Strawberry Muffins

Well, strawberry season has come and gone again, and Meredith was very busy making all sorts of stuff. There were several evenings where dessert was strawberries and cream, and there was, of course, pie.

Meredith took the little guy strawberry picking as well, and he had quite a good time. You can see him surveying the area during coffee break here.

...and sampling the haul. I think he was weighed on his way out at the register (just kidding, he only ate two or three, and promptly wiped his hands on his shirt :-)



The day after the excursion, I read an email with a recipe and was told to get ready to take a photo when I got home. To my delight, I arrived home to some yummy strawberry muffins Meredith had made using whole wheat flour. It's mostly based on a recipe she read earlier that week.

Strawberry Muffins

2 eggs
1/2 cup mango apple sauce
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
3 bananas, mashed
2 cups whole wheat flour
1 tsp baking soda
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 cup fresh sliced strawberries

1. Preheat the oven to 375-degrees and line a 12-muffin tin with paper inserts.
2. Using a stand mixer, whisk together the eggs, apple sauce, oil, sugar, vanilla and bananas.
3. In a separate bowl, stir together the flour, baking soda and cinnamon and slowly add to the banana mixture.
4. Stir in the strawberries by hand and spoon batter into muffin cups.
5. Bake for 20 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean when inserted into the top.
6. let muffins cool on a wire rack.

recipe inspired by allrecipes.com.

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Rhubarb Pie

We had devoured most of the pie by the time I remembered
to snap a photo. It was very, very tasty.

Rhubarb season has started in late May, and Meredith got her hands on some. She was quite excited. What she didn't know was that there wasn't enough rhubarb for the pie she wanted to make, so she winged in and threw in an apple as well. Very creative (and super tasty, of course!).

The one warning Meredith offered is for the prepared pie crusts in those shallow tin pans. They're not as big as they say they are, and there's a big risk of everything bubbling over. The next time she makes this, she's going to buy the flat pie crust and put it in her ceramic pie plate - it's much deeper and will do a better job at containing the mess.

The recipe is loosely based on one of Martha Stewart's rhubarb pie recipes, however, Meredith substituted a few ingredients, did her own thing with the pie crust and left out the plastic kittens thermal glued to the jail cell bars.

Rhubarb Apple Pie

Pie
prepared pie dough
5 cups rhubarb, cut into 3/4-inch pieces
1 apple, peeled, cored and cubed
1 cup sugar
2 tbsp tapioca starch
pinch salt

Topping
3/4 cup flour
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
3 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
6 tbsp cold butter, cut into small pieces

1. Press the pie crust into a deep, 9-inch pie plate, trimming edges if necessary. Refrigerate for 1 hour.
2. Prepare the crumble topping: in a medium bowl, mix flour, brown sugar, sugar, and salt. Using a spoon (or your hands) MIX in the butter until clumps of mixture form. cover and refrigerate until ready to use.
3. Move oven rack to the lowest level and preheat to 400-degrees. 
4. In a large bowl, toss rhubarb, sugar, cornstarch, and salt. Transfer mixture into pie shell and sprinkle with crumble topping.
5. Place pie on a foil-lined baking sheet to catch any overflow.
6. Reduce oven temperature to 375-degrees and bake for 90 minutes, until topping and crust has browned lightly. If the pie starts to brown too quickly, cover pie in a tin foil tent.
7. Let cool before serving. 

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Chicken Marbella

Our neighbour, Olivia, frequently invites us over for dinner when certain dishes are on the menu. One of our favourite dishes is her Chicken Marbella. It's a dish I have yet to make myself because, for some reason, I can stand in front of the stove and stir a pot for an hour, but I can't bring myself to baste something in the oven. I've got to get over that.

In the meantime, Olivia was generous enough to share her recipe, based on the recipe from the Silver Palate Cookbook, and allow me to take photos. The dish pictured didn't have cilantro as a garnish because there was an in-house shortage.

There's something about the flavours in this dish that make it irresistible. I think it's the sweet and savoury combination of flavour - it's amazing. I always use extra sauce to help mop up the rice. So tasty.

Chicken Marbella

2 tbsp garlic puree
2 tbsp dried oregano
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 cup pitted prunes
8 large olives, pitted and cut in half
1/4 cup capers (retain some of the juice)
3 bay leaves
2 kilos chicken legs and/or thighs
1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white wine
4 tbsp cilantro, finely chopped

1. In a large bowl, whisk together garlic, oregano, salt, pepper, vinegar, olive oil, prunes, olives, capers with caper juice, and bay leaves.
2. Add the chicken and coat completely with the marinade (tip: you can put the chicken and marinade into a large zipper bag). Cover and refrigerate, for several hours or overnight.
3. Preheat oven to 350-degrees. In a large roasting pan (or two smaller pans), arrange chicken in a single layer and spread remaining marinade over evenly.
4. Sprinkle chicken with brown sugar. Pour white wine around the chicken, being careful to not wash the sugar and marinade off the chicken.
5. Bake for 50-60 minutes basting frequently. Note: use a meat thermometer to check chicken or check for clear juice (not pink) when testing using a fork.
6. Transfer chicken and marinade to a deep serving dish and garnish with cilantro.
7. Adapted from the Silver Palate Cookbook.

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Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

We don't make bacon often, but when we do, we occasionally save the rendered fat in a jar and store it in the back of the fridge. I'd joke about using it to make fried bread once in a while, but I never do.

Putting bacon in everything has been a trend for some time. I think it's part of the sweet and salty combination that makes the flavours attractive. I've seen bacon with chocolate and bacon-topped cupcakes. Meredith wanted to use some of that bacon fat for cookies, so we started looking.

The more reasonable recipes used about 1/2 cup bacon fat (as substitute for 1/2 cup butter). I know - that can't be healthy. We weren't expecting it to be. And there had to be some crumbled bacon as well.

The cookies were pretty good. There was a slight aftertaste that was a little strong, but I attribute that to sediment in the bacon fat - extra salty bits. I think I should've put the hot bacon fat through a coffee filter first, because it was a little cloudy. I've done it before and I'll do it next time - if there is a next time.

Bacon Chocolate Chip Cookies

1/2 cup rendered bacon fat
1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cups brown sugar, packed
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
1 tsp maple syrup
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups flour
1 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup bacon, cooked and chopped

1. Using an electric mixer, fold bacon fat, butter, and brown sugar. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary.
2. Continue to mix on low and add eggs, vanilla, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.
3. Continue to mix and add flour. Scrape the sides of the bowl with a spatula if necessary.
4. Mix in chocolate chips and bacon and let dough rest for 30 minutes.
5. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
6. Using a cookie scoop, spoon balls of dough onto baking sheets.
7. Bake for 16 minutes and allow cookies to cool on a rack.

inspired by Kim Conte's recipe.
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Meatballs in Amaretto Barbecue Sauce

It all started out with a Guinness barbecue sauce recipe I saw, however, the recipe called for far too much sugar. That got me thinking that I wanted to make meatballs with some kind of barbecue sauce. The researching started.

I eventually found a recipe for Dr. Pepper barbecue sauce and went from there. I know that Dr. Pepper tastes like amaretto, and I figured meatballs in amaretto sauce sounds classier. I adjusted several ingredients, found some ingredients that were lower sodium (ketchup, Worcestershire sauce) and generally used less salt, and added an ounce of amaretto liqueur for extra flavour.

Unfortunately, I didn't have time to make the meatballs from scratch. If I did, I probably would've added some of the sauce into the meatball mixture as well.

The sauce was excellent. We had a bit left over so I bottled some up for a couple of people.

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Meatballs in Amaretto Barbecue Sauce

by Daniel Saraga May-4-2012

The sauce is a tasty change for meatballs. Serve it with mashed potatoes for a warming meal.

Ingredients

• 1/4 cup butter
• 1 large sweet onion, chopped
• 1 tsp (rounded) garlic puree
• 1 cup ketchup
• 1/4 cup tomato paste
• 1 small bottle (412ml) Dr. Pepper
• 1 oz Disaronno liqueur
• 1/2 cup cider vinegar
• 1/3 cup Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 cup dark brown sugar, packed
• 1 tbsp chili powder
• 1 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1.5 kilos (3 lbs) meatballs, cooked (we used 2 lbs and kept the extra sauce aside)

Instructions

1. In a saucepan, melt the butter on medium and saute the onion and garlic for 10 minutes.2. Add all remaining ingredients and bring to a boil.3. Reduce to medium and let simmer for 45-60 minutes, stirring every few minutes until thick.4. Let the sauce cool slightly and puree using an immersion blender.5. Let simmer on low for another 5-10 and pour over meatballs.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 1 hour Total time: 1 hour 15 mins Yield: 6 servings

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S'mores Squares

I've never bought marshmallow fluff before, however, I bought two jars of it the week before Christmas.

One jar was for a dessert Meredith was making for a get-together. When I found out that she was buying fluff I immediately wanted to make a fluffernutter sandwich, but I was told that the entire jar was already called for. So I bought myself a second jar as well and made myself the famed peanut butter and marshmallow-fluff sandwich. It was yummy.

According to The Encyclopedia of Sandwiches, the fluffernutter was originally developed by one of the owners of a marshmallow factory nearly 100 years ago. However, the fluffernutter name itself is owned by the company that now owns the marshmallow flush brand.

Anyway, I'm supposed to be writing about the dessert that Meredith made. She pretty much went along with a recipe she saw in the newspaper and it turned out excellent. We bought a couple slabs of Lindt milk chocolate and they fit nicely in the pan, side-by-side. What a great idea.

S'mores Squares

1/2 cup unsalted butter (at room temperature)
1/2 cup sugar
1/4 cup brown sugar (lightly packed)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1-1/3 cups flour
3/4 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2 100g flat slab bars of milk chocolate (do not break)
1 jar (213g) marshmallow fluff (not melted marshmallows)

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
2. Cream butter sugar and brown sugar using an electric mixer on medium-high.
3. Add egg and vanilla, and continue to mix for five minutes, until the mixture is fluffy.
4. Add flour, graham cracker crumbs, baking powder and salt, and mix on low until fully combined (2-3 minutes).
5. Grease an 8-inch square baking pan and press half of the dough evenly into the bottom (about 1/2-inch thick).
6. On top of the cookie mix, place the two chocolate slabs side-by-side, and top the pan with the marshmallow fluff, spreading evenly across.
7. Flatten the remaining dough into small/flat circles, one tablespoon at a time. Place the dough on top of the marshmallow layer.
8. Bake on the centre rack 30-35 minutes, until lightly browned and let cool completely before cutting into bars.

Mostly from the Christine Loueiro, the Toronto Star.

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Curried Hummus (Curry in a Hurry)

When I saw a curried hummus recipe at Bitter Sweet, Bitter Sweet's recipe was a basic hummus mixed with a Madras curry powder. I have my own hummus recipe and I've made a Madras curry before, so it should be quite easy. I knew I had to make my own version. I guess it's called curry in a hurry because it's simple and quick.

The result was great. Meredith loved it and we ate it on pita with some felafel. Tasty.

Curried Hummus (Curry in a Hurry)

Spice mixture:

1 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp curry powder
1/2 tsp ground black pepper
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp ginger powder

Remaining ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained
1/4 cup tehina
1/4 cup lemon juice
1/4 cup olive oil
water

1. In a small container, combine all ingredients for the spice mixture and shake until thoroughly mixed. Set 1/2 tsp aside for garnish.
2. Reserve 1-2 tbsp chickpeas for garnish.
3. Combine remaining chickpeas, spices, olive oil, tehina and lemon juice all ingredients in a food processor and process until smooth. Add water to reach desired consistency if necessary.
4. Garnish with remaining chickpeas, a splash of olive oil and curry powder.

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Chocolate Chip Squares

Getting ready for a day-trip to Jackson's Point in July with some friends, Meredith wanted to bring some goodies for the kids. Her first idea was to make cookies, however, she realized that making squares would be less work. Fewer pans, and I could still pack the result away in a container for the car.

The recipe is mostly from the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus recipe book (you may remember the Welsh cakes). For Jacob's sake, Meredith held back on the nuts.

Chocolate Chip Squares

• ½ cup butter
• ½ cup brown sugar (packed)
• ¼ cup sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt
• 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Using a stand mixer, mix the butter and brown sugar. Add white sugar and mix again. Add egg and vanilla and continue to mix.
3. Add flour, baking soda and salt and continue to mix until thoroughly combined.
4. Add chocolate chips.
5. Transfer mixture into 9x9 greased pan.
6. bake for 25-30 minutes until set and top is light brown.

Can be cut into up to 36 pieces (6x6).

Based on the Burlington Welsh Male Chorus. Original recipe by Cye Beechey.

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Balsamic Vinaigrette

Several years ago, when I was living on my own, I frequently ate what I called "kitchen sink salads." It was my entire meal. I'd buy some nice bagged lettuce or spinach (I'd refer to it as "garden weeds"), use either grilled chicken or hard-boiled egg for protein, and add whatever else I had around. That usually meant tomatoes, some sweet onion, hearts of palm, feta, and olives. I frequently made my own dressing as well because I've never been fond of store-bought vinaigrette.

This salad was one of the first things I made for Meredith. When we moved in together, I practically wasn't allowed to buy salad dressing - I had to make it myself. I think the only recent exception to that is the occasional bottle of Caesar dressing.

Recently, when a friend visited, I was asked what ever happened to the balsamic vinaigrette I used to make. I realized that I hadn't made it in some time and frequently make other less complex (and less tasty) dressings (and salads, for that matter). I decided it was time to give the kitchen sink salad another whirl.

Balsamic Vinaigrette (for a kitchen-sink salad)

• 2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 tbsp water
• 1 tsp mustard (dijon or hot)
• 1-2 tsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp garlic powder
• 1 tsp dried basil
• 1/8 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• dash salt

1. Add all ingredients to a small jar and mix with a fork until combined.

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Rickard's Blonde Hot Chicken Roti

Beer Libre!

A couple weeks ago, I was contacted by my friends at Rickard's with a new set of recipes that really inspired. As regular readers know, I enjoy cooking with beer, and I've already made mustard, soup, and stew with various beers. The recipes are for a new beer, Rickard's Blonde, not yet available in Ontario. Rickard's Blonde is  a great-tasting pilsner. The bonus for us was the sample that would soon arrive in the mail.

When the package arrived by courier, I got a laugh out of the note that arrived in the box.

Clearly an attempt to slow you down from immediately cracking open (and likely spraying yourself with) a well-shaken can that spent the better part of a day bouncing around in a courier van!

In the package of recipes, one stuck out - it was a grilled chicken sandwich in an interesting marinade. I decided to modify the marinade to turn it into a a Caribbean chicken roti with potatoes. The original marinade recipe called for Scotch bonnet peppers. Unfortunately, the local grocery didn't have any in stock, so I used two jalapeno peppers.

The result was an awesome tasty chicken roti with potatoes in a thick sauce. There was just enough heat with the flavour that you felt the warmth for a short while after finishing the meal. Perfect.

Rickard's Blonde Hot Chicken Roti

• 3 medium potatoes, peeled and diced
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1 medium onion
• 1-2 chili peppers (Scotch bonnet, habanero or jalapeno), stem and seeds removed
• 1 cup Rickard's Blonde beer
• ½ cup water
• 2 tbsp oil
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tsp dried thyme
• 2 tsp garam masala or ground allspice
• ½ tsp ground nutmeg
• ½ tsp turmeric
• 1/2 kilo chicken thighs or breast (boneless, skinless) diced
• roti for serving

1. Boil potatoes in salted water for 5 minutes and drain.
2. Combine garlic, onion, pepper, beer, water, salt, brown sugar, thyme, garam masala, nutmeg and turmeric and puree using an immersion blender.
3. Heat oil on medium in a deep pan and brown chicken for 3 minutes. Add potatoes and sauce mixture, cover and bring to a boil.
4. Reduce to medium and let simmer uncovered for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve on roti. Makes 4 servings.

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Pisto Manchego (Zucchini, Onion and Red Pepper Stew) and Sofrito

Back when I took some general interest culinary courses at George Brown, I learned to make a vegetable stew called a Pisto. The original recipe called for eggplant and half a recipe's worth of a sauce called sofrito.

I made it so often for a while that Meredith and I overdosed on it and I hadn't made it in a few years since.

Wanting to cook more vegetable dishes, I remembered how good the pisto tasted and found the recipe. Not wanting eggplant, I upped the peppers and used the entire sauce recipe (I like sauce). It's just as tasty as we remember.

Without overdosing again, we'll start eating this once in a while.

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Pisto Manchego (Zucchini, Onion and Red Pepper Stew)

by Daniel Saraga June-17-2011

This Spanish vegetable stew is a meal on its own.

Ingredients

• 2+2 tbsp olive oil
• 4 bell peppers, chopped
• 2 large onions, chopped
• 3 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and sliced 1/8" thick
• 1 sofrito recipe
• 2 garlic cloves
• 1/2 tsp cumin
• salt

Instructions

1. In a dutch oven, heat 2 tbsp olive oil and add the peppers, onion and salt. Cook over medium heat until peppers are soft and set aside. 2. Heat the remaining 2 tbsp oil and add the zucchini. Continue to simmer, stirring occasionally, until the zucchini is soft. 3. Add the pepper and onions back to the mixture along with the sofrito. Let mixture come to a gentle simmer.4. Using a mortar and pestle, crush the garlic, cumin and a dash of salt into a paste and stir it into the pan.5. Cook an additional 10 minutes before serving.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 30 mins Total time: 45 mins Yield: 6 servings

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Sofrito (Sweet Tomato and Onion Sauce)

by Daniel Saraga June-17-2011

This sauce is a key ingredient in the pisto, however, it's also good on its own in pasta, over rice or baked with chicken.

Ingredients

• 1 28oz can diced tomatoes
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 garlic clove, bruised and minced
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tbsp sugar

Instructions

1. Place all ingredients into a saucepan and bring to a boil.2. Turn heat down and let simmer for 15 minutes for sauce to thicken.3. Using an immersion blender, puree minture.Unused sofrito can be frozen.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: 2 cups

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Secret Recipe Club: Mushrooms and Potato Stew

No Wednesday post this week because I joined the secret recipe club. The secret recipe club assigns you a member blog and you choose a recipe from that blog to make. You're not obligated to stick to the exact recipe, but instead, you can adapt it to your own taste or style.

I was assigned Cook Book of Trial and Error, by The Cooking Rookie. There were a lot of unfamiliar recipes and methods to choose from. Wanting to play relatively safe the first time through, I chose a potato and mushroom stew. It calls for the stew to be cooked in the oven, in a dutch oven - I've never done that before. My first throught was "I really hope my Jamie Oliver pot comes out in one piece!"

The recipe itself, named Chanterelles and Potato Stew called for chanterelle mushrooms, some chicken stock and a tablespoon of brandy. Since the recipe is from a site that emphasizes trial and error, I'm hoping that I'm forgiven for the liberties I took with it.

First, I couldn't find chanterelles, so I bought some portabella mushroom instead (and a good helping of white mushrooms as well). I also didn't have any brandy, but I did have some wine left from the previous evening and a bit of brown sugar to sweeten it up.

The one mistake I made was the time I chose to start cooking - we ended up eating about an hour later than planned.

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Mushrooms and Potato Stew

by Daniel Saraga June-13-2011

This stew, inspired by the The Cooking Rookie, uses mushrooms and white wine for a tasty vegetarian bowl of comfort.

Ingredients

• 2 tbsp canola oil
• 2 medium onions, finely chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 300g portabella mushrooms, chopped
• 450g white mushrooms, chopped
• 1.3 kilos potatoes, diced to 1/2 inch
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 cup white wine (or rice wine for gluten-free)
• 1 tsp brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees.2. In a dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat and saute onions until translucent and they start to brown.3. Add garlic and saute for another 1-2 minutes. 4. Add mushrooms and saute for 5 minutes.5. Add potatoes, butter, wine, brown sugar, salt and pepper, stir and let simmer for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally.6. Remove from heat, stir, cover and transfer to oven. Bake for 90 minutes.Note: in the event that you don't have an oven-proof pot, The Cooking Rookie recommends reducing the heat to medium-low, covering and stirring every 20-30 minutes. The potatoes with be a little mushed, but it will taste the same.

Details

Prep time: 20 mins Cook time: 2 hour Total time: 2 hour 20 mins Yield: 4-6 servings

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The Hearth and Soul Blog Hop

Welsh Cakes (Picau Ar Y Maen)

The first time I saw Meredith make Welsh cakes, I was very confused.

Me: Those are cookies?
Meredith: Yes.
Me: You're cooking them in a pan.
Meredith: Yes, I am.
Me: Kinda like pancakes.
Meredith: Yep.
Me: But they're still considered cookies, right?
Meredith: Shut up already.

Apparently they don't have ovens in Wales.

Anyway, this time 'round, Meredith let me look at the recipe and oh my. The full recipe, (from the Welsh Male Chorus of Burlington's cookbook, nonetheless, calls for lard and margarine, and the cookies are later sprinkled with sugar and then served with butter.

Seriously?

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Welsh Cakes

by Meredith Burbidge April 29, 2011

These pan-fried cookies are traditionally sprinkled with sugar and served with butter.

Ingredients

1 lb flour1 tsp baking powderpinch salt4 oz margarine4 oz vegetable shortening4 oz currants6 oz sugar1/2 tsp garam masala1 egg2 tbsp milk

Instructions

1. Sift flour, baking powder and salt together.2. Cut in the margarine and vegetable shortening.3. Add the currants, sugar and garam masala and mix.4. In a separate bowl, lightly beat the egg and milk together.5. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and beat until it's a firm paste.6. Roll dough onto a floured board to 1/4" thickness and cut into rounds.7. Cook on a greased griddle for 3 minutes on each side until golden brown.8. Let cool on racks before serving.

Details

Prep time: 10 mins Cook time: 40 mins Total time: 50 mins Yield: 30-40 cookies

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Chicken Madras

Between taking photos of past recipes that previously didn't have photos, and trying new things, I've found myself cooking more Indian dishes lately. Many I haven't tried before.

I want to make my way through more standards, like Vindaloo or Tandoori. I guess it's just going to take time. Fortunately, I have more than willing diners to help me eat my way through my creations.

My latest adventure was to tackle a Madras dish. From my research, the recipes vary immensely. The one I found to use as a base looked the most interesting. It was originally meant for a smaller quantity of red meat, not chicken, but I'm flexible.

I also made the mistake of defrosting the wrong package of chicken, so I ended up with chicken breasts, bone-in cut in half. The chicken was fall-off-the-bone soft, however, I really wanted to mix it in with the rice - not possible when you're looking out for small bones.

I'm not sure how authentic it was, but hey, I can always do another variation!

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Chicken Madras

by Daniel Saraga April 27, 2011

This spicy curry goes well with rice or naan.

Ingredients

1 tbsp garam masala1 tsp ground cinnamon1 rounded tbsp curry powder1 tsp ground black pepper1/2 tsp salt1/2 tsp cayenne pepper2 tbsp brown sugar4 garlic cloves, crushed1 rounded tbsp grated ginger1/3 cup lemon juice1/2 cup olive oil1 kilo (2 lbs) chicken breasts, thinly sliced1 can diced tomatoes

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the garam masala, cinnamon, curry powder, black pepper, salt, cayenne, brown sugar, garlic, ginger, lemon juice and olive oil.2. Stir in sliced chicken, cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour.3. In a deep pan, brown the chicken over medium heat until oil separates.4. Add the tomatoes, stir and let simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes.Serve with rice

Details

Prep time: 1 hour 15 mins Cook time: 45 mins Total time: 2 hour Yield: 6 servings

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Mint-chocolate Caramel Matza

Another great thing about this year's first Passover seder was the dessert. My mom's cookies were beautiful (and tasty), and Meredith made a very special treat as well.

A couple weeks ago she found some mint-chocolate chips and decided that Passover was the best time to use them.

Funnily enough, my friend the Food Floozie made her own version (nearly the same) and posted hers a couple days ago. Hers uses a thicker topping and is cut really nicely. Meredith's is more "rustic" looking. Both are fantastic, of course!

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Mint-Chocolate Caramel Matza

by Meredith Burbidge April 21, 2011

Chocolate and caramel-covered matza is a sweet finish to a Passover seder.

Ingredients

7 matza boards1 cup brown sugar1 cup butter1 cup mint-chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350-degrees.2. Line several baking pans with foil and then lay down parchment paper. Lay the matza on top of the parchment.3. In a medium saucepan over medium heat, melt the brown sugar and butter until the mixture bubbles. 4. Turn the heat to medium-high and stir constantly until the mixture thickens and pulls away from the sides of the pan (around 3 minutes).5. Spread the carmel over the matza with a spatula.6. Bake matza for five minutes, remove and sprinkle with mint-chocolate chips.7. Wait five minutes and spread the chocolate over the caramel with a spatula.8. Let matza cool completely and break into several pieces each.

Details

Prep time: 5 mins Cook time: 15 mins Total time: 20 mins Yield: 7 boards, enough for at least 20 people

This post is linked to Real Food Digest | Passover 2012 Blog Carnival

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Dan's Chicken Chili Con Carne

At the end of Feburary, I found some ground chicken on sale, and I was excited to make some chili with it. I also had a larger-than-normal (28 oz) can of beans hanging around that I'd been meaning to use but haven't. In the end, I decided to do my own thing and not go with my current chili recipe that used a bunch of different beans. This one ended up looking like a more traditional chili (ground meat and red beans), but I don't think it tasted like one. I used a big tablespoon of garam masala, some dried chilies and a bunch of hot sauce to add to the flavour - it really turned out well, not overly spicy!

A note for my fellow food bloggers: I'm trying out a new post and recipe format with help from http://www.therecipewiz.com/. The Recipe Wiz uses Google's new recipe microformat which should eventually connect with Google's new recipe search engine. Please tell me what you think!

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Dan's Chicken Chili Con Carne

by Daniel Saraga April 15, 2011

This chili uses garam masala for a unique sweeter flavour.

Ingredients

3 dried red chilies2 tbsp olive oil500g ground chicken6 garlic cloves, minced1 green pepper, chopped1 large onion, chopped3 tbsp chili powder2 tbsp brown sugar3 tsp dried oregano3 tbsp ground cumin1 tbsp garam masala1 can tomato paste1-1/2 cups water1/4 cup hot pepper sauce1 28oz can diced tomatoes1 28oz can red kidney beans

Instructions

1. Soak the dried chilies in hot water for 30-40 minutes, drain, finely chop and set aside.2. Heat oil at medium in a large stockpot. Add ground chicken, and sauté until the meat is no longer red. Use a potato masher to break up any chunks of meat.3. Add dried chilies, garlic, green pepper, and onion. Sauté until the onions are translucent.4. Add chili powder, brown sugar, oregano, cumin, and garam masala. Sauté for 1 minute.5. Add tomato paste, water, hot pepper sauce, tomatoes and kidney beans. Bring to a quick boil and reduce to medium low. Let simmer, stirring frequently for 45-60 minutes.

Details

Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: 1 hour 15 mins Total time: 2 hour 15 mins Yield: 12 cups

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Rickard's Dark Sweet 'n Hot Mustard

Fan mail prompts beer frenzy

Not really.

Last week, I was contacted by someone doing some marketing for Rickard's and she was wondering if I would be interested in some recipes that use their product - with hopes that I'll blog about it. Never a person to say no to different ways to use beer, I gladly accepted.

The recipes all looked quite good - developed and tested by an expert chef. There was a punch, fondue (oooohhhh), and a mustard recipe. I was even supplied with some beautiful high-res pictures.

the fondue looks crazy-good

I was originally going to make the fondue (pictured above), however, I was dissuaded by the fact that we weren't having any guests over for dinner so it'd just be the two of us. We'd end up eating the entire thing and making ourselves sick. Save that one for later.

What I did end up trying is a variation on their mustard recipe. The primary (but not single) difference is that the original recipe called for Rickard's Red. My variation turned out sweet and spicy. I think it's going to be my new favourite mustard and I'll be making it again and again (when I eventually run out - the recipe made over three cups of mustard). Rickard's suggests that you serve it with pretzels or sausages and I think that pairing is bang-on. Here's what the Rickard's chef's version looks like (gotta get myself one of these food photographers :-)

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Rickard's Dark Sweet 'n Hot Mustard

by Daniel Saraga April-1-2011

This sweet and hot mustard is especially tasty served with sausages, or pretzels.

Ingredients

• 1 bottle Rickard's Dark beer
• 2 cups mustard powder
• 1 cup brown sugar (I used 1 cup sugar and 1 tbsp molasses)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp turmeric
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 1 tbsp onion powder

Instructions

1. Pour beer into a medium-sized pot and let sit for 15 minutes.2. Add remaining ingredients to pot and whisk together.3. Over high heat, continually whisk mixture until boiling.4. Transfer to a medium-sized mason jar (at least 18 ounces), seal and let cool before refrigerating.

Details

Prep time: 15 mins Cook time: 10 mins Total time: 25 mins Yield: 1 litre

Notes:

• If anyone is interested in the original Rickard's recipes, please email me or comment here and I'll gladly send you a copy.
• All of the opinions in this post are my own. I didn't receive any swag for publishing this post or the mustard recipe. Not a single bottle of beer, t-shirt, hat, or dancing girls on party buses (party buses? wrong beer!) made their way to my doorstep, although I wouldn't complain if they did :-) 

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