Not Your Usual Haggis Recipe

I'm going trying to write this blog Dan style with a good narrative for the recipe.

September 14th was a hard day.  It was Yom Kippur, day of fasting to feel hunger as a reminder to help others in need and to reflect upon the year that marked the end of the Jewish New Year.  It also marked the one year anniversary of my brother, Daniel's passing, so we had a lot more to reflect on.  I've been waiting for this day, I knew it was going to be hard, and it came by too quickly.  I wanted to do something special to commemorate Daniel, so I knew I was going to make haggis. It's something I've been thinking about for a long time already and I knew my brother would have loved it.

I decided to make the haggis on the 15th so I could focus on Yom Kippur and my reflection on the year.  All the memories of my brother, all the things I would have shared with him, and all the times that I miss him.  I woke up on September 15th ready to go.

I started the morning off by making my daughter and my wife a failed breakfast burrito that my wife saved by turning into a breakfast quesadilla.  What a sweetheart she is!  I over stuffed the burrito so it wouldn't fold.  So probably from all those times we watched the Food Network show "Chopped" together, shequickly thought "just slap another tortilla on top and call it a quesadilla".

I knew by 10am I wanted to get the haggis started.  I've written at my blog Gluten Free Edmonton in the past about a cookbook called "Make It Fast, Cook it Slow" by Stephanie O'Dea.  A gluten free slow cooker book that my wife Amanda and I love.  It happens to have a non-tradition haggis recipe that called for beef and lamb instead of the traditional heart, liver and lungs.  It was going to take 6-7 hours to cook.  Unfortunately I was behind schedule with my failed breakfast.  But that's okay, it meant I got to play with my daughter while Amanda saved breakfast.  

By 10:30, I got started,  and thankfully it was a pretty easy recipe.  Stephanie O'Dea describes haggis as a meatloaf.  She also describes it at the start as a blob.  Which it truly was.

I took out all the ingredients needed:

1/2 lbs beef

1/2 lbs lamb

1 chopped onion

1 cup certified gluten-free rolled oats (if you don't have Celiac Disease, you probably don't care about the certified gluten free part)

pinch of nutmeg, cloves (which I actually didn't have), and cinnamon

1/2 tsp cayenne

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp kosher salt

1 large egg

cooking spray

1/2 cup gluten free chicken broth (once again, if you don't have Celiac Disease, you probably don't need to check the label for any additives).

Directions:

This recipe called for a 4 quart slow cooker.  We love slow cooking, so we actually have a large one and a smaller one.  You make the loaf by mixing in all the ingredients except for the cooking spray and broth.  Mix everything up really well.  Spray the inside of the slow cooker stoneware with the cooking spray.  Be sure to spray all of the inside to ensure the loaf doesn't stick (this was something I never thought of doing).  Mold your meat mixture and place into the slow cooker.  Add 1/2 cup of broth (I actually added a cup, because I think I had more meat than the recipe called for).  Cook on low for 6-7 hours until the ends are browned and the top begins to brown.  And I agree with Stephanie when she said "Don't overcook", you don't want a dense, hard and dry loaf.  Take out of the slow cooker carefully and let it rest for 30 minutes before cutting.

Before starting the recipe Amanda texted Meredith asking "What do you actually eat haggis with".  Her response "tatties", which she then went on to explain is "a very UK description of potatoes".  So Amanda made up some yummy season roasted potatoes with Italian seasonings and steamed carrots with honey and thyme.  I of course added some herring in a dish on the side to complete the haggis and herring loop.

The candle is lit to commemorate Daniel - A Jewish tradition to remember those that have passed on.

The aroma the mixture gave off while making the haggis was wonderful.  I was really looking forward to trying this.  After putting everything into the slow cooker my daughter (14 months), Amanda and I all took off to run errands for the day.  When we came back to the house everything smelled so great.  I was really anxious to eat this meal.

When the time was up, Amanda carefully took out the loaf for me while I played more with my daughter (she loves Lego and Cars, go figure if you knew my brother and I).  My in laws came over to join us for this commemorative dinner.  I did enjoy the haggis.  I've written about meat loafs before on my blog, and they always seem to end up pretty dense and dry.  I think the oats really helped make the loaf more fluffy and edible. The sides Amanda put together went great with haggis.  The seasoned potatoes and the sweetness of the carrots really made this a nice meal.  And the herring on the table, although not cohesive, was just quite fitting. Everything allowed me to feel good about what we put together to remember my brother.  I can comfortably say, I look forward to making this every year.

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Rickard's Cardigan Beer-braised Ribs

NOTE: This post was scheduled by Daniel Saraga of Haggis and Herring before he suddenly passed away.  We have decided to ensure his scheduled posts continue.  Daniel's wife Meredith posted her eulogy to him.  Please read more about our wonderful Daniel.

When I was at the Rickard's Cardigan launch, Brewmaster Matthews was telling me about beer-braised ribs that his wife had made. Although I wasn't able to get my hands on the recipe, I still wanted to give it a try myself.

My main problem was that I've never made ribs before. Ever. Mostly because I've been a little intimidated by ribs culture. It's very competitive and very secretive. I worked myself up to buying some ribs - so I was committed. Now to find a recipe.

I realized that finding the right recipe for me was going to be a big challenge. Many recipes took hours and hours. Some used slow cookers. I didn't have time for that - this meal was being made on a weekday. I eventually found one - beer braised ribs at Serious Eats. That recipe gave me a method that I could work with, as well as a set of ingredients that I could adapt.

It smelled great when it was in the oven and the ribs tasted great. They were tender, but not fall-off-the-bone soft. The cayenne added a nice kick as well, and the garam masala complemented the spices in the beer.

Rickard's Cardigan Beer-braised Ribs

1 rack pork ribs, membrane removed and split into three separate parts
salt and freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tsp garam masala
2 or 3 cinnamon sticks
1 tbsp ground ginger
1 tsp cayenne
5 cloves garlic, crushed with the flat edge of a knife
1 bottle Rickard's Cardigan
1 tbsp flour
1/4 cup water

1. Preheat oven to 300-degrees and season ribs with salt and pepper.
2. In a Dutch oven, heat oil on medium-high and sear ribs on both sides once piece at a time and set aside.
3. Add garam masala, cinnamon, ginger, cayenne, garlic, beer, and stir.
4. Add back ribs, bring to a boil and cover. Transfer to oven and let cook for 75 minutes - until meat is tender.
5. Transfer meat to a foil-lined pan and preheat broiler. You can add additional salt and pepper if you prefer. Broil on both sides until brown and crisp (1-2 minutes).
6. Skim cooking liquid of fat, strain using a sieve and bring to a boil. Mix the flour and water together and add to liquid. Stir until thickened and pour on top of ribs.

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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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Secret Recipe Club: Donut Muffins

Note to self: do not use the camera on a loaner phone when
your phone is in the shop :-(

It's the August edition of Secret Recipe Club and my assignment for this month is Danielle from Nashville who writes Mostly Food and Crafts.

There are a ton of great recipes under the "mostly food" category to choose from. I really wanted to make her Chicken Paprikash, however, the latter-end of July and the beginning of August were crazy for me, so Meredith agreed to take the SRC project on herself - meaning that it was going to be a baking project.

Meredith chose to make Danielle's Donut Muffin recipe. She followed her recipe using a mini muffin tin - next time we might use our donut tin.

The chicken will need to wait until September (and it will definitely happen).

Donut Muffins

3/4 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Topping:
1/2 cup sugar
1 tbsp cinnamon
2 tbsp butter, melted

1. Preheat oven to 500 degrees and lightly grease mini muffin tins with shortening.
2. In a large bowl, beat together the sugar and egg until they're light yellow.
3. In a separate bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, salt, and nutmeg and add to the egg mixture and stir well.
4. Continue to stir and add the vegetable oil, milk, and vanilla.
5. Using a tablespoon, fill each mini muffin cup about 3/4 full and bake for 5 minutes at 500-degrees.
6. Immediately lower the temperature to 350-degrees and continue baking for 5 minutes until done.
7. Combine sugar and cinnamon for the topping in a small bowl. Keep the melted butter in a separate small bowl.
8. Dip the muffin tops into the butter, then into the cinnamon and sugar mixture.

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Chocolate Balls (כדורי שוקולד)

I read this article in the The Jew and the Carrot and immediately, I knew that I wanted to make it. It's a simple no-bake recipe for chocolate balls, kadorei shokolad, that use biscuits. The name is a literal translation of "chocolate balls," from Hebrew. The draw of this dessert is that they're apparently only made at home. Bakeries don't sell them. If you want them, you need to make them yourself.

When I showed Meredith the recipe, she also got excited. I wasn't expecting her to be enthusiastic about it since it didn't exactly involve baking or working from scratch. However, she saw great potential - a new idea (at least for her) for her holiday cookie exchange.

The trial run went really well. We unfortunately didn't have any candy-covered balls, and we ran out of sprinkles really quickly, but we didn't run out of coconut - so most of them are coconut-coated.

Chocolate Balls (כדורי שוקולד)


200g biscuits (1 small package)
3/4 cup sugar
5 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder
7 tbsp milk
1 tsp vanilla
7 tbsp butter, softened
1/2 tsp cinnamon

1. Shredded coconut, small coloured candies or sprinkles in a bowl
2. Put the biscuits in a large zipper bag. Crush the biscuits using a rolling pin until they're the consistency of rice.
3. Transfer the biscuits into a mixing bowl and add the sugar, cocoa and the cinnamon and mix well. 
4. Add the vanilla, butter and milk, and continue mixing until the batter is thick and thoroughly combined.
5. Take the batter by the tablespoon and roll it into a ball in your hands.
6. Coat the balls in the coconut, coloured candies or sprinkles by rolling them in the bowl and place them on a serving tray or in mini paper muffin cups. 

Makes 42 one-tablespoon balls.

Mostly from The Jew and the Carrot.

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Hummus with Meat (hummus bi-lahm)

Whenever my brother-in-law comes to town, we frequently end up eating middle-Eastern food, and his most recent trip was no exception.

The very first time I met him, I had just returned from Israel determined to duplicate the amazing felafel I had near the Western wall. It was served wrapped in a huge piece of thin, round flatbread, contained every salad imaginable (eggplant salad, hummus, moroccan carrots, beet salad, etc., etc.) and it had French fries in it. It was unbelievable. Our apartment smelled like felafel for a week after all of the deep-frying.

The next time, we took him to our favourite Israeli-Mediterranean restaurant, Me Va Me, where Meredith and I had one of our first few dates. On that date, Meredith and I shared a large salad plate (with various Mediterranean salads) and had a couple of pints - more than enough for two people. After finishing, Meredith asked me "why doesn't all baba ghannouj taste like that?" to which I answered, "It does. You just haven't been eating baba ghannouj. You've been eating generic grocery store fake baba ghannouj. If it was real, it wouldn't have mayonnaise in it!" She hasn't eaten the fake stuff since.

Me Va Me's Shawarama is also top notch, as is their felafel, an inexpensive add-on to a salad plate if you're not going to indulge in shawarama or their excellent grilled fish.

Anyway, for this most recent visit, it was actually a coincidence that I was making this particular dish, as I didn't know he was coming at the time. We weren't expecting to see him until Thanksgiving. I had just been reading about different ways to serve hummus when I came across a few article that mentioned serving it with meat, and I realized that I could have a complete meal quite quickly.

One of my tricks when working with ground meat is to use a potato masher in the pan to evenly break-apart the meat.

Hummus with Meat (hummus bi-lahm)

1 tbsp olive oil
1 large onion, diced
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground coriander
1/4 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp garam masala
1 tsp ground sumac
500g ground chicken, beef, or lamb
salt and pepper, to taste
1 batch of hummus, already prepared
2-3 tbsp raisins
toasted pine nuts (not pictured above)
1 tomato, sliced chopped

1. Heat oil in pan on medium and saute the onion until translucent.
2. Add the cinnamon, turmeric, coriander, cumin garam masala and sumac, and stir for 1 minute.
3. Add the ground chicken, using a potato masher to gently break up any large pieces as the meat cooks.
4. When the chicken is nearly done, but some liquid still remains at the bottom of the pan, stir in the raisins.
5. Continue to stir until chicken is done and most of the liquid has evaporated.
6. To serve, spread the hummus on a broad platter or shallow bowl. Top with the chicken mixture and garnish with sliced tomatoes and toasted pine nuts.

Serve with warm pita.

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Apple Pie

In September, our friend Penny, of Sweet Sadie's Baking, entered a pie baking contest at Chudleigh's apple farm. Meredith assisted preparing the crust and we all pitched in to peel and core the apples.

A Ginger Gold apple at Chudleigh's.

Penny prepared for a long night of pie baking.

Meredith's pie wasn't as refined (we bought a prepared crust), however, she based her filling on Penny's method.

Apple Pie

2 prepared pie crusts
Apple Filling
4 medium Ginger Gold apples
4 medium Macintosh apples
3/4 cup sugar
1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 tsp table salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
2 tbsp butter
1 egg white, beaten lightly
1-2 tbsp sugar, for topping

1. Combine 3/4 cup sugar, salt, allspice, cloves and cinnamon in small bowl.
2. Peel, core, and cut apples into 1/2-to-3/4-inch slices and toss with lemon juice, then add sugar mixture and toss again. Let mixture sit for 30 minutes. Drain and boil juices with 2 tbsp butter for 5 minutes to reduce. Pour 1/3 cup of these juices back over apples.
3. Remove dough from refrigerator. If it is still stiff and very cold, let it stand until the dough is cool but malleable.
4. The pie is baked on the oven floor. If you have a pizza stone available, place it on the oven floor and cover it with foil before preheating the oven.
5. Preheat oven to 500 degrees.
6. Gently press dough into sides of 9-inch pie pan (glass, foil, or tin) leaving some crust hanging over the lip of the pie plate.
7. Empty the fruit mixture, including juices, into the chilled pie shell and mound slightly in centre of the pie.
8. Place the second dough round over the filling. Trim the top and bottom edges to one half-inch beyond the pan lip and tuck the rim of dough underneath itself so the folded edge is flush with the pan lip. Flute edging or press with fork tines to seal.
9. Make a 1-inch hole in the top crust in the centre of the pie. Cut four slits at right angles on the top around the centre hole. Brush egg white onto the top of the crust and sprinkle evenly with remaining tablespoon of sugar.
10. Reduce oven temperature to 425-degrees. Place pie on the floor of oven or the pizza stone and bake for approximately 25 minutes, until the top crust is golden.
11. Reduce oven temperature to 375-degrees and continue baking for an additional 30-35 minutes, until the juices bubble and the crust is deep golden-brown.
12. Transfer pie to wire rack; cool to almost room temperature, at least 4 hours.

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Chicken Tajine with Apples

Running out of new ideas for a Friday dinner, I found a recipe for Moroccan chicken on a Foodland Ontario website. The point of the recipe was mostly to pitch the benefits of Ontario-farmed chicken, apples and onions to unsuspecting consumers.

But really, what does this guy know about Moroccan food? (Running a province, yes, Moroccan food: not so much.)

So I ran with the recipe as a base and fixed it from there - eliminating the cornstarch, adding saffron and swapping out the boneless, skinless chicken for recognizable pieces. My friend Simon called it "de-Martha-Stewartifying - making the dish much more my style, and specifically less... umm... this guy.

Chicken Tajine with Apples


2 apples, cored, peeled, thinly sliced and tossed in 2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tsp cumin
2 tsp chili powder
2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
dash salt
1 to 1 1/2 kilos chicken legs and/or thighs
1/4 cup oil
2 medium onions, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp ginger, minced
2 cups chicken broth
pinch saffron, infused in 1-2 tbsp hot water
2 tbsp cup raisins
1/4 cup blanched almonds
4 dates, pitted and chopped
7 dried apricots, chopped

1. Core, peel and slice apples into thin wedges, toss in lemon juice and set aside.
2. Combine cumin, chili powder, cinnamon, salt and pepper and sprinkle onto chicken.
3. Heat oil on medium in a large pot, brown chicken on both sides. Set chicken aside.
4. Saute onions in the same pot for 2-3 minutes. Add garlic and ginger and saute for an additional 2 minutes.
5. Place chicken back in the pan and add broth and saffron. Bring to a boil and let simmer on medium for 25-30 minutes, uncovered.
6. Add apples (with lemon juice), dried fruit and nuts, reduce to medium-low and let simmer for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve with cous cous or rice (for gluten-free)

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Banana Bread

Apparently, custard does not freeze well.

We had a three-tiered cake at our wedding. The bottom was chocolate, the top was carrot and the middle was vanilla custard cream. With a fairly decent dessert table, not much of the cake was eaten. We took a small chunk of the bottom tier home with us, and Meredith's mom took the carrot cake (which we enjoyed last year) and my mother took the middle layer home.

This year, to celebrate our third anniversary, my mom took the cake out of the deep freeze. The cake looked perfect. No freezer burn or other disfigurements. We ate some partially frozen (the custard was still mostly frozen), and it wasn't bad. We took the rest home to serve during the weekend and at our Labour Day barbecue.

On the Sunday, we served some more cake to our friends after dinner, and it was a disaster. The cake had finished defrosting and the moisture from the custard had soaked the bottom of the cake. Gross. More than half of the cake ended up in the garbage.

Needless to say, on Labour Day morning, Meredith got to work on making some dessert for the barbecue. She decided on her banana bread recipe since everybody loves it.

Banana Bread

2 cups flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 cups (3 bananas), mashed
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup margarine, melted
1/2 cup dark chocolate chips

1. Grease two 7 1/2 x 3 1/2 x 2 pans and preheat oven to 350-degrees.
2. Whisk together flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon and salt and make a well in the centre of the bowl.
3. In a separate bowl, combine eggs, bananas, sugar and margarine and add to flour mixture.
4. Stir until moist (still lumpy) and fold in chocolate chips.
5. Divide mixture and pour into pans.
6. Bake for 40-45 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean when stuck into the centre of the bread.
7. Cool in pan on a wire rack for 10-15 minutes, remove from pan, and let cool completely on the wire rack.

Loosely based on Better Homes and Gardens banana bread recipe.

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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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Strawberry Crumble Pie

There were leftovers from Strawberrypalooza in June/July. I really didn't think we had that many strawberries. I was clearly wrong.

Wanting to get rid of the last of the strawberries before they deteriorated into mush, Meredith decided to make one more pie. This pie would be a more traditional baked pie with a crumble topping. Meredith had a recipe for a rhubarb pie that she was able to adapt to get the results she wanted - the most significant change being reducing the amount of sugar.

Strawberry Crumble Pie

Filling:

• 2 eggs
• 2 tbsp butter, melted
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 3 cups strawberries, diced (about 1/2 inch)
• 1 9-inch pie crust

Topping:

• 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 cup brown sugar
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1/4 cup cold butter

1. Preheat oven to 425-degrees.
2. In a small bowl, stir eggs and melted butter.
3. In another small bowl, combine sugar and flour and stir into egg mixture until well combined.
4. Place strawberries in a large bowl and mix in flour and egg mixture.
5. Prepare the topping by mixing the flour, sugar and cinnamon. Cut in butter (using a mixer or pastry cutter) until topping looks like coarse crumbs.
6. Transfer strawberry mixture into pie shell.
7. Sprinkle topping evenly over the top and bake for 15 minutes.
8. Reduce oven temperature to 350-degrees and bake for an additional 35 to 40 minutes or until filling is set and topping is light-to-medium golden-brown.

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Vegetable Soup (Gypsy Soup)

This flavorful vegetarian soup is gluten-free and uses
Mediterranean spices for a unique, but not overwhelming flavor.

Week after week of reading Monday posts at Living in the Kitchen with Puppies, I'm reminded of one of my first cookbooks - Moosewood. I don't use it often at all, but every time I see one of the recipes, it's a little push to pull out my own copy.

My very first copy was literally that - a photocopy I had made from a friend's version (the original 1977 edition, I might add). I vowed that when I could afford to buy my own copy, I would. And I eventually did. The second edition (c. 1992) is a little different. still hand-drawn, but the recipes are a bit healthier. Less heavy creams, cheeses and butter, and more yogurt and olive oil (or no oil at all).

One of the things I noticed the very first time I opened the book is that some of the methods are very labour intensive. You're hard-pressed to find a recipe that takes less than an hour. The very first recipe I made (Russian cabbage borscht) took me quite a while as I had a cabbage as big as a basketball and a stockpot to make a double batch.

On this particular day, I decided to make my own version of the Gypsy soup. I say my own version for two reasons: because Katzen's own notes lists a plethora of substitutes for vegetables, and; there's no way I'm blanching, peeling and seeding tomatoes by hand. I will, however, use a small bottle of my mom's home-made tomato sauce instead.

Vegetable Soup (Gypsy Soup)

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 2 cups onions, chopped
• 4 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 celery stalk, minced
• 2 cups peeled, diced carrots
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 2 tsp paprika
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tsp basil
• dash cinnamon
• dash cayenne pepper
• 1 bay leaf
• 3 cups water
• 2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 bell pepper (green or red), diced
• 1 can chickpeas (drained and rinsed)

1. In a dutch oven, heat oil on medium. Add onions, garlic, celery and carrots and saute for 5 minutes. 
2. Add salt and saute for an additional five minutes. 
3. Add paprika, turmeric, basil, cinnamon, cayenne, bay leaf and water. cover and simmer for 15 minutes.
4. Add tomato sauce, peppers and chickpeas. cover and simmer for an additional 10-15 minutes, until vegetables are tender.
5. Remove bay leaf before serving.

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Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

More of Strawberrypalloza!

Meredith's next project was some muffins. not surprisingly, she found a recipe on Strawberry-recipes.com that looked good - so she went for it. The result was a tasty and moist muffin that really showcased the flavour of the strawberries.

Strawberry Cinnamon Muffins

• 2 eggs
• 2/3 cup sugar
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 cup plain yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 stick butter, melted and cooled
• 2 cups flour
• 1 tbsp baking powder
• 1/4 tbsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 1-1/2 cups strawberries, hulled and cut into small pieces

1. Preheat oven to 375-degrees and prepare a 12-muffin tin with paper cups.
2. In a large mixing bowl, whisk eggs and sugar. Add milk, yogurt, vanilla, and melted butter and continue to whisk gently.
3. In another bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, and cinnamon. Add to milk mixture and stir until flour is completely absorbed. Gently stir in berries.
4. Spoon batter evenly into muffin and bake for 25 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.
5. Let cool before removing from muffin tin.

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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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Sephardic Charoset

The day before the first Seder, I realized that my father wasn't going to be bringing charoset like he usually does. Usually, he picks some up from his synagogue. It comes in little balls and immediately before serving, wine is added and it's mashed up.

In researching Sephardic charoset recipes, I found that there were a few basic requirements: dried fruit, nuts, fragrant spices, one fresh fruit to get it to all stick together. One recipe used bananas instead of apples and I liked that idea, so I looked around the pantry, found the spices and dried fruit on hand and arrived at one of the tastiest charosets I've ever had.

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Sephardic Charoset

by Daniel Saraga April 19, 2011

This charoset is symbolic of the mortar used by the Israelite slaves to build in Egypt.

Ingredients

3/4 cup walnuts3/4 cup almonds1 tsp cinnamon, ground1 tbsp garam masala1/2 tsp ginger, ground1 tsp nutmeg, ground1 tsp cloves30 dates, pitted2 bananas, mashed1/2 cup golden raisins1/4 cup sweet red wine (e.g., Manischewitz, or use rice wine for gluten-free)

Instructions

1. Grind the walnuts, almonds, cinnamon, garam masala, ginger, nutmeg and cloves in a food processor.2. Add dates, banana, raisins and honey, and puree and refrigerate until ready to serve.3. Before serving, slowly add wine until desired consistency is reached.Note: Charoset should be a thick paste, like a mortar.

Details

Prep time: 1 hour Cook time: Total time: 1 hourYield: 2 cups

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Peanut Butter, Banana, and Honey Cookies

• 1-1/4 cups all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/4 tsp cinnamon
• 4 tbsp butter (unsalted)
• 2 cups brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup sugar
• 1/3 cup smooth peanut butter
• 1 tbsp honey
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 1 egg
• 1 ripe banana, mashed (about 1 cup)
• 2 cups oats

Peanut Butter Honey Glaze:

• 3 tbsp smooth peanut butter
• 1/2 cup powdered sugar
• 2 tbsp milk
• 1 tbsp honey

1. Preheat the oven to 350-degrees.
2. In a medium bowl, whisk together flour, baking soda, salt, and cinnamon and set aside.
3. In the mixer bowl, fold butter, sugar and brown sugar and mix until smooth.
4. Continue mixing while adding peanut butter, honey, vanilla and egg.
5. Continue mixing and add the banana.
6. Continue mixing and slowly add the flour mixture.
7. Continue mixing and add the oats.
8. Using a cookie scoop, place dough balls 2-inches apart on parchment-lined baking sheets or baking mats.
9. Bake for 12-15 minutes or until golden and cool on wire racks.
10. To make the glaze, combine peanut butter, powdered sugar, milk, and honey in a small bowl and whisk until smooth. If the mixture is too thick, add more milk. If it's too thin, add more sugar. Drizzle glaze over cookies once they've cooled.

Makes 2 1/2 dozen cookies

Recipe inspired by Two Peas and their Pod

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Channa Korma Curry

Happy New Year's Potluck

Getting ready for a New Year's Day potluck, I was given the task of making a gluten-free and vegetarian meal. I've made my Channa Masala so many times recently, I didn't want to do it again. The problem was, chickpeas had to be the protein.

I then dug through my existing recipes and decided to make a variation of my Chicken Korma. I'd double the sauce and swap out the chicken for the legumes.

Channa Korma Curry

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 cup finely chopped onion
• 3 tbsp garlic
• 3 tbsp ginger
• 6 cardamom pods
• 4 cinnamon sticks
• 2 cups crushed tomatoes
• 2 cup yoghurt
• 1 tsp salt
• 3 cans chickpeas
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 cup raisins

1. Heat oil and fry the onions for 2-3 minutes.
2. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another 2 minutes.
3. Add the cardamom, cinnamon, tomato sauce and yogurt and stir.
4. Add the chickpeas and bring to a boil.
5. Simmer on medium-low for 30 minutes, stirring occasionally.
6. Reduce to low, add lemon juice and raisins and let simmer for another 10 minutes.

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Italian Sausage and Potato Curry

• 1/2 cup canola oil
• 2 cups finely chopped onions
• 2 stick cinnamon
• 4 tbsp minced garlic
• 3 tbsp minced ginger
• 1 can diced tomatoes (drained)
• 2 tsp sea salt
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1 tsp turmeric
• 1 tbsp ground cumin
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 tbsp garam masala
• 1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
• 500g Italian sausage (check label for gluten-free)
• 4 medium potatoes, peeled, cubed and boiled until tender
• 1 cup sour cream
• 1/2 cup water
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro (including stems)

1. In a large pan, heat oil on medium heat for one minute. Add onions and cinnamon, and sauté for five to eight minutes, until onions are golden. Add garlic and sauté for four more minutes. Add ginger, tomatoes, salt, pepper, turmeric, cumin, coriander, garam masala and cayenne. Cook masala for five minutes, until the oil separates.
2. Add sausage and cook for 10 minutes. Add sour cream and water and stir well. Increase the heat to medium-high. When curry starts to boil, reduce the heat to medium, cover and cook for 15 minutes, stirring two or three times, until sausage is completely cooked and adding the potato at the 10 minute mark. Remove and discard the cinnamon stick. Cool curry for 5-10 minutes.
3. Transfer sausage to a plate, slice into rounds and add back to curry. Just before serving, heat curry on medium heat until it starts to boil lightly. Stir in cilantro.

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Deer Beer Pumpkinhead Chili (Venison, Pumpkin and Lager Chili)

In early October, I was speaking to a colleague about the upcoming hunting season. Not wabbit season, or duck season...

but deer season.

Oh deer!

My colleague usually takes his deer to a butcher before bringing it home for packaging and he still had some left in his freezer from last year.

Well, I was glad to take some off his hands to free up some freezer space and shortly after, I was presented with a couple venison steaks and some burger (ground). I immediately went to work looking for what to do with the meat. I didn't want to do something plain, and I wanted something that would best reflect the fall season.

I found a few chili recipes that interested me. One of them had pumpkin, ale and some sweet potatoes. I decided to use that concept as a starting point for what I made. The result was a very large pot of tasty chili.

Deer Beer Pumpkinhead Chili

1+2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 kilo ground venison
2 onions, finely chopped
2 medium potatoes, peeled and diced into 1/2 inch pieces
8 cloves garlic, finely minced
1-2 jalapeno peppers, chopped (optional)
1 bottle of Rickard's Red beer
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp cumin
2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp sea salt
1-1/2 cups pumpkin puree
1 can (5-6 oz) tomato paste
3 cups chicken or beef stock (I used chicken)
1 can (28 oz) diced tomatoes
1 can romano beans

1. Heat 1 tbsp oil over medium-high heat in a deep pot and brown venison, remove and set aside.
2. Add 2 tbsp oil, onion and potato to pan and saute for 8 minutes until onions are translucent.
3. Add garlic and stir for one minute.
4. Add beer to degalze pan and reduce for about ten minutes.
5. Add jalapeno peppers, paprika, cumin, cinnamon, cayenne, pumpkin, salt and tomato paste, stir and let simmer for 1 minute.
6. Add venison, stock, tomatoes and beans and bring to a boil.
7. Reduce to medium-low and let simmer for 90 minutes, stirring occasionally.

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Picked Beets and Pickled Eggs

Pickled beets, pickled eggs, hummus, herring and
dill pickles. Eggs had only marinated for 24 hours.

Pickled Beets

• 3 large beets
• 3 + 2 cups water
• 2 cup sugar
• 1 cup vinegar
• 1-1/2 tsp salt

1. Wash beets, cut off ends and in half.
2. Place beets in a medium-small sized pot with 3 cups of water (should be enough to cover) and boil until tender.
3. Drain and reserve liquid for egg recipe.
4. Remove skin from beets, slice into chunks and pack into sterilized jar(s).
5. Combine sugar, 2 cup water, vinegar and salt. Bring to a boil (dissolving sugar).
6. Pour vinegar mixture over beets leaving about 1/2 cm space at the top of the jar. Discard remaining liquid.
7. Tighten lid on jar and let cool before refrigerating.

Note: if bottles were sterilized, beets don't need to be refrigerated until opened.

Pickled Eggs

• 8 eggs, boiled and peeled
• 1 cup beet liquid from beet recipe
• 1 cup white vinegar
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 2 tsp garam masala
• 1/2 stick cinnamon

1. Loosely pack boiled eggs into a sterilized jar (my mistake was cramming them into a small jar).
2. Combine beet liquid, vinegar, sugar, garam masala and cinnamon in a pot and bring to a boil (dissolving sugar).
3. Pour mixture through a strainer into jar leaving 1/2 cm space.
4. Tighten lid on jar and let cool before refrigerating.
5. Let marinate for several days before opening.

Note: use eggs within one week after opening.

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