Jamie Oliver's Awesome Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni

Dear Jess,

Over the past couple months, Jason and I have been getting to know his cousin Noel and his girlfriend Sarah. They are an hysterical couple who love having fun and laughing with and/or without reason.

Last night they had a joint birthday party and we found ourselves privileged with an invite. They decided on an Italian themed potluck dinner followed by some retro glow-in-the-dark bowling. I was thrilled to be assigned to provide a main course. In a flurry of excitement I ripped into my copies of Jamie's Italy, Jamie's Meals in Minutes and many other favourite 'go-to' cookbooks. I ended up finding the predestined recipe on his website. Please note as you're reading through the ingredients and looking at my pictures: I doubled the recipe! One single batch will serve around 6 people. I needed enough for 8, so I doubled the recipe and we ate a portion of it before the party to make sure it turned out as delicious as I planned.


Aaaaaaand it is!

It is so Italian, so delicious and it doesn't take forever.

The only thing I would like to point out is the part when you have to get the filling into your cannelloni noodles. Jamie says it's easy. And I think if this is a regular occurrence for you it would become easy... If it's your first time (as it was mine) it's a little tricky. The important thing is: it's do-able! So no worries. It's worth it all!

Awesome Spinach and Ricotta Cannelloni 
adapted from Jamie's Dinners
2 knobs of butter
olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely sliced
a large handful of fresh oregano, roughly chopped
¼ of a nutmeg, grated
8 large handfuls of spinach, thoroughly washed
a handful of fresh basil, stalks chopped, leaves ripped
2 x 400g tins of good-quality plum tomatoes, chopped
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
a pinch of sugar
400g light ricotta cheese
1 handful of freshly grated Parmesan cheese
16 cannelloni tubes, oven ready
200g mozzarella, broken up

for the White Sauce
1 x 500ml tub of light Greek Yogurt
3 anchovies, finely chopped
2 handfuls of freshly grated Parmesan cheese


Preheat the oven to 180ºC/350ºF/gas 4. Then find a metal baking tray or ovenproof dish that will fit the cannelloni in one layer so it's nice and snug. This way you'll get the right cover of sauce and the right amount of crispiness on top. When I cook this at home I just use one pan to cut down on lots of washing up! Take your metal tray or a saucepan, put it on a high heat and add your butter, a drizzle of olive oil, one of the sliced garlic cloves, a handful of oregano and the grated nutmeg. By the time the pan is hot the garlic should be soft. Put as much spinach as will fit into the pan. Keep turning it over; it will wilt quickly so you will be able to keep adding more spinach until it's all in. Moisture will cook out of the spinach, which is fine. By cooking it this way you don't lose any of the nutrients that you would if boiling it in water.

After 5 minutes, put the spinach into a large bowl and leave to cool. Place the pan back on the heat, add a little olive oil, the other clove of sliced garlic, your basil stalks and the tomatoes. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down, add a pinch of salt and pepper and the sugar, and simmer for about 10 minutes, until you get a loose tomato sauce consistency. Then take the pan off the heat and add the basil leaves.

By now the spinach will have cooled down, so squeeze any excess liquid out of it and pour this back into the bowl. Finely chop the spinach and put it back into the bowl. Mix it with the liquid, add the ricotta and then use a piping bag to squeeze the mixture into the cannelloni. You can make your own piping bag by getting a sandwich bag and putting the spinach mix into the corner of it. Then twist the bag up and cut the corner off. Carefully squeeze the filling into the cannelloni tubes so each one is filled right up.

Lay the cannelloni over the tomato sauce in the pan. Or you can pour the tomato sauce into your ovenproof dish and lay the cannelloni on top. To make the white sauce, mix together the Greek Yogurt, anchovies and the 2 handfuls of Parmesan with a little salt and pepper and spoon it over the cannelloni. Drizzle with olive oil, sprinkle with the remaining Parmesan and the mozzarella pieces, and bake for about 20 to 25 minutes until golden and bubbling.

I hope you have such an amazing Christmas break! If I don't see you before you leave: safe travels! Have so much fun visiting Hogwarts! (So jealous...) Say hello to your parents for me. Enjoy the break and remember to take pleasure in our Lord Jesus Christ always. He is truly the reason for this season.

So Much Love,

Silky Smooth Avocado Pasta

Dear Sally,

After a couple of weeks of opening my refrigerator only to be greeted by my lonely water jug and almond milk, I decided to go grocery shipping without a concrete list. Generally this can go one of two ways and I think it worked out for the best this time. Jesse wanted ingredients for homemade pizza . . . fine that's easy. I wanted something with more gumption so I raided the isles trying desperately to stay away from peanut butter and chips (not to be consumed together).

I successfully gathered enough ingredients for about 6 different meals and proceeded to make homemade pizza when we got home. What I didn't calculate into the equation were two things. The first was that I would soon contract some sort of evil parasite that would keep me away from food and in bed for a solid day and a half. Also . . . I may have forgotten how close we are to Christmas and therefore my trip to Florida with Jesse. So here I am with a fridge full of food, no appetite and a schedule to get things cooked and frozen before I leave for Florida. I did it and I think you would be proud. Some of the dishes are a mish mash of things but my favorite was the Avocado pasta. The recipe was a whim but is deliciously simple. Work it into some gluten free pasta and you have the perfect accompaniment to a glass of wine.

Smooth Avocado Pasta

1 ripe avocado (pitted and smashed)

1 package pasta, prepared as directed

3 cloves garlic

1 tbsp butter

3 oz or so goat cheese

Splash of lime juice

Splash of balsamic vinegar

Salt and pepper to taste

1. Cook pasta according to package directions and let sit in the strainer.

2. Melt 1 tbsp. butter in a large pot. Crush the garlic cloves and add to the butter to cook. Stir for about 1 minute and add the prepared pasta. Toss in the garlic butter adding the limejuice and balsamic vinegar to help stir.

3. Gently stir in the crushed avocado and goat cheese until the cheese is melted and the pasta looks creamy. Remove from heat, sprinkle with goat cheese for garnish and serve warm.

The pictures don’t really do the pasta justice because my lighting is horrible at night but I had to try some and I don’t even have an appetite at the moment. It smelled soooooo good!

I loved the tribute blog, the perfect choices for a reflection. I give you an A+. Thank you so much for coming dress shopping last weekend. You really helped calm me down when nothing but numbers are worries were running through my head. I can’t wait to see you again whenever that may be. Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! Give my love to Jason and the family.

Love,

Looking Back: The Favourites of 2011

Dear Faithful Readers,

It is that time of year again. As January 1st sneaks up on us, we are given these few relaxing moments to reflect on the year that is about to close behind us.

Many things have happened in these past 12 months that neither of us dreamed would come to be. Jess moved to a different city, received a real teaching position, and got engaged! Sally did her first 30 Day Hot Yoga Challenge, started learning Spanish, and successfully paid off half her student loan (and is still going strong!) Throughout everything we bonded and celebrated together. We also were blessed with an amazing community willing to give as much support, encouragement and love as we needed in whatever form they could. We are truly blessed, and inspired by you all.

In this post you will find your top 10 favourite recipes of 2011 (plus a couple of our favourites that didn't make the list). We wish you all a Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

 10. The Oo-la-la Burger

From Food and Drink Summer 2011

9. Cookie Ice Cream Pie 

From the brilliance of Jess Koning's Creativity 

8. Quinoa Risotto

From Food and Drink Autumn 2011

7. Grilled Hanger Steak with Horseradish Whipped Potatoes, Creamed Spinach, and Sauce Bordelaise  

From The New Brooklyn Cookbook, Page 116-118

6. Cinnamon Sugar Pull-Apart Bread

From this link 

  

5. Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

From this link

4. Paprika Lamb Burgers and Home Made Oreos

From BBC Good Food and this link

 

3. Mountain Meatballs

From Jamie's America, Page 308

2. Sausage Carbonara

From Jamie's Italy, or JamieOliver.com

1. Broccoli Orecchiette, Zucchini & Bobboncini Salad, 

Prosciutto & Melon Salad 

From Jamie's Meals in Minutes

Jessica's Favourite of 2011: Sweet Potato Skins, Mushroom Polenta Diamonds,  and Flourless Chocolate Cake
From MarthaStewart.com 

 
Sally's Favourite of 2011: The Olé Burger

From Food and Drink Summer 2011

   

 

 

God Bless,

Mediterranean Vegetable Bean Soup with Sweet Potato and Walnut Fritters

To My Beautiful Jessica,

I am very excited about this entry for a couple reasons. The main one being: I didn't expect it to be an amazing meal... but it was!

It was a bit of a crazy weekend. We were at a Christmas party late Friday night.  Poor Jason then had to get up and work early on Saturday, only to come home and head to Toronto with me to see some friends who just came back from living in Italy. We did not make it back to Peterborough until 3 in the morning. On Sunday morning we had an amazing Sabbath and truly rested. We slept until we wanted to get up and when we did, we relaxed some more.

Looking in the fridge, I realized how much of a disaster it was and how little food there seemed to be. Following this realization, I flipped through the only cook book I had there which turned out to be the Autumn edition of Food and Drink. I chose these two recipes because they contained many of my favourite things and seemed low maintenance. We bundled up and made a leisurely trip to the grocery store. Upon our return I cleaned out the fridge and slowly began putting dinner together in the same attitude I do with painting pictures. I had no expectation of how it would turn out. I was cooking merely for the pleasure of the process. No rush. No pressure. Just fun.

Mediterranean Vegetable Bean Soup
adapted from this recipe
Serves 8
12 plum tomatoes (3lbs), chopped
2 sweet red peppers, chopped
1 small eggplant, about 1lb, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1 large onion, coarsely chopped
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup olive oil
6 cloves garlic, peeled
1 tbsp chopped fresh basil
2 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1/2 tsp chopped fresh rosemary
4 cups chicken or veggie broth (or water)
1 can (540mL) white pea (navy) or kidney beans, drained and rinsed
1/2 cup crumbled feta cheese (for garnish)


1. Preheat oven to 425F.
2. Line 2 large baking sheets with parchment paper.
3. Combine tomatoes, red peppers, eggplant and onion. Sprinkle with 1 tsp each salt and pepper and drizzle with oil. Toss and evenly coat. Divide among baking sheets and spread out into a single layer. Toss garlic with oil left in bowl and arrange together on one of the baking sheets. Roast in upper and lower thirds of oven, rotating sheets halfway, for about 45 minutes or until vegetables are soft and browned.
4. Set roasted garlic aside. Transfer remaining roasted vegetables and all juices to a large pot. Stir in oregano, thyme, rosemary and water and bring to a boil over high heat. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until flavours are blended.
5. Using a slotted spoon, transfer about 3 cups of vegetables into a blender or food processor or large bowl. Add reserved garlic and half of the beans to blender, food processor or bowl. Purée or mash, adding a little of the broth from the pot if necessary, until smooth. Stir back into pot along with remaining beans and return to a simmer over medium heat, stirring often. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Garnish each bowl with feta cheese.

Sweet Potato and Walnut Fritters
adapted from this recipe
1 lb sweet potato
2 tbsp melted butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp fresh chopped mint
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp dry mustard powder
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg lightly beaten
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup ground toasted walnuts
1 tbsp baking powder
1/2 cup chopped toasted walnuts

Dip
1/2 cup Greek-style plain yogurt
1 tbsp minced onion
2 tbsp fresh chopped mint
1/4 tsp each salt and fresh cracked pepper


1. Prick sweet potato all over with a knife and bake at 475F for 45-60 minutes. Let sit for 10 minutes, or until cool enough to handle. Slice in half and spoon out enough potato to make 1 cup. Put into bowl and mash with butter until smooth. Stir in sugar, mint, salt, mustard and cayenne. Stir in egg.
2. In separate bowl, combine flour, ground walnuts and baking powder. Stir into sweet potato mixture with chopped walnuts until well combined.
3. Preheat oven to 325F. Spray mini muffin trays. Spoon heaping portions into muffin trays. Bake for 12-15 minutes.
4. In a bowl, combine yogurt, onion, mint, salt and pepper. Serve with hot fritters.

A couple main changes I made were: I didn't have a blender, so I mashed some of the soup instead. For the fritters the recipe said to deep fry them with oil in a pan. I didn't want to do this so I just baked them. They worked really well. Try both of these!

Also, I'm sorry about the quality of the images. Jason lent his camera to Jim again, so we had to resort to using my phone.

I hope you are doing well. I miss you of course, but know I will see you shortly for wedding dress shopping!

So much love,

Sweet Sensations

Hi Sally,

Thanks for your last letter. I will try that recipe for sure! Looks delicious. As for Marmite . . . in my opinion it is never worth the ingestion.

As promised I am putting up recipes from the desserts I made for the work Christmas party. I completely overdid myself as usual but had a lot of fun making them. My candycane cookies didn't really work out as planned. They are really hard to form into the proper shape so I gave up and made circle cookies instead. They still tasted delicious according to my taster.

Candy Cane Cookies

1 cup sugar

1 cup butter (softened)

½ cup milk

1 tsp. vanilla

1 teaspoon peppermint extract

1 egg

3 ½ cups all purpose flour

1 tsp. baking powder

¼ tsp. salt

½ tsp. red food colouring

2 tbsp. finely crushed hard peppermint candies

2 tbsp. sugar

In large bowl bear 1 cup sugarm the butter, milk, vanilla, peppermint extract and egg with electric mixer on medium speed or stir with spoon. Stir in flour, baking powder and salt. Divide dough in half. Stir food colour into half. Cover: refrigerate at least 4 hours.

Heat oven to 375F. For each candy cane, shape one rounded teaspoon dough from each half into 4-inch rope by rolling back and forth on floured surface. Place 1 red and 1 white rope side by side; press together lightly and twist. Place on ungreased cookie sheet; curve top of cookie down to form handle of cane.

Bake 9 to 12 minutes or until set and very light brown. In a small bowl, mix crushed candies and 2 tablespoons sugar; immediately sprinkle over baked cookies. Immediately remove from cookie sheet to wire rack. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

Irish Cream Bars

¾ cup all-purpose flour

½ cup butter, softened

¼ cup powdered sugar

2 tbsp. unsweetened baking cocoa

¾ sour cream

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup Irish Cream liquer

1 tbsp. all-purpose flour

1 tsp. vanilla

1 egg

½ cup whipping cream

Chocolate sprinkles, if desired

Heat oven to 350F. In a small bowl, mix ¾ cup flour, the butter, powdered sugar and cocoa with spoon until soft dough forms. Press in bottom of ungreased 8-or-9 inch square pan. Bake 10 minutes.

In medium bowl, beat remaining ingredients except whipping cream and chocolate sprinkles with wire risk until blended. Pour over baked layer. Bake 15 to 20 minutes or until filling is set. Cool slightly; refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting.

Cut the bars into bite-sized pieces. Mix whipping cream and sugar. Pipe whipping cream onto each square and serve.

It was so wonderful to see you and I am SUPER excited for the 17th. I think you may have to keep me in check. All those beautiful wedding dresses to try on and so little time.

Give Jason my best and I will see you soon.

Lots of Love,

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie

Dear Jess,

Happy Friday!

I have noticed something. As soon as it got cold, people started craving and making Shepherd's Pie. Then the BBC Good Food email came, and what should I find in there? Their top 5 Shepherd's Pie recipes! Not only that, but 2 of those recipes were with sweet potatoes! It was a sign. If you have a chance to make this recipe, I would highly suggest it. It is simple and delicious. Enjoy!

Sweet Potato Shepherd's Pie
adapted from this recipe
 250 lean ground meat
2 medium onions, chopped
3 carrots, diced
2 celery sticks, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
200ml veggie stock
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 tsp Marmite
400g lentils (canned), drained
3-4 medium sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
2 tbsp low fat sour cream
1/2 bunch scallions, finely chopped

1. Heat a non-stick pan and cook meat. Add the onions, carrots, celery and garlic and cook for 5 minutes. Stir in the stock, Worcester sauce, Marmite, lentils and some seasoning. Simmer for 10 minutes or until saucy. Meanwhile boil or steam the sweet potato until tender. Drain then mash with sour cream and scallions.
2. Heat the oven to 200C/fan oven 180C/gas 6. Transfer the mince to an ovenproof dish. Add the mash. Cook for 30 minutes until bubbling.
3. Serve!

The only thing we weren't sure of was the Marmite. Apparently it is a very British or Australian thing. They spread it on toast to have with their tea and other such things. I thought it would be hard to find, but was reassured by the internet that the Canadian Superstore carries it, and I believe Jason found it at Sobeys. Sections to check for it are: baking, jams and jellies, or the spice section.

I love you. I am so excited for tomorrow! By the looks of the weather it will be some messy fourwheeling for sure! Woohoo! Can't wait.


Love,

Christmas Bliss: Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies

To the future Mrs. Jessica Brickell,

Since your relationship status has been changed on Facebook, I am going to assume that I can officially say CONGRATULATIONS ON YOUR ENGAGEMENT! I am soooo thrilled for you both. You two make an amazing team and I am so excited to have shared in the first few moments after the proposal, and am looking forward to the excitement of wedding planning, and of course supporting and encouraging your future journey together. ... Have I mentioned that I am excited yet?!

So, on top of your exciting news, I have just realized how quickly Christmas is creeping up on us. I have decided (again) that most of my gifts will be homemade. Last night I decided to try this new recipe because - let's face it - I saw the recipe on my friend's blog Graceful Oven and almost melted in my seat. I thought to myself 'If these are as sublime as they sound then they will make perfect gifts!' 

The ingredients are easy to get. I thought it would be difficult to find Instant Espresso, but there it was in the instant coffee section in Independent. When I went through the check out there was this adorable middle-aged cashier with an English accent who was intrigued with the Instant Espresso. She said she had never seen it before. Terrified that she would think I was actually going to drink the stuff and think it's good espresso, I quickly said I was using it for baking. Well this got her very excited and we spent a good 5 minutes (to the annoyance of the man in a backwards baseball cap in line behind me) about Christmas baking and what else you could incorporate Instant Espresso into. So, long story short, the Instant Espresso created an Instant Friendship that would never have happened otherwise. Trying new things is beneficial for all!

I used my mom's stand mixer. So I could actually mix a batch of these puppies in 8 minutes - from dropping the first ingredients into the mixer to putting the final dough into the fridge. (I made two batches because the first took so short of a time. We actually timed the second batch for fun.)

My friend got this recipe from another blog, and that girl made a groundbreaking suggestion: Why not try Toffee-Coffee Shortbread instead of Chocolate-Coffee Shortbread? So while going through my cupboards looking for the chocolate chips what do you think I found? That's right! A whole bag of toffee chips! That is the story of how my second batch became Toffee-Coffee Shortbread Cookies.

Espresso-Chocolate Shortbread Cookies
makes 42 cookies
1 tbsp instant espresso powder
1 tbsp boiling water
2 x 8oz sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
2/3 cup confectioners' sugar
1/2 tsp pure vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
4oz bitter sweet chocolate, finely chopped, or 3/4 cup store-bought mini chocolate chips (or toffee bits!)
Confectioners' sugar, for dusting (optional)

1. Dissolve the espresso in the boiling water, and set aside to cool to tepid.
2. Working with a stand mixer, preferably fitted with a paddle attachment, or with a hand mixer in a large bowl, beat the butter and confectioners' sugar together on medium speed for about 3 minutes, until the mixture is very smooth. Beat in the vanilla and espresso, then reduce the mixer speed to low and add the flour, mixing only until it disappears into the dough. Don't work the dough much once the flour is incorporated. Fold in the chopped chocolate with a sturdy rubber spatula.
3. Using the spatula, transfer the soft, sticky dough to a gallon-size zipper-lock plastic bag. Put the bag on a flat surface, leaving the top open, and roll the dough into a 9 x 10 1/2 inch rectangle that's 1/4 inch thick. As you roll, turn the bag occasionally and lift teh plastic from teh dough so it doesn't cause creases. When you get the right size and thickness, seal the bag, pressing out as much air as possible, and refrigerate the dough for at least 2 hours, or for up to 2 days.
4. Position the racks to divide the oven into thirds and preheat the oven to 325 degrees F. Line two baking sheets with parchment or silicone mats.
5. Put the plastic bag on a cutting board and slit it open. Turn the firm dough out onto the board (discard the bag) and, using a ruler as a guide adn a sharp knife, cut the dough into 1 1/2 inch squares. Transfer the squares to the baking sheets and carefully prick each one twice with a fork, gently pushing the tines through the cookies until they hit the sheet.
6. Bake for 18-20 minutes, rotating hte sheets from top to bottom and front ot back at the midway point. The shortbreads will be pale - they shouldn't take on much color. Transfer the cookies to the rack.
7. If you'd like, dust the cookies with confectioners' sugar while they are still hot. Cool the cookies to room temperature before serving.

And there you go! Christmas presents for all! I baked mine a couple minutes too long. The next batch I will do for only 15 minutes (in a convection oven). I really really really love the concept of rolling the dough in the Ziplock bag. The dough gets so firm, that you can cut it out of the bag and cut off as many squares as you need for that day, and then transfer the rest of it into a new bag and put it back in the fridge! I still have 1/2 of each batch in the fridge to bake again tonight! And let me tell you... the smell that goes through the house when these babies are in the oven is absolutely heavenly! They should make candles that smell like these cookies!

I love you so much. I can't wait for our weekend coming up. Good luck with all your lesson planning and ... report cards? Is it that time of year or am I making it up?

All My Love,

Jamie Oliver's Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula

Dear Jess,

I have been thinking about you a lot lately. I miss you. I am so excited for our upcoming adventures on the 3rd.

Jason has been wanting pasta for about the last... 14 months. I don't eat a lot of pasta because I find it too heavy. So when I was craving spaghetti I ripped open my copy of Jamie Oliver Italy and scoped the pasta pages for inspiration.

I found: Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola (Spaghetti with Shrimp and Arugula). I think any recipe where I get to cook with alcohol is my favourite. There's something about the aroma that jumps out of the pan at you... there is just nothing else like it. So when you add some sun-dried tomatoes, hot peppers, shrimp, garlic, lemon and fresh arugala to white wine... mmmmmmmmmm.

Spaghetti con Gamberetti e Rucola
From Jamie's Italy
1 lb. dried spaghetti
sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
extra virgin olive oil
2 cloves of garlic, peeled and finely chopped
1-2 dried red chilies, crumbled
1 lb. peeled raw large shrimp (If you're using frozen, make sure they are completely thawed)
1 small wineglass of white wine
2 heaping tbsps sun-dried tomato puree, or 6 sun-dried tomatoes blitzed in a blender
zest and juice of 1 lemon
2 handfuls of arugala, roughly chopped (I used way more than this)

Cook your spaghetti in a large pot of salted boiling water according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, heat 3 good glugs of extra virgin olive oil in a large frying pan and toss in the garlic and chili. As the garlic begins to color, add the shrimp and saute them for a minute. Add the white wine and the tomato puree and simmer for a couple of minutes. When the pasta is ready, drain it in a colander, reserving a little of the cooking water. Toss the spaghetti with the sauce, squeeze in the lemon juice, and add half the chopped arugula, using a little of the reserved cooking water if you want to loosen the sauce a bit, and correct the seasoning. Divide between four places and sprinkle with the grated lemon zest and the rest of the arugula leaves.

As I am always saying: I love you and miss you and can't wait to see you.

So much Love,

Corn Chowder and Mini Walnut and Rosemary Biscuits

Dearest Jess,

Wow, it's almost the middle of November! How did this happen? I was in Ottawa last week again for work and it was snowing! When I returned home I heard it had snowed here as well. Christmas decorations are making their way from the stores into our homes. Some people have already set up their Christmas trees! I have told Jason we can't do any Christmas decorations until December 1st. (Mainly because he keeps them up until the end of February.)

On Saturday we went out into a blustery but sunny day to see Mike perform in the musical Chicago. It was so well done! I love live theater and it was so much fun to watch someone you know in such a high profile play.

After the show we went to the grocery store and picked up the ingredients to make the Corn Chowder and Mini Muffins from the Fall issue of Food and Drink. We didn't use the BBQ for the corn or the peppers in the chowder, and the muffins turn into more like mini biscuits/scones. Regardless, everything turned out to be tasty and sufficed for a cozy dinner. I think I still like the Corn Chowder from Eat Shrink and Be Merry more than this one though.

Tip: Grilling the corn and the peppers adds a depth of flavour to this simple chowder. If fresh corn on the cob is not available, substitute 6 cups frozen corn, thawed and drained. Toss with oil and place in a single layer on foil-lined baking sheet. Broil for about 8 minutes, stirring often, or until browned. You can broil the peppers, too, if that's more convenient. If you can't find poblano peppers, substitute 2 cubanelle peppers and 1 jalapeno pepper. To dress this soup up a little more, garnish each bowl with sauteed shrimp seasoned with fresh lime juice.

Corn Chowder
adapted from Food and Drink, Autumn 2011, page 182, 183
12 cobs of corn, shucked
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 sweet red peppers
2 pablano peppers
2 tbsp butter
2 onions, chopped
3 cloves garlic, minced
6 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and diced
6 cups homemade or low-sodium vegetable stock
2 cups 35% or 18% cream
Salt and freshly ground pepper
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil

1. Preheat BBQ to medium

2. Brush corn with oil and grill, turning often, for about 8 minutes or until tender and brown. Set aside.

3. Increase BBQ to medium-high. Grill red peppers and poblano peppers, turning often, for 10-15 minutes or until charred on all sides and tender. Place in a bowl, cover and set aside until cool enough to handle.

4. Melt butter over medium heat in a large pot. Saute onions for about 5 minutes or until tender and just starting to turn golden. Add garlic and saute for 2 minutes or until onions are golden. Add potatoes and stock and bring to a boil over high heat. Cover, leaving lid slightly ajar, reduce heat and boil gently for 10-15 minutes or until potatoes are soft.

5. Meanwhile, cut corn kernels off teh cob with a serrated knife into a bowl. Peel peppers and discard skins, seeds, cor e and juices. Finley chop peppers; set aside.


6. Use an immersion blender in the pot to puree for 5-15 seconds or until about one-quarter of the vegetables are smooth. (I didn't have an immersion blender, so I just used a masher and mashed everything a bit.) Stir in corn and peppers and bring to a simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes or until flavours are blended.

7. Just before serving, stir in cream and heat, stirring often, until steaming (do not let boil). Season to taste with salt and pepper, and stir in basil.

Walnut and Rosemary Savoury Biscuits
adapted from Food and Drink, Autumn 2011, page 182
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp freshly bround pepper
1 egg
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1 1/2 cups plain yogurt (not fat free)
1/3 cup butter
1 cup finely chopped toasted walnuts
1 large tbsp minced rosemary


1. Preheat oven to 375. Grease 36 cups of mini-muffin pans. (Next time I will just do them like biscuits/scones on a baking sheet with parchment paper.)


2. Combine flour, baking powder, salt, baking soda and pepper in a large bowl. In a separate bowl, whisk together egg, sugar, yogurt and butter. Pour over dry ingredients and stir just until moistened.

3. Gently fold in Rosemary and Walnuts to incorporate flavourings.

4. Divide batter into the muffin cups. Bake for 15 minutes or until golden and tops spring back when lightly touched. Let cool in pans on a rack for 5 minutes, then transfer muffins to the rack to cool slightly. Serve warm.


I can't wait to see you guys in December. Things here are still busy. I am looking for a job hopefully to start in December, and Jason starts training for his driving job today. So things are changing which is always exciting.


Lots of Love,

The Better Butter Chicken

My Dearest Jess,

This recipe has taken me by surprise. I made it once and realized Jason lent his camera to my brother. It was so good that I made it again so I could share it with you.


I didn't expect much when I first made this. First: because let's face it, Butter Chicken is one of the best things ever. A 'healthy version' of it probably won't improve it, especially when it only takes 25 minutes to make (not including the rice). This however, holds its own. It is from Eat Shrink and Be Merry, and it is delicious. I woke up this morning to a note on the table from Jason's sister (Rachel) saying 'your dinner was so good! Recipe please!' I think that counts as an overwhelming success of a dinner.

The Better Butter Chicken
From Eat Shrink and be Merry by Janet and Greta Poldeski
2 tbsp butter
1 cup chopped onions
2 tsp minced garlic
1 tbsp grated gingerroot
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp ground turmeric
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1 can (19oz/540ml) diced tomatoes, undrained (I used fresh ones)
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 whole cooked rotisserie chicken, skin removed and meat cut up
1/3 cup light (5%) cream
1/4 cup light sour cream or plain yogurt
1 tbsp minced fresh cilantro (I don't use this)


1. Melt butter in a deep, 10 inch skillet over medium heat. Add onions and garlic. Cook slowly, stirring often, until onions are tender, about 5 minutes. Add gingerroot, chili powder, turmeric, and cinnamon. Cook 1 more minute. Add undrained tomatoes, and cinnamon. Cook 1 more minute. Add undrained tomatoes, tomato paste, brown sugar, salt, and pepper. Reduce heat to low. Cover and simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.

2. Add cut-up chicken, cream, and sour cream. Simmer, uncovered, for 5 more minutes. Remove from heat and stir in cilantro. Serve over hot basmati rice, if desired. (I used brown rice)



I am very excited for tonight. Let me know if there is anything else I can bring!

So Much Love,

Man Food: Sausage & Bean Witches' Brew

Dearest Sally,

First things first, living in a hotel for a week does not actually sound like a luxury for women like us. I understand any frustration you may be feeling. If that is the case remember to find your happy place and improvise.

As you can guess from my lack of posts that I have been a teeny bit busy lately. I can't believe it's almost November! Where did October go? I too am SUPER excited for Saturday. I'm starting to forget what you look like ;)

The following recipe is form the Autumn LCBO Food & Drink and is my new definition of man food. Have you ever looked at something in the magazine and thought, "THAT will be delicious" and then it turns out to be awesome and nothing like you expected? This lamb, sausage and bean stew is just that. There are no vegetables or hidden healthy foods in here. Next football party be sure to put this on the table. It was a huge hit with the 'man-friend' who was salivating as it was simmering on the stove. Perfect for a cold and rainy day, this will keep you satisfied for hours.

I loved your last two posts. I just bought a slow cooker for my classroom and I have a feeling that it will be getting a lot of use over the next few winter months.

See you very soon!

Love,
Jess



King Goblin Strong Ale with Lamb, 
Sausage & Bean Witches' Brew
Adapted from LCBO Food & Drink

2 lb lamb shoulder cut into pieces
2 tbsp bacon or duck fat
3 cups onion
1/2 cup tomato paste
2 tbsp. garlic, finely chopped
1/4 tsp. ground cloves
2 dried bay leaves
5 lg. spicy Italian sausages
2 cans white beans


1. In a large pot, heat oil over medium heat. Working in batches, add the cubed lamb and cook until well browned, about 12 minutes.

2. Remove lamb from pot and set aside. Add onions to pot, cook for 5 minutes, add tomato paste, garlic and cloves and cook for 1 minute.

3. Place browned lamb and bay leaves in pot, add just enough water to come to the top of the meats, barely covering. Bring to the boil, cover and reduce heat to simmer. Simmer for 1 1/2 hours then add the sausage, beans and just enough water to come to the top of the ingredients, barely covering. Simmer for another hour, making sure that the mixture doesn't become too dry. If needed, add another 1/4 cup or more of water to loosen the mixture.


4. Before serving, make sure the lamb is tender, if not cook another 30 minutes, adding more water if necessary. Once ready to serve, discard bay leaves. Slice the sausages into thin rounds and place back into the pot. Serve with crusty bread.