Crab cakes

Crab cakes are another family favourite. We had them last night, nested in a leaf of Boston lettuce, accompanied by sugar snap peas, basmati rice and sliced vine-ripened tomatoes. Heaven!

Crab Cakes

1 can crab meat
1/2 lb fresh crab meat, chopped
1/2 cup finely chopped red onion
1/2 cup finely chopped yellow pepper
1 green onion, finely sliced
1 Tbs capers
1/2 tsp hot sauce (e.g., tabasco)
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp Dijon (ancient grain) mustard
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/2 cup mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip)
1-2 cups fine seasoned bread crumbs
1 tbs butter
1tbs olive oil.

Mix the eggs, onions, peppers, capers, dijon, sauces, mayonnaise and salt and pepper together. Add in the crab meat. Finally, mix in the bread crumbs and refrigerate mix for 30 minutes. Form into small patties. Heat 1/2 the butter and oil in a frypan (I use an electric frypan at 400 F setting) and fry half the crab cakes for about 3 minutes until browned on bottom. Flip and brown the other side. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate or tray and keep warm (in oven). Using remaining butter and olive oil, fry the remaining cakes.

Best Burgers Ever

Over the years, I've tried this and that when making burger patties. I've finally perfected the following recipe:

2 lbs ground beef
1 egg, beaten
1 tbs Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp minced garlic
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup feta crumbles
2 tbs pesto
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
1 cup baby spinach, finely chopped
1 cup oatmeal flakes

Mix together egg, garlic, onion, feta, garlic, pesto, salt, pepper, and spinach. Add meat and oatmeal and knead to mix. Form into patties and grill on barbecue (or George Forman grill). Serve with sliced tomatoes, sliced dill pickles, and whatever condiments you like. Seriously, these are seriously good burgers.

For Katie....who reminded me that I have a blog!

It must be more than a year since I last posted. No, I didn't stop cooking (or eating). I just got consumed by other passions (rug hooking, for example) and forgot about posting on the blog. But I have been trying out and/or creating new recipes in that time. One of them that I'm particularly fond of lately is Celery Walnut Salad. You could also call it a pate. Basically, I saw a photo on facebook (posted by former schoolmate Yegas) of a celery walnut salad that was served on Emirate airlines as an appetizer. The photo was excellent: it had my mouth watering, but I was also intrigued - I'd never thought of combining the two as a salad. So, I went to work in the kitchen. I tried a little of this and a little of that. I've made it enough times now that I can say that it really is tasty, and there are a variety of add ins, depending on your preference or what's in your fridge. The basic recipe is as follows:

Celery Walnut Salad

2-3 stalks of celery, washed and coarsely chopped
1 green onion (bulb included), sliced
1/2 - 1 cup chopped walnuts
2 tbs sour cream (or plain yoghurt or crumbled feta cheese)
2 tbs grated parmesan
salt and pepper to taste

Add the celery, onion and walnut to a food chopper; pulse once or twice; add in remaining ingredients. Pulse until celery and walnuts are finely chopped (but not mush). Transfer to serving dish and enjoy as a dip with crackers, or spread on crackers like a pate.

ChhChhChhili....or baby it's cold out tonight

After a glorious Indian Summer last weekend, we're into real fall weather. Overcast, damp, and chilly. Comfort food is definitely called for. Tonight's offering is beef chili and cornbread.

The chili consists of sauteed onions, garlic, celery, yellow pepper, diced seasoned tomatoes, crushed tomatoes, browned ground beef, maple baked beans, kidney beans, pepper, salt, chili powder and onion soup mix. Combine all in large pot over medium heat. Cook for 1/2 hour to combine flavours. The cornbread is: 3./4 c flour, 1/4 c sugar, 1 c cornmeal, 4 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp salt mixed in large bowl. 1 c milk, 1/4 c veg oil and 1 egg whisked and added to dry mixture. Whisked to combine. Turned out into greased 8" pan. Baked at 375 F for 25-30 min.

Photos could def'ly be better - my lense steamed up :_)

Catching up - 30 September 2014

OK, never mind what the automatic date says, this is the post for the last day of September. Summer flew by, lots of great meals were made and eaten, and now we're into fall. Today was the day for homemade pizzas (or at least home-assembled pizzas - I cheated and bought premade crusts). Pizza #1 had tomato sauce over the base, topped with chopped onion, fresh sweet yellow corn niblets, chopped fresh basil, sliced spicy Italian sausage, fresh asparagus, chopped orange peppers, roasted garlic/pepper seasoning, and grated mozzarella. Pizza #2 had a homemade pesto spread over the crust and topped with chopped red onion, sliced pears, sliced spicy Italian sausage, halved cherry tomatoes, crumbled feta, and mozzarella. Mmm, mmm.

Hurricane Arthur has blown in....

(Not sure how this will look on the page - my computer is acting up, so apologies in advance for layout mistakes!) After days of sweltering heat, Hurricane Arthur has roared in with a vengeance. Heavy rains, strong winds, and, thankfully, cooler temperatures. Fortunately - for us - we are one of the few houses in the neighbourhood that still has power. All over the city, trees are down and power is out. But, as we do have power, I was able to go about my days plans without any major delays (just a few visits from powerless neighbours and family!). First off, was making red clover jelly from the flower heads I had left steeping the night before. I picked the clover up by the Mactaquac headpond yesterday, cleaned them, and then poured boiling water over them to steep. (The recipe/instructions can be found on my July 10, 2011 post.) This morning, I finished making the jelly and sterilized the resulting product. Photos of some of the 8 jars are above.

Next on the list was soup. #1 son had all his wisdom teeth removed yesterday, so he's on a soft/liquid diet. After checking what I had on hand, I figured roasted pepper and zucchini soup would be a great addition. For those of us who were not dietarily challenged, I added spinach and sun-dried tomato bread to go with the soup. The bread recipe was brought home to us by Clara, who got it from the lady who she stayed with this summer in Riviere du Loup. All agreed, the soup was a tasty way to ride out the storm at lunchtime. Providing we still have power, supper will probably consist of vietnamese rice-paper veggie rolls, chicken and various other oriental-inspired dishes.

Roasted Pepper and Zucchini Soup

1 yellow pepper
1 orange pepper
½ red pepper
1 med. Zucchini
4 stalks of celery, chopped
1 med. yellow onion, chopped
1 med. carrot, peeled and grated
1 green onion
1 tsp chopped garlic
1 tsp fine sea salt + enough to dust the peppers
Ground black pepper
1 tsp. oregano
½ tsp lavender pepper
Olive oil in mister
2 tbs butter
4 cups chicken stock
1 c. whipping cream
Fresh chopped chives

Preheatoven to 425 F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper. Julienne the peppers and
quarter the zucchini and place on parchment paper. Spray with olive oil and sprinkle with
sea salt and ground black pepper. Roast the peppers for 25 minutes. Meanwhile, melt the
butter in a large pot. Sauté the celery and yellow onion for 5 minutes. Add chicken stock,
carrots, sea salt, oregano, garlic, green onion, and lavender pepper. Bring to boil, adding
in zucchini and peppers when roasted. Simmer for 10-15 minutes. Pour into blender or
food processor and blend to smooth consistency. Return to pot on stove, stir in cream and
simmer for 5 minute. Serve topped with chopped chives.

Happy St. Patrick's Day!

It's really been a while since I felt inspired - or found the time - to post to this blog. Yesterday, however, I created a soup that blew my tastebuds away so I figured I should record it for posterity. We're having one of our "Soup Lunches" at work today in honour of St. Patrick's Day, one of my very favourite holidays (bring on the spearmint candies!). I always contribute a soup toward this event (especially as I was the one to come up with the idea for it many years ago) - basically a number of us fill our crockpots with homemade soup and bring them to work to serve along with fresh bread (also made by a colleague), and softdrinks, coffee, or tea. We charge $5 per person and you can sample as many of the soups as you like. The money raised goes into our Social Committee account, which funds parties for retirements, new babies, wedding showers, etc. I'm no longer in on the organizing end of this event (too worn out lol), but I always contribute some soup - mainly because I really enjoy making it. So, cutting to the chase, here's this year's version. No pics unfortunately, but trust me, it looks good and tastes even better.

Tangy Ginger Carrot Soup

 

¼ cup butter

1 small onion, chopped
2-inch knob of ginger, finely chopped
1 tbs garlic
8+ large carrots, peeled and sliced
1 tsp salt
½ tsp freshly ground pepper
1 tbs Maille ancient grain mustard
¼ tsp chili flakes
1/8 tsp cumin seeds
1/8 tsp caraway seeds
2 900-mL containers chicken broth
4 sachets Chicken oxo
8 c water
4 green onions
1 750-mL container plain yoghurt

Saute onion and ginger in garlic until soft. Add garlic and sauté 1 min longer, stirring constantly. Add carrots, stir to coat and then pour in chicken broth. Stir in remaining ingredients, except the green onions and the yoghurt. Slice the green onions finely, reserve the green portion and add the white portion to the soup. When the carrots are cooked through and soft, process the soup in a blender until smooth. Just before serving, stir in yoghurt and sprinkle with remaining green onion.

Roast Beef with All the Fixin's

Tonight, after a dreary winter's day, is the perfect time for an old-fashioned Sunday roast dinner. So, tonight, we're going to have rosemary garlic roast beef, yorkshire pudding, brussels sprouts, carrots, parmesan mashed potatoes, gravy, and caramel molten cakes.

The roast beef is super simple: rub with olive oil, ground pepper, sea salt, crushed rosemary and chopped garlic. Place in slow cooker. Sprinkle about a tablespoon of worcestershire sauce over top, and add 1 cup of beef stock to pot. Cover and cook on high for 4 hours. After about 3 hours, drain liquid from pot. Remove grease from liquid and use the liquid to make gravy (combine 2 tbs flour, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper in sauce pot; gradually whisk in liquid, plus 1 cup beef broth or oxo+water; whisk over high heat until thick; add extra bouillon powder for more flavor if needed.) The yorkshire pudding is super simple too: preheat oven to 450 F; beat 2 eggs and 1 cup milk together; in separate bowl, sift 1 cup flour and 1 tsp salt. Whisk liquid into flour mixture until smooth. Grease an 8-inch square pan with oil. Pour in about 1/4 cup beef broth. Pour in flour mixture; bake for 20 min. Slice into 9 squares and serve.

Parmesan mashed potatoes. Boil potatoes until soft, and drain. Add 2 tbs butter, 1/4 c grated parmesan, 1 tsp salt, 1 tsp choppped garlic, 1/2 tsp ground pepper, 1 cup milk and mash until smooth.

Caramel Molten Cakes:

•2 1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour plus more for ramekins
•2 large egg yolks
•1 large egg
•1 2/3 cups canned or jarred dulce de leche
•Vanilla ice cream

Line a 1-doz muffin tin with parchment paper liners. Preheat oven to 425°F. Bbeat egg yolks and egg in a medium bowl until doubled in volume and eggs hold a slight ribbon, about 2 1/2 minutes. Add dulce de leche; beat until well blended, then gradually add 2 1/2 Tbs. flour; beat until well blended. Divide batter among muffin cups.

•Transfer muffin tin to oven. Bake cakes until outsides are golden brown in color but the centers still jiggle, 12–14 minutes.

•Transfer muffin tin to a rack. Remove liners from tin and loosen them from the cakes; invert cakes onto plates or into shallow bowls. Serve hot with ice cream

2012 Almost Over - And a New Favourite Recipe to Add to the Collection

I can't believe that 2012 is almost over! It's going out with a blast, at least in my part of the world - big snowstorm here today. Which means it was the perfect day to spend in the kitchen cooking up another kind of storm. Today's (and yesterday's) creations included seafood chowder (for tomorrow night's party), glazed ham and scalloped potatoes au gratin (for tonight's supper), frosted sugar cookies, butterscotch squares, and my new favourite recipe....Spicy Cheese Crackers!

Spicy Cheese Crackers

1 pkg cream cheese (250 g)
3/4 c. butter
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp. chili flakes
1 tbs (heaping) grainy dijon mustard
4 c. grated sharp cheese (I used a mix of gruyere, cheddar, and romano)
1 c. finely chopped pecans
2 c. flour

Cream butter and cream cheese in large bowl. Add egg, salt, chili flakes, and mustard. Mix well. Stir in cheese. Meanwhile, in separate bowl, combine flour and pecans and mix well. Add to cheese mix and stir until well mixed. Divide dough into two portions and, on lightly floured surface, roll each portion into a 2-inch diameter log. Wrap each log in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 8 hours. Preheat oven to 350 F. Unwrap log(s), and slice thinly (about 1/8th inch thick) into rounds. Place rounds on cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Bake for 16 minutes (turning pan halfway through). Let cool on cookie sheet.

These make a great snack on their own, or use them as dippers for salsa, red pepper jelly, etc.

Well, that's it for now....perhaps my new year's resolution on Tuesday should be to post more regularly.....if only to give myself something to do, lol.

Wet and Chilly Start to October

It's miserable outside - dreary, rainy, chilly, and grey. And I'm nursing a nasty cold. So, it seemed obvious that the kitchen -- and I -- needed some warming up. As luck would have it, I had a nice, big ham bone leftover from yesterday's family dinner. Into the pot it went along with split peas, onions, carrots, garlic, bay leaf and all kinds of seasonings. Tonight we're dining on Habitant Pea Soup and herb bread (have I mentioned how much I love slow cookers?).

Habitant Pea Soup

1 ham bone
1 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbs olive oil
2 L water
2 chicken oxo cubes
2 cups yellow split peas
2 bay leaves
1 1/2 cups each diced carrots and celery
1 cup diced ham
1 tsp sea salt
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Heat the oil in a large pot. Saute the onion until beginning to brown. Stir in garlic and continue to saute for about a minute. Add water, ham bone, bay leaves, split peas, and oxo cubes (or sachets). Bring to boil, reduce heat to low, cover and simmer for 30 minutes. Add vegetables, ham, salt, and pepper. Stir and re-cover, simmer for about 1 more hour, until vegetables are tender. Remove ham bone and discard. If you like a thick soup, transfer about 1/3 of the mixture in the pot to a blender and puree; return to pot and stir to mix. Serve with warm herb bread.

Herb Bread

1 tsp sugar
1 1/3 c. warm water
1 level tbs active dry yeast
2 c. + 1 c flour
1 tbs. sugar
2 tbs oil
1 tsp oregano
1tsp sage
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp onion powder

1 tsp salt

Warm stainless steel mixmaster bowl by filling with hot water and letting stand for 5 minutes. Discard water. Add 1 tsp sugar and 1 1/3 c warm water to bowl. Stir to dissolve sugar. Sprinkle yeast over top of water. Let stand for 10 minutes. Stir to dissolve yeast. Add remaining ingredients except for 1 cup flour. Beat on low  to combine ingredients, then increase speed to 4 (medium) and beat for 2 minutes. Add remaining flour and beat on low until mixed in. Turn out into greased slow cooker pot. Smooth top with back of wet spoon. Place 5 paper towels on top of pot, then place the lid on, putting a wooden toothpick between the paper and the lid to allow steam to escape. Do not lift lid during cooking time. Cook on high for 2 1/2 hours. Loosen sides with knife and turn out on to rack to cool.

September Stew and Almond Zucchini Cake

I must be on the mend - I can't keep out of the kitchen. Tonight's supper was "September Stew", served with fresh baguette slices, followed by a dessert of frosted "Almond Zucchini (sshhh! they'll never know) Cake".

September Stew

1 1/2 lbs stewing beef, trimmed and cubed
2 1/2 cups peeled, seeded butternut squash
3 medium shallots, coarsely chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 pkg. onion soup mix

1 8 oz can tomato sauce

2 cups water

2 tbs worcestershire sauce

1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp fresh ground pepper

1/8 tsp allspice

2 tbs cold water

4 tsp cornstarch

3 cups frozen french-style green beans

Place all but the last three ingredients in a slowcooker. Cook on high for 4 hours (or on slow for 8-10 hours). In a small bowl, combine the cold water and the cornstarch. Stir in some of the hot liquid. Stir mix into slow cooker. Add the green beans, cover and cook for 15 more minutes, until thickened. Season with salt and pepper if desired.

Almond-Zucchini Cake

3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/2 tsp almond extract

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt

2 1/2 cups peeled, grated zucchini (courgettes)

3/4 cup ground almonds.

Glaze
1 cup icing (confectioner's) sugar
2 tbs water
1 tsp almond extract

In mixer, beat eggs until frothy. Add brown sugar, 1/2 cup at a time, and continue mixing until thick and smooth. Add oil and almond extract and continue beating for 1 min.

Combine dry ingredients (next 4 in list) in a separate bowl. Add alternately, in three parts, with grated zucchini to egg mixture. Beat well. Stir in ground almonds. Turn into well-greased and floured bundt pan. Bake at 350 F. for 1 hour 5 minutes, or until toothpick inserted in middle comes out clean. Let cool in pan for 15 minutes, then turn out onto a wire rack. While still warm, drizzle glaze over cake, letting it run down the sides. Enjoy - and don't mention the zucchini to your kids - they'll never know they're eating a vegetable.

Roasted yellow tomato and pepper soup

By accidental fortune, we have an amazing crop of yellow tomatoes this year. We've enjoyed a surfeit of tomato sandwiches, toasted or otherwise, and have had sides of sliced tomatoes with just about every meal for several weeks now. I've experimented with yellow tomato pasta sauce (may post that recipe one day), and today, as I've got a hankering for soup, I've created "Roasted yellow tomato and pepper soup". It provides some sunny warmth to a not-so-warm fall day.

Roasted Yellow Tomato and Pepper Soup

2+ tbs olive oil

8-10 med. sized yellow tomatoes

1 yellow pepper

1-2 green onions, chopped and reserving 1 tbs for garnish

3 med. sized shallots

1 tsp paprika

1 bay leaf

1 tbs maple syrup

1 cup chicken broth

Salt and ground pepper, to taste

Preheat oven to 400 F. Line baking sheet with foil and spray foil lightly with olive oil. Halve and seed tomatoes (I find it easier to remove the small stem core at this time too). Place tomatoes cut side down on foil. On a separate, foil-lined and sprayed sheet, place seeded and sliced strips of yellow pepper, insides facing up. Spray both the tomatoes and the peppers liberally with olive oil. Place in pre-heated oven for about 40 minutes, turning pans around half way through. Meanwhile, peel and coarsely chop shallots. In large saucepan, saute shallots in 2 tbs olive oil for about 3 minutes. Add paprika and continue cooking for 1 more minute. Remove from heat.

  

Once tomatoes and peppers are roasted (skins should be slightly blackened), remove from oven. Immediately cover the tomatoes with saran wrap (clingfilm) and let the steam continue to loosen the skins (takes about 10 minutes). Add the peppers to the sauce pan. Remove and discard skins from tomatoes. Add remaining pulp and liquid to sauce pan, along with bay leaf, chopped green onion, chicken broth, and maple syrup. Bring to low boil and let simmer 20 min. Remove bay leaf. Use stickblender to puree. Season with salt and pepper. Serve garnished with a dollop of heavy cream and a sprinkling of reserved green onion.

Weeze Cake

It's Miss C's birthday today and, as is tradition, I made a cheesecake (now named the Weeze cake in her honour). This year's version is strawberry.

Strawberry Shake Cheesecake

2 250-g bricks of cream cheese, softened.
1 envelope gelatin
1 c whipping cream
1 cup sugar plus 2 tbs
2/3 cup brown sugar, packed and divided
2 cups graham wafer crumbs
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 1/2 cups fresh strawberries, chopped
1 tsp almond extract
1 tsp vanilla extract

In small pot, sprinkle gelatin powder over 1/2 cup cold water. Place pot over low heat and leave until gelatin dissolves. Remove from heat.

In microwave-safe bowl, melt the 1/2 cup butter. Stir in 1/3 cup packed of brown sugar and 2 c. graham crumbs. Mix well and then press into bottom of greased springform pan. Bake at 350 F for 10 min. Remove pan and cool on rack.

Meanwhile, in large bowl, beat cream cheese, 1 cup sugar, and remaining brown sugar. In separate bowl, combine chopped berries and 2 tbs sugar and mash. Add strawberries, vanilla, almond extract, and gelatin  to cheese mixture and stir well. In yet another bowl, whip the cream. Fold the cream into the cheese/berry mixture. Pour into pan over crust. Refrigerate for 3-4 hours before serving. Can drizzle chocolate or caramel sauce over before serving.

Rain, followed by showers

It's dank and dismal today - I need warming up. Inspiration struck - too many mushrooms leftover from a salad recipe and lots of fresh asparagus in the garden. Pan-fried asparagus, mushrooms and garlic in butter with lemon pepper and sea salt. Mmmm, mmmmm. To round out the meal, spicy pork medallions and oven roasted potatoes, onions, cauliflower and orange pepper.

Getting My Samosa Fix

Samosas are a big deal here in Fredericton - we even had a "samosa war" at our local market once upon a time. The product was so popular that customers lining up to buy them blocked the aisles and prevented other vendors from doing business. The market management team told the samosa vendors they'd have to take their wares outside. People were outraged. Protests ensued. Eventually, they compromised and bought a couple of trailers, parked them on the market grounds, and told the samosa vendors to set up business there.  In the end, the original purveyor of samosas, Mr. Patel, decided to retire, and with him went the best samosas I'd ever tasted. The remaining vendors at the market continue to do a thriving business, but the product in my opinion is inferior. All this to say that, today, I had a hankering for the Patel samosas, so I went hunting online in search of a reasonable facsimile. What I found far exceeded my expectations. Although they took considerably longer to make than I anticipated (and although my pastry skills are sadly lacking!), the results were imho *damn* good!

So, here's the link: http://www.samosa-recipe.com./ I strongly recommend this site. I made the vegetable filling in phyllo and the beef in puff pastry (seriously, I'm severely challenged when it comes to working with pastry!) and they were delicious!

Sunny Sunday Morning in Spring

Contemplating the sun shining outside, the grass growing and greening, and all the plants starting to spring to life, and relishing the relatively unfamiliar sensation of a clean kitchen....I was inspired to create this zesty soup to welcome home the churchgoers.

Cream of Carrot Ginger Soup

2 tbs butter

2 large shallots, coarsely chopped

1/2 yellow pepper, coarsely chopped

900 ml chicken broth, unsalted

1/2 tsp crushed rosemary

2 tsp minced ginger

1 tsp coarse sea salt

1 tsp fresh ground pepper

1 c cream (use milk if you want a lighter version)

In large pot, saute shallots and pepper in butter until transparent. Add chicken broth, carrots, and seasonings. Bring to low boil and simmer until carrots are tender, about 1/2 hour. Use immersion handblender to puree vegetables. Stir in cream and serve. Garnish with fresh chives and wedge of lemon.

A whole lotta cooking goin' on

Yep, that's the truth. First came Christmas and various pot lucks, then we hosted a baby shower for Iris on New Year's eve, and today, the annual family Yankee Swap. So far, I've made fudge (thank you Trish for a fabulously easy recipe), spicy pecans, seafood chowder, a rosemary/cranberry bread wreath, cherry fruit bread, and Dear Abby's "St. James Baked Beans" (if you haven't tried this recipe yet, google it and make it immediately - it's a real crowd pleaser!). I'm absolutely loving my new Kitchenaid Artisan mixer - it sure eliminates a lot of shoulder and wrist pain when making bread dough. This was a Christmas gift from Ralph and, I've got to say, one of the best. I resisted for many years, saying why would I need one when my hand mixer does just fine, but old age is taking its toll and it's nice to let the machine do the work for a change. However, given that its permanent home is going to be on my counter, I have to get busy and make a cover for it to keep it clean. Anyway, better to get sewing than to get baking as 2012 is definitely going to be the year to lose some weight...starting tomorrow! After all, you can't go on a diet when you're heading to one of the major potluck events of the year!!!

Today's recipe....and a last hurrah for sugar and fat...is Trish's easy, delicious chocolate fudge.

Chocolate Skor Fudge

1 pkg chocolate chips (I prefer milk chocolate)
1 pkg skor bar bits (or Heath bar if you're in the U.S.)
1 can sweetened condensed milk

In a microwave safe bowl, combine chips and condensed milk. Mike on high for 2 minutes. Stir. Mike for 2 more minutes. Stir, Mike one last time for 2 minutes and then stir in pkg of Skor bits. Scrape into a greased 8 x8 inch pyrex pan. Chill in fridge for 2+ hours. Cut into 1 inch squares and enjoy. I'll have to take a pic some other time because there are none left from my last batch!

Oh yeah - Happy New Year!

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....