Tourtiere on steroids...

I try to pump out a few tourtieres every fall and freeze them for future use. Tourtieres are a traditional French-Canadian dish - basically a seasoned meat pie. I've always found them a little too dry and meaty for my tastes...so I made a few adjustments to the basic recipe. This is my version of tourtiere, not to be confused with the real thing, which does not contain potatoes or gravy.

Pie pastry - enough for two covered pies
1 lb ground pork
2 lb ground beef
1/2 lb bacon, chopped
1 large onion
1 bay leaf
1 tbs chopped garlic
1 tsp salt
1 tsp pepper, freshly ground
1/4 c chopped fresh parsley
2 tbs chopped celery leaves
1/4 tsp mace, cayenne, cloves
1 sachet beef oxo + 1/4 cup water
4 medium potatoes diced finely
1 1/2 cups gravy (2 tbs butter, 2 tbs flour, 1 1/2 c beef bouillon, salt and pepper)

In very large frypan, saute bacon till crisp. Add onion and cook until translucent. Add garlic, bayleaf, spices & herbs, pork, beef, and stir to combine. Sprinkle beef oxo over meat mixture and then add the water. Stir to combine. Meanwhile, microwave the potatoes for about 5-7 minutes and prepare gravy. Add potatoes and gravy to meat mixture. Stir to combine. Simmer over medium low for 45 minutes. Line 2 pie plates with pastry and prick over whole surface with fork. Spoon meat mixture into pie plates. Top with upper crusts. Bake at 425 F for 15 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 and bake for a further 30 minutes. Bake one pie now, and freeze the other for later use - or bake both now and freeze one of the cooked ones - your choice.

Curried beef - just the thing for a miserable cold fall day

Had ground beef in the fridge; wanted something warming. Found this on the net: http://allrecipes.co.uk/recipe/1882/mince-with-black-eyed-beans.aspx . It was great - served with rice and asparagus, as well as tzatziki (no raita to be had) and pitas.

Fall Marketing

I was given a marvellous book recently (thank you Jasmin and Peter!): Nigel Slater's "Appetite". Inspired by the bit I've read so far and by the perfectly typical fall day that is underway, I set off for the local farmer's market with the intention of finding and enjoying some great produce. I'm cooking for one (or two if you count Granny next door) today, so I'm free to choose just about anything. For lunch today, I'm having fresh tabouleh, some slices of red Leicester and Dubliner cheeses, all from the market, a wholewheat Parker House roll from the hippy bakery in Houlton, Me (which was baked and purchased yesterday afternoon), and some of my own homemade tomato salsa. I also picked up a lovely head of red cabbage, some large white radishes, and some parsnips at the market. Tonight I'm planning on cooking some curried cabbage, glazed chicken breast, roasted parsnip, and new potatoes, with beet greens on the side. Tomorrow, if all goes well with Patrick's hunt, we'll be dining on roast partridge....

In a rush - thank heavens for Kraft's What's Cooking!

Too much to do today and not enough time. Lucky for me, I received the Kraft's What's Cooking weekly email today and there, right at the top, supper stared me in the face: Sausage and pepper rotini (http://www.kraftcanada.com/en/recipes/sausage-peppers-rotini-pasta-126827.aspx). I had most of the ingredients on hand and a quick stop at Sobey's on the way home got me what I was lacking.This was a really tasty and easy-to-make supper that received positive feedback from husband and kids alike (except for dear daughter's dislike of peppers!).

Borscht - or what to do with leftover beets and potatoes

The surfeit of leftover vegetables from this past weekend's Harvest Jazz & Blues Festival meals was weighing on my mind (and occupying way too much fridge real estate). Yesterday was a crisp fall day and memories of delicious borscht sprang to mind (red fall leaves - red beets, you see the link?). A perfect solution to my veggie l/o dilemma.

(Almost) Vegetarian Borscht

2 tbs butter
1 large onion, chopped
900 mL container of beef broth
1796 mL (28 oz) can of diced tomatoes, undrained
2 Tbs tomato paste
4 c coarsely chopped or shredded cabbage
3 large cooked carrots chopped
3 cups small red potatoes, cooked and halved
4 cups chopped beets, cooked
2 tbs minced garlic
2 tsp salt
1 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tbs sugar
1/4 cup white vinegar
2 tsp caraway seed
1 tsp dill seed
1 cup water
2 sachets low-sodium beef oxo
3 halves sun-dried tomatoes, coarsely chopped
chopped mushrooms (optional)

In very large pot, melt butter and saute onions until transparent. Add remaining ingredients in order and bring to low boil, stirring occasionally. Simmer over medium heat for about 1 1/2 hours, again stirring occasionally. Serve with dollop of sour cream.

Clover Jelly / Rose Petal Jelly - Foraging along the Trail

I went foraging yesterday and today - one of my more frugal and favorite pastimes. I love making jellies and jams (heaven knows why, I rarely eat them!) and I can't pass a flower or a plant without wondering what I can make from it. As I like to walk and am blessed with beautiful local trails just a hop, skip and a jump from my doorstep, I often see wild fruits and flowers just waiting to be foraged. Yesterday, I could smell the sweet scent of ripe wild strawberries as I marched down the trail. To either side, there was an abundance of wildflowers decorating the uncut grass. I spent about an hour and a half wandering up and down and off the trail picking berries and clover flowers (and sampling a few berries along the way!). I was zonked once I finally made it back home - the sun pretty near fried my brain - so I rested up and waited until evening to process the flower heads. I removed all the green and brown bits, leaving only fresh purple flower heads, which I then rinsed in cold, running water. I placed them in a glass dish and poured 4 cups of boiling water on top of them.  That was it for the night. Today, once I finally dragged myself out of bed (not a good start to the day), I came down to find a lovely light pink infusion waiting for me. I strained the liquid through two layers of cheesecloth, leaving it to drip for about an hour. Then I transferred the liquid to a stainless steel pot, added 1/2 cup of lemon juice, and 8 cups of sugar. Brought the mixture to a full boil, added 1 packet of liquid pectin, boiled for about 2 minutes, then removed the jelly from the heat, skimmed off the froth, and transferred it to sterile mason jars. (I washed and sterilized jars and canning equipment prior to beginning the jelly.) It made 9 jars of a lovely honey-tasting clover jelly that is a beautiful, crystal-clear, pink shade.

Inspired by this success, and knowing that there were several very fragrant wild rose bushes growing along the trail and in my neighbor's garden, I decided that rose-petal jelly would be the next product. R, D & I headed out for an evening walk with the dog and several doggie bags in hand. With the guys' assistance, by the time we returned home, I had a bulging doggy bag of fragrant rose petals of deepest fuschia and pale pink. Compressed, I had about 4 cups of petals. This time, the process was much simpler. I sorted the petals to remove any green or brown bits, rinsed them, crushed them with a potato masher to release the scent, and then transferred them to a deep stainless steel pot. I poured 8 cups of boiling water on top, gave them a stir and set them on the burner to bring the mixture back to a boil. After about 5 minutes boiling, I strained them through two layers of cheesecloth. I was left with about 7 1/2 cups liquid, with I returned to the freshly cleaned pot. I added an extra 1/2 cup of water, a scant cup of lemon juice, and 16 cups of sugar. I brought this mix to a full boil, stirred in two packets of liquid pectin, and then brought it back to a boil for about 3 minutes. Again, I took it off the heat, skimmed the froth, and transferred it to sterilized jars. I made just over 16 jars of a gorgeous rosy red jelly that has a spicy tang to it.

Tomorrow, weather and health permitting, I'm heading out again to gather enough wild strawberries to make at least a couple of jars of jam.....

In a rush squares ....

A great recipe for squares when you're in a rush and need something to take to a party.

Almond Butter Squares

1/2 cup (1 stick) butter or margarine

2 cups powdered sugar
1-1/2 cups graham cracker crumbs
1 cup almond butter
1-1/2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups mini marshmallows
Optional: ½ c chopped maraschinos

Grease a 9x9-inch baking pan. Set aside. In large bowl, melt butter. Add sugar, graham cracker crumbs, and almond butter, marshmallow and cherries if using. Mix well. Press into prepared pan.

Melt chocolate in double-boiler (or microwaveable bowl on high for1-1/2 to 2 min.), stirring consistently. Pour over almond butter mixture in pan.

Refrigerate 1 hour or until set
 
Makes 36 squares.

Mediterranean Greens, etc.

Just a menu tonight - no real cooking involved.

Seasoned chicken kebabs
Stuffed grape leaves
Tabouleh
Caesar salad
Twice-cooked potato wedges with olive oil and seasalt
Tsatsiki

Maybe while we're eating this, we can pretend we see blue skies and summer sunshine instead of the black rainclouds.....

Raspberry Basil Collins Recipe | mostly foodstuffs

Raspberry Basil Collins Recipe mostly foodstuffs

Asian Noodles

I came across this recipe a few days ago and have been waiting for an opportunity to try it. Tonight was the night. Here's the link: http://steamykitchen.com/164-15-minute-asian-noodles.html. It was easy to make, the ingredients were all available locally, and we all - with the exception of Miss C. - enjoyed it. Very tasty!

Asian-inspired Meatballs

1/2 lb ground pork
1/2 cup minced, drained water chestnuts
1/3 cup finely chopped pine nuts
1 carrot, finely chopped
1/3 cup minced green onion
3 Tbs sherry
2 Tbs soya sauce
1 Tbs minced fresh ginger
1 large egg, beaten
1/2 tsp fresh-ground black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup seasoned bread crumbs

In large bowl, mix until well combined. Form into 1-inch meat balls. Place on foil-covered tray and bake at 375 F for 50 minutes.

Serve with Asian noodles (recipe to follow) for a main-course dish, or with dipping sauce for an appetizer.

Dipping Sauce

Rhubarb - the pie fruit

I have access to a very bountiful rhubarb patch, which produces more than I can keep up with. I've been searching for something new to do with it, beyond muffins, cake topping, stewed rhubarb and, of course, rhubarb crisp. Luckily, I came across a great recipe the other day for a rhubarb custard pie. I modified the recipe slightly to suit my tastes and I was really pleased with the outcome. This has to be one of the tastiest desserts I've had in a long while, and I look forward to experimenting by substituting different fruits as the season progresses.

Rhubarb Custard Pie

1 pie shell

1 cup white sugar

¼ tsp salt
3 tbsp white flour
2 tsp vanilla

3 Tbsp cream

2 eggs, beaten

3 cups diced rhubarb (cut ½”)

Topping:

½ butter

½ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup quick-cooking oats

Preheat oven to 375°F. Prepare pie crust and line a 9 inch pie plate with pastry. Prick all over with fork.

In large bowl, combine sugar, salt, 3 tbs flour, cream, and vanilla. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in rhubarb. Pour into the prepared pie plate.

In another large bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, and oats. Cut in butter until mixture looks like coarse sand. Spread evenly over top of pie filling.

Bake for 45- 50 minutes. Let cool and serve.

More muffins

Definitely on a muffin kick today. It's still cold and dreary, so I thought I'd make something really warming for supper. However, I wanted to keep it simple and light, so here's what I came up with. Tomato soup with cheddar cayenne muffins. The muffins have a nice little zip that gets your circulation going.

Cheddar Cayenne Muffins

2 cups flour
1 tbs baking power
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne
1 large egg
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
2 Tbs sugar
1 Tbs grainy dijon mustard
1 cup sharp cheddar (I like Sussex Old)

In a large bowl, combine the first four ingredients. In a separate bowl, mix together all the remaining ingredients except the cheese. Add the liquid mix to the dry mix and stir until combined. Stir in cheddar. Spoon into greased muffin tins. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes. Let stand 5 minutes before transferring to rack to cool. (Actually, we ate them steaming hot with the soup and they were great!)

If Life Gives You a Lemon of a Day -- Make Lemon Cheesecake Muffins!

Every spring, our church choir holds a plant sale. The following week, the leftover plants join numerous other plants in our driveway for a follow-up plant sale to raise money for our kids' various environmental ventures. Usually, the day of the first sale is cold and wet. As the man of the house is a member of the choir, he's up at an unearthly hour setting up for the sale. I also have to wake up earlier than I would prefer to ferry child number 3 around. Today, being no exception to the rule, is wet, chilly, and overcast. I headed out early to see Miss C. off on her canoeing/camping trip, then went up to Kents' to purchase bedding flowers for our garden. Next, I came home to tackle the laundry and see to the dog. Back home in the warmth, I started to feel sorry for the workers at the plantsale and I figured some nice warm muffins would go over well. I sorted through the recipes and came up with this one - Lemon cheescake muffins. Added bonus, getting to use up some of the vodka-infused lemon zest leftover from my limoncello experiment.

Lemon Cheesecake Muffins

2 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbs baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/3 cup butter
1 egg (large)
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup sour cream
1 tbs lemon zest (see note above)
250 g. cream cheese (1 block)
1/4 cup sour cream
1/4 cup sugar

In large bowl, combine first four ingredients. Cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Combine the next five ingredients and stir well. Add to dry mixture and stir until combined. Fill greased muffin tins.
Beat the remaining three ingredients well. Spoon a dollop on each muffin and spread slightly. Bake at 375 F for 20 min. Let stand in pans for 5 minutes before turning out on to racks to cool.

Makes 12 regular muffins or about 36 jewel-size muffins.

Friday is pizza night

When I first got married, a very nice lady I worked with (now passed on unfortunately) told me "Friday is pizza night". She meant, you've worked hard all week and put meals on the table every night, so Friday is the night you order or go out for pizza (or whatever turns your crank). I quickly learned, however, that hauling little kids to restaurants was to be avoided at all costs....and thus got out of the habit of dining out. We all love pizza, but I've always been partial to the artisanal style as opposed to the generic pizzaria style. Making my own seemed like a good option. Over the years, I've experimented with crusts, stuffed them with mozza at the kids' insistence, made my own pizza sauce, etc. Here's my favorite combination.

Dough:

1 c. very warm water

1/2 tsp salt

2 1/4 tsp yeast (1 pkg)

1 Tbs olive oil (plus more for greasing the bowl)

3+ cups flour
2 tsp grated parmesan
1 tsp oregano

Combine water, salt, yeast and oil in bowl. Stir in 1 cup flour and mix to loose dough. Add remaining flour, parmesan, and oregano. Stir to mix in or use electric beaters fitted with dough hooks. Turn onto lightly floured surface and knead until dough is smooth and elastic. Form into a ball and place in well-oiled bowl, turning dough to coat in oil. Cover loosely with plastic wrap and set in warm, draft-free area to rise for about 1 hour or until doubled in size.

Divide into 2 equal portions and roll out to desired thickness. (Makes two 12 in round pizzas or one 15 in square pizza.

Sauce:
1 (6 ounce) can tomato paste

Warm water (enough to fill empty paste can)
3 tablespoons grated Parmesan or romano cheese
1 tsp minced garlic
2 Tbs honey
3/4 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp dried marjoram
1/4 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon dried red pepper flakes
1 tsp salt
Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl and let stand at room temperature for about an hour before using. Enough to cover at least 2 pizzas. Leftover can be refrigerated and used later for chicken dishes or added to soup or pasta sauce.


Toppings:

Add whatever you like and top, or not, with cheese. I like red onion, broccoli, pineapple and pepperoni with lots of mozzarella and parmesan. Another favourite is red onions, thinly sliced pears and brie.

The Merry Month of May

Just back from a flying visit to Georgia, where I enjoyed sunny days, warm weather, mellifluous bird songs, and really great food. Inspired by the many delightful meals I had there and by a wonderful thrift store find, Cooking across the South, I'm now back to blogging about my culinary experiments. Yesterday had me whipping up a buttermilk banana bread that has great texture and taste. Today, I'm going for garlic baked chicken breasts on creamy egg noodles accompanied by roasted asparagus and sliced tomatoes. All will be served on my recent E-Bay purchase of vintage Melmac (Royalon Corsage pattern) - I got tired of chipped china and oversized plates. Melmac brings a touch of nostalgia to the dinner table and is appropriately sized to ensure that portions are moderate. Plus, it coordinates really well with my kitchen colors! My husband's not all that impressed ("It's like going camping everyday"), but eventually I hope he'll adapt.

Garlic Baked Chicken

2-3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tsp each salt, pepper, oregano, cumin, garlic powder, onion powder

Preheat oven to 375 F. Spray oven-safe dish with oil. Combine spices in shallow dish and dredge the chicken breasts in the mixture. Place chicken breasts in oiled dish and sprinkle any remaining spices on top. Bake for 40 minutes, turning at the halfway point.

Creamy Noodles

1 pkg. (340 g) egg noodles
1 c. whipping cream
1/2 c. milk
2 tsp chopped fresh chives
1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper
2 tsp grated parmesan

Prepare noodles according to package directions. In small, heavy saucepan,  combine cream and milk. Bring to boil over medium heat, then simmer on low until reduced to thick, nutty sauce, whisking occasionally. Stir in chives, pepper and parmesan. Toss into drained noodles.

Roasted Asparagus

4-5 spears asparagus per person
Fresh grated gruyère
Sea salt
Olive oil

Place asparagus in lightly oiled pan. Drizzle with olive oil. Sprinkle sea salt lightly over top and grate cheese over all. Bake at 375 F for 20 minutes.

Salads to remember...

OK, just lost this whole post, so here goes again.

Great salad at Reagan National (who knew?): Romaine, blue cheese, walnuts, dried cranberries, pear halves, grilled sliced sweet potato, champagne dressing.

Pines of Florence: sliced fresh tomatoes, sliced fresh mozzarella (or bocconcioni), fresh basil leaves, balsamic vinaigrette (thick), followed by spinach manicotti, tiramisu, shiraz\

Cafe Kreticou: dolmados (stuffed grape leaves), fresh bread, olive oil mixed with basil and garlic, tzatziki, spanokopita, amazing baklava, merlot

Other salad: romaine, mandarins, dried cranberries, praline pecans, grilled chicken or shrimp, sesame thai dressing.