Tavolo Pasta with Almond Cilantro Pesto

It is a beautiful sunny day and I am totally committed to inside chores…go figure. We are moving in a few weeks to take on yet another international adventure. With that comes packing and cleaning out the pantry. I am determined to let nothing go to waste during this process. So here it is noon on a Tuesday and leave it to me to make homemade pesto for lunch. I think Rob will appreciate the surprise when he gets home from his half day of work.

I put a little twist on the pesto and used almonds and cilantro instead of the usual basil and pine nuts. We are still working on a huge bag of almonds that I bought around the holidays to attempt to make chocolate covered almonds, but like many of my big ideas, they get lost unless I write it down and post it in a visible location. So I am remembering now in the middle of June about the chocolate covered almonds I wanted to make for Christmas- oh well! Since I do not have any ingredients to make the chocolate, I will pass for now. So almond, cilantro pesto it will be.

While I was at the market this past weekend, I picked up a bag of homemade pasta from Tavolo’s in Belleville. I could not resist the cute smile of their daughter who I teach occasionally at the daycare. I have heard lots of people rave about the pasta so I think it will go perfectly with the pesto. Pretty much everything else in the dish is sourced locally, asparagus from Jack and Betty, bacon from Hanover Farms, garlic from Railway Creek, parmesan from Silano’s, hydroponic tomatoes from Vader’s and blue cheese crumbles from a place in Quebec- ok so that is not very local, but still closer than Australia or some other exotic corner of the world where lots of our food comes from these days.

This sounds too good to eat without wine, so I uncork a bottle of our homemade red wine to go along with it. It may not be five o’clock in Belleville, but as Jimmy Buffet says, “It’s five o-clock somewhere.”

Almond Pesto

Makes 1 cup
Recipe Created by Me

Ingredients:

1 cup or so of almonds

1 bunch of cilantro
6-8 cloves of garlic
1/4 cup or so of parmesean
Sea salt/ freshly cracked pepper
Red pepper flakes for a kick
Olive oil

Directions:

Pulse almonds in the food processor until they are crumbs. Add everything except the oil and pulse until a paste forms. Slowly add the oil while pulsing. I add enough oil for all of the ingredients to stick together, because when I add it to the hot oil it will spread out on the pasta. But I have seen pesto made with more oil so that it is almost more of a liquid. This is totally up to your liking. Toss pesto with hot pasta.

(Note: When I wrote out the recipe for this, it is just an approximation because I just throw stuff into the food processor and taste as I go along, so you may need to adjust to your liking.)

I added chopped tomatoes, roasted asparagus spears, bacon, and blue cheese crumbles to our pasta, but the pesto would be good without any additions too.

I did have leftovers of the pesto because you only need a little pesto to flavour pasta, so this is what we did. Since we spent the last weekend at my in laws dog sitting, we decided we did not want to cook any meals in the house because the weather was too nice. So below is a recipe for asparagus cooked on the fire pit. It was so delicious and only required 2 ingredients!

Barbequed Pesto Asparagus

Ingredients:
Pesto

Asparagus

Directions: Make a foil pouch and add asparagus and some pesto. Tightly wrap up the asparagus and place directly on the grate on the fire pit. Check on it after about 10 minutes, rotate and cook until it is nice and grilled.

Creating Food Memories with Rhubarb Cake

As I was reading a friend’s blog, I got inspired by a topic that she has recently written about and that is her relationship with food, therefore I thought I would explore my own relationship with the stuff because it a huge part of my life. As I am writing this I am being put into a “food daze” eagerly awaiting the cinnamon and sugar rhubarb cake that is baking in my oven.


There is no other way to put it, but I love food and anything that has to do with food. Have you ever thought about all the things that have to do with food beyond eating it such as cooking it, experimenting with new combinations, reading about it, growing it, harvesting it, knowing the story behind it, knowing the importance of it nutritionally and culturally, and most importantly knowing where it comes from. Ever since I can remember I have made time to think about food everyday and now it is all I can think about. It all started with dieting and my interest in cooking and always being around home cooked food as a child. My mother always did and still does take a ton of time to think about the food behind every family celebration and meal. She should because food is that important not only to keep us healthy, but also as a tool to bring families and friends together to create memories that are often around food. Who can say that they don’t go to grandma’s house and request your favourite cookies or pie or a meal or have a family dish that reminds you of a relative or friend? You have created a food memory associated with that person and thinking about that person makes you think about food that is special and important to your relationship. When I hear mincemeat pie, I suddenly picture my Grandma H. in her kitchen wearing a Christmas apron because that was her famous contribution to holiday meals. My Grandma C. is famous in my mind for her pistachio cake or oatmeal butterscotch cookies, and a trip to her house would not be complete without a ham dinner. Hearing the word asparagus brings me to the farm where I help to cut it in the spring and I will never look at a zucchini again without having a vision of the one last summer pulled from the garden that was larger than a baseball bat because we left it unattended for a few days to go camping. Even the rhubarb cake that is in the oven, is an old family recipe from the Ketcheson family who owns the asparagus farm that I help out at during the season. Last year at the end of rhubarb season, I had a piece of this cake at their house and fell in love. I was gladly given the recipe and here I am thinking about a memory that was created last summer at their farm. Last summer I recall, I personally picked the rhubarb, diced it, and passed it along to Ann who made the cake following her mother’s recipe. Now talk about connections with your food. This is what I want to remember when I grow old.

Making connections with our food is so important, not only because it helps you control what it is that you are eating, but also because culturally and historically food is at the centre of all relationships. How cool is it that there are ways to find out the origin of our food right here in our community? How cool is it that there are others willing to share recipes that have been in the family for years? How cool is that there are people out there who are building awareness about sustainable food practices to ensure that you lead the rest of your life in a responsible healthy way? How cool is it that food has been around since the beginning of time and it is what brings all groups of people together to socialize? How cool is food? If you haven’t taken the time to stop and think about it today, I urge you to slow down and take a few minutes to think about what it means to you. Trust me, it will be worth it.

Use this recipe for Rhubarb Cake as a start. It combines the tart flavour of rhubarb, which is in season now, with the sweetness of cinnamon and brown sugar. Did you know that rhubarb, if taken care of, can produce fruit for a few months, usually beginning in May and lasting through the summer if the flower is cut off before it goes to seed? Of course it needs to be trimmed and consumed within a reasonable time before it loses it prime flavour. I hope you enjoy the recipe.



Rhubarb Cake
Recipe From: Betty Ketcheson
Makes a 9x12 cake


Ingredients:
1.5 cups brown sugar
1/2 cup butter or oil
1 egg
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 cup sour milk (add 1TBS milk to milk to sour)
1 1/2 cups rhubarb
Cinnamon/ sugar

Directions:

1. Cream the brown sugar and butter or oil. Add the egg.

2. Combine the dry ingredients and add them to the above mixture, alternating with the sour milk.

3. Pour into the pan and sprinkle with cinnamon sugar.

4. Bake at 350 °F for 30-40 minutes.

10th Anniversary Party of The Village Green in Foxboro

There is nothing better than being awakened on a Saturday morning with brilliant sunshine, especially after a week of mostly rain. Today Rob and I took a drive to Foxboro to partake in the 10th Anniversary of the Village Green. Now I have mentioned the Village Green in a previous blog because I have bought some seeds here and it is also a lovely store that sells goods from many local artists, farmers and vendors. When we were here last, Karyn gave us a little flyer about the big event she was planning for the 10th Anniversary of her store. I immediately marked it on the calendar and couldn’t wait to partake in the event! We arrived pretty close to the start and the event was already in full swing!

 The Lions Club was selling hamburgers and beverages with some lovely caramelized onions. Tables were set up with free giveways including marigold seedlings, doggy treats, and lotions from Green Beaver Company. My nose led me to the table set up by Loyalist Coffee of Brighton which specializes in roasting fair trade and organic coffee beans. They provided complimentary coffee for the event.

The children were attracted to the visitors from the Alpaca farm from Stirling. I think the three alpacas were providing the entertainment for the event! I learned quite a lot about honey and a variety of bee products, including eating bee pollen and honeycomb, from the Twin Sisters hive in Stirling. We picked up some honey here.

Of course it wouldn’t be an event without garlic! Elly from Railway Creek was there which was awesome because I have managed to devour the garlic I bought from her two weeks ago! We picked up some garlic and a steak as well. Of course it wouldn’t be a party without cake, Karyn had a beautiful cake in honor of the event. Before we left we picked up a Norway Spruce tree seedling that was yet another give away. I have unfortunately misplaced the name of the nursery that sponsored the tree seedling giveaway, but he had some beautiful trees to choose from including sugar maple, highbush cranberries, and butternut. All in all I would say that this event was a success! We went to a celebration and left with garlic, a steak, 2  hamburgers, doggy treats, face cream, popcorn, honey, a marigold seedling, and a tree seedling. The best part of the day was that everyone was celebrating local products and ways to slow down and think about where the things you buy come from! What a lovely day and thank you to everyone who donated all of the wonderful freebies!

On another note I will share a recipe, but unfortunately there is not a photo to go with it because it was devoured so fast!

Feta Bruschetta

1 loaf French bread, sliced lengthwise

2 tomatoes, diced (I used hydroponic tomatoes)

4-6 cloves garlic, roughly chopped (I used Railway Creek- a purple husked variety)

Salt/ pepper

Basil (fresh if it in season, dried if not)

Olive oil

Balsalmic vinegar

Feta cheese (I used Fifth Town Goat Feta)

Put bread on a baking sheet. Drizzle bread with olive oil. Spread half of the garlic on the bread. Mix tomatoes, the remaining garlic, basil, salt, pepper, crumbled feta. Add a little olive oil and vinegar to your liking. Arrange the mixture on top of the bread. If you are like me and can’t get enough of feta, then crumble more feta to go on top. Bake at 375°F for about 6-8 minutes or until golden brown.

Natural Dyed Easter Eggs

This morning when I took Darcy out for a walk, I saw the Easter Bunny scurry through our neighbor’s lawn. I thought today would be a perfect day to dye eggs. I usually buy my eggs from a local farmer, but since they all have brown shells, I committed a sin and bought a box of white shelled organic eggs from the supermarket. I am hoping that the chickens were treated in a humane way before the eggs got into my egg carton.

I am very much against the use of artificial food dyes in food, so I sought out a way to dye eggs without using those little colored tablets that remind me of my childhood. After some research on the subject, I found some interesting ideas out there.

I went to work scouring my cupboards for anything that might change the color of a vinegar water solution, which would in turn dye the shells of my eggs. The things I came up with were turmeric powder, a mixture of Korean red pepper flakes and red pepper paste, blueberries, and pureed spinach. While allowing my eggs to cool after hard boiling them, I mixed 2 cups of water and 1 TBS white vinegar with the “coloring” of choice and brought them to a boil. I turned down the heat and simmered the mixture for about 15 minutes. I poured the solution into a coffee mug and allowed it to cool before adding the egg. I added one egg to each cup and left them there for about 20 minutes or so, turning them with a spoon every so often.

Some of the colors worked better than others. The spinach solution turned a horrible shade of brownish green and resulted in a sad looking “Easter” egg which was nothing more than white with little bits of dried spinach stuck to the shell. The turmeric produced some lovely yellow colored eggs, while the blueberries turned the shells a nice shade of purplish blue. Finally the red pepper combo made for some light orange shells. Overall the blueberries and turmeric were the most successful.

This experiment was pretty fun although very time consuming. I would definitely try again next year, but hope to have a different variety of things in my cupboards to make the dying more successful!

The Village Green and Railway Creek Farms

Rob and I have spring fever to the max and were bummed when we saw the rain today! Our plans of enjoying the great outdoors had to be postponed for another weekend but we couldn’t’ let that ruin our day. Along with the arrival of spring, comes the plans for adding to the “family garden” that will be planted as soon as the threat of frost is no more and the desire to do a better job of supporting local farmers and companies. Grossed out by an article that I read this morning about the addition of steroids and hormones in grocery store meat aka factory farmed meat, it totally convinced us never to buy meat from a grocery store again, because you just never know what you are getting. For the past few years, I have tried very hard to buy grain fed and grass fed meat when possible but it is not always available at the supermarket. This article reconfirmed the fact that the government really does not care about what goes into the food that people eat and we must go beyond the government to regulate what we eat. Read Michael Pollan's book The Omnivore's Dilemma and you will never return to the grocery store for meat yourself. All of this led us to a trip to Gilmour’s Meat Shop in the County to check out their local stock. We purchased a few of the sausages made on site including the Maple and the Rossmore Hot XXX, which we are going to add to a pizza later on tonight. Hopefully they are good! It felt so much better to support a local business but I did still leave with the question, where is all of their meat coming from?


With this question in mind, we switched gears and headed to Foxboro and had planting on our mind as we pulled into The Village Green. (www.thevillagegreen.ca) This store sells heirloom seeds and a huge variety of local goods from honey to soaps to jewellery to literature. You name it they have, but almost every item sold in the store is made by someone that the store owner knows personally! When we went in there we explained to the owner, Karyn Wright, that we were interested in eating locally and how hard we try to support local growers and farmers. She handed us a map created by Harvest Hastings listing all of the farms in the area with all of their specialties listed. She asked what some of our challenges were and we explained that finding local grains was the hardest and she automatically directed us to a mill in Marmora called CIPM Farm that harvests and produces red fife wheat flour, hemp, spelt, oats, and rye! Can’t wait to check this out! Then we also mentioned that finding a good beef connection was tricky because we have tried a few farmer’s meats and they haven’t been that good. At that moment the women, Elly Blanchard, from Railway Creek Farm (www.railwaycreekfarms.com) in Marmora walked in, which is Karyn’s direct connection for beef! When she took off her rain coat hood and showed her face, I recognized her right away as the “Garlic Lady” from the Belleville Farmer’s Market. I could never forget the face of someone who grows over a dozen varieties of garlic…she is my idol and I just ran out of her amazing garlic and had to resort to using garlic imported from China, which is just not the same. What are the chances of this to be having a conversation about where to get good beef and in walks the farmer herself! She ran to her car and came back in with her cooler of meat and a basket of garlic. We dove in and bought a few pounds of stew meat and a large handful of garlic! We were so excited. We also bought a bag of coriander seeds to give growing cilantro another go this year as we made the mistake of transplanting it last year and lost it all. Life is too short to be deprived of cilantro!

Karyn did mention that on April 30th, the store, The Village Green, is having a 10th Anniversary party which is going to feature alpacas from OH Alpacas in Stirling, native tree give-aways, marigold seedling give-aways, honey from Twin Sisters and many other exciting events! It is already marked on my calendar! It is going to be a wonderful event and a great way to meet so many local connections!

All in all we had a productive and knowledgeable rainy afternoon. We are so eager for planting season to get here so that we can contribute our part to making the world more sustainable, but in the meantime the next best thing is to support those who can provide sustainable goods now!

Bacon Wrapped Apple Cheddar Jalapenos

All week Rob and I planned to get out of town this weekend to take advantage of spring, but then the floodgates opened from above and we postponed our plans. That is what we get for joining the world of planners! Therefore we woke up Saturday morning and couldn’t think of anything better to do than cook and watch movies. I have been holding onto the recipe that follows for quite some time, waiting for the perfect lounging kind of day. I found a similar recipe on the blog Erin Cooks but modified it to our liking. The only thing I would change is that I would possibly cook the bacon ahead of time and add crispy bacon to the cheese mixture (to avoid the excess grease) and sprinkle the stuffed jalapeno with panko bread crumbs to give it a bit of a crunch. They were a big hit with the hub but the grease was a little too much for our liking and the crispiness of a fried popper was missing. But all in all, the apple gave a nice flavour to the cheese mixture and the addition of cheddar was key. They were amazing and were the perfect accompaniment to our Band of Brothers marathon!

Bacon Wrapped Apple Cheddar Jalapenos



Ingredients:

8 jalapenos, cut in half and deseeded
4 oz cream cheese, softened
2-3 green onions, chopped
1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
1/4 apple chopped, peel removed
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 slices of bacon cut into fourths
Salt and pepper

Directions:
Cut off the stem and slice jalapenos in half lengthwise. Remove seeds.
Mix all other ingredients, except bacon, and stuff jalapenos with the mixture.
Wrap a slice of bacon around the jalapenos and secure with toothpicks if needed.
Cook at 400°F and bake for 20-25 minutes or until bacon is crispy.

Modifications: Top the jalapenos with panko bread crumbs before rolling with bacon. Add crispy bacon to the cream cheese mixture in lieu of bacon around the jalapeno- this will cut down on the grease. If you choose this method, spray the baking dish with oil to prevent sticking.

Chocolate Chipotle Chicken Chili

So I am facing another day of not getting called to teach so since the ground is covered in snow and my dog is passed out snoring, I decided why not make dinner now at noon. I have been craving chilli so I searched my pantry for interesting things to add to it instead of the usual ingredients. I had some leftover chicken thighs in the fridge so I started there and pulled the meat off the bone. Then I had a few peppers and onions so I chopped those and added a few cloves of some kick ass Polish garlic that our exotic “garlic lady” recommended. (Of course she grows it all locally.) Then I found a can of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce so I chopped up a few of those. I added some black beans and tomatoes from the garden this past summer. Then I tasted it and it needed something else. I looked and looked for the magical ingredient and alas I found it… unsweetened chocolate. It added a nice flavour and thickened up the chilli very nicely after given time to simmer. The only thing it is missing is probably a hint of cilantro but it will have to do without because I am not going back to the store to get it. After simmering for awhile the flavours all came together and when I tell you I may have gone over bad with the chipotles, I mean it. This chilli is not for the weak at heart, but rather for ones with dragon like senses like myself… Enjoy!

Chocolate Chipotle Chicken Chili

Ingredients:

1 red pepper, chopped

1 yellow pepper, chopped

1 onion, chopped

1 rib of celery, chopped

3 cloves of garlic, chopped

Chopped chicken breast meat or leftover chicken cut in pieces
3 TBS brown sugar

1 TBS unsweetened cocoa powder

2 TBS chilli powder

1-2 tsp of cumin

2 TBS chopped chipotle peppers in adobo sauce

Salt/ pepper

1 can of black beans, rinsed and drained

2 cups chicken broth

28 oz can of diced tomatoes, with juice

2 oz unsweetened chocolate, chopped

Green onions, for garnish

Sour cream, for garnish

Avocado Slices, optional garnish

 

Directions: Saute onions, peppers, garlic and raw chicken until veggies are soft and chicken is cooked. If using leftover cooked met, then add the meat after the veggies are cooked.

Add the sugar through the tomatoes and cook to a boil. Turn the heat down and add the chocolate slowly until desired taste is reached. Continue to simmer until chilli reaches the desired thickness.

Top with a dollop of sour cream, an avocado slice, and chopped green onions.

Serve with cornbread.

Warning: This is very spicy, but really good!

Team USA vs. Team Canada

So the time has come again for the United States to team up against Canada in the World Junior Hockey Tournament.  Since this was the first year in a long time to watch the game on one of our home turfs.  I  decided what better way to bring the rivalry up a notch with some team pizzas.  I made a Canadian flag for Rob using a slice of pepperoni in the shape of a maple leaf for and a pattern of sauce and cheese to make the red and white portions of the flag. 

For the US flag, I did something that I can say that I have only purposefully done a handful of times in my life and that was add blue food coloring to the cheese to make the blue portion of the flag. Now I had all good intentions to pick up a purple potato and make a pile of bluish purple mashed potatoes, however the store  was out of them.  So I resorted to dying a handful of shredded cheese blue. I used thin slices of pepperoni and mozzarella cheese for the read and white stripes and chopped garlic for the stars. 

The table was set with our opposing team flags and of course our signature pizzas. He wouldn’t touch a slice of the US flag pizza and I wouldn’t dare touch a piece of his Canadian flag.  Too bad the US lost so I couldn’t rub it in.  Well that is enough rivalry for one season. 

Now back to living in harmony with each other ;)

Holiday Cookie Exchange- Year 3

Every holiday season for the past few years I have hosted a Cookie Exchange. The last two years the party was especially unique because we lived in Korea and having an oven was pretty much unheard of so baking was a huge challenge. So this year Christmas baking was a breeze! I invited a few friends and family members over for an afternoon of lunch, music, and baked goods. The thing I love about cookie exchanges is that you get to sample so many treats and add new recipes to your collection.

I always am faced with the dilemma of what cookie recipe to share because if I had my way I would find an excuse to bake about 10 different kinds myself, but I exerted some self control and only baked two of my favourite cookies. The two recipes I chose bring me back to my childhood and memories of preparing for the holidays with my mother and my sisters. I guess I shouldn't leave out my dad either he made a wonderful taste tester. They both come from Betty Crocker’s Christmas Cookbook published centuries ago!

The Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels are a twist on a chocolate shortbread cookie drizzled with semi sweet chocolate and sprinkled with crushed candy canes which make them absolute heaven. My mother used to take hours to roll this dough out and shape each individual pretzel. I started to roll out a few and for some reason the dough was crumblier than I remember. I was not blessed with the same amount of patience as her so I resorted to rolling the whole recipe of dough out and used a star cookie cutter to shape each cookie. They still turned out lovely and absolutely delicious!

Now the Cranberry Ginger Pinwheels are my most favourite jam cookie. The recipe is so easy to make and rolls out beautifully. Now these are also time consuming but they are worth every second. The dough gets chilled so that it is nice and easy to roll out. Once you roll out the dough, you must cut the dough into 2 1/2 inch squares and cut a diagonal in each corner of the square. A blob of jam goes in the centre of each square and then you fold every other corner to the centre to resemble a pinwheel. Now in the past I have just used raspberry jam from the store, but since I have become very keen to making chutneys and fruit sauces this year, I made up a concoction of my own to go in the centre. Plain Jane I am not, therefore I like to create what I call “Gourmet Simple.” I took some of the everlasting supply of cranberries from my freezer and boiled them with some sugar and water for a few minutes. Then I added some orange marmalade and fresh ginger. I let it set up into a jelly like consistency and it was good to go for the centre of the cookie. I dusted the finished cookies with some powdered sugar and voila perfection!

There were massive amounts of cookies to share this year and everyone brought something different which was wonderful. Some of them included Mint Chocolate Chip Cookies, Gingerbread, Chocolate Fudge, Shortbread with Chocolate Chunks, Peanut Butter Balls, and Chocolate Butterscotch Candies. My freezer is full of goodies that will last throughout the holiday season. Wait who am I kidding they will be gone in no time!


Chocolate Peppermint Pretzels
From: Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookbook
Makes: 5-6 dozen

Ingredients:
1 cup powdered sugar
1/2 cup margarine or butter, softened

1/2 cup shortening
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
2 1/2 cups flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp salt
Chocolate Glaze
1/4 cup crushed candy canes

Directions:
1. Mix powdered sugar, butter, shortening, egg, and vanilla.  Stir in flour, cocoa, and salt.
2. Knead level tablespoonfuls of dough with hands until the right consistency for molding. Roll into pencil like rope, about 9 inches long. Twist into pretzel shape and put on ungreased cookie sheet.
3. Bake at 375 F for about 9 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes before removing from tray.
4. Drizzle with chocolate glaze and sprinkle with crushed candy canes.

Chocolate Glaze: Melt 2 ounces of unsweetened chocolate and 2 TBS of butter over low heat until melted.  remove from the heat and add 2 cups of powdered sugar.  Add 3-4 TBS of water until smooth and no lumps remain. 


Cranberry Ginger Pinwheels
Recipe From: Betty Crocker's Christmas Cookbook
Makes: 5-6 dozen

 Ingredients for Dough:
 1 cup sugar
 3/4 cup shortening (part butter, part shortening- I used 1/2 cup butter and 1/4 cup shortening)
 2 eggs
 1 tsp vanilla
 2 1/2 cups all- purpose flour
 1 tsp baking powder
 1 tsp salt
 about 1/2 cup Cranberry Ginger Marmalade (see below)



Ingredients for Filling:
1/2 cup cranberries
1/4 cup sugar ( or less for a more tart filling)
1 TBS water
1/4 cup orange marmalade
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger or 1/4 tsp powdered ginger

Directions for Cookies:
1. Mix sugar, shortening, eggs, and vanilla.  Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide into thirds. Cover and refrigerate for at least an hour.
2. Roll out about 1/3 of the dough at a time into a large square on a lightly floured surface.  Cut into 3x3 squares, smaller or larger depending on your preference. Cut squares diagnolly from each corner to almost the center.  Place 1/2 teaspoon of cranberry mixture into the center.  Fold every other corner to the center to make a pinwheel.
3. Heat oven to 400 F. Bake until golden brown, about 6 minutes.

Directions for Filling:
1. Bring the berries, sugar, and water to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce heat and simmer for about 5-6 minutes. or until slightly thickened.  Stir on ginger and marmalade.  Set aside to cool.

Traditional Mincemeat Pie

The holidays are quickly approaching and for some reason I seem to be in the Christmas spirit much earlier than in previous years. The Christmas “fever” has already hit me and it is not even Thanksgiving yet. My house is decorated, the shopping is almost done, cards are being made, cookie lists are being prepared, visits with family are in the works, and the list goes on. One of the things I love about the holiday season is that it always brings back memories of my childhood.





I was blessed to have had a very good childhood that is chock full of family memories. When I was really young, my parents used to pack the car so tight with stuff (that we were never allowed to see on the way there…hmm Santa maybe) and then jam all the kids and dog into the minivan to take a road trip to Ohio to visit our grandmothers and our extended family. Ohio was the gathering place for both sides of the family. We used to go back and forth to different relatives houses to celebrate. Our visits would include so much food that is surprising that they managed to bring us all back in one piece!




One of my fondest memories during these visits was Grandma Hengesbach’s desserts. She always had enough cookies to feed an army, pumpkin pie, and mincemeat pie. Now when I was a kid I would have never dared to try mincemeat pie because the thought of meat for dessert was not appealing. However it was not until later on that I discovered that her mincemeat didn’t even contain meat at all… oh how naïve I was as a child! Sadly she is not around anymore to share her recipe with me, which after all of these years I thought was homemade but my mother tells me otherwise. To keep alive her holiday tradition I have attempted to make my own mincemeat totally from scratch.




I did a lot of research on mincemeat recipes which was not originally the plan but I became so intriqued with what I found. Traditional mince pies trace back to England and the idea was created as a means of preserving meat for the winter. The combination of meat, lard, fruit, vinegar, and molasses helped to preserve them for the cold months ahead. When the British arrived in America they brought their tradition of mince pies with them. But eventually over time, the authenticity changed and the meat was omitted and replaced with dried candied fruits. This is now what people think of when they think of mincemeat pies. Since I enjoy keeping to tradition, I chose to make a recipe that includes real beef and beef suet which provide for a more authentic mince pie.




I went to my local butcher and asked for a chunk of beef suet and he happily obliged to give me a piece of the lard at no cost might I add. I gathered the rest of the ingredients and came home to start preparing. I simmered the beef cubes for about an hour until they were tender, then proceeded to shred them in the food processor. Then I mixed the fruit, shredded meat, spices and suet and simmered them for about an hour. I couldn't find currants around here so I used a mixture of golden raisins and sultana raisins.  I had a large amount of difficulty getting the suet to melt, therefore I managed to scoop most of it out and added a few tablespoons of butter to coat the fruit instead. This was my first time using suet so I wasn’t sure what to expect. The reason it didn’t melt is unclear to me, but it could have been because the suet was not traditional in that it came from around the kidneys, or because I did not cut the suet small enough to melt. Regardless, butter worked as a nice substitute. The fragrance from the simmering mincemeat was wonderful and overtook my house for hours. I opted to try a new recipe for pie crust which I will not even post because I was not impressed with the consistency of it. Sometimes it is best not to mess with a good thing.

Overall I was impressed with the filling. The pie was very rich and full of flavour. The combination of the sweetness of the fruit and spices mixed with the meat was delicious.  The addition of the whiskey at the end added a nice British touch.  I will add more next time to make the flavour a little stronger.  This will definitely be a keeper and I am eager to try to make it again with the leftover filling, but next time I will use my no fail pie crust recipe. Unfortunately since the pie crust didn’t turn out well, it affected my photos.  Therefore I am not going to share my photos.  You will have to wait until round two to see how it turned out or you can try to make it yourself!

Mincemeat Pie
Recipe From: Teri's Kitchen.com
Makes: 2 pies
 
INGREDIENTS

1-1/4 pounds lean beef stew meat
2-3/4 pounds Granny Smith apples, cored and chopped
1/3 pound beef suet, coarsely ground
3/4 pounds dark raisins
1/2 pound dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup molasses
1/2 pound currants
1/2 cup apple juice
3/4 teaspoons ground cloves
3/4 teaspoons ground nutmeg
3/4 teaspoons ground allspice
3/4 teaspoons ground cinnamon
1/2 cup bourbon or rum, divided
Pastry dough for two double crust pies
Directions:
1. Place stew meat in 2-quart pot; add water to cover. Bring to boil, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 1hour or until tender. Drain and put through a meat grinder or into a food processor until a coarse grind.


2. Place the ground meat and the remaining ingredients, using only 1/4 cup of the liquor, in a 4-quart pot. Stir and bring to a simmer. Cover and cook gently for 1 hour, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat and allow to cool. (Can be made several days ahead and refrigerated, or frozen for several months.)


3. Roll out one-quarter of the pastry dough and place it in a 9-inch pie pan. Place one-half of meat mixture into pie shell. Roll out another quarter of the dough and place on top, crimping it with the bottom crust to seal. Put a hole in the center of the top crust to allow steam to escape while baking. Repeat with the second pie, or freeze the meat for future use. Bake in preheated 375° F oven for 1 hour or until brown and bubbly. Place pie on a cooling rack. Using a funnel, pour in the remaining 1/4 cup bourbon or rum. Tilt pie back and forth to incorporate. Serve warm.






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This one's for you Carol: Apple Squash Soup and Cranberry Chutney

                    

A few weeks ago, a great friend came to celebrate Canadian Thanksgiving with us. While Caroline was here, we took a road trip and drove through Prince Edward County which is a very scenic area not too far from our home. It is a new hotspot for wineries and vineyards, spectacular farmland and some of the most gorgeous waterfront properties around. We  stopped in at Huff Estates Winery during our drive before we made it to Lake on a Mountain Restaurant fur lunch. This spot is very interesting because the title exactly explains the natural phenomenon that exists here…there is a lake on a mountain. It is so neat to see.








The whole point of this blog is not to tell about my trip to the county, but rather share a wonderful fall recipe that was inspired by my trip to the county with Caroline. We had the most delicious Butternut Squash soup flavoured with fresh ginger for lunch. I have tried since this day to make a similar tasting soup, but have not had much luck until today. I have been reading this cookbook called Clean Food by Terry Walters which focuses on all natural foods and cooking seasonally. The beginning of the cookbook explains a variety of less common ingredients that provide healthy alternatives for more common ingredients. Many of her recipes are gluten and egg free which is wonderful for those who have food allergies. In her book she has a recipe for Apple Butternut Squash soup. I had to try it and see if it could compare to the soup at Lake on the Mountain. I slightly modified the recipe based on what I had in my kitchen and also based on my taste preference. The subtle flavour of the coconut milk really mixed well with the sweet apples and savory onions and sage. But overall this soup was amazing and will definitely be added to the favourite recipe pile.






While I was making this soup, I was provided with some rather amusing entertainment. My porch is lined with pumpkins that slowly make it inside to my kitchen. But I suppose I was taking too long to bring them. I noticed that something was eating one of my pumpkins. The side had a huge hole in it. I couldn’t think what might eat a pumpkin. Then I looked out the window and caught the bugger red-handed. A gray squirrel had gotten into it and was taking all of the seeds out and burying them in my yard. The funniest part was that his whole body was inside of the thing with only his bushy tale sticking out! A few minutes later I looked again and there was a black squirrel getting into one of the other pumpkins! I quickly ran outside and saved the only pumpkin that did not have teeth marks in it. I was not trying to deprive them of food, but rather I was thinking of the pie that I have yet to make this season!

I have also included another one of Terry's recipes for Cranberry Chutney which is amazing.  Her recipe calls for sucatant (minimally processed liqud cane sugar) which I omitted altogether to make for a more tart version of the recipe.  I served the chutney over pork chops for one meal, ate it as a side dish with chicken another night, and topped a wheel of brie with it for a lovely appetizer.  This is definately a nice twist on classic cranberry sauce which is usually loaded with suagr and sweetness.






Apple Squash Soup
Recipe Adapted from: Clean Food by Terry Walters
Serves: 6-8 


Ingredients:
1 large butternut squash
1 large yellow onion, chopped (I used red)
2 TBS grapeseed oil (I used olive oil)
4 large apples, peeled, cored, and chopped (I used Empire apples)
4 cups vegetable stock (I used chicken stock)
1 cup rice milk (I used 3/4 cup white milk)
1/4 cup coconut milk (I increased to 1/2 cup)
1/2 tsp nutmeg
Salt and pepper
** I added 1 tsp sage


Directions:
1. Cut the squash in half and remove the seeds and pulp. Put face down in a roasting pan and roast for 20 minutes at 400 degrees or until soft. Peel away the skin and cut into chunks.


2. In large pot, over medium heat, heat oil and sauté onions until soft. Add squash, apples, stock, milk, and herbs. Cover, bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until apples and squash are soft.


3. Using a hand blender, puree until smooth. This can also be done in batches in the food processor.


Cranberry Chutney
Recipe From: Clean Food by Terry Walters


2 cups cranberries
1 cup raisins
1/2 cup sucatant
1/2 cup maple syrup
1 TBS cinnamon
2 tsp fresh grated ginger
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1 cup water
1 small onion chopped
3 medium apples, cored and chopped
4 stalks of celery chopped
1 tsp grated lemon peel

Directions:
1. Combine cranberries, raisins, sucatant, maple syrup, cinnamon, ginger, cloves, and water in Dutch oven. Place over medium heat and cook for 15 minutes.

2. Stir in onion, apples, and celery and cook for 15 more minutes.

 3. Remove from heat, fold in lemon peel, and serve.

Pumpkin Garlic Knots

I am at home today with the day off. Can you believe it a Friday off? The day care was overstaffed for today so they needed a volunteer to take the day off and I happily volunteered. I do have to work tonight so it is not a full day off, but nice to have off when there is daylight. I started the morning with 3 cups of coffee uninterrupted and treated myself to some leftover apple cranberry crisp for breakfast. I threw a stew in the crock pot and made some fresh pumpkin garlic knots for supper tonight. All of this was done before 9am!


Lately I have been cooking pumpkins like crazy because they are so plentiful. I use them as a decoration for a little while them cut them in half, deseed them, and roast them face down for about 45 minutes to an hour until they are tender. I remove the skin and puree them in the food processor. It is so easy to do. I put all of the puree into a large bowl and it keeps in the fridge for up to two weeks! I have added the puree to muffins, pancakes, oatmeal, soups, and rolls. I am going to share the recipe for Pumpkin Garlic Knots today that I found on Taste Spotting. The creator of the recipe is Handletheheat.com. I love homemade rolls and since we are having beef stew for supper tonight, I thought that these would be the perfect accompaniment to the stew.

The recipe is so simple and easy to follow. I have also included the recipe that I adapted for beef stew. The beauty of this meal is that with the exception of the beef, flour, salt, pepper, yeast, and olive oil, everything else was something that we either grew or made! Now how about that for being sustainable!



Beef Stew
Servings: 4
Source: Slow Cooker: The Best Cookbook Ever

1 1/2 pounds cubed stewing beef
2 TBS flour
2 TBS olive oil
1 large red onion cut into chunks
4 red skinned potatoes cut into chunks
3 medium carrots, peeled and cut into chunks
1 1/2 cups beef broth
1/4 cup pinot noir (I used our homemade wine)
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp dried oregano
Salt/ pepper

1. Rinse and pat dry the beef. Put into a bag with the flour and shake to cover the beef.
2. Heat the oil and add the beef to brown it on all sides.
3. Add the beef broth to deglaze the pan and scrape away all of the brown bits.
4. Add the chopped veggies to the crock pot. Pour the beef and broth on top. Add the spices and wine.
5. Cook on low for 8 hours or until meat and veggies are tender.


Pumpkin Garlic Knots

Yield: about 15 rolls
From www.handletheheat.com

• 1 cup warm water
• 1 envelope active dry yeast
• 2 tablespoon maple syrup

• 1/2 cup fresh pumpkin puree 
• 2 tablespoons plus 1/3 cup olive oil
• 1-1/2 teaspoons coarse kosher salt
• 3-1/2 cups unbleached bread flour
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• salt & freshly ground pepper
• 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano leaves

1. For the dough: Pour the warm water into a medium bowl and whisk in the yeast. Let sit until frothy, about 10 minutes. Whisk in the agave nectar, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and pumpkin puree.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt. Make a well in the center of the dry ingredients then pour in your wet ingredients.

3. Using a rubber spatula, pull all the ingredients together. When you can no longer mix, use your hands to start kneading the dough. Knead the dough until it comes together in a smooth and elastic ball, adding flour as necessary to prevent sticking.

4. Lightly oil another large bowl and put your dough ball inside it -- flipping over once to coat both sides lightly with oil. Cover with a damp towel or plastic wrap and let rise for about 2 hours; or until nearly doubled in size

5. Preheat oven to 425 degrees F, put in a pizza stone (you may use a pan, too, but it works best with a stone), and divide the dough into two equal pieces. If you're planning to use the other half the next day, just put it in a large zip-lock bag and store in the fridge. You may also freeze the dough for up to three weeks.

6. To create the garlic knots: tear off sections of dough (2 tablespoons at a time) and roll them into a long snake shape. Tie that snake in a knot. Set aside and continue with the rest of the dough.

7. Once you've made all your knots, put them on your stone (or on your pan) and let bake until golden brown on the tops, about 10-15 minutes depending on size of knots.

8. While the knots are baking, in a bowl mix together the 1/3 cup olive oil with minced garlic, salt, pepper, and oregano. When the knots are done, toss in the olive oil mixture to coat.

Cranberries

Like a few of my blogs that I have written in the past, I have forgotten to post them right away, making this one a little outdated but still a good experience to share.


Today was the first Sunday that I have had off in weeks! So Rob and I planned to get out and explore. I have had my heart set on going up north to visit a cranberry bog to pick fresh cranberries for Thanksgiving since Canadian Thanksgiving is next weekend. We talked about going here all week and relooked at the map and realized that all together it would be about 9 hours of driving to get a bag of cranberries. So we scratched that idea and I was a little bummed. Instead we took a drive to Bon Echo Provincial Park and drove along some very scenic roads. The trees were some gorgeous shades of red, orange, and yellow. Since most of the drive was through the Land O’ Lakes region, it provided for some amazing waterfront views.

Most of our day was spent hiking through Bon Echo, which is home to ancient Native American rock paintings. The unfortunate part was that we arrived without a canoe and most of them are only visible from a boat. We plan to come back here in the summer with a canoe and to camp at one of the portage sites.

Ok so the whole point of this blog is that on the drive back, we just drove in the direction of home but turned on a bunch of roads not on our map. We passed by this long driveway all surrounded by bush and there was a small “Open” sign in the drive. I asked Rob if he could turn around because I just had a feeling it was the entrance to something you can pick. We had no idea what it might be until we pulled in the drive and the small little handmade sign said.. .you guessed it.. cranberries! The feeling of a little kid in a candy shop quickly filled my boots. We pulled up the long windy dirt road and were greeted by a woman in flashy rubber boots. She guided us to a safe parking spot and handed us a bunch of bags. She showed us how to pick cranberries because we had never picked them before and quite honestly I didn’t even know how they grew.

Cranberries grow on a long vine like shrub that hugs the ground. They take over the entire area. The patches were not in neat little rows like many other berries that you might go and pick. You have to get down on your hands and knees to spot the little buggers hiding under all of the vines. Picking cranberries is very time consuming, but well worth it. We tried a few of the berries and boy were they sour, but good! We picked about 5 pounds of berries and were so shocked when she told us they were only $1 a pound. In the stores, these things are outrageous.

The owner told us that about 7 years ago the growers used to sell to Ocean Spray, but too many rules came into play so they got out of the deal. Now they just run the U-Pick operation and don’t even sell to Farmer’s Markets or anything. The locals are enough to keep the place in business. No pesticides are used, but like many farmers the cost of paying for organic licensing is outrageous so she can’t call them “organic.” So she advertises them as “just cranberries.”

This farm was such a good find and I know we are going to be back next year! What a nice little hidden secret off the beaten path. Now off to gather all of the recipes to make a blog about cranberries.

Since going to this farm, I have made cranberry sauce, eggless cheesecake with spiced cranberries, and apple cranberry crisp. They have all been tasty. Unfortunately my camera was not charged and our tummies could not wait for the battery to charge before these goodies were devoured.

Chicken Pumpkin Stew, Roasted Pumpkin Seeds, and Double Chocolate Pudding

Pumpkins are here! We picked up a bunch of them at my in-laws and I have been searching all week for the most perfect recipes because I am determined to use all but one to eat. The pumpkins really turned orange early this year and it is funny to drive along a variety of country roads and find lawns adorned with an assortment of them and a little table with a coffee can for donations for pumpkins and of course squash and baseball bat zucchinis. Even the pumpkin patches are ready for picking. I am almost wondering if there will even be any left for Thanksgiving or Halloween, but luckily Canadian Thanksgiving comes earlier than American turkey Day, October 11!



Now cooking with a real pumpkin is practically unheard of today since there are so many varieties that come in a can. But since I have a personal mission to only purchase canned veggies when absolutely necessary, I am going to make the following recipe with a real, live, orange jack-o-lantern that most people think are only for carving. So today’s quest was to make pumpkin stew inside the pumpkin and put all of the ingredients into the pumpkin and roast it in the oven. I prepared my ingredients: chicken breast, onion, garlic, red pepper, chicken broth, water, cinnamon, nutmeg, and salt/ pepper. I cut the top off of the pumpkin and scooped out all of the seeds and set them aside. I then filled the pumpkin with all of my ingredients, put the top back on and set in a shallow roasting pan in case of spillage or worse case scenario…explosion! I put it into a 400°F oven for at least an hour. It wasn’t long before my house smelled like a holiday! I loved the idea of this stew because it meant no pot to clean. Now would it work? After about 45 minutes I pulled it out and checked on it. The broth inside was still cold and the chicken was still pink. I put it back in and thought maybe my pumpkin was much bigger than it was supposed to be for this mission. After another half hour, I checked on it and the whole top had caved into the stew and the broth was simmering and the chicken was almost cooked. The part had me a concerned was that the pumpkin itself was very soft and very brown. So since I didn’t want my house to burn down today from a pumpkin explosion, I decided to take the pumpkin out of the oven and transfer the insides to a pot and simmer it for a bit longer to make sure the chicken was cooked through.



I then proceeded to cut the pumpkin and chopped some of the inside to add to the stew. I even puréed about a cup of it and added that to the stew to make it thicker. I simmered it for about another 20 minutes before garnishing it with freshly chopped green onions and basil leaves. I was a little disappointed that the idea of the stew in the pumpkin didn’t work out for me, but I was happy that I played it safe because I was in no mood to clean up a huge mess!


Meanwhile while the soup was simmering, I rinsed and dried the seeds that I previously scooped out and tossed them with some olive oil and Old Bay seasoning and lined them on a cookie sheet. I roasted them for about 5 minutes or until they were golden brown. I love roasted pumpkin seeds! They are such a good snack or a substitute for croutons on a salad and are packed with so much goodness too.


Pumpkins all around are so good for you. They have a variety of health benefits including rich in beta carotene, anti-oxidants, zinc, fiber, and the list goes on. I am trying to convince Rob of all of these things as our stew is simmering and he is thinking of what he is going to make for his back up dinner in case he doesn’t like it. We haven’t even eaten our first pumpkin dish of the season and I am rattling off plans for the other orange beauties on our porch! I tasted the stew and I was impressed. The broth was very flavorful and the vegetables added a wonderful flavor. We enjoyed the stew with a side of whole wheat bread toasted with pesto. It made for a very lovely meal.


To top off dinner, I made a classic favorite, chocolate pudding and added a twist of dark chocolate to make it interesting. Now to many, pudding means a box of Jell-O brand powder in which one adds milk or water, stirs and voila, something edible is formed. But today I am talking about homemade, completely from scratch, pudding that it so easy and absolutely delicious. It takes 30 seconds longer to make than any kind from a box, so that is enough reason to convert right now! I made the pudding before I began my stew so it had ample time to chill and set. I topped it off with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprig of mint. Anything made with chocolate has a special place in my heart. Hope you enjoy as well!



Pumpkin Pot Stew
Recipe Modified From: Project Fidgety Fingers
Serves: 4-6

Ingredients:
Small pumpkin
1-2 chicken breasts, diced

1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 red pepper, chopped
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Salt/pepper
Chicken Broth
Water
White Wine
Green Onions, for garnish

Directions:
1. Cut lid off of pumpkin and scoop out the seeds and pulp. Put to the side.
2. Mix the chicken, onions, garlic, pepper, and spices together. Add to the pumpkin.
3. Add a splash of white wine. Fill two thirds of the pumpkin with chicken broth and the last third with water. Put the lid back on the pumpkin. Put the pumpkin into a shallow roasting pan in case of spillage.
4. Cook on 400°F for an hour or more depending on the size of your pumpkin.
5. Note: If your pumpkin is too big like mine was…cook until the pumpkin shell gets browned and very soft. Remove from the oven and pour into a large soup pot. Scoop out some of the pumpkin and add cubes of the pumpkin to the stew. Cook until chicken is cooked through.
6. Garnish with chopped green onions. Serve with frsh bread, over pasta, or mixed with rice.


Old Bay Pumpkin Seeds
Recipe From: Gretchen Brown

                                                                 Ingredients:

Pumpkin seeds
Old Bay seasoning or your favorite spice blend
Olive Oil

Directions:
1. After scooping the seeds out of the pumpkin, rinse them to remove the pulp. Lay them flat on a few sheets of paper towel to dry them.
2. Put them in a bowl. Drizzle a little olive oil on them and toss to coat. Add Old Bay seasoning to your liking.
3. Roast, in the oven with the stew, for about 5 minutes or until golden brown.






Double Chocolate Pudding
Recipe From: Likingpineapples.com
Serves: 4-6
Ingredients:
3 cups of milk (3.25%)  (I used 1% and the pudding tasted great!)
5tbsp cocoa
4 tbsp corn starch

2 tbsp sugar
pinch of salt
1 tbsp butter
1 tsp vanilla
1/4 cup dark chocolate chunks (75%)

Directions:
1. Put the cocoa, corn starch, sugar and salt in a pot. Add the milk, heat on medium-high heat and whisk to combine everything together.
2.Cook until it is thick (enough to cover the back of a spoon) whisking once in a while. Once you have the desired consistency, remove from the heat, add the butter, vanilla and dark chocolate and whisk well into the pudding.
3.Pour into small bowls and chill for a few hours before serving. Garnish with whipped cream and fresh mint sprig.