On hiatus until 2014

It's been 10 days since my last post but I have a very good reason why. M. and I bought our first home together this past week and we haven't quite come down from cloud nine. I can't wait to gush more all about it, especially about my beautiful new kitchen that has a very large window (better lighting for pictures!) but I am too busy right now packing, signing official papers and figuring out all the details for our move on December 28th. Yup, in less than 2 weeks. Insert curse word here.

Because of this new exciting venture, I will be taking a short break until we settle into our new home. It was a tough decision to make since I had tons of Christmas baking plans that I wanted to share with you including some new recipes i've been wanting to try and then chat about, but, alas, it will have to wait. Besides, it will be more fun for me to try them out in my new home.

Until then, here is some Christmas eats I have been enjoying so far...

Annual extended family Christmas gathering- M. and I had some veggie sausages, home made buns, stuffing with pears and pecans, rice medley, potatoes and coleslaw with pickles.

Dessert: a raspberry lemon sponge cake.

At Dessert Sinsations, a friend and I indulged into their famous cakes. I tried out the red velvet cheesecake. 

Cake and a London Fog.

Christmas work lunch: marinated eggplant, tomato, lettuce and roasted red pepper sandwich with butternut squash soup.

Chocolate cake for dessert. 

Happy Holidays everyone! I can't wait to hear all about your holiday adventures and keep in touch! Just because I am not posting for now does not mean that I can't answer a few e-mails! 

Cheers.

Hot Soup and some Bourbon

Don't you ever have one of those days where you feel lazy but you still push yourself to at least accomplish something simple in a couple hours? Well, earlier this week, I experienced one of those nights.

I wanted to make a quick and easy dinner ( because I was feeling lazy) and soup was the only thing that I knew I could make quickly.

After dinner I decided that tonight was the night to make bourbon sea salt caramels. I found the recipe in this months Bon Appetit magazine. Funny story behind these caramels because years ago, Superstore would sell dark chocolate sea salt caramels around Christmas time and everyone in my family was addicted to them.  It has been two years since I've seen them on the Superstore shelves. Which is really disappointing because with the thick dark chocolate covering the creamy and chewy caramel and the hint of sea salt was absolute bliss especially with a glass of red wine. Once I saw the caramels recipe in BA, I knew it was a sign. Here was my chance to bring back a familiar Christmas treat to me and my family.

Ingredients

Boiling the sugar and syrup.

First things first, I wanted to test the recipe out before adding chocolate to the mix. Well, what is that saying? If at first you don't succeed, try and try again? Well, I did not succeed. I am not sure if it was because I didn't cook the caramel mixture long enough before adding the butter and condensed milk, or maybe I went above the 240 degrees line that I was repeatedly warned not to cross. Either way, they tasted good, they are very chewy and you definitely get the kick of the salt, but, when cooled, they didn't solidify as much as I thought they would.

I thought the caramels would solidify more after putting the slab in the fridge over night.  Unfortunately, when I got to work, they melted into each other. 

Either way, I have not lost hope! I will try again! Maybe you want to try this recipe out and let me know how you succeeded?

Bourbon Sea Salt Caramels

From Bon Appetit Dec 2013 edition

Ingredients:

• nonstick vegetable oil spray
• 2 cups sugar
• 1/2 cup light corn syrup
• 1 14oz can sweetened butter cut into small pieces
• 2 tbsp bourbon
• 1/2 tsp kosher salt
• flaky seat salt (such as Maldon)
• special equipment: a candy thermometer

Directions:

• Lightly coat an 8x8" baking pan with nonstick spray and line with parchment paper, leaving a 2" overhang on 2 sides; spray parchment
• Bring sugar, corn syrup and 1/4 cup water to a boil in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, stirring to dissolve sugar. 
• Cook swirling pan occasionally, until mixture turns a deep amber colour 8-10 minutes.
• Remove pan from heat and whisk in sweetened condensed milk and butter (mixture will bubble vigorously) until smooth.
• Fit pan with thermometer and return to medium-low heat. cook. whisking constantly, until thermometer registers 240 degrees. Remove from heat and whisk in bourbon and kosher salt. Pour into prepared pan. Let cool. Sprinkle caramel with sea slat, cut into 3/4 pieces, and wrap individually in parchment paper.

Julia

This Julia Child fan is currently reading:

So far, I have learned that "life itself is the proper binge" and "one's best evenings are composed of a good dinner, and nothing else is necessary." Ain't that the truth!

This book is distracting me from telling you all about the bourbon sea salt caramels I made yesterday... stay tuned.

December 1st

What is the date today? December 1st. What does that mean? Twenty four days till Christmas. Crap.

Tis' the season for too much food, too much wine and an extra couple inches around your waistline.

And a lot of Christmas baking. At least on this end.

I've spent the better part of the day trying to map out this month's plan and finalize all the wonderful get togethers with friends, family, and co-workers. This way I can start planning my food contribution to each event, which is, quite honestly, a lot of fun for me.

So far, I've decided on these recipes:

• Bourbon caramels and sea salt
• Chocolate and almond macaroons 
• French toast casserole
• Baked omelette casserole
• Cookie butter
• Baked brie with pecans and marmalade

Now I have to match the recipe with the event. That's always a challenge.

What type of baking do you typically make during the holidays? What are your plans for this year? 

Pom Pom's!

It's that time of year when pomegranates are in season! This middle eastern fruit that has made its way (into my heart) on the scene in North America is extraordinary. All you hear about is how this powerfully nutritious fruit has exploded onto the food scene; it's in our grocery stores, juice bars, restaurants and even in our beauty products! (I honestly own pomegranate lip balm and wanna snack on it sometimes.)

The problem with pomegranates is that they are, well, a ton of work. It is thus an intimidating and messy fruit that sprays everywhere. Not everyone is familiar on how to crack the skin of a pomegranate without getting sprayed by the ruby red juice and even if you decide to take this fleshy beast on, it is time consuming and not everyone has the patience to deal with it. (Plus, the juice f*cking stains.) Well, before I talk about an easy method I found to conquer the POM here are some (nutrition) facts that you may not know about this complex fruit:

• A powerful antioxidant (three times more than in red wine and green tea)
• Helps assist in plaque regression (fat deposits) in carotid arteries and the heart which helps prevent heart attack, strokes, premature aging, Alzheimer's disease and cancer
• High in Potassium and Vitamin C
• Originally from Israel but can now be found in California (ie trade name POM Wonderful)
• The seeds themselves are high in iron (some people don't eat the seeds, just extract the juice)

So how do you get to the fruit? There are two successful ways; the quick way or the long way. Let's start with the long way:

1) Find a large, deep bowl (biggest mixing bowl you have) and fill it up to the 3/4 mark with water. 

2) Cut the pomegranate in half (make sure to wear an apron because you will be sprayed) and         submerge the newly cut halves of the pomegranate in water.

3) See you in 20 minutes because it will take you that long to get all the seeds out of the webbing.

Ready for the easy way? Click here and see a demonstration video on You Tube. 

I bought the pomegranate tool featured in the video (be warned, it took 6 weeks for it to be delivered) and I have not regretted it. Click here to find out where you can purchase it. I can go through 4 pomegranates in 30 mins... and get rid of some built up aggression- bonus! Here are some pictures of my battles.

Oops. I guess I hit it a little too hard.

Now that you are more familiarized with the POM (hopefully a little less anxious on tackling it too), here some dishes that I like to add pomegranates to mix things up:

• In my (greek) yogurt in the morning
• A fruit salad 
• Use it as a garnish on a fruit tartlet for dessert
• Throw it on some vanilla bean ice cream for dessert
• I enjoy pomegranates in my smoothies but it's better to use pomegranate juice found in stores then the actual fruit. You'll end up chewing your smoothie instead of drinking it.

Just remember folks, if you are looking for a big, fat, juicy case of pomegranates (6 for $13.99) there's only one place to go; your neighbourhood Costco.

Thom Bargen Coffee & Tea

Do you work/live near Sherbrook? If so, you are in luck! There's a coffee house worth visiting at 64 Sherbrook street called Thom Bargen. Interesting name for the joint. I am not sure about its significance but, hey, it feels like you are going to your buddy Thom B's place for great coffee (which they have) replete with an industrially decorated, yet relaxed and friendly atmosphere in a revitalized neighbourhood. 

I ordered an Americano which was delicious on this cold, snowy day (this past Saturday). Their excellent coffee is roasted in Calgary by Phil and Sebastian roasting co. Next time I think I will try their latte and maybe the london fog! They have a variety of beverage choices, not much for food, but they do deliver on atmosphere. With the exposed brick, room length wood bench and local bands playing every other day, this coffee house delivers a welcoming vibe for all hipsters, artists, students and even corporate types (like myself).

Take a break from your Timmies or Starbucks regular order and support local! Find out more about this unique and new business (established in 2012) here.

Weekend Eats and a Stew

Yup. Winter is here.

It wasn't fun waking up on Sunday and rushing to get ready so that you can pick up your 90 year old grandmother for lunch only to find that your car is covered in a mountain of snow.

Ah well. After putting the ol' parka on and oversized winter boots, my grand-mere and I went to Cora's for lunch and I ordered the eggs benedict with asparagus and swiss cheese. It was exactly what I needed.

There were a lot of good eats this weekend! On Friday, M. and I went to his parents place for dinner and these amazing dishes were waiting for us!

Linguini with Parmesan Sauce and Roasted Butternut Squash

Greek Salad

The food is certainly never disappointing when we go over there to eat. I would never have thought to make a pasta dish like that! Simple yet so tasty! I was lucky to snag some left overs for the next day.

M. was away actually away this weekend and the night he was coming home, I made one of our favourite go to stews. Nothing like coming home to a home cooked meal! M. found a cannellini bean, spinach and carrot stew years ago (off of the realsimple.com website) which is a weekly made dish around here when winter rolls around.

I drizzled some smoked balsamic vinegar and parmesan cheese over top. This hearty (and healthy!) stew is incredibly easy to make with very little prep work. See recipe below.

M. was kind enough to buy me some treats from his travels... 

Nut grinder, Newman-O's mint cookies, Coke Zero Cherry, peanut butter cups and fusili quinoa pasta!

Gotta love Martha Stewart.

Cannellini Bean and Spinach Stew

Altered by Stephanie Barke 

Ingredients:

• 2-15oz cans of cannellini beans (found at Vita Health for $2.50 a can)
• 1 15oz can of vegetable broth
• 1 1/2 tsp of minced garlic
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 large carrots, halved lengthwise and cut into 3-inch pieces
• 2 cups of fresh spinach leaves
• pinch of salt and black pepper

Directions:

• In a large soup pot, over medium heat, add both cans of beans (once drained and rinsed), broth, garlic, bay leaf and carrots to a boil.
• Once it reaches a boil, cover and reduce the heat so that the stew simmers until the carrots are tender. Approximately 15 minutes.
• Discard the bay leaf.
• Add the spinach, salt and pepper and stir. Let the spinach wilt which should take a minute or two. Do not stir frequently as you want to avoid breaking the beans.
• Spoon the stew into bowls and add a tablespoon of balsamic oil and some parmesan cheese if desired.  

How about some 'steak'?

My love for Seitan is growing more and more with every new dish I incorporate it in. It's versatility makes it a fantastic tofu substitute, its a sponge when it comes to marinades (needs less marinating time than tofu, bonus!) and the 18 grams of protein per 100 grams is perfect for vegans and vegetarians trying to bulk up at the gym!

This week, I perused through my Southern Vegetarian cookbook trying to decide which new recipe to try this week and there was a recipe for fried 'chicken' with seitan. I thought I would try it out but with my own twist. Instead of making fried 'chicken' I would make a form of salisbury 'steak'.

I used two cans of seitan drained and rinsed.

I started mixing flour in the seitan.

Heated up the seitan in butter in a pan.

Once it started heating up I added some garlic powder and a steak spice that you can find in the spice aisle from your local grocery store. 

I also steamed some cauliflower then mashed it while mixing some cream and dill into it. I also roasted some asparagus and red peppers. 

The 'steak' had a great 'meaty' and crispy texture and it reminded me of having a steak on Sunday nights with my family with a glass of red wine. Seitan for the win again!

Fried 'steak' bites

Ingredients: 

• 2 cans of seitan at 284g each (found at Superstore)
• 4 tablespoons of flour
• 3 tablespoons of butter
• 1 tablespoon of garlic powder
• 2 tablespoon of steak spice or to taste 

Directions:

• Drain both cans of seitan and rinse. You can cut them up in smaller bite size pieces but I leave it as it is. 
• Add 1 tablespoon of flour at a time mixing it into the seitan until all the flour is used.
• Heat up your pan to medium high heat and add the 3 tbsp of butter. 
• One the butter is melted, add the seitan that has been mixed in flour into the pan.  
• At the 8 minute mark that your seitan has been cooking, add 1 tablespoon of garlic and 1 tablespoon of the steak spice to the pan and mix it throughout. Then taste. Keep adding steak spice until desired taste. 
• It will take about 15-20mins for the seitan to be cooked on all sides. You want it to be crispy brown on all sides. That's when it's ready. 

Click here and here  for past seitan posts. 

Food is Art

Remember this lovely birthday present I received?

Not only is it a print designed by a local artist (more on that later) but it's a print of a recipe! How clever! The ingredients seemed like a good pairing for a tasty vinaigrette and since I had all the ingredients on hand, I wanted to make it for my lunch the next day. 

Ingredients for vinaigrette: 1 tsp of black pepper, 2 tbsps of red wine vinegar, 1 tsp of salt, 1 tbsp of maple syrup and 2 tbsps of extra virgin olive oil. 

Thank goodness I bought my new Martha Stewart vinaigrette portable bottle to mix it all in! Huh... what does that say on the bottle there...

Voila!

It's not the *exact* recipe shown on the print but, let's say a variation. I had a spinach salad with cucumber, parmesan cheese, sliced almonds, quinoa, hemp hearts and strawberries. The maple in the vinaigrette really brought out the flavour of the strawberries. It's a very light vinaigrette that I am happy to add to my salad again.

One Plus One are the local designers of that beautiful print and you can find their site and their many other variety of designs (including Christmas cards!) here. I perused myself and they have a 2014 calendar showing off the green salad print and many more delicious recipes including this pumpkin pie print!

Maybe this should be on someone's radar to get a certain blogger for Christmas... *cough*  M. *cough*