I started a gluten-free recipe blog. You might want to follow it instead as I don't update this one much anymore.
Here's the new one: wheatbellynomoreglutenfreerecipes.blogspot.com
Tuesday, October 1, 2013
Saturday, December 3, 2011
Pumpkin Spice Bread
Come fall, I love decorating my kitchen table and counter tops with seasonal veggies like squash, pumpkin, gourds, and colourful corn. I love the different and weird shapes and bright oranges, yellows, reds and browns. So pretty!
On the way up to our weekend place, Christian and I like to stop in at an old-order Mennonite-run farmer's market outside of the tiny village of Gorrie. They always have a ton of extremely reasonably priced produce, as well as jars of pickled whatnot and baked goods. It's a small, simple, place with no pretention - a great place to get fresh produce.
On one sunny fall morning not so long ago, I was on my own and stopped at that same market. Christian is usually with me, so, frankly, there was no one to curb my fall-inspired enthusiasm and say something like, "Hey, do we really need so many squash? Can you even eat that corn anyway? And, what are we going to do with that giant 25 pound crazy looking orange gourd?" Long story short, I spent every last penny (good thing they take only cash) and the backseat of the car was FULL all the way across and up to the windows with small and giant gourds, pumpkins, squash, colourful corn big and small, pears, apples, trees of brussel sprouts...
As a result, my kitchen has more fall cheer than usual. I think you could say it looks like a cornucopia exploded in there.
So anyway, that's why I made this Pumpkin bread recipe.
I adapted it (quite a bit) from a Betty Crocker recipe - making it, (by accident), more healthy!
Pumpkin Spice Bread
2 1/2 c of roasted pumpkin (split a pumpkin in half, take out the seeds and goo, and put it face down on a sheet at 350 degrees for about 40 min or until the inside is mushy - you can mash the pumpkin if there are some chunks)
1 c sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tbsp of ground flax seed and 12 tbsp of water (or 4 eggs - I used the flax seed and water substitute cause I didn't have any eggs)
3 c light spelt flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Mix wet thoroughly, then mix dry, and then mix them together - don't over mix or it'll get too stiff. Grease a loaf pan and pour the mixture in.
350 degrees for 1 hour
On the way up to our weekend place, Christian and I like to stop in at an old-order Mennonite-run farmer's market outside of the tiny village of Gorrie. They always have a ton of extremely reasonably priced produce, as well as jars of pickled whatnot and baked goods. It's a small, simple, place with no pretention - a great place to get fresh produce.
On one sunny fall morning not so long ago, I was on my own and stopped at that same market. Christian is usually with me, so, frankly, there was no one to curb my fall-inspired enthusiasm and say something like, "Hey, do we really need so many squash? Can you even eat that corn anyway? And, what are we going to do with that giant 25 pound crazy looking orange gourd?" Long story short, I spent every last penny (good thing they take only cash) and the backseat of the car was FULL all the way across and up to the windows with small and giant gourds, pumpkins, squash, colourful corn big and small, pears, apples, trees of brussel sprouts...
As a result, my kitchen has more fall cheer than usual. I think you could say it looks like a cornucopia exploded in there.
So anyway, that's why I made this Pumpkin bread recipe.
I adapted it (quite a bit) from a Betty Crocker recipe - making it, (by accident), more healthy!
Pumpkin Spice Bread
2 1/2 c of roasted pumpkin (split a pumpkin in half, take out the seeds and goo, and put it face down on a sheet at 350 degrees for about 40 min or until the inside is mushy - you can mash the pumpkin if there are some chunks)
1 c sugar
2 tsp. vanilla
4 tbsp of ground flax seed and 12 tbsp of water (or 4 eggs - I used the flax seed and water substitute cause I didn't have any eggs)
3 c light spelt flour
2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
Mix wet thoroughly, then mix dry, and then mix them together - don't over mix or it'll get too stiff. Grease a loaf pan and pour the mixture in.
350 degrees for 1 hour
Sunday, November 20, 2011
Hot and sour soup - easy
Hey folks, here's a recipe I just passed on to my friends Detlef and Julia who were going to take us out to the diner on hwy 7 between Kitchener and Guelph for hot and sour soup today... but we forgot we had a family engagement, so didn't get to go. A sad story. We are still planning to go another time 'cause it apparently has awesome food.
Anyway, on the topic of hot and sour soup, here's the recipe that I've followed for a couple of years now, always with good success. You can drop or change some of these ingredients and it's still delightful. For example, at this moment I am eating the version I made tonight, with leaks (rather than green onion), rice vinegar (rather than white), no meat, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, nor sesame oil, and I still think it kicks ass, even though that's a pretty different version than this recipe (esp. without the sesame oil - I ran out). What can I say, I cook by the seat of my pants...and by what's in the fridge. The key ingredients IMO are the chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and white pepper (must be white, not black). And I would say try to add the sesame oil, and onions, even though it does taste good without the sesame oil.
Hot and sour soup
4 c chicken stock
3 tbl soy sauce
1/4 c cooked shredded chicken or pork
1/2 c mushrooms diced
1/2 tbl garlic chili sauce (shriracha)
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 c white vinegar
1/3 c canned bamboo shoots juliened (I never put these in)
3 oz block tofu diced 1/4 in
2 tbl cornstarch in 2 tbl water (I've skipped this step too - I don't care if it's thick)
1 egg beaten
2 green onion stalks diced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Simmer broth
Add soy sauce, meat mushrooms and chili paste
Simmer 5 min
Add wh pepper, vinegar, bamboo and tofu
Simmer 5 min
Combine cornstarch and water, add and stir well
Simmer 5 min until thickened
Beat egg, pour in slowly through a fork in a fine stream. Stir.
Wait 30 seconds
Add onion and sesame oil, stir.
Remove from heat.
Anyway, on the topic of hot and sour soup, here's the recipe that I've followed for a couple of years now, always with good success. You can drop or change some of these ingredients and it's still delightful. For example, at this moment I am eating the version I made tonight, with leaks (rather than green onion), rice vinegar (rather than white), no meat, mushrooms, bamboo shoots, nor sesame oil, and I still think it kicks ass, even though that's a pretty different version than this recipe (esp. without the sesame oil - I ran out). What can I say, I cook by the seat of my pants...and by what's in the fridge. The key ingredients IMO are the chili sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, and white pepper (must be white, not black). And I would say try to add the sesame oil, and onions, even though it does taste good without the sesame oil.
Hot and sour soup
4 c chicken stock
3 tbl soy sauce
1/4 c cooked shredded chicken or pork
1/2 c mushrooms diced
1/2 tbl garlic chili sauce (shriracha)
1/4 tsp white pepper
1/4 c white vinegar
1/3 c canned bamboo shoots juliened (I never put these in)
3 oz block tofu diced 1/4 in
2 tbl cornstarch in 2 tbl water (I've skipped this step too - I don't care if it's thick)
1 egg beaten
2 green onion stalks diced
1/2 tsp sesame oil
Simmer broth
Add soy sauce, meat mushrooms and chili paste
Simmer 5 min
Add wh pepper, vinegar, bamboo and tofu
Simmer 5 min
Combine cornstarch and water, add and stir well
Simmer 5 min until thickened
Beat egg, pour in slowly through a fork in a fine stream. Stir.
Wait 30 seconds
Add onion and sesame oil, stir.
Remove from heat.
Thursday, October 27, 2011
Chelsea's Favourite Maple Squares
My cousin Chelsea requested this recipe - another one from my grandmother, Marjorie MacIntosh. My Nannie "published" it in our elementary school fundraising cookbook, calling it "Chelsea's Favourite Maple Squares." "Maple" is code for "Rum" in this recipe name. And I'm assuming because it was for an elementary school, Nannie decided to substitute milk for the traditional Stroh's rum in the recipe, which she most definitely made the squares with, 100% of the time, for every family gathering.
Since Nannie's passing, I've been handed the torch of preparing this sweet, rummy dessert square for our family dinners. I was even handed the actual bottle of Nannie's Stroh's, which has lasted YEARS - it only being used for the squares about 3 times a year (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas). I'm down to about my last shot of the stuff now though, which should be enough for one more pan of squares. So here's a call out to any of my clan who might be visiting a US of A liquor boutique before next Easter, (Stroh's isn't available in Canada) to pick up a bottle for the next 15 years of maple square making.
Base:
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups graham wafers, crushed (you can use either the plain or the honey - both are delish)
1/2 cup coconut or walnuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
Combine butter, egg and brown sugar together in a saucepan. Melt on low heat. Remove from heat. Add graham wafers and vanilla (plus optional coconut or walnuts). Spread in 8x8 inch pan.
Icing:
1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup rum (or milk)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup icing sugar
Melt butter, add brown sugar. Stir. Boil on low heat 2 minutes only. Stir constantly. Stir in rum (or milk). Bring to boil (the rum will come to a roaring boil immediately - you can take it off the heat as soon as you add the rum). Cool to lukewarm and add icing sugar.
Spread the icing over the base. Cool, cut into squares, and EAT. And probably share, cause these ain't low calorie.
Since Nannie's passing, I've been handed the torch of preparing this sweet, rummy dessert square for our family dinners. I was even handed the actual bottle of Nannie's Stroh's, which has lasted YEARS - it only being used for the squares about 3 times a year (Easter, Thanksgiving and Christmas). I'm down to about my last shot of the stuff now though, which should be enough for one more pan of squares. So here's a call out to any of my clan who might be visiting a US of A liquor boutique before next Easter, (Stroh's isn't available in Canada) to pick up a bottle for the next 15 years of maple square making.
Base:
1/2 cup butter
1 egg
3/4 cup brown sugar
2 cups graham wafers, crushed (you can use either the plain or the honey - both are delish)
1/2 cup coconut or walnuts (optional)
1 tsp vanilla
Combine butter, egg and brown sugar together in a saucepan. Melt on low heat. Remove from heat. Add graham wafers and vanilla (plus optional coconut or walnuts). Spread in 8x8 inch pan.
Icing:
1/4 cup butter
1/8 cup rum (or milk)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup icing sugar
Melt butter, add brown sugar. Stir. Boil on low heat 2 minutes only. Stir constantly. Stir in rum (or milk). Bring to boil (the rum will come to a roaring boil immediately - you can take it off the heat as soon as you add the rum). Cool to lukewarm and add icing sugar.
Spread the icing over the base. Cool, cut into squares, and EAT. And probably share, cause these ain't low calorie.
Sunday, May 1, 2011
Date Cookies
I made these recently and a few people kindly asked for the recipe. I have to admit, that I love convincing people who aren't sure they like dates to try these cookies because most people end of loving them. I do believe I converted a few people at work who tried them.
The recipe is passed down from my dad's mom, Marge MacIntosh. I've been making them since I was a teenager so this is a recipe I'm fully confident that I make well. My grandmother actually used to put nutmeg in the dough but I'm not a huge fan of nutmeg in baking, so I leave it out. My older sister Jen agrees. I have to promise to save some for her whenever I make a batch or fear sister-type scorn and disappointment. If you have a sister you know what I'm talking about - hands on the hips, nearly deafening cries of "you didn't save me some?" and even some pouty expressions and snide remarks for the next few hours to the tune of "next time I make something you like, guess who isn't going to get any!" Let me tell you, every time I guess me, that's who, and every time I am correct.
But, I digress.
The recipe is a two-step process - filling and cookie dough. Seems fiddly at first, but once you make them a couple of times it won't seem like such a chore compared to other cookie recipes. I like to decrease the amount of sugar in both the filling and dough by 1/8 to 1/4 cup (I provided the full measure in the recipe though), which makes me feel better about eating them for breakfast!
Date Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Filling
1/2 pound cooking dates (You can buy these in blocks at the supermarket. Just cut them in half - that's about 1/2 pound)
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
Cook filling on stove top in a saucepan until mushy, on low. Boil it briefly, then simmer. Don't leave it unattended long, and stir often or the sugar will burn.
Cookie Dough
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cup flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
Mix wet ingredients, then add dry and fold in until just combined. Dough should be somewhat sticky, not too dry. Flour a surface well and roll out the dough. I roll it out in about 3 sections as I don't have a large surface. Take a round cookie cutter (I use an upside down drinking glass) around 3 inches across and cut out round shapes in the dough. Place them on a cookie sheet.
Once the filling has cooled enough not to burn your fingers, spoon about 1/2 - 1 tbsp in the centre of each round cookie. Fold over each cookie into a half circle. You don't need to make the dough meet - the date filling will be showing.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or until browned.
The recipe is passed down from my dad's mom, Marge MacIntosh. I've been making them since I was a teenager so this is a recipe I'm fully confident that I make well. My grandmother actually used to put nutmeg in the dough but I'm not a huge fan of nutmeg in baking, so I leave it out. My older sister Jen agrees. I have to promise to save some for her whenever I make a batch or fear sister-type scorn and disappointment. If you have a sister you know what I'm talking about - hands on the hips, nearly deafening cries of "you didn't save me some?" and even some pouty expressions and snide remarks for the next few hours to the tune of "next time I make something you like, guess who isn't going to get any!" Let me tell you, every time I guess me, that's who, and every time I am correct.
But, I digress.
The recipe is a two-step process - filling and cookie dough. Seems fiddly at first, but once you make them a couple of times it won't seem like such a chore compared to other cookie recipes. I like to decrease the amount of sugar in both the filling and dough by 1/8 to 1/4 cup (I provided the full measure in the recipe though), which makes me feel better about eating them for breakfast!
Date Cookies
Preheat oven to 350 degrees
Filling
1/2 pound cooking dates (You can buy these in blocks at the supermarket. Just cut them in half - that's about 1/2 pound)
2/3 cup water
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp. lemon juice
Cook filling on stove top in a saucepan until mushy, on low. Boil it briefly, then simmer. Don't leave it unattended long, and stir often or the sugar will burn.
Cookie Dough
1 cup vegetable shortening
1 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup milk
2 cup oatmeal
1 1/2 cup flour
3 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. cinnamon
pinch of salt
Mix wet ingredients, then add dry and fold in until just combined. Dough should be somewhat sticky, not too dry. Flour a surface well and roll out the dough. I roll it out in about 3 sections as I don't have a large surface. Take a round cookie cutter (I use an upside down drinking glass) around 3 inches across and cut out round shapes in the dough. Place them on a cookie sheet.
Once the filling has cooled enough not to burn your fingers, spoon about 1/2 - 1 tbsp in the centre of each round cookie. Fold over each cookie into a half circle. You don't need to make the dough meet - the date filling will be showing.
Bake in 350 degree oven for 12 minutes or until browned.
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
Croissants. And thinking ahead to spring gardening...
The last couple of weekends I've had so many lovely plans in mind for a big new garden on my almost-an-acre property in the country, that I simply HAD to sit down and map them all out...on graph paper that my thougtful friend (who I thoughtfully won't name) lifted from his company's paper supply cabinet for me (thanks buddy!)...with, but of course, a large, black, dark roast coffee from one of the city's great new coffee shops, Balzac's, and a fresh, crispy, buttery, mmmmmmmmmmmmYUM! croissant from Golden Hearth Bakery. (Do you think that sentence was a mite too long? any whoo...) The only problem with these croissants from Golden Hearth is that once you've had one, you won't be able to eat any other croissant in the city, probably in the province, maybe the country, because all other croissants are RUINED for you, they are THAT GOOD. Coffee? there are quite a few great coffee shops within walking of downtown - Matter of Taste, Balzac's, The Little Bean, The Museum Cafe... there are others, and I won't name them all, but those to my knowledge are the best in coffee in downtown K-town. But croissants? You must go to Golden Hearth. There, that's all about croissants. I won't write that word again. Croissants. Oh crap I can't stop myself. Now I want a croissant.
Now, to switch to another topic having nothing at all to do with croissants, (I'm obsessed!) -- my garden. I'm SO terribly excited about it. I've been using up that hard-won-stolen graph paper like a made-woman! Inspired by the latest issue of Garden Design mag, I scribble something down, only the find an even BETTER idea the next day when I browse the Wild Flowers of Ontario website. I yell "Ah HA!" and crumple up the last piece of graph paper and toss it over my shoulder as I scribble the next idea down before I forget it. I've mapped out every last detail... and my POINT is, that my latest plan to have raised vegetable beds organized in rows with lovely walkways between ala It's Complicated with Meryl Streep, is frankly, genius. Glad I thought of it. Or, more fairly, glad that I watched that movie that is clearly meant to be garden porn for ladies. Now, to convince one of my neighbours with a tractor to come on over and plow up a substantial portion of my lawn this spring...
Looking forward to sharing recipes using fresh picked veggies from my new garden this spring and summer!
Now, to switch to another topic having nothing at all to do with croissants, (I'm obsessed!) -- my garden. I'm SO terribly excited about it. I've been using up that hard-won-stolen graph paper like a made-woman! Inspired by the latest issue of Garden Design mag, I scribble something down, only the find an even BETTER idea the next day when I browse the Wild Flowers of Ontario website. I yell "Ah HA!" and crumple up the last piece of graph paper and toss it over my shoulder as I scribble the next idea down before I forget it. I've mapped out every last detail... and my POINT is, that my latest plan to have raised vegetable beds organized in rows with lovely walkways between ala It's Complicated with Meryl Streep, is frankly, genius. Glad I thought of it. Or, more fairly, glad that I watched that movie that is clearly meant to be garden porn for ladies. Now, to convince one of my neighbours with a tractor to come on over and plow up a substantial portion of my lawn this spring...
Looking forward to sharing recipes using fresh picked veggies from my new garden this spring and summer!
Monday, January 31, 2011
Browning chicken
As I write this I'm eating leftovers for lunch. I made up a recipe, (a combo of a couple of recipes based on what I had in the fridge and how much effort I wanted to put in) once again, and it turned out not half bad. I am keeping in mind, of course, that my stated goal is to actually follow recipes so that I can build skills and make meals that are good, not just acceptable.
But, on the theme of learning new things, this experience fits the bill. I've been watching Julia Child's cooking show, which is, I must add, immensely entertaining. I can't resist imitating her way of speaking; my husband and I can actually imitate her singsong cadence quite faithfully, and randomly love to warble "Bon appetit!" at the tops of our voices. I'm learning so many really useful things from Julia, and she does inspire one to just try things out with her "you can do it" attitude. My husband has now sharpened all of our knives (what a HUGE difference in the quality and speed of cutting) after Julia demonstrated how easy and quick it was.
Anyway, one of those really useful things that I applied to this recipe was the proper way to brown chicken. I've always just assumed that you can flop your piece of meat in a pan and simply wait til it browns... and then am completely dismayed when, in fact, the meat doesn't necessarily brown.
WELL, Julia tells us to make sure to dry each piece of meat on a towel (paper or otherwise) before putting it in the pan. What a difference! My chicken pieces browned very nicely, (though, next time I will brown them a little more, as some of the skin came off when I added the tomato sauce, and getting a large piece of not-so-crispy skin in a sauce is icky).
Thank you Julia Child!
Without further ado, bon appetit!
Chicken with tomato sauce and bacon
Cook about 4 strips of bacon and leave the fat in the pan
Brown chicken pieces in the bacon fat (dry the chicken pieces before you put then in the pan!)
Add a chopped onion and cook til almost soft
Add the bacon back to the pan
Add 2 cups chopped tomato, 2 tbsp of tarragon, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 cup of chicken stock, salt to taste
Simmer for 30-40 min, covered (until chicken is done)
Let it sit off the heat for 30 min.
Serve over rice.
(I liked it better the next day when the flavours had had a chance to marry)
But, on the theme of learning new things, this experience fits the bill. I've been watching Julia Child's cooking show, which is, I must add, immensely entertaining. I can't resist imitating her way of speaking; my husband and I can actually imitate her singsong cadence quite faithfully, and randomly love to warble "Bon appetit!" at the tops of our voices. I'm learning so many really useful things from Julia, and she does inspire one to just try things out with her "you can do it" attitude. My husband has now sharpened all of our knives (what a HUGE difference in the quality and speed of cutting) after Julia demonstrated how easy and quick it was.
Anyway, one of those really useful things that I applied to this recipe was the proper way to brown chicken. I've always just assumed that you can flop your piece of meat in a pan and simply wait til it browns... and then am completely dismayed when, in fact, the meat doesn't necessarily brown.
WELL, Julia tells us to make sure to dry each piece of meat on a towel (paper or otherwise) before putting it in the pan. What a difference! My chicken pieces browned very nicely, (though, next time I will brown them a little more, as some of the skin came off when I added the tomato sauce, and getting a large piece of not-so-crispy skin in a sauce is icky).
Thank you Julia Child!
Without further ado, bon appetit!
Chicken with tomato sauce and bacon
Cook about 4 strips of bacon and leave the fat in the pan
Brown chicken pieces in the bacon fat (dry the chicken pieces before you put then in the pan!)
Add a chopped onion and cook til almost soft
Add the bacon back to the pan
Add 2 cups chopped tomato, 2 tbsp of tarragon, 1/4 cup red wine, 1 cup of chicken stock, salt to taste
Simmer for 30-40 min, covered (until chicken is done)
Let it sit off the heat for 30 min.
Serve over rice.
(I liked it better the next day when the flavours had had a chance to marry)
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