The 21st Century Housewife's Kitchen

The Gallery of Favorites with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-02-10T02:00:00.001-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites.

The Gallery of Favorites is a place for you to feature favorite posts from your own blog. There were a wonderful variety of posts last week, and we do thank everyone who shared them.

To see this week's featured blogger, and to share your posts, please click here...

Creamy Beef and Pasta One Pot

2012-02-09T08:18:00.000-08:00

Dinnertime can be tricky in our house. As a senior manager with a large corporate, my husband’s work schedule is packed and erratic. His day starts when he leaves the house just before 7am; he is rarely back home before 8.30pm. This leaves a window of about an hour for a family dinner and some time together before he heads back to work in our home office. Most evenings he has calls with the Americas late into the evening and sometimes even into the early hours of the following morning. My biggest issue is the fact that the time we eat dinner is never set, and can vary anywhere between 8 and 9.30pm. It’s more luck than judgement as to when I need to start preparing dinner to have it ready at the right time, so I try to develop recipes that will hold well if I happen to get the timing wrong. This is one of these. It does require a bit of chopping, stirring etc, so it’s fairly hands on to prepare, but you only need one pot, and if you turn the heat back and stir it occasionally it will hold for a while. I’ve even been known to transfer the whole lot from the pan into a casserole dish, pop a lid on it and keep it warm in the oven - at which point it becomes Creamy Beef and Pasta Casserole. I am nothing if not flexible.

For the recipe, please click here...

The Hearth and Soul Hop with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-02-07T01:12:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone who shared recipes and posts last week. To read more, and share your recipes, please click here...

Scalloped Root Vegetables for Meatless Monday

2012-02-06T07:33:00.000-08:00

If you have an organic vegetable or CSA box delivered weekly, you can be sure of eating in season foods. The only trouble around this time of year is that you sometimes end up with an awful lot of root vegetables. Nothing against root vegetables you understand, but it can be hard to think up new and different ways to serve them. Once you’ve exhausted mashing, roasting and making soup, it can get kind of tricky. Thankfully I don’t mind trying new things in the kitchen, and my family are very tolerant with my experiments.

My late Mom was famous for her Scalloped Potatoes, and it struck me one day that potatoes have a very similar texture to parsnips, turnips, swede and other root vegetables. I got to thinking about it, and after a couple of test runs, I came up with a recipe that we enjoy almost as much as Mom’s potatoes. It’s just as easy too, plus you can tailor it to your individual tastes and what you have on hand.

To read more, please click here...

The Gallery of Favorites 3 February

2012-02-03T00:55:00.000-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites.

Thank you to everyone who shared posts last week. To read more, please click here...

Apple and Onion Slow Cooker Pork - Cook Once Eat Twice

2012-02-02T06:11:00.000-08:00

Photo credit Alex J Harris

I love to cook, but some days it is really nice to have a break, and get two meals out of one afternoon’s cooking. First time round, I usually serve this as a roast for Sunday dinner. A day or two later, I then serve Pulled Pork Sandwiches with Caramelized Onions.

Photo credit Alex J Harris

There’s a bit work involved on the first day as I generally make mashed or roast potatoes to go alongside, as well as some other vegetables, but the nice thing is the pork takes care of itself in the slow cooker.

To read more, please click here...

The Hearth and Soul Hop at The 21st Century Housewife

2012-01-31T00:22:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Hearth and Soul, the blog hop for and about food that nourishes both body and soul. Thank you to everyone who shared recipes and posts last week. To read more, and share your posts, please click here...

Cashew Nut Stir Fry for Meatless Monday

2012-01-30T08:23:00.000-08:00

One of the best ways to cook fresh vegetables is lightly, serving them while they are still fairly crisp - and one of the easiest ways to do this is in a stir fry. We are still trying to eat less meat, so I decided to incorporate our favourite nuts in this recipe, both for reasons of nutrition and taste.

I’ve listed ingredients for two to three people, but the quantities are very generous and you can easily increase or decrease quantities as required. You can use any vegetable oil instead of sesame oil if you prefer, but it really is worth using the sesame oil for its wonderful flavour.

about 2 tablespoons of sesame oil

2 to 3 “nests” of medium noodles

1 red onion, thinly sliced

1 generous handful of white mushrooms, sliced (optional)

2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced

1 red pepper, sliced in thin strips

1 yellow or green pepper, sliced in thin strips

1 cup zucchini, halved lengthwise and cut in half moons

a handful of green beans

4 tablespoons sweet chilli sauce

5 tablespoons of soy sauce (I use a low-sodium variety)

a generous handful of roasted cashew nuts

Cook the noodles in boiling water according to package directions. When cooked, drain and toss in about 2 teaspoons of sesame oil. Set aside.

Heat the rest of the sesame oil in a large frying pan or wok until it is nearly smoking. Add the onions and mushrooms and stir fry for a couple seconds. Then add the carrots and peppers. Stir fry for a few minutes. Add the zucchini and green beans, and continue to stir fry until all the vegetables are tender crisp (about five minutes).

Stir together the sweet chilli sauce and the soy sauce and add to the stir fry, tossing to coat the vegetables. Add the cashews to the pan, stirring to coat with the sauce and heat through.

Serve the stir fried vegetables and cashews over the noodles.

The Gallery of Favorites with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-01-27T00:49:00.001-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites.

To read more, and share your favorite posts, please click here...

Marvellous Muffins

2012-01-26T06:24:00.000-08:00

I made some bran muffins for breakfast thismorning, and I was reminded of what a quick and easy treat they are. Perfect for a light first meal of theday, they make a great snack later on as well. Here are a few of my favourite homemade muffins.

Bran Muffins

My Mom’s Blueberry Muffins

Banana Coconut Pecan Muffins

Carrot Walnut Bran Muffins

My Mom’s Jam Muffins

Another wonderful resource for great muffin recipes is Lisa of Happy in Dole Valley, who for a whole year baked a different muffin every Monday with her daughter. You can see links to all 52 recipes by clicking here.

Easy Chicken and Vegetable Pasta

2012-01-25T14:12:00.000-08:00

This easy and frugal dish is an all-round crowd pleaser. Kids love the creamy mild sauce in this dish and grownups like the ‘comfort food’ factor. It’s a fantastic way to use up leftover chicken, and it couldn’t be easier to put together.

Mustard adds a great little zing to this dish, but adjust the amount to your taste. I love to use wholegrain Dijon mustard in this recipe because of its mildness and depth of flavour. Don’t worry if you haven’t got /don’t want to use sherry or Madeira; it does add flavour but it is far from indispensable in this dish. There is nothing to stop you using penne or bow tie pasta (or any other pasta shape you like) instead of macaroni. In fact it is a great way to use up ends of pasta, finishing off all those annoying little bags with just a little bit in them!

To read more, please click here...

Hearth and Soul Hop with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-01-24T00:57:00.000-08:00

Thank you to everyone who shared recipes and posts last week. To read more, and share your recipes, please click here...

Tofu Stir Fry with Hoisin Sauce for Meatless Monday on Chinese New Year

2012-01-23T02:16:00.000-08:00

Celebrated by billions of people all around the world, today is the most important of all Chinese holidays, the Chinese New Year. I have fond memories of watching the wonderful New Year parades from Macy’s seventh floor window over looking Union Square in San Francisco. The colour and joyful noise of the celebrations echo through the streets and it really is a sight like nothing I had ever seen before.

The Chinese calendar is based on a complex calendar system that uses both lunar and solar cycles. This means Chinese New Year falls on different dates every year, sometime between January 21 and February 21 of the Gregorian calendar. Each year is associated with one of twelve animals in the Chinese zodiac. It’s the Year of the Dragon this time. I don’t follow horoscopes, but it’s fun to find out what animal you are. (I’m a snake, my husband is a horse and our son is a rooster.)

When we are at home, I like to make some sort of a stir fry dish for dinner on Chinese New Year. As it’s also Meatless Monday today, I am going to re-post a recipe that was very well received by readers back in 2010. I have to confess I’m not a huge fan of tofu, but I like it in this stir fry. Of course you can always leave out the tofu and just use vegetables. That is the beauty of stir fry, you can use so many different vegetables you really won’t miss the meat, whether you use tofu or not. Another way to mimic the texture of meat is to include mushrooms in your stir fry.

To read more, please click here...

Gallery of Favorites with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-01-20T02:07:00.000-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites.

To read more, and share your posts, please click here...

Lunch with the Glitterati at Sardi's, New York City

2012-01-19T06:42:00.000-08:00

Okay, there weren’t any actual glitteratithere the day we ate at Sardi’s, one of Broadway’s premier restaurants, but it was still very cool to eat in aplace I had heard so much about. For over 90 years, Sardi’s has been the toastof Broadway, and it has witnessed more stars than most people will in alifetime, as the caricatures on the walls attest. Originally drawn by a Russian refugee who worked in returnfor food, Sardi’s caricatures have become iconic, and having your picture onthe wall there is definitely a sign you have arrived. For many years, this wasthe place where the nominations for the coveted Tony awards were announced andit has been the location of more opening night parties than anyone could count. Sardi’s has also appeared in many films and television shows, including TheKing of Comedy, Frost/Nixon and The Producers and the popular television seriesMad Men and Glee.

We were just leaving the Dead SeaScrolls exhibition at Discovery Times Square, and suddenly realized we werevirtually next door to a place I had wanted to eat for years.

Stepping inunder the awning and through the dark wooden doors, we received a warm welcomefrom the well-dressed staff. Ifelt a bit like I had stepped back in time as I took in the paneled walls andwarm red décor.

Themenu literally had something for everyone (although I did not notice a lot ofvegetarian options). I ordered a Reuben sandwich, and must admit I was a bit surprised by the sheeramount of meat layered on the crusty bread. It wasn’t exactly what I wasexpecting, but it did taste good.

I really ought to have ordered a Clubsandwich as my husband did. It was a real classic, and absolutelydelicious.

Our son enjoyed his hamburger as well.

This service was excellent, and considering we were literally just off Broadway, I thought the prices were quite good value for money too.

On this visit to Sardi’s it was the atmosphere,more than the food, that impressed me. I took a few sneaky photographs upstairson my way to the ladies’ room (labeled ‘Dolls’ in an homage to days gone by).

I will definitely go back, as there were lots of things on the menu I would have been very pleased to try, and I'd love to see what the atmosphere is like in the evening. If you find yourself at 234 West 44th Street just off Broadway, I urge you to visit this iconic venue and enjoy their food and hospitality. If you enjoy a retro vibe and a bit of Broadway glamour, Sardi's is definitely a great place to eat!

Let's Do Brunch

2012-01-18T03:46:00.001-08:00

Welcome to Let’s Do Brunch, the recipe exchange for breakfast, lunch and brunch recipes. Anything that you could serve for breakfast, lunch or brunch, or at a brunch buffet is very welcome here, as are desserts and sweet treats.

This will be my last week co-hosting Let’s Do Brunch. I have really enjoyed working with Chaya and I am grateful for the opportunity she offered me to share in this wonderful blog hop, but there is so much happening this year I am now having to pick and choose my projects due to time pressures. It’s an exciting year here - the tenth anniversary of The 21st Century Housewife - and I’m struggling to fit everything in!

I will still be co-hosting the Hearth and Soul Hop, as well as the weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites, and I do hope you will also share posts with my co-hosts and I there, as well as continuing to share your brunch recipes with Chaya.

To read more, and share your recipes, please click here...

Favourite Bread Machine Recipes

2012-01-18T02:26:00.000-08:00

On Monday I shared my Olive Oil and Polenta Bread, as well as my thoughts on bread machines and howmuch I love using mine. I’ve shared a number of bread machine recipes on The 21st Century Housewife over theyears. Here is a collection of my favourites. I hope you enjoy these recipes as much as my family and I do, and that they encourage you to dust off your bread machine and get baking!

Orange and Raisin Bread

Challah Bread

Nut Loaf

Apple Cinnamon Raisin Bread

Breadmaker Pizza Dough

The Hearth and Soul Hop with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-01-17T00:08:00.001-08:00

Thank you to everyone who shared recipes and posts last week. To read more, and share your posts, please click here..

Homemade Olive Oil and Polenta Bread for Meatless Monday

2012-01-16T04:49:00.000-08:00

I wish I could be the kind of person who made bread from scratch all the time, but like most modern women, my family’s lifestyle makes that pretty much impossible. So once in a while I bake scratch bread the old fashioned way, and the rest of the time, I use a bread machine. The beauty of a bread machine is that it makes it possible for you to have fresh bread literally every day. It also means you know exactly what is going into your bread - right down to the kind of flour and how much salt. (Although don’t be tempted to leave the salt out entirely as the yeast needs it to work!) It also means you are not popping to the shops ‘just for a loaf of bread’ every two minutes. Although that might not seem like an onerous task, particularly if the shop is nearby, I always find that I buy a lot more than a loaf of bread when I am there and end up spending a lot more than I intended. If I can avoid the trip to the shop, it can save me a lot of money!

One of the things that helped me to really love my bread machine is a book by Sonia Allison called The Complete Bread Machine Cookbook. It was published ten years ago, so can be hard to get hold of, but it’s well worth buying if you can find a copy.

It’s Sonia’s technique for putting the ingredients in the bread machine that really works for me, and gives fabulous results. She recommends putting the liquid and any oil in the bread container first, then adding half the flour ingredients, then the salt, sugar and milk powder (if using), adding the rest of the flour and then mounding the yeast on top. This prevents the yeast from getting wet too soon and gives much better results. I highly recommend this method.

This is one of the breads I make most often. The polenta (cornmeal) gives the bread a wonderful texture and flavour, so it's good for sandwiches, toast, or warmed alongside a nice bowl of pasta.

2¾ cups strong white bread flour (organic if possible)

¼ cup cornmeal

1¼ cups water

2 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil (I’ve also used ordinary olive oil)

2 teaspoons salt (I use 1 teaspoon)

1 teaspoon white sugar

2 tablespoons dried milk powder

1½ teaspoons instant or fast-acting dried yeast (I’ve used up to 2 teaspoons at times)

Mix together the flour and polenta. Pour the water into the breadmaker bucket, then add the oil, and half the flour and polenta mixture. Sprinkle with the salt, sugar and dried milk. Cover with the remaining flour mixture and mound the yeast into the centre.

Fit the bucket into the breadmaker and set to the programme recommended in the manual (usually basic white or No 1).

When the programme has finished, gently shake the loaf out of the bucket on to a wire cooling rack and stand right way up. Leave for at least an hour before cutting and/or removing paddle if necessary.

The Gallery of Favorites with The 21st Century Housewife 12 January

2012-01-12T15:41:00.000-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites. We are posting the Gallery a bit early this week as I will be travelling tomorrow morning, and we also thought it might be helpful with the upcoming holiday weekend in the US.

The Gallery of Favorites is a place for you to feature favorite posts from your own blog. Although Alea and I both spend a lot of our time writing about food, we do have many other interests and know that our readers do as well. The Gallery of Favorites is a place for all bloggers - not just food bloggers - to share their ideas, interests and passions. Of course, recipe and food posts are very welcome too.

To read more, and to share your posts, please click here...

Le Train Bleu

2012-01-12T15:09:00.000-08:00

One of the things I love about shopping in New York City is all the wonderful places you can go for lunch. Take Bloomingdales, for instance. Simply climb the stairs from Kitchenware on the fifth floor right up to the sixth, and you are in a different world.

Le Train Bleu is a lovely restaurant built as a railway car on the top floor of Bloomingdales. It looks just like a vintage train car.

There is a wonderful view of the city, and it really is a lovely place to have a bite to eat and take a quick break from a hard day's shopping.

Despite the very relaxed atmosphere, the service is wonderful, and the food is even better. Torn between the Salade Nicoise and the Turkey Waldorf Wrap, I chose the turkey on the advice of the waitress. It was very good advice.

Our son enjoyed the signature burger without the signature blue cheese. He was totally prepared to have a cheese-less burger, but they were very nice about it and offered him two alternative cheeses instead. He said it was one of the nicest burgers he had in NYC, and that is a compliment indeed!

My husband was on a bit of a crab cake kick while we were in New York, and ordered them at every opportunity. He thoroughly enjoyed the version he tried at Le Train Bleu.

Considering where we were, the prices seemed very competitive, and we thoroughly enjoyed every bite of our food. It was a fun atmosphere to eat in as well. I would definitely go back, and if you find yourself tired, hungry and a bit shopped out in Bloomingdales on 59th Street in New York City, you should definitely head straight to the top, and visit the very quaint and enjoyable Le Train Bleu.

Let's Do Brunch with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-01-11T05:03:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Let’s Do Brunch, the recipe exchange for breakfast, lunch and brunch recipes. Meals are pretty flexible these days, so there aren’t many recipes that won’t fit into these categories. Anything that you could serve for breakfast, lunch or brunch, or at a brunch buffet is very welcome here, as are desserts and sweet treats.

Thank you to everyone who contributed last week. My co-host, Chaya of My Sweet and Savory and I always look forward to visiting your posts and trying out the wonderful new ideas you share. I really enjoyed all the recipes that were linked up last week.

To read more, please click here...

Beef and Beer Stew

2012-01-11T04:25:00.000-08:00

Beef and Ale stew is a very popular British dish, particularly in the winter months. We also encase the stew in pastry and call it Beef and Ale pie. While I always enjoy a good old fashioned Beef and Ale anything, when I first came to England twenty years ago I did find ale a little hard to swallow. Ale refers to dark beers, and also to stouts and ‘bitters’, many of which are an acquired taste. So back in the day, I decided to play with the traditional recipe to make it more friendly to my Canadian palate. I replaced the stronger flavours of ale with lager (which would simply be known as ‘beer’ in North America) and added more vegetables and lighter flavours to the dish. Little did I know I was creating a family favourite, by far one of the most requested dishes in our house, and also the one that is most looked forward to.

To read more, please click here...

The Hearth and Soul Hop with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-01-10T01:06:00.000-08:00

Welcome to Hearth and Soul, the blog hop for and about food that nourishes both body and soul. Recipes should include healthy ingredients and can be old or new recipes or posts. Articles on real food, slow food, foraging, herbal remedies, local food, sustainable food, organics, gardening or any healthy eating information written in a positive and loving light are also welcome. To read more about our mission and the rules for linking, please click here. We share links to Hearth and Soul entries at our Hearth and Soul Facebook Page and Pinterest Boards, and please do come and follow us on Twitter @HearthNSoulHop

To read more, see last week's featured posts, and share your recipes, please click here...

Vegetarian Spaghetti Bolognese

2012-01-09T01:58:00.000-08:00

Myfamily and I are looking for ways to eat less meat, and one of the things Ihave been working on is re-vamping some of my classic recipes that use mincebeef with a product called Quorn. The main ingredient in meat free Quorn ismycoprotein, a lower fat source of protein. It contains no cholesterol, but is agood source of fibre and essential amino acids. It’s one of those proteins thattakes on the flavour of the foods you cook it with, so it works really well indishes like Spaghetti Bolognese, Shepherd’s Pie, Chilli and Lasagna.

Quorndoes have a slightly different texture to ground beef, and it was that whichgave its presence away when I made Spaghetti Bolognese with it for the firsttime recently. I didn’t mention to my family that I had replaced the meat withQuorn, and they didn’t really notice at first. However, eventually I had to confess thatthe ‘something different’ they noticed about the recipe was the absence ofmeat, and by virtue of that, the presence of Quorn. They did agree was that the taste of the dish was still excellent,although they were a little thrown by the texture. They soon got over it though, and all the plates that went back to the kitchen were clean!

Sincethen I’ve also made Shepherd’s Pie with Quorn and once again, the result wasvery similar. The taste was almost identical to the normal meaty recipe, butthe texture does give the game away a bit.

I’mnot going to stop making our favourite recipes with meat, but from time totime, I will use Quorn in order to help us reduce the amount of meat in ourdiet. If you would like to try using Quorn, or other meat substitute in SpaghettiBolognese, try this recipe.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely chopped

1 red peper, finely chopped(optional)

1 - 350 gram (12 ounce) package Quorn mincemince

3 to 4 cups of homemade tomatosauce or jarred passsata (sieved tomatoes), organic if possible

1 vegetable tock cube

1 to 2 teaspoons dried oregano

1 bay leaf

salt and pepper to taste

¼ cup basil pesto

1 pound spaghetti

freshly grated vegetarianstyle Parmesan cheese, to serve (optional)

Heat the oil in a frying panover medium heat and sauté the onion until it begins to soften and becometranslucent. Add the red pepper, if using, and sauté for a few minutes more.

Crumble the stock cube overthe onion and stir through. Add the tomato sauce or passata, oregano and bayleaf. Stir through, reduce the heat, and simmer for at ten minutes.

Remove the bay leaf, and stirin the pesto. Add the Quorn mince and stir though. Cover and simmer for ten to fifteen minutes.

Taste for seasoning and addsalt and/or pepper if you feel the sauce needs it. Leave the sauce to simmerwhile you cook the spaghetti in boiling, salted water according to packagedirections.

Drain the spaghetti and servewith the sauce. Garnish with the Parmesan cheese, if using.

The Gallery of Favorites 6 January

2012-01-06T02:17:00.001-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites. The Gallery of Favorites is a place for you to feature favorite posts from your own blog. Although Alea and I both spend a lot of our time writing about food, we do have many other interests and know that our readers do as well. The Gallery of Favorites is a place for all bloggers - not just food bloggers - to share their ideas, interests and passions. Of course, recipe and food posts are very welcome too.

To read more, and share your posts, please click here...

Parma Ham and Cantaloupe Salad

2012-01-05T04:23:00.000-08:00

I often find myself craving salads after the seasonalfeasting of the holidays. Fresh, light and delicious, they seem to be just whatmy body needs.

I made this salad as an homage to one I had at theBeverly Wilshire Hotel’s The Blvd Restaurant. Although I had it in summer, with lighter lettuces, it standsup very well to hardier winter lettuces and makes a very satisfying lightlunch. A light creamy dressing with herbs is all you need to top it off. I usedthis recipe from Allrecipes and it worked beautifully. On another occasion, whenI was in a hurry, I used a high quality ready made dressing from Mary Berry and Daughter.

To serve two people (or 4 people as a starter) youneed

Half a cantaloupe

6 to 8 slices good quality ethically raised Parma Ham

about 1 tablespoons shaved Parmesan cheese

4 cups mixed salad leaves, rinsed

freshly ground pepper

Remove the rind from the cantaloupe and slice thinly.

Place half the salad leaves on each plate and lay thecantaloupe slices over top. Lay the Parma Ham slices in between. Scatter withthe Parmesan cheese shavings and a good grinding of fresh pepper.

Drizzle a small amount of dressing over each salad,serving more on the side. Serve immediately.

Let's Do Brunch

2012-01-04T00:20:00.001-08:00

It’s our son Alex’s 19th birthday today, and my husband and I have lots of things planned to help celebrate the occasion. We are heading up to London later to see a matinee performance in the West End, and then we will be having a celebration dinner at one of Alex’s favourite restaurants, The Criterion in Piccadilly Circus.

I think every moment of a birthday is important, and any birthday celebration in our house always starts with the birthday person’s breakfast of choice. Alex always chooses pancakes for his. What do you have for birthday breakfasts at your house?

One of the reasons I enjoy co-hosting Let’s Do Brunch is that I think breakfast, lunch and brunch can be every bit as much a main event as dinner or supper. Let’s Do Brunch is a great way to share our favourite breakfast, lunch and brunch recipes and it’s a wonderful resource when I am looking for inspiration.

To read more, and to share your recipes, please click here...

The Hearth and Soul Hop with The 21st Century Housewife

2012-01-03T00:13:00.001-08:00

Happy New Year and welcome to the first edition of The Hearth and Soul Hop for 2012!

The Holiday Season made it a quieter week at Hearth and Soul last week, but we still had lots of wonderful contributions.

To read more, and to share your recipes, please click here...

My Favourite Vegetarian Posts of 2011 for Meatless Monday

2012-01-02T09:05:00.000-08:00

Happy New Year! Have you made any New Year’s resolutions yet? One of the things I am really passionate about is reducing the amount of meat my family and I eat. I’m an advocate of the Meatless Monday and Meat Free Monday movements, and I genuinely enjoy vegetarian food. Of course, it doesn’t have to be Monday that is meatless, the whole idea is simply to cut out meat one day a week.

Not only does cutting out meat one day a week benefit your health (studies have shown a whole range of health benefits to reducing the amount of meat you eat), it also helps the environment. Raising livestock requires huge amounts of land, food and water, and places a big strain on the environment. It can also help your food budget, as meat is generally the most expensive grocery item we buy.

Having said all that, I’m certainly not ready to commit to being totally vegetarian. I enjoy eating some meat, and I can see benefits to eating it. As with so many things, I think balance is the key. I do think I’m ready to take things a step further though, and as part of that I’m committing to cutting out meat two days a week instead of just one. Not only do I think it will benefit my family’s health, I also want to challenge myself to create more delicious and nutritious vegetarian recipes.

What about you? How do you feel about the Meatless Monday movement? Do you cut out meat one day a week, or have you taken the plunge and embraced a totally vegetarian lifestyle? Share your thoughts in the comments or email me!

In the meantime, please click here here for some of my favourite meatless recipes from 2011

A New Year's Eve Treat

2011-12-31T11:32:00.000-08:00

When I was finally allowed to stay up till midnight as a child (to be fair, my parents were fairly indulgent, I was only about 8 or 9!) this was one of the treats I looked forward to. Mom would always serve it alongside the sparkling wine or champagne we drank to toast the New Year.

It's a classic shrimp cocktail, a a great recipe to add to your repertoire, whenever you want to serve it. It’s shrimp cocktail as it was served in the 1950’s and is often still served today - cold shrimp a sharp contrast to the bright spicy sauce they were topped with, laying on a super crisp bed of shredded iceberg lettuce.

In England, shrimp are usually called ‘prawns’ and they are usually served with a Marie Rose dressing - a blend of ketchup or tomato sauce and mayonnaise, or sometimes even with thousand island dressing. Prawn cocktail was the fashionable starter of the 1980‘s here. By the end of that decade most folks were fed up with it and it experienced a huge fall from grace, along with that staple 1980’s dessert Black Forest Gateau. It’s certainly more fashionable now, but I think if folks could taste this sauce instead of the traditional mild Marie Rose version, even more people would be embracing this charming retro dish.

This makes a wonderful starter, or a real treat for lunch - if you are making lunch for one you can keep any extra sauce in the fridge for a couple of days. Thawing a handful of frozen shrimp or treating yourself to some fresh cooked shrimp from the grocery store can take an ordinary lunch and elevate it to the extraordinary.

The sauce also makes a great dip, and I often serve a plate of large shrimp round a dish of it at parties. The dish is always empty in minutes.

Shrimp Cocktail

1 handful of shredded iceberg lettuce per person

1 handful of small frozen shrimp per person, thawed

For each serving, place the shredded lettuce in a pretty dish or on a nice plate. Top with the shrimp.

To make the sauce:

½ cup ketchup

1 to 2 tablespoons mild creamy horseradish (You may need a bit less than this depending on how hot your horseradish is.)

½ teaspoon lemon juice (fresh if possible)

Place the ketchup in a bowl and add about 1 tablespoon of the horseradish along with the lemon juice. Stir to mix. Taste, adding a bit more horseradish if you feel the mixture needs it.

Top the shrimp with the sauce and serve very cold.

At midnight tonight my family and I will be enjoying this classic family treat alongside a glass of champagne (followed by a piece of cake!).

However you plan to celebrate New Year’s Eve, I wish you and yours a Happy, Prosperous and Healthy New Year full of blessings and joy.

The Gallery of Favorites - New Year's Edition

2011-12-29T07:37:00.001-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to a very special edition of our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites.

The Gallery of Favorites is a place for you to feature favorite posts from your own blog. Although Alea and I both spend a lot of our time writing about food, we do have many other interests and know that our readers do as well. The Gallery of Favorites is a place for all bloggers - not just food bloggers - to share their ideas, interests and passions. Of course, recipe and food posts are very welcome too!

Thank you so much to everyone who has taken part in the Gallery of Favorites this year. The posts you have shared have been both interesting and inspiring. We look forward to reading more of them in the New Year!

This is our New Year’s edition, and we would love for you to share your favorite posts of the whole year from your own blogs.

To read more, and to share your posts, please click here...

Let's Do Brunch

2011-12-28T07:41:00.000-08:00

Thank you for joining us for Let’s Do Brunch, the recipe exchange for breakfast, lunch and brunch recipes. I’m sorry, I am late posting this week due to my family holiday - the time keeps slipping away on me!

Thank you to everyone who contributed last week. Chaya and I always enjoy visiting your posts and trying out the wonderful new ideas you share. My co-host, Chaya of My Sweet and Savory will be choosing some of her highlights from last week’s hop, and this week I want to highlight some of the wonderful cookie recipes that were shared last week. This is usually the time I am beginning to run out of cookies, and need some more ideas for holiday entertaining.

To read more, and share your recipes, please click here...

The Hearth and Soul Hop

2011-12-27T07:22:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Hop, the blog carnival for and about food that nourishes both body and soul. We've got some exciting news and an announcement this week, as well as the hop, so please click here to read more...

Christmas Dinner at The Rock Center Cafe

2011-12-25T20:01:00.000-08:00

Turkey followed by Christmas pudding is very much the traditional Christmas meal of choice in England, so we were a little nervous about our first Christmas dinner in New York City. It was highly unlikely we would find turkey on the menu, and we knew for sure that Christmas pudding was definitely not going to figure into the equation. Added to this is the fact that there are a dizzying choice of places to eat in NYC on Christmas Day. In the end, we chose the Rock Center Cafe both for its location, and because we had a wonderful meal there about eighteen months ago, eating at their tables outside on a summer visit to New York. In the winter months, the Rockefeller Center rink fills the space where the tables sit, and provides a gorgeous backdrop to the modern layout of the restaurant inside.

The view of the rink from The Rock Center Cafe

The restaurant was beyond busy, and even though we had a reservation, we still had to line up outside and wait for a half an hour beyond our reservation time to get in. However it was definitely worth the wait. Although it was a set menu, there were five choices each for starter and nine for main course, as well as four possible desserts. Although none of these choices involved turkey in any form, they all sounded so good we soon forgot to be worried about tradition.

Our son started with Pork Belly, and my husband and I chose the Jumbo Shrimp with Cognac and Cocktail Sauces. Everything was mouthwateringly delicious and beautifully presented. I decided to go for a pescatarian Christmas following the Jumbo Shrimp with the Red Snapper. Served with roast tomatoes, fennel, olives and capers and accented with garlic and basil oil, the fish was beautifully moist and so well filleted that I did not come across even one single bone.

Red Snapper with Tomato, Fennel, Olives and Capers

My husband chose the Berkshire Pork Chop with Sweet Potato Flan and Swiss Chard, and my son chose the Fillet Mignon served with 'the best mashed potatoes' he had ever had. Both of these choices were scrumptious, and we were all really taken with the Sweet Potato Flan, which was seasoned with Pumpkin Pie Spice, making it a beautiful foil to the delicious bone in chop.

Berkshire Pork Chop with Sweet Potato Flan

We accompanied our meal with a delicious Sancerre, which went beautifully with the pork and the fish.

Christmas Pudding was definitely not on the menu, but we really didn't miss it. The Key Lime Pie with Blackcurrant Coulis was a lovely sweet/tart finish to my meal.

Key Lime Pie with Blackberry Coulis

My husband chose an Apple Cake, and although he did say he wished he had chosen the Key Lime Pie (I shared mine so he didn't miss out), the Apple Cake was very delicious too.

We were all very impressed by the impeccable service and wonderful food, particularly considering how busy the restaurant was. Furthermore, although they were desperate for tables, and when we left the queue was longer than ever, we never felt rushed. It was a great atmosphere, and we all enjoyed watching the skaters outside as well, particularly when one man did a bit of impromptu ice dancing, and later when a couple got engaged before our eyes.

I highly recommend the Rock Center Cafe anytime of year, but if you find yourself planning a visit to New York at Christmas, this is definitely a place you ought to consider reserving a table.

Merry Christmas

2011-12-24T15:41:00.000-08:00

From my family to yours, wishes to you and yours for a Christmas full of blessings, joy and hope.

Let's Do Brunch

2011-12-21T00:58:00.000-08:00

Thank you for joining us for Let’s Do Brunch, the recipe exchange for breakfast, lunch and brunch recipes. We always enjoy visiting your posts and trying out the wonderful new ideas you share. Thank you to everyone who contributed last week. My co-host, Chaya of My Sweet and Savory has chosen some of her highlights from last week’s hop, and this week I have chosen to highlight two lovely quick breads.

To read more, and share your recipes, please click here...

Mincemeat and Oatmeal Squares

2011-12-20T08:55:00.000-08:00

My late Mom’s recipe box is a treasured resourceof old family recipes, of which this is one. Perfect for Christmas, thesesquares are quick and easy to put together and they really are delicious.

Mincemeat does not contain any meat, although it does contain ashredded solid form of fat called suet. While I can buy jars of mincemeateasily in any grocery store here in England, I know it can be harder to sourceif you live in North America. If you can’t find it, you can click here for a very straight-forward recipe. I also found a suet and sugar free recipe here on the wonderful Gluten Free SCD and VeggieBlog.

Be sure to use proper oatmeal, not the instantkind.

¾ cup rolled oats (not instant)

¾ cup all purpose (plain) flour

¼ teaspoon baking soda (bicarbonate of soda)

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup brown sugar, packed

½ cup butter, (cold, cut in small cubes)

1¼ cups mincemeat (store bought is fine, butchoose a good brand)

2 tablespoon rum, brandy, Cointreau or GrandMariner

(use orange juice instead if you need an alcohol free option)

Grease a 7 inch square pan and line the bottom with baking parchment. Preheat the oven to 350ºF or about 160ºC (150ºCfor fan ovens). Put the mincemeat in a small bowl and stir in the liquor. Setaside.

Combine the flour with the butter in a medium bowl until mixtureresembles fine crumbs. You can use a food processor for this, or do it by handwith an old-fashioned pastry blender. I like to use a pastry blender.

Add the oats, baking soda, salt and sugar to the butter and flour mixture, and mixthoroughly. Press half this mixture into the prepared pan. Put the pan in thefreezer, and the remaining oat mixture in the fridge.

After 15 minutes, remove the square pan from the freezer and theremaining oat mixture from the fridge. Carefully spread the boozymincemeat over the top of the oat mixture in the square pan. Gentlysprinkle the remaining oat mixture evenly over top of the mincemeat.

Bake in the oven for about 25 to 30 minutes oruntil the squares are lightly golden brown. Remove from the oven andallow to cool. (Seriously, do not cut into these when they are warm asthey will just crumble everywhere.) After the squares are completely cool, putthem in the fridge for an hour or so before cutting.

When they are cold, carefully cut them in squares with a sharp knife. (They are not easy to cut, so do take care. I promise it is worth the effort.) These squares are best served cold or at room temperature.

Leftovers will keep in a sealed container in thefridge for several days.

The Hearth and Soul Hop with The 21st Century Housewife

2011-12-20T08:23:00.000-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Hop, the blog carnival for and about food that nourishes both body and soul.

To read more and to share your recipes, please click here...

Moroccan Vegetable Tagine

2011-12-19T01:58:00.000-08:00

Before I start, allow me to confess that I have a) never been toMorocco and b) do not own a tagine.However, while this recipe may not be authentic in its preparation or thelength of its ingredient list, it is definitely reminiscent of the dishes Ihave eaten in Moroccan restaurants. The subtle, warming spiciness of harissalifts the roasted veggies to new flavour heights and has made this dish anovernight family favorite.

Harissais a North African spice blend that is readily available in the spice aisle inmost UK grocery stores. I have seen it in some stores in North America as well,and of course it is available on line. It’s not an overpowering spice mixture,and in small quantities provides a gorgeous, warming heat with no burn. Ofcourse, it you like things extra spicy there is no reason why you can’t usemore harissa paste than I did in this recipe, but I urge you to go carefully.Remember you can always add more spice but you can’t take it away!

Traditional tagine dishes are cooked for a very long time to meltinggorgeousness, but by keeping this recipe vegetarian I was able to get the slowcooked flavour without the long cooking time. It’s also incredibly easy toprepare and the addition of the chickpeas adds a nutritional boost to make thisa complete meal. Consider using wholewheat couscous as well for even moregoodness. This recipe will serve 4 to 5 people generously.

Here’s how easy it is.

Peel (where necessary)and chop about two to three cups of vegetables. I like to use red onion,carrots, parsnips, mushrooms, zucchini (courgettes), red pepper and eggplant(aubergine). Cut vegetables that are more dense (such as parsnips and carrots)in smaller pieces to help them cook more quickly.

Toss the vegetables in ¼ cup olive oil and ½ to 1 tsp harissa.(I use a half teaspoon.) Roast in a hot oven (about 400ºF or 200ºC) for 30 to40 minutes, or until lightly golden, turning once half way through.

Meanwhile, gently heat ½ cup to ¾ cup tomato sauce in a mediumsaucepan over medium to low heat. Drain and rinse one 14 ounce can ofchickpeas. Add the chickpeas to the tomato sauce and gently heat through.Now add the roasted vegetables and stir to mix through. If necessary, add alittle more tomato sauce to keep them moist, but not saucy.

Heat about 4 cups vegetable stock almost to boiling in asaucepan. Stir in ½ to 1 tsp harissa (again I used half a teaspoon) .Put 2 cups couscous in a large bowl and pour 3½ cups of the spicedstock over top. Cover and let sit for five minutes. Fluff with a fork, adding abit more stock if necessary to give an al dente texture.

Serve the vegetables on a bed of couscous in warmed bowls or onwarmed plates.

The Gallery of Favorites

2011-12-16T06:40:00.001-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to the eighteenth edition of our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites.

Before I share our featured post from last week, I want to let you know that the Gallery of Favorites will be taking a short break for Christmas, so there will be no Gallery post on Friday December 23rd. We will return on December 30th for a special New Year’s Eve edition of the Gallery, when we will be encouraging you to share your favorite post of the year from your blog, in addition to a more recent post you are proud of.

Thank you to everyone who shared posts last week.

To read more, and to share your posts, please click here...

Madeira Gravy

2011-12-15T07:30:00.000-08:00

This recipe is inspired by my mother-in-law’s Madeira gravy but I’ve adjusted the seasoning and pared down the ingredients a bit so it is quicker and easier to make. It goes beautifully with roast turkey, beef or pork (I use the appropriate stock for the kind of meat I am serving so beef stock for beef, turkey for turkey etc), and it is wonderful for Christmas entertaining. When I served it to guests recently with Beef Wellington they said it was so tasty they could have eaten it on its own with a spoon, and I confess I could have too.

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, finely sliced

1¼ cups stock (made from a cube is fine)

2 tablespoons tomato paste or puree

1 teaspoon fresh thyme, finely chopped or ½ teaspoon dried

1 bay leaf

1 generous tablespoon redcurrant or cranberry jelly

1 tablespoons corn flour blended with 2 tablespoons cold water

½ cup Madeira wine

2 generous pinches of ground pepper or to taste

Heat the oil in a small saucepan and sauté the onion over medium heat until it is beginning to become translucent. Add the stock, the tomato puree or paste, the thyme and the bay leaf, stirring to blend well. Stir in the redcurrant or cranberry jelly, stirring until it is dissolved. Bring just to the boil, then turn back the heat to low and simmer for about fifteen minutes.

Strain the mixture through a sieve into a clean saucepan, discarding the onion and bay leaf. Whisk in the corn flour and water mixture. This will cause the stock to thicken fairly quickly. Cook, stirring constantly for a minute or so. Add the Madeira, a bit at a time, whisking constantly. Add a pinch of pepper and whisk it in, taste and add a bit more if necessary.

Pour into a gravy boat and serve.

Let's Do Brunch

2011-12-14T07:45:00.001-08:00

What have you been cooking for breakfast, lunch or brunch this week? Share it with us! Any dish that would work for any of these three meals or as part of a brunch buffet is welcome at Let’s Do Brunch, the recipe exchange for breakfast, lunch and brunch recipes.

To see last week's featured recipes, and to share yours, please click here...

Mystery Lemon Squares

2011-12-14T01:39:00.000-08:00

This recipe is a bit of a mystery because I have no idea where it came from. I found it in my late Mom’s old recipe file, but I don’t remembermy Mom ever making it, and the recipe itself offers no clue as it istypewritten. The font, and the way the paper has aged makes me think that it must be quiteold, but I can only guess at how old that might be.

I made these squares for the first time last Christmas and they have become one of our favourites. The sharpness of the lemon icing is the perfect foil tothe sweet coconut and walnut filling. I like them because they keep extremely well in the fridgeand are very easy to make too. In fact, although they make a wonderful addition to any Christmas cookie tray, this is a recipe I make year round.

¾ cup butter

1½ cups flour

2 tablespoons white sugar

½ cup coconut

½ cup chopped walnuts

1¼ cups brown sugar

¼ teaspoon baking powder

2 eggs

Preheat oven to 350℉ (170℃or 160℃ for a fan oven).

Cream together thebutter, flour and white sugar. Pat the mixture into an 8 x 8 inch square pan.

Bake in the oven for about 10 minutes. Set aside.

Meanwhile, mix togetherthe coconut, walnuts, brown sugar, baking powder and eggs. Spread over the baseand bake for about 20 minutes or until brown.

It does look almost alarmingly brown when it comes out of the oven,but don’t worry, that is exactly how it should be. Set aside to cool.

Mix together ¼ cup softened butter and 2 cups powdered sugar. Add oneteaspoon of vanilla and beat together well. Gradually add the juice of a lemon(you may not need it all, or you may need a little more), beating well aftereach addition until you get a smooth, spreadable icing.

When the squares are completely cool, spread with the butter icing.Chill before cutting in small squares. Store covered in the refrigerator.

If you enjoyed this post, you may also enjoy
Aunt Dorothy's Butterscotch Squares
Coconut Date and Cherry Christmas Squares

The Hearth and Soul Hop with The 21st Century Housewife

2011-12-13T01:30:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Hop, the blog carnival for and about food that nourishes both body and soul.

To read more, please click here...

Cardamom Chocolate Mousee with Hazelnuts on an Amaretti Biscuit Base

2011-12-12T07:39:00.000-08:00

Recently, I attended a coffee matching event hosted by Cafédirect with some of my fellow London bloggers, where we learned how the type coffee served with a dessert is just as important as the wine chosen to serve with the starter and main course. It was all part of an initiative by Cafédirect to encourage the British public to explore coffee in much the way a sommelier does wine. Just as different wines have distinctive regional characteristics dependent on factors such as soil, climate and altitude, the same is true for coffee.

Cafédirect then opened a competition to the public, challenging them to create the perfect dessert recipe to pair with one of their single origin coffees, for the chance to win the dream foodie prize of £500 to spend at celebrated gourmet cookery school L’atelier des Chefs and feature in a limited edition recipe book.

I was asked to go along to Cafédirect’s London headquarters to help judge the competition, along with the Head Chef at L’atelier des Chefs, Andre Dupin and Cafédirect coffee expert Thierry Akroman. We were presented with a wonderful array of desserts to sample, alongside the coffees the entrants had matched them with.

From Star Anise and Cinnamon Crème Brûlée to Honey, Fig and Madeira Baked Alaska, there was something to tempt every palate. We tasted our way through some amazing desserts, and I was really impressed by the creativity that the entries demonstrated. After much deliberation, we chose a Cardamom Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnuts on an Amaretti Biscuit Base developed by Saskia Rogerson from Wiltshire as the winner. The dessert was incredibly innovative, using cardamom, carrots and chili to create layers of flavour, and the texture of the mousse was a great foil for the crunchy base. The recipe perfectly complimented Cafédirect’s wonderful Machu Picchu coffee, bringing out its dark chocolate and nutty flavours.

Saskia’s recipe will now be the star in a limited edition Cafédirect Coffee & Dessert Matching Guide, which also features 15 shortlisted recipes each matching the profile of one of Cafédirect’s single origin coffees. The guide will be available for download from www.cafedirect.co.uk/world-of-taste in January 2012. In the meantime, here is Saskia’s wonderful recipe, which I am looking forward to making for my next dinner party!

Cardamom Chocolate Mousse with Hazelnuts on an Amaretti Biscuit Base

Biscuit Base

250 grams amaretti biscuits, crushed

120 grams unsalted butter

2 tablespoons chopped hazlenuts

3 cardamon pods, grated

Caramelised carrot and chilli layer

2 tablespoons shredded carrot

2 tablespoons shredded chilli

25 grams unsalted butter

4 tablespoons muscavado sugar

Cardamom, Hazelnut and Chocolate mousse

300 grams bittersweet chocolate, broken into pieces

2 tablespoons hazelnuts

4 cardamom pods, grated

45 grams unsalted butter

5 eggs, separated

4 tablespoons caster sugar

230 millilitres double cream

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

shot of espresso made with Cafédirect Machu Picchu Roast and Ground coffee

Method

For the biscuit base: melt the butter in a pan, pour in the amaretti biscuit,

hazelnuts and grated cardamom. Transfer to 28" springform cake tin and

leave to cool.

Combine all the ingredients for the caramelised carrot and chilli layer in a

saucepan and bring the mixture slowly to simmer until it caramelises, then pour onto the biscuit layer so it forms an even layer.

For the mousse, melt the chocolate and butter in a bowl heated over a pan

of simmering water, add in espresso, cardamom, and hazelnuts. Leave to

cool slightly.

Heat the egg yolks and 2 tablespoons sugar in another bowl over the simmering pan of water. Whisk until warm then transfer to electric mixer and mix until the yolk is pale and fluffy. Then fold into chocolate mixture.

Whisk the egg whites in a clean bowl until they are stiff, then fold this into

the chocolate mixture. In a bowl set over ice, whip the cream until stiff

and fold into chocolate mixture.

Spoon onto the biscuit and carrot/chilli caramel layer in the cake tin, and

spread evenly with a spatula. Decorate with hazelnuts and grated

cardamom. Cover and chill for 2 hours, then serve.

The Gallery of Favorites

2011-12-09T01:51:00.001-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to the seventeenth edition of our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites. The Gallery of Favorites is a place for you to feature favorite posts from your own blog. Although Alea and I both spend a lot of our time writing about food, we do have many other interests and know that our readers do as well. The Gallery of Favorites is a place for all bloggers - not just food bloggers - to share their ideas, interests and passions. Of course, recipe and food posts are very welcome too!

To read more, and to share your posts, please click here...

Martha Stewart's Spicy Pumpkin Bundt Cake

2011-12-08T02:57:00.001-08:00

Martha Stewart has some amazing recipes. In fact, I can honestly say that of all the Martha Stewart recipes I have tried (and I've tried a lot!), not one has disappointed. This is no exception.

The recipe does make a big cake. I recently bought a new bundt pan and I was sure it was a 14 cup model. I realised as the batter puffed up over the top of the pan that it wasn't (in fact it is actually a 10 cup). However, all the trimming I had to do to flatten the bottom made for some yummy nibbling so all was not lost. If your bundt pan does not hold 14 cups, either halve the recipe or perhaps make up the rest of the batter as muffins or in a loaf pan, adjusting the cooking time accordingly.

The cake does what it says on the tin, and it is spicy. There is a pronounced ginger hit - not surprising when it calls for a whole tablespoon of ground ginger. We loved it, but if you are unsure, I would just use a little bit less. Don't leave any of the spices out though, as the combination Martha has used is really mouthwatering. I agree that freshly ground nutmeg is better, and the recipe does call for it, but I cheated and used ready ground as I was in a hurry.

This really is a gutsy cake and it couldn't be more versatile. Do serve thin slices as it is very rich. We had it for breakfast and dessert over several days and it kept really well. It's nice with a side of ice cream or a bit of whipped cream on top, and it was also good with some blackberries scattered over. Leftovers make an amazing bread pudding, or you can chop them up and use them in individual trifles, drizzled with a bit of sherry, port or rum, and layered with a bit of custard, fruit and cream.

I glazed the cake with a simple glaze of confectioner's sugar mixed with enough water to make a drizzle-able glaze (is drizzle-able a word?) - about 1 cup confectioner's sugar mixed together with 1½ to 2 tablespoons of water. I then use a whisk to get a really smooth consistency. Be sure to wait until the cake is completely cooled before you glaze it.

Tempted? Click here for the recipe. You will be very glad you did.

Let's Do Brunch with The 21st Century Housewife

2011-12-07T04:44:00.001-08:00

Thank you for joining us for Let’s Do Brunch, the recipe exchange for breakfast, lunch and brunch recipes. We always enjoy visiting your posts and trying out your tasty offerings. Thank you to everyone who contributed last week. My co-host, Chaya of My Sweet and Savory has chosen some of her highlights from last week’s hop, and here are some of mine.

To read more, and to share your recipes please click here...

Leftover Turkey and Almond Stir Fry

2011-12-07T03:51:00.001-08:00

Like so many people, I always enjoy planning my recipes for Christmas leftovers in advance. Here is one of my favourites. Almonds are the perfect foil to the stronger taste of turkey, but of course you can use chicken as well. If you can't wait for leftovers to try it, you can use thinly sliced raw meat, added at the beginning of the cooking time before the vegetables.

I recently tried a Tilda white and brown basmati rice mix that is wonderful for serving with this recipe, but I must confess my family prefer it served over noodles. There is something about the texture of the noodles with the crunch of the almonds that makes it extra delicious.

This recipes serves 5 to 6 generously, and is easily stretched for more, by adding extra turkey or vegetables.

2 tablespoons vegetable oil (I use mild olive oil.)

1 red onion, finely sliced

I red pepper, de-seeded and cut in thin slices

1 yellow pepper, de-seeded and cut in slices

2 carrots, peeled and cut in thin slices or matchsticks (optional)

1 zucchini (courgette), topped, tailed, halved lengthwise and cut in half moons OR 1 cup broccoli florets or shredded brussels sprouts

2 cups chopped leftover turkey (or chicken)

3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce

2 to 3 tablespoons soy sauce

1 pound of medium egg noodles

½ cup roughly chopped almonds plus more for garnish

Heat the oil in a large frying pan or wok and add the onion. Stir fry for two to three minutes until it begins to soften.

Meanwhile, cook the egg noodles or rice according to package directions.

Mix the sweet chili sauce and the soy sauce together thoroughly.

Add the peppers, zucchini and carrots (if using), continuing to stir fry until they become tender-crisp (about 2 to 3 minutes). Stir leftover cooked turkey, along with the sauce mixture, tossing to coat everything with the sauce.

Toss in the almonds and ensure everything is heated through. Serve over the noodles, with some extra almonds sprinkled on top for garnish.

The Hearth and Soul Hop

2011-12-06T01:03:00.001-08:00

Welcome to the Hearth and Soul Hop, the blog carnival for and about food that nourishes both body and soul.

We share links to Hearth and Soul entries at our Hearth and Soul Facebook Page and Pinterest Boards, and please do come and follow us on Twitter @HearthNSoulHop. Alea has also created a new Hearth and Soul Paper.li for us on Twitter as well.

Thank you to everyone who shared recipes and posts with us last week.

To read more, and to share your recipes, please click here...

Creamy Stuffed Leeks

2011-12-05T05:09:00.001-08:00

I saw a recipe similar to this in BBC Good Food’s Christmas Vegetarian issue and could not resist trying it. We love leeks, and they really are much easier to prepare than many people think.

Good Food’s recipe was presented as a vegetarian main course for one, so I increased the quantities to serve 2 or 3 and got a bit more imaginative with the filling (the original main ingredients were simply couscous and leek). The recipe did suggest that you might be able to push the middle of the leek out and stuff it without making a vertical cut in the leek, but one attempt at this convinced me that life is definitely too short! Making and a vertical cut down the length of each leek makes this dish much easier to prepare and when the dish is cooked you honestly can’t see how you stuffed them.

This time of year, the outer leaves of the leeks can be quite tough, so I recommend you remove the outer two or three layers. I didn’t do this the first time round, and I had to use a steak knife to cut into the leeks! Subsequent versions of the recipe were much more tender with the outer layers removed.

Adapted from BBC Good Food Christmas Vegetarian December 2011

3 to 4 large fat leeks, trimmed and washed

2 tablespoons finely chopped red pepper

2 tablespoons finely chopped mushrooms (about two large mushrooms)

2 tablespoons butter

1 small clove garlic

2 tablespoons white wine

¼ cup couscous

¼ cup vegetable stock

½ teaspoon dried oregano

a pinch or two of freshly ground pepper

¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon vegetarian Parmesan style cheese

¼ cup plus 2 tablespoons double (heavy) cream

Preheat the oven to 400 F or 200 C.

Wash the outside of the leeks, remove the very bottom and cut the dark green part off the tops. Make a vertical cut halfway through each leek from top to bottom. Rinse between the layers, but keep the leek together. Drain slightly and pat dry.

Discard the two or three tough outer layers of the leek, leaving enough layers to stuff. Remove the very centre layers of the leek, leaving a good few layers to make the outer tube. Finely chop the inner layers of the leek.

Preheat the oven to 400ºF (200ºC) or 375ºF or 180ºC for a fan oven.

Melt the butter in a medium saucepan with a lid over medium heat.

Add the finely chopped inner layers of the leek to the pan together with the chopped red pepper and mushrooms. Sauté gently for about 10 minutes until everything is nice and soft.

Add the garlic, oregano, pepper and the wine and cook for one minute more. Stir in the couscous and the stock, remove from the heat and cover with a lid. Let sit for five minutes.

Fork through the couscous and vegetable mixture. Still using a fork, stir in the 2 tablespoons of cream and the one tablespoon of the parmesan style cheese. Taste for seasoning and add salt and more pepper if necessary.

Carefully open the whole leeks and stuff them with about 1 to 2 tablespoons of the filling. Shape the outer layers back around the stuffing tightly. Cut each leek in half and place in a large casserole dish. Fit the leeks in snugly, so they help hold each other together.

Pour the ¼ cup cream over top of the leeks and sprinkle the ¼ cup Parmesan style cheese over the top. Bake the leeks for 25 to 30 minutes, until the leeks are tender and the sauce is bubbling.

Serve with a lightly dressed salad and warm rolls.

The Gallery of Favorites #16

2011-12-02T00:29:00.001-08:00

Alea of Premeditated Leftovers and I want to welcome you to the sixteenth edition of our weekend blog hop, The Gallery of Favorites.

Thank you to everyone who shared their posts last week. I was really pleased to see posts on so many different topics, and I enjoyed reading them all. This week Alea and I are featuring

To read more, and to share your favorite posts from your own blog, please click here...

Warm Wild Rice Salad with Sausages and Apples

2011-12-01T04:27:00.001-08:00

I’ve written before about my friend Naomi of Agnes Rose and the wonderful infused oils and fruit vinegars that she makes in England’s beautiful Lake District. They are a great asset in the kitchen, adding wonderful flavours to my recipes all year round.

A few months ago, Naomi launched some new products, including a fabulous Cumbrian Damson Cider Vinegar with Local Honey which is fast becoming one of my favourites. This lovely vinegar has a great depth of flavour from the jammy damson plums, and just a hint of sweetness from the honey, making it wonderful to cook with.

I recently used this lovely new vinegar in a seasonal recipe for a warm rice salad. It’s one of those recipes I made up as I went along, just using ingredients I had to hand, and I was so pleased with the results. My family loved it, and when I made it a week or so later in larger quantities for entertaining, it was definitely a crowd pleaser.

To serve 3 to 4 people generously you need:

2 tablespoons Garlic Oil (preferably Agnes Rose)

8 to 10 free range/pasture raised sausages - depending on size – if using skinny (chipolata) style sausages use 10 to 12

1½ cups long grain and wild rice

½ cup chopped green onion (scallions)

3 eating apples, cored and chopped but not peeled

(I often mix red and green apples for colour.)

3 teaspoons wholegrain Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons cider vinegar, preferably Cumbrian Damson Cider Vinegar

salt and pepper to taste

Heat one tablespoon of the oil in a large frying pan (with a lid) over medium heat. Cut each sausage in three with a sharp knife and brown them in the pan.

Meanwhile cook the rice in a large saucepan in boiling salted water according to package directions.

Add the apples to the pan, along with the remaining teaspoon of oil and stir fry for a minute or two.

Mix the mustard and the vinegar together. Pour into the pan with the sausages and apples and toss to coat. Allow everything to sizzle together for a minute and then pop the lid on the pan for three to five minutes. You may want to reduce the heat a bit at this point. The apples should be slightly softened but still have a bit of bite to them.

Drain the rice well and return it to the saucepan to keep warm.

Add the chopped green onions to the sausages and apples. Toss everything together gently, but well. Taste for seasoning, adding salt and pepper if necessary.

Serve immediately, placing portions of the sausage and apple mixture atop portions of rice.

Let's Do Brunch

2011-11-30T11:47:00.001-08:00

Thank you for joining us for Let’s Do Brunch, the recipe exchange for breakfast, lunch and brunch recipes. My co-host, Chaya of My Sweet and Savory and I always enjoy the great inspiration we find when we visit your posts!

Thank you to everyone who contributed last week. There was definitely some great brunch inspiration!

To see last week's featured recipes, and to share your own, please click here...

Chicken and Carrots with Olive Tapenade

2011-11-29T14:23:00.001-08:00

I wrote recently about Made in Provence, and the wonderful authentic handmade products they offer. Christine Vidal, the owner of this lovely company, very kindly offered to share some recipes using her products. This is the first of them - a warming and delicious casserole, perfect for supper on a cold winter’s night.

4 to 6 pieces of chicken (Christine recommends thighs)

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 onion, peeled and chopped

2 garlic cloves

100 grams (about 3½ ounces) black olives*

2 cups (500 ml) chicken stock

1 glass of white wine (optional)

1 bay leaf

4 large carrots, peeled and chopped

3 heaped teaspoons of Made in Provence Flassanades Olives Noires*

(black olive tapenade)

salt and pepper to taste

*You can substitute green olives and Flassanades Olives Vertes for the black olives and Flassanades Olives Noires

Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan over medium heat.

Fry the onion, garlic and chicken pieces in olive oil until golden brown. Add the Flassanades Olives Noires, then add the wine (if using), stock, bay leaf, seasoning and carrots.

Cook on a medium heat for 20 minutes, and then add the fresh olives.

Cook for 10 to 15 minutes longer, or until the chicken is done, ensuring the juices run clear and that no pink remains inside.

When I made this dish, I served it over some steamed couscous, with crusty bread on the side. I used chicken breasts when I made this dish because my family prefer them, but chicken thighs will give an even better flavour.

The Hearth and Soul Hop with The 21st Century Housewife

2011-11-29T01:21:00.001-08:00

Welcome to another Hearth and Soul Hop, the blog carnival for and about food that nourishes both body and soul.

We share links to Hearth and Soul entries at our Hearth and Soul Facebook Page and Pinterest Boards, and please do come and follow us on Twitter @HearthNSoulHop.

Thank you to everyone who shared recipes with us last week. I enjoyed reading all the posts I visited and found some great recipe inspiration as well.

To read more, and share your recipes, please click here...