Split Pea Soup

Dearest of all Jessicas,

I miss you terribly. My heart aches when I think of you and Caitlin, and how none of us have seen each other in so long. I think we should all plan a "girls' weekend" over the March break! And since it's the March break, the "weekend" can be in the week! Thoughts?

Anyways. I am writing today to share a recipe (for the first time in quite a long time!) for Split Pea Soup. The story behind this one is as follows. Pork shoulders were on sale a while back for around ten dollars each (bone-in). I had just stocked my freezer with chickens, a turkey and a ham shoulder. I decided to pass this sale by. The next week however, they were approximately six dollars each! Huge 4lb+ Pork shoulder roasts! So I grabbed two. On Tuesday I roasted one in my oven (recipe to come when I roast the second one, as I forgot to take pictures of the final product...). My parents dropped by to see Alice. My mom reminded me that if/when I make stock out of the pork bone, I can make Split Pea Soup! How I managed to forget that's what you make with pork stock, I have no idea... but my Mom saved the day! Thus, yesterday, I ran to the bulk barn for split peas, and last night for dinner, we had Split Pea Soup. What a lovely soup on a blowing, snowing day! (Our snow banks on either side of our driveway are taller than our vehicles... looking out the window with a bowl of this bad boy is absolute comfort.)

Split Pea Soup
heavily adapted from www.foodnetwork.com

1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 tsp dried oregano
3 tbsp olive oil
1 1/2 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
8 cups pork broth (made from your pork bone)
2 cups carrots, diced
1 cup sweet potato, diced
1 cup celery, diced
2 cups dried split peas (yellow and/or green)

1. Add onion, garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, and olive oil to a large pot. Simmer until onions are translucent. Add broth, carrots, potato, celery, and HALF the split peas. Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered, for 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add remainder of split peas and simmer for another 40 minutes, or until your peas are at desired tenderness. Stir often, so nothing burns to the bottom of your pot. (The soup thickens quickly)

3. Serve!

I hope your winter is going well, and your students are little angels!

So much love,

Lasagna with Homemade Noodles

My Dearest Sally,

Either my eyes deceive me or it has been months since my last post. Where does the time go? I couldn't believe the last post date when I saw it at the top of the page.

I hope that you are doing well. I image that Alice is growing like a weed. It seems that everywhere I go now people are talking about babies or having babies. The more I am around them the more I desperately want to start a family of my own. But not yet.

I am writing this letter to you from the comfort of my kitchen table at 4:00 on a Monday. When I arrived at school this morning one of the other women I work with told me that they had cancelled the busses last minute and that the school was closed. Imagine my excitement when I realized I could catch up on work and then spend an afternoon at home! I have made three dishes so far today, one which will hopefully be up as a post soon.

The recipe that I will share with you today is one that came almost completely from memory. Jesse sometimes mentions a meal that he loves on the off chance that I will  make it for him. He was lucky when we had a lot of ground beef that we needed to use up and I was out of other ideas. I remembered that my parents had lent us their pasta maker before we were married and it has been sitting in our cupboard ever since. I rolled up my sleeves and set to work making homemade pasta for a meaty lasagna. The process of making the noodles was a little complicated with one person but was still a lot of fun. It can be surprisingly easy with the right tools, enough time, and a good television show to keep you going.

Homemade Pasta Dough
Canadian Living

Ingredients

2 cups four
3 eggs
1/4 tsp. salt

1. Mix the flour and salt together and form into a mound with the flower in the bottom of a wide-bottomed dish. (I used a deep pie pan to keep the flour from going everywhere.)

2. Beat your eggs together and pour into the middle of the flour mound. Use a fork to combine the eggs and the flour until it forms a dough. Knead dough for 2-4 minutes by hand or with a dough hook. (I found that the dough hook was not as effective as I would have liked.)

3. Wrap the dough in plastic wrap and set aside for 20 minutes.

4. When the dough is ready, divide it into small manageable sections and run through the pasta maker. I started on the largest setting and ran my section of dough through. After each time I made the opening smaller until the pasta sheets were the thickness I wanted.

5. Let the dough hang until you are ready to use it.


Meaty Lasagna: A Koning Family Recipe


Ingredients

1 1/2 cans tomato sauce (your choice)
500g lean ground beef
1 onion
1-2 cloves garlic
2 Tbsp. Italian seasoning
1 container cottage cheese
2 eggs
2-3 cups shredded cheese (marble or cheddar)
Homemade lasagna noodles

1. I started by cooking my onions and garlic. I chopped the onion into small pieces and sauteed for about 3 minutes. I added the garlic and cooked for another minute before I added the ground beef.

2. Cook the beef until it is no longer pink. Add the tomato sauce and keep warm on the stove. At this point you could add all sorts of vegetables and spices to the mixture. I used a flavourful tomato sauce and skipped the veggies as I didn't have anything else to add.

3. Mix the container of cottage cheese with Italian seasoning and the 2 eggs. Set aside in a separate bowl.

4. Begin layering the lasagna with the meat mixture. Add some of the cottage cheese mixture on top and then place a layer of noodles over that. Repeat this layering process until you only have a layer of meat sauce left on top. Sprinkle the top layer with cheese and cover with tinfoil.

5. Bake in a 350-375 oven for about 45 minutes. If the noodles are a bit chewy leave it in for longer. Once the lasagna is cooked through broil the top for about 2 minutes or until golden brown.


I realize the lasagne doesn't look epic in the pictures but I can tell you that Jesse was very pleased with it. He even shared some with his father who was also impressed with the flavour. It makes a lot if only one person is eating it so ours has lasted a while but it would also be perfect for company.

If you guys are ever in the area let us know. It would be great to see you again soon.

Lots of Love,


Jessica

Cheesy Green Chile and Potato Chowder with Buttermilk Cornbread

Dear Jess,

For some reason I am craving comfort food this summer. All I want is pizza, mashed potatoes with gravy, stews, mac and cheese... the list goes on!

On yesterday's menu:

Cheesy Green Chile and Potato Chowder
adapted from www.eatliverun.com 

3 poblano peppers
1 large yellow onion, small diced
1 green bell pepper, small diced
3 russet potatoes, peeled and cubed
2 stalks celery, small diced
3 slices bacon
2 tsp minced garlic
1 quart chicken broth
2 tsp salt
2 cups milk
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup Jalapeno Monterey Jack Cheese {plus additional for serving}
thinly sliced green onions

First, fire roast the peppers.

To do this, place poblano peppers right over the flame on your burner if you have a gas stove. Flip occasionally until every inch of the pepper is charred. If you don’t have a gas stove, place peppers underneath the broiler on a lined sheet tray {also flipping occasionally} until charred. Once charred all around, immediately remove peppers from heat and zip up in a plastic zip-loc bag. Let sit for 20 minutes then remove charred skin with the back of a knife and roughly chop up peppers.

While your peppers are cooling, fry the bacon in a large Dutch Oven or heavy  bottomed pot. Fry until crispy then remove bacon from the pot and drain on pepper towels. Keep grease in the pot!

Add your onion, bell pepper, garlic and celery to the hot grease. Saute for about six minutes over medium heat until veggies are just tender. Add cubed potatoes to the pot, as well as the poblano peppers, and toss well so everything is combined.

Pour in chicken broth and add the salt. Bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 35 minutes until potatoes are very tender {be sure to “test” with a fork or knife…nothing worse than biting into an uncooked potato!}. Add milk and sprinkle in flour. Whisk together so that no flour clumps remain and bring back to a simmer. Simmer for another 10 minutes. (I used my immersion blender for this one, as I wanted something more creamy!)

Turn off heat completely and add cheese to the pot. Stir well so cheese melts. Serve immediately with crumbled bacon, sliced green onions and additional cheese.


Buttermilk Cornbread
from www.allrecipes.com

1/2 cup butter
2/3 cup white sugar
2 eggs
1 cup buttermilk*
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 cup cornmeal
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Grease an 8 inch square pan.

Melt butter in large skillet. Remove from heat and stir in sugar. Quickly add eggs and beat until well blended. Combine buttermilk with baking soda and stir into mixture in pan. Stir in cornmeal, flour and salt until well blended and few lumps remain. Pour batter into the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven for 30-40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean.

*To make your own buttermilk, add one tbsp white vinegar or lemon juice to one cup of milk. Let stand for 10-15 minutes.

 I love you and miss you!

Love,

Strudelicious Panzerotti

Dear Jess,

Happy Summer Holidays!

How is your trip?! I saw a picture or two on Facebook. It looks like you're having a relaxing time!

As you know I am a 'nanny' for a little boy in town throughout the week, and while he's napping I generally flick on the Food Network. I don't usually watch the Eat Shrink and be Merry show, but it happened to be on, so I watched it. They were making a Panzerotti, and immediately I wanted it. I got home, realized we had so many leftovers from pizza last weekend, and decided I would make it. The Food Network puts all the recipes on their website, so I hunted it down, and here we go!

Both Jason and Bill really enjoyed this! We even have some leftovers!

(Excuse the bad pictures... we lent our camera to my sister-in-law for her trip to England, so these are from my phone)

Strudelicious Panzerotti
adapted from foodnetwork.ca

Dough
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
2 tbsp ground flaxseed
1 envelope Fleishchmann's Quick-Rise Yeast*
1/2 tsp salt
3/4 cup very warm water
2 tsp olive oil
2 tsp honey

Sauce
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped onion
2 tsp minced garlic
2 cups tomato sauce
1 tsp (each) dried oregano and basil
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey

Filling
1 tsp olive oil
6 oz Italian sausage, casing removed and broken up
1/2 cup thinly sliced onion
1/2 cup chopped green bell pepper
1 1/2 cups thinly sliced mushrooms
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 cup shredded cheese
10 x 15 inch piece parchment paper
1 lightly beaten egg for brushing top of panzerotti

Dough
1. To make dough, combine both flours, ground flax, yeast and salt in medium bowl. Mix well. Measure warm water in measuring cup, then stir in olive oil and honey. Pour mixture over dry ingredients and mix using a wooden spoon to form a ball. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes. Spray another medium bowl with olive oil spray (or coat lightly with olive oil) and place dough inside. Cover with plastic wrap. Let rise in a warm place until double in size, 20 to 30 minutes.

Sauce
To make sauce, heat olive oil over medium heat in a medium pot. Add onions and garlice. Cook and stir until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Be careful not to burn them. Add tomato sauce, oregano, basil, balsamic vinegar and honey. Cover and simmer over low heat for 15 minutes. (Sauce may be made one or two days in advance and kept refrigerated.)

Filling
To make filling, heat olive oil in a non-stick over medium-high heat. Add sausage, onions, and bell pepper. cook and stir until sausage is no longer pink. Add mushrooms. Cook and stir until mushrooms are tender, about 4 minutes. Stir in oregano. Cook for 2 more minutes. Remove from heat. (Filling may be made one or two days in advance and kept refrigerated.)

Assembly
Spray parchment paper lightly with olive oil spray (or brush lightly with oil). When dough has risen, turn out onto parchment paper and, using a rolling pin, roll dough into a rectangle to fit parchment. Sprinkle dough with extra flour if too sticky.

Spread 1/3 cup sauce lengthwise in center of dough. (Make a 'strip' of sauce measuring down the center of the dough leaving an 1-inch margin at top and bottom and 2 1/2-inch margins on both sides.) Spread filling evenly over sauce. Top with grated cheese.

Using a sharp knife, make 8 cups (about 1 1/2 inches wide and 2 inches long) down each long side of dough. To braid dough and enclose filling, fold 1 inch top dough border over filling then, beginning with left-hand side, fold first dough strip at a slight downward angle over the filling. Do not stretch the dough too much. Fold first right0hand dough strip over top and continue to braid dough, tucking in ends and bottom dough border. (This sounds complicated but you're simply braiding the dough over the filling as if you are making a strudel!)

Brush top of panzerotti lightly with beaten egg.

Place panzerotti (and parchement) on baking sheet. Bake at 400F for 14 to 20 minutes, until top is golden brown. Remove panzerotti from oven and let cool 5 minutes before slicing (It's hot!)
Slice into four pieces and serve with warm sauce on side.

I will be making this again for sure! 

Enjoy the rest of your trip! 

So Much Love,

Hungarian Stew

Dear Sally, 

     For April the weather has still been cool and for that I always recommend stew. I had flipped past this recipe the other day when I was trying to plan the groceries for the week and hoped that it would warm me up. I am sure that wearing proper footwear and a jacket would also help but I refuse to revert back to boots. 
     I didn't quite have the right ingredients for this recipe so I did what I always do and improvised. When I make this again I may try tenderizing the beef before putting it in the pot or changing the recipe to vegetarian.

 

Hungarian Stew
(Adapted from Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons coconut oil

2 pounds beef stew meat

2 carrots, cut into ½-inch rounds

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 small white onion, diced

6 garlic cloves, minced

4 tablespoons smoked paprika

2 teaspoons dried rosemary

½ cup tomato sauce

2 cups beef broth

sea salt and black pepper

Directions

1.     In a large pot, heat the coconut oil over medium heat.

2.     Add the stew meat and brown for 5-7 minutes.

3.     Add all of the veggies to the browned beef along with the garlic, stir well, and cook for 10 minutes.

4.     Add the paprika and rosemary and mix well.

5.     Cook for another 5 minutes.

6.     Pour in the tomato sauce and beef broth, mix well, and bring to a boil.

7.     Turn the heat down so that the stew is just at a simmer and cook uncovered for 2 hours.

8.     Before serving season with a little sea salt and black pepper.

Until the weather turns into consistent plus 15 degrees I will keep recipes like this stew close at hand. Looking forward to your next post as always.

Love, 

Bacon Appetizers and Muffin Sized Lasagna

Good Morning, and Happy Easter Monday! 

I hope your weekend was wonderful, and you were able to get outside and enjoy the beautiful Spring weather! It was snowing a little bit this morning (in typical April style), but the sun has now come out and it's looking like a cheerful day!

We celebrated my Mom's birthday this weekend, and Jason and I had the whole family over for dinner. Including significant others... this was a total of 10 people! We set up our living room with our 2 tables and had a lovely time!

Kristy came over to help me (which was awesome!) and the night was a success (company, food, atmosphere... everything!)

The Menu:

Bacon wrapped Dates

Hummus and Flatbread (homemade)

Arugala, Mango and Avocado Salad

Bussels Sprout, Parmesan and Toasted Walnut Salad

Muffin Sized Lasagna

Coconut and Dark Chocolate Cups

Baked Apple Halves 

I will be sharing two of these recipes with you today.

Bacon wrapped Dates
from Caitlin, who made them for Jason and me the last time we visited

Pitted Dates
Bacon, cut in half
Goat Cheese
Almonds
Toothpicks (sturdy ones)

1. Place one almond and a chunk of Goat cheese inside the date. Wrap in half a piece of bacon. Stab with a toothpick. Pace in a greased casserole dish.

2. Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes. Let cool for 5 minutes.

3. Serve.

Always make more than you think you will need! Though they sound weird... they are so delicious!

Muffin Sized Lasagna
adapted from tablespoon.com

1/3 pound extra lean ground beef
salt and pepper
24 wonton wrappers
1 3/4 cup (7oz) freshly grated Parmesan Cheese
1 3/4 cup (7oz) grated Mozzarella Cheese (I used marbled)
3/4 cup (3oz) Ricotta Cheese
1 cup Pasta Sauce
Fresh Basil for Garnish (optional)

1. Preheat oven to 375F. DO NOT spray muffin trays!

2. Brown beef, and season with salt and pepper. (I added seasonings to my beef.) Drain.

3. Reserve 3/4 cup Parmesan Cheese and 3/4 cup mozzarella cheese for the top of your lasagnas. Start layering your lasagna. Begin with a wonton wrapper and press it into the bottom of each muffin tin. Sprinkle a little Parmesan cheese, ricotta cheese, and mozzarella cheese in each. top with a little meat and pasta sauce.

4. Repeat layers again (i.e. wonton, Parmesan, ricotta, mozzarella, and pasta sauce). Top with reserved Parmesan and mozzarella cheeses.

5. Bake for 18-20 minutes or until edges are brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes. To remove, use a knife to loosen the edges then pop each lasagna out.

6. Garnish with basil and serve.

 

These are so yummy and so easy to adapt to individual tastes! This recipe makes 12... Kristy and I made 48. Half of the meat we seasoned with Thyme, Basil and Oregano. The other half we used Chili Powder, Cumin and Red Pepper flakes. They taste amazing the next day as well! Very good recipe to have! 

Lots of Love,

Pulled Pork on Homemade 30 Minute Rolls

Jess!

Mmmmm that last post made me so hungry! It looks yummy!

This meal came about because Pork was way on sale, my husband loves pulled pork, and I needed a slow-cooker meal to be bubbling all day while I was out and about. I simply Googled 'best slow cooker pulled pork' and found this recipe at allrecipes.com. I made a couple changes to suit our taste, and when I came home... my house smelled like I had been slaving away all day! What a delicious, scent! That being said... I also got home to realize I didn't have any buns. Thanks to Google once more, I found this quick bun recipe at realmomkitchen.com. I got home at 4:45, and I was able to pull the pork, make the buns, grate some carrots and apples (for the sandwiches), set the table and clean up my mess all by 5:30! I will be making this meal again!

30 Minute Rolls
adapted from realmomkitchen.com
1 cup plus 2 tbsp warm water
1/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp traditional yeast
1/4 cup sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/5 cups white flour

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees

2. In a large bowl, combine water, oil, yeast and sugar. Allow mixture to rest for 15 minutes. (The yeast will bubble a lot!)

3. With a dough hook, mix in salt and eggs* and whole wheat flour until combined. Add white flour 1/2 cup at a time.

4. Shape dough into 12 balls. Place them on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and let rest for 10 minutes

5. Bake at 400F for 10 minutes until tops are golden brown.

*If you want to add any seeds (which I definitely will next time!) add at the same time as your salt and eggs.

Slow Cooker Pulled Pork
adapted from allrecipes.com
1 tsp extra virgin olive oil
1 (2lb) pork roast
1 extra large onion, thinly sliced 
1 cup barbeque sauce
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
1/2 cup veggie broth
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp prepared yellow mustard
3-5 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tbsp chili powder
2 large cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp dried thyme


1. Pour your extra virgin olive oil into the bottom of you slow cooker. Place the pork roast into the slow cooker.

2. Sprinkle sliced onion on top of roast.

3.  Combine remaining ingredients into a bowl and stir well. Pour sauce mixture on top of roast. Cover and cook on High for 5-6 hours, or on low for 7-9 hours.

4. Remove the roast from the slow cooker, and shred the meat using two forks. Return the shredded pork to the slow cooker, and stir the meat into the juices.

 

As I mentioned before, I grated up some carrots and apple to put on the sandwiches. I added salt, pepper and little cumin to this mixture. So satisfying!

I really hope we can arrange something for Saturday! Let me know your plans when you have them!

Love,

Slow Chicken Curry

Dear Jess,

Brrrrrr. It is so cold.

That being said... I am enjoying it more this year than any year. I think the warm winter last year gave me a break, and this year I realized that I missed it a little bit. Well... mainly I think I miss the effect that good food has on a frigid cold day.

This is one of those meals that sets a cold day right. I have made it twice, and I will be making it again. It's from the Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook. It's easy, basic, makes your house smell like heaven, and it tastes yummy. I have put it in my slow cooker on cleaning days, so as I'm working around the house, the smell wafts through the house and I feel like dinner is making itself!

Slow Chicken Curry
From Everyday Paleo Family Cookbook, page 88

2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp paprika
2 tsp sea salt
1 tsp black pepper
2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 yellow onion, sliced
3 carrots, diced
4 celery stalks, diced
1 cup full-fat canned coconut milk
1 cup Homemade Chicken Broth (I used my homemade Veggie Broth)

1. In a small bowl, mix all of the dry spices together.

2. Place the chicken thighs in slow cooker and pour the spice mixture over the chicken thighs and toss together until all the thighs are coated with the spices.

3. Sprinkle on the minced garlic and add the onions, carrots, and celery.

4. In a small mixing bowl, whisk together the coconut milk and the chicken broth.

5. Pour the coconut milk and chicken broth mixture over the top of the chicken and vegetables and cook on high in the slow cooker for 4 hours or on low for 6-7 hours.

The first time I did this I did it slowly on low for 6-7 hours. The second time I tried it on high for 4 hours. I didn't find any difference. Delicious either way!

I served it on brown and wild rice rice for Jason. For me I put it over some steamed broccoli with a salad. Mmmmm. Snuggle up with the icy wind howling at your windows, and enjoy the warmth and comfort from this meal. Success!

Love,

Italian Sausage and Beef Lasagna

Dearest Jess,

I am sick of always saying 'What a busy time!' I feel like such a wussy wimp! Oh well. Things have been busy, but my school  pictures job has tapered off and I am able to breathe as I contemplate what is to come next. I am getting caught up with housework and cooking. Laundry is finally manageable, and my kitchen has been thoroughly disinfected and wiped down. Hurrah!

This is the second time I have made this recipe. It's from Eat Shrink and be Merry, makes your house smell amazing, and is delicious! I recommend this to anyone!

Ooh-la-la-sagna!
From Eat Shrink and be Merry, Page 137

8oz (227g) light mild Italian Sausage
8oz (227g) extra-lean ground beef
1 cup chopped onions
2tsp minced garlic
1 tsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1 jar (22oz/700ml) tomatoes with Italian herbs, undrained, cut up
1/3 cup chopped fresh basil leaves (I used Thyme this time)
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

12 uncooked whole wheat lasagna noodles
2 cups light ricotta cheese (16oz/454g)
1 pkg (10oz/280g) frozen spinach, thawed, squeezed dry, and chopped (I used fresh spinach)
1/3 cup grated Parmesan, Romano or Asiago cheese
1 egg
1 1/2 cups packed shredded light mozzarella cheese (6oz/170g)

1. Spray a 9 x 13-inch baking dish with cooking spray and set aside.

2. To make sauce, spray a large, non-stick pot or deep, non-stick skillet with cooking spray. Remove casing from sausage and break into small pieces in skillet. Add ground beef, onions, and garlic. Cook an stir over medium-high heat until meat is no longer pink. Stir in oregano and crushed red pepper flakes. Cook 1 more minutes. Add pasta sauce, tomatoes, basil, vinegar, and pepper. Bring mixture to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

3. While sauce is simmering, cook lasagna noodles according to package directions. Drain. Rinse with cold water and drain again.

4. In a medium bowl, mix together ricotta, spinach, Parmesan cheese, and egg. Refrigerate until ready to use.

5. To assemble lasagna, spread 1 cup meat sauce over bottom of baking dish. Top with 4 lasagna noodles, cutting pieces to fit if necessary. Spread 1/3 remaining sauce over noodles, followed by 1/3 mozzarella. Top with 4 more noodles, 1/3 sauce, all of the ricotta mixture, and 1/3 mozzarella. For top layer: 4 noodles, 1/3 sauce, 1/3 mozzarella.

6. Cover lasagna with foil and bake at 375F for 35 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Uncover and bake for an additional 15 minutes. Let lasagna stand, uncovered, for 15 minutes before serving.

I love you and miss you, as always. I am thrilled to hear that you two are able to settle down a little bit. I can't wait to come and see what you've done to your house and have nice long visit!

Love,

Jamie Oliver's Chicken and Leek Stroganoff

Dear Jess,

What a busy last couple of weeks! Fortunately, I have today off. This means I have time to write this small little post.

I made this recipe quite a while ago. Jason wasn't a huge fan because of the mushrooms, but I truly enjoyed it. It is simple and comfortable, and you know how I feel about cooking with wine!

Chicken and Leek Stroganoff
From Jamie's Food Revolution, Page 34
(Serves 2)

3/4 cup long-grain or basmati rice (I used long-grain brown rice)
1 large leek
a big handful of crimini or oyster mushrooms (or your favourite kind)
2 chicken breast fillets
olive oil
a pat of butter
a glass of white wine
freshly ground black pepper
a bunch of fresh parsley
1 1/2 cups heavy cream (I used 5%)
1 lemon

1. Pour boiling water from the kettle into a large pan, place on a high heat and add a pinch of salt. Add your rice, bring back to a boil, then turn the heat down slightly. Cook for the length of time given in the instructions on the package. Cut both ends off the leek, quarter lengthways, slice across thinly, then wash well under running water. Slice the mushrooms. Slice the chicken breasts into little-finger-size pieces.

2. Put a large frying pan on a high heat and add a good lug of olive oil and a pat of butter. Add the leek to the pan with the white wine, a small glass of water; and a good pinch of salt and pepper. Let it bubble away for 5 minutes, covered loosely with a piece of aluminum foil. Meanwhile, finely chop the parsley, stalks and all. Remove the foil and add the chicken strips, most of the parsley, the cream, and the mushrooms. Stir, bring back to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium and simmer for 10 minutes. Drain your rice. Just before serving, cut your lemon in half and squeeze the juice of one half into the stroganoff. Season to taste.

3. Spoon some rice onto each plate and top with the stroganoff. Scatter with the rest of the chopped parsley. Serve with the other lemon half, cut into wedges.

I love you and miss you! I hope your kindergartens are doing well, and you're not overwhelmed with is all. I can't wait to see you again!

So much love,

Light Chicken Salad

Dear Jess,

What an awesome last minute visit on Saturday! I'm sorry I was not up to say goodbye on Sunday morning... I hope you slept well and made it to church on time!

This recipe got us through a quite a few lunches this summer. It was popular especially at the cottage. I'm not a huge fan of 'mayo-based salads' but this one is surprisingly light and allows you to taste the other ingredients besides the mayo. This has been added to 'the binder' and will be used many more times I'm sure.

I doubled the original recipe. It easily feeds 10-12 people for a lunch.

Chicken Salad
adapted from this recipe
2 Rotisserie Chickens, stripped and finely chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
6 scallions, finely chopped
3 tbsp (heaping) fresh tarragon
2 cups mayo (I use the 50% less fat olive oil mayo)
2 tsp Dijon mustard
4 tsp Lemon juice
4 tsp salt
Black pepper to taste

1. Combine chicken, celery, scallions and tarragon in a large bowl.
2. Mix mayo, Dijon, lemon juice, salt and pepper in a smaller bowl. Add to your chicken mixture. Stir well.
3. If desired you can serve immediately, or let sit in the fridge for a couple hours to let the flavours combine.
4. Serve on bread, or wraps with desired toppings!

Enjoy!

Love,

Healthy (and Delicious!) Cookies

Dear Jess,

Words cannot express how much I long to see you. I feel like we have so much to catch up on and share with each other.

Today has been lovely. It has been a wonderfully sunny and breezy day. I have all my windows wide open and fresh air is seeping into my house. This inspired me to browse my cookbooks, and within one I found an intriguing recipe that I had to make to see if it was any good. The result: success!

I found this one in the Quinoa 365 The Everyday Super Food cookbook that my mom picked up for me from Costco. Well... truth be told... I'm not sure it was for me... but it has ended up in my kitchen... so I'm going with it!

On page 131 you will find a recipe for Healthy Cookies. The only part of this recipe I don't like happens to be the name. They should be called Energy Bites or something a little more attractive. I, however, did not write this book. And thank goodness too, because I never would have been able to think this puppy up! As you already know, Quinoa is full of so many good things (it's a full protein, and a big source of fibre etc etc) that to add even more good things to these cookies is just a bonus! I look forward to sending these in Jason's lunch. They promise to give him lots of energy for his laborious days.

Healthy Cookies
from Quinoa 365, page 131

2/3 cup water
1/3 cup quinoa
1 cup butter, softened
1 1/3 cups packed brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/4 cups quick-cooking rolled oats
1 cup flaked unsweetened coconut
1 1/3 cup sunflower seeds, unsalted
1/3 cup flax (ground or whole seeds)
1/3 cup sesame seeds

Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for an additional 6 minutes. Remove the lid and fluff with a fork. Set aside to cool.

Preheat the oven to 350F. Grease a large baking sheet, or line it with parchment.

Cream the butter with the brown sugar in a large bowl. Add the eggs and vanilla and mix thoroughly.

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt in a medium bowl. Add the oats, cooked quinoa, coconut, sunflower seeds, flax and sesame seeds to the flour mixture and stir until well blended. Combine with the butter mixture and stir until well mixed. Roll the dough into 1 1/2 inch balls. Place 2 inches apart on the prepared baking sheet. Flatten each cookie slightly with the palm of your hand. Bake on the center oven rack for 8-10 minutes, until the bottoms are light brown. Allow the cookies to cool completely on the baking sheet. Store the cookies in a sealed container in the refrigerator for up to 1 week.

My house smells so good right now from these little darlings. (That's right... I couldn't wait another moment before sharing it with you... the last tray is still cooling behind me.) So easy. So yummy. Such a good idea.

Love,

Jamie Oliver's Sher Ping Pancakes

Dear Jess,

On Mondays I do the grocery shopping. So on Sundays I always ask Jason, 'What would you like to eat this week?' He then goes through some cookbooks and picks one or two things he would like to have. I then add a third 'new' thing that I would like to try to make.

This week I was craving Sher Ping Pancakes from Jamie's America. That's right. I'm back to Jamie. I missed him and his creative food genius. I have, in fact, made this once before when I first got this cookbook. Probably just over 2 years ago. I made them the day Jason asked me on our first 'official' date. I remember I had trouble with the dough and was interested to see if I could do better. Also: they are delicious. Jamie says:

'Sher ping translates as "pan-cooked filled pancake," and they are one of the best things I've eaten in ages. A lovely lady from the north of China taught me how to make them at her food counter in the Roosevelt Food Court. It sounds like a cheat to explain how to make these pancakes, but it's well worth mastering, because you can swap the pork for other delicious fillings like chicken or seafood.' - Jamie's America, page 49

If you make these (which I definitely think you should) keep in mind that you will need the whole afternoon. The dough has to sit for a couple hours, and then after stuffing them they need to chill in the fridge for 20 minutes before you cook them.

I doubled this recipe and used whole wheat bread flour instead of white. (I know... risky... but it turned out so good!) I am going to try to freeze half of them and see how they turn out. (One single batch will make 8. A double makes 16.)

On last thing that is very important... I find you need way more water or less flour. You want your dough to be really stretchy. Whenever I do it exactly like the recipe it's always too dry.

Sher Ping Pancakes
from Jamie's America, Page 49

For the dough
3 1/4 cups white bread flour, plus extra for dusting (I used whole wheat bread flour)
scant 1 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil (I used Extra Virgin Olive Oil)
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

For the filling
14oz ground pork, the best quality you can afford
a handful of finely grated white cabbage (No Frills didn't have any... so I used Savoy cabbage)
a small bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves and stalks finely chopped
a thumb-sized pieces of root ginger peeled and finely grated
4 scallions, trimmed and finely grated
sea salt
freshly ground Szechuan pepper (I used Cayenne pepper)

To serve
sweet chile or hot chile sauce
soy sauce
2 limes, cut into wedges

Make the dough by mixing the flour, water, vegetable oil, a bit of pepper, and a pinch of salt with a fork. Then use your hands to knead it until smooth and elastic. Cover it with plastic wrap and let it rest for a couple of hours.

When you're ready to make your pancakes, mix all your filling ingredients together in a large bowl. Use your hands to really scrunch everything together, and season well with a good pinch of salt and Szechuan pepper.

Dust a clean surface with flour and cut the dough into 8. Divide your filling into 8 even piles. Oil a sheet pan and your hands. Pick up a piece of dough and create a patty like a mini pizza about 4 3/4 inches across and 1/2 inch thick. (I just do it as thin as I can while pretending I'm making a pizza with Dad's secret recipe dough.)

Take one of your piles of filling and pop it into the middle of the dough. Pat it flat with your fingers, then slowly stretch the edges of the dough out, folding them back in over the pork mixture. Do this all the way around and, once closed, press down on the stuffed pancake with your hand. It should be about 1 inch thick and 3 1/4 inches across. (mine were wider because I find it easier than doing it on the frying pan...)

Do the same with the other 7 pancakes, then lay them on your oiled sheet pan and put them into the refrigerator for about 20 minutes or so. After that, get a large dry frying pan on a medium heat. Add a tiny drizzle of oil and lay each pancake, folded side down, in the pan. Gently push down on them with a spatula to flatten them slightly. Keep doing this until they're about 1/2 inch thick and about 4 inches wide. Be careful that the pan's not too hot, though, otherwise your pancakes will brown before they're properly cooked through.

After about 4 minutes you'll have a nice golden color happening, so turn the pancakes over, push them down lightly, and cook them for 4 minutes on the other side. Only push down once on this side. When they're golden and crisp, the meat will be perfectly cooked, but you can always break one open to check.

To serve, pour some chile sauce into one bowl and some soy sauce into another. Pop a few wedges of lime on the side for squeezing over, and dunk away in your sauces. These pancakes hit all the right spots!

So yummy!

I have so much to tell you about Spain! The trip was incredible (duh!) and I will post an entry all about the food we tried once I get all the pictures together! I have already tried to make a couple of them at home!

I love you and miss you. I hope we can get together soon.

Love,

Delicious Jambalaya

Hello Mrs Brickell!!

The summer is flying by. You are already married! So exciting! Congratulations again. Your wedding was beautiful and I am so glad to hear you were pleased with how it all came together.

I have learned something very important that has changed my grocery lists, meal planning and cooking habits. Jason eats a lot. A lot. So much. He works so hard during the day that his body can't keep any fat! He eats and then *slurp!* his body sucks up and burns off the energy almost instantly. I'm the opposite. I don't eat much. I mean I can eat a lot, but typically I don't. And my body holds on to all the fat.

I have gotten used to half a casserole dish of macaroni disappearing onto Jason's plate as one 'serving' of dinner. I have stopped being disappointed when a meal I thought would last a couple days lasts one. I have changed my thoughts from 'Oh dear... I can't keep up' to 'My husband likes my cooking!' And really, when it comes to it: I like a challenge. The grocery bill can get a little bigger, and I can attempt to have too much food in the fridge.

This Jambalaya recipe surprised me. It will become a regular for sure. This time I used sausage but realized I could use beans instead and it would still be delicious (and cut the cost almost in half!) It is spicy, so make sure you adjust it to your personal taste. It makes a huge pot and is very filling.

The best part of this was that it called for Creole Seasoning. I know I have seen this around but (of course) I could not find it in time. I decided to make my own Creole Seasoning. I highly suggest it. It is a combination of regular spice-rack items, looks pretty in your pantry and smells so good.

Delicious Jambalaya
Adapted from Food.com

1/2 cup butter
2 yellow onions, chopped
4 stalks celery, chopped
5 green onions, chopped
1 large green bell pepper, chopped
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 chili pepper, finely chopped
2 bay leaves
1 tablespoon creole seasoning
1 teaspoon ground cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme, crumbled
1 1/2 lbs mild Italian sausage, removed from casing and broken into small pieces
2 cups chicken broth
1 (14 1/2 ounce) can diced tomatoes with juice
3 cups long-grain rice

1. Melt butter in large pot over medium-high heat.
2. Add the onions, green onions, bell pepper, garlic, serrano chile, bay leaves, Creole Seasoning, cayenne pepper and thyme.
3. Cover and cook until vegetables are tender, stirring occasionally, about 15 minutes.
4. Add sausage, broth, tomatoes and rice.
5. Bring mixture to simmer.
6. Reduce heat to low, cover and cook until rice is very tender, stirring occasionally, about
30 minutes to 45 minutes.

Creole Seasoning
Adapted from This Recipe

2 Tbsp onion flakes
2 Tbsp garlic powder
2 Tbsp dried oregano leaves
2 Tbsp dried sweet basil
1 Tbsp dried thyme leaves
1 Tbsp black pepper
1 Tbsp cayenne pepper
5 Tbsp paprika

1. Mix them all together!*

*The original recipe called for 1 Tbsp of celery seed. I thought I had some but didn't realize until too late that I didn't. Next time I will add it as I feel it would add even more awesomeness to the seasoning.

I hope all it well and you will soon return from your second trip and enjoy the settling down and relaxing stage.

I love you and can't wait to see you again!


Love,

Real Curry with Robin

Dear Jess,

Robin and I have longed to take some time together and have her teach me how to make a real Indian curry. At last. The day came. The only specifics I gave her for what type of curry was 'I want it orange, and I want it full of vegetables.'

It was pouring rain as we ran around town picking up vegetables and a blender. Apparently you need a blender (much to my joy! I have wanted to buy one for quite some time.) This was the day. Curry. And a new blender. It made up for the rain that soaked us through before we made it home.

The brilliant part about this day was making spicy food on cold, wet day. The brilliant part about this meal was the lack of a recipe. Robin walked me through each step, and I will do my best to do that very thing for you now.

The first thing we made was something called Pakora. This is essentially vegetables (usually potatoes and hot peppers, though we used greener veggies) deep fried in Besan (chick pea flour.) When I asked Robin where she got her Besan, she giggled and said '... The Indian store... in Brampton...' Looks like I will be making my own Besan in the future.

The vegetables we used were: zucchini, eggplant, onion and green peppers. You need to slice them thinner than thin. Robin says 'They need to be so thin because you don't leave them in the oil for very long. In that short time though, they need to cook.'

Choose a pan/pot that you would like to do the frying in. Drop a lot of canola oil in it. We used a deep frying pan and put about 2 inches deep of oil. We ended up having to flip these over, but if you wanted to do it in a deeper dish, you can fully submerse your Pakora. Turn your element to medium heat and let the oil heat uncovered.

 

In a large bowl transfer and even mixture of the veggies. (You can do this in batches. We did 2.5 batches) You then add chickpea flour, cumin seeds, paprika and salt and pepper. 

Mix it all together. If you want to add more Besan then you can do so. The 'recipe' is 'whatever feels right'. Take a bunch of the mixture and tip in into your oil.

When you flip it, it should stay in one clump. If not maybe add more Besan to your bowl, or let it sit a little longer. When they are done, place them on a plate with a paper towel. 

We served them with a spicy ketchup we mixed up. Robin says it's usually served with a special sauce that you make. Apparently it takes a long time... so we left that for another day.

When in the grocery store picking up all we needed, Robin asked 'Should we do Rice or Naan bread with the curry?' I gave the obvious answer of 'Both!'  'Good,' she giggled. 'That's what I do too!' It was meant to be. Our main dish I soon after learned is called Aaloo Mutter. It means 'Potato and Peas.' This is the curry I have been waiting for. 

We used 3 medium sized potatoes, frozen peas, 2.5 sweet onions, can of crushed tomatoes, 3 cloves of garlic, a nub of ginger, cumin seeds, paprika, turmeric, salt and pepper, and olive oil. 

Blob some oil into the bottom of your pan. Add a good sprinkle of cumin seeds. Now: enter the blender. Blend your onions, ginger and garlic. Add this to your pot after the seeds have simmered for 5 minutes. 

Add your tomatoes and let simmer for 5 minutes. Add paprika, turmeric, peas and water. Simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Add potatoes and bring to a boil. Heavily simmer until potatoes are cooked. Feel free to add more water if you feel it is necessary.

 

For your rice: in your pot dump in some oil and cumin seeds. After 5 minutes add your onions and let them soften but not brown. Add some water if you think they will start to brown. 10 minutes later add your peas. Then add as much rice and water as your rice package says to do and cook according to that same package. 

There is one last item that is well worth the small amount of time it takes to make. It's called Raita. I learned it is a jazzed up version of Dahin which is yogurt. We put Greek yogurt in a bowl with milk to make it thinner. We then added some grated cucumber, salt and pepper. Robin then added some Raita Masala (a spice she brought) and paprika. Stir in all together and it's heavenly on top of your curry. (Robin says it is common for people to add onion, tomatoes and hot peppers to this as well)

When all is done, heat up your Naan bread and enjoy!

It was so great to see you again this weekend! Before we know it your wedding will have come and gone and you'll be off on your honeymoon!

So much love,