My Delicious Adventures

Spring is Here!…I'm Back Online!

2009-03-24T23:08:00.000-07:00

Almost one year off blogging.
What happened to me these days? Fell off the blogosphere.
Not that I forgot about it, just that time flies…especially when you are having fun!
Hectic summer and fall on the road with a stop in Philly.
…An exciting winter back home, in my beautiful

Madagascar

(see more by clicking on the image...)

Then back in Alberta and B.C. for the best ski ever in Lake Louise, Whistler, Big White and Silver Star! Spring has arrived, and I am back with new recipes and food stories for everyone!

Shrimp Cocktail

2008-08-10T13:17:00.000-07:00

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Simple, delicious, and most refreshing.

If everyone knew how easy shrimp cocktails are, they would indulge everyday.

I just love them, and my special twist here is the cucumber relish that I got from the sorbet recipe. Adam says it reminds him of Japan, it must be tasty then!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

1 to1 ½ dozen medium-size shrimps

½ cup mayonnaise

½ cup hot pepper sauce

¼ cup horseradish

½ cup fresh cucumber relish

Salt and pepper to taste

Celery stalk and chive to garnish

1. If using raw shrimp, peel and blanch with boiling water for 1 min or until just pink.

2. In a small bowl, mix together mayonnaise, hot pepper sauce, horseradish, salt and pepper.

3. Fill the bottom of cocktail glasses with the cucumber relish.

4. Layer the shrimp on the relish, saving a couple for garnish.

5. Pour the horseradish sauce on the shrimp.

6. Chill for at least 1 hr.

7. Garnish with celery and chive.

Cucumber Lime Sorbet

2008-08-04T14:28:00.000-07:00

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Surprised?

Un peu, beaucoup.

Sceptical, maybe.

Just like my mum:' Un sorbet au quoi?!'

If you think about it, cucumbers are just of the same family as watermelon after all. A great thirst-quencher: just try a slice of cucumber in a glass of water instead of lemon! A bowl of gazpacho is another great option.

Cucumbers seem such an ordinary and bland fruit/vegetable, but if you are adventurous, this sorbet is definitely the way to go. This colorful sorbet surprisingly captures the freshness and the light-melon flavour of the fruit.

It is also extremely easy to make: I just whizzed the fruit with sugar and salt into a smoothie, that I passed through a strainer to collect the juice. To avoid wasting food, I saved the remaining pulp and used it in my shrimp cocktail recipe. I stirred the zest and the juice of one lime into the dark green juice, that I chilled in the fridge. Before churning the sorbet in the icecream maker , I stirred in some of Adam's pepper-flavoured vodka to limit ice crystal formation. Feel free to experiment with a slice of watermelon. Et voilà!

Ingredients for about 2/3 quart:

2 English cucumbers (about 2 pounds)

½ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 lime zest and juice

1 tablespoon pepper-flavoured vodka

1. Wash and slice the cucumbers.

2. Purée the cucumber with the sugar and salt until smooth.

3. Pass the cucumber smoothie through a strainer, pressing firmly on the cucumber to extract all the liquid (NB: I saved the pulp as relish for my shrimp cocktail recipe).

4. Zest and press the lime into the cucumber juice.

5. Chill in the fridge for 1-2 hours.

6. Stir in the vodka and freeze in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

7. Transfer into a plastic container and store in the freezer. (Don't forget to take it out of the freezer 10 mins before scooping)

Madagascar Vanilla Semifreddo with Pine Nut Pralines

2008-07-27T10:47:00.000-07:00

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Summer is well under way and, after 2 weeks offline, it's time to catch up with my recipes! And my favourite blogs...David Lebovitz just published a tasty compilation of ice cream delights from around the blogosphere.
I have here a semifreddo - a half-frozen Italian ice cream, as creamy and rich as ice cream but soft. To balance the softness of this vanilla semifreddo, I folded in pine nut pralines for sweetness and crunch. The other advantage of this recipe is that you don't need an icecream maker to freeze the mixture. The air trapped in the whipped cream and the meringue during the whisking processes helps the ice cream freeze without hardening. Just what you need to perfect scoops.
This icecream is quite simple to make. I made the pine nut pralines first so that they cooled, starting with a caramel into which I stirred roasted pine nuts. I spread the hot caramel-nut mixture onto a greased baking sheet and let the brittle cool. I separated the eggs and beat the yolks with sugar and Madagascar vanilla. I whipped the cream and stirred it into the yolk mixture. I whisked the whites into a meringue, which I folded into the yolk mixture. I pulverised and stirred half the pralines into the vanilla cream and saved the rest to top the scoops.

Adapted from this book:
Ingredients for about 1 liter:
1 cup whipping cream
4 large eggs
¼ cup sugar
1

Madagascar

vanilla bean
Pinch of salt

For the pralines:
1 cup pine nuts
¼ cup water
1 cup sugar

1. Preheat the oven to 350°F.
2. Toast the pine nuts for 8 mins or until golden.
3. Let cool.
4. In a small saucepan, bring water and sugar to a boil over medium high heat.
5. Lightly grease a baking sheet with butter.
6. Let boil for 5 mins until the caramel turns golden.
7. Stir in the cooled pine nuts and let simmer until the caramel browns.
8. Remove from heat and spread over the greased baking sheet using a spatula.
9. Let the pralines cool to room temperature.
10. Pulverise half of the pralines using a food processor and coarsely break the other half into pieces.
11. Separate the eggs.
12. In a bowl, beat together egg whites and salt until firm.
13. In another bowl, mix together the egg yolks with the vanilla and the sugar until light yellow.
14. In a third bowl, whip the cream into soft peaks.
15. Mix cream and yolks.
16. Gently fold the whites and the praline powder into the yolk mixture.
17. Transfer into a plastic container and freeze for at least 3 hours.

Red Onion Compote, Sun Dried Tomato, Black Olive and Stilton Tartlets

2008-07-27T10:07:00.000-07:00

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Two weeks already!

Not that I forgot…to eat.

Where was I? Just on a WiFi break really. At the farm.

To make up for my time off, I made these light, sweet and savoury tartlets. In this recipe, I decided to experiment with olive oil for the pastry, instead of using butter. I was pleasantly surprised by the result. Not only was it extremely easy to make, but it also turned out light and crisp. Very much like a sablé. For the filling, I took advantage of the natural sweetness of red onions by preparing a compote, which I used as a base for the tartlets. To complement the sweet filling, I topped the onions with sun-dried tomatoes, Moroccan black olives and creamy Stilton.

A perfect summer meal, served with some garden lettuce.

Ingredients for 6 tartlets:

Olive oil pastry

200 g all-purpose flour

6 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons water

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

1 large red onion

¼ cup butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 cup red wine

¼ cup sugar

½ cup sun dried tomatoes

6 ounces stilton cheese

½ cup Moroccan black olives

Salt and pepper to taste

Fresh basil leaves

1. In a bowl, stir together flour, olive oil and salt until obtaining a coarse meal.

2. Add in the water and form a ball.

3. Chill the dough in the fridge for at least ½ hour.

4. In a saucepan, heat butter and olive oil over medium high heat.

5. Mince and stir in the onion.

6. Let cook for about 20 mins until soft.

7. Add the wine, sugar, salt and pepper.

8. Let simmer for another 30 mins, until all the wine has evaporated.

9. Remove from heat and let cool.

10. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
11. Line the tartlet pans with parchment paper.

12. Press the dough into the lined pans.

13. Bake blind for 20 mins, until golden.

14. Let cool on a rack.

15. Layer the crusts with red onion compote.

16. Coarsely chop tomatoes and olives and spread over the compote.

17. Crumble the cheese over the tartlets.

18. Bake for 15 mins, until the cheese has melted.

19. Garnish with basil leaves and serve with porchetta and garden salad.

Sour Cherry and White Chocolate Ice Cream

2008-07-05T17:26:00.000-07:00

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Que faire avec des griottes? Fanny was just asking.
I have here a delicious and refreshing way to enjoy sour cherries. Try this sweet and delicious white chocolate ice cream. Yes! I know. For the chocolate purists, white chocolate has been stripped off all cocoa powder and, therefore is not “real chocolate”. However, I do not think that anyone who could possibly say no to a scoop of this unctuous, sweet-and-sour treat to keep cool these days! If you prefer dark chocolate, you could always substitute the nuts and white chocolate chunks for cherries in this chocolate sorbet.
Using sweet warm milk and egg yolks, I first prepared custard which I poured hot over white chocolate chunks. Once the chocolate melted, I stirred in heavy cream and chilled the mixture in the fridge overnight. The next morning, I froze the mixture in the ice cream maker and folded the drained sour cherries into the freshly churned ice cream. I saved then reduced the syrup to drizzle on the scoops.

Adapted from the Perfect Scoop

Ingredients for 1½ liters:
1 cup whole milk
2/3 cup sugar
Pinch of salt
5 large egg yolks (you can freeze the egg whites or use them for meringue cookies, another great accompaniment for ice cream)
8 ounces white chocolate chunks (I used Callebaut white chocolate)
2 cups heavy cream
1 16-ounce pitted sour cherries in light syrup (unless you can find fresh sour cherries to poach)

1. In a saucepan, warm the milk, sugar and salt over medium-high heat.

2. In a bowl, whisk the egg yolks while slowly pouring the sweet warm milk.

3. Transfer the mixture into the saucepan.

4. Constantly stir using a wooden spoon over medium high heat until the mixture thickens to coat the spoon.

5. Pass the custard through a sieve onto the chocolate chunks.

6. Whisk until the chocolate has melted and stir in the cream.

7. Let cool to room temperature and chill overnight.

8. Vigorously whisk the chilled mixture and freeze in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

9. Drain then fold the sour cherries into the white chocolate ice cream, saving the syrup in a small saucepan.

10. Transfer into a plastic container and store in the freezer.

11. To make the sour cherry drizzle, add one to two tablespoons of sugar to the syrup and bring to a boil over medium high heat.

12. Reduce by half and let cool to room temperature.

13. Transfer into a jar and store in the fridge until ready to serve.

Barbecued Baby Artichokes

2008-07-05T14:42:00.001-07:00

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How did you enjoy Canada Day?

Just like Dana, I took most of my

Canada

day away from the kitchen. Not by choice!
First thing I heard that morning: “Wake up! You forgot to turn the hose off yesterday and you drained all the water out! We have no water left!”
As I stumbled out of bed to check for the hose: “Noooo!?!”
That couldn’t be right, of course. “I turned the hose off yesterday!!!” BUT sure enough, 8:00 am Canada Day and three EPCOR vans were parked along our sidewalks! Truth was our street had no water.
A dent in the emergency water pack and five and half hours of back-hoe action later…the water was back!

Missed the Free Pancake Breakfast at the Legislature and the Silly Summer Parade!
Oh well! The rest of the afternoon went much more smoothly. Lucky us.
I posted some quick and easy barbecue recipes earlier this week, and I hope that you have had a chance to enjoy a few of them. For the picnic aficionados, I just found 101 great ideas here, and I thought you might also try this very simple way to eat baby artichokes. Why not with some salt-crust rainbow trout?

Ingredients:

4-6 baby artichokes

1 lime zest and juice

1 tablespoon white balsamic vinegar

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 teaspoon cloves

Salt and pepper

1. In a bowl, zest and squeeze the lime.

2. Whisk in balsamic vinegar, olive oil, cloves, salt and pepper.

3. To prepare the artichokes, peel off 2-3 layers of the hard, outer petals.

4. Cut the stems and 1 ½ inch off the tips.

5. Half each artichoke and toss into the dressing.

6. Marinate in the fridge for ½ hour.

7. Grill for 5 mins per side, starting with the outer layer, until softened.

Pecan Molasses Lace Cookies

2008-07-01T12:23:00.000-07:00

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I scream, you scream, we all scream for ice cream!

But there is always a quest for the best accompaniment to my, your, our péché mignon – which, believe it or not, literally translates into cute sin! Fresh fruit, crême Chantilly, chocolate or butterscotch fudge sauces…as far as your sweet tooth and imagination can go!

I made these oversized lace cookies to go with my chocolate sorbet, and they bring the perfect buttery sweetness and crunch to balance its rich and intense flavour. They are quick and easy to make. I just melted together butter, fancy molasses and sugar, and stirred in Madagascar vanilla extract, chopped pecans, and flour. I dropped the dough onto lined baking sheets and baked the cookies for 12 mins until golden brown. I left the lace cookies on the baking sheet for 2 mins, until cooled but malleable enough to handle, and I transferred them onto a rolling pin for shaping before cooling on the rack. Feel free to try and enjoy them with any other ice cream!

Ingredients for 1 dozen oversized cookies:

¼ cup butter

¼ cup fancy molasses

¼ cup crystallised sugar

¼ teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract

½ cup pecans

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. In a small saucepan, stir together butter, molasses, and sugar over medium high heat, until melted.

3. Coarsely chop the pecans.

4. Remove from heat and stir in Madagascar vanilla extract, chopped pecans, and flour.

5. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.

6. Drop the dough using a tablespoon onto lined baking sheets, leaving 3 inches between the mounds to allow the cookies to expand.

7. Bake the cookies for 12 mins until golden brown.

8. Leave the lace cookies on the baking sheet for 2 mins, until cooled but malleable enough to handle.

9. Transfer onto a rolling pin for shaping.

10. Cool completely on the rack.

Choco-Therapy: Macadamia Nuts and White Chocolate Chunks Chocolate Sorbet

2008-07-01T12:02:00.000-07:00

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I just made the most decadent sorbet ever!

Three days of heat!

9:30 am, as I tend to my watering duty, the morning fresh air has almost vanished, and so have the shades of the Manitoba maples and the choke cherry trees.

11 am – 27 °C inside, full sun outside, and the air in our little old house is getting still and stifling hot by the minute.

No worries! It’s ice cream time! Technically, I cannot call this treat an ice cream because there is no milk or cream in the recipe, but this sorbet captures all the depth and richness of dark chocolate. The macadamia nuts and the white chocolate chunks are scattered through the intense dark velvet as little nuggets of sweetness.

The sweet smell of chocolate lingered in the house for two days! I started with hot chocolate by boiling together cocoa powder and sugar in water. Away from the heat, I thickened the hot chocolate by adding finely chopped bittersweet chocolate and whisking until I obtained a smooth mixture. After adding some vanilla, I chilled the chocolate mixture overnight and churned it the next morning. I added the nuts and chocolate chunks just before transferring the sorbet into a plastic container and freezing.

Don’t forget to take it out of the freezer a few minutes before scooping! Enjoy with a dollop of whipped cream and a pecan molasses lace cookie!

Adapted from the Perfect Scoop.

Ingredients for 1 dozen oversized cookies:

¼ cup butter

¼ cup fancy molasses

¼ cup crystallised sugar

¼ teaspoon Madagascar vanilla extract

½ cup pecans

6 tablespoons all-purpose flour

1. Finely chop the bittersweet chocolate using a serrated knife.

2. Stir together cocoa powder, sugar, water and salt in a saucepan.

3. Bring to a boil over medium heat, whisking constantly to prevent the hot mixture from boiling over.

4. After boiling for 1 min, remove from the heat and whisk in the chopped chocolate until obtaining a smooth and homogenous mixture.

5. Whisk in the vanilla and chill the mixture in the fridge overnight.

6. Vigorously whisk the chilled mixture and freeze in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

7. Coarsely chop macadamia nuts and white chocolate chunks and add to the sorbet at the end of the freezing process.

8. Transfer into a plastic container and freeze for at least 4 hours, until set.

Barbecue Galore!

2008-06-30T18:01:00.000-07:00

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This is the week of long weekends between Madagascar's Independance Day, Canada Day and Independance Day! The long awaited 30°C- weather has finally hit the Prairies and my charcoal barbecue has been on for very tasty meals!

These hot days, I haven’t even thought about turning the stove top on, let alone the oven! The garden has been doing great this year and we got to eat our radish the other day – I LOVE them with butter, salt, and pepper. Don’t you? We have almost been enjoying our garden lettuce for the past 2 weeks!

Just like the plants, I have been relishing the perfect, sunny and hot, weather and I have here a smorgasbord of barbecue ideas for you to try and serve with your favourite salad…and the best thing about barbecue is that Italian herbs like oregano, thyme, or curry, salt and pepper are just enough to enhance the smokiness of the charcoal.

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Barbecued steaks and kohlrabi

Ingredients for 2 servings:

2 rib eye, sirloin or T-bone steaks

2 kohlrabis

1 lemon

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel and slice the kohlrabi into a medium bowl.

2. Add lemon juice and zest, salt and pepper.

3. Marinate for ½ hour in the fridge.

4. Just before grilling, season the steaks and drizzle with olive oil.

5. For medium-rare 1 inch-thick steaks, barbecue for 3 to 5 mins per side, using tongs for turning. (To check for doneness: press the meat with a finger and compare the pressure with the resistance of the muscle at the base of your thumb when joining your middle finger with your thumb).

6. Barbecue the kohlrabi slices for 5 mins per side until softened.

7. Remove the steaks from the heat and allow to rest for 5 mins before serving with the kohlrabi.

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Barbecued smelts

Ingredients for 2 servings:

1 pound frozen smelts

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Rinse the smelts and rub with salt, pepper and olive oil.

2. Barbecue for 3 to 5 mins per side, using tongs for turning, until the skin curls up.

3. Serve immediately.

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Barbecued bocconcini and capicollo bison burgers and corn on the cob

Ingredients for 2 servings:

2 bison burger patties (from the Farmer’s market or the Italian center)

2 slices capicollo or ham

1 medium bocconcini cheese

2 ears of corn

Italian herbs

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Peel back the husk for each ear of corn and remove the silk.

2. Bring back the husk over the cob.

3. Soak the ears in cold water for at least 30 mins.

4. Drain for 5 mins and place on the coals for 15-20 mins turning frequently to prevent burning.

5. Season the bison burger with Italians herbs and barbecue for 5-8 mins per side.

6. Place a slice of capicollo on each patty.

7. Slice and place the bocconcino on the capicollo.

8. Barbecue until the cheese has started melting and serve immediately. (I usually smother my corn with butter, salt and pepper.)

Buttermilk Rhubarb Pastis Swirl Sherbet

2008-06-22T12:15:00.000-07:00

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Yeah! Summer finally!

No heat wave in Alberta and I can still hear Lynne’s rant “I want my 30°C weather!!!” I miss Montreal and its steaming hot days without air conditioning in our apartment, nothing to beat the heat but two monster fans and anything cold!

In my top 3 ways to keep cool, I have (1) a dip in the blue, (2) a refreshing girly cocktail and (3) ice cream. Option 1 is definitely not feasible in Alberta - unless you pretend that Sylvan Lake is on the ocean – while options 2 and 3 are easier to achieve. A glass of sweet Tomate, minty Perroquet, or Hemingway’s Death in The Afternoon pastis cocktail maybe? I have here an even cooler way to enjoy pastis and rhubarb this summer.

With your ice cream mixture and a little planning, all you need is an ice cream machine! Mine is a very simple one: it comes as an electric mixer with 2-quarts containers that you pre-freeze for at least 24 hours and gets your sorbet or the ice cream mixture churned within 20 mins.

How many calories per scoop? Instead of using a custard cream, I opted for a healthier buttermilk sherbet, adapted from the Perfect Scoop, into which I stirred a pastis rhubarb compote. Because the recipe requires heating, I prepared the syrup and the compote the night before. Chilling overnight cools the mixture thoroughly, making the churning step a breeze. The tangy buttermilk and the anis-flavoured rhubarb make the perfect and most refreshing treat on a hot summer day.

Ingredients for about 1½ liter sherbet:

For the buttermilk sherbet:

1/3 cup water

2/3 cup sugar

1 lemon zest and juice

2 cups buttermilk

For the pastis-rhubarb compote:

12 ounces rhubarb

2/3 cup water

¾ cup sugar

1 tablespoon pastis

1. In a medium saucepan, heat water, sugar, lemon zest and juice to a boil over medium-high heat.

2. Remove for heat and let cool to room temperature before chilling in the refrigerator overnight.

3. In another saucepan bring to a boil rhubarb, sugar, and water and let simmer until the rhubarb is softened.

4. Remove from heat and purée until smooth. (Note: Using an immersion blender is the easiest method, but you can use a regular blender or a food processor)

5. Add the pastis to the rhubarb purée and chill thoroughly, preferably overnight.

6. Stir the buttermilk into the chilled syrup and freeze in the ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s instructions.

7. Transfer into a plastic container.

8. Gently fold the compote into the freshly churned sherbet for a marbled effect.

9. Freeze for at least 4 hours, until set.

Strawberry Ricotta Charlotte

2008-06-14T13:43:00.000-07:00

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Strawberry fields forever.

I don’t know why, but whenever I see this many strawberries I cannot help but think about the song. As I hear Lennon’s dreamy voice, I can see myself walking down fields of strawberries, stretching to infinity. Picking as many strawberries as my basket can hold, tasting the juiciest and sweetest along the way.

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Well, not quite there yet with my hanging baskets! But our real, sun-bathed berries taste just like in my strawberry field dream, as sweet as candy and no trace of red 40. Just like the traditional shortcake, strawberry charlotte makes a perfect dessert on a warm summery evening. I lined a springform pan with ladyfingers moistened with kirsch-flavoured syrup, added a layer of sliced strawberries and cream, repeated with another ladyfinger-strawberries-cream layer to finish with ladyfingers. For a lighter dessert, I decided to use ricotta cheese sweetened with honey instead of making the rich, traditional custard filling. I hope that you will enjoy it as much as I did!!!

Ingredients for 6-8 servings:

1 cup ricotta cheese

1/2 cup honey

1 pound strawberries

24 (2 packages) large ladyfingers (Pick the largest ladyfingers!!!)

1 cup water

½ cup sugar

¼ cup kirsch

1. Rinse and slice the strawberries.

2. In a bowl mix the ricotta with honey using a fork.

3. In a small saucepan bring sugar and water to a boil over medium heat.

4. Remove from heat and add the liqueur.

5. Dip the ladyfingers in the warm syrup to moisten.

6. Line the bottom and the sides of a springform pan with one layer of ladyfingers.

7. Layer half of the cheese mixture on the ladyfingers.

8. Layer half of the strawberries on the cheese.

9. Add a second layer of moistened ladyfingers.

10. Layer with the rest of the cheese and the strawberries.

11. Cover with the last layer of moistened ladyfingers, making sure that the sugared side faces up.

12. Chill in the refrigerator for at least 4 hrs.

Rhubarb Chocolate Chip Buttermilk Muffins

2008-06-14T10:39:00.000-07:00

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Mid-June already and you know summer is almost here when you can enjoy a leisurely brunch in the backyard. Fruit salad, pastries and fresh cup of your favorite caffeine fix laid out on the patio table.* Sigh*

Our rhubarb has grown to a giant bush – perfect hiding spot for the cats. Red stalks up straight, ready for harvesting and for all the treats and desserts you can imagine… How about using some stalks for some tasty buttermilk muffins for breakfast? And because it is the most important meal of the day, I thought I’d better add a few chocolate chips to start it right.

A few minutes to whip up and bake the muffins, just enough to prepare the fruit salad and the tea… and back to the yard!

Ingredients for one dozen large muffins:

2 ½ cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

¼ teaspoon baking soda

¼ teaspoon salt

1 large egg

¾ cup buttermilk

2/3 cup safflower oil

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1½ cup fresh or frozen rhubarb

½ cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

2. In a bowl, mix together the egg, buttermilk, oil, and vanilla extract using a whisk.

3. In another bowl combine the flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

4. Stir the rhubarb and chocolate into the flour mixture.

5. Stir the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients until the ingredients are just combined.

6. Brush the muffin cups with oil and fill with batter.

7. Bake for about 20-30 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean.

8. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for about 5 minutes before removing from pan.

Asparagus Zucchini and Cherry Tomato Frittatta

2008-06-08T11:49:00.000-07:00

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I have been quite busy enjoying the sun and fresh air to spend time fiddling around in the kitchen lately. After 2 hours pulling off the weeds and cultivating the fast growing vegetable garden, the last thing on my mind is cooking up a three course meal or anything sophisticated.

Still! Just enough energy to chop some vegetables and beat half dozen eggs for a tasty frittata! Good anytime: breakfast, lunch or dinner with one or two pieces of toast.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 small onion

1 cup cremini mushrooms

6 anchovies

12 asparagus spears

1 cup cherry tomatoes

3 celery stalks with leaves

2 zucchini squash

6 eggs

¼ cup cheddar cheese

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

Italian parsley to garnish

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium high heat in an oven-safe pan.

2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

3. Chop onions, mushrooms, celery, and zucchini.

4. Stir fry chopped onions, celery and mushrooms with the anchovies for 5 mns.

5. Add the tomatoes and zucchini.

6. Snap the asparagus and layer on the softened vegetables.

7. In a medium bowl, lightly beat the eggs with salt and pepper using a fork.

8. Pour the egg mixture into the pan.

9. Top with cheese and bake for 15-20 mns.

Aniswood Cookies

2008-06-08T09:07:00.000-07:00

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Still happily celebrating the return of Spring! Choke cherry trees and lilac are blossoming and their heady fragrances are attracting bees and wasps into our garden. I love waking up to the chirping of the sparrow and their chicks. I even surprised a couple of blue jays and cardinals playing underneath the arcs of water while I was watering the lawn.

Hard to do any cooking when the backyard is warm and inviting, but I made the quickest cookies in the world the other day.

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Simples comme bonjour!

18 mns flat, including baking! For these no-butter cookies, I just whisked all the ingredients together in a bowl and freshly grated aniswood bark into the batter. Yes, aniswood again. I just can’t get enough of this spice and, literally, I still have a bucketful to go through so no sense being stingy! Feel free to substitute with freshly ground fennel or anis seeds! Another point: unlike regular drop cookies, the dough is essentially a batter but do not fret! 15 mins in the oven and these cookies will keep your sweet tooth satisfied.

Ingredients for 3 dozen:

4 eggs

1½ cup sugar

1¾ cup all purpose flour

1 tablespoon anis wood (Substitute with fennel seeds)

1. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

2. Mix eggs and sugar in a large bowl using a whisk.

3. Stir in the flour and the aniswood.

4. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

5. Drop the disks of batter onto the lined baking sheet using a tablespoon.

6. Bake for 15 mns until golden.

7. Let cool on the baking sheet and store in an airtight container.

For other recipes using aniswood:

- Pain d'Epices

- Smokey Red Peppercorn Crusted Mahi Mahi on Sauteed Peas and New Potatoes

- Slow Braised Short Ribs

Buttermilk Rice Pudding with Strawberries, Chocolate and Black Muscat

2008-06-07T08:54:00.000-07:00

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Rice pudding, riz au lait in French, is one of my childhood favourites – just enough rice, milk, sugar and vanilla and you get a creamy dessert. Very easy. To offset the richness of the pudding, I substituted the milk with buttermilk and used my star ingredients in compote and a sauce.

We finally opened the Black Muscat we brought back from our spring 2006 road trip to Vancouver and Salt Spring Islands! Not that we forgot about it. Far from it, we just wanted to save it for the right time: with Tuscan melon and Bresaola, or, for dessert, in the Strawberry Rhubarb Compote or in the Dark Chocolate Sauce.

BC Wines from the warm and dry Okanagan Valley were familiar to us, but we had never heard of any from the Islands. A few stops along the wine trail, quite pleasantly surprised by these exceptional yet unknown vineyards! Nothing to do with the Napa Valley I visited as a teenager, simple and familial just like in Sideways.

So impressed after our first taste at Blue Grouse, that we stocked the car with 2 cases of Gamay, Pinot Noir, and Ortega. A little tipsy after the generous servings – I must admit- but sober enough to drive on. Just in time for lunch we reached the Zanatta winery: delicious homemade food to savour with a glass of their Glenora Fantasia or Pinot Nero in the sun-bathed bucolic patio. Another case of Pinot Nero and Spumante and more in the trunk and off we went! With enough bottles to open a shop and plans for another trip to the Islands!

Two years later, we managed to save the Muscat and the Devinette – going online soon to order. The Black Muscat is not as sweet as Port and makes a perfect addition for the strawberry rhubarb compote or in the dark chocolate sauce which accompany the rice pudding.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 cup round rice

2 cups water

3 cups buttermilk

1/3 cup sugar

Pinch of salt

1 vanilla bean

¼ cup unsalted butter

For the strawberry rhubarb compote:

2 cups rhubarb

1 cup strawberries

¼ cup sugar

½ cup Black Muscat (substitute with Port)

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For the chocolate sauce:

½ cup dark chocolate

¼ cup Black Muscat

Strawberries to garnish

1. In a medium saucepan heat buttermilk, sugar, salt and split vanilla bean to a gentle simmer.

2. Bring the water to a boil in a medium another saucepan.

3. Cook the rice for 2 mins in the boiling water, strain using a sieve and rinse thoroughly with cold water.

4. Stir the rice into the buttermilk and let simmer for 20 mins, until soft.

5. Stir in the butter.

6. Enjoy warm or chilled.

7. To prepare the strawberry rhubarb compote filling, place rhubarb, sugar, and Black Muscat in a saucepan.

8. Bring to a gentle simmer while stirring and cover until the fruit is tender.

9. Add the strawberries and let simmer for 5 mins.

10. To prepare the chocolate sauce, place chocolate and Black Muscat in a small bowl.

11. Stir over a double-boiler until the chocolate is melted.

Salt Crust Rainbow Trout and Fennel Radicchio Salad

2008-06-01T13:19:00.000-07:00

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Just enough time to catch a glimpse at my plants last weekend!

One week of rain and peas, radish, beans and spinach have grown another inch or two. Our carrots and cucumbers are finally poking out of the ground.

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Feels like fish, preferably on the grill.

How about these gorgeous rainbow trout?

It is so rare to find fresh fish at conventional grocery stores in Alberta that we spotted them right away. They so fresh, shiny and clear-eyed fish on crushed ice! These spotted freshwater fish were easy to recognize because of the typical red band along their spine. They must have come from British Columbia or one the neighbouring American states.

I wasn’t too sure where they came from, but they certainly reminded me of camping in Buffalo Lake and learning how to cast a fishing line. I did not catch anything that time, except for some old boot and a lot of algae.

The trout are so delicate that I decided on a salt crust instead of grilling them. I LOVE the salt crust because the crust - which is easy to brush off- protects the fish from the heat and preserves the moisture and softness of the trout. Very simple! I completely covered the fish in Kosher salt and wrapped them in foil after filling their bellies with bay leaves. A few minutes on the barbecue (or in the oven if raining) et voilà! The fennel and radicchio salad are just what I craved for…

Ingredients for 2 servings:

2 whole rainbow trout, cleaned

2 cups Kosher or coarse sea salt

6-8 bay leaves

Pepper

Olive oil

1. Lightly brush the inner cavity of each fish with salt, pepper and olive oil.

2. Fill the fish with bay leaves (Tip: Do not overstuff or the crust will seep through).

3. Tear rectangles of aluminum foil large enough to individually wrap each trout.

4. Spread ½ cup of salt on each piece of foil.

5. Pat the fish with paper towel and place the fish on top of the salt.

6. Entirely cover with the rest of the salt, pressing to form a crust.

7. Chill for at least 1 hr to consolidate the crust.

8. Light up the barbecue.

9. When the coals are ready, barbecue the foil-wrapped trout for 20-30 mins, flipping the fish after 10-15 mins.

10. Remove from heat and let rest for 5 mins.

11. Gently remove the salt crust and serve with fennel and radicchio salad.

Fennel and Radicchio Salad

Ingredients:

1 large fennel bulb

1 small radicchio

1 cup cherry tomatoes

1 lemon

Salt and pepper to taste

Italian parsley

Olive oil

1. In a large bowl, mix together jemon juice and zest, 2 tablespoon olive oil, salt and pepper.

2. Thinly slice fennel, radicchio, and cherry tomatoes and toss the dressing.

3. Sprinkle with chopped parsley and serve.

Meatballs alla Puttanesca

2008-05-24T11:21:00.000-07:00

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Rainy days in Alberta. Crazy how green and lush everything just turned!

The happiest are the cows out there, in the field, jumping from one patch to the next, grazing the tender shoots!

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What a contrast with the summery Victoria Day weekend! Good thing I finished planting Adam’s tomatoes in their sunny spot, my strawberries and my flowers in the remaining pots and hanging baskets!

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The lettuce, radishes, beets and snap peas were already sprouting last week, stimulated by the heat. Of course, I don’t have rubber boots and it is muddy in the vegetable garden. I cannot wait until the end of the rain to check things out.

Comfort food is what I need today…Meatballs are not the most original food but I would like to share this lip-smacking recipe with you. To make them, I mixed the ground beef with oats and olive oil, instead of breadcrumbs or eggs to keep the meat in cohesive yet moist and balls. I also added pungent dry mustard and flavourful Italian herbs to complement and offset the sweetness of the onions and tomato paste.

Meatballs are tasty on their own as an appetizer or finger-food at a potluck party. Dipped in tzatziki…Yum!

This time I made a variation of the puttanesca, a classic Italian tomato sauce that uses anchovies, olives, and capers to infuse the meat with homey-yummy goodness. I served the dish over giant pasta shells topped with fresh raw zucchini slices, grated Crotonese cheese and Italian parsley.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings (about 2 dozen):

1 pound extra lean ground beef

1 cup rolled oats

1 medium onion

1 tablespoon tomato paste

2 tablespoons Italian herbs

2 tablespoons dry mustard

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon ground pepper

¼ cup flour

Olive oil

For the sauce:

2 celery stalks

1 small onion

2 cloves garlic

6 anchovies

1 carrot

1 cup cremini mushrooms

1 small orange pepper

16 ounces canned Cherry tomatoes

2 tablespoons capers

½ cup Moroccan dry-cured black olives

For the topping:

1 small zucchini squash

Italian parsley

Crotonese cheese

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat.

2. Start the sauce by chopping then sautéing the onion, celery, carrots and anchovies until soft.

3. Stir in chopped mushrooms and pepper and sauté for 1-2 mins.

4. Add the cherry tomatoes, season and let simmer for 15 mins.

5. While the tomatoes simmer, in a large bowl, mix the ground beef with the rolled oats, chopped onion, herbs, dry mustard, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, salt and pepper using a fork.

6. Roll the ground mixture into 2 tablespoon-size balls and coat with flour.

7. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium high heat.

8. Sauté the meatballs, until brown on all sides.

9. Transfer the meatballs into the tomato sauce and let simmer for ½ hour, until the meatballs are cooked through.

Almond Fruitcake Rum Balls

2008-05-23T20:12:00.000-07:00

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Not sure about you, but I have been living Spring in full!

Witnessing the rebirth of my garden, watching every leaf, stem, and shoot turning into bud then flower almost overnight is such an invigorating experience!

Barely warming three weeks ago and, as we were busy raking the last remnants of winter off our yard, narcissi were blooming, peonies and daylilies were just poking out of the ground. Already then, I noticed that my ladybug friends were back on the budding birch tree.

One week later, the first tulip and crocus were opening their bright petals while the first chartreuse leaves appeared our rose bush.

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Very tempting to start any planting outdoors at that time, with the high risk of frost I decided for kitchen spring cleaning instead.

Perfect time to go through the pantry! I found a good chunk of Christmas cake– the best fruitcake ever, homemade packed with candied cherries, dried apricots and raisins, pecans (Note to self : Will have to blog the recipe sometime*). Adam and I LOVE this Christmas cake so much that we usually preserved it wrapped in plastic and foil, making last until Easter, lovingly basting it with dark rum or rye to keep it moist and germ-free.

With Easter being April this year, it was time to transform our fruitcake into rum balls.

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Wrong season for rum balls? Pas du tout!

Most recipes use graham crackers for their dough but why not recycle leftover fruitcake instead? Especially when all you have to do is to mix fruitcake crumbs with chopped nuts, cocoa, syrup, sugar and rum and roll the dough into balls.

The recipe I found in Canadian Living is so simple that you could use any leftover cake, including some of that spice loaf I made recently. I adapted it by replacing the pecans with unblanched almonds for which I doubled the amount. I also doubled the quantity of rum to make the dough more malleable, thus easier to roll, and easier to coat. The rum balls were firm enough after coating that I skipped the drying and refrigeration steps altogether.

I dove in right away: soft and sweet inside, crunchy outside…

Adapted from Canadian Living.

Ingredients for 1½ dozen rum balls:

2 cups almonds (I toasted unblanched almonds because their more earthy, richer taste)
1½ cup chopped fruitcake
2 tablespoons icing sugar
2 tablespoons cocoa powder
2 tablespoons corn syrup
¼ cup dark rum, preferably Madagascar rum

1. Toast almonds in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat until fragrant and light brown, tossing frequently to prevent them from burning.

2. Let cool to room temperature.

3. Chop the fruitcake in a food processor, pulsing to make fine crumbs, and transfer to a bowl.

4. Finely chop the toasted almonds using the food processor.

5. Add 1 cup of almonds to the fruitcake and transfer the rest to another bowl.

6. Stir in sugar, cocoa powder, corn syrup and rum to form a sticky dough.

7. Line a baking sheet with wax paper.

8. Roll the dough using one tablespoon of dough per ball. (Note: Rinse hands as needed)

9. Coat the balls with almond crumbs and place on prepared tray.

10. Enjoy ASAP (or refrigerate for up to one month if you can resist)

Snacky Dinner and Gardening Weekends

2008-05-23T18:55:00.000-07:00

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Finishing up with our garden just in time for Victoria Day, the official birthday of the Queen installed in honor of Queen Victoria! The weather was so warm and sunny the past two weeks that I could not hold off until unofficial beginning of summer in Canada, especially after reading the New York Times article on city farmers.

Our fourth year gardening and it seems to get easier!

I started with our vegetable garden first, digging up and cultivating the soil then planting the seeds for our snap peas, green and yellow beans, plenty of mesclun, green leaf lettuce, spinach, curly parsley and dill in the North beds, Yukon gold taters in the South trenches.

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We also decided to experiment with potted root vegetables, i.e. radishes, carrots and beets, this year. Some pickling cucumbers also joined the pots with our fresh herbs, and as I commented on David Lebovitz’s post on Arthur Schwartz's Dills, I am looking forward to get enough to brine and can myself.

With all that activity, I got my favourite quick fix: a snacky dinner with rosemary porchetta, bresaola, rosemary Manchego, Crotonese, St- Jorge! Cold cuts and cheese from Italy, Spain, and Portugal! In the meantime, I hope I got you inspired to start your own garden this year, maybe with in of Edmonton’s Community Gardens !?

Beef Oxtail Blanquette

2008-05-17T10:31:00.000-07:00

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I just discovered that I wasn’t the only adept of the slow-cooker. Of course, one of them is my aunt Emma was the one who offered us ours, but to my surprise, my friend J. also uses her crock-pot daily. She starts it in the morning before leaving for work to have supper ready upon return. Perfect for the busy mum!

I was describing my slow-cooking recipes to J., when I realised that I was so focused on enhancing the flavours of the ingredients with exotic spices that I completely missed cream-based sauces. I made a mental note to myself. How could I forget creamy stews!? I know, they are high-cal but everyone deserve a treat once in a while! Especially after prepping the garden for planting or on Mother’s day.

Well! Here it is: oxtail blanquette. Blanquette is a traditional French stew that uses veal meat, but I thought that beef oxtail would be just as succulent. I slow cooked the oxtail with mirepoix - the holy trinity of French cooking - and white wine first. Once fork-tender, I transferred the meat into a casserole dish and reserved it in the oven while I removed the excess fat from the broth. Because I am a finicky cook, I whizzed and passed the both through a sieve before adding the cream, but you can leave the vegetables chunky and serve the blanquette with steamed rice and sautéed oyster mushrooms.

Ingredients for 4-6 servings:

2 pounds beef oxtail

2 onions

2 or 3 carrots

2 celery stalks

1 teaspoon cloves

1 bouquet garni: thyme, parsley, bay leaves

½ cup dry white wine

1. Chop the carrots and transfer in the slow cooker.

2. Peel and spike the onions with the cloves. Place on top of the carrots.

3. Heat about 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

4. Season the beef oxtail with salt and pepper, brown in the hot oil and transfer to the slow cooker.

5. Add the celery to the pan and stir-fry for 1-2 mns over low to medium-high heat.

6. Deglaze with the wine and add the bouquet garni.

7. Let simmer for 2 mns and pour over the meat.

8. Slow cook on high for 6 hours, until the meat falls off the bones.

9. Transfer the meat into a casserole dish and reserve it in a 275 F- oven. (Note: Steps 9-13 are optional)

10. Remove the excess fat from the broth using a spoon.

11. Press the vegetables until smooth using an immersion blender (or transfer into a blender).

12. Pass the broth through a sieve into a saucepan.

13. Heat the broth to a gentle simmer and stir in the cream.

14. Serve hot over steamed rice .

Chipotle Sausage Macaroni Casserole

2008-05-16T21:21:00.000-07:00

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As I have come to realise, the simplest dishes are often the tastiest and casseroles are one of them. I understand that spring has definitely arrived, and barbecue season with it, but if you live in Alberta, expect the unexpected.

Just like last week in Calgary: warm and sunny Wednesday, blustery and snowy Thursday!

With days like that, skip the salad and welcome a bowl of chicken soup or a warm, comfort meal with a cheesy crust on top!

In this all-in-one comfort food, I just precooked the macaroni, added zesty capers to the vegetables I had in my crisper. The chipotle peppers add both heat and smokiness to the tomato sauce. Before baking, I snipped the Italian sausages allow the spicy tomato-vermouth broth to infuse the meat and speed up the cooking process. Everything to make the King of Casseroles happy!

Ingredients for 6-8 servings:

2 ½ cups macaroni

1 celery heart

1½ cup cremini mushrooms

1 yellow pepper

1 small red onion

1 small jar capers

4 to 6 chipotle peppers

4 Italian sausages (Note: Omit for the vegetarian option)

1 28-ounce can tomato

1 cup dry vermouth

2 bay leaves

1 tablespoon Italian herbs

½ cup freshly grated pecorino

Salt and pepper

1. Precook the macaroni in salted boiling water for 2 mins then drain. (The pasta should be firm to the touch)
2. Preheat the oven to 350 F.
3. Chop celery, mushrooms, yellow pepper and red onion and add to a casserole dish.
4. Stir precooked pasta, capers and chipotle into the vegetables.
5. Snip the sausages into 2 inch morsels using scissors and add to the dish.
6. Coarsely chop the tomatoes and stir into the vegetables with herbs and seasoning.
7. Cover and bake for 40 mins until the sausages and the pasta are cooked, stirring in the vermouth after 20 mins.
8. Top with cheese and brown for 5-10 mins.

Sweet Black Olive Shortbread

2008-05-16T20:40:00.000-07:00

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Le hasard fait bien les choses… So tasty I had to find a safe hiding spot for the tin!

Back from a three-day process engineering training! The gamut on operations, costs, efficiencies et al. Interesting, brain-twisting problems, but after being trapped in a classroom with only cafeteria fare for distraction, I just needed the buttery softness of shortbread cookies for comfort.

To make these cookies, I adapted Jamie Oliver’s recipe for basic shortbread without rolling the dough. It is very similar to the one I used for the vanilla sablés, without eggs or refrigeration step. Just like scones, shortbread comes in sweet as well as savoury flavours, ranging from chocolate and almonds, to rosemary and fleur de sel.

Why black olives? I was browsing through my fridge for a salty snack – a pickle, maybe, I stumbled upon my favourite Moroccan black olives from the Italian store and remembered about Pierre Hermé’s green olive macarons.

Bingo! Salty, but bold and creamy also…perfect flavour and texture to enhance my sweet shortbread. Just keeps me coming back!!!

Ingredients for 18 cookies:

2 cups cake or all-purpose flour

1 cup butter, diced and room temperature

1 cup cornmeal

1 cup crystallized sugar (instead of superfine, but pulverized using food processor)

2 tablespoons to ¼ cup greek-style Moroccan dry cured black olives

1. Cream butter and sugar using an electric mixer.

2. Sift flour and cornmeal into a bowl.

3. Pit and finely chop the olives, and stir into the flour.

4. Stir the flour mixture into the buttercream, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

5. Preheat the oven to 300 F.

6. Line the bottom of a 9x9 inch pan with wax paper, and grease the sides with butter.

7. Press the coarse dough into the pan with floured hands (Do not worry if the dough is crumbly, because it will give the sablé texture to the shortbread)

8. Prickle the dough with a fork and bake for 50 mins, until lightly golden.

9. Let cool slightly and cut the cookies using a knife. (Similar to the sablés, the dough is soft to the touch)

10. Let cool completely before unmolding.

Cinnamon Tomato Pork Tenderloin and Smoked Paprika Oven Fries

2008-05-10T19:25:00.000-07:00

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Put pork on your fork!

That’s the slogan that Alberta Pork uses to incite the public to eat porcine meat and help the farmers’ crisis. Has it worked? As of late, pork producers have decided to donate their excess to the Food Bank instead of destroying their animals.

For my part, I am trying to keep up and come up with new recipes. Pork likes sweet and sour, as I found with my apple-mango, honey-nectarine and tamarind experiments. The tomato marinade I used here would be perfect for barbecued baby back ribs, but because the tenderloin is leaner than the ribs, cinnamon and cloves enhance the sweetness of the tomato in a very different manner. The dark and syrupy mushroom-infused soy sauce, which does not taste as salty as tamari sauce, adds more depth to the marinade. Instead of white vinegar, I used cider vinegar to thin the marinade which is much milder. For the calorie conscious ones, the accompanying oven fries are a must – Keep the skins on! They are rich in Vitamin C!!!

Ingredients for 2 generous (or 4 small) servings:

1 pork tenderloin (about 1 pound)

1 teaspoon black peppercorn

1 teaspoon cloves

1 stick cinnamon

1 tablespoon mushroom soy sauce

1 teaspoon kosher salt

2 bay leaves

2 tablespoons cider vinegar

1 tablespoon tomato paste

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Place the pork tenderloin in a sealable plastic bag or a bowl and add black peppercorn, cloves, cinnamon, soya sauce, bay leaves, tomato paste, vinegar, olive oil, salt and pepper.

2. Marinate in the fridge for 2 hrs.

3. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

4. Transfer into an oven dish and roast for 20 mins, until the internal temperature reaches 150 F.

5. Remove the tenderloin from the oven and tent with foil for 5 mins.

6. Carve the meat and serve with oven fries and green beans.

Smoked Paprika Oven Fries

Ingredients for 4 servings:

4 russet potatoes

1 heaping teaspoon smoked paprika

1 tablespoon Italian herbs

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Wash and slice the potatoes.

2. Preheat the oven to 425F.

3. In a large bowl, mix the potatoes with the paprika, herbs, olive oil and seasoning.

4. Spread onto a baking sheet and bake for 40 mins until golden and crisp, flipping the fries after 20 mins.

Sweet Macadamia-Chocolate and Savoury Cheddar-Sun Dried Tomato Scones

2008-05-10T18:23:00.000-07:00

Le weed-end, c’est sacré! Sacrebleu!

Weekends are sacred! Is it just me or do you also live for your weekends? A gorgeous, sunny Saturday afternoon and nothing to worry about - unless you are a grad student stuck in the lab, trying to complete the last experiments that will set you free from your slave-driving boss!

Friday, 4 pm…no 3:30 pm. Traffic is already backed up, but for once this week, nothing will take that smile off your face. Not mine, anyway. Shut the car door, put my sunnies on. Turned CKUA on. Already cruising off the office politics, planning for a well-deserved glass of wine and a relaxing fin de semaine.

This weekend, you might have planned for afternoon tea with you girlfriends or a brunch with your in-laws, and scones are an easy treat to make. They are best freshly baked, but they barely need any kneading to achieve flakiness and lightness. I just simply wanted to treat myself with something other than muffins for brunch, plus I got to snack on the leftover for goûter instead of cheese and crackers. The buttermilk dough I found in Chatelaine is not only light but, but also slightly tangy. I decided to divide my dough into two portions for sweet and savoury scones, but you can easily make two separate batches to scale it up.

These scones are decadent enough to be enjoyed on their own, but feel free to enhance your experience with simple yogurt dips! A berry yogurt is the perfect match for the rich and sweet macadamia and chocolate scones. For the cheddar and sun-dried tomato scones, a plain yogurt spiked with lime juice and a pinch of salt. YUM!

Ingredients for 12 scones:

2 cups baking or all-purpose flour

2 tablespoons granulated sugar

1 tablespoon baking powder

¾ teaspoon salt

¼ cup cold unsalted butter, cubed

1 egg

½ cup buttermilk

2 tablespoons milk

For 6 sweet scones:

1/3 cup macadamia nuts

1/8 cup dark chocolate chips

For 6 savoury scones:

½ cup grated yellow cheddar

¼ cup sliced sun dried tomatoes

1 small red onion (about ¼ cup)

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt into a large bowl.

2. Stir in sugar using a fork.

3. Cut the cold butter into the flour until crumbly.

4. In another bowl, whisk egg with buttermilk.

5. Make a well in the flour mixture and pour in the egg mixture.

6. Mix with a wooden spoon. Divide the dough into two bowls at this point if you want to make sweet and savoury scones.

7. With floured hands, add in chopped macadamia nuts and chocolate chips for the sweet scones; cheddar, sun dried tomatoes and red onion for the savoury scones.

8. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

9. Line one or two baking sheets with parchment paper.

10. Gently knead the dough for 10 secs, just enough to mix the filling in.

11. Gather and pat the dough onto a floured board to form a ½ inch-thick disk.

12. Cut out scones using a floured small glass.

13. Place the scones about 1 inch apart on the lined baking sheets.

14. Lightly brush with milk and bake for 13 mins, until light golden.

15. Cool on a rack and serve with yogurt.

Barbecued Wild Salmon With Herb Potatoes and Piccantelli Asparagus

2008-05-03T23:14:00.000-07:00

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Spring is definitely here. Time to dust off that good ol’charcoal barbecue!

I love barbecuing because the smokiness of the charcoal enhances the natural flavours of your aliments. It is also the easiest way to deal with whole fish. This time, I just rubbed salmon with salt and pepper, filled it with lemon slices and thrown it on the grill. Once you lit the charcoal, there is nothing to stop you from cooking your veggies right there too! I used the heat of the barbecue to steam my foil-wrapped potatoes and piccantelli asparagus, to complete this simple and tasty meal.

Ingredients for 6-8 servings:

1 whole wild salmon

1 sliced lemon

Salt and pepper

Olive oil

For the herb potatoes:

1 russet potato per serving

1 tablespoon Italian herbs

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Olive oil

For the piccantelli asparagus:

6 asparagus spears per serving

¼ cup piccantelli olives

Olive oil

1. Boil the potatoes for 30 mins.

2. Score the potatoes using a knife and rub herbs and salt into the cuts.

3. Drizzle the potatoes with olive oil and tighly wrap with aluminum foil.

4. Light up the barbecue.

5. Rinse the fish with cold water and pat dry using paper towel.

6. Rub the fish with salt and pepper and fill the belly with lemon slices.

7. Wrap the fish with aluminum foil.

8. When the coals are ready, place fish and potatoes on the barbecue.

9. Snap the asparagus ends off.

10. Top the asparagus with the olives, drizzle with olive oil and wrap with aluminum foil.

11. After barbecueing for 15-20 mins, remove the foil from the fish.

12. Steam the asparagus on the barbecue for 15-20 mins.

13. Serve immediately.

Lime Orange Mousse

2008-05-03T14:31:00.000-07:00

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I would usually go for chocolate mousse, but this is my orange year!

Navel oranges, enormous crates of them, invaded our grocery stores this winter and spring! There is so much more to oranges than your daily breakfast juice. I have been enjoying every ray of sun from each section, simply tossed in fruit salad or in a spinach and strawberry salad.

After orange meringues, why not give a try to orange mousse. Just like for a hollandaise, the challenge of this dessert was getting the orange-yolk mixture to thicken over the double-boiler, but with patience, the result was well-worth the effort. The thicker, the better! This much lighter and healthier fruit version of the French classic makes a perfect, refreshing dessert, especially with one or two vanilla sablés.

Ingredients:

2 eggs

2 oranges

1 lime

1 cup whipping cream

1 tablespoon triple sec

½ cup sugar

1. Separate the eggs.

2. In a small bowl, stir together egg yolks, orange and lime zests, orange and lime juices, liquor and sugar.

3. Place the bowl on a double-boiler and gently whisk for 10-15 mins, until smooth and thickened. (Note: The yolk mixture should coat the back of a spoon.)

4. Cool to room temperature.

5. In another bowl, beat the egg whites using an electrical mixer until firm peaks form and fold into the egg yolk mixture.

6. Using an electrical mixer, whip the cream until soft peaks form and fold into the egg foam.

7. Refrigerate for at least 4 hrs before serving. (Tip: You can also make the mousse one day ahead)

Madagascar Vanilla Sablés

2008-05-03T14:02:00.000-07:00

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After trying the pain d’épices, I was trying to remember all my favourite childhood snacks. Of course, sablés and palets bretons were one of them. Sablés and palets are the French shortbread cookies from Normandy and Brittany. I hope to find a recipe for palets; in the meantime, here are my sablés. Just as buttery as the Scottish cookie, their texture is slightly sandy, hence the name. Unlike other shortbread recipes, I thought that Madagascar vanilla would be perfect to enhance the delicate, nutty flavour of this cookie. Simple and delicious.

Ingredients for 3 dozen sablés:

1 ½ cup cake or all-purpose flour
4 tablespoons cornmeal
1 vanilla bean
½ teaspoon vanilla extract (Note: I make my own vanilla extract by letting the beans soak in dark rum. This method also helps preserve the vanilla beans, preventing them beans from drying)
1 cup unsalted butter, diced and at room temperature
1 cup icing (confectioner’s) sugar
2 egg yolks
1 pinch of salt

1. Sift flour, cornmeal and sugar into a bowl.

2. Cut the butter into the flour mixture, until the mixture resembles coarse meal.

3. Separate the egg yolks into a small bowl.

4. Slice the vanilla bean, scrape the vanilla seeds onto the yolks, and lightly mix in the extract with a fork.

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5. Stir the egg mixture into the flour mixture using a wooden spoon until obtaining coarse dough.

6. Divide the dough into two portions and transfer onto parchment paper.

7. Press and roll each portion into a 2 inch-diameter log using the parchment paper.

8. Refrigerate for at least 2 hrs (overnight if possible).

9. Preheat oven to 340 F.

10. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper

11. Once the logs are chilled, cut the dough into ½ inch discs using a serrated knife. (Tip: If the dough is crumbly, slightly pat the dough and put back into the fridge)

12. Place on baking sheet spaced 1 inch apart and bake for 10-12 minutes until just lightly golden on the edges.

13. At this point, the cookies are soft to the touch. Let cool on baking sheets until firm.

Chocolate Raisin Oatmeal Cookies

2008-04-25T20:29:00.000-07:00

(click on the picture for details...)

Please, please! Make my favourite cookies, this time!

Which ones?

Well, I think that we can all relate to this piece of conversation!

I think that we just don’t want to admit it, we all love cookies! I like baking them, but I like eating them too. Truth be told, pleasing your loved ones is the best catalyst for baking cookies.

Everyone has a favourite cookie! Oatmeal cookies! We got oats, raisins and chocolate! Just for that! I know that, for the purist, I am missing chopped walnuts or pecans here. Well, I just wanted my buttery treats soft and chewy but you are most welcome to add nuts for crunch. Because, I was in spicy mood, I also decided to incorporate spices from my pain d’épices recipe into my cookies.

Ingredients for 4 dozen cookies:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

1½ cup flour

1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup Thompson raisins

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars using an electric mixer, until fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

4. Incorporate the flour mixture to the buttercream.

5. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and raisins.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

7. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. Drop the cookie dough using a teaspoon onto the lined sheets. Make sure to leave 2 inches in between the mounds, because the cookies will flatten and spread upon baking.

9. Bake for 10 mins.

10. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 mins then on a wire rack.

Strawberry Mascarpone Spice Sandwiches

2008-04-25T16:41:00.000-07:00

(Click on the picture for more details...)

Spring is definitely here! At the grocery store, the fresh strawberry baskets are expanding from week to week! I cannot wait until they reach the flat size to make jam, of course, but also quick-and-easy desserts like this sandwich. I would have made oversized cookies for strawberry shortcakes, but I already made pain d’épices so that what I used instead.

Ingredients for 4 dozen cookies:

1 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 cup brown sugar

2 large eggs

2 teaspoon vanilla

1½ cup flour

1 ¼ teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon ground cloves

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup chocolate chips

1 cup Thompson raisins

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter and sugars using an electric mixer, until fluffy.

2. Beat in the eggs and vanilla.

3. In a small bowl, mix flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

4. Incorporate the flour mixture to the buttercream.

5. Stir in oats, chocolate chips, and raisins.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

7. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. Drop the cookie dough using a teaspoon onto the lined sheets. Make sure to leave 2 inches in between the mounds, because the cookies will flatten and spread upon baking.

9. Bake for 10 mins.

10. Cool on the baking sheet for 2 mins then on a wire rack.

Saturday Night Homemade Pizzas

2008-04-25T16:17:00.000-07:00

(Click on pizza#1 to see pizza#2)

Bardeco at the corner of St-Mathieu and Lincoln in Montréal, then Royal Pizza in Edmonton’s Old Strathcona were my weekly, lazy-let’s-order-in night favourites.

I used to order pizza in all the time, but it was too much cheese, too much salt that I woke up in the middle of the night with a dry mouth!!! I also bought pre-packaged pizza crusts from the grocery stores, but they tend to be too soggy!

…Until I discovered homemade pizzas.

Easy, cheap and most delicious!

The great thing about homemade pizza is that you can make the dough, forget about it for a few hours, and knead it again for a short second rise while preparing the toppings. If you plan ahead, you could let the dough rise while you are out and about, relaxing at the movies or splurging on a new pair of Arnold Churgins!

Even better, you get to create your own pizza. Anything you can imagine for tasty homemade pizzas: barbequed red peppers, piccantelli olives, anchovies, and fresh buffalo mozzarella and herbs! Infinite possibilities! You have here two toppings for you to try. For the adventurous palate, the first one combining apples, capicollo, with Serrano peppers is sweet, savoury and spicy; the second one with tomatoes, anchovies and olives is for the conservative palate.

I adapted the recipe for the dough from the Joy of Cooking, added a tiny bit more water and reduced the amount of salt.

Ingredients for 2 pizza crusts:

3 cups all-purpose flour

1½ cup warm water

2 ½ teaspoons active dry yeast

2 teaspoons salt

1 tablespoon sugar

2 tablespoons olive oil

Toppings for Pizza#1:

1 egg yolk

¼ cup mustard

2 tablespoon lemon juice or cider vinegar

100 g capicollo

1 apple (or grapple: grape-flavoured apple)

1 red pepper

1 small red onion

4 Serrano peppers

¼ cup grated parmesan, preferably grana padano, or gruyere

Fresh Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Toppings for Pizza#2:

¼ cup tomato paste

4 slices pancetta

6-8 anchovies

1 tomato

1 yellow pepper

2 tablespoons capers

¼ cup piccantelli olives

Italian herbs

¼ cup grated parmesan, preferably grana padano, or gruyere

Fresh Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a large bowl, stir the yeast into the warm water.

2. Let dissolve for 5 mins.

3. Stir in the olive oil with sugar and salt, then the flour.

4. Knead the dough for 10 mins to form a smooth and elastic ball.

5. Place the ball of dough in a bowl, cover and let rise for 2 hrs in a warm location, until doubled in size.

6. Punch and divide the dough into two balls.

7. Lightly knead, wrap in plastic film and let rise again while you prepare the toppings.

8. Preheat the oven to 425 F.

9. Grease or line two pizza pans.

10. Roll the dough using a rolling pin and place on the lined pans.

11. Allow the dough to relax before adding the toppings.

12. Drizzle with olive oil and bake for 20 mins.

13. Sprinkle with chopped parsley before serving.

Lazy Sunday Slow-Braised Yam Short Ribs à l’Orange

2008-04-12T12:12:00.000-07:00

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My most unconventional dishes are the ones that I have created when my fridge and pantry are almost empty. Those days, it would have most likely snowed and the roads would be unplowed. Last Saturday was just like one of those days, I slept in late and, of course, I did not feel like facing the shopping crowds. No urge to bump around Edmonton’s slushy streets, to hunt for the primo parking spot, nor to elbow my neighbours for the perfect English cucumber! This weekend was going to be Zen, not zany.

This dish was made with the last carrot, celery and oranges that I could find in our crisper - not even a single mushroom. Lucky we had short ribs in the freezer and a lone yam in the pantry! With a little help from the slow cooker, it turned out to be a fantastic stew, melt-in-your mouth ribs infused with sweet, zesty oranges and enhanced with rich, creamy yam.

Ingredients:

2 pounds beef short ribs

1 teaspoon salt

1 large yam or sweet potato

2 oranges

1 carrot

3 stalks celery

1 onion

½ to 1 cup red wine

1 teaspoon smoked paprika

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop the celery and carrot, cut oranges and yam into 2 inch pieces.

2. Transfer half of the yam and the other vegetables into the slow cooker.

3. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

4. Season and sauté the ribs until all the sides are browned.

5. Transfer the ribs, with bone underneath, onto the vegetables.

6. Chop and add the onion to the drippings.

7. After 1-2 mns, deglaze with a splash of wine until the onions are softened.

8. Add the rest of the wine and transfer the onions to the slow cooker.

9. Sprinkle with the smoked paprika.

10. Slow cook for at least 6 hrs. Moisten the stew with wine if it looks dry.

11. One hour before serving, add the rest of the yam.

12. Serve hot over steamed rice or crusty bread.

Oyster Mushroom and Zucchini Quiche with Strawberry Frisée Salad

2008-04-12T10:20:00.000-07:00

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Bacon bits, melted cheese chunks, cream and onions in flaky puff-pastry, anyone? The quintessential French comfort food - mac n’cheese-style. Very tasty for sure! But with spring at our door, as I was browsing through Helen’s fresh-looking salads, I thought that a lighter, tart-like version would be more appropriate! Of course, I did not forget any bacon, cheese or onions, but the stars of this quiche are oyster mushrooms and zucchini. I would have gone for cremini mushrooms, I just could not resist their velvety and delicate texture when I saw them. The small zucchini were also too tempting to ignore.

The highlight of the vinaigrette is Angostura bitters, which are an essential, sweet and not bitter at all, ingredient in the perfect Manhattan. Their sweetness, combined with fresh, juicy strawberries and savoury celery, moderates the mild bitterness of the frisée, making a perfect counterpoint for the quiche.

Ingredients for a 9x13 inch quiche:

1 package frozen puff pastry (No time to mess around this time!)

2 cups oyster mushrooms

1 red pepper

3 small zucchini

1 small red onion

1 medium onion

4 slices pancetta

2 tablespoons capers

1 teaspoon nutmeg

4 eggs

1½ cup milk

¼ cup grated parmesan, preferably grana padano, or gruyere

Fresh Italian parsley

Salt and pepper to taste

Ingredients for the salad:

A few leaves of frisée lettuce

1 cup strawberries

2 stalks celery

1 tablespoon cider vinegar

1-2 drops Angostura bitters

1 tablespoon olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Line a 9x13 inch baking dish with parchment paper.

2. Roll the puff pastry and transfer into the paper.

3. Slice mushrooms, pepper, zucchini, red onion and scatter over the dough.

4. Heat a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

5. Brown then drain the pancetta on paper towel.

6. Slice, sauté the onion in the pancetta drippings, until caramelized.

7. Scatter pancetta and caramelized onion over the vegetables.

8. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

9. In a bowl, lightly beat eggs, milk, nutmeg, salt and pepper using a fork.

10. Pour the egg mixture onto the filling and spread on the cheese, out to the edges.

11. Bake for 30-45 mins, until the filling is set and begins to brown.

12. While baking the quiche, wash, tear off and let drain the frisée.

13. Wash and chop strawberries and celery.

14. In a salad bowl, whisk together vinegar, bitters, olive oil, salt and pepper.

15. Before serving, toss the frisée, strawberries and celery into the vinaigrette.

16. Bon appétit!

Pain d’Épices

2008-04-12T09:16:00.000-07:00

(click on the picture for more...)

I know most of you associate exotic spices with Christmas and gingerbread cookies, Thanksgiving and pumpkin pie, or Easter and hot cross buns. For me, spices mean pain d’épices, a specialty loaf from Eastern France loaded with honey and spices.

For our after-school goûter, my sister and I used to have one or two buttered slices of pain d’épices with a warm cup of milk – nothing is better than milk and cookies on a rainy day! I remember seeing it at the gourmet food store in Montréal and at the Italian store in Edmonton, with Prosper, the teddy bear, smiling on the label. I had completely forgotten about it until we got to have it toasted and covered with foie gras for New Year’s Eve. How sweet, how decadent!

Back at the Italian store, I resisted getting my childhood treat, but I was determined to find a homemade spice loaf recipe. I chose this great, low-calorie recipe, in French, from the Marmiton, because it uses milk, not butter. Instead of using powders, I opted for bulk or fresh spices and doubled their amounts. I also replaced the ground fennel seeds with grated anis wood from Madagascar and added orange zest instead of using Chinese five spice mixture.

Aniswood is a peculiar spice, which like cinnamon, comes from the bark of the ravitsara, a tree native to Madagascar. Like for nutmeg, the bark is chunky and needs to be grated to release its flavour. I have used the bark to infuse my barbequed mahi-mahi or my short ribs with sweetness and smokiness.

Adapted and translated from the Marmiton.

Ingredients for one loaf:

250 gram cake or all-purpose flour
½ cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon grated aniswood
2 teaspoons ground cloves
2 teaspoons ground nutmeg
2 teaspoons freshly grated cinnamon
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
½ teaspoon cracked black peppercorn
½ teaspoon salt
1 orange zest
2/3 cup honey (Still my very special honey I used for the brûlée)
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
2/5 cup milk, preferably homo milk
¼ cup triple sec

1. In a large bowl, mix flour, sugar, baking soda, salt and all the spices but the vanilla using a whisk.

2. Heat the honey until just bubbling.

3. Make a well in the flour mixture.

4. Pour and stir in the warm honey using a wooden spoon.

5. Incorporate the eggs, adding one at a time, then the vanilla.

6. Heat the milk, until warm, and add to form a smooth batter.

7. Preheat the oven to 320 F.

8. Line a loaf pan with parchment or wax paper.

9. Transfer the batter into the pan.

10. Bake for 1hr – 1¼ hr, until a toothpick comes out residue-free when inserted into the cake.

11. Let cool in the pan to room temperature.

12. Unmold, moisten with liqueur and wrap in aluminum foil for at least 2hr before serving.

Sautéed Baby Artichokes

2008-04-06T12:21:00.000-07:00

(click on the picture for more...)

Another great find from the Italian store this week: fresh baby artichokes. It barely takes a few steps to prepare artichokes, but they take almost one hour to steam or boil. This recipe is a quick and easy alternative, and if you do not have baby artichokes, you can peel the hard, outer petals off and remove the fuzz to get closer to the heart – Yes! In case you did not know, artichokes are actually giant thistle flowers! Easy peazy! Instead of an appetizer, you get a tasty side dish to go with your chicken!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

6 baby artichokes

1 onion

3 cloves garlic

1 lemon

Vinegar (or lemon)

Salt and pepper to taste

Olive oil

1. To prepare the artichokes, peel off 2-3 layers of the hard, outer petals.

2. Cut the stem and 1 ½ inch off the tip.

3. Soak the prepared artichokes into a bowl of cold water spiked with vinegar to prevent any oxidation from occurring.

4. Heat ¼ cup of olive oil in a skillet over medium-high heat.

5. Chop onion and garlic.

6. Drain and dry the artichokes using paper towels, then half or quarter them depending on their size.

7. Add the babies to the skillet, together with the onion and garlic.

8. Stir fry for 5-10 mins, until the babies are softened.

9. Season to taste and sprinkle with lemon juice and zest before serving.

Banana Ketchup and Sun Dried Tomato Chicken

2008-04-06T12:05:00.000-07:00

(click on the picture for more)

Cooking banana and chicken together sounds weird, doesn’t it? Well! Wait until you have read and tried this tasty recipe!

Have you ever tried banana sauce? We found it at the Chinese superstore, with the rest of the condiments. Expected a heavy sweet-and-sour, banana-y taste, got a surprisingly mild-tasting ketchup instead! The banana ketchup is actually a product of the Philippines where it is popular as a dip for eggrolls and, just like its North-American tomato counterpart, it can be used as spread for hot dogs, hamburgers, and French fries.

I would usually use tomato paste to thicken my chicken dishes but, this time, I chose the sweet and sour condiment to enhance the sweetness of the red pepper and the sun dried tomatoes. As you know now, the chicken does not taste like bananas! It is yummy, even yummier with sautéed baby artichokes!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 pound chicken drumsticks (or breasts)

1 hot pepper (Cherry bomb)

1 red pepper

½ cup sun-dried tomatoes

1 small red onion

2 stalk celery

1 bottle banana ketchup

1 cup dry white wine

1 clove garlic

1 teaspoon Kosher salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

Olive oil

1. Season the chicken with salt, pepper and herbs.

2. Turn the oven broiler on.

3. Transfer the chicken onto a baking sheet and broil for 30 mins until all sides are golden and tent with foil.

4. While broiling the chicken, heat some oil over medium high heat in a pan.

5. Smash the garlic and chop the onion, celery, and pepper.

6. Add the chopped vegetables and the tomatoes to the pan and stir fry for 1-2 mins.

7. Stir the banana ketchup and the wine in.

8. Let simmer for 10 mins.

9. Add the broiled chicken into the sauce and let simmer for 30 mins over medium to low heat.

10. Serve with sticky rice and sautéed baby artichokes.

Victoria Rhubarb Mascarpone Sponge Cake

2008-04-05T18:13:00.000-07:00

(click on the picture for more details)

Goodbye Mr. March, welcome Ms. April!

In the old saying, if March comes in like a lion, it will go out like a lamb. This year, March came in warm and sunny, early signs of spring were everywhere surrounding us. Beautiful skiing in Fernie’s powder bowls, tulips and daffodils poking out in our yard….Just like a lion! But, then it left us with snow, fog and frigid temperatures last week. Not a lamb, instead a reminder that summer cannot be here yet!

I cannot wait any longer, and I had to make this very easy, fabulous dessert to bring spring back to my table. In my version of this sponge cake sandwich, Queen Victoria’s favourite treat for afternoon tea, I substituted the traditional sticky and sugar-laden jam and whipped cream with a sweet-and-sour orange and rhubarb compote and an unctuous orange-flavoured mascarpone cheese.

Ingredients for 8 generous servings:

Sponge Cakes:

1 cup butter

½ cup sugar

4 large eggs

2 cups cake or all-purpose flour

3 teaspoons baking powder

1½ Kosher salt

½ cup candied lemon rinds

Cream Filling:

½ pound mascarpone cheese

2 tablespoons icing sugar

1 orange

Rhubarb filling:

3 cups frozen rhubarb

½ cup sugar

2 oranges

1 stick cinnamon

2-3 tablespoons triple sec

1. In a bowl, cream together butter and sugar using an electrical mixer, until light and fluffy.

2. Add the eggs, one at a time to give a homogenous cream.

3. In another bowl, resift the flour with the baking powder and the salt.

4. Fold the flour mixture into the butter cream, then the candied rinds.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

6. Line the bottom of two 8-inch round pans with wax paper, butter and dust the sides with flour.

7. Divide the batter into two and spread each half into the pans using a spatula.

8. Bake for 20-25 mins, until a toothpick comes out residue-free when inserted into the cake.

9. Let cool in the pans for 5-10 mins, then transfer on a rack.

10. To prepare the rhubarb filling, place rhubarb, sugar, orange juice and zest, and cinnamon in a saucepan.

11. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat while stirring, and lower the heat to a gentle simmer, until the fruit is tender.

12. Let cool slightly and stir in the liquour.

13. In the meantime, whisk cheese, icing sugar, orange juice and zest in a bowl until smooth.

14. To assemble the dessert, spread the rhubarb filling on one of the sponge cakes.

15. Poke the cake with a fork and wait 1-2 mins to allow any liquid to permeate and moisten the sponge.

16. Spread the cheese on the rounded side of the other cake.

17. Place the cakes right on top of each other, gently pressing to contact with the cheese with the rhubarb.

18. Sprinkle the top with icing sugar and enjoy without moderation!

Orange Meringues

2008-03-29T12:11:00.001-07:00

(click on the picture for details)

Custard-based recipes like ice-creams, crême brûlée, and tiramisu mainly require egg yolks, and you always end up with extra egg whites. One way to use up leftover whites is to make soufflé - and I will hopefully be able to share my taro root soufflé with you very soon! If you need to satisfy your sweet tooth and are not up to the challenge, a simpler way is to make meringues. Meringue cookies may seem intimidating for any beginner, but as long as you start with water- and grease-free utensils and bowls, these feather-light cookies will be a breeze to make!

Ingredients for 3-4 dozen cookies:

5 large egg whites (Tip: Make also sure that no yolk has slipped into your bowl when you separate your eggs !)

7 ounces icing sugar

Zest of 1 orange

1. Sift the icing sugar to ensure that there will be no lumps and zest the orange.

2. In a large bowl, beat the egg whites using an electrical mixer until firm peaks form.

3. Slowly add the sugar while keeping the mixer on to obtain glossy peaks.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

5. Line baking sheets with parchemin paper.

6. Gently fold the zest into the whites and transfer into a freezer bag.

7. Cut one tip of the bag and pipe the whites onto the lined baking sheets, keeping about one inch between the cookies.

8. Bake for 1 hr, making sure not to open the oven door during the first 30 mns. (Tip: Try to bake all the cookies in one batch prevent the meringues from falling)

9. Let cool on a rack to room temperature.

Crême Brûlée A Ma Façon

2008-03-29T11:30:00.000-07:00

(click on the picture for more details)

What is so special about this traditional French dessert?!

I love crême brûlée, I especially love to crack the warm caramel crust and dive into the cool custard. I also love to top my brûlée with a handful of raspberries and blackberries, and let the tartness of the fruit balance the sweetness of the cream.

The star ingredient of my crème brûlée is honey and this honey from my great uncle’s beehives makes this dessert even more special to me! Not only it is sweet and thick, but it has also captured the smokiness of the charcoal-burning braziers, which the main source of heat in the remote village of A. I recognize that a beekeeping great uncle, living in the Highlands of Madagascar is unique, but the rich flavours of any organic honey from your local farmer’s market or a visit to a beekeeper in the nearby countryside will make your dessert just as tasty and memorable as mine!

Ingredients for 6 servings:

2 cups whipping cream

5 large egg yolks (Tip: The whites can be saved in the freezer for a few weeks, I used mine for meringue cookies!)

1 large egg

2/3 cup honey

1 vanilla bean

1 cup fresh fruit like orange, raspberries, and blackberries

1 ounce triple sec

1. In a small saucepan, heat the cream and the vanilla bean cut lengthwise.

2. Let simmer for 5 mns and remove from the heat.

3. In a large bowl, beat the eggs with the honey using a whisk until creamy.

4. Slowly stir the warm cream into the egg mixture, until homogenous.

5. Pass through a fine mesh sieve, into a large measuring cup.

6. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

7. Equally distribute into ramequins.

8. Transfer the ramequins into a large baking dish.

9. Fill ¾ of the baking dish with cold water and bake until almost set (about 45 mns).

10. Let cool on a rack to room temperature and chill for at least 4 hrs.

11. To make a quick fruit salad, cut the fruit into bite-size pieces and add to a small bowl.

12. Mix in the orange zest and the triple sec.

13. Before serving, sprinkle with a thin layer of sugar and brown using a torch or under the broiler.

14. Top with fresh fruit salad.

Slow Roasted Beef with Roasted Vegetables

2008-03-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

(Click on the picture for more details)

Spring is finally here and this simple and delicious roast, with its ratatouille, is the best way to celebrate the return of long and warm days! What I like about this roast, just like for the rack of pork roast, is that both meat and side vegetables are cooked at the same time, in the same pan. The meat is seared in the pan to create a crust then roasted at low temperature, so that the vegetables do not get carbonized but simmer gently into a roasted ratatouille. Also, the meat is placed on the rack to preserve its integrity, while allowing the juices to drip into the vegetables underneath. As for the leftovers, you can carve enough meat for roastbeef on baguette enhanced with a cold ratatouille salad.

Ingredients:

3 pound (1½ kilogram) eye of round roast beef

1 cup fresh parsley

½ cup walnut halves

2 or 3 garlic cloves

4 cup zucchini squash

1 cup cremini mushrooms

1 small red onion

1 red pepper

1 yellow pepper

4 ripe tomatoes

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 275 F.

2. Roughly chop the vegetables into 2 inch cubes and slice the onion.

3. Place vegetables and onion in the bottom of the roasting pan.

4. Chop together parsley, walnut halves and garlic.

5. Mix ¾ of the parsley mixture with the vegetables.

6. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt and pepper.

7. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over high heat.

8. Season and pan-sear the roast until all the sides are brown.

9. After letting the roast rest for 5 mns, cover the roast with the rest of the parsley mixture.

10. Place the roast on the rack.

11. Cook the roast for 1 ½ to 2 hrs, until the internal temperature reaches 140 F.

12. Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 5-10 mins.

13. Carve the meat and serve with the roasted vegetables (Tip: For a kick fix, drizzle some balsamic vinegar into the vegetables before serving).

Slow-Braised Daikon and Shiitake Beef Shanks

2008-03-21T23:08:00.000-07:00

(Click on the picture for more details)

Another trip to the Chinese superstore! Another cartful of great, fresh produce and all you need for a succulent, slow-braised dish! This time we got daikon and shiitake mushrooms to cook with the whole, fresh beef shanks from the butcher’s counter. This recipe requires a few ingredients only and, as you will find out, two beef shanks and one giant Asian radish will fill your slow-cooker! The tomatoes and the peppers act as thickeners for the mild-tasting juices given off by the daikon root, at the same time they bring sweetness and depth to the dish.

Ingredients for 6 servings:

2 beef shanks (about 2 pounds)

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

1 daikon root

3 sticks celery

1½ cup shiitake mushrooms

Whole hot chillies to taste

½ to 1 cup dry white wine

Garlic stems

2 bay leaves

16 ounces can tomato

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Chop the daikon, celery and mushrooms and transfer to the slow cooker.

2. Cut the stems off the peppers and add to the vegetables with the bay leaves. (NB: If you are sensitive to hot chillies, you can half them and remove the seeds or you can keep them whole and poke them with a fork to slowly let the heat diffuse into the dish)

3. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

4. Mix the flour with salt and pepper on a plate and coat the beef shanks with the flour mixture. Drain the flour and brown the meat in the hot oil.

5. Transfer the beef shanks to the slow cooker.

6. Chop the garlic stems and add to the hot pan. Stir-fry for 1-2 mns over low to medium-high heat.

7. Deglaze with the wine and stir in the leftover flour.

8. Let simmer for 2 mns. Pour the gravy over the meat.

9. Slow cook on high for 1 hour.

10. Add the tomatoes and cook for at least another 6 hrs, until the meat is fork tender.

11. Serve hot over steamed rice, asparagus or green beans.

Celeriac Purée

2008-03-15T09:36:00.000-07:00

(click on the wrinkly root for more details)

I love celeriac or celery root because of its fresh, anis-like flavour. Raw, it can be grated into a slaw, dressed with creamy dressing and incorporated into a refreshing, powerful salad. Cooking celeriac tones the anis flavour down and brings out the sweetness of the root, turning it such a great vegetable side-dish. This celeriac purée recipe is as easy as can be and could be used a base for celeriac soup: all you would have to do is to add chicken or vegetable stock to thin it out, whiz it et voilà! I chose to use the thick, flavourful mash to accompany my honey-glazed rack of pork roast.

Ingredients:

1 medium celeriac

1 small onion

1 or 2 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons Italian herbs

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup water

¼ cup dry white wine (or dry Vermouth)

1 teaspoon hot chili paste

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

2. Stir fry the onion and the celeriac until soft and lightly browned.

3. Press and add the garlic then the herbs and chili paste.

4. After 1-2 mins, pour in the wine and just enough water to cover the vegetables.

5. Cover and let simmer for 20 mins, until the celeriac is soft and the liquids are evaporated.

6. Mash and season to taste.

Honey-Glazed Red Peppercorn Rack of Pork with Nectarine and Cremini Mushrooms

2008-03-15T09:11:00.000-07:00

(Click on the picture for more details...)

A rack of pork is a delicious and affordable alternative to the rack of lamb. I t is also a great way to dress your ordinary chops for Sunday dinner! As for any roast, it only is a breeze to prepare! The bones will keep the flesh from drying off, and once ready, everyone gets to enjoy their juicy pork chop! Let your oven do the work this time and keep your cook top grease-free!

Anyone who has read my previous posts should not be surprised about the sweet-savory, fruit and pork combination in this main dish. Like for the mango apple with tenderloin or the orange tamarind with slow roasted belly, the nectarine and the pork juices intermingle beautifully in this recipe. For the skeptics, you’ve just got to try and you will be hooked!

Ingredients:

3 pound (1½ kilogram) rack of pork

¼ to ½ cup honey

1 cup red peppercorn

½ teaspoon coarse salt

1 cup cremini mushrooms

2 nectarines

¼ cup dry white wine (or dry Vermouth)

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

2. Mix the red peppercorn with the salt using a mortar and pestle. Completely cover the roast with red peppercorn.

3. In a small bowl, prepare the glaze by mixing honey and wine using a whisk until homogenous. Drizzle the roast with the glaze.

4. Place the roast in a baking dish, with bones underneath.

5. Cook the roast for 15 min.

6. Reduce the heat to 350 F and cook the roast for another 60 mins. (Do not open the oven door at this point!).

7. Roast until the internal temperature reaches 155 F.

8. In the last 20 mins of roasting, brush and slice the mushrooms and nectarines.

9. Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 5-10 mins.

10. Carve one chop at a time, leaving the bone on.

11. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes or with celeriac purée.

Crêpes with Blueberry Orange Sauce

2008-03-04T20:51:00.000-08:00

(click on the picture for more details...)

Originally from Brittany, crêpes are one of my favourite French foods. Simple and versatile, they can be enjoyed sweet or savoury. Whenever I make them, I fondly remember my crêpe parties with my roommates and friends during my undergraduate years. Everyone would make their own, and picked their own filling. I preferred them lined with a slice of ham and generously sprinkled with grated gruyère, and for dessert, I would indulge with Nutella spread and banana slices. Our movie nights at the theatre in Montparnasse would usually end at the bustling Crêperie de Josselin with a rustic, gargantuan meal with the typical bolée

– literally, apple cider served in a huge bowl.

Sunday brunch is also a great, leisurely time to enjoy crêpes. They are as easy to make as the traditional pancakes but they are also lighter. Feel free to douse them with the yummy blueberry orange sauce. Bon appétit!

Ingredients for about 12 crepes:

1 cup all purpose flour

2 large eggs

2 cups milk, preferably homo milk

1-2 teaspoon vanilla

1 pinch of salt

1 cup dark chocolate chips

1 orange

1½ cup frozen blueberry

3 tablespoons icing sugar

1 splash triple sec

1. In a large bowl, make a well with the flour.

2. Add in the eggs, milk, vanilla, and salt.

3. Stir until smooth using a whisk and let rest for 1 hour.

4. After one hour, preheat a non-stick frying pan under high heat.

5. To cook each crêpe, pour approx. ½ ladle of batter into the hot pan and swirl it around to cover the bottom with a thin, uniform layer.

6. Let one side of the crêpe cook for 1 min, until the edge browns.

7. Flip the crêpe to cook the other side for another min, and transfer into a plate. (Note: avoid stacking the crêpes to prevent them from becoming soggy. They can be kept warm in the oven)

8. To prepare the sauce, zest and press the orange into a small saucepan.

9. Add the blueberries to the saucepan.

10. Heat the fruit to medium-high and let simmer for 5 min.

11. Add 2/3 of the icing sugar and triple sec.

12. Sprinkle each crêpe with chocolate chips before folding.

13. Pour the warm blueberry sauce over the crêpes, dust with icing sugar and dig in!

Ginger and Chocolate Chip Chocolate Cookies

2008-03-02T14:59:00.000-08:00

(Click on the picture for details)

Once again, I had to make something to satisfy my chocolate craving. Thinking back at the chocolate recipes that I have posted so far, I saw that I completely forgot to mention chocolate chip cookies! I love cookies and if you are like me, you will like yours extra decadent, moist and – most of all, with as much chocolate as they can hold. If you are desperate for chocolate fix, you will not be disappointed by these treats. The candied ginger adds extra-special sweetness and warmth to these brownie-like chocolatey cookies! Delish!

Ingredients for about 3 dozen cookies:

1 cup room-temperature, unsalted butter

1 cup crystallized sugar

½ cup brown sugar

1 large egg

1-2 teaspoon vanilla

1/3 cup cocoa powder

2 tablespoons buttermilk

1¾ cup all purpose flour

¾ teaspoon baking soda

1 cup chopped walnuts

½ cup chopped candied ginger

¾ cup dark chocolate chips

1. In a large bowl, cream together butter, sugars and vanilla using an electric mixer, until fluffy.

2. Beat in the egg, then the sifted cocoa and the buttermilk.

3. In a small bowl, mix flour and baking soda.

4. Add the flour mixture to the chocolate buttercream.

5. Stir in ginger, chocolate, and walnuts.

6. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

7. Line the baking sheets with parchment paper.

8. Drop the cookie dough using a teaspoon onto the lined sheets, leaving 2 inches in between the mounds.

9. Bake for 12 mins.

10. Cool for 2 mins before removing from the baking sheet.

Melt in Your Mouth Slow Roasted Pork Side with Tamarind Sauce

2008-02-23T16:01:00.000-08:00

It is always fun to go to the Chinese superstore. Everything looks so fresh and exotic that your mind always races, thinking about all of the tasty meals, and you always end up with these unusual items in your cart: pork side, shiitake mushrooms, garlic stems and tamarind!

Pork side or belly, not to be mistaken with pork side ribs, is usually cured to give you bacon. In this recipe, it is slow-roasted with one bottle of white wine to give you one of the most delicious main dishes. The slow roasting process allows the flavours of the five spice rub to seep through the meat for the sweetest and the juiciest roasts. While keeping the meat moistened, a bed of shiitake mushrooms and Clementine oranges right underneath the pork side is also slow-roasted, diffusing their citrus and earthy aromas. Yum!

Tamarind is a fruit that I used to snack on when growing up in Madagascar. A pinch of salt, hot chilli powder and you were set! It is actually one of the main ingredients in barbecue sauces, so it is most appropriate here! A very simple tamarind sauce to offset the richness of the pork.

Just perfect served with blanched green beans, fresh noodles –and glass of Symphony!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

2 pounds pork side

2 to 3 tablespoons 5-spice mix (Note: You can find it at any Chinese store or make it yourself by combining fennel seed, star anise, cinnamon, cloves, and black pepper)

½ teaspoon Kosher salt

½ teaspoon red peppercorn

Garlic stems (another find from the Chinese store)

6 Clementine oranges

1 cup shiitake mushrooms

1/2 cup cremini mushrooms

1 red pepper

1 bottle dry white wine

2 cup fresh tamarind

1 cup water

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat the oven to its maximum temperature.
Finely crush the five spice mix, salt and red peppercorn in a mortar.
Score the skin of the pork using a sharp knife.
Rub the spice mixture into the cuts.
Chop the garlic stems, slice the red pepper, mushrooms and oranges.
Transfer fruit and vegetables into a baking dish and place the pork side on top.
Drizzle with olive oil and put in the hot oven.
After 10 mins, reduce the heat to 325 F and allow to roast for 1 hr.
After that first hour, remove any excess fat from the dish and add about two thirds of the white wine.
Roast for another 2 hrs, regularly basting the pork with the warm wine.
One hour before serving, peel and place the tamarind pods in a small saucepan.
Add water to the tamarind and let simmer for 30 mins over medium-high heat.
Once the tamarind is loosened, transfer onto a sieve and press the pulp through. (Note: Rinse with hot water to recover more tamarind pulp and juice)
Transfer the tamarind puree into the saucepan.
Stir in the rest of the white wine, let simmer over medium heat, until reduced and season to taste.

Homemade Fennel Squash Ravioli with Creamy Madagascar Green Peppercorn Sauce

2008-02-18T21:11:00.000-08:00

Another one of my pasta favourite are ravioli. They can be served as a main dish, but here I used them to accompany my Italian herb oven roast beef.

All you need to make ravioli is a basic pasta dough and the pasta machine, but you do not have one, a good rolling pin should work to get a thin dough (and it is excellent exercise too!). To cut the ravioli out into squares, I used a knife, but a cookie cutter also works for fancier designs - I just wanted mine to be as big as my appetite!

From then on, the only thing you need to decide is the filling. The sweet licorice taste of the fennel complements with the smooth and creamy squash, a perfect combination for my whole wheat ravioli. The creamy Madagascar peppercorn sauce is just hot enough to give a kick to this pasta dish.

Ingredients for 3 generous servings:

1/3 basic pasta dough using whole wheat flour

Ingredients for about 2 cups of fennel and squash filling:

1 small acorn squash

1 small fennel bulb

1 small onion

½ cup dry white wine

1 cup romano cheese

Olive oil

Salt

Pepper

Green peppercorn sauce:

½ cup Madagascar green peppercorn (I actually found some at the Italian store, but a gourmet food store should do!)

1 small onion

½ cup cream cheese

1 cup dry white wine

1 lime

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the basic pasta dough.

2. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

3. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

4. Cut the acorn squash into two and remove the seeds.

5. Place cut-side down in a baking dish, add 1 inch of water and bake for 1hr.

6. In the meantime, finely chop onion and fennel bulb, grate the cheese.

7. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a saucepan over medium-high heat.

8. Stir fry the onion and the fennel until soft.

9. Add the wine and let simmer for 5 mins until all liquid is evaporated.

10. Once the squash is soft, let cool slightly and scoop into the fennel.

11. Stir in the cheese, remove from heat and season to taste.

12. Let cool to room temperature.

13. Roll the pasta dough as thin as possible and cut into 3 in. x 6 in. rectangles.

14. For each ravioli, spoon some filling on one half of the rectangle, leaving a ¼ inch border along each side. NB: The filling should be cool and hold together to prevent any tearing of the dough.

15. Moisten the border with cold water using a brush or your finger.

16. Fold the rectangle over to cover the filling, pressing the borders together using a fork.

17. Place each ravioli side by side on a floured surface, making sure not to overlap them.

18. Cook the ravioli in boiling salted water for 3 mins.

19. Before serving, heat one tablespoon of olive oil in a saucepan, over medium-high heat to prepare the sauce.

20. Stir in the onion until translucent then the cream cheese.

21. After 1 min stir in the wine to loosen the cheese and reduce until creamy.

22. Drain and add the peppercorns.

23. Season and reduce the heat just to let the sauce warm to a low simmer.

24. Serve immediately.

Frangipane Buns

2008-02-02T16:26:00.000-08:00

It has been 30°C below zero all week up here, in Edmonton – almost 50°C with windchill! The best way, and of course my favourite, to fight these frigid temperatures is to bake. Nothing is more comforting than letting the warm scents of flour and yeast fill the house. You will find these almond swirls perfect for breakfast – or for gouter! One or two of these goodies and you will be ready to shovel the snow off your sidewalk ...or simply cuddle up in your favourite blanket by the fire.

Ingredients for 12 buns:

1/4 cup granulated sugar

1 pkg. active dry yeast (2 1/4 tsp.)

½ cup milk

1/4 cup butter

1 tsp salt

2 eggs, beaten

3 ¼ cups all-purpose flour (approx.)

Frangipane:

1 cup whole unblanched almonds

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/4 cup butter, softened

1 egg

3/4 tsp kirsch (or almond extract)

1 egg, beaten

1/4 cup sliced almonds

1 tbsp icing sugar

1. Add 1/4 cup warm water to a large bowl and stir in 2 tsp of the sugar.

2. Crumble the yeast into the sweet water and allow to dissolve about 10 minutes.

3. In a small saucepan, heat milk , remaining sugar, butter and salt until butter is melted; let cool to lukewarm.

4. Stir the milk mixture into the yeast mixture along with eggs.

5. Stir in the flour in three parts to form a shaggy dough.

6. Knead until smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes.

7. Transfer into a large greased bowl.

8. Cover with plastic wrap and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 1 ½ hours.

9. In the meantime, make the frangipane, by finely chopping the almonds in a food processor.

10. Pulse in sugar and flour.

11. Add butter, egg and kirsch to obtain a smooth paste.

12. Punch the dough down and roll the dough into 18 by 14 inch rectangle on a floured board.

13. Leaving a 1-inch border, mound some frangipane on one long side and spread the rest evenly over the dough.

14. Starting with mounded side, tightly roll up and pinch seam to seal.

15. Cut the roll into 12 slices using a serrated knife.

16. Line 13 by 9 inch metal cake pan with double thickness parchment paper.

17. Place the slices, cut side up, in the prepared pan.

18. Cover and let rise until doubled in bulk, about 45 minutes.

19. Preheat the oven to 375 F.

20. Brush with the beaten egg and sprinkle with the sliced almonds.

21. Bake until golden and rolls sound hollow when tapped on bottoms, 20 to 30 minutes.

22. Let cool in the pan for 5 minutes then on a rack.

Eggnog Tiramisu

2008-01-27T13:37:00.000-08:00

Well! Happy belated New Year! I had the most amazing Christmas break – in my native country, Madagascar. Just got back from the hot and humid Island and ready to brave the cold Alberta winter – in the kitchen, of course. I will make sure to share my most delicious adventures in my next posts. Until I get all my photos sorted out, I hope you can try this surprisingly light and fluffy tiramisu. The secret’s in the eggnog!!!

The recipe is inspired from the Epicurious recipe, without having to make your own eggnog. Bon Appétit!

Ingredients:

1 pound mascarpone cheese

1 cup eggnog

1 ounce dark rum

2 teaspoons grated nutmeg

1 cup whipping cream

1 cup strong espresso coffee

30 ladyfinger cookies

1 cup chocolate shavings

1. In a large bowl, mix mascarpone cheese, eggnog, nutmeg and 1 tablespoon of rum.

2. In another bowl, whip the cream until forming soft peaks.

3. Gently fold the cream into the cheese mixture.

4. Prepare the hot espresso.

5. To assemble, dip the ladyfingers in the hot coffee and layer at the bottom of a serving dish.

6. Sprinkle with rum and chocolate shavings.

7. Spoon some mascarpone mixture over the ladyfingers.

8. Repeat with one or two more layers of cookies, rum, chocolate shavings.

9. Finish with one layer of cheese covered with chocolate shavings.

10. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 6 hrs.

Cranberry White Chocolate and Almond Blondies

2007-12-09T11:36:00.000-08:00

(click on the picture for details)

These Blondies, not the 70’s rock band, are the lighter version of the brownies because they use butterscotch instead of chocolate. Unless you decide to let your chocolate craving decide for you! In that case, just add one cup of white chocolate chips! Sweet and sour dried cranberries and flavourful roasted almonds and you are set for goûter!

Ingredients:

½ cup butter

2/3 cup dark brown sugar

¼ cup crystallized sugar

1 large egg

1 large egg yolk

1 tablespoon corn syrup

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 cup all-purpose or cake flour

¼ teaspoon baking powder

1/8 teaspoon baking soda

1 pinch salt

1 cup white chocolate chips

1 cup chopped roasted almonds

1 cup dried cranberries

1. Melt the butter over medium high in a large saucepan and let simmer until golden brown.

2. Stir in the sugars using a whisk.

3. Remove from the heat and let cool to room temperature.

4. Beat in the eggs, syrup and vanilla.

5. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

6. Line a square baking pan with greased foil.

7. In a bowl, mix the flour with the baking powder, baking soda and salt.

8. Incorporate the flour into the butterscotch mixture.

9. Stir in the chocolate chips, chopped almonds and cranberries.

10. Transfer into the lined baking pan.

11. Bake for 20 mins.

12. Let cool on a rack.

White Chocolate and Persimmon Pots de Crême

2007-12-09T00:36:00.000-08:00

(click on the picture for details)

Pots de crême are of the same vein as Panna Cotta. This dessert is just as easy to prepare as its Italian counterpart, and I could not resist the temptation when I saw Ricardo and Friends. It follows the same steps, but the white chocolate definitely adds depth and richness to the cream. The refreshing persimmons balance each unctuous and decadent spoonful. Simply delicious!

(Adapted from Ricardo and Friends Pots de Crème Recipe)

Ingredients for 6 servings:

8 ounces white chocolate chips

¼ cup unsalted butter

3 large eggs

½ cup whipping cream

¼ cup buttermilk

1 teaspoon gelatin

3 tablespoons cold water

3 persimmons

Fresh mint

1. Melt the butter and the chocolate in a double boiler.

2. Remove the melted chocolate from the heat.

3. Stir in the eggs, then the cream and buttermilk using a whisk.

4. Add the gelatin to the cold water and let soften for 5 mins.

5. Put the mixing bowl containing the chocolate mixture on the hot water.

6. Stir in the gelatin until completely dissolved.

7. Remove from the heat.

8. Equally distribute into ramequins or glasses.

9. Chill overnight.

10. Before serving, top with thin slices of persimmons and a sprig of mint.

Homemade Cremini Ricotta Cannelloni with Sweet Basil and Tomato Sauce

2007-12-08T22:09:00.000-08:00

(click on the picture for details)

If you need a change from vegetarian lasagna, go for these whole wheat cannelloni. Instead of being layered with the pasta, cremini mushrooms and ricotta cheese make a substantial filling for these square pasta crepes. The sweet fragrance of purple basil infuses not only this pasta dish but also your kitchen, making it warm and inviting. Perfect comfort food after shoveling your snowy sidewalks!

Ingredients for 3 generous servings:

1/3 basic pasta dough using whole wheat flour

Cremini and ricotta filling for 6 cannelloni:

1 cup cremini mushrooms

1 small onion

1 tomato

1 cup fresh purple basil

½ cup ricotta cheese

½ cup dry white wine

Sweet basil tomato sauce:

6 anchovy filets

1 16-ounce tomato can

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

1 small onion

½ bunch fresh purple basil

1 cup romano cheese

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Prepare the basic pasta dough.

2. While the dough is resting, prepare the filling.

3. Chop onion, mushrooms, tomato and basil.

4. Heat one tablespoon olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

5. Stir fry the onion and the mushrooms until soft.

6. Add the tomato and the purple basil. Let wilt for 2 mins.

4. Add the wine and the cheese and let simmer for 5 mins until all liquid is evaporated. Season to taste.

8. Chop onion, carrot and celery for the tomato sauce.

9. In a saucepan, heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium-high heat.

10. Stir in the onion until translucent then add anchovies, carrot and celery.

11. When the vegetables are soft, add the canned tomatoes.

12. Slightly mash the tomatoes with a wooden spoon to liberate the juice.

13. Add the purple basil to the pan and season to taste.

14. Cover, reduce the heat to medium and let simmer until serving.

15. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

16. Roll the pasta dough and cut into 4 inch squares.

17. Cook the pasta squares in boiling salted water for 3 mins.

18. Plunge the squares into cold water and drain on paper towel.

19. Spoon some filling on the first third of each square and roll.

20. Place the rolls in a baking pan, with seams underneath.

21. Cover the rolls with the tomato sauce and freshly grated cheese.

22. Bake for 20 mins and serve immediately.

My New Favourite Kitchen Gadget and Basic Homemade Pasta

2007-12-08T16:35:00.000-08:00

(click on the picture for details)

We finally broke down and decided to get a pasta machine! Nothing to break the bank, just a simple, stainless steel pasta machine with a hand-crank! Just like the one my mum had! One set of rollers to make the thinnest sheets of dough ever and one set of cutters for spaghetti and tagliatelle!

Fresh pasta are dead easy to make, all you need is eggs, flour and water. If everyone knew how cheap and easy they are, they would not stop buying the overpriced, ready-made pasta from the grocery store. Once the dough is ready, you can decide on shape you want to give to your pasta!

Ingredients for 4 portions:

2 cups flour, whole wheat or all purpose

2 large eggs

½ teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 tablespoons water

1. In a large bowl, mix flour and salt.

2. Form a well in the flour.

3. Break the eggs and add the olive oil into the well.

4. Stir the flour into the wet ingredients using a fork to form dough.

5. Knead to form a ball. (Note: Add the water if the dough is too dry)

6. Let rest for 1 hr at room temperature before rolling.

Moroccan-Style Raisin Orange Lamb Shanks

2007-12-08T13:19:00.000-08:00

Lamb shanks! Yes, I thought I grabbed veal shanks and got ready for a delicious osso bucco that night. Luckily, I had all these cloves and cinnamon from Madagascar in my pantry! With all these spices, plenty of dark raisins and oranges! This sweet and savoury dish turned out to be the perfect comfort food, away from the frigid nights of Edmonton. And even better: instead of Italy, we got to travel to

Morocco

for supper! Tagine instead of stew! Not bad for a mistake, was it?

Ingredients:

11/2 pounds lamb shanks

2 tablespoons flour

1 teaspoon salt

100 grams pancetta (or 2 to 3 bacon slices)

1 onion

3 sticks celery

4 large carrots

2 cups cremini mushrooms

1 tangerine orange

1 cup raisins

½ to 1 cup dry white wine

10 cloves

1 cinnamon stick

2 bay leaves

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil in a non-stick pan over medium-high heat.

2. Chop the onion, celery and carrots.

3. Brown the pancetta in the hot oil until slightly crisp, and drain on paper towel.

4. Add the chopped onion to the pan.

5. Once the onion is soft and lightly caramelised, add the chopped celery and carrots.

6. Sauté the vegetables until soft and transfer into the slow cooker with the mushrooms and the pancetta.

7. Wash and spike the tangerine with the cloves. Place on top of the vegetables with the cinnamon stick.

8. Add 2 tablespoons of olive oil to the same pan.

9. Mix the flour with salt and pepper on a plate and coat the lamb shanks with the flour mixture. Drain the flour and brown the meat in the hot oil.

10. Transfer the lamb shanks to the slow cooker.

11. Add the raisins to the pan and stir-fry for 1-2 mns over low to medium-high heat.

12. Deglaze with the wine and stir in the leftover flour.

13. Let simmer for 2 mns. Pour the gravy over the meat.

14. Slow cook on high for 6 hours, until the meat falls off the bones.

15. Serve hot over steamed rice or couscous.

Chocolate Banana Almond Tarts

2007-11-25T12:56:00.000-08:00

(click on the picture for details)

Still on my tart roll! Have you ever had one or two bananas that were too ripe to eat but could not use for banana bread? Well, you could blend them up with frozen berries and yogurt for a booster smoothie or you could just go for these decadent tarts. In individual portions for the weight-conscious gourmands!

These treats draw their sweetness from the bananas, which are infused with the spicy aroma of the dark rum! Especially, if you can get a hold of a bottle of Madagascar dark rum!

Ingredients for one dozen tartlets:

For the pastry:

1 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup almonds

¼ cup sugar

½ cup cold butter

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons cold water

1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

2 ripe bananas

1 tablespoon olive oil

¼ cup butter

¼ cup dark rum

½ cup dark chocolate

1. Chop the almonds in a food processor until ground.

2. Mix the ground almonds, the sugar and the salt with the flour in a bowl.

3. Cut the butter into small cubes and, using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until obtaining coarse grains.

4. Slightly beat the egg yolk and stir into the flour mixture with a fork.

5. Add the water and knead for 1 min to form a ball.

6. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 mins.

7. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

8. Line tartlet pans with parchment paper.

9. Roll the dough on a floured board.

10. Cut the dough and drape it over the lined pans.

11. Bake blind for 20 mins, until golden.

12. While baking the tart shells, chop the bananas.

13. Heat the olive oil under medium high heat in a small pan.

14. Add 2 tablespoons of butter and the bananas to the pan and stir fry for 5 mins.

15. Pour the rum on the fruit and cook until caramelised.

16. Remove the banana mixture from the heat and let cool.

17. Spoon the banana filling into the baked shell.18. Finely chop the chocolate using a serrated knife.

19. Cover the banana with the chocolate and ½ teaspoon of butter.

20. Bake for 10 mins, until the chocolate has melted.

21. Serve immediately.

Tomato Cream Cheese Almond Tarts

2007-11-23T23:48:00.000-08:00

Guess I am on my tart and pie kick this month! These tomato tarts are another easy way to enjoy my almond pastry, especially if you have extra dough from the chocolate tart recipe. The savoury cream cheese enhances the sweetness of the baked tomatoes, matching the cookie-like tart shell. Perfect as a first course or side dish!

Ingredients for one dozen tartlets:

For the pastry:

1 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup almonds

1/4 cup sugar

½ cup cold butter

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons cold water

1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

1 bag of two dozen cherry tomatoes

1 package light cream cheese

¼ cup Dijon mustard

1. Chop the almonds in a food processor until ground.

2. Mix the ground almonds, the sugar and the salt with the flour in a bowl.

3. Cut the butter into small cubes and, using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until obtaining coarse grains.

4. Slightly beat the egg yolk and stir into the flour mixture with a fork.

5. Add the water and knead for 1 mins to form a ball.

6. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 mins.

7. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

8. Line tartlet pans with parchment paper.

9. Roll the dough on a floured board.

10. Cut the dough and drape it over the lined pans.

11. Bake blind for 20 mins, until golden.

12. Chill in the fridge for 15 mins.

13. Generously brush the tart shells with mustard.

14. Slice the cream cheese and lay on the mustard.

15. Halve the cherry tomatoes and place on the cheese with their skin up.16. Bake for 15 mins, until the tomatoes are browned.

17. Sprinkle with a pinch of salt and serve immediately.

Chocolate Almond Tarts

2007-11-23T19:44:00.000-08:00

It is fall, and we could be happy with apple and other fruit pies. But for those who know me, there had to be a chocolate tart recipe soon! Yes! This recipe works best for tartlets, which are served warm. And this time, I decided to spike my pastry with ground almonds to contrast with the filling.

You will find a sweet surprise in the oozing chocolate ganache.
You would not want to share these delicacies with anyone!

Ingredients for one dozen tartlets:

For the pastry:

1 cup all purpose flour

2/3 cup almonds

¼ cup sugar

½ cup cold butter

1 egg yolk

3 tablespoons cold water

1 pinch of salt

For the filling:

2 large eggs

2/3 cup sugar

¼ pound dark chocolate

2/3 cup butter

Candied cherries or orange peel

1. Chop the almonds in a food processor until ground.

2. Mix the ground almonds, the sugar and the salt with the flour in a bowl.

3. Cut the butter into small cubes and, using your hands, rub the butter into the flour mixture until obtaining coarse grains.

4. Slightly beat the egg yolk and stir into the flour mixture with a fork.

5. Add the water and knead for 1 mins to form a ball. 6. Wrap the dough in clingfilm and chill for at least 30 mins.

7. Preheat the oven to 325 F.

8. Line tartlet pans with parchment paper.

9. Roll the dough on a floured board.

10. Cut the dough and drape it over the lined pans.

11. Bake blind for 20 mins, until golden.

12. Chill in the fridge for 15 mins.

13. While baking the tart shells, melt the butter and the chocolate in a bowl using a double boiler. 14. Remove the chocolate mixture from the heat.

15. Beat the eggs and the sugar until fluffy.

16. Fold the melted chocolate into the egg mixture using a wooden spoon.

17. Chill completely. If you are eager to try the tartlets the same day, transfer the chocolate filling into a metal bowl and freeze for 30 mins. If not, the filling will solidify in the fridge overnight.

18. Drop a teaspoonful of candied fruit into the tart shells.

19. Top with a spoonful of the chocolate filling.

20. Bake for 10 mins and serve immediately.

Fresh Fig and Apple Breakfast Pudding

2007-11-22T22:15:00.000-08:00

It is Thanksgiving today, South of us. One of the best times to enjoy the fruits of the harvest. A bountiful harvest of apples and figs for every meal, including breakfast! This bread pudding is my low-fat version of the traditional Pain perdu (a.k.a. French toast). Who would have though that I would go for the oven-baked instead of the ever-so-tempting pan-fried in butter original!? Believe me, the warm and juicy fruit and the cream cheese are worth coming back to this breakfast treat! I usually add toasted walnuts on top for their earthy crunch.

Ingredients for 4 servings:

½ pound bread (about 8-10 slices)

1 cup milk

1 large egg

¼ cup fancy molasses (or maple syrup)

½ cup light cream cheese

4 fresh figs

2 gala apples

½ cup golden raisins

1 stick cinnamon

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup walnut halves

1. In a bowl, beat the egg with the milk and the fancy molasses.

2. Coarsely cut the bread into one-inch squares.

3. Soak the bread into the egg mixture for 5-10 mins, until all the liquid is absorbed.

4. Preheat the oven to 350 F.

5. Grease a 9 x 9 in. pan with butter.

6. Transfer the bread into the pan.

7. Slice the apples and quarter the figs.

8. Slice the cheese.

9. Add to the fruit and the cheese to the bread.

10. Toss with the freshly grated cinnamon.

11. Pop in the oven for 15 mins.

12. At the same time, toast some walnuts on a baking sheet.

13. Cut the butter into small pieces and scatter on the pudding.

14. Bake for another 5 mins, until the butter is all melted.

Shrimp Stuffed Squid with Hot Tomato Sauce

2007-11-18T17:54:00.000-08:00

This recipe is for those who have always associated squid with chewy, rubbery and tasteless chunks of fish. Just like me, you will be surprised at the tenderness of these stuffed squid. Most stuffed squid recipes just use the tentacles, but because my squid was armless, I had to go for shrimp.

A mouth-watering dish to enjoy with gnocchi!

Ingredients for 2 servings:

2 squid

2 slices pancetta

1 stalk celery

1 medium carrot

16 (about 1 cup) medium shrimp

Fresh thyme

2 slices bread

For the sauce:

2 small leeks

4 medium tomatoes

1 cherry bomb (or hot pepper)

½ to 1 cup dry white wine

Olive oil

1. To make the stuffing, finely chop the celery and carrot and peel the shrimp.

2. Brown the pancetta in a non-stick pan over medium high heat.

3. Remove the pancetta from the pan and drain on paper towel.

4. Add the chopped vegetable to the pan and stir fry for about 5 mins, until soft. 5. Transfer the vegetable to a bowl.

6. Add some oil to the same pan and stir fry the thyme and the shrimp for 1-2 min, until just pink.

7. Coarsely chop the shrimp and add to the vegetables.

8. Toast and chop the bread in the food processor.

9. Stir the breadcrumbs into the shrimp vegetable mixture.

10. Rinse the squid with cold water and pat dry with paper towel.

11. Close each squid at one end using skewers and stuff with the shrimp stuffing.

12. Close the other end of each squid with skewers.

13. Heat some olive oil over medium high heat in a non-stick pan.

14. Place the stuffed squid in the pan and fry all sides for 1-2 mins. Remove the skewers.

15. To make the tomato sauce, chop the leeks, the tomatoes and the cherry bomb.

16. In a small pan, heat some olive oil over medium high.

17. Stir fry the leek then the tomatoes for 5 mins. 18. Add the hot pepper and pour ½ cup of wine into the pan.

19. Let simmer for 2 mins and add the pancetta into the sauce.

20. Pour the sauce on the squid and add the rest of the wine to the pan.

21. Stir and cover for 5 to 10 mins.

22. Serve immediately.

Homemade Gnocchi

2007-11-17T23:38:00.000-08:00

My first gnocchi take me back to my first year of college, my first year away from home. I was a real geek or a lazy cook then. Just like my fellow students, all I wanted was something quick and easy for supper, so that I could go back to my books ASAP.

Sure enough, I found them in the fresh pasta section of the local Franprix: all I had to do was get a saucepan of salty water boiling, drop the gnocchi in and wait for them to float. All that in less then 5 mins!!! Quicker than spaghetti or tagliatelle, full of creamy goodness!

I rediscovered the potato dumplings at our favourite Italian shop last year and I finally decided to take up the challenge and make my own with Adam’s potatoes. Nothing compares to homemade gnocchi! The keys to light and fluffy gnocchi are sieving, instead of mashing, the potatoes and adding as little flour as possible.

To enjoy with a sprinkle of parmegian or a spicy tomato sauce! Yum!

Ingredients for 4 servings:

1 pound baking potatoes

½ to ¾ cup all purpose flour

¼ cup romano cheese

1 large egg

¼ teaspoon ground nutmeg

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Wash and prickle the potatoes with a fork.

3. Wrap the potatoes in foil and bake for about 1 hr, until tender. You can also boil the potatoes but you will loose the flavours in the water.

4. When the potatoes are soft, peel their skin off.

5. Press the hot potatoes through a sieve using a spoon.6. Spread the fluffy potato strands onto a floured board.

7. Let cool to room temperature.

8. Sprinkle the flour and the cheese on the potatoes.

9. Make a well in the middle. 10. In a small bowl, lightly beat the egg with the nutmeg. Season to taste.

11. Pour the egg mixture into the well.

12. Lightly knead the potato and egg mixture for 1-2 mins to form a ball.

13. Divide the ball into six smaller balls with floured hands.

14. On a floured board, roll each ball into a one-inch thick rope.

15. Cut the ropes into one inch segments and shape the gnocchi with a fork.

16. To cook, heat some salted water to aboil and drop the gnocchi into the water. The gnocchi is ready to serve when they reappear at the surface. You can also keep the gnocchi on floured parchment paper until you are ready cook them.

Italian Herb Oven Roast Beef with Chanterelle Mushroom Leek Sauce

2007-11-17T22:01:00.000-08:00

Another Sunday dinner favourite! I love this roast because it only takes a few minutes to prepare, never fails and gives enough leftover the following Monday and Tuesday. The Italian herbs not only flavour the meat, but also lock the juices in, keeping the roast moist and tender. Roast beef usually comes with gravy, but here I decided to stick with fall and made a very simple chanterelle mushroom sauce.

Just give it try!

Ingredients:

3 pound (1½ kilogram) outside round roast beef

¼ to ½ cup Dijon mustard

1 cup dried Italian herbs

½ teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon black pepper

1 cup chanterelle mushrooms

2 small leeks

¼ cup dry Vermouth (or dry white wine)

½ cup chicken broth

Olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Brush the roast with the mustard.

2. Mix the Italian herbs with the slat and pepper. Completely cover the roast with the herb mixture.

3. Preheat the oven to 450 F.

4. Fill the bottom of the roast pan with water.

5. Place the roast on the rack. (Tip: Use the broiling pan if your roast pan does not have a rack)

6. Cook the roast for 10 min.

7. Reduce the heat to 275 F and cook the roast for another 75 mins, until the internal temperature reaches 155 F. (Do not open the oven door at this point!)

8. Remove from the oven and tent with foil for 5-10 mins.

9. In the last 20 mins of roasting, brush and slice the mushrooms.

10. Chop the leeks.

11. Heat some olive oil to medium-high heat in a non-stick pan.

12. Stir in the leeks then the mushrooms. 13. Once the vegetables are soft, add the vermouth and the chicken broth.

14. Let simmer for 10-15 mins, until the roast is ready to serve.

15. Serve with garlic mashed potatoes and peas.