Sweets for your sweet

I don't do a lot of baking, because we don't generally eat sweets.  These were birthday cupcakes.  I used a recipe from epicurious and substituted Einkorn flour and non-fat yogurt instead of sour cream.  Also, the original recipe baked these in jars (?), so I reduced the cooking time.

Recipe:  Chocolate Cupcakes

8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, softened (I always use salted)

1 1/2 cups packed light brown sugar

2 large eggs

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder  (I used extra dark)

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1/4 teaspoon salt

1 1/2 cups sifted cake flour  (I used Einkorn flour)

2/3 cup sour cream  (I used nonfat plain yogurt)

2/3 cup brewed coffee (I used fresh made espresso, cooled)

Read More http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Chocolate-Praline-Cake-in-a-Jar-363313#ixzz2Rwe5i700

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Using a standing mixer with whisk attachment, cream butter until smooth.  Add brown sugar and eggs until fluffy.  Add vanilla, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt and beat until combined.  Alternate 1/2 flour and 1/2 sour cream until all combined.  Add coffee last and whisk until smooth.  

Divide into medium muffin tins lined with cupcake liners.  I got 17 from this recipe.  Fill about 3/4 full.

The recipe in jars took 25 min., I think these were more like 15 - 17.  Check after 12.  When they are dry on top and a toothpick comes out clean, they are done.

Instead of a heavy icing or frosting, which I always find to nauseatingly sweet, I used a wee bit of Nutella and a bit of sanding sugar.  Happy Birthday!

Tarragon Lime Mustard Crusted Salmon

I usually gauge whether or not a meal is blog-worthy by the number of yummy sounds or comments at the dinner table.  This was my husband's birthday meal, and it was definitely a hit.  It has only a few ingredients, but they go together really well.

Recipe:  Tarragon Lime Mustard Crusted Salmon

3 Tablespoons Butter

Juice of 1/2 Lime

3 cloves Garlic

a few sprigs of fresh Tarragon

1 1/2 Tablespoons Dijon, Stone ground, or Peppercorn Mustard

2 Tablespoons of Soy Sauce

1 1/2 lbs Fresh Wild Salmon

a splash of Vegetable stock

Marinate the salmon with the soy sauce for at least 10 minutes.  Mix all of the remaining ingredients in a dish.

Put a pan over high heat, spray with olive oil.    Place the fish flesh side down to sear for a minute or two.  Flip to skin side down.  Add a splash of stock.  Remove from heat and allow to cool for 5 or 10 minutes.  You don't want the sauce to melt and run off the fish.

Apply the mixture to the top of the salmon and place under the broiler until the fish is cooked through (cool, pink in the middle).  Let rest for a few minutes before serving.

It may sound ridiculous, but make sure you have a heavy duty pot holder to remove the pan.  I can't count how many times I have burnt myself on the handle of a pan when removing from the broiler!

The sauce that cooks all day...

On days where I actually think about dinner before noon, sauce is possible.  This simmers all day and draws tastes and dipped pieces of bread from the pot, followed by slapped hands.  It has very few ingredients, and the only real secret is to cook it all day long.

Recipe:  Tomato Sauce

3 large cans San Marzano tomatoes - 2 crushed, 1 stewed
1 large can tomato paste
1 - 2 cups water
4 or 5 cloves garlic, grated
2 tablespoons red chili flakes
1 talbespoon -ish dried basil
salt
pepper
boneless country style pork chops

Basically, throw everything in the pot except the meat and bring to a boil.  Reduce to simmer for a good, long while.  Brown all sides of the pork and then add to the sauce.  Walk away.  Step back every once in awhile to stir.  You can start tasting after an hour or two, making sure the pork is fully cooked.  Adjust seasonings to taste.

Shallot Dressing

This is a super quick dressing that can be used on a salad, or on pasta.  My husband is of the mindset that in order to serve a tomato sauce on pasta, it has to cook all day.  My fresco sauces are never really a hit with him, so I tend to stay away from anything with a tomato in it if I'm not prepared to cook a sauce all day...  Accommodating, right?

I will leave out any guesses at measurements - you can eyeball the amounts based on how much you want to make.  Have it on pasta at night and save some for your salad tomorrow.

Recipe:  Sweet Shallot Dressing

Olive Oil
1 large shallot
3 cloves garlic
red chili flakes
salt & pepper
balsamic vinegar

Process the oil, shallot, garlic, red chili flakes, s & p in a food processor, then pour the vinegar in while processing to emulsify.  Ratio of oil to vinegar is probably 3 to 1.  If I am eating the pasta, I will generally use this Einkorn whole wheat variety.  It is one of the few grains that I can eat - a non-hybridized ancient grain.  It does contain gluten, though, so if you have celiac disease, it may not be a good choice.

Curried Lamb

Contrary to popular belief, 'curry' is not one spice.  Curry can be used to describe a dish or a blend of spices.  For this dish, I used a variety of dried spices and fresh garlic.

Recipe:  Curried Lamb

1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon coriander
1 teaspoon garam masala
1 teaspoon prepared spicy curry powder
1 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon cardamom
salt
3 cloves garlic, grated
1 tablespoon olive oil
1 boneless leg of lamb
2 tablespoons flour
5 or 6 medium thin skinned potatoes
4 -5 cups beef stock

Trim the fat from the lamb - there will be a lot.  But what will be left is very lean.  Brown the meat in a cast iron pot with the oil over high heat.  Drain any remaining fat.  Add flour and spices and sauté for several minutes until meat is coated.  Add stock and potatoes and reduce heat to medium.  Just before boiling, reduce heat to simmer.  Keep uncovered for 30 - 40 minutes, stirring frequently.  Cover for 2 hours (ish), stirring occasionally.  Adjust spice to taste.  Meat will be tender and potatoes soft.  Serve over basmati rice.

Guacamole

Here is a really basic guacamole that never disappoints.  The hardest part about it is finding ripe avocados :/  Have it with corn chips, pita, as a condiment on a sandwich, on eggs, on a salad, or with a burrito.  It doesn't keep well, so it should probably be consumed right away.

Avocados are packed with fibre, have 3 grams of protein per fruit, are loaded with Omega-3 and -6 fatty acids and have lots of vitamins such as Vitamin C, K and folate, to name a few.

Recipe:  Guacamole

3 large ripe avacados
1 large tomato
3 cloves garlic
juice of 1/2 lime
salt & pepper

Mix together with the back of a spoon or fork and stop here or add:

1 finely chopped jalapeño
1/4 finely chopped red onion

Individual Egg Soufflés

Sounds fancy, looks fancy, super easy.

I do cheat a little here by using frozen puff pastry dough.  However, you could make it without the pastry and it would still be stellar.  Spray large muffin tins or ramekins with olive oil or grease with a little butter.  Line with square of parchment paper.  Place a square of pastry dough into each tin and press down.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Pre bake the pastry for about 5 minutes.

Next, whisk together eggs (I used 5 for 7 soufflés), egg whites (~1/3 cup), grated cheese, meat, herbs, shallots.  This one had cheddar, prosciutto, shallots and fresh thyme.  At this point, anything goes - try gruyere, chives, (bacon)...  The only thing I would avoid is anything with too much liquid.  If using mushrooms or tomatoes, I would cook them down a little to avoid making the soufflé too heavy and mushy.

Bake for about 15 min. and then turn the oven down to about 350 for another 10 or 15.  Keep an eye on them.  When they are done, they will have risen above the tins and you can check for doneness by inserting a toothpick.  If it comes out dry, they are fully cooked.  Serve immediately - I nearly forgot to take a picture of these - they were about an inch higher!

Awesomesauce

A few years ago, my son and I were in Paris, vowing never to go to the same restaurant twice.  Until we came upon le Relais de l'Entrecôte.  We were a little confused at first, as I think we skipped the queue through a side door and just sat down at an empty table.  I assumed the waitress had mistaken us for another table when she came up and only asked how we wanted our steak cooked.  And then I realized - all they cook are steaks.  And french fries.  Steak frites.

But it wasn't just the steak frites.  It was the sauce.  Oh, the sauce.  With the steak.  And the fries.  We found our selves eating every last scrap of food just to sop up the last bit of sauce on the plate.  We nearly licked our plates...

So, you can't get the sauce.  Or find a recipe for the sauce.  Many people have guessed at the sauce ingredients. This isn't the sauce, but it is a good sauce.  I dare say, even a very good sauce.

Recipe:  A very respectable sauce

1 teaspoon olive oil
1 small shallot chopped
4 cloves garlic chopped
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (gourmet mix) chopped
2 tablespoons flour
1 1/2 tablespoons butter
1 handful fresh tarragon leaves
2 1/2 cups beef or veal stock
1/2 cup vegetable stock
2 tablespoons apple cider or red wine vinegar
1/2 cup white wine
1 tablespoon dijon or peppercorn dijon mustard
a few shakes of worcestershire sauce
salt & pepper

Heat a pan over high heat and add oil.  Sauté the shallot and garlic, add the mushrooms and some salt.  If they start to stick, throw in a shot of stock.

After a couple of minutes add the flour and the butter and sauté until the shallots, garlic and mushrooms are coated and the butter is incorporated.

Add the stocks and wine and whisk until it is smooth.  Add the vinegar, mustard, worcestershire.  Place the tarragon in a food processor and pour the sauce in over top.  Process about a minute.  Return to the pan, simmer and reduce for 20 - 30 minutes.  You probably do not need to add any salt at this point, but maybe a bit of pepper.  

Voila!

Magnifique!

No Fry Fries

There is nothing that terrifies me in the kitchen quite like my mandoline.  But it is so awesome!  Yet so incredibly dangerous.  You can be happily slicing away, mesmerized by the perfect, paper thin slices of whatever, and then boom, there go your knuckles.  Needless to say, I have a very healthy respect for this tool...

These potatoes are prepared with less than a teaspoon of oil and just a bit of salt and pepper.  I used a nice, thin skinned yellow potato and sliced them very thin.  I then rinse in cold water to remove a lot of the starch.  I soak them in cold water for about ten minutes, rinse and then soak again.  Once they are rinsed off a final time, dry them as much as possible with paper towels.

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees.  Line two baking sheets with parchment and spray with olive oil.  Layer potatoes evenly, add salt and pepper and another light spray of oil.  These will take about 30 minutes to crisp up.  Check them every 5 - 10 minutes and flip them and redistribute with a spatula.  Could not be easier, and so much more healthy than fried.

Real Food

I am constantly amazed by what I see in the grocery store in middle America.  Rarely will you see me up and down the aisles, buying boxed or packaged food.  Someone asked me once, "...then, what do you eat?!"  The answer is real food.  Food that when you look at it, you can tell where it came from.  Food that doesn't take up half of the package's label with chemicals, preservatives, dyes, fats, sodium and fillers.  With regards to meat, there are chemicals used in processing that will never show up on a label.  Plus there are the antibiotics, hormones and the unnatural diet fed to the animals.

I am not judging those who choose to eat differently.  People have been eating this way for a long time.  However, food has changed.  Not just in terms of genetic engineering, but the chemicals and additives are different from when we were kids.  For example, if we had the occasional soda pop as a child, it actually contained sugar, not high fructose corn syrup.

(Hops off soap box).  So, I write this to illustrate what it is that I do eat.  Back to breakfast again today. I usually will choose between steel cut oats, a smoothie, nothing, or egg whites.  Eggs have about 186 mg of cholesterol per egg, which is over half of the daily suggested amount.  Egg whites have zero.  I do love the occasional poached egg, but I have embraced the egg white.  These are fully cooked in the microwave in under 2 minutes and you can add a variety of things for flavour.  A little parmesan, some pesto, hot sauce, salsa, fresh herbs, avocado...  You can make an egg sandwich with them with a whole grain english muffin or bread with a tomato and/or some turkey.  Very versatile - make it your own.

Improv

Improvisation is a big part of my life, especially when it comes to cooking.  I often find myself starting to think about what to make for dinner at around 5.  Or 5:45.  Or 6.  Dinner is generally on the table around 7.

Last night I realized at the last minute that 1 lb. of salmon wasn't going to cut it for two tall men, a growing boy and me.  I had already planned couscous and a salad, so I decided to add some chicken to the salad.

For the salad, I layered baby kale, spinach, tomatoes, mozzarella pearls, basil and salt & pepper.  I sautéed the chicken with some tarragon, garlic, red chili flakes and a splash of vegetable stock.  I made a light honey tarragon vinaigrette with olive oil, apple cider vinegar, tarragon, honey, salt & pepper.

Real food, fast.

Just for the Halibut...

Ah, that joke never gets old...  I love Halibut season.  It's a very mild fish, so it can be prepared many different ways, taking the flavour of whatever spices or preparations that you use.  Last night a made a quick spice rub, let it rest for an hour or so, and cooked it in a non-traditional 'papillote,' or package.

Recipe:  Halibut en papillote

1 teaspoon cumin
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon cardamon
1/2 teaspoon red chili flakes
1/2 teaspoon salt
pepper
1 large clove garlic
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 lb fresh halibut
Vegetable of your choice

Mix spices together with garlic.  If you grate the garlic with a fine grater, it will act as a paste to hold the rub together and you won't need to use any oil.  Rinse off fish and rub spices onto top side.  Let rest in the refrigerator for 30 - 60 minutes.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Normally I would use parchment to cook this, but I saw a recipe using foil and tried it.  Line a roasting pan with foil, leaving double the length hanging over the side.  Place bed of whatever vegetables you choose on the foil, place fish on top and add the wine and stock.  Fold the foil over and seal on remaining 3 edges.  Cook 30 minutes, or so, until cooked through, just warm in the center.  Careful not to burn yourself on the hot steam when opening the papillote!

Chocolate Chili Soup

We're not really dessert eaters.  It's usually a small piece of (really) dark chocolate or a splurge on a special occasion.  Being gluten-free saves me from any Girl Guide Cookie temptations.  Today falls under the 'special occasion' category.  Our nephew is having a birthday, and he loves his spice.  I saw somewhere years ago, a recipe for chocolate chili soup, and I thought I would give it a whirl.

I kind of made it up, so it still requires a little refining.

Recipe:  Chocolate Chili Soup

2 cups skim milk
2 Tablespoons sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 Tablespoons dark cocoa powder
8 oz dark (100%) chocolate cut into pieces
1/2 cup milk chocolate chips
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
1/4 teaspoon cardamom
pinch of salt

Heat milk over low-med heat add sugar, vanilla and cocoa powder until sugar is dissolved and just before boiling.  In a heat safe bowl, put chocolate, cayenne pepper and salt.  Pour hot milk over chocolate and stir until combined.  Adjust sweet and spice to taste.  This will then need to be strained through a fine sieve at least twice. A serving size is only a 1/3 cup or less - it is very rich.

Serve warm alone or on ice cream.  If making ahead, warm in a double boiler before serving.

I think next time I may try a little more spice - maybe some ginger and/or cinnamon.

Moonstruck Eggs

I'm not one to get too fussy with presentation, though it I think it is important for food to be visually appealing.  In my opinion, food close to it's natural state is most attractive.  This breakfast is a fun way to present eggs and toast, as inspired by the movie, 'Moonstruck.'

I used a marble rye, but any good, whole grain bread will stand up nicely.  Toast it a little first, either in a toaster or in the frying pan.  You could put a little butter on it, or just make sure the pan is non-stick with a little spray of oil.  We generally eat egg whites only, but I used eggs this morning to illustrate.

Cut out the middle with a knife or cookie cutter, trying not to flatten the remaining toast.  Add to a frying pan over medium high heat, and add an egg to the middle.  If you like easy over, you will most likely lose the fussy design in the middle.  If you prefer sunny side up, finish for a couple of minutes under the broiler.

Fancy a spot of tea?

I have to admit, I'm kind of a snob.  Food snob, wine snob, and tea snob.  I don't drink coffee, other than an occasional espresso macchiato (I'm an espresso snob, too!).  This is my one habit, and it is, in fact, very good for you.  With tons of antioxidants, the health benefits range from cancer prevention to lowering cholesterol.  AND it's delicious.

This is not your grandmother's tea.  Unless she is Japanese - then it is her tea.  The making of the tea is a daily ritual, which may take several tries to brew the perfect cup.  Unlike an English tea which is prepared piping hot, Sencha should be brewed at around 170 degrees.  I listen for the water to just start to boil then turn it off.

The best way to prepare this is to have a small tea pot designed for loose tea, in a 8 or 12 oz. size.  When the water has reached temperature, fill your drinking cup with water to heat it, and to cool the water slightly.  Add a teaspoon of tea to the pot and put the water from the cup into the tea pot.  Let it brew for only one minute.  Subsequent steeps need only 30 seconds or less.

The tea will have a very soft feel and should be a bright, vibrant green.  If it tastes bitter or is a yellow colour, the water may have been too hot, or brewed too long.  Art in a cup.