipping Cream

1 Small tin Condensed Milk

Store bought Graham Cracker base

Firstly bring a large pan of water to a gently simmer. Add the tin of condensed milk (do not open the tin) to the pan ensuring the water covers the whole tin and continue to simmer for 4 hours (Don't worry it won't explode....it would if we were boiling the tine hard).The tin has to be submerged in the water for the full four hours. After four hours remove the tin from the pan and allow to cool slightly. Slice the bananas and layer one of them onto the graham cracker base and then pour the condensed milk (which will now be caramel) over top. Layer the second banana over top of the caramel layer. Whip the cream until you get soft peaks and spread over the top of the caramel and banana. Allow pie to sit in the fridge for a minimum of 2 hours to allow everything to firm up. Then get a huge spoon and tuck in!!!

German Meatballs with Beer Gravy

2011-02-21T15:13:00.000-08:00

I saw this recipe on the Food Channel and had to have a go at it myself. It was the beer gravy that got my attention first followed by the juicy meatball served inside a soft delicate whole onion. Yum yum!!!

I am so glad that I tried this recipe. It was a hearty flavorsome meal that Ian and I devoured in approximately 10 minutes flat. It has also given me another recipe that I can add to my repertoire.

German Meatballs

500g Ground Beef

1 Medium Red Onion finely diced

Handful Chopped Parsley

1/2-3/4 Cup Wholemeal Bread Crumbs

5 Rashers Crispy Bacon

1 Egg

Salt & Pepper

6 Medum White Onions

Gravy

1 Tbsp Butter

1 Tbsp Flour

1/2 Cup Beer

1/2 Cup Beef Stock

Combine the first six ingredients together and mix well. Season with salt and pepper and allow to sit whilst you prepare the white onions. Peal each of the six white onions and scoop out the middle layers of the onion leaving enough onion to support the meatball. Keep the root intact but trim it so the onion will sit straight. Stuff each onion with the meatball mixture allowing extra for the top (see picture!!!). Place all onion meatballs on a baking sheet and bake for 30-40 minutes in a preheated oven at 350 degrees or until golden brown.

To make the gravy melt the butter in a pan and stir in the flour to make a rue. Add the beer and stock. Continuously stir the gravy until it becomes thick Season with pepper to your taste.

Serve the meatballs with mashed potatoes and top off with the gravy.

Pea & Ham Soup

2011-02-02T09:23:00.000-08:00

A couple of weekends ago we had friends round for dinner and I had cooked a huge joint of ham which to be honest could have fed an army. I saved the bone and the remaining ham knowing that I would be making a pea and ham soup at a later date. And that date was yesterday. I had come of nights and I really did not want to face a full on meal. We enjoyed our soup with huge slices of posh cheese n toast (recipe here).

Pea & Ham Soup

Ham Hock ( with remaining meat intact)

Small Bag of Frozen Peas (500mg)

1 Medium Onion diced.

1 Medium Carrot diced

1 Stick Celery diced

500 ml Chicken Stock

1 Tbsp Dried Parsley

Salt & Pepper

Add a drizzle of oil to a large dutch oven and saute the onion, carrot and celery until softened. Add the chicken stock and the ham hock and simmer for approx 20-25 minutes. Then remove the ham hock and pour in the bag of peas and parsley. Continue to simmer. Meanwhile cut of the remaining meat from the ham bone and dice. Puree the soup with a blender until desired thickness and then add the ham pieces. Season with salt and pepper and serve in huge bowls.

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

2011-01-25T13:03:00.000-08:00

My first thought of this morning was Advanced Cardiac Life Support Revision versus Baking a Pineapple upside down cake. And you can all guess what one won. Instead of thinking adrenalin intravenous injections I was wanting a hit of sugar for a boost....and boy did I get one. This recipe has enough sugar to rot anyone's teeth!!!

I never really grew up eating this cake so I don't really know why I thought of it. It may have been because I had bought a huge can of pineapple rings but only really needed two rings to make the Hawaiian pizza we were having tonight.

I think I have missed out. This cake had a buttery sponge and was topped of with a gorgeous caramel flavored fruity topping. Yum. Perfect with a huge mug of tea whilst watching Emmerdale.

Some people use cherries as well as pineapple. I decided not too

Pineapple Upside Down Cake

1/2 Cup Unsalted Butter

1 Cup Brown Sugar

6 Pineapple Rings

1 Cup Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

3 Eggs seperated

5 Tbsp Pineapple Juice

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

Pre-heat the oven to 350 degrees. Add the butter to a nine inch baking pan and put in oven until it melts (approx 5 minutes). Once melted sprinkle the brown sugar over evenly and place the pineapple rings on top. Leave to one side whilst you prepare the other ingredients.. In a medium bowl sift the flour, salt, and baking powder together. Then in another bowl whisk the egg whites until they become fluffy. In a third bowl whisk the granulated sugar and egg yolks together until they become creamy. Add the vanilla extract and pineapple juice to this and combine. Mix in the flour mixture into the egg yolk mixture until incorporated, then fold in the egg whites. Pour this over the top of the pineapples and bake on the middle shelve for approx 30-35 minutes or until a skewer comes out clean. Allow to cool in pan for 5 minutes before turning out onto a cake rack. Serve warm or at room temperature with a blob of cream or a dollop of creme fraiche.

Pork Wellington with a Red wine and Balsamic Reduction

2011-01-23T20:19:00.000-08:00

My foodie nerdness is coming back!!! (Is 'nerdness' a word? Well I'm going to use it anyway). I always seem to get my inspiration for cooking after working a night shift. Maybe it is the long hours that give me time to think or maybe my stomach is just craving a proper cooked meal.

I originally bought some pork tenderloin to fillet and fill with an apple an herb stuffing, but to be honest I wasn't really in the mood for that. I was racking my brain as to what to make then my thoughts then turned toward a pork wellington. I knew that beef was the most popular choice when making wellington but why wouldn't pork work? I seared the pork on each side and encased each piece of tenderloin in a mustard spread pastry casing. A brushing of egg yolk made for a lovely golden topping once baked.

I served the tenderloin with roasted root vegetables, wilted spinach and a a red wine and balsamic reduction. I was very impressed with my creation (and the photos that we took). It was a crispy shell with the most succulent meat within. Perfect for a dinner party. I made individual wellingtons as I'm into that but for sure you could make a large wellington. My only advise would be to let the wellington sit for 5-10 minutes otherwise the pastry will crumble away and it won't look as esthetically pleasing. (How snobby am I!!!!)

Pork Wellington (Serves 2)

1 Medium Pork Tenderloin

Whole Grain Mustard

Pastry (Recipe found here but divided by half)

Salt & Pepper

Oil

Remove any fat and sinew from the tenderloin and cut in half. Season on all sides with salt and pepper and sear all sides in a hot frying pan. Remove from pan and allow to cool. Meanwhile make the pastry and allow it to rest in the refrigerator for 30 minutes minimum.

Cut the pastry in half and roll each piece out into a rectangle, large enough to wrap around each of the tenderloins. Spread a generous amount of wholegrain mustard on the pastry and place the tenderloin on top. Wrap each tenderloin up in one rectangle of pastry and fold in the sides. Place the Wellington on to a baking sheet approx 10 cm apart with the seam side facing down, Brush the tops of the Wellington with a beaten egg and bake in the oven at 350 degrees until the pastry turns golden brown approx 30-40 minutes.To serve cut wellington in half and serve with the red wine and balsamic reduction.

Red Wine and Balsamic reduction

I did this recipe by taste so this recipe is an approximation

1/2 Cup Red wine

1/4 Cup Balsamic Vinegar

1-2 Tbsp Sugar

Salt and Pepper

Place all ingredients into a pan and simmer hard until a thicken sauce develops. Season with extra sugar, salt and pepper as needed. Drizzle over Wellington.

Baked Onions

2011-01-18T10:06:00.000-08:00

We've only done and gone it. We moved to our new home and are now living the dream. We left Vancouver December 22nd and arrived in Quesnel December 23rd. The journey was long yet exciting.

Our new home was freshly painted and waiting for our arrival. We drove up the drive and ran through the door like two hyperactive teenagers. The U-Haul was quickly unpacked. The Christmas tree was the first thing to go up followed by the bed and the positioning of the sofas. We finished the evening off with white zinfandel and a plateful of bacon sandwiches.

The following two days were spent organizing and turning our house into a home. My kitchen was perfect, there was more room than I had ever been used too and I was finding it hard as to how to organize it (so many cupboards). It soon became easier and my domain was set for the forthcoming Christmas dinner. We had planned to have a good Christmas dinner as we wanted to celebrate our moving in with a bang. We didn't go for the usual turkey as we had had a traditional Christmas dinner on Christmas eve round at our new friends house. We settled for Roast beef with all the trimmimgs.

Merry Christmas everyone. May 2011 be a fantastic year for us all

I had had my eye on a recipe by Nigel Slater... Baked Onions. I thought this would go perfectly with the medium rare roast. And it sure did. I was slightly put of by the fact that you have to boil the onions first. I thought the smell would be horrendous but to be honest they gave of very little aroma. After preparing them, in they went into the oven with a good splash of cream and a twist of salt and pepper and out came this dreamy silky vegetable....Yum.

Our Christmas dinner I have to say was one of the best I have ever cooked. It was a perfect meal to celebrate our moving in.

Baked Onions (Makes 2 portions)

2 Onions skinned

Cream

Salt & Pepper

Freshly Grated Parmesan (Optional)

Boil the onions until tender Then remove from pan and allow to cool slightly. Cut the onions in half from root to tip. Place in an oven proof dish flat side down. Pour over cream until well coated. Season with salt and pepper. Sprinkle over Parmesan and bake for 25-30 mins in a preheated oven set at 350 degrees until golden and bubbly.

Sausage and Garlic Pasta

2010-12-01T19:32:00.000-08:00

I stumbled across this recipe from a Nigel Slater book. The picture caught my attention first followed by the ease of making the dish. The original recipe calls for fresh thyme and no sausage although I think he does mention that you can add sausage or chorizo to the pasta.

I normally strip the sausage meat from the skin and break the sausage up into bite size pieces before pan frying them but today I bought the wrong sausages so I just sliced them instead. Any flavored sausage works well although I do try to avoid heavily herbs sausages as they can take the flavor away from the fresh herbs in the pasta sauce.

You also want to try to use a pasta that can hold the sauce. Pasta shells and penne would work well unlike tagaletelli or linguine where the sauce will slip off. I make this recipe by eye so the recipe below only gives an approximate amount of ingredients, so go with your gut feeling

Sausage and Garlic Pasta (serves 2-3)

2 Medium Garlic Bulbs

2 Cups Pasta (Fusilli)

1 Cup Half and half

2-3 Sausages

1Tbsp of finely chopped fresh Oregano

Salt and Pepper

Oil

Firstly you will need to roast the garlic bulbs. Place the garlic onto a piece of foil. Sprinkle with Oil and seal the foil around the garlic. Roast in a pre heated oven at 350 for approx 30 minutes or until the garlic is soft. When roasted alllow to cool before squeezing out all the garlic from the cloves.. Meanwhile strip the sausages from their skin and fry off bite size pieces in a skillet. Drain off any fat and remove the sausage. Over a medium heat add the roasted garlic to the skillet and some of the cream. Mash the garlic with the back of the spoon and combine with the cream. Simmer until the sauce gets thicker and keep adding the cream until you get the right consistency and enough sauce.(The longer you simmer it for the thicker it will become). Season with salt and pepper and add the oregano and the sausage. Stir to combine. Cook the pasta until al dente and add to the skillet and coat well in the sauce. Serve immediately alongside a crisp salad. Sprinkle wit Parmesan cheese if desired.

Greek Spinach and Feta Flatbread

2010-11-23T15:07:00.000-08:00

I am undergoing an experiment and I hope to God it works, as my kitchen is producing some fantastic aromas and the thought of this flat bread is making my mouth water so much. Our kitchen cupboards are pretty bare this week and I have a fridge full of odds and sods. Nothing seams to go together. Sitting alone in the cheese box of my fridge was a medium piece of feta left over from a previous salad that needed to be used up. I scoured the fridge for any remaining ingredients that could go with this tangy cheese. There is was, half a large box of baby spinach leaves. I really didn't have to think too hard as to what I wanted to do. Originally a spinach and feta pie came to mind but I had no eggs to make pastry as Ian and I had devoured them over brunch yesterday. My thoughts then turned towards a type of flat bread. I had seen a recipe some time ago using two Indian roti's that sandwiched together some potato, onions and spices. I thought this idea might work with the spinach and feta...hence the experiment.

Spread the filling out flat leaving space at the edges

As I was making the filling I new what flavors I wanted and added them by taste. The filling turned out darn tasty..with a dash of this and a dash of that the perfect filling was made. I used my trusty tortilla recipe minus the oil to make the flat bread and allowed it to rest in the fridge for 20 minutes before rolling it out into small discs. A small amount of filling was added onto the top of the discs before being covered with another disc and rolled out to make a thin flat bread. At first I found that some of the filling did ooze out of the edges but with a bit of practice that ooze was minimal. These were then pan fried in a dry pan until the flat bread began to brown. The smell was amazing..I couldn't wait to tuck in. These would be perfect served alongside a Greek salad salsa. I had some of the filling left so I used this to serve alongside as a dip. Hummus would work well too.

For the Filling

2 Tbsp Cream Cheese

1 Tbsp Sour Cream

1/2 Onion finely diced

1 Garlic Clove minced

Small box of Baby spinach leaves

1/2-1 Tsp Ground Cumin

1/2 Tsp Dried Oregano

Juice from 1/2 Lemon

Grated Lemon zest

Feta Cheese Crumbled (Add to taste)

Salt and Pepper

For the flat bread

Click here

(Do not add oil)

Prepare the flat bread, cover in clingfilm and chill for at least 20 minutes. Meanwhile in a frying pan soften the onion until translucent, add the garlic, spinach, cumin, oregano, lemon zest and lemon juice and wilt the spinach. Season with a small amount of salt and plenty of pepper. Remove from the pan and set aside to cool. Add the sour cream and cream cheese to the pan and allow to melt together. Chop the spinach mixture up finely and add back into the pan with the crumbled feta. Combine well. Season with salt and pepper as needed. Remove from pan and allow to cool.

Remove the flat bread dough from the fridge and divide into several golf ball pieces. Roll each piece of dough into a ball. On a floured surface press the dough ball flat with the palm of your hand. Using a rolling pin roll the dough into small discs approx 5-7 mm thick. Add a teaspoon of the filling into the centre of one disc and spread thinly. Brush water around the edges of the dough before covering with another disc. Seal the two pieces of dough together and gently roll out to a thinner disc approx 5 mm in total. In a dry frying pan over a high heat add the flat bread and brown the underside. The bread will begin to bubble and brown spots will appear on the dough. Flip the bread over when this happens and brown the other side. Continue to make up the flat breads untill all dough has been used. Serve warm with a dip of your choice.

This experiment worked so well. The flat breads do need to have a dip served alongside otherwise they may be too dry.

Thumb-print Cookies

2010-11-21T17:48:00.000-08:00

My mum used to make a similar cookie to these, she called them Viennese whirls. Mum's had a lighter shortbread cookie underneath the jam. She used to pipe the cookie mixture into a paper case and then add the hot jam once they were baked. These cookies are the closest I can get to them and as I am not much of a baker, these were darn good. The only downside is that you can't eat them straight out of the oven unless you want third degree burns to your mouth. (Not nice). They are well worth the wait though.

Thumb-print cookies (makes 12)

1/2 Cup Softened Butter

1/4 Cup Packed Brown Sugar

1 Egg

1 Cup Flour

12 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Finely Chopped Walnuts

2/3 Cup Melted Jam

1/4 Tsp Salt

Cream together the butter, sugar and egg yolk only until light and fluffy. (Reserve the egg white in a separate bowl). Stir in the flour, vanilla extract and salt. Shape dough into small balls. Coat in egg white then roll in the walnuts before placing them on a lined baking sheet approx 2 inches apart. Bake in a 300 degree oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven and using a wooden spoon handle poke dents into each cookie. Add a dollop of the melted jam into these dents and continue to bake until the cookies are browned and baked through. The original recipe called for 8 minutes. I let mine bake for approx 15-20 minutes. Allow to cool before enjoying....

Warming Chilli

2010-11-17T18:24:00.000-08:00

You can't beat a bowl of hot steamy chilli on a cold fall or winters day. It warms you up through and through and can be served almost alongside anything, nachos, cheese scones, biscuits, crusty bread, rice, baked potatoes, corn bread, salad...the list is endless. I find chilli so versatile and for that reason I tend to make a large batch of chilli and freeze any leftovers (that's if we ever have any). I have been experimenting with my chilli for a while trying to get the spiciness right. Ian likes a hot hot chilli where as I like a mild chilli. I do believe though that my taste buds can take a little more heat than what they once did. I always stick to the main ingredients when making a chilli but recently have been trying out new flavors to make my chilli more rounded.

I have been reading a few recipes and some have used a shot of coffee to give the chili a rich flavor. I thought that I would give this a go. Other options included adding plain chocolate to the pan and using different chilli's. After my experiment tonight I think I have perfected the perfect chilli....well at least for moi!!!

Chilli

500g Minced Beef

1 Small Sirloin steak cut into 1cm cubes

1 Medium Onion

1 Medium Green Pepper

3 Garlic Cloves

2 Smoked Chipotle Peppers and 1tsp Juice from Can

1Tsp Ground Coriander

1Tsp Smoked Paprika

1Tsp Paprika

2 Tsp Cumin

2 Tbsp Tomato Paste

1 Shot of Espresso

Salt

1 Can Crushed Tomatoes (300ml approx)

1 Can of Kidney or romano beans

11/2 Cups Beef Stock

Flour for coating the steak

To begin with finely dice the onion, garlic and green pepper. In a large pan add a splash of oil and gently sweat the onion,garlic and pepper until they become soft. Meanwhile coat the cubes of steak in the flour and add to the pan and brown. Add the minced beef and brown. Then add all the spices and stir well to coat the contents of the pan. Add the liquid ingredients and tomato paste and mix well. Finally add the beans. Season with salt and simmer on a low heat for at least an hour to allow the flavors to develop whilst stirring occasionally. (The longer the chilli stays simmering the more flavorsome it comes). I simmer the chilli with the lid on but if the sauce is not thick enough I remove the lid for a while until it thickens up. Serve warm.

Winter Salad (Feta, Cranberries and Walnut salad)

2010-11-13T10:50:00.000-08:00

With Christmas and the American Thanksgiving coming up there will be many heavy meals eaten and I'm sure some people will be fed up of full on meals. So to break this pattern I came up with this winter salad. It is based on the holiday season but much lighter than the traditional foods. It incorporates the holiday flavors of cranberries, toasted walnuts and cheese. It is finished off with a fruity raspberry vinaigrette which makes for a lovely refreshing salad that works well with cold cuts of turkey. We served the salad alongside hot turkey rolls for a mid week dinner.

Winter Salad
4 Cups Baby Spinach Leaves
1 Small Head of Steamed Broccoli florets (cooled)
Thin slices of 1/2 small red onion
1/2 Cup Walnuts
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/4 Cup Crumbled Feta Cheese
Raspberry vinaigrette (enough to coat the salad)
Pinch of S&P

In a large salad bowl toss all the ingredients together except the vinaigrette. Just before serving add enough vinegarette to coat the leaves and toss well.

Gooey Chocolate fudge cake

2010-11-12T09:53:00.000-08:00

We all need chocolate and some of us who are impulsive need it straight away. This cake is for those impulsive ones. It takes 5 minutes to cook and less than 5 minutes to devour. It comes out as a light chocolate sponge with a gooey chocolate sauce hidden around the bottom. Yum yum.

This recipe cooks the cake in the microwave but for those of you who don't possess a microwave you can bake it in the oven at 350 for 45 minutes. I think I will play around with this recipe at a later date to make treacle sponge and sticky toffee pudding.

Funny looking hey...but oh so tasty

Gooey Chocolate fudge cake
110g All purpose flour
1tsp Baking powder
110g Brown Sugar
55g Melted Butter
1 Egg
4 Tbsp Milk
30g Cocoa powder
Pinch Salt
1Tbsp Vanilla extract
For the sauce
110g Brown Sugar
30g Cocoa Powder
125 mls Hot Water

In a large bowl mix the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Add the melted butter, vanilla extract, milk and egg to the dry ingredients and mix well. Pour into a microwavable bowl. The sides should be about 5 cm high as the cake will rise. Mix the remaining sugar and cocoa powder together and sprinkle over the dough. Pour the hot water over top of the cake gently. Cook in the microwave on a high heat for 5 mins. The cake will rise and there will be a lovely sticky chocolate sauce seeping down towards the bottom. Best served with ice cream.

Coconut Prawns/Shrimp

2010-11-11T19:43:00.000-08:00

I have attempted to write this post at least two times and everything I write sounds wrong. Nothing flowed together...a bit like dinner tonight. I knew I wanted to have a picky dinner and potato wedges were a definite but what was to go with it. I had a turkey breast thawing and some left over ham but these didn't float my boat. I hunted into the depths of the freezer and found a bag of plump juicy prawns. My thoughts turned towards coconut coated prawns. That was it dinner was decided, coconut prawns, spicy coleslaw and potato wedges. Not the most healthiest of dinners but it will be definitely be tasty.

The issue was do I fry the prawns or bake them... To be healthier I think I will bake them....lets hope the coating stays on hey!!! (To be honest I'll probably experiment and do a bit of both.... A taste test).

It has been 4 hours since I started this post and the experiment is in progress. So far the pan fried coconut prawn is in the lead. The baked prawn is a close second though. Now time for the taste test. The fried prawn is a little more crispier than the baked prawn and the coating has turned a much nicer shade of brown. To help the coconut brown on the baked prawn I slightly toasted the coconut before using it in the coating but to be honest this didn't really make any difference. I think for tonight I'll have the pan fried prawns.

Coconut Prawns

Raw shelled Prawns (20)

1 Egg White

1/2 Cup Bread Crumbs

1/2 Cup Unsweetened Desiccated Coconut

1tsp Salt

1tsp Paprika

In a bowl mix together the breadcrumbs the coconut, salt and paprika and set to one side. In another large bowl slightly whisk the egg white until it becomes loose and then add the prawns and coat thoroughly in the egg white. Take a few prawns out of the egg white mixture and toss in the coconut mixture and coat well, before pan frying the prawns in a hot pan with vegetable oil. Once browned and cooked through place on kitchen roll and blot of any excess oil. Serve with a variety of dips. I chose sweet chilli and garlic mayo.

Posh cheese on toast with onion marmalade

2010-11-03T10:53:00.000-07:00

This is a twist on a welsh rarebit recipe, a thick cheesy sauce grilled over toasted bread. Basically a posh cheese on toast. Apparently it is Britain's version of the continental European fondue. It works really well with the onion marmalade. The sweetness of the marmalade cuts through the creaminess of the cheese. This recipe will make for 2 slices of toast.

Onion Marmalade

1 Large Onion sliced finely

1/2 Cup of Balsamic Vinegar

2-3 Tbsp Brown Sugar (Add enough to suit your taste)

Olive Oil

1-2 Tsp Chilli Flakes

Over a medium heat fry the onions in a little olive oil until softened and lightly browned. Stir in the sugar, chilli flakes and vinegar. Bring to a slow simmer stirring occasionally until the marmalade begins to get thicker. This should take approx 20-25 minutes. Allow the marmalade to cool slightly.

Cheese Sauce

3/4 Cup Grated Cheddar

1/3 Cup Sour Cream

1 Tsp Mustard

Pinch of Salt and Pepper

1 Egg Yolk

Into a bowl add the sour cream, mustard and egg yolk. Whisk to combine. Add the cheese and mix well.

Now its time to assemble. Toast thick slices of good quality bread on both sides. Spread a good spoonful of the onion marmalade on one side of the toast. Top with the cheese sauce mixture, then grill under a medium heat until the cheese sauce begins to brown and bubble. Remove from grill allow to cool for 30 seconds before delving in.

Vegetable Torta

2010-11-02T15:34:00.000-07:00

Having had 3 weeks of work and indulging myself in hearty meaty dishes it was time to think vegetables..... How can you spruce up vegetables? A torta!!! which I have to say is not what I would have called it. My understanding of a torta was a Mexican sandwich, not a layering of vegetables. Maybe I should call it layered vegetables. That still doesn't sound right doesn't it? Anyway enough of me rambling, lets get the recipe up.

The original recipe calls for some of the vegetables to be roasted. I found that this took too long and dried out the vegetables too much, therefore I pan fried most of the veggies. This recipe will make enough for four people to have as a side or two people to have as a light supper. It would be great served alongside a fresh crusty baguette. We had it with grilled sausages and garlic pasta.

Vegetable Torta

2 Red Bell Peppers

1 Medium Eggplant

2 Zucchinis

1 Large White Onion

1 Garlic Clove minced

Handful of Basil and Parsley finely chopped

6 Rashers Bacon (Optional)

Grated Havarti Cheese (Optional)

Cut the bell peppers in half and place on a baking tray flesh side down. Place under a very hot grill until the skins begin to char and blacken. Remove from the grill and allow to cool to room temperature. Once cooled removed the skins, stems and cut out the seeds. Cut the halves into quarters and lay flat.

Fry the bacon until crispy, remove from pan and allow to cool. Chop into small pieces. Reserve the bacon fat in the frying pan for the pan-frying of the onions.

Slice the eggplant and zuchini lengthwise approximatley 5mm in thickness and place in a bowl. Season with salt and pepper and coat with a generous amount of olive oil. (This is where the original recipe stated you can roast this on a baking sheet in the oven until brown) I pan fried the eggplant and zucchini in batches in a dry frying pan until the vegetables were cooked through and browned on each side. Once again allow the veggies to cool.

Slice the onions into rings and fry them in the bacon fat with the garlic until they become softened. Once again remove from pan and allow to cool.

Now that all the veggies have been prepared, this is where the layering begins. Line an 8inch spring loaded cake pan with plastic wrap allowing extra plastic wrap to fall over the sides. This will be used to cover the vegetables once layered. Firstly layer half of the eggplant followed by a sprinkling of the herbs. Then layer with half the zucchini, peppers and onion mixture. Sprinkle with some more herbs, the cheese and bacon. Top with the remaining zucchini, peppers and onion mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining herbs and seal the torta with the remaining eggplant. Wrap the remaining plastic wrap over the top of the torta, press down and refrigerate for as long as you can.

To serve loosen the spring from the cake pan and gently remove the torta. Flip onto a plate and remove the plastic wrap. Allow to sit until it reaches room temperature then cut into large wedges.

Ribs with beer and barbecue sauce

2010-10-30T15:46:00.000-07:00

We bought a slow cooker!!!

Wow, is all I can say.... I have been wanting a slow cooker for a while now and I am so glad we have one. I spent many times dreaming of coming home to a hearty fall of the bone meal. Well yesterday that dream came true. Yay!! And to top it off I didn't spend hours slaving over the stove. It all went into one pot which took about 15 minutes to prepare.

Our first slow cooked meal was a cowboy dinner, BBQ ribs with baked beans and mash. Bring it on. The ribs were awesome. They were tender and definitely fell of the bone. Both Ian and I went back for seconds and thirds!!!! I can't wait to cook in the slow cooker again.

Ribs with beer and barbecue sauce

3lbs 5oz pork ribs (I used a combination of side and back ribs)

3/4 Cup Beer

3/4 Cup Barbecue sauce

2 Tbsp Sweet Chilli sauce

1 Tbsp Worcestershire Sauce

2 Tbsp Honey

2 Spring onions thinly sliced

2 Crushed Garlic cloves

1 Tbsp Cornstarch

1 Handful Cilantro

Firstly cut the ribs into individual ribs and trim any excess fat. In a large bowl combine the remaining ingredients with the exception of the cornstarch and cilantro. Season with salt and pepper. Add the ribs and thoroughly coat them in the sauce.

Transfer the ribs and marinade into the slow cooker and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until the ribs are tender. When cooked removed the ribs and keep warm. Mix the cornstarch with 1tbsp of water and stir into the remaining sauce in the slow cooker. Continue to cook for ten minutes until the sauce has thickened.

Serve the ribs piled onto plates and spoon oversome of the sauce. Garnish with the cilantro.

Caramel Nut Tart

2010-10-22T12:03:00.000-07:00

Yes...I'm thinking Christmas already. Christmas is going to be a very busy time of the year for us. We are moving up to Quesnel,

In preparation for our move, we spent last week in Quesnel organising our new house and buying a new winter wardrobe for both Ian and I. Whilst we were up there some kind new friends invited us to spend Christmas eve with them to have our Christmas dinner. We jumped at the chance as we know our house will be in chaos, and what better way to see in our new life with friends. We do plan to have a Christmas dinner on Christmas day in our new home hence the menu planning. The starter and main course have been decided, it is just the dessert we are struggling with. Ian and I are not fans of the traditional Christmas pudding at all so I have been trying to find a recipe for a delicious Christmas dessert.

I found a potential Christmas dessert yesterday when I picked up the 'Taste' magazine at the liquor store. As I was flicking through the pages the Caramel Nut Tart jumped out at me. I went to the grocery store, picked up a few essentials and by the afternoon I had the tart baking in the oven. By the evening Ian and I were gorging on slices of nut tart, brie and sliced apples. It was divine.

The original recipe calls for bourbon, we didn't have any bourbon so I added rum. Unfortunately the rum flavor never came out so I think next time when I make this I will soak the nuts in the liquor for 20 minutes to see if the flavor will develop. Although we enjoyed the tart last night, the piece I had today tasted much better as the caramel had set more and the nuts had slightly softened. Definitely a tart that improves overnight. The longer it stays in the chiller the better.

Caramel Nut Tart

(Adapted from 'Taste')

1 Pie shell

1/4 Cup Butter

3/4 Cups Packed Light Brown Sugar

1 Tbsp Honey

1/4 Cup Bourbon/Rum

1/3 Cup Whipping Cream

2 Cups Salted Mixed Nuts

Bake the pie shell blind until it crust just starts to turn golden around the edges, approx 10 minutes in a 350 degree oven. Allow the shell to fully cool before making the filling. To make the filling place the butter in a medium saucepan and melt over a medium heat, Add the sugar, honey, and liquor and bring to the boil stirring constantly for 2 minutes. Stir in the whipping cream and nuts. Bring back to the boil for one minute and removed from the heat. Pour the filling into the pie shell and bake tart for 20 minutes until the filling is bubbling. Cool on a wire rack until room temperature and then chill for at least 1 hour to allow the caramel to set properly. To serve cut into wedges.

A little preview of the book...

2010-10-10T15:14:00.000-07:00

Just a few pictures to show you that the book is on it's way... It also gives you an idea of how the book will look.

Coronation chicken

2010-10-03T15:29:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I was in the mood for Coronation chicken. Shredded chicken bathed in a mild curry flavored creamy sauce. This makes for a wonderful sandwich filling or baked potato filling. It is so quick and easy to make and is perfect when your needing to use up any left over roast chicken. Yesterday I used poached chicken breasts which I shredded up rather than roast chicken but to be honest any cold chicken would be fine.

Coronation Chicken

Shredded Chicken

For the Sauce :

2 Tbsp Mayonnaise

1 Tbsp Sour Cream

1 Tsp Curry Powder/Paste

1 Tsp Mango Chutney

1/4 Spoon Honey

Chopped Almonds (Optional)

Chopped Apricots (Optional)

Chopped Cilantro

Salt & Pepper

Mix all the sauce ingredients together, season with salt & pepper. Allow the sauce to chill for at least 20 minutes to allow flavors to develop. Then mix the shredded chicken into sauce until all the chicken is covered and voila an instant filling or salad side. I doubled up on the sauce and used 3 chicken breasts.

Steak and Potato Pie

2010-09-27T15:45:00.000-07:00

Today I was feeling a little bit home food sick. We all know that British food is not known for it culinary delights. Many people feel that it is stodgy and heavy. I like to think of British food as good wholesome comfort food. Fish n Chips, Roast Beef and Fish pie are but a few. If spruced up in a posh restaurant would critics think of it negatively. I think not. Today's post is a homage to British food and my memories of it.

Steak & Potato Pie

For the pastry.

300g Flour

75g Butter

75g Shortening/Lard

4-5 Tbsp Water

Salt and Pepper

Egg Yolk and milk to glaze

For the filling.

500kg Stewing Steak

4 Rashers of Bacon sliced

1/2 Large Onion diced

1 Medium russett potato diced

1 1/2 Cups Beef Stock

Splash Worcestershire Sauce

Large pinch mixed herbs (rosemary,thyme, tarragon etc)

2 bay leaves

Salt and Pepper

Flour to coat the meat

Pastry:

Cut the butter and shortening/ lard into the flour until you get a breadcrumb consistency. Add a pinch of salt and pepper and slowly add tbsps of water one at a time until the mixture can be mixed into a ball of dough Try not to overwork the dough. Wrap in cling-film and store in the fridge for 20 minutes. Cut the dough in half and roll one half out, then line the pie dish. Cover in cling-film and place back in the fridge. The second half can go back in the fridge until the pie filling is made.

For the filling:

Using a paper towel blot of any excess water that is present on the meat. In a large bowl add enough seasoned flour to coat the meat. Pour the meat into the bowl of seasoned flour and coat well. Meanwhile in a medium pan melt a good knob of butter and oil and add the sliced bacon rashers. Cook down until fat renders. In batches fry the stewing steak until brown on all sides. Its doesn't need to be cooked through. Remove the steak from the pan and add the potatoes, onions and dried herbs to the pan. Stir well to combine. Cook for approx 5 minutes. Pour in the stock and scrape of any brown bits that are stuck to the bottom of the pan. It should simmer. Add a splash of Worcestershire sauce and the bay leaves. Stir the meat back into the pan, cover and simmer on a low heat for approx 40 minutes. After making the filling remove the bay leaves. If the sauce gets too thick add some more water. Allow the filling to completely cool before pouring into the pastry lined pie dish. Roll the remaining pastry out and cover the pie. Pinch the pastry sides together, brush the egg wash over top of the pastry and poke a hole in the top of the pie to allow the steam to escape. In a preheated oven at 400 degrees bake the pie on the middle shelve for approx 30 minutes or until the pastry has turned golden brown.

Before...

and after....

Ginger Snap Cookies

2010-09-24T17:28:00.000-07:00

As you can see my posts have been a little sparse recently. Back in August I told you that we were going to ride whatever came our way and our potential move was postponed. Well the wave we rode has sent us back on course to our potential move. We are excited, yet nervous as we don't want to count our chickens before they have hatched. We want to celebrate but are scared to do so until all the t's have been crossed and all the i's have been dotted. As a result my cooking has taken a side step and has not been that experimental. I am sticking to trusty recipes that are easy and quick to make. Recipes that I feel are to weak to post on my blog.

I would however like to share a ginger snap cookie recipe which I found on epicurious.com. These cookies are slightly cakey and are wonderful on there own but would be even better served with vanilla ice-cream and a hot caramel sauce. I wish I had pictures to show you but what with all the goings on in our house at the moment my camera has been a little ignored. (I even cut and pasted the recipe!!!! That's how crazy we have been).

Ginger Snap Cookies

2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon ground cloves
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 1/2 sticks (3/4 cup) unsalted butter
1/4 cup unsulfured molasses (I used golden corn syrup instead...only because I didn't have molasses)
1 large egg
parchment paper
1/4 cup granulated sugar

Into a large bowl sift together 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour, baking soda, and spices and whisk in brown sugar. In a small saucepan melt butter and whisk into flour mixture with molasses and egg until combined well. With a wooden spoon stir in remaining 1 cup plus 2 tablespoons flour until combined well. Chill dough, covered, until firm, at least 1 hour, and up to 2 days.

Preheat oven to 350°F. and line baking sheets with parchment paper.

Roll level tablespoons of dough into balls and in a small bowl roll balls in granulated sugar to coat. Arrange balls about 2 inches apart on baking sheets and bake in batches in middle of oven until flattened and a shade darker, 10 to 12 minutes. (Cookies will puff slightly and then collapse slightly, and tops will be covered with little cracks.) Cool cookies on baking sheets 2 minutes and transfer with a spatula to racks to cool completely. Cookies keep in an airtight container at room temperature 5 days.

Cheese scones

2010-09-15T15:50:00.000-07:00

I was making a huge pot of chilli for tonights dinner and thought what else can I have with it besides rice. After racking my brain I decided that a cheese scone would go nicely. I had a rough idea of how to make a scone mixture, but pretty much went by the trial and error theory. The trial and error theory worked out very well. I was so impressed that I bypassed waiting for chilli to cook and decided to have the scone with an avocado pear for my lunch.

Cheese Scones

1 1/2 Cups Flour

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Salt

1/4 Cup Grated Cheese

250mls Milk

1 Egg

3 Tbsp Olive Oil

Pre heat the oven to 425 degrees. Mix the dry ingredients together in a large bowl and set aside. In alarge measuring jug whisk together the milk, egg and oil. Slowly pour the wet mixture into the dry mixture and mix at the same time (You may not need all the wet mixture) until the dough becomes slightly wet and soft but not too sticky. Place the dough on a floured surface, mold gently into a circle and flatten down with your hands until the dough is approximatley an inch thick. Cut into quarters and brush any remaining wet mixture over top before baking on a parchment lined baking sheet (on the middle shelve) for 12- 15 minutes or until golden brown,

These can be served alongside chillis, soups, stews or just on there own.

Vegetable Soup

2010-09-09T11:31:00.000-07:00

The weather is definitely turning, the mornings are crisper and there is that cold chill that rides on the tail end of the breeze. The farmers markets are abundant with the late summer harvest, crispy green apples, juicy nectarines, fuzzy peaches, assorted varieties of squash, zucchini's and every potato imaginable. Even hazelnuts have appeared, a sign that Autumn is on its way. Our meals also show signs of Autumn. A chicken casserole with fresh sweet carrots was enjoyed last week, apple pies were made and ginger snap cookies were just what the doctor ordered. A nice spicy warming cookie enjoyed with the perfectly brewed tea. Oh I love it when a season changes.

Soup is a great way to welcome in Autumn and use up those remaining vegetables that sit in the bottom of the fridge. I always find that I have a few veggies left over that don't quite make up a meal but I hate the idea of wasting them. What I tend to do is freeze any left over veggies so that I can make a nice hearty vegetable soup. Something that I have been craving for a couple of days.

I had collected a good selection of veggies so I knew my soup would be satisfying and nutritious. Vegetable soup always reminds me of when I worked as a kitchen assistant in a residential home. Every Sunday we would serve a roast chicken dinner with all the trimmings, carrots, brussel sprouts, swede (rutabaga) and roast potatoes. After serving, my job would be to make stock with the remaining chicken carcasses. Into the pan went the carcasses with a large onion a couple of carrots and a leak or celery, salt and pepper and a collection of herbs. This simmered away in water for a couple of hours whilst the residents enjoyed there lunch. This was then strained and any left over veg was added to the stock, simmered for a short while and blitzed to make a thick soup. It always tasted soooo good especially alongside fresh bread lathered with thick butter. Happy Days!!!!

Today I wanted to revisit those happy days, so to go alongside my soup I made some fresh country bread. It was perfect and made for a lovely supper.

Vegetable Soup
1 Large Russet Potato Diced
1 Large Red Onion Diced
1/2 Roasted Butternut Squash Diced
1 Ear of Corn (kernels cut from corn)
2 Carrots sliced
1/2 Green zucchini diced
1 Head of Broccoli Florets
Handful of Cherry Tomatoes
3 Cups Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper
Olive oil

In a large stock pot over a medium heat add some oil and soften the onion, potato, zucchini and carrots. This should take about 10-15 minutes. Add the remaining vegetables and simmer with the lid on for 5 minutes. The potatoes, squash and tomatoes will begin to break down. Add the chicken stock and simmer gently for 20- 25 minutes until all the vegetables are tender. Blitz the soup in batches and return back to the pan. Add a good swig of olive oil and salt and pepper for seasoning. (Season to your taste). If you find the soup is too thick add some more water. Serve in large bowls with hunks of fresh bread and butter.

Oatmeal Cookies

2010-08-30T14:46:00.000-07:00

When I was a child my mother always used to make homemade cookes. My favorites were her ginger snaps and oatmeal cookies. Yesterday I was craving her old fashioned oatmeal cookies, so I decided to attempt and make a batch. I am no baker, but these turned out excellent. It took me all of 20 minutes to make and bake them. I had visions of them being tough and claggy...but no... they were light and above all very very tasty (not that dissimilar to my Mums).

I reminisced and reverted back to my child hood as I was dunking them in my cup of tea and sucking on all the sugary goodness. You can't beat a good dunk!! Some things never change.

Oatmeal Cookies (makes approx 24)

1 Cup Butter

1 Cup White Granulated Sugar

1 Cup of Soft Brown Sugar

2 Eggs

1 Tsp Vanilla Extract

3 Cups Quick Rolled Oats

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

Pinch Salt

1/2 Tsp Baking Powder

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

Handful of Sultanas and Nuts(I used a mixture of Cashews and Pine Nuts...It's all I had)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. In a large bowl using a mixer cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. Incorporate the eggs and vanilla. Using a wooden spoon mix all the remaining ingredients into the bowl until cookie dough is formed. Pinch off pieces of the dough (approx golf ball sizes) and roll into a ball, then push the tops flat. Place onto a parchment lined baking sheet leaving approximatley an inch and a half between the cookies. Bake on the middle shelve for 10-12 minutes. Turn the baking sheet around half way through to ensure even baking. Allow to cool and then enjoy them with a large cup of tea... Alex style!!!

Flat Bread Pizza's

2010-08-22T10:28:00.000-07:00

You can't beat a good pizza!! Whether it is a deep pan loaded with cheese or an elegant thin crust with sumptuous toppings. They can be dressed up or dressed down, served as a main or as a side or eaten just as a snack. I used to love deep pan pizza but now sway toward the thin crust as I love to gorge on the flavour of the toppings and not feel too breaded out. Deep pan does have it's place though, for me this is on a movie or sports night, when drinks are flowing and entertainment is had.

Today I decided to make a thin crust pizza using my flat bread recipe and loaded it up with sour cream, pesto, tomato, cheese and olives. This went perfectly with the left over salmon from last night and a fresh zucchini lemon dressed salad.

Flat bread Pizza (Makes 2)
For the base:
1 3/4 Cups All purpose Flour
1 Tbsp Baking Powder
3/4 Tbsp Salt
1/2 Cup Water
1/3 Cup Olive Oil

Preheat your oven to 450 degrees and place a baking sheet on the middle shelf. Sift the flour, salt and baking powder together into a large bowl and mix well. Make a well in the middle of the flour and slowly pour in the oil and water and mix into a dough. Kneed four to five times, you may need to add a little more water if dough is too dry. Divide dough into two pieces. Wrap one in clingfilm whilst rolling the other out on parchment paper finely to approx 5mm. Spread a thin layer of tomato paste over top add pesto and sour cream and then load with you favorite toppings. Repeat with the remaining piece of dough.

Transfer the pizza whilst still on the parchment paper onto the baking sheet and bake for 10-12 minutes or until the base and toppings are golden brown. Allow to cool for 5 minutes then serve.

More pictures for my book

2010-08-19T16:22:00.000-07:00

Prosciutto and Squash salad

Mexican Chicken with Avocado cream

Beef Stew

Lamb Pitta's

Now its time for Mussels and Fries!!!

The book.....

2010-08-12T12:58:00.000-07:00

My poor book has been ignored too many times now. There are no excuses that I can use. I have just been too lazy and caught up in other things. Our potential move have now been postponed and to be honest I can't see it happening in the imminent future. Planning the future is sooo exhausting... now it's time to just ride whatever comes our way for a while. The pressure has decreased a great deal and has allowed Ian and I to relax and concentrate on having fun and getting back into our hobbies and passion for life. Thank goodness.

One of my first thoughts was my book and the dust it would have collected if it were a real book!!! I opened the program and nearly had a heart attack when I couldn't find the file. I scanned my computer and there it was cowering away in the dark depths. I opened the file and showed it some luurrvve and again felt proud of what had already been achieved. I should however be feeling guilty at this point as hardly any progression has been made in a long while. I think the last photo entry was of my rice wraps which was entered back in April... That's three months ago. It is a good job that a publishing house is not waiting for me. I think I would be fired!!!

I scoured through my book and am 17 photos down. Luckily for me it's summer and most of the remaining photos are for summer recipes. So next week we are going to be eating our way through the salad chapter and some of the main's chapter.

I was telling Ian of my plan and what was needed to complete the book and he was more excited than what I thought he would be. He has even put a day aside so we can process the photos and input them into the book together. God, I love him. I know it sounds slushy but he has been so supportive of everything I do ranging from the blog to the book. Maybe he knows that he going to get fed well in the next couple of weeks. The other thing I must tell you, which has no real relevance to the book is that Ian was researching our upcoming American road trip by watching Anthony Bourdain's no reservations. He loves the way Anthony expresses his opinions about the places were he visits. You never know we may just be visiting some food joints recommended by Mr. Bourdain himself!!!

Anyway I'll keep you all updated on the progress of the book and of course the imminent publication date (hahaha) :)

Ian enjoying some local Oysters

Polenta with corn succotash

2010-08-12T11:43:00.000-07:00

I owe this blog post to Dana who has the most fantastic fresh recipes on her blog (danatreat.com). Recently I have been off meat... I am finding it over facing. I don't know whether I have been 'meated' out or that a stomach bug I had last week is still lingering. Whatever the reason it has made me look at different vegetable and salad recipes.

As Ian is an avid meat eater I always like to choose veggie dishes that can be served alongside any meat. Yesterday I chose Dana's dish as it was light, summery and looked fantastic. I originally was wanting to make the polenta from scratch however my local store didn't sell cornmeal, so I cheated and bought a roll of basil herb polenta (which worked well but was a little to firm for my liking and wasn't buttery enough). All the ingredients were locally sourced, the corn from Chilliwack, the tomatoes from Abbottsford which for me makes it taste even better. I added an additional onion which was not called for in the original recipe. To be honest you could make it a true succotash and add lima beans and possibly a red pepper. Anything that is fresh and summery. The most important ingredient which sets this dish alive is the basil. Please please please make sure that this is fresh. I used to find basil really soapy but on this recipe it is the best.

I made a huge dish of this summery delight and was surprised that we had no leftovers. A good meal was had by all. I served this dish alongside Cajun crusted chicken for Ian as it had a spicy kick to it from the jalapeño pepper and I had it with tuna mayonnaise. It would go so well with grilled pitta bread or even just on its own. This recipe is definitely a keeper. Thanks Dana.

Polenta with Corn Succotash. (Serves 4 as side dish, 2 as main)

Polenta

3 Ears of Corn (shave the kernels off)

1 Cup Grape Tomatoes cut in half

1/2 Red Onion finely diced

1 Cup of Tomato Sauce (I used passatta)

1 Clove of Garlic minced

1 Jalepeno pepper diced

1 Cup of Basil finely sliced

Olive Oil

1/2 Cup Grated Parmesan

S&P

If making the polenta from scratch make according to the package and allow to firm up so you can cut it into triangles. If like me you use the rolls of polenta slice up into 1cm thick discs. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.

Meanwhile sauté the kernels and onion in a little oil until tender, season with S&P and allow to cool. Whilst these are sauteing marinade the tomatoes in a small amount of olive oil, salt and pepper. When the corn and onion mixture is cool add the tomatoes, 1/2 cup of basil and the jalapeño pepper and mix to combine.

Pour the tomato sauce into a 9 x 13" baking dish. Sprinkle over the garlic and season with S&P if needed. Layer the polenta slices/triangles all over the base of the dish.. Evenly spread the corn, onion and tomato mixture over the polenta and sprinkle with Parmesan.. Cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes covered, remove foil and bake for another 10 minutes until the cheese has browned. Remove from oven, allow to stand for 5-10 minutes ans sprinkle with remaining half cup of basil. Et voila a gorgeous yummy summery dish.

Citrus Marmalade

2010-08-01T14:35:00.000-07:00

A couple of days ago I had a go at making citrus marmalade. I spent two hours zesting and slicing 41/2 lbs of mixed citrus fruit before watching everything boil together to make a lovely orange sticky goo. The original recipe called for a sugar thermometer. Something that I don't possess, so I was very nervous when testing to see if the marmalade was done. I once tried to make marmalade about 7-8 years ago, which did not turn out well at all. It smelt great and tasted great but was more like a thick sticky syrup. I did not want this to happen again and thank goodness it didn't. I chilled my plate and every so often I dropped a large dollop of hot runny marmalade onto the plate...waited a few minutes and pushed my finger through it to see if it was firm enough. After three attempts I was happy.

After canning the marmalade I couldn't wait for it to cool to see if my creation had turned out OK. I prepared my toast and began to spread my homemade marmalade over top. It was lovely. The only criticism I had was that I had probably boiled it for a few minutes too long as it was more firmer than I would have liked. But for my first attempt it was great. It took Ian and I three days to finish off one jar. I even traded a jar of marmalade for a large bag full of organically grown beet greens from our neighbor. How perfect is that.

Citrus Marmalade (Adapted from www.foodinjars.com)

41/2 lb Citrus Fruit.(Grapefruit, Navel Oranges, Lemon, Limes-weigh with peal on)

I used 3 Grapefruit, 4 Oranges, 1 lemon and 1 lime.

6 Cups Sugar

4 Cups Poaching Liquor

Wash fruit thoroughly. Using a vegetable peeler slice the rind off all the fruit, then slice these thinly into medium size shards. (I used a zester as my vegetable peeler is useless) Add these shards with six cups of water to a pan set over a medium heat and allow to simmer for 30 minutes. Meanwhile remove the pith and membrane from the fruit (I slice the top and bottom of the fruit and then using a sharp knife I cut down the sides of the fruit removing the pith and membrane). Once removed cut the fruit segments out over a bowl reserving the membranes and pips. Wrap all the reserved membranes, pith and seeds together in a piece of cheesecloth and secure tightly. Next drain the zest reserving the poaching liquor.

In a large stainless steal pot or enameled cast iron pot combine the citrus fruit, 6 cups of sugar, 4 cups of poaching liquor and the cheesecloth package and boil vigorously for approximately 30-40 minutes, until the marmalade reaches a temp of 220 degrees. (I kept stirring it every 5 minutes or so to stop it from potentially burning at the bottom) You can test whether the marmalade is ready by dropping some onto a cold plate. Once it cools you should be able to push your finger through the marmalade to see if it is firm enough or not. If not boil for another few minutes.

While the marmalade is boiling you can prepare your jars. I washed mine is hot soapy water and then boiled them in a large pan for ten minutes. The snap caps were place in the water once boiling had finished. This just softens the seal. Once the jars are air dried and still warm ladle your marmalade into them add the snap cap and secure with the screw ring. Lower these into a water bath and boil for 5 minutes. Remove and allow to cool for 12-14 hours and voila, fresh yummy marmalade.

Clam Chowder

2010-07-23T14:54:00.000-07:00

I absolutely love clam chowder. I first had it when we came to Canada in 2008 served with a huge corned beef and sauerkraut toasted sandwich. It was bliss.

I don't know why it took me so long to make it......but I'm so glad I did. It was a triumph. As with most of my recipes I adapted a good old fashioned recipe and put my own spin on it. Have a go and let me know what you think

Clam Chowder

I Large can of Clams in Juice (400g)

1 Cup chopped red onion

3 Cups small diced red potatoes

2 Cups of half and half cream

1Tbsp Butter plus some extra for sautéing

1 Tbsp Flour

1 Tbsp Dill chopped

S&P

In a large saucepan add a good knob of butter and melt over a medium heat. Add the onions and sauté' until softened, then remove and set aside. Keeping the pan on the heat add the Tbsp butter and melt. Stir in the flour until you get a thick paste. Strain the clams and retain the juice. Add this juice slowly into the flour paste and stir to blend them together making a thickish sauce. Add the diced potatoes and simmer with the lid on for 10 mins or until the potatoes are tender. Stir occasionally You may need to add some water or more clam juice if the stock gets too thick Once the potatoes are tender return the onions to the pan and the clams. Mix well and then add the cream. Season with salt and pepper and dill. Simmer for a further 3-5 minutes. Then serve.

PHOTO'S TO FOLLOW :)

Cherry Overload....Scones and Iced tea

2010-07-15T14:54:00.000-07:00

Last week I bought half a pound of cherries from the farmers market and they seam to have lasted forever. They have been on several picnics with us and we have often been snacking on them so why so many left? Today that answer didn't matter.... they came into their own, making a wonderful drink and a sweet snack. Originally I had just planned to make scones with them but once stoned and chopped there were even more, so cherry iced tea came into play and I am so glad it did. Currently I'm sipping on a nice cool glass of the iced tea, mmm mmm.

I was surprised at how easy both recipes were. In total it took me half an hour to make both and that included baking times etc.

Cherry Scones

1/4 Cup of stoned chopped cherries

2 Cups of Self Raising Flour

30 grams Butter

1/2 Cup Milk

1/3 Cup Water

1 Egg

1/4 Cup Sugar

Brown sugar for sprinkling

Sift the flour into a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and sugar, then make a well in the middle of the flour and pour in the water and milk. Using a knife, cut through the mixture until combined. Flour the work surface and kneed the dough until smooth (This should only take a few minutes.). Using your finger poke holes into the dough and add cherry pieces, turn the dough over and repeat. Roll the dough to a 2 cm thickness and cut into medium size pieces or use a cookie cutter (5 cm in diameter). Whisk the egg in a small bowl with a tablespoon of water. Dip the top of the scones into the egg wash and sprinkle liberally with brown sugar. In a preheated oven at 400 degrees bake the scones on a parchment lined tray for 10-12 minutes until the tops are golden brown. Et voila!!!

Cherry Iced Tea

1/2 Cup of Chopped Cherries

6 Regular Tea bags

3/4 Cups of Granulated Sugar

3 Cups Boiling Water

5 Cups Cold water.

In a large measuring jug add the cherries and tea bags. Pour in 3 cups of boiling water cover with clingfilm and allow to steep for 20 minutes. Once steeped, strain through a sift and discard the tea bags and cherries reserving the liquid. Add the sugar to the liquid and stir until dissolved. Once dissolved add the cold water and stir. Pour into jugs and allow to chill in the fridge for 2 hours. Serve over ice.

Sea asparagus salad

2010-07-13T12:56:00.000-07:00

I spent Saturday morning at the most wonderful farmers market with my friends Allison and Janine. Stalls were abundant with fresh produce. There was huge bunches of bright colored beets, thousands of deep purple cherries, fresh green lettuces, aromatic herbs, plump garlic bulbs, tri-colored peppers and so much more beautiful produce. It was amazing and the best thing was that everything was so fresh. We wondered around the market picking up veggies and stopping for the odd taste of homemade cheese and fresh fruit.

From the corner of my eye I saw a stall selling wild sea asparagus also known as samphire. I decided to buy one of the last remaining bags and try it with pan fried fish. Janine had told me all about white salmon that another vendor sold, so that got my taste buds going. Unfortunately there was no white salmon for sale but that didn't stop me from buying the samphire.

I had no idea how to cook the samphire so I asked the vendor and he told me that I could pretty much do anything with it, from sauteeing it to steaming it. I trawled through the internet and decided to blanche the samphire and then dress it with olive oil and lemon juice. This would compliment the pan fried plaice (I was planning on serving) nicely.

Sea Asparagus Salad (Serves 2)

1 Cup of Samphire

Olive Oil

Squeeze of lemon juice

Fresh cracked black pepper

Remove any tough stems from the samphire and wash thoroughly. Blanche for two to three minutes in simmering water. Strain. Drizzle with olive oil and lemon juice (to taste) and season with pepper. Serve immediately.

Hollandaise Sauce (Italian Eggs benedict)

2010-07-02T11:54:00.000-07:00

Oh my gosh!!! Yum yum yum. Having had a productive morning I was craving eggs for brunch. My first thought was scrambled eggs on toast. This then moved onto poached eggs on toast which quickly evolved into eggs Benedict with an Italian theme. I had Italian bread and plum tomatoes and some basil that definitely needed using up. My brain went into overdrive. I thought of making a warm mayonnaise with olive oil but soon decided on an adapted hollandaise sauce using white wine mustard and oodles of lovely butter. Traditionally hollandaise is made with egg yolks, lemon juice and butter. Had I have had lemon juice I would have used that but to be honest the mustard works a treat and I think I actually prefer it!!! It has a tangy and spicy taste.

Before making the sauce I prepared my butter cutting it into several small cubes. I cut way too much butter. I now have a bowl of cubed butter sitting in the fridge. I knew I had to prepare the butter beforehand as I know that making hollandaise can be quite daunting. There are many stories of the sauce splitting or the egg scrambling due to not whisking enough or using the wrong heat. I blocked these stories out of my head and went for it acting all confident. I added a small amount of boiling water to a small pan and had the stove on at a medium heat. A bowl went over the pan. In went the egg yolk and mustard and I began to whisk frantically but calmly. Cubes of butter were added two at a time and when they were nearly incorporated in went another couple of cubes. I knew that only one egg yolk could hold a certain amount of butter but for one person I wasn't too bothered. I added enough butter to create enough sauce to coat my poached egg. To be honest I didn't use as much butter as I thought I would. Had I been making sauce for more than one person I think I would use two egg yolks. The sauce took about 5-7 minutes to make, enough to toast my bread and poach my egg. I layered all my ingredients onto my toast and liberally poured the hollandaise over top.

The hollandaise was smooth, buttery and creamy and just what I needed to feed my craving. It was one of the best I have ever tasted. I even cleaned the bowl out using another piece of bread. I wasn't going to waste any of this golden emulsion.

Italian Eggs Benedict

Italian Bread Toasted

Plum Tomatoes Sliced

Basil Leaf

Poached Egg

Hollandaise Sauce

Layer tomatoes on the toast followed by the basil leave and poached egg. Pour over the hollandaise sauce

Hollandaise Sauce (for one)

1 Egg yolk

1/4 Tsp White Wine Mustard

Cubes of Butter

Salt

Paprika

In a glass bowl whisk the egg yolk and mustard together. Place the bowl over a small pan of just simmering water (I used a medium heat) ensuring the bowl is not touching the water. Whisk in 2 cubes of butter at a time until nearly disappeared then add another two cubes and repeat until the sauce becomes thick and creamy and plentiful. You do really have to eyeball the amount of butter needed. It all goes by feel, look and taste. Season with salt and pour over eggs, vegetables or fish. Sprinkle with a small pinch of paprika.

Yorkshire Puddings

2010-06-29T10:06:00.000-07:00

This is my 100th post. Wahoooo!!! and today I am going to talk about Yorkshire puddings, something I have never been able to perfect. As I was born in Yorkshire, you would think that making these would come naturally...well no. Previous attempts have turned out dense and tasted too eggy. Yesterday though, this changed, I made the best yorkshire puddings ever. They were light and airy yet crisp on the outside. They were just like how my mum makes them. The batter mix made six and I ate four of them. Two of them with my dinner and the other two randomly dipped in left over beef gravy. Mmm mmm!!!

The secret that I have always been told is to have the oil really hot in the muffin tins and the batter very cold, so this is what I did. As I poured the batter in the tins I heard the oil sizzle and I knew I had cracked it. I watched through the oven door in anticipation as the batter rose and turned a nice golden brown. I was so happy that they turned out so well. They had doubled insize and were so light and above all yummy.

They were perfect and tasted so good alongside our roast beef and garlic mashed potato. Ian was so impressed

Yorkshire Pudding mix

1 Cup Flour

1/2 Cup Milk

1/2 Cup Water

2 Eggs

Pinch of salt

Oil or Beef Dripping

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Meanwhile sift the flour and salt into a bowl. Make a well in the flour mixture and add the milk, water and eggs. Whisk well to combine, you should see little bubbles within the mixture. If you make the batter in advance cover and store in refrigerator (just lightly whisk again before adding to the pans). Using a muffin tin add a small layer of oil or beef dripping to six of the tins and place in oven until it starts to sizzle. When the oil is hot pour the batter into the tins (I left a quarter space between the batter and the top of the tin to allow it to rise). Bake for approx 20-30 minutes or until golden brown.

Seared Tuna with Thai Chilli Mayonnaise

2010-06-27T14:00:00.000-07:00

I have always been scared of cooking fresh tuna. Did I trust myself to cook it right? Would eating medium rare tuna that I cooked make me ill... after all its raw fish. I ate sushi often enough but was never 100% confident in my own abilities. I decided to take the leap of faith after a friend at work had ordered pan fried tuna for her lunch. It just looked so tasty.

My main mission was to find a nice piece of fresh tuna steak. My local superstore fish counter was very dissapointing, so a trip to whole foods was on the cards. There poking through the ice was 3 nice juicy pink steaks staring at me. I picked my steak and eagerly watched as it got wrapped up in brown paper. I couldn't wait to make it. I rushed home knocked together some asian slaw and began to prepare for the searing of the tuna.

A light sprinkling of salt and pepper was all the tuna needed. The frying pan was hot and a thin layer oil was swirling. In went the tuna. I gave it one minute then turned it over and gave it another minute. The tuna easily came away from the frying pan as the pan was hot enough to sear it quickly. I allowed the steak to rest treating it like a beef steak (not sure if this is needed but it made me feel more confident and chefy!!! (What an idiot!!!).

I sliced it nice and thinly and it looked superb. The pink shiny band of tuna glowed through the light brown seared borders. I was so impressed. I served it with a huge dollop of Thai chilli mayonnaise. It was devoured within minutes. I can now honestly say I am not scared of cooking tuna any more. Just make sure it is fresh and the pan is hot.

Seared Tuna with Thai Chilli Mayonnaise (Serves 2)

1 fresh tuna steak

Salt & Pepper

Oil

For the Mayo

2 Tbsp Mayo

1 Tbsp Sweet Thai Chilli Sauce

On a medium high heat, heat a enough oil to coat the bottom of a heavy based frying pan until it starts to swirl. Season the tuna with salt and pepper. (I like to use sea salt as I like the crunch of the salt on the tuna). Place the tuna in the pan (it should sizzle straight away). Watch as the tuna starts to turn opaque, you should be able to judge when the steak needs to be turned over. I usually sear it for a minute on either side. If you begin to turn the steak over and it is sticking to the pan it will need a few more seconds. The steak should lift off easily from the pan. Sear the other side then remove from the pan and allow to rest for a couple of minutes. While the tuna is resting mix the mayonnaise and chilli sauce together until combined.

Slice the tuna finely and arrange on a plate. Serve with a huge dollop of the mayonnaise.

Hot Brown Sandwich

2010-06-24T21:20:00.000-07:00

Wow!!! Comfort food or what? Last week I promised that I would start to eat a little healthier...well that was soooo thrown out of the window this week. My breakfasts so far have consisted of A&W classic combos and my evening meals range from steak and fries, fish and chips and roast beef with Yorkshire pudding. The reason for this is that Ian and I have been away from home for a few days and it is much easier to pick up a breakfast on the go and then chill out in the pub on an evening eating yet again more fried food. By rule Ian and I do not eat much fried food and bread is always kept to a minimum so our bellies have had a culture shock.

Since returning home our dietary intake hasn't really improved (mainly because I need to do a decent food shop). Nacho's yesterday and hot brown sandwiches tonight. I have never made hot brown sandwiches before and did not know about them until I saw then being made on a food network program. I was hooked, so for tonight that it was I made. It turned out far better than what I expected and was pretty quick to make and above all was soooo tasty. How could anything not taste good if it is smothered in oozing cheese sauce.

(Picture courtesy of irishgumbo.blogspot.com)

OK so mine wasn't as yellow but you get the idea ... right!!!

Hot Brown Sandwich (Serves 1)

2 slices of bread toasted

6 slices Deli Turkey

2 slice bacon

1 Tomato finely sliced

1 Tablespoon Butter

1 Tablespoon Flour

Milk

1 Tsp Mustard

1/2 Cup of Grated Cheese

S&P

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Lay your bacon out onto a baking sheet (and sprinkle with brown sugar (Optional)). Bake in oven until brown and crisp and allow to cool. Meanwhile over a medium heat melt your butter in a pan and add the flour to create a thick paste (rue). Start to add the milk and stir into the paste until you create a thick sauce (use as milk as you need). Add the mustard and combine. Remove from the heat and immediately add the cheese and stir until melted. Season with salt and pepper. Slice your toast diagonally then layer the toast on an oven proof plate in the following way with the remaining ingredients: Toast, 2 slices of turkey and tomato, toast, turkey, tomato etc etc until all ingredients are used. Pour cheese sauce over top and place under broiler until the cheese sauce begins to bubble and brown. Add bacon on top before serving. Yum yum yum!!! It sounds like it would be really heavy but honestly it isn't. It is great for supper.

Chicken and Broccoli Calzone

2010-06-17T12:01:00.000-07:00

This is such a great quick and easy supper to make. By rule I like to make everything from scratch, but after a 12 hour shift that rule goes out of the window. There are four ingredients that you need, pizza dough, chicken, mozzarella and a cream of campbell's soup. Mushroom works very well but alas Ian cannot stomach mushrooms so broccoli was the next option. With a sprinkling of Parmesan, pepper or dried Italian herbs the calzone looks very appetizing.

I decided to make one huge calzone that could be cut up into pieces, but if you have the time you can also make individual calzones, which are great to take on picnics or have for lunch on the go. You can also use different fillings. The most common filling is ground beef in tomato sauce. Anything you can out in a pie you can put in a calzone.

Ian and I were debating as to whether a calzone was a pizza or a pie. Ian believes it is a pie and I believe its a pizza turnover. No matter what we think it is, it tastes gorgeous and is so easy to make.

Chicken and Broccoli Calzone

2 Large Chicken Breasts
Can of Campbells Cream of Broccoli Soup
1 Small Red Onion sliced
1 Cup Grated Mozzarella cheese
Pre-made Pizza Dough (I used a tub of Pilsbury dough)
Egg Wash (I egg plus milk whisked together)
Pepper
Dried Italian Herbs
Oil

Pre heat the oven according to the pizza dough packaging. Meanwhile slice the chicken into bite size pieces . Pour some oil into a frying pan and heat over a medium heat. Add the chicken and onion and allow to brown and cook. Once cooked through add the contents from the can of soup and warm through. Season with salt and pepper if desired. Roll the pizza dough out onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Pour the chicken mixture onto one half of the pizza dough allowing at least an inch of dough visible on all the sides except from the remaining pizza dough half.. Sprinkle over the mozzarella then fold the other half over top of the chicken mixture. Seal the edges of the pizza dough my pressing the edges together. then roll and pinch the edges to stop the filling from oozing out when baking.

Egg wash the top of the calzone and sprinkle with herbs, pepper and Parmesan. Bake according to pizza dough packaging or until golden brown (mine was approximately 20 minutes). If you are making individual calzone the baking time will be reduced, so just keep checking on there color. Remove from oven and allow to cool for 5 minutes before cutting into slices. Serve with a salad of your choice.

Poached Fish in Milk

2010-06-05T13:12:00.000-07:00

Well this was a little experiment that went very well. Many moons ago when I worked as a kitchen assistant we often poached smoked haddock in milk and served it on a bed of wilted spinach. The poaching liquor was turned into a lovely thick sauce that was then poured over top. Yesterday I made a variation of this yummy dish.

Having moved to Canada I find it hard to find smoked haddock. There is plenty of smoked salmon around but I wanted that reminiscing feeling of a soft white fish. So I bought some frozen haddock fillets and to get that lovely smoky flavor I bought a packet of kippers (smoked mackerel) and used them in the poaching liquor (milk). A sprinkle of black peppercorns, a few bay leaves and a pinch of saffron was also thrown in. This was gently simmered in the oven for 30-40 minutes, then served with peas and bacon and two soft poached eggs. Yum yum!!!

The memories came flooding back and I loved every piece of it. I love to cook especially when the flavors turn out awesome. This recipe is a keeper. Next time I'm going to have it piled on a huge bowl of creamy mashed potato with the reduced cooking liquor poured over top and a sprinkling of parsley. A huge bowl of comfort!!!!

Poached Fish in Milk (Serves 2)

2 Haddock Fillets
1 Kipper
3 Bay Leaves
8 Black Peppercorns
Small Pinch of saffron
Enough Milk to nearly cover the fish
Salt (if required, I found the kipper made the fish salty enough for me)

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Using a large lasagna dish place the fish in single layers and just about cover the fish with the milk. Add the bay leaves, peppercorns and saffron and allow to stand for 10 minutes before placing in the oven. I used frozen fish so the cooking time was slightly longer than if I had used fresh fish. I checked the fish at 20 minutes and turned the haddock over and cooked it for a further 20 minutes. Once the fish turned opaque it was cooked. I discarded the smoked mackerel, but there is nothing to stop you from serving both.

You can serve this fish in many ways from just a knob of butter over top to a reduction of the strained cooking liquor. If you like a thick sauce make a bechamel sauce using the poaching liquor.

Spaghetti Sauce

2010-05-27T19:24:00.000-07:00

I apologize for the delay in my blog posts. Life has taken over and cooking has taken a back step. It is difficult to plan a future, work extra hours and have time for family and continue to (apparently) have a life!!! Prior to this weekend just gone I worked 10 shifts out of 13 and managed to sleep 24 hours within that time frame and yes I just about managed to function. Ian too was working long hours spending day after day completing his inventory, which seamed and probably felt like an eternity. We were once again like ships passing in the night. For most of the time we ate take out which consisted of pizza x 2, Chinese x 2 and whatever junk we could get our little hands on. The only thing that kept us going was the long weekend where we had booked a 3 night stay on the Sunshine coast. We stayed at The Ruby Lake resort and it was wonderful. The resort was run by an Italian family and every need was catered for. The best part was that they ran an Italian restaurant, where all the produce was grown and sourced locally. The food was to die for. Fresh seafood, pasta, salads, tender meats, you name it nothing could be faulted. Rarely do Ian and I have a three course meal, but for that weekend we had three.

Ruby Lake resort make the best pasta sauce I have ever had in my life. On return from our trip I thought I would try and give it a go myself. There was definitely lots of garlic in the sauce and some pureed onions, so that is where I started. Three garlic cloves were crushed and one medium onion minced. As I do not own a mixer, my knife went into overdrive and so did my tear ducts, but all I was thinking about was the finished result. I kept this sauce simple, normally I'm adding balsamic vinegar and sugar, but not this time. Once the onions and garlic sweated off, in went 1/2 large can of crushed tomatoes, some salt and pepper, bay leaves and enough water to loosen the sauce. A dash of milk was also added to mellow the sauce, a tip I learned from Nigella Lawson. This was all simmered together on a low heat for around an hour. It turned our perfect. I have no real photos to show you (apart from it being in the jar) as I am planning on making spaghetti on Saturday as a quick easy dinner after work. Photos will then be added.

Spaghetti Sauce

Olive Oil

1 medium onion minced

3 garlic clove crushed and minced

4 Bay leaves

1/2 Large can Crushed Tomatoes

1/4 Cup water

1/4 Cup Milk

Salt & Pepper

In a large skillet or pan heat up a small amount of olive oil. Add the onions and sweat until translucent, (you may want to add a small drop of water if the the pan becomes too dry) then add the garlic and soften. Pour in half the can of tomatoes, and add salt and pepper to taste and the bay leaves. Add the water and milk and mix the ingredients until combined. Then simmer over a low heat for approx 1 hour. If the sauce is too thick add some more water or milk. Remove the bay leaves. Serve with pasta and sprinkle parmesan overtop. Its that simple and oh so very tasty....

Mocha Brownies

2010-05-12T17:47:00.000-07:00

Three words to be said, Yum Yum Yum.....

Mocha Brownies

1 Cup Chocolate Chips plus more for sprinkling

1/2 Cup Butter

2 Tbsp Instant Coffee Granules

2 Tbsp Brewed Coffee

2 Eggs

1 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 Tsp Vanilla

2/3 Cup All Purpose Flour

1/4 Tsp Salt

In a heatproof bowl over a saucepan of hot water, melt a cup of chocolate chips with butter, then allow to cool for 5 minutes. In another small bowl dissolve the coffee granules into the brewed coffee. In another bowl beat the eggs with the sugar until pale and thickened, then stir in the vanilla and coffee mixture. Pour the melted chocolate over the egg mixture, then sift the flour and salt over top. Fold in until blended and sprinkle in some whole chocolate chips. Scrape into a parchment lined 9 inch square metal cake pan and smooth over top. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 30 minutes or until a knife comes out with a few moist crumbs clinging. Allow to fully cool, then cut into squares.

Key Lime Pie

2010-05-03T16:12:00.000-07:00

Yes.... I finally made it and it is proudly sitting on my kitchen counter and I can't wait to delve in. If it wasn't for Ian coming home in the afternoon it would definitely have been devoured.

This recipe was so simple. I couldn't believe how easy it was. I did cheat and buy a pre-made graham cracker base which obviously reduced the preparation needed. We had had a can of condensed milk in our pantry left over from an uneventful camping trip which I was eager to use, so on todays shopping trip I bought the remaining ingredients needed then set to work on making this gorgeous dessert.

Key Lime Pie

1/2 Cup Juice from key limes or regular limes (Key limes are sweeter)

1 can condensed milk (300mls/14oz)

Grated Lime Rind

4 Egg Yolks

Pre-prepared graham cracker base

Soft whipped Cream

Pre-heat oven to 350 degrees. Using an electric mixer whisk the yolks until golden and thick. Whisk in the condensed milk and half the amount of lime juice. Stir in the last of the lime juice and the rind until combined. Pour into the graham cracker base and bake for 12-15 minutes until set. Allow to cool before topping of with soft whipped cream.

This pie lasted all of 2 hours, hence the poor quality photo. Oooops!!!

Cobb Salad

2010-04-27T18:05:00.000-07:00

Cobb Salad (Serves 2)

Box of mixed lettuce leaves

1 Avocado

2 Boiled Eggs

6 Crispy Cooked Bacon Rashers

1 Cooked Chicken Breast

Blue Cheese
Tomatoes

For the dressing

1/3 White wine Vinegar

2/3 Olive Oil
Squeeze of lemon juice

1 Tsp Mustard

I garlic clove crushed

Pinch Salt and Pepper

Dried Chilli Flakes (Optional)

Dice all the salad ingredients into bite size pieces (with exception of the salad leaves). Place the lettuce leaves onto a plate or into a bowl and arrange the chicken, avocado, bacon, cheese, eggs and tomato over top. To make the dressing whisk all ingredients together. Season to taste and pour generously over the salad.

Cornbread

2010-04-27T12:37:00.000-07:00

I have wanted to make corn bread for a while now but the thing was I had never had any up until yesterday. Ian and I had a very rare day off together (well that's how it feels at the moment we are like ships passing in the night) and decided to go out for brunch. We stumbled upon a Louisiana style restaurant half way during our walk and both dived into the front door after reading the menu. Ian chose the cowboy breakfast and I chose eggs with green peppers and cilantro over corn bread. Da da da, the corn bread was amazing. The first thing I noticed was that it was sweet, but not sickly sweet. It was just yummy yummy yummy, that's my professional opinion.

Having looked at a few recipes I found that it was not that dissimilar to a cake batter. I found a recipe that I liked and read a couple of reviews, many found it fantastic and a few thought the bread turned out a little too heavy. Having read these comments I wondered how I could vary the recipe to make it turn out perfect. (How big headed am I!!). So with a few changes this is how I did it.

Alex's Cornbread

1 1/4 Cup Corn meal

2 1/4 Cups Milk

1/2 Cup Canned Sweetcorn

1/2 Cup Granulated Sugar

A good squeeze of Honey

2 Eggs

1 Tbsp Baking Powder

1 Tsp Salt

Pinch of Turmeric

1/2 Cup Canola Oil

2 Cups All Purpose Flour

Pre-heat the oven to 400 degrees. In a bowl add the cornmeal and pour over the milk. Allow to sit for 5 minutes. In a separate bowl sift the flour, baking powder, turmeric, salt and sugar and whisk together. In a smaller bowl separate the eggs and lightly whisk the egg whites until frothy, then blend the yolks back into the whites. Fold the cornmeal mixture and eggs into the flour mixture until combined. Add a good squeeze of honey and the sweetcorn and mix in. Grease a loaf tin and pour in the batter. Bake for approx 40-50 minutes or until a knife come out clean. Mine took about 50 minutes.

I made my corn bread more moist than what the original recipe called for as I used less cornmeal than the original recipe and it turned out lighter as I pre-whisked the eggs. Well that's what I thought anyway.

Blog Interview

2010-04-21T15:09:00.000-07:00

Vote for my blog by visiting bloginterviewer.com

New Photos

2010-04-20T11:49:00.000-07:00

A light summery lunch...

Rice Wraps with a Spicy Peanut Dipping Sauce

Photos for the lunch chapter

Avocado and Fennel Salad with a Honey Mustard Sesame dressing

2010-04-17T12:13:00.000-07:00

What a refreshing treat. I made this salad last week and it was the best. I had two lovely pieces of salmon that I was planning to pan fry and wanted something light and tasty to serve alongside. This salad was perfect. I had a rough idea of what flavorings I wanted and how I wanted them to compliment the salmon so with a little dash of this and a spoonful of that the perfect salad dressing was created.

Avocado and Fennel Salad

Arugula

Fennel bulb thinly sliced

1/4 Cup Fennel fronds chopped

Avocado sliced and diced

Cucumber sliced into 11/2 inch pieces (seeds removed)

Cilantro

Mix all the above together in a large bowl

Honey, Mustard and Sesame Dressing

(This is approximately what was used)

1 Tsp Dijon Mustard

1/2 Tbsp Honey

1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil

1/2-1 Tsp Soy Sauce

1/2 Tsp White wine vinegar

Pinch Dried Red Chilli Flakes (Optional)

Olive Oil ( Enough to loosen it up)

Toasted Sesame Seeds

Heat the honey in a bowl in the microwave for 20 seconds just to loosen it up. Stir in the mustard and add the sesame oil, soy sauce, vinegar and red chilli flakes. Add enough olive oil just to loosen the dressing. Mix well and toss into the salad. Sprinkle toasted sesame seeds over top.

Chicken Cacciatore

2010-04-12T10:52:00.000-07:00

I love this type of dish. Simple flavors that all go into one pot to create a gorgeous rich tasting meal. Originally from Italy this dish can be served alongside rice, pasta, polenta, salad, potatoes and fresh greens. I usually like to serve it with fettuccine drizzled with olive oil and sprinkled with parsley and parmesan. Yesterday though, I served it with steamed rice. Many chicken cacciatore recipes call for mushrooms which would be awesome, however Ian is allergic to these friendly fungi so we have to steer clear.

I decided to make this dish as I was having such a lazy day that I didn't want to be in the kitchen for ages. Ian was at work and I was happy revising for a potential new job. (Yes revising... how sad is that?). I really didn't want to break the momentum but I managed to pull myself away from my books and took a small break. When I say small it was less than 10 minutes, I began to color the chicken and chop the garlic and herbs. Once the chicken was browned I dumped everything into the pan with a can of chopped tomatoes and a few olives and allowed it to simmer and reduce. That's how simple it was. I then went back to my ventilation revision. After 30 minutes of simmering I removed the chicken pieces (drumsticks) and then continued to reduce the sauce on the stove until it was thick and ruby red. (The reason I removed the drumsticks were that they were so tender they were falling of the bone and I was worried that any further simmering may have caused the chicken to disintegrate). This reduction took a further 20 mins. Once reduced the chicken pieces were placed back into the pan and warmed through.

It was a great dinner. I think next time though I would use a combination of chicken breasts on the bone and drumsticks. The reason for this is that I love drumsticks and Ian loves the breast!!! (Take that as you will!!).

Chicken Cacciatore (serves 4)
8-10 Chicken drumsticks
4 garlic cloves chopped
1 sprig rosemary chopped
Olive oil
10 Sage leaves thinly sliced
1 Cup of chicken stock or white wine)
Splash of white wine vinegar if not using wine
8 Black Olives
2 Tbsp Tomato Paste
1 Large Can Diced Tomatoes
Large pinch Dried Red Chilli Flakes

Start by browning the chicken in the olive oil in a deep pan/ dutch oven/ casserole dish over a medium high heat. Once browned add the garlic, sage and rosemary and soften. Add the stock, vinegar or wine and stir lifting off any brown pieces from the bottom off the pan. Then add the tomato paste , diced tomatoes, chilli flakes and olives. Mix to combine. Reduce the heat to a simmer and simmer for approx 20-30 minutes until the sauce is reduced. I you feel the chicken is cooked through but the sauce needs to be thicker remove the chicken and continue to reduce the sauce. Once you have the desired thickness for the sauce add the chicken pieces back into the pan and warm through. Season with salt and pepper if required. I found that the olives added enough salty flavor and the red chilli flakes gave it the kick it needed. Once ready serve alongside your chosen side.

Creamed Spinach with Parmesan

2010-04-11T12:12:00.000-07:00

Creamed Spinach... I have never had it in my life until yesterday. I had the idea of making creamed spinach last week when I bought two large juicy sirloin steaks. I love to eat spinach and more often than not it is in a salad...well not this time. I wanted to try it differently and creamed spinach was the way to go. As I'm attempting to eat a little healthier I made it with soured cream, but by all means you can use cream instead. I bought a huge box of spinach and used the whole box to make this dish. As you wilt the spinach your amazed at how quickly it reduces. We polished off all the spinach and would have had more if there was more available.

Creamed Spinach

1 large box baby Spinach

1 Tbsp Butter plus some for wilting the spinach

1 Tbsp Flour

Splash Milk

2 Tbsp Soured Cream

Nutmeg

Salt & Pepper

1/4 Cup Grated Parmesan

Begin by wilting the spinach down in a pan with a knob of butter. I did this in batches as my pan was not big enough. Allow to cool, then chop coarsely. Meanwhile in another pan add the tablespoon of butter and melt over a medium heat, then add the flour to make a thick paste. Loosen this paste up by adding a splash of milk (keep the pan on the heat and stir at all times to stop any lumps from appearing). This paste should remain thick but have a smoother consistency. Then add the soured cream and blend together well. Keep the pan on the heat and cook out the flour. Add the Parmesan and season with salt and pepper and nutmeg to taste. If you feel the sauce is too thick add some more soured cream or milk, but remember the spinach will add some more moisture making the sauce less thick. Add the chopped spinach and mix well. Allow the spinach to warm through and then serve. Voila.....a lovely creamy spinach dish.

House Hunting

2010-04-03T14:30:00.000-07:00

Last week we were house hunting. You may think what has house hunting got to do with food? For me it has everything to do with food. Memories are made from food whether its preparation, eating or having guests come round for dinner. For me one of the important rooms is the kitchen and dining room. I have always envisaged having a kitchen diner, when I say this I don't mean an eighties themed kitchen diner more of a farmhouse type kitchen diner where the table sits proudly in the kitchen. I am wanting a relaxing and social environment, not a formal dining area. Yes a formal dining area has it's part for some but not for me. I would love to create a homely kitchen dining area. I love the idea of having a mix and match kitchen, where not all pieces match but they complement each other. Natural wooden cabinets or maybe white painted cabinets? Cabinets inlay-ed with glass panels. Natural wood or granite worktops? and definitely a natural wooden kitchen/dining table. To be honest I have already seen the table I desire, an antique pine table with lathed white chunky legs which would seat eight very comfortably. Yes I know, its huge and yes we don't own a house, so that is why the table remains in the store and not with me. (Maybe some day!!!) To add to my neurotic-ism (I think I have just invented this word) I have also been prowling around numerous appliance stores and have found the perfect stove. It is a six burner gas stove made from what looks like cast iron with a large oven. (I can just picture me cooking on it). However for now we need to find a home before all this can become reality.

Not only have I been dreaming of my perfect kitchen, Ian and I have been planning on what we want from the house and surrounding land. A vegetable plot is high on priorities, alongside a herb garden and maybe some chickens. At present I could pass on the chickens as I am becoming a little overwhelmed with everything. I'm sure though that some chickens will be in our future but for now they will be on our dinner plate only.

I love the idea of being able to grow some of your own produce and make wonderful dishes from your gardening empire. This is what I am getting really excited about (as well as the kitchen no less). I have much to learn about creating and developing a vegetable plot. The nearest I have got is growing some tomatoes plants from seed in my kitchen window. I did start out with twelve and currently have three left!!!(A lot more practice is needed!!) A good friend of mine is an avid gardener so I will be sapping some knowledge from her. I have also offered to help with her community vegetable plot.

My Grandmother used to keep a vegetable plot at the bottom of her garden and I always remember that she had potatoes,onions, runner beans, grapes, strawberries and plums. Even now I think she still has some produce growing. I know that only recently she had made some strawberry jam from her yield, not bad for eighty four!!! (Sorry Gran).

We have dreamed our dream and now it is time to make it come true. Wish us luck.

Marmalade Cake

2010-03-20T14:33:00.000-07:00

The weather is warm, the sun is shining and I have been happily having fun times in the kitchen making salsa verde, caramelized onion tart and marmalade cake. My house smells gorgeous, the aroma of a cake baking cannot be beat. I sit here with a cup of tea not only wishing I was having a huge slice of my marmalade cake but thinking about lighter menus for this spring season. Salads, tarts and lighter dishes will be replacing the stews and soups which have been abundant this winter. I can picture Ian and I sipping on ice cold white wine tucking into seasonal dishes.

Anyway enough of my day dreaming. I was lucky in inheriting a work colleagues cookery book collection, mainly a collection of Nigel Slater's cook books. Although I knew of him I can't say that he would be a cook/chef I would automatically think of if I had to relay who inspired me. Having spend some time reading through his books I can say that I love his ideas and style of cooking. He like me wants to use fresh seasonal ingredients and believes that less is more. The only one thing I prefer to do is make some things from scratch but this is only because I like to experiment, but if in a hurry I would definitely buy pre-made items.

There were quite a few recipes that I wanted to try and today I wanted to make cake. I really am not much of a cake baker. I can make one chocolate sponge cake and a variety of muffins and thats about it, so I chose a marmalade cake from Nigel Slater. Like him I used his recipe as a guide and added a few different ingredients. The cake turned out awesome, light and airy with some yummy chewy pieces of marmalade dotted throughout. Mmm mmm, I was impressed with my creation.

Marmalade Cake

(Adapted from Nigel Slater|)

11/2 Sticks Butter

3/4 Cup Granulated Sugar

1 1/2 Cups All purpose flour

3 large Eggs

1/2 Cup Chunky Marmalade

1/4 Tsp Baking Soda

1 Tsp Baking Powder

1/4 Tsp Vanilla Extract

1/4 Cup Orange Juice plus extra for icing

Icing sugar

Firstly grease a loaf tin or line it with parchment and preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Meanwhile using an electric mixer cream together the sugar and butter until light and fluffy. In another small bowl break the eggs and whisk with a fork lightly. Once done add in stages to the creamed sugar/butter mixture and mix well on a medium speed between each addition. Then add the marmalade and mix to combine. Fold the flour, baking powder and soda in using a spatula until no flour can be seen, then fold in the Orange Juice and vanilla. Pour into the loaf tin and bake for approx 30 -40 minutes. Check the cake after 30 minutes of baking by poking a scewer into the middle of the cake. If it comes out clean it is cooked. Once cooked remove from the oven and allow to cool then turn it out of loaf tin. When fully cooled make the glaze by combining some Orange Juice into some icing sugar. The icing should fall into ribbons when lifted up with a spoon. Spoon the icing over the cake allowing it to drip down the sides. Once set cut and serve.

I got to eat this cake with a cup of tea and it was superb.

Granola Bars

2010-03-15T16:06:00.000-07:00

We are going on another road trip and we are so excited. This is no ordinary road trip though, we are going to investigate where we want to live and set up our first home together. As I said we are so excited that we are acting like a couple of crazy teenagers. It's all fun, if not hard work!!!

Traditionally whenever we set up for a road trip we always go to Denny's to have a huge breakfast but this time we have decided to have breakfast on the go....well a breakfast picnic. This got my mind going into overdrive about what we could eat. Obviously we couldn't have anything warm as we couldn't maintain the heat. The other thing I didn't want to do was to have lots of bread as we were also going to have a lunch picnic. I basically decided that I would do a brunch style of picnic where breakfast and lunch items were interchangeable, so we could eat anything at anytime. After racking my brains and scrolling through the internet my decision was made. Boiled eggs, banana bread muffins, fresh fruit salad, BLT picnic sandwich, granola bars, coffee and fruit juice. Sounds perfect!!! I was happy knowing that I could prepare all food needed but I did want to practice making the granola bars. Last year I made some granola bars that tasted great but didn't look like they were supposed too. This time I tried a different recipe adapted from Betty Crocker and they turned out awesome. I've had to put them straight in the freezer to stop nibbling at them. How naughty am I?!!!

Granola Bars
2 cups Oatmeal
2 cups Granola
1/2 Cup Dried Cranberries
1/2 Cup Of seeds (I used pumpkin seeds, you can also add chopped nuts)
1/2 Cup plus 1 Tbsp Honey
4 Tbsp Brown sugar
1 Tsp Vanilla extract
2/3 Cup Crunchy peanut butter

Start by preparing a baking sheet by covering it in a layer of foil and grease the foil, then set aside. In a large mixing bowl mix all the dry ingredients together apart from the brown sugar.In a pan and over a medium heat melt the sugar into the honey until dissolved and add the peanut butter and vanilla extract. Stir together until well combined. Pour the hot honey mixture over the granola and mix until all the granola and oats are covered. You will need to be quick as this will start to set. Pour the combined mixture into the baking sheet and press it down with the back of a spoon packing it together tightly and evenly.. Allow to cool, then slice into bars.

These taste amazing they are slightly chewy and go perfect with a cup of tea. The best thing about this recipe is that you can use pretty much anything you want as long as the total amount of dry ingredients are the same.

Mac n' Cheese

2010-03-14T18:29:00.000-07:00

Not much to say today apart from, mac n' cheese is great for hangovers.

Mac n' Cheese

2 Cups Pasta

2 Tbsp All purpose flour

1 Tbsp Butter

3/4 Cup Crushed Tomatoes

1 Cup Grated Cheese (Cheddar/Parmesan)

3 Sprigs of Thyme

1/2 Cup Milk/Cream

Breadcrumbs

S&P

Firstly boil the pasta until al dente, the reason for this is that this pasta will also get baked together with the sauce so it doesn't want to be fully cooked. Meanwhile start to make a rue in a heavy based pan by melting the butter and stirring in the flour to form a thick paste. Stir the milk into the paste to make a thick sauce (This will be very thick), once combined add the crushed Tomatoes and continue to stir. If the mixture is too thick add some more milk. The sauce needs to be thicker than what you would expect. When you stir the sauce you should see the bottom of the pan where the spoon has just been. Add the cheese, thyme leaves and S&P to taste and combine until cheese has melted. Drain the pasta and pour it into the sauce and mix well. Pour this into an oven proof bowl and sprinkle breadcrumbs, thyme leaves and cheese over top. Bake in a 350 degree oven until the topping turns brown and crispy. Voila the perfect mac n' cheese.

Update

2010-03-05T14:44:00.000-08:00

THE BOOK......Where do I start!! Guilt. That's what I felt about it this am. It has been pushed to the the back burner for a while and although I had set goals for it they were drifting off into the distance. I can now say they are in sight. I got a push forward in the right direction this morning by Ian's sister, who wants to buy a copy and I think she is eager to do so. This is good though as she keeps me motivated. (Thanks Moira xxx) So this morning after wallowing in my guilt and just being lazy I got up and fired up the frying pan and started to make pancakes with blueberry sauce. Once made I arranged them decoratively on a plate and set the scene for the photograph. They looked awesome if I do say so myself.

The photos were quickly added to the book.

Whilst working on the book I began to read through the chapters and admire the work I had already done. When I came to the dinner chapter I started to hesitate and think maybe there wasn't enough recipes or variations. Could someone pick up my book and want to cook any of my recipes? Would they think that these recipes were to simple? or boring? or not exciting enough? The panic began to set in. I began to justify what was in there. I had recipes including chicken, beef, lamb, sausage, fish, pork ranging from European to Asian themes. After the panic died down I decided that I would add one more Chicken dish. I have to remember this is my first book. Maybe I am being too critical.. I just want it to be perfect, is that too much to ask?

Now that Spring is arriving its salad season for me and as I have no salad pictures.....

Patatas Bravas

2010-03-04T19:59:00.000-08:00

Wow, isn't it amazing what you can create with nothing. I open my fridge and to me I see lots of potential but to others it would look bare and the ingredients wouldn't match up to much. From a few basic ingredients I managed to make a gourmet feast with a Spanish tapas theme.

I was very impressed if I do say so myself. I was particularly impressed with my patatas bravas. Originally I was going to buy some Italian sausages but the supermarket had run out so I opted for honey mustard sausages, which actually worked quite well, but to get the authentic flavor, Italian or chorizo sausage would have been better. But hey ho you can't win em' all!!!

I originally had patatas bravas in Barcelona. I went to my first tapas restaurant and I fell in love with this dish and style of eating. On return from Barcelona a friend and I couldn't get enough of tapas, we found an awesome restaurant in Putney, London called La Mancha, which we often frequented and patatas bravas was a regular.

My version of Patatas bravas

Handful of new potatoes cooked and sliced thickly

2 Sausages

1 Large Tomato chopped

I Tbsp Tomato Paste

1 tsp Paprika

1 tsp Smoked Paprika

Pinch Salt

Pinch sugar

Pinch Red Chilli Flakes

1 tsp White wine vinegar

Chicken Stock

Oil

Garlic clove crushed

Firstly heat some oil in a pan and cook the sausages until they have browned. Remove from the pan and slice into1/4 inch pieces. In the same pan fry the sliced potatoes until browned and remove from pan. Add some more oil to pan if need and add tomatoes, garlic, tomato paste, vinegar, sugar, spices and salt. Mix these together in the pan to combine. When the tomatoes begin to soften, crush them with the back of a spoon into the sauce. If the sauce is to thick add some chicken stock to loosen it up. Return the potatoes and sausages to the pan and warm through. Add further salt if needed. Then serve....

Biscuits

2010-03-02T17:22:00.000-08:00

Oh my, what a productive day I have had and to top it off all my cooking creations have turned out great. Not bad considering I am working nights and have one more to go. I don't know why but I always get creative in cooking when on nights. I must admit though last night I finished reading a biography on Julia Child so maybe that gave me the inspiration.

This afternoon I have managed to whip up a huge bowl of chicken caeser salad with roasted garlic and home made croutons, a batch of biscuits and a cinnamon rice pudding. Oh yes..... and not forgetting my foodie shopping spree. Phew!!!!

This blog post is going to be focused on the biscuits I made as I am so proud of how they turned out. For those of you in England a biscuit in North America is not what you dunk in your mug of tea. It is more like a savoury scone which you have alongside meals.When Mum and Dad came over to visit us last year we went for dinner at Mum's Godmothers in Abbottsford. Marjorie had made a huge plate of biscuits to go alongside a lovely lunch she prepared. Mum thought it was strange when everyone tucked into her so called scones (in my mum eyes) with their lunch After a quick explanation it wasn't long before mum started tucking in. The only difference I find between a biscuit and a scone is that biscuits are a lot lighter than that of a scone.

Having made these biscuits I am so going to experiment with them to make different variations (maybe some additions of sugar or fruit). Who knows the list is endless. I will have to keep you up to date with the variations that work. The best thing about these biscuits are that you only need 5 ingredients, the downside is that they are packed with fat... but who cares right!!!! (Another day of running for me).

Biscuits
2 Cups All purpose flour
Pinch of salt
1Tbsp Baking Powder
1 1/4 Cups of cold whipping/ Heavy Cream (Mum you should use double cream xxx)
Melted Butter

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees. Sift all the dry ingredients together into a large bowl, then begin to fold in the cream with a spatula. When all the ingredients are combined mound the dough together to form a ball (do not kneed, just combine) and pour out onto the counter. If the dough is a little dry add some more cream until it combines. The dough should feel cool and silky (I found this very satisfying!!). Press the dough down to a thickness of 3/4 inch and using a cookie cutter cut out the biscuits. With the remaining dough, gather it together to make further biscuits. This recipe should make about 10 biscuits. I made 9 and 1/2 this time. Place the biscuits on a baking sheet and brush the melted butter generously over the top of each biscuit. Bake in the oven for 10 minutes until they begin to turn brown on top. I find that they do not brown evenly in my oven so after baking I brush more butter over top before placing under the grill to brown them more evenly. And voila, the perfect biscuit.

Breakfast with friends

2010-02-24T09:50:00.000-08:00

Last week Carrie had arranged a good old girly day to cheer up one of our friends. We were going to have a duvet day sitting in our jim-jams watching chick flicks and having breakfast. What else could a girl ask for. In preparation for our girly day I decided to make some blueberry muffins and chocolate pancakes. The chocolate pancakes did not last long though and never made it to Carrie's. Ian and I scoffed the lot with tons of whipped cream (Oops!!). And as for the blueberry muffins they were forgotten in all the excitement of getting to Carrie's. But not to worry... Carrie had made the most amazing banana and chocolate chip muffins using her banana bread recipe. They were fantastic.

When making my blueberry muffins I was a little hesitant as my oven never keeps its temperature and hardly ever reaches the 400 degrees needed but I proceeded anyway. They turned out awesome and to top it off I got more pictures added to my book (Yay!!).

Hockey Night (Chicken curry)

2010-02-21T20:07:00.000-08:00

Today is an exciting day.... Canada plays hockey against USA in the Olympic games (Wahooo!!!), so I plan on making a homemade curry will all the trimmings, pilau rice and rotis. Mmm mmm. I'll have a busy afternoon but it will be well worth it. I can just imagine Ian watching the game with a beer in hand and a plate of gorgeous spicy Indian curry with lots of roti to mop it up with. It should also help me get rid of this head cold. Hopefully the spices should blow it away.

I always used to buy curry sauces but having caught the foodie bug I thought that I would have a try at making a curry from scratch. I first tried a recipe from Rick Stein where the chicken was cooked in a prepared curry sauce consisting of onion, ginger, garlic, cumin, coriander, paprika, green chilli and tinned tomatoes. It was great to create a fantastic tasty curry minus all the additives used in store bought curry sauce. Nothing beats homemade food!!! Since experimenting with Indian curries I now always add raw meat into the curry sauce as it allows the meat to soak up the flavors and turns out more tender than if you precook the meat. (The most common meat I use is chicken or lamb). The other important cooking stage I do is to flavor the oil in the skillet with all the spices needed, it gives off a great aroma and depth to the curry. You can pretty much add any spice to the curry, I like to use the recipe below.

Chicken Curry

2 Chicken Breasts or 6 Thighs diced

1 large onion diced

1 Tin of Diced/ Crushed Tomatoes

Cream/Sour Cream (Optional)

3 garlic cloves minced

Small handful chopped Cilantro

1 inch Fresh Grated Ginger

2tsp Ground Cumin

1tsp Ground Coriander

1tsp Paprika/ Cayenne Pepper

1tsp Ground Turmeric
1tsp Fenugreek seeds

1/4 tsp Ground Cloves

Curry leaves (Optional)

1 Sliced Green Chilli (use as much as you desire)

1/2 tsp Ground Garam masala

1/4 Stick of butter

Oil

Firstly melt the butter with a dash of oil in a heavy based pan and allow to turn slightly golden. Over a medium heat add the diced onion to the pan and cook until translucent. Add the grated ginger and minced garlic and cook for a minute while continuing to stir the mixture, then add the ground spices and continue to cook for a minute. Now add the tinned tomatoes and stir to combine with the spice mixture and bring to a simmer. At this stage you can either keep the curry sauce chunky or blend it to make it smoother, I prefer the latter. Once the curry sauce is simmering add the diced chicken, sliced green chilli's, cillantro and a few curry leaves and continue to simmer on a low heat for approximatley 30 - 40 minutes. If you are using lamb I would simmer it for an hour over a low heat. Add the cream at the last stage and warm through. If you find the curry is too thick add some water.

To go with this curry I make pilau rice which is so simple. I always go with the measure of 1:2 (1 cup of rice to 2 cups of water). This steams to create the perfect fluffy rice.

Pilau Rice

1 Cup Basmalti Rice

2 Cups Water

1/2 Onion finely diced

1 Clove Garlic minced

1 Cinnamon stick

4 Whole Cloves

4 Cardomen Pods

1/2 tsp Salt

1/4 tsp Turmeric (Optional)

Juice of half a lemon

Oil

Heat some oil in a pan and add the onion, cook until translucent, then add the garlic and rice. Coat the rice in the oil and then add the water, spices and lemon juice. Bring this to the boil with the lid off and stir once. Once it starts boiling reduce the heat to low, put the lid on top and allow to steam for approx 15- 20 minutes until the liquid has absorbed. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve. To really jazz this rice up you can add sultanas, chopped cilantro, roasted cashews and chopped pistachios once cooked. Its sooooo good.

To make the roti's use my tortilla recipe minus the oil. Follow the recipe but allow the roti to puff up whilst in the skillet. Push the air bubbles gently with a spatula allowing the air pocket to get bigger. It does take time to practice and even if they don't puff up they will still taste great. I like to serve these with Indian pickles and salads.

Tonights feast is going to be awesome, lets hope the hockey is too....

Fish Cakes

2010-02-17T14:40:00.000-08:00

I have been toying with making fish cakes for a while and yesterday I was forced into it. Originally I had bought some fresh salmon fillets but in my neurotic organisation I had put all the fillets in the freezer, so I turned towards some tinned salmon, which worked pretty well and to top it off, it reduced the cooking time (Excellent). To serve alongside the fish cakes I decided to make my infamous potato salad, a mixture of beetroot, celeriac and roasted potatoes mixed in a mustard sauce. It is much lighter than regular potato salad which I find can be a little claggy. A spring salad with roasted cherry tomatoes was also served. It was a perfect meal for two people who recently have been overindulged with junk food.

Fish Cakes

2 Small tins of Salmon

3 Cups Cold Mashed Potato (2 large russet pots)

1 Egg beaten

Lemon Rind
Juice of half a lemon

Handful of Cilantro finely choppped (You can use parsley or dill)

Bread crumbs

1/4 tsp Paprika

S&P

The most important advice I can give you is to use cold mashed potato, if it is warm the patties will be too soft and will break up. The second important piece of advice is if you are using tinned salmon make sure you drain it well and remove the spinal bones (unless you like the crunch!!). Now that that has been said it is now time for the fun to begin.... Mix the egg, lemon juice, rind, paprika, salt and pepper into the potato until combined. Now flake the fish in over top with the chopped cilantro. Using a spatula fold the fish into the mash potato. I like to do this instead of mixing it in as I like chunky pieces of fish throughout the patty. Form into patties and place in the fridge to firm up if needed. When ready roll the fish cakes in the breadcrumbs and shallow fry in oil over a medium heat to warm the patty through and brown the breadcrumbs. Flip to brown the other side and serve. Voila a quick easy supper.

The most common problem with making fishcakes is that the patties can get very soft if using hot mashed potato hence the important advise above.

Hungarian Goulash

2010-02-08T20:27:00.000-08:00

This recipe was sent to my email from an old link I subscribed too many many moons ago. Initially the photo made we want to make this and the fact that it was made in one pot was also very appealing. After browning all the meat and softening the vegetables everything gets cooked in beef broth allowing the meat to tenderize and melt in the mouth. Many of the comments state that this is one of the best goulashes ever tasted. Well lets put it to the test. Again I have adapted the original recipe to my tastes.

Beef Goulash and Lemon Soured Cream (Serves 4)

900g Stewing Beef

2 Cups of Beef Stock

1 Large Onion Diced

2 Garlic Cloves minced

4 Medium Plum Tomato's Diced

Handful Fresh Chopped Parsley

1 tsp Paprika

1 1/4 tsp Smoked Paprika

2-3 Red/Orange Roasted Bell Peppers sliced.

Flour

S&P

4 tbsp Oil

Juice of half a lemon

Rind of 1 Lemon

Dry the stewing beef with paper towel and coat the meat in seasoned flour (Flour, salt and pepper). Heat the oil in a deep pan over a medium high heat and fry the beef in batches until browned on all sides (It does not need to be fully cooked through). Remove the beef from the pan and add some of the stock to de-glaze the pan. When the pan is de-glazed return the stock to the remaining unused stock. Reduce the heat and add some more oil, when hot add the diced onions and minced garlic and allow to soften. Return the meat to the pan alongside the diced tomatoes and paprika and stir to combine, then add all the stock and simmer with a lid on for 30 minutes. Add the roasted peppers and continue to simmer for another 30 minutes without the lid on. The goulash should have thickened by this stage. Add salt if needed and sprinkle the parsley over the top of the goulash and serve with lemon sour cream and green onions. To make the lemon sour cream mix the lemon rind and juice from half the lemon into a small pot of soured cream and top off with sliced green onions. Traditionally thick sliced buttered noodles can also be served alongside

This is a perfect week dinner and is great washed down with a glass of red wine. It tastes even better if left for the following day.

Tortilla's

2010-02-06T14:37:00.000-08:00

Having made Indian flat bread I thought that I would give it a go and make some flour tortillas. The recipe is very similar to that of the flat bread however it does have the addition of fat. Many recipes reviewed called for lard or shortening however I used vegetable oil as it is a healthier option.

Flour Tortillas

3 cups Flour

1 Tsp Salt

3 Tbs Oil

3/4- 1 Cup Hot Water

Mix all the ingredients together to form a soft dough and knead for 5 minutes on a floured surface until the dough begins to feel smooth and silky. (If the dough is too wet add some more flour and vice versa if it is too dry). Pinch dough off into small pieces and roll into a ball between your hands (This should represent the size of a golf ball). Then roll the dough out into thin disks on a floured surface and dry pan fry on a high heat until brown dots appear on one side, flip the tortilla over and brown the underside. When ready remove from pan and wrap in foil then proceed with the next tortilla. There will be a build up of flour between each tortilla in the pan which you will need to wipe clean with a dry piece of kitchen roll to stop it acquiring a burnt taste.

Themes

2010-01-28T13:07:00.000-08:00

I love to plan a meal with a theme in mind. This week I was adamant to make a traditional Indian curry with homemade rotis. I was inspired by a conversation I had overheard by two collegues at work. I rushed home with the plan of making and experimenting with the making of roti. I turned on the laptop typed roti into the google task bar and picked out the elements I liked of all the recipes seen. I went into action mixing the flour and water together to make the dough and within 5- 10 minutes I was rolling them out into flat discs and dry pan frying them. Everything went so well. I waited until small brown dots appeared on the roti and flipped the disc over to cook the underside. The only issue I was having was getting the roti to puff up. After several attempts I had it cracked. I gorged on my achievement with a generous amount of mango chutney. I was happy. This lead me think of themes closer to home. Irish soda bread and Dublin Coddle. Yes I know I'm from England but I miss foods that are closer to home and Irish food often appears in our old pubs, and old pubs is what I am missing the most. Nothing beats that feeling from having a long walk it the countryside and then spending the whole afternoon in a traditional pub eating traditional foods whilst washing it down with a good beer. (Ahhh the old times). Ian loves to have hearty comfort food, so with him in mind and my fondness of experimenting with foods Dublin Coddle here we come.

I ventured down to the market to gather all the ingredients needed. I always go to the same butcher as they know exactly what I need. I was after thick pork sausages and either thick cut bacon or a small ham. I had thought that bacon may cause the stew to be too salty and after talking to the butcher I chose a small ham that I could dice up into bite size pieces. If extra salt was needed I could always add it during the cooking process A small bag of red new potatoes, a yellow onion and a handful of fresh parsley was also purchased. On return from the market I couldn't stop myself from visiting 'The Lobster Man' where I picked up some oysters to go with our Irish themed meal (An after thought, but a good one at that!!). I poached the sausages and bacon in water and then began to cut the veggies up adding them to the pan and letting the broth gently simmer for around an hour. The smell from the kitchen was amazing and I couldn't help myself from picking at the cubes of ham. Salt, pepper and chopped parsley finished the stew off nicely. Big chunks of fresh bread helped mop up the gravy (in my opinion that is the best bit). .

Dublin Coddle (Serves 2)

2 Thick Slices of Ham cubed

2 Thick Pork sausages

Red New Potatoes

1 medium Yellow Onion

2 Cups Water

Salt & Pepper

Fresh Parsley

In a large saucepan add the sausage, diced ham and water and bring to a simmer. Poach the meat for approx 5-10 minutes. Drain off the cooking liquor reserving it for later use. Remove the meat from the pan and cut the sausages into inch thick pieces. Don't worry if the sausage is raw in the middle, it will be cooked through later. Cut the potatoes in half and dice the onion thickly placing them in the bottom of the pan. Add the meat to the pan and cover with the reserved cooking liquor. If you need more liquor add some more water. Season with pepper and more salt if needed. Cover and simmer for approx 1 hour stirring occasionally. Remove the lid halfway through cooking to allow the broth to reduce and thicken slightly. The potatoes will turn soft and often break up (helping the stock to thicken). I like to add a few further potatoes at this stage as these ones will remain whole when cooked through. When the potatoes are tender add further seasoning if needed and finish off with a handful of chopped parsley. Serve with soda bread for an originally Irish meal.

Cauliflower cheese (known as brain!!)

2010-01-25T08:01:00.000-08:00

Before I share my cauliflower cheese recipe with you, I must let you know how the book is going. I had become a little de-motivated with it, but now that motivation is back. I am lacking on photos predominantly for the salad chapter so I am making it my mission to make a least two of the salads per week, so that they can get processed and entered into the book. I will then move onto the remaining meal photos. Bring it on!!!

Now for my cauliflower cheese blurb...I think I have said before that I am not keen on Cauliflower... well I take it back. I love it, especially brain style (No I'm not turning into Hannibal Lecter). It's a steamed head of cauliflower smothered in a mustard sauce and topped with melted cheese. Mmm mmm. A friend introduced me to brain (a name her boyfriend gave to it) last week and I have been keen to give it a go myself. The cauliflower was sweet and tasty and worked so well with the mustard. It knocked socks off any previous forms of Cauliflower cheese that I have had and it is so simple to make which of course, I love.

Cauliflower Cheese (Brain)

1 head of Cauliflower

2 Tbs Dijon Mustard

1/2 cup sour cream

1/2 cup mayonnaise

S&P

1 to 11/2 cups of grated cheddar cheese

You will also need a microwaveable bowl that can hold the whole head of the cauliflower.

To prepare the cauliflower peal off all the green leaves and trim the stalk so the cauliflower will sit level in the microwaveable bowl. Place in the bowl with a 1/3 cup of water and cover with clingfilm. Place this in the microwave and cook on a high heat for approx 12 minutes until the cauliflower is tender. Be careful when you remove the clingfilm as the steam can really burn. Open it away from you pealing from the back forward.

Meanwhile mix the mustard, sour cream and mayonnaise together and add salt and pepper to taste. Leaving the cauliflower in the bowl drain off any excess water and then pour the mustard mixture over the cauliflower coating all the head and then sprinkle the cheese over top before putting it under the grill to melt the cheese. Once melted cut the cauliflower into pieces and serve.

Thai Green Curry Paste

2010-01-19T11:59:00.000-08:00

Where do I start.....you have to make this recipe. Its so simple and quick to make and always turns out first class. The simplicity of this recipe is that all the ingredients are blitzed together to form a vibrant green aromatic puree (leaving only one bowl to be washed... Hurray!!!). It can be stored in the fridge for up to a week if covered with a thin film of oil and sealed in an airtight container. I usually turn this puree into a gorgeous creamy curry however you can add it to pasta or mix it into cream cheese and spread it onto crostinis. This lists of uses are endless.... The most important advice I can give you is please please please use only fresh ingredients.

Green Thai Curry Paste

3 Cloves Garlic

1 inch piece grated ginger

2 small stems of lemongrass or 1 large one with the fibrous outer leaves removed

Handfull on corriander plus stalks

1-2 Green de-seeded chilli's depending on how hot you want it

1 shallot or 1/2 small onion

A slug of vegetable oil (use enough to loosen up the ingredients when blitzed)

1 Tbsp soy sauce
Rind from a lime
Juice from 1/2 lime

S&P

and blitz. Simple....
I must admit I do roughly chop the ingredients before blitzing them. It just makes it easier and that's what we like...right!!!

To turn this puree into a sexy creamy curry (yes it is very sexy!!!) all you need to do is heat the puree in a skillet until the aroma increases, then add sliced chicken or prawns and partially cook them before adding up to a can of coconut milk. I add a couple of kaffir lime leaves to the pan and then remove them before serving, however this is optional Simmer until meat is cooked and the sauce has slightly thickened and serve with steamed rice.

Seafood Feast

2010-01-12T12:30:00.000-08:00

I have a confession to make, my vegetarianism is not going so well. I can't blame anyone but myself, my will power is weak but my love for food is strong. Why deny myself opportunities of tasting new flavors.... I know, I know I'm justifying my actions and the only person I am letting down is myself. To be honest though I don't feel like I'm letting my self down, I'm exploring my foodie side and I love it. Here is a picture though to show you that I did start out well, a yummy plate of roasted vegetables with soft poached eggs.

This weekend I was exploring my foodie side down in Seattle. I had two must do's, firstly to visit the famous pike market and the second was to see the Delancey restaurant (another foodies achievement...Molly Wizenberg). I was introduced to Molly Wizenberg by a close friend who bought me a copy of her cook book for my birthday, which I read from cover to cover in about four days. After being captivated by her style of cooking and her passion for food I began to follow her blog and the adventures of opening her restaurant with her husband Brandon. As we were in Seattle I had no reason not to visit Delancey's, I wanted to see their achievements and visualize how the restaurant looked. I felt like I had to see the restaurant just to show my gratitude towards their passion...I was proud of them.

Their achievement often makes me think, would I like to own a restaurant? As much as I love to cook I don't think I would. I couldn't cope with all the stress in the kitchen, however my mind does drift off at times thinking of how I would design a restaurants menu. I would have a menu of small plates, ensuring that all the food was fresh and home made. Listen to me hey.... So many thoughts and ideas!!!

Whilst in Seattle, we ate the best seafood, the best cheese (Yes, the best cheese!!) and the best bread. We even got to see fresh cheese being made. I was in foodie heaven. We went for a seafood feast, where we were given a wooden mallet a fork and a wooden board. The steamed seafood was poured out onto the table and we dived in cracking the crab shells with the mallets and poking the fork in to get every last juicy piece of meat. It was great and I can't wait to recreate this at home, although I won't be pouring it over the dining room table.

Beetroot and Pear Salad

2010-01-06T11:10:00.000-08:00

I love beetroot... I didn't realize that you could have it in so many ways. I grew up knowing only of pickled beetroot which we always had with salads, it was only when I moved to Lancashire that I knew you could eat it warm (and not pickled!!!). My beetroot world advanced into new heights.

I wanted to serve a salad alongside our pizzas to enhance our nutritional intake. I had a salad very similar to this on New years eve and I absolutely adored it. So this is my variation of it:

Beetroot and Pear salad with olive oil mayonnaise

Cooked fresh beetroot

Firm Pear

Salad Leaves

Parmesan

Walnuts (Optional)

Olive oil mayonnaise

1 Egg Yolk

1 tsp lemon juice

1 cup Olive Oil

S&P

To make the mayonnaise, lightly whisk the egg with the lemon juice (you can either use an electric whisk or a fork. I find it easier with an electric whisk). and gradually trickle in the oil in a thin stream whilst continuing to whisk. The mayonnaise will begin to get thick, if it is too thick you can thin it out with some water. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

I like to put a layer of the mayonnaise on the plate first and then top it with slices of beetroot (I like to use warm beetroot) and pears. The salad leaves are then piled on top followed by shavings of Parmesan and the walnuts. A final drizzle of olive oil finishes it off nicely. Et Voila!!!

There is no picture as we devoured it without giving it a second thought. Oooopps!!!

Noche de rabanos

2010-01-03T22:36:00.000-08:00

Its amazing what one idea unveils... I was planning tonights dinner wondering what vegetarian option I could utilize. (The original idea was sausage and garlic mash with onion gravy). I had bought some large portebello mushrooms which I had planned to pan fry and fill with balsamic glazed onions and thyme. I then remembered that I had bought a huge bunch of fresh radishes and the idea of roasting them as a side dish came into play....So I searched through google to see if there was any recipes that took my fancy and found out that Mexico celebrate Noche de rabanos (night of radishes). A festival that is celebrated on the eve of December 23rd, where the combination of agriculture and traditional folk art takes place. Radishes are transformed into sculptures ranging from individual figures to huge representations of grand events. So tonights dinner is a homage to the noche de rabanos minus the sculptures!!!

Many of the recipes that I reviewed had an oriental element to them incorporating soy sauce, sesame oil and chilli, which sounds amazing, but for the purpose of tonights meal I will roasted them with a little salt, chilli, olive oil and some smoked paprika. Roasted at 350 for 30 minutes should do it.

On reflection they tasted awesome, sweet and mild whilst still retaining some of their bite. The bitter taste that you sometimes get when eaten raw was eliminated and as you put the little rose jewel in your mouth it burst with flavor. These will definitely be making a regular appearance at our dinner table.

New years resolutions

2009-12-31T14:52:00.000-08:00

Firstly I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas and secondly I want to wish everyone a prosperous New Year. 2010 is upon us. I am not one for making new years resolutions as I never stick to them, but I am planning to to be a vegetarian for the month of January. I am definitely meated out (is that a word?). Well... when I say vegetarian I mean no meat but I will allow myself fish. Ian on the other hand could never give up meat that easily so he is going to stick with Chicken.

So my larder will be stocked with pulses, canned tomatoes and pasta and my fridge will be abudent with drawers of fresh fish, vegetables and cheese. I want to try and avoid loading myself up on bread, pastry and heavy carbs, I need to detox my body. (Maybe I should give up wine too? or is that too much to ask? Yes definatley!!!).

Ian and I have been off our food since Christmas, what with illness and over indulgence, so what better way to start the new year with a healthier diet? Hmm, lets see hey!! Tomorrow, roasted veg with hollandaise sauce and salmon with a herbed crust. Yum yum.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas

2009-12-21T16:23:00.000-08:00

I am all prepared for the festivities, the baking is done, the hamper packed and the Christmas buffet preparations are complete. Now it is time to relax and enjoy the Christmas period.

MERRY CHRISTMAS EVERYONE

I will see you in the New Year.

My Christmas Song

2009-12-20T13:45:00.001-08:00

I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas Lyrics

So I know this isn't related to food but I love this song. It cheers me up and turns me into a hyperactive child.

Christmas Plans

2009-12-19T14:26:00.000-08:00

OK, so we have a week left to buy all our remaining gifts and of course do the marathon food shopping. This is a period that I absoutley adore, stocking up on all the treats and hunting for the perfect ingredients for the Christmas Dinner. Originally we had planned to do a full on Christmas dinner but we soon decided that we didn't want all the stress that goes alongside especially as we are coming home on Christmas morning, so we have settled on having a buffet. I am going adapt some traditional Christmas dinner flavors into the buffet. I plan on making several small plates of appies.

Cranberry and Pistachio Bread

Cheese tray

Pigs in Blankets (Sausages wrapped in bacon)

Smoked Salmon

Shrimps with a Cilantro dip

Mini quiches (Asparagus & Smoked Turkey)

Basil pasta with Grape Tomatoes and Baby Mozzarella

Christmas Wardolf Salad

Christmas decorated chocolate cupcakes

Today I plan on making the mini quiches. These freeze well and the more food I can make ahead of time the better. They also thaw very quickly which is a bonus.

As we are on the subjects of buffets my works pot luck went down a treat. Everyone pulled together and the spread was amazing. My shortbreads were enjoyed and I received some lovely comments from a couple of work colleagues. I also got to share some really nice recipes, one lady gave me her remaining homemade basil pesto and another gave me the information to make a cilantro dip. I was amazed by the cilantro dip, initially I thought it would taste soapy but it was outstanding. It is one of those dips that you can dip anything into, hence the copious amouts of bread and raw veg that I ingested.

Monkey Bread

2009-12-15T19:11:00.000-08:00

Ok, so I had envisaged posting lots of photos of my Christmas baking, but got so excited in the spirit of Christmas that I wrapped them all up. Duh !!! I also blame this on the fact that I have been ultra organised with Christmas preparations as we are off to Whistler for Christmas. Whoop whoop!!! My Christmas hamper is beginning to fill up slowly, the shortbread is wrapped and the mulled wine spices are prepared. At present there are two monkey breads in the oven, one is for the hamper and the second is possibly for works pot luck tomorrow, that's if I don't demolish it first.

Not all my Christmas baking has turned out as well as I had anticipated. I tried to make these cheese and rosemary crackers which were advertised in a wine magazine, they smelt great even before baking, but once baked they tasted awful. All I could taste was flour, they were quickly passed into the trash can. Blah!!! But I guess you never know until you try.

Anyway, back to my monkey bread. I use the same recipe for the dough as the cinnamon rolls. Once the dough has risen I pinch off little clumps and roll them into balls before coating them in butter and rolling them around in cinnamon sugar before throwing them into a cake pan. These little balls all get baked together (for around 20-30 mins or until the bread turns golden brown) and the sugar turns into a sticky goo holding the pieces together. When its time to eat you just pull off the dough balls. mmm mmm. This is going to be our breakfast for Christmas day.

Having started to write this post one hour ago. I can now tell you that the second monkey bread will not be going to work, due to the fact that it didn't come out of the pan in one piece. I failed to line it with parchment!!! I did eventually get it loose from the pan but it does not look to esthetically pleasing, tastes good though. Hey ho, more for Ian and I.

The 2nd collapsed bread

Which is now being devoured

Festivities

2009-12-10T10:48:00.000-08:00

I am so excited about Christmas, Ian and I have booked to go to Whistler for 4 days. We can't wait, we go on the 22nd and come back on Christmas Day. Its going to be so much fun. We were very lucky this year in getting Christmas off work and even luckier to get a few days off together, so rather than just sitting at home doing nothing we decided to go away. It is our present to each other, Yay!!!. Being surrounded by snow makes Christmas feel so magical and romantic. Roll on Christmas... only 15 days to go.

Normally during the Christmas period we have friends round for dinner and on Christmas eve we have a buffet that lasts all afternoon, this unfortunatley will not be happening this year, Sorry guys!!!. However I do plan on taking a Christmas Hamper to Whistler with us, so we can continue with some of our homely traditions. I love Christmas but I do like to plan ahead with menus as I want to make it as relaxing as possible and not be chained to the kitchen. To be honest Ian and I will probably eat out on most nights and we love to have breakfast at Ricks grill. They have the best eggs benedict ever, mmm mmm. Our hamper will basically consist of picky foods, chocolates and alcohol. This is what I am planning to make to add to shop bought items that will make up our hamper.

Brandy Snaps

Monkey Bread

Shortbread

Mulled Wine Spice Sachet

Chocolate Bark

I made Brandy Snaps last year which turned out well but I added a little too much lemon juice, so this year I am trying a different recipe. I am going to test them out by taking them to my work Christmas potluck, if they go down well there a winner. Monkey bread is fantastic as it is so versatile, you can have it for breakfast or just to pick at during the day, it is basically sweet bread dough shaped into small balls and rolled in cinnamon sugar and baked all together in a bundt tin. It is great to share as everyone can pick off the individual balls. Today I am going to share with you the ingredients needed to make mulled wine. I love mulled wine, especially after you come in from a cold night, it warms you right through and smells divine. (I can't wait till I make all these goodies... maybe next week!!... lets hope I don't eat them all though before our Christmas get a way!!!)

Mulled Wine Sachets
(www.homemade-gifts-made-easy.com/christmas-mulled-wine-recipe.html).

The original recipe includes orange peal. I found that if you were making the sachets in advance the peal was not dried and therefore spoilt, so I remove it and added more orange slices to the wine)

3-4" cinnamon stick (7-10cm)

30 cloves

20 allspice berries

3 cardamom pods

6" (15cm) square of cheese-cloth, muslin or other plain cotton fabric.

Cotton thread to bind the sachet shut

This is so simple, tie up all the spices in the muslin and secure with the cotton thread. You will need to break the cinnamon stick in half so it will fit in the muslin.

To make the mulled wine

Add the spice sachet, 3 Tbsp of sugar, and 750mL (one bottle) of red wine to a saucepan. Slice a large orange into the saucepan too. Bring to the boil and simmer for 15min. Ladle into mugs and serve hot. Garnish with a slice of orange for a nice touch and enjoy.

Narna Bread (Banana Bread)

2009-12-06T15:27:00.000-08:00

I owe this recipe to my friend Carrie, she brought it to a picnic and everyone wanted the recipe. Thank you Carrie. Ever since I moved to Canada banana bread was everywhere and I can't get enough of it!! My mother used to make a fruit loaf with bran and even though this banana bread does not have any of the same ingredients, I feel like it is a modern version (I think mum would disagree). Banana bread is great to munch on when your feeling a little peckish. I decided to make it today on this very lazy Sunday as we had nothing to eat in the house. There was no milk for pancakes or bread for toast, there was however 3 battered and bruised bananas sitting in an ignored fruit bowl, so I took advantage. It took me about 5 minutes to prepare the batter and the oven did the rest of the work in around 40 minutes, so my Sunday remained very lazy!!! I added a handful of chocolate chips to this banana bread, hence the blobs of chocolate shown in the photo.

Carrie's Banana Bread

1 1/4 cup of flour
2/3 cup of sugar
1/4 cup of oil
2 tablespoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
2 eggs
3 medium banana's

Preheat oven to 350 and lightly grease a loaf pan. Add banana's to a mixing bowl and soften to mush. Add remaining ingredients and mix. Transfer batter to prepared pan and bake on the middle shelve for approx 40 minutes or until a knife blade comes out clean from the batter. Allow to cool slightly before removing from the loaf pan.

We polished off half the bread this afternoon and washed it down with two mugs of steaming hot fresh coffee. Mmm mmm.

Christmas Gifts

2009-12-04T16:38:00.000-08:00

It is that time of year again, Fa la la la la la.... I love making gifts for people and sharing Christmas cheer, its sooooo much fun. Last year I made some biscottis and chocolate ganache candy. The biscottis were presented in cellophane bags and tied with a big Christmas ribbon and the chocolate ganache candies were decorated individually with coffee beans, blanched almonds, dried fruit and chocolate sprinkles and presented in a decorated Christmas box. They looked awesome and I know the chocolates went down well.

This year I have had lots of ideas and have settled on two ideas. Unfortunately I can't share these with you as I know my friends will read this post. So today I am going to share with you my meringue snowmen, which I plan to take to work for our Christmas potluck. As for my Christmas Gifts I will share these with you once I have exchanged gifts!!!

Meringue Snowmen

2 Egg Whites (room temperature)

3/4 Cup Sifted Icing Sugar

Small pinch Cream of Tartar

It is best to get all the ingredients ready prior to starting the recipe and preheat the oven to 200 degrees. In a large clean mixing bowl add the egg whites and cream of tartar and whisk (electric whisks are the best) on a medium speed until the eggs become a little frothy. At this stage spoon in the icing sugar over a two minute period. Continue to whisk the eggs white mixture until it is shiny and forming stiff peaks. Try not to stop the whisk , it should take about 10 -15 minutes to get the right texture. Fill a piping bag with the meringue, the best way to do this is to put the piping bag into a large glass and roll the excess piping bag over the sides of the glass. Squeeze the meringue down into the piping bag by rolling down the top.

Pipe the meringue in circles onto a a baking sheet lined with parchment paper. You can make as many snowmen as you wish.. Bake on the middle shelf for an hour then 30 minutes with the door ajar (wedge a wooden spoon between the door and the oven) then turn the oven off and allow the meringues to cool to room temperature whilst remaining in the oven. You can decorate them and give them eyes with the addition of Chocolate chips. If you want to make snowballs you can sandwich two meringues together with whipped cream, or melted chocolates.

Supposedly Confit Duck

2009-12-01T13:01:00.000-08:00

Firstly I have to get something of my chest, I feel like I have ignored the content of the blog. Yes I know there is only a few days between each entry however what once was a daily homage has had to be reduced due to TIME, therefore I apologize. My blog posts can take me up to an hour to assemble and then there is the organisation that takes place behind the scenes, making the dishes, taking, downloading and cataloging the photos. I have been taking most of the photos for the blog and although my better half has taught me how to compose a photo, I can honestly say I am not a very good student!! But I do try!!! I also do not want to just share any old recipe with you. I want to share home cooked tasty recipes with you which are slightly different than just plain old food. Although Ian and I eat well there are some days where we just gorge on junk and those days where I am experimenting with food can turn out pretty grim if the dish doesn't work out as well as anticipated. More often than not we like the dish but would make some small changes if made again. Ian is a great critique and I takes his comments seriously. I know if he really enjoys a dish because he goes back for seconds and completely cleans his plate. Once all the recipes have been perfected I then share them with all of you.

Todays recipe originally started a duck confit, however I couldn't find the main ingredients (that being the duck and the duck fat, typical!!!) at my local supermarket so I am trying it with chicken a lard .Sounds gross doesn't it. At this point I'm thinking of Julia Child's quote " Fat gives things flavor". When I was researching the recipe many cooks had said that they use lard to top up the duck fat if there wasn't enough and another recipe used chicken, so I thought I'd substitute the two ingredients.Confit is a way of preserving food too, as the first process salts the meat drawing out excess water preventing spoilage and once finished it can be kept for 2-6 months if kept in a cold dark place.

Making this confit was fun but scary. I loved the way the fat swirled in the pan once melted, it was almost mesmerizing. The calm memorizing swirl soon turned into a harsh sizzle once the meat was added, I kept thinking the more meat I add the more it will sizzle. I was envisaging the pan going up in flames, so for this reason I kept the fat on a low heat until all the meat was in the pan and then I adjusted the heat until it began to simmer gently. My nerves had been calmed. It then sat happily simmering away on the stove sending whiffs of roasted meat, in my case chicken. Once cooked the flesh was tender to touch and the taste (yes I sneaked a taste) was awesome. So Chicken in Lard does work.

Duck Confit

4 Duck Legs

Duck Fat

3 Tbsp Salt

Thyme

Bay Leaves

Peppercorns

Coat the duck legs in salt and marinate with the herbs and peppercorns for 12 hours minimum. Once marinated rinse the legs and dry. Melt the fat in a pan over a low heat and add the duck legs ensuring the fat covers all of the meat. If not top up the fat with some lard. Gently simmer for 2 hours and turn the duck legs over half way through the cooking process. (Some recipes state that you can bake them in an oven at 225 degrees for 2 hours. I prefer to simmer on the stove but both turn out well). Remove the duck legs and put in a glass container. Skim of any scum from the top of the fat and then pour the fat over the duck and cover fully. Allow to cool, cover and then refrigerate. It is best to leave the meat for a minimum of 2 weeks before using to allow flavor to enhance.

To cook the confit after it has been set in the fat, remove the legs and fry skin side down until golden brown and then flip to brown the other side. Discard excess fat from the frying pan. Duck/Chicken confit can be used in many ways in salads or served alongside baked potatoes. I plan to use mine in another French dish called Cassoulet.

Fish in parchment

2009-11-30T21:02:00.000-08:00

So so easy and very very tasty. It only takes about 25 minutes to bake, so is perfect for a busy weekday dinner. Everything gets steamed together in essentially a paper bag. The most important advice is to make sure you use flavours that marry together well. The other upside is that it is also low in fat... well I suppose it depends on how much butter you add to the package.

I haven't given exact amounts of ingredients to use as it is up to your taste how much you want to use. However it is best to make individual portions so each person has their own bag to open.

Fish in Parchment

Fish Fillets (Any fish can be used. I used tilapia but salmon would also work well)

New Potatoes

Spring Onions

Carrots

Asparagus

Fennel bulb and feathers

Butter

Olive Oil

Lemon

Roughly Chopped Parsley

S&P

White Wine Vinegar

Finely slice the potatoes, carrot and fennel finely (3-4 mm). Retain the fennel feathers to add with the vegetables at a later stage. Cut the asparagus and spring onions into 1cm pieces and the lemon into medium wedges.

Prepare a sheet of parchment big enough to hold the ingredients and place on a baking sheet. Begin by layering the potatoes followed by the fennel on one half of the parchment paper and season with S&P. Continue to layer the remaining vegetables on top and add some thin slices of butter before finishing off with the fish fillets. Season with S&P and drizzle with approx 1tsp of white wine vinegar and some olive oil. Add 2 wedges of lemon to the fish and sprinkle with parsley. Fold the remaining half of the parchment paper over the mound of ingredients and roll up the edges to seal them in. Secure with a stapler. Repeat this with each portion you require.

Bake on a baking sheet in a preheated oven at 350 for 20 -25 minutes. Remove from oven and serve the parchment package on a plate. Cut a hole into the top of the bag and pull open (Be careful of the steam) and enjoy!!!

Comfort food

2009-11-25T21:01:00.000-08:00

So now I have a little more time on my hands my culinary mind has gone into overdrive. There are new recipes that I want to experiment with and at present I am trying to do new twists on classic recipes. Last night I had planned to make an Italian sausage lasagna, exchanging the tomato sauce for a roasted red pepper sauce and adding spinach to the bechamel sauce. I had some left over homemade pasta that spent the day happily thawing out on the kitchen counter, therefore all of last nights dinner was homemade. Not bad considering I came off nights that morning.

I love leftovers, especially when you can make a meal out of them. I have some pork belly in the freezer and I plan to make some duck confit before Christmas. I am hoping that I can make a cassoulet with these ingredients using an altered version of my homemade baked beans. I can't wait to make this, but firstly lets get the recipe for last nights feast..

Italian Sausage Lasagna

Italian Sausage Meat
1 Large Onion
5 Red Peppers
2 Garlic Cloves
2 Sprigs Thyme
1 Can Tomatoes
Olive Oil
Salt & Pepper
Milk
Cheese (Parmesan)
Nutmeg
2 Tbsp Flour
Knob of butter
Spinach
Lasagna Sheets

Firstly cut the peppers in half and arrange skin side up on a baking sheet. Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and put under a hot grill until the skins turn black. Make sure you keep an eye on them as they turn very quickly. Remove from the grill and carefully peal off the blackened skin and remove the seeds. Slice finely. Dice the onion finely along with the garlic, add these to a well oiled pan and simmer until translucent, then add the can of tomatoes and the red peppers. Bring to a simmer, season with salt and pepper and blitz into a smooth sauce. Lastly add some thyme leaves.

Fry the sausage meat until brown and drain off any excess fat. Add the roasted pepper sauce to the sausage and simmer for 5-10 mins. Meanwhile you can make your bechamel sauce. In a pan set over a medium heat make your rue. Melt the butter and add the flour. Stir until you get a thick paste, then start to whisk in your milk slowly until you get the desired thickness of sauce. (Make sure you keep stirring the sauce otherwise you may get lumps, the paste should dissolve into the milk). Add a cup of grated cheese to the bechamel sauce. You can use whatever cheese you like, I used parmesan and cheddar. Finally wilt some spinach, squeeze out any excess water, chop finely and add to the cheese sauce. Season with salt and pepper and a pinch of nutmeg.

Now its time to assemble the lasagna. Grease a deep oven proof dish to stop the pasta sheets from sticking to it. Place a layer of lasagna sheets in the bottom of the dish, layer with the cheese sauce, then the sausage mixture, then another layer of lasagna sheets and so on. Keep doing this until finished. I like to finish with a layer of lasagna sheets, followed by a layer of the cheese sauce and then sprinkle the top with parmesan to get a nice crunchy finish.

The last step needed now is to bake the lasagna, prior to serving. (Unbaked lasagna's will keep in the fridge for a a couple of days before baking. You can also freeze it and when needed thaw and then bake). To bake the lasagna pre-heat the oven to 350 and bake for approx 30 -40 mins or until the top turns nice and brown. Serve with a nice spinach salad.

I have some roasted red pepper sauce left over which is going into the freezer to create another dish, maybe ratatouille!!!

Bread

2009-11-22T11:03:00.000-08:00

I had been looking everywhere for a decent recipe for bread that could be made without a bread machine. I searched the internet, watched untold cooking programs and read copious amounts of magazine articles. Many of the recipes produced a lovely tasting bread but they were either too crusty or the bread laid heavy in your stomach. So, after trying various recipes I found the perfect bread dough, an Amish recipe. I have played around with the ingredients to get the taste I like. When I first made it, it was far too sweet and although it tasted good toasted, it didn't work for me as bread. I also added a mixture of white flour and wholemeal flour with the addition of some grains to make me feel like it was healthier!!! This bread has a nice soft texture with a light crust.

I have three reliable bread doughs in my recipe folder, pizza dough, Amish dough and sweet dough. The pizza dough can easily be made into foccacia with the addition of more water, the Amish dough can be made into a variety of savory breads and the sweet dough (which is used for my cinnamon rolls) can be made into a fruit loaf with the addition of dried fruit and orange peal. As long as you stick to the basics you can pretty much add anything to the dough.

This bread recipe is my adapted version.

Bread Dough

2 cups warm water (110 degrees)

3 Tbs white sugar
1 1/2 tablespoons active dry yeast
1 1/2 teaspoons salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
6 cups bread flour (half of white bread flour & half wholemeal)
1/4 cup mixed cereal grain

Using a large bowl, dissolve the sugar in the warm water. After the sugar is dissolved, stir in the yeast, and allow the mixture to proof until yeast resembles a creamy foam. Into the yeast mixture, add the salt and the oil. Gradually mix in the flour, only one cup at a time and the grains. On a lightly floured surface, knead the dough until smooth and place in a well oiled bowl, turning the dough to coat. Cover the bowl with a damp cloth and allow to rise until doubled in bulk. This usually takes about one hour. After the dough has finished rising, knead for a few minutes, and divide in half. If you have a scale, weigh out the pieces to ensure even baking. Shape each piece of dough into loaf shape, and place into two well oiled 9 by 5 inch loaf pans. Allow the dough to rise for thirty minutes to an hour, or until dough has risen about one inch above the pans. Bake the loaves at 350 degrees for about thirty minutes, until golden brown on top. Allow to cool and turn out of pans. Keep in a sealed plastic bag to keep fresh, thats if you don't eat it all!!!

Back to work

2009-11-18T13:09:00.000-08:00

I have thoroughly enjoyed having my days of this week, I have finished inputting all the recipes into the book and I have made a list of new dishes that I want to experiment with. I feel proud of what I have achieved. Yesterday I celebrated my achievement by making some cinnamon buns, which I can take to work each morning for the next few days (It will remind me of my pleasurable days off). At first I was a little disappointed with the filling of my cinnamon buns. I didn't stick to the original recipe and I found it a bit dry, but today I changed my mind. After popping one of these iced buns into the microwave for 30 seconds, the icing melted into the bun making it more gooey and moist. The recipe I am going to share with you is the original recipe with the original filling recipe which I advise you to follow. The buns turn out much more gooey if you do.

Cinnamon Buns/Rolls

For the bread:

1 cup milk
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup unsalted butter

4 1/2 cups flour (unbleached, whole wheat, or a mix)
1 package instant yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoons salt
3 eggs

For the filling:
1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup demerara sugar
1 1/2 tbs cinnamon

Heat the milk, water, sugar and butter until butter is melted. Check temperature. Depending on the temperature, let cool to 120F. Carefully beat in eggs. Mix 2 cups of the flour, yeast, and salt. Mix into the milk mixture. Stir in the rest of the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Beat well after each addition. When the dough pulls together, (it will form a soft ball) turn it out onto a floured surface and knead until smooth and elastic. This should take about 5 minutes. Let rise for 1 hr – 1hr 1/2. When dough has almost doubled punch down an push out onto a baking sheet. To make the filling mix the butter flour and sugar together to create a crumble mixture. Sprinkle the dough with ground cinnamon, raisins (optional) and crumble mixture. Allow to rise for 10 mins. Roll dough onto itself like a swiss roll Cut into twelve equal pieces and lie on a grease proofed baking dish. Bake at 400 degrees for 10 to 12 minutes. When cooled ice with icing sugar mixed with cream or water. I like to ice them when there still a bit warm as it drips into the roll and makes it gooey. I also make non iced ones but coat the tops of the rolls with melted apricot jam before baking.

Curry, Beer and Wii

2009-11-17T10:24:00.000-08:00

Ian and I both had the same idea!! I had decided to make curry for dinner unbeknown to Ian and was just on my way home when I recieved a text from him saying, "Fancy a Wii night, beer, games and snacks". Excellent, so last night we had curry, beer and games. It was awesome.

Prior to this text I was wanting to make a nice dinner for Ian as he has been helping me out so much in taking and processing the photos for me book. He had also helped me with the new blog layout and spent most of his weekend doing it. So it was time for me to spoil him. I bought him a single red rose to show him my appreciation and started making him a gourmet curried meal. I had been toying with the idea of making a curried cauliflower soup for a while and thought a small bowl of this would be welcoming as a starter, followed by chicken madras and pilau rice. I am not too keen on cauliflower as I find it tasteless unless I eat it raw with a dip or have it in a piccalilli. I was determined to change my opinion of this humble vegetable.

I had a rough idea of what I wanted to put in the recipe, but I was unsure as to use coconut milk or cream. I didn't want it too sweet or too creamy, so I did a little taste test and took some of the soup and added the coconut milk, it tasted awesome. So I used a 1/4 cup in the main soup pan and thinned it out with regular milk. I finished the soup off with a small handful of chopped cilantro and served it with a spiced popodum. The soup was mild in flavor of both cauliflower and curry and worked well with the crunch of the popodom . It was served alongside small bowls of Indian tomato salsa and mango chutney. We scooped the soup up with the popodum not too dissimilar to a vegetable puree dip. It was gorgeous, I love picky food, so I was in heaven.

Curried Cauliflower Soup

1 Cauliflower cut into florets
1 medium carrot
1/2 White onion
3 Garlic Cloves
4 Cardamom Pods crushed
1 Tsp Madras Curry Paste (Any Indian curry paste can be used, Madras is my favorite)
1 Small potato
1Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp Oil
Turmeric Powder
Salt & Pepper
2-3 Cups Chicken Stock
1/4 Cup Coconut Milk
Milk
Small handful of cilantro

Firstly dice the potato into small cubes and place in a roasting tin with the cauliflower and garlic. Sprinkle with the cardamom, turmeric, salt and pepper, then drizzle with oil. Roast in a preheated oven at 400 degrees for approx 20 minutes until the cauliflower turns golden brown. I like to keep the garlic cloves whole as they take on a nice subtle flavor when roasting. If garlic is chopped up finely it is likely to burn causing a bitter flavor.

Whilst this is roasting, dice the onions and carrots finely. Using a deep pan saute them in the oil and butter over a medium heat until the onions turn translucent and the fat turns golden in color. Add 2 cups of the chicken stock to the pan and the curry paste and continue to simmer.

Once the roasted vegetables are ready add them to the stock (if there is not enough liquid in the pan add the remaining cup of the chicken stock), cover and simmer until the vegetables are soft. Blitz the soup to a fine puree and add the coconut milk and enough milk to loosen the soup to your desired thickness. Taste the soup and add seasoning if required or more curry paste. To finish the soup off, finely chop a small handful of cilantro and stir in. Serve with spicy popodoms.

Excitement

2009-11-16T10:36:00.000-08:00

The blog page is evolving slowly and I can not wait to start blogging about my kitchen adventures. As much as I have enjoyed writing the cookbook I have felt tied to the recipes that are in it. I have made them untold times to ensure that they always turn out the same with the ingredients stated and I now need to start experimenting with new dishes that are floating around in my head. Ultimately my menu needs to change and I need to be set free!!!

I keep a little notebook with me most of the time whether I am in the house or not and any ideas are scribbled down. A classic example of this was when we were on holiday. I had got some inspiration from our travels and scribbled down recipe ideas on an old parking ticket, which I later transferred to my notebook. Ideas come to me anytime and anywhere. I currently have two pages of ideas that I am eager to try out and with my extended amount of days off it is the perfect opportunity to take advantage.

Todays first official blog recipe is for a French Apple Tart which I made on Sunday after we were craving something sweet. It also happens to be comfort food which is definitely called for on a long lazy weekend. Its simple and quick to make. I use store bought puff pastry but Rachel Allen and Julia Child have a great puff pastry recipe if you want to try it.

French Apple Tart

2 Crunchy Apples
Squeeze of lime juice
2 Tbsp Brown/Golden Sugar
Butter
Puff Pastry
1 Egg Yolk
3 Tbsp Apricot Jam

If using frozen pastry, defrost according to manufacturers instructions. On a floured surface roll out the pastry into a rectangle approximatley 1/2 cm in depth. Using a knife scour a smaller rectangle 1-2 cm from the edge of the pastry approximatley half way down into the pastry. Place on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and leave in the refridgerater while you prepare the apples. Cut the apples in quarters and decore. Slice the apples finely and place in a bowl, mix with the lemon juice and coat with the brown sugar. Remove the pastry from the refridgerator and layer the apples neatly in the smaller rectangle area. Melt enough butter to brush over the apples and the border of the pastry. I also brush the border of the pastry with the whisked egg yolk to give it a golden look once baked. In a preheated oven at 450 degrees bake the tart until the edges rise and turn golden brown and the apples are tender, approx 20 mins. Remove from the oven and allow to cool slightly. Meanwhile melt the jam in a pan until it becomes loose and brush over the apples. Allow this to set before serving. Yum Yum!!!

The light at the end of the tunnel

2009-11-13T12:25:00.000-08:00

Yes I can see it, what once was a pin hole is now the size of a crater. Wahooo!!! There are a total of 100 pages. All recipes have been written bar five. The photo pages are filling up nicely and it is looking good.

I have managed to swap my shift at work so that I can spend more time making dishes that need photographing. It is a blessing in disguise really and although I only work four shifts, the two I have done have absolutely wiped me out, not physically, but emotionally (Once a nurse always a nurse!!!). I made the Tomato pesto chicken yesterday but Ian and I were so tired we couldn't manage to get the energy to be creative and take the picture. We just wolfed it down with the left over tomato foccacia I made, which was my pizza dough gone wrong. (I had accidentally put too much water in the mix and it was way to soft, so I added some more olive oil and pushed garlic, tomato slices and basil into the top and it turned out pretty good).

I'm going to have a pastry day soon, I want to try and make the perfect pastry for my chocolate tart. I made my Grandma's but I found it baked too hard, it was more like a biscuit. Once I find the perfect sweet pastry I can start to experiment with different pie fillings too. I have never made a key lime pie so I know that will be on the cards and I also want to try to make creme patissiere. I need to expand my dessert menu. Ian once told me that when he went to Florida he had asked for a slice of key lime and they gave him the whole pie to finish off!!! I think he ended up having it as a dessert for the whole week. I may re-create that for him but on a much smaller scale. I love it when people come round for dinner and they are given their own individual pudding. It makes it look so much nicer and there are no arguments as to who has the bigger serving.

The future

2009-11-10T20:30:00.000-08:00

After a productive two days in the kitchen and with the book nearly finished (when I say that I mean well on the way, at least 75% completed) I was wondering what I could do next. I still want to keep the blog going and obviously I need to promote the book, so I was thinking of changing the mission of the blog. As I have had you follow me in my experience of writing the book through the highs and the lows I have now decided to share with you my continuous cooking accomplishments (and failures). Lets concentrate on the former though!!

Since writing the blog I have had people offer their recipes and give advice on what foods compliment each other which has enhanced my knowledge and added to my creativity. I would love to share some recipes with you via the blog and yes I will be writing recipes out. In the past I have given little away but times are a changing and I need to be more interactive with you. I would love to gain some feedback on what you think of the recipes and how they turned out for you. (Maybe another book could be published in the future based on the dishes you most like). Ultimately I want it to be more interactive for both you and me.

I am slowly making changes to the blog and have added flickr photo stream so you can visualize my dishes and maybe have a go at re-creating them yourselves. I am still in the process of building my profile, so please be patient with me. As we wind down with this year I plan to see next year in with great enthusiasm in regard to my passion for food and I want to share it with you.

Todays Fun

2009-11-09T07:19:00.000-08:00

Well I woke up at a stupid ungodly hour to find that no amount of tossing and turning would get me comfortable to get back to sleep, so I hauled my body out of bed, turned on my laptop and began to type my remaining recipes. I can honestly tell you that all the recipes are in from breakfast up until the desserts, this section has only just begun.

I have had the desserts on my mind for a while and have been testing them out checking that my quantities of the ingredients are correct. Today I plan to make my Chocolate Tart, I am going to be using my Grandma's German pastry recipe which is to die for. I must admit though I am not much of a pastry girl. I often find it to claggy and hence never really make it, but this pastry is outstanding. It is buttery yet light and sweet. I remember my Mum asking my Grandma for the recipe, she was making mince pies for Christmas and Grandma's always tasted so much nicer (Sorry Mum!!). Mum obviously agreed otherwise she wouldn't have asked for the recipe, since then Mum's mince pies are just as good as Grandma's.

I have yet to make this pastry as I always used to make a cheesecake base for my chocolate tart, so this is a little experiment. I have been warned though!! this pastry is very short so knowing me I will either make way too much or not enough. The latter in more than likely. The other slight worry I have is that I have to convert the recipe from ounces into cups, which shouldn't be a problem as I use an online converter, however when I did this for my sisters special occasion cookies, I ended up with a baking sheet of uncooked goo. I may well be checking a few online conversion charts. I do not want to screw this one up, It is one of my favorite desserts.

Restaurant quality!!!!

2009-11-07T10:35:00.000-08:00

Ian and I have date nights every two weeks where we do something special together and get out of the old humdrum monotony of routine life. Last night was a toss up between the Lions game or going out for dinner. The lions lost (on more than two occasions!) and we chose right. We found a fantastic French themed restaurant called CRU, not far from home ( www.cru.ca ) that served fresh sophisticated meals. The menu consisted of a selection of small plates which could be served as starters or entrees and a fixed price menu which again gave you 3-4 options for each course. It was wonderful. The atmosphere was chilled and relaxed and the service was outstanding. Each dish was was oozing with taste. I loved the way their menu was set out, it worked so well for the chef. Most restaurants have a huge menu where there is so much choice that the quality of the food becomes compromised. At CRU though high quality was maintained and thought went into preparing every dish that was presented to us. The best compliment I received (which would be taken as a negative by the restaurant) was when Ian said my pork belly was tastier than theirs. I was smiling from ear to ear. Watch out CRU!!!

The presentation of the food has given me further inspiration on how to set up food photos for the book. I love to keep food simple and presentation is the key. Why spend the time cooking it ensuring it tastes so good to have no thought go into the presentation. The photo is marketing your food, you want it to look appetizing and desirable. I always like to serve food on a plain colored plate, rather than an over decorated plate. Accents can be added to the table to get the desire effect. For example using a different colored base plate and then adding a plain food plate on top. Let the food do the talking

Preserving food

2009-11-05T14:57:00.000-08:00

For a while now I have been thinking that of ways to preserve food. I have made jams before, but I would love to try canning and drying foods. In the future I plan to grow my own vegetables so learning to preserve food will be beneficial to me. I have read and watched programs on how to to preserve some foods but now I have to do it for real. My only concern is once canned or preserved how long will they last for. I suppose I will find this out with experience.

I am going to start with canning my baked beans and tomato sauce and if we catch any fish on our adventures I will have a go at canning them too (All our fish so far have been way to small to eat). I know that I will need to purchase a pressure cooker to help seal the cans so that will be the next outlay. A friend at work tried canning for the first time this year, so I shall have to ask her what issues she had if any. I would also like to try making my own salami, but I will start of with the canning first.

I have be experimenting with making oven roasted tomatoes, it is such a great way of using up excess tomatoes. My sister gave me a great recipe for chicken in a tomato pesto sauce and I have wanted to make my own tomato pesto for a while. I often make basil pesto, so I knew that I could adopt the same principles for the tomato pesto. Last week I headed down to Granville Island and picked up a huge bag of tomatoes from the discount bin for a dollar. I threw away any soft split tomatoes, but to be honest there was probably about two that were unsuitable. With the others I cut them in half, coated them in oil, sprinkled them with a little sea salt and spread them out on a baking sheet before slow roasting them in a preheated oven at 200 degrees for 8 hours. Yes I know that is a long time but I did not want them to burn. I allowed them to shrink to half there size and become wrinkly. I originally thought that they would have a chewy consistency throughout, a little like the store bought sun dried tomatoes but my tomatoes turned out chewy but moist and the flavor was to die for. They were sweet like candy and the tomato flavor was intense, perfect for a tomato pesto.

Tomato Pesto

20 Halves Oven roasted tomatoes

2 tbs Tomato paste

Handful of Basil

Parmesan

Olive oil

Pine nuts

Garlic

S&P

(When using these ingredients add them to your personal taste) Firstly blitz the tomatoes and strain if there is too much juice present. Place back into the blender and add the remaining ingredients,. Use the oil to thin the mixture to a nice consistency and add salt and pepper to taste. Et voila. This can keep in the fridge for up to a week. Its great to use as spreads as well as in pasta.

Christmas

2009-11-04T11:02:00.000-08:00

That dreaded question came two days ago. What are we doing for Christmas? This related to buying gifts for our relatives in the UK. Originally I was going to give our relatives a copy of the cook book I am developing, however this is not going to happen as I have much more work to do. Our other back up plan also would not work. When we lived in England we always laid on the Christmas buffet, usually on Christmas eve, where family would enjoy a feast of sumptuous food. This was our back up plan. Ian's whole family would attend, even his sister and brother in law who live in Germany. The pressure was on (there was no pressure), I loved it. I would always plan the buffet months before Christmas. (I am in that process now). On our first Christmas buffet Ian was in charge of the alcohol and me the food. I would tell him what was on the menu and he would match the wine and liquor. There was champagne, a selection of wines, whiskey, brandy and port. Excellent. I served two platters, the first being roasted ham with a maple and orange glaze served with pigs in blankets and the second was roasted trout with a selection of seafood. My father used to provide us with the trout as he is a keen fisherman, so our freezers were always filled with this edible delight. There were other plates of Stilton cheese, balsamic glazed onions, baby tomatoes and baskets of bread. My mums fruity Christmas cake was always served at the buffets and often taken home by Ian's parents. You can make buffets as simple or complicated as you like, the second buffet was a lot less elaborate but just as tasty.

When we used to visit my parents for Christmas, I would always get involved in the kitchen and assist mum. Although mum would have fully planned the Christmas dinner, we would always discuss what we would serve. She would always ask my opinion and often the starter would change from the original idea. I love to eat my Mums Christmas dinners and one year my brother in law ate two of mums Christmas dinners.

Anyway this does not answer the original question. What are we doing for Christmas?, that I don't know. In regard to friends I would love to invite them around for a Christmas buffet. Roll on Christmas.

November

2009-11-02T21:33:00.000-08:00

I can not believe it is November already. Where has this year gone? I started the book project in August and now it is nearly the end of the year. The next big event is Christmas. I am not even going to start talking about Christmas, I think I will have to dedicate a whole post to Christmas nearer the time. I can tell that we are heading into winter though, all the gorgeous autumnal colors are beginning to fade and bare branches are beginning to show. Our food menu at home is also showing signs of winter, there are less salads appearing on the menu and more comfort food is starting to show. This is the best time of year for me, in fact to be honest every season seems to be the best time of year for me. Each season brings new foods, recipes and tastes. I love them all!!!

Since my last post I have been battling with the front cover, it is not turning out as well as I had anticipated. I planned to use a wrap around photo, however the photo is too short and if stretched the picture will be ruined. A little more work is needed. I may have to zoom in on the photo or use two separate photos for the front and the back cover. We will just have to see. I am also unsure of the title, I thought that I could use the blog title 'THIS IS IT' but then I quickly realized that that is Michael Jackson's movie title. Would I have copyright issues? and who am I compared to Michael Jackson. The pressures!!!!!

On a positive note though my poached pears turned out awesome, they were tender and sweet and the sauce made from the poaching liquor was divine. It wasn't too strong and it worked really well with the vanilla ice-cream. There was no real difference in taste between the pears. All the pears worked well, however the barlett pears did need to poach a little longer to get tender. I would advise to use the same pears if poaching a few at a time and keep turning the pears during the poaching period. This stops the flesh from oxidizing and turning a reddish brown color.

Progress

2009-10-29T13:18:00.000-07:00

The book is filling up nicely and my fridge is stocked up with lots of yummy ingredients to make the desserts. The first dessert I intend to make is poached pears. I have bought a selection of pears to test which ones hold up better to the recipe. The choice is between red, bartlett and bosc. Pears poached in dessert wine or sugar water sweetens them up nicely and with a few spices added it makes a a nice warm dessert and is best served with vanilla ice-cream. You can pretty much add any spices and use any liquid to poach pears, it all depends on your personal tastes. Some people will add vanilla or honey and others will use red wine to poach pears and serve it with a chocolate sauce. As long as you use the basic principles of the recipe you can make what ever you like. I love the warmth that the spices give, I use cinnamon, cloves and star anise. These flavors remind me of mulled wine that we we usually drink at Christmas. It is such a comforting dessert.

When buying the pears I always make sure that they are firm and have a good shape as I want the dish to look pleasing to the eye. People want to know what their eating and if it looks like a pear, then most probably it is going to taste like a pear. I try to keep the stalk on, again for aesthetic reasons. To be honest I cannot really tolerate eating uncooked pears. I think I have an allergy to the fruit proteins as my mouth gets really itchy. I am the same with cherries and kiwis, but once these fruits are cooked I'm fine. I thought it may be the pesticides, so I tried organic but I still had the same issue. Typical!!!

Ok, so moving onto news about the book. It is looking awesome!! There is still a lot that needs to be done and honestly I don't think it will be ready by Christmas. I would love it to be, but I don't want to rush it and spoil it. The book has evolved so much since my first impressions on how it should look, the chapters remain the same, however some of the layout is different. On each of the chapter pages there are now photos of my favourite dish associated to that chapter and there are a lot more photos through out the book. The reason being that some of the recipe methods took up a couple of pages so the photo of the dish could not be presented on the same page. To remedy this the photos have been displayed within the recipe method, hence more photos. I am so proud of how it is turning out and this is now giving me more motivation to finish it. Once finished I will get Ian to proof read it and make any changes and then its time to publish. Wahooo!!!