Homemade BBQ sauce & meatballs

My lovely KitchenAid mixer came with a little cookbook so I decided to try out a few of the recipes this morning.  Tomorrow my husband and I are heading over to a friends' place for a New Years Eve celebration and I signed up to bring meatballs to contribute to the evening of appetizers (Yum! My Fav!).  Both the sauce and the balls turned out great (I made a few minor modifications to the recipes).  I will definitely keep this recipe on hand!

BBQ Sauce

1 1/4 c brown sugar
1 c ketchup
1 tbsp dry mustard
2 tbsp Worcestershire
2 tbsp vinegar
1 c strong coffee (I used instant and it worked perfectly!)
1 med onion, chopped
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper

Combine everything in a saucepan over medium heat for 30 minutes.  Stir occasionally. Remove and either pour over meatballs (or any meat dish), or store in a container in the fridge until you want to use it. SO GOOD!

Balls of Meat

1 - 1 1/2 lbs ground beef (I used lean)

2 egg yolks

1/3 c dry bread crumbs

1/3 cup Parmesan cheese (fresh or the Kraft stuff)

2 tsp dried parsley (or 1 tbsp fresh parsley)

1/2 tsp garlic powder 

1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 pepper

1/4 c olive oil

*BBQ sauce

Mix everything except the olive oil (either by hand or with mixer on speed two with flat beater) until everything is mixed up.  Form into 1 inch balls and fry in olive oil until well browned (I did this in a covered skillet for about 5 minutes on each side).  Transfer balls to paper towel and blot off excess oil.  Pour on BBQ sauce and serve.  I made them a day ahead of time and will warm them up on the stove top tomorrow before serving.

Our new addition...

For Christmas my wonderful husband bought me a KitchenAid Stand Mixer.  This is an appliance that will get a lot of play in my home but I've never built up the guts to purchase one myself.  What a perfect Christmas gift!  After much thought, I decided to return the black one the hubby purchased and opted for the white.  I'm very happy with how it looks in the kitchen.  It's such a huge and beautiful piece (that's what she said), that I wanted to make sure I liked it enough to display on the counter top.  I cannot wait to start using it.  Tomorrow I will be making my Mother-in-laws famous chocolate icing for a gluten free cake and the next day I will be trying out another homemade BBQ sauce recipe with homemade meatballs.  YIPPPEEE!!!!
Happy cooking :)

Jenny's Dipped Pretzels

The other night Jenny, a wonderful friend of mine hosted an incredibly festive Night-before-Christmas-Eve Party.  The atmosphere, the drinks, the food and the company were absolute perfection.  The menu:  Cranberry/pineapple punch, eggnog with rum and nutmeg, Jenny's husband's famous cheese ball, pecan puffs, spinach dip and the list goes on and on.  A relatively easy treat that she put together that looked and tasted incredible were the chocolate dipped pretzels.  I will for sure try these out in the near future. 

Ingredients

large knot pretzels (Jenny used about 20)
pure chocolate - white, milk or dark, it's your call! (Jenny used a large Swiss dark chocolate bar)

Method
Break chocolate up and put in a small saucepan over low heat (if you have a double boiler you could use that).  Stir chocolate frequently until melted.  Remove from heat.  Dip half of each pretzel in the chocolate to coat.  Lay on a parchment paper lined baking sheet and put in the fridge for 10 minutes to set.  Display on a serving tray. Enjoy!

*Jenny is one crafty biatch!  Check out her blog - it's pretty amazing!

Christmas Morning Cheese Bread

When Nana came to visit our family while I was growing up this meant that the famous cheese bread would be making a brief appearance in our breadbox.  I say brief because it would literally last one morning.  My brother and I would eat slice after slice until we overdosed on it.  Now that my beautiful, ninety-four and a half year old Nana is living in a retirement home she doesn't have the luxury of baking her famous cheese bread any longer.  Christmas morning just wouldn't be the same without it, so I decided to bake two loaves this morning to take to my Mother's place for Christmas.  For those of you who don't bake, please don't be intimidated.  Making homemade bread is actually much easier then baking cookies.  Thank you Nana for this recipe!

Ingredients  
1 1/3 c warm water + 1 tbsp
1 1/4 c shredded cheese (I used medium cheddar)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
4 cups all purpose flour
1/4 shredded Parmesan cheese (I used monetary jack cheese since I had some leftover)
1 tbsp sugar
1 tsp active dry yeast (or one of those little packets)

Method

In a large bowl, add warm water, sugar and yeast.  Let work for 10 minutes.  Add 2 cups of flour, salt, both cheeses and baking powder. Mix well.  Gradually add remaining flour and knead until dough is soft.  Place dough on lightly floured surface and knead for 10 minutes.  Place dough in greased bowl, turn over once and cover with towel in a warm place and let rise for one hour.  punch dough down, knead lightly and divide into two.  Flatten dough to about one inch thick and roll up so that its' length is about the same length as your bread pan.  Pinch seam together and place seam side down in greased bread pans. Cover with a towel and let rise for one more hour.  Preheat over to 375 degrees F.  Paint one raw egg on the top of dough.  Bake for 30 minutes.  After about 15 minutes you can cover with foil so the tops don't burn.  Hope you like it!

Chocolate Coconut Macaroons

I'm new to the coconut scene.  Actually, let me correct myself.  I'm familiar with the alcoholic beverage coconut scene along with the coconut scent scene but I've never been a huge fan of the texture of coconut.  My husband on the other hand, is a huge fan.  I've attempted macaroons once before I wasn't overly thrilled with the final product.  Today, I'm going to give it another try with a completely different recipe, and if all goes well I'll be delivering them to my husband at work to share with his colleagues.  I could really get use to this whole not working thing...

2 hour time laps: The verdict - meh, they are ok.  I'm totally that girl who judges a book by its' cover and in turn judges food by its' appearance.  Macaroons aren't the prettiest looking cookie. The visual fix: add more coconut to hold them together better. 

Ingredients

4 ounces semi sweet chocolate, chopped (each square of bakers chocolate is 1 ounce)
3 large egg whites
1/4 cup cocoa powder
3/4 cup granulated white sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

2 1/2 cups sweetened coconut, shredded or flaked (I'd up the coconut to 3 cups!)

Method

In a double-boiler, over simmering water, melt the chocolate. Set aside. (I don't own a double boiler so I use a large pot with boil water and submerse a small pot with chocolate in it.  Stir frequently). Meanwhile, in a large bowl, whisk together the egg whites, cocoa powder, sugar, salt, and vanilla extract. Stir in the coconut and melted chocolate, making sure the coconut is well coated. Cover and refrigerate for about one hour, or until firm. Preheat oven to 325 degrees F and line two baking sheets with parchment paper (or grease). Place heaping tablespoons of the batter on baking sheet, spacing several inches apart. Bake for about 15 minutes or until the macaroons are shiny. Remove from oven and let cool on the baking sheet in the fridge for about 10 minutes.

Makes about 16 large or 24 small macaroons

F'n groceries...

Groceries...ugh.  No matter how hard I try to make grocery shopping a calm, relaxing and orderly experience I just can't seem to get there.  I've tried bringing my husband, I've tried stopping off to grab a latte at Starbucks beforehand, I've tried making organized lists, I've tried going before 'rush hour'.  Nothing works.  There's no denying it - I HATE GROCERY SHOPPING.  Perhaps it's the long process of getting to the grocery store from my house that gets me agitated, or that fact that items like marshmallows are NEVER where you think they should be,  but every time I grab a cart I have this almost uncontrollable desire to ram my cart into the back of innocent peoples' ankles.  True story.  More than a few times I've had family and friends run into me at the grocery store and comment later on how unpleasant I was.  To all of you who I have run into and who I will run into in the future, my sincerest apologies....and....watch your ankles.

Low Fat Roasted Garlic Fettuccine Alfredo

I'm convinced that I'm a blonde hair, blue eyed Italian.  I adore pizza, pasta and more importantly, red vino.  I enjoy cooking a lot more when I have someone providing me an general idea as inspiration.  My husband is usually that person (lucky guy!).  As per his request, I created a 'creamy pasta' recipe tonight.  Around here, the holiday season is filled with many yummy indulgences, so I decided to create a low fat version of a cream sauce.  To be honest, I didn't think this was going to be blog worthy since low-fat often translates to 'low-in-flavour-crap'.  I've been proven wrong. Cheers to pasta!

Ingredients

1/2 box Smart Fettuccine pasta (pasta with added fibre)

1 large chicken breast, cubed
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 bulb garlic, roasted (see below for recipe)
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 c chicken stock
1/2 c 1% milk (or whatever you have in the fridge)
1/2 c low fat sour cream

1/2 c light Parmesan cheese

dash of dried sage
1 tbsp flour

2 tbsp cold water

1-2 cups of broccoli or asparagus 

Roasted Garlic

Preheat oven to 450 degrees.  Cut top off bulb of garlic.  Drizzle with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Place top back on and wrap in foil.  Cook in oven for 25 minutes. Once done, open foil to let garlic cool. Once cooled, squeeze garlic cloves out from the bulb.  With a fork, smush cloves into a paste.  Set aside.

Pasta & Sauce

Boil pasta. In a skillet, over medium heat add 1 tbsp olive oil and 1/4 cup water.  Add chicken cubes and cover.  Cook until chicken is cooked thoroughly, about 10 minutes.  Discard any remaining liquid.  Set chicken aside.  Rinse skillet.  Add onion and chicken stock.  Simmer until onions are tender (ew, I hate that word).  Add milk, sour cream, Parmesan cheese, broccoli, salt, pepper and sage. Heat through.  Add chicken, roasted garlic paste and the 1 tbsp of flour mixed with 2 tbsp of cold water (this will thicken the sauce up).  Add cooked pasta.  Toss and serve.  A very good cream sauce without the use of butter or cream! YIPPEE!  I will definitely use this again.

 

My happy place...

I'm currently in my happy place.  Not that I don't absolutely love being a high school teacher, however this time off is beyond blissful.  I'm sitting here beside a roaring fire in the wood stove, sipping on a hazelnut coffee, cooking up a storm in my kitchen and I couldn't be happier (well, maybe if I were on the beach down south with a margarita in my hand....).  I always make time to put together homemade meals but it's nice to have the time to fully enjoy the process.  Today I'm working on a huge batch of chili to freeze for future lunches and dinners on those days I don't have time for homemade cooking.  I'm looking forward to the day when we have space for a nice big deep freeze!  This recipe has been adapted from my Mother's classic chili.  I hope you like it - it's a great 'comfort' meal for these cold, winter nights.  

2 lbs of ground chicken (no need to use beef as this has a tonne of flavour!)
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, chopped
2 celery stalks, chopped

1 tbsp Worcestershire

2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp sugar
1/2 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp dried basil

1 tsp dried red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp Tabasco
2 bay leaves
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can tomato pasta sauce (or crushed tomatoes)
1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed (beans have a tonne of added salt so be sure to rinse well!)
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
*to add more nutritional value, add a half package frozen chopped spinach, thawed & drained.
*My husband and I love spice - if you don't, limit or eliminated tabasco and red pepper flakes.

In a fry pan over medium heat, cook ground chicken all the way through.  Transfer to a large crock pot and add all remaining ingredients.  Cook on high for 3-4 hours, stirring every so often. Remove bay leaves.  Serve in a bread bowl on on its' own.  Enjoy!
   

Garlic Shrimp Crustini's with Roasted Pine Nuts

My brother's wonderful wife was recently on a weekend retreat in Michigan.  According to her, the B&B where she stayed served amazing food.  She passed along one of the dish ideas to me and I tried it out tonight.  I had to make modifications since I didn't have some of the ingredients.  All in all, I'm happy with the outcome.  This is a great appetizer idea when entertaining this holiday season.

Ingredients
1 french bread baguette, sliced into 1/2 thick pieces
2 c monterey jack cheese, grated

2/3 c mayo

1/2 c toasted pine nuts (the original recipe called for sliced almonds)

1 green onion, chopped

 20(ish) garlic shrimp (see below for recipe) **Original recipe called for 6 strips bacon, cooked & crumbled instead of shrimp

Method

Place bread slices on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake at 400˚ for 5 minutes or until lightly browned. Meanwhile, in a large bowl, combine the cheese, mayonnaise, almonds, bacon and onion. Spread mixture over bread. Bake for an additional 4 minutes or until cheese is melted. Sprinkle with additional almonds or pine nuts if desired. Top each crustini with one garlic shrimp. Serve warm.

To toast the pine nuts I threw them in a fry pan with a little butter until they browned, about 5 minutes over medium heat.

Easy Garlic Shrimp

20(ish) Shrimp - precooked, devained, thawed

2 green onion

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

Warm olive oil in a fry pan over medium heat.  Add shrimp, green onion and garlic.  Cook about 7 minutes, until oil, garlic and onion begin to stick to the bottom of the pan. Add one shrimp to the top of each crustini.  ENJOY!

NACHOS

A colleague of mine admitted to having a pretty intense obsession with nachos.  When he found out I had a cooking blog he immediately asked me to post a nacho recipe.  Two months later I have finally gotten around to throwing together what turned out to be a fantastic recipe.  Sorry for the wait. Hope you like it!

Here are a few basic nacho rules:
1) Chip to topping ratio must be equal.  (Most restaurants are terrible at mastering this)

2) Do not make topping too runny (sogginess is a nacho no-no!)

3) Jalapenos are a MUST!

4) Nacho height should be kept to a minimum

Nacho Ingredients

1 package ground chicken (or beef - your call)
1 bag multi grain tostitos
1 large jar medium salsa
1 can re fried beans
1/2 c grated monterey jack cheese
1 c grated medium cheddar cheese
3 green onions, sliced
2 tbsp minced jalapenos (more or less, depending on your spice tolerance)
olives, sliced
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cumin
Sour cream (for dipping)
Guacamole (for dipping) recipe included below

Method
Over medium heat, brown ground chicken in a fry pan with chili powder, cumin and minced jalapenos. Then  add 3/4 jar of salsa and 1 can of re fried beans. Mix together until warmed through.  Set aside. Preheat oven at 375 degrees.

Line baking sheet (or pizza pan) with foil and spray with nonstick spray.  Spread a layer of tostitos over entire pan.  Add a layer of chicken/salsa mixture on top.  Depending on how many chips you want you might need to add another thin layer of tostitos.  Top with remaining chicken/salsa mixture.  Add green onion, olives and cheese. Put in oven for 10 minutes, until cheese is melted.  Serve with a side of sour cream, salsa and guacamole. ENJOY!

If using the entire bag of tostitos this will serve 4-6 people as a meal and about 8 -10 people for an appetizer.

   

Guacamole Recipe (previously posted)
1 ripe avocado

1/2 tomato, diced

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp lime juice from concentrate

1 tbsp diced red onion

salt & pepper to taste

Throw all ingredients together in a bowl, smush with a folk. Eat.

Saucy Pulled Pork

As it turns out the pulled pork that I made this past weekend wasn't so bad after all.  I was happy that I had stashed it in the fridge because last night I didn't feel like cooking. 

You will need 1 pork shoulder roast.

Pork Rub:

2 tsp garlic powder

2 tsp paprika

1 tsp cayenne pepper

2 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp thyme

Combine all ingredients and rub over pork.  Put pork in a crock pot on high. Add homemade BBQ sauce (see the following recipe).  Cook on high for three hours then on low for 2 additional hours. Baste every hour with BBQ sauce.  Pull pork apart with two forks.  Serve on warm buns.

Homemade BBQ sauce

2 tbsp butter
1 c finely chopped onions

2 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 tsp paprika
1 tsp dry mustard

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 can tomato paste
1/2 c apple juice

1/2 c cider vinegar

2 tbsp brown sugar

In a saucepan over medium heat add the butter and, when melted, add the onions and cook until they are very soft, about 4 minutes. Add the garlic, paprika, ground mustard, salt, crushed red pepper, black pepper, and cayenne pepper and cook for 2 minutes. Add the tomato paste and cook, stirring frequently, for 2 minutes, or until the tomato paste begins to brown. Add the juice, cider vinegar, and brown sugar, and stir to combine. Reduce the heat to low and cook until the sauce has thickened and the flavors have come together, about 15 to 20 minutes.

* if sauce is too runny, add 1 tbsp of corn starch dissolved in 2 tbs water to BBQ sauce.

Snow Day Soup

Today was my very first snow day of my teaching career and I have to say, I LOVED IT! I woke up, jumped in the shower and continued with my regular morning routine until 15 minutes before I left.  I decided to log on the computer and BAM! I saw it - School Closures! BOOYA!  Today was spent relaxing, cooking, marking, cleaning and playing in the snow. A perfect day. 

A few days ago I picked up at cooked chicken from Costco for dinner ($6.99!).  We had it that night for dinner and the following day for lunch.  I grew up on delicious homemade chicken stock based soups so I decided to try it out for myself.  My husband who usually claims that "soup is a drink", said it was very good for dinner! 

Chicken Stock

bones from one whole chicken

8-12 cups of water (depending on how big the pot is)

2 celery stocks, chopped

1 carrot, cut into large sections

2 onions, chopped

2 tsp dried parsley
2 tsp oregano

1 tsp thyme

2 bay leaves

1/2 tsp peppercorns

Simmer all ingredients for 3 hours. Remove and pour through a colander.  The enables some of the onion chunks and spices to fall through.  I had a lot of meat still left on the bones when they when in the pot (that's what she said), so I picked hunks out and put it into the stock.  Discard remains. Put stock in fridge for 6 hours until fat hardens on the top.  Discard fat.

Soup

Chicken stock

1 carrot, sliced

1 c corn

1/2 c frozen peas

1 celery stock, chopped

1/2 tsp oregano

2 cups raw pasta (use beans as a substitute)

salt & pepper to taste

Put everything together in the same pot you made the stock in and simmer for 20 minutes or until pasta is al dente. Serve!  

Wood Chopping Buns

*UPDATE: A friend brought over cinnamon buns and they were better than this recipe - once I get my hands on the recipe I will post it.  None the less, these are still a delicious, easy and quick recipe!

The boys started to arrive by 8:30am this morning to help my husband and I chop wood to heat our house this winter.  The girls will be arriving shortly so in the meantime I decided to try out cinnamon buns for the first time.  I needed a quick recipe that required no fridge time.  This recipe turned out GREAT and seriously didn't take long at all.  Prep time was about 15 minutes, then 20 minutes in the oven.  Perfect treat for a snow cold day!  The boys seemed to like them!  Be sure to serve warm :)

3 cups flour
2 tbsp sugar

1tbsp baking powder
3/4tsp salt
1/2tsp baking soda
2/3cup cold butter, cubed
1 1/4 c buttermilk (I used regular milk with 1 tbsp lemon juice, let sit for 5 minutes)
1 egg

Cinnamon Filling:
3tbsp butter, softened
1/3 c packed brown sugar
2 tsp cinnamon

Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
2 tbsp half & half cream (or milk)
splash of vanilla extract
(mix all ingredients together - if too dry add more cream)

Spray 2 round cake pans with cooking spray and sprinkle with flour. Set aside. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and baking soda. With pastry blender (I used forks), cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. In separate bowl, whisk buttermilk with egg; pour over dry ingredients and stir with fork to make soft dough. With floured hands, press dough into ball. On lightly floured surface, knead gently 10 times. Roll out to 16- x 11-inch (40 x 28 cm) rectangle .

Cinnamon Filling: Spread butter over dough, leaving 1/2-inch (1 cm) border along 1 long edge. Sprinkle butter with pecans, sugar and cinnamon. Starting at side opposite border, roll up evenly into log; pinch seam to seal.  Using serrated knife, cut into 1-inch thick slices; arrange in cake pans. Bake in centre of 400°F oven until golden, about 20 minutes.  Let cool slightly and ice. Serve!

Bah, Humbug!

Bah, humbug! Today I put together what I thought was going to be a great pulled pork recipe however by the time dinner rolled around and after smelling the pork cook for hours, I had zero appetite for it. I'm currently fighting a cold so my appetite is a little off so....default dinner = frozen pizza. For now, the pork is in the fridge. I'll give it a try tomorrow and let you know if it's blog worthy.

Want to know what to do to get rid of a case of the Bah, humbugs? A latte.  Simple as that. 

Yields: 2 huge mugs

2 c triple concentrated coffee (I used decaf)
1 1/3 c eggnog
2/3 c milk
nutmeg for garnish

Combine milk and eggnog. Warm up in the microwave for 3 minutes. Pour prepared coffee into a mug and add steamed eggnog/milk mixture. Sprinkle a little nutmeg on the top and enjoy! (You could add a shot of rum if you want to get a little w.i.l.d....)

*Have you ever searched 'Bah, humbug!' on urban dictionary? ha!

cookie trial.

A success!  I usually don't mess around with baking recipes because measurements need to be so precise for it to turn out.  In a few weeks I am taking part in a second annual cookie exchange with some very lovely ladies (hmm, I think we need to come up with a creative name this this annual deliciousness).  I decided to sign up to make chewy ginger cookies.  I've made them a few times before and was happy with the taste but not with the how flat they were (that's what she said).  I upped the flour and baking powder anti and am very pleased with the results.  I will definitely be using this revamped recipe for the cookies exchange.

3/4 c margarine (or butter or shortening)
1 c sugar
1 egg
1/4 c molasses
2 1/2 c flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp ginger powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp clove powder
sugar for garnish

Cream together margarine and sugar, then add egg and molasses.  In a separate bowl, combine remaining ingredients.  Blend into creamed mixture (that's what she said).  Shape into small balls and roll in a bowl of sugar to garnish.  Lightly grease a cookie sheet and flatten balls slightly with a fork.  Bake at 350 for 9ish minutes.  Makes 2 dozen.

PS: Sorry I've been slacking with my blog.  I have 2 weeks off for Christmas and I hope to spend some time making up some new dishes.

For Katie...

A girlfriend of mine is slightly, shall we say, challenged in the kitchen.  To be fair, I'm not sure if it's an inability to cook or a lack of interested to try.  Regardless, I had a text from her a few weekends back stating that she wished she had the energy to go to the store to get a box of pancakes.  Little did Katie know, she likely had every ingredient in her kitchen to make homemade ones in the same amount of time!  So Katie, next Sunday morning, impress the man and make them from scratch :)

2 c flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
3 tbsp sugar
1 3/4 c milk
3 tsp vegetable oil
1/2 tsp vanilla

Toss all wet ingredients together in a bowl (that's what she said), mix, then add the dry ingredients to it, mix and pour onto a greased pan (or electric skillet).  If you'd like them thicker, add a little more flour until desired consistency.  If you are like Nathan and like a pan-crepe then cut back on the flour to thin out the batter. Serve with REAL maple syrup. Enjoy!

Beef Teriyaki

On my way home from work today my eyes became locked on a Chinese restaurant.  Great.  Now I wanted that for dinner.  A bummer about living out in the country is that takeout doesn't really make sense since it takes a while to get into town to grab it and it's usually cold by the time we get home. I suppose it's a blessing in disguise.  I came home and starting to put together a Japanese and Chinese inspired dish.  It turned out great.  Good thing, because it made enough extras. Score - lunch tomorrow!

2 beef steaks, sliced

chopped veggies (I used celery, red pepper, mushroom, carrots, Cherry tomatoes and broccoli)

2 cups cooked basmati rice

Teriyaki Sauce

1/4 c soy sauce
3/4 c water

2 cloves garlic, minced

3 tbsp brown sugar

1/8 tsp ground ginger

2 tbsp corn starch dissolved in 1/4 c water

Place sliced steaks in a skillet over medium heat and brown slightly on each side.  Pour teriyaki sauce over beef, cover and simmer for 3 minutes.  Add veggies, cover and continuing simmering for about 4 minutes, or until veggies are desired crispness.  Serve on a bed of basmati rice.

Spinach & Cheese Dip

For those of you who eat at Kelsey's you'll likely recognize this dish.  It tastes pretty close to their "Four Cheese Spinach Dip".  I've made this a number of times and always have friends say they enjoy it.  I usually double this recipe so it can serve a group of people.

1 package light cream cheese

1/2 package frozen, chopped spinach (thawed & drained)

2 tbsp minced red onion

1/4 c Parmesan cheese

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 c grated medium cheddar cheese

pinch of cayenne pepper

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Throw everything except cheddar cheese and cayenne pepper into a bowl and mix until just incorporated.  Transfer mixture to a small ovenproof dish and sprinkling cayenne on top to taste. Top with cheddar. Bake for 15 - 18 minutes or until bubbling around the edges.  Remove from oven and allow to set for 5 - 7 minutes before serving. Serve with baked pita wedges, tortilla chips or naan bread. SOOOOOOOOOOO delish!

*Update:  I have messed around with this recipe a bit and made a new one here.  Both are delish!

London Fog

Today I spent the afternoon running a combine for my husband on the farm while he loaded bins.  For those of you know me, please stop laughing!  For those of you who might not, please let me explain.  I'm a city slicker that went country a few years ago.  This fact is difficult for some people to swallow.  Especially my Father who laughed far too hard on the phone tonight when I told him how I spent my day.  After what has felt like a very long day, I find myself curled up on the couch with another yummy beverage.  A few years ago a great friend of mine introduced me to 'London Fogs' and they are now my pick-me-up after a long day.  It's one of my top choices at Starbucks. (up there with Soy Tazo Chai Lattes, Vanilla Steamers and Pumpkin Spiced Lattes).  I figured out a pretty decent way to create this at home, and for a fraction of the cost! 

1 Vanilla Earl Grey tea bag
1/4 c boiling water
2 - 3 tsp sugar (depending on how sweet you like it)

1 c hot milk (I warm it up in the microwave for about 1.5 mins)

Boil Water. Pour into mug with tea bag and let steep for 3 minutes (make it strong since it will be diluted with milk).  Remove tea bag.  Dissolve sugar.  Pour in milk.  Stir. Enjoy!

Side note:  A London Fog is a 'Earl Grey Vanilla Misto' at Starbucks.  They seem to lose that perkiness in their voice when you order it incorrectly.  Bitche$.   :) ha!

Mini Pumpkin Scones

A few things that I'm a fan of (not that I'm a fan of only a few things), in no particular order:

                 1. Starbucks

                 2. Homemade baked goods

                 3. Clove, ginger & nutmeg

These items all give me a sense of warm and comfort; a feeling of the holidays.  Ever since I was small I've been a nut about holidays, specifically the Christmas season.  With some major life changes over the last few years I've had a difficult time finding that childlike passion I once had.  Thanks to a few different factors, I am pleased to say that I've found that child again!  The ridiculously humid weather this summer (and a lack of A/C), fantastic family and friends, and a job that I absolutely love have all got me to this point.  I am so excited for the Christmas season and plan on relishing in every moment of it.  Shopping, mall crowds, many family get togethers . . . BRING IT ON!   The below recipe has a subtle pumpkin flavour and are super easy to make.  It tastes JUST like Starbucks pumpkin scones. What a treat!

 2 c all-purpose flour
7 tbsp (which is 1/4 c + 2 tbsp) sugar
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp nutmeg

1/4 tsp cloves

1/4 tsp ginger

6 tbsp (which is 1/4 c + 1 tbsp) cold butter

1/2 c canned pumpkin

3 tbsp half-and-half

1 large egg

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Grease baking sheet. Combine flour, sugar, baking powder, salt, and spices in a large bowl. Using a pastry knife, fork, or food processor, cut butter into the dry ingredients until mixture is crumbly and no chunks of butter are obvious. Set aside. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, half and half, and egg. Fold wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Form the dough into a ball. Pat out dough onto a lightly floured surface and form it into a 1-inch thick square. Use a large knife or a pizza cutter to slice the dough in half. Slice each half into 6-8 triangles. Place on prepared baking sheet. Bake for 11-14 minutes. Scones should begin to turn light brown. Place on wire rack to cool. Makes: 12-16 mini scones.

Icing
1 c powdered sugar
2 tbsp milk

mixed two ingredients until desired texture.  If it's too dry after mixing, add a little more milk (that's what she said).  Ice scones.  Enjoy!

Pork & Apples

In my opinion pork should always be served with apples.  This dish turned out fantastic and has a 'fall' like flavour.  Cook, eat. Be merry... 

1.5 - 2 lb Pork loin roast, cubed

1/4 c flour

2 tbsp olive oil, divided

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 medium red onion, chopped

1 cup apple juice (or cider if you have it)

1 cup chicken stock
3 small tart apples, cored and sliced
1/4 c grainy honey mustard

Toss pork cubes with flour to coat.  Heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet.  Add pork (discard extra flour).  Season with pepper.  Brown pork cubes on all sides over medium heat.  Set pork aside.  Using the same skillet, add the remaining oil and saute onions until soft.  Add pork, apple juice, stock, apples and mustard.  Simmer, covered, for about 50 mins.  Serve in a bowl, as a stew type dish.

Keg Party.

Other than the fact that my house smells like I just hosted a keg party, I am very pleased with the chicken I cooked tonight for dinner.  I served this beer chicken on a bed of basmati rice.  I hope you like it!

2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cubed
1/2 to 3/4 of a bottle of beer (depending on how much you drink of it!)
4 tbsp soya sauce
1/4 c orange juice
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp honey
2 c broccoli

Put everything but the broccoli in a large pot over high heat and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer, uncovered for 10 minutes.  This will burn off the alcohol.  Stir occasionally.  Cook for another 10 minutes covered.  Throw broccoli and cook for 3 minutes.  Serve over rice.

Sausage & Shrimp Gumbo

This morning I was half watching a cooking show while marking essays and saw a recipe that I thought I'd try out tonight.  My husband is fairly picky when it comes to vegetables (seems wrong for a farmer to not like a lot of vegetables eh? I'm working on it!).  I didn't tell him what was in this dish until he finished.  He was pretty impressed!  This recipe is a great way to mask some nutrient rich vegetables.  Hope you like it!  I'm happy that we have plenty leftover for a quick meal tomorrow.  Serves: 6

 

1/3 c canola/vegetable oil
1/3 c all-purpose flour
1 medium onion, chopped (I used red onion)
1 yellow bell pepper, chopped
6 cloves garlic, chopped
Cayenne pepper, to taste  ( I used about 1/2 tsp)
2 tbsp tomato paste

2 c okra, chopped (Couldn't find this fresh so I used the frozen stuff)
2 stocks Swiss chard, chopped
3 spicy pork sausages, cut into 1 inch cubes
2 bay leaves
3 c water
1 tsp sea salt
1 pound uncooked shrimp, peeled and de-veined (1 lb = 1 bag PC raw shrimp)
Chopped fresh Italian parsley, to garnish

1.       In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Add flour and cook, whisking constantly, until pale golden, about 5-7 minutes.

2.       With a wooden spoon, stir in onion, bell pepper and garlic. Sauté until veggies are soft, about 10 minutes.

3.       Add cayenne pepper and tomato paste, then mix well to combine. Gently fold in okra, Swiss chard, sausage and bay leaves. Sauté for 3 minutes, then add water and salt, stirring well. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium low. Cover and let simmer for 25 minutes.

4.       Add shrimp, then simmer uncovered for 5 minutes, until shrimp is light pink and opaque. Serve over steamed white rice and garnish with chopped fresh Italian parsley, if desired.

I served without the rice, as more of a stew.  Neither my husband nor I had even heard of Okra.  I was pretty good.  Not much of a flavour to it - - almost looks like a jalapeno pepper.  I will definitely cook with it again. 

1,000 views!

Here I sit sipping on a coffee working on putting together some handouts for my students and I decided to take a quick peek at the good ol' blog. 1,000 page views!  Thank you everyone who visits my blog on a regular basis.  I am happy that people are actually reading this.  My mom has probably viewed it 500 of those 1000 times, but still :) 

As a thank you, I'm wondering if there is a dish idea that you have that you would like me to try out, spruce up and blog about.  If so, post a comment and let me know.  I'd be happy to try something out.  I also love reading comments so POST AWAY.  

Thanks everyone,
Jill xo

Home alone.

Being married to a farmer means that I spend a lot of time alone, especially during the most beautiful days of the year.  I find cooking dinner for one can be a challenge so I often find myself putting together plates of randomness.  Tonights dinner - - a bowl of homemade guacamole with corn chips.  Took me right back to being in Los Cabos, poolside with a ice cold beer, fresh guacamole and pipping hot, greasy corn chips. YUM!

Guacamole

1 ripe avocado
1/2 tomato, diced
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp lime juice from concentrate
1 tbsp diced red onion
salt & pepper to taste

Throw all ingredients together in a bowl, smush with a folk. Eat.

Saturday night in...

I thought pumpkin spice lattes would be a perfect treat while lounging on the couch with the hubby, especially after the fantastic fall weather we had today.  Starbucks sells these lattes every fall and they are AMAZING.  My new school is about 3 kms away from a Starbucks which is a tad dangerous for me (& my bank account).  I looked at a few different recipes and came up with this one.  It turned out fantastic!  I will definitely be making these again....and again.....and again....

Pumpkin Spice Lattes for 2

2 c milk

2 tbsp pumpkin puree

2 tbsp sugar

1 tbsp pure vanilla extract

sprinkle of cinnamon

sprinkle of nutmeg

1 c strong brewed coffee (I doubled the amount of coffee grinds that we usually use & chose decaf)

Brew coffee.  In a sauce pan over medium heat warm milk, sugar and pumpkin, constantly whisking.  Do not bring to a boil because you don't want to burn the milk. Remove from heat and add vanilla and spices. Whisk until frothy (or blend for 15 seconds).  Pour into two mugs and add coffee.  We didn't have any in the house, but you could add whipped cream to the top.

Bad for you brownies

I know that I've already posted a brownie recipe but this one is far worse for you than the other one :)   They taste so awesome though - - so good that they don't need icing.  Tonight I whipped this together when my brother in-law came by for a visit.  He approved!

4 oz unsweetened chocolate (4 Baker's chocolate squares)

4 oz semisweet cholcolate

1 c butter

2 c sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp vanilla

1 c flour

1/2 tsp salt

In top of double boiler ( I don't own one so I use a small pot inside a bigger one), over hot water, melt all chocolate until smooth.  Set aside.  In bowl, cream butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each one (that's what she said).  Stir in vanilla.  Stir in flour and salt.  Add chocolate and stir until colour is consistant.  Pour batter into a greased 13X9 inch baking dish.  Bake for 35 minutes at 350 degrees.  Let cook before serving.  ENJOY!

Basic Baba Ganoush

This past weekend I contributed to 4 different Thanksgiving meals.  I am now sporting a nice blister on my right index finger from all the peeling, mashing and chopping.  I decided to take something a little different to our largest family gathering on Saturday, where there were about 50 people in attendance.  Hardcore eh? :)  All the basics were covered so I decided on an appetizer of sliced fresh baguettes, homemade hummus (previously posted), oil bread dip and baba ganoush.  They were all a hit!  Here is the very basic Baba Ganoush recipe that I threw together.

1 medium egg plant

1/4 container light cream cheese

1/2 c 5% sour cream

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 tbsp lemon juice concentrate

1 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper 

Pierce eggplant a few times with fork and put on baking sheet.  Cook for 35 minutes at 400 degrees, rotating every 10 minutes.  Place eggplant in a bowl of cold water and peel skin off.  Squeeze some of the moisture out before tossing into a food processor.  Add all remaining ingredients.  Pulse until desired consistency.  Add more sour scream if you like it creamier (that's what she said).  Chill for at least three hours.  Serve as a dip. Enjoy!

Reality Check.

I firmly believe that there certain people who come into our lives to teach us lessons that we otherwise wouldn't experience.  This year I have a student that has done just that in 5 short weeks.  This particular student is likely the most positive student I've taught.  He comes into class, smiling, chatting and contributes so positively to the overall classroom atmosphere.  In the last year this student has undergone 3 brain surgeries, has lost his sight entirely and missed his first year of high school.  He has integrated so seamlessly into my cooking class that I often forget that he is visually impaired.  He has taught me that no matter how crappy my day is I always have a reason to smile and should always try to project positivity. 

Yesterday this student told me that he spent last Thanksgiving in the hospital. After our apple crisp cooking lab he told me that he was going to make one to drop off at the hospital on Saturday for their Thanksgiving meal.  I couldn't resist doing the same.  Today I spend the morning cooking a giant batch of garlic mashed potatoes to take to the Children's Hospital.  I swung by a local farm and purchased a cherry pie on my way to deliver the 'goods'.  Today I learned another valuable lesson - - I am so very grateful for health, family and friendship.  Far too often we seem to get wrapped up in the overwhelming feeling of family gatherings that we forget the point of them.  They aren't meant to be stressful, an inconvenience and a pain in our ass.  They are meant to be a time of love, bonding and happiness.  So the next time you are feeling like the last thing you want to do is get together 4 times over with family on the holidays think of the children that I saw today at the hospital who are unable to pull a chair up to a table covered with delicious home cooking that is surrounded by the love of family this Thanksgiving.

To everyone who is reading this, Happy Thanksgiving to you and your families xoxo

...since this is technically a cooking blog and not 'Jill's rant & rave blog' I suppose I should include a recipe. 

Garlic Mashed Potatoes: This is a giant batch that will serve 10+

1 bag of white potatoes, 3/4 peeled and cubed (leave some skin on for added texture)

1/2 container of light cream cheese
3/4 c 5% sour cream

1/4 c butter

1/4 - 1/2 c milk (depending on how smooth you like 'em)

4 cloves garlic, minced

salt & pepper

Boil potatoes until tender.  Drain and return to pot.  Add remaining ingredients and whip with electric mixer until desired consistency.  Enjoy!