Pumpkin Brown Butter Sage Cupcakes

With the onset of Fall, I start to crave pumpkin pies and tarts.  I wanted to make something a bit different that did not require an entire pie to be made and came up with these pumpkin brown butter sage cupcakes.  

Marrakesh Curried Stew

In Toronto, there is an amazing restaurant called Fresh  which serves inventive and delicous vegetarian fare.

To be perfectly honest, I have never eaten there.  I tried to go the last time I was in Toronto, but they were closed for the evening.  My husband, however, is the one who has frequented this place often, and bought the cookbook Juice For Life by Ruth Tal Brown.

You might be hard pressed to find this particular cookbook as it is now out of print, however, not to fret for she has created two new cookbooks that contain favorite recipes from the original book.

Chicken Pot Pie

I've never eaten a lot of chicken pot pie, and, quite frankly, the first time I made it was Boxing Day a couple of years ago, using leftover turkey.  It bubbled and browned away in the oven after my holiday guests left, and I took down all the Christmas decorations.  I was so delighted to devour this yummy meal, sitting on the couch under a cozy blanket while watching a Harry Potter movie marathon.  Pure bliss! 

Lime Seared Shrimp with Mint and Cilantro Chutney

This was such a fun recipe to make.  Fun because I got to use new ingredients (for me).  Fun because the flavours were amazing.  And fun because my son gobbled up the whole plate! 

Easy Cinnamon Buns

Here is an easy cinnamon bun recipe, courtesy of Ina Garten - The Barefoot Contessa.  It can be made in less than an hour, using store bought frozen puff pastry.  No need to make a yeast dough and let it rise.  This is a simple and easy treat to make. 

Marmalade

I find marmalade is an acquired taste.  Some store bought marmalades tend to have too much of a bitter punch that my palate dislikes.  Fortunately, I have found an amazing marmalade that is so very tasty and addictive.  

Canning Preserves 101

Autumn is my favorite time of year.  The trees turning colour and the crispness in the air all lend to a cozy feeling.  It is the time of year when we make stews and pies and root vegetables take centre stage.


It is also the time of year that I start canning.  Growing up, my mum always canned fruit and made pickles. I always remembered it to be this laborious ordeal where pots were bubbling and boiling on the stove, mason jars were strewn to and fro, and the windows were constantly built up with steam.  We'd have jars upon jars stacked in our cold room of pickles, canned peaches, canned cherries, pickled beets, pickled carrots, and, of course, jam.

Feast of Fields

Slow Food Calgary  hosted it's 9th Annual Feast of Fields this afternoon.  It took place in the backyard of Rouge Restaurant  where tables were set up where we could taste and drink wonderful items prepared by 20 chefs, using local ingredients from over 50 producers.

Get Crackin'

That is a motto that I need to live up to.  I have been so absent from my food blog lately that I must apologize.  I have people ask me what I have done all summer, and all I can say is "nothing."  But, I have done something, and that is sit inside listening to the rain and watch the mudpit rise in my backyard.  We moved into a new subdivision last year, and, as everything is still under construction, I have spent my summer dealing with construction workers working on my and adjoining houses.  I did manage to landscape and plant trees, etc, and it's amazing to me how the summer flew by and I did not get out to the mountains, nor frequent the Farmers Markets as much as I intended, or try new restaurants like I wanted.

So, a thousand apologies.  Now that it is September, I am starting to crave food and baking again.  Root vegetables speak to me and I love their look and taste and addition to any meal or sweet. And, as we begin to move indoors again, there are a lot of food events occurring which I am attending with much excitement.  So, please stay tuned for write ups on new recipes, new food events, and exciting ventures.

Lemon Ricotta Donuts

I need to preface this by stating that I have never made donuts before.  It's not that I don't appreciate a good Timbit once in a while (especially on a good 'ol road trip), it's just that I'm not a donut fanatic like some people are.  I guess I need to clarify.  Leonard's malasadas in the red stripe truck in Oahu, or freshly made mini-donuts at the Stampede.  So, "fresh" is key for me.

Spelt

Just to let everyone know that Costco now sells Spelt Flour!  2.5 kg bag for $7.00.  They already sell organic Quinoa, so go buy either or both and start creating some healthier recipes!

Chile Rellenos

Chile Relleno's is a New Mexican/Tex-Mexican dish that takes a roasted Green Chile, or Poblano Pepper, stuffs it and the deep fries it.  I cheated and baked this, making it healthier.  This is so much like a stuffed pepper dish, and, again, I deviated from traditional and added more vegetables.  

Sweet Potato Biscuits

My in-laws were here for a visit and mentioned they had watched a cooking show that made sweet potato biscuits.  As we were having fried chicken, I thought these would be a perfect accompaniment.  They were.  So much so that I made them the following night with leftover butternut squash puree mixed with sweet potato as well as whole grain flour.  Again, outstanding, and probably even more so.  Because the vegetable puree is so liquidy, I honestly needed little, if any milk.


These are from Paula Deen, and who doesn't love Paula Deen?


(and since my husband made the first batch to go with his fried chicken, he used his favorite cookie cutters - pirate ship and skull and crossbones).


Sweet Potato Bisquits 

Blue Corn Pancakes With Green Chile Chutney

Pantry Ingredients

I cook a lot of Thai food, which I find so easy to make, once you have all the ingredients on hand.  The perfect thing about this cuisine is the hard-to-find ingredients can all be bought in a large amount and frozen - to be used whenever the Thai mood strikes you.

Thai Eggplant

I saw these fun looking eggplant at the grocery store and figured I needed to add them to a Thai dish. 

Satsuma Sorbet

Oh La!  Was this ever amazing  So refreshing and easy to make.  I had bought a box of deliciously sweet satsumas (no different than a mandarin orange) and tried to figure out what to make with some of them.  My ice cream maker hasn't seen any action in maybe a decade, so I thought I should bring it out and give it a try.  I was so happy I did, and wondered why I haven't made sorbet before.  This is lovely for a hot summer's day.

Jamie Oliver's Rhubarb Souffle

I made my first ever souffle.  Rhubarb.  I was so excited about it, until my 14 month old stomped into the kitchen during the last 2 minutes and it fell.  I always thought that was an old wives tale.  Turns out, it's true.  Oh well, props for even trying.  It still tasted great.

Breakfast Hash

While in Albuquerque, we had a traditional New Mexican breakfast made with green chiles, eggs, cheese, and potatos.  Upon returning home, I was craving that breakfast, but decided to make it a bit healthier so I can feed it to my son.  This is so simple and SO delicious.  The best part is that you can reheat it for lunch or breakfast the following day.

Roasted Butternut Squash Salad

I made this Roasted Butternut Squash Salad for company, and it was outstanding.  I have never eaten a salad and wanted a second helping.  Unfortunately for me, my guests loved it as well, so the bowl got licked clean and noone got seconds.  It's a fantastic meal all on it's own.