Moroccan Spiced Winter Stew, Vegan, Gluten Free

"Winter is the time for comfort, for good food and warmth..." Edith Sitwell

Hello followers, old and new alike! Before we get started, may I ask you take a couple of minutes to watch this video. It's about buying locally grown goods and how by speaking up we can give much needed support to our Canadian farmers and their farmlands!
Today's recipe is the result of a request to make something vegetarian, No problem! Living here in Ontario we have so many different vegetables to choose from that making a vegetarian meal is easy! For today's request I decided to go with a hearty stew, highlighting Ontario produce available throughout winter. Locally grown onions, butternut squash and sweet potatoes are the stars, along with the ever versatile and protein rich chick pea. To spice things up a bit I decided to check out the fridge and pantry to see what I had. My quick search found cumin, cinnamon, saffron and ginger, all flavours that one would find in a typical Moroccan stew. Does that sound alright, Catherine and Rachel? I certainly hope so, because this one's for you!

Moroccan Spiced Winter Stew, Vegetarian, Gluten Free
(serves 4 to 6)

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, rough chop
4 garlic cloves, rough chop
2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp fresh ginger, finely chopped or grated
Pinch of saffron
1 small butternut squash, large cubes
1 large sweet potato, large cubes
1 540ml tin chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 540 ml tin diced tinned tomatoes
2 cups vegetable stock or water
Sea salt
Fresh ground pepper
* fresh coriander, chopped for garnish (optional)

Heat the oil on medium heat in a large saucepan that has a lid or French oven (my 3.3L Le Creuset worked perfectly!). Add in the onions, stir and fry until transparent, about 5 mins. Toss in the garlic, cumin, cinnamon, ginger and saffron, stir and fry for another minute or so until fragrant. Add the squash, potatoes, chick peas, tomatoes and stock with a generous pinch of salt and a few grinds of pepper. Give everything a good stir and allow the stew to come to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover with the lid and simmer, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables are tender. This can take anywhere from 15 to 25 mins, depending on the size of the veggies. Taste and adjust seasoning, serve with or without the coriander garnish. Enjoy!

Savour this wintry stew by itself or serve it with warmed pita, over your fave rice or with traditional Moroccan couscous. Make sure that your squash and potato are cut roughly the same size to ensure equal cooking time. Not only does this stew taste wonderful, but just the fragrance of the spices wafting throughout your house will leave your taste buds tingling. I really enjoyed getting out these spices today and playing around with them. I hope you will too!
Bye for now my fab followers and I'll be back next week with another request!

 

Kitchen Tip Number Four: Soften Up that Hard Brown Sugar

 

Look familiar?
This has happened to me so many times! I have a recipe that calls for brown sugar but when I go to scoop, it's as hard as a rock! Well, several years ago my good friend and fellow Chef Cheryl told me to use to sliced bread. "Sliced bread?!" I asked. "Yes!" she replied. Cheryl told me to put the hard sugar into an airtight container with a slice of bread, to leave a few days and (believe it or not!) it will soften. Sure enough, I followed her instructions and a few days later my brick of sugar had become soft again! Try it!

 

 

 

 

 

Rice Pudding, Gluten Free

"The proof of the pudding is in the eating." Miguel de Cervantes

Hiya followers! Have you ever tried Ontario's Woolwich Diary Goat Brie? I suggest you do! Yum!
Well, I recently asked for some recipe requests and the first response I got was from my friend Caroline for rice pudding. I know what you're thinking! Rice pudding is one of those things that people either love or hate. I have my reservations, but I won't judge until I have made it. Rice pudding is something I have never made and to tell you the truth, I haven't tried it since I was a child. Growing up, our Nanny would make it for us. I remember that she would bake her rice pudding in the oven and it took a long time at low heat to cook. So to save some time, I have decided to break from tradition and make it on the stove top. Done this way the cooking time is cut by about a third and the end product will be just as good! This I promise!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Rice Pudding, Gluten Free
(serves 4 to 6)

1/2 vanilla bean or 1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 cup arborio rice
4 cups milk
1 tbsp butter
2 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp sea salt

Start by slicing the vanilla bean in half lengthwise. Scrape out the vanilla seeds from the centre of the pod and put them into a medium sized saucepan with the rest of the ingredients. (Set the used vanilla bean aside and do not discard, instructions for making Vanilla Scented Sugar below). Stir the pot and heat on medium high until just about boiling. Reduce heat to low and cover with a lid. Simmer for 25 mins, stirring often to prevent the milk from boiling over. Remove lid and continue to simmer for another 15 to 20 mins until the rice is very soft and the sauce has thickened. The sauce will continue to thicken as the pudding cools, so if it is a bit loose after the additional 20 mins, it's okay. Remove the pot from the heat and allow it to cool. If not serving right away, cover with a piece of plastic wrap that is pushed right down onto the surface to prevent a skin from forming. Serve at room temperature or chill for a least and hour. The pudding will keep up to 3 or 4 days in the refrigerator. Enjoy!

This rice pudding turned out to be absolutely delicious! It has a lovely creamy consistency and is rich in flavour. Get creative and garnish your rice pudding with your favourite toppings. Today I sampled dried berries, cinnamon and my fave, locally made jam. Yum!
If I can make a request of my own, please treat yourself to fresh vanilla beans for this recipe! Found at most groceries stores, vanilla beans are truly decadent. Just the fragrance is well worth the few extra dollars!
Caroline, I really hope you enjoy your rice pudding recipe and next week I will be back with another request. Till then, followers! Have a great week!

Vanilla Scented Sugar Recipe:
Once the vanilla bean is scraped of it's seeds, do not throw it out! Simply allow the bean to dry out at room temperature for a few days, put it into your airtight sugar jar and give it a good stir. The sugar will have a more intense vanilla flavour the longer it sits. Stir every now and then to circulate the flavour.