Goodbye dear! I’m just
dashing off to China and taking the donkey. I must get a quarter teaspoon of saffron. My gourmet
magazine recipe says it is a “must-have” for my Marco Polo Mac n’ Cheese. Fast forward to a few months later, my
Facebook timeline says I got sidetracked at a Yoga retreat in India and my fabulous
Instagram pics have me swimming with elephants in Thailand. What can I say, the
dolphins were all booked up! But wait…what was my New Year’s resolution?
Right--I forgot--to trim my recipe collection and to steer clear of recipes that send
me trekking to all corners of the earth!
This year, I am
focusing on simplicity in the kitchen; eating more plant food and less meat, keeping
long-lasting root veggies on hand and using leftovers more efficiently. Above
all, I will choose recipes with just a few simple ingredients and short
preparation times.
One upcoming wintry
afternoon, I will sit down with a pair of scissors and a hot cup of tea to hack
away at my favourite cooking magazines and cull my current cookbooks according to
my new mantra. On the bright side, two years ago, I came up with a recipe
organization system that works for me. I arrange my “saved” recipes according
to three cookbook categories: Main Entrees, Baked Goods and Extras/Sides. Each
cookbook binder is a 5x4 photo album with plastic photo sleeves tabbed with
Post-it Tabs labelled in black marker. In my Main entrée cookbook for instance,
I have labelled each sleeve with a meat type (i.e. Pork, Turkey, Beef etc),
fish type (Salmon, Cod Halibut, Tuna) or vegetarian dishes (Lentils, Eggs, etc)
I put all my recipes for one meat type in one sleeve…so all my Pork recipes are
in one sleeve…you get the picture. I find this system encourages me to try
different recipes and to weed out the ones I thought I might try but sadly,
know I never will. My five star
favourites recipes bear the obvious signs of popularity; messy fingerprints,
dog-eared corners and important production notes.
Now that I have
shared the dreary details of my recipe retrieval and organization system AND my
New Year’s resolution, I will get down to the point of the post and share my
five-star favourite recipes with you!
Oatmeal Bars
2 cups oatmeal,
uncooked (I used the quick rolled oats)
¾ cup brown sugar
½ cup butter (I
used butter. Julia Child said to!)
dash of baking soda
Heat until lightly
bubbling and stirring often: sugar, butter and pinch of soda. Remove from heat.
Add oatmeal and blend. Spread mixture in a well-greased 8-inch square pan (or round
equivalent) and bake at 350F for 10 minutes. Cut into bars or triangular slices
while warm.
My Mother’s Oatmeal Cookies
1 tsp baking soda
¼ cup boiling water
½ cup butter
½ cup shortening
1 cup packed brown
sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 ½ cups flour
½ tsp salt
¾ cup chocolate
chips (or other flavoured chips)
Dissolve soda in
boiling water, stir well and set aside. Cream together butter, shortening and
brown sugar. Mix in oats and boiling water mixture and blend well. Gradually
blend in flour sifted with salt. Shape
dough into 1’ balls. Place on parchment paper-lined cookie sheet and flatten
with fork, once then a second time for a plaid pattern, if you’re feeling
Scottishy. Bake at 350F for 7-10 minutes
until lightly browned.
Light
n’Fluffy Shortbread with benefits
Note: If you have
an electric mixer or food processor—do use it for this recipe. If not, your own
brute strength and a strong wooden spoon will do…remember that New Year’s
resolution to buff up those biceps?
With an electric
mixer or food processor, beat together
1 cup softened
butter with
½ cup icing sugar.
Sift together
1 ½ cups all
purpose flour and
½ cup cornstarch.
Stir this gradually
into the butter mixture.
At this stage, you
may wish to stir one of these ingredients, or create your own concoction!
-1 cup chocolate
chips OR
-4 oz cup dark
chocolate roughly chopped OR
-1 cup chopped cherries
OR
-1 cup dried
cranberries
Shape into balls –
about 1 ¼ in size.
Place on an
ungreased baking sheet or on a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper.
Bake in 300F over
for 20 to 25 minutes or until firm and lightly browned around the edges. Makes
about 32 to 40 cookies.
(For a gluten free
version, substitute 1 ½ white rice flour for 1 ½ cups all purpose flour and add
1 tsp xanthium gum with white rice flour.)
Gorgonzola
Pasta Sauce
¼ cup butter
3 garlic cloves,
finely chopped
¼ cup white wine
1 ¼ cup whipping
cream
½ cup Parmesan
cheese
¼ cup crumbled
gorgonzola cheese
¼ cup toasted pine
nuts (to sprinkle over each dish)
Heat butter in a large
skillet then add the garlic and sauté until light brown. Add wine and simmer
for two minutes. Add cream and cook on medium heat until cream begins to
bubble, about 3 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste, then Parmesan and
Gorgonzola cheese. Toss sauce with
cooked fettuccine and place in pasta bowls. Sprinkle with toasted pine nuts.
NOTE: For the meat
lovers in the bunch, add thinly sliced prosciutto or cooked bacon on top of
each dish.
Salmon with Maple-Pistachio Crust
1 large tail piece
of salmon
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp curry powder
1 tsp Dijon mustard
1/2 cup chopped
shelled and chopped pistachios (sold at the Bulk Barn)
Line a rimmed
cookie sheet with tin foil. Wash and dry salmon with paper towel and place skin
side down on the sheet. Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper. Mix together
syrup, curry and mustard. Chop up or crush nuts. Preheat oven to 425F.. Cover
the areas of the sheet that don't have fish on them with tin foil this keeps
the oil from splattering and burning. Spoon half of maple syrup mixture over
fillets then sprinkle with nuts. Drizzle remaining maple mixture over tope.
Bake in centre of oven at 425F for 35 min.
Pork with almond crust
This
recipe is one of my all-time favourites!
For the marinade,
whisk together in a small bowl:
¾ cup plain yogurt
2 garlic cloves,
minced
2 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp fresh lemon
or lime juice
1 tsp Dijon mustard
½ tsp pepper
Place roast in a
Ziploc bag
1 3 lb boneless
centre-cut pork loin roast.
Place roast in a
Ziploc bag and pour marinade over top. Seal the bag and then place it in a dish
large enough to hold it. Refrigerate overnight or for at least 6 hours, turning
several times.
For nut mixture
coating, mix together
1 cup finely
chopped almonds
½ cup fresh
breadcrumbs
½ tsp salt
Preheat oven to
350F. Scrape off most of the marinade from the roast, then roll roast in the
nut mixture and press into the roast. In
a shallow baking dish or roasting place, place roast. Cook 40-45 min per lb
until meat thermometer reads 170F (about 2 hrs for a 3 lb roast).
Smoked Salmon and Red Onion Pizza Topping
See recipe below
for thin crust pizza dough or buy a frozen thin crust and omit the pre-bake
instructions.
125 g pkg cream
cheese softened
2 tbsp snipped
fresh dill
½ tsp coarsely
ground pepper
½ cup thinly sliced
red onions
1 cup mozzarella
cheese
25 g (1 oz) smoked salmon
Blend together and
cream cheese and dill and spread over partially baked pizza crust or frozen
store-bought thin crust. Sprinkle with pepper, onion rings, then mozzarella.
Bake at 400F for 15-20 minutes or until crust is golden brown and cheese
bubbles. Cut salmon into strips and arrange over pizza.
Breadmaker Thin-Crust Pizza Dough
Makes 2 12” thin
crust pizzas or 1 16” crust
1 cup water
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated
sugar
2 ¾ cups
all-purpose flour
1 ¼ tsp
breadmachine yeast
For a Herb
Crust, stir into flour:
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp oregano
For pans:
Spray oil
2 tbsp cornmeal
Measure ingredients
into breadmaker baking pan in the order given. Insert pan into oven breadmaker
chamber and select the Dough option. Prepare pizza pans: lightly spray with oil
and sprinkle 1 tbsp cornmeal on each pan. When dough is ready, remove it to a
lightly floured board, cover with a heavy tea towel or large bowl and let rest
for 10-15 minutes. Divide dough in half. Roll out one piece into a 12-inch
circle and place in pan. With fingertips, gently push dough to edges of pan. Repeat with second piece of dough. To partially bake the crust, prick the crust
lightly with a fork and bake in a preheated 400F oven for 6-8 minutes on the
oven’s lowest oven rack. Add your choice of toppings and bake for another 15-20
minutes at 400F or until lightly browned.
Smoky
Ontario Apple Oka Bites
12
slices smoked bacon
1/4 cup grainy
mustard
2 crunchy apples
cut into 24 wedges
250 g Oka
cheese, cubed into 24 pieces
(Or, try other cheeses like Gorgonzola or Stilton for savoury substitutes)
In a skillet over
medium heat, cook bacon in batches until cooked through, limp but not crispy.
Place on a paper-towel lined plate to soak up fat and let cool. Preheat oven to
375°F. Cut each strip of bacon in half to make 24 small strips. Spread each
strip with 1/4 tsp mustard and wrap around an apple wedge and piece of cheese.
Secure with toothpick. Repeat with remaining ingredients. Arrange bites on a
parchment or foil lined baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven just until bacon
starts to bubble and cheese begins to melt, about 3-5 minutes. Do not overcook.
Serve immediately or refrigerate and quickly reheat under the broiler. Makes 24
pieces.
Irresistible
Emmenthal Cheese and Garlic Spread
1 lb Emmenthal
cheese, finely grated
3 tbsp low fat
mayonnaise
4 garlic cloves,
minced
Coarse black pepper
to taste
Salt to taste
Mix all ingredients
together. Let stand 30 at room temperature or overnight in the fridge to
develop flavour. Great served with mini pitas or very firm crackers. Do not
heat. (Tip: Allow grated cheese to reach room temperature before mixing with
other ingredients. This will make it easier to mix.)
The Nutty
Canadian Cheese Log
You can make this
ahead and freeze it, allowing it to thaw in the fridge overnight.
1 pkg cream cheese,
softened
1 1/2 cups finely
grated Old Cheddar Cheese
4 tbsp syrup,
divided
1/2 cup toasted,
finely chopped pecans
Blend cheeses with
2 tbsp maple syrup. Chill until firm in plastic wrap, about 1 hr. Using plastic
wrap, shape the cheese mixture into a rectangle block. Place block on wax paper
and brush with remaining 2 tbsp syrup. On
another sheet of wax paper, place chopped pecans and roll the block in the nuts
to coat all sides. Wrap nut-covered log in this wax paper and refrigerate for
2-3 hours (or freeze and thaw for a few hours in the refrigerator). Serve with
crackers.
No-Fail Spicy Topless
Apple Tart
Use McIntosh,
Cortland, Spy or Newtown Apples.
Pastry:
2 cups all purpose
flour
2 tbsp white sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
¼ tsp cloves
¾ cup cool butter
1 egg yolk, beaten
2 tbsp water
Filling:
6 cups (6-7 medium
sized apples) peeled, coarsely grated apples (no need to core!)
2 cups white sugar
¼ cup white flour
1 tsp cinnamon
icing sugar
Pastry: In a large
bowl, combine flour, sugar, salt, cinnamon and cloves. Using a pastry blender,
cut in butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs. Mix in egg yolks with water;
stir into flour mixture to form a soft dough. Using fingertips, spread dough
evenly onto bottom and up sides of 11” flan pan or fluted glass dish, patting
gently.
Filling: Combine all
ingredients except icing sugar. Spread mixture evenly over pastry.
Tip #1: After filling
the pastry, make a tin foil ring to place over the edges of the pastry to
protect it from burning.
Tip #2: If the apples
are very juicy, it is a good idea to line a rimmed cookie or pizza pan sheet
with foil (or even a tin foil oven liner sheet will do) and place the tart on
top of this to bake. This way, the apple juices won’t drip and burn in the
oven.
Bake at 375 F oven
until apples are tender or about 45 minutes. Be sure to turn and check after 20
min and place the foil ring on the pastry edge if necessary to prevent burning.
Let cool. Sift icing sugar over top.
Serve with frozen yogurt or ice cream.
For centuries,
folks around the world have enjoyed the ritual of drinking tea or coffee while
chatting with their comrades or enjoying a quiet moment to themselves. 
