photo by Tad Seaborn
It’s getting close to Friday which at our house means we’re running out of food, and I’m running out of ideas and energy.
Enter tomatoes on toast–which sounds much nicer being called Pan Con Tomate. Thanks to the Spanish for this recipe–you literally toast some buns, rub with a garlic cloves and add some tomato pulp. But the sum of the parts…….oh boy!!
Recipe details here at the Globe and Mail, Quick Fix.
YUM! (and with Manchego– even more so)
Home made pickled cherries in a jiff! Photo by Tad Seaborn
Why pickle pickles when you can pickle cherries? I know, I know you pickle cucumbers but it flowed better. Anyway, this jar of pickled cherries has disappeared fast—with pate, with cheese, on burgers—-and so simple to make. Pitting the 2 cups of cherries will be a slight pain in the butt, yet still speedy. Honest.
And they’re ready to serve once chilled. So you can enjoy them the same day–the same afternoon even. After your workout that you didn’t want to do, or once you’ve finished reading the last chapter in your book club novel (that being a reminder that I need to read some novels).
2 cups (about 350g) pitted cherries
1/4 cup white vinegar
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3/4 cups water
1/8 cup sugar
1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds
1 teaspoon black peppercorns
pinch of chili flakes
sprig of rosemary
Prepare 2 cups (about 350g) pitted cherries. In a small pot combine 1/4 cup white vinegar, 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar, 3/4 cups water, 1/8 cup sugar, 1/2 teaspoon coriander seeds and 1 teaspoon black peppercorns. Add a pinch of chili flakes if desired. Bring to a boil. Add in the cherries and a sprig of rosemary and simmer for 1-2 minutes. Scoop the cherries into a sealable container (they will fit a 500 ml mason jar) and top up with the pickling liquid. Allow to cool slightly and refrigerate. They’re ready to serve once cold and will last in the fridge for a few weeks.
photos by Tad Seaborn
I was dubious. Gourmet jelly shots. I even skipped these in university in lieu of the much cooler and more sanitary mixing of a garbage can of Purple Jesus (Go Gaels!).
But when we decided to try them for The Lazy Gourmet I was pleasantly surprised. They were kind of fun.
There are many sites dedicated to beautiful versions of these like the Jelly Shot Test Kitchen or this pretty cool Jello Shot Pinterest page. So I did a bit of research based on other people’s trial and error (oh happy day when I can call a jelly shot recipe “research”). I tried to make sure I added enough gelatine so they held together but were not gummy bear in chewy-ness. I also wanted to initially try a clear jelly shot (very cool) but found the alcohol a bit overwhelming so came up with this take on the French Martini which includes fresh pineapple juice.
And I am not kidding when I say be careful how many sips you take to taste and adjust flavours when you mix them, they pack a wallop. (It’s inconvenient to pass out mid-research.)
CHAMBORD AND PINEAPPLE JELLY SHOTS
1 cup raspberry vodka
1/4 cup Chambord
1 1/2 cups pineapple juice, divided
Fresh lemon.
1/3 cup simple syrup (bring 1 cup sugar and 1 cup water to a boil until the sugar dissolves; cool before using)
3 packs (15 millilitres each) gelatin
1/2 cup hot water
16 raspberries
In a medium bowl combine raspberry vodka, Chambord, 1 cup pineapple juice and a squeeze of fresh lemon. Add simple syrup and take a sip to see if you like the balance of sweetness and tang from the lemon. Set aside.
In another bowl, pour 1/2 cup pineapple juice and sprinkle 3 gelatin on top. Add hot water (from the kettle) and stir until gelatin is dissolved. Add to the vodka mixture and whisk to combine. Pour into an 8-inch-by-8-inch glass dish. Chill in the fridge until the mixture starts to thicken (about 10 minutes) and then add 16 raspberries, spacing them out so it will be easy to divide 1 raspberry per jelly shot. Refrigerate overnight.
To serve, prepare a glass of hot water. Dip a 1 1/2-inch round cookie cutter into the hot water before cutting around each raspberry. Twist the circle cutter around the jelly for a clean cut, and push gently side to side to peel it from the bottom of the dish before removing. You should get about 16 one-ounce pieces.
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I am absolutely thrilled to have my friend Johanne do a guest blog for me! She has so much going on and yet made time for Cheese and Toast. Her bio and pic (including a pic of donuts) is here and her blog Fashion in Motion is a fave–not only because of the fabulous content but I love Johanne’s witty and fun writing style. You shall see as you read from this point on….. ENJOY, SR.
As a gal who likes to improvise in the dressing room and in the kitchen, following a recipe to the letter is an exercise in restraint. I can’t resist substitutions, additions, modifications. I’ll use a silicone spatula instead of a wooden spoon. I’m such a rebel. Cue the music: I did it my way.
Perhaps that’s why I’ve always enjoyed cooking Indian food: it’s so flexible to adding more of this, less of that, turn up the heat or throw in an extra veg. But every now and again and I take on a new recipe and force-feed myself a little discipline. I do my best to follow it to the letter and not dispute salting the water or measuring only one teaspoon of vanilla.
And so it was with this in mind that I rolled up my sleeves and made Saag Paneer. Most people look shocked and a little scared when I tell them I made Saag Paneer. It is fitting that we reveal the mystery of the saag right here right now.
I followed the recipe here at Active For Life and it boasts a healthy take on the Indian classic. Having made Indian dishes before, I thought, piece of cake. It is very easy- but not necessarily a project I recommend undertaking on a weeknight unless you’re up to eating at 9pm. It will be an event: so pour yourself a drink and start washing your spinach.
I set a very large pot of salted water to boil and while that was heating up, I washed and dried just over two pounds of fresh spinach. That in itself took a long time and when I make this recipe again, I may just buy it pre-washed.
I prepared just over two pounds of fresh spinach that I chopped into 3-inch long segments
Before blanching the spinach, I coarsely chopped it in half or thirds depending on the length of the leaves. I figured that this way when I would blend them there wouldn’t be a chance of having long strings of spinach filaments- imagined or real, the anticipation caused a coarse chop (see- I just can’t help myself throw in extra steps.)
Okay, when the water is at a full boil you drop your spinach in it, stir to get it all wet and then you wait and watch with the lid off (helps tremendously).
Blanching spinach is easy- just let the water come back to a boil and you’re done
When the water begins to boil again, strain the spinach and discard the water. In my case, I was hesitating about blanching it all at once because I had so much spinach and perhaps had not chosen a large enough pot, so I blanched in batches. To do this, just delicately scoop out the blanched spinach from the water and let the water come back to a roaring boil before throwing in the next batch. Worked really well for me.
The goal of blanching is to soften the spinach, not kill it to mush
After that bring in the high-powered machine: blend the spinach in a food processor at high speed. It won’t be super smooth so you’ll want to add water at the rate of one tablespoon at a time, then blend again, then add water until it’s looking smooth to you. It won’t be like a creamy-smooth, but it should be well-blended and the spinach particles quite small. No chunks, no filaments.
I was using my mini-food processor and had to blend my spinach in batches. See? Anything is possible
After that comes the fun stuff: on medium heat, melt 2 tbsp of butter in a large pan with high sides. Add ¾ tsp of cumin seeds and cook until slightly browned and fragrant, stirring occasionally. Careful not to let these babies burn. Add 1 diced cooking onion and sauté until golden, roughly 10 minutes. Stir in 3 cloves of grated garlic and 2 tea spoons of grated ginger root. Cook for one minute.
By this time it will smell so good in your house you’ll be thinking you can do this
When the onions are nice and golden, stir in ¼ cup of cilantro finely chopped, ½ tsp each of salt, ground coriander and turmeric. Stir in ¼ tsp of cinnamon and cook 30 seconds until fragrant. Add ½ cup of fresh chopped tomatoes and cook until they reduce and break down, roughly 5 minutes.
I made the execute chef decision to pan-fry the paneer cubes at this step in the game
Set aside the tomato mixture in a bowl and return the frying pan to the stove, adding one teaspoon of oil and set that to medium heat. Dice 1 package of paneer into bite-sized cubes and add that to your hot pan. I added two cloves of grated garlic to them and flipped the cubes until golden crispy on two or more sides and then pulled those aside. This paneer-frying is a deviation that is perfectly acceptable (weeks later I discussed this with chef Vikram Vij who said it’s okay, but you can also just add your paneer later as the recipe instructs and that way it will be more melt-y, less-cube-y in texture. Your choice.).
Mmm paneer- a pressed cheese much like cottage cheese brick and commonly used in Indian cooking. I didn’t make the paneer and you don’t have to, either; it’s found at most large supermarkets.
I returned my pan to the heat and picked up where I left off: in it went the tomato mixture which I brought back to medium heat while stirring, and then added the reserved spinach. Cook for 3 minutes.
See me using a wooden spoon! I’m not breaking all the recipe rules
After that you should be looking at it and asking yourself if the mixture is saucy. If too thick, add water a few tablespoons at a time and stir. Stir in 1/3 cup of plain yogurt (I used fat-free Greek yogurt and threw in a little extra), the paneer cubes, and 2 tsp of lemon juice.
Watching this coming together is like waiting for the finale to a figure skating routine and you will get a quad
Bring to a simmer, then cover and cook for 5 minutes. Uncover, cut the heat, stir and admire your work.
Ta-da! It will be magic and even the international judges will give you full points
Serve with rice or naan bread, or in my case, eat it straight up with a side of Panch Churan chutney (see top photo).
Thoughts on leftovers….
For me it was the best on the night-of, the leftovers were delicious but the creaminess never matched the same bliss as when the sauce came out of the pan. Chef Vikram Vij told me that flavours will intensify over time, too.
Come over here to see the full instructions to make this Saag Paneer and feel like an Indian figure-skating sensation.
It midnight–past midnight. And I was checking email when I found this picture on my desk top. It’s from a Lazy Gourmet piece I did a few weeks ago for the Globe. OK, I may not make at 1 am in the morning but I am seriously thinking I might make it tomorrow night for some girlfriends coming over. YUM.
Red fingerling potatoes (four to five per person)
Normandy butter (about a teaspoon, melted, per serving)
Fleur de Sel
Roquefort (about 100 g, crumbled)
Try to find red-skinned fingerling potatoes – they add a burst of colour to the plate. Allow for four to five whole fingerlings per person and drop them into a pot of salted cold water, then bring to a simmer. Cook until fork tender and drain. Cut in half lengthwise and arrange on a platter. Drizzle with enough melted Normandy butter to flavour each wedge (about a teaspoon per serving) and sprinkle with Fleur de Sel. Crumble room temperature Roquefort over the dish (about 100g for four people, adjust to your own cheesy taste). Serve immediately.
It’s that time of year! Expect an email with subject: Cookie Exchange! to pop-up in the INBOX. Do not leap back in fear as one does from email chain letters that promise certain death (sent from you favourite Aunt). Instead be the first to say YES, I will do it. Cookie exchanges are actually a lot of fun and if you make these simple 7-Layer squares (errr..cookies) your end of the deal will be sealed and sliced in no time. No flour involved.
Add coconut
If you can layer things like shredded coconut (notice a child doing it)..
chocolate chips..
or chocolate chips….
and drizzle with condensed milk (you may need to know how to open a can at this point)
You can end up with this….
Just out of the oven!
All these pics are pulled from more specific directions on my Family Fun blog for foodnetwork.ca. Just click HERE to go there for the recipe. If you have a non stick pan that is the best way to go, but I just used a ceramic casserole dish.
And I’d love to hear if there are any classic 7 layer (or 5 layer or 9 layer) cookies in your holiday repertoire!
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All these years I passed up on this???
Every year we carve multiple pumpkins and every year I think, “I should really roast the seeds”. But that is a fleeting thought as I look at the goo-covered, stringy harvest. And into the green bin it goes. But not this year! This year there was Donna.
Pumpkin Carving Contest chez nous
We held a pumpkin carving contest for Felix’s 4th birthday and had a few friends over. And we also had the innards of 10 pumpkins. Donna suggested we roast them and give them away as loot bags. She even offered to come over early to scoop them out and do all the dirty work. An offer even a lazy scooper like me could not refuse.
See what you’re pulling the seeds out of? Though I admit that in a strange way once you sink your hands into the goop it feels kind of nice.
The harvest
Once Donna had pulled them out of the pumpkin she rinsed them and cleaned them in a strainer and got off all the stringy bits. This is the hard work part.
Boiling the pumpkin seeds
Once clean the seeds were boiled in a large pot for 10-15 minutes in well-salted water. This helps ensure a crunchier seed once roasted.
We then spread the seeds onto a couple baking trays and dried them with some paper towels. Not bone-dry but you want them dry enough that olive oil will stick to them.
We then put the seeds back into a bowl and tossed them with 1 teaspoon olive oil for 1 cups seeds ( approx.) Since we had so many seeds we flavoured them.
Donna came with some Kernel shakers and we did various batches; a Kosher salt batch, dill, cheddar cheese and all-dressed. We sprinkled on the topping generously (you can also use paprika, garlic powder, cayenne pepper or curry powder plus salt).
We then we lay them on clean parchment and roasted them at 375°F for about 30-40 minutes (less if you have fewer seeds, you want them golden and crispy). We tossed every 10 minutes or so. Be vigilant as they can burn easily. You can turn the over to °350 if you feel you may be distracted (aka Donna is not doing your work).
While we waited there were some antics like this:
Dancing Dollar Store Monster
And of course, this:
Classic Halloween Alien
The seeds came out in batches and we let them cool…
Pumpkin Seeds sorted for loot bags
And I am now munching away on the wonderful bounty of crunchy, flavourful snacks and I swear to Never, Ever, Ever (on Taylor Swift’s life) throw out Pumpkin Seeds again!
Yes, I always have fall foliage on my cutting board.
HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!!!!!
PS If you have any opinions of boiling vs not boiling and the difference it does or does not make please let me know! And see the comments for a non-boiling recipe from Lisa that she used and it worked great.
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Did you forget what is possible by barely batting an eyelash? Amazing, crispy-crusted, moist, chewy bread. I know, I know, no-knead bread is so 2006. But maybe it’s time to go back in time (anyone else thinking Huey Lewis right now?) and revisit. I did not have a blog in 2006 and I want to be like all the other bloggers and write about it too. So in case you forget how easy it is to be a bread superstar….here we go. Recipe is from Jim Lahey of Sullivan Street Bakery and I used it as a great baking idea for kids and parents for the foodnetwork.ca.
14 hours later…
I like to mix this together (at least 3 minutes of hard work) around 9pm the night before I need (or don’t knead-ha!) the bread. (Usually so it’s ready to go Saturday morning.)
Whisk together 3 cups flour (AP or bread flour) with ¼ teaspoon instant yeast and 1 ¼ teaspoons salt in the bowl. Add 1 ½ cups water and stir with a spatula until a dough comes together (30 sec-1 min). Lightly grease a second medium bowl and transfer the dough into. Cover and rest the dough for 12-18 hours at room temperature.
Fold the bread over a couple times…
Flour a work surface lightly and remove the dough from the bowl. Fold it over once or twice. Let rest for 15 minutes on the work surface.
Shape the dough into a ball. Coat a clean, cotton tea towel generously with flour and place the dough ball (seam side down) on the towel. Lightly dust the dough with flour and cover with another towel. Allow to rise until doubled, 1-2 hours. Watch part of a What Not To Wear marathon.
THEN:
Preheat the oven to 450°F. You will bake the bread in a 6-8 quart oven-safe pot with a lid (such as a Le Creuset). Place the empty pot in the oven 30 minutes before baking.
Remove the hot pot from the oven. This is the trickiest part, transfer your dough, seam side up into the pot (BE CAREFUL!). Try and just flip the dough into the pot using the tea towel –but if it deforms as it goes in, no big deal. If you don;t have enough flour on the tea towel it will stick–so don’t skimp.
Cover and bake for 30 minutes.
After 30 minutes covered.
After 30 minutes remove the lid. The crust will be golden. Bake another 15 minutes. The rust will turn a rich, dark brown. Remove the loaf and cool on a rack.
Oh boy!
REJOICE. And contemplate being a baker. Surely not everyone’s turns out this well?! Now you can move onto No-Knead Pizza dough.
Here is Mark Bittman’s New York Time’s article that made this bread famous….(6 year anniversary coming up in November!)
And here is the Jim Lahey’s Sullivan Street Recipe with weight measurements (which I think is best to use if you own a scale).
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THE WINNER: Niagara Gold Crunch Grilled Cheese by Chef Jason Bangerter
Remember that Bryan Adams song? “Everything I do I do it for a Niagara Gold Crunch Grilled Cheese?” A real wedding fave.
First off–yes–there is a grilled cheese give-a-way at the bottom of this post. Second the Niagara Gold Crunch grilled cheese was unbelievable.
I spent this afternoon as a judge at The Dairy Farmer’s of Canada Grilled Cheese Cook-Off. (I know, does lunch get any better?) Four of Canada’s top chefs went head to head and each served two grilled cheese sandwiches made with cheese made from 100% milk (you’ve probably seen the little blue cow label on your cheese, it means that a cheese is made with all cow’s milk, no other additives–aside from salt and culture of course.)
Just wanted to give you a little brief of the menu and the chefs, so I’ll start with Chef Bangerter and move on from there.
Executive Chef Jason Bangerter of O&B ( Luma and Canteen), Toronto
CHEF JASON BANGERTER
Niagara Gold Crunch (The Winner)
Niagara Gold cheese, sour dough bread, prosciutto, baby arugula, with the bread brushed with mayo that had been flavoured with garlic, thyme and pepper before being grilled.
*this was also served with pickled grapes and a sparkling fresh grape juice that was the perfect compliment to the savoury sandwich. I hear it will be going on the menu….. (but here is the RECIPE if you want to DIY it)
Sweet Summer Night
This was the Chef’s dessert grilled cheese. It was made with mascarpone cheese and fresh berries with a some basil added in between the grilled brioche. It was served with aged balsamic vinegar.
Executive Chef Michael Howell, Tempest Restaurant, Nova Scotia (defending champion)
CHEF MICHAEL HOWELL
Crabby Dipper
Yum, if you love crab dip, this is your man-wich from Chef Howell. The crab dip is made with cream cheese, marinated artichokes, fresh parsley and some hot sauce. There as also a hint of smokiness from smoked Gouda and real crabmeat–of course. Recipe here.
The Crabby Dipper
Apulia Panini
This was inspired by Chef Howell’s love of Southern Italy (he gives culinary tours of Italy, just FYI!) this sandwich was on olive bread and had Asiago cheese, pesto, tapenade and sundried tomato compote inside. All homemade of course and incredibly flavourful.
Chef Liana Robberecht, Calgary Petroleum Club holding her Stampede Centennial
CHEF LIANA ROBBERECHT
Stampede Centennial
Chef Robberecht made this grilled ‘wich with pulled beef short ribs, provolone and blue cheese on sourdough–oh–and a bit of onion jam for some tangy sweetness. Must be eaten with fork and knife. (Or just a pile of napkins on hand).
Cherry Bomb Grilled Cheese
The Cherry Bomb
This baby came close second for me. It looked gorgeous on the plate (excuse my shoddy photo). The bright red, candied cherry tomatoes were bursting with flavour and gave the sandwich such a freshness married with Triple Cream Brie and then crunchy bacon (ok, my mouth started watering as I wrote that). Trust me, you want the recipe for for the candied-tomato vinaigrette.
Executive Chef Ned Bell, Yew Restaurant, Four Seasons Hotel, Vancouver
CHEF NED BELL
The Simple
This was a great concept, because the comfy, cozy grilled cheese we all want on a rainy day is just cheese melted and in this case served with a fruit chutney. Showcased the bread and the cheese (Courtenay Cheddar and Island Brie). And the presentation was, can I say, cute? Would Chef Bell kill me? I loved it.
The Ned “Bell Pepper” Sweet and Spicy
This little number was made on a country loaf with Hot Pepper Cheddar and Pacific Pepper Spicy Verdelait. The red bell pepper jam on the side made it, I think you’ll be wanting this recipe too.
Judges Elizabeth Baird and Rita DeMontis (talking and tweeting about the event)
And who were my fellow judges? Elizabeth Baird, Rita DeMontis and Kevin Durkee of Cheesewerks which brings us to our free grilled cheese!
Judge Kevin Durkee of Cheesewerks at Grilled Cheese Mission Control
HI EVERYONE–THE GRILLED CHEESE VOUCHERS ARE ALL SPOKEN FOR. Thanks for emailing, we’ll do another giveaway soon!
Kevin has generously donated a few sets of tickets for a free Original Grilled Cheese (so you can either bring someone or eat two sandwiches–it’s a toughie).
Cheesewerks (56 Bathurst St, Toronto) which also serves soups and mac and cheese, also offers some amazing sodas that are made in-house (and written up by Macleans magazine).
Email me at sueriedl@gmail.com with the words “Grilled Cheese” and I’ll give them away, first come first serve!
flour, bread crumbs, egg and pork
I was going to call my blog The Sunday Schnitzel. Because I love schnitzel and that name sounded kind of cool. But since I went with a meat-free name I must be satisfied with sharing with you the basics of the best schnitzel ever (for Sunday or any day). I feel like I have some authority as my mom makes the best schnitzel and I have learned from her. Are mine as good? Well, they’re getting there.
What makes a schnitzel the best? Well, you want it thin enough to have a proper crust to meat ratio, and crispy is important and golden brown (a few burnt patch never did anyone harm either if you asked my grandfather) but I think it also has to do with the salt. You need to season well. But first things first. And when properly done the crust will make a little jacket for the meat, but not be attached to the meat.
Take your pork cutlet or boneless butterflied pork chop (each side can be its own schnitzel) and if you’re my mom, give it a good wash and dry well. If you’re me you might forget that step. (I should mention we never make veal schnitzel, in our family the pork is top choice over the occasional chicken–at which time complaints are made to the chef.)
First remove the excess fat from around the pork. I don’t go insane on this, just the main fatty bits come off.
I may have gone a little deep with the slicing here, but it is important to cut around the edges so that when you whack your pork with the tenderizer, it will really give way. Also, it creates all these delicious breaded crispy edges to rip off and run away with when the schnitzel is cooling. I loved that as a kid so I guess I like to ensure plenty of sneaking potential.
Now you pound your schnitzel with the tenderizer. I probably am a little too enthusiastic–but boy–is it easy to get carried away! Work from the outside in and joking aside, you do not want to tear the meat into bits. Flip it over part way through–the meat should spread to almost twice its size. You will now salt it on both sides.
schnitzel, floured, goes into egg
Next step is the breading. Put out a plate with some flour. A plate with bread crumbs and a large bowl with a couple of eggs lightly whipped with a fork. Add salt to all of these plates. This is what gives the savory, salty, yum to the crispy fried schnitzel. Triple level seasoning.
First take one of the naked schnitzels and put it in the flour until well coated–do not miss the nooks and crannies. Now dip this into the egg mixture, the egg will stick to the flour.
Let excess egg drip off and then lay into the bread crumbs. Coat and turn well–again–make sure you are getting into the nooks and crannies. Should be well covered. Using a fork it is possible to do this without mess, most often I end up with breaded fingers though. I do not think this happens to my mom.
Pile up the breaded schnitzel on a clean plate until ready for flying. You can even bread these a little in advance, and then just fry them an hour later for dinner.
Frying: This is where my mom would instruct ” just pour a couple of tablespoons of oil into the pan” and fry. No. If you watch what she does, you will know that the oil actually comes about halfway up the schnitzel. So, glug in some vegetable oil (or something fairly neutral with a high smoking point-add some butter if you like–YUM) and heat over med-high. Add the schnitzel when the oil is glistening. Should sizzle as it goes in.
no this schnitzel did not shrink, the one above was a previous batch.
Flip the schnitzel when golden. It only takes a minute or two. Finish on the other side. Watch the heat, you may need to lower it a bit. Remove schnitzel and let dry out on a paper towel. Eat immediately. With potato salad if possible. My mom’s potato salad if circumstances are ideal. (I should post that one day…) Usually we poke the schnitzel with a fork and then drizzle it with fresh lemon before attacking.
Do not add cheese to the plate. That’s just crazy.
**OK, so no reference to schnitzel/wiener schnitzel in the Penguin Companion to Food, but Shoofly Pie, that’s got a few paragraphs. WHAT? What do penguins have against the the Austrians? Here is some schnitzel history from the German Food Guide.
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Cheese Feed
cheese and toast 