tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-343607262024-03-05T20:43:37.498-05:00Dates & QuincesKitchen Adventures and Other TalesAlysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.comBlogger359125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-53808099832515983732016-02-18T12:56:00.003-05:002016-02-18T12:56:46.604-05:00#lifegoals<div>
In no particular order:</div>
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1. Write more. Just for me is fine.<div>
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I miss the writing process. There's something so beautiful about hearing your voice on the page. I may not be any good at it, and that's okay too.</div>
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2. Move back to be closer to my family.</div>
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I miss them so much. Being the only ones in this city (what with Phil's family being overseas) isn't easy. The only thing - I say that as though this is no big thing - is our jobs. We both have great positions here that would be hard to replicate in Ottawa. We make so much here, but we'd only need one of our salaries there.</div>
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3. Lose 40 lbs.</div>
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Need I say more. I've been hanging on to the baby weight. Never mind that she's 3½ now.</div>
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4. Build a house. </div>
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This has been a life goal since I was a child, and I used to buy house plan books. I would flip through them and mark off which bedroom would be mine (because obviously the master was going to my parents). Now, my focus is a little different: I would love to build a passive house - or something close to a passive house. Lots of recycled wood, great insulation, triple glazed windows, solar panels... The list goes on and on. Which leads me to...</div>
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5. A garden</div>
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We live in an apartment now, and I haven't had access to a garden in eons. My mother is a great gardener, as was her mum. When I was a teenager, I had a little vegetable plot in her garden, and I would so love to have that again. In my dreams there would be fruit trees, sugar maples and a water garden.</div>
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6. Continue travelling</div>
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We've been very fortunate to have been able to travel lots in the eleven years we've been together. Things have slowed down considerably since we had Audrey - a mortgage payment a month in child care fees will do that. We need to get over to the UK at some point, but the cost of that feels so astronomical. In addition to Hawaii, I would also love to go back to Vancouver Island to visit my family there.</div>
Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-2522870312270836332012-11-12T10:11:00.000-05:002012-11-12T10:14:46.066-05:00Pumpkin Ice Cream SandwichesThanksgiving has long since come and gone for us here in Canadaland, and usually, I'm not much of a pumpkin enthusiast outside of that holiday. But, toward the end of October, my husband's parents and brother made the leap across the pond from England, and it seemed like a good idea to have a Thanksgiving dinner with them.<br />
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As they'd never tried pumpkin as a dessert ingredient before, I opted to forgo the pumpkin pie (honestly, I think it's an acquired taste) and did my pumpkin angel food cake with salted cinnamon caramel instead. But, this left me with half a can of leftover pumpkin puree, and, like I said, I'm not much of a pumpkin enthusiast.<br />
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The story could have ended with the leftover puree in the green bin, but I feel guilty every time I throw ingredients away! So, I was determined to find some use for the pumpkin, and preferably something easy that I could do while Audrey was napping.<br />
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After perusing several recipes, I settled on making a batch of spice infused pumpkin ice cream. And, what better use for ice cream than putting it into sandwich form?<br />
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I adapted a Cooking Light recipe for my purposes. You can choose to use low and non-fat dairy products here, or you can do what I did and fatten the thing up. Or go half and half and use what you've got on hand.<br />
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Whatever you choose, it's going to be totally delicious.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pumpkin Spice Ice Cream</span></b><br />
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Adapted from <a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/pumpkin-spice-cream-10000000349299/" target="_blank">Cooking Light </a><br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span></i><br />
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1½ cups milk, divided<br />
2 tbsp dark brown sugar<br />
2 large egg yolks<br />
1 (14 oz) can sweetened condensed milk<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
¼ tsp ground nutmeg<br />
1/8 tsp ground ginger<br />
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon<br />
pinch salt<br />
1 cup canned pumpkin<br />
1 tbsp bourbon <br />
1 cup sour cream<br />
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<i><span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span></i><br />
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1. Combine 1 cup of the milk with the brown sugar in a saucepan and heat until 180º, or until tiny bubbles form around the edges. Do NOT bring to a boil. Remove from heat.<br />
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2. Place egg yolks in a bowl and whisk lightly. Slowly add hot milk mixture to egg yolks, whisking constantly. Return mixture to pan and cook, stirring constantly, over medium heat until mixture thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon. Remove your newly made custard from heat and strain through a fine mesh sieve into a medium bowl. Discard any solids left behind in the sieve.<br />
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3. In a medium bowl, mix together the remaining ½ cup of milk, the sweetened condensed milk, the vanilla, nutmeg, ginger, cinnamon and salt. Stir in pumpkin and then gradually whisk in the custard. Cover and chill for at least 8 hours to allow the flavours to come together.<br />
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4. Combine ½ cup of the pumpkin custard mixture with the sour cream. Add back into the chilled pumpkin mixture and stir well until combined. Pour into the canister of an ice cream machine and freeze according to manufacturer's instructions.<br />
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5. Once finished, spoon ice cream into a freezer safe container and freeze 1 hour or until firm.<br />
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So that's the hard part! The easy part is assembling the sandwiches. I used oatmeal cookies and sandwiched a couple tablespoons of the ice cream (which I'd softened on the counter for 30 minutes) in the middle. Soooo good! If you have soft oatmeal cookies, I think those would be the best option. I was lazy and just bought some boxed crisp oatmeal cookies.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-84234115607632249112012-09-06T11:07:00.003-04:002012-09-06T13:42:34.440-04:00The beginning of the school year and a layered pasta saladYesterday marked the first day that I haven't been either in school or teaching since my brief stint of teacherly unemployment in 2007. That's right, since I've been in kindergarten, I can count three Tuesdays after Labour Day when I haven't been part of the education system (2003 - working at <a href="http://www.louisesbelgianchocs.com/">Louise's Belgian Chocolates</a>; 2008 - waiting on the supply teaching list to get hired; 2012 - mat leave). Honestly, it leaves me feeling kind of at a loss.<br />
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I know there are lots of people who would kill to have a year off, but I'm a little sad not to be in the classroom. Interacting with more than a hundred people a day makes me happy. It keeps me entertained and I laugh a lot.<br />
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When I started teaching junior high school, I thought: <i>there's a reason no one wants to teach this age group.</i><br />
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And then I realized that 12-15 year olds, especially when in their own school, are pretty much the perfect combination of children and adults. They're learning sarcasm, but they still believe in magic in the world. It's all kinds of lovely.<br />
<i> </i><br />
So, being at home with a baby... well... this is out of my comfort zone. Teenagers, I get. Babies... not so much.<br />
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Of course, when they're adorable as Audrey is, it's hard not to spend time laughing and smiling at her. Especially when she makes faces like this:<br />
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<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="text-align: center;">The many stretches (or fist pumps or YMCA renditions) of Ms. Audrey</td></tr>
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So, the plan is to take some time to focus, not only on the wee one who just passed out in her swing, but also to refocus on healthy eating and exercise. So, on that note, I present a clean eating pasta salad:<br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">Not the best picture in the world, but the container isn't perfectly clear, and frankly I don't have time to style my food. =P</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;">The colours are very pretty though:</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: small;"> </span><i><span style="font-size: large;"><b><br /></b></span></i><br />
<i><span style="font-size: large;"><b> Balsamic Tuna Pasta Salad</b></span></i><br />
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(from Clean Eating, Aug/Sept 2012)<br />
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serves 4 - 2 dinners & 2 lunches <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Ingredients</i></span><br />
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1 cup brown rice pasta fusilli/rotini<br />
4 tbsp white wine vinegar<br />
4 tbsp balsamic vinegar<br />
¼ tsp dried basil<br />
¼ tsp dried oregano<br />
¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes<br />
2 tbsp water<br />
¼ cup finely chopped sun dried tomatoes<br />
¼-½ tsp kosher salt<br />
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
1 tbsp olive oil <br />
2 6oz cans water packed tuna, drained<br />
½ pint cherry tomatoes, halved<br />
a handful cremini mushrooms, sliced<br />
mixed salad greens<br />
2 oz grated light mozzarella cheese<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;"><i>Directions </i></span><br />
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1. In a large pot of boiling water, cook pasta according to package directions.<br />
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2. Meanwhile, in another small pot, heat vinegars with basil, oregano, red pepper flakes and water. Bring to a boil, then remove from heat. Stir in sun dried tomatoes, salt and pepper and set aside. Once slightly cooled, whisk in olive oil.<br />
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3. To assemble in layers, put a quarter of the dressing in the bottom of a 2 cup container. Layer in a half can of tuna, followed by pasta, mushrooms, tomatoes. Fill the rest of the container with salad greens and top with cheese. It's important that the salad greens don't touch the dressing; if they do, they'll get soggy. You can make this up to a day in advance.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-9894670642837001332012-08-15T12:29:00.000-04:002012-08-16T22:24:09.979-04:00So, life got a little busy...Some people love being pregnant. I am resoundingly not one of them. Between constant, debilitating pelvic joint pain which left me barely able to walk from about February through early July, and general malaise, exhaustion and a particularly challenging class (okay, not strictly pregnancy related, but it certainly didn't make life easier), I feel like I barely made it through July.<br />
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At the end of it though - and by, the end, I mean July 18th - our baby decided to make her debut.<br />
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To say that the whole labour experience was a comedy of errors would be doing the people at the hospital a disservice. I WILL say though that between the epidural taking an hour to administer (it usually takes 10 minutes) because the student doctor (I'm sorry <i>resident</i>) needed help from his attending (and even then, she had to do it in the end), going through 6 nurses, including one who responded to my question of "How dilated am I?" with "Have you ever had Yorkshire pudding?" and, the epidural only working on half my body at a time before finally failing in the end (so I got to experience most of my labour and birth, whee! Not at all what I wanted) AND the doctors having to use a vacuum as the baby was sunny side up right until the end, both my husband and I managed to laugh our way through most of the experience.<br />
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Except the actually moments of delivery. I screamed a lot during those.<br />
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I'll be honest, the fact that I made it to 6 cms med free makes me pretty proud. Especially because I spent most of them sitting still on the edge of the hospital bed being poked repeatedly by the epidural needle. The whole experience gives me a lot of faith that I could handle doing it naturally.<br />
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Not that I want to. It's just nice to know that I could do it.<br />
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Audrey Piper was made her grand debut at 11:02 am on July 18th and has pretty much ruled our lives with a cute but iron fist since then.<br />
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I joke, she's actually been a pretty chilled out baby to date. The only thing that really upsets her is when I don't feed her fast enough. She also happens to be a grazer throughout the day, which is pretty reminiscent of my side of the family.<br />
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Alright, I have to share this picture too, because it's one of my favourites. Audrey at 5 days old:<br />
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If I'm very lucky, she'll sleep for 4-5 hours of the night followed by another 2-3 after her early morning feed. So, we're not terribly sleep deprived... but the 5-6 week mark (which, I understand, is when their crying peaks and they're generally at their most cranky) is yet to be upon us, so I don't want to jinx thing!<br />
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For your daily dose of cuteness, here are 4 pictures, each taken a week apart (one week old- four weeks old). I'm totally unbiased in saying she's the most adorable baby ever, right? <br />
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With the first four weeks behind us, I'm hoping to get back into the swing of blogging regularly. Honestly, I'd hoped to have done this sooner, but today marks the first time that she's been willing to nap anywhere but my arms.<br />
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It might surprise you, but it's hard to type with just one hand, while holding a baby. <a href="http://fuiru.tumblr.com/post/29345914749/the-holy-crap-moment">My husband has managed to do a pretty good job of it</a> with on the iPad, mind you, so maybe there's hope for me yet.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-86822263645441550002012-03-15T10:22:00.000-04:002012-03-15T17:45:48.909-04:00Swiss Chard & Sausage Lasagne with Meyer LemonsThe weather in Toronto has been ridiculously gorgeous this week. Just <i>ridiculous</i>. I walked around downtown in jeans, a t-shirt and flip flops today. I used to be able to bet that we'd always get one huge snowstorm in March. But over the past 3-4 years, that hasn't happened.<br />
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The influx of spring leaves me wanting lighter, brighter flavours. I want to gently poke my head out from beneath the culinary blanket of braised, rib sticking food. Emphasis on the gently. There's nothing pleasant about a rude awakening.<br />
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So, while revisiting an old Martha Stewart magazine in search of recipes for Easter (my parents and brother are staying with us this year!), I stumbled across a recipe for chard, sausage and lemon lasagne. It hit the right notes for me - bechemel sauce for comfort, lemons for brightness, tons of chard for veggie infused goodness (and seasonality - the chard at the shops are gorgeous right now) and sausage for that awesome hit of porky goodness.<br />
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And, it came together and cooked in under an hour to boot. Rock on, Martha. For the record, I used Meyer lemons because that's what I had on hand. The original recipe calls for regular ones, but the advantage to the Meyers is you get a slightly different aroma and their skin is thinner, so they incorporate better.<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Swiss Chard & Sausage Lasange with Meyer Lemons.</span></b><br />
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(from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/354941/sausage-chard-and-lemon-lasagna">Martha Stewart Living</a>)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
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2 tbsp butter<br />
¼ cup flour<br />
3 cups milk<br />
1 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese<br />
kosher salt and coarsely ground pepper<br />
1 bunch chopped Swiss chard<br />
1 lb sweet Italian sausages, casings removed<br />
1 lemon, sliced paper thin<br />
6 no boil lasagne noodles.<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
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1. Melt butter in saucepan. Stir in flour and cook for two minutes. Gradually, whisk in milk and bring to a boil. Boil for one minute, stirring constantly. Remove from heat and stir in 3/4 cup of the Parmesan cheese, and season mixture with salt and pepper. Stir in the chard and set aside.<br />
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2. In a small saucepan cover lemon slices with several inches of water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 7 minutes. When finished, gently remove slices from pot with a slotted spoon and let drain on paper towel. Meanwhile, in a large skillet, cook Italian sausage, breaking up pieces with a wooden spoon as they cook.<br />
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3. Preheat oven to 350º.<br />
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4. To assemble lasagne, ladle ¼ cup of the sauce into the bottom of an 8"x8" baking dish. Top with two lasagne noodles. Layer 1 cup sauce and ½ the sausage mixture on top. Repeat with another layer of noodles, sauce and the rest of the sausage. Before adding the last two lasange noodles, top sausage with half of the lemon slices. Top with lasagne noodles, the rest of the sauce and the remaining lemon slices. <br />
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5. Cover pan with foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove foil, sprinkle remaining Parmesan on top of lasagne and broil for 2-3 minutes, or until top is golden and bubbly. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before serving.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-26312253963372793982012-03-13T12:53:00.003-04:002012-03-13T12:53:29.780-04:00The Sweet Tooth Continues - Raspberry Loaf CakeDoes the whole wheat flour (a bit), ground flax (a couple tablespoons) and mere two tablespoons of butter make this healthy (shhh, don't mention the 6 egg yolks)?<br />
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No? Okay, how about if I sent half of it to my husband's work (I'm on March Break, so my coworkers are out of luck) so it doesn't get eaten by me?<br />
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Moderation, right? And, I've moderated if I've only eaten 3 servings of the cake in as many days... right?<br />
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This argument is getting weaker by the moment.<br />
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Anyway, this is a lovely, quick recipe that goes down so nicely with a cup of tea (we had it with this gorgeous strawberry & chocolate tea that we picked up from the <a href="http://tealiciousteacompany.com/">Tealicious</a> booth at the One of a Kind Show over Christmas). There's a little bit of yeast in the cake to give it some extra rise, and it slices up moist and like a dream.<br />
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This really is best eaten the day it's made, though you can stretch it to two. Be careful about garnishing with fresh raspberries if you're planning on keeping the cake around longer. They will go mouldy. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Martha's Iced Raspberry Loaf Cake</span></b><br />
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(slightly adapted from <a href="http://www.marthastewart.com/875405/iced-raspberry-loaf-cake">here</a>)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
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<i>Cake</i><br />
<br />
3/4 cup all purpose flour<br />
¼ cup whole wheat flour<br />
½ tsp instant yeast<br />
3/4 tsp coarse salt<br />
2 tbsp ground flax<br />
2/3 cup plain Greek yogurt<br />
2 tbsp butter, melted<br />
3 large eggs + 3 large egg yolks<br />
1 cup + 2 tbsp granulated sugar<br />
1½ tsp vanilla extract<br />
1 cup raspberries<br />
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<i>Icing</i><br />
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2 tbsp butter<br />
¼ cup whole milk<br />
½ tsp vanilla extract<br />
2½ cups icing sugar<br />
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raspberries for garnish <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease a 5"x9" loaf pan with butter (or cooking spray) and line the base with parchment paper. Butter the parchment as well. Set aside.<br />
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2. In a medium bowl, stir together flours with yeast, salt and flax. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt and the butter. Set both aside.<br />
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3. In a large bowl, use a hand mixer to beat together eggs, sugar and vanilla extract until mixture is light and thick. It should be a very pale yellow. Gently fold in the dry ingredients. Once incorporated, fold in the yogurt-butter mixture and then the raspberries. Pour into the prepared pan and bake until pale gold and a cake tester inserted into the centre comes out clean. Martha says this will take 45-50 minutes, but it took my cake 70 minutes to fully cook. Remove from oven and let cool in pan on a rack for 20 minutes before removing from pan. Let cool completely on rack before icing.<br />
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4. To make icing, heat butter, milk and vanilla in a saucepan. Whisk in icing sugar, ½ cup at a time, until mixture is thick but pourable. Pour half of the mixture over the cake. Let set for 3-4 minutes before pouring the rest over. Let set for at least 10 minutes before serving.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-78371962945229753902012-03-04T14:21:00.000-05:002012-03-04T14:21:00.719-05:00Vanilla Glazed DonutsIt's amazing how your eating habits change when you're pregnant. At least, I'm amazed at my reversion back to my 14-17 year old tastes. I was reading somewhere that a lot of women seek out food that remind them of their childhood, which would totally explain why I've had macaroni and cheese every Sunday for lunch for the past month. Today, I even threw hot dogs (albeit organic ones made with ecologically responsibly raised beef) in.<br />
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Between my morning cravings for fruit (I went through 3 grapefruit yesterday) and my dinner time cravings for something that includes Frank's Red Hot Sauce (pregnant women must keep them in business), I've found what I'm making in the kitchen to all be the less than healthy stuff.<br />
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It's weird putting on this much weight but not having that much of it go to my hips (although, I noted a double chin in action today... commence the high pitch whine now). I'm scared that, as I reached the halfway mark on Friday that July is going to come around and that I'll have put on way more than I ought to have.<br />
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Of course, that doesn't stop me from making desserts. Nor does that stop me from eating them.<br />
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Yes, they're donuts.<br />
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Yes, they're vanilla glazed.<br />
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Yes, they're delicious.<br />
<br />
And yes, I started making them at 8 pm one night because I HAD to have them. <br />
<br />
But, BUT (and I say this before you roll your eyes and start passing judgment), they're<br />
<br />
a) baked<br />
<br />
and<br />
<br />
b) contain 1 tbsp of butter divided between 12 donuts.<br />
<br />
So there. Not (as) terrible for me.<br />
<br />
At least they wouldn't be if I hadn't already eaten 2 today. I can't even promise you that there's an end in sight.<br />
<br />
Click <a href="http://www.krissys-creations.com/2011/06/baked-doughnuts.html">here</a> for the recipe. I suggest using more than a pinch of nutmeg, and adding a teaspoon of vanilla to the dough when you're mixing in the egg. I'm planning on attempting a chocolate mint version of these over March Break (next week! wheee!).<br />
<br />
Also on the March Break to make list: Meyer Lemon and Rose Marmalade and about a million DIY things for our guest room/eventual baby room. Who wants to bet I get <i>none</i> of that accomplished?Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-66651507319080870422012-02-14T07:00:00.000-05:002012-02-14T07:00:19.087-05:00Cinnamon Sugar Donut MuffinsDoes anything say love more than the warmth of cinnamon and sugar?<br />
<br />
Need I say more?<br />
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<br />
Flavoured with vanilla and nutmeg and rolled in cinnamon sugar, these donuts are the perfect fluffy antidote to a bad work day. Best of all, they take less than 30 minutes in total. In the interest of full disclosure, I made these as a vegan treat, but it's easily done non-vegan too.<br />
<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cinnamon Sugar Donut Muffins</span></b><br />
<br />
(from <a href="http://www.cestlavegan.com/2009/04/sugar-donut-muffin-and-the-la-veggie-pride-parade/">C'est La Vegan</a>) <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients </span><br />
<br />
3/4 cup granulated sugar<br />
2 tsp baking powder<br />
1½ cups all purpose flour<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
heaped ¼ tsp ground nutmeg <br />
1 flax egg (1 tbsp ground flax mixed with 3 tbsp water OR 1 egg)<br />
3/4 cup milk (non-dairy or dairy)<br />
¼ cup canola oil (or melted coconut oil) <br />
1½ tsp vanilla extract<br />
<br />
2 tsbp earth balance (or butter)<br />
1/3 cup granulated sugar<br />
1 tsp ground cinnamon <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350º. Grease or spray a standard 12 cup muffin tin with cooking spray.<br />
<br />
2. In a small bowl, whisk together dry ingredients (sugar through nutmeg). In a large bowl, stir together wet ingredients (flax egg through vanilla extract). Stir dry ingredients into wet. Spoon into muffin tin, filling each about 2/3 full. Bake for 18-21 minutes until they spring back when touched lightly.<br />
<br />
3. Meanwhile, melt earth balance and stir together sugar and cinnamon a dish. Brush warm muffins with earth balance, then roll in cinnamon sugar mixture. Let cool on rack.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-85551359399280053962012-02-11T17:14:00.000-05:002012-02-11T17:14:03.347-05:00Jam Oat BarsWhen I was, oh, I don't know, maybe 12 or 13, my mother had (and I believe she still does have) a Company's Coming Bars and Squares cookbook. There was one recipe in there that I love so much, that it was the first thing I knew how to make by heart - chocolate chip squares. They were so easy, I could throw them together on a week night for our lunches throughout the week.<br />
<br />
This post isn't really about the chocolate chip squares. It IS about throwing together some bars for lunches mid-week, AFTER you've made dinner, you're exhausted and pregnant.<br />
<br />
Expedient. That's the name of the game.<br />
<br />
I'd like to think I've upped the health ante somewhat on your typical jam bar by using spelt flour (you could just as easily use all purpose or whole wheat) and gluten free oats. And, since all I have on my shelves is homemade jam, I used up what was left of a jar of my mother's Ginger, Pear & Crème de Cacao jam AND finally cracked into <a href="http://www.datesandquinces.com/2011/08/preserve-week-nigel-slaters-elderberry.html">one of my jars of elderberry jam</a>.<br />
<br />
In the interest of honesty, let me admit that the elderberry jam scared me. When I made it, I was totally turned off by the smell. But, as it turns out, if you let the jam sit for the better part of 6 months, you're in for a decadent treat. This is up there with blackcurrant jelly in terms of rich berry flavours.<br />
<br />
Which is a big relief, given how much effort I put into making the stuff. <br />
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<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Jam Oat Bars</span></b><br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
1 3/4 cups flour (spelt, whole wheat, all purpose, or a mixture)<br />
1 cup packed brown sugar<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
½ tsp baking soda<br />
3/4 cups chilled unsalted butter (use earth balance if you want to make this vegan), cut into chunks<br />
½ tsp vanilla extract<br />
1½ cups GF oats<br />
1½ cups jam<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a 9"x13" baking ban with parchment paper, ensuring that paper extends over the sides of pan. This will make it easy to remove the bars.<br />
<br />
2. In a food processor, pulse together, flour, sugar, salt and baking soda. Add in chilled butter and vanilla, pulsing until small granules are formed. Add in oats and pulse twice. You want some of the oats to be in small pieces and others left whole.<br />
<br />
3. Put 3/4 of the flour-oat mixture into the baking pan, patting down to firm. Spread jam over base. If you're using two flavours of jam, spread half on one side and half on the other. Sprinkle with remaining flour-oat mixture. Bake for 20-25 minutes, or until jam is bubbly.<br />
<br />
4. Remove from oven and let cool completely in pan on a rack. Makes about 28 pieces, but you decide how much jammy goodness you need in a serving!Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-4708188487910695262012-02-07T17:25:00.001-05:002012-02-07T17:25:27.010-05:00Peeking out from under my rockAlright, it's been a while.<br />
<br />
I know.<br />
<br />It's just that, by the time mid-November rolled around, I found myself steadfastly avoiding the kitchen. I couldn't look at a carrot without wanting to hurl.<br />
<br />
The smell of cooking onions? Shoot me now.<br />
<br />
Apparently that's what happens when you get pregnant - you lose your ability to do the thing you love the most.<br />
<br />
Now that I'm happily into the second trimester and the constant nausea is a thing of the past, I can kind of look back on that stretch of food rejection with some humour.<br />
<br />
I mean, there was a week there when I pretty much lived off of cheese slices and jujubes.<br />
<br />
Let me repeat that.<br />
<br />
Cheese slices.<br />
<br />
Jujubes.<br />
<br />
Those aren't even real foods. And the worst part of that week? When I went to the grocery store (and almost threw up in the dairy aisle), I walked out with 4 different processed cheese products. I haven't bought that nonsense in years. YEARS.<br />
<br />
Babies make you crazy, I tell you.<br />
<br />
Three weeks ago, I entered into what I'll call the "hot sauce phase". For the record, I've never liked spicy food. All of a sudden, I was licking buffalo wing sauce from the spoon.<br />
<br />
And the pommelo Kat brought over for Chinese New Year? Totally made me gag.<br />
<br />
So, it's a new day for my taste buds. I really don't know where they're going to bring me next.<br />
<br />
I am back cooking now, so I hope to update here regularly again. To tide you over, here's a little something my husband wrote as our weekly menu:<br />
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<br />
Anyone know what foie gratitiude might be? <br />
<br />
The Strawberry Oops interested me though... so I threw these together that night:<br />
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<br />
The frosting did, in fact, turn out wrong! It was supposed to be a strawberry buttercream, but I made some awkward substitutions and was headed down the path to disaster (Oops!) when I remember the whipped cream in the fridge, so it all worked out in the end.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-66666722953210904262011-11-07T07:30:00.000-05:002011-11-07T07:30:01.679-05:00Chocolate PB & J Pillow CookiesA few months back, I received a shipment of jams and jellies from <a href="http://uncannypreserves.com/">Uncanny Preserves</a> and I promised Lindsay that I would make something using them.<br />
<br />
But... you know... then they were too delicious and I just kept eating the jams directly out of the jars. The chutneys disappeared in a flurry of cracker crumbs and tidbits of cheese.<br />
<br />
In spite of myself, I managed to restrain myself from opening the last remaining jar of sweet goodness until a few weeks ago. The blackcurrant jelly sat in my cupboard while I waited for divine inspiration to strike.<br />
<br />
And then, voila: in my google reader feed over the weekend I spotted Angela's, from <a href="http://ohsheglows.com/">Oh She Glows</a>, peanut butter chocolate cookies (she adapted them from Post Punk Kitchen - another great vegan resource) and I thought to myself, sure you could have chocolate and peanut butter, but what if you took it up a notch and threw in some sweet, tangy blackcurrant jelly.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Oh.<br />
<br />
My.<br />
<br />
God.<br />
<br />
The jelly addition was a revelation. It took a recipe that was <i>good</i> and elevated it to a whole new level by balancing out the sweetness found in the two doughs.<br />
<br />
Next time, I'm totally trying this with hazelnut butter and orange marmalade. Can you imagine? <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Chocolate PB & J Pillow Cookies</span><br />
<br />
(adapted from <a href="http://www.theppk.com/2009/03/peanut-butter-pillows/">Post Punk Kitchen</a>)<br />
makes 24 <br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
<i>Chocolate Dough</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
1 cup all purpose flour<br />
½ cup finely ground oats<br />
1/3 cup cocoa powder<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
½ tsp baking soda<br />
scant ½ cup canola oil<br />
1 cup granulated sugar <br />
¼ cup maple syrup<br />
3 tbsp non-dairy milk (I like almond)<br />
1 oz dark chocolate (72%), melted<br />
½ tsp vanilla <br />
<br />
<i>Peanut Butter Filling</i><br />
<i> </i><br />
½ cup natural peanut butter<br />
2/3 cup confectioner's sugar<br />
½ tsp vanilla<br />
2 tbsp non-dairy milk<br />
<br />
6 tsp blackcurrant jelly<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. In a medium bowl, stir together flour and oats. Sift in cocoa powder, salt and baking soda. Set aside. In a large bowl, mix together oil, granulated sugar, maple syrup, non-dairy milk, chocolate and vanilla. Stir dry ingredients into wet. Mixture should form a smooth ball. If not, add additional flour, 1 tbsp at a time. Set chocolate dough aside.<br />
<br />
2. In a small bowl, mix together peanut butter, confectioner's sugar, vanilla and non-dairy milk. Mixture should be smooth and malleable.<br />
<br />
3. Preheat oven to 350º. Line a large baking tray with a Silpat mat or parchment paper.<br />
<br />
4. Divide doughs into 24 balls each, rolling to making a sphere.<br />
<br />
5. Take a chocolate ball and flatten it out to form a circle.<br />
<br />
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<br />
Place ¼ tsp jelly on the centre of the dough and then top with a peanut butter sphere. Pull the chocolate dough up over the filling and pinch to close.<br />
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<br />
You make want to roll (gently!) the ball in your palms to smooth everything out. Repeat with remaining dough and jelly. Bake, 8 cookies at at time (they spread a lot - leave 2" clearance around each) for approximately 10 minutes.<br />
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Let cool on pan for 5 minutes before transferring to cooling rack.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-23164703718308131672011-11-05T09:21:00.001-04:002011-11-05T09:21:48.567-04:00Pork, Pumpkin & Tomato LaksaHoly moly - it's been ages since my last recipe post! November has always been my least favourite month for many reasons: Remembrance Day rehearsals (actually, I don't mind that, it's just that they take up a ton of time), report cards, and that weird in-between stretch of blahness that stretches from Thanksgiving (Canadian) through Christmas. There's just nothing to celebrate about November. The leaves have fallen, the sky is dark in the morning when you leave for work AND when you get home, and there's no snow to lighten the whole place up.<br />
<br />
Which is what makes warming, vibrant recipes like this one so important. It's easy to subsist on soothing comforting food throughout November - wrapped in a blanket of polenta, smothered with tomato sauce. But, it's important, in my oh-so-humble opinion to mix together the comfort with something zingy and exciting.<br />
<br />
Laksa (that's a spicy, coconut based curry soup) is where it's at.<br />
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<br />
This was one of those meals that started off one way and then ended up very differently. I'd intended to make pork burgers. And then I'd changed that to pork lettuce wraps. But I really, really wanted some noodles (there are rice noodles buried under that soup) and so this recipe ended up being the winner.<br />
<br />
It's a variation of a Nigel Slater recipe I've been thinking about making for a couple of years now, but never got around to. Thanks to a pie pumpkin I've had sitting in the corner of my kitchen (bought with grand intentions that have long been forgotten), it was finally possible!<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pork, Pumpkin and Tomato Laksa</span></b><br />
<br />
(adapted from Nigel Slater's Kitchen Diaries)<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
½ lb peeled and seeded pumpkin (squash would be equally at home here)<br />
1 lb lean ground pork <br />
4 cloves garlic<br />
3 hot peppers, seeded if you want a milder laksa<br />
1" thumb of ginger, grated <br />
1 bunch cilantro, both leaves and stems washed<br />
5 lime leaves<br />
zest of one lemon<br />
1 tbsp canola oil (approx)<br />
4 tomatoes, cored and cut into hunks (I got 16 from each tomato) <br />
1 14oz can light coconut milk<br />
2 cups chicken stock<br />
juice of half a lemon<br />
2 tbsp fish sauce<br />
4 oz (125 grams) rice vermicelli <br />
small palmful mint leaves, chopped<br />
¼ cup cashews, coarsely chopped<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. Over a pot of boiling water, steam pumpkin for about 12 minutes, or until flesh is almost tender. Set aside<br />
<br />
2. While the pumpkin is steaming, place garlic, ginger and peppers into a food processor and pulse until finely chopped, scraping down sides as necessary. Add in half of the cilantro, both leaves and stems, lime leaves and lemon zest. Pulse again, adding a little canola oil to bring mixture together into a paste. Set aside.<br />
<br />
3. In a large wok over high heat, cook pork until almost browned, stir in spice paste and stir fry for 1 minute. Add in tomatoes, pumpkin, coconut milk and chicken stock and cook for 7 minutes, or until tomatoes begin to fall apart.<br />
<br />
4. While laksa is in the last few minutes of cooking, cook rice vermicelli according to package directions.<br />
<br />
5. Add lemon juice and fish sauce to laksa and let cook 2-3 minutes further.<br />
<br />
6. To serve, divide rice noodles between bowls. Ladle laksa broth over noodles and top with extra cilantro leaves, mint leaves and chopped cashews. Eat with chopsticks and a spoon!<br />
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You know what else depresses me about November? The disappearance of natural light. Bah humbug.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-86366803617918131972011-10-30T18:20:00.004-04:002011-10-30T18:28:22.186-04:00Sakashita Photo Week: Kawa UeThis is Dragon Falls, just north of Sakashita in Kawa Ue.<br />
<br />
Yes, the weird foreigners jumped off it on a regular basis until the locals put up fencing around it to keep everyone in.<br />
<br />
Let me tell you, that water is <i>cold</i>.<br />
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<br />
See the guy on the bottom left? That's where I jumped off from. It's about a 6 foot drop down, and that was more than enough for me. And, let me tell you, I thought I was pretty badass even doing that...<br />
<br />
... at least until I slipped on the rocks, fell to my knees and almost bashed my head. Then, I felt distinctly less badass and much more <i>scared for my life</i>. I should have taken my clumsiness into account!<br />
<br />
That was the first and only time I got into the waterfall, but I loved watching people jump into it. Such a magical, prehistoric looking place.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-59543131796270477212011-10-24T07:00:00.000-04:002011-10-24T07:00:06.900-04:00Miso Ramen with Poached Egg and SpinachUnlike many students who were forced - out of poverty - to subsist on a diet of dehydrated ramen noodles throughout their university years, I was lucky enough to live at home and, you know, eat healthily. That's not to say that I didn't have the occasional msg and sodium laden convenience product. My brother and I would regularly split a package when we watched WWE Raw that we would stir fry with veggies instead of turning it into soup.<br />
<br />
Yes, I said WWE. I love Shakespeare, Jane Austen and the WWE. I also play video games. It weirds my students out to no end, but I like to say that my interests don't fit into nice, neat boxes.<br />
<br />
The first time I went out and ate ramen noodles outside of my house was in my husband's town in Japan. There was a great shop in Toki-shi along Route 19 that served the most gloriously gigantic bowls of noodles. The first time we ate there, it was a painfully chilly, rainy Sunday night in November. The rain was pounding umbrellas with icy fury and we were both exhausted. We'd come back from Nagoya and with a long line at our regular Sunday night sushi joint, we decided to brave the vicious weather and try somewhere new.<br />
<br />
Let me tell you, ramen is the perfect antidote to combat the bone chilling rain of an autumn storm. When your monster sized bowl arrives, you're immediately bathed in steam from the broth. On first bite, the noodles are so hot you almost burn your tongue, but you slurp them down anyway. And then, as you begin spooning the salty broth into your mouth, a warmth uncurls itself in your belly and begins to radiate throughout your limbs.<br />
<br />
Frankenstein's monster could have been brought to life with ramen. If he had been, he probably would have been in a much better mood.<br />
<br />
That first night, I had miso-butter ramen with corn, an egg, and bamboo shoots. And though I tried many other different varieties in my time there, I always returned to the comfort of miso ramen to warm myself.<br />
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<br />
I don't make ramen much for myself these days - only a handful of times for those chilly days in autumn and winter. The dehydrated stuff just doesn't do it for me. Luckily, there's a company in the GTA (Marufumi Foods) that makes fantastic fresh ramen and freezes it. Their stock base is a miso based paste, not a powder. If you can get hold of fresh or frozen ramen, you're working in a whole new ballpark of awesome. <br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Miso Ramen with Poached Egg and Spinach</span></b><br />
<br />
(serves 1)<br />
<br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients </span><br />
<br />
1 package ramen with seasoning mix (preferably miso)<br />
1 tbsp white vinegar <br />
1 egg<br />
1 handful baby spinach leaves<br />
shichimi, or chili-garlic paste to taste<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. Cook ramen according to package directions. Meanwhile, bring a pot with 1" water in it to a boil. Add vinegar and reduce heat to a gentle simmer. Crack egg into a small dish and slide into simmering water. Cook for 1-2 minutes or until your desired doneness.<br />
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2. Add spinach leaves to ramen and broth. Cook for 30 seconds, just until wilted. Ladle into a large bowl. Remove egg from poaching water with a slotted spoon and place on top of noodles. Sprinkle with shichimi to taste.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-56387560142936775022011-10-22T08:00:00.000-04:002011-10-22T08:00:08.205-04:00Seven Years Ago Today (A Haiku)<div style="text-align: center;">
Autumn city, my</div>
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imagination captured</div>
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in breathless embrace</div>
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The Golden Pavillion</div>
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The boat house of the Golden Pavillion</div>
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Temple in Nara</div>
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My husband and I seven years ago. I wish I was still that skinny!</div>
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Last week, during Saturday's drama class, we were focused on the topic of home. We talked, and talked about where we'd been and how many places we've called home (my count: 14).</div>
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But, we really got to sharing stories of what it was like to move away from home. And, although I moved out of my parents' house a year before I left for Japan, I feel like I really didn't leave home until I left the country.</div>
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I only have a few pictures of those first few months in Japan - for some reason, at that time, I didn't realize that you needed a large memory card to take pictures, so I could only take 12 at a time. The ones I've posted today were of my first trip (of many!) to Kyoto back on October 22nd, 2004. We went with friends and explored the city and, I remembered thinking to myself that <i>this</i> was what my life was supposed to be like. Adventure and exploration and beauty.</div>
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Also on this trip, in the lobby of <a href="http://www.gojo-guest-house.com/gojo-guest-house/gojo-e.html">our guest house</a> (yes, I still remember where we stayed!), we met a mid-30s American man who'd arrived in Kyoto the previous day and hooked up with a prostitute in a love hotel ("I didn't think either would cost so much!"). He'd run out of money and had only brought his debit card (bad idea, as the bank machines are on incompatible networks).</div>
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I'll be honest, I didn't feel particularly sorry for him.</div>
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I believe he decided to cut his trip short and head home early.</div>
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So, now we've circled back around to home. Tell me, can you remember all the places you've lived? Were some of them <i>more</i> home than others? What place was the first place you remember being your own home? </div>Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-82248746576153104882011-10-21T10:19:00.001-04:002011-10-22T10:29:01.491-04:00Dorie's Provençal Olive FougasseIt's been one of those weeks where I start to consider bringing a paper bag everywhere I go, just, you know, so I can deal with all of my hyperventilating. We're gearing up for both Hallowe'en and Remembrance Day at school (although, we've been banned from using the word Hallowe'en) - both of which were things I didn't involve myself in before, but as one of teachers attached to the student council, I'm involved in all of their activities this year, And, since my drama class was doing the bulk of the work for Remembrance Day, I decided that it was easier and less stressful for me to manage the whole thing.<br />
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We'll see if that thought holds true.<br />
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We also got news that we'd have a news crew at our school for the Remembrance Day assembly, so the pressure is on!<br />
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I used to find the stretch between Thanksgiving and Christmas to be the longest and most painful to teach, but being so busy this year is making the time fly by too quickly. I never thought I'd hear myself beg for more weeks of school, but I could definitely do with some extra days.<br />
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Alas, my own schooling is taking up a ton of my time. We had both Saturday and Wednesday classes this week, so I'm thoroughly looking forward to a weekend that's longer than one day. I will say that, if I have to be in school on top of working, there's no place I'd rather be than taking drama. Yesterday I realized how sad I'll be to have this drama class be my last at the university/teacher's college level. It's nice to meet new people, learn lots and bond in a short period of time!<br />
<br />
Knowing how little time I'd have to myself this week, I made some bread on Sunday with the intention of munching on it throughout the week. I returned Mario Batali's Molto Italiano to the library and took out Dorie's Around My French Table, and was immediately taken with her recipe for Provençal Olive Fougasse.<br />
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You've probably noticed my love of dough by this point (bread is so easy to make, and everyone is terribly impressed when you do it because they <i>think</i> it's hard) and my love of olives means that I spend way too much on Whole Foods' olive bar... I wish I could quit it, I really do. They're just so bloody tasty.<br />
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Turning bread into shapes (other than little round buns) isn't something I'd tried before. Fougasse typically has slashes through it to make it resemble a leaf. Again, easily done, and it makes the bread dead easy to pull apart.<br />
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You can find the recipe and directions <a href="http://www.seriouseats.com/recipes/2010/09/provencal-olive-fougasse-recipe.html">here</a>. I made absolutely no adjustment to the recipe, though next time, I'll go for the orange rind instead of the lemon, I think. And, I'd love to try this out with green olives too.<br />
<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-63976909064246957652011-10-17T07:00:00.000-04:002011-10-17T09:39:14.742-04:00Pumpkin Biscotti with White Chocolate and GingerAs the leaves fall, this autumn is becoming busier and busier for me. Not only is my infinite pile of marking getting larger by the minute, but my Wednesday & Saturday drama classes have begun (I'm taking my specialist in drama right now), leaving me with less and less time for baking and cooking and, by extension, blogging. So, fair warning, the prolific 5-6 posts a week is definitely going down to 2-3.<br />
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It's exhausting. We also had our school's curriculum night last week, so I feel like I've barely seen our apartment since returning from the cottage last Monday.<br />
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Our apartment.<br />
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We've been living here for just over 4 years now. It was built back in the 1800's as one of the original landowners mansions in Toronto, served as a convent for a while and was transformed again into a 5 apartment unit back in the '70s. When my husband (then-boyfriend) and I did a scouting trip to Toronto back in '07, we spent the first day of our trip looking at soulless concrete highrises off of Yonge.<br />
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I was going to be a student at University of Toronto, while my husband had yet to find employment. And although we had the money saved up for rent, no one in any of those soulless, cramped spaces would rent to us.<br />
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It was easily one of the most depressing, spirit-destroying days I have ever spent in this city. <br />
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But, like most things in life, what originally seemed like disaster turned into a great blessing (also see: moving to Japan, getting into teacher's college, having my first LTO finish early, getting bumped from my high school to my current school), we were SO lucky that no one in those buildings wanted us. <br />
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On day two, we stepped back out into the smoggy world of Toronto, and had an early morning appointment for a place in the Annex. For the first time in more than 24 hours, we were walking down tree-lined streets. I felt as though I could breathe again. And then, we were at a huge house. It was set back off the street on a green grassy lawn, with bright, wide windows. And when we stepped inside, we loved it instantly. It felt like home. Those same windows, viewed from the inside, reminded me of the windows in my grandparents' house in Victoria. We signed for it on the spot. Our landlady liked and trusted us enough to rent to us.<br />
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We've been really, really happy here. But, as we've grown busier and older (read: have more stuff), we've outgrown our space. At some point in the nearish future, we'd like to have an addition to our family. So, we've known for a while that we'll have to give up this space.<br />
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I've been scouring the MLS site for more than a year now. All I can say is that the Toronto real estate market depresses me. The reality is we cannot afford to buy a place that allows us to have the lifestyle we want to live (pedestrian friendly). More to the point, we're not interested in raising a family here. I desperately want to get back to Ottawa within the next 5 years.<br />
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So buying can't be an option right now. And the reality of having to move into a lesser quality apartment was looming in front of us.<br />
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Then: magic once again. Our next door neighbours on our floor decided that they would be moving out, meaning their 2 bedroom + solarium + wood burning fireplace 1500 sq ft space was up for grabs.<br />
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We grabbed it. I'm excited to say we'll be moving the shortest move in the history of moves (approximately 5 feet from our door to theirs) to a flat that is simply spectacular. I couldn't be happier! I intend to get a Christmas tree this year as we'll suddenly have space for it!<br />
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This brings us all the way (via the long, windy route) to today's recipe! It's here I made because we're hoping that tonight will be the last showing of our apartment. I hope to entice some awesome new neighbours into the space, who will love it as much as we have (and as much as the tenant before us, who was here 7 years)! And nothing says <i>love me</i> quite as much as the scent of cinnamon, chocolate and pumpkin, right?<br />
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I hope you're all warm and cozy in your home tonight! <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pumpkin Biscotti with White Chocolate and Ginger</span></b><br />
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(adapted from <a href="http://food.chatelaine.com/Recipes/View/Pumpkin-spice-biscotti">Chatelaine</a>)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
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2½ cups all purpose flour<br />
½ cup granulated sugar<br />
½ cup packed brown sugar<br />
1½ tsp baking powder<br />
1½ tsp cinnamon<br />
¼ tsp ground cloves<br />
¼ tsp grated nutmeg<br />
¼ tsp salt<br />
¼ cup minced crystalized ginger<br />
2 eggs<br />
½ cup canned pumpkin puree<br />
½ cup unsalted butter, melted<br />
1 tsp vanilla extract<br />
½ cup white chocolate chips<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
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1. Preheat oven to 300º. Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper or a silpat mat.<br />
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2. In a large bowl, stir together flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, cloves, nutmeg, salt and crystallized ginger. In a separate bowl, stir together eggs, pumpkin puree, melted butter and vanilla. Pour wet ingredients into dry and mix until almost combined.<br />
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3. Stir in white chocolate chips, until evenly distributed. Divide dough in half. Gently form each half into a log shape, about 15" long and place on prepared baking sheet. Bake in oven for 30 minutes.<br />
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4. Remove tray from oven. Reduce temperature to 275º. Let logs of dough sit for 5 minutes. Carefully remove one log from the pan, and, using a serrated knife, slice diagonally into ½" slices. Place, with cut side down back on baking sheet. Repeat with the second log of dough.<br />
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5. Return biscotti to oven to bake for an additional 35 minutes, or until dried and crispy. Let cool on rack.<br />
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You could glaze these with the spice glaze from the pumpkin scones, if desired.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-37838460295900537112011-10-12T08:01:00.000-04:002011-10-12T08:01:00.238-04:00Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Salted Cinnamon CaramelOne of the challenges of cooking at the cottage is we don't have access to clean running water. Each weekend, we lug up three gigantic blue jugs and use that water to wash our dishes, fruits and vegetables.<br />
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And that has a huge impact on what we make up there. There's a limited amount of dishes we want to get dirty, because we can only do a limited number of dishes.<br />
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I don't know what Thanksgiving looks like at your house, but at ours, it's mess-tastic.<br />
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So, when we're at the cottage, it's often easier to turn to recipes that involve pre-packaged ingredients. It's not something I usually do at home; but up there, it's the sensible thing to do.<br />
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Thankfully, there are amazing recipes out there that turn packaged mixes into home-cooked delights.<br />
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This recipe comes from <a href="http://grinandbakeit.com/pumpkin-angel-food-cake-with-salted-caramel-glaze">Grin and Bake It</a>, and was a total hit. Angel food cakes and my family go way back. When I was a teen, I'd always ask for my birthday cake to be an angel food cake covered with whipped cream that had been mixed with crushed up Crispy Crunch Bars.<br />
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Be still my beating heart.<br />
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So, there was a big cheer when we brought angel food cake back into the fold this Thanksgiving. As I cut it at the table, it was universally declared to "wobble seductively".<br />
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Who doesn't love a good seductive wobble? <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pumpkin Angel Food Cake with Salted Cinnamon Caramel</span></b><br />
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(<a href="http://grinandbakeit.com/pumpkin-angel-food-cake-with-salted-caramel-glaze">source</a>)<br /> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
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1 package angel food cake mix
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1 tbsp. all-purpose flour<br />
1 tsp. cinnamon<br />
¼ tsp. ginger<br />
1/8 tsp. nutmeg<br />
1/8 tsp. cloves<br />
¾ cup canned pure pumpkin <span style="text-decoration: underline;"></span><br />
1 cup cold water<br />
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¼ cup butter, salted<br />
¼ cup dark brown sugar<br />
¼ cup granulated sugar<br />
½ cup whipping cream<br />
¼ tsp. sea salt<br />
2 tsp. cinnamon<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
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1. Preheat oven to 350º. Place all cake ingredients (food cake mix through water) in a bowl and beat with a hand held mixer for one minute. Pour into an angel food cake tin and bake for 35-45 minutes, or until cake is browned and bounces back when lightly poked. Remove from oven and place upside down on the neck of a glass bottle. You'll do this because you don't want the cake to fall at all. Let cool for at least 2 hours.<br />
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2. To make the glaze, heat butter with sugars in a small saucepan. Bring to a boil over medium heat, then stir in cream. Bring back to a boil and let cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Remove from heat, stir in cinnamon and sea salt. Let cool to room temperature before pouring over top of cake.<br />
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Might I recommend some whipped cream on the side?<br />
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I love this place.<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-11176285444277940422011-10-05T07:47:00.000-04:002011-10-05T10:02:04.627-04:00Baked Crème Brulée French Toast CasseroleFor reasons only known to them, my parents decided to get up at the ungodly hour of 3 am to drive the 5 or so hours to get to Toronto to drop off several boxes of books that I still have at their house. All they requested of me in return for these treasures was breakfast.<br />
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And they'd be there around nine, thank you very much.<br />
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Have I mentioned that I don't do mornings very well? And, when we do have breakfast on weekends, it's a long, leisurely affair that usually wraps up around noon.<br />
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Since my parents wanted to get back on the road for their adventure through Prince Edward County, something easy and make-ahead was in order.<br />
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After googling different recipes for about an hour, I settled on a baked french toast casserole. Throw in the flavours of crème brulée, and you're in for a luxurious tasting and incredibly easy meal.<br />
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It was such a success that we've decided this will be our Christmas morning breakfast this year. <br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Crème Brulée French Toast Casserole</span></b><br />
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(adapted from <a href="http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/creme-brulee-french-toast/detail.aspx">here</a>) <br />
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<i>serves 4</i><br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
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2/3 cup packed brown sugar<br />
1/3 cup unsalted butter<br />
1 tbsp corn syrup<br />
½ loaf french bread, cut into 2" slices on the diagonal<br />
4 eggs<br />
1¼ cups milk<br />
2 tsp grand marnier<br />
1 tsp vanilla<br />
pinch salt<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
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1. In a small saucepan, heat brown sugar with butter and corn syrup. Bring to a simmer, then remove and pour into an 8" baking pan.<br />
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2. Place slices of french bread over caramel mixture.<br />
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3. Whisk together eggs, milk, grand marnier, vanilla and salt. Pour over bread. Cover and refrigerate over night.<br />
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4. In the morning, preheat oven to 325º. Bake casserole for 45-55 minutes, or until golden brown and puffy, with caramel bubbling around the edges.<br />
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You can invert and serve at the table or just scoop out the french toast, which will have absorbed most of the caramel goodness.<br />
<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-7148347133143797722011-10-04T07:32:00.000-04:002011-10-04T09:17:31.875-04:00Mario Batali's Polpettine di TacchinoOh, Mario Batali. Having just cooked from one of your cookbooks for the first time, I can understand why you weigh what you weigh. Your recipes are <i>outstanding</i>.<br />
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And seriously, 2 lbs of meat to serve 4 people? Holy moly man, that serves way more in our household.<br />
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I don't know what possessed me to pick up Batali's cookbook Molto Italiano from the library a couple of days ago. Italian food just doesn't excite me. I would choose just about any other kind of restaurant before I would choose an Italian one. But, I'm beginning to think there are two reasons for that:<br />
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1) I haven't had a lot of great Italian food. President's Choice Lasagnes clearly don't give an accurate representation of the possibility for deliciousness.<br />
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2) Pasta makes me go "meh".<br />
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But, one of my friends was raving about his Batali iPad app, and so I picked up the book to see what the fuss was all about.<br />
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The best meatballs ever. That's what this cookbook is about. It's going on my Christmas list for this recipe alone.<br />
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I won't lie, I made a ton of adjustments to his recipe (2 tablespoons of salt?!? No one needs that much salt in a dish), mostly to the sauce. Given Gwyneth Paltrow's friendship with Batali, I figured he wouldn't mind if I replaced his tomato sauce recipe with hers (it was much simpler and I was out of carrots). Use your own recipe, use Paltrow's (found <a href="http://www.datesandquinces.com/2011/05/thin-crust-pizza-and-easy-peasy-tomato.html">here</a>) or use some store bought stuff. Just make sure it's low sodium, because these meatballs pack a punch.<br />
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And don't be turned off by the long ingredient list. Everything comes together relatively quickly!<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span> </b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Polpettine di Tacchino</span></b><br />
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<i>(aka Turkey Meatballs)</i><br />
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from Mario Batali's Molto Italiano<br />
<br />
<i>serves 6-8</i> <br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
<i>meatballs</i><br />
<br />
1 lb lean ground turkey<br />
1 lb lean ground pork<br />
1½ cups panko<br />
½ cup milk<br />
2 eggs, lightly beaten<br />
4 cloves garlic, minced<br />
1 tsp dried rosemary, chopped<br />
1 tbsp hot pepper flakes<br />
1 tbsp kosher salt<br />
2 tbsp freshly ground black pepper<br />
<br />
<i>sauce</i><br />
<br />
3 tbsp olive oil<br />
1 large sweet onion, cut in half vertically and thinly sliced horizontally to form half moons<br />
6 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced<br />
1 tbsp hot pepper flakes<br />
½ cup water<br />
½ cup red wine or dry sherry<br />
1 tsp dried rosemary<br />
2 cups tomato sauce<br />
2 tbsp parsley<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 475º.In a large bowl, mix together all meatball ingredients. Use a light hand to do so. Form into 24-30 golf ball sized balls. Place on a large, sturdy, rimmed baking sheet and bake for 15-20 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and set aside. Reduce oven temperature to 350º.<br />
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2. Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large dutch oven. Add onion and garlic and sauté until golden brown, about 5-10 minutes. Stir in red pepper flakes, then water, wine and rosemary. Scrape up any brown bits on the bottom of the pan, and let liquid reduce to approximately half. Stir in tomato sauce and let mixture simmer for 10 minutes.<br />
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3. Add meatballs to sauce, tossing well to coat and bake in oven for 45-55 minutes, or until sauce is thick (and really, almost gone).<br />
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Serve in shallow bowls with a sprinkle of parsley.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-1424696399638718662011-10-03T07:00:00.000-04:002011-10-03T07:00:07.433-04:00Pumpkin Scones with Spiced GlazeLast Monday, I was running early for a doctor's appointment, so I decided to hop off the subway and stop off for a coffee at Starbucks. Of course, as soon as I got in the line, the rumbling in my stomach reminded me that I had eaten my lunch (quiche) for breakfast at 9:45 that morning as I'd forgotten to pack breakfast.<br />
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It was 2 pm, and I was really hungry. In honour of the fact that it had recently become autumn, I bought myself a pumpkin scone, settled into a cushy seat with a new magazine and sipped my chai tea latte.<br />
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I regretted the scone immediately. The icing was <i>far</i> too sweet, and it was painfully dry. It felt like it was absorbing all the moisture from my mouth as I was eating it.<br />
<br />
Frustrated (and still hungry), post appointment, my husband and I went grocery shopping and I bought several tins of pumpkin. By God, I was going to prove that I could make a better pumpkin scone than Starbucks.<br />
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And this is it. I brought the first batch in to work to share with my coworkers (positive reviews all around), much to my husband's chagrin. So, I whipped up another batch this past weekend.<br />
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With the use of a food processor, this recipe comes together in minutes.<br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span></b><br />
<b><span style="font-size: large;">Pumpkin Scones with Spiced Glaze</span></b><br />
<br />
(lightly adapted from <a href="http://theshoeboxkitchen.wordpress.com/2010/10/06/pumpkin-scones/">The Shoebox Kitchen</a>)<br />
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<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients </span><br />
<br />
2 cups all purpose flour<br />
¼ cup brown sugar<br />
3 tbsp granulated sugar<br />
1 tbsp baking powder<br />
½ tsp cinnamon<br />
½ tsp nutmeg<br />
¼ tsp ginger<br />
¼ tsp ground cloves<br />
pinch salt <br />
1/3 cup unsalted butter, chilled, and cut into ½" cubes<br />
½ cup pumpkin puree<br />
3 tbsp milk<br />
1 large egg<br />
<br />
<i>glazes</i><br />
<br />
1 cup icing sugar, divided<br />
2 tbsp milk, divided<br />
1/8 tsp cinnamon<br />
pinch each ginger, cloves, nutmeg<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. Preheat oven to 375º. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together flour, sugars, baking powder, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger, cloves and salt. Add butter, pulsing until you have small, pea sized clumps.<br />
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2. In a separate bowl, whisk together pumpkin, milk and egg. With motor running, pour pumpkin mixture through tube, pulsing just until mixture comes together and forms a ball.<br />
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3. Transfer dough to a lightly floured surface and shape into a rectangle, about 1" thick. Divide vertically into 4 rectangles, then divide those rectangles in half horizontally to form 8 squares. Cut each square diagonally to create 16 triangles.<br />
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4. Place on a parchment or silpat lined baking sheet and bake for 15-17 minutes, or until lightly golden on the bottom. Let cool on a rack.<br />
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5. Whisk together ½ cup icing sugar with 1 tbsp milk. Brush over tops of cooled scones. Let dry for 15 minutes. In a small plastic bag, massage together remaining icing sugar with 1 tbsp milk and the spices. Cut the corner of the bag off to create a piping bag, and pipe the spiced glaze over top of the regular glaze. Let harden for 1 hour before transferring to an air tight container.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-35545254293287398752011-09-30T07:25:00.000-04:002011-09-30T07:25:00.245-04:00Cooking Light's Spinach & Chickpea SoupAll the credit for this recipe has to go to my husband, who whipped this up the other day while I was running late from work (workshop on IEP writing, if you must know). It's a really beautiful, easy dinner that I think will go into rotation as my comfort food on dreary, rainy days.<br />
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<br />
The lemon juice and zest keep the soup light and fresh, while the spinach adds colour and the pasta brings substance.<br />
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Plus, you've got to love anything that's ready in about 20 minutes!<br />
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<b><span style="font-size: large;">Cooking Light's Spinach & Chickpea Soup</span></b><br />
<br />
(<a href="http://www.myrecipes.com/recipe/spinach-pasta-pea-soup-50400000115796/">source</a>) <i>serves 4</i> <br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Ingredients</span><br />
<br />
2 tsp canola oil<br />
2 green onions, sliced<br />
1 tsp dried oregano <br />
4 cups vegetable or chicken stock<br />
2 cups water<br />
1 tbsp lemon zest <br />
1 15oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed<br />
3/4 cup pasta of your choice<br />
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice<br />
5 oz baby spinach<br />
½ tsp ground black pepper<br />
shaved Parmesan<br />
<span style="font-size: large;"><br /></span><br />
<span style="font-size: large;">Directions</span><br />
<br />
1. Heat canola oil in a large saucepan. Sauté onions and oregano for two minutes. Add in stock and water and bring to a boil. Add in zest, chickpeas and pasta, cover and continue boiling for 10 minutes. Test pasta for doneness. Stir in lemon juice, spinach and black pepper. Serve with Parmesan shaved on top.<br />
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<br />Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-47576920266293379092011-09-29T20:41:00.000-04:002011-09-29T20:41:28.687-04:00Note to SelfIt's a waste of energy and emotion to let toxic people and their pettiness get to you.<br />
<br />
Save your energy for the people who matter.Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-34360726.post-62665474981449313152011-09-28T07:47:00.000-04:002011-09-28T07:47:00.219-04:00Sausage Minestrone BakeAutumn rain showers leave me feeling slightly melancholic - but in the best possible way, if that makes any sense. There's something so lovely about watching the rain hit the windowpanes, while you're wrapped up in a cozy cardigan.<br />
<br />
A cup of tea close at hand is mandatory on afternoons like this. <br />
<br />
Of course, more often than not, autumn rain showers tend to hit while I'm walking home wearing super absorbent fabric shoes. This has happened to me twice in the past week.<br />
<br />
Adding insult to injury, the rain stopped within minutes of my arriving home... so there was no need for cardigan. Or tea. Or to stare out the window.<br />
<br />
And I had very wet feet.<br />
<br />
In the end, it was the wet feet that made me long for comfort food. Inspired by two recipes from Martha Stewart Magazine, I put together a Sausage Minestrone Pot Pie.<br />
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Sausage Minestrone Pot Pie</div>
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Ingredients</div>
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2 tbsp olive oil, divided</div>
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½ lb turkey sausage, casings removed and meat broken up</div>
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1 medium onion, diced</div>
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2 cloves garlic, minced</div>
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½ tsp dried oregano</div>
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½ tsp dried basil</div>
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½ tsp dried rosemary</div>
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1 sweet potato, peeled and chopped into ½" cubes</div>
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3 carrots, peeled and sliced</div>
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1 28 oz can whole tomatoes, undrained</div>
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1 15 oz can navy beans, rinsed and drained</div>
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2 cups chicken stock</div>
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1 bunch swiss chard, rinsed, chopped </div>
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2 potatoes, scrubbed</div>
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salt and pepper to taste</div>
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Directions</div>
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1. Preheat oven to 375º.</div>
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2. In a dutch oven, heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium heat. Add sausage meat and onion to pan and sauté until meat is browned and cooked through. Stir in garlic and herbs and cook for a further minute. Stir in potatoes, carrots, tomatoes with their juices, beans and stock. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes, or until thick.</div>
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3. Meanwhile, slice potatoes into 1/8" slices, using a mandoline. Set aside.</div>
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4. Add swiss chard to pot and cook until just tender, an additional 3-5 minutes. Pour mixture into a 9" x 13" baking pan. Layer potatoes on top of minestrone mixture, brushing with remaining olive oil as you layer. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.</div>
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5. Bake for 45-55 minutes, or until potatoes are golden and crisp and mixture is bubbly and thick. </div>
Alysonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15136076278071008067noreply@blogger.com0