We picked up 2 very nice little sea breams at the Japanese fish store with the idea of making an Asian style steamed fish. Josh took it up a notch. Not all the ingredients have amounts because that's the way he cooks, but I think I could recreate it since I participated as sous-chef.
Ingredients
2 sea breams, about a pound and a half total weight
sea salt
vegetable oil
2 shallots (not green onions)
garlic
ginger
soy sauce
mirin
cooking wine (we used sake)
2 T sugar
juice of 1/2 lemon and 1/2 orange
orange zest
thinly slice the shallots and deep fry in oil until crisp and golden. Be careful not to overcook.
meanwhile, score the fish and rub with salt
remove the shallots and add the garlic and ginger to the oil
add wine, deglaze and reduce
add soy, mirin and lemon and orange. simmer
add sugar and reduce until sauce thickens
put fish in a steamer with half the sauce and cook until just done
serve with rice, drizzle sauce over fish and sprinkle shallots on top
We also made spicy tofu from Seduction of Rice and broccoli. It was heavenly!
Friday, December 28, 2012
Thursday, December 6, 2012
Yule Feasting
(This is a cross-post from the Magical Blend Blog of Shadows)
There are only a few historical accounts of the ancient Germanic and Norse practices during Yule but it does seem very certain that feasting was a big part of it. Some people also link the tradition of having a Christmas Ham with the ancient tradition of sacrificing and eating a Yule Boar in honor of the Norse god Freyr during the Yule feast. Boars aren't very easy to get these days but hams are available at any grocery store. And though the practice of serving up a whole boar on a golden platter with an apple in his mouth is also out of fashion, cooking ham with apples certainly isn't. So for a modern spin on an ancient tradition, try this recipe for your Yuletide feast:
Slow-Cooker Apple Spiced Ham.
This tasty ham is usually made in a slow-cooker but if you don't have one you can use a roasting pan or a Dutch Oven on low heat for an hour or so. This is also a recipe that I invented, so none of the measurements are exact. Have fun and adjust it to your tastes!
You will need:
- 1 cup old fashioned apple juice.
- 3-4 apples (I prefer Macintosh apples).
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- a pinch of cloves
- (Nutmeg to taste)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (you can cheat and add a little maple to some table syrup if you are low)
- 2 tbsp of brown sugar (the darker the better)
- Half a smoked ham (black forest or maple smoked work the best).
Unwrap your ham and grab a handful of cloves. Stick the cloves into the ham at regular intervals to infuse the ham with the spice. Traditionally this is done like so:
but I find that is waaaay too many cloves, especially if it is going to be in the slow cooker all day.
Place your cloved ham into the slow cooker and pour the apple juice in with it. Peel and slice the apples into thick rounds and place these in the the slow cooker, overlapping the ham as much as possible. Sprinkle the ham and apples with the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg (if you choose to use it). Rub the skin of the ham with the brown sugar and then pour the syrup over it and the apples as evenly as possible. Turn your slow cooker on low and let it cook for 5-7 hours. This is a great recipe to put up before work so you can come back to a delicious meal!
To serve, slice the ham into thick slices, remove as many of the cloves as you can and spoon the apple mush juice over the slice. Give thanks to Freyr for the feast and ask him to bless your new year. Enjoy!
There are only a few historical accounts of the ancient Germanic and Norse practices during Yule but it does seem very certain that feasting was a big part of it. Some people also link the tradition of having a Christmas Ham with the ancient tradition of sacrificing and eating a Yule Boar in honor of the Norse god Freyr during the Yule feast. Boars aren't very easy to get these days but hams are available at any grocery store. And though the practice of serving up a whole boar on a golden platter with an apple in his mouth is also out of fashion, cooking ham with apples certainly isn't. So for a modern spin on an ancient tradition, try this recipe for your Yuletide feast:
Slow-Cooker Apple Spiced Ham.
This tasty ham is usually made in a slow-cooker but if you don't have one you can use a roasting pan or a Dutch Oven on low heat for an hour or so. This is also a recipe that I invented, so none of the measurements are exact. Have fun and adjust it to your tastes!
You will need:
- 1 cup old fashioned apple juice.
- 3-4 apples (I prefer Macintosh apples).
- 2 tsp cinnamon
- 1 tsp allspice
- a pinch of cloves
- (Nutmeg to taste)
- 1/4 cup maple syrup (you can cheat and add a little maple to some table syrup if you are low)
- 2 tbsp of brown sugar (the darker the better)
- Half a smoked ham (black forest or maple smoked work the best).
Unwrap your ham and grab a handful of cloves. Stick the cloves into the ham at regular intervals to infuse the ham with the spice. Traditionally this is done like so:
Place your cloved ham into the slow cooker and pour the apple juice in with it. Peel and slice the apples into thick rounds and place these in the the slow cooker, overlapping the ham as much as possible. Sprinkle the ham and apples with the cinnamon, allspice and nutmeg (if you choose to use it). Rub the skin of the ham with the brown sugar and then pour the syrup over it and the apples as evenly as possible. Turn your slow cooker on low and let it cook for 5-7 hours. This is a great recipe to put up before work so you can come back to a delicious meal!
To serve, slice the ham into thick slices, remove as many of the cloves as you can and spoon the apple mush juice over the slice. Give thanks to Freyr for the feast and ask him to bless your new year. Enjoy!
The Norse God Freyr
Sunday, September 30, 2012
OK Emma - As requested this is a wonderful harvest type meal - almost a soup almost a veggies stew.
It always makes me think of the story of Jacob and Esau - would you sell your birthright for this?
1/2 cup dried navy beans
soak - bring to boil and let sit at least 1 hour or soak overnight
6 red peppers seeded and chopped
2 large onions chopped
oil or butter
some basil -or substitute dill for a different taste
some thyme
3-3 1/2 cups water or veggie stock
1/4 tsp cayenne ( or to taste)
some pepper
1/4 cup red wine
2 tbsp sherry
1/4 cup tomato paste
serve with thick yogurt or sour cream
chopped parsley if desired
and good bread
sautee onions in oil till golden and soft
add peppers and fry for another 5 minutes
add herbs, 3 cups of water, wine & sherry ( or choose one)
add drained lentils and beans bring to boil and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours
till beans are tender then add the tomato paste heat through add more water if necessary
Serve
It always makes me think of the story of Jacob and Esau - would you sell your birthright for this?
White Bean, Red Pepper and Lentil Stew
1/2 cup lentils ( I have always used red but brown may be better)1/2 cup dried navy beans
soak - bring to boil and let sit at least 1 hour or soak overnight
6 red peppers seeded and chopped
2 large onions chopped
oil or butter
some basil -or substitute dill for a different taste
some thyme
3-3 1/2 cups water or veggie stock
1/4 tsp cayenne ( or to taste)
some pepper
1/4 cup red wine
2 tbsp sherry
1/4 cup tomato paste
serve with thick yogurt or sour cream
chopped parsley if desired
and good bread
sautee onions in oil till golden and soft
add peppers and fry for another 5 minutes
add herbs, 3 cups of water, wine & sherry ( or choose one)
add drained lentils and beans bring to boil and simmer for about 1 1/2 hours
till beans are tender then add the tomato paste heat through add more water if necessary
Serve
Sunday, July 8, 2012
Fresh Corn Pancakes
So, summer has hit Toronto with a big bang. We went to the market yesterday and the local fruit and Veggies were bursting out everywhere. There was even fresh wild blueberries and local peaches ... so a cobbler is on the menu for tonight.
I wanted something yummy and not too heavy for brunch this am and resisting Dad's cry for bacon and eggs I decided to go for Fresh Corn Pancakes -which I served with sour cream, salmon caviar and mini arugula sprouts - yummy. Dad had his with Bacon and Maple syrup and then we both had raspberry and blueberry ones for desert. The corn which was the first of the season was very tender but not really tasty yet. This is a versatile recipe with lots of variations a good basis for summer meals.
Fresh Corn Pancakes
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn meal
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp (or less) of sugar
1tsp salt
3-4 ears of corn ( uncooked or leftover cooked)
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 stick unsalted butter melted and cooled- or leave out salt and use salted butter
whisk together flour, corn meal baking powder sugar and salt in a bowl
cut kernels from corn cob to measure 2 cups
In a separate bowl scrape cobs and collect pulp using back of a knife - mix 1/2 cup corn + corn pulp and milk and blend. then strain through sieve to remove solids. This makes a yummy kind of "corn milk". Mix in eggs oil and butter with the corn milk.
Toss remaining corn kernels with flour to coat and then mix liquids and solids until combined. let sit a minute or two. heat up griddle till hot -brush with oil add a little butter pour in about 1/3 cup/ pancake if making large ones, cook till you see bubbles breaking on the surface flip and brown on other side. Serve with toppings of your choice
I wanted something yummy and not too heavy for brunch this am and resisting Dad's cry for bacon and eggs I decided to go for Fresh Corn Pancakes -which I served with sour cream, salmon caviar and mini arugula sprouts - yummy. Dad had his with Bacon and Maple syrup and then we both had raspberry and blueberry ones for desert. The corn which was the first of the season was very tender but not really tasty yet. This is a versatile recipe with lots of variations a good basis for summer meals.
Fresh Corn Pancakes
3/4 cup flour
1/4 cup corn meal
4 tsp baking powder
1 tbsp (or less) of sugar
1tsp salt
3-4 ears of corn ( uncooked or leftover cooked)
3/4 cup whole milk
2 large eggs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 stick unsalted butter melted and cooled- or leave out salt and use salted butter
whisk together flour, corn meal baking powder sugar and salt in a bowl
cut kernels from corn cob to measure 2 cups
In a separate bowl scrape cobs and collect pulp using back of a knife - mix 1/2 cup corn + corn pulp and milk and blend. then strain through sieve to remove solids. This makes a yummy kind of "corn milk". Mix in eggs oil and butter with the corn milk.
Toss remaining corn kernels with flour to coat and then mix liquids and solids until combined. let sit a minute or two. heat up griddle till hot -brush with oil add a little butter pour in about 1/3 cup/ pancake if making large ones, cook till you see bubbles breaking on the surface flip and brown on other side. Serve with toppings of your choice
Wednesday, March 7, 2012
Toad in the Hole
As it's spring break time, Jon has started cooking exciting things again. This recipe comes from Gordon Ramsay's cookbook . It always makes us nostalgic to have some yummy British food. We'd never made it before, but it turns out it is so ridiculously easy, it will become part of our repertoire! I suggest accompanying this meal with some delicious beer, preferably an ale.
Toad in the Hole
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil8 good quality pork sausages
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp of sea salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Onion gravy:
knob of butter
red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp English mustard
2 tbsp redcurrent jam (nb: we used strawberry jam and it was delicious)
few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Coat a baking dish with the olive oil. Add sausages and toss well to coat. Bake them in the oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the batter: mix flour, salt, eggs, and milk (we did this with a hand blender). Blend until smooth.
Take the sausages out of the oven and pour the batter all around them. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes until the batter has risen and is golden brown.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions with some salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent. Add the flour and stir for another couple of minutes. Gradually stir in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the mustard, jam, and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Simmer until the gravy has thickened to a light coating consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
When ready, remove the toad in the hole from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving, with the onion gravy. Enjoy!
Toad in the Hole
Ingredients:
2 tbsp olive oil8 good quality pork sausages
1 1/4 cups flour
1/2 tsp of sea salt
2 eggs
2/3 cup milk
Onion gravy:
knob of butter
red onion, peeled and thinly sliced
salt and pepper
1 1/2 tbsp flour
1 1/3 cups chicken stock
1 tsp English mustard
2 tbsp redcurrent jam (nb: we used strawberry jam and it was delicious)
few dashes of Worcestershire sauce.
Preheat the oven to 400F degrees. Coat a baking dish with the olive oil. Add sausages and toss well to coat. Bake them in the oven for 10 minutes.
Meanwhile, make the batter: mix flour, salt, eggs, and milk (we did this with a hand blender). Blend until smooth.
Take the sausages out of the oven and pour the batter all around them. Return to the oven and bake for another 30 minutes until the batter has risen and is golden brown.
Meanwhile, make the gravy. Melt the butter in a saucepan and add the onions with some salt and pepper. Cook over medium heat for about 8-10 minutes, or until they are soft and translucent. Add the flour and stir for another couple of minutes. Gradually stir in the stock and bring to a simmer. Add the mustard, jam, and Worcestershire sauce to taste. Simmer until the gravy has thickened to a light coating consistency. Add salt and pepper to taste.
When ready, remove the toad in the hole from the oven and let stand for a few minutes before serving, with the onion gravy. Enjoy!
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Simple chicken marinade for grilled chicken.
Today I made my roomies some Chicken Caesar Salad. Salad dressings are not my forte so I just bought the Dole Ultimate Caesar Salad Kit (perhaps Ali can give you her Caesar dressing recipe) but I did make a very tasty (even my laconic room-mate remarked it was very good) grilled chicken.
You need:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- The juice of 1 small lemon
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (I was originally going to use red wine vinegar but I couldn't open it, so the cider vinegar won out. I think it was the tastier choice in the end.)
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 heaping teaspoon honey (as usual I recommend unpasteurized wild honey. It just tastes better.)
Slice the chicken into long 1/2-1 inch thick slices. Stir together the ingredients in a small deep bowl (I actually used a tupperware and occasionally shook it). Add the chicken and marinate for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The best way to do this is to grill the slices on the barbecue. Since the chicken is already sliced, it doesn't take long to cook. However as it is the middle of winter I cooked the chicken in my toaster-oven on 350 for 25 minutes.
Place the chicken strips over tossed salad and voila: Chicken Caesar Salad! This recipe served 3 not so hungry adults. You may want to increase the amount of chicken if you are hungrier.
You need:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 cloves garlic, chopped
- The juice of 1 small lemon
- 4 tbsp apple cider vinegar (I was originally going to use red wine vinegar but I couldn't open it, so the cider vinegar won out. I think it was the tastier choice in the end.)
- 1 tbsp dried rosemary
- 2 tsp dried thyme
- 1 heaping teaspoon honey (as usual I recommend unpasteurized wild honey. It just tastes better.)
Slice the chicken into long 1/2-1 inch thick slices. Stir together the ingredients in a small deep bowl (I actually used a tupperware and occasionally shook it). Add the chicken and marinate for at least 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.
The best way to do this is to grill the slices on the barbecue. Since the chicken is already sliced, it doesn't take long to cook. However as it is the middle of winter I cooked the chicken in my toaster-oven on 350 for 25 minutes.
Place the chicken strips over tossed salad and voila: Chicken Caesar Salad! This recipe served 3 not so hungry adults. You may want to increase the amount of chicken if you are hungrier.
Wednesday, February 29, 2012
Annemiek's Pasta Sauce of Deliciousness.
My room-mate's mother, Annemiek, makes the most incredibly delicious pasta sauce. I am not a huge fan of pasta, and I am also not the sort of person to keep eating after I am full, but I will gorge myself on this pasta sauce until my stomach begs for mercy. In fact, to avoid obesity I need to restrict how often I make this recipe it is so good. It is also ridiculously simple:
You need:
- Bacon, to taste. I usually use about half a package.
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic (or to taste. Really you can't ever have too much garlic and bacon.)
- One large can of diced tomatoes.
- One package of cream cheese
- Spices (optional. I usually use oregano, basil, marjoram and parsley, but only a very little bit so as not to overwhelm.)
- fettuccine.
Cook the fettuccine in a separate pot. I assume you all know how to cook pasta. Dice the onion and garlic (we often use a garlic press). Chop the bacon into small strips (we do this by cutting the bacon with scissors). In a large cooking pot fry up the onions and bacon until mostly cooked. Add in the garlic and fry for a few more minutes before adding the diced tomatoes and the cream cheese. Simmer with the lid of to reduce while the pasta cooks, stirring often so as not to burn the cream cheese. Add the spices, though really, the sauce is tasty enough without them.
Add to fettuccine and enjoy. So simple, soooooo good!
You need:
- Bacon, to taste. I usually use about half a package.
- 1 onion
- 4 cloves garlic (or to taste. Really you can't ever have too much garlic and bacon.)
- One large can of diced tomatoes.
- One package of cream cheese
- Spices (optional. I usually use oregano, basil, marjoram and parsley, but only a very little bit so as not to overwhelm.)
- fettuccine.
Cook the fettuccine in a separate pot. I assume you all know how to cook pasta. Dice the onion and garlic (we often use a garlic press). Chop the bacon into small strips (we do this by cutting the bacon with scissors). In a large cooking pot fry up the onions and bacon until mostly cooked. Add in the garlic and fry for a few more minutes before adding the diced tomatoes and the cream cheese. Simmer with the lid of to reduce while the pasta cooks, stirring often so as not to burn the cream cheese. Add the spices, though really, the sauce is tasty enough without them.
Add to fettuccine and enjoy. So simple, soooooo good!
Om nom nom Muffins!
I love muffins! I love them so much I call anything that is cute, fuzzy (long story), or sad a muffin. Last night I finally had the perfect combo of time, energy and chocolate chips to make my favorite muffins: chocolate chip bran muffins. The recipe is shamelessly stolen from the top of the Quaker bran box and is quite delectable.
Here is the original recipe, with notes from me in italics:
QUAKER Bran Muffins
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs (unbeaten)
1 1/2 cup QUAKER natural wheat bran
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 tsp salt <- I never add salt to baking recipes (with the exception of bread). I find things these days are usually quite salty enough without needing to add, and salt is easy to add on later either with a shaker or some salted butter.
1/2 cup raisins (optional) <- @#*% raisins! Add chocolate chips till there's more chocolate chips than batter! Then add some more!
12 servings - 1 dozen large muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cream shortening and sugar together.
Add molasses and eggs and beat together well
Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl.
Add to liquid ingredients, mix well, add raisins.
I am kind of lazy and just dump the ingredients into the bowl one by one mixing the whole time. It works out fine.
Spoon into greased muffin pans. Or into muffin cups, easier to clean.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Here is the original recipe, with notes from me in italics:
QUAKER Bran Muffins
1/4 cup shortening
1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
1/4 cup molasses
2 eggs (unbeaten)
1 1/2 cup QUAKER natural wheat bran
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup milk
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
3/4 tsp salt <- I never add salt to baking recipes (with the exception of bread). I find things these days are usually quite salty enough without needing to add, and salt is easy to add on later either with a shaker or some salted butter.
1/2 cup raisins (optional) <- @#*% raisins! Add chocolate chips till there's more chocolate chips than batter! Then add some more!
12 servings - 1 dozen large muffins
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.
Cream shortening and sugar together.
Add molasses and eggs and beat together well
Combine flour, baking powder, soda and salt in a bowl.
Add to liquid ingredients, mix well, add raisins.
I am kind of lazy and just dump the ingredients into the bowl one by one mixing the whole time. It works out fine.
Spoon into greased muffin pans. Or into muffin cups, easier to clean.
Bake 18 to 20 minutes.
Enjoy!
Monday, February 6, 2012
Mamma's Tortière
We had never made this traditional Québecois dish before (it not being part of our particular tradition) so, typically, Perle read a bunch of recipes, including Martin Picard`s of course, and made up her own version.
We did not make the puff pastry, but bought it at the gourmet shop which is catering the baby shower. Maybe next time...
We made 2 pies with pastry on the top only.
Ingredients:
1 lb minced pork
1 lb minced veal
1 lb minced beef
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic
sliced brown mushrooms
olive oil
cinnamon
cloves
thyme
salt
pepper
bay leaf
¼ cup white wine
2 cubes demi-glace
Tbsp flour
Tbsp butter
crush cloves, thyme, salt, peppercorns, cinnamon
sauté garlic and onions in oil, remove to a bowl
sauté mushrooms in oil, remove to a bowl
add wine and deglaze the pan
add meat and brown
stir in onions, mushrooms and spices and demi-glace
cook until most of the liquid is reduced
thicken with 1 Tbsp flour and butter
put the meat in pie plates, cover with pastry, brush with beaten egg
bake at 350° for 45 minutes
We did not make the puff pastry, but bought it at the gourmet shop which is catering the baby shower. Maybe next time...
We made 2 pies with pastry on the top only.
Ingredients:
1 lb minced pork
1 lb minced veal
1 lb minced beef
2 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic
sliced brown mushrooms
olive oil
cinnamon
cloves
thyme
salt
pepper
bay leaf
¼ cup white wine
2 cubes demi-glace
Tbsp flour
Tbsp butter
crush cloves, thyme, salt, peppercorns, cinnamon
sauté garlic and onions in oil, remove to a bowl
sauté mushrooms in oil, remove to a bowl
add wine and deglaze the pan
add meat and brown
stir in onions, mushrooms and spices and demi-glace
cook until most of the liquid is reduced
thicken with 1 Tbsp flour and butter
put the meat in pie plates, cover with pastry, brush with beaten egg
bake at 350° for 45 minutes
Thursday, January 26, 2012
Duck à l'orange
conception: Perle Feldman
réalisation: David Glaser
Soon after we started cooking together, we started labelling recipes that way, since Perle is the more creative and can come up with a new concept, while I would put it all together. Of course, it's not that clear a division. In this case Perle made the sauce, the critical part.
This is a dinner for two. You will need:
one duck breast with skin on
salt and pepper
thyme and rosemary
2 oranges
Grand Marnier
butter
3 Tbsp sugar
prep work
cut the peel of one orange into thin strips, avoiding taking the white pith
simmer orange peel in some water to soften, about 10 minutes
add sugar and continue to cook until liquid is almost absorbed
cut off all the pith and membranes of the orange and reserve the chunks of pulp
squeeze the juice from the other orange
score the duck skin and sprinkle with salt and pepper
cook the duck
in a medium-hot skillet, sear the duck skin side down for 5 minutes, until skin is crispy
turn and continue to cook on medium-low heat for another 10 minutes
remove and place duck under a foil tent
make the sauce
drain the duck fat from the skillet
deglaze with Grand Marnier, then with orange juice
add herbs and orange pulp
reduce the sauce, add some butter
serve
We served the duck with quinoa and steamed asparagus
spoon the sauce over the duck
add the candied orange peel
réalisation: David Glaser
Soon after we started cooking together, we started labelling recipes that way, since Perle is the more creative and can come up with a new concept, while I would put it all together. Of course, it's not that clear a division. In this case Perle made the sauce, the critical part.
This is a dinner for two. You will need:
one duck breast with skin on
salt and pepper
thyme and rosemary
2 oranges
Grand Marnier
butter
3 Tbsp sugar
prep work
cut the peel of one orange into thin strips, avoiding taking the white pith
simmer orange peel in some water to soften, about 10 minutes
add sugar and continue to cook until liquid is almost absorbed
cut off all the pith and membranes of the orange and reserve the chunks of pulp
squeeze the juice from the other orange
score the duck skin and sprinkle with salt and pepper
cook the duck
in a medium-hot skillet, sear the duck skin side down for 5 minutes, until skin is crispy
turn and continue to cook on medium-low heat for another 10 minutes
remove and place duck under a foil tent
make the sauce
drain the duck fat from the skillet
deglaze with Grand Marnier, then with orange juice
add herbs and orange pulp
reduce the sauce, add some butter
serve
We served the duck with quinoa and steamed asparagus
spoon the sauce over the duck
add the candied orange peel
Wednesday, January 25, 2012
Cold Combat Potion
I'm sick. I'm stuck at home with a sore throat and an inability to speak more then a sentence. But I'm a witch (kind of) and we don't let colds get us down! So it's time for a potion I've made up with some help from my witchy friends.
This potion doesn't actually rely so much on magick as it does on the actual medicinal properties of certain herbs. Most of the following are anti-septic or anti-bacterial.
You will need:
- A small sized ginger root
- 3 tbsp of honey (preferably unpasteurized wild honey if you can)
- 4 Cinnamon sticks (you can use a couple of teaspoons of ground cinnamon but it makes a really gross slime)
- 2 tsp whole cloves
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups of water.
Peel and slice up the ginger. Put all the herbal ingredients into the pot with the water and set to boil with the lid on for 15 minutes minimum. Strain and drink. ADD THE HONEY LAST after it has boiled.
Feel free to mess around with the proportions to taste but you want the potion to be very well infused with all the ingredients. I suggest not skimping on the fresh ginger and the honey.
This potion doesn't actually rely so much on magick as it does on the actual medicinal properties of certain herbs. Most of the following are anti-septic or anti-bacterial.
You will need:
- A small sized ginger root
- 3 tbsp of honey (preferably unpasteurized wild honey if you can)
- 4 Cinnamon sticks (you can use a couple of teaspoons of ground cinnamon but it makes a really gross slime)
- 2 tsp whole cloves
- 2 tbsp lemon juice
- 2 cups of water.
Peel and slice up the ginger. Put all the herbal ingredients into the pot with the water and set to boil with the lid on for 15 minutes minimum. Strain and drink. ADD THE HONEY LAST after it has boiled.
Feel free to mess around with the proportions to taste but you want the potion to be very well infused with all the ingredients. I suggest not skimping on the fresh ginger and the honey.
Disgustingly Rich Cupcakes
Hey everyone! Sorry for the long awaited update but it's been busy.
So, for Ali's baby shower there was a theme of foods we liked when we were young. I decided to use a slightly modified recipe from a children's cookbook we had when we were young. The recipe was originally for brownies but as you may have guessed by my dad's entry on brownies they didn't quite make the cut but they make really tasty cupcakes!
DISGUSTINGLY RICH CUPCAKES
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 ¼ cups Flour
- 4 Eggs
- ¾ cups Cocoa
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup Butter
Preheat oven to 400° and fill the cupcake moulds with paper cups.
Melt butter. Mix cocoa, sugar and butter.
Add eggs and vanilla. Stir.
Add flour and mix until smooth.
Pour mix equally into moulds.
Bake at 400° for 15 min (approx) or until cupcakes pull away from the sides of the mold.
So, for Ali's baby shower there was a theme of foods we liked when we were young. I decided to use a slightly modified recipe from a children's cookbook we had when we were young. The recipe was originally for brownies but as you may have guessed by my dad's entry on brownies they didn't quite make the cut but they make really tasty cupcakes!
DISGUSTINGLY RICH CUPCAKES
- 2 cups Sugar
- 1 ¼ cups Flour
- 4 Eggs
- ¾ cups Cocoa
- 1 tsp Vanilla
- 1 cup Butter
Preheat oven to 400° and fill the cupcake moulds with paper cups.
Melt butter. Mix cocoa, sugar and butter.
Add eggs and vanilla. Stir.
Add flour and mix until smooth.
Pour mix equally into moulds.
Bake at 400° for 15 min (approx) or until cupcakes pull away from the sides of the mold.
Thursday, January 12, 2012
Phil's Cider Bunny
Upon request from my father, my little sister's boyfriend has sent me the recipe for his apple cider rabbit. he made it for us a few months ago when my parents were in town and it was absolutely phenomenal. This recipe belongs in a fancy restaurant, it's so succulent and the blend of flavors is just perfect.
Here is the recipe, told in classic Phil style. The bacon is in bold because really, who doesn't get excited about bacon?
Cider-Bunny
Ingredients for the Bunny:
- Whole rabbit (like Bugs Bunny "That wascaly wabbit").
- 3/4 bottle of Cider (http://www.lafacecachee.com/bulle_en/).
- 5 Golden Apple.
- Some Butter
Ingredients for the Cider veggies.
- Some carrots.
- Some turnips.
- 1/4 bottle of Cider (the same one).
- 1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable or beef broth.
Ingredients for the very healthy side of mushroom and BACON! (optional)
- BACON (one pack)!
- Mushroom.
- Butter.
1 - Kill the rabbit. If it's already dead, just cut it into pieces (http://honest-food.net/2010/05/19/how-to-cut-up-a-rabbit/).
2 - Brown the rabbit with butter in a large pot.
3 - If you want to put some spices, now would be the time.
4 - Put the apple (that you have peeled, cored and cut into quarters) for about two minutes.
5 - Put the cider (3/4 of the bottle) in the pot. Wait about 5 minutes, cover and lower the heat to medium-low.
6 - Let it cook for about 45 minutes "can be a little bit more".
7 - Cut the carrots and the turnip in cubes.
8 - Let them cook in a pan or a pot with the broth on high for 5 minutes.
9 - Put the rest of the cider and lower the heat.
7 - Let them cook for about 30 minutes (or until they taste good).
8 - Put the BACON! to cook in a pan with the butter on medium-high for a couple of minutes.
9 - Put the mushroom.
10 - Let this cook until the BACON is done.
11 - Take out the rabbit and with a hand blender, blend the apples in the cider sauce (you can keep some apples for the presentation).
12 - Put back the bunny to cook for some extra minutes.
13 - Serve and eat (you can take a picture with your Iphone before eating).
Here is the recipe, told in classic Phil style. The bacon is in bold because really, who doesn't get excited about bacon?
Cider-Bunny
Ingredients for the Bunny:
- Whole rabbit (like Bugs Bunny "That wascaly wabbit").
- 3/4 bottle of Cider (http://www.lafacecachee.com/bulle_en/).
- 5 Golden Apple.
- Some Butter
Ingredients for the Cider veggies.
- Some carrots.
- Some turnips.
- 1/4 bottle of Cider (the same one).
- 1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable or beef broth.
Ingredients for the very healthy side of mushroom and BACON! (optional)
- BACON (one pack)!
- Mushroom.
- Butter.
1 - Kill the rabbit. If it's already dead, just cut it into pieces (http://honest-food.net/2010/05/19/how-to-cut-up-a-rabbit/).
2 - Brown the rabbit with butter in a large pot.
3 - If you want to put some spices, now would be the time.
4 - Put the apple (that you have peeled, cored and cut into quarters) for about two minutes.
5 - Put the cider (3/4 of the bottle) in the pot. Wait about 5 minutes, cover and lower the heat to medium-low.
6 - Let it cook for about 45 minutes "can be a little bit more".
7 - Cut the carrots and the turnip in cubes.
8 - Let them cook in a pan or a pot with the broth on high for 5 minutes.
9 - Put the rest of the cider and lower the heat.
7 - Let them cook for about 30 minutes (or until they taste good).
8 - Put the BACON! to cook in a pan with the butter on medium-high for a couple of minutes.
9 - Put the mushroom.
10 - Let this cook until the BACON is done.
11 - Take out the rabbit and with a hand blender, blend the apples in the cider sauce (you can keep some apples for the presentation).
12 - Put back the bunny to cook for some extra minutes.
13 - Serve and eat (you can take a picture with your Iphone before eating).
Tuesday, January 10, 2012
Fridge cleaning frittata
So, while my parents and sister were cooking up a huge feast, my husband and I decided we needed to clean out a bunch of stuff in our fridge, so we made a simple frittata for dinner. The beauty of the frittata is that you need eggs and potatoes, but after that anything really goes! We used ginger beef sausages from Stairsholme Farms but any type of meat will do (or no meat necessary if you want to go veggie).
Frittata
Ingredients:
6-8 eggs
some milk
potatoes, thinly sliced and slightly boiled (I steamed them in the microwave for a few minutes)
mushrooms
spinach
onion, diced
tomatoes
cheese
sausages, cut into bite sized chunks
Preheat the oven to 350. Saute the onions and then whatever veggies you feel like putting in (I used spinach and mushrooms since that's what we had) in a heavy bottomed pan that can go in the oven. Remove the veggies and cook the sausage pieces until done. Remove the sausages and put the potatoes in. Brown them slightly, then add the veggies and sausage back in. Cover the whole thing with a mixture of eggs and milk. Allow to cook on the stove for a few minutes, then layer tomatoes and cheese on top (I used buffalo mozzarella, but anything will do. I love this with goat's cheese in particular!) Put the pan in the oven and bake until it is firm and set (not runny). You may want to broil it for a minute or two to get the cheese nice and brown. Serve immediately.
Monday, January 9, 2012
Fudge Brownies
After I met Perle in 1975 and started cooking for real, I decided there were 3 recipes which needed perfecting: chocolate chip cookies, chocolate cake and brownies. The cookies were easy, it's in Joy of Cooking (chocolate chip drop cookies). The cake was my mother in law's variation of her friend's recipe which substituted orange juice for milk (thereby making it parve), but not baked as long so it stays moist. It is still the cake of choice for anyone's birthday.
The brownie recipe, however, took a long time to find. Many people and books and magazines promised the ultimate brownies, but they were inevitably too cakey for my taste. Then, when my childhood friend Paul Harris was visiting and I mentioned the brownies, he said "My wife Kathy makes the best brownies". I said, sure send me the recipe, skeptically. They were exactly what I was looking for! Chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges, they are great fudge brownies. Make sure they are completely chilled before serving. They are much more like fudge than cake.
Kathy's Brownies:
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla or liqueur
2 eggs
4 oz. Unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 Tbsp hot water
1/3 cup flour
preheat over to 350
cream butter and sugar
add vanilla
add eggs
add chocolate
add hot water
add flour – beat only until smooth
put in 9x9 greased pan
bake at 350 for 35 minutes
let cool completely, refrigerate
The brownie recipe, however, took a long time to find. Many people and books and magazines promised the ultimate brownies, but they were inevitably too cakey for my taste. Then, when my childhood friend Paul Harris was visiting and I mentioned the brownies, he said "My wife Kathy makes the best brownies". I said, sure send me the recipe, skeptically. They were exactly what I was looking for! Chewy in the middle and crispy on the edges, they are great fudge brownies. Make sure they are completely chilled before serving. They are much more like fudge than cake.
Kathy's Brownies:
¼ pound soft butter (1/2 cup)
1 ½ cups sugar
1 tsp vanilla or liqueur
2 eggs
4 oz. Unsweetened chocolate, melted
2 Tbsp hot water
1/3 cup flour
preheat over to 350
cream butter and sugar
add vanilla
add eggs
add chocolate
add hot water
add flour – beat only until smooth
put in 9x9 greased pan
bake at 350 for 35 minutes
let cool completely, refrigerate
Sunday, January 8, 2012
Eri's visit: meat & vegetarian
I don't know why when Eri comes to visit I feel the need to cook copious amounts of red meat! Maybe because I know about her anemia, or just that her general "delicate flower" persona brings out the Jewish mother in me, however here we are eating great wads of meat - just when I really should be thinking about low-cal high veggie meals...oh well blame the Berry.
We had already decided to feed her cravings with a nice lamb tagine with Persian rice (recipes to follow) when she expressed a desire to see Sandy and Bubbie for dinner. So here we are with a lamb tagine and a california kosher ( no red meat) person and a kosher style person,( no milk & meat person). What to do? Okay, we are going to make a veggie version of the tagine - basically a Tsimmes plus some lentils or chick peas. Should work.
LAMB TAGINE
-3 lbs. lamb shoulder cut into 1" pieces
-2 onions diced
-4 cloves garlic diced
-root veggies cut into 1" pieces: I used - 2 giant parsnips, 2 white turnips, 3 giant carrots - 1 red, 1 orange, 1 purple
-handful of prunes
-handful of dried apricots
-2 cups of our just made veal stock
-2 cups water
-oil
-about 2 tbsp cinnamon
-2 tbsp cumin
-1 tbsp paprica
Brown meat with oil and remove from pot.
Brown onions and garlic in oil & drippings.
Add spices and stir with onions and garlic.
Put back the meat, add the veggies and dried fruit, stir up then add stock and water. Bring to boil and simmer.
***THINGS I LEARNED FROM COOKING SHOWS;
1. when browning meat, leave the pieces alone and don't move them around too much until they loosen, then turn them with tongs - that way they will brown better.
Saturday, January 7, 2012
Steak and Potatoes and Mushrooms: Oh My!
To celebrate my coming to Toronto to visit the parents we went to the market to buy some good food for dinner. At the butcher's we picked up these incredible thick juicy looking rib steaks and some delicious looking mushrooms at one of the vegetable stores. The St-Laurence market is huge and has an enormous amount of variety. Of course it helps that my mother has an amazing eye for good quality, fresh and tasty produce. We came home with the spoils and got cooking right away. On the menu for the night was rib steaks with spice rub, mashed potatoes with sauteed garlic scapes (which are basically the buds and stems of sprouted garlic) and a mushroom Marsala sauce:
Rib Steaks With Spice Rub:
The delectable steaks we'd picked up at the butcher's got rubbed with the following then seared in a pan and cooked in the oven at 350 degrees until they were cooked to medium-rare (my dad can't remember for how long):
- Shwartzes' Steak Spice
- Smoked Paprika
- Chili powder
- Cumin
Garlic Scape Mashed Potatoes:
The mashed potatoes were pretty simple: just boil the potatoes, drain them, mash them with butter and add the scapes which have also been sauteed in butter and olive oil. Simple but tasty!
- Large Potatoes
- Sauteed Garlic Scapes (buds)
Mushroom Sauce
The mushroom sauce was by far the most complicated of the dishes but it was still pretty simple. First we sauteed the shallots in butter (you might notice a theme here. We like butter). Then we sauteed the mushrooms. The oyster mushrooms were huge and watery so in ten minutes or so we had a goodly amount of mushroom juices in the pan. We then added a mix of garlic, course salt, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme which I had mushed up with the mortar and pestle to get the flavors really going. After that we added a few ice cubes of demi-glace (my mom makes her own veal demi-glace then freezes it in ice-cube trays; very convenient!) and about a quarter bottle of Marsala red wine. After that we let the whole thing simmer and reduce while we waited on the potatoes and steak, then we added a big chunk of butter at the end. It turned out amazingly! I love mushrooms!
- Shallots
- Oyster Mushrooms
- Hedgehog Chanterelle Mushrooms
- Black Trumpet Mushrooms
- Marsala Red Wine
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Course Salt
- Veal Demi-glace
- Butter
And: Steamed Broccoli!
A tasty hardy meal which actually wasn't nearly as difficult to cook as it would seem. All you need is some good ingredients and family to help!
I wonder what the Sibs are doing for their dinners while I'm here?
Rib Steaks With Spice Rub:
The delectable steaks we'd picked up at the butcher's got rubbed with the following then seared in a pan and cooked in the oven at 350 degrees until they were cooked to medium-rare (my dad can't remember for how long):
- Shwartzes' Steak Spice
- Smoked Paprika
- Chili powder
- Cumin
Garlic Scape Mashed Potatoes:
The mashed potatoes were pretty simple: just boil the potatoes, drain them, mash them with butter and add the scapes which have also been sauteed in butter and olive oil. Simple but tasty!
- Large Potatoes
- Sauteed Garlic Scapes (buds)
Mushroom Sauce
The mushroom sauce was by far the most complicated of the dishes but it was still pretty simple. First we sauteed the shallots in butter (you might notice a theme here. We like butter). Then we sauteed the mushrooms. The oyster mushrooms were huge and watery so in ten minutes or so we had a goodly amount of mushroom juices in the pan. We then added a mix of garlic, course salt, fresh rosemary and fresh thyme which I had mushed up with the mortar and pestle to get the flavors really going. After that we added a few ice cubes of demi-glace (my mom makes her own veal demi-glace then freezes it in ice-cube trays; very convenient!) and about a quarter bottle of Marsala red wine. After that we let the whole thing simmer and reduce while we waited on the potatoes and steak, then we added a big chunk of butter at the end. It turned out amazingly! I love mushrooms!
- Shallots
- Oyster Mushrooms
- Hedgehog Chanterelle Mushrooms
- Black Trumpet Mushrooms
- Marsala Red Wine
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Course Salt
- Veal Demi-glace
- Butter
And: Steamed Broccoli!
A tasty hardy meal which actually wasn't nearly as difficult to cook as it would seem. All you need is some good ingredients and family to help!
I wonder what the Sibs are doing for their dinners while I'm here?
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