Pregnant AGAIN

2011-01-13T11:44:00.003-05:00

Hello! Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I know I've been away but I've been busy with a new project.

In October I moved from Vancouver, BC to London. London, Canada. I left behind Paris. Paris is my cousin and best friend. She is also my other half. We grew up together. If we didnt live together, we lived down the road from eachother our whole lives. She's got 2 kids, 4 yrs old, and 2 yrs old. She is 29, same as me. We talk everyday for hours a day. She is a fantastic cook, always trying something new. She makes almost everything from scratch. And we started a joint blog! Its called MY COUSINS KITCHEN and its gonna be delicious.

I'm going to be takin it up a notch tho cuz I got this mixer from my wonderful boyfriend(Picture Below). It's changing my life. And Im going to be eating at my new old kitchen table(Picture below again). It makes food taste better. So come and join us. You wont regret it.

Homemade Peanut Butter Cups

2010-12-13T13:00:00.001-05:00

Do I even have to say anything?? Good, cuz I cant. My mouth is full.

1. Melt milk chocolate chips. Coat wrapper. I used a baby spoon. Let set.

2. Mix natural smooth peanut butter, a quarter of the amount of peanut butter of cream cheese, and a bit of icing sugar. Just enough to make it dough like and not sticky. Place in chocolate shells.

3. Cover with chocolate. Dont rush, or they'll look ugly. Spread with back of spoon so the chocolate seals to the wrapper. Let set.

Potato and Pea Soup

2010-12-13T12:30:00.001-05:00

Its minus 19 where I live today and the snow is deep. This soup is cheap, healthy and hot.

1/2 Ham
6 Cups Water
1 Large Potato
1/2 Onion
1/2 tomato
1 Stalk Celery
2 Cloves of Garlic
1-2 T. Salt or To Taste
Pepper to taste
2 Cups Dried Peas

Put ham in pot. Cover with water. Bring to a boil and simmer for 1 to 2 hours. Remove Ham. Dice ham. The smaller the better. Reserve.
Add Peas, Potato, Onion, Celery, Garlic, Tomato, Garlic. Bring to a boil. Simmer until potato and peas tender. Add ham. Garnish with green onion.

Almond Roca

2010-12-10T15:46:00.002-05:00

If you could see me right now, you'd see that I have my proud look on.
Look at this.
Almond Roca.
I made it.

From My Kitchen Cafe. I didnt change a thing, made it exactly like she said. Recipe Here.

Spicy Hot Chocolate

2010-12-06T10:23:00.009-05:00

My friends dad is a detective. He once said to me "If you can think of it, it's been done". I pretend in my head like he was talking about recipes. Which brings me to this spicy hot chocolate. Ive had spicy hot chocolate before, Im just not sure if its been done this way. So this is the way I did it and you could sell it. Heat 1 cup milk in a sauce pan. Add 1 1/2 T. Cocoa Powder, 2 t. brown sugar, 1 t. Vanilla, 1/8 t. allspice (or to taste) and a couple shakes of cayenne pepper. Top with whipped cream and and you have chocolate hot. Really good, tastes professional.

Mushroom, Onion and Garlic Baked Brie

2010-12-06T08:35:00.000-05:00

Saute 1/2 onion and 1 1/2 Cup sliced mushroom in olive oil, salt and pepper. Add 2 cloves of garlic. I prefer to cut the rind off the brie so its not tough when youre digging in. Place cheese in center of puff pastry. Top with mushroom mixture. Wrap pastry around to make bundle cutting off excess. Bake at 400 for 20 mins. Broil to brown. Quite the crowd pleaser.

Chocolate Eclair

2010-12-01T15:15:00.003-05:00

When I first moved to Vancouver I lived in an apartment on Main Street above a second hand store, a way too hip coffee shop, and a kinda dirty little bakery. The bakery made eclairs that were like nothing I had ever tasted. They only made a few a day and they'd usually be sold out by 9 in the morning. The unspoken competition between me, my friendly cross-dressing neighbor, and a few other weirdos in the building to buy one and eat it was fierce. Until the day the bakery shut down. Since that day I've been searching for those eclairs. It's been 10 years and never has anything come close. Until now.

The cream-puff pastry is from "Mad Hungry" by Lucinda Scala Quinn. Recipe below. But the filling is just real whipped cream. And the chocolate is just melted chocolate chips. I tried Lucindas pastry cream recipe but it was difficult and really wasn't the taste or consistency I've been searching for.

Cream-Puff Pastry

1 Cup Flour
1/4 t. salt
1 Cup Water
8 T. Unsalted Butter Cut Into Small Pieces
5 Large eggs-Room Temperature

1. Preheat to 400. Prepare a pastry bag with 1/2 inch tip.
2. In small bowl, whisk together flour and salt. Place water and butter in a medium sauce pan and bring to a boil. Add the flour mixture and beat vigorously with a wooden spoon for several seconds, until the dough is smooth, pulls away from the sides of pan, and begins to form a ball. Remove from heat. Cool the dough for a couple mins. Beat in eggs one at a time, until smooth and glossy.
3. Place dough in pastry bag. grease baking sheet. Pipe desired shape. 3 to 4 inch oblong shapes. Bake for 10 minutes then turn heat up to 425 and bake for 15 mins total or until puffed up, golden brown, and firm to touch. Cool on wire rack.

Relish

2010-12-01T07:58:00.002-05:00

In this new town I live in of London Ontario their is a village. In this village called Wortley Village is a restaurant called Relish. Food Network Canada was in this restaurant featuring the crazy burgers that are served. Of course I had to go. I had "The Grazing Hippy". It had goat cheese, pesto mayo, sauteed spinach, roasted red peppers, and sprouts. And then Lainey and I made out.

LAINEY AND I IN RELISH

THE GRAZING HIPPY-REALLY GOOD

Whole Wheat Morning Glory Muffin

2010-11-30T11:01:00.001-05:00

Ok. So. This is basically a chocolate chip muffin with apple, carrot, oatmeal and yogurt. If you want it to be.
Or be perfect and dont add chocolate, then it will be an apple carrot oatmeal and yogurt muffin.

1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1-3/4cups cups plain yogurt
2 egg
1 cup shredded peeled apple
1/2 cup shredded carrot
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup whole wheat flour or Buckwheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
3 t. baking powder
2 t. cinnamon
1 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips(Optional)

In bowl, combine oats and yogurt; let stand for 10 minutes. Whisk in eggs, apple, carrot, oil and vanilla. Then Chocolate chips
In large bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt. Pour yogurt mixture over dry ingredients.
Spoon into greased or paper-lined muffin cups or silicone tray.
Bake in centre of 375°F oven for 32 minutes or until golden brown and tops are firm to touch.

Chicken Enchiladas

2010-11-25T09:53:00.000-05:00

Dear Ash,

Thank you for making such a delicious dinner last night. I really appreciate it. You are such a good cook.

You made a green chicken enchilada. Kind of like this one that you made back in May. It's a good thing you're pregnant right now or you wouldnt have been craving these extra ingredients. I've capitalized the important parts, the parts you wouldn't automatically add if you were just winging a green enchilada. Dont forget or overlook these ingredients.

Love you girlfriend. You're doing a fantastic job. Keep up the good work. You can do this. Have two babies. And not get crabby. Love Ash

Saute 1/2 onion, 3 CLOVES OF GARLIC, 1/2 chopped green pepper, a good pinch of coarse salt and pepper in olive oil. After a few minutes add 1/2 t. BROWN SUGAR, 1 small diced TOMATO and THICK pieces of shredded chicken cook for another 2 minutes. Turn off heat and add 2 T of diced PICKLED pepperoncini peppers, chopped green onion and fresh cilantro. Roll this mixture up into tortillas, lay in casserole dish. Mix sour cream with green salsa, about half and half. pour it on top. And then sprinkle on QUITE A BIT of jack cheese. I think you used 3/4 of a small block. Bake at 350 for about 20 minutes. Broil to brown top.

Chocolate Drop Cookie

2010-11-23T12:31:00.000-05:00

Imagine the flavour of chocolate milk and the melt in your mouth consistency of shortbread. The dough looks and feels exactly like chocolate mousse. Bake for only 10 minutes these cookies are quick, easy, and satisfying. Still soft the next day and pairs deliciously with a glass of ice cold Almond Milk.
Yummo...kidding.

1 1/2 Cups Flour
3/4 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Coarse Salt
1 Cup Unsalted Butter
3/4 Cup Sugar
1 Large Egg, Lightly Beaten
1 t. Vanilla Extract
6 Ounces Bittersweet or Semisweet Chocolate, Melted
1/3 Cup Milk

Preheat 350. Butter baking sheet. In a small bowl whisk together flour baking powder and salt.

In a large bowl cream butter and sugar. beat in egg and vanilla. Blend in melted chocolate. Alternatly blend in flour mixture and milk ending with flour. Drop dough by teaspoonfuls onto baking sheet 1 inch apart. Bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until edges are set and centers are still soft. Remove to cooling racks.

Source: "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn

Lentil Vegetable Soup W/ Homemade Croutons

2010-11-22T09:51:00.000-05:00

Their are so many recipes for Lentil Soup but Lucinda Scala Quinn is a genius and this lentil soup... is the best. Thats just my opinion and im allowed to have it cuz this is my blog. You have to make it exactly like she does though or it's not going to be as magical. I know, weird right? But she really has got it down to a science.

She cooks her croutons on the stove and I cook mine in the oven. If you're putting them on soup I think they should start out really crispy. Also she doesnt suggest this, but I think you could garnish it nicely with a bit of cheese, or sour cream, or green onion. Mmmm. Mmmm. Mmmm. So damn good. Especially on a rainy day like today.

2 1/2 T Extra Virgin Olive Oil
3/4 Cup Onion
3/4 Cup Carrot
2/3 Cup Celery
3 Garlic Cloves
1 T. Coarse Salt
1 Small Tomato
2 Cup Brown or Green Lentils (I used mixed)
1/2 t. Thyme
1 Small Bay Leaf
1/4 t. Pepper
6 Cups Chicken Broth
4 Cups Water
2 t. Red Wine Vinegar

1. Heat large soup pot over high heat and swirl in olive oil. Add onion, carrots, celery, garlic, and 1 t. of the salt. Reduce heat to low and saute until veggies are lightly carmelized. About 5 mins. Add tomato and cook for 2 mins. Stir in tomato paste and cook for another 2 mins.

2. Add lentils, thyme, bay leaf, pepper, and the remaining 2 t. of salt. Add broth and water bring to a boil. Reduce heat to simmer until lentils are tender. About 20 mins. Stir in vinegar. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

CROUTONS (MY VERSION)
1/2 Loaf Day Old Bread
3 T. Extra Virgin Olive Oil
2 Garlic Cloves
1/4 t. Coarse Salt

Dice bread. Spread onto baking sheet. Mix olive oil, garlic and salt. Drizzle onto bread. Mix to coat. Cook at 350. Flipping every once in a while until browned and crispy.

Source: Lucinda Scala Quinn "Mad Hungry"

Photos:Shawn Campbell

I'm Back!!! I think. I'll try.

2010-11-21T10:26:00.000-05:00

OK. So I haven't been around for a while. I have been busy moving accross Canada. We moved from Vancouver, B.C. to London, Ontario!!

These are Earl Grey Cupcakes and they actually taste like earl grey. Quite nice.

EARL GREY CUPCAKES

1 1/2 Cup Flour
3/4 t. Baking Powder
1/2 t. Baking Soda
1/4 t. salt
2 Earl Grey Tea Bags
1 1/4 cup Sugar
6 T. Unsalted Butter (Or use salted butter and omit the salt above--if you're in a bind)
3 Egg Whites
1 t. Orange Zest
1 cup Buttermilk

1. Preheat 350. In small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

2. In a coffe grinder grind contents of tea bag. Add to flour mixture.

3.In a large bowl, using electric mixer, beat together sugar and butter until well combined. Add egg whites, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Add orange zest. Alternately beat in flour and buttermilk. Beat until smooth.

4. Scoop batter into liners in muffin tin. Bake for 20-25 minute or until light golden brown. Or until tops of cakes spring back at you when lightly touched. Let cool on rack for 10 minutes. Frost cooled cupcakes.

CREAM CHEESE ICING

4 oz. Cream Cheese
1/2 Cup Butter
Pinch of Salt
2 1/4 Icing sugar

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Hummus

2010-06-14T16:42:00.000-04:00

Why does this hummus look so creamy? So smooth? Because I found the secret ingredient. Ricotta. It's what I've been searching for my whole hummus making life. It tones down the chickpeas but brings out the tahini, lemon and garlic. Absolutley scrumptious. Could eat it with a spoon.

1 Can chickpeas
3/4 cup ricotta
2 large garlic cloves
Juice of 1/2 Lemon
1/4 cup olive oil
1 T. Tahini
1 t. salt

Salt and Pepper Pork Chops with Steamed Beet Greens

2010-06-04T01:11:00.000-04:00

Oh Pork. Chops. You're so nice and easy. So quick and cheap. So beautiful and delicious. Beautiful with steamed beet greens and the beets they came with. Creamy new potatoes boiled with carrots. Buttered. Salted. Peppered...
In all seriousness though, Mary's recipe for salt and pepper pork chops is amazing. One of my favorites for sure.
And all the produce you see in this picture is from the sample bag of my future CSA packages. How exciting. And delicious.

Salt and Pepper Pork Chops
3 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon fresh cracked pepper
1 tablespoon granulated sugar (I used light borwn sugar cuz it was easier to get to at the time)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1-1/4 pounds boneless thin-cut pork loin chops
2 tablespoons vegetable oil

Mix ingredients together. Marinate for 5 minutes or overnight. Cook for 10-16 minutes depending on thickness.

Steamed Beet Greens
Cut the stems off of beets, steam until wilted, toss with one minced garlic clove, butter, salt and pepper. Make a nice bed for any vegetable to lay on top of.

Calling all Locavores

2010-06-03T18:27:00.000-04:00

Locavore. I love this word. I've already slipped it into 4 conversations today. As long as you avert your gaze when you say it, and then quickly make eye contact, the person your talking to pretends they know what you said. Intense.

What is a locavore you ask. A locavore is a person who prefers to eat locally grown/produced food. Which brings me to the community share agriculture co-op I've joined through The Home Grow-In Grocer LTD.

GET THIS: Starting at the end of June, I will recieve a basket of fresh produce every week. By fresh I mean picked from the earth within 24 hours of reaching my kitchen. Today I was given a sample package of the produce that I have invested in. It is incredibly satisfying to pull carrots, beets and radishes out from the bag, shake the dirt off, and imagine all the wholesome meals these ingredients could possibley contribute to.

In order to help others support their local economy and local farms I would like to direct my American readers to this great website http://www.localharvest.org/ for a list of farmers markets and grocery co-ops near you. And if you are Canadian, you can find your directory of sustainable agriculture at http://www.planetfriendly.net/.

Stay tuned for the locavorious dinner I have planned. (yes, I just made that word up)

For more information on The Home Grow-In Grocer LTD please visit http://www.home-growin.com/
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Roasted Garlic Burgers With Peppercorn Chevre

2010-06-02T15:03:00.000-04:00

This is definitely one of my favorites. These burgers ooze with flavour. Ooze? Really? But they do.

Roast the garlic. Mix with extra lean ground beef(No need to mash roasted garlic. It comes apart in the mixing process. And leaves pockets of warm sweet roasted goodness in the burger) Coat patties with salt and pepper. Cook on BBQ or however you like. Add a tablespoon or so of peppercorn goat cheese in the last few minutes. (Peppercorn goatcheese can be bought at the grocery store or you can make your own by rolling the goat cheese in coarse ground pepper.)

Source:Photos:Shawn Campbell

Roasted Garlic

2010-06-01T23:39:00.000-04:00

Pre-heat oven to 400.
Cut the top off the garlic head.
Place in muffin tin.
Drizzle with oil.

Cover with tin foil.
Place in oven for 30-40 minutes depending on size of head.

Garlic is done when cloves are soft.
Let cool.
Squeeze the base and the garlic pieces should slide out easily.
Use with pastas, pizzas, dips, sauces, meats ect.

Source:Photos:Shawn Campbell

New Name and a Long Story Short

2010-05-31T12:01:00.001-04:00

Once upon a time I was given a beautiful book to write in. It was bounded with metal and perfect for recipes. Then I found blogspot and started experimenting. I called my collection "Pregnant" and stopped using the book all together. Then I had this beautiful baby.

And coudn't quite call myself pregnant anymore.
Find more beautiful photos by Ewa Chang at Mamique Phtography HERE.

Stuffed Miniature Potatoes

2010-05-30T20:02:00.000-04:00

Can't say enough about these adorable little buggers. Creamy on the inside and crispy on the outside. Bite sized and incredibly delicious. Serve with steak as a side dish or can also be an easy to prepare appetizer. Maybe try a bacon version next time.

Boil Yukon Gold potatoes. However many you like. Boil until fork tender. Cut in half. Scoop out one side to stuff. Collect insides in a bowl with cut off tops. Add a tablespoon or so of cream cheese and fresh garlic (butter is optional but recommended). Mash. Mix in green onion and cheddar, salt and pepper to taste. Fill potatoes. Top with more cheese. Bake at 350 for 20-30 minutes or until desired crispiness.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Sweet and Spicy Slow Cooker Chicken!!

2010-05-18T19:59:00.001-04:00

Just 4 ingredients! In a slow cooker! Of course you could get all fancy on this dish and add a bunch of fancy beans and such, but that would take all the four ingredient fun out of it. Sometimes dinner tastes better when you know how simple it is to make.

3 chicken breasts
1 can of diced tomatoes(Drained)
1 third cup brown sugar
1 T. crushed red pepper flakes

Cook in crock pot until chicken is easily shred. Serve in tortilla with any taco topping you like.

Source: My Kitchen cafe

Honey Lime Enchiladas

2010-05-17T12:23:00.000-04:00

Cooking is a little different with a newborn running around. Some things burn and others are under cooked. Then these cute and easy enchiladas came along. Super quick with a really neat balance of sweet and spicy. I used one of those BBQ chickens you buy at the grocery store and shredded it and soaked it in the marinade. This is a twisted version of My Kitchen Cafe's recipe here. I added veggies and beans and a few extra spices. De-lish.

4 Large Tortillas
1/2 cup Sour cream
1/2 cup Salsa Verde

1 Cup Montery Jack

2 Cups shredded chicken

MARINADE:
6 T. Honey
Juice of 2 limes
1 t. Dry corriander
1 t. cumin
2 T. Chilli powder
2 Chopped garlic cloves (Or Mel uses garlic powder)

1 Sliced green pepper
1/2 Sliced onion
1 Can white beans
1 t. Salt
1 t. pepper

Marinate chicken in above ingredients(Or dont and just coat it). Saute peppers, onions in oil with salt and pepper. Add beans. Wrap inside tortillas. Lay in casserole dish. Mix Salsa Verde with Sour Cream(Use more sour cream if your wimpy with spice) Pour on top. Layer with Cheese. Bake for 1/2 an hour at 350. Makes 4-6 servings.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Will I ever cook again???

2010-04-21T12:07:00.000-04:00

Oh. My. God.
The only signature dish I've been serving is gallons and gallons of breast milk. I was going to get him to take some beautiful shots of my pump and a nice frosty glass next to some freshly baked goods. But... I haven't had time to bake.

Here is my huge baby. Born on April 6, 2010. Her name is Lainey. She`s still huge. I Blame it on the spinach.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Coconut Puffs

2010-04-01T21:21:00.000-04:00

I wasn't going to post these because it's so super cheating easy but everybody thought I should because they were so simply delicious. Everybody being him and my brother.

1 box of coconut pudding
Puff pasrty
Icing sugar

Roll out puff pastry. Cut daimond shapes out about as big as your hand. Fill with a teaspoon of coconut pudding. Fold over to shape a triangle. Seal edges with fork. Bake at 350 for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with icing sugar.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Spinach, Asparagus and Feta Quiche

2010-03-29T20:36:00.000-04:00

Maybe this magnificant spring quiche will lure her out...

Lucinda's Cream Cheese Pie Crust or a pre-made shell

Spinach
Asparagus
Green Onion
Feta
4 large eggs
1/4 cup milk
2 T. Sour cream

Salt and pepper

Steam asparagus, steam chopped spinach and drain. Put them + onion and feta in pie crust. In a separate bowl mix egg, milk, salt and pepper and sour cream. Pour over ingredients. Bake at 350 for 35 minutes or until knife comes out clean.
Photos:Shawn Campbell

White Bean Asparagus Tart

2010-03-27T18:50:00.000-04:00

I woke up this morning craving my Ashparagus N' Leek Phyllo Pizza Pie. I didn't have phyllo or leeks but I had puff pastry. And so the following was created.

Puff Pastry
White bean dip
Asparagus
Sundried tomato
Cheese(I used parmesan but any pecorino would work-or feta or goat)
Olive oil
Salt an pepper

Slice asparagus spears in half length wise. Roll out puff pastry. Spread with dip like pizza sauce. Top with sun dried tomato and asparagus. Then salt and pepper. Then drizzle olive oil and top with cheese. Bake at 400 for 25 minutes.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

White Bean Dip

2010-03-27T18:15:00.000-04:00

First time making this dip and I think I like it better than Hummous. Which is super strange cuz I love hummous.

1 can cannellini beans
3 cloves of garlic
2 T. dried basil(Fresh might be better, but I didnt have any)
3-4 T. olive oil(Or to taste)
Lemon juice
Lemon zest
Salt and pepper

Mix all in a food processor. Delicious!!

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Spinach Pizza

2010-03-26T23:17:00.000-04:00

With Tomato, Garlic and Onion
Ok, I've posted this amazing pizza dough before. It make 4 adorable mini pizzas and is surprisingly filling. I've modified the way it's cooked. Before putting any toppings on, brush with olive oil. Bake as is at 500 for 5 minutes. Top it and bake it for another 5-7 minutes. Much better. The recipe is here. And keep in mind you can make the dough and freeze it for a rainy day. Or squirrel it away like a creepy pregnant chic.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

2010-03-26T20:33:00.000-04:00

Look at this award I just recieved from Andrea the Kitchen Witch !!! She is one of my favorites. If I'm looking for a recipe or ideas, her site is always one of the first I peruse. And then she gives me this. When I should have given it to her. Thanks Andrea.

Here is the Link to the award page.

The "Rules"
1. Display the Stiletto badge of honor.
2. Brag about it - post a link to the page to highlight what the award is about
3. Say thanks! Include a link to the friend who nominated you.
4. Share the love-nominate 5-10 more blogs. Leave links to their blogs and leave them a comment so they know they won!
5. Do what you do! Keep at it and keep inspiring others!

Now I get to pass it on to other bloggers. Fun.
1)Siriously Delicious-She may have already been nominated, but this is a list of my favorites.
2)Boy Chef, Girl Wonder-Super cute with great photos.
3)Be Delicious-Really great recipes. She also has a really good beer blog.
4)Homemade-She hasnt posted anything for a while, but I still look at her site all the time for recipes and ideas.
5)I Am Chasing Thirty-Another super cute one with great photos.
6)Kitsch In The Kitchen-An art blog I like to look at.
7)Sweetlife-You should check out the things she does with food. I don't quite know how to explain it.
8)Pink of Perfection-Super fantastic blog with cute little videos and art projects and such.
9)Evil Chef Mom-She's evil and a chef. Look at the strawberry tart she just posted.
10)A Foodie's Thoughts-This site always makes me hungry and she's Canadian!

Raspberry Oatmeal Muffins

2010-03-26T11:16:00.000-04:00

I made more muffins. Being pregnant really reminds you of what an animal you are. Not you, me. I keep making things that I can freeze. Storing food away like a hamster. And 6 purple buckwheat muffins(I ate the other 6) were obviously not good enough. So I made these. They were great like a muffin should be, but the buckwheats were better.

1/2 c. rolled oats
1 c. buttermilk
3/4 c. whole wheat flour
3/4 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 egg
2/3 c. brown sugar, packed
1/4 c. vegetable oil
1 c. fresh or frozen raspberries, not thawed

In one bowl, combine oats and buttermilk; let stand 5-10 minutes. In another bowl, mix flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon.
Beat eggs, stir in brown sugar and oil. Blend. Stir in oats mixture, then flour. Gently fold in fruit.

Bake at 375°F. for 20-25 minutes

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Purple Buckwheat Muffins

2010-03-24T15:21:00.000-04:00

I have a ton of scary buckwheat flour left over from my buckwheat crepes and considering all of it's wonderful health benefits I thought I should learn how to use it. I found a good-lookin' buckwheat muffin recipe at "Pink of Perfection" and replaced the strawberries with raspberries. Also, because I'm still scared of buckwheat I topped them with alot of brown sugar instead of a little bit of white. They turned out so pink that they are almost purple and how can I be scared of purple muffins? Turns out I'm not. I can't stop eating them.

1 1/2 cups raspberries
1/3 cup plus white sugar
2 T. brown sugar for tops of muffins
1 1/4 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
2 t. baking powder
1/2 t. baking soda
1/2 t. salt
1/2 t. ground cinnamon
1 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Preheat oven to 400°F. Line a standard 12 cup muffin tin with paper liners. Toss together raspberries and sugar. Using a potato masher, lightly mash berries; set aside.

In a large bowl, whisk together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon. In another bowl, whisk together buttermilk, oil, egg, and vanilla until combined.

Make a well in the center of the flour mixture and pour in the buttermilk mixture and the berry mixture (including juices). Fold until just combined. Divide batter among the muffin cups. Sprinkle the tops with brown sugar.

Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, about 17 minutes. Cool 5 minutes in the pan, then transfer muffins to a wire rack to cool completely.

Source: Adapted from "Pink of Perfection"

Chicken With Peanut Salsa

2010-03-23T21:51:00.000-04:00

Could this be my signature dish? Thats what I asked myself over and over again last night when I should have been sleeping.

I've been researching peanut salsa for days now. While compiling my final ingredient list this morning I thought I started to feel a little bit of a contraction. I wasn't ready to go into labour. I was determined to make this salsa and feed it to somebody. So I quickly got dressed, grabbed my list, and ran/waddled to the grocery store. It turned out to be a false alarm. Not only was I able to make the dish, I was able to eat it too!! Now, I think I'm ready for labour...until I get obsessed with my next recipe idea.

-5 Chicken drum sticks
-1 1/2 cups unsalted peanuts
-1 roasted red pepper
-1 onion
-4 garlic cloves
-2 Chipotles in adobo
-4 T. Adobo
-1 T. smoked paprika
-1/4 t. cinnamon(Optional)
-1 T. tomato paste
-1/8 t. ground clove
-Juice of one lime
-Juice of one lemon
-About 2 cups chicken broth

Roast peanuts in pan, throw into food processor or blender.
Dice and saute onion and garlic in same pan. Add to processor.
Dice roasted red pepper and add to processor with chipotle, adobo, paprika, cinnamon, clove, tomato paste, citrus juice and chicken stock. Keep adding chicken stock until the consistency is liquidy and saucy rather than pasty.

Brown and crisp drum sticks in onion and garlic pan. Toast with salt and pepper.

Add just enough peanut salsa to coat chicken and a bit for the bottom of the pan and bake until chicken completely cooked. (NEXT TIME I WILL KEEP IT IN THE PAN AND FRY RATHER THAN BAKE TO KEEP THE CHICKEN CRISPY)

I served this with baked cilantro tomatoes and couscous.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Baked Cilantro Tomatoes

2010-03-23T21:11:00.000-04:00

This makes an excellent flavourful and healthy side dish. You can also replace cilantro with any herb that accomodates your main dish.

3 Roma tomatoes
2 Garlic cloves minced
6 t. Bread crumbs
3 T. Chopped cilantro
S+P
Olive oil

Cut tomatoes in half and place each half cut side up on baking dish. Top with Kosher salt and pepper.

Mix garlic, bread crumbs and cilantro in bowl. Pile mixture on tomatoes. Drizzle with olive oil. Bake at 350 for 10-15 minutes.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Spanikopita

2010-03-18T18:02:00.000-04:00

And How To Fold The Perfect Phyllo Triangle
Anyone can make spinach pie. It's delicious and it's healthy. Personally, I think the trick to the perfect spinach pie is tons of fresh garlic and tons of fresh dill. I have made this now many many times and I consider the below to finally be the perfect mix of ingredients. I've been told more than once that "It's the best".

Recipe Makes About 12 Triangles

2 packages frozen chopped spinach
1/4 t. salt
1/8 t. black pepper
1 T. greek seasoning
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 T. fresh lemon juice
1 8 ounce package feta cheese
1/4 cup fried chopped onion
2-3 chopped green onions
3 cloves minced garlic
3 T. chopped fresh garlic
1 package of phyllo

Heat frozen packages of spinach in microwave for about 5 minutes. Once defrosted empty contents into a clean dish towel. Wring out liquid over sink. Put dry spinach in bowl. Mix all ingredients together and wrap into phyllo like this:

**Note the green damp towel covering the thawed phyllo sheets. Phyllo dries very easily so make sure to keep it covered.

Step 1: Lay one sheet of phyllo out. Brush center line with melted butter or olive oil.
Step 2: Fold one side of sheet over buttered area. And butter the top of the folded piece.
Step 3: Fold other edge over buttered area like a letter. Now you have a long rectangle.
Step 4: Place about 2 T. filling in phyllo like this. Loosely shape it like a triangle.
Step 4: Fold the corner over filling like this and then butter the rest of the phyllo.
Step 5: Keep folding until you reach the top.

At this point you can freeze them or bake in oven at 350 for 15 minutes. You may need to flip them half way through. When cooking from frozen leave in oven for 30 minutes.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

My Sweet Sweet Man Made Me Some Sweet Sweet Cookies

2010-03-18T16:43:00.001-04:00

Sometimes my boyfriend makes me chocolate chip cookies. I eat them all day long. I eat them for breakfast. With my lunch. After my dinner. Then I wake up in the middle of the night and I eat them again.
If it were up to him he would make cookies for me all the time. He loves it. He gets quite creative. This time he added Vanilla, Peanut Butter and Honey.
I am so impressed. I never would have thought to add those ingredients to the recipe. So daring. I had to document it. And look at how beautiful they are.

Homemade Pierogis

2010-03-17T21:20:00.000-04:00

Apparently the orgins of the pierogi are difficult to trace. I personally have a soft spot for the Ukranian version. So that is why I call these Ukranian.

You can stuff them with just about anything. Make hundreds and freeze them. Boil them, bake them, fry them. Serve with sausage, or fried cabbage, sour cream!

Way better than the supermarket frozen version.

Makes about 50 pierogis

Dough:
4 cups all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1/2 cup sour cream
1 t.salt
2/3 cup warm water

Filling:
3 Cups Mashed potato (mix with 1/4 cup cream, 3 T. Butter, Salt and Pepper)
1/4 Cup cream cheese
3-4 Green onions
Chopped bacon(About 10 slices)

-Combine all dough ingredients and knead until well blended. Divide the dough into 4, then roll out to 1/8 inch thickness.
-Cut out round circle about the size of your palm.(Note: This dough shrinks a little bit so the circle may seem large until you fill, coat the edge and fold it.)
-Place 1 t. of filling into the center of each round. Moisten the edges with melted butter, fold over, and press together with a fork to seal.
-Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. Add perogies and cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until they float to the top. You can eat them like that or toss them in an oiled frying pan like I do to crisp them a little. Top with cheddar cheese.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Lemon Butter Halibut with Dill Sour Cream

2010-03-14T21:19:00.000-04:00

He doesn't like seafood but thinks he might be able to handle halibut. I soaked it in lemon, butter, salt + pepper. I also served a fresh dill sour cream mixture for him to dip it in and a spinach salad on the side. He ate it all and said it was good and thats really all I could ask for.

Wash halibut, squeeze lemon juice over top, salt Pepper, butter. Bake at 375 until white and flaky.

Sour cream, Fresh Dill, and Salt.

And a spinach Salad.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Chicken And Sausage Chili

2010-03-13T20:38:00.000-05:00

3 Chicken breasts
1 Chorizo sausage
1/4 Cup flour
3.5 Cups chicken stock
1 Whole onion
1 Green pepper
1 Red pepper
1 Can cannellini beans
1 Can kidney beans
1 t. Ground corriander
1 t. Cumin
1 t. Cayenne
1 T. Chili powder
1 T. Kosher salt
1 t. Fresh ground pepper
1 4 ounce jar diced green chilis
Sour cream and green onion for garnish
1/8 Cup cream

Brown and cook chicken in pan, set aside. Brown and cook sliced chorizo in same pan, pour on top of chicken. Pour chicken stock in pan and heat up scraping bits of chicken and sausage from bottom. Whisk flour in slowly until sauce slightly thickens. Pour over chicken and sausage. I used a crockpot but you could also make it on the stove. Add diced veggies and chillis and spices. Cook for while. When it`s almost done, add cream. Stir, heat, serve, top with onion and sour cream. Serve with fresh bread.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Bread Machine White Bread

2010-03-13T19:00:00.000-05:00

1 2/3 cup warm water
2 T. oil
2 T powdered milk
1 1/2 t. salt
2 T. sugar
2 t. quick rising yeast
3 cups bread flour

Put in bread machine in order of ingredients. Bake on quick bake.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Sun Dried Tomato Burger with Garlic Basil Mayo

2010-03-12T21:47:00.001-05:00

~ Maternity Leave Burger Party ~

~ Of Two ~
In the past I would mix ground beef with egg, onion and garlic. Then I learned that it's not necessary. Not necessary at all.

Garlic Basil Mayo:
1/4 cup Mayo
2 T. Finely chopped fresh basil
2 Cloves of garlic
Generous pinch of salt

Sun Dried Tomato Burger Mixture:
Extra Lean Ground Beef
Sun Dried Tomato
Kosher Salt
Fresh Ground Pepper

Mix ground beef with finely chopped sun dried tomato. Form patties. Coat each side generously with salt and pepper. Fry.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Spinach and Dill Grilled Cheese Sandwich

2010-03-12T01:22:00.000-05:00

Fresh dill mixed with cream cheese. Spinach and Mozza. Salt and Pepper.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mexican Lettuce Wrap

2010-03-09T22:57:00.000-05:00

Like the Asian Lettuce Wrap we want to incorporate a super flavourful meat/vegetable mixture with a slightly crispy texture. We replaced noodles with baked torilla strips and topped it with hot sauce, cheese and a sour cream mixture. Then wrapped it up into a crispy coat of lettuce.

Sour Cream Mixture:
1 Cup sour cream
1 t. Chili powder
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 t. Sugar
Cilantro to taste(Optional)

Ground beef
Cumin
Chilli powder
Cayenne pepper
Onion
Green pepper
Tomato
Jalapeno
2 tortillas
Cheese(Jack)
Hot sauce

-Slice tortillas very thin. Lay on baking sheet. Brush with oil. Bake for 10 minutes at 375.
-Brown Ground beef. Add cumin, chili powder, and cayenne pepper. Cook with onion, green pepper, tomato and jalapeno.
-Fill lettuce with beef filling. Top with sour cream mixture, hot sauce, cheese and crunchy tortilla strips. Wrap up nice and tight and enjoy!

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Asian Lettuce Wraps With Beef

2010-03-08T20:11:00.000-05:00

Lettuce wraps can be made with so many different ingredients. This is how I made them today and they were delicious. The sauces make them fun to put together, trying different combinations with every serving. Healthy, quick, and delectable.

Filling:
Ground Beef
Sliced mushrooms
Garlic
Ginger
Soya sauce
Black bean sauce
Sesame oil

Cook beef with the above ingredients.

Vermicelli noodles(Boiled or deepfried--today they were deepfried)
Hoisin sauce
Sweet chili sauce
Hot chili sauce
Green onion
Lettuce

Wrap beef filling inside pieces of lettuce, topping with green onion, whichever sauce you feel like and noodles.

*****To deepfry vermicelli noodles-simply place a small handful of noodles into about an inch of hot oil. Repeat until you have desired amount. They will puff up immediately. Be ready with a slotted spoon to scoop them out. This way the noodles are crispy, but very very light.****

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Ashorizo Lasagna

2010-03-04T21:57:00.000-05:00

This lasagna was delicious. The lower layer consisting of spinach and leek with a textured cheese mixture. While the middle layer combined chorizo, garlic, peppers, onion, mushrooms and tomato sauce. Then came the light layer of bechamel sauce and mozza. I was hesitant to add this layer but couldn't help think of the spinach and how nicely it would accomodate it. The small amount of bechamel sauce was barely noticable but helped balance the spice of chorizo with the tang of the tomato sauce. It was a genius blend of ingredients and I recommend you try it immediately. You want it. You want to make it and feed it to your family.

Bottom Layer:
1 Large container of cottage cheese
3 T. chopped leek
1 egg
Parmesan cheese
Mozza cheese
fresh spinach

-Mix cheeses, egg and leek with a bit of salt and pepper to taste. Spread over a layer of no boil lasagna noodles in a 9 x 13 pan. Lay fresh spinach on top 2 leaves thick. Then another layer of noodles before adding to second layer. The chorizo layer.

Second Layer-Chorizo Layer:
1 jar of Ragu sauce
2 Chorizo sausages, sliced or diced or however you like it. I sliced mine and then cut it in half for a chunky style.
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 diced onion

I was trying to speed things up so I didn't even cook the tomato sauce. I cooked the the chorizo, mushrooms, onion and garlic and simply added it to the cold tomato sauce. Spread into the lasaagna dish and lay another layer of noodles on top.

Third Layer-Bechamel Layer:
2 T. butter
2 T. Flour
1 Cup milk
salt and pepper
1/2 t. nutmeg
Mozza
Parmesan

-Melt butter, whisk in flour, gradually add milk, stirring contantly over med high heat. Add salt, pepper, nutmeg.
-Pour over lasagna, top with tonz of mozza and parmesan.
-Bake at 375 for 40 minutes. Place a baking sheet underneath in case it drips. let cool for 10 minutes.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Spinach

2010-03-03T13:40:00.000-05:00

The other day when Canada won the gold metal in olympic hockey the whole city of Vancouver went crazy. Celebration is great! But this went beyond celebration. The win seemed to make some people feel cool and beautiful. Beautiful?? Cuz you won a hockey game? Ew.

My aunt once told me that when she was pregnant with my cousin she had heard that if you ate lots of spinach while pregnant then your baby will be born with a huge brain. Her daughter, my Beautiful cousin is one of the smartest people I have ever met. She is a nurse and is currently working on her law degree. She is only 26 years old.

I'd imagine spinach is great for developing brains too. So if you have children or are going to have children, eat spinach, feed them spinach. Lets work on the brain size of generations to come. Maybe we can make the world a more brilliant and less self absorbed place to live. Starting with spinach!!

Here is my spinach list.
Valentines Day Ravioli
Super Vegetable Chicken Soup
Italian Wedding Soup
Eggs Poached in Tomato Sauce
Buckwheat Crepe
Ashorizo Lasagna

I've also used it with:
Pare's Cornmeal Pizza Dough (Spinach, Garlic, Red Onion, Tomato)
Ashparagus N' Leek Phyllo Pizza Pie (Replace the asparagus with Spinach)
Shortcut Butter Chicken (Mix Spinach in at the very end of the cooking process)
Most broth based soups can be poured over top of a fresh bed of spinach and kids won't even notice.
Spinach and Feta Stuffed Chicken Breast and Spinach Triangles coming soon.

Chocolate Chip Banana Bread

2010-03-01T16:11:00.000-05:00

I ate this for dinner last night.

1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter
4 very ripe bananas
1 T. milk
2 eggs
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp. baking soda
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
1/2 cup chocolate chips

Mix sugar and butter with mixer. Add all other ingredients besides chocolate chips. Mix. Then add chocolate chips. Pour into loaf pan. Bake at 350 for 65 minutes.

Shortcut Butter Chicken

2010-02-27T18:52:00.000-05:00

With Brown Rice
3 chicken breasts
1/2 chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1 T. ground cumin
2 jalapeño pepper
1 T. grated fresh ginger
3/4 cup chopped coriander
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/2 cup of plain yogurt
1 can of tomato paste
Juice of 1 lime
1/2 t. salt
1 T. Garam masala
1/2 t. chili powder

Slice each chicken breast into 3 or 4 large pieces. Melt 2 tbsp butter in pan. Cook chicken with cumin. Add rest of butter and onions.
While chicken is cooking, finely chop peppers, including seeds. They should measure about 3 tbsp. Grate ginger and chop coriander.
Pour cream into pan. Scrape up and stir any bits from pan bottom into cream to add flavour. Then stir in butter, tomato paste, hot peppers, ginger, salt and spices. Bring to a boil. Then cover and simmer, stirring occasionally.
Pour over rice, serve with bread.

Buckwheat Crepe

2010-02-24T13:43:00.000-05:00

I had never used buckwheat flour or tasted buckwheat flour ever that I can remember.

"...it contains all nine essential amino acids, rich in fiber, antioxidants and magnesium. Eating buckwheat regularly may help improve cardiovascular health, assist in regulating blood sugar, and reduce your risk of colon cancer"-Bon Appetit

It was scary. Buckwheat just doesn't sound that appealing and the magazine showed no images of it. I cut the amount of buckwheat in half and split it with all-purpose flour. I thought I'd start slowly.

I made a savory filling to experiment (Spinach, red onion, toasted pine nuts and mozzarella topped with Avgolemono Sauce)and I also made a sweet filling recipe slightly adapted from the magazine(Pear, lemon juice, brown sugar, lemon zest and devon cream).

Basic Buckwheat Crepe: (Bon Appetit)
1 1/4 cup buckwheat flour(Split with all-purpose)
3 large eggs
1/4 cup vegetable oil plus more for skillet
3/4 cup milk
1 1/4 cups water
1/4 t. salt

Whisk ingredients together, pour over Med High heated non stick skillet. Immediately tip pan so batter goes right to the edge. Cook for 30 seconds on each side or until lacey and brown.

Spinach Pine Nut Filling:
-Toast pine nuts, add onion, garlic, salt and pepper. Saute. Set to side.
-Melt butter in aseparate pan, add fresh spinach, heat until just wilting.
-wrap into crepe with grated mozza
-Cover with Avgolemono Sauce

Avgolemono Sauce:
Boil 2/3 cup chicken broth. In a separate bowl whisk 2 egg whites and 1/4 cup lemon juice. Add half boiling broth in stream, whisking constantly careful not to scramble eggs. Then add that mixture to pot with other half chicken broth. Careful not to boil. Sauce should thicken slightly. Add salt and pepper to taste.

Pear Filling:(Adapted from Bon Appetit)
Heat crepe in pan with butter. Flip. Sprinkle with brown sugar. Fold into quarters. Keep warm in oven.
-Toss peeled, cubed pears (I used canned)with lemon juice and brown sugar.
-Lay onto crepe, top with lemon zest and creme fraise (I used devon cream)

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Buckwheat Flour

Chicken Pot Pie

2010-02-23T22:10:00.000-05:00

The pie is in the oven and my house smells like baking cheese cake, pie pastry and comforting roasting chicken and vegetables.
The last time I made Lucindas Chicken Pot Pockets I had wanted to make a few changes. I did and I think she'd approve. I made an actual pie rather than pockets because I had less time to work with. I almost doubled the amount of veggies and added peas. And this time, I had chicken stock and shredded chicken left over in the freezer from when I made stock for Siri's Italian Wedding Soup. This cream cheese pastry literally took me 7 minutes to make. While the dough chilled in the fridge for 1/2 an hour I cut the veggies and made the filling. Super quick and super healthy.

Cream Cheese Pastry:
8T. unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t. coarse salt

-Mix butter, cream cheese and cream in a food processor, with a mixer or by hand with a fork.
-Add flour and salt. Mix until combined and dough just holds together in a ball.
-Divide into 2. Flatten into disks and warp in plastic.
-Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes. Or overnight. If chilled overnight, take out 15 minutes before ready to use.

Filling: (Adapted Version)
3 T. butter
1/2 chopped onion
1/2 cup cup chopped celery
2 chopped carrot
1/4 cup frozen peas
1/2 t. coarse salt
Fresh ground pepper to taste
2 1/2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth
1 heaping cup of shredded chicken
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, for egg wash

-Melt butter in a hot skillet and add onion, celery and carrot. Saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the salt and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and cheese. Cool in fridge while you roll dough.
-Preheat oven 375.
-Roll out dough, lay half in a 9 inch pie plate, fill with filling, top with rest of rolled out dough, curl edges of top piece under edges of bottom piece.
-Crimp edges with fork. Chill for a few minutes.
-Cut 3 slices in top of dough so steam will escape during cooking process.
-When ready to bake, beat the egg with 1 T. water. Brush top of pie.
-Bake at 375 for 35 to 45 minutes or until crust is golden and juices are bubbling.
-Let cool for 15 minutes before cutting.
-Serve with mashed potatoes or green salad or steamed green beans. Or put greens beans right in the pie!! The more veggies the better.

Source: Adapted from "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photos: Shawn Campbell

No, I did not make this up.

2010-02-22T17:08:00.000-05:00

Cuz that would be creepy, but I stumbled upon this blog the other day when I was researching Lucinda Scala Quinn. The blog author claimed to be Lucinda herself. To be honest, I really didn't think it was her. I thought maybe it was someone who is more obsessed with her than me, but I didn't think it was actually her. I thought it was kind of frightening actually. So I left a comment and this is what she said. Now I'm not sure if I need to carry on with this thing we call blog....
Does it get any better than this?

Ashleigh said...
Is this really Lucinda? I make her recipes, I own her book. In fact I made eggs poached in tomato sauce this morning. I have a whole label dedicated to her. Check it out.

February 21, 2010 12:39 PM
LUCINDA SCALA QUINN said...
Ashleigh:
Yes, it's Lucinda and you ROCK. Love those eggs too.
Best,
LSQ

Stuffed Chicken

2010-02-21T22:21:00.000-05:00

Ham and swiss rolled into chicken with whole grain mustard.

Wash and pound chicken until thickness is somewhat even throughout the breast. Spread whole grain mustard on one whole side of chicken breast. You want to barely taste the mustard so make sure it's quite thin. Layer a piece of salty ham. Layer swiss cheese thick enough to lose some throughout the cooking process. Roll tightly. Secure with toothpicks. Top with salt and pepper. Bake at 375 for 20-30 minutes.

I served it with garlic mashed potatoes and fresh steamed green beans.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Eggs Poached In Tomato Sauce

2010-02-21T11:59:00.000-05:00

Oh Lucinda...Once again you've outdone yourself.
I added green onion to this dish and next time I would have put the egg over fresh or cooked spinach.

-1 28 ounce can whole plum tomatoes or crushed or pureed
-1 T. olive oil
-2 Garlic cloves
-Pinch of crushed red pepper flakes
-Coarse Salt and freshly ground pepper
-6 Large eggs
-6 slices toasted or grilled bread
-Freshley grated parmesan

Transfer tomatoes and their juices to the jar of a blender. (I used a food processor) Blend until the tomatoes are coarsely chopped.

Heat a small skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil, garlic, red pepper flakes.

Add tomatoes and bring to a boil-season with salt and pepper.

Reduce heat to simmer for 20 minutes.

Crack eggs into tomato mixture, cover and let cook for 5 minutes. Remove from skillet, uncover, let stand for 5 minutes.

Transfer egg to a piece of toast. Spoon sauce over egg. Garnish with cheese.

Source:"Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn

Italian Wedding Soup

2010-02-20T20:35:00.000-05:00

The recipe for this soup was copied directly from one of my favorite Blogstresses Siri. If you haven't been to Siriously Delicious, actually even if you have been, go now.
I had never tried this soup before making it today and what I loved most about it was how beautiful it was. The picture doesn't do it justice as I was without my photographer, but the colors were super bright and vibrant. And the the taste was great too. I'll make this soup again and I won't change anything. I also like how it's italian cuz I often pretend I'm italian. In my head. The recipe is here.

Source: Siri @ Siriously Delicious

Baked Cheese Sticks

2010-02-19T11:00:00.000-05:00

So lastnight we were going to this crazy olympic party downtown. Everybody was all like "Oh Ashleigh, you HAVE to bring some of your totally delicious appetizers!! Have to. The party just won't be the same without your AMAZING food talent!!". I knew right away I had to make my signature appy dish....

Alright, I wasn't actually invited to any party... And this was the first time I've made these.
And I was at home.
Alone.

These particular cheese sticks would have been good on top of some mixed greens with a balsamic vinegar dressing. But next time I would use actual bread crumbs. I thought Panko would be so light, but it wasn't.
And sharing is caring.
I wouldn't eat the whole pan to myself.
Or spray aerosol whipped cream straight into my mouth for dessert.
Over and over again.

BEFORE BAKING AFTER BAKING

Mozza Cheese
Flour
Egg
Parsley
Panko Bread Crumbs
Garlic
Salt

-Prepare a bowl of flour. Mix egg with parsley. Mix bread crumbs with garlic powder and salt.
-Dip mozza in flour, then egg, then bread. Let rest to help bread coating adhere.
-Then coat again-flour, egg, bread. Lay on baking sheet. Chill in freezer for a few minutes before baking at 350 for 10 minutes.
-Broil for a few if you have browning issues like I did.

It's OK tho. Today after work I'll make some barley tea.

Barley Tea (Mugicha)

2010-02-17T21:45:00.000-05:00

I should have named my blog The Barley Blog... or Bearly Barley... or Barley and Me. You know why? Cuz I love Barley. It's so nutritious and versatile. Maybe I should name my baby Barley... Just kidding baby.

The Japanese believe that barley tea helps to extract impurities from the blood. The Chinese sometimes pair barley tea with heavy meals to aid digestion. It has also been used to treat nausea. And with all the different types of barley, the possibilities are endless. Just endless.

The following tea recipe is especially popular in Japan, Korea, and China. It has a very nutty, warming flavor and may take some getting used to. If you appreciate tea and all the health benefits that go with it, then you should love this. Some people make this tea so strong that it almost tastes like coffee. Crazy kids....

-2/3 cup pearl barley(Pearl barley is the most common form of barley for human consumption, unlike the hulled barley which is more nutritious and used in my Beef Barley soup)
-8 cups water

Preheat oven to 350. Spread the barley over a large baking tray and cook in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the barley is toasted and aromatic.

Transfer the barley to a large saucepan. Add the water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until the barley is very tender. Strain the tea into a large heatproof jug or teapot. Discard the barley. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly before serving. (I just spoon the liquid out with a ladle straight into cups and let it sit)

Not sure if this would be acceptable to a barley tea connoisseur, but I add a little honey to my cup and it's delicious.

Source:Taste.com
Photos:Shawn Campbell

Beef Barley Soup

2010-02-17T21:43:00.000-05:00

The rockstar is still ill. So he says. I personally think he just wants more soup ;)

Did you know that the intake of barley is likely to help maintain your overall health in the long term? Barley is also considered a whole grain and is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential for our health! It's so exciting!! And tasty....It absorbs all the delicious flavours that surround it and provides a pleasant chewy texture to the soup.

-1 T. vegetable oil
-1 clove minced garlic
-1/2 a pound to 1 pound of stew beef(Cut into smaller pieces)
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1 whole onion-chopped

Cook beef in pot, add and saute celery, onion, garlic salt and pepper.

-1 Litre Vegetable stock (Low-sodium if you can)
-1 Litre of Beef Stock (Low-Sodium if available)
I used vegetable and beef cuz I couldn't decide which would taste better, but you could probably just use one type.
-1/2 Cup hulled Barley
-2 whole chopped carrots
-1/2 cup chopped green beans
-1/4 cup peas

Once beef is cooked, add stocks, barley, carrots and beans(This will need to simmer for 1/2 hour or longer in order for the barley to cook properly. Pearl barley takes less time to cook but is not nearly as healthy). About 5 minutes before done, add peas.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Super Vegetable Chicken Soup

2010-02-16T18:28:00.001-05:00

SOMEBODY had too much party this weekend and it obviously wasn't me. So Monday rolls around and somebody is totally run down and comes home from work with a cold. The following soup was created in an effort to heal his inner rockstar.
To do so, I've added a few dashes of cayenne pepper (see health benefits here) and poured the fragrant elixir over a bed of fresh spinach. He couldn't even taste the cayenne and I don't think he even noticed the spinach. He said it was the best soup he's EVER had. Whoa I said.

-4 Cups Chicken broth (Which you might have left over in the freezer from the Chicken Pot Pockets you made about a month ago)
-3 Carrots (Chopped)
-3 Celery stocks (Chopped)
-1 Whole onion (Chopped)
-1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
-1 Clove of Garlic (Minced)
-1 head of spinach
-3 sprigs fresh thyme
-3 sprigs fresh Parsley
-A couple dashes of cayenne pepper
-1 1/2 t. Salt
-Pepper to taste
-Egg noodles (Optional)

Simmer stock, add chicken, herbs and spices. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Add all veggies except for spinach. Bring to a boil. Serve when veggies are still a little crisp. Pour over a bed of fresh spinach.

Valentines Day Ravioli

2010-02-15T11:44:00.000-05:00

Spinach, Leek, Garlic and Ricotta inside heart shaped wonton wrappers.

1 Package wonton wrappers
1 Bunch of fresh spinach
1/4 Cup finely chopped leek
1/4 Cup ricotta cheese
3 Finely chopped garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Egg
Dash of cream or milk

-Lightly steam whole head of spinach. Wring it out. Chop it up.
-Add leek, garlic, ricotta salt and pepper.
-In a separate bowl beat egg with a dash of cream or milk.
-Lay down one wonton wrapper.
-Place 1/2 t. of filling in center.
-Brush 4 edges with egg mixture.
-Lay onother wrapper on top, push out air.
-Cut with cookie cutter. (I used hearts because of the occassion, but found it left too much noodle on the ravioli piece-Next time I'll use a circle)
-Make sure edges are sealed.
-Lay in a bed of flour until ready to boil.
-Boil for 5 minutes or until they float to the top. Strain.
Toss them in your favorite sauce.

I tossed mine in a creamy pesto sauce (Butter, flour, cream and pesto) Very good, very rich.
I served this dish with sundried tomato basil turkey sausage.
He loved it (Said it could very well be my signature dish!! That is depending on the final tally of the question on my side bar.... Is it once a year? Or weekly? The suspense is driving me crazy!!) and then he brought me these.

Beautiful, wondrous pieces of love joy. And we all lived happily ever after.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Super Soft and Supple Pita Bread

2010-02-13T15:21:00.000-05:00

Yes, I said supple. I know it's creepy. Well I'm creepy, but the bread is not. The bread is super soft and supple.
It's delicious, warm, crispy, soft and perfect for my Proscuitto Chicken Ceasar Sandwich.
I can't wait to make a bunch of crazy dips in my food processor as a present for this bread. I'll dedicate them to this bread.

-Place 2 cups all-purpose flour in a bowl and stir in 1 1/4 cups boiling water.
-Stir until smooth, Cover and let sit 1/2 an hour.(Mine didn't really get "smooth"...but it started to stick together like a dough would stick together)-In a separate bowl combine 1/4 cup potato flour(Or flakes or buds)and 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 1/4 t. salt, 2 T. vegetable oil, and 1 t. instant yeast.
-Add to the cooled flour/water mixture. Stir together. Will seem dry at first, but will eventually start to come together.
-Knead for several minutes(I did it by hand but you can use an electric mixer or bread machine). The dough will remain soft and somewhat sticky.(Mine wasn't sticky)-Put the dough into a greased container, let rise, covered for 1 hour or longer.
-Divide the dough into 8 pieces, form into balls. Cover for 15-30 minutes.
-Flatten each piece into circle. About 5 inch diameter. Then roll them out to about 7 inch diameter.
-Heat a skillet over medium heat. NO OIL. Dry fry till brown underneath-about 1 minute. The bread will puff a bit. Turn over, and cook till the other side is brown. About 1 minute.
-If big bubbles develop, prick with a skewer. Flatten with the pressure of a flipper.
-As the breads come off the skillet-stack them on top of eachother to keep soft and moist. You can use them for dipping in hummous or make sandwiches or wait until they cool and bag them in plastic.
Source:King Arthur Flour

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Proscuitto Chicken Ceasar Pita

2010-02-13T15:00:00.000-05:00

I find proscuitto much easier than bacon to deal with. The salty crispiness gives great texture and it compliments the spice of the garlic in the ceasar dressing really well.

-Bake chicken breast in 375 oven. 5 minutes before ready to take out-lay proscuitto pieces on top of chicken to bake until crispy. When done let cool slightly before slicing into longer pieces.
-Toss chicken and proscuitto pieces into freshly ceasar coated romaine lettuce.
-Place into Super Soft and Supple Pita Bread and top with Parmesan Cheese.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mexican Chicken Pockets

2010-02-11T21:57:00.000-05:00

Have you ever been to My Kitchen Cafe? Well, if not you should go. Today I needed a recipe that would be quick cuz I wasn't getting home from work til late and I was tired. Thats where I got this idea, which I changed a bit to suit my ingredient list. I had quite a bit of filling left over so I made burritos out of it, rolled tightly in saran wrap and put them in the freezer for work lunches. But the fried pocket version follows.

Cooked brown rice
Shredded Chicken
Refried beans
Cream cheese
Green onion
Cilantro
Lime juice
Chili powder
Cumin
Cheese
Sour cream
Tortillas

Mix rice with everything except beans, cheese and sour cream.
Heat tortillas in microwave until soft so they dont rip when you fold the pockets.
Spread cream cheese in middle of tortilla along with refried beans and a layer of cheese.
Fill with chicken and rice mixture.
Fold into a pocket square thing and fry in lightly oiled pan. (Use a bit of the refried bean as a glue to keep the pocket closed until it fried shut)

Source:My Kitchen Cafe

Photos:Shawn Campbell

32 WEEKS!!!

2010-02-09T23:10:00.000-05:00

1 week ago.
What am I going to name my blog in a few weeks?
I wasn't really thinking ahead when I started.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Chicken and Chorizo Fettucini Alfredo

2010-02-09T19:24:00.001-05:00

I figured I'd make this dish while I'm allowed to be fat. Everyone says Alfredo is an easy sauce to make. I found it a little stressful actually. You have to be careful not to scorch it. Watch that it doesn't start to curdle. And hope that it thickens to the right consistency. I had troubles with the thickening. I had to turn the heat back up, bring almost to a boil again and then take it off the heat. It all worked out well in the end and it actually tasted like Alfredo.

Chicken breast
Chorizo sausage
Fettucini noodles
2 Cups heavy cream(I used Creamo)
1/4 Cup butter
1/4 Cup parmesan cheese
1 T. minced fresh garlic
salt, pepper, chopped parsley

Bring cream to a boil
Reduce heat to medium, continue to boil until reduced by half.
Meanwhile cook noodles. Cut up chicken into pieces and fry with a bit of fresh garlic, add chorizo and fry together until done.
Once cream is reduced, remove from heat.
Add butter 1 T. at a time with a whisk.
It should thicken and turn glossy.(Mine didnt-had to turn it back up for a bit)
Add cheese, hot pasta, salt and pepper. Garnish with fresh parsley. Top with meat.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mexican Chicken

2010-02-08T20:48:00.000-05:00

I've adapted this recipe from Andrea The Kitchen Witches Cream Cheese Salsa Chicken recipe. I added red pepper and onion sauteed with cumin, cayenne, and kosher salt. I served it with warmed black beans with melted cheese and fresh green onion. It would have been perfect if I weren't on the phone and BURNED my brown rice. BLACK. AND SMOKEY. Ruined my pot. I would be more generous with the cream cheese next time as I only added a few thin slices and found it to be not enough. I also would add fresh cilantro as a finishing touch. All in all, it was a super quick and easy meal, which I love on Mondays after a long day of work. Thanks Andrea!!

1T. Olive oil
1/2 Onion(Chopped)
1 Whole red pepper
1/2 t. Kosher salt
1/2 t. Cumin
Dash of cayenne pepper

-Saute over medium high heat until just softening.
-2 Chicken breast
-4 T. Cream cheese
-3/4 Cup salsa

-Push to the side and brown 2 chicken breast on each side.
-Spread cream cheese onto each breast.
-Pour salsa into pan with veggies surrounding chicken.
-Put whole thing into oven and bake for 20.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Ashparagus 'n Leek Phyllo Pizza Pie

2010-02-06T21:42:00.000-05:00

Oh my god. Delicious. Make it. Holy.

-1 Package Phyllo Dough
-1 bunch of asparagus
-3 T. thinly sliced sundried tomatoes in olive oil
-1/4 Cup sliced leek
-1/4 Cup feta
-1 Cup mozzarella
-1 Cup parmesan
-Melted butter (For in between phyllo sheets)
-1/4 Cup sour cream
-1 T. Lemon juice

Pre heat oven to 375.
Lay one layer at a time phyllo onto baking sheet. Brush melted butter and sprinkle parmesan between each sheet. (Save some parmesan for topping)
-Phyllo should be about 7-9 sheets thick.
-Once all the layers are in place, slightly curl any overhanging edges in to form a bit of a crust. (If there are any)
-Place in middle rack for 10 minutes.

-Mix sour cream and lemon juice. (I would also add chopped chives but didnt have any on hand)
-Slice asparagus length wise in half.Steam asparagus, coat in olive oil, salt and pepper.
-Thinly spread sour cream mixture on cooked phyllo crust.(Think Pizza Sauce)
-Sprinkle mozza, sundried tomatoes, feta, leek and steamed asparagus.
-Top with remaining parmesan.

-At this point, you want to put back in the oven and cook for another 10 minutes on middle rack.
-Let cool 6 minutes before cuting into squares and serving.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Oh my. Busy day for a pregnant chic.

2010-02-06T20:00:00.000-05:00

The fancy basil hand cream and cleaner we bought at Williams Sonoma. I'm surprised at the things we spend our money on now that we don't smoke cigarettes and drink booze.

My new cook book. Salsa, pickles and lavender vinegar coming soon...

The new cast iron pan my man surprised me with yesterday after work. Lucinda says you need to have one of these in order to be a successful cook. I have 2.

His photos we had framed.

A photo of Us.

No nap. And then dinner!!!!

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mozza Stuffed Meatballs

2010-02-06T11:51:00.002-05:00

I took the idea from blogger Homemade but her recipe is from Racehel Ray...I'm worried that if I see the word EVOO I'll stab myself in the eye with my shiny Cuisinart knife. So I made up my own recipe. Good but no signature. I prefer spaghetti with Chorizo.

Ground Beef
Ground Pork
Mozza cubed
Freshly grated parmesan
Panko Crumbs
Chopped onion
Diced garlic
Egg

I shaped the meat mixture around the cheese cube. I seared them in a hot pan. Then I put them in the sauce and simmered for about 30 minutes.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Wontons

2010-01-31T13:30:00.000-05:00

Light, Healthy and fun to make. I thought I'd try making these with cooked meat instead of raw and found that the raw is much easier to work with and doesnt change the flavour of the finished product at all. This a dish that my mom has always made. I guess you could say "Her signature dish". If you knew her, you'd know how weird that is.

1-2 packages wonton wrappers
3 cups ground pork(Cooked or raw-Raw is easier to work with)
1 cup diced prawn or shrimp(Raw)
1/4 cup green onions
1 T. grated fresh ginger
2 T. soy sauce
1 T. sesame oil

-Mix ingredients together in large mixing bowl.
-Take one wrapper at a time and place 1 t. filling in center.
-Wet 2 edges with water and fold to make triangle. Pushing air out of pocket.
-Fold the two corners together in center. Should look like an open envelope.
-At this point you can put in zip lock bags and freeze. Or boil in water until they float to the top for wonton soup. Or deep fry until golden brown.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Wonton Soup

2010-01-31T13:13:00.000-05:00

-My Wonton Recipe
-Chicken broth or chicken soup base
-Chopped brocolli
-Chopped carrots
-Chopped Cauliflower
-Chopped green onion
-Rice Noodles(Optional)

Boil Wontons in water until they float to the top. In a separate pot heat chicken stock or chicken soup base until boil. Add wontons. Add brocolli, cauliflower and carrots about 5 minutes before ready to serve so they stay crisp. Garnish with green onion.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Pare's Cornmeal Pizza Dough

2010-01-28T23:36:00.000-05:00

I have tried many pizza dough recipes. This one was given to me by my cousin-and everytime I try a new recipe-I wished I would have made this one. It's super quick and easy to make. It makes 4 individual sized pizzas. The crust is very thin and can be very crispy depending on how long you cook it for. On one pizza... we put hot peppers, bacon, asiago and mozza with regular canned pizza sauce. The other has tons of green onion, thinly sliced roma tomatoes, asiago and mozza. They were both very tasty. Because they are so thin you worry they will burn easily, but 7 minutes on the lower rack in a 500 degree oven was a little too short. I personally should have left them in for another 2-3 minutes because I like these little pizzas to have a crispiness to them. They were still delicious at 7 minutes though. Make them and let me know what you think. If it weren't already my cousins signature dish, I would make it mine. But our babies will probably hang out together and then things will get confusing. ;)

2/3 cup warm water
2 1/4 t. quick rise yeast or one individual package
pinch of sugar
1/4 cup cornmeal (plus more for rolling and pan)
1 2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 t. salt
2 T. oil(I used extra virgin olive oil)

-Preheat to 500
-In a mall bowl sprinkle yeast and sugar over warm water. Let dissolve about 5-10 minutes.
-Combine flour, cornmeal and salt, make well.
-Add yeast mixture and oil.
-Mix with fork until dough comes together-forms a ball.
-Knead for 7-10 minutes. Keep adding flour if dough is too sticky. Roll in cornmeal once or twice while kneading.
-Cut into for balls. Roll in oil. Cover and let rise in a warm place for at least 15 minutes, but one hour better.
-oil baking sheet, sprinkle with cornmeal.
-Spread dough out with fingers until thin but not translucent.
-Spread sauce and toppings.
-Bake on lower rack for 7-10 minutes depending on how crispy you like it.

Source: Pare Bear

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Mediterranean Linguini

2010-01-25T21:27:00.000-05:00

I was trying to copy a pasta that my man loves to eat at a restaurant down the road. It was a nice, easy and light pasta to make... but in my opinon...wasn't a total success. He ate it anyway. He said it was really good. I looked at him sideways. Not because he had oil all over his mouth and chin...but because it wasn't nearly as good as the real thing.

Make sure you add lots of the sundried tomatoe olive oil(I used the oil from a jar of sundried tomatoes I had in the fridge, but you can buy sundried tomatoe olive oil or make your own.) and lots of the 2 cheeses as my pasta was quite bland until we added more. The roasted red peppers were jarred. And I roasted the grape tomatoes in the oven while I waited for the linguini to boil and chicken to cook. Next time I might add actual chopped sundreid tomatoes too. I will make it again. Probably more suitable for a lunch menu. Served with a softish garlic bread (Baked in tin foil for 30 minutes).

Pan fried chicken
Parmesan cheese
Feta cheese
Kalamata olives
Roasted red peppers
Roasted grape tomatoes
Linguini noodles
Sundried tomatoe olive oil

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Chicken Pot Pockets

2010-01-24T21:26:00.000-05:00

This is a great "To-Go" recipe. You can heat these pockets up and eat them on your way out the door. Very delicious. I'm not sure if it's because I'm pregnant...but the smell of the boiling chicken pulls this recipe out of the running for "The Signature Dish".
WHEN I make this again, I will add more vegetables and some fresh groung pepper. I will also make an actual pie, rather than pockets because I think it would save time. The pockets are extremely clever though, and the cream cheese pastry just proves that Lucinda is a genius.

Cream Cheese Pastry:

8T. unsalted butter at room temperature
4 ounces cream cheese at room temperature
1/4 cup heavy cream
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 t. coarse salt

-Mix butter, cream cheese and cream in a food processor, with a mixer or by hand.
-Add flour and salt. Mix until combined and dough just holds together in a ball.
-Divide into 2. Flatten into disks and warp in plastic.
-Refridgerate for at least 30 minutes. Or overnight. If chilled overnight, take out 15 minutes before ready to use.

Filling:

1 whole chicken(I used a 3 pound chicken and still had lots of shredded chicken and broth left over to freeze for next time)
2 T. butter
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/3 cup cup chopped celery
1/3 cup chopped carrot
1/2 t. coarse salt
2 T. all-purpose flour
1 1/2 cups chicken broth(from reduced poaching liquid)
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese
1 large egg, for egg wash

-Place chicken in a pot, add water to barely civer. Bring to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer for 50 minutes.
-Skim and discard any foam that arises to the surface. Remove chicken to cool.
-Continue to boil broth to reduce and concentrate to about half. Remove meat from chicken.
-Melt butter in a hot skillet and add onion, celery and carrot. Saute over medium heat for 2-3 minutes. Stir in the salt and flour and cook for 1 minute more. Add chicken broth and stir until thickened, about 2 minutes. Add chicken and cheese. Cool in fridge while you roll dough.
-Preheat oven 375. Butter a baking sheet.
-Rool out dough, cut 5 inch circles. Wet the edges of the dough with water.
-Place 1/4 cup filling on the circle and fold dough over to form half circle. (I could only fit a T. of filling in mine)
-Crimp edges with fork. Poke the pocket top twice with fork. Chill for a few minutes.
-When ready to bake, beat the egg with 1 T. water. Brush pockets.
-Bake for 20-25 minutes, until golden brown.

Source:"Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photos: Shawn Campbell

Flaky Buttery Biscuits

2010-01-23T12:31:00.001-05:00

Lucinda says that these are the epitome of a cozy breakfast or great for dinner with fried chicken. Slather with butter or jam.
In my experience...they are almost easier than making toast or garlic bread, and much more impressive.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour
2 1/2 t. baking powder
1 t. coarse salt
6 T. chilled unsalted butter
3/4 cup milk

Preheat Oven 45o

-Butter or line baking sheet
-in a medium bowl, whisk together flour, salt and baking powder. Using fork, combine butter and flour mixture until resemble coarse meal. Slowly add milk, stirring with fork to desired consistency.
-Drop 2 T. of dough onto baking sheet. Bake for 13 to 15 minutes until golden. Cool slightly. Serve warm.

(For firmer less cakier bisuits add less milk and roll out dough, cut with biscuit cutter or rim of glass)

Source: "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photo: Shawn Campbell

Apple Pie

2010-01-22T21:21:00.001-05:00

I don't like apple pie, but if I had to eat an apple pie...this would be the one I'd eat.

350 degrees

Basic Pie Dough:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1 t. coarse salt
1 cup very cold unsalted butter, cut into pieces
1/2 cup very cold milk or water

-In a large bowl combine flour and salt. Add butter pieces and mash with fork until mixture resembles coarse meal. Pour milk. Combine until the dough just holds together in a ball.

-Cut ball of dough in half. Wrap each piece in plastic. Refridgerate for at least 15 minutes. Handle dough as little as required. Ready to roll out.

Apple pie filling:
2 T. lemon juice
8 apples
1/4 cup sugar
1/3 cup flour
1/2 t. all-spice (Revised by me)
1 T. cold unsalted butter
1 large egg yolk
1 T. milk

Peel, quarter, core and thinly slice apples. Put into lemon juice to prevent browning. Add Sugar, flour and spice. Toss to coat. Pile into pie plate lined with dough. Dot with butter. Lay second piece of dough on top. Curl edges under. Close with fingers or fork. Cut 3 slices in top of dough so steam will escape during cooking process. Beat milk with egg yolk. Brush on top. Bake pie on center rack for 1 hour and 15 minutes. Cool on wire rack for at least one hour.

Source: "Mad Hungry" Lucinda Scala Quinn
Photo: Shawn Campbell

Stuffed Meatloaf

2009-12-12T11:58:00.000-05:00

I think I made this recipe up. He said it was delicious. And I enjoyed it also. It was really easy to make and handy for lunches the next day. He says I'm too good for it. A signature, but maybe not THE signature. He looked at me like this too when he said it. It was super intense.

Meat Mixture (top and bottom):
lean beef
pork
onion
garlic
tomatoe paste
smashed crackers
egg

Filling:
sliced mushrooms
seasoning salt
pepper
havarti (Or other white cheese)

Topping:
ketchup
mustard
honey
hot sauce

Preheat oven 350.

Saute mushrooms with spices.

Mix meat with garlic, onion, paste, and crackers until just mixed. The less you handle meat the better.
Place half meat mixture in bottom of loaf pan. Create a bit of well. Layer of havarti, Layer of sauteed mushroom. Layer of havarti. Layer of beef mixture.

Top with salt and pepper. Place on lower rack for 25 minutes. Spread topping. Bake for another 10-15 or until meat is cooked.

HIM

2009-11-10T18:44:00.000-05:00

Photos by Shawn Campbell

Website coming soon....