Stir it up! Engineer's Granola

Try this recipe and I guarantee you will never eat store-bought cereals again! It’s chocked full of fibre, nuts, dried fruit and spices and makes a wonderful healthy breakfast or snack any time of the day or night. If you are traveling or staying in a hotel bring it with you and skip the high-fat muffins at the breakfast kisoks. Simply store individual 1/3 c servings in small Ziploc plastic bowls and add milk. Voila…a healthy start to your day. You’re good to go!

This recipe makes about 10-12 cups. I store half of the batch in the freezer in a Ziploc bag.

NOTE: Allow 2-2 1/2 hrs total to make this recipe: 10 minutes to prepare ingredients, 45 minutes to bake and about 1 hour afterwards to stir the warm mixture every 10-15 minutes to prevent clumping while it cools.

Tools and utensils you will need:

Very large mixing bowl (I use a plastic dishwashing pan-just for this recipe)

Large roasting pan with 2-3 inch rim (Disposable but reusable roasting pans are perfect for this)

Parchment paper or heavy duty aluminum foil

Large stirring spoon –greased

Wooden spoon

Small saucepan

Ziploc bags to store the granola afterwards

A plastic tub or scoop to place the granola in the bags.

Preheat oven to 350F. (325F if your oven is a hottie!)
Mixture A

8 cups LARGE flake rolled oats of a mixture of 4 c spelt flakes and 4 cups large flake oats

2 cups sliced almonds

1 cup unsalted peanuts (optional)

1 cup unsalted cashews (optional)

2 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup roasted unsalted sunflower seeds

1 cup red bran flakes

½ cup oat bran flakes

1/2 cup wheat germ

3 tsp cinnamon

1 1/2 tsp cloves

1 1/2 tsp nutmeg

Grated peel from one medium sized orange (optional) or diced

Mixture B

1 cup brown sugar

2/3 cup liquid honey or maple syrup

Mixture C

2 cups mixed raisins

2 dried cranberries

Mix all of the ingredients from Mixture A together in a very LARGE mixing bowl and set aside. I use a large plastic dishwashing pan expressly purchased for this purpose!

Mix sugar and honey together (from Mixture B) in a small saucepan, over medium-low heat. Slowly bring the mixture to a boil while stirring frequently. WATCH carefully. When it reaches a light boil (with small bubbles rising to the surface), immediately remove from heat. (You can also prepare this mixture in the microwave in a 2-4 cup Pyrex. Cook for about 2-3 minutes but stir every 30 seconds to prevent it from bubbling over.)

Combine A and B: Pour honey-sugar mixture over oat mixture. Spray grease or lightly grease a large spoon and use it to stir this sticky mixture. Mix thoroughly.

Line a large disposable aluminum-roasting pan with parchment paper or a large sheet of heavy-duty tin foil. If using foil, spray grease the foil. Carefully pour the mixture into the lined-pan and spread it out evenly. Bake granola in the middle or lower third of the oven but NOT on the bottom rack. Bake mixture in the oven at 350F for 30-45 min. and stir at 15 min intervals. Be sure to stir the mixture thoroughly (at 10- 15 minutes intervals) to break up chunks and to prevent burning around the edges. When nicely browned but not burnt remove from the oven and let cool completely, around 45 minutes.

For Mixture C, mix and add these ingredients to the warm granola and stir well. You may also add other dried fruits such as blueberries, cherries, prunes if you wish.

Very Important Last Step: As the mixture cools, be sure to stir it every 15 minutes for the next hour or so! If you don’t it will clump into hard lumps and harden completely!

Let the granola cool completely to room temperature before storing in containers.

Storage Tips:

To transfer the mixture to containers, carefully lift the edges of the parchment paper and pour the mixture into Ziploc bags or other large containers.

The granola can also be stored in the freezer in Ziploc bags.

Latch onto Leap Day & Face your phyllo fears

To the lady of the house: if you’re a practical gal and just “carded” your partner for last Valentine’s Day and he lavished you with bundles of roses, silky lingerie or a brand new red convertible—there’s still time to redeem yourself! Consider skipping Valentine's Day altogether because...lucky for you it’s a leap year and that makes upcoming Wednesday, February 29^th 2012 “Leap Day”. The day some folk legends say ladies can make marriage proposals and I say, you can kiss and cheer up a sour puss Valentine! By the way, if the man refused the proposal he was forced to compensate the down-trodden wench with a kiss, £1 or a silk gown. Hmm, I wonder if the she could choose the kisser?

Well, Mademoiselle, if you’re still intent on proposing marriage and are at all superstitious, don’t marry in a leap year or you may wind up starring as a damsel-in-distress on the Dr. Phil Show. The Greeks believed that leap year marriages were doomed for failure. Fortunately, if your ancestors took their nuptials in 1700, 1800 or 1900, they escaped this nasty curse because years divisible by 100 are not leap years unless they are also divisible by 400. And, you guessed it Einstein, the year 2000 was a leap year. Please accept my belated best wishes if that was the year you and yours tied the knot. Take heart, folks who married in1600 also faced the same fate. So, any guesses on the next leap year ending in zero, divisible by 400? Congratulations if you answered 2400—sign up for Jeopardy and leave a warning note on the family tree!

Now, unless your sweetheart is a Nobel-winning math whiz, your exemplary multiplication skills are unlikely to exalt them to “I do” status. Instead, impress them with your culinary prowess. Simply marry easy-to-use phyllo pastry and with a few sweet or savoury fillings, roll or cut your creations into various shapes and say “YES” to marriage bliss!

If you’re still afraid of phyllo, follow these helpful tips before taking the leap.

• Buy frozen phyllo dough in long rectangular boxes in the frozen food aisle at the grocery store. One 1 lb/500 g box contains 18-20 sheets pastry sheets. Folding and cutting instructions are in the box.
• Thaw frozen dough in the refrigerator overnight.
• Read the entire phyllo recipe before you begin.
• Practice folding or rolling instructions with a cloth napkin, first.
• Work fast with this pastry because it dries out quickly. Pretend you’re a surgeon: have fillings, tools and work surfaces prepared before you unwrap the pastry from the package.
• DO NOT let phyllo sheets to be worked, dry out or get wet. Keep them well covered with a large sheet of plastic wrap and a very slightly dampened tea towel on top. (Large clear plastic lawn bags are great for this purpose!)
• Unroll the sheets from the package. Very gently pull sheets apart. Using a soft pastry or paint brush, quickly brush each entire sheet, right out to all edges, with melted butter or oil.
• Always cut pastry with a sharp serrated knife before baking. It will flake and crumble if you cut it after baking.

Easy Cinnamon Phyllo Cigars

Honest: They taste just like Baklava!

Makes about 20 rolls or cigars

Filling:

½ cup chopped pistachios walnuts, and/or pecans

1/3 cup granulated sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

pinch of nutmeg

¼ cup melted butter

2 tbsp honey

8 phyllo pastry sheets

Toast chopped nuts at 350F for 5-7 minutes or until fragrant. Let cool. Mix together sugar, cinnamon; cloves, nutmeg and cooled nuts. Set aside. Mix melted butter with honey and blend well. Lay one sheet of phyllo on work surface. Brush completely with butter/honey mixture. Lay another sheet on top and brush again. Cut these 2 buttered sheets width wise into 5 even strips, about 3 ½” wide. Place 1 ½ tsp filling on one end and ½” from sides. Roll up, tucking in sides on the first and second turns. Seal with melted butter and place seam side down 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets. (Covered prepared and unbaked rolls with a sheet of plastic.) Brush very lightly with remaining melted butter. During the last 5 min of baking, sprinkle remaining nut mixture over the centre of each roll. Bake in a 350F oven for 15 minutes until golden. (Watch carefully.)

Note: Any sweet or savoury filling can be used with this easy-to-assemble recipe.

Spinach and Feta Phyllo Triangles

Makes 50-60 (Great for a party or for lunch!)

1/2 cup minced onion

2 tbsp butter

1 10 oz pkg frozen chopped spinach, defrosted and well drained.

½ cup minced parsley

2 tbsp EACH minced dill and chives

¼ lb feta cheese, crumbled

2 eggs, beaten

1 pkg thawed phyllo pastry

Sauté onion in butter until soft. Combine with remaining ingredients. Set aside.

To assemble triangles:

Take out 4 sheets of phyllo pastry at a time, reroll and rewrap the rest and cover with a slightly dampened tea towel. Butter each of the 4 sheets and cut width wise into 10 strips. Place 1 ½ tsp of filling on the bottom of each strip. Take bottom left corner of pastry strip and fold to the right edge to create a triangle, then fold up and horizontally; continue folding and crossing over the pastry on itself in this triangular fashion until you have one final triangle pastry packet. Be careful no filling shows at tips of triangle. Tuck last fold under, sealing with melted butter. Place seam side down 2 inches apart on ungreased cookie sheets and brush with melted butter. Never use so much butter that dough becomes soggy. Bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until golden. Watch carefully. Cool slightly before serving as filling stays very hot.

Pear Fig Phyllo Crisp

Serves 6-8

4 large pears cored and sliced

1/2 cup chopped figs or dates

2 tbsp Sambucca or orange liqueur (optional)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1 tsp grated lemon rind

1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root or 1 tsp ground ginger

½ cup chopped hazelnuts or walnuts (optional)

¼ brown sugar

1 tbsp all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

pinch nutmeg

Phyllo topping:

3 tbsp melted butter

1 tbsp granulated sugar

1/2 tsp cinnamon

4 sheets phyllo pastry

In a large mixing bowl, toss pears and figs with liqueur, lemon juice, rind and ginger. Sprinkle nuts over top and mix. Mix together sugar, flour, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg; sprinkle over pears and toss to mix. Spoon into a lightly buttered 2 litre 11x7” shallow baking dish.

For topping: Mix together sugar and cinnamon, set aside. Lay 4 sheets of phyllo pastry on dry work surface and cut in half with scissors. You now have 8 sheets. Working one sheet at a time (keeping others well covered with plastic wrap and dampened tea towel) brush one sheet lightly with butter. Place another sheet on top and brush with butter. Sprinkle with ¼ of cinnamon topping mixture. Repeat process 3 more times until all sheets and mixture are used up. Trim ¼” border from phyllo stack. Place on top of fruit; roll edges under and press into sides of pan. Using a sharp serrated knife, cut 3 diagonal slits in top of pastry and score pastry into 6 or 8 portions. Bake at 350F for 50 minutes until golden brown or pears are tender. Turn at halftime. (Apples are a good substitute for pears but leave out the ginger.)

Vegetarian Strudel

NOTE: This recipe makes TWO Phyllo pastry strudel logs and serves 6-8 people. Each serving is about 4 inches long. It can be prepared ahead of time and baked a few hours later.

Filling:

2-3 heads of garlic (If you like a lot of garlic, use 3!)

1 medium onion cut into small cubes

2 carrots, cut into cubes

1 red or yellow pepper diced

1 250g celeriac, peeled and diced (This is a very ugly looking vegetable. It reminds me of Nanny McPhee. It looks like a rutabaga with warty veins. Despite its ugly appearance it adds wonderful flavour to soups and vegetarian dishes)

2 roma or plum tomatoes, seeded and chopped

(optional: add 1 parsnip cut into cubes or 1 cup cubed squash)

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp salt

Pepper to taste

1 tbsp fresh rosemary or ½ tsp dried

1 tbsp fresh thyme or ½ tsp dried

2 cups pearl wheat*see Note below (look in the grains aisle of the grocery store for pearl wheat) or rice or quinoa - cooked

125 ml goat cheese

¼ cup fresh basil, chopped

Phyllo

10 sheets Phyllo Pastry

2 tbsp olive oil

3 tbsp water

½ cup dry breadcrumbs, seasoned with a pinch of thyme, oregano and basil

Preheat oven to 400F

Garlic- cut the top quarter off the head of each garlic. Wrap in foil and set aside. Place chopped carrots, parsnip, pepper, celeriac and tomatoes in a large bowl. Toss with oil, salt, pepper, rosemary, thyme. Line a large roasting pan with a rimmed edge, with parchment paper. Spread vegetable mixture evenly over the sheet.

Place the garlic and vegetables in the oven and roast for 30-40 minutes. Toss at 10 – 15 minute intervals. They are ready when slightly brown and garlic is soft when squeezed.

Place vegetables in a bowl and allow to cool. Squeeze garlic cloves out of skins and over the vegetables. Toss gently to mix. Add cooked pearl wheat, or rice or quinoa, goat cheese and basil. Add more seasoning if you wish.

Note: The trick with phyllo pastry is to work fast and to keep pastry to be worked, covered at all times, otherwise it will dry out and crumble. Cover the unworked pastry with a damp tea towel and a plastic layer over top.

Arrange two tea towels in a single layer on a work surface, like a counter or table top. Place a sheet of Phyllo on each tea towel. Brush each sheet, quickly, with olive oil and water mixture. Sprinkle breadcrumbs overtop. Repeat this process until you have 5 layers in each stack.

Place filling along the long edge of the each stack. Roll up jellyroll style. You can use the tea towel to help nudge the roll along.

Line a large flat baking sheet with parchment paper. Carefully transfer the rolls to the baking sheet. Slash through the top layers of Phyllo on the diagonal in 4-inch intervals to guide you for serving pieces. Brush each log with remaining oil mixture.

Bake in 400F degree oven for about 35-40 minutes until well browned and crisp.

To cook Pearl Wheat:

In a large saucepan, place 1 cup pearl wheat and about 5 cups water in pan. The wheat should be covered by about 3-4 inches of water. Bring to a boil and simmer very gently for about 45 minutes to 1 hour until wheat puffs up, is chewy and firm but not mushy. Drain in colander and allow to cool. You will have about 3 cups of cooked pear wheat when done. Freeze in one cup servings and use for soups or other vegetarian recipes.

Maple Baklava

(Note: have everything ready before you start)
1 1/2 cups pistachios or walnuts, finely chopped
1/4 c sugar
1 tsp t cinnamon
¼ tsp ground cloves
1 pkg phyllo dough (in pastry section of frozen foods) thawed
1 c melted butter

2 1/4 c pure maple syrup, heated

¼ cup water

1 ½ tsp lemon juice

1 ½ tsp lemon or orange rind grated

2 tbsp chopped nuts

Combine nuts, sugar, and spices. Brush a 9x13" baking pan with butter. Lay thawed pastry on table or large, work surface. Cover sheets to be worked with a plastic bag and damp towel until you’re ready to use them. Cut all sheets from the pkg in half width wise. Set aside 10 to work with and cover remaining pastry. Brush a sheet of pastry with butter and then layer in pan, do this with 10 sheets. Sprinkle with 1/3 of the nut mixture. Butter and layer 7 more sheets in pan, top with 1/3 nut mixture. Butter and layer 7 more sheets and rest of nuts. Top with 16 more buttered phyllo sheets and brush with remaining butter. Important: With a very sharp, serrated knife, score and cut through the layers of pastry into 1 1/2" squares. (It will crumble to pieces if you cut it after it’s baked.) Bake at 350F for 15 min, then 325F for another 30-35 min, or until a rich golden brown. (Keep an eye on the edges for burning.) During the last 20 minutes of baking, in a saucepan mix together syrup, water, lemon and rind. Bring to a boil, then turn down heat and let simmer for 10-15 min, stirring occasionally. Remove from heat. When baklava is done, immediately pour the very warm syrup mixture evenly overtop. Sprinkle 2 tbsp chopped nuts overtop. Cool in the pan for at least 4 hours and enjoy!

Chicken with Brie and Spinach - elegant and easy!

Huge Hollywood snowflakes are falling here in Ottawa. Up to 10 cm is one the way today. The Rideau Canal Skateway will be open for skating very soon. Winterlude, snowslides, Beavertails..Yahoo! Oh right, the chicken recipe...May I suggest this elegant little ditty? Thank you to Malena for inspiring me to share it. This dish is easy to prepare and looks lovely on the plate with a little cooked Quinoa, rice, or roasted potatoes and some colourful green veggies like beans, bok choy, or asparagus! Guest worthy and picture worthy too.

Chicken Breasts with Brie Cheese and Spinach, Basil or Sage

(Serves 4)

If you like you may serve this elegant little ditty with Red Pepper Coulis or Cilantro Pesto, recipes are below.

For this recipe you will need these kitchen items:

• · a shallow baking dish to contain the chicken pieces without crowding them,

• · cotton or oven safe kitchen string (i.e. NOT nylon or string with plastic in it) or thin skewers.

Also, for food safety, I find it is helpful to have all of your ingredients prepared, string pieces cut or skewers on hand, cutting boards ready, baking dish prepped…just like they do on the cooking shows! This way you’re not fishing around the kitchen looking for stuff with chicken juice all over your hands.

· 4 boneless chicken breasts (about 150-200 g each)

· Salt and pepper

• 125 g Brie cheese, sliced into 4 even pieces
• ¼ cup hazelnuts or pine nuts, toasted and chopped
• ½ cup fresh spinach, sage or basil leaves, chopped
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2-3 tbsp seasoned or plain breadcrumbs (Optional)
• ¾ red pepper coulis or cilantro pesto (buy or make you own, recipes are below)
• 1 tbsp chopped parsley (to sprinkle over top, just before serving)

Preheat oven to 350F. Line the baking dish will foil or lightly spray grease the dish to prevent the chicken from sticking.

NOTE: You will be making a pocket-like cavity in the chicken breast, then adding in the stuffing. I find this is a good way to add stuffing (like cheese) to a meat or fish, instead of rolling it up. This pocket method prevents the cheese from drizzling out of the meat during the baking stage.

Using a sharp cutting knife, use the tip to make a deep slit (like a pocket) along the side of the chicken breast almost to the other side BUT not quite. Keep the ends in tacked, creating a cavity to place the stuffing. The slice should be deep and wide enough to hold the stuffing. Lightly season with salt and pepper.

Place a cheese slice into the pocket of the chicken breast. (Be sure to place the cheese deep into the pocket, to prevent it from oozing out while baking.) Then sprinkle the nuts on top of the cheese, and squish in the spinach, sage or basil leaves on top. Close the open edge by weaving a thin skewer along the seam or you may tie the breast together with string, like a present with a little bow on top to seal it shut.

Do the same with the next 3 chicken breasts.

Place the chicken parcels in the baking dish and brush them with the olive oil. Sprinkle breadcrumbs on top if you wish. Bake for 25 – 35 minutes. To be sure the chicken and filling are cooked, insert a meat thermometer into the very centre of the chicken parcel. When it registers 180F, it’s done! Serve with Red Pepper coulis or Cilantro Pesto, if you wish. Sprinkle chopped parsley on top.

Quick Red Pepper Coulis:

1 cup bottle roasted peppers, drained

4 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

Pinch of salt and pepper

Whir all ingredients together in a mini food chopper OR chop by hand and whisk ingredients together. Serve coulis or pesto with chicken in a small serving bowl or drizzle over top each chicken parcel and serve immediately.

Cilantro Pesto:

1 cup Cilantro leaves-finely chopped

3 large garlic cloves

3 tbsp white-wine vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

Finely chop cilantro and place in a bowl. Mince garlic and add to cilantro. Whisk in vinegar, then oil. Or place all sauce ingredients in a blender or food processor and puree.

Robert Browning rejoices in Breadmachine Month!

Robert Browning said it best: “If thou tastest a crust of bread, thou tastest all the stars and all the heavens.” Given Mr. B’s affection for this heavenly food, I do believe he would rejoice with me in celebrating January, otherwise known as Breadmachine Month!

Here’s how I envision us revelling…. While Liz is off at a Hot Yoga for Poets in Hoopskirts class, Mr B visits me in my kitchen for tea and toast. It’s a blustery, cold winter day in Ottawa. Over steaming mugs of tea we gossip about Dicken’s latest “friend” and muse about one day writing a food and romance blog. Gorging on fat slices of my Oatmeal Molasses Bread (fresh from my breadmaker)—toasted to perfection and slathered in thick buckwheat honey—he proclaims, “Ey my dear, the invention of the breadmaker completely surpasses the creation of sliced bread!” Indeed, he is right. This little gem of baking efficiency warms the ingredients to the perfect temperature before mixing the ingredients to form a soft dough, then allows the dough to rise with grace, and in a grand finale… bakes the shaped loaf to heavenly perfection—all in one unit. All you, the human baker need do is measure the ingredients into the breadpan, insert the breadpan into the machine and press start. About four hours later when the bread is baked, the sweet aroma of freshly baked bread will waft in the air of your humble abode. At which time you will don your oven mitts, pull the bread from the breadmaker and turn out a hot, fragrant loaf of bread. Do allow it cool for one hour before slicing. As Mr. Browning would undoubtedly agree: “If thou makest bread in the fashion of old, thou wilt have toiled from sunrise to sunset, dirtied many pots and bowls for the yield of but a few wretched loaves.”

During the eighties, I loved making bread from scratch. Truth be told, however, it was a full day affair; time consuming and very messy indeed. When I became a Mother and began working full time I did not have the time to spare for my first love. Tissues please…sniff, sniff. In 1994, when I first laid eyes on my very own breadmaker, the heavens and the stars aligned. I was dizzy with elation as I thumbed through the bread machine manual and recipe book and dreamed of the endless possibilities; whole-wheat loaves, cinnamon raisin buns, soft dinner rolls, French baguettes, Christmas fruit breads…. She was a Westbend model; compact, clunky, noisy, and a wee bit on the heavy side, yet full of promise and runway potential. By fluke, I discovered a characteristic undisclosed in the manual: the Dough menu option could be used in conjunction with the Timer delay function. That’s when Westie began working overtime and her popularity as a standard appliance in my house rose to Number One. She mixed the ingredients overnight as I slept and I arose in the morning to fresh dough ready to be shaped and baked before I left for work. During the day she mixed up pizza dough, ready to be rolled out upon my arrival home from work. Sadly, I pushed Westie beyond the borders of breadmachine endurance and burnt out the motor in about two years. We parted ways on a wet, cold November garbage day. Westie shed no tears but I did. After this, just the sight of a Fleischman’s yeast package would be enough to bring a tear to my eye, rekindling memories of Westie and my breadmachine possession obsession. As Christmas drew closer, I asked myself how I could possibly live through the festive season without making buns, loaves, and sweet breads in my breadmaker? At this point I realized the only solution was to have multiple breadmakers—at least two —one would never be enough!

Over the last 15 years I have had as many as five breadmakers at once with each one boasting a unique option to prolong my need to keep it, i.e. a 3lb loaf option, a jam option, pasta making abilities, super-fast rapid loaf, a “bake for one hour more” feature, etc. Recently, I downsized to two breadmachines. My favourite feature is still the Dough-Timer delay option which I use to mix the ingredients while I sleep. I awake to a lump of dough ready to be shaped and baked first thing in the morning. Just like breadbaking used to be; a daily affair, done first thing in the morning.

I do believe Mr. Browning would appreciate this feature too. Perchance he referred to it when he whispered, “There, that is our secret: go to sleep! You will wake, and remember, and understand.”

Be not afraid….go forth and celebrate Breadmachine Month. Breadmakers are simple and easy to use. The loaves you create will be nutritious and delicious. Dare I say, Mr. Browning and I guarantee you will never want to eat a morsel of store bought bread again!

Note: For any of the 2 lb bread recipes I give below you can shape the dough into buns, using the Dough cycle option and following the bun-making instructions in the Oatmeal Molasses Bread/Bun recipe.

To get you started, here are a few tips and recipes (below).

Tips when using your breadmaker:

· Please DO NOT substitute or omit liquid, milk powder, salt, syrup, sugar, butter, flour or yeast. Breadmaking is an exact science. All of these ingredients need each other to produce a perfect loaf.

· Measure ingredients carefully and accurately.

· Be sure to scoop flour into the measuring cup and level off the top with the flat edge of a knife—do not shake down or pack the flour!

Breadbaking 101: Art meets chemistry.

While you don’t need to be Picasso or know the entire periodic table, good bread is all about good chemistry between the ingredients, and you and your creativity. Liquid, flour yeast, sugar and salt, may sound like boring party guests but in the bread scenario but each play a vital role in getting a rise out of the dough. Never omit or adjust any one of them or your loaves will be flops. Here’s what the ingredients do:

Flour contains gluten, a protein that “entangles the air”, elasticizes the dough and helps the dough rise. Canadian all-purpose flour contains enough gluten to produce excellent loaves. Only wheat and rye flours contain gluten.

Liquids can be water or milk. Water gives a crisper crust while milk produces a more tender-textured loaf.

Yeast makes the dough rise. Use breadmachine yeast when making bread or dough in your breadmaker.

Salt controls the yeast’s activity, prevents the loaf from over-rising and collapsing and boosts the bread’s flavour. Without it, bread is deadpan dull to the palette!

Sugar feeds the yeast and gives a delicate brown crust.

Shortening can be butter, margarine, oil or lard. Butter gives bread a soft texture and a tender crumb.

Eggs add to the lightness of the bread and tend to slow down the action of the yeast.

Maple Nut Bread

Makes one 2 pound loaf

1 ¼ cups water

2 tsp maple flavouring

¼ cup buttermilk powder or skim milk powder

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp brown sugar – packed

2 tbsp butter or margarine

3 ½ cups all-purpose Canadian flour, Robin Hood, Five Roses or bread machine flour

1 cup chopped pecans or walnuts (or a mixture if you like!)

1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast

Place the ingredients into the breadpan in the order given and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the BASIC cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.

Cinnamon, Cloves, Nutmeg and Raisin Bread

NOTE: In this recipe you will be using the Sweet Cycle and adding the raisins after the breadmachine begins mixing. Be sure to listen for the Add Ingredients beeping sound about 10-15 minutes into the mixing cycle, then lift the lid of the breadmaker and pour the raisins into the mixture.

Makes one 2 lb loaf

1 1/3 cups water

1 egg

¼ cup buttermilk powder or skim milk powder

1 ¼ tsp salt

¼ cup brown sugar – packed

2 tbsp butter, margarine or shortening

3 ¾ cups all-purpose Canadian flour, Robin Hood, Five Roses or bread machine flour

2 tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

1 ½ tsp breadmachine yeast

1 cup Thomson raisins

Set raisins aside and place the rest of the ingredients into the breadpan in the order given and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the Sweet cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.

English Muffin Loaf

Makes one 2 lb loaf

1 cup of milk at room temperature

2 eggs, lightly beaten

1 ¼ tsp salt

2 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp butter, margarine or shortening

3 cups all-purpose Canadian flour, Robin Hood, Five Roses or bread machine flour

1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast

Place the ingredients into the breadpan in the order listed and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the BASIC cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.

Cheese Dill Bread (Superb for Salmon Sandwiches!)

1 1/3 cups water

½ cup cottage cheese

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp granulated sugar

2 tbsp butter, margarine or shortening

1 cup whole wheat flour, preferably Canadian made or Five Roses or Robin Hood or whole wheat flour for the bread machine (available at Bulk Bard and health food stores)

2 ¾ cups all purpose flour preferably Canadian made or Five Roses or Robin Hood or white flour for the bread machine

1 ½ tsp dried dill or 2 tbsp fresh dill, cut into little bits-with scissors

1 ¼ tsp bread machine yeast

Place the ingredients into the breadpan in the order listed and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the BASIC cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.

Mustard Rye Bread

1 1/3 cups water

1/3 cup Dijon mustard or peppercorn mustard

¼ cup buttermilk powder or skim milk powder

¾ tsp salt

2 tbsp brown sugar – packed

2 tbsp butter, margarine or canola oil

1 cup whole wheat flour, preferably Canadian made or Five Roses or Robin Hood or whole wheat flour for the bread machine (available at Bulk Bard and health food stores)

2 cups cups all purpose flour preferably Canadian made or Five Roses or Robin Hood or white flour for the bread machine

¾ cup Rye flour

1 tbsp dill seeds

1 ¾ tsp breadmachine yeast

Place the ingredients into the breadpan in the order listed and place the pan into the breadmaker. Choose the WholeWheat cycle, 2 lb loaf size and the crust setting you prefer. Press Start. When the bread is done and beep sounds, remove the loaf from the breadmaker, shake the loaf out of the breadpan and allow it to cool on a wire rack for about 45 to 60 minutes before slicing.

Oatmeal Molasses Bread or Buns

(For 2 lb bread machine loaf or 18 round buns)

1 ½ cups water

¼ cup skim milk or buttermilk powder

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ cup molasses

2 tbsp butter (room temperature)

2 cups whole wheat flour for the bread machine

1 ¼ cups all-purpose flour or white bread machine flour

¾ cup quick cooking oats

½ cup 7-grain or 12-grain cereal (Bulk Barn)

1 ½ tsp breadmachine yeast

Put the ingredients in the breadmachine pan in the exact order given above. Place the pan into the bread machine. Select the 2lb loaf size and select the Wholewheat cycle. Press start.

To make buns:

Select the Dough cycle on the breadmaker after inserting the pan. When the Dough cycle is complete and signal beeps, remove dough from the breadmaker.

Divide dough into 18 evenly sized dough pieces. Using your primary math skills: divide dough into three even size pieces, then divide each third into six pieces. Be sure to cover the dough to be worked with plastic wrap. It should be touching the dough to act like a skin.

To shape each bun, knead each piece lightly: Push dough away from you with your thumbs, then fold over on itself, then repeat. Then, holding the dough piece in your hand, gently pull the dough from the top of the ball and push this into the underside, as if you were shaping a mushroom. Then gently roll the round dough piece under the palm of your hand (on a cutting board) with your fingertips gently touching the cutting board surface, as though you were rolling the dough in a round cage or playing a shell game!

Place each round ball on a large pizza pan lined with parchment paper. Place balls about 1 inch apart. No worries if they are touching, they will just bake together. Also, remember to cover dough to be worked or baked with plastic wrap at all times. This prevents a skin from forming on the dough.

Preheat oven to 350F. Set oven rack to middle of the oven.

Set dough to rise:

Place pan of dough balls over a cookie rack, resting on top of a warm pan of water. Cover dough balls with plastic wrap (touching the dough) and a heavy tea towel. The objective is to create a warm, humid and draft-free environment. Let rise until just double in bulk (about 35 minutes).

When ready to bake, remove plastic wrap, brush with milk and sprinkle with a little oatmeal and lightly press into dough.

Bake in centre of oven for 25-30 minutes. These buns make a lovely tower of buns on a round, festive tray, wrapped in cellophane and tied up with a pretty bow. Brings a whole new meaning to Nice Buns!

There's a Holiday App for that! Quick, last minute recipes.

If you’re hosting or attending a Christmas Eve soiree and need a last-minute app or two, check out these recipes. If they look familiar, you’re right, I have presented them here on my blog in various articles over the last few years.

A very good entertaining tip I learned from Simone Choy, my baking and pastry arts teacher at Algonquin College: draw an overview picture of your serving table showing the placement of the dishes you are serving. It is a very simple idea and one that will save you on many fronts: your table won’t be over crowded with food, you will be less inclined to make, purchase and put out too much food, and other people can help you set the table! Also, set up the drinks and glassware away from the food area so that your bartender can serve easily or guests can get their own refills. Remember too, to have plenty of exciting non-alcoholic beverages on hand for those who are driving and have the number of a drive-your car service or cab company too.

Happy Holidays!

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.

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.)

Smoked Trout Mousse

1 1/2 lbs smoked trout or salmon (Loblaws makes a nice frozen peppered/smoked whiskey trout that works well in this recipe)

1/3 c mayonnaise

1 tbsp white horseradish

3 tbsp lemon juice

2 tbsp dill, chopped

2 tbsp fresh chives or green onion

1/2 tsp freshly ground pepper

Cook trout and remove the bones you can see. Chop by hand or in food processor. Blend in remaining ingredients and adjust seasonings to taste. Serve with crackers or mini pitas or on sliced cucumber rounds topped with a few sprinkles of dill.

Smoky Apple Oka Cheese 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.

Almond-crusted Brie

1 (8-ounce wheel) Brie cheese

1/2 cup sliced almonds

3 tablespoons apricot jam

Preheat the oven to 350°F. Slice the top rind off of cheese. Place cheese on a pie plate or round glass baking dish with a rim. Spread apricot jam across top of exposed cheese. Sprinkle sliced almonds on top of jam. Place in the oven and bake for 10 to 15 minutes or until the almonds begin to brown. Serve warm, with slices of granny smith apples, crackers or crusty bread. Makes approximately 8 servings.

Curried Cashews

[For a tasty side dish, add these nuts to steamed green beans, Brussels sprouts, rice or couscous]

3 tbsp vegetable oil

2 cups raw cashews

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cumin

½ tsp garam marsala (optional)

pinch cayenne

1 tsp salt

Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. When the oil is hot (if a drop of water sizzles in the oil, it’s ready) add the cashews.

Stir fry the cashews for 3-5 minutes until just golden brown. Watch carefully and stir frequently to prevent them from burning. Note: they continue to fry after being removed from the pan. Remove to a large, flat, rimmed cookie sheet lined with paper towels to soak up the oil. In small bowl, combine the curry powder, cumin, cayenne and salt and garam marsala. Pour the drained nuts into a large bowl, sprinkle spice mixture over the warm cashews and toss well to coat. Makes 2 cups. Store in small glass jars or in plastic bags in the freezer.

Christmas Nuts

[Any time of the year, these are nuts are a great addition to a goat cheese salad with apple or pear wedges]

2 tbsp butter

2 cups pecans

1/8 tsp cinnamon

1/8 tsp cloves

1/8 tsp nutmeg

2 tbsp sugar

Preheat oven to 300 F. In heavy skillet, warm the butter and sauté the nuts over medium-high heat 2-3 minutes until light brown.

In a medium bowl, put the spices and sugar and stir until well combined. Toss the nuts with the spice mixture. Pour the nuts into a foil-lined, lightly spray-greased, rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven, for about 10-15 minutes (stirring often) or until nuts are drier and spices adhere. Store in small glass jars or in plastic bags in the freezer.

Easy French Bread (for the breadmaker)

On your breadmaker, choose the Dough menu function to make the dough and shape it into traditional, long loaves. OR, choose the French Bread menu function and bake the bread in the breadmaker.

1 ½ c water

1 ½ salt

2 tbsp granulated sugar

4 c all-purpose Canadian flour or white bread machine flour

1 ¼ tsp bread machine yeast

Egg white, water and cornmeal.

Measure ingredients into the breadmaker pan. Insert pan into the breadmaker chamber. Choose the Dough function. Press start. Dough will be ready in about 2 hours and breadmaker will beep. Remove dough and let it rest under a tea towel for 10 minutes. Divide ball in half. With a rolling pin, flatten each ball into a 8x12” rectangle. Roll up each rectangle like a long jellyroll. Pinch the edges to make a seam. Roll the ends back and forth to taper the ends. Place both loaves on a greased baking sheet, sprinkled with cornmeal, seam side down. They will double in size, so allow enough room between them. Spray-grease two sheets of plastic wrap. Place wrap over the loaves—greased side touching the dough. Cover with a tea towel. Let rise in a warm draft free place (over the fridge perhaps) for 30-40 minutes or until double in size. Preheat oven to 350F.

Mix 1 egg white with 1 tbsp water. Remove plastic wraps, brush with the egg mixture, make three diagonal slashes with a VERY sharp knife on each loaf, and sprinkle with a pinch of cornmeal. For a crispy crust like the bakery-style French loaves, place a pan of cold water with a few ice cubes in it on the bottom rack of the oven while the bread is baking. You may also spritz the oven walls with water just after you place the bread in the oven. Bake the bread on the upper middle rack in the oven for 20-25 minutes or until golden. Remove from the oven and allow loaves to cool for 10 minutes before moving them to a cooling rack. Cool before packaging.