shortbread cookies.

And so the baking continues. I'm quite impressed actually. I've already made chocolate chip peanut butter oatmeal cookies (that's a mouthful!), lemon crinkle cookies, magic bars, boeterkoek and now shortbread...and my husband hasn't eaten them all! That's a Christmas miracle in itself! 

I had never made shortbread until now, and not being a huge cookie eater...I'm not sure how valuable my opinion is, but these are dang good shortbread! Anna Olson...you done good! They've got all the qualities you'd want in a good shortbread...buttery, crumbly, melt in your mouth! And then the piece of chocolate on top is just the icing on the cake. Pick your favourite type of chocolate, whatever it may be! Just a word of warning...white chocolate (specifically cookies and cream) does not turn out as pretty :). 


Shortbread Cookies 
 
- (1) cup unsalted butter at room temperature 
- (1/2) cup plus 2 Tbsp icing sugar 
- (1/4) cup cornstarch or rice flour 
- (1 1/2) cups all purpose flour 
- (1/2) teaspoon salt 
- (1) teaspoon vanilla extract
- Your choice of chocolate (Toblerone, Jersey Milk, Cookies and Cream...etc!), optional

 
Preheat oven to 350 °F. Beat butter until light and fluffy. Sift in icing sugar and beat again until fluffy, scraping down sides of the bowl often. Sift in cornstarch or rice flour and blend in. Sift in all purpose flour and salt and mix until dough comes together (it will be soft). Stir in vanilla. Spoon large teaspoonfuls of cookie dough (or use a small ice cream scoop) onto an un-greased cookie sheet, leaving 2 inches between cookies. If you choose to add a piece of chocolate, press whatever chocolate you like into each cookie.

Bake for 12 to 14 minutes, or until bottoms brown lightly. The original recipe called for 18 to 20 minutes, but I found my cookies started to brown on the bottoms after about 12 minutes, so keep an eye of them! Remove from cookie sheet to cool and enjoy! Freeze the cookies if you'd like to enjoy them at a later date.

magic bars.

 

Wow. I honestly don't know where my head is these days. I have been attempting to bake over the last few weeks in an effort to give some homemade treats to some special people in my life. I know...it's very Italian of me :). Right now, those special people include our two doormen here at Chateauneuf...Tony and Larry. While I previously thought there job was semi-ridiculous, I have really come to appreciate these two over the past year living in our apartment. Besides their obvious role of keeping us all safe from random stragglers, they sign for me when a package comes and I'm not home, they seem to have a sixth sense and grab the door when I'm balancing 8 bags of groceries, and as of late, Larry's been hooking me up with a free copy of the National Post.

But about my head. I don't know if I've mentioned this before, but I like to cook...not always bake. With cooking, if I've forgotten an ingredient or two...no big deal, I'll substitute. With baking, substituting doesn't fly. It's so meticulous, and one slip up and all of a sudden you've got pancakes instead of Yorkshire Pudding. I know...not really baking, but case in point. 

So my first slip up was buying baking soda instead of corn starch when attempting to make shortbread cookies. I guess it serves me right for trying to cheap out and buy no name brand...all the boxes look the same! On my next trip to the grocery store, I decided while I was there that I wanted to make Magic Bars. Apparently I didn't know the recipe too well, because I got home and realized I needed graham crumbs. Failed attempt number one. A few days later I picked up my graham crumbs, so ready, set, go. Or so I thought until I realized that evaporated milk and sweetened condensed milk are not the same thing. Failed attempt number two. This time I was halfway through the recipe, so there was no turning back. The friendly Korean lady at our local "dépanneur" and I are quickly becoming close friends. While grabbing the condensed milk, I saw some packages of chopped nuts, an ingredient I had also forgot, but previously come to terms with. I arrived home with my walnuts and milk in hand...finally ready to conquer this recipe. I bring up the recipe on my laptop and...shit...it calls for pecans and not walnuts...walnuts it is!

Magic Bars

- (3/4) cup of butter, melted

- (2 1/4) cups of graham crumbs

- (1) 14 oz. can of sweetened condensed milk

- (1 1/2) cups of semisweet chocolate chips

- (1 1/2) cups of sweetened coconut

- (1) cup of chopped pecans (or walnuts)

Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Coat a 13x9 inch glass baking dish with non-stick cooking spray or butter. Combine graham crumbs and butter and press into the bottom of the prepared pan. Layer evenly with chocolate chips, coconut, and nuts.

 Pour sweetened condensed milk evenly over the entire mixture.

Bake for approximately 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Cool completely and cut into bars or diamonds. I found the bottom layer to be a tad crumbly (although I'll admit I couldn't wait until they were completely cooled), but after putting the tray in the fridge for a while, they cut up perfectly. Store covered at room temperature or in the fridge and feel free to freeze. 

 

mediterranean eggplant and barley salad.

I know, I know...it seems like forever since my last post! It's not like I haven't been cooking! My memory card is FULL of pictures of food that I've been dying to put on the blog, but my problem lately is finding the time. For those of you who know me, and know that I'm currently only working part time, I'm sure you're shaking your heads right now. And no...I don't have kids to take care of either. So really, I don't have a good excuse. I'm just starting to understand the phrase "there just isn't enough hours in the day". Being a wife and running a home is a lot more work than I ever imagined! Cook, clean, laundry, repeat. I feel like I have a list of things that I'd like to do (maybe not "like to", but should) and just when I get through my list, the fridge needs to be cleaned again, so I start right back at the top of my list. Props to all of you who are doing this all while you take care of your kids and work full-time...or even run your own business...wow!

I was expressing this sentiment to a co-worker just the other day. My friend Helen and I have been lucky enough to be working together the last couple of months, and during one of our daily rants, we were discussing how we felt like we can't keep up with our own lives. Helen is one of those people that just can't say no, and thus works two jobs, always makes time for friends and family, and shows up to work everyday with AMAZING lunches!!!

Helen is a vegetarian and loves to experiment with recipes from various vegetarian food blogs. She brings something new and exciting to work everyday and I'm always amazed at the colours and smells packed into her Ziploc containers. Sadly, Helen had plans to move on to bigger and better things, and so we planned a little vegetarian potluck goodbye party for Helen. While my plan was to make something from her favourite food blog 101 Cookbooks I couldn't pass up the chance to make this recipe. I discovered this recipe on one of my favourite foodie blogs Smitten Kitchen and I followed it to a T (something new for me). My initial reaction when I read the ingredient list was that there was WAY too many flavour combinations going on, but somehow...it just works! A shout out to Deb at Smitten Kitchen for this amazing recipe...it was a hit!

Mediterranean Eggplant and Barley Salad
Makes 4 (main course) or 8 (side dish) servings

- (1 1/2) lb eggplant, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- (3/4) lb zucchini, cut into 1/2-inch cubes
- (10) tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
- (1) teaspoon salt
- (1) teaspoon black pepper
- (1) cup chopped green onion (from 1 bunch)
- (1 1/2) teaspoons ground cumin
- (1/2) teaspoon ground coriander
- (1/4) teaspoon cayenne
- (1 1/4) cups pearl barley (8 oz)
- (1) 14-oz can reduced-sodium vegetable or chicken broth (1 3/4 cups)
- (3/4) cup water
- (2) tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- (1) garlic clove, minced
- (1/4) teaspoon sugar
- (1/2) lb cherry tomatoes, quartered
- (1/3) cup Kalamata or other brine-cured black olives, pitted and halved
- (1/2) cup thinly sliced red onion, rinsed and drained if desired
- (1) cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
- (1/2) cup chopped fresh mint


Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Cut up the eggplant and zucchini into small cubes. Toss with 5 tablespoons of oil, 3/4 teaspoon salt and 3/4 teaspoon pepper in a large bowl. Spread evenly into 2 oiled large shallow baking pans. Roast vegetables in oven, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes total. Remove from oven and combine vegetables into one pan to cool, reserving other pan for cooling barley.

Meanwhile, heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a large pot over moderately high heat until hot but not smoking. Add green onions, cumin, corriander and cayenne, stirring until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add barley and cook, stiring until well coated with oil, 2 minutes more.

Add broth and water and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered, until all of the liquid is absorbed and barley is tender, about 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for another 5 minutes. Transfer to the reserved baking pan and spread to quickly cool, uncovered, to room temperature, about 20 minutes.

Now it's time to put together the dressing. Whisk together lemon juice, garlic, sugar, remaining 1/4 teaspoon of pepper,  and 3 tablespoons of oil in bowl. Set aside.

To assemble the salad, combine cooled barley, roasted vegetables, tomatoes, olives, onions, mint and parsley into a large bowl. Pour the dressing on top and toss until combined well.

Feel free to make this salad a day a head of time, this will give all the flavours a chance to mingle. Cover and chill overnight, but make sure to bring it up to room temperature before serving.

Enjoy!

cheesy potato pie.

Sometimes I feel like I get stuck in a rut when it comes to side dishes. White rice, brown rice, boiled potatoes, roasted potatoes, fried potatoes, mashed potatoes...blah! I feel that guy from Forrest Gump... lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad...haha! But it's true! It's always the eternal question...what do you want to eat with our fish?...or chicken?...or ribs?...or whatever's for dinner that night! You can only eat sooo much white rice.

So when I saw chef Michael Smith making a delicious looking cheesy potato pie the other day on TV, I had to try it. While his theory is "My favourite recipe...cooking WITHOUT a recipe", I'll leave that to the professionals. I followed his recipe as well as I normally follow a recipe...taking general suggestions and rough measurements. It turned out amazing! It's like a delicious slice of crispy, cheesy, potatoey goodness! I would probably describe it as deconstructed scalloped potatoes...or a big cheesy hashbrown...or as my brother referred to it, as a cheese "latke". Whatever it is...it's GOOD!!!

Cheesy Potato Pie

- (7-10) Yukon Gold potatoes (depending on the size), scrubbed clean
- (1) onion, grated
- (2) cups 35% whipping cream
- (1) teaspoon ground nutmeg
- salt and pepper to taste
- (1 1/2) cups Gruyere cheese (Medium Cheddar works as well), grated

Preheat your oven to 350 degrees F. Choose which pan you're going to be make your pie in. An oven-proof skillet or cast-iron pan work great, but a baking dish will do the trick too. Once you decide on your pan, lay your potatoes inside to fill the pan. This will give you an idea of how many potatoes you actually need to use, since potatoes come in all different shapes and sizes. My frying pan fit about 9 potatoes.

 
Remove the potatoes from the pan and grate them all into a large pot using the largest holes on your box grater. Follow by grating the onion and the cheese. Be sure to avoid your fingers (which I unfortunately did not). Add the grated potatoes and onions into the large pot and reserve the cheese til later.

 
Add the cream, nutmeg, salt and pepper to the potatoes and bring the mixture to a simmer. This preheating step really speeds up the oven time and evenly heats the potatoes.

While your potatoes are brought up to heat, heat your baking dish in the oven for at least 5 minutes. This will make sure you get a nice brown crispy edge to your pie. Once you remove your dish, lightly oil a towel or folded paper towel with vegetable oil and evenly rub the hot pan, coating it with oil just before using. You can also line your dish with parchment paper if you're using a standard baking pan.

Once your potatoes begin to simmer, stir in the cheese and pour the entire mixture into your preheated pan. 

 
Bake your potato pie for approximately an hour, keeping an eye on it as oven cooking times will vary. You're looking for your pie to have a deep golden brown crust. Loosen the eges with a paring knife and invert onto a serving platter while it's still warm. Cut into slices and serve.

ooey gooey.

My sister Jen isn't exactly what you'd call a "Suzy Homemaker". Her idea of cleaning her bedroom is usually throwing everything into her laundry hamper, and her idea of a good meal is generally filet-o-fish. It's funny because as far as sisters go, we are VERY different. She's blonde, I'm a brunette. She's a vegetarian...I love me some meat. Jen reads literary masterpieces...I read cookbooks. My favourite past time is strolling the aisles of the grocery store (don't judge)...Jen avoids cooking JUST to avoid the grocery store. And in the kitchen...I make cookies...Jen eats my cookies! Love you Jen!!!

I do have to give her a little credit though. There are a couple things that Jen makes really well, and this is one of them. I actually had to steel this recipe from her! Jen got this recipe for buttertarts from the family of a client she used to care for, and boy are they good! They're the type of dessert that looks like you've spent the whole day in the kitchen when really...it's been an hour! I used store made tart shells, but if you like to make your own pastry, more power to you. Fill them with raisins, pecans, walnuts, or just leave them plain. Go ahead...impress your friends and family!

Jen's Buttertarts

- (2) eggs
- (1) cup of packed brown sugar
- (1/2) cup of corn syrup
- (1) tbsp vinegar
- (1/2) cup butter, softened
- (1/2) cup of raisins (optional)
- (1/2) cup of chopped walnuts or pecans
- (1) tsp vanilla
- (~18) tart shells (about 1 1/2 boxes)



Preheat your oven to 425 degrees F. Beat eggs slightly in a medium sized bowl. Beat in the sugar, corn syrup, vinegar, vanilla and butter.

Whether you're using pecans, walnuts, raisins (or a combination), stir them into the buttery mixture. If you're leaving them plain, you're ready to fill your tart shells!

Lay your tart shells out on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil. This way if your tarts overflow ever so slightly, you won't be cleaning up a sticky mess! If you arrange the shells strategically, you should be able to fit about 18 tarts on your baking sheet. Spoon your butter mixture into the shells, filling them about 3/4's of the way (as seen in the pictures below). If you want to make the entire two boxes of shells, fill the shells with slightly less filling to stretch it out.

Slide your baking sheet into the oven and bake for about 10 to 15 minutes, until just golden brown. Keep an eye on them as each oven is different and your tarts can turn from pale to nicely tanned fairly quickly.

Let the tarts cool and then serve. Your tarts will stay fresh for quite a few days and can also be frozen for another day. Enjoy!

soups on!

I swear...I wait all summer long for the temperature to dip below 15 degrees Celcius (59 degrees Farenheit for all you Americans). Don't get me wrong, I love summer, but at 15 degrees, I can wear jeans all day long without having them stick to my legs...I can flat iron my hair and not end up looking like frizzy poodle by the end of the day...and I can make a big pot of soup without turning our apartment into a sweat shop.
Soup is one of my all time favourite meals. Served with a side of fresh bread, some cheese and crackers, grilled cheese sandwiches...hmmm...it just brings me back to Sunday afternoons after church. I'm sure all you Dutchies can relate! Any true Dutch mom makes a big pot of soup on Saturday and the family gathers 'round on Sunday afternoons to a big spread of soup and buns, a big hunk of Dutch cheese (Gouda for anyone scratching their head), and possibly Boterhamworst (if someone had made it to Ramaker's that week).
My mom's typical Sunday soup was nothing you could ever write a recipe for. While it was kindly referred to as "fridge soup" in our house, that's exactly what it was! Whatever was in the fridge that week...some vegetables that were starting to go bad, a half empty jar of spaghetti sauce, a couple sausages from last nights dinner...it all went into the soup! It was never the same, but it was always good!
This soup is slightly more structured than "fridge soup". A sudden abundance of tomatoes in my fridge had me scouring for the best possible tomato soup recipe, and as I have always been a fan, I counted on the Barefoot Contessa to stear me in the right direction. While I varied slightly from the original recipe, the results were still amazing! After making this big batch for just the two of us, I was really able to experiment with it for the next week. This soup tastes great just as it is...feel free to grate some sharp cheese in it, drizzle it with a bit of olive oil or cream, or even toss in some croutons. It can also double as a marinara sauce to pour over pasta and, as I ran out of pizza sauce this week, I used it on top of pizza crust and it turned out amazing too! You could toss in some chicken or ground beef if you're looking for something heartier, or even some fresh seafood for a spin on seafood chowder! It really is the soup that keeps on giving.

Roasted Tomato Basil Soup

- (~4) cups of ripe tomatoes cut in half lengthwise (Roma tomatoes work great, but any kind works)
- (1/4) cup plus 2 tablespoons of olive oil
- (1) tbsp of salt
- (1 1/2) tsp of freshly ground pepper
- (8-10) cloves of garlic (I know...crazy!!!)
- (2) cups of chopped yellow onions (about 2 onions)
- (2) tbsp of butter
- (1/2) tsp crushed red pepper flakes (add more or less depending on your preference)
- (1) 28 oz. can of plum tomatoes (whole, diced, or crushed...however you prefer)
- (4) cups of fresh basil leaves
- (1) quart (946 mL) of chicken stock or water

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees Farenheit. Toss your halved tomatoes with 1/4 cup of olive oil, salt, pepper and about 4 or 5 cloves of garlic (whole). Spread tomatoes and garlic out on a baking sheet and roast for 45 minutes. If you're using some smaller tomatoes such as cherry or grape tomatoes, keep an eye on them as they have much less liquid in them and tend to roast faster.

In the meantime, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil, the butter and the red pepper flakes over medium heat in a large stockpot. Mince the remaining garlic and add to the oil along with the chopped onions. Saute for about 10 minutes or until the onions start to brown.

Add the canned tomatoes (I ended up using about 3 cups of pureed Roma tomatoes instead), the fresh basil and the chicken stock. Don't worry if you don't have the full 4 cups of fresh basil, just what you have. And if you don't have fresh basil, freeze dried or regular dried basil works too. I totally recommend trying to get your hands on the real stuff, but substituting a couple heaping teaspoons of dried basil will still taste great!

Add the oven-roasted tomatoes along with any liquid left on the baking sheet.

Bring to a boil and simmer uncovered for 40 minutes. At this point you can do as you like...leave the soup as it is - super chunky, puree it slightly using an immersion blender, a regular blender or a food mill, or completely puree the soup until it's totally smooth. I like my soup with a bit of texture, so I just gave it a few quick buzzes using my immersion blender.

Season to taste and enjoy! This soup can last for at least a week in the fridge, but throw it in the freezer and it will taste just as delicious next time you heat it up!

the travelling basil.

My goal this summer was to grow some fresh herbs from seed. Being that I love to cook, I know the huge difference it makes when you use fresh herbs versus dried, so I figured I'd give it a shot. How hard could it really be! I've worked in a greenhouse for at least a third of my life, so I must have picked up something along the way. My husband and I made the trip to our local Canadian Tire to pick up some supplies and (after a long debate at the CT about the cost effectiveness of growing versus buying fresh herbs) we were on our way. What are husbands for if not to give you grief when you spend too much money :)
Living in an apartment in downtown Montreal, my little seedlings definitely had some barriers stunting their growth. Not only do we have a very limited outdoor space, but what we have is completely surrounded by three other 12 story buildings. The 10 minutes of total sunshine they received each day may have been the clincher, so yes Tom...you told me so :)
As we like to travel home to the Niagara Region quite frequently, I had no choice but to bring my little seedlings along with me, as sad as they were. It had been over a month and they had barely grown more than an inch or two. There is a reason why Niagara is known as the Green Belt. All it took was a week of Niagara sun and fresh air and my basil were golden! They grew more in the one week we were in Niagara than they had for a whole month in Montreal.
And so the story continues. Every time Joe and I decided to drive home for the weekend, all my basil was loaded into a cardboard box and transported back and forth with us. It became the running joke when we'd pull up to the house after an 8 hour drive and haul a big box of fresh basil out of the back seat! But boy did I end up with a ton of healthy, hearty fresh basil.
As much as I've tried to use my basil all summer long...putting it in salads, tossing some leaves in our pasta, shredding some on top of pizza...I just couldn't use all that I had grown. What better opportunity to make pesto! Pesto works with just about everything. We toss it in our spaghetti, spread it on a pizza crust to make white pizza, you can add it to your eggs...the possibilities are endless!


Basil Pesto

- (2) cups of fresh basil leaves
- (1/4) cup of toasted pine nuts
- (2) cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
- (1/2) cup of freshly grated parmasan cheese or romano cheese
- (1/4) cup of extra virgin olive oil

Lightly toast pine nuts in a frying pan on the stove or in the oven. Make sure to keep an eye on them frequently as they tend to burn quickly (and are really expensive!!!) Set them aside and allow them to cool.

Thoroughly wash and dry all your basil leaves and measure out roughly 2 cups.

If you have a large, quality food processor, you can add all the basil in at once, but if you're working with a smaller food processor or a mini chopper, you will most likely have to do this in batches. In traditional Italian methods you would be chopping everything by hand, but who's got the patience for that :)
I was using a mini chopper, and so I did everything in small batches, adding a little extra basil each time. The goal is to add all the basil, the pine nuts and the garlic into a food processor and pulse until you achieve the desired consistency. You want to end up with a finely chopped paste, but not too finely chopped, pesto should still have some texture to it. Once you have finished processing the pesto, scoop the paste into a seperate bowl.

Finely grate about 1/2 of a cup of fresh parmasan cheese.

Stir both the parmasan cheese and the olive oil into the pesto. You don't want the pesto to be too dry or too oily, so add in the oil a little bit at a time until it becomes moist but not runny.

Now your pesto is ready to enjoy! In a sealed container, you can keep the pesto in the fridge for at least a week, but if you're not going to use it all right away, you're better off to freeze it. I actually took small pieces of Glad Press and Seal (cellophane or wax paper will work too) and made individual packets with about a tablespoon or so in each. I twisted the packets up tightly and threw them all in a ziploc bag together. You can store the bag in the freezer for months, and everytime you want to add a little pesto to your pasta, pizza, or favourite dish...presto...pesto!!!

mediterranean pasta salad.

It's back. The pit in my stomach has returned. Even after a few years of being out of school, I still get butterflies this time of year. Don't get me wrong, I LOVE fall. The colours of the leaves, the hoodies returning to the racks in all the stores, sleeping with the windows open...but there's just something about this time of year that is so bittersweet. It starts like clockwork. The marineland commercials slowly start to fade from TV and they're replaced by ads for the EX. That small transition from one jingle to the next and the pit begins to form. Summer is ending, no more lazy days at the beach (not that I even had any), time to dig out the sweaters (even though the weather will remain relatively warm for the next month or so) and time to go back to school (not happening). I'm beginning to think this pit may have more to do with the media and less to do with fact.
This is my attempt to hold on to summer for just a little bit longer. Summer barbecues WILL continue and you'll all need a new salad recipe to bring to your shin-dig this long weekend, so here it is. This is one of those recipes that has been passed down so many times, I have NO idea where it originally came from. It's a staple at our house whenever potlucks are concerned...it's easy, it's relatively quick, it makes a good size portion (and is easy to double), and it keeps well in the fridge for at least a week (not that it ever lasts that long). Oh...and it's REALLY good...enjoy!


Mediteranean Pasta Salad

- (2 1/2) cups of uncooked pasta, penne, fusilli, etc.
- (1) small green pepper, cut into strips
- (1) small red pepper, cut into strips
- (1) cup of cherry or grape tomotoes, halved or quartered
- (1) cup of crumbled feta cheese
- (1/2) cup of sliced black olives (kalamata olives work well too)
- (1/2) cup of minced red onion
- (1/2) cup of fresh parsley, chopped

Vinegrette

- (1/3) cup of extra-virgin olive oil
- (1/4) cup of balsamic vinegar
- (1) large clove of garlic, minced
- (2) tsp of dried basil, or (2) tbsp fresh basil
- (1/2) tsp salt
- (1/4) tsp dried oregano, or approximately (1) tsp fresh oregano

Cook the pasta until just al dente. Rinse under cold water to stop the pasta from continuing to cook and getting too mushy.

 
Put the cooked pasta into a large bowl. Slice the peppers and tomatoes and add to the pasta.

Add in the crumbled feta, the chopped parsley, the olives and the red onions. Stir gently to mix up all of the ingredients.

Prepare the vinegrette by whisking together all of the ingredients.

Pour all of the vinegrette over the pasta salad and stir, making sure that everything gets covered. Refridgerate for at least a couple hours or overnight before serving.  It's best if you can let it sit overnight as it will give the flavours a chance to soak into the pasta.