Furry Kitchen

Closed Kitchen

2009-05-11T07:51:00.003-04:00

To my faithful followers, I'm sorry to say that I will be taking an indefinite leave from Furry Kitchen. I just don't have enough time to take photos and sit down to write blog entries for you, though I wish I did.
Feel free to check back occasionally in case I find more time.

Thanks for staying with me over the past few months.

Andrea

Clementine Cake

2009-03-15T17:14:00.003-04:00

We had a bunch of clementines in the fridge that needed to get used up, so I went searching around for a recipe that would help empty out the fridge. I found a recipe that was originally for an orange cake, so I took that and substituted the clementines. I also made some clementine juice just by juicing them by hand. Deliciously sweet!

Clementine Cake

INGREDIENTS

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 cup butter, softened

1 cup sugar

grated zest of 12 clementines

3 eggs

1/4 cup clementine juice (you can substitute orange juice)

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease a 9x5-inch loaf pan and line it with parchment paper.
Combine the flour and baking powder and set aside.
Cream the butter and sugar together until light and fluffy. Then add the zest and combine.
Add the eggs one at a time and beat until smooth.
Alternating, add 1/3 of the flour mixture, then 1/2 of the juice, ending with the flour mixture. Stir until fully combined then pour into loaf pan.
Bake in preheated oven for 1 hour. With about 15-20 minutes remaining, check to ensure that the top doesn't burn. If it is getting dark, lightly cover it with foil.

Anna Olson's Tea Loaf

2009-02-28T10:56:00.002-05:00

I was on a search for a recipe that I could whip up quickly and toss into the oven without much effort. I came across Anna Olson's recipe for a tea loaf that sounded like it fit the bill perfectly. Here's my version of the recipe which adds a bit more spice to the loaf.

INGREDIENTS

2 cups hot brewed earl grey tea

1 cup raisins

2 1/2 cups flour

1 cup sugar

2 teaspoons baking powder

2 teaspoons cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon cloves

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 cup butter

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Pour hot tea over raisins and set aside to soak.
In a medium bowl, combine flour, sugar, baking powder and spices. Cut in butter until blended thoroughly.
Pour in tea and raisins and stir to mix until smooth.
Pour mixture into a greased and floured 9x5-inch loaf pan and bake in preheated oven for 50-60 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.
Allow to cool for 10 minutes, then remove loaf from pan and allow to cool on a wire rack.

I didn't make the glaze that Anna did, but it might be good. I thought the loaf was okay, but still needed more flavor. Next time, I will try it with a different tea, maybe use cranberries instead of raisins and add some orange zest. That might make it a bit more exciting.

Quick, Yummy Sandwich!

2009-02-14T12:32:00.002-05:00

Sometimes, all you need is a good sandwich. It's quick and easy, and if you add the right stuff, it's delicious!

INGREDIENTS

1 multigrain baguette

cheese (we used marble cheddar, but smoked gouda would be perfect!)

1 cooked chicken breast (ours was marinated in spicy bbq sauce and baked in the oven)

1 avocado

ASSEMBLY

Slice the baguette in half so that you can put the filling inside. Cut it into servings. Slice up the cheese and lay it on both sides of the baguette. Put in the oven on 350 degrees F for 5 to 10 minutes or until the cheese has melted and is bubbly.

While the cheese is melting, slice up the chicken breast (if it's leftovers, then you can reheat it quickly in the microwave) and the avocado.

Remove the cheesy baguette from the oven and top with chicken and avocado. Serve it up with some chips or veggie sticks.

Mmmmm!

Soft, Chewy Ginger Cookies

2009-02-10T17:10:00.004-05:00

I love ginger cookies, both hard like gingersnaps or gingerbread men and soft like these chewy cookies. They're quick and easy to whip up and this recipe is foolproof!

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cup all purpose flour

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/8 teaspoon allspice

1/3 cup butter, softened

1/2 cup sugar

1 egg

2 tablespoons molasses

2 tablespoons white sugar (for rolling cookies)

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a medium mixing bowl, blend flour, baking soda and spices together and set aside.
In another bowl, cream together butter and 1/2 cup of sugar until fluffy. Beat in egg until well mixed. Then add the molasses and mix to combine.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
Using rounded teaspoonfuls (or not quite full tablespoons), form dough into balls the size of walnuts and roll them in the extra 2 tablespoons of sugar. Place cookies on an ungreased cookie sheet, approximately two inches apart and lightly flatten.
Bake in preheated oven for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow to cool on cookie sheet for about 5 minutes before removing to wire rack to cool completely.

Cat Day

2009-02-07T17:40:00.004-05:00

We know that things have been particularly tough on the cats lately, so we spent a few hours one day spoiling them rotten. They got some tuna and the water from the can. They got snuggled and petted. They got to climb on a bunch of stuff that they thought was super cool. Then, they got to play for over an hour straight! Stick toys, kitty strings, stuffed mice, stuffed fish. You name it, they got it!

Suffice to say, not much cooking has been going on lately. Although, I did whip up a pizza rather quickly. Well, as quickly as homemade dough can be made, anyway. But by the shape of the pizza, I think you can guess how quickly it was done. I like to call this the amoeba pizza :)

Well, at least the cats enjoyed eating the few pieces of cheese they got as a treat!

Apple Cake

2009-02-01T12:18:00.004-05:00

We had some apples that needed to be used up, plus we wanted to make the house smell really nice, so I decided to bake an apple cake.

INGREDIENTS

2/3 cup butter, softened

2/3 cup white sugar

2/3 cup brown sugar

2 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

2 cups all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground cloves

4 cups apples, peeled, cored and diced (I used Granny Smith apples)

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Grease and lightly flour a 9x13-inch cake pan and line the bottom with parchment paper so that the cake comes out easily.
Cream together butter and the white and brown sugars.
Add the eggs and beat well. Then add the vanilla and mix to combine.
In a separate bowl, mix together the flour, baking soda, cinnamon, nutmeg, ginger and cloves.
Slowly add the flour mixture to the butter mixture.
Once the flour is fully mixed in, fold in the apples by hand. The batter will not fully cover all of the apple pieces.
Pour the mixture into the prepared cake pan.
Bake in the preheated oven for 45 minutes. Cool in pan for 5 minutes, then remove the cake from the pan and allow to cool fully on a wire rack.

Superbowl Snacks

2009-01-28T18:01:00.002-05:00

With the Superbowl coming up, I thought I'd share a dip with you that I made the other day just by looking through my herbs and spices and thinking about what would be different from our usual dip. This is what I came up with and it's perfect for dipping veggies or chips and it only takes 3 minutes to put it all together!

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons sour cream (I use fat free)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use light)

1 tablespoon fresh dill (I only had dried dill so I used about 2 tablespoons)

1/4 teaspoon onion powder

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar (you can use lemon juice or even a cider vinegar)

STEPS

Stir all ingredients together in a bowl and serve!

Tuna Casserole

2009-01-22T14:36:00.003-05:00

Tuna casserole is a great comfort food if done right. Here's a recipe that I created on my own that gets gobbled up around here. The kitties help munch on a few pieces of tuna, too!

INGREDIENTS

1/2 bag of pasta (I use scoobidoo noodles, but you can use penne or macaroni)

1 can of your favorite creamy soup (or use 1 whole recipe of creamy soup substitute - recipe follows)

1/4 cup diced onions

2 cans tuna, drained

1 can corn, drained

1 cup shredded cheese

cayenne pepper to taste

garlic powder to taste

black pepper to taste

STEPS

Boil the pasta for a few minutes less than the package requires. (It will continue cooking in the oven).
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
If using creamy soup substitute, prepare the recipe.
Add the cayenne pepper, garlic powder and black pepper to the creamy soup substitute or the can of creamy soup.
Stir the cheese into the creamy soup mixture.
Add the flaked tuna and the can of corn to the mixture and stir well to combine.
Stir in the pasta and pour into a 9x13-inch casserole dish. You can sprinkle additional grated cheese on top if you like.
Bake in the preheated oven for 25 to 30 minutes.

Creamy Soup Substitute

INGREDIENTS

2 tablespoons butter

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 cup flour

1/4 teaspoon salt (optional)

10 ounces milk (or you can use 5 ounces milk and 5 ounces chicken stock)

OPTIONAL: you can add chopped celery or onions for flavor

STEPS

Heat butter and oil in a pot, then add flour and salt, stirring to form a roux.
If desired, add the celery or onions and cook for about a minute.
Add the milk and stir until thickened.

Moist and Tender Ribs

2009-01-19T17:26:00.002-05:00

My mother-in-law emailed me today with a delicious new recipe for ribs. It's a twist on the old faithful that we make in the family, but the ribs come out even more tender and the meat just falls off the bone and melts in your mouth.

INGREDIENTS

1 rack pork side ribs

1/2 cup ketchup

2 tablespoons corn syrup

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon basil

1/2 teaspoon thyme

1 teaspoon Worcestershire sauce

1 tablespoon adobo sauce

1 tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon chili powder

STEPS

Put the ribs into a pot and cover it with hot water. Add 1 tablespoon of garlic and 1 tablespoon of chili powder. Cover the pot and bring the water to a boil. Once boiling, reduce heat and allow the ribs to simmer for 30 minutes.
Mix all other ingredients in a bowl to make the barbeque sauce.
Preheat the oven to 300 degrees F.
Once the ribs have simmered, remove them from the pot and place on a large piece of aluminum foil. Cover both sides of the ribs with the barbeque sauce and wrap it fully in the foil.
Bake in the preheated oven for 1.5 hours.

We had ours with whole wheat baguette and herbed butter. Yum!

Garfield's Favorite Food

2009-01-17T11:17:00.004-05:00

The weather has turned cold and windy and snowy so I've been making good, hearty dishes that will keep us warm. Today's post is lacking a photo of the finished product since I was pressed for time and couldn't get a piece out without making a mess everywhere. But there are photos of Garfield's favorite food being made. I'll also note that I used boxed lasagna noodles this time, but I usually make it from my own homemade pasta.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground turkey

1 pound spicy sausage meat

1/2 medium-sized onion, diced

1 can (28 fl oz) crushed tomatoes

1 can (5.5 fl oz) tomato paste

1/4 cup fresh basil, finely chopped

6 strips of lasagna noodles

1 ball of mozzarella cheese, finely sliced or grated

STEPS

If using boxed noodles, boil water and pour it over the noodles to soften. If using fresh pasta, skip this step.
In a skillet, cook the ground turkey, sausage meat and onions together over medium heat. Once the meat has browned, drain off the excess liquid.
Stir in the crushed tomatoes, tomato paste and basil and mix in well. Allow it to simmer for another 10 to 15 minutes.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
To assemble lasagna, cover the bottom of a casserole dish with a very thin layer of sauce to prevent the noodles from sticking. Then place 3 strips of the pasta on top of the sauce.

Then cover the pasta with half of the meat sauce.

Cover the meat sauce with the cheese slices or grated cheese.
Then cover the cheese layer with another layer of pasta followed by meat sauce and topped with cheese. Bake in preheated oven for 30 to 35 minutes or until cheese has melted and the lasagna is bubbly.

Stuffed Pork Rib Roast

2009-01-11T14:31:00.005-05:00

Ever get tired of eating the same kind of food over and over and over again? That's how we've been feeling lately since we've been having to eat meals that are quick and easy to prepare. We finally had a bit of time on our side and thought we'd try something a little different. We browsed the shelves at the grocery store and finally decided that we would make our own recipe. We chose to make a pork roast, marinated and stuffed with delicious flavors and roasted to perfection. Here's the recipe that we created together:

INGREDIENTS

1 2-pound pork rib roast

Marinade

3/4 cup white wine (you can use red if you prefer it)

1/2 cup olive oil

2 tablespoons peri peri rub (you can use any spicy rub that you have on hand)

Stuffing

1/2 pound spicy sausage meat

2 tablespoons diced onion

1 tablespoon fresh sage, chopped (you can substitute 1 teaspoon dried sage)

1/2 Granny Smith apple, finely chopped

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon black pepper

(In retrospect, it would've been good to add a slice or two of bread to the stuffing. Just chop it up finely and toss it in.)

Here's Riley making sure that I have the right ingredients for the marinade.

These are the ingredients for the stuffing.

STEPS

In a large plastic zipper bag (like Ziploc), pour the wine, olive oil and spice rub in and swish it around to combine. Then put the pork roast in and massage it to help the marinade penetrate. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight if you can, turning once or twice to ensure that it is evenly marinaded.
In a large bowl, mix together all ingredients for the stuffing. If you don't add the bread, it will look like the picture below, but I highly recommend adding the bread otherwise you'll end up with a big clump of meat inside the roast. It still tastes good, but the texture isn't quite right for a stuffing.

Preheat the oven to 375 degrees F.
With a sharp, pointed knife, carefully make an incision in the centre of the roast to make a pocket to fit the stuffing.
Insert the stuffing into the pork roast, packing it tightly. Place the pork on top of a rack inside a roasting pan. Cook in the preheated oven for approximately 1 1/2 hours or until internal temperature is 160 degrees F.
When the roast is cooked, remove it from the oven and cover with foil for 10 to 15 minutes. This will make the meat even juicier. Then slice and serve with roasted vegetables, baked potatoes, mashed potatoes or a salad!

Spicy Hummus

2009-01-07T16:33:00.003-05:00

I really enjoy eating dips, but I didn't want to make another one with sour cream and mayonnaise so I decided to make a hummus. Here's my version with a little kick to it since I like everything spicy!

**Sorry, for some reason, blogspot decided to do weird things to my photos, so the lemon got cut out of this photo.

INGREDIENTS

1 can chick peas

1 roasted red pepper

3 cloves garlic, crushed

2 teaspoons sesame oil (add 1 first, if it's not enough, add another)

1 chipotle pepper (I used 3 because I like it spicy)

2 tablespoons lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon cumin

1/4 to 1/2 cup water (only if needed to get food processor or blender to whip everything together smoothly)

STEPS

Toss everything into a food processor or blender and pulse until smooth. Serve with bread, pitas, veggies or chips.

Orange Blueberry Muffins

2009-01-04T19:30:00.002-05:00

Now that we're a few days into 2009, it means that we need to get back into the swing of things. For us, that means going back to work, thinking about what we can pack for breakfast and lunch and what we can put together quickly for dinner. Muffins have always been a great solution for a breakfast that you can pack up and eat at the office, but I haven't yet been able to find a recipe that I like. Instead of searching, I decided to try my own creation: Orange Blueberry Muffins.

INGREDIENTS

4 tablespoons butter, melted

2/3 cup packed brown sugar

2 large eggs

zest of 1 orange

juice of 1 orange

2/3 cup sour cream (I use fat free)

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup blueberries

2 cups flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

STEPS

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
In a large bowl or a mixer bowl, cream the butter and sugar together. Then add the eggs, orange zest and orange juice. Blend until well mixed, then add the sour cream and vanilla extract and mix in thoroughly.
In a separate bowl, mix the flour, baking powder, baking soda and nutmeg together. Then fold it in to the wet mixture until just combined. Then stir in the blueberries. Do not overmix.
Pour into a greased muffin tray or a tray lined with paper muffin cups. Bake in preheated oven for 20 - 22 minutes. Makes 12 standard sized muffins.

**Result: A really light, fluffy and tasty muffin. It has a nice, crispy outside and a very soft inside. There's just enough orange flavour that balances nicely with the blueberries. This is a winner! In the future, I'll modify the recipe to make different kinds of muffins like lemon cranberry, apple cinnamon or even carrot muffins.

Lobster Dinner!

2008-12-31T09:26:00.007-05:00

Lobster is one of my favourite things to eat but I only get to eat it a few times when we visit Mike's family because they're not very fresh where we are and they're ridiculously expensive. Well, our local grocery store had them on sale for a very reasonable price and they just received a huge shipment in from Nova Scotia the day we went to get them, so it doesn't get much fresher than that (here anyway). So, we indulged a bit...

There's no need to be afraid of lobsters. If you pick them up by the center of the body and hold on tight, they can't get you. They're also very easy to cook. The trickiest part about them is eating them without getting too messy, but don't worry too much about that. Clothes can be put in the washing machine, kitchens can be wiped down and, well, you can have a shower! There are many different ways to cook a lobster, but we boil ours, so the following recipe will explain how to boil a lobster.

Lobster

INGREDIENTS

2 lobsters (about 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 pounds each) - The smaller the lobster, the sweeter and tastier the meat will be

STEPS

Half fill a large pot with hot water and bring it to a boil on the stove. Once boiling, put the lobsters directly into the water being careful not to splash hot water on yourself.

Place the lid back on top of the pot . Once the water returns to a boil, allow the lobsters to cook for another 15 minutes.
Meanwhile, prepare the rest of the meal. In our case, we set the table, make a salad and pour some beer :)
Oh, we also make garlic butter. In a small bowl (per person), mince a clove of garlic, add 1 tablespoon of butter and microwave until the butter has melted.

While we patiently wait for the lobsters to cook, the kitties also wait patiently. They know that they always get a little treat when we have lobster. Generally just a few scraps of claw or knuckle meat. They love it!

When the lobsters are cooked, they will turn bright orange.

Carefully remove them from the pot using a slotted spoon and place them on a plate.

Using kitchen scissors, cut off the elastic bands that are holding the pincers shut. Then flip the lobster on its back and insert the tip of the scissors into the thin shell just below the tail fins. Cut the shell all the way up to the belly to make it easier to remove the tail meat.

Then, flip them back over and get out the crackers, tear those bad boys apart and dip the meat into the garlic butter. Don't forget to put lots of paper towel on the table. You're going to need it!
Oh, and don't forget to call the kitties for their share!

Note, this recipe can be adjusted for more lobsters. You can easily do 4 lobsters in a large pot but you may need to add a bit more water. Cooking time remains the same.

Holiday Feasting!

2008-12-29T19:19:00.003-05:00

We're back from spending a good part of the holiday season with family in the Maritimes. What did we do? Well, we did some cross country skiing, enjoyed each other's company, played lots of games and, of course, we ate a lot food!

Here's some of the food that we enjoyed for our Christmas dinner. The wonderful, organic turkey was done by my father-in-law. He also made the stuffing which is a recipe that came from my side of the family. My mother-in-law made the cranberry sauce. It's the best cranberry sauce I've had and I'm still trying to get her to give me the recipe! Maybe if we ask her nicely, she'll provide a guest post for us all...hint** hint**

Here's a picture of the scrumptious stuffing that I talked about earlier. The recipe will follow...

The rest of Christmas dinner involved some sweet potatoes and mashed potatoes along with some really tasty gravy. Mmmm!

And, of course, who can forget dessert?!

This wonderful yule log came from Gourmandises Avenue in Eastern Passage, Nova Scotia.

They make fantastic, professional French pastries and chocolates. They also do wedding cakes.

It was a chocolate yule log with a raspberry filling and it was absolutely delicious.

Great food, great family...that's what the holiday season is all about.

Oh, and it's not over yet...this week, we visit my family.

Now, as promised, here's the stuffing recipe:

Turkey Stuffing

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf French or Italian bread, chopped

2 cups mashed potatoes

1 package (500 grams) sausage meat (we use Maple Leaf uncooked sausage meat)

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup chopped parsley

1 large onion, diced

1 teaspoon dried thyme (if using fresh thyme, use about 1 tablespoon or the leaves of 6 sprigs)

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

STEPS

Place all ingredients into a very large bowl and mix together with hands until well blended. Insert stuffing into the neck cavity and the chest cavity of the bird. Extra stuffing may be baked in a casserole dish while the turkey is cooking.

Merry Christmas!

2008-12-20T03:57:00.004-05:00

Alright, I know I said I was going to take a break for a few days, but I just couldn't resist this one. After this, I promise, it will be a few days until I post again.

This is my gingerbread Christmas tree. Make sure you have some time on your hands before you make this. It takes a little while to put it all together, but it's well worth the time and it's a lot of fun.

Gingerbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1/2 cup butter

1/2 cup sugar

1/2 cup molasses

1 egg yolk (reserve the white for icing)

2 cups all-purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground cloves

1 1/2 teaspoons ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

STEPS

In a mixer bowl or a large bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth. Then stir in the molasses and egg yolk.
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves, ginger and nutmeg. Slowly fold it into the butter mixture in three batches. Mix until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least one hour.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough out to 1/4-inch thickness. Cut into stars using cookie cutters. You will need different sized cookie cutters. Cut two cookies of each size. Place cookies two inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Try to put similar sized cookies on the sheet so that they bake evenly.
Bake for 8 to 10 minutes. Allow cookies to cool on the sheet for a minute or two before removing to a wire rack. Decorate when completely cool.

Royal Icing

INGREDIENTS

2 egg whites

2 cups icing sugar

1/2 teaspoon almond extract (you can substitute vanilla extract or lemon extract)

STEPS

Whip egg whites in a clean, dry mixer bowl until foamy. Gradually add the sugar and almond extract. Beat on high until thickened. Icing is ready when it forms stiff peaks. Keep covered if not in use, otherwise it will dry out and harden.

Assembly

In a separate bowl, add a few drops of yellow food colouring to a spoonful of icing. Use this to cover the smallest star.
Reserve about 1/4 cup of the icing for use as snow. Keep covered.
Add green food colouring to the rest of the icing until it has reached the desired shade of green. Cover the remaining cookies with the icing and allow it to dry and harden.
Once the cookies have been frosted, starting with the largest star, place a dab of icing in the centre and stack the next cookie on top so that the points of the top star are over the spaces of the bottom star. Continue until all green cookies are stacked.
Using the green icing, place 2 small dabs of icing on top of the top-most cookie to secure the yellow star on top, standing up. (See photo)
Using the white icing, drizzle icing on the tips of each star, adding a mini M&M candy to the top of the drizzle as an ornament.
Allow to fully dry before transporting or eating.

Holiday Hiatus

2008-12-17T14:18:00.002-05:00

Hi everyone,

This is just a little note to let you all know that we, at Furry Kitchen, will be taking a much needed break over the holidays to rest and regroup.
We will return after Christmas and hope to be able to cook and bake up a storm so that there will be lots of recipes to post here.

We wish you all a very happy and safe holiday season.

Andrea and the furry ones

More Holiday Baking

2008-12-15T17:52:00.003-05:00

I finally had a bit of time to do some baking on the weekend, so I decided to make rugelach. It's a Jewish cookie and this version is made from a cream cheese dough and is filled with cinnamon, sugar, chopped walnuts and raisins. Yummy!

INGREDIENTS

2 cups flour

1 cup unsalted butter

1 package (8 oz) cream cheese

1/3 cup sour cream

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon ground cinnamon

1 cup ground walnuts

1 cup raisins, finely chopped

STEPS

Cut cold butter and cream cheese into chunks. If you have a food processor, pulse the butter, cream cheese, flour and sour cream until crumbly. If you don't have a food processor, you can use your mixer. Mix the butter and cream cheese together first, then add the flour and sour cream.
Shape the crumbly mixture into 4 equal disks. Wrap each disk in plastic and chill for at least 2 hours.
Combine the sugar, cinnamon, walnuts and raisins in a bowl.
Once the dough has chilled enough, roll each one into a 9-inch round on a well floured surface. Sprinkle with the sugar mixture and cut into 8 wedges. Roll each one up like a crescent, starting with the rounded end. Place on an ungreased cookie sheet and chill for 20 minutes before baking.
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F and bake for 25 minutes.
Once the cookies are baked, remove from cookie sheet and allow to cool on a wire rack. Once completely cooled, you can drizzle with icing or leave them plain. I used almond icing which was made with icing sugar, a few drops of almond extract (to taste) and a few drops of water to reach a runny consistency so that I could drizzle it on the cookies, but not so wet that it wouldn't harden.

It's important to keep the dough chilled so that it is easy to work with. If it becomes difficult to work with the dough, put it back into the fridge and allow to chill for longer.

Rugelach on the cookie sheet waiting to be baked.

Rugelach drizzled with almond frosting.

Aioli

2008-12-12T07:24:00.005-05:00

It occurred to me that I didn't post the recipes for the aiolis that I made to serve with the empanadas. It also occurred to me that I didn't take photos of them as we were madly dashing out of the house to the party since we were already an hour late. Oops! So hopefully you'll forgive me and will be able to make do with just the recipes. I promise, they're simple.

Roasted Red Pepper Aioli

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup roasted red pepper

STEPS

In a food processor, puree the roasted red pepper and garlic. Then add the mayonnaise and lemon juice and blend together.
Pour into a dip bowl and serve with empanadas.

Chipotle Aioli

INGREDIENTS
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1 clove garlic
1 teaspoon lemon juice
1/2 cup chipotle peppers (if this is too spicy, you can use 1/4 cup chipotle peppers)

STEPS

In a food processor, puree the chipotle peppers and garlic. Then add the mayonnaise and lemon juice and blend together.
Pour into a dip bowl and serve with empanadas.

Empanadas

2008-12-11T19:50:00.005-05:00

I was inspired by the empanada recipe posted by Elise on her blog and thought that empanadas would be the perfect thing to bring to a Christmas party. I followed her recipe for the dough (except for the amount of salt) and made my own filling with ground turkey. I served them with two different aiolis: roasted red pepper aioli and chipotle aioli.

PASTRY INGREDIENTS
2 packages cream cheese (do not use light), room temperature
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 cups all-purpose flour

1 egg, beaten
1 tablespoon water

FILLING INGREDIENTS
1 pound ground turkey
1/2 medium onion, diced
1 medium potato, diced
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons cumin
1 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon paprika
1/4 teaspoon garlic powder
1/4 teaspoon onion powder
1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon dried oregano
1 can tomato paste
4 tablespoons water

STEPS

Cream together the cream cheese, butter and salt. Slowly fold in the flour and mix until well incorporated. Divide the dough into two and form flattened, rounded disks. Cover them with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.
While the dough is chilling, heat a skillet over medium heat. Add the turkey, onions, potatoes and spices and cook until the meat has browned.
Add the tomato paste and water and stir to mix. Lower the heat and let simmer for 10 to 20 minutes or until the potatoes are tender. When cooked, remove from heat and place in a bowl.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. On a lightly floured surface, roll out the dough to 1/8-inch thickness. If the dough was refrigerated for more than 1 hour, you may need to let it rest at room temperature for 10 minutes. Use a large round cookie cutter (3-inches in diameter) and cut out rounds from the dough.
Mix the egg and water, then using a pastry brush, brush the edges of the rounds to help them stick together. Place 1 teaspoon of the meat mixture into the centre of the dough, then fold the edges together and use a fork to seal the edges.

Brush the sides with egg wash (but not the bottom otherwise they will stick to the pan) and place upright on a baking sheet. Bake in the preheated oven for 15 to 20 minutes or until golden brown. Makes about 50 empanadas.

Christmas Baking

2008-12-05T15:27:00.002-05:00

I love shortbread cookies and I've been looking for an easy, no-fuss recipe. Melanie, a friend of a friend, was kind enough to drop a little gem in my lap. I had a bit of time on my hands, so naturally, I ran straight to the kitchen and gave it a try. I tweaked it slightly, so here's my version.

Shortbread Cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup unsalted butter, softened

1 egg yolk

1 cup icing sugar

3 cups all-purpose flour

1/4 tsp salt

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Cream together the butter and egg yolk.

Add the icing sugar and beat until smooth.

Mix the flour and salt together, then add it in three batches to the buttery mixture. Mix until crumbly.
Knead the dough with your hands until it is soft and pliable. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a rectangle with about a 1/2-inch thickness.
Cut the rectangle into strips and prick the tops of each strip with a fork. Transfer to an ungreased cookie sheet.

Bake in preheated oven for 18 to 20 minutes or until lightly browned.

Allow to cool on the cookie sheet for 5 to 10 minutes before transferring to a rack.

Meaty Pasta Sauce

2008-12-02T16:17:00.004-05:00

This post continues from the garlic and basil pasta post. This is the recipe for Mike's pasta sauce.

Meaty Pasta Sauce

INGREDIENTS

1 chipotle pepper, minced

1/2 medium onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 pound ground turkey

1 bottle pasta sauce

2 tablespoons dried basil

1 teaspoon adobo sauce

STEPS

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat. Sauté the onions, garlic and chipotle peppers.
Add meat and basil and cook until meat is browned.
Add pasta sauce and adobo sauce and bring to a boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Basil Garlic Fettuccine and Meat Sauce

2008-12-02T06:56:00.004-05:00

Fresh, homemade pasta is easy to make and it's so delicious that you'll never buy boxed or bagged pasta from the store ever again! Here's my recipe for basil garlic fettuccine and I will post Mike's meat sauce recipe later. Sorry, you won't find any recipes for creamy sauce here since our household is lactose intolerant.

Basil Garlic Pasta

INGREDIENTS

3 garlic cloves, crushed and minced

1 tablespoon olive oil

3 cups semolina flour (can use all-purpose if you don't have semolina though it will taste different)

1/2 teaspoon salt

3 large eggs

1/4 cup finely chopped basil

1 to 2 tablespoons water, if needed

STEPS

In a small skillet, cook garlic in oil over low heat, stirring constantly for one minute.
If using an electric mixer, put remaining ingredients into the mixer bowl, add the garlic and mix using the flat paddle for about a minute or two until the ingredients are combined. It should form a dry dough when you squeeze it together with your hands. If it doesn't, add some water a teaspoon at a time, mixing and checking for the right consistency.
If making by hand, pile the flour up on a counter or table and make a well in the top. Put the eggs, salt, garlic and basil into the well and stir to combine. When it comes together, begin kneading, again adding water only if needed to hold the dough together. The dough should be very dry.
Allow the dough to rest for 15 minutes.
Use pasta roller or pasta roller attachment to roll the pasta to the desired thickness and cut into whatever type of noodles you like. For this recipe, use the fettuccine cutter. I use a pie cutter and cut the noodles into 3-inch wide pieces for lasagna. You can make this into spaghetti or angel hair pasta if you like, or if you have a pasta extruder, you can make macaroni.
Leftovers can be dried or put into the freezer.
To cook fresh noodles, bring a pot of water to a boil and cook the noodles in the water for 2 minutes. If frozen, add 1 minute to cooking time.

Veggies and Dip

2008-11-30T16:48:00.003-05:00

With the holiday season approaching quickly, weekends are quickly filling up with parties to go to and friends and family to visit. Veggie sticks and dip are quick and easy to make if you want to take a dish with you. Here's a recipe that I have adapted from my mother-in-law. It's delicious and, since I like everything spicy, I've put my own twist on it by adding cayenne pepper and bit of minced jalapeno pepper.

INGREDIENTS

3 tablespoons sour cream (I use fat free and it turns out just fine)

2 tablespoons mayonnaise (I use reduced fat)

1 teaspoon dried basil

1 teaspoon chili powder

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1/2 jalapeno pepper, minced

1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar

STEPS

In a small bowl, mix all ingredients together very well. Transfer to dip bowl and serve with carrots, tomatoes, cucumbers, rutabaga, cauliflower, parsnips, radishes or any other vegetable that you might like.

Almost Parfait

2008-11-26T06:46:00.003-05:00

I know it's November and the temperature continues to drop, but how could I possibly say no to a parfait? I didn't quite have all the ingredients, like the whipped cream, but it's close enough. It's a simple, delicious dessert that's sure to please any dinner guest. You can make it with any kind of cookie and any kind of ice cream that you like.

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS
4 cookies (Oreos, Fudgee-os, Piroulines, etc.)
4 scoops ice cream (Vanilla, Oreo, Butterscotch Ripple, etc.)
chocolate syrup
raspberry or strawberry syrup
whipped cream (optional)

STEPS

In a plastic bag, crush 2 of the cookies by rolling with a rolling pin or a bottle. Sprinkle equal amounts of the crumbs into 2 martini glasses.
Top the cookie crumbs with 2 scoops of ice and drizzle raspberry syrup around the edge and then chocolate syrup on top of the raspberry.
If using whipped cream, add a nice dollop on top of the ice cream and drizzle more chocolate and raspberry syrup onto the whipped cream. Garnish with another cookie and serve with a spoon and a smile.

Looking Back

2008-11-25T06:56:00.006-05:00

It's amazing how quickly time goes by. It's already the end of November and I'm not quite sure where the year went.
And then there are the cats...
It feels like just yesterday when we went to choose our first kitten.

Here's Riley when we first met him at 6 weeks old:

And look at him now!

Even Nutmeg is an adult now. We got her in the summer of 2007 at 14 weeks old. She's the kitten in the middle of this picture. She's about 10 weeks old there.

This is Nutmeg now.

They've both changed a great deal. They no longer fit into our hands, but they've found their way into our laps and definitely into our hearts.

They're even becoming more and more fond of each other.

We'll just have to wait and see what the next year brings us.
In the meantime, back to the kitchen!

Hot Chocolate with a Kick!

2008-11-23T13:47:00.003-05:00

Here's something else to make you feel warm and fuzzy inside.

INGREDIENTS

1 tablespoon cocoa powder

1 tablespoon brown sugar

1 cup milk

pinch cinnamon

pinch nutmeg

1 ounce rum (can substitute Bailey's, Kahlua, Frangelico or any other liqueur that you like)

STEPS

Pour milk, cocoa powder, brow sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg into a small pot and whisk well to combine.
Heat over medium heat and bring to a simmer, stirring often to avoid scalding the milk.
Once the milk has reached a simmer, pour it into a mug, then add the rum and stir.

Keeping Warm In The Snow

2008-11-22T11:35:00.006-05:00

The snow came early this year and it's been an unusually cold November. What better way to stay warm than to curl up with a nice blanket and a plate of scrumptious shepherd's pie.

INGREDIENTS

1 pound ground beef or turkey

1 medium onion, diced

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1/2 teaspoon dried thyme

black pepper to taste

3/4 cup chicken stock (only required if using ground beef)

1 can corn

4 to 6 potatoes, peeled and cut into 1-inch pieces

1 tablespoon butter

2 tablespoons sour cream

2 tablespoons milk

salt, pepper and cayenne pepper to taste

1 cup grated cheddar cheese

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
For extra light and fluffy mashed potatoes, rinse the potatoes under cold water then steam the potatoes in a colander over boiling water or in a steaming basket for 10 minutes. Then rinse the potatoes under cold water again until the potatoes are cold. Return them to steam for another 10 minutes or until fork-tender. (Rinsing the potatoes after they have cooked for a few minutes removes the starch that makes mashed potatoes so dense and heavy).
If short on time or if you want to save yourself a bit of effort, place the potatoes into a deep microwave-safe dish and add just enough water to cover the potatoes. Use the microwave button for potatoes or microwave for about 5 to 8 minutes or until fork-tender.
Once potatoes are cooked, drain out any remaining water and mash the potatoes and butter together until smooth. Then add the milk, sour cream, salt, pepper and cayenne pepper stirring until well-mixed.
While the potatoes are cooking, heat a large skillet on medium heat and brown the ground beef or turkey with the onions. Sprinkle the garlic powder and thyme over the meat while it cooks.
Once the meat has cooked, if using ground beef, drain the liquid, then stir in chicken stock and corn. If using ground turkey, just stir in the corn.
To assemble, pour the meat mixture into a 3-quart casserole dish. Top with the mashed potatoes, then sprinkle with grated cheddar cheese. (We like it cheesy, so we slice up the cheese and put it right on top so it forms a crusty cheesy layer.)
Bake at 350 degrees F for 35 to 40 minutes or until the cheese browns a bit and the mixture is bubbly.

Oatmeal Cake and Caramel Sauce

2008-11-18T18:21:00.006-05:00

When I first read about Lori's oatmeal cake at her blog, My Wooden Spoon, I was skeptical as to how something containing oatmeal could actually be good. I continued to read the recipe and thought that it sounded easy enough and maybe it could be good with the brown sugar, cinnamon and nutmeg, so I decided to try it. Well, Lori was right. The cake is delicious! We had to make an effort to not eat the whole cake in one sitting! Here's the recipe with a few small modifications to suit us, including a different caramel sauce only because I had already made some for something else.

For the oatmeal cake:

INGREDIENTS

1 1/4 cups boiling water

1 cup quick oats

1/2 cup butter

1 cup brown sugar

1 cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 1/3 cups flour

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon nutmeg

1 teaspoon baking soda

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease and flour an 8x11-inch casserole dish.
Mix the water, oats and butter and let stand for 15 minutes.

In another bowl, add the remaining ingredients and mix well.

Add the oatmeal mixture to the sugar mixture and mix well. Bake in an 8x11-inch casserole dish at 350 degrees F for 45 minutes.

For the caramel sauce:

INGREDIENTS

1 cup white sugar

6 tablespoons butter

1/2 cup evaporated milk

STEPS

In a two or three-quart saucepan, melt the sugar over medium-high heat. You can add 1 tablespoon of water to help the sugar melt more evenly if you think it will burn. Whisk or stir the sugar to help it heat evenly.
Cook the liquified sugar to a dark copper-brown colour. Then add the butter and stir it in.
Pour in the evaporated milk, then turn off the heat. Be careful as the sauce will froth up when you add the milk. Whisk the sauce until it is smooth. If you like it thicker, you can continue to heat the sauce until it thickens.
Drizzle over the warm cake. You can store the rest in a jar for a few weeks. It will probably be a bit thicker, but you can reheat it in the microwave for a few seconds.

Apple Crisp

2008-11-17T10:13:00.006-05:00

Apple crisp is one of those delicious things you can enjoy at almost any time of the year, but is especially nice in the fall when the weather starts to get a little bit colder. Nothing warms you up like a bit of fresh apple crisp with that crunchy, crumbly topping and the taste of cinnamon and apples. This recipe, adapted from All Recipes, can be made with any fruits you like, whether it's apples, pears, peaches or any other fruit.

INGREDIENTS

8 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced

1/2 cup white sugar

1 tablespoon flour

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/2 cup water

1 cup rolled oats

1 cup flour

1 cup brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 cup butter, melted

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Place the apple slices in a 9x13-inch casserole dish. Mix the white sugar, 1 tablespoon flour, and 1 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the apples. Pour the water evenly over top.
In a medium-sized bowl, combine the rolled oats, 1 cup flour, brown sugar, 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon, baking powder, baking soda and melted butter together to form the crumble. Sprinkle evenly over the apple mixture.
Bake at 350 degrees F for 40 to 45 minutes.

The apple crisp can be enjoyed by itself or with ice cream and caramel sauce.

Kitty Cat Tuesday

2008-11-11T16:49:00.004-05:00

Having a day off work means catching up on all the things that I meant to do, like blogging, cooking and folding laundry.

Here's a little video of Nutmeg helping Mike fold the duvet cover. We seem to never get anything done quickly, but we sure have fun doing it!

Crustless Turkey Pot Pie with Cranberry Sauce

2008-11-11T11:47:00.004-05:00

I love turkey dinner, but since it's just the two of us, a whole turkey is far too much. Instead of cooking an entire turkey and all the trimmings, I make a turkey pot pie that works just as well! It's like having a turkey dinner, but in one casserole dish.

For the turkey pot pie:

INGREDIENTS

2 cups cooked turkey meat, cubed

1 cup mixed frozen vegetables

1 can creamy soup (chicken, mushroom, celery, or whatever soup you like most)

1 loaf French bread, cut into 1-inch cubes

1 pkg (500g) sausage meat

2 cups cold mashed potatoes

1/2 cup melted butter

1/2 cup parsley, finely chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 large onion, chopped

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
In a casserole dish, mix the turkey, vegetables and soup together and spread evenly.
In a very large bowl, mix the remaining ingredients together very well with your hands.
Spread the bread mixture evenly on top of turkey mixture and bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes. You may need to place foil on top in the last 15 minutes to keep the top from burning.
You may have extra left, so you can put that into another dish and cook it next to the turkey pie.
Serve the turkey pie with cranberry sauce.

For the cranberry sauce:

INGREDIENTS

1 bag frozen cranberries

1 pear, diced

2 tablespoons raisins

3/4 cup sugar

3/4 cup water

1/2 tsp cinnamon

STEPS

Put all ingredients into a 2-quart saucepan. Cook over medium heat until the cranberries begin to pop. Then lower the heat and simmer another 5-10 minutes.
Remove from heat and allow to cool. Serve over turkey pie.
Keep leftover sauce refrigerated.

Roasted Potatoes

2008-11-09T18:15:00.004-05:00

Potatoes make a great side dish for almost any meal and can be prepared in many different ways. One of the easiest ways to prepare potatoes is to roast them and it's even more convenient if you're already going to be roasting something else in the oven like roast beef or a chicken.

Roasted Potatoes

Serves 2

INGREDIENTS

3 medium-sized potatoes, chopped into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons olive oil

1/4 teaspoon chopped dried rosemary

1/8 teaspoon ground or chopped dried thyme

1/8 teaspoon savory

1/8 teaspoon garlic powder

STEPS

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F.
Spread the potatoes onto a baking sheet. Drizzle the olive oil over the potatoes and sprinkle the herbs on top of the potatoes.
Stir the potatoes around to coat them in the oil and herbs, then spread them evenly on the pan in a single layer.
Bake in the oven for 20 minutes, then flip the potatoes and bake for another 15 minutes or until the outside is crisp and lightly brown, but the inside is fork-tender.

Granola Bars

2008-11-05T07:05:00.007-05:00

Granola bars are great for breakfast or a snack in the middle of the day. They can give you a burst of energy, but those store-bought granola bars are packed with sugar and all kinds of ingredients that I can't pronounce. So here's my recipe for homemade granola bars.

INGREDIENTS
2 1/2 cups crisp rice cereal (like Rice Krispies)
2 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup chopped dried fruit (use anything you like: raisins, dates, apricots, crystallized ginger, pineapple, etc.)
1/3 cup honey
1/3 cup corn syrup
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup peanut butter (I use smooth, but you can use crunchy)
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

STEPS

Lightly grease an 8"x11" or 9"x13" casserole dish with butter and set aside.
In a large bowl, mix together the cereal, oats and fruit.

Pour honey, corn syrup and brown sugar into a small saucepan and heat over medium low heat until the mixture just starts to bubble. Stir occasionally.

Once the sugar mixture has started to bubble, remove it from the heat and add the peanut butter. Stir until the peanut butter is well mixed, then add the vanilla.

Pour the peanut butter mixture over the cereal mixture and stir to combine everything. Then pour into the greased casserole dish and even it out by pressing firmly on top.

Allow to cool completely, then cut into bars and serve.

The Omnivore's Hundred

2008-11-03T09:18:00.004-05:00

Taken from Very Good Taste - the items in bold are what I have tried. Those with an X in front of it are the ones I would never consider eating.

I encourage you to go through the list and see how many things you've tried!

1) Copy this list into your blog or journal, including these instructions.
2) Bold all the items you’ve eaten.
3) Cross out any items that you would never consider eating.
4) Optional extra: Post a comment here at www.verygoodtaste.co.uk linking to your results.

The VGT Omnivore’s Hundred:

1. Venison
2. Nettle tea
3. Huevos rancheros
4. Steak tartare
5. Crocodile
X6. Black pudding
7. Cheese fondue
8. Carp
9. Borscht
10. Baba ghanoush
11. Calamari
12. Pho
13. PB&J sandwich
14. Aloo gobi
15. Hot dog from a street cart
16. Epoisses
17. Black truffle
18. Fruit wine made from something other than grapes (apple and pear. Can't say I enjoyed either one!)
19. Steamed pork buns
20. Pistachio ice cream
21. Heirloom tomatoes
22. Fresh wild berries
X23. Foie gras
24. Rice and beans
X25. Brawn, or head cheese
26. Raw Scotch Bonnet pepper
27. Dulce de leche
28. Oysters
29. Baklava
30. Bagna cauda
31. Wasabi peas
32. Clam chowder in a sourdough bowl
33. Salted lassi
34. Sauerkraut
35. Root beer float
36. Cognac with a fat cigar (without the cigar)
37. Clotted cream tea
38. Vodka jelly/Jell-O
39. Gumbo
40. Oxtail
41. Curried goat
X42. Whole insects
43. Phaal
44. Goat’s milk
45. Malt whisky from a bottle worth £60/$120 or more
46. Fugu
47. Chicken tikka masala
48. Eel
49. Krispy Kreme original glazed doughnut
X50. Sea urchin
51. Prickly pear
52. Umeboshi
53. Abalone
54. Paneer
55. McDonald’s Big Mac Meal
56. Spaetzle
57. Dirty gin martini
58. Beer above 8% ABV
59. Poutine
60. Carob chips
61. S’mores
X62. Sweetbreads
63. Kaolin
64. Currywurst
65. Durian
X66. Frogs’ legs
67. Beignets, churros, elephant ears or funnel cake
X68. Haggis
69. Fried plantain
X70. Chitterlings, or andouillette
71. Gazpacho
72. Caviar and blini
73. Louche absinthe
74. Gjetost, or brunost
X75. Roadkill
76. Baijiu
77. Hostess Fruit Pie
X78. Snail
79. Lapsang souchong
80. Bellini
81. Tom yum
82. Eggs Benedict
83. Pocky
84. Tasting menu at a three-Michelin-star restaurant.
85. Kobe beef
86. Hare
87. Goulash
88. Flowers
X89. Horse
90. Criollo chocolate
91. Spam
92. Soft shell crab
93. Rose harissa
94. Catfish
95. Mole poblano
96. Bagel and lox
97. Lobster Thermidor
98. Polenta
X99. Jamaican Blue Mountain coffee
X100. Snake

How to Cut an Avocado

2008-11-01T11:37:00.004-04:00

Avocados are delicious and contain lots of potassium and monounsaturated fats which protect against cardiovascular disease. They're good sliced up and sprinkled with a little bit of salt or made into a guacamole or any other kind of dip, but how do you cut one up and remove the seed? Read on to find out!

With a sharp knife, carefully cut into the top of the avocado, right to the seed.

Then run the knife all the way around the seed, cutting the avocado in half.

Once the avocado is cut in half you will see the large seed.

Very carefully, gently tap the knife (it's easiest and safest if you use the heel of the knife) into the seed.

Once the knife is in the seed, twist it and the seed should pop right out!

Now you're all set to cut up and peel the avocado or scoop out the flesh to use in your favorite recipes!

Layered Dip

2008-10-28T17:57:00.011-04:00

I had to make something for a potluck lunch, so I thought about what I could make relatively easily without making the entire house smell like food. I came up with 7-layer dip, but this one is actually eight layers. I would've made my own refried beans, but that would have made the house smell like cooked beans and that's just not what you want people to smell when they walk into a house wondering if it's the right house for them to buy or not. So, unfortunately, I had to use canned refried beans.

Here's what you'll need for this recipe:

INGREDIENTS

1 can refried beans

3/4 cup + 1 tablespoon salsa (I use 1/2 cup habanero salsa and 1/4 cup medium salsa)

2/3 cup sour cream

1/4 cup chopped green onions

1 medium tomato, diced

1/4 cup chopped hot pepper rings

2 ripe avocados

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

1 cup shredded cheese

STEPS

Empty the beans into a nice, clear glass dish. (Yes, I know, mine isn't pretty but it's all that I had at the time.) Stir in 1 tablespoon of the salsa to add a bit more flavor to the beans. Level it out in the bowl and wipe the sides clean. Then spoon the remaining 3/4 cup of salsa evenly on top of the beans.
Cover the salsa layer with the sour cream. Then sprinkle the sour cream with the green onions, then the hot peppers, and finally the tomatoes.

Peel the avocados and place the flesh into another bowl. Pour the lime juice over it and mash it all together with a fork. The lime juice will help keep the avocados from turning brown. Once the avocados are mashed and the lime juice is mixed in, cover the tomatoes with the avocado. Then sprinkle the top with grated cheese.

Serve with corn chips. Our favorite is Tostitos Scoops!

Blondies

2008-10-27T07:41:00.003-04:00

Having a house for sale means that you don't have a lot of time to do any cooking or baking and you tend to eat out a lot. That's something that we're not used to doing and I've been trying to find some quick recipes. Here's a really fast recipe for whipping up some blondies. Blondies are like brownies without the cocoa powder.

INGREDIENTS

1/3 cup melted butter
1 cup dark brown sugar
1 egg, lightly beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/8 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon (optional)
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup chocolate chips (can substitute butterscotch chips, chopped nuts or a mixture of nuts and chips)

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Grease and flour an 8"x8" pan.
Cream together the butter and sugar. Then add the egg and vanilla extract and whisk together.
In a separate bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, baking powder and cinnamon (if using). Then add it to the butter mixture. Fold in until just mixed.
Then add the chocolate chips and stir until evenly distributed.
Pour into pan and spread evenly. Bake for 20-25 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out cleanly. Cool completely in the pan before cutting into squares and serving.

Garlic Bread

2008-10-21T17:46:00.003-04:00

Garlic bread is something that I could eat even when I'm not hungry. It's especially delicious when made from homemade baguettes. I posted the baguette recipe before but now I'll give you my recipe for warm, tasty garlic bread. We eat it with pasta or chili and sometimes, we'll just eat it by itself!

Garlic Bread

INGREDIENTS

1 loaf of baguette or other crusty bread

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 teaspoon garlic powder (can add more if you like it garlicky)

1/4 grated cheese (you can use cheddar or something tangy) (optional)

STEPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
Slice the loaves diagonally to make individual slices, but do not cut all the way through.
Melt the butter in the microwave in a small, microwaveable dish. Stir in the garlic powder.
Using a spoon or a brush, spread the butter onto both sides of the bread slices. If using cheese, sprinkle cheese on top of the loaf.
Wrap the loaf in foil and place in preheated oven for 10 minutes. If you like the bread crispy, you can open up the foil in the last few minutes to brown or place under the broiler.

Not Just for Christmas!

2008-10-17T15:05:00.004-04:00

We were invited to a friend's house for some food and fun while we watch a hockey game. We were asked to bring something for dessert, so I thought long and hard about what would be a good dessert. Rum balls came to mind. They're normally a treat enjoyed during the Christmas season, but I don't see why we shouldn't have them whenever we want! This is an easy recipe to follow and is a lot of fun to make. You can even substitute any kind of nuts or alcohol that you like, or you can leave out the nuts for those with allergies. Play with the recipe and make it your own!

Rum Balls

INGREDIENTS

3 cups crushed vanilla wafers

3/4 cup icing sugar

1/4 cup cocoa powder

3 tablespoons corn syrup

1 1/2 finely chopped walnuts

1/2 cup rum

STEPS

Using a blender or a food processor, crush the vanilla wafers into a powder like bread crumbs. You can use vanilla wafers with the creme filling if you like your rum balls a bit sweeter, otherwise you can use plain vanilla wafers without the filling. These can be found at your local bulk food store. You can even experiment with different flavors of wafers like chocolate or strawberry.
Using the blender or food processor, finely chop the walnuts (or whatever nuts you choose to use). If you like a bit of crunch in your rum balls, leave the nuts a bit chunkier. If you like them smooth, then chop them until they turn to a powder.
In a large bowl, stir together the crushed wafers, icing sugar, cocoa powder and nuts. Then blend in the corn syrup and rum.
Using about 1 teaspoonful of the mixture, shape it into 1-inch balls. You can roll the balls in sweetened cocoa powder or icing sugar. I learned the hard way that coconut and sprinkles don't stick very well unless you dip the balls in more alcohol or cover them in melted sugar first.
Store the balls, refrigerated, in an airtight container for several days to develop the flavor. Roll again in icing sugar or cocoa powder before serving. Makes approximately 30 balls.

This is a versatile recipe and you can change the ingredients around to suit your tastes. I divided up the recipe into thirds and made two of the batches with almonds and the other with walnuts. I used rum in the walnut batch, triple sec (orange flavored liqueur) with one of the almond batches and amaretto (almond flavored liqueur) with the other. But you can use anything you like. Try it with pecans, hazelnuts, pistachios, or whatever you like. You can even make the balls a bit more exotic by using alcohol like Bailey's or Kahlua. Have fun playing with the recipe!

Quick and Easy Chili

2008-10-15T16:26:00.004-04:00

Fall is in the air and it's time to start making some hearty dishes again. With the house for sale, we're cooking things that can last a few meals and can be done relatively quickly. Here's a quick and easy chili that tastes pretty good. You can experiment with the type of pasta sauce that you use to achieve different flavors.

Quick and Easy Chili

INGREDIENTS

1 to 1-1/2 pounds ground beef or turkey

1 medium sized onion, diced

2 tablespoons chili powder

1 can red kidney beans, rinsed

1 bottle pasta sauce, e.g. Ragu

1 chipotle pepper, chopped (optional)

1 cup cheddar cheese, grated (optional)

STEPS

Heat a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the meat, onions and chili powder and cook until the meat it is no longer pink. If using ground beef, you will want to drain the liquid once it is cooked. If using turkey, there is no need to drain since it is leaner than beef.
Add the beans and the pasta sauce. If you are using a chipotle pepper, add it now. Stir together and bring to a boil. Once it has reached a boil, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.
Serve in bowls and sprinkle grated cheddar on top if desired. I usually serve the chili with garlic bread made from my own baguettes. This recipe makes 4 large servings or 6 small servings.

Baguettes

2008-10-13T19:16:00.005-04:00

The smell of freshly baked bread is absolutely irresistible. Today, I decided to make some multigrain baguettes for us to enjoy. The recipe below is for regular baguettes, but you can substitute some or all of the flour for different kinds depending on what kind of baguette you want to make. For my multigrain baguettes, I substituted 1 cup of multigrain bread flour for the white flour. You can also use an egg wash instead of the milk for a harder, crispier crust. To make the egg wash, mix 1 egg or 1 egg white with 1 tablespoon of water.

Baguette Recipe

INGREDIENTS

1 cup very warm water

1 tablespoon white sugar

1 1/2 teaspoons yeast

2 1/2 cups bread flour

1 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons milk

STEPS

In a large bowl, dissolve the sugar into the water. Sprinkle the yeast on top of the water and let sit for 5 minutes.
Add the bread flour and mix together to form dough. Then add the salt and knead in. Knead dough for a few minutes until it forms a ball of dough. It should still be slightly sticky. Once kneaded, cover and let rise in a warm place for 30 minutes or until doubled in size.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down. On a lightly floured surface, roll the dough into a 16 x 12 inch rectangle. Cut the dough in half, forming two 8x12 inch rectangles. Beginning from the 12 inch side, roll each half of dough up tightly, then gently pinch in the ends and fold over to seal. Turn the roll over and pinch the seam shut. Gently roll it back and forth to smooth out the seam. Cover and allow to rise for another 35 minutes.
Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. If you have a baking stone, preheat the stone in the oven. If not, you may transfer the baguettes to a cookie sheet for baking.
Once the baguettes have doubled in size, gently brush the milk over the tops of the loaves. Then, with a very sharp knife, make deep diagonal slashes across each loaf about 2 inches apart.
If using a baking stone, bake for 15 to 20 minutes, or until golden brown. If using a cookie sheet, bake for 20 to 25 minutes, or until golden brown. Allow to cool on a rack.

For Sale

2008-10-11T11:48:00.002-04:00

Well, the house is for sale and our lives have been turned upside down. We're constantly cleaning the house to make it spotless for people coming in to see it and with people in and out of the house at various times, it's made cooking and blogging happen sporadically. Sorry, I'll try to be better about it, but for now, just keep your fingers crossed that we'll sell the house soon.

You Learn Something New Everyday...

2008-10-08T16:25:00.005-04:00

I was so excited to buy a sugar pumpkin and make pumpkin puree. I actually made it and took some photos. I put it all into a mason jar, got out my immersion blender and whipped it all up into a puree and let it sit and cool off. Then I put it into the freezer because I wouldn't be using it until this weekend. Well, I looked in the freezer when I went to get something else out. It turns out that I must not have let it cool down enough. The glass broke. I had to throw out the puree so I never got to try it. I will make it again, but not until things are more settled at home. I will also post a picture or two of the puree that I made, but it may be a few days before I get the chance.

Regardless, here's how I made the puree.

1 sugar pumpkin, cut in half, stem, seeds and pulp removed

Place the pumpkin on a cookie sheet and cover each half with aluminum foil. Roast in an oven preheated to 325 degrees F for 1 to 1 1/2 hours. It will be ready when it is tender enough to easily poke with a fork. While still hot, scoop out the flesh and put into a blender or into a jar and use an immersion blender. Blend until you form a puree.

Then, as I learned, allow to fully cool before refrigerating or freezing.

As promised, here are the photos.

A Lazy Catnap Kind of Day

2008-10-05T09:01:00.003-04:00

It was a busy week for us all, including Riley and Nutmeg so we were all happy to see the weekend arrive. Riley was happy to relax in the office while I did a few things on the computer and Nutmeg, who is always with me when I'm home, was there too. She hadn't seen me for most of the week, so she insisted on being as close to me as possible. This is one of the few photos I managed to take that didn't show her as a blur while she tried to climb into my lap.

Riley was missing his dad since his dad was out during the day. This is Riley's "When is Papa coming home?" look.

Riley and Nutmeg haven't always gotten along and sometimes, they still have a few spats, but Nutmeg still adores her big brother. She knows that she's not allowed to get too close to him otherwise he'll get mad. This is her getting as close to him as she can without annoying him. The expression on her face just tells you how much she wants to turn around and climb on top of Riley and give him a good ol' snuggle.

There's a first time for everything!

Yesterday was actually the first time that Riley has ever let Nutmeg sleep so close to him. Look how happy she is!

He looks pretty happy too, but shhhh, don't tell him!

Every day should be spent like this!

Pumpkin Muffins

2008-10-03T17:36:00.005-04:00

In keeping with the season, I decided to make something from pumpkin puree. I'll admit, I used canned pumpkin this time, but I have a sugar pumpkin waiting for me to make puree out of it. I plan to make a pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving next weekend and will post about it later.

But anyway, I made pumpkin muffins and used some of the apple sauce I made earlier.

Pumpkin Spice Muffins
2 cups pumpkin puree

4 eggs

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1/2 cup apple sauce

2/3 cup water

3/4 cup white sugar

3/4 cup brown sugar

3 1/2 cups flour

2 teaspoons baking soda

2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

1 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon ground allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease 2 muffin tins or line them with paper muffin cups.
In the mixer bowl, combine pumpkin puree, eggs, oil, water, and the sugars until mixed together.
In a separate medium-sized bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda and spices.
Stir the flour mixture into the pumpkin mixture at a slow speed and just until mixed in.
Spoon into the muffin cups and bake for 30 - 35 minutes.

These are great breakfast muffins. If you like, you can add chopped nuts or dried fruit to the recipe or you can drizzle with a citrus glaze.

Fall Cooking: Apple Sauce

2008-09-28T17:53:00.005-04:00

Apples! There's nothing like a fresh, local apple to tell you that autumn has arrived. My favourite apple is the honeycrisp which is a large apple that is crisp and juicy. It's a slightly tart apple that's perfect for eating or baking. I decided to try apple sauce.

This is the recipe that I used, taken from Allrecipes.com.

2 apples - peeled, cored and shredded

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 cup water

3 tablespoons brown sugar

Place the apples into a medium saucepan and sprinkle the cinnamon on top. Then pour the water over the apples and cinnamon. Cook on medium low heat until the apples are mushy (approximately 20-30 minutes).
Remove the saucepan from the heat and stir in the brown sugar.

This is what the ingredients look like when they have just been added to the saucepan.

This is what the apples look like when they are cooking.

This is how the apple sauce looks when it is finished. You will get about 2 or 2 1/2 cups of apple sauce.

The apple sauce can be served with pork or as a dessert either by itself or with ice cream. It would even go nicely on a warm apple pie. Mmmmm!

Jalapeno Poppers

2008-09-25T18:53:00.003-04:00

We went to the farmers market and were inspired by some jalapeno peppers, so we bought a basket. I brought them home and wondered what to make. Then it occurred to me...POPPERS! Here's what I made and they're absolutely delicious. (I recommend wearing gloves so that you don't get the jalapeno oil on your hands.)

Bacon-Wrapped Jalapeno Poppers

Serves 2

4 jalapeno peppers

4 to 8 tsp chive and onion cream cheese

4 slices salt reduced bacon

4 skewers, soaked in water for 20-30 mins

Preheat the BBQ to medium or preheat an oven to 350 degrees F
Wash the peppers and slice them lengthwise without cutting all the way through the pepper. Then remove the seeds and membrane from inside. This will form a pocket so that you can stuff it with the cheese.
Fill each pepper with 1 - 2 teaspoons of the cream cheese, depending on the size of the pepper, by using a knife to press it into the pocket of the pepper.
Wrap the bacon around the pepper and then pierce all the way through with two skewers, one near the top and one near the bottom of the pepper, to hold the bacon in place and so that you can flip them more easily on the BBQ. You can put two peppers onto one skewer.
Once all skewers have been prepared, place them on the grill or, if using oven method, place on a cookie sheet and cook for 10 minutes. Then flip the peppers and cook for an additional 10 minutes or until the bacon is crispy or just the way you like it. Be careful, the cheese will be really hot when you take the poppers out, so don't burn yourself on them like I did!

Who doesn't love pizza?

2008-09-23T20:05:00.005-04:00

The very first thing that I learned how to make really well was pizza. My mother-in-law showed me how to make the best pizza ever and I couldn't believe how easy it was! Please forgive my photos as I'm not a great food photographer - I promise to work on it, though.

Here is the recipe:
Ingredients

1 tsp sugar

1 cup very warm water (but not boiling)

1 TBSP yeast

1/4 cup olive oil

3 1/2 cups flour

1 tsp salt

1 ball mozzarella cheese, grated

You will also need your favorite pizza or spaghetti sauce and toppings. I like bacon, onions, hot peppers, chipotle peppers and artichokes on my pizza, but you can put whatever you like.

Steps

If you have a mixer that kneads dough, pour the sugar and water into the mixer bowl and stir until sugar is dissolved. If not, then use a large bowl. Once the sugar is dissolved, sprinkle the yeast over the top of the water and let sit for 5-10 mins for the yeast to activate.
After the yeast has activated, pour the oil into the mixture and stir to combine. If using a mixer, now secure the bowl to the mixer and add 2 cups of the flour and begin kneading. If doing by hand, add the 2 cups of flour and stir together with your hands until the flour begins to come together.
Mix the salt into the remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour (this will prevent the salt from killing the yeast) and pour the rest of the flour into the bowl. If using the mixer, let it work until you have a nice dough that is soft but not sticky, approximately 2 mins. If it is sticky, add another 1/4 cup of flour. If you are not using a mixer, begin kneading the dough to incorporate the flour. Continue kneading until you have formed a dough ball. If it is still sticky, add another 1/4 cup of flour. Continue kneading. This takes approximately 8-10 mins.
After the dough has been kneaded, cover with a piece of wax paper or a damp cloth and place in a warm, draft-free place to rise for approximately one hour or until doubled in size.
While the dough is rising, prepare your toppings and grate the cheese. Also, lightly grease a cookie sheet with edges.
Once the dough has risen, punch it down. For a thicker crust, allow to rise again for 20-30 mins. Otherwise, move right to step 7.
Preheat your oven to 410 degrees F if using a convection oven, otherwise 425 degrees. Spread the dough out evenly onto the cookie sheet. Cover the dough with your pizza or spaghetti sauce, leaving a small edge as a crust.
Arrange your toppings on the pizza and cover with the grated mozzarella. Let the pizza rest for 10 mins, then bake for 22-25 mins or until golden brown. Then cut, serve and enjoy!

Experimenting

2008-09-23T12:54:00.006-04:00

Experimenting is always fun. Experiments sometimes work and sometimes they don't, but you can always learn from trying something, so here goes my very first blog. Those who know me will laugh when they read that the topic for my blog is a combination of two of my passions: food and animals, specifically my Birman cats.

Here are a couple of pictures of my cats and food:

Riley eating cherries and drinking beer

Ever heard of Nutmeg Rice Krispies?

Plenty more food topics, recipes, cat stories and photos to come!