Rogers TV Healthy Living Show

A couple of years go I had the opportunity to do a short segment on Rogers TV, part of a “Healthy Living Show”. It was great fun, and as always another opportunity to share some of my families favourite recipes.

SPINACH AND STRAWBERRY SALAD

Dressing:

1/4 cup (60 ml) vegetable oil

1-2 Tbsp (15-30 ml) honey (to taste)

2 Tbsp (30 ml) raspberry vinegar

Pinch salt and pepper

Salad:

1 lb (494 g) spinach, washed

2 cup (500 ml) strawberries, washed and sliced

1/2 cup (125 ml) sliced almonds, toasted

* Make dressing by whisking together the oil with the honey and raspberry vinegar. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
* Heat oven to 325 ° F (160° C).
* Assemble salad by tossing spinach with the dressing; sprinkle with strawberries and toasted almonds.
* Serves eight.

PASTA PRIMAVERA

1 packages (approx. 350 g ) of fresh fettucine or 1 package dried whole wheat fettucine

2 Tbsp (30 ml) vegetable oil

1 cup (250 ml) sweet onion, chopped

1 green zucchini, chopped

1 green pepper, sliced

1 red pepper, sliced

1 yellow pepper, sliced

2 carrots, peeled and sliced on the diagonal

2-4 cloves garlic, minced

2-4 Tbsp (30-60ml) olive oil

1 pint cherry tomatoes

1 bunch fresh asparagus ,trimmed and blanched

1/2 cup (125 ml) fresh basil, sliced

1 Tbsp (15 ml) fresh lemon zest, minced

Sea salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Parmesan cheese to grate on top

* Get a large pot of water on the stove and bring it to a boil. Add some salt and oil to the water, and then add the fettuccini, stir it around and let it cook according to package directions.
* Meanwhile, heat a large skillet over medium high heat; add the vegetable oil, and sauté the onion, zucchini, peppers, carrots, and garlic.
* By now the pasta should be cooked, drain it and then add it back into the pot, stir in some olive oil, and season with salt and pepper. Stir the tomatoes, basil and lemon zest in with the other vegetables. Add the hot, cooked pasta into the pan with the hot vegetables, check seasoning.
* Serve immediately with parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.
* Serves 3-4.

APPLE & RHUBARB CRISP

4 large apples, peeled and sliced

6 stalks rhubarb, chopped

1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (125 ml) all purpose flour

1/2 cup (125 ml) rolled oats

1/2 cup (185 ml) brown sugar

1 tsp (5 ml) cinnamon

1/4 cup (60 ml) butter, softened

* Heat oven to 350° F (180° C). Butter an 8 cup (2 litre) casserole dish.
* In a medium size bowl, toss the apple slices with the rhubarb and granulated sugar. Scoop into casserole dish and set aside.
* Make the topping by stirring together the flour, oats, brown sugar, cinnamon, and soft butter. The mixture should be crumb like. Pour evenly over top the apples and rhubarb. Bake for 40-45 minutes. Serve warm.

Steak and Mushroom Pie

Comfort Food

I like our Sunday meal. Even though the world has changed dramatically since I was a child, we somehow always manage to sit down on a Sunday evening and have a good family meal. I like to make a bit more of an effort on Sunday – no hurried supermarket pasta and sauce on this day, but a substantial meal, one that makes everybody feel special because I’ve put some thought and time into it.
As with all delicious food, the quality of the initial ingredients is as important as the skill going into making it. Make your own beef stock. You will be amazed at the difference in the final dish. Make the pastry yourself as well. This pastry recipe is tender and flaky, not to mention flavourful. Just remember to use a light hand when mixing and rolling.
This might seem like a lot of work at first, but it makes two generous pies, so you can wrap one up and freeze it for later use – you’ll be off the hook for dinner another night!

Steak and Mushroom Pie

3 slices bacon
3 lbs (1.5 kg) beef sirloin, cut into bite size cubes
1 cup (250 mL) pearl onions, peeled
4 cups (1 L) small white mushrooms, quartered
4 cloves garlic, minced
3 large carrots, finely diced
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
1 tsp (5 mL) dried basil
1/2 cup (125 mL) red wine
1 Tbsp (15 mL) Dijon mustard
1/2 cup (125 mL) all purpose flour
2 cup (500 mL) beef stock
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
2 Tbsp (30 mL) Italian parsley, finely chopped
Cheddar pie dough (recipe follows)

In a large saute pan, cook the bacon until it is crispy. Remove the bacon from the pan and drain on paper towels. In the bacon fat that is remaining in the pan, sautÈ the meat, in batches, until it is browned on all sides. Set the meat aside.
In the same pan over medium high heat, brown the onions, stirring frequently, for five minutes. You might need to add a bit of vegetable oil to the pan. Add the mushrooms and sautÈ until golden. Stir in the garlic and carrots, and cook for another five minutes. Stir in the thyme, basil, and the red wine. Let the wine reduce by half, and then add the mustard; stir to combine. Add the flour, cook and stir for about three minutes, until everything is well combined. Gradually stir in the beef stock. Let the mixture come to a boil, stirring until it is smooth. Stir in the beef cubes, and let simmer for 5-10 minutes. Chop the cooked bacon into small pieces, and stir into the mixture. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Stir in chopped parsley. Set aside to cool slightly while you make the pastry. Makes enough filling for two large pies.

Cheddar Pie Dough

5 cups (1.25L) all purpose flour
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
1 tsp (5 mL) dry mustard
1 lb (454 g) vegetable shortening
1 cup (250 mL) old cheddar cheese, shredded
1 egg
Cold water (approximately 3/4 cup)
1 egg for brushing on the pastry

In a large bowl, stir the flour with the salt and the dry mustard. With a pastry blender, cut in the shortening until the mixture resembles crumbs. Stir in the cheese. Crack the egg into a 1 cup (250 mL) liquid measuring cup. Add enough cold water to measure 1 cup (250 mL). Mix egg and water vigorously with a fork. Add to flour mixture and stir lightly until mixture comes together. Dump pastry out onto lightly floured surface, and gently knead 5 or 6 times to make a soft, workable pastry. At this point you can wrap the pastry in plastic wrap and refrigerate, or continue on to the next step. Makes enough pastry for two double crust pies.

Assembling the pies:
Heat oven to 400_ F (200 _ C).
Beat the egg, set aside.
Divide pastry into four pieces. Roll out the pastry into large circles, and place two of the pieces into two large pie plates. Do not trim the edges yet. Fill the pastry shell with the steak and mushroom filling. Brush the edges of the pie with the beaten egg, and then place the remaining rolled out pastry on top, pinching the edges together. Repeat with other pie. Trim edges and crimp. Brush the top of the pies with the remaining beaten egg. With a sharp knife slash the surface once or twice to create a vent for steam. At this point you can wrap your pies in plastic wrap and freeze for a later date, or you can bake them right away. If you are having them for supper tonight, continue on.
Place pie in hot oven, and let bake for 15 minutes. After 15 minutes, turn heat down to 350_ F (180 _ C) and let bake another 35 to 40 minutes, until pastry is a deep golden brown and the filling is bubbling.
Makes two pies.

Originally published in eatdrink magazine February 2008 (www.eatdrink.ca)

Dinner and Book Club with Christine and Sue

What is the Dinner & Book Club?

Well, it has had a few transformations over the years. Originally it started out as a cooking class at the Oakridge Real Canadian Superstore. Christine taught a cooking class based on the theme of a chosen book, and Sue Hudson was the discussion facilitator. While those classes were succesful for a few years, Christine left her job at the Superstore to go to the Covent Garden Market, so the classes have had a bit of a hiatus. Meanwhile, Christine and Sue wrote a Book Club & Dinner column for CityWoman magazine, which filled the gap for a while. Now, with the demise of CityWoman magazine, Christine and Sue are looking for the right venue to start the classes up again. We’ll keep you posted!

Meanwhile, if you are looking for a book and discussion topics, and some good recipes for your next book club, I suggest Stanley Park by Timothy Taylor. With the current wave of support for eating local, I think this book is very timely. It was a contender for Canada Reads a few years ago, and as a former restaurant chef – well, I couldn’t put it down! Let me know what you think!

MENU

Mushroom Crostini

Asparagus Soup

Grilled beef sirloin with arugula salad and potato pancakes

Streusel top rhubarb pie

Fair Trade Coffee

THEMES FOR BOOK DISCUSSION

• How are Jeremy and his dad the same, what are they both looking for?
• What does ‘local’ mean in contemporary life?
• Do we still have ‘roots’ in today’s world?
• Conflicts in book: Jeremy and Professor
• Jeremy and Jules
• Jeremy and Dante
• Blood vs Crips
• Local vs Global
• Idealism vs Profit
• Structure of book: Loose ends? Role of peripheral characters? Murder mystery? Love story?
• Food for thought: The 100 Mile Diet, ‘Food Miles’

Recipes:

WILD MUSROOM CROSTINI

1 lb (500 g) assorted mushrooms, such as morels, shiitake, and cremini

2 Tbsp (30 ml) butter

2 Tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil

Kosher salt

2 medium shallots finely chopped

2 tsp fresh thyme

1/2 cup (125 ml) 35% cream

1 Tbsp (15 ml) chopped flat leaf parsley

Freshly ground black pepper

18 slices baguette

1/4 cup (60 ml) freshly grated Parmesan

• Wipe mushroom clean, cut into quarters.
• Melt 1 tablespoon of the butter in a sauté pan over medium high heat. Add the mushrooms and a generous pinch of salt, and cook, stirring, until any liquid has evaporated and the mushrooms are nicely browned. Remove the pan from the heat, let mushrooms cool slightly, transfer them to a cutting board, and chop them coarsely.
• Return pan to the heat; add the remaining 1 tablespoon of butter and 1 tablespoon of olive oil. When the butter ahs melted, add the shallots, thyme and a pinch of salt. Cook, stirring until the shallots are tender and lightly golden, about 3 minutes. Return the mushrooms to the pan, stir in the cream, and cook, stirring to coat the mushrooms. Stir in the parsley and season with several grinds of pepper. Season with more salt and pepper to taste. Remove from heat.
• To serve: Turn the broiler on in your oven, and position a rack about 6 inches away. Arrange the bread slices on a baking sheet and brush them with olive oil. Broil until the bread is golden, flip and toast the other side. Spread the warm mushroom mixture onto the toasts, top with parmesan cheese, and serve.

ASPARAGUS AND TARRAGON SOUP

2 Tbsp (30 mL) butter

2 lb ( Kg) asparagus, trimmed and coarsely chopped

3 leeks (white and pale green parts only) well washed and chopped

2 tsp (10 ml)  lemon zest, minced

5 cups (1.25 l) chicken or vegetable stock

1 tsp (5 ml)  fresh tarragon, minced

salt and pepper, to taste

1/4 cup (60 ml)  plain yoghurt

• In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat; stir in leeks and cook until soft, about five-10 minutes. Stir in lemon zest and cook for one minute. Add in chicken or vegetable stock and asparagus; bring to the boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer until asparagus is tender, about 10 minutes.
• Puree soup in food processor until smooth. Return soup to pot, stir in tarragon, season with salt and pepper.
• Serve warm with a dollop of plain yoghurt.
• Serves four.

GRILLED SIRLOIN WITH ARUGULA SALAD AND POTATO PANCAKES

Grilled Sirloin

2 lb (1 kg) sirloin steak

2 Tbsp (30 ml) Dijon mustard

2 tsp dried basil

2 Tbsp (30 ml) olive oil

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 Tbsp (30 ml) fresh parsley, minced

2 tsp black peppercorns, cracked

Potato Pancakes

4 large Yukon gold potatoes, washed

Salt and pepper

Vegetable oil or Light olive oil for shallow frying

Arugula Salad

8 cups baby arugula

1/4 cup (60 ml) extra virgin olive oil

2 Tbsp (30 ml) balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper, to taste

For the sirloin:

• Trim steak of all excess fat. Set aside.
• In a small bowl. Whisk together the Dijon mustard, basil, olive oil, garlic, parsley, and peppercorns. Smear this mixture over all sides of steak. Let sit 20 minutes.
• To cook, heat a cast iron grill pan or barbecue to high. Oil the grills. Cook steak over high heat to desired doneness. Let sit for 10 minutes, tented with foil, before slicing thinly across the grain.

For the pancakes:

• Coarsely grate the potatoes into a medium size bowl. Season generously with salt and pepper.
• Heat oil in sauté pan until it is hot. Spoon desired amount of grated potatoes into pan, to make two or three pancakes at a time. Fry until golden brown and cooked through. To keep pancakes warm, place them on rack over a cookie sheet in a 275° F (135° C) oven.

For the salad:

• Whisk together the olive oil with the balsamic vinegar. Toss with the arugula.

To assemble Dinner:

• Mound the arugula salad in the middle of the plate. Place the thinly sliced beef across on side of the salad, and lean two potato pancakes against the opposite side.
• Serve immediately.
• Serves four.

STREUSEL TOP RHUBARB PIE

1 unbaked pie shell

1 egg

1 cup (250 ml) sour cream

1 cup (250 ml) granulated sugar

3 Tbsp (45 ml) cornstarch

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) cinnamon

1/2 tsp (2.5 ml) nutmeg

6 cups sliced rhubarb

Topping:

1/2 cup (125 ml) rolled oats

1/3 cup brown sugar

1/3 cup flour

1/3 cup butter

1 tsp (5 ml) orange rind

• Heat oven to 400° F (200° C).
• In a large bowl combine the egg with the sour cream, whisk in the sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon, and nutmeg. Stir in the rhubarb.
• In a smaller bowl, combine the oats with the brown sugar, flour, butter, and orange rind.
• Pour rhubarb mixture into unbaked pie shell. Top with streusel topping. Place in oven and bake for 15 minutes at 400° F, then turn oven down to 375° F (180 ° C) for another 45 minutes.
• Makes one pie. Serve at room temperature.

Cooking Craft for Kids

Looking for something fun to do with the kids on a March Break afternoon? These flower pots cakes should fit the bill for just about any age. They are simple to make and delicious to eat, not to mention adorable to look at!
This fantastic chocolate cake recipe is from one of the moms at my children’s school. It makes a wonderful cake for any occasion.
You can buy flower pots at the dollar store, or at garden center. Give them a thorough wash in the dishwasher before using. The ones I bought hold up to two cups of liquid, you can certainly buy smaller ones and make more flower gardens if you’d like, just adjust baking time accordingly.

FLOWER POT CAKES

3 Cups (750 mL) all purpose flour
2 cups (500 mL) granulated sugar
2 tsp (10 mL) baking soda
1 tsp (5mL) salt
6 Tbsp (90 mL) cocoa powder
3/4 cup (185 mL) vegetable oil
2 Tbsp (30 mL) white vinegar
2 tsp (10 mL) vanilla
2 cups (500 mL) water

Heat oven to 350 _ F (180_ C). Line 4 clean clay flower pots with foil. The pots should be large enough to hold 2 cups of liquid. Spray the foil with cooking spray.
Sift dry ingredients into a large bowl. Stir wet ingredients together in another bowl. Pour wet ingredients into dry ingredients; stir until mixed.
Pour batter into four prepared flower pots. Place in hot oven and bake for 45-55 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Remove from oven, let cool in pots on a cooling rack.

GREEN GRASS ICING

1/2 cup (125 mL) butter, soft
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) icing sugar, sifted
1 tsp (5mL) vanilla
1 Tbsp (15 mL) milk
Green food colouring

Beat butter with a wooden spoon. Gradually add the icing sugar. Beat until creamy.
Stir in the vanilla and milk; beat again so icing is very smooth.
Add food colouring.
Makes enough to ice 4 flower pot cakes.

FLOWER POWER COOKIES

3/4 cup (185 ml) butter, room temperature
1/2 cup (125 ml) granulated sugar
1/4 cup (60 ml) icing sugar
1 tsp (5 ml) vanilla extract
1 large egg
2 cup (500 ml) all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp (7.5 ml) baking powder

Smarties, assorted colours
18-20 Popsicle stick

Heat oven to 325_ F (160_ C). Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.

In food processor or with an electric beater, beat butter until light and fluffy. Add sugars, vanilla and egg and blend till smooth.
Sift together flour and baking†powder and slowly add to dough until it comes together.† Roll out dough to desired thickness and cut into flower shapes. Press a smartie in the center of each cookie. Push a Popsicle stick into the dough, so that once baked the cookies can be picked up like lollipops.
Bake for 12-15 minutes.
Makes 18-20 two inch cookies.

To assemble the flower spots:

The cakes must be completely cool. Remove from the pots, remove the foil, and then return cakes to pots. Ice with the green icing, and then push the Popsicle stick cookies into the cakes. Take a picture!