more than burnt toast: December 2009

30 December 2009

A Recipe for Top Sirloin Roast with Chimichurri Sauce

Happy New Year, bonne année, kali chronia

Well here we are at the end of another year. As we welcome in 2010 many of us will be attempting to maintain our healthy life styles. I for one indulged in more than my share of holiday sweets. Although I do try and counteract the sweet stuff with some healthy interjections as well which is why I opted for make- ahead sauces rather than the usual gravy, garlic mashed potatoes and roasted red onions for my roast. I served this delicious roast beef on Christmas Eve along with Herbed Salmon Bake and "Garides" or Shrimp Saganaki but there is absolutely nothing that says you can't enjoy it any of the 365 days of year.

Frozen Butter Biscuits

I'd love to take a few moments to wish all of our American friends a very happy Thanksgiving. I hope you have many hands to make the work lighter and many smiling faces around your table. There is just so much to be thankful for....despite everything!!

Thanksgiving here in Canada was in October so we are ogling your recipe ideas for the Christmas holidays. So for the past week or two I have not been baking up a storm, or been up to my elbows with saucepans, nor do I want to stick my head in the oven either...just kidding. Our time will come and I hope you have many things to make you truly thankful.

I have had these biscuits waiting on the sidelines to have their time to SHINE!!! These are gold-standard biscuits from Canadian Chef Michael Smith. These are another one of the down-home dishes I enjoyed from his latest cookbook The Best of Chef at Home which I reviewed in an earlier post. His secret? Frozen butter! It’s an old pastry chef’s trick that has served him well. Butter tastes great and adds that flavour that is just essential when baking biscuits. When the butter is frozen it becomes very easy to shred into the dough. This allows for a very flaky biscuit. I broke the biscuits in half and topped them with Greek yogurt from Pike Place Market in Seattle as well as some homemade raspberry preserves. These flaky morsels did not last long and are so versatile. I have made them several times adding different cheeses and herbs.

Be thankful that you don't already have everything you desire.

If you did, what would there be to look forward to?

Be thankful when you don't know something,

for it gives you the opportunity to learn.

Be thankful for the difficult times. During those times you grow.

Be thankful for your limitations,

because they give you opportunities for improvement.

Be thankful for each new challenge,

because it will build your strength and character.

Be thankful for your mistakes. They will teach you valuable lessons.

Be thankful when you're tired and weary,

because it means you've made a difference.

It's easy to be thankful for the good things.

A life of rich fulfillment comes to those who

are also thankful for the setbacks.

Gratitude can turn a negative into a positive.

Find a way to be thankful for your troubles,

and they can become your blessings.

Have a wonderful Thanksgiving everyone!!!!

**Frozen Butter Biscuits**
by Canadian Chef Michael Smith from the Best of Chef at Home
print Michael's recipe

4 cups of all-purpose flour

2 large spoonfuls of baking powder

2 small spoonfuls of salt

2 sticks/8 oz/ 1 cup of frozen butter

1-1/2 cups of milk

a sprinkle or two of salt and pepper

*****************
Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Whisk the flour, baking powder and salt together until they’re evenly mixed. Grate the frozen butter into the dry ingredients. Shred it through the large holes of a box grater or potato grater directly into the flour. Toss gently with your fingers until the butter shards are spread evenly throughout the flour.

Pour the milk into the flour mixture and stir with an upside down wooden spoon to form a dough mass. The handle of the spoon is gentler on the dough. Fold the dough over a few times with your hands until all the ingredients come together. If necessary add a few spoonfuls more milk to help gather up any stray flour. This kneading will strengthen the dough a bit but not enough to toughen the biscuits. It will also help them form a crisp crust when they bake.

Pat the dough out on a lightly floured cutting board forming a loose round shape. Cut into wedges – like a pie - or any other shape you’re in the mood for. Position on a baking sheet; sprinkle on a bit of coarse salt and coarsely ground pepper. Bake for fifteen minutes or so. You’ll know they’re done when they turn golden brown. Enjoy at once with lots of brown butter!

29 December 2009

A Holiday Package from President's Choice and Loblaw's

As a member of BloggerAid-Changing the Face of Famine's project View and Review I was excited when I had the opportunity to receive products from the Loblaw's corporation. View and Review is a fun aspect of BloggerAid-CFF where our members have the opportunity to review cookbooks and products from the world over. All work and no play makes us all a little dull so we all get together and have a little fun while continuing to raise awareness for world famine. After all, most of our members are food bloggers and what's more important than food!!!!

While food is at the heart of their offerings, Loblaws's stores offer a continually growing and successful wide range of products and services to meet your everyday household needs. Here in the West they are under the banner of Canadian Superstore and various other banners Canadawide such as Zehr's, Fortino's, Dominion or No Frills. They are committed to providing a one-stop shopping destination to meet your food and household needs through their quality food and general merchandise products, drugstore and financial products and services, along with their control brand program including the unique President's Choice, No Name and Joe Fresh Style brands.

The President's Choice concept was developed by a talented group of food-inspired people who knew back in the mid-80s that Canadians deserved better quality food choices for their hard-earned dollars. The premise was simple which was to develop unique or superior products that offered better value to their shoppers. The idea may have been simple, but few could have anticipated how Canadian consumers would come to embrace the President's Choice brand to make it one of Canada's best-known trademarks then and now. They just celebrated their 25th Anniversary of their President's Choice® brand.

The holidays are a very busy time and it is not over yet!!!!! We cook, we bake, we clean all to make the holiday season perfect for our loved ones, so, it is wonderful to have your cupboard or pantry filled with some holiday survival products from President's Choice. Products that will enhance the flavours of your party dishes or premade foods that make your entertaining a stress-free reality. As part of my package I received some PC Double Chocolate Covered Almonds with Peppermint. I had some friends over for lunch with their granddaughter just before Christmas and what I heard from them is that they loved these crunchy almonds which are covered in a layer of rich dark chocolate under a minty white chocolate coating. They are the perfect sweet holiday treat and they said they loved them more than the regular chocolate covered almonds you buy at the grocers. I think Presidents Choice has a winner!!!!!We couldn't get their granddaughter to stop eating them they were so addictive!!!!

I also received some Truffles dusted with cocoa powder and some Maple Butter Fudge, a crumbly, old-fashioned delight made with real butter and Quebec maple syrup. I was proud to include both of these treats with my tray of sweet offerings over the holidays. The fudge especially is an all-time favourite!!!They look perfect with the other goodies on the cookie tray!!!

I also received a jar of Pad Thai Sauce which made cooking inbetween holiday meals a breeze. Here is their recipe from their website for some Pad Thai using their delicious sauce. The making of a good Pad Thai is quite easy with a pre-made sauce. There are some alternative recipes for salmon and veggies… but Pad Thai is so quick and good, you must try it. Stir fry some chicken chunks in a wok after boiling some rice noodles and putting the noodles to the side. When the chicken is cooked through, add the noodles and sauce. Stir ingredients together and crack an egg into the wok while stirring. Once cooked through, plate with some chopped green onions, fresh bean sprouts and a squeeze of lime. Sit back and enjoy with a nice Reisling or Gewürztraminer…. It will certainly become one of your food routines as well!

With my Pad Thai Sauce I started out by using ingredients I already had on hand by making:

** Ginger-Lime Marinated Chicken Skewers**

Combine Pad Thai Sauce, juice of 2 limes, 1 tablespoon sugar and 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger. Add 1- 1/2 pounds diced chicken breast (scallops or peeled and deveined shrimp) in a medium bowl, and marinate for up to 2 hours in the refrigerator.

Drain marinade into a saucepan; thread chicken or seafood on skewers. Grill or broil using medium heat, turning shrimp in 1 to 2 minutes (when it turns pink), scallops in 2 to 3 minutes and chicken in 5 - 6 minutes. Meanwhile, bring marinade to a boil over medium heat, reduce heat and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes or until the sauce begins to thicken. Serve as a dipping sauce for the skewers. Garnish with chopped peanuts, basil or cilantro if desired.

They are also a company with a heart and work hard with their President's Choice Children's Charity® (PC Children's Charity) which is dedicated to helping children who are physically or developmentally challenged. According to their web site their aim is to remove some of the obstacles that make everyday living extremely difficult and to provide young people with a renewed sense of dignity, independence and freedom.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. If not the content has been stolen without permission.

27 December 2009

A Recipe for "Garides" or Shrimp Saganaki for the Holidays

A Recipe for Garides Saganaki

A few months ago when it was L'il Burnt Toast's birthday we took a culinary tour at home in memory of a week we had in Greece together on the islands of Santorini and Naxos a few years back. I was there for 5 weeks in total but we were able to spend a part of our sojourn together. In honour of her birthday, and her love of Greek cuisine, I made all of her favourite dishes such as Spanakopita and Aglaia Kremezi's Greek Lemon and Oregano Potatoes. This is all well and good and would cure even the seasoned traveller of their cravings for authentic Greek cuisine, but, I wanted to add a new dish to the mix. I had been tempted by the Garides Saganaki on Peter's site Kalofagas - Greek Food and Beyond. He heightens the flavour of this classic dish with sauteed mushrooms and just the right amount of hot peppers. He also adds just a splash of that classic Greek drink ouzo for good measure.

Have a Merry Christmas with One Last Special Treat Just for You!!!!

Merry Christmas, Happy Christmas, Joyeux Noel, Feliz Navidad

I have had my eye on a special decadent treat for you for the holidays for months now.

Chocolate Salami

A recipe for Chocolate Salami

I wanted to make one last special treat for you and this was it!!! How many treats can people eat after a belt-loosening dinner anyways. One thing about having all your baking and gift wrapping done early...you are always tempted to find just one more thing that a loved one would just swoon over or bake just one last cookie. The original recipe for chocolate salami called for tempering eggs and a myriad of other techniques that might be doomed to failure until I saw this version of Chocolate Salami over at another fellow Canadian blog Dinner with Julie and also a similar version on About.com. It is simple to duplicate and I even added a tablespoon of British Columbia Ice-Wine as an added bonus. It reminds me of one of my favourite chocolate bars Fruit and Nut from Cadbury and makes a great conversation piece on the holiday platter.

Kala Christougena, Frohliche Weihnachten, Buon Natale

Chocolate salami is a traditional Portuguese dessert made from dark chocolate, broken cookies, butter, and eggs. I didn't know this until after I had made this special treat for you. It is more of a candy than a cookie, but no matter what it is pure heaven!!! How appropriate that I will have my future in-laws who are all Portuguese at my home for Christmas Eve!!! Chocolate salami has the same cylindrical shape as a salami, but is not a meat product. It is served as sliced cross-sections, the dark brown of the chocolate substituting for the red meat, and the broken bits of cookies substituting for the fat of the salami.

And then there's the valley's most celebrated offering...eiswein or ice wine. Invented in Germany in 1794, this intense, gorgeous nectar is made by leaving grapes on the vine through a frost, after which they are promptly picked and pressed. Water, in the form of ice granules, stays in the press and what goes into the fermenter is the sweet essence of grape. Among the dozens of types of dessert wines in the world, my absolute favorite is ice wine. The world's leading producer of ice wine is Canada, followed by Germany and then Austria. Because of the concentrated taste, ice wine is one of the most elegant and refined dessert wines. I often fill a Bernard Callebaut chocolate cup with ice wine and dessert is simple and delicious. Because the wine is so intense, a typical serving is just one ounce. Its opulent flavours are balanced by crisp acidity. Imagine a kaleidoscope of peaches, nectarines, apricots, and honey. You'll probably pay more than $50 for a tall, skinny bottle of ice wine, but just about every Okanagan winery makes its own signature variety. Optimal weather conditions can never be assured, so true ice wine is a real treat. Last week we had some chilling weather so they have already harvested their grapes and this years ice wines have already been produced.

Shub Naya Baras, Selamat Hari Krimas, Geseënde Kersfees

I used ice wine but you could use any liqueur of your choice such as Frangelico or Grand Marnier...even rum. Since this is a Portuguese treat it would be perfect with Port also!!! Slice off fairly thin slices and serve on top of thin gingersnaps or perhaps more digestive biscuits. This Chocolate Salami recipe produces a beautiful log of chocolate studded with dried fruits and nuts. It can be customized with any fruits and nuts you like. Why not try soft dried figs, medjool dates, dried cranberries, almonds...the skies the limit!!!!

I know you are all enjoying the holidays so my wish for you is to have continued success in your kitchen and peace and joy!!!Enjoy your time with your family and friends to the fullest and we will see you next time!!!

Fröhlichi Wiehnacht, Nadolig Llawen, Seasons Greetings!!!!!!

**Chocolate Salami**
Printable Recipe

8 oz. good quality dark or semi-sweet chocolate of your choice, chopped (or combination)
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup cream
1 cup hazelnuts, toasted and roughly but finely chopped
5 Digestive biscuits, roughly but finely chopped
3/4 cup raisins
2 tablespoons ice wine
icing sugar, for rolling

To make the ganache: Place the chopped chocolate, butter and cream in a medium heat-safe bowl, Bring a small saucepan filled with water to a boil over medium heat. Place heat-safe bowl with chocolate mixture on top. Whisk until the chocolate is melted and the mixture is well-combined and smooth. Set aside your ganache for now.

Combine finely chopped digestive biscuits, raisins and hazelnuts in a small bowl.

Add the ice wine to the ganache, and then add the biscuit mixture. Stir until well-combined and there is a uniform texture throughout. Press some cling-wrap to the top of the mixture and refrigerate until firm enough to roll, at least 1 hour.

Once the candy has firmed up, scoop half of it from the bowl and, using waxed paper or parchment, roll it into a log about 2 inches in diameter and 9 inches long. Once it is a cylinder, roll it on the counter a few times to try and get it as round a salami shape as possible. Repeat the process with the second half of the candy, forming an identical log. Wrap with plastic wrap. Return to the refrigerator.(Alternatively place the logs on a baking sheet and freeze them until firm, at least 2 hours. The salami can be kept frozen for up to a month, but if you plan to freeze them for that long, wrap the logs with plastic wrap to prevent odors or freezer burn).

About 15 minutes prior to serving, remove the logs from the refrigerator or freezer. Roll them in powdered sugar to make them resemble salami. Cut them into thin slices and serve. The logs can stay at room temperature for several hours before getting too soft. If they do start to get too soft, refrigerate or freeze briefly to firm them up. If the sugar coating starts to melt, re-roll them in sugar as needed.

Makes 1 large or two small salamis.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. Excerpts and links may be used, provided that full and clear credit is given to the author/owner of More Than Burnt Toast. All rights reserved by Valerie Harrison.

17 December 2009

A Recipe for Tourtiere with a Twist

Tourtiere with a Twist

We have talked about simplifying our holiday entertaining menus in past posts but we also want to have our guests feel that they are the center of our "entertaining universe" with innovative ideas and presentations. You can have that WOW factor without a lot of work and fiddling with complicated recipes. One way is to present this twist on a Canadian classic. I first saw the variation of this Quebecois dish on an episode of French Food at Home with Laura Calder on the Food Network. I knew that this classic twist on tourtiere would be on my holiday menu right then and there...with my own little twists of course.

Tourtière is a traditional French-Canadian dish served by generations of French-Canadian families throughout Canada and the bordering areas of the United States. It is especially anticipated for Christmas Eve celebrations, but it's equally as tasty throughout the holidays or over the winter months. It also goes without saying, you don't need to be French or Canadian to have this dish become a holiday tradition.

In the Canadian province of Quebec, meat pie is called "tourtière". Originally it referred to a cooking utensil used to make a pie or "tourte." By 1611, the word tourtière had come to refer to the pastry containing meat or fish that was cooked in this medium-deep, round or rectangular dish. It is usually a double crusted meat pie usually made with ground pork, often with the addition of potatoes for thickening. This is where the twist comes in as you see in the photo!!!

Every family has their own "original" recipe, passed down through the generations. Like the recipe, there is no one correct filling, as the pie meat depends on what is regionally available. It is a delicious, fragrant and savoury addition to the holiday table!!! Of course you know I had to "twist" Laura's recipe to add my own flair. Mushrooms are unconventional, but tourtiere fans will be happy with the extra flavour. I also added a little thyme as well as the savoury since my own recipe for this classic dish calls for it. What I absolutely LOVE about this dish is that it can be completely made-ahead, baked and then can be served at room temperature. Doesn't this make this perfect for a stress-free holiday table with a little bit of WOW. I served it with my own butternut squash risotto twisted with the addition of a little saffron and a dollop of mascarpone cheese and a simple tossed salad with a light lemony dressing. For dessert...a Lemon Coeur de Creme with Fresh Raspberry Sauce...talk about WOW...and with little fuss. Enjoy your company!!!!

Update..I decided to save time and use store bought pastry which was not strong enough to hold the shape of the log. They split, but tasted wonderfully!!!!

**Tourtiere with a Twist**
based on a recipe by Laura Calder
Printable Recipe....
Makes two 9-inch/23-cm pies or 2 tourtière “logs”
Pastry

3 1/2 cup flour
1 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 cup cold butter, grated
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon ice-cold water, more as needed

Filling

1/2 cup/125 ml beef or chicken stock
1 lb. ground pork
1/2 lb. ground veal, hare, or beef
1 large onion, minced
2 cups sliced mushroooms
2 clove garlic chopped
3/4 teaspoon (4 mL)salt
1/2 teaspoon(2 mL) pepper
1/2 teaspoon(2 mL) dried savoury
1/2 teaspoon(2 mL) dried thyme
Pinch ground cloves (optional)
4 to 6 tablespoons breadcrumbs

********************
Put the flour and salt in a large bowl. Add the grated butter. Pinch quickly with the fingers to create a coarse, crumbly mixture. Make a well in the centre. Put in the eggs and the water. Quickly mix into the flour, just until the mixture holds together. Do not over-mix. Divide into 4 balls and flatten into disks. Wrap in plastic and let rest in the refrigerator half an hour before using.

Filling

Put 1/2 cup/125 ml beef or chicken stock in a sauté pan and quickly bring to a boil. Combine all the remaining ingredients, apart from the breadcrumbs, and stir into the water. Cover, and cook until the meat is done, about 20 minutes. Remove the lid, stir in the breadcrumbs, and continue cooking uncovered until the liquid has evaporated. Check the seasonings, and cool.

Heat the oven to 450°F/230°C. Roll a disk of pastry into a rectangle. Spoon a generous stripe of meat mixture down the middle of it. Fold the short ends, up in over the meat making sure to trim any excess pastry, otherwise it will be too thick.Then fold over the long ends so that they overlap to seal, again, trim any excess pastry so it will bake evenly. Turn the log onto a baking sheet, seam-side down. Make a few slits in the top to let steam escape. Brush the top with milk for a golden crust. Bake until the pastry is crisp and nicely coloured, about 25 minutes. Serve warm or at room temperature.

15 December 2009

A Recipe for Shepherd's Pie with Squashed Potatoes

Shepherd's Pie with Squashed Potatoes

Surviving the holidays takes a certain amount of skill (or cunning if you can manage to be invited out for dinner each and every night leading up to the holidays). My simple tip for surviving the holiday rush would be to simplify your week day menus before and after the big celebrations. It also doesn't hurt if the recipes chosen can be "lighter" with fewer calories and therefore balance well with the other calorie-laden offerings of the holiday season. We still need to eat well and healthily which may take some juggling in between celebrations. The last thing we would want is to get ill as well on top of being sleep deprived. You can also prepare dishes that are quick and easy so you spend less time in the kitchen.

Planning ahead is also another excellent survival tool. Dishes like this beef Shepherd's Pie can be frozen and baked in the oven at the last minute. It is made with seasoned lean beef and vegetables with a layer of corn or creamed corn and topped with a cheesy mashed potato and squash combination. Talk about good for you as well!!!! This recipe is based on one from our Canadian duo the Podleski sisters. One is a home cook and the other a nutritionist who made their own success story by writing several cookbooks as well as having their own televsison series Eat, Shrink and Be Merry. How appropriate is that title for the holidays!!!!!!

**Shepherd's Pie with Squashed Potatoes**

1-1/2 pounds (680 g) extra-lean ground beef
1 cup chopped yellow onions
2 teaspoons minced garlic
1 teaspoon paprika
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 cup frozen peas-and-carrots blend
1 cup frozen or canned corn
2/3 cup reduced-sodium beef broth
2 tablespoons chili sauce
1-1/2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon Worcestershire sauce
1/4 teaspoon each salt and freshly ground black pepper

Potato Topping

2 pounds (908 g) Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 cups (about 1/2 lb / 250 g) peeled and chopped butternut squash
1/2 cup light (3% to 5 %) sour cream
1/2 cup + 2 tablespoons freshly grated Parmesan cheese
1/4 teaspoon salt
Dash nutmeg
Chopped fresh parsley for garnish, optional

*****************************
To make filling, cook beef, onions, and garlic in a large pot or skillet over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink and onions are tender. Stir in paprika and thyme. Cook 1 more minute. Add peas and carrots Mix well.

In a medium bowl or measuring cup, whisk together broth, chili sauce, flour and Worcestershire sauce. Add to meat mixture in pot, along with salt and pepper. Reduce heat to medium-low. Let simmer, uncovered, for 5 minutes. Mixture will thicken slightly. Remove from heat, cover and keep warm while you prepare potato topping.
To make topping, place potatoes in a large pot and cover with water by 2 inches (salt water if desired). Bring to a boil. Add squash. Cook until both potatoes and squash are tender, about 12 to 14 minutes. Drain potatoes and squash in a colander. Return to pot. Sprinkle ½ cup Parmesan over vegetables. Cover with lid and let stand 1 minute for cheese to melt. Add sour cream, salt and (tiny!) dash nutmeg. Mash well using a potato masher. Try to get out as many lumps as possible.

To assemble casserole, spread meat mixture evenly over the bottom of a 2-quart casserole dish. Top with canned cream corn or canned corn , whichever you are using) and then potato/squash mixture. Fluff with fork so small peaks are formed. Sprinkle remaining 2 tablesppoons Parmesan cheese over potatoes. Bake at 375ºF for 25 minutes, until bubbly around edges and completely heated through. Remove from oven. Sprinkle top with chopped fresh parsley, if desired. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving (it’s hot!).

Tip: Cut potatoes and squash into equal-size pieces for even cooking.

You are reading this post on More Than Burnt Toast at http://morethanburnttoast.blogspot.com. If not this content has been copied without permission.

You may also like :

Pate Chinois
Leftover Turkey Shepherds Pie
Upside Down Shepherds Pie
Shepherds Pie with Parmesan Cheese Mashed Potatoes
Easy Shepherds Pie - Simply Recipes
Mummy Boome's Traditional Shepherds Pie
Anthony Sedlak's Cottage Pie
Turkey Sweet Potato Shepherds Pie

12 December 2009

A Recipe for Loaded Potato Bake from Anna Olson

Loaded Potato Bake

It seems that sides are the order of the day. The holidays bring countless dinner parties and entertaining. Somehow, although we love to spoil our friends and family, it is often nice to simplify the menu so that you can enjoy the company. Now that you have your holiday meal planned and have decided upon a nice tender ham, turkey or leg of lamb now there are important decisions to be made about the menu. You can never go wrong with potatoes. This recipe comes from Anna Olson one of our prominent Canadian Chefs. She served it with Overnight Baked Ham with Riesling Mustard Glaze and Grilled Apple and Fennel Salad .

A Recipe for Spaghetti Squash with Creamy White Cheddar Sauce

Aunt Millie just came down with the flu and you are in charge of preparing a get together for 20 assorted family and friends at the last minute. Darwin and Emma are vegetarian. What do you do? Now I don't have a Darwin or an Emma or an Aunt Millie for that matter (names have been changed to protect the innocent) but I do have vegetarians. Too often when vegetarians come to dinner they end up eating side dishes. I grew up with a vegetarian dad so a little has rubbed off on me, and more so as years have gone by. When my friends come to my home I like them to feel that I made the special effort to accomodate them in every way.

A Recipe for Acadian Weasel Fricot with a Salted Herbs Recipe...No Weasels Were Harmed in the Making of This Dish

A recipe for Salted Herbs (Herbes Salees)

Here it is almost Christmas and my mind is wandering back to the warm sundrenched days of summer. This is a common occurance this time of the year but I don't usually begin daydreaming until at least January. Perhaps with the first snowfall of the season yesterday I am feeling a little chilled and in need of some comforting foods. Last Christmas in 2008, Canada experienced the first nation-wide white Christmas in thirty-seven years, when we experienced a series of pre-Christmas storms that hit all across the country, (including the normally rainy British Columbia Pacific coast). Every child dreams of a white Christmas don't they so we may have one this year... you never know!!!! Perhaps another reason for my daydreaming is that all of my Christmas shopping is completed, everything is wrapped and I am just waiting for a tree to go up this weekend. I am looking for other avenues to use up some boundless energy. With time on my hands I am looking into preparing some traditional Canadian dishes for the holiday season.

A Recipe for Mini Pecan Cranberry FiloTarts

Sometimes you find something that just works. We each have our own traditions and family favourites that are offered to family and friends alike during this festive season. I usually make very few Christmas treats, so thank goodness for generous friends who will shower me with baked goods. During the holidays Chocolate Fondue always comes into play for dessert and I offer only a few cookies from my own repertoire each year. Needless to say somehow we are never shy of an overabundant amount of special treats for the holiday season. They have a way of multiplying of their own free will!!!

Mini Pecan Cranberry Filo Tarts

Here it is already the 7th of December and I have made only one successful cookie for the holiday season...sigh. If the truth be known I think cookies were invented to ruin my baking confidence. It is a conspiracy I tell you!!!!Each year I start out confidently with rice flour, berry sugar, quality chocolates and a myriad of other baking treats ready and waiting in my cupboards. Every year I browse through recipes (with visions of sugar plums dancing in my head) and make hard decisions on what will grace my holiday platters... besides the tried and true family favourites. Everything looks so tempting and the magazines make you feel anything is possible with their glossy photos!!!! Alas there have been several attempts and failures so far this year. I have come to the conclusion that cookie baking is the "devils work" so I will stick with what I know, the rest I'll purchase; or alternatively serve Okanagan cheeses and grapes!! Now ask me to make a luscious cheesecake or a layered torte and I will be there, and the results will be amazing!!!!!Somehow cookies are my nemesis. Oh well, we all have our strengths don't we. Maybe my non-cookie baking skills are a gift because if I had mountains of holiday treats ready and waiting I would have to eat them, and we know all that butter and chocolate will go straight to my hips. So I stick with the notion that I am gifted:D

Simplify Your Life with a Recipe for Baked Chicken Milanese with Spinach Salad

A Recipe for Baked Chicken Milanese with Spinach Salad

___________________________________

Enjoy the little things,

for one day you may look back and realize

they were the big things.

- Robert Brault

____________________________________

Like most middle-aged Canadians, I was raised in an era when “convenience foods” surpassed “homemade.” (Never mind that our Italian neighbours were making their own salami's and wine and growing everything they needed in their gardens... and feeding the entire neighbourhood as well I might add). Our own lives growing up were just not like that.

A Recipe for Orange Walnut Tassies for our Virtual Cooking Light Supper Club and a Guest Post for National Cookie Day

A Recipe for Orange Walnut Tassies

This post is full of delicious surprises, but before I get to that we are so glad that you have decided to join us once again for our Cooking Light Virtual Supper Club. This is a monthly event where 5 ladies nationwide get together to create a delicious meal with a theme in mind. We all share a love for Cooking Light magazine which has an emphasis on healthy eating and living. Each issue covers light cuisine and includes more than 70 delicious and flavourful recipes. It also explores food and nutrition news as well as fitness, health and beauty. For the month of December we decided to change it up a little bit and have a virtual cookie exchange in deference to the holiday season. It was not only fun to browse the pages of the magazine in search of the perfect cookies for our exchange but we also found cookies that are flavourful and seasonal and every bit worth trying from the pages of Cooking Light magazine!!!!!

Did you know that today is National Cookie Day!!! While you likely won’t find any cards at your local Hallmark store, this obscure cookie holiday occurs every year on December 4th. I'm not sure how many people celebrate National Cookie Day, but here on these pages for this months get together we intend to do our part to promote it as well as healthier alternatives for baking. I believe that the more days we can find to celebrate the better!!!

We have loved sharing these ideas with you in 2009.This has been a team effort where we get together virtually once a month and combine what Cooking Light readers like best...good food with great company!!! We look forward to continuing sharing our ideas with you in 2010!!!Why don't you join us with your favourite cookie recipes on the Cooking Light blog, Test Kitchen Secrets. It takes a few days for them to gather our recipes together and feature the story, but check out past posts.

We live on opposite ends of 2 countries from the west coast of Canada to the east coast of the United States so are unable to have our cookie exchange in each others homes, but that doesn't stop us from gathering together virtually to share a glass of eggnog and some holiday cheer. We start off with some healthy and delicious Maple Date Bars brought by Hélène of La Cuisine de Hélène. For our exchange I brought Orange Walnut Tassies pictured above which are tasty little orange-flavoured morsels. Shelby of The Life and Loves of Grumpy's Honeybunch delighted us with some Chocolate Hazelnut Thumbprints. Jamie of Mom's Cooking Club added Raspberry Strippers for a very colourful additon to our cookie platters. Aggie of Aggies Kitchen made Peppermint Patties which she baked with her kids for the holidays. We had such a fun time!!!!!!

Did you know that the English word "cookie" is derived from the Dutch word "koekje," which means little cake. Bakers used to place a small amount of cake batter in the oven to test the temperature. They soon discovered that these little bits of cooked batter were quite tasty on their own, and the cookie was born! The humble cookie has evolved a lot since then, and now there are hundreds of varieties baked across the world every day, from the classic chocolate chip to more exotic offerings with caramel, macadamia nuts, dried fruits and more. Cookies may be small, but they are a big business, just ask the Girl Guides. Cookies are a multi-billion dollar industry whether you buy them packaged from the store, at a fast food restaurant or a bakery. Remember this humble little cake today by munching on one...or two or three.... or by baking or sending a gift of cookies to your loved ones. If you're still feeling a little guilty about that circular bite of goodness join us while we explore the many delightful treats found on the pages of Cooking Light magazine.

Next month we will be exploring Soups & Stews.....

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Since today is National Cookie Day I have a double treat for you as we continue to share sweet treats. I am ecstatic to leave you with a special guest post from a close, personal friend of mine. We have known each other for years and have supported each other through laughter and tears. She started her own blog a while back...I think she has been bitten by the blogging bug...over at Shmirly Girly so please take the time to visit. In the meantime do try her cookies...they are the best ginger cookies out there in my opinion!!!!!!

Take it away Shmirly.......

The following is my “SAVOURITE” (no mistake there) cookie recipe, especially for this time of year when cookie exchanges are one of the many pre Christmas activities…and this is a perfect recipe for a cookie exchange as it makes lots of cookies, especially if you make them just a wee bit smaller. (Just reduce the baking time and don’t squish them down as much!) The only downside is, you won’t want to give away these little gems because every morsel melts in your mouth making you want another…and another…and, well, you try them yourself!!!!

A Recipe for Nan's Mouthwatering Ginger Cookies

You can see our granddaughter loves them as much as we do…

NAN’S MOUTH WATERING GINGER COOKIES
(I originally received the recipe from my sister-in-law, Nancy)

3/4 cup margarine
4½ cup flour (I generally put in at least 1 cup of 12 grain flour so 3/4 cup Crisco I think I’m eating “healthy”)
2 cups brown sugar 4 tsp baking soda
2 eggs
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup cooking molasses 1 tsp ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground ginger
2 teaspoons cinammon

Blend the margarine, Crisco, brown sugar, eggs and molasses together in a mixer until smooth, then gradually add the dry ingredients. I like to add about 3/4 cup raisins to the mixture...but you can add whatever you like...or nothing at all! It's your call....

I usually put the dough into the fridge for an hour or so before I make the cookies so the dough is easier to work with, or you can make the dough the night before.

Preheat oven to 350º F Put ½ cup granulated sugar in bowl or a paper bag. Make balls from the dough, a little smaller than the size of a golf ball for a medium sized cookie. Roll the balls or put into the paper bag to coat with granulated sugar. Place balls on cookie sheets at least 1 inch apart and with a fork slightly flatten balls of dough. (I like to use parchment paper to line my cookie pans as the cookies won't burn and it saves clean up time too!)

Bake for approximately 13 minutes (you may have to experiment with your oven as mine is a bit finicky) for a softer cookie. If you want a crisper cookie, bake longer. Remember, if you make the cookies smaller, reduce the baking time. ENJOY! In my house, they don't last too long, even in the freezer - (because my husband eats them!!!)

*Val says these are delicious too. I remember when it was a special treat when Shmirly brought them into the office. Those were the days!!!! And no I have not been holding back I do not have a granddaughter...yet...hint...hint...

1 December 2009

Cooking Red to Remember with a Recipe for Crispy Salmon with Risotto and Slow Roasted Tomatoes

Crispy Salmon with Risotto and Slow Roasted Tomatoes

When I was in San Francisco recently for the Foodbuzz Blogger Festival, one of the people I was fortunate to meet was Angela from Spinach Tiger. I had heard in the blogosphere that she would be hosting an event in support and remembrance of World Aids Day which is today December 1st. What better way to gather "foodies" together than to get involved in cooking something red for her event Cooking Red to Remember. AIDS is a devastating disease that has affected people all over the world.

AIDS is not a disease that I have personally been touched by but that is certainly not the case for the estimated 25 million people who have died from 1981 to 2007 according to Wikipedia. In all parts of the world, people living with HIV still face AIDS-related stigma and discrimination, and many people still cannot access sufficient HIV treatment and care. Prevention efforts that have proved to be effective need to be scaled-up and treatment targets reached. Commitments from national governments right down to the community level need to be intensified and subsequently met, so that one day the world might see an end to the global AIDS epidemic.

You can also read a very poignant and touching story by Angela who's world has been affected by AIDS. Please support the memory of loved ones by reading her story and the significance of the 3 red tomatoes in this dish as described by Josee at Daydreamer Desserts. Please support the many more who are struggling with this disease on a daily basis today and every day.

In memory of those who saw no hope and for those who live with hope every day I am sending this red dish to Angela's event. This dish makes perfect use of those hard little bullets we call tomatoes available during the winter months. Slow roasting caramelizes the sugars in the tomatoes and makes us believe in the promise of anything!!!!

**Crispy Salmon with Risotto and Slow Roasted Tomatoes**
Printer Friendly Recipe

ROASTED TOMATOES

9 plum tomatoes, halved
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ teaspoon sea salt
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
½ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
4 garlic cloves, minced

RISOTTO

4-1/2 cups fat free, less-sodium chicken broth
1 tablespoon olive oil
2-1/4 cups (1/2 inch thick) sliced leek
1-1/2 cups uncooked Arborio rice
1/3 cup dry white wine
6 cups torn arugula or spinach
½ cup half-and-half
¼ cup grated fresh Parmesan cheese
¼ teaspoon sea salt
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

SALMON

2 teaspoons olive oil
6 (5-ounce) red sockeye salmon fillets, skinned
½ teaspoon. sea salt
½ teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
¼ teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

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Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

To prepare tomatoes, coat a foil-lined baking sheet with cooking spray. Place tomatoes, cut sides up, on baking sheet. Drizzle with 1 T. oil, sprinkle with ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. thyme, ½ tsp. pepper, and garlic. Bake at 350 degrees F for 1-1/2 hours or until very soft and slightly shriveled, turning occasionally.

To prepare risotto, bring broth to a simmer in medium saucepan (do not boil). Keep warm over low heat. Heat 1 T. oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add leek, saute 3 minutes or until tender. Add rice; cook 1-1/2 minutes, stir constantly. Stir in wine; cook 30 seconds or until liquid is nearly absorbed. Stir in 1 cup broth; cook 3 minutes or until liquid is nearly absorbed, stirring frequently.

Add remaining broth, ½ cup at a time, stirring frequently until each portion of broth is absorbed before adding the next (about 25 minutes). Stir in arugula, half–and-half, cheese, ¼ tsp. salt, and ¼ tsp. pepper.

To prepare salmon, heat 2 tsp. oil in large skillet over medium-high heat. Sprinkle salmon with ½ tsp. salt, ½ tsp. thyme, and ¼ tsp., pepper. Place fillets, skin side up, in pan, cook 5 minutes. Turn fillets over, and cook an additional 2 minutes or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

Arrange 3 tomato halves, cut sides up, in a spoke-like pattern in centre of each of 6 plates. Mound 2/3 cup risotto in centre of each plate (leaving about 1-1/2 inch edge of tomatoes uncovered). Arrange fillets on risotto. Garnish with sprig of thyme, if desired.

Serves 6

If you like this dish you may also enjoy:

Maple Glazed Salmon

Baked Salmon Tarator

Salmon with Potato Roesti and Dill Aioli

Roast Salmon in Soothing Lemon Sauce

Seafood Salmon Roulade

Citrus Herb Salmon

Salmon Roll with Butter Sauce & Potato Galette

Seasoned Salmon with Lemon Caper Sauce