a twist on a classic.

Looking for a quick and tasty dinner? You've come to the right place! When Joe and I are too lazy to whip up anything too labour intensive for dinner...grilled cheese is always an acceptable go-to. When Kraft Singles on Wonder Bread dipped in ketchup just won't do, we always look in our fridge for inspiration. We'll try anything! Brie with sliced pears, Oka and hot pepper jelly, a little pesto added to a classic...it's all good! 

A little visit to our Canadian-Korean friends the Jeung's this past summer inspired our latest creation. Not only do these two lovebird's create the most beautiful babies I've ever seen, they also create the most amazing Korean food I've ever tasted. Beef jjigae wrapped in sesame leaves with rice and hot pepper paste and this amazing seaweed salad...and the soup! Ahhh...I'm tempted to drop the 2 G's right now and fly to Seoul, just so they can cook for me again...and of course to get some snuggle time in with Miss Ara.

After this blissful experience, we were hooked on the umami flavour of Kimchi and headed to our local Korean food market to pick up a tub. At first we were a little unsure of how we were ever going to use up this rather large container of fermented cabbage, but after doing a bit of googling, discovered it was a pretty versatile condiment. Hence...the creation of the "So-Ko Melt" (South Korean Melt for those slightly puzzled). Joe was a little apprehensive at first, understandably so after the epic fail of my Kimchi quesadillas, but now requests these cheesy melts on a regular basis. 

 
So-Ko Melt
(Makes 1 Sandwich)

- (2) slices of bread of your choice
- enough sliced cheese to top two pieces of bread (I used white cheddar, but anything would work!)
- Kimchi
- (1/2) an avocado, sliced
- a handful of baby spinach


I like to prepare the sandwich in the pan before turning up the heat...it gives you a few extra minutes to perfect your sandwich without burning the bottom.

Butter one side of both slices of bread and lay one slice down in a frying pan, buttered side down. Top with half of the sliced cheese. Evenly layer as much Kimchi as you like on top of the cheese.

 

Slice avocado and layer on top of the Kimchi. Follow with a handful of spinach. Lastly, add another layer of cheese on top of the spinach and top with second slice of bread, buttered side up. I like to add this second layer of cheese so that the bread has something to stick too and the sandwich stays together better.

Turn on your stove to medium heat. Cook for a few minutes on each side, allowing the cheese to melt while keeping an eye not to burn the bottom. Squish down your sandwich using a spatula as you go to make sure it all melts together. Cut in half and serve. Enjoy!

fresh and spicy squash soup.

My mom's family, the "Vlaar's", are a rowdy bunch. We always get together for a big family feast every holiday, and while there may only be 20 or so of us, it generally sounds like a small army. I'm sure many of you can relate. After years of thanksgiving dinners, Christmas dinners, Easter dinners, birthday dinners...we've started to develop a few solid traditions. Predictable is such a negative word...I prefer reliable. We can always rely on Uncle Doug to get a rousing game of Bananagrams started. We can always count on the boys sneaking off to the basement or some back room to watch football while the girls prefer to chat or go for a walk. We can always rely on Uncle Arnie to be the last one to show up (unless Joe and I are driving separate cars...because then he'll always win). And of course, we can always count on an amazing meal.

The meal itself, over the years, has also started to become somewhat reliable. Trust me...I'm not complaining! New recipes seem to need the official "Vlaar seal of approval" to make it to the next holiday, and while some have sadly failed (Uncle Arnie's almond mashed potatoes circa 1999), others have passed with flying colours. Among the current repertoire is of course "Seven-Layer Salad", "Aunt Tina's Cheesecake", the infamous "Broccoli Bake", and this "Spicy Squash Soup". It's the perfect combination of flavour, warmth and spice, and it makes the perfect addition to any holiday meal. If you're not a fan of anything too spicy, I'd definitely cut back on the ginger and the red pepper flakes. Enjoy!


Fresh and Spicy Squash Soup

- (2) tbsp vegetable oil
- (2) onions, chopped
- (2) cloves of garlic, chopped
- (1) stalk of celery, chopped
- (1/4) cup of minced ginger root
- (1/4) cup of chopped fresh cilantro
- (2) tsp ground coriander
- (1) tsp ground cumin
- (1/2) tsp each salt and pepper
- (1/4) tsp grated lemon rind
- (1/4) tsp turmeric
- (1/4) tsp red pepper flakes
- (8) cups of peeled butternut squash, cubed
- (1) tomato, chopped
- (4) cups of chicken or vegetable broth
- (1) can of coconut milk
- (1/4) cup of fresh cilantro leaves


In a large, heavy pan or Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat. Add onions, garlic, celery, ginger root, fresh cilantro, ground coriander, cumin, salt and pepper, lemon rind, turmeric and red pepper flakes. Cook, stirring often, for 5 to 8 minutes, or until aromatic and onions are softened.

Stir in squash and tomato. Pour in broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes or until squash is tender. 

 In blender or food processor, puree soup in batches until smooth. 

Return to pan and heat until steaming. Stir in coconut milk and heat through. Serve garnished with fresh cilantro. Note...I ran out of fresh cilantro half way through...oops!!!

pumpkin pie granola.

Yes...I'm a nerd. There it is, I admit it. Yes, I clip coupons and I check out grocery store flyers online. Yes, I organize the books in my book shelf by height and of course by category as well. Yes, I watch the Bachelorette and it's even more scandalous counterpart the Bachelor Pad. And yes, I may even follow a few of the contestants on twitter (I know...shameful!). Yes, I'd prefer a night at home reading Nicholas Sparks in my purple pants and "Gangsta" tee over bar-hopping (although who doesn't like to shake things up every once in a while). Yes, I read cookbooks in my spare time. No, I generally don't like to buy things at the grocery store unless they're on sale...and yes, I make my own granola. Phew...I'm glad that's finally off my chest. 

Growing up, the cool kids at school were always the ones packing dunkaroos and fruit roll-ups in their lunch box. Their parents gave them cold pizza for their lunch, and if they HAD to have a sandwich, it would always be on white bread with something fun like nutella or chocolate sprinkles. And of course they were always the ones with the "chinese noodles". Looking back, eating a bag of uncooked "Mr. Noodles" seems pretty disgusting, but it really was delicious!

While my mom now purchases drink boxes and fruit snacks for my younger brother (which is in my opinion about 15 years too late...and he is about 15 years too old for that!), we were definitely not part of the "cool" club when it came to lunches back in grade school. While we had luckily convinced my mom that whole-wheat bread was the devil, our lunches generally contained fruit, granola bars, and a sandwich (much to my chagrin). I must be getting old, because I know find myself roaming the grocery store and avoiding everything in the centre isles because they contain too many preservatives. I have become my own worst nightmare. I make my own cookies because I know what goes into them, I generally don't buy anything that that comes frozen in a box (unless it's Mike's Pizza...because that is just plain delicious), and I not only eat whole wheat bread...I make my own! Yes, I have become "granola", and therefore, I give to you this festive version of a personal favourite. Fall = pumpkins = pumpkin pie granola = Enjoy!



Pumpkin Pie Granola
(makes 8 cups)

- (3) cups of large flake rolled oats
- (2) cups of puffed rice cereal
- (1) cup of pepitas (hulled pumpkin seeds)
- (3/4) cup of chopped pecans
- (1/3) cup of roasted unsalted shelled sunflower seeds
- (3) tbsp. flax seeds
- (1/3) cup of packed brown sugar
- (1/3) cup of pure maple syrup
- (1/3) cup of vegetable oil
- (3/4) tsp. of cinnamon
- (3/4) tsp. of ground ginger
- (1/4) tsp. of ground cloves
- (1/4) tsp. of nutmeg
- (1/4) tsp. of salt



Preheat oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper and set aside.

In a large bowl, stir together oats, cereal, pepitas, pecans, sunflower seeds and flaxseeds. Feel free to mix this up as much as you like. I used a puffed quinoa cereal instead of puffed rice as well as a mixture of rolled oats and kamut flakes...be as creative as you want (or finish off all your old boxes of cereal)!

In a saucepan over medium heat, cook brown sugar, maple syrup, oil, cinnamon, ginger, cloves and salt, stirring until sugar is dissolved. It will take about 3 minutes. Keep stirring or swirling pan and watch that the sugar mixture doesn't boil over. 

Pour syrup over oat mixture and toss to coat. Spread granola evenly over the two baking sheets. Note that I used aluminum foil instead of parchment paper (as I realized last minute I was out). If you choose to use aluminum foil as well, make sure to keep an eye on the granola as it seems to bake a little quicker and the bottom gets toasty quick. If you have it, I think parchment paper is definitely a better option.

Bake in top and bottom thirds of the oven, switching and rotating pans halfway through and stirring twice, until crisp and golden, about 30 to 35 minutes.

Let granola cool on pans and break up any large clumps. Store in airtight containers for up to 3 weeks or even freeze until you're ready to enjoy!