Sunday, November 27, 2011

Butter Chicken Anyone?

The Beau brought his parents to Calgary this weekend to do some Christmas shopping and so that they could see where I live close to downtown Calgary.  I was looking forward to it and had planned out meals for Thursday night when they arrived, plus breakfasts and suppers for the weekend (figuring we would eat lunch at the malls or downtown where we would be shopping).  
So I was a little disappointed (okay, annoyed) when the Beau announced that I would not have to cook this weekend because he wanted to treat all of us by taking us out to some of the many great restaurants here in Calgary.  I had really wanted the opportunity to show them (particularly his Mom) that I was doing a good job of feeding their pride and joy whenever he was here with me.  We started Saturday shopping mid morning but by 1:00 p.m. we were enjoying Vietnamese food for lunch, and talk at our table was about favourite foods and flavours.  I raved quite a bit about East Indian and Asian flavours, which are my favourites right now.  The Beau's mom asked if I could cook East Indian and the Beau jumped right in, telling her I make a great Butter Chicken!!!  I remember making it for him last year and him being rather hesitant about trying it.  He ended up eating the entire pot of it, so I guess he really thought it was good and wasn't just starving (the man can eat and is slim too)
I asked if they would like me to cook that for supper and I was thrilled when both of them said yes.   So a little while later we parted ways and the Beau and I drove to the condo so I could find the recipes I wanted to make plus check to see if I needed any ingredients for those recipes.   I love Bal Armeson's No-Butter Butter Chicken recipe (you may know her better as the Spice Goddess on the Food Network) because it's got a decent calorie count and it's delicious.  I wanted to make coconut rice and an Indian style cucumber salad and some kind of veggie as well.  I love my curries, butter chicken or vindaloos served over spaghetti squash, but I was not sure my almost in-laws would like that.   And coconut rice isn't something we have every day.  I decided to steam some asparagus as a veggie, and to treat my Beau to a dessert flavoured with the coffee he so loves.  Here's what I made for supper Saturday night:

Bal Armeson's No-Butter Butter Chicken


1/4 cup grapeseed oil (or canola...I use 2-3 Tbsp, tops)
2 large onions, chopped
2 Tbsp minced garlic
2 Tbsp minced ginger
2 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp cumin seeds
1 Tbsp Garam Masala **
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp red pepper flakes (or 1 jalapeno, finely minced)
1 tsp turmeric
1 tsp salt
1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite sized pieces
3/4 cup 0 percent fat Greek yogurt (I use Oikos)
1/4 cup water


Place the oil in a non-stick skillet over high heat; add the onions and saute until dark golden brown.  Add the garlic and ginger, reduce the heat to medium and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the tomato paste and cumin seeds and cook for 30 seconds.

Reduce heat to low. add the garam masala, brown sugar, red pepper flakes (or jalapeno), turmeric and salt, and cook for 2 minutes.  Add the chicken and cook until the chicken is almost done, about 5 to 7 minutes.  Add the yogurt and water and cook another 5 minutes, or until the chicken is completely done.  This makes four servings, at about 340 calories per serving.

** Garam Masala (Bal Armeson's recipe)

1/2 cup coriander seeds
1/2 cup cumin seeds
1/4 cup dried curry leaves
1/4 cup black peppercorns
3 whole cloves
2 black cardamon pods
2 cinnamon sticks, about 3 inches long
2 bay leaves

Preheat your oven to 325 degrees F.  Combine all the ingredients, spread them on a rimmed baking sheet and toast in the oven for 15 minutes.  Let cool and process to a fine powder in a grinder, such as a coffee grinder reserved for this purpose only (trust me on this....do NOT mix grinding coffee and grinding spices).  Store in an airtight container in a cool place for up to 3 months.
I made this blend about 10 days ago to use in a curry recipe and have decided I will keep making it as it is so much more vibrant tasting than the garam masala I purchased in the grocery store.

Coconut Rice

2 cups basmati rice
3 Tbsp coconut oil (or canola or vegetable oil)
6 dried red chilies, torn into 1/2 inch pieces
1 1/2 tsp channa dal*
1 1/2 tsp urad dal*
1 tsp brown mustard seeds
15 fresh curry leaves*
1/2 to 1 tsp salt (more or less to taste)
1/4 tsp asafetida powder*
1 3/4 cups freshly grated coconut*
1 - 2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

Wash rice well and cook until tender in a rice cooker or by the usual absorption method (in a pot).  While the rice is cooking, heat 3 tablespoons oil in a medium-sized pan or skillet, and when hot add the chillies, chana dal, urad dal and mustard seeds. Stir and fry until the chillies darken and the dals turn golden brown.  Add the curry leaves, salt, asafetida and coconut, and stir and fry for a minute or two before reducing heat.  Gently cook the coconut mixture until the coconut turns a toasted reddish-brown and becomes quite crisp. It burns easily, so don't take your eyes off it for a second, and keep the coconut moving by stirring and tossing constantly.As soon as the coconut is the right colour and texture, turn off the heat. If the rice is not ready, transfer the coconut mixture to a bowl, so that it doesn't continue browning in the hot pan. Mix the coconut mixture gently through the hot, cooked rice, then stir through the chopped cilantro and serve immediately.  Makes 4 servings, each about 716 calories (yes, this is so NOT a diet recipe)  However, if you cut your portion in half (from 1 cup down to 1/2 cup) it's a more manageable 358 calories.  

* My tips:   

Chana dal and ural dal are readily available at most grocery stores (I have even seen them at Wal Mart).  

I have purchased fresh curry leaves at an East Indian grocery store here in Calgary, but I usually omit them.  

Asafedita powder is an East Indian spice that has kind of a onion/garlic flavour.  You can replace it with 1/8 tsp each of onion powder and garlic powder if you cannot locate it.  

And lastly....I don't always have time to grate fresh coconut and my friend Raksha taught me this trick years ago in Saskatoon....if you cannot obtain fresh coconut, soak 1 1/4 cups of unsweetened, desiccated coconut in warm water (to barely cover) for 1 hour then drain and squeeze dry. (sometimes you will have to use sweetened dessicated coconut...it's okay, it's a nice contrast when served with spicy fragrant curries). 


Indian Style Cucumber Salad (English version of Raita)


1 seedless English cucumber, cut in a large dice
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 Tbsp fresh mint (1/2 tsp dried)
1/4 to 1/2 cup non fat plain Greek yogurt


Toss cucumber with salt in a colander in sink.  Let drain for 30 minutes, then pat dry.  Place all ingredients together in a bowl and stir gently together.  Chill for at least an hour before serving, to let flavours meld.  Adjust yogurt to suit your tastes...use less for a less creamy effect or more if you like this kind of salad really creamy.

I used to make my mom's recipe for Frozen Mocha Cheesecake a lot when we had company for super.  It's definitely NOT low calorie as originally conceived. A slice of this comes in at 552 calories a serving.  


Original Frozen Mocha Cheesecake
Crust:
Margarine1/2 cup
Graham cracker crumbs1 1/2 cups
Granulated sugar1/4 cup
Cocoa, sifted if lumpy1/4 cup
Filling:
Block of cream cheese, softened8 oz.

Can of sweetened condensed milk11 oz.
Chocolate ice cream topping2/3 cup
Instant coffee granules1 tbsp.
Hot water1 tsp.
Whipping cream (or 1 envelope  1 cup
topping, prepared)
Crust:

Melt butter in medium saucepan on medium. Remove from heat. Add next 3 ingredients. Stir well. Reserve 1/2 cup (125 mL) for topping. Press firmly in bottom and 1 inch (2.5 cm) up side of ungreased 9 inch (22 cm) springform pan.

Filling:

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Add condensed milk and ice cream topping. Mix well.

Dissolve coffee granules in hot water. Add to cream cheese mixture. Stir.

Beat whipping cream in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture. Spread evenly in crust. Sprinkle with reserved crumb mixture. Freeze until firm. Cuts into 8 wedges (cut into 16 wedges for a smaller portion and reduced calorie count).

And now my slimmed down version:

Frozen Mocha Cheesecake Cups



2 chocolate wafer cookies, crushed


4 ounces low fat cream cheese
5 1/2 ounces no fat condensed milk
1/4 cup chocolate ice cream topping

1 Tbsp instant coffee granules
1 tsp hot water

1/2 cup whipping cream

Beat cream cheese in medium bowl until smooth. Add condensed milk and ice cream topping. Mix well.

Dissolve coffee granules in hot water. Add to cream cheese mixture. Stir.  Beat whipping cream in medium bowl until soft peaks form. Fold into cream cheese mixture.


Divide the chocolate wafer crumbs evenly between the ramekins.  Spread the crumbs out evenly.  Then poor the cheesecake filling into the ramekins...Some of the crumbs  will rise up with the filling, that's okay.  Top with a sprinkle of instant coffee granules.  Freeze.  
Each serving is about 275 calories.





Sunday, November 20, 2011

Winter Across the Prairies

It's bone chillingly cold across the Prairie provinces right now and even though it's not officially winter yet, it feels like it!  Some places have gotten large amounts of snow, but so far, we have had light snow here in  Calgary.  I hope it stays that way!!!  

It reminds me of an adventure I shared with my friend V, who likes to call us Thelma and Louise....because of all the great silly fun crazy adventures we have had together.  This adventure happened about 8 years ago now.  I was still living in Saskatoon.  V has a lovely cabin at a lake just an hour away from there  Now her cabin is winterized, but she hadn't been out to it since Christmas and this was Valentine's Day.  As we were both alone that Valentine's Day, we decided we would drive to the cabin, check to ensure the electric heat was working, nothing was frozen, pumps were operational, that kind of thing.  We also decided we would overnight at the cabin - there's something special about looking out at the frozen lake and the sparkling snow and both of us loved to watch for wildlife moving through the wintry landscape. We drove out from Saskatoon on a fairly cold day, I think it was about -22 Celsius.  As we got to the grid road that leads to her cabin, we saw that the lake had gotten fantastic amounts of snow with incredibly high drifts everywhere.  But the roads had been plowed and were great to drive on.  As we drove down the hill we could see her yard - full of big snow drifts everywhere.  There would be no parking in the yard because the approach was completely drifted in.   We parked the car on the road and waded through the snow with our overnight bags.  Most places we walked the snow was at least knee high, but we stopped at one drift and V took a picture of me with the snow up to my shoulders!  Snow was drifted up against the doors up to the doorknobs, or maybe even a little higher.  We cleared the snow away from the main entry and got inside.  It was a little chilly so V jacked up the thermostat to let the electric baseboard heaters pump out a little more warmth.  We got out of our coats and boots and put on slippers.  She turned on the water and the pumps so that they were working for our time there.  Next she wanted to get a good fire going in her wood stove, but the box by the wood stove was empty and she needed to get some.  She had a lean to at the back of her cabin, just off her kitchen,  where she stored chopped wood for the wood stove.  She told me she was going to the lean-to and fill the box and bring that back and then get the wood stove going so the cabin would get fully heated.  She tells me to let her back in when she knocks at the back door.  She said to leave the back door shut because sometimes mice get in the lean to in cold weather, and she didn't want one getting into the main cabin.  So as she is filling the wood box I am opening the blinds in the living room, and trying to keep myself occupied.  I think if I help her, the box will get filled up much faster and then we can have some fun together.  So I open the door, and head into the lean-to.  Just as I pull the door  shut, V says "don't let the door shut, it's still locked!"  Well, we just looked at each other, dumbly.  V says "we are locked out of the cabin now."  I try the door, and of course, it's locked!!!.  So we try to open the lean-to's door, hoping all we have to do is run from there to the front door (which we had opened and left unlocked) and back into the cabin.  Well, there was a huge deep drift right up to that door, and the snow was up past the doorknob, almost to the top of the window and try as hard as we could we could only budge the door open about 2 inches...the snow was piled high and deep for about four feet in front of that door...and unless we shoveled it away, that door wasn't about to budge!!!

So we slid open the window of the door and began yelling for help, our voices echoing through the stillness.   V explained to me about the back kitchen door being self locking, and I explained I thought it would go faster with me helping her but I shut the door behind me because of the mouse thing... and then we laughed so hard we cried.  But we were getting cold in that un-insulated space and so we tried yelling out the window again, hoping one of the year round residents was outside and might hear us.  But no-one heard us except the wildlife out in the nearby field.  V said "One of us is going to have to go through the window and then run through the snow to the front door and come into the cabin, get to the kitchen and open the kitchen door."  We looked at each other expectantly.  

Now the door had your typical 36 x 36 screened window.  I took a look at my then size 28 body which I knew had a much wider circumference and said "I can't do it, I am too fat for that window!!!"  V agreed and so we raised the glass up to the top of the frame and tore out the screening.  V carefully put one leg, then the other out into the snow on the other side.  For a moment the packed snow held her on its surface, and then one leg was rudely and abruptly forced through the snow pack to the ground below.  V lost her slipper!  But she maneuvered her torso through the opening and then sprinted to the front door.  I heard the front door open, then shut and in another minute, there was V at the kitchen door, holding it open.  I don't remember getting the firewood box back into the cabin, but I do remember V getting the stove going and the delicious smell of the wood fire filling the cabin with its wonderful scent.  Oh the blessed warmth!!!  

V made a pot of tea and we sat and drank tea and relived being in that lean-to.  We had the most incredible fit of giggles that would not go away after that.   Later on, we decided to head to town to the local restaurant and have perogies, cabbage rolls and sausage for supper...both to celebrate being together on Valentines Day and because we craved wonderful comforting food on such a cold day. As we told the waitress of our great adventure, she laughed until she cried.  We all wished each other the best for Valentines day and agreed it would be one we would remember with a great deal of fondness.  V, I think I still owe you some money because I think you ended up either replacing the screen or the whole window totally!!!

Here's some recipes that I love making on a day when you just want to stay inside and be warm and comforted by the smell of something good cooking in the oven or slow cooker!!!

Sweet Potato Chicken Stew

24 ounces boneless, skinless chicken thighs (6 or 7)
2 pounds sweet potatoes, peeled, and cut into 1 inch chunks
3 carrots, peeled and cut into 1 inch pieces
5 stalks celery, cut into 1 inch pieces
2 - 227 g packages of sliced white mushrooms
2 onions, quartered (I used LARGE ones)
4 cloves of garlic, peeled and minced (use more if you like garlic)
1 cup no sodium chicken broth (another idea is white grape juice)
2 Tbsp fresh rosemary, chopped (for dried, use 2 tsp)
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 tsp dried poultry seasoning pr 2 tsp herbs du Provence
2 Tbsp white wine vinegar (I used balsamic for more flavour)

This comes from a recipe I found on the web.  Original instructions did not have the carrots or celery and you were to put everything except the vinegar in a 6 quart slow cooker, stir to mix and cook for 5 hours on low.  Add the vinegar at the end and serve.   I found this gave you overcooked, mushy disintegrating potatoes.  It also called for shallots (6) and I can't justify their cost unless it's a super duper special meal - while they do have a terrific flavour, regular onions do the trick nicely too.  I amped up and changed the recipe by adding carrots, celery, deleting the shallots originally called for and adding onion.  This makes a stew that has a broth like consistency.   My "destructions" follow:

1.  Place chicken thighs, broth, rosemary, pepper, poultry seasoning or herbs du provence, mushrooms, celery, carrots and onions in the slow cooker.   Cook on high for 3 hours.  

2.  Add the sweet potatoes  - taste stock and adjust seasonings.  I added more pepper, poultry seasoning at this stage (to taste).  The next time I make it I may put in some thyme as well. 

3.    Let cook another 1.5 hours.  Add the vinegar and let cook another 1/2 hour (if you want thicker broth, mix the vinegar with 1 Tbsp of cornstarch)


This makes about 6 servings, at 450 calories each.




Slow Cooked Asian Roast


1/2 cup beef broth or bouillion
1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
2 Tbsp dark sesame oil
5 cloves garlic, minced
2 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
1 Tbsp brown sugar
1 large onion, thinly sliced
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 lb (1 kg) boneless pot roast (blade, cross rib, boneless short rib)


Stir all ingredients but the meat together in the liner of your slow cooker.  Discard any netting around the roast.  Place the meat in the soy mixture and turn to coat.  Cover and cook until beef is fork tender (5 to 6 hours on high or 8 to 10 hours on low).


Remove beef to cutting board and let stand 5 minutes before thickly slicing.  Serve with pan juices and onions spooned on top.  Continue the Asian theme and serve it with steamed bok choy or steamed sugar snap peas, and asparagus topped with some chopped raw red pepper.  I usually serve steamed baby yellow potatoes with this for my starch.


Now you can get this ready and set it up to cook before you go to bed and it should be done when you get up.    If you are like me, in bed at midnight and up by 5 or 6 a.m., use the high setting.  Or set it on low and let it cook for 8 to 10 hours (if you are up at 6 a.m.  it means getting started by 8 p.m. to cook 10 hours).  Then when you get up, put it in the refrigerator.  When you get home, slice it up then microwave it to warm the meat up.  Doing the veggies shouldn't take more than a half hour and dinner is ready!!!


This can be done in an oven as well:  combine soy mix in a oven proof saucepan large enough to hold 2 lb roast.  Bring to a boil over high heat, stirring often.  Add roast, turn to coat and roast in the centre of a preheated 325 degree oven for 3 to 4 hours.   


An 8 ounce serving of this will be about 505 calories.  


I love this because I use 3 ounces of leftover roast (chopped into bite sized pieces) in my lunch salad the next day.  I use chopped raw bok choy, bean sprouts, sliced mushrooms, sliced celery, spinach, diced red or green peppers, some carrot coins and a low cal oriental dressing.  Yummy.  


Lazy Cabbage Rolls 


1 large head of cabbage, shredded
1 large onion, diced
1 pound lean ground beef
1 1/2 cups rice, uncooked (long grain is best)
1 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp paprika
2 cloves of garlic, minced
28 ounce can of diced tomatoes
2 cups of water


Mix the onion, ground beef, rice, salt, pepper, paprika and garlic together in a medium bowl.  Place one half of the shredded cabbage on the bottom of a 6 quart slow cooker.  Please the meat/rice mixture on top of the cabbage bed and spread it out over the entire bed of cabbage.  Then top that with the remaining shredded cabbage.  Pour the diced tomatoes and their juice over the the top of the lazy cabbage rolls.  Add the water.  Cook on low for 8 hours.


I DO NOT brown my beef for this recipe.  I don't when I make real cabbage rolls either and they turn out just fine in the slow cooker too.  However, rice takes forever to cook and soaks up a lot of liquid while doing so.  You should  check over the course of the cooking time if you need to add more water.  Or you can parboil your rice before combining it with the meat, onions and seasonings. Also I like a larger rice to meat ratio, so I only use 1 pound (1/2 kg) of beef.  I know others use more.


This makes 6  huge servings at about 405 calories each.  I think you can easily get 8 to 10 servings which would cut calories to 302 (for 8) or 242 (for 10).

Saturday, November 19, 2011

Ah Christmas Baking!!!

When I was growing up, it was about this time of year my mom pulled out her favourite recipes and decided what she was baking for Christmas.  She had hand written recipes that were tried and true favourites, and some Good Housekeeping and Family Circle magazines from the 60's that had special holiday baking recipes...including the gingerbread cookies my brothers adored.  We made about 12 different cookies or squares for Christmas (one for each of the 12 days of Christmas), to serve to friends and family during the holiday season.  Most of the baking was done over the course of a week and one weekend, and the finished results were placed carefully into tupperware containers and frozen.  Every other year, in addition to cookies, slices or treats she baked her Christmas Carrot Cake, which was MUCH better than regular fruitcake to us kids.  

I was about 3 or 4 when I started helping my mom bake by stirring in the flour mixture into cake batters or chocolate chips or nuts into cookie dough.  By the time I was 6 or 7, I was making cookie dough and cake batters for Mom's more simple recipes.   Mom was always there to supervise and put things in the oven and we made a good mother daughter team in the kitchen.  But occasionally something could go wrong - in fact, one time I ended up in Emergency as the result of a baking adventure!!!  We had a kidney shaped footstool that was about 8 inches in height.  I often stood on it so that I was tall enough to reach the counter.  Mom had made a cake and I was on the stool and I wanted to lick the bowl and beaters.  So there I was on the stool with her Pyrex bowl and the spatula, licking the yummy chocolate cake batter.  Mom was trying to wipe down the counters and tidy up and I was taking my sweet time licking the bowl clean.  So she gave the stool a gentle nudge to push it out of the way so she could get closer to the counter, and I lost my balance, falling off the stool and smashing the bowl.  I ended up with a large chunk of glass embedded in my thigh and a deep slash in my right hand.  Stitches fixed it all up, and to this day I see those scars and remember my baking wounds of honour.

I carried on the tradition of  baking for Christmas when I was an adult and on my own.   When my nieces were young girls I decided to have them over and ice gingerbread cookies that they could then take to kindergarten or school as a treat for their classmates.  The first year I had the baked gingerbread cookies, several colours of icing pre-made and all the trimmings ready to go on my oak dining room table.  I learned the hard way that coloured sugar, dragees, sprinkles, coconut and trimmings get all over the place and I spent a lot of time sweeping the floor, wiping down my table and then washing the floor after we were all done.    The next year I had wisely spread a queen sized sheet on the floor under my table to catch all the droppings.  Although I again had the gingerbread baked, and the icing and trimmings ready to go at my table, when the girls came through my door I was mixing up a batch of Cinnamon Diamonds to get into the oven. My sister in law was not a baker and when she wanted cookies, she often did the slice and bake ones from Pillsbury.  My youngest niece looked curiously at my Kitchen Aid mixer creaming the butter mixture together and at me mixing the dry ingredients together in a separate bowl.  I added the flour mixture and let the Kitchen Aid mix it into dough. My niece was watching intently and then asked what it was that I was doing.  I explained I was making cookies, and my niece very earnestly told me that I was doing something wrong, because when you make cookies, you go to the store and they come in a blue tube.  You then cut them out of the tube and bake them!!!!  I hear that on the way home after our decorating party, she very excitedly told her mom I made cookies WAY WAY WAY different than they did!!!    Here's some recipes that mean Christmas to me - no calorie counts for any of them....just accept that they are fattening and keep the munching down to a minimum (which is easier said than done I know!!!).

Thimble Cookies

1/2  cup butter
1/2 cup margarine
1/2 cup sugar
2 tsp vanilla
2 egg yolks (reserve the whites)
2 cups flour

2 egg whites, lightly beaten (have them in a shallow bowl)
1 to 2 cups of sweetened coconut, flaked or medium thread style (in a shallow bowl or pan)
12 red and 12 green glace cherries, cut into  halves

Cream butter, margarine, sugar, egg yolks and vanilla together until light and fluffy.  Add flour and mix gently until well combined.

Slightly beat egg whites.  Roll small spoonfuls of dough into balls, roll in the egg whites to coat thoroughly and  then roll in coconut.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets about one inch apart. Gently push a half glace cherry (round side up) into the top.  Bake at 350 for about 12 minutes, or until lightly golden. Remove from pan and cool on wire racks.  This makes about 4 dozen cookies.  

Whipped Shortbread

1/2 lb margarine*  - room temperature
1/2 lb butter*  - room temperature
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup cornstarch
3 cups flour

Place all ingredients in the bowl of your mixer and whip together like cream.  Drop spoonful of dough onto ungreased cookie sheet.  You can top with sliver of red or green glace cherry or even sprinkle of red or green sugar for a festive look.  Mom sometimes just put a small silver dragee on top.  Bake at 300 degrees for 15 minutes.  Let sit on pan for about 2 mintues before removing to wire rack to cool completely. These just melt in your mouth and I remember my brother being able to cram 3 or in his mouth at a time when he was a kid!!!  You can get a good 6 dozen or better small cookies from this recipe.

* you can buy a 50-50 butter margarine blend in a 1 lb foil wrapped block, just like butter. 
 

Ted's TV Roll

1 egg beaten
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
1/2 cup graham wafer crumbs
2 squares chocolate
2 Tbsp butter
25 coloured marshmallows, quarter  (or 4 cups mini marshmallows)
1 cup coconut, angel flake is best for this 

Combine egg, sugar, walnuts, and graham wafer crumbs.  Melt chocolate with butter and then combine with the first mixture.  Add the marshmallows.  Shape into 3 logs and roll in coconut.  Roll logs in waxed paper and then in aluminum foil.  The logs can be frozen at that point.  Let log thaw for about 30 minutes and then cut into slices.  My dad's name is Ted and I think this was his favourite, because they are recorded forever in my mom's handwriting saying "Ted's TV Roll" - as a kid I thought he was famous because he had this incredible thing named after him!!!

NB.  This recipe is from a time before we were concerned about raw egg in something.  If you are concerned about the potential of salmonella, then please do not make this recipe...or use an egg substitute (1 Tbsp of ground flax with 3 Tbs of water mixed together and allowed to rest until it's gelled will work as a binding agent and shouldn't much affect the taste of this)

Lebkuchen Squares

1 cup honey                                     
3/4 cup brown sugar                          
1 egg                                              
1 tsp grated lemon rind                     
3 Tbsp lemon juice                           
2 cups flour 
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup golden raisins
1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds
1 Tbsp pumpkin pie spice
1 cup icing sugar
18 each red & green glace cherries, halved.

Heat honey to boiling in small saucepan; pour into large bowl and cool completely.  Stir in brown sugar, egg, lemon rind and 1 Tbsp of the lemon juice (save the remaining 2 Tbsp of lemon juice for later).  Sift dry ingredients into medium sized bowl, stir in raisins and almonds.  Gradually stir in honey mixture, blending well.  Chill overnight to blend flavours.
Divide dough evenly between two 9x9 greased baking pans.  Spread mixture evenly - it will be stiff.  Bake in moderate oven (350 degrees) for 30 minutes or until firm.  While squares are baking, stir the 2 Tbsps of lemon juice into the icing sugar until smooth.  When pans come out of the oven, press 36 cherry halves, cut side down, in 6 even rows on top of each pan.  Drizzle frosting/glaze over.  Let cool completely and then cut each pan into 36 squares.  These spicy lemony squares with a cherry on top were my mom's favourites although her German friends sniffed that they really were not true Lebkuchen.  But that never stopped anyone from enjoying them!!!

 
Cinnamon Diamonds

1 cup butter or margarine, softened
1 cup packed brown sugar
1 egg yolk 
1/2 tsp vanilla
2 cups all purpose flour*
1 tsp ground cinnamon *
1 slightly beat egg white
1/2 cup chopped blanched almonds (or slivered or flaked almonds)

Cream butter and brown sugar, beat in egg yolk and vanilla.  Stir together flour and cinnamon, add to creamed mixture.  Pat into ungreased 15 1/2 x 10 inch x 1 inch baking pan.  Brush with egg white and sprinkle nuts over top.  Lightly press the nuts into the top of the cookie mixture.  Bake at 350 degrees for 20 to 25 minutes.  Cut into diamonds while warm.  Makes 48.

*  If you want a stronger cinnamon presence, remove 1 tsp of flour and replace it with another tsp of cinnamon.

These can be made with raw sugar pressed into the tops of the cookies in place of nuts.  I use almonds, or raw sugar, but you could use walnuts or hazelnuts, chopped.    


Dios Kifli/Makos Kifli 

Nut filling:

2 cups ground walnuts
1/2 cup sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla

Poppy seed filling:

3 cups ground poppy seed
1 1/4 cups sugar
1 Tbsp lemon rind
1 tsp vanilla

For both fillings, mix thoroughly with enough water to make a paste.

Dough:

1 cup butter
2 Tbsp sugar
3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup sour cream

Combine flour, sugar and salt in large bowl.  Cut butter into dry ingredients until crumbly.  Add sour cream and mix to form dough.  Turn onto a floured board and knead until smooth.  Roll dough to 1/16 inch thickness and cut into 4 inch squares.  Spread 2 Tbsp of filling on squares.  Roll and shape into crescents.  Place on greased sheet, overlapped edge down.  Brush with beaten egg yolk and sprinkle lightly with fine sugar.  Bake at 350 degrees for 15 to 2o minutes until golden brown. 

These are Hungarian walnut (dios) and poppyseed (makos) crescents (kifli).  I remember my Grandma making these.  I found a bag of them frozen in her freezer and took them outside with me...I hid in the car eating them until they were all gone.  There were about 3 dozen...I was 10 or 11 and I got the spanking of my life for that!!!  But they were well worth it!


Gingerbread Cookies

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp ground cloves
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch black pepper (optional)
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup molasses
1/4 cup water or cold coffee
1 tsp vanilla extract

In a medium bowl, sift together the flour, salt, baking soda and spices (including black pepper if you are using it).

In a large mixing bowl, cream together the butter and sugar until smooth.  Beat in the molasses, water or coffee and vanilla.  Gradually add in flour mixture until a smooth dough forms.  Cover dough with plastic wrap and chill overnight, or until firm.

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.   ON a lightly floured surface, roll dough to about 1/8 of an inch thickness.  Use cookie cutters of your choice to make men, stars, Christmas trees, bell or other holiday shapes.  Place on parchment paper lined sheets.  Bake for 9 to 12 minutes.  Cookies will be slightly firm to touch at the edges and lightly browned.  Let them rest on sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.  Depending on the size of your cookies, you should be able to get a good 5 dozen bells, stars, small Christmas trees from this recipe.  This recipe makes crisp cookies.  

For icing, use your favourite royal icing or a very soft runny type of butter icing.  My mom used to add an egg white to her butter icing and it gave it a nice sheen...Again, for those concerned with raw egg, please use the icing recipe you feel best suited to decorating gingerbread.  


Christmas Carrot Cake

1 1/2 cups white sugar
1 1/3 cups water
1 cup raisins or mixed dried fruit or chopped red/green glace cherries or chopped dates****
1 Tbsp butter
2 large finely grated carrots
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves
1 tsp nutmeg

Simmer these ingredients together for 5 minutes, then cover and allow to rest for 12 hours.  Then add:

1 cup chopped walnuts (or pecans, hazelnuts, brazil nuts or almonds)
2 1/2 cups sifted all purpose flour
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder

Bake it in two oiled loaf pans or one tube pan at 275 degrees for 2 hours.  Cool then wrap in foil.  Can be frozen.  

*** Mom used to use 1/4 cup raisins, 1/4 cup cherries, 1/4 cup mixed peel and 1/4 cup chopped dates.

This makes a very moist spicy fruitcake.  I don't know if many people make their own fruitcake any more because the dried fruits are expensive.  But this year I am making it at the request of the Beau, who happens to love fruitcake and remembers having this one on a visit to my home when we were both teenagers.  



 

Sunday, November 6, 2011

Cooking at the Beau's

I love spending time with my Beau, and I am in Saskatchewan this weekend.  He recently completed renovations on his 1950's bungalow, doing a lot of the work himself.  And he did a great job, but he told me the kitchen was done so I would love being there, and boy is he right!!!!   He wanted to show the renos off, so Saturday night we had friends over and today we have family coming and going.

Originally when he had drawn up his plans for the kitchen, his island was going to have a raised eating bar area and I complained about that.  One big level area that can be used to roll out cookie, pastry and bread dough and to work on is best in my mind.  He wanted to put a small chop sink in it, and I thought that was okay, but really really really argued against a raised bar.   So I was thrilled to see a smooth granite one level countertop on that island (I knew I would win that argument, ha ha ha).  And it's huge!!!  You can easily seat 6 people at the eating area and when you are at the island you look out at the living room so you can talk to people while you are cooking.  

Now you think I would have been eager to use the new six burner gas range he had installed, but yesterday I used the slow cooker to make coq au vin.  We spent the morning arranging furniture and putting final decorating touches in place throughout the house, and we planned to catch a hockey game at the local rink that afternoon.  So I didn't want to have to rush making a meal for us and our guests when we got home.   The slow cooker is perfect for times like this, and coq au vin is something you can make even on a reduced calorie diet.  Serve with with garlic smashed potatoes and a salad.   Coq au vin is also a challenge for me in another way:  I must substitute something for the red wine usually in the recipe, because the Beau says no to vino!!!

For family that's coming over today to see the house, I roasted a small ham and a turkey breast early this morning. I sliced up most of it for bunwiches (thanks to the Beau's mom, there are some 10 dozen home made buns in the house to enjoy)   I took some of the ham to use in the soup that is being held on "stay warm" in the slow cooker....I did cook it on the range, but the slow cooker will keep it warm all day.   And I baked cookies. A nice thick bowl of soup and a bun full of freshly roasted meat, followed by a really chocolate-y chunky cookie is a nice treat on a day like today when snow is falling lightly and there's a chill in the air. 

Well, he's certainly made it very tempting to come to Saskatchewan much more, simply to be with...um....him...  (Is it possible to fall in love with a kitchen?  If so, I will miss you, your big island and great range!  Adieu till next time!!!)

Eight Hour Coq au Vin (adapted from Good Housekeeping)

3 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 3/4 inch pieces (I use low sodium bacon)
2 - 227 gram packages whole mushrooms, each cut in half
2 cups pearl onions (fresh or frozen, your choice)
1 four pound chicken, cut up with skin removed from all pieces except the wings
Salt and Pepper
One medium onion, chopped
One large carrot, chopped
1 cup dry red wine ***
2 Tablespoons tomato paste
1 bay leaf
5 sprigs thyme
3 garlic cloves, smashed
3/4 cup chicken broth*** 

*** To make a version without any alcohol, I skip the wine completely, using 1/2 cup balsamic vinegar and 1.25 cups of chicken broth

Directions
  1. In 12-inch nonstick skillet, cook bacon over medium heat until browned. With slotted spoon, transfer bacon to paper towels to drain; set aside.
  2. Meanwhile, in 5- to 6-quart slow cooker, combine mushrooms and frozen pearl onions; set aside.
  3. Sprinkle chicken pieces with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper. In skillet with bacon fat, cook chicken (in 2 batches, if necessary) over medium-high heat until browned, about 10 minutes. Place chicken over vegetables in slow cooker.
  4. Discard drippings from skillet. Reduce heat to medium; add onion and carrot, and cook 2 minutes or until onion softens, stirring frequently. Stir in garlic and cook 1 minute. Add wine, tomato paste, and bay leaf; heat to boiling, stirring to dissolve tomato paste. Pour wine mixture and broth over chicken pieces. Cover slow cooker and cook as manufacturer directs, on low 8 hours or on high 4 hours.
  5. To serve, discard bay leaf, thyme sprigs and smashed garlic (if you see any, it usually cooks down and becomes part of the sauce). With large spoon, transfer chicken and sauce to deep platter; sprinkle with bacon.
The original recipe only called for one package of mushrooms.  We like mushrooms, so I used one package of white, and one package of crimini.    I also added the thyme and garlic.  If you like herbs de Provence, go ahead tie them up in cheesecloth and add them too, removing them before serving.  If alcohol is not an issue in your home, use the red wine.  I found just using chicken broth didn't give it the richness the wine does, but balsamic seems to do the trick nicely.   This version of coq au vin has 400 calories per serving.    

Garlic Smashed Potatoes

1 two pound bag of yellow "new/baby" potatoes
6 cloves garlic, peeled and left whole
1/2 cup  to 3/4 cup O percent fat greek yogurt

Clean potatoes, removing dirt, eyes, etc.  but do not peel.  Cook the potatoes and the garlic in lightly salted water until both are tender.  Drain and mash roughly.  Add 1/2 cup of the greek yogurt and mix well.    If it's not creamy enough, add another 1/4 cup of yogurt.  This should make about six servings. If you use 1/2 cup of yogurt,  each serving will have about 132 calories, if you use 3/4 cup of yogurt, each serving is about 150 calories.  Let each person season them with salt and pepper to their taste.  

I like to use yellow potatoes for this for their colour, but also because they have nice thin skin, easy to smash up for these rustic mashed potatoes.   

Honey Lime Dressed Spinach Salad

6 cups spinach leaves, torn
1 cup strawberries, sliced
1/4 cup chopped almonds, toasted

1/4 cup canola oil
1/4 cup lime juice
2 Tbsp honey
1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated
pinch of salt

Place the spinach and strawberries in salad bowl.  Combin the oil, lime juice, honey, pinch of salt and ginger in small jar and shake well to combine.  Toss the dressing with the salad ingredients gently just before you want to serve the salad.  Sprinkle with the toasted chopped almonds.  Makes 6 servings, at 145 calories each

I will post the soup recipe another time.  But here's the cookie recipe.   Please note, there's nothing low cal about them!!!  But I think everyone is allowed a treat now and then, and one or two of these in a week where otherwise you have been "good" shouldn't capsize  your diet.  Or even better, plan for them and reduce your calories throughout your other meals accordingly.

Baker's One-Bowl Chocolate Chunk Cookies

2 packages (8 squares each) Baker's semi sweet chocolate, divided
1/2 cup butter, softened
3/4 cup packed brown sugar
2 eggs 
1/2 cup flour
1/4 tsp baking powder
1 cup chopped pecans

Preheat oven to 350 degrees

Chop one package (8 squares) of the semi sweet chocolate into bite sized pieces, set aside.  Coarsely chop the remaining squares and place in large microwaveable bowl.  Microwave on MEDIUM 3 to 4 minutes or until chocolate is almost melted.  Add butter, sugar, eggs, flour and baking powder.  Stir until blended.  Stir in the nuts and the other chopped chocolate.  Drop 2 Tbsps of dough, two inches apart, onto ungreased baking sheets.  Bake 12 to 13 minutes or until cookies are soft to the touch but tops are still slightly shiny.  Cool on baking sheet one minute, then transfer to wire rack to complete cooling.  Makes 2.5 dozen.

** If you want to make this without the nuts, increase the flour to 3/4's of a cup to prevent the dough from spreading too much as it bakes.    These cookies are 175 calories EACH with the nuts, and 151 without the nuts.