Rosemary: Olympic Marathon Herb!

As I experience the stages of Olympic withdrawal, I will look upon my Rosemary plant admiringly and seek motivation from her performance as an outstanding Olympian Herb and Iron-Maiden Marathon Woman to sustain and inspire me until 2016. Although she starts out slowly, I know I can count on her to pace her progress through the dog-days of summer—through drought or downpours—to cross the finish line in full glory and flourishing abundance! She’s well known for being a fickle fuss-pot and rather difficult to nurture from seed but once established and rooted she’ll find her own groove—outlasting and surpassing her herb mates in the garden. Young Rosemary will pine for a lot of water—but when she’s full grown she can easily tolerate a few dry spells without wilting. On the whole, Rosemary delights in full sun and grows well independently in containers with good drainage. Like any athlete, Rosemary loves a spa date—the more the better—and enjoys having her aromatic leaves and stems clipped and preened to complement any entrée or baked dish.

Don’t let Rosemary’s tender evergreen perennial pedigree fool you though. Like most Olympic athletes, she cross trains and excels in fending off cancer and neurological disorders in humans. She sports a healthy dose source of flavonoid luteolin, which some researchers believe stops or reduces the growth of cancerous tumors. In addition, Rosemary contains carnosol, a polyphenol that may protect the brain from free radical damage that causes strokes and neurodegenerative diseases like Parkinson’s.

And does she workout during the winter? Yes, absolutely… you can over-winter Rosemary in your house—just be sure to place her in the sunniest place you can find in your home. Be sure to check her soil’s moisture level regularly and water her frequently to keep the soil moist but not soggy. A little misting now and then will help her too.

Above all, I adore the sophisticated and elegant flavour fresh rosemary can bring to entrees, vegetable dishes and baked goods. Here are a few of my favourite Rosemary recipes. Enjoy!

My date with Dalton Rosemary Cookies

I go to great lengths to take advantage of the cheaper electricity rates between 7 pm and 7 am in Ontario. This is why I call these “My date with Dalton” cookies. (Dalton McGuinty being the Premier of Ontario.) I make them at night after 7 pm when the cheaper rates go into effect, then  freeze them, then slice and bake them at 6:15 am before 7am, when the electricity rates go back up!

They are easy to whip up in a food processor or use your own brute strength to mix it up yourself.. Get your motors running…

1 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

¾ cup white sugar

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla extract

2 ½ cups white all-purpose flour

1 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary (chop finely with scissors)

1 tsp coarse salt

Roll logs in:

1 egg white-beaten

½ cup white sugar

In a food processor, mix together butter and sugar on low speed until light and fluffy. Add egg and vanilla then pulse on low speed until mixed in. Add Rosemary and salt and mix on low speed until combined and mixed.

Remove dough from machine and divide in half. Place one of the two  pieces on parchment paper or wax paper on counter or cutting board and roll into a 12 inch log, about 1 1/2 inches in diameter. Smooth out log and wrap in parchment paper or wax paper or saran and place in freezer. Repeat with second piece of dough. Freeze until quite firm. 1 hr or overnight.

Heat oven to 375F. Remove logs from freezer. They should be firm but fairly easy to slice with a sharp knife. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.

Brush with egg white and roll in white sugar. Cut into ¼ inch slices and place on baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Place about ½ inch apart. Oven racks should be in the middle of the oven. Bake until lightly browned around the edges, about 18 to 22 minutes. Cool on a rack. Store in the fridge or freeze. Excellent with sliced Cantaloupe and vanilla frozen yogurt!

Rosemary Oil

Place two or three sprigs of Rosemary in about 1/3 c of Olive oil. Use with Balsamic Vinegar for

dipping fresh bread at your next dinner party.

Rosemary Oven-Roasted Mini-Potatoes

Wash and scrub about 10-12 red mini-potatoes. Slice potatoes in half and steam for 8-9 minutes to tenderize. Note: they should still be quite firm. Drain and place in 9x13 baking dish.

Mix 2 tbsp olive oil with 2 tbsp fresh rosemary, and 1 tsp coarse salt. Brush over potatoes and mix well.

Bake at 400 for 25 minutes or until browned, stirring halfway through. These can be barbequed in a metal basket pan (with holes) on the BBQ.

Rosemary-Tangerine Carrots

Add 1 tbsp chopped fresh Rosemary and ¼ cup Tangerine juice to cooked carrots and toss over medium heat in saucepan until coated. Serve immediately.

Add flavour to pork roasts and poultry

Tuck a few sprigs of fresh Rosemary into a pork roast or chicken. Alternatively, skewer a few sprigs on top.  

Foccacio (using breadmaker and oven) Makes two medium focaccias or one large focaccia

1 1/3 cups water

1 1/2 tsp salt

1 tsp white sugar

3 1/3 cups Flour

2 1/4 tsp Breadmaker yeast

Measure these ingredients into the breadpan. Select the dough cycle and press Start. 

When dough is ready, preheat oven to 350F. 

Lightly grease two pizza pans or baking sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal. Remove dough from pan and let rest 5-10 min under a tea towel.

Cornmeal for sprinkling on pizza pans.

2 or 3 Minced garlic cloves

1 1/2 tsp Dried Rosemary or 1 tbsp fresh Rosemary

1 1/2 tsp Coarse salt

3 tbsp Olive Oil

2 tbsp grated Parmesan

On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough into two rounds to about ½ “ thickness. Lightly grease pans and sprinkle with a little cornmeal. Place dough on pans. Cover with heavy tea towel and let rise for 30 minutes.

Sprinkle with garlic, rosemary, and coarse salt and then lightly press into dough. With your fingertips, poke shallow indentations all over the top of the rounds. Pour the olive oil over the top, letting it pool in the indentations. Sprinkle Parmesan on top. 

Bake bread about 20-25 min or until lightly browned. (I put an oven liner or foil on the oven’s lower rack (under this pan) while this is baking to prevent the olive oil from spilling over and burning.)

Loving U Berry, Berry Much!

Fresh, warmed, streamed over ice cream or beneath a sweet blanket of pastry, who can resist a bowl of plump, ripe berries? Whether they are the main event, complementing a light salad, encased in pastry or the stand-alone perfect finale to a grand meal, you can never ever go wrong by inviting a berry to your lively event.  Dare I say, if the berry could have a zodiac sign it would undoubtedly be Gemini or Virgo…well known for their adaptability, deft communication abilities, fine sense of humour, neat appearance, dread of conflict and …ooops you discovered my sign and I have sadly projected my presence upon a little, defenseless berry!

Nevertheless, invite one of these berry recipes to your next meal and you will not be disappointed. With one of these berry dishes on the menu, I guarantee your next intimate dinner for two or multi-person soiree will be a smash! Let the gala begin…

Gooseberry Sauce for Salmon Fishcakes

The recipe for Salmon fishcakes is below OR you could purchase fishcakes ready-made and top them with this exquisite sauce:

·       225g Gooseberries

·       2 tbsp butter, softened

·       1 to 2 tbsp sugar to taste

·       Pinch ground ginger-purely optional!

Trim berries and put in a pan with a little cold water. Cook over low heat until the fruit is softened like a fine pulp. Remove from heat and beat with a wooden spoon until smooth. Beat in butter and sugar to taste.  Add the ginger and transfer to small serving bowl.

Salmon fishcakes:

·       1 lb salmon fillets, skinned

·       1 lb potatoes, peeled, boiled and mashed

·       2 tbsp parsley-chopped

·       Grated of 1 lemon

·       2 tbsp cream

·       1 tbsp flour

·       1 gee, beaten

·       2 cups whole wheat bread crumbs

·       4 tbsp vegetable oil

·       Salt and pepper

Put the fish in a large pan and cover with water-just enough to cover. Bring to a boil over med heat, then reduce and let simmer gently, covered for 5 min or until cooked

Remove from heat using a slotted spoon, life the fish onto a plate. When it has cooed, flake the fish roughly into bite-sized pieces, removing bones as you proceed.

Mix the mashed potatoes with the fish, parsley, lemon rind and cream. Season with salt and pepper. Shape into six round fishcakes.

Put the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs into three separate bowls. Dust the fishcakes with flour, then dip in the beaten egg and coat in breadcrumbs. Transfer to a baking sheet lined with parchment paper, the cover in plastic wrap and chill in the refrigerator for AT LEAST 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a fry pan over med heat. Pan fry the fishcakes for five minutes on each side (turn them gently with a spatula). Remove from fry pan and allow to drain on paper towels.

Serve fishcakes with Gooseberry sauce!

Chicken with Bramble Sauce

·       4 boneless Chicken Breast

·       4 tbsp white wine, cider or fruit beer

·       2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

·       ¼ tsp nutmeg

·       Pepper

·       Fresh rosemary sprigs to garnish

Bramble Sauce:

·       200g blackberries plus a few extra to dress up the dish!

·       1 tbsp cider vinegar or white wine vinegar

·       2 tbsp red currant jelly

With a sharp knife, cut the chicken into one inch pieces and place in a bowl. Sprinkle the wine and rosemary overtop and season with salt and pepper. Cover and let marinate, refrigerated for a least one hour. Drain the chicken and reserve the marinade.

Thread the chicken pieces onto long metal skewers and cook on the BBQ for 4 minutes on each side until cooked.

To make the sauce:

Place the reserved marinade in a pan with the blackberries and cook over low heat until the fruit is softened. Using the back of a wooden spoon, press the mixture through a strainer into a bowl to form a puree. Return this blackberry puree to the pan, then add the vinegar and red currant jelly and bring to a boil. Boil uncovered until the sauce is reduced by about one-third.

Spoon about one-third of sauce onto each plate and place chicken skewers on top. Sprinkle with nutmeg, then garnish with rosemary springs and blackberries.

Excellent served with a fresh green salad.

Strawberry Soup

·       2 lb or 200g fresh strawberries

·       ¾ cup cranberry juice

·       ¾ cup dry white wine or apple juice

·       ¾ cup sour cream or yogurt

Wash and hull strawberries. Reserve 1 ¾ cups. Put the rest of the berries in a large pan with the cranberry juice and cook over medium heat until the fruit is softened.

Let cool, then transfer to a blender or food processor and process until smooth. Add the wine, process briefly and combine, then pour into a pitcher. Cover with plastic and chill in the refrigerator.

Meanwhile, slice the reserved berries. Pour soup into six bowls and place the sliced berried on top. Top with sour cream or yogurt and mint sprigs and serve immediately.

Assorted Berry Salad with Citrus Dressing:

·       6 cups assorted greens of your choice

·       ½ cup Goat or Feta cheese crumbled

·       ½ cup Pecan or Walnuts

·       1 red pepper, thinly sliced

·       1 cup blueberries or raspberries washed

·       1 cup washed and sliced strawberries

Citrus Vinaigrette

·       1 tsp minced orange zest

·       ¼ cup orange juice

·       2 tbsp white wine vinegar

·       ¼ c light oil

Whirl ingredients together in a small food processor or whisk together with a small whisk.

Wash greens and place in a large bowl. Mix in pepper and berries. Toss with Vinaigrette. Sprinkle cheese and nuts over top.

Raspberries and Cabbage Pork Complement (cooked in the slow cooker):

For a 3 to 6 quart slow cooker:

·       1 large head green or red shredded cabbage, this will yield about 12 cups

·       2 onions thinly sliced

·       ½ cup dried cranberries

·       2 cups fresh raspberries or one 300g frozen-and thawed- berries

·       ¾ cup raspberry vinegar

·       ¼ cup melted butter

·       ½ cup white granulated sugar

·       1 tsp salt

Place cabbage, onions, cranberries and raspberries in the slow cooker pot. In a small bowl, combine vinegar, butter, sugar and salt. Pour over cabbage and toss. Cover and cook on low for 4-6 hours until cabbage is tender.

Blueberry Pie with Ginger Crust

·       1-1/2 cups gingersnap cookie crumbs (in a food processor grind up about 35 cookies or 1/2 a bag of PC English Gingersnaps)

·       2 tbsp granulated sugar

·       1/4 cup butter or margarine, melted

·       2-1/2 tbsp cornstarch

·       2 tbsp cold water

·       1/2 cup granulated sugar

·       4 cups (1 L) blueberries

·       1 tbsp lemon juice

Crust: In small bowl, combine cookie crumbs with sugar; stir in butter until moistened. Press evenly onto bottom and sides of 9-inch pie plate. Bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for 8 minutes. Cool on rack

Filling:
In medium saucepan, mix cornstarch with water. Add sugar and 1-1/2 cups blueberries; bring to boil over medium-high heat, stirring constantly. Boil 1 to 2 minutes, stirring, until very thick and clear. Remove from heat; stir in remaining blueberries and lemon juice. Mix well and pour into pie crust. Refrigerate until set (about 3 hours). Serve with Maple Whipped Cream.

Maple Whipped Cream:
Beat 1/2 cup whipping cream or Cool Whip with 2 tbsp Ontario Maple Syrup until stiff. Store in refrigerator.

Mixed Berry Smoothie

In a blender, blend together

·       2-3 scoops frozen low fat banana-strawberry yogurt

·       ¾ cup mixed frozen berries

·       1 banana and

·       ½ cup milk

Serve in a tall glass or a plastic mug, to go!

Draft Notice: Taste McAuslan Brews May 1 at Bon Appetit Ottawa 2012

Next Tuesday, May 1 is the Bon Appetit Ottawa 2012 Food and Beverage show at Ottawa’s new CE Centre at 4899 Uplands Drive.

Yours truly, with the help of good friends and family, will be hosting the McAuslan Brewing Exhibit Table.  (Note Funds raised from the show will go to local charities. For more, visit: www.bonappetitottawa.ca)

If you have a ticket to this sold out, splendid event, do stop by our table for a wee tasting of: 

•  St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale- a favourite among the ladies, don’t ya know!
•  St. Ambroise Pale Ale – a favourite among everyone
• St. Ambroise Oatmeal Stout – my absolute fav ...for breadbaking too!

McAuslan's St Ambroise suds are available at Beer stores and most LCBOs. To quote a funny friend of mine, "Beer is not just for breakfast anymore...." So why not mix things up a bit and try a few of these bread recipes I have developed using McAuslan brews.

 McAuslan Brewing St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale Mushroom and Brie Focaccia

Equipment you will need: Breadmaker with a dough cycle, spray grease for baking pans, two pizza pans or two cookie sheets, a pastry brush. Cornmeal to sprinkle on baking sheets.

For Topping:

4 cups thinly sliced or chopped Cremini (white) mushrooms
3 cloves garlic, minced

1/4 c butter

1 bottle St. Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale

1/2 pound (250 grams) brie, sliced into small cubes
salt and pepper to taste

Melt the butter in a medium sized fry pan and sauté the mushrooms and garlic. Add a little salt and pepper to taste. Add the beer and cook over medium heat until the beer is almost completely reduced. This may take about 20-30 minutes in total.

For Dough:

1 1/3 cups St-Ambroise Pale Ale (Room Temperature) (This is almost one 12 oz./341 mL bottle-heck drink the remaining 1/4 cup yourself! )

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp granulated sugar

3 1/3 cups all-purpose or breadmachine flour

2 ¼ tsp bread machine yeast

Measure ingredients into breadpan in the order given. Place breadpan in breadmachine. Choose the Dough Cycle. Press Start.

Ingredients for pan preparation and dough:

1 tbsp cornmeal, divided in two to sprinkle on pans

2 tsp olive oil, divided, to brush over fresh dough for baking

Meanwhile, prepare focaccia toppings and prepare baking pans; using two pizza pans or cookie sheets. Spray grease each sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.Preheat oven to 350F. Place oven racks on the mid-level shelves in the oven.

When breadmachine dough cycle is complete, remove dough from pan and slice in half.

You will be making two 8”x10” rectangular focaccias. Stretch each piece of dough gently and roll each piece into an 8x10 rectangle. Place dough on prepared sheets. Using fingertips, lightly press indentations into flattened dough. With a pastry brush, brush 1 tsp olive oil over each piece. Roughly divide the mushrooms and cheese in half and spread over the dough. Press the toppings gently into dough to make them stick.Place pans in oven and bake for 15 minutes, then switch pans on shelves and turn pans around and bake for another 10-15 minutes until gold brown around the edges.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie racks. Slice with pizza cutter or serrated knife into the size of squares you wish. Serve as an appetizer or salad accompaniment.

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MCAUSLAN APRICOT WHEAT ALE CRANBERRY-APRICOT FOCACCIA

Equipment you will need: Breadmaker with a dough cycle, spray grease for baking pans, small fry pan, two pizza pans or cookie sheets, colander or slotted spoon, pastry brush. Cornmeal to sprinkle on baking sheets.

For Dough:

1 1/3 cups St-Ambroise Apricot Wheat Ale (Room Temperature) This is almost 1 bottle of beer. You will have about 1/4 cup of beer left over--help yourself. I WON'T tell!

1 ½ tsp salt

1 tsp granulated sugar

3 1/3 cups all-purpose or breadmachine flour

2 ¼ tsp bread machine yeast

For Toppings:

1 bottle McAuslan Apricot Wheat Ale (Cold or room temperature-it doesn’t matter)

2/3 cups dried cranberries

2/3 cups chopped dried apricots

250 g goat cheese (or half of a 454 g goat cheese log)

1 tbsp cornmeal, divided in two to sprinkle on pans

2 tsp olive oil, divided, to brush over fresh dough for baking

For Dough: Measure ingredients into breadpan in the order given. Place breadpan in breadmachine. Choose the Dough Cycle. Press Start.

Meanwhile, prepare focaccia toppings:

The beer bath part!

To avoid froth, slowly pour McAuslan Apricot Wheat Ale into a medium sized glass or Pyrex bowl. Gently stir in cranberries and apricots. Allow mixture to soak while dough is mixing. Stir occasionally. Strain the mixture using a metal colander or slotted spoon. Save the liquid mixture for a late night sweet fix or to enlighten your granola before your morning run. Beer is NOT just for breakfast anymore!

The cheese appearance:

Crumble goat cheese, divide into 2 portions and set aside.

Prepare baking pans: using two pizza pans or cookie sheets. Spray grease each sheet and sprinkle with cornmeal.

Preheat oven to 350F. Place oven racks on the mid-level shelves in the oven.

When breadmachine dough cycle is complete, remove dough from pan and slice dough in half. You will be making two 8”x10” rectangular focaccias. Stretch each piece of dough gently and roll each half into an 8x10 rectangle. Place on prepared baking sheets. Using fingertips, lightly press indentations into flattened dough. With a pastry brush, brush 1 tsp olive oil over each piece. Roughly divide the apricots and cranberry mixture in half and spread over the flattened dough. Sprinkle goat cheese evenly over each piece. Press the toppings gently into dough to make them stick.

Place pans in oven and bake for 15 minutes, then switch pans on shelves and turn pans around and bake for another 10-15 minutes until gold brown around the edges.

Remove from oven and allow to cool on cookie racks. Slice with pizza cutter or serrated knife into the size of squares you wish. Serve as an appetizer or lunch accompaniment to a green salad.

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M^CAUSLAN ST-AMBROISE PALE ALE

JALAPENO CHEESE BREAD (for a BreadMachine or Shaped loaves)

This bread recipe is for a 2 lb breadmachine loaf, using the Sweet Cycle. You may also use the dough cycle on the breadmachine, then shape the dough into two small loaves and bake them in the oven.

1 1/3 cups McAuslan St-Ambroise Pale Ale

1 tsp Hot pepper sauce

¼ cup Skim milk powder

1 ½ tsp Salt

2 tbsp Granulated sugar

3 ½ cups All-purpose flour

1 cup Cornmeal

1 tbsp Crushed dried jalapeno peppers*

2/3 cup Shredded extra-old Cheddar Cheese

1 1/2 tsp Bread machine yeast

Measure ingredients into baking pan in the order given. Place pan in breadmaker oven chamber. Choose the Sweet Cycle. Press Start.

When done, remove the loaf from the breadpan and allow to cool on a rack for 1 ½ hrs before slicing. The crusts make delicious breadcrumbs or croutons.

* Instead, you may also use 1 tbsp diced fresh (or bottled) jalapeno peppers or red chilli pepper flakes.

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Note: some of the following recipes use Griffon Red Ale but McAuslan's Blonde Pale Ale may be substituted

McAuslan Brewing Griffon Red Ale Sourdough Bread

Start-me up Starter:

2/3 Cup McAuslan Brewing Griffon Red Ale (room temperature)

1 level cup white all-purpose Canadian Flour

1 tsp active dried yeast

In a large glass bowl, mix these ingredients together with a wooden spoon. Scrape down the sides of the bowl and be sure to mix in all the flour. Cover the top of the bowl with plastic wrap. Place the bowl in a large clear plastic bag (lawn bags work well!). Seal the bag with a twist tie or string or something. Set aside to rise a room temperature for 5 hours or more….it’s very forgiving! It’s ready to use when it begins to bubble and is about double in size.

For the bread:

In a large breadmaker pan (3lb breadmaker is required) assemble ingredients as follows:

All of starter

6 ½ cups white flour

2 tbsp whole wheat flour

1 level tsp active dried yeast

2 cups water.

Topping:

Egg white mixed with 1 tsp water

1 tbsp cornmeal

Variation on this recipe:

Use McAuslan Brewing St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout instead of Griffon Red Ale

Substitute all flour with:

4 cups whole wheat Canadian flour

1 cup white all-purpose Canadian Flour

½ cup oats

On the breadmaker, choose the Dough option. When cycle on breadmaker ends, remove dough and knead on a very lightly floured breadboard into a smooth elastic ball. Place in a lightly greased bowl (the one you used to make the starter would be fine), cover with lightly greased plastic wrap and a heavy tea towel and let rise in the fridge over night or for one or two hours at room temperature until doubled in size. In the morning or after two hours, remove wraps, punch down dough in the centre of the dough and knead again into a smooth ball. Let rest under tea towels on a breadboard for 10-15 min.

Divide dough into 4 equal pieces. Knead each piece until smooth. Shape each piece into a round loaf by pulling the top of the round underneath and then pushing the up with your thumbs on the bottom…as if you were making a mushroom shape. Place unrisen rounds (2 per baking sheet) on parchment paper-lined large pizza pans or flat unrimmed baking sheets. You will need two pans/sheets. Cover each loaf with greased plastic wrap and tea towels and let rise in a warm, draft-free, humid atmosphere (above the fridge or in a cupboard for instance) for 20-25 minutes.

In the meantime, preheat oven to 350F. When loaves have risen (BTW you can probably only bake one pan at a time), brush with 1 egg white mixed with 1 tsp water and sprinkle with cornmeal. Slash the top of each loaf about 3 times with a sharp exacto knife.

Spritz oven with a few squirts of water to achieve a “crusty” crust. Bake for 25 minutes or until browned. For the manual method, mix all ingredients together well. Use your hands if necessary. Set aside, covered with a tea towel for ½ hour.

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Cheddar Ale Bread
(Makes a 2 lb loaf in a breadmaker)

1 ½ cups McAuslan Griffon Red Ale

1 ½ tsp salt

2 tbsp white sugar

1 tsp McAuslan Griffon Mustard

3 ½ cups white all-purpose Canadian flour

½ cup buttermilk powder

¾ cup extra old Cheddar cheese, shredded

¼ cup grated Parmesan cheese

1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast

Measure ingredients into the breadpan in the order given. Choose the Sweet cycle. Alternatively, choose the Dough option, shape into loaves, let rise 30 min covered in the loaf pans. When risen, brush with milk and bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Sprinkle with 2 tbsp shredded cheese during the last 10-15 of baking. Let cool in pans 10 min. Then, remove from pans and let cool on rack before wrapping.

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McAuslan Brewing St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout Bread

(For a 2 lb breadmachine loaf)

1 ½ cups McAuslaun St-Ambroise Oatmeal Stout

¼ cup buttermilk powder

1 ½ tsp salt

¼ cup molasses

2 tbsp soft butter

1 ½ cups whole wheat Canadian flour

½ Spelt flour

1 ¼ cups all-purpose Canadian flour

¾ cup quick cooking rolled oats

½ cup less 2 tbsp 12-grain cereal

2 tbsp wheat germ

1 ½ tsp bread machine yeast

Topping: mix together 1 tsp oats and 1 tsp wheat germ.

Measure ingredients into baking pan. Choose the whole wheat cycle, light crust. During the last 15 minutes of baking, sprinkle with topping.

Alternatively, choose the Dough option on the breadmaker, shape into 2 loaves, let rise 40 min covered, in 2 small loaf pans. When risen, brush with milk and sprinkle with mixture of wheat germ and oats. Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes. Let cool in pans 10 min. Then, remove from pans and let cool on rack before wrapping.

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McAuslan Pale Ale and McAuslan Griffon Ale Mustard Rye Bread

For a 2 lb loaf in the Breadmaker:

1 1/3 cups McAuslan Pale Ale

1/3 McAuslan Griffon Ale Mustard or Dijon mustard

¼ cup skim milk powder

¾ tsp salt

2 tbsp packed brown sugar

2 tbsp olive oil

1 cup whole wheat flour

2 cups all purpose flour

¾ cup rye flour

1 tbsp dill seeds

1 ¾ tsp bread machine yeast

Measure ingredients in to the breadpan in the order given. Set pan into the breadmaker. Select the Whole Wheat Cycle.

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!