Bubble and Squeak with Ontario Produce, Gluten Free

Hiya followers, the sun is shining! Hurray!
You might be wondering, "What the heck is Bubble and Squeak?!" Well, if you've never had it, you're in for a treat! This British dish is a combination of leftover veggies, mashed together and fried until crispy and golden brown. The name refers to the noises the veggies make whilst being fried. So good! This side dish typically appears the day after a traditional roast dinner. My Great Nanny made it, my Nanny made it, my Mum makes it and today I join in on the fun! It's simple, economical, a great way to use up leftovers and super tasty. If you're not already, today I will make you a fan of Bubble and Squeak!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Bubble and Squeak with Ontario Produce, Gluten Free
(serves 4 to 6)

1 tbsp. fat: vegetable/olive oil, butter, bacon drippings
2 cups leftover cooked Ontario potatoes: mashed, boiled, roasted
2 cups leftover cooked mixed Ontario vegetables: chopped cabbage, chopped Brussels sprouts, cauliflower florets, turnip, carrots, etc.
*1 tbsp. fresh parsley, chopped (*optional)
*Sea salt and fresh ground pepper (*optional)

Place all of the vegetables into a large bowl and mash them together with a potato masher. Heat the fat in a large non stick frying pan on medium. Spoon in the vegetables, press them down and smooth out the top to form a nice round. Sprinkle with salt and pepper if you wish, just remember that the leftovers have already been seasoned. When the edges begin to bubble and squeak, reduce the heat to medium low.
Fry for about 10 to 12 mins until the bottom is crispy and browned. With a spatula, flip the veggies over in sections, then press and smooth out the top again. Fry for another 10 to 12 mins. Either scoop out portions onto to plates to serve, or invert a serving plate on top of the frying pan and carefully flip over. Remove the frying pan, reshape the bubble and squeak and serve immediately. Enjoy!

Just the smell of the Bubble and Squeak will make your mouth water! I love this side dish and the great thing about it, is that you can use just about any leftover veggies. I've just mentioned the vegetables that we use in my family, but feel free to switch things up. I really do believe that you can't go wrong with Bubble and Squeak! Bye for now and I'll be back very soon with a special blog!

 

Quick Egg in Kale Nest, Gluten Free, Alkaline

"Why, sometimes I've believed as many as six impossible things before breakfast.” Lewis Carroll

 

Good morning, followers! Today's blog is super short coz I`m busy getting prepped to do some cooking demos with All The Best Fine Food's Jane Rodmell at the Spring Cottage Life Show! Fun!

I LOVE breakfast and always make sure to give myself enough time to make something delicious and enjoy it with a big mug of tea or coffee (my mood changes daily) and a tall glass of water. I also love to take a photo of my brekkie if it turns out extra special by whatever means possible: phone, point and shoot, DSLR. The other day at work I raved about my tasty new creation to my friend Cheryl, showed her a pic on my phone and told her what to do. The next day, she told me she made the breakfast with spinach instead of kale and absolutely loved it! Cheryl insisted I blog my recipe, hence today's quick post! I hope you also try out my new fave brek and love it!
 

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

 

Quick Egg in Kale Nest, Gluten Free, Alkaline

(serves 1)

 

1 tsp. oil, I use sunflower or olive

1 scallion, chopped

2 to 3 large kale leaves, washed and either chopped or ripped into bite size pcs

1 egg

About 2 tbsp. water

Sea salt and fresh ground pepper

2 tbsp. fresh parsley, washed and chopped

 

Place the oil in a small frying pan, heat on medium and toss in the scallion and kale. Stir and fry until the kale begins to wilt, about 2 mins. Push the greens aside in the middle and crack the egg into the open space. Pour in the water on one side of the pan (it's okay if it's on the kale), place a lid on top and allow to steam/cook for another 2 to 3mins until the egg is cooked to your desired preference. Sprinkle over salt, pep and the chopped parsley. Transfer to a plate and enjoy!

There are no limits to this recipe and you can add whatever greens or veggies you like! The variations are endless and the method never changes. Serve the egg and kale on it's own, or on a piece of toast. This is a perfect year round breakfast and I can guarantee that you'll be excited to start your day with this on the table! Bye for now, followers! I'll be back soon!

Simple Lemon Pie

"It is probable that the lemon is the most valuable of all fruit for preserving health."  Maude Grieve

Hiya followers! Oh boy, will this winter ever end?! It's uber chilly, there's still ice on the driveway and not to mention, more snow in the forecast! Ack!
So, to brighten up our day, I've decided to post my recipe for a super sunny and super lively lemon pie. Perfect for Spring, non?! The best thing about this pie is how insanely easy it is to make! Another great thing about this recipe is that with the same amount of filling for the pie, you can alternatively make 4 dozen mini lemon tartlets. I recently brought them to an afternoon tea party/baby shower my Mum organized for our newest addition to the family, my nephew Elijah! What a great afternoon with fantastic company, food and tea!

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

Simple Lemon Pie
(makes 1 pie or about 48 mini tartlets)

1x9" pie shell, homemade or store bought
4 egg yolks, large size
1 tin (300 ml) sweetened condensed milk
Zest from 1 lemon
1/2 cup lemon juice, about 2 lemons squeezed
Icing sugar and fresh mint, for garnish　

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.
Blind bake the pie shell for 15 mins. Remove and set aside.
Meanwhile, whisk the yolks, condensed milk, zest and lemon juice together until well combined. Pour the filling into the pie shell and return it to the oven. Bake for 20 to 25 mins until the filling is set. Remove from the oven and allow the pie to cool completely in the pie dish. Refrigerate until the filling is cold, 2 hours to overnight (cover lightly if leaving overnight). Dust the top with icing sugar, garnish with mint and serve. Enjoy!

For the mini tartlets:
You will need enough pastry for a double crust pie. Cut out 48 rounds of the pastry and press the rounds into greased mini muffin tins. Fill the shells with the lemon filling just to the top. Bake at 350 degrees for 20 mins, until the filling is set. Remove from the tins and allow to cool, dust with icing sugar and serve. Enjoy!

My nephew, Elijah Adam Visheau!

 

Curried Ontario Carrot and Kale Soup, Gluten Free

 

Hiya followers! March is finally here and the sun is shining! Hurrah!

Throughout this cold and relentless winter there has been a constant in our kitchen... Soup! I'm one of those people who is always freezing and this harsh winter has almost gotten the best of me. The only thing I've been craving is a hot bowl of delicious soup. I can just imagine that bowl warming up my chilled fingers and making me feel like I just got wrapped up in my fave blanket! Soup is one of the simplest things to make and also, so versatile! Once you have the knack of soup making, your pot will never be empty and you'll be surprised at how creative you can be. This week I had an abundance of carrots and a huge bunch of dark leafy green kale. Together with some curry powder that I found in the pantry and a piece of ginger in the freezer (I'll explain that one after the recipe!), I was good to go. Let's get cookin'!

 

Simple and Tasty Recipe:

 

Curried Ontario Carrot and Kale Soup, Gluten Free

(serves 4 to 6)

 

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 tbsp butter

1 onion, chopped

5 large carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large potato, peeled and chopped

3 cloves garlic, peeled and chopped

2 to 3 tsp curry powder

2 tsp fresh ginger, grated

Pinch cayenne pepper

1 bay leaf

Sea salt

Fresh ground pepper

4 cups water, vegetable or chicken stock

2 cups kale, washed, trimmed and chopped into bite size pcs

1 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

 

In a large pot heat the oil and butter on medium heat. Add in the onions, carrots and potato, stir and cook for about 5 mins until the onions are soft. Next, stir in the garlic, curry powder, cayenne and bay leaf with a pinch of salt and pepper. Stir and cook for about a minute more. Pour in the water/stock, bring the soup to a boil and turn down to medium low and partially cover. Simmer for about 25 mins until the carrots are fully cooked. Puree half of the soup with either an immersion blender, regular blender or food processor and then return to the pot. Stir in the kale and simmer for a few minutes until the kale is tender. Stir in the chopped parsley, taste and adjust the seasoning. Enjoy!

Oh, soup... So good, so easy, so tasty and so warm! Now, I did mention earlier that I freeze ginger. Let me explain: I used to throw out quite a lot of ginger. I would buy a nice piece for a recipe, not use it all and end up tossing the ginger in the green cart. One day, I decided to put the leftover ginger in a bag and toss it into the freezer to see what would happen. Well, it turned out to be a great thing and I've been doing it ever since! I simply get the ginger from the freezer, allow it to sit at room temp for a few minutes and then grate it on my rasp/microplane or slice a piece off and chop it. I find the ginger actually grates easier from frozen and I prefer it that way! Afterwards, just put the leftover ginger back into the freezer. It lasts for months this way.

Alrighty followers, stay warm and I'll be back soon!