tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-192486852024-02-28T10:57:11.431-05:00Marshal's Virtual BistroServing up fresh ideas in creative cuisine, with a healthy portion of benign commentary.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.comBlogger63125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-3297757691239545622012-03-26T16:09:00.000-04:002012-03-26T16:09:02.403-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: M is most definitely for Muffins!Muffins are, without a doubt, my ultimate comfort food. We've always got at least one kind of muffin stored in our freezer, if not two, where they can be accessed for breakfast, snacks, to to make a more substantial lunch. Zapping one of those for 30 seconds in the microwave gives us a piping hot treat.<br />
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The great thing about making your own muffins, rather than buying the store-made kind, is that you get to control both the ingredients (for health or for flavour) and the size of your muffins. Personally, I'm a fan of a good sized muffin - but even I know that buying a massive bakery muffin means eating, essentially, two.<br />
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There's nothing difficult about making muffins, so long as you follow one simple rule: never over mix your batter. Mix up your wet ingredients in a separate bowl from your dry, and when the time comes to combine the two, fold them together gently and only so much as is required to wet the batter and integrate the ingredients. You want to avoid pockets of dry ingredients, but you don't need to mix everything up so well that you can't see bits of dry when you're scooping out the batter. Mix too vigorously, and you'll get tough, rubbery muffins.<br />
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Generally, with a standard-sized muffin tin, I'll make 9 muffins out of these recipes. If you're a fan of the miniature muffin, you'll get at least 18, if not 24 out of these recipes. Whether you use muffin/cupcake papers to line your tins is your call. I'm a fan of just greasing the tins and doing without. When you pull the muffins out of the oven, some will need to cool in the tins, while others (generally fruity muffins) should get removed and cooled on racks right away -- otherwise they steam themselves into a being somewhat tough.<br />
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The following are some of my all-time favourite muffin recipes. Most of these originated in the 1980's cookbook "Muffin Mania", which has the most gawdawful layout and design in the world, but has been my family's go-to for muffin recipes for as long as I can remember -- and that's at least 30 years. I've adapted these all from the original recipes for both healthiness and taste, but props are due to the original cookbook that started it all.<br />
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<b>ORANGE-DATE MUFFINS</b><br />
<i>We make these a lot. If you don't like the taste of the orange peel the first time you try them, you can always try again using just half the orange peel, or none of it. </i><br />
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1 whole orange<br />
1/2 cup orange juice<br />
3/4 cup pitted dates<br />
1 egg<br />
1/3 cup butter (at room temperature)<br />
1/4 cup plain yogurt (or omit, and use a bit more butter, to make 1/2 cup total)<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
1 Tsp vanilla<br />
1 Cup white flour<br />
1/2 Cup whole wheat flour<br />
1 1/2 Tsp baking soda<br />
1 1/2 Tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 Tsp salt<br />
1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 Tsp ground nutmeg<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees Celsius.<br />
<br />
Wash the orange, and cut it into quarters. Remove seeds if required, but do not peel. Place the pieces into a blender, along with the orange juice. Pulse to chop the orange.<br />
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Add the egg, butter and yogurt to the blender, and mix for about 20 seconds. Add the dates, vanilla and brown sugar, and pulse a few times to chop/mix.<br />
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In a medium-sized mixing bowl, mix together the remaining (dry) ingredients, including the spices. Create a well (indent) in the middle of the bowl, and pour in the wet ingredients. Fold gently together, taking care not to over mix. The batter will be dense.<br />
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Spoon into greased (or papered) muffin tins and bake for 18-20 minutes (approximately 13 minutes for miniature muffins). Upon removal from the oven, transfer immediately to wire racks to cool.<br />
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<b>TROPICAL MUFFINS (Carrot/Pineapple/Coconut)</b><br />
<i>These are a nice, dense, fruity muffin - a bit like having carrot cake for breakfast, minus the icing (who would bother making carrot cake without the cream cheese icing, one wonders, but you get the point).</i><br />
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2/3 cup white sugar<br />
1/2 cup vegetable oil<br />
1/4 cup milk or yogurt<br />
2 large eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla (or 2 tsp white rum)<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup white flour<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1 1/2 tsp baking soda<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
1/2 tsp ginger powder<br />
1/3 cup shredded coconut<br />
1 cup finely grated carrot<br />
1 cup crushed pineapple (well drained)<br />
Optional: 1/2 cup raisins<br />
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees Celsius.<br />
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In a beater bowl, combine sugar, oil, milk or yogurt, eggs, and vanilla or rum. Beat on medium speed for about 20 seconds.<br />
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In another bowl, combine the dry ingredients, and mix well. Transfer to the bowl of wet ingredients, and with a large spoon, fold together. Add the carrot, pineapple, coconut and raisins, and gently fold in just until incorporated.<br />
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Scoop into greased or papered muffin tins, heaping the batter high in each cup. Bake for approximately 20 minutes, then place tins on wire racks for 10-15 minutes to cool slightly before removing the muffins to finish cooling directly on racks.<br />
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RAISIN-SPICE MUFFINS<br />
<i>These are my favourite, and since my wife doesn't particularly like them, I get to eat them all myself. This is a hybrid of two muffin recipes -- one for plain raisin muffins, and the other for more of a gingersnap muffin.</i><br />
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1 1/2 cups water<br />
1 heaping cup raisins<br />
1/2 cup brown sugar<br />
1/4 cup molasses (or omit, and use an extra 1/4 cup of brown sugar)<br />
1/2 cup butter, softened but not melted<br />
1 egg<br />
1 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/4 cup white flour<br />
1 tsp ginger powder<br />
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 375 degrees Celsius.<br />
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Put the water and raisins in a small saucepan, and bring to a boil. Turn down to simmer for about 5-7 minutes, then remove from heat. Drain the raisins, reserving 1/2 cup of the boiling liquid. Set that aside to cool.<br />
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In a medium bowl, cream together the sugar and butter. Add egg and beat until fluffy. Mix in the 1/2 cup of raisin water and mix well.<br />
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In a small bowl, mix together the dry ingredients. Add to the wet mixture, folding in until about 50% incorporated. Add the well-drained raisins, and gently stir until mixed.<br />
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Spoon into muffin tins and bake for 16-20 minutes. These don't rise all that much, so fill the tins right up.<br />
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Cool in pans, then remove muffins from the tins.<br />
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CHOCOLATE CHIP MUFFINS with ORANGE<br />
<i>Everyone - and I mean everyone - loves a good chocolate chip muffin. Adding the subtle hit of orange just brings these up to a new level. Omit the orange if you wish - you'll just have a good, basic chocolate chip muffin. If you're looking to get totally decadent, add about 1/3 cup of toffee bits to the batter when you add the chocolate chips.</i><br />
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1/2 cup + 1 Tbsp milk<br />
1/2 cup yogurt<br />
1/3 cup melted butter<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
Optional: 1 Tbsp Triple Sec or other orange liqueur<br />
1 cup white flour<br />
1/2 cup whole wheat flour<br />
1/2 cup white sugar<br />
2 Tbsp finely grated orange zest<br />
3 tsp baking powder<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1 cup chocolate chips (add an extra 1/4 cup if you are feeling the need)<br />
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Preheat oven to 375 degrees Celsius.<br />
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Mix your orange zest in with your sugar and set aside.<br />
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In a small bowl, mix together milk, yogurt, and butter. Beat in the egg, vanilla and liqueur, if you're using it.<br />
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In a medium-sized bowl, mix together your dry ingredients, including the chocolate chips. Gently mix in the sugar and orange zest mixture. Create a small well in the centre of the bowl. Add the wet mixture, and fold together, just until blended.<br />
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Pour into greased muffin tins. For extra pizzazz, drop a couple of chocolate chips onto the top of each muffin, and/or a tiny dusting of orange zest.<br />
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Bake for about 18-19 minutes (about 12-13 minutes for mini muffins). Avoid over-browning the tops - if you think the muffins aren't done but they're browning too fast, turn the oven down to 325 degrees and allow to finish baking at the lower temperature.<br />
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Allow to cool in tins. Utterly delicious while still warm and gooey.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-12662434891977098512012-02-11T14:00:00.003-05:002012-02-11T15:00:28.580-05:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: L is for lemon – or is it for lime?<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-m4PlSI4TqapczO-xLheJNvaJPkfXV5rIhjkp-En2qgR1cfVZPU0Owaas077Ju5OaNn_vJLYvxhIhD7JW8CICxtblCoR8ckFBSfW3Hez4L66SQSptQCe5qVXctMGXBJs6DhS/s1600/LemonsLimes.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" height="200" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiF-m4PlSI4TqapczO-xLheJNvaJPkfXV5rIhjkp-En2qgR1cfVZPU0Owaas077Ju5OaNn_vJLYvxhIhD7JW8CICxtblCoR8ckFBSfW3Hez4L66SQSptQCe5qVXctMGXBJs6DhS/s200/LemonsLimes.jpg" width="181" /></a></div>Fresh lemons and limes are one of those things that we always have on hand – either in the fridge, or if it's too full, perched in a bowl on the counter. They're a cheap, long-lasting type of produce, handy for just about every type of dish. If we're out of lemons and limes, I know it's really beyond time to get more groceries.<br />
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We pretty much only use fresh citrus in this household. Those concentrated lemon and lime juices are pretty nasty if they're used too freely. Given that a lime will last about 6 to 8 weeks in the fridge, I just can't justify using the plastic squeeze bottle variety.<br />
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When I say lemons and limes are handy for everything, I mean it. Whether it's in salad dressing, marinades, sauces, added directly to main dishes, or perking up dessert, these babies are always on call. And beyond the juice of the tangy citrus, there's another whole slate of uses for their grated rind. Don't believe in lemon beyond your circa-1984 filet of sole? Read on. Pretty sure that the only lime you ever liked was in a margarita on the beach in Mexico? Try one of the recipes below to broaden your horizons!<br />
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The recipes below feature lemons and limes in their more obvious states, but don't hesitate to use lemon or lime to add a background zing to your dishes. For example, I'll often use the juice of half a lemon on chicken as I'm sautéeing it to add to a pesto or alfredo pasta dish. Squeezing a bit of lemon juice over the meat while it cooks seems to give it enough time to soak up the flavour without becoming too strong. The flavour is subtle – even unidentifiable – but it gives a little boost to the otherwise meek and mild chicken.<br />
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This holds true for a lot of dishes. A spritz of lemon juice on your vegetables perks them up without screaming too loudly at anyone's taste buds. A spritz of lime or lemon juice over a fruit salad gives it a whole new layer of flavours – particularly helpful if you're dealing with the typically mealy and bland selection of fruits available in the middle of winter.<br />
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So go to the produce section, pick yourself up a handful limes and a few lemons, and start living on the citrus side of life. Below is a series of recipes to get you into the lemon and lime vibe.<br />
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<b>CHILI-LIME MARINADE</b><br />
<i>The high level of citric acid in this marinade makes for a super-quick marinating process. If you use it on something as delicate as fish, including shellfish, you'll only need to marinate for about 30 to 60 minutes. On chicken or pork, give it a couple of hours, or longer. For beef, you can let it work from 3 to 18 hours. Whatever you marinate, go directly from the marinade to the grill or pan, and discard the remaining liquid. </i><br />
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3 limes<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
2 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1 or 2 green onions (aka scallions) or 1/6 of a white onion<br />
1 Tbsp granulated (white) sugar<br />
1 tsp chili powder<br />
Pinch salt<br />
Black pepper<br />
Optional: Pinch dried red pepper flakes or 1 tsp finely chopped jalapeno pepper<br />
Optional: Cilantro to taste<br />
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Cut the limes in half, then ream or squeeze every last bit of their juice into a glass bowl. Add the sugar, and whisk until dissolved (about 30 seconds). Add the olive oil, and whisk for another 30 seconds.<br />
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Wash and peel off the outer skin of the green onions. Finely chop the onions, using the white bottom portion as well as about 1 to 2 inches of the green stalk. Add to the bowl.<br />
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Peel and mince the garlic. Add to the bowl, along with the chili powder, salt, black pepper, and the optional ingredients if you're using them. Give a quick whisk to mix. Put in a large resealable plastic bag (yeah, that's a Ziploc bag!), and add your fish or meat.<br />
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Gently squeeze out the air from the bag, seal, and give a few shakes/pats/rubs to ensure the marinade is completely covering your meat. Place on a plate, and refrigerate for as long as needed.<br />
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<b>GREEK STYLE LEMON-VANILLA YOGURT</b><br />
<i>Forget paying a premium for the newest hot thing in yogurts – the low-fat "Greek style" yogurts. Buy some plain 2 or 3% yogurt, and make your own, with a zesty twist. It's all about straining your yogurt. I suppose you could even go so far as to make your own yogurt, but let's just keep this to the realm of the reasonable! </i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>All you need to make this is a medium or large wire mesh sieve (not a colander!) and some cloth or cheesecloth. You can vary the sugar as you see fit, but don't be afraid of making this a bit sweet. It works well with the natural tang of the yogurt and the lemon.</i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>On its own, this makes a fantastic snack or fruit dip, or use it as an exquisite drizzle for desserts and fruit salads – a delicious replacement for whipped cream or ice cream. Served alongside rich, dense chocolate desserts, it provides a nice balance of slight acidity (from the citrus and the yogurt) but with a light, smooth and creamy texture. </i><br />
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</i><br />
<i>If you don't want to add the vanilla, it's still a great dish. Just use the lemon zest, or for that matter, some lime zest.</i><br />
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1 750ml container plain (unflavoured) yogurt, 2% or 3% fat content<br />
3 Tbsp white sugar<br />
2 Tbsp lemon zest<br />
1 vanilla bean (or 2 drops of the best quality vanilla extract that you can find)<br />
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Take a piece of cheesecloth (best place to buy it is the Home Depot, in the paint/varnish section of the store!) and lay it in a wire sieve, which you have balanced over a large bowl. A clean dishtowel will do the same thing, but cheesecloth is best. In a pinch, we've even used stacked sheets of high-quality paper towel.<br />
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Dump your yogurt in a medium sized bowl. Add the white sugar, and mix gently.<br />
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Wash your lemon, and pat it dry. Zest over a fine micro plane or the zesting panel of your handy cheese grater to give yourself up to 2 tablespoons of zest. Toss this in the bowl of yogurt and give a quick stir.<br />
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If you're using vanilla bean, slit the bean lengthwise with the tip of a cooking knife. Open the bean up along the slice, and scrape out the sticky delicious middle of the bean. Add this tarry goodness to the bowl of yogurt and lemon. If you're not using vanilla beans, just add a scant two drops of vanilla to your yogurt mixture instead.<br />
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Give the mixture a thorough but gentle stir to ensure it's fully blended. Now spoon it into your prepared (lined) sieve. Cover loosely with plastic wrap to protect it from the odd smells in your fridge.<br />
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Making sure that your sieve is perched over a bowl to catch the drips, place in your fridge and allow to drain for a minimum of 4 hours, but up to 2 days. As the liquid drains from your yogurt, it thickens up to some wickedly smooth and decadent yogurt.<br />
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Remove the drained yogurt from the sieve, either into serving dishes, or for storing, in a covered glass or plastic dish. You can store the finished product in your fridge for a day or two, so long as you give it a good stir before consuming. After that, it's easy enough to make more!<br />
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<b>COCONUT & LIME CUPCAKES</b><br />
<i>I've only made this as mini-cupcakes, but once I had made them, I wished they were full-sized! This is slightly modified from Dorie Greenspan's "Baking" cookbook recipe for a coconut tea cake. </i><br />
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<i>They're like a delicious cocktail turned into a dessert (and still kid-friendly). Quite honestly, they'd work just as well with lemon, but there's something about the combination of lime and coconut that's irresistible to me.</i><br />
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<i>Note that I used light coconut milk, but you could easily stick with regular old milk and get comparable results. </i><br />
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<i>There are two options for topping your cupcakes below. One requires that the cupcakes are still warm, the other that they're cooled – so best to have your plan for action determined before you pull the cupcakes out of the oven.</i><br />
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</i><br />
<i></i><i><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-style: normal;"><i>Cupcakes are ever-so-trendy right now, and let's face it, highly portable cake is just awesome. However, if you'd rather cook this as a full big cake, just grease a bundt or tube pan well, and use it instead of smaller tins. Bake for 60 to 65 minutes.</i></span> </i><br />
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<b>Cupcakes:</b><br />
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
Pinch of salt<br />
1 cup light coconut milk (stir very well before use)<br />
1/3 cup butter<br />
4 eggs<br />
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla extract<br />
2 teaspoons dark rum (or white rum if that's all you have!)<br />
3/4 cup shredded coconut<br />
1 lime (for zest and juice)<br />
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Put the sugar in a small bowl. Wash and dry the lime. Zest the full lime into the granulated sugar, stirring to mix completely. Slice the naked lime in half and set aside for use in the next step.<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350º F. Line your mini or regular muffin tins with cupcake papers.<br />
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Put a small saucepan over low heat. Add the coconut milk, butter, and squeeze or ream in the juice of the lime. Stir constantly until butter melts. Turn off the heat but leave the saucepan in place to keep warm.<br />
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In a deep bowl, beat the eggs and sugar together, either with a stand mixer or hand mixer. Beat for about 3 minutes, until the mixture has essentially doubled in size. Add the vanilla and rum, beat another 30 seconds.<br />
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Sift together your flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add this to your wet mixture, and on low speed, beat until flour disappears. Don't overdo it at this point. Using a spatula, make sure the sides of the bowl are scraped down and everything is smoothly blended together.<br />
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With your spatula, gently mix in the coconut.<br />
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Now, with the mixer on low speed, add in the coconut milk mixture. Again, just mix until blended. Give the bowl a few turns with your spatula to make sure you don't have any pockets of dry ingredients at the bottom or sides of the bowl.<br />
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Pour this mixture into your lined cupcake tins, and place on middle rack of oven. Bake for about 14 minutes (mini) or 20 minutes (large), keeping an eye on the tins to ensure they don't overcook. These times are very rough, so stick around the kitchen and keep an eye on the cupcakes. If the tops start to brown, pull them out right away.<br />
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Test the centres of the cupcakes with a toothpick to ensure they're done. If the toothpick comes out clean, you can move them to cool in the tins on racks.<br />
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If you'll ice the cupcakes, let them cool completely. However, if you want to glaze them, immediately drizzle them with the glaze so it soaks in as they cool.<br />
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<b>Lime & Coconut glaze:</b><br />
Juice of 1 lime<br />
1 Tbsp white sugar<br />
Splash of white, dark, or coconut rum, approx. 1 teaspoon (optional)<br />
1 Tbsp shredded coconut<br />
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In a small saucepan over low heat, dissolve the sugar in the lime juice, stirring constantly preferably with a silicon whisk or spatula. Allow to come to a gentle boil, still stirring constantly.<br />
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Remove from heat, add the rum, and the coconut. Taste, and adjust sugar as needed.<br />
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Drizzle this over your cupcakes while it and they are both still warm.<br />
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<b>Coconut Icing:</b><br />
<i>As above, use regular milk if you don't have coconut milk on hand. Just add a bit more coconut to the mixture to make sure the flavour is still strong. Or for that matter, use coconut rum as your flavouring! </i><br />
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4 Tbsp butter, softened but not melted<br />
1 1/2 cups icing sugar, plus extra as needed<br />
2 Tbsp light coconut milk (stir very well before using)<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla or dark rum<br />
Scant pinch of salt<br />
1 Tbsp shredded coconut (plus more for garnish)<br />
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Using a hand mixer or good spatula, cream the butter with 1 cup of the icing sugar and the salt. Beat in the coconut milk and vanilla and/or rum. Add in more of the icing sugar until you get the icing to the smooth, thick consistency you want -- then spread generously on the cooled cupcakes.<br />
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Garnish with more shredded coconut if you wish. I'm not a big fan of artificially coloured adornments on my food, but if you have some of those eerie translucent green sprinkles on hand, a very scant sprinkle of these would work as a topping to the icing instead of coconut (or use yellow if you're making this whole recipe with lemon instead of lime!).<br />
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If you want to achieve a little colour the natural way, add 1 tsp of lime zest to the icing sugar before you mix the icing up. The tiny bits of green add a cool dimension to the icing.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-10732535047085140732011-12-11T17:36:00.001-05:002011-12-11T17:38:15.825-05:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: Back to G... this time, for GINGER!It's Christmas time again, and that means back to the holiday baking. This weekend I started the preparations for what will be a scaled down version of our usually holiday fest. Posting that I'd made ginger cookies on Facebook generated a lot of requests for the recipe for the cookies, so I decided to post it here for all to see.<br />
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And so, back to "G" we go.<br />
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This recipe is modified from the best ginger cookie recipe I've ever found, which originally appeared in the Holiday edition of the LCBO's "Food & Drink" magazine in 2003. There are a few variables that I'll include, and they allow you to tailor the cookies to your own taste.<br />
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A note for the health-conscious: I don't recommend using whole-wheat flour in this recipe, as it drastically changes the consistency of the cookies.<br />
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<b>MARSHAL'S FAMOUS SOFT GINGER COOKIES</b><br />
3/4 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature<br />
3/4 cup + 1 Tbsp brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1/3 cup molasses<br />
1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour<br />
Scant 2 Tsp baking soda<br />
2 Tsp ground ginger<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1 1/2 Tsp ground cinnamon</div><div>Generous pinch ground nutmeg OR ground cloves</div>Pinch salt<br />
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For rolling, you'll also need about 1/4 cup of granulated sugar, on a large plate.<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line cookie sheets with parchment paper or a silicone cooking mat.<br />
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Using a stand mixer or hand mixer, beat the butter until it is fluffy. Add to this the brown sugar and egg and molasses, and beat thoroughly until smooth and consistent in colour.<br />
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In a separate bowl, mix the flour, soda, salt and spices. Add to the wet ingredients, and mix gently only until blended. Do not over beat!<br />
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Working with your hands, in small batches of 6-8, roll the batter into 1-inch balls, and place on the plate of granulated sugar. Roll gently to coat, then place on the prepared cookie sheet. Space the balls of dough about 2 inches apart. Flatten very gently with a fork.<br />
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Bake for 10 minutes. Using a thin spatula/lifter, place cookies on rack to cool. They will crisp up as they cool. Once the empty cookie sheets have cooled, you can do your next batch of dough.<br />
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<b>Extra tweaks and Adjustments:</b><br />
<ol><li>If you prefer a less chewy ginger cookie (ie more of a ginger snap), you can add another 1/4 cup of flour to the recipe. </li>
<li>If you like darker ginger cookies, swap out another 1/4 cup of brown sugar for the same amount more of molasses.</li>
<li>And finally, the original recipe called for crystallized ginger to be used in addition to the dried spices. Chop the pieces into small bits and add to your dry mixture, stirring to coat the pieces well so they don't clump up. Then just mix it all together as indicated above. I don't usually bother with this because I like the fine, delicate texture of the cookies without it, but in truth, the crystallized ginger was a tasty addition when I did use it, too.</li>
</ol><br />
Makes approximately 3 dozen cookies.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-80910336865149990792011-12-11T17:13:00.001-05:002011-12-11T17:14:47.526-05:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: K is KALEK has been for Kale since late August or early September, when the first bunches of Kale hit the farmer's market for autumn with all their leafy green goodness.<br />
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Kale is one of those mysterious greens that you see down at the end of your grocer's produce case. Usually it's piled up next to the Swiss Chard and Collard Greens. You can tell which one is Kale easiest by its leaves – they're the crinkly ones that look like a fringed green. The stalks are medium in length, very round, and tough. By contrast, Collards have broad, flat leaves, usually with longer stalks. Swiss Chard looks a bit like rhubarb, with somewhat flat leaves, and coloured stalks (usually red, but sometimes yellow). Of the three, Kale is my favourite. Collards take longer to cook, and Chard is just bitter bitter bitter. But Kale, well, it's the versatile, friendly green.<br />
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Whether you buy the green or red-tinged version of Kale, this is one nutrient-packed green, friends. And it's quick and easy to prepare, not to mention flexible in terms of what it can be paired up with. Try the below recipe as a base for some ravioli, a side for grilled steak and some potatoes, or even the base for a big pile of risotto. You name it, kale is friendly to it.<br />
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No matter how you prepare your kale, be sure to slice off as much of the stalks as you can. They're tough and stringy and unfriendly to the palate. As with most greens, it's wise to double rinse the kale before you cut it up, to get any last bits of dirt and sand out. Nobody likes gritty greens.<br />
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If the recipe below isn't right for you, you can always just chop some kale into small pieces and add it to soup, spaghetti sauces, and stews, allowing it to cook in the sauce. Like spinach, it's high in nutrients and neutral in flavour – and it reduces down from a huge pile uncooked to a tiny pile once cooked. So go on, use the whole bunch.<br />
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<b>VERSATILE KALE with ONION & GARLIC</b><br />
<b></b>1 bunch of kale (green or red)<br />
1 large or 2 small shallots (or 1/3 white onion)<br />
2 cloves garlic (adjust to taste)<br />
Sea salt & black pepper<br />
Red pepper flakes (optional)<br />
Olive oil<br />
<br />
Clean your kale under cold water, and shake gently. Place on a clean towel. Working with one stem at a time, remove the thickest part of the stem from the leaves – ie at least halfway up each leaf. Discard stems.<br />
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Stack similarly sized leaves together and slice crossways into ribbons about 1/4 inch wide. Set aside for the moment.<br />
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Peel and mince the garlic and the onion or shallot.<br />
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In a very large sauté pan or wok, heat 2 teaspoons of olive oil over medium heat. Add the red pepper flakes if using (a generous pinch) and grind in some black pepper. They'll open up in the oil as it heats.<br />
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When the oil is hot but not smoking, turn the heat down to medium low, add the onion and garlic, and quickly toss or stir to coat. Add the kale, a generous sprinkle of salt, stir, and cover. After 2 minutes, stir again, cover, and allow to cook for another 2 minutes or so. That's it, it's ready to serve.<br />
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For extra flavour, if you have some white wine around, you can always add a splash of it (ie 2 tablespoons) around the time that you do the first uncover & stir. This gives the dish a bit of a tangy zing.<br />
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Makes enough for 3-4 people.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-2112786426086801892011-05-03T20:50:00.000-04:002011-05-03T20:50:57.689-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: J is for Joy!Alright, alright. Bad blogger, yeah yeah.<br />
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Now that we're through that, let's hit the next letter in our wander through the alphabet as it relates to the kitchen and delectable cuisine. J could be for a lot of things: jalapeños, juice, jasmine...or in this case, more simply, joy.<br />
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Yes, joy. As in <i>The Joy of Cooking</i>, the quintissential cookbook. It's a large tome, one that has guided countless budding and experienced chefs through classic dishes, culinary techniques, and ingredients galore.<br />
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Do not mock me! This is <b>the</b> cookbook. I'm the kind of guy who uses his cookbooks for inspiration more than the recipes. I seem to be fairly incapable of reading a recipe and following it to the word. But when I need a reference tool, or something to show me a long-neglected or never-learned technique (and my chefspiration, Uncle Thom, isn't around to show me in person), it's to <i>The Joy of Cooking </i>that I go.<br />
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In short, if you were stranded on a desert island with a pantry full of ingredients and a gas range, you'd want this to be the cookbook you took with you on that ill-fated cruise. It's comprehensive, it's complete – and best of all, since it gets updated on a regular basis, it's current. The original authors are still at it – and in fact, it's a family affair brough to us not just by Irma Rombauer, but Marion Rombauer Becker and Ethan Becker. Presumably writing about food through the decades hasn't caused the family strife seen in the world of music or acting.<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"> </span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 12px; line-height: 18px;"></span><br />
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There are plenty of websites devoted to this book – the best of which has to be <a href="http://www.thejoykitchen.com/">The Joy Kitchen</a>, which not only features recipes from the book, but a virtual carbon-dating tool that tells you which edition of the cook book you own.<br />
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So what are you waiting for, exactly? Get thee to the bookstore nearest you, and pick one up. You know you need it.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-12843431393959937742010-12-19T10:09:00.002-05:002010-12-19T10:10:28.201-05:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: I is for Innovation!The company where I work – monstrous behemoth that it is – has a comprehensive dictionary of "competencies" for its employees and managers. The idea, of course, is that as you create positions or perform evaluations of existing employees, you can refer to the set list of competencies as a sort of standard. It's a bit unwieldy, but I quite like the standardization aspect of it. Besides, it's full of nifty terms like "resiliency" and "relationship building".<br />
<br />
But my very favourite has to be "innovation". At a company that moves as quickly as ours, innovation is more than a desirable trait – it's a requirement.<br />
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In the kitchen, innovation applies in a couple of ways. It could be trying new ways to accomplish a task – out of necessity (as in no rolling pin or no food processor?) or just for kicks. Or it could be in adapting recipes, or coming up with entirely new ones. Hardcore chefs innovate with both the how and the what, coming up with foams, emulsions, or other innovative dishes that push the boundaries of what's usually done. <br />
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Either way, I fully believe that innovation or inventiveness in the kitchen is something to embrace. While there are some occasions where the tried and true is more than good enough, there are so many times when pushing boundaries and being creative is just the right thing.<br />
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In that spirit, two innovative recipes that take the standard and turn it into a creative new twist. One is a great party dish or weekend entree, and the other, well, it's good for any time at all.<br />
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<strong>BISON MEATBALLS with BLUEBERRY SAUCE</strong><br />
Take your standard meatball and barbecue or sweet & sour sauce and blow it out of the water. You can use any large game for this – venison, elk, or bison will work just fine. Resist the temptation to use lean beef in your mixture, as the game is extremely lean, and you'll just end up with dry meatballs. You can also swap in pork or veal for the beef, as they give a completely different texture and flavour. The key is to let the game be the star of the show. As for the sauce you could easily make a cranberry alternative if blueberries aren't your thing (just make sure to add a bit of sugar to the sauce or your guests will be puckered up for hours!).<br />
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<em>For the meatballs:</em><br />
1/2 pound (250g) ground bison or venison<br />
1/2 pound (250g) medium ground beef <br />
1/4 cup bread crumbs (or 1/4 cup dry quick oats)<br />
1 egg<br />
1 shallot or 1/4 medium white onion<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
1 tsp dried basil<br />
1 tsp dried marjoram<br />
1 tsp dried oregano<br />
Salt and Pepper<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Mince the onion and garlic. Add to a bowl with all other ingredients and add generous amounts of salt and pepper. Using your hands (latex gloves are a great option here!), form into 1 inch balls and place on a cookie sheet.<br />
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Bake for 25 to 30 minutes. Allow to cool completely if freezing, then put into a freezer bag or airtight container. If using immediately, allow to cool slightly before placing in a serving dish or crockpot.<br />
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<em>For the sauce:</em><br />
2 shallots or 1/2 white onion<br />
1 clove garlic<br />
4 cups blueberry juice (or blueberry/cranberry juice)<br />
4 cups beef stock<br />
1 1/2 cups frozen blueberries<br />
<div style="margin: 0px;">Black pepper<br />
1 tsp dried marjoram or oregano</div><div style="margin: 0px;">3 sprigs fresh thyme or rosemary, gathered in a bunch with string</div><div style="margin: 0px;">2 Tbsp Cornstarch<br />
1/4 cup cold water</div><div style="margin: 0px;">Olive Oil</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">Mince the shallot and garlic.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">In a heavy saucepan, over medium heat, heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil (enough to generously cover the bottom of the pan). Put in the onion and garlic and give a couple of stirs before adding the dried herbs, beef stock, fruit juice and 3/4 cup of the blueberries. Add pepper and whole sprigs of herbs. </div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">Bring to a boil and allow to simmer for about 20 minutes. Remove the sprigs of herbs. Using an immersion blender, blend the sauce in the pan until smooth (if you don't have an immersion blender, you can either do this in small batches in your regular blender, or skip this step altogether).<br />
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Add the remaining blueberries to the sauce. Taste and add more salt and pepper if you see fit.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">In a small dish, mix the cornstarch with 1/4 cup cold water, and whisk with a fork until smooth. Add to the sauce, stirring over medium heat to thicken. As the sauce reaches a boil it should thicken up. If it's really thin, repeat this step once.</div><div style="margin: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0px;">To serve, put your cooked or cooked-then-frozen meatballs in a casserole dish (or crockpot, if serving over a period of time at a party) and cover with the sauce. Heat through slowly, either on low in the crockpot, or in an oven set at 250 degrees, fully covered. The ideal is to have them warming for about three or four hours in the sauce, so they get nice and flavourful. <br />
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Serve from the crockpot/casserole dish with a slotted spoon, or skewer meatballs onto toothpicks and serve from a platter.</div><div><br />
</div><br />
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<strong>VANILLA CUPCAKES WITH ORANGE & TOFFEE</strong><br />
Using yogurt in the batter gives these more body, and a tiny bit of a tang. Adding a bit of orange and toffee to the mix makes a tastier cupcake. So tasty, in fact, that you'll have trouble keeping them on a plate.<br />
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5 Tbsp butter, softened but not melted<br />
3/4 cup white sugar<br />
2 large eggs, separated<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1 cup plain yogurt (or sour cream)<br />
1 3/4 cups cake & pastry flour (or all-purpose)<br />
1 3/4 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp baking soda<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
pinch cream of tartar (if you have it)<br />
2 tsp grated orange rind<br />
1/3 cup Skor toffee bits<br />
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Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line 12 muffin tins with cupcake papers.<br />
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In a large bowl, with a hand mixer, beat the butter until it is creamy (about 2 minutes). Add the sugar in two batches and beat about 4 minutes, until light.<br />
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Beat in the egg yolks and vanilla, as well as the orange rind. Set aside for a moment.<br />
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Whisk together the flour, baking powder and soda, and salt. Toss in the Skor bits and stir.<br />
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Add the flour mixture to the sugar and butter mixture by halves, alternating with the yogurt. Confused? Just add about half the flour mixture to the butter mixture, mix it in, then add about 1/2 the yogurt. Repeat. Mix until it's smooth.<br />
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Wash your beaters and dry them. In a medium bowl, put the egg whites together with the cream of tartar. If you don't have cream of tartar, don't sweat it – you'll just have to beat the whites a little longer. Beat until they're stiff (when you stop the beaters, the whites hold a peak). Don't overdo it.<br />
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Fold 1/2 of the whites into the batter with a good spatula. Then fold in the remaining half.<br />
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Scoop batter into the cupcake tins you prepared ahead of time. Fill to about 3/4 full.<br />
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Bake for 20 minutes, until golden and firm when pressed in centre. If adding more time, check again every 2 minutes to be sure they aren't burning around the edges. Remove from oven and cool on racks before removing from pan.<br />
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When completely cool, ice with vanilla or chocolate icing. After icing, sprinkle over with a few toffee bits.<br />
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If you'd like to freeze the cupcakes, do so before icing them, and put them into an airtight container separated with a bit of waxed paper. You can then ice them as they thaw, before serving.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-56758335557341217162010-12-11T10:52:00.002-05:002010-12-11T10:56:47.988-05:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: H is for HolidaysFirst of all, I definitely owe an apology for the delay between posts. If the point of a blog is to provide frequent content changes, I'm failing rather dismally at being a blogger. The reality of my life in the last five or six weeks is that I'm either at work, at home working after hours, or thinking about work. Doesn't leave much room for anything and certainly the blog has suffered for that.<br />
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But here I am, blogging while I think about work.<br />
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Today's post, then, is very à propos. Obviously, I need a break. And with Christmas just a couple of weeks away, it's definitely coming. In addition to giving us all a little time off – with family and friends, ideally – holidays bring out the culinary skills and tendencies of even the most reluctant cooks.<br />
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Holiday cooking is about comfort food, as much as it's about feeding a crowd. Whether it's parties with coworkers or friends and neighbours, or the giant turkey dinner with extended family, it's a chance to dust off the tried and true recipes in your repertoire, as well as branching out.<br />
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As usual, our humble kitchen has been a hub for some high volume holiday baking and cooking. The freezers are full of decadent treats, waiting to supply a couple of work-related parties and family functions. <br />
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Whether you're in the kitchen for days or hours, there are some ways to vary up both the new recipes and the family classics to give them your own twist. You might be craving great-grandma's shortbread, or you might want to tweak it to your liking. Below are three great baking recipes, new and old, which make the holidays delectable as well as dependable.<br />
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<b>TOFFEE SHORTBREAD</b><br />
This is based on my great-grandmother's shortbread recipe. You could make them as simple shortbread cookies, but I'm a real fan of the toffee bits!<br />
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1 cup butter, softened<br />
1/2 cup icing sugar<br />
1 cup all-purpose flour (don't substitute any other kind!)<br />
1/4 tsp baking powder<br />
1/4 tsp salt<br />
1/3 cup Skor or similar toffee chips<br />
1/2 teaspoon vanilla (optional)<br />
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Preheat your oven to 325 degrees.<br />
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Using a hand mixer beat the butter and icing sugar until fluffy. Add vanilla if you are using it.<br />
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In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt with a fork. Add this mixture to the butter and sugar, mixing in with the beaters until it passes from crumbly bits to more significant clumps, which takes a few minutes. Add the toffee bits and mix about 1 more minute. Using your hands, you should be able to form the mixture into a large ball. Split the dough ball into two pieces, and put the bowl with the dough in it into the fridge. You'll need to chill it for about ten minutes.<br />
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Take two cookie sheets, and cover each with a sheet of parchment paper (if you don't have any, you can grease the cookie sheets with lots of butter instead, and lower your oven to 300 degrees). It's also time to wipe your counter, dry it well, and dust it lightly with flour. Grab a rolling pin, if you have one, and dust it with flour as well (you can improvise a rolling pin from a wine bottle, if need be).<br />
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Remove your dough from the fridge, and put one on the counter. Roll it out to about 1/4 inch thick. You can go thicker if you prefer, but don't go any thinner. Using cookie cutters, a knife, or a pizza wheel, cut into cookies of any shape. Roll up the scraps, repeating the process until you've used up all your dough. If it gets too sticky to roll out at any point, just throw it back in the fridge for about 5 or 10 minutes.<br />
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Place the cookies on your prepared cookie sheet. You only need to leave about 1/4 inch between cookies, as they do not expand.<br />
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Bake for 11 to 14 minutes (the longer times are for larger cookies). You need to keep an eye on the cookies as they top 11 minutes to be sure they aren't browning.<br />
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Remove from the oven and allow to cool on the pan, then remove carefully to a container with an airtight lid. Keep for a couple of weeks in a cool dry place, or freeze for up to three months. Makes several dozen cookies.<br />
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<i>For a simple but delicious variation, omit the toffee, and use vanilla instead. Slit a whole vanilla bean lengthwise, and scrape out the sticky insides, mixing with your butter. You'll get a vanilla flavour to die for, with the delicate but telltale specks of vanilla seed showing on the very white shortbread cookies.</i><br />
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<b>CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER BROWNIES</b><br />
These are absolutely addictive. I used to think peanut butter wasn't much of a seasonal thing for Christmas, but it turns out everyone falls all over chocolate-peanut butter treats at any time of year.<br />
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If you ever buy those "two-bite brownies" you'll want to try these (made in mini-muffin tins, as per below) instead -- they're a lot more flavourful and are really easy to make!<br />
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2 squares semi-sweet chocolate (2 oz)<br />
1/4 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky)<br />
1/4 cup butter<br />
3/4 cup brown sugar<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
2 Tbsp cocoa<br />
1/2 cup flour<br />
1/2 tsp baking powder<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1/4 tsp salt</div><br />
1/2 cup chocolate chips (or peanut butter chips)<br />
<br />
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees.<br />
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Over very low heat, melt the squares of chocolate in a small saucepan. Stir often, and turn off the heat when it's just short of fully melted (the heat in the pan will melt the rest of the chocolate).<br />
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Meanwhile, using a hand or stand mixer, beat the butter, sugar, peanut butter until fluffy. Add the egg and cocoa, mixing thoroughly. Add the melted chocolate and blend in.<br />
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In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking powder and salt. Add to the mixer bowl, and stir in until completely blended and smooth. Gently fold in the chocolate chips.<br />
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Transfer to a well greased 8x8 inch baking dish lined with foil – spray the foil with cooking spray as well, once it is in the pan. If you want the proverbial "two-bite brownie", pour into <u>very</u> well-greased mini-muffin tins (or better yet, line the tins with mini-cupcake papers that have been sprayed lightly on the inside with non-stick cooking spray.<br />
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Bake the square pan for about 30 minutes, or the mini-muffin tins for about 15 minutes. The centre should be firm but not completely hard.<br />
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Cool on a rack. If using mini-muffin tins, after about 3 minutes of cooling, turn them upside down on racks, and then remove the tins after about 15 minutes (remove any stuck brownies by gently working around them with a knife).<br />
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For the larger square pan, set on a rack and allow to cool 15 minutes before removing the brownies by pulling the foil edges, and then peel the foil off before slicing to desired size.<br />
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Brownies will store in an airtight container for 5 to 7 days, or freeze wonderfully.<br />
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<br />
<b>THIN GINGER COOKIES</b><br />
<b></b>These are the softest, thinnest ginger cookies I've ever made, and since that's my favourite kind of ginger cookie, they're the ones I make just about every year.<br />
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3/4 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)<br />
1 cup brown sugar<br />
1 egg<br />
1/4 cup molasses<br />
1 3/4 cups all purpose flour (or split to 3/4 c whole wheat and 1 c all purpose)<br />
1 tsp cinnamon<br />
2 tsp ground ginger<br />
2 tsp baking soda<br />
Optional: 1/3 cup roughly chopped crystallized ginger<br />
<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Line some cookie sheets with parchment paper.<br />
<br />
With an electric mixer, in a large bowl, cream the butter and sugar for about 2 minutes. Add the egg and molasses and beat for another 30 seconds or so.<br />
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In another bowl, stir together the flour, spices, salt and baking soda with a fork.<br />
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Add about half of this mixture to the molasses mix, and blend. Add the rest of the dry ingredients and blend again until thoroughly mixed. If you're adding the crystallized ginger, mix it into the last part of the flour mixture<br />
<br />
Put some granulated (aka white) sugar on a small plate. Using your hands, roll the cookie dough into small (approximately 1") balls, rolling lightly in the sugar before placing on the cookie sheets you prepared earlier. Leave a couple of inches between your cookies, as they do spread. No need to flatten the cookies before they bake, but if you're compelled to do it, just give them a little push down with your hand before you bake them. Resist the urge to really flatten them out.<br />
<br />
Fill your cookie sheets, then throw the rest of the cookie dough into the fridge while you wait to do another round. This keeps the dough from getting too sticky to roll into balls.<br />
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Bake for about 11 minutes. As you pull the trays out of the oven, give them each a gentle whack on your stovetop or a large cutting board. This settles the cookies down further, making them their chewy best.<br />
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Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheets for about three minutes, then transfer to cooling racks. Once they're fully cooled, you can freeze them in airtight containers or freezer bags, or keep them around for a good week on the counter. Just be warned, they're highly addictive!Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-34609088680134990512010-10-17T22:48:00.001-04:002010-10-18T20:24:01.415-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: G is for Garlic!Tasty, odiferous garlic has a place in just about every type of cuisine, from Greek to Italian to Asian, from traditional to contemporary. Whether you prefer it as a subtle accent or like to taste it front and centre, there are many ways to work garlic into your daily cuisine.<br />
<br />
Garlic can have different impact depending on how and when it's added to a dish. The recipes below give you a drastic contrast in at least two of the faces of garlic -- the bold, sharp and biting flavour that outweighs all others, and conversely, the sweeter, gentler garlic that results from slow cooking.<br />
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If the idea of one gives you the shivers, give the other a shot.<br />
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<br />
<b>GARLIC & PARMESAN PASTA</b><br />
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (about 500g)<br />
2 eggs, beaten<br />
3 Tbsp olive oil<br />
1/3 cup sliced black olives<br />
1/3 cup finely grated parmesan (3/4 c if grating fresh parmesan)<br />
3 to 4 cloves garlic<br />
Salt & Pepper<br />
Penne or rotini for 4 people<br />
<br />
Cook your chicken breasts -- either grilling (brush on a bit of oil and salt & pepper) over low heat, or poaching in a little white wine or chicken stock with a few chunks of onion and a quartered clove of garlic.<br />
<br />
Boil water to cook the pasta. Add the pasta and cook the required time. Keep the lid handy.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, vigorously beat the eggs and olive oil in a bowl, adding some salt and a generous whack of black pepper. Set aside.<br />
<br />
Slice the chicken breasts into small chunks, and set aside.<br />
<br />
Drain the pasta, and quickly return to the pot, placing over very low heat. Add in the egg and oil mixture, mixing in to coat thoroughly. Add the chicken and olives, garlic, and parmesan. Mix in quickly, then cover.<br />
<br />
Allow to stand for about 1 minute, then give another stir before covering again. Allow to heat through for another 2 minutes, then transfer to bowls to serve. Garnish with a bit of fresh parsley or basil and a generous amount of freshly ground black pepper.<br />
<br />
This pasta is good with asparagus, snow peas, or red peppers mixed in as well. Just pre-cook them to al dente, and add when you mix in the chicken and olives. If olives don't do it for you, leave them out, and instead add some artichoke hearts or whatever other tangy accent you'd like.<br />
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<br />
<b>SLOW-ROASTED GARLIC</b><br />
Preheat your oven to about 325 degrees.<br />
<br />
Start with one or two full bulbs of garlic -- that's right, the whole bulb. Knock off any of the really loose papery skin, but leave it as intact as possible.<br />
<br />
Using a very sharp large knife, slice the bottom off the bottom of the bulb. Slice off the very top point of the bulb as well. Set the bulb in a shallow baking dish. Drizzle a generous amount of olive oil over the garlic, and cover loosely with foil. Place in oven.<br />
<br />
Bake for about 1 hour, removing foil after 45 minutes or so. If you're using larger cloves of garlic (ie purple or elephant garlic) adjust the cooking time accordingly. Another 15 minutes would do it for purple garlic, and about 45 minutes more will do it for elephant garlic.<br />
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Now you have many choices for making use of it.<br />
<br />
You can serve the garlic as-is, with slices of toasted baguette or crusty bread and a small dish of olive oil. Squeeze a clove at a time out onto a slice of bread and enjoy the sweet bite of garlic at its best.<br />
<br />
Alternatively, squeeze cloves out of their skin, chop or mash them, and add to soups or pasta dishes. The flavour is sweet and will be much different than your usual garlic add-ins.<br />
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This is also a phenomenal taste to mash in to your potatoes -- given that the garlic is roasted and sweet, you can add a lot more garlic than usual, without overwhelming anyone's palate.<br />
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<br />
<i>Of course, you can do a whole lot more with garlic than anyone can possibly blog. But this will give you a start!</i>Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-42423601547847343682010-09-27T22:11:00.000-04:002010-09-27T22:11:15.869-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: Fabulous Fish, Four Ways!It's undeniable: so far as proteins go, so long as you choose carefully and with variety, fish is a great, healthy option. As a cook, I find it to be an easily adaptable canvas that takes seasonings exceptionally well. If you're not too heavy handed, you're pretty much guaranteed a good feed.<br />
<br />
In the spirit of variety, and since it makes for great alliteration, I'm giving four ways to cook fish. Of course there are about forty more, but this is a good start. You can also check the archives of this blog to find some other recipes I've given for easy, flavourful fish at home.<br />
<br />
When you buy fish, you want it to be fresh. Ask your friends and neighbours to find out who has good, fresh stock of fish in your area. In the town where we live, it's a humdrum supermarket that just happens to have a great fish counter – largely because they go through so much, they're taking daily deliveries. That's what you want in a fish purveyor!<br />
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<i>For all of these, cooking times will vary according to the cut and thickness of your fish pieces. Use your discretion even when I've given cooking times. Fish is done when it changes from being translucent to opaque, and for most fish, when it's flaky. Shrimp, of course, are done when they're fully pink.</i><br />
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<br />
<b>GARLIC LEMON & PEPPER SAUTEED FISH</b><br />
Take a filet of white, flaky fish such as whitefish, tilapia, or cod (this is exceptional on shrimp, too). Put it in a shallow glass dish or large plastic container with a lid to fit. For this, get filets without skin if you can, though it's not the end of the world to have the skin on<br />
<br />
In a glass bowl or measuring cup, whisk the juice of a full lemon with two crushed cloves of garlic, a generous dose of fresh black pepper, and a finely sliced green onion. Pour over the fish. Cover, refrigerate, and allow the fish to marinate for about 15 to 20 minutes.<br />
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Using a spatula, transfer to a well-oiled, pre-heated cast iron pan or a heavy-based coated frying pan, pouring the marinade on top of the fish.<br />
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Cook over medium low heat for about 6 minutes, flip, and finish with another 5 minutes over the heat.<br />
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<br />
<b>FISH TACOS</b><br />
Take about 600 to 800 grams of tilapia, cod, or haddock and lay it on the middle of a large sheet of aluminum foil (about 18" long) that you've sprayed lightly with cooking spray. Lay the pieces of fish side by side, but don't stack them.<br />
<br />
Sprinkle the fish with the juice of two limes, then a little black pepper and a tiny bit of salt. Top that with a light sprinkle of chili powder and some chopped green onions and cilantro (or parsley).<br />
<br />
Pull up the sides of the foil and roll to seal up, making a leak-proof packet for your fish. Set on a preheated grill over medium heat and cook for about 10 minutes. Turn the foil packet over and cook another 7 minutes or so.<br />
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Serve with hard or soft corn or flour tortillas, salsa, and whatever other taco fixings you like. I'm partial to fresh diced tomatoes, chopped mango, lettuce, and hot sauce, but you can do it anyway you want.<br />
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<br />
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<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><b>MAPLE GLAZED FISH</b></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">This one's great on any pink fish like rainbow trout or salmon. You can grill, pan fry, or bake it. Just spray the pan or baking sheet or foil liberally with cooking spray and keep the heat sort of low so the sugars in the glaze don't burn.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Mix:</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3 Tablespoons maple syrup</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">3 Tablespoons soy sauce</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">1/2 Teaspoon white vinegar</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Generous pinch black pepper</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Optional: tiny pinch of Cayenne</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Whisk together, then brush over fish before cooking. If grilling over high flame, brush on halfway through cooking time.</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"><br />
</div><br />
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<b>"SAFE" CEVICHE</b><br />
If you travel to Mexico or the Caribbean and eat locally, you're likely to run into <i>ceviche</i>. It's a fish dish wherein the fish is "cooked" by being marinated in some wicked powerful lime juice. Mix in a bit of fresh herbs and spices, and you've got a fabulous appetizer to serve with tortillas or nacho chips.<br />
<br />
However, there's some contention over whether you can safely "cook" fish in lime juice enough to kill any foodborne pathogens (aka icky things that make you sick for the rest of your trip). When the fish is straight out of the ocean, the limes are super acidic, you're young and healthy, and you're drinking enough cerveza that you stop caring about such things, you might be willing to take the risk.<br />
<br />
But if you're not near the ocean, or you're just a little more cautious, there are still options.<br />
<br />
Take about 500 grams of tilapia or shrimp and put it in a heavy frying pan with a splash of lime juice and a splash of water. Put a lid on it and let it poach for about 10 to 15 minutes, until cooked through. Remove from heat, drain any remaining liquid, and allow to cool.<br />
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When the fish or shrimp is cool enough to handle, flake it with a fork into small pieces (for shrimp, chop roughly). Place it in a shallow plastic container or glass dish.<br />
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Squeeze over the juice of 2 limes, about 1 tablespoon of finely chopped cilantro (or parsley), about 2 tablespoons of very finely chopped sweet red pepper, and a green onion. Add a touch of salt and black pepper, and if you like it spicy, a bit of finely chopped habanero pepper or hot sauce. Cover, give a quick shake, and refrigerate for about two to four hours. Give it the occasional shake to mix things up again.<br />
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Serve in a large bowl surrounded by tortillas, or in small individual servings, or as a salad topper instead of tuna or salmon. It's a very tangy dish, so don't pair it with anything too acidic. Great with beer!<br />
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<br />
There are some of my favourite go-to fish options. Certainly you'll find dozens of other ways to cook fish, but these are a start. Change the quantities of these marinades or sauces to match the quantity of fish that you have on hand. Just remember, with fish, flavours soak in quickly and can be overpowering if not kept in balance.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-49893864406165716692010-09-21T20:36:00.002-04:002010-09-21T20:38:02.776-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: E is for EGGSThere is no one perfect food out there. But a small list of foods come close. Among those, I count the humble egg.<br />
<br />
Sure, eggs went through a bit of a public relations crisis during the great cholesterol hype of the 90s. But as it turns out – or at least according to the egg marketing board, whose brochures graced a waiting room in which I was stuck for over an hour – eating an egg a day is hardly damaging to even those with slightly elevated cholesterol.<br />
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Which leads one to think that perhaps if you don't eat eggs every day, but instead have a couple of eggs a couple of times a week, you're probably still within the safety zone.<br />
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Whether you're living on a budget, trying to go meatless, or just feeling different, eggs can be put to use at any time of day. The following recipe works well for a lazy Saturday breakfast, Sunday brunch, weekday lunch, or any night dinner. You can make it with any combination of ingredients, as you'll see below.<br />
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Don't let the long recipe fool you. This is quick and easy to make. And since it's the "unflipped omelette", it's pretty much idiot proof. Can't really go wrong with that!<br />
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<br />
<b>FOOLPROOF FRITTATA</b><br />
<br />
<u>STEP 1</u><br />
6 eggs (or 4 eggs + 3 whites)<br />
1/4 cup milk<br />
salt & pepper<br />
<br />
Beat together in a steel bowl.<br />
<br />
<b>Optional – add anything from this list, mixing again to incorporate:</b><br />
1 Tbsp Sundried tomatoes, finely chopped<br />
1 Tbsp Pesto<br />
2 Tbsp fresh Basil or Oregano or Parsley, finely chopped<br />
1/2 tsp dried Red Pepper Flakes<br />
2 Tbsp fresh or dried Parmesan, finely grated (omit salt from eggs)<br />
<br />
Set the egg mixture aside.<br />
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<u>STEP 2</u><br />
<b>Pick 2 to 4 of the following ingredients, in whatever quantity you like </b><br />
<b>(between 1/6 and 1/2 cup each, max):</b><br />
Red or green peppers, sliced into strips<br />
Asparagus, cut into 1" lengths<br />
Fennel root, sliced into thin 1" strips<br />
Mushrooms, sliced thinly<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Zuchinni, sliced into thin half-rounds<br />
Leeks, sliced thinly from whites up to first inch of green</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Spanish onion, chopped into smallish thin pieces</div><div>Broccoli florets, 1/2" or smaller pieces</div><div>Green onions, sliced thinly from white end 1" up green stem</div>Spinach, rinsed very well and dried, chopped roughly<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;"></div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Cherry or Grape tomatoes, halved</div><div>Cooked Chorizo or Italian sausage, chopped roughly into small pieces</div><br />
<b>No cooking required:</b><br />
Ham, or smoked turkey, sliced into small pieces<br />
Black olives, sliced or finely chopped<br />
<br />
<br />
Put a large oven-proof skillet over medium heat. Add about 1 tablespoon olive oil.<br />
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Start adding ingredients from list above, tossing lightly to coat in oil as you do. Ingredients are listed in order of how much cooking time they'll require. Working down the list, give each item about a minute more than the next one (ie red peppers, then a minute later, mushrooms, then a minute later, cherry tomatoes). Use your judgement – you're softening the ingredients, but don't over cook -- the longest the pan should be over heat and cooking is about 5 or 6 minutes. Add a generous pinch of salt and a whack of freshly ground black pepper, tossing to mix it in.<br />
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Turn the burner down to medium low, or if you have an über-powerful cooktop, play it safe and use a lower setting. On a gas cooktop, you can keep the frying pan in place at this point. On an electric cooktop, remove it from the burner for a minute or so to allow it to cool down.<br />
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At the same time, turn your oven on to low broil. If you only have one broil setting (high!), set the oven at 475 degrees, instead. In either case, put the top rack about 6 to 9 inches below the top of the oven. Better to err on the side of more distance than too little.<br />
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Back to your frying pan. With a spatula, give the ingredients a quick push around the pan to evenly distribute them over the entire surface. Now add your egg mixture, and swirl it around to evenly cover the pan by tilting it a bit back and forth.<br />
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Set on the burner, and allow to cook for about 7 or 8 minutes. The mixture should be setting up a bit on the top (ie not as runny as when you put it in there), and definitely should be firming up on the edges. If you wanted to top it with some picture perfect tomato slices, this would be a good time to do so – just lay some very thin slices over the top. They'll sink in a bit, but will still be at the top of the frittata.<br />
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Now you can add the cheese!<br />
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<u>STEP 3</u><br />
<b>Top with one of the following, scattered evenly over the entire surface. </b><br />
<b>Use about 1/2 to 1 cup, grated, max:</b><br />
Mozzerella<br />
Fresh <i>or</i> Buffalo Mozzerella sliced into thin rounds<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Provolone</div><div style="margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-top: 0px;">Smoked cheddar or provolone</div>Marble or mild cheddar<br />
Feta<br />
Asiago (use a bit less salt throughout the frittata)<br />
<br />
... or hey, use whatever cheese you wish. There's a world of cheese out there, most of it appropriate for a dish like this! I'm a real fan of the smokier cheeses.<br />
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Now, into the oven goes the frying pan. Slide it in to the centre of that top rack that you so carefully positioned. Shut the door, and quickly get everything else for your meal ready. You have about 4 or 5 minutes. Keep an eye on the frittata, to be sure it's not burning.<br />
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You want the cheese to be melted, and the eggs ought to be completely set.<br />
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While it's hot, loosen around the edges of the frittata and the pan, to free it. Slide it carefully onto a plate and slice into wedges to make four to six portions. If you're not sure it will cooperate in exiting the pan, just slice it up in the pan with a pizza cutter, and set it out on the table on a heat proof trivet, and say you're eating <i>a la rustica</i>. Garnish with a bit of fresh parsley or basil leaves, or even cherry tomatoes, if you have them on hand.<br />
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A tossed garden salad and crusty bread go well with this. So does a nice side dish of roasted potatoes.<br />
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There you have it. Eggs for any occasion. Easy, impressive, and utterly delicious!Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-13304841310389379302010-09-18T10:54:00.003-04:002010-09-18T11:04:26.701-04:00Pause for reflection: A year of drastic change<i>Our trip through the alphabet as it relates to cuisine will continue, but I wanted to take a moment to acknowledge a milestone. </i><br />
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FbziuntFz3a36iYFa0jKJ6WeICgiA_Gnlbx_GnskwBWzP5-HZ-d9PGZ5f-cQONbX9Jc7tv4YdF-kHGzmwx7pfpkcXzA1LmdLWKeLgb1uOz1TEc90dkApvVacAfHmF6uEwtw2/s1600/16269_164912377410_710892410_3234083_7804554_n.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2FbziuntFz3a36iYFa0jKJ6WeICgiA_Gnlbx_GnskwBWzP5-HZ-d9PGZ5f-cQONbX9Jc7tv4YdF-kHGzmwx7pfpkcXzA1LmdLWKeLgb1uOz1TEc90dkApvVacAfHmF6uEwtw2/s320/16269_164912377410_710892410_3234083_7804554_n.jpg" width="240" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The future loomed ahead of us, the house loomed over us.</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
One year ago, my lovely wife and I put the keys in the door of our very old new house and stepped over the threshold into a world of change.<br />
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It was a scary step. Any time we've bought a new house (this was our third) I've felt a brief moment of panic upon walking through it the first time after getting the keys. It's one thing to walk through someone else's house and picture yourself living there, and entirely another to walk through listening to the echo of your footsteps off the walls that you suddenly own. That quirky "character" feature might suddenly look like an expensive remodeling project. The sound of passing traffic suddenly ricochets off everything. And when the gas company has ungraciously cut off service, leaving you with no hot water for the weekend, all the worse.<br />
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But this, this was even bigger than a moment of buyer's remorse. This was "we've just changed our lives irreversibly" panic, founded in the knowledge that we'd chosen to go down the path much less travelled. We'd given up a great life in the big city of Ottawa, our nation's capital, in favour of a new, uncertain life in the small city of Guelph – a city living just west of and practically in the shadow of Toronto's skyline.<br />
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In the driveway we had a cargo van full of enough stuff to keep my wife in this house until movers came a week later with the rest of our belongings. I would be commuting back and forth for another month until my new job materialized. Nothing like some forced marital separation to compound an already stressful situation.<br />
<br />
Picking up and moving your life across a province isn't as glamorous as switching continents, but the upheaval is almost as significant. Selling a house, buying a house, finding jobs and new community involvement are all key parts of making it happen. But perhaps hardest of all is breaking the news to friends that you're moving away. In our case, the line between friends and colleagues was blurred, so making the break professionally had a profound effect on our personal lives as well.<br />
<br />
We knew it was now or never. For my wife, it was a key time in the progression of her career as a lawyer, a time where the word "partner" was being tossed around. If she became partner, we wouldn't move until she retired at the ripe old age of 70-something.<br />
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For me, it was a strong need to break out of the Public Service, but an unwillingness to commit to the private sector in a city where I never really felt at home, and furthermore, a city where the shadow of the Public Service looms over everything.<br />
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For both of us, it was a strong compulsion to live in a much smaller community that wasn't so isolated from the rest of the province.<br />
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If you're going to make major change, we reasoned, best to do it all at once.<br />
<br />
So we broke the news to close friends and family over countless glasses – nay, bottles – of wine. Through misty eyes and shocked expressions came promises that 500 kilometers wasn't that far at all, and that friendships wouldn't be lost over a simple change in geography.<br />
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And thus, we stepped over that threshold on September 19, 2009, into a new life. A life in which only half of what we knew before was true. We had each other. We had a roof on a solid red brick 3 story house to cover our heads. We knew one set of friends who lived just seven or eight blocks away. And my wife, at least, had a job to start to following week. We even knew our way around town, having lived here before.<br />
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The rest, we reasoned, would fall into place. Change is hard, we knew. What we were feeling was to be expected.<br />
<br />
Hope, fear, and uncertainty combined in a strange and powerful emotional mixture for us that day.<br />
<br />
The house we were stepping into had been occupied for 45 years or so by a now very old woman. What I smelled as I walked in was dust, must, and gaudiness. In the next 12 months, we would pull carpets, paint, make mechanical upgrades, gut a kitchen and bathroom, and otherwise overhaul our house to restore her to being the grand old dame we thought she could be. And in this same amount of time, we would each start new jobs, new community roles, and new friendships. I think the major house projects gave us a focus that made it all easier to digest. After all, if we had nothing else to do, we could undertake another renovation.<br />
<br />
One year later, twelve months of constant change and development has us feeling strong and confident – and pretty darn sure that we did the right thing.<br />
<br />
Sure, there are moments of doubt. We moved to a small city from a major metropolitan area, and that has its consequences. There are a few things about cold, dark Ottawa that we miss, and when I experienced a lay-off for a couple of months late this summer, I sure wondered about the choice to leave the Public Service, where job security is so strong it's almost problematic.<br />
<br />
Sometimes, when we don't have social plans, we realize how few people we know here, even though we had lived here a decade before. While we have made some fantastic friends, it will still be a few years until we're fully esconsed in our community. Worst of all, when we moved, we seem to have lost what we thought was a very dear set of friends-almost-family – and I for one still feel that loss as a sharp pain in my chest. Perhaps that's more the pain of realizing how perception and reality didn't match up.<br />
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I miss my Ottawa nieces and nephew immensely. We miss all our friends and family who are still in the Ottawa area, for that matter.<br />
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But the bright side is so shiny it's almost blinding. Each of us is incredibly happy with our career moves, even though they haven't been completely without challenge. Our proximity to my wife's extended family has given us plenty of comfort and social commitments. We've had friends come to visit – friends of all kinds – which created a whole new dynamic in our relationships with them. We've hosted family at Christmas, and have even thrown a few parties...all of which has made this house feel more like a home, and our lives feel full and warm.<br />
<br />
One year.<br />
<br />
I wouldn't change anything about it, nor would I go back and stop us from putting that key in the door. Life isn't about doing the easy thing. It's about doing what's right – even when that's hard. Leaving your comfort zone can be stressful, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't do it.<br />
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And yes, there are times when you don't know for sure if that threshold you're stepping over is the right one – really, only time will tell.<br />
<br />
Twelve long months, one fast year later, I am pretty sure we put the right key in the right door.<br />
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<br />
<i>This is where I give thanks to everyone who has supported and nurtured us in the last year. The transition was made easier by your belief in us, and we appreciate the boost.</i>Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-8406866900394374652010-09-15T19:58:00.000-04:002010-09-15T19:58:58.100-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: D is for DATES!Aside from the ubiquitous date square, most folks don't seem to think of integrating dates into their cuisine.<br />
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Well, friends, it's never too late to start. Dates are a sweet, delicious, and nutrient-rich fruit. Even better, they're versatile. Such a tasty, rich flavour can be used in many ways, for just about any audience.<br />
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When I say that dates are good for you, I'm not entirely misleading you. According to the USDA, a serving of 3 Medjool dates in all their tasty goodness gives you 500mg of potassium, well over a gram of protein, and 5 grams of fiber. That's more than a banana has to offer you! Of course, they're high in naturally occurring sugars, and the 3 dates alone amount to 200 calories. So as with most tasty things, moderation is wise when eating dates.<br />
<br />
Forgetting for a moment the more scientific side of food, dates have more to offer than just their contribution to your "Recommended Daily Allowances". Dark, moist, tasty dates are versatile enough – despite their sweetness – to be used in dishes from appetizers, salads and entrees right through to desserts.<br />
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In addition to date squares, I've enjoyed dates in muffins, breads and sweet loaves, hors d'oeuvres, salads, and rice dishes. There's something about the sweet, dark flavour of dates that stands up well to salty dishes, creating a great swirl of tastes for the tastebuds. Likewise, that sweet intensity contrasts nicely with a bit of sour fruit – for a fantastic mid-afternoon snack try pairing a few dates with some fresh fall apples.<br />
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In the spirit of raising the under-appreciated date to new heights, here are two recipes incorporating dates into everyday cuisine. The first will give you great low fat breakfasts and snacks – or a sweet treat that's lighter than the average dessert. The second, an unlikely pairing that works better than anyone could imagine (before they try it!), is an easy salty-sweet crowd pleaser for any party.<br />
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<br />
<b>ORANGE DATE MUFFINS</b> (adapted from the old <i>Marvelous Muffins</i> cookbook)<br />
1 orange, washed and dried<br />
1/2 cup pitted cooking dates (or 1/2 cup pitted Medjool dates, lightly chopped)<br />
1/2 cup orange juice (or water if you don't have any OJ in the fridge!)<br />
1/3 cup butter, softened slightly and cut into large cubes<br />
1/4 cup yogurt<br />
1 egg<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
1/3 cup brown sugar, lightly packed<br />
1 1/2 cups flour (all purpose <i>or</i> wheat <i>or</i> a mixture)<br />
1 tsp baking soda<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
pinch nutmeg<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 375 degrees.<br />
<br />
Cut the very top and bottom off your unpeeled orange. Avoid cutting into the orange itself, instead removing just the peel from either end to discard. Then cut the rest of the orange (peel and all) into quarters, and place in a blender. Add the orange juice. Give the blender a couple of pulses.<br />
<br />
Add the butter and dates to the blender, and give it a couple of good pulses to chop the dates up. Add the egg, vanilla and brown sugar and mix again with a few pulses.<br />
<br />
In a large steel bowl, mix your dry ingredients together, including the nutmeg. Make a well in the centre of the bowl. Pour in the blender mixture, scraping out as much of what's in the blender as you can. It will be a bit thick in terms of consistency.<br />
<br />
Carefully mix the dry and wet ingredients, but do not beat or over-stir. Again, it will be a fairly thick batter.<br />
<br />
Pour into greased muffin tins and bake. For regular muffins, bake for about 17 minutes. For mini-muffins, bake for about 9 minutes.<br />
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Delicious hot or cold, these also freeze very well.<br />
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<br />
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<b>BACON-WRAPPED DATES</b><br />
20 pitted Medjool dates (allow 2 dates per guest)<br />
10 strips sliced bacon (don't use thick cuts for this!)<br />
black pepper<br />
Toothpicks<br />
<br />
Preheat oven to 450 degrees.<br />
<br />
Cut each strip of bacon in half crossways, to give you 20 slices in total.<br />
<br />
Wrap a strip of bacon around each date, and secure it by putting a toothpick through the centre of the date. Set on a cookie sheet. Grind a little bit of black pepper over the prepared dates. You can do all of this in advance and refrigerate until you're ready to cook them, or go right to the oven.<br />
<br />
Bake in centre of oven for 7 minutes. Remove, turn dates over, and return to oven for another 5 minutes. Remove, and place on a plate lined with paper towels to drain off the grease. Transfer finished dates to a serving platter.<br />
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VARIATION I: You can go further with the bacon-wrapped dates, stuffing them with parmesan cheese. This makes them into intense little flavour bombs, but it does also require more prep time. If you're interested in trying it, just slice each date up one side to open it up for stuffing. Put in a sliver of fresh parmesan cheese (buy a fresh wedge of parmesan, and slice off slivers about 3/4 inch long, and not too thick). Wrap with the bacon and bake as described above.<br />
<br />
VARIATION II: Take whole salted pecans or almonds, and use to stuff the dates before wrapping the bacon around them. One nut per date will create a pleasant crunchy surprise in the middle of that salty-sweet hors d'oeuvre!Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-51602350068295352442010-09-12T23:25:00.001-04:002010-09-13T00:32:36.830-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: C is for COCONUT!<table cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="tr-caption-container" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; text-align: right;"><tbody>
<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8b26LFQtWAyS6FVeoXaWc2_Jlt1xv1X9x_cflG1gyqy1S09rASMmiolo_hqCHmMuyUk59mcZfd2I2Wy2AZGqrfJT5w1Z4KwUqB1135ygyCen-lgMkwke1dp_feukHLDHHN5HG/s1600/cocolimeloaf.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8b26LFQtWAyS6FVeoXaWc2_Jlt1xv1X9x_cflG1gyqy1S09rASMmiolo_hqCHmMuyUk59mcZfd2I2Wy2AZGqrfJT5w1Z4KwUqB1135ygyCen-lgMkwke1dp_feukHLDHHN5HG/s320/cocolimeloaf.jpg" /></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">Sweet Coconut-Lime Loaf. Moist, tangy & delicious!</td></tr>
</tbody></table><br />
It's a fact that as we get older, our palates evolve.<br />
<br />
There are many foods that I did not like as a kid that I now find irresistable. The list ranges from the benign, like fresh mushrooms or green peppers, to the obscure, like pesto and sharp cheese. My palate, if not my maturity, has grown beyond these distastes. Nowadays, the list of foods I hate is shortened to, well, hot dogs, and things that taste like hot dogs.<br />
<br />
While our bodies age and reveal food intolerances (ironically, I now like cooked onions, though they really don't like me!), we do grow up and our taste buds and brains start to open flavour doors we had otherwise thought closed.<br />
<br />
So, as a grown up who is mostly mature, I have come to love coconut. It's a flavour that I never really cared for until about seven or eight years ago, and as those years have passed, so has my love of coconut emerged. Suddenly the world opened up, and coconut ice, coconut ice cream, coconut milk-based curries, coconut shrimp, and of course piña coladas are appealing to me. I'm even one of the four or five people in all of Canada who will buy a Bounty chocolate bar — a real coconut treat, savored after I chip off the thick dust accumulated on the wrapper from years on the shelf.<br />
<br />
The good news is that even in small little towns, you can find coconut at the grocery store — in the baking aisle as dried coconut (grated, desiccated, flaked); or in the "ethnic" section, as coconut milk (regular or light), coconut water (refreshing!), and creamed coconut (small solid bars of coconut that can be blended into sauces, drinks, or soups).<br />
<br />
Fresh coconuts are sometimes available here in Canada, but I would recommend that you save that purchase for when you are actually in coconut country down south, where the freshness and uniqueness of the treat will truly make up for the inconvenience of cracking it open. Fresh coconut meat is a phenomenal treat if you can ever get your hands on it.<br />
<br />
Recently, out of necessity due to an unexpected lack of lemons in the house, I adapted an Edna Staebler "More Food that Schmecks" recipe for lemon poppyseed loaf and turned it into a lime and coconut loaf. The results were much more than satisfactory!<br />
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This is a moist, tangy treat that isn't even all that bad for you. Please note that I've lowered the amount of sugar throughout the recipe, and the fat content is actually pretty good compared to many loaves or cakes. You don't need to skimp any more than this, and if you do, I don't want to hear about how bland and boring your loaf was!<br />
<br />
This taste-of-the-tropics recipe calls for dried coconut. You are usually best off buying unsweetened coconut, either flaked or desiccated. You won't use more than 1/2 cup, so it's a good time to think of other ways to put the rest of that package to use.<br />
<br />
<br />
<b>SWEET COCONUT-LIME LOAF</b><br />
1 cup all-purpose Flour<br />
1/2 cup whole-wheat flour (or just use more white)<br />
1/2 cup Unsweetened dried coconut minus 1 teaspoon<br />
1 tsp baking powder<br />
1/2 tsp salt<br />
Zest of 1 lime<br />
1/2 cup Granulated white sugar<br />
1/2 cup butter, softened<br />
2 eggs<br />
1 teaspoon vanilla or 1 tablespoon white rum<br />
1/2 teaspoon lime juice (fresh is preferred)<br />
<br />
GLAZE:<br />
3 tablespoons white sugar (trust me!)<br />
Juice of 2 limes (about 1/4 cup at most)<br />
1 teaspoon dried coconut<br />
<br />
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees.<br />
<br />
Wash the lime with soap and water, rinsing well. Dry it off well with a towel before you grate the zest.<br />
<br />
Mix your first five ingredients: (both types of flour, coconut, baking powder, salt and lime zest) in a large bowl.<br />
<br />
In another bowl, beat the butter and sugar until fluffy. Beat in the egg, flavoring, and lime juice. Add this to the dry ingredients, and stir until fully mixed. Don't beat it to death, though.<br />
<br />
Pour into a smallish lightly greased loaf pan. Bake for 45 to 50 minutes, checking to be sure the middle is cooked. Add more time if necessary (if the edges are browning before the loaf is done, lightly cover it with foil for the last bit of baking. Just poke a few holes in the foil to prevent steam from accumulating!).<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, make up your glaze. Put the lime juice and sugar in a saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring often. Bringing mixture to a light boil and remove from heat. Add coconut, and set aside.<br />
<br />
When the loaf is done, remove the pan from oven and set on a cooling rack. Spoon over the lime glaze, ensuring you cover the entire top of the loaf. Some will pool at the corners of the pan, but just let it soak in.<br />
<br />
Allow the loaf to finish cooling, then remove carefully from pan (score around the edges with a knife). Slice when mostly or fully cooled. Don't use a bread knife for this, as it will tear the crusty edges apart too much. A carving knife will work perfectly.<br />
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This will freeze well either whole or sliced (wrap very well in foil or plastic wrap and put in an airtight bag), but I bet it won't actually be around that long!Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-76441459043217739892010-09-10T12:33:00.003-04:002010-09-10T15:55:34.912-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: B is for BUTTER!<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">I was raised in a house where butter was hauled out on special occasions to replace the margarine we normally used. It was such a special occasion that there was a whole ritual around hollering "you mean, <i>butter</i> butter? Fancy!" as one of us kids set the table.</span></span><br />
<div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">I'm not slagging margarine. It's often cheaper than butter. And nowadays it can even taste good — either more like butter, or like olive oil. What a choice. Frankly, butter requires a certain planning ahead, as anyone who has ever tried spontaneous cookie making (ever tried to blend your sugar and cold butter to fluffiness? Good luck!) or spreading cold butter on soft bread can attest. Margarine, of course, can be slathered on soft bread right out of the fridge. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">We don't currently use margarine in our humble abode. Since the majority of the butter we consume is in baked goods, we just haven't bothered to stock both spreads. Our butter dish is a tiny little thing, holding enough to butter about four slices of bread. Frankly, that's all we need, as we're less likely to use it than we are to see it turn rancid from sitting on the counter for weeks on end. If I'm only going to use something sparingly, I'd like the option that tastes best. That's butter!</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">According to the <a href="http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/butter-vs-margarine/AN00835">Mayo Clinic</a>, margarine is actually better for heart health. But even they have to admit that despite advances in margarine, nothing really touches the taste of butter. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">If you've ever wondered why that dish in a restaurant tastes so much better than the one you made at home, it's likely the butter. To "monter au beurre" is an expression meaning quite literally to "mount butter". Whisking butter into a sauce or soup just before it's served gives it a final decadent deliciousness. And let's face it, restaurants are concerned with your taste buds more than your waistline, so they use more butter (and other fats) in their creations that you're likely to ever do at home.</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;">Alas, even delicious, forbidden butter can get a little boring. So here are a few ways to spice up, herb up, and otherwise enhance your butters, including ways to put them to use. Just remember...moderation is always the key! </span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">In all cases, add the ingredients to 1/4 cup of butter that has been allowed to soften for an hour. Mix well, and then let sit for another hour or two to allow the flavours to mingle. Put in an appropriate serving dish, and voilà. </span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><b>THE BETTER BUTTERS</b></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">CHILI BUTTER: 1 generous teaspoon chili powder + pinch of salt</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i>Perfect on corn on the cob, cornbread, and fresh biscuits.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">SMOKEY BUTTER: 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika + pinch smoked sea salt</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i>Great for corn on the cob, or try a bit in the mushrooms and onions sauteed to go on top of a grilled steak. </i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">LAVENDER BUTTER: 1 generous teaspoon lavender + scant pinch sea salt</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i>Ideal added to mashed potatoes, or on the table with the bread basket.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">HERBED BUTTER: 1/2 teaspoon dried basil + 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano or thyme + black pepper</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i>Amazing for garlic bread (add 1 crushed clove garlic) or mashed potatoes, or the breadbasket. Drop a small bit into a pot of homemade soup just before you serve it for a truly delectable dish.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">GARLIC BREAD BUTTER: 2 or 3 cloves crushed garlic + 1/2 teaspoon basil + 2 tablespoons grated parmesan</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i>Duh, it's for garlic bread! Also great added to paninis or even that mushroom and onion mixture for steaks.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;">ROSEMARY BUTTER: 1 teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary + pinch sea salt + black pepper</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i>Great on the table, or over roasted veggies. Or rub into the skin of an almost-finished roast chicken to crisp it up.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;">CINNAMON BUTTER: 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon + scant pinch nutmeg</span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i>Try it on toast with honey, or throw on your pancakes and french toast before the syrup gets involved.</i></span></span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;">LEMON BUTTER: generous pinch of grated lemon zest + scant pinch of white sugar</span><br />
<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i>A fresh, sweet treat for fresh muffins, biscuits, or pancakes.</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande';"><span class="Apple-style-span"><b>A few tips to make cooking with butter go, well, like buttah: </b></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">Butter burns easily. When cooking butter in medium to high temperatures, you can use oil to raise its smoke point. Just take out a bit of the butter and add either olive oil (for delicate dishes such as garlic shrimp) or canola oil.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">If a recipe calls for softened butter, don't melt the butter. Instead, get it out of the fridge, measure off what you need for the recipe, and cut it into small pieces or thin slices. Set in a relatively warm (but not hot) location to soften for about an hour. Patience, grasshopper.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><br />
</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">Keeping butter for a long time — maybe because you picked some up on sale, or you're heading out for a month on vacation? Wrap the butter in plastic wrap, and throw it in a ziploc bag in your freezer. It'll keep for quite a while longer than it would in the fridge.</span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;"><i><br />
</i></span></span></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: small;"><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-size: 11px;">So go on, try some butter.<i> </i></span></span><span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: 'Lucida Grande'; font-size: 11px;">Your taste buds will love you. And you might just prove to yourself (if necessary) that butter isn't your enemy. It's just a friend that you have to see in limited doses, or you might find yourself having too much fun together...and one Sunday morning, wake up sitting in a casino in Vegas trying to remember how you got there.</span></div>Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-70957511743536300572010-09-08T22:41:00.001-04:002010-09-09T23:20:25.705-04:00Op ALPHABET SOUP: A is for ASIAGO"A" could be for a whole lot of things, but let's face it, cheese deserves top billing in most circumstances. So let's go with A for Asiago.<br />
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Asiago cheese is a versatile and adaptable cheese. Not the priciest of the "specialty" cheeses, it's a good choice for sprucing things up on a reasonable budget.<br />
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Asiago comes with a black wax shell that is easily peeled off. Salty and dry, it has the clumpy and stringy qualities of parmesan when it has melted. Finely grating it (ideally with a microplane or rasp) will reduce the likelihood of those unsightly clumps.<br />
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So how to use that Asiago? Well, how about a very simple pasta, similar to a recipe I posted very early on in this blog. Let's just simplify it a bit.<br />
<br />
This works out for two people, but doubling it will easily feed a family or friends.<br />
<br />
<b>SUPER-QUICK SHRIMP & ASIAGO PASTA</b><br />
Enough dried Spaghetti or fettucine for 2<br />
<b></b>12 or so large shrimp (cleaned and deveined, cooked or raw)<br />
1/2 cup green peas<br />
1/2 red pepper<br />
2 cloves garlic<br />
generous 1/2 cup finely grated Asiago cheese (more to taste)<br />
Olive oil<br />
1 Tbsp butter<br />
Freshly ground black pepper<br />
<br />
<br />
Throw your pasta water on to boil early, as it's the slowest part of this meal. Use a big pot.<br />
<br />
Meanwhile, dice up your pepper into small pieces (ie under 1/2 inch) and then very finely mince the garlic.<br />
<br />
When the water is boiling, throw in the pasta. You've now got about 8 or 9 minutes to cook.<br />
<br />
Heat a heavy skillet over medium flame. Throw in about 2 Tbsp of olive oil, the Tbsp of butter. Once the butter is melted, toss in the red pepper. Toss it to coat, and let it cook for about 2 minutes. Then toss in your shrimp and your peas (if you use raw shrimp, add them to the peppers sooner, and wait until they're pink before you add the peas). Give them another toss, then let them cook for another 2 minutes. Add a bit of black pepper. Chuck in the garlic, and mix it in. Turn the heat to low.<br />
<br />
Your shrimp might give off some water, but just leave it in the pan. It'll add flavour to your pasta!<br />
<br />
Drain your pasta, returning it to the pot with a small glug of olive oil and a quick toss to keep it from sticking. Throw in the Asiago, giving it a very gentle stir with some tongs or a spaghetti spoon (the toothy spoon!). Toss in the shrimp and veggie mixture, and again, give a gentle mix.<br />
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Spoon into large bowls, and grind over each bowl with some black pepper. You could garnish with some chopped basil or parsley, but I'd just stick with a bit more Asiago grated over top.<br />
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<br />
There you have it. Dinner in about 15 minutes. Delicious with some oaky Chardonnay, or a fresh but not too dry Sauvignon Blanc.<br />
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Enjoy!Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-87653480498297405602010-09-01T21:50:00.003-04:002010-09-01T21:59:11.957-04:00Operation ALPHABET SOUP<div>The only thing I like more than writing about food is preparing and eating it. All the same, it's obvious to me that I need to find a way to make myself write more frequently. Fits and starts might be fine for the rest of my life, but blogging requires a little more consistency. And since my only consistency so far has been consistently dropping my blog-writing duties for months on end, I'm ready to take on a new approach and see if it results in more frequent writing.</div><div><br /></div><div>And so, for the next 26 weeks or so, I'm going to carry us from A to Z.</div><div><br /></div><div>That's right. We'll traverse the alphabet, with food tips, recipes, kitchen secrets, and maybe, depending on the difficulty of the letter at hand, some random thoughts. </div><div><br /></div><div>So whether you pronounce your H's "aitch" or "hay-tch", and your Z's "zed" or "zee", I hope you'll come along for this alphabetical journey in foodie-writing.</div><div><br /></div><div>And if I fail in this mission of consistency, you have every right to submit comments to that effect. I even promise to post them.</div><div><br /></div><div>Stay tuned, my blog-reading friends!</div>Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-86443608113911582432010-08-26T22:58:00.008-04:002010-08-27T00:15:50.912-04:00Roasting Veggies for a Summertime Side<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdsRBsOoAKmxzEmROaXm7_IaZjSpw5c0a9RCHwq388yPjcULgcGp8UrV-wkKqgkROIUNS7r9FbNMsbTVHtom1J0ZTvzzUzmNVQuhMXjjgWM0rPDQ7B4YLqFaPjPtjGoBFadO5/s1600/IMG00007-20100814-1153.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiLdsRBsOoAKmxzEmROaXm7_IaZjSpw5c0a9RCHwq388yPjcULgcGp8UrV-wkKqgkROIUNS7r9FbNMsbTVHtom1J0ZTvzzUzmNVQuhMXjjgWM0rPDQ7B4YLqFaPjPtjGoBFadO5/s200/IMG00007-20100814-1153.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509932584262685122" /></a><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9VOAzJuIo3o_yFjx9Q1PBdkXlpL3JsDTfk_9AmU8JwtKOPk8RUb_xV6iQYDBRxPKEurPytiJcmKq860F03X0ISYOiiWr03whiTjrUciOauMI5d7KDp51cTC0Nn8oCw2ysux4/s1600/IMG00010-20100814-1208.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiS9VOAzJuIo3o_yFjx9Q1PBdkXlpL3JsDTfk_9AmU8JwtKOPk8RUb_xV6iQYDBRxPKEurPytiJcmKq860F03X0ISYOiiWr03whiTjrUciOauMI5d7KDp51cTC0Nn8oCw2ysux4/s200/IMG00010-20100814-1208.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5509932601972033090" /></a><br />So I have a little more spare time on my hands these days, thanks to a little "re-structuring" of the workplace where I've been on contract for 8 or 9 months. My head was first on the block when the axe fell, and for the last four weeks I've been one of the percentage points in our rising unemployment rates here in Canada.<br /><br />Ah, well. We're cinching our belts and trying to get by while I work at getting hired into a new position...and on the up side, a definite plus is that I have more time for cooking (and grocery shopping, and laundry, and cleaning, and tending to everything else on our to-do lists!).<br /><br />So in the last four weeks, my hard-working wife has come home to spectacular and inspired meals just about every evening. She's certainly not complaining. And frankly, neither am I! With a custom-designed and practically brand new <i>cucina</i> to play in, I've been wanting to get back into the "creative kitchen" frame of mind.<br /><br />In fact, we had some dinner guests over a few weeks ago — and a pre-visitor Saturday morning trip to the Guelph Farmer's Market yielded the summer's bounty. WIth organic lamb in mind as a main, and a hankering for some uniquely flavoured mashed potatoes, I needed to come up with a side dish that wouldn't overwhelm the already crowded canvas of our palates.<br /><br />Fresh seasonal vegetables were all around, and it seemed just perfect to take as many of those as I could fit into our eco-friendly-ever-so-trendy market basket. I knew I was going to have lots of basil on hand, as we'd picked up a nice big bunch of it for the Bruschetta I was planning as an appetizer. And when we saw the beets, it was a sealed deal — check out the photo above to see why. Candy-cane beets are something I've never seen before, and they're truly a showpiece when they're cut open. This is the kind of thing that turns a Foodie on, and as soon as I saw them I knew we had to have them!<br /><br />Originally I thought I'd grill the veggies in our BBQ wok with some olive oil and garlic. But I had far too many veg, and I needed the grill space for the lamb. Besides, I've done that side dish far too many times to count. So then I decided to take advantage of the cooler temperatures of the day and roast those veggies up for a nice salad.*<br /><br />You'll need to plan ahead for this one -- allow about 30 to 45 minutes for prep, depending how at ease you are in the kitchen. Allow another 45 minutes for cooking, and about 2 hours for cooling time. That last bit can be shrunk or stretched according to your day.<br /><br />And of course, though it should by now go without saying, you can vary this up according to your personal preferences and the veggies available to you locally. I've given you an idea in this recipe of what I used, but you can always change up the ingredients so long as you keep the overall quantity about the same. If I've said it once I've said it a hundred times...mix it up, experiment, and have some fun with this. None of my recipes are really all that set in stone!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">ROASTED SUMMER VEGETABLE SALAD</span><br /><br />3 cups of cubed beets (yellow, purple, candy-cane, pink, orange, whatever!)<br />1 red pepper<br />1 orange or yellow pepper<br />1 green pepper<br />1 zucchini<br />1 summer squash (or yellow zucchini if you prefer!)<br />12-16 cherry or grape tomatoes<br />1/2 large eggplant or 1 medium eggplant<br />2 or 3 Portabello mushrooms<br />1/2 sweet white or red onion<br />3 or 4 cloves garlic<br />Black Pepper, Sea Salt<br />Dried Basil (or Oregano)<br />Fresh Basil (or Oregano)<br />Fresh Parsley<br />Olive Oil<br /><br /><div><br />Let's talk veggie prep. As you do each veggie, just toss it in a large steel mixing bowl. The only exception is the beets. They should be segregated in their own bowls until the last steps.<br /><br />BEETS**: Scrub vigorously, then cut off the tops and the hairy tentacle on the bottom. Now cut into cubes about 1/2" wide and 1" long. Or whatever. Just keep'em sorta large but not too big to eat in one bite. Take each colour of beet separately and very lightly cook it - that means drop it in a pot of boiling water for about 3 or 4 minutes, then remove and strain off the water. You want them to get a bit tender but not cooked. You'll need a fresh pot of water for each set of beets, but it's worth the hassle, as it keeps the colours from bleeding. Think of it like laundry loads! Tip: If you use a very wide saucepan on your biggest burner you can just have an inch or so of water in at a time, and since it boils fast, that keeps this process from taking forever.</div><div><br /></div><div>With your beets taken care of you can pre-heat that oven to about 375 degrees. To be fair, I used the convection roast feature. If you are so unfortunate as to not have convection, you may want to top it up to 400 degrees for the first 20 minutes, and then 375 for the remainder of the cooking time. Or keep it level at 375, and just add more time to the roasting overall.<br /><br />BELL/SWEET PEPPERS: Rinse, pat dry, and remove those annoying stickers. Cut in half lengthwise, and take out the core/seeds. Now slice into 1" squares or so.<br /><br />ZUCCHINI/SQUASH: Rinse and dry. Now cut off the ends, and slice into discs that are about 1/3 of an inch thick. Keep them round or in the case of the squash, whatever shape you get. Just keep them bite size.<br /><br />TOMATOES: Just rinse'em and roll them around on a towel to dry off.<br /><br />EGGPLANT: Give the skin a quick wash, then dry off. Leave the skin on. And don't bother salting the slices — eggplants nowadays are okay without that whole step. Slice a good 1/2 inch crosswise to take off the bottom and top, and discard. Now slice the rest of the eggplant crosswise into 1/3 inch slices. Take each slice (or pairs, stacked) and cut them up into about 6 triangles per round.<br /><br />MUSHROOMS: If they have stems attached, twist the stems very gently at the tops to remove. Discard. Now, with a paper towel or clean cloth, gently wipe each mushroom top under some cold water. Pat dry, and then slice the tops into strips, about 1/4" thick. If they mushrooms are really big, cut the slices in half to make the pieces smaller.<br /><br />ONION: Peel off the outer layer, and chop into 1/2 inch pieces.<br /><br />GARLIC: Peel the cloves, and slice each into 2 halves. Don't worry — you want to keep these in larger pieces, as they'll bake up into something sweet.<br /><br />By now your big bowl should be full of veggies. Add in the beets, and then toss all of this with a good couple of glugs of olive oil. Don't be shy, but also don't get these as greasy as the Thunderbirds' hair. The veg will let off their own juices as they cook, which gives the salad its "dressing". </div><div><br /></div><div>Grind in a whack of black pepper, and add a very scant teaspoon of sea salt. Add a good heaping teaspoon of the dried basil or oregano. If you want a bit of heat in there too, toss in a good pinch of red pepper flakes. Mix gently with your hands to coat everything, then dump the lot into a big casserole or roasting pan. </div><div><br /></div><div>Cover very loosely with foil, and bake for 20 minutes. Then pull the foil off, give a gentle stir to get everything turned around, and put back in uncovered for another 25 minutes or so. The veggies should be nice and tender — you don't want them crispy or al dente. If you need to cook them more, turn the oven down about 25 degrees, and add time in 7 minute increments. [Why 7 minutes? Why not?!]<br /><br />When done, remove from the oven and set on a cooling rack. As it's all cooling, wash and pat dry your fresh basil and parsley, and chop roughly to get at most 1/8 cup of the basil (or oregano) and a few tablespoons of the parsley. When the veggies are not too hot to touch, mix the herbs in gently with your hands. Transfer to a large bowl for serving, and allow to continue cooling.<br /><br />Before serving, grate over some fresh parmesan or romano cheese, and throw just a bit more of the chopped fresh herbs on top for the colour. Don't go too heavy on the cheese!<br /><br /><br />So far as I could tell, this went nicely with the mashed potatoes, and particularly with the lamb, which was coated in pesto and grilled on the 'Q.<br /><br />Pair it up with any good wine, but I recommend that you try to avoid anything too heavy on the tannins, as they tend to make the bitterness pop out from eggplant.<br /><br />And yeah, Einstein, if you didn't let this cool and skipped the fresh herbs and parmesan you'd have a good winter side of roasted veg. </div><div><br />PS: Those candy-cane beets cook up to just a uniform shade of pink, so enjoy the effect of the cool stripes while they're raw!</div><div><br /></div><div>* If you have enough grill space and it's too hot for the oven, you could easily do this on the BBQ too, so long as you could keep the heat indirect to avoid burning the vegetables. You wouldn't want to be stirring and turning the roasting veg too much, as they'll get beat up a little too much.<br /><br />** If you want to use carrots, you can prepare them in the same way as the beets. No segregation required, though, as they won't bleed quite like beets do!<br /><br /></div>Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-87322265608360626542010-08-19T13:51:00.006-04:002010-08-27T00:22:07.641-04:00Good Grillin' : Quick-Roasted Herbed ChickenIt's approaching the tail end of grilling season -- though some of us can still be seen at the BBQ in the middle of January -- and it would be a shame to miss out on the last month or two of comfortable time on the patio, tending your grill.<br /><br />I love roasting a whole chicken on the BBQ — with or without the beer can — but the time to do it means planning far ahead and being sure you've got lots of propane (one day, we're going to get a natural gas grill and the line to feed it!). So instead, I've started making split roast chicken. In about 35 minutes you can have a great full chicken for dinner. And while I normally don't advocate using dried herbs, this recipe makes great use of whatever you've got on hand. The rule for dried herbs and spices is that they should still smell like something when you open the jar they're in. If they just smell like random herbs or they all smell the same, it's time to re-stock your spice rack!<br /><br />Skip the pre-split seasoned chicken in the supermarket. Those things are about as over-salted and overpriced as you can expect from pre-fab food. So instead, for about half the price, step to your right or left and pick up a standard roasting chicken.<br /><br />To start, about 20 minutes before you're ready to cook, mix the following in a small bowl or glass dish:<br /><br />1 Tbsp dried basil<br />1 Tsp dried oregano<br />1 tsp dried rosemary<br />1 tsp sea salt<br />3 or 4 hearty grinds of black pepper<br />1 to 2 cloves garlic, minced or pressed<br />Pinch of red pepper flakes (optional)<br />Juice of 1/2 lemon<br />1 Tbsp olive oil<br /><br />Give it a stir and set it aside. Your dried herbs will come to life in the lemon juice and oil. If you have fresh herbs available, use them in whatever combination you like -- thyme, rosemary, basil or oregano would be great combined or on their own. Wash and dry the herbs, chop them up nice and fine, and mix them in with the other ingredients as above. Just be sure to use more rather than less!<br /><br />This is a good time to preheat your grill. If you have a good big BBQ, just heat half of it. Otherwise you'll want to put all your burners on. Get it good and stinking hot to start.<br /><br />Now for the chicken. Take a good set of kitchen shears, which you ought to own. Not oversized sewing scissors. Real, cut-through-just-about-anything scissors with sturdy handles and thick blades are what you need. Make sure they're clean. <br /><br />Working on a cookie sheet or large cutting board, clear out the cavity of the chicken. Flip it over. Use your shears to cut through the bottom of the chicken from the open cavity through to the other end. Ta-da. You just split a chicken. Now turn it back over and flatten it onto your cookie sheet. It will look like Wil-E-Coyote succeeded at dropping an anvil onto your bird.<br /><br />Take your herb mix and start spreading it over the entire chicken, rubbing it into the skin. Flip it over and put some more on the back side, ensuring you rub it into every surface and crevice. Put the bird back to be skin-side up on the sheet.<br /><br />Take a roll of tinfoil and your chicken out to the grill. Turn the heat down to medium. Put the chicken skin side up on the upper rack, or over a burner that's turned off. Loosely cover it with foil, patting the foil down around it just a bit. Plunk down the lid of the BBQ and walk away for about 18 to 20 minutes.<br /><br />After this 20 minutes, come out and take the foil off — it's not needed any more. Flip the chicken over, still away from the flames. Leave it another 10 minutes. Then, put the bird down over the flames - still skin side down. Turn the flame down to low. Give it no more than 5 minutes to crisp up and give you some nice grill marks. Any longer and the oil will cause it to burn. [If you feel the chicken isn't done yet, put it back on the upper rack, skin-side up.]<br /><br />Transfer the chicken to a nice big cutting board or platter. Slice it up if you wish, or just hack it into quarters. This is great served al rustica with some garlic bread and corn on the cob. But really, it will go great with anything.<br /><br />And hey, if you're out of propane, or it's pouring rain, this cooks up even easier in the oven. Throw the cookie sheet with the bird on it covered loosely with foil (you want to let the steam escape, but protect the skin from burning) into a preheated oven set to 350. After 30 minutes, remove the foil, then put it back in for another 15 minutes or so, until it's cooked. The skin will crisp up a bit in this time, and yet the chicken will stay nice and juicy.<br /><br />Enjoy!Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-90865396090684264572010-05-31T19:44:00.004-04:002010-05-31T20:34:36.076-04:00A new kind of Rosé...Pasta and Wine.<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61BFTkWa8Kxf3ieNV6xpIoc_oaCcnHCJnTCvU0w_U8STH_Jc8GShurdpdpPu1R9W45iY2jwPC5vDusn0K4MLADOmSbPHzerDqfGqRnNmrYH0FQlGptjf0dy_gB2bf4dlPBVl-/s1600/IMG00081-20100531-1850.jpg"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 320px; height: 240px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg61BFTkWa8Kxf3ieNV6xpIoc_oaCcnHCJnTCvU0w_U8STH_Jc8GShurdpdpPu1R9W45iY2jwPC5vDusn0K4MLADOmSbPHzerDqfGqRnNmrYH0FQlGptjf0dy_gB2bf4dlPBVl-/s320/IMG00081-20100531-1850.jpg" border="0" alt=""id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5477595778084386914" /></a><br />Sometimes life just aligns itself in little ways that make you giggle. Like tonight, when my newest creation turned out to be a new kind of rosé sauce for pasta...as I finished off a wonderful new Rosé wine from Niagara. I know, it's not such a big deal. But all the same, it's a small alignment in the universe and since it's culinary in nature, I'm happy to experience it.<br /><br />Rosé sauce, in the traditional sense, is a blend of the tangy tomato and creamy Alfredo sauces served up <span style="font-style:italic;">ad nauseum</span> in every cheap Italian restaurant on the planet. For the indecisive, or perhaps the non-committal among us, the blending of two sauces means a little of both worlds. Not to mention, a little less richness, as that Alfredo can be quite the artery clogger. <br /><br />For me, Alfredo is a no go on a few fronts. One, it's too rich for my blood, and no matter how many Lactaid pills I down, gives me a wicked stomach ache. But more importantly, like souffle, Alfredo is usually disappointing. Done right, it should be a delicate, creamy coating on your pasta, supplementing the dish with silky smooth buttery goodness. Done typically in the churn-out-the-dishes type of restaurant, it's often an overly rich, fatty and overwhelming gluey mess, overpowering everything else in the mix.<br /><br />So I've never actually ordered a rosé-sauced dish. Perhaps I'm too committed to one thing or the other. Or too scared of Alfredo disapointment. Or perhaps I'm more averse to mixing two mediocre elements to try and make a single right. In any case, tonight's dinner became a bit of a nouveau rosé, and certainly one more friendly to the lactose intolerant among us - as it uses goat cheese instead of the cream and butter of alfredo sauce to achieve the creamy middle ground.<br /><br />And on the wine front? Well, it's summer, as early as it may be, and that means Rosé season. Long ago written off as a sickly sweet lady drink, Rosé deserves another chance as different regions and vintners kick out their highly crafted versions of this wine. Tonight, I was finishing off the last 1/3 of a bottle of Malivoire Lady Bug Rosé. <br /><br />We hit Malivoire a few weeks ago on my birthday wine tasting getaway. These guys are not only crafting great wines in Ontario's Niagara Region, but they're doing as they have for the last couple of decades, quietly and without tooting their horns - making it organically. I can recommend not only their Rosé, but just about everything in their line up - the care and precision they put into crafting their wines is evident with each uncorking. Check them out, for sure. And if you drink wine, even if you stay clear of the pinks, give Lady Bug a shot. it's a French-style Rosé, dry, perky, not overly fruity. And it happens to go well with the dish below.<br /><br />As with everything I write, there's nothing exact about this recipe. We had a leek in the fridge, so I used it. Several colours of peppers, so I used them. But if you don't have leeks, just add more white onion. If you don't have anything more than a single green pepper, so be it. Cherry tomatoes would be great addition (just add them after the onions and peppers are mostly cooked). In fact, you can tailor all the vegetables to your liking, or maybe swap out the sausage for some chicken breast. You'll still get a good, hearty pasta meal that feeds a crew quickly.<br /><br /> So having dissed one kind of rosé while lauding another, let me proceed with the recipe.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">NOUVEAU ROSÉ w/ TURKEY SAUSAGE & SUN-DRIED TOMATOES</span><br />1 cup tomato sauce or strained tomatoes (not anything flavoured!)<br />3/4 cup goat's cheese (ie Chevre)<br />4 to 5 mild or spicy Italian sausage (Turkey works great)<br />1 red pepper<br />1 yellow pepper<br />1 leek (white part + 1 inch of the green stem)<br />1/4 white onion (use whole if omitting leek)<br />2 cloves garlic<br />2 sundried tomatoes (to make a generous 2 Tbsp chopped)<br />Basil (fresh, dried, or paste)<br />Salt & Black pepper<br />Olive oil<br />Approx. 3 cups (uncooked) pasta of choice (recommend Penne or Farfalle)<br /><br />Put your sausages in a heavy frying pan with about 1/2 inch of water. Cover, and bring to a boil. Lower heat to a high simmer.<br /><br />Fill a large saucepan three quarters full of water, add a bit of salt, and set on the burner to boil (covered, of course). <br /><br />Wash all your veggies. If using a leek, peel the outer two layers off, and throw them away along with the top 4 or 5 inches of the green stalk. Slice down the centre of the leek on the long side. This makes it easier to wash off the dirt from what's left. Pat it dry. Peel your onion.<br /><br />Heat up a large sauté pan or wok with about a tablespoon of olive oil. <br /><br />Chop your peppers into 1/2 chunks. Slice the leek (lay each half flat side down and slice about 1/4 inch thick pieces). Dice the onion. Toss these in the pan with the olive oil, giving a quick toss to coat evenly. Stir gently and frequently to cook evenly - about 6 or 7 minutes.<br /><br />While the veggies are cooking, finely chop your sundried tomatoes and mince or crush your garlic. If you have fresh basil or parsley, chop up enough to fill a 1/3 cup measure or so. ( If you are using dried, you'll only need about 1 tsp. Paste, about 1 1/2 tablespoons). Set all of these ingredients aside for a moment.<br /><br />When your peppers and onions and leeks are soft, turn off the heat. Toss in the garlic, sundried tomatoes and herbs. Toss in about two pinches of salt, and grind in a whole lot of fresh black pepper. Then a bit more. Don't skimp. <br /><br />Give a gentle stir, and remove from heat.<br /><br />By now you should have your pasta in that boiling water. You want to cook it as per directions -- fresh pasta just a few minutes, white pasta for about 8, and whole wheat pastas for about 10 minutes. A little chewy is a good thing. <br /><br />Your sausages need you, too. Drain the water from the pan, and put the sausages on a cutting board. Using tongs and a sharp knife, slice them into 1/2 thick rounds. Dump these into the sauté pan of veggies, putting it back over low heat. Allow everything to mingle -- give a few quick stirs every minute or so. Now add your goat cheese, and stir gently to melt it and cover everything in creamy goodness. Turn off the burner.<br /><br />Quickly drain your pasta, leaving just a bit of the water around to keep things moist. Throw in the tomato sauce, coating the pasta thoroughly. Dump this into your sauté pan (if you're short on space, you can use any large mixing bowl at this point) and mix with the sausage and veggies. Again, stir gently to mix it all up. Taste, adding more salt and pepper as needed.<br /><br />That's it. Toss this into some large bowls or onto plates. Garnish with more fresh herbs, a bit more black pepper and/or parmesan cheese. If you're veggie-obsessed, a small green salad would go nicely on the side. <br /><br />What do you get? A mix of flavours - tangy goat cheese with a hint of sassy garlic. Zippy tomato sauce with herby basil. It's a dish of contrasts as much as it is one of like flavours. Hopefully you'll enjoy it as much as we did. <br /><br />You can serve a small army with this recipe, ie 4 people.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-35853164979308795822010-05-17T21:50:00.004-04:002010-05-17T22:56:36.093-04:00Satay So EasyWhether you're throwing a BBQ party or a cocktail reception, satay is an easy fit. While my version coats chicken breast, it would also go very well on cubes of tofu.<br /><br />Satay used to be one of my least favourite dishes. But then I realised that I was being silly about mixing sweet and savoury. The nice thing, I've learned, is that satay is wonderfully flexible and easy to improvise. Like it spicy? Make it spicy. Like it mild? Make it mild. You can either make this ahead -- marinate your chicken overnight, or slather the marinade over the meat then freeze it in an airtight container for a week or two. In a pinch, don't marinate -- just coat your meat or tofu and grill right away.<br /><br />Not wanting to grill on a rainy night? Make this into a stir fry. Skip threading the meat or tofu onto skewers, and cook it in a wok over medium heat, adding a bit of water as needed. Throw in some onion and veggies and serve over rice.<br /><br />So flexibility proven, let's get to the simplicity part. Best way to illustrate that is through the recipe.<br /><br />As with all my recipes, this one is loosey-goosey. Use fish sauce, or don't. Use a bit of white onion if you don't have green ones. Whatever. You'll notice subtle changes, but the recipe won't be ruined!<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SO EASY SATAY<br /></span><br />SAUCE:<br />1 cup peanut butter (smooth or chunky, natural or not)<br />3 green (spring) onions, washed and peeled<br />1/3 cup chicken or vegetable stock (+ more as needed)<br />1 clove garlic<br />1/2 Tsp Sesame Oil (or substitute canola or whatever)<br />1/2 Tsp olive oil<br />1 Tsp fish sauce (optional)<br />Juice of 1/2 lime<br />small bunch of fresh cilantro or parsley (ie what would fit into a 1/4 cup measure unchopped)<br />red pepper flakes<br />cayenne pepper<br />black pepper<br /><br />PROTEIN:<br />500 to 600 g of boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into strips<br />OR <br />I brick of extra firm tofu, cut into 3/4" cubes.<br /><br /><br />Before you do anything else, if you plan to grill this, make sure you have skewers on hand. If using wood skewers, soak them in some hot water for as long as possible - ideally 8 hours, but if all you have is 8 minutes, so be it.<br /><br />Give the green onions a bit of a chop, using the white ends and about 1 inch of the green stalk off each. Chuck this into a food processor or blender. Save the rest of the stocks for garnish. <br /> <br />Roughly chop the garlic and cilantro or parsley. Throw that into the blender/food processor as well. Top off with the remaining ingredients in the sauce list. Shake in as much red pepper flake as you want, and do the same with the cayenne if you so wish.<br /><br />Pulse the mixture until it goes smooth. You may need to add a bit more broth to make it manageable. You want a thick but pourable sauce. Taste, to ensure you're happy with the spice level.<br /><br />Dump this into a big bowl, then add your chicken or tofu. Mix gently to coat. If time allows, put it into airtight container and refrigerate (up to 12 hours) or freeze for a week until your guests arrive.<br /><br />When ready to grill, spray your grill liberally with non-stick spray before you light it. Allow it to heat up, then lower heat to medium. <br /><br />While the grill is heating, thread your meat or tofu onto the skewers, leaving a few inches free at one end to facilitate handling them.<br /><br />Cook the chicken for about 8 minutes, then turn over and finish with another 6 to 8 minutes. If using tofu, cook for just a few minutes on each side. Watch that the satay doesn't char, as your peanut butter may have enough sugar in it to burn easily. If you see things turning black a little early, just lower the heat accordingly.<br /><br />When finished, serve on a platter with some thinned out red pepper jelly as a dipping sauce, or over rice with some grilled or stir-fried vegetables. In any case, garnish the skewers with some chopped green onion or a dusting of finely chopped cilantro or parsley.<br /><br /><br />As with any spicy dish, and certainly a spicy/sweet one, off-dry wines are a good pairing. I'd suggest an Ontario Reisling, or if you're feeling adventurous, a Muscat from Peller Reserve or Malivoire - both of Niagara region in Ontario.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-43685440248916553702010-05-07T22:02:00.003-04:002010-05-07T22:22:53.211-04:00New kitchen, new inspiration!Again a long gap between posts. But perhaps with a little context the lapse can be forgiven. Shortly after Christmas we entered renovations hell...first the main bathroom, then promptly on to the kitchen. The bathroom didn't take away from my cooking, just took away from my free time. But the kitchen, well, we're talking down to the bare skeleton - in fact, we went further.<br /><br />One staircase, four walls of plaster and a ceiling replaced, plumbing moved, and all new electrical...new joists, even, under half the kitchen floor. We were also having imperfections fixed in the room next to the kitchen - which was the original kitchen on the house, and easily was the worst victim of plaster damage of all our rooms. <br /><br />We're lucky I'm sure that it only took 9 weeks to complete. Kudos to the contractor, and to us for keeping our eyes on the prize and not making any major changes to slow things down!<br /><br />At any rate, it's done, and we're the proud owners of a new custom kitchen - with our own unique touches, including an exposed brick wall. What we learned in the process? The original kitchen was added to the house in 1930. Surprises abound, even when you're expecting them, in renovating a very old house. Our contractor is a very good man. And no matter how big your basement kitchen, you'll soon grow tired of making do with it.<br /><br />So here we are, celebrating new kitchen, new lounge, and in fact, increasingly "new" house. She's not looking bad, for an old lady built around 1900. Housewarming and reno unveiling party is tomorrow, and though the guest list for this, our first party back in Guelph, is looking a wee bit small, we're still doing the customary full out spread of home-made, delectable treats both savoury and sweet.<br /><br />From the savoury side, this one is an easy "why didn't we think of this before" recipe that takes your standard shrimp ring and blows it out of the water. I quite honestly just thought of it as I stared down the multiple jars of roasted red peppers in our pantry one evening (one of those things I always think we need when I'm at the store...usually erroneously so!).<br /><br /><br />RED PEPPER SEAFOOD SAUCE<br /><br />3 full red peppers<br />1/2 cup prepared horseradish (strong or regular)<br />2 Tbsp tomato paste<br />3 Tbsp white sugar<br />black pepper<br /><br />Either roast 3 cored/seeded red peppers (cool, then remove skins) or drain a medium sized jar of roasted peppers.Only use about three or four of the peppers from the jar.<br /><br />Roughly chop the peppers up into small pieces. Dump in a smallish but deep bowl, with horseradish and tomato paste. Give it a quick stir.<br /><br />Using an immersion blender (if you don't have one, go get one. It's your soup-making friend! Or just use a blender.) blend the pepper mixture until it's relatively smooth. Add your sugar and about three good shakes of finely ground black pepper. Mix well, taste, adjust as needed.<br /><br />Makes approximately 1.5 cups of sauce. Store in the fridge in an airtight container. Should keep about 1 week.<br /><br /><br />I'm serving this with shrimp - and a chopped fresh parsley overlay - in shooter glasses, no less, so everyone's got a few shrimp and their dip to wander around with as they admire the house. But I'm thinking it would also be good with a nice white fish on the grill -- just not too much as it's quite strong.<br /><br />'Til next time, bon appetit.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-18177981313373809042009-10-25T15:55:00.003-04:002009-10-25T23:37:45.436-04:00SOUP'S ON!Tonight I was excitedly planning dinner for friends from Ottawa, who will be our first visitors from the far off National Capital Region since we moved to Guelph. That's right, the rest of you made promises, but Brigitte and Frank win the prize for actually following through!<br /><br />At the Guelph Farmer's Market yesterday, I was looking for a bit of inspiration for some sort of soup. I knew I could always fall back on the orange vegetables - roasted squash, pumpkin, yam, or carrot soup being some of my favourites to prepare. But there before us on a vendor's table were fresh local leeks, and that sealed the deal. Though the portabello mushrooms didn't come from the market, we did source Ontario mushrooms at the local supermarket.<br /><br />And so, with that much ease, came together a fresh Cream of Leek and Portabello Mushroom soup.<br /><br /><br />CREAM OF LEEK & MUSHROOM SOUP<br />1/3 white onion, loosely chopped<br />3 medium sized leeks, washed<br />5 or 6 portabello mushrooms (rinsed, dried, and chopped roughly to make about 4 cups)<br />2 1/2 cups chicken stock (or vegetable stock for the vegetarians)<br />2 cups milk (or 1 1/2 cups milk + 1/2 cup light cream)<br />1 clove garlic (or more, if you wish)<br />2 Tbsp olive oil<br />3 Tbsp butter<br />salt & pepper<br /><br />Put the olive oil into a large heavy saucepan, over slightly-under-medium heat. Add the butter and allow to melt and heat. <br /><br />Chop the tips and then peel the outer layer off your leeks. Rinse very well under cold water and pat dry. Slice thinly right up the leek to just past where the inner rings are green. <br /><br />Throw your onions in to the oil and butter mixture, tossing to coat. After about two minutes, add the sliced leeks, tossing again. <br /><br />Give the onions and leeks another couple of minutes, then stir in the chopped mushrooms. Mix lightly, and allow to cook for about four or five minutes. Stir again, lowering heat to medium low.<br /><br />In the mean time, chop the clove of garlic roughly. Toss that in the pot, stirring gently in. <br /><br />Let your mushrooms and leeks and onions mixture cook for another few minutes, until everything is nice and soft and the mushrooms have "melted". Add generous amounts of salt and pepper. Now pour in the stock. Mix, cover, and allow to simmer on very low heat for about 30 minutes. It's not rocket science...if the heat's on low, you can let this simmer quite some time.<br /><br />Remove from heat, and uncover. Allow to cool for about 20 to 30 minutes, then use either an immersion blender or a traditional blender (do it in small batches if you use a blender) to cream the soup to a velvety smooth consistency. You want all the lumps gone!<br /><br />Add your milk (and cream if you wish) and taste for seasoning. You can simmer this mixture to get it piping hot again to serve, or allow to cool fully and refrigerate until dinner time.<br /><br />Mine will be garnished with a drizzle of light cream and some home-made bacon bits, but you'd do just as well with a light dollop of sour cream or creme fraîche and a sprig of parsley. This is easily enough soup for 6 for appetizers or for 4 for a meal.<br /><br /><br />This will go very well with an Ontario Riesling or a rich Californian Chardonnay.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-65450878290563530342009-09-09T19:36:00.004-04:002009-09-09T19:56:46.335-04:00CURRY IN A HURRYAs we prepare to move our household back towards Guelph, Ontario, my wife and I are busy cleaning out cupboards, using up things from our fridge and freezer, and lowering the amount of canned goods in the house. At the same time, we're not bringing in a lot of new foods, so cooking has become a bit of an exercise in creativity.<br /><br />Tonight, I broke all records, clearing out three cans, a bottle from the fridge, and two freezer items, all in the name of a stellar and comforting curry dish.<br /><br />Normally I'm not a fan of curry, but since this one was a coconut milk-based yellow curry, I even liked it. WIth coconut milk doing its silky best to temper the curry, and pineapple adding a sweet tang, it's a friendly dish that's easy to love. I didn't think of the basil until it was too late, but I'll be adding it for sure the next time.<br /><br /><br />PORK, BROCCOLI, and PINEAPPLE CURRY <br /><br />1 1/2 cups brown or white rice, plus enough water or chicken stock to cook it in<br /><br />500-600g boneless pork, cut into strips or cubes<br />1/3 chopped white onion<br />1/2 diced red pepper<br />1/2 diced green pepper<br />1/2 head of broccoli chopped small, or 1 1/2 cups frozen broccoli pieces<br />1 can pineapple tidbits, drained<br />1 large can diced tomatoes, drained<br />1 can regular or light coconut milk<br />yellow or green curry paste (as per directions)<br />salt & pepper to taste<br />oil<br />fresh basil (a few sprigs)<br /><br />Set your rice on the stove to cook, allowing 40 minutes at least for brown rice, or 20 for white.<br /><br />In a lightly oiled large heavy saucepan or a wok over medium-high heat, cook the onion for about 2 minutes. Add the pork, and cook for about 7 or 8 minutes, stirring frequently. Add peppers, stir fry for another 5 minutes.<br /><br />Add the broccoli. Keeping heat fairly high, stir fry for another 4 to 5 minutes. Add some salt and pepper.<br /><br />Lower heat to medium and add pineapple and tomatoes. Add curry paste, stir in until mixed. Mix in coconut milk, lower heat to medium low.<br /><br />Simmer for 5 minutes. If you wish to thicken the sauce, add a paste of cornstarch and water (a scant Tbsp cornstarch in 3 Tbsp cold water, stirred until smooth) and stir in over low heat for two minutes. <br /><br />Remove pan from heat. Serve curry over rice in large bowls, and garnish with a bit of chopped basil if desired.<br /><br /><br />This would be equally delicious with chicken. In any case, it will serve four with ease, or two with healthy lunches for the next day.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-56692705662713764672009-08-04T22:12:00.002-04:002009-08-04T22:30:26.256-04:00MMMMeat loaf<span style="font-style:italic;">[I apologize for the long break between postings. Guess we were too busy to cook, what with selling a house and buying another one 550km away. I'd blame the hot summer weather, but here in Ontario, it's been a cool, rainy, unpredictable summer best spent indoors.]</span><br /><br />On a rainy summer evening, when both my wife and I feel like we might be fighting off colds (or if you're buying the media hype, H1N1 and certain death), my kitchen fancy turned to comfort foods. <br /><br />What better for comfort than meatloaf? With enough lead time, you can throw it together and stick it in the oven (with a few sweet potatoes, or just baking potatoes) and have time to watch precisely two episodes of Style By Jury while it cooks. With the cheese added in, you get moist, tasty loaf that doesn't require gravy in any way. Which makes it all the more easy to prepare.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">MARSHAL'S MOZZA-MEATLOAF<br /></span><br />1 pound lean ground beef<br />1 egg<br />3/4 cup grated mozzerella (or other good melting cheese of choice)<br />1/2 cup oatmeal (quick oats are ideal)<br />2 TBSP ketchup or tomato sauce<br />2 TBSP Barbeque sauce (or use ketchup)<br />1 shallot, minced (or 1/4 of a red onion)<br />1 clove garlic, crushed<br />Dash of Worcestshire sauce (or hot sauce if you prefer)<br />Salt & pepper<br /><br /><br />Ready? This is über-easy. To start, preheat your oven to 375 degrees. <br /><br />Throw everything on the ingredients list in a bowl. Mix it up (I just throw on latex gloves and dig in with my hands here). Mold into a small log, put in a meatloaf pan or bread pan. Chuck it in the oven, with timer set for 30 minutes.<br /><br />When the timer goes off, drizzle more barbeque sauce (about 1/3 cup) over the meatloaf. Put in back in for another 25 minutes.<br /><br />When the timer goes off again, remove meatloaf from oven, and cover very loosely with foil. Allow to rest for 5 to 10 minutes (this firms it up so you can slice it). Remove from pan, slice, and serve.<br /><br />Don't go overboard on the cheese, or your loaf will be less than solid. This proportion worked out just right for us tonight - nice and cheesy, but not falling apart entirely when I served it.<br /><br />So go on, put in the movie, settle in with your plates on the couch, and dig in. As I said above, it's great to pair this with baked sweet potato, or regular baked potatoes. And your veggie(s) of choice.<br /><br />Makes enough for four adults, or two plus their lunches for the next day. Because the only thing better than meatloaf might just be cold meatlof the day after.Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-19248685.post-56365870205530214062009-06-05T13:26:00.010-04:002009-06-05T13:56:46.412-04:00Spuds in an evening gown, Spuds in jeansIt's a tale of two potatoes. Both are mashed, but one is a little more elegant than the other. They both have their place on your table. <br /><br />Each recipe will serve four to five people.<br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">MASHED POTATOES with GOAT CHEESE & CARAMELIZED ONIONS</span><br /><br />Want to dress up your mashed potatoes? Try this little trick.<br /><br />1/2 of a medium white, red, or sweet Vidalia onion<br />6 medium to large white or Yukon Gold potatoes<br />Salt & Black pepper<br />4 oz soft goat cheese (1/3 to 1/2 cup, depending how much you like Chevre!)<br />2 Tbsp butter<br />1/2 cup milk or light cream (it's your heart, not mine!)<br /><br />Preheat a thick frying pan that has been very generously oiled with canola or vegetable oil, over medium heat. <br /><br />Take half of a sweet, white, or red onion. Slice very thin, so you have long thin pieces of onion. In this case, the thinner the onion the faster it will cook...and that's a good thing.<br /><br />Put onions in frying pan. Lowering the heat down to just above low, allow to soften and wilt and slowly caramelize — about 25 to 30 minutes. Keep the heat low so the onions do not burn. Caramelization takes time to happen!<br /><br />Meanwhile, wash, peel, and quarter about 6 medium sized potatoes. These can be Yukon Gold (everyone's favourite for mashing) or white or red potatoes. Just take the time to peel them -- though normally I love to leave the skins on my mashed potatoes, this isn't the dish for it.<br /><br />Rinse the potatoes, put in a large sauce pan, and cover with cool water. Add a generous sprinkle of salt. Set on burner, and bring to a boil. Turn heat down to low, allowing potatoes to cook for at least 20 minutes. You want them to be absolutely tender when you poke them with a fork.<br /><br />Check the onions, and if they are nice and brown and bubbly, remove from heat. Once cooled, chop up finely. Set aside. <br /><br />Remove potatoes from heat, and drain. Returning them to saucepan, add butter and milk, a pinch of salt, and some freshly ground black pepper. Toss in the chopped onions. Add the goat cheese.<br /><br />With a hand mixer, whip your potatoes until they are silky smooth. <br /><br />You can serve them as they are, giving everyone a generous dollop. For a new trick, flatten 4" rounds of potatoes on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper (and lightly oiled). Make the patties about 1/2 inch thick, and leave plenty of room between them. Bake for 15 minutes at 350°, until they puff up and the tops are golden brown. This makes a great platform for the rest of your meal to rest on.<br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-weight:bold;">SKIN-ON MASHED POTATOES with HORSERADISH</span><br /><br />These are a little more rustic, but with the tiny nip of horseradish, they're a popular surprise.<br /><br />6 medium sized red or Yukon Gold potatoes<br />1/2 cup milk or light cream<br />3 Tbsp butter<br />2 Tbsp horseradish<br />Salt & black pepper<br />3 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley (optional)<br /><br />Wash the potatoes, but do not peel. Cut up into large chunks, rinse, and put in a large saucepan with enough water to cover. Add a bit of salt, and bring to a boil over high heat. <br /><br />Lower heat to medium-low, and allow potatoes to simmer for another 15 to 20 minutes. They should be tender to your probing with a knife or fork, but not completely falling apart.<br /><br />Drain the saucepan of water, then add the milk, butter and horseradish. Mash very well with a potato masher, or whip lightly with a hand mixer. If you like lumps, don't mix too well. Add salt & pepper to taste, as well as parsley if you're using it ... and serve.<br /><br /><br /><br />A "too-tasty-to-be-homemade" tip that will work for either recipe? Boil your potatoes in chicken stock. You'll have the tastiest, richest potatoes ever, without adding too much more in terms of calories or fat. <br /><br /><br />Whatever your taste, either of these variations on the trusty mashed potato will satisfy!Marshalhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17601265658119612097noreply@blogger.com0