Brie en Crute, Sticky Date Cake, Sideroads od Halton Hills Magazine

Merry Christmas!

Hello my fine followers! Well, the holidays are upon us and we all know what that means... Culinary indulgences! And in my family, we go all out! Not only do we enjoy a typical English Christmas brunch and dinner, but we follow it up the next day with a Boxing Day party laden with cocktails and snacks, finishing it all off with a great New Year's party at my Auntie's house! It's a great time of year to get into the kitchen and make some fantastic food. With us, it's all about tradition and today's recipes are classics for this time of year. These recipes are from my winter submission to the 'Sideroads of Halton Hills' magazine. Brie en crute is an appetizer that I absolutely adore. Creamy brie cheese wrapped in puff pastry and baked to perfection... Can it get any better? Sticky date pudding is a favourite Australian dessert. I first became familiar with it when I lived in Melbourne and have made it ever since. Rich, moist pudding topped with a warm caramel sauce. Yum! My mouth is watering just thinking about it!

Brie en Crute

Now, the brie en croute recipe is just a base for you to embellish! Caramelizing some onions, allowing them to cool and placing them on top of the brie before you wrap it in pastry is a delicious addition. Heck, once I even added some chopped and fried bacon to my brie en crute! Talk about pure indulgence!
As for the dessert, I've taken the traditional sticky date pudding recipe and converted into a cake. Doing this means that a bain marie (water bath), isn't needed to bake the cake. Also, using a cake tin instead of a pudding basin makes it easier to feed a holiday crowd. And let me tell you, your holiday crowd will love this sticky cake served with warm caramel sauce! Delicious! Alrighty my fave followers, enjoy the holidays and make sure to share some fabulous food with your loved ones (I know I will!)! Until next year, when the culinary adventures continue! All the best!

Sticky Date Cake

Rosemary and Garlic Roasted Ontario Potatoes, Sideroads of Halton Hills Magazine, Spring Cottage Life Show

"I love an audience." Lucille Ball

Hello followers, staying bundled up these days?!
So, I have a couple of culinary adventures to blog about today! Last weekend I donned my microphone headset and did cooking demonstrations with Jane Rodmell for the Cottage Life Show! And, as usual, it was a great time! 'Cottage Life' is a magazine and trade show that embodies the meaning of Canadian cottage living. The magazine explores cottage country and everything that goes along with it: cottage style cooking, entertaining on the dock, building a dock, etc.! I love going to the Cottage Life Shows (which take place each spring and fall), and am always so happy when Jane asks me along to demonstrate some of her latest recipes. We did a four cheese dip with leeks and a lamb stew with white beans and squash. Both delicious! My favourite part of doing demonstrations is when an audience member comes up at the end and says that they would have never had attempted
this recipe at home, but now that they have seen it done, they will! Yay!

Here are the links to the recipes we did:
http://cottagelife.com/41161/recipes/leek-and-four-cheese-dip
http://cottagelife.com/41164/recipes/lamb-white-bean-and-rosemary-stew

Today's next adventure takes us to 'The Land,' our 10 acres out in Norfolk County. With winter around the corner, it was time to get the garden in order! This year, the weather played such a factor in our vegetable production. So much rain in the spring meant for a late start and a shorter growing period. We held off on a lot of our favourite veggies and kept to the basics. We gave special attention to our garlic patch and asparagus beds. With a little extra care from my Dad, we are hoping to have our first taste of homegrown asparagus next year! As I have mentioned before, asparagus takes three years to begin to produce edible stalks, so we hope that all of our time and effort will be worth it! I can't wait! During our visit, I got the glamorous job of turning over our compost heap. Oh joy! My Mum picked radishes, carrots, onions and herbs, while the rest of the gang dug up potatoes. Heck, even my nephew Evan helped out! We love potatoes and I am happy to say that we certainly have enough to just about get us through the winter! Potatoes are so versatile, that I have been preparing them in just about every way imaginable! Kevin's fave way for me to make potatoes is to simply roast them with rosemary and garlic. And with his suggestion, I decided to submit the recipe to 'Sideroads of Halton Hills' magazine as a part of my winter recipe collection. I hope you try this easy recipe out and enjoy it!

Tourtiere

"A good time was had by all." Stevie Smith

Hello my loyal followers!
Well, I am blogging as a newlywed! That's right, my sweetie and I got married recently and I must say, we had a great time at our wedding! Both our families and friends worked so hard to make our day so wonderful. My Mum did the cake and cousin Emily added the fruit to decorate. It was stunning! Emily also did a wonderful job decorated the lodge! My aunts did the flowers. My bouquet was a dream and the centrepieces of fruit and flowers turned out so much better than I could have imagined! Kevin's Dad made all of the delicious wine and my uncle Jeff made Double Diamond beer! Yum! My Dad helped me out with the music and my brother Jordan and his girlfriend Jen were our M.C.s. Also, I'd like to thank my Mum and sister-in-law Michelle for helping me make our guest's gifts. So, thank you all so much!

After the wedding, Kev and I jumped on the train bound for Quebec City. Kevin had never been and I hadn't visited this charming ville since I was in grade 8. Let me tell you, it was even better than I remembered! We stayed at the Chateau Frontenac for the first part of our trip and we loved it! We would start every morning with a long and lazy breakfast overlooking the St. Lawrence. One of my fave brekkies was poached eggs with duck confit, spinach, mushrooms and pan fried potatoes, topped with Hollandaise sauce. So good! Oh yes, and the bacon... I forgot the maple bacon! Yum! I liked it so much, that I took a picture! After our breakfast, we would stroll the day away, nipping into tiny restaurants and pubs for snacks and drinks. We always found time to enjoy the hotel pool, then would treat ourselves to lovely dinners. One day we ventured down to the market and picked up some local cheeses, fruit and a freshly baked baguette. A bottle of champagne completed the menu and we enjoyed a delicious picnic in our hotel room. Ahh, the good life! The food in Quebec City is very good, with of course, a huge French influence! Delicious! One thing that I was surprised to find was the large selection of locally made hard apple ciders. I love cider and I enjoyed a pint of a different cider every day! One food that is synonymous with Quebec is tourtiere. For those of you not familiar, tourtiere is a traditional French Canadian pork pie. While in 'La belle province' we didn't have any, so I decided to make one for Kevin and when we got back! Now, I must admit this recipe is not mine... But, I did in fact test this recipe for a cookbook called 'All the Best Recipes' by Jane Rodmell. This is the same version of the meat pie that we would make for Jane's food shop, while I lived and worked in Toronto. Well, I must say that the tourtiere was just as good as I remembered and not only did we enjoy it for dinner, but my husband Kevin enjoyed it for his next two lunches at work! Bon Appetit!

 

Tourtiere

(makes one 20cm/8 inch pie)

Recipe by Jane Rodmell

3 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

750 grams lean ground pork

1 onion, chopped

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 large potato, peeled and cut into 1/2 cm (1/4 inch) cubes

1 tbsp coarsely chopped thyme

1 bay leaf

Salt and freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground cloves

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/2 cup chicken stock (found on my 'Simple & Tasty' Recipe Page)

1x Tourtiere Pastry (below)

1 egg, lightly beaten

1. In a large skillet, heat 1 tbsp of the oil over medium-high heat. Add pork and brown lightly, breaking up the meat as it browns, about 10 minutes. Remove meat from skillet with a slotted spoon and set aside in a bowl. Pour off and discard fat.

2. In the same skillet, heat 2 tbsp oil over medium heat. Add onion and garlic and saute until tender, 3 to 4 minutes. Add pork, potato, thyme, bay leaf, i tsp salt, 1/4 tsp pepper, cinnamon, cloves and allspice and stir to combine.

3. Add chicken stock and deglaze skillet, scraping up browned bits on the bottom. Reduce heat to low. Cover and cook until potato is tender, 8 to 10 minutes. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Let cool and refrigerate until needed for up to 3 days.

4. Preheat oven 400F. Line pie plate with half of pastry and fill with cooled pork filling. Top with another pastry layer and crimp edges to seal. Brush top with egg wash and cut 2 slits in top pastry to let steam escape while baking. A sprinkling of coarse salt and freshly ground black pepper on top adds extra flavour and interest to the appearance (optional).

5. Bake in preheated oven for 15 minutes. Reduce temperature to 350f and continue baking until pastry is cooked and nicely browned, 25 to 35 minutes more. Let stand for 5 minutes before slicing.

Tourtiere Pastry

(makes one 20cm/8inch pie)

1/2 cup shortening

1/4 cup butter

2 cups all-purpose flour (approx.)

1 tsp kosher salt

1 tsp coarsely chopped thyme

6 tbsp ice cold water

1. Place shortening and butter in the freezer for 30 minutes.

2. In a food processor, combine shortening, butter, flour, salt and thyme. Process until shortening and butter are cut into pea-size pieces.

3. Transfer flour mixture to a bowl and sprinkle with ice water. Toss with a fork and gather into a ball. Divide the ball into 2 equal disks and wrap with plastic wrap. Set dough aside to rest for 30 minutes in the refrigerator for up to 3 days or freezer for up to 6 weeks, if making ahead.

4. Roll out dough (continue with step 4. above).

Ontario Harvest Vegetable Stew with Sausage and Beans, Sideroads of Halton Hills Magazine

"Food is the most primitive form of comfort." Sheilah Graham

Hiya my followers! I hope you are all doing well!
So, autumn is in full swing and with it, the perfect weather for cooking! And let me tell yah, cooking is what I have been doing a lot of lately! Not just cooking but recipe testing! I absolutely love testing and developing recipes, so whenever cookbook author Jane Rodmell asks for a bit of assistance, I jump at the chance! Jane does recipes for Cottage Life magazine and for her last project, she was asked to work on recipes for next April and May! Oh boy, do they ever work ahead! Eggs in all guises and creativity with leftovers were the challenges! And (without giving much away), I must say that food was great and eaten with delight by my sweetie Kevin and I! The next project I worked on was my quarterly published article in Sideroads of Halton Hills magazine. Christmas recipes were what they were looking for and Christmas recipes is what they got (yum!)! And speaking of 'Sideroads,' this is where today's recipe came from. My stew was developed for the Fall issue. I love fall cooking and just that chill in the air is enough for me to crave comfort food! Soups with aromas that fill the house, roasts in the oven that warm the kitchen and stews... Those one pot meals that can simply be savoured on their own or served up with basic bread and butter. Can it get any better than that?



I hope you enjoy this stew, it really is quite yummy!
Now, I need to take a moment to mention a really good cause! 'Feast for the Fight' is a cancer fundraising event that took place last Wednesday Oct. 19 throughout over 25 restaurants in Toronto. The annual event raises awareness and the proceeds go to the Canadian Cancer Society. I was contacted by the event coordinators to attend and blog about it. Even though I could not make it out (and believe me, I could easily eat a bowl of The Rebel House's poutine anytime, especially when it is for a good cause!), I told them I would mention the event. Cancer is an awful thing that has impacted all of our lives and any kind of work that raises funds to help find a cure is definitely worth the support!
http://www.feastforthefight.ca/
Alrighty followers, stay warm and cozy and I will be back soon! Oh yes, when I return, I will actually be back as a newlywed...! That's right, my sweetie and I are tying the knot tomorrow and I hope our wedding will be enjoyed by all attending! A full report will be made and maybe even some pictures will find their way into my next blog! Bye for now my wonderful followers, keep on cookin' and we will catch up soon!

Poached Ontario Pears in Cranberry Juice, Sideroads of Halton Hills Magazine

"Fruits poached in a syrup gain flavor and sophistication, as well as easing the pressure on a busy cook." The Silver Palate Cookbook

Hello followers!
Well, didn't summer pack up and leave as quickly as she came into town?! I shouldn't complain though, for now we are all reaping the harvest of late summer and early fall! It's a great time for locally grown produce and the perfect time to start cooking inside again. Heck, with the chill in the air these days, it's nice to have the stove or oven on to warm up the kitchen! I have been doing quite a lot of cooking lately, mostly developing and testing recipes for Jane Rodmell of Cottage Life Magazine. I have been working on several ideas for two issues of the magazine. Believe it or not, the work is being done for March and May 2012! They certainly like to work ahead! Besides working for Cottage Life, I have also been doing my own recipes for the Sideroads of Halton Hills Magazine (they only work on deadlines that are 2 months ahead! Ha!)! I am currently coming up with ideas for the winter issue, meanwhile the fall issue just came out this week! So, today I have decided to share the recipe I developed for poached pears. Extremely easy to make and (as it says in today's quote...), sophisticated in appearance, they are a perfect dessert to wow your guest. Just make sure to choose locally harvested pears that are still firm, as soft pears would fall apart while poaching. If you'd like a closer look, just click on the article below to enlarge!
Okay followers, it is time to bid you all adieu! I know I haven't been blogging much this summer, but I am thinking that once our wedding is over, I will definitely have more time! So many people told me that a wedding is hard work and there would be a lot to do... Well, they weren't lying! I just hope that with all of our hard working and planning, that we will have a great day for all of our guests to enjoy! Bye for now followers and I will be back with more culinary adventures (and wedding adventures! Ahh!)!

Chipotle BBQ Sauce

"Always do your best. What you plant now, you will harvest later." Og Mandino

Helloooo followers!
Well, I think you'll find that today's quote fits perfectly! In my last blog, I told you all that the next culinary adventure would be to introduce you to our little garden. In the spring, my sweetie Kevin and I planted out a herb garden, arugula patch, cherry tomatoes, yellow grape tomatoes and jalapeno peppers. Well, as you can see from the before and after photos below, we certainly are harvesting now!! Our tomatoes plants have grown out of control and now we eat them in one form or another every night for dinner! Thank goodness that my fave salad is a caprese (found on my 'Simple & Tasty Recipes' page), and I'm so happy to say that I have turned Kevin's dad into a fan as well! It has been so wonderful being able to simply open the door and pick fresh herbs all summer long! Kevin certainly loves having his jalapeno plants within reach and I have to tell you, these little guys are like no other jalapenos I've ever tasted!! They are super hot, let me tell yah! Super duper hot!! And speaking of hot, my recipe for today is a spicy BBQ sauce. It is a request from my friend Pete, who happens to love chipotle peppers. And for those of you that might not know this, chipotles are actually smoked red jalapeno peppers! In every grocery store these days, chipotle peppers are readily available in tins, packed in an adobo sauce. This is the type of chipotle I use in this easy summer recipe!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Chipotle BBQ Sauce
(makes about 2 1/4 cups)

2 cups ketchup
2 Tbsp apple cider vinegar
1 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 Tbsp Dijon mustard
2 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp chili powder
1/4 tsp garlic powder
tinned chipotle peppers, chopped (as many as you want!!)
1 Tbsp tinned adobo sauce

.place all of the ingredients into a pot, heat on medium low and simmer for about 5 mins to meld the flavours, enjoy!

How easy is that?! This BBQ sauce can be made as mild or as hot as you like, just add more chopped chipotles! Use it with anything or everything you like to barbecue, it caramelizes really nicely. I also used some to make spicy beef fajitas not too long ago, delish! In a sealed container, this sauce will keep for a month or so in the refrigerator.
Well followers, summer is quickly coming to an end... So, so sad! I really miss last summer when I was freelancing and was lucky enough to blog daily. My mum, best friend Mary and sister-in-law Michelle have all told me (several times), that they liked it better when I wasn't working full time. And I must admit, I did too! It's been a great summer, though and I hope you all have had one as well! Okay followers, time to go... I will be back soon and the culinary adventure will continue! Bye for now!

Sideroads of Halton Hills Magazine

"It's a cruel, cruel summer..." Bananarama

Hello my loyal followers! Gotta love the heat!
Well, it's been a while, hasn't it?! To tell you the truth, I haven't been blogging because I haven't been cooking much. Such hot summer days call for simple salads and anything that can be quickly prepared on the grill. Luck is on our side though followers, because the summer issue of 'Sideroads of Halton Hills' magazine has come out and with it, my three latest recipes (and if you look closely, you'll see that I made the cover! Yay!)! I really hope that these recipes will make up for my absence! And with the promise of rain and some cooler weather on the horizon, I promise to get back on track developing new recipes and blogging more often! I already have my next adventure planned for you... Let's just say that it's time to introduce you all to our tiny garden! Till then my followers, please stay cool and have some summer fun!
P.S. So fresh and explosive with flavour, my chimichurri recipe knocked my socks off when I first made it! It's my fave steak condiment ever!

Grilled Shrimp Skewers with Thai dipping Sauce

Flank Steak with Chimichurri

Barbecued Fruit Gallette

Stewed Ontario Rhubarb

 "It's spring fever. That is what the name of it is." Mark Twain

 

Good day, my followers!

Well, I might as well fess up and admit that I too have spring fever! Yee ha! I got it so bad that I have to tell you, I am finding it hard being inside to write this blog... When it isn't raining you'll find me working in our lil' garden or simply sitting outside flipping through a cooking mag. This spring has had it's ups and downs and I feel the need to take full advantage before it ends! Last week I told you about Andrew's Scenic Acres in Milton, where my sweetie Kev and I have been picking our own asparagus. Well, we have been picking our own rhubarb as well! Rhubarb seems to be one of those things that people either love or hate. Unfortunately, Kev claimed that he hated rhubarb, until I made today's recipe and won him over! Stewed rhubarb is a seasonal treat that is so easy to make and is most popular in my family. Though we traditionally eat our stewed rhubarb over custard, I enticed my sweetie by offering it up over ice cream. Definitely a different experience for me, but none the less delicious!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Stewed Ontario Rhubarb
(serves 4)

4 cups rhubarb, chopped (fresh or frozen)
1/2 cup sugar
2 tbsp water
1 tsp vanilla or 1 vanilla bean

.place all ingredients in a pot, simmer on medium low for about 15 minutes until the rhubarb is soft and it has thickened slightly, enjoy!

Didn't I tell you it was easy?! Now, I prefer my stewed rhubarb a bit tart, so please feel free to adjust the sugar to your own taste. Not only delicious with custard or ice cream, this stewed rhubarb would be delicious served over cake as well (look for Pound Cake on my 'Simple & Tasty Recipes' page). Also, I just had some over plain Greek yogurt for my breakfast and it was fantastic! I swear, this recipe with win anyone over to the rhubarb loving side!
Well, my followers, I will not be posting a blog next week for I am going on a road trip! Yippy! My cousin Marie is visiting from England and a gang of us are taking her to Montreal, Mont Tremblant and Ottawa for a week! It will be mine and Marie's first trip to Montreal and I suspect we are going to love it! Then once we are back, I am off for a three day camping trip with Kevin's family. Talk about fun! I have a feeling that both trips will be full of new and exciting culinary adventures and I promise to document each and every one of them! Enjoy these lovely springtime days my followers and I will be back soon! Au revoir, mes amis!

Link:
Andrew's Scenic Acres, http://www.andrewsscenicacres.com/

Ontario Asparagus, Arugula and Cheese (with Ham) Frittata

"Farmers feed cities!"

Hello followers, enjoying the weather?!
Well, spring is finally in full swing! It feels like our new season is long overdue, so it is a race to get back on track. Last weekend, my sweetie Kev and I took full advantage of this time of year and got out into the countryside. On our trip we had some great experiences, including something that neither of us had ever done before... We went asparagus picking! How exciting! We jumped in the car and took the easy drive along #10 Sideroad out to Milton's Andrew's Scenic Acres and Scotch Block Winery. I'd driven past the sign pointing the way dozens of times but had never ventured out. Well, I'm so happy that we did because Andrew's is my new fave haunt! With over 600 acres, the busy farm produces a variety of fruit, vegetables and flowers, many of which are 'pick your own.' Some of the harvested fruit is used to supply the Scotch Block Winery. The on site winery boasts 28 fruit wines and I must say, the ones we sampled were delicious! I had never tried fruit wine before and found it very flavourful and refreshing. We bought a bottle of blackcurrant and gooseberry wine. Yum, yum! Leaving the farm, we noticed a sign on the side of the road that advertised brown eggs and maple syrup. Why not?! We turned off #10 Sideroad onto RR#3 in Georgetown and wound up at an exciting farm owned by Doug and Diane McPhail. We bought 2 dozen farm fresh, extra large eggs and noticed the all of the birds. The McPhail's have a large array of exotic birds and foul and Diane said we could have a look. From a distance we could see a peacock with his feathers up and I was lucky enough to snap a picture! So, with our newly picked asparagus and farm fresh eggs, I decided to make one of my staple meals... A frittata. A frittata is an Italian omelette which can be made with just about any ingredient you have in your fridge and it only takes minutes to make. Let's get started!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

 

Ontario Asparagus, Arugula and Cheese (with Ham) Frittata
(serves 4)

2 tsp olive oil
1/2 bunch asparagus, rinsed well and sliced
handful of arugula
handful of chives, chopped
*3 to 4 slices ham, chopped (optional)
1/4 cup grated cheese (I used asiago)
8 eggs, beaten
sea salt
fresh ground pepper

.heat a non-stick pan on medium, add the oil and toss in the asparagus with a pinch of salt and pepper
.fry until the asparagus is cooked through (about 5 mins)
.meanwhile, beat the eggs in a bowl, add a pinch of salt and pepper and turn the oven on to broil
.add in the chives, arugula and ham (if using) to the pan and stir until the arugula is wilted, turn the heat down to medium low
.pour in the eggs, sprinkle the cheese on top and cook until the bottom and sides are set, about 3 to 4 mins
.place the frying pan under the broiler and cook until the eggs have completely puffed up, are fully cooked and the top has lightly browned, another 3 to 4 mins (use this timing as a guideline, everyone's stove tops and ovens vary in heat)
.serve from the pan or run a heatproof rubber spatula around the edge of the frittata and release it onto a plate or platter, sprinkle with a little extra cheese and pepper if you like and enjoy!

Now, if you have a plastic handle on your non-stick pan that will melt under the broiler, do not worry! There is a trick! Simply wrap the handle in tin foil, shiny side out, et voila!

 I like to serve this frittata at any meal, with any side. At brunch with potato latkes, at lunch or supper with salad and a yummy vinaigrette (check my 'Recipes' page for my 'House' and 'Balsamic' dressings). I also like to serve my frittata along side grilled bread with extra virgin olive oil. I simply broil thick slices of fresh bread at the same time as the frittata, brush the slices with good quality extra virgin olive oil and serve. I hope you try out this recipe and enjoy it as often as Kevin and I do! Alrighty my fun loving followers, get out there and enjoy spring and I will be back with another recipe featuring more seasonal ingredients next week!

Farmers Feed Cities, http://www.farmersfeedcities.com/