Winter Feast

I suppose winter is on its way out (judging by the drip-drip of the melting snow outside the window), but this meal was wintry through and through. Roasted root vegetables, slightly spicy tofu, and a fruit salad giving a sense of springs to come all came together to create an entirely satisfying dinner.




The tofu was made with my usual technique - soy sauce, sweet chili sauce and the burner on high:



And the roast veggies (beets, carrots, parsnip and sweet potato) were first roasted for 30 minutes drizzled in sunflower oil, then taken out of the oven to be doused in a mixture of orange juice, maple syrup, salt and pepper and returned to the heat (about 450 degrees) for another 25 minutes:




The fruit salad was simple and delicious - apples, grapes, blackberries and blueberries tossed with a little more of that maple syrup:




Altogether a perfectly delectable late-winter dinner, especially when accompanied with a local Macintosh Apple wine.

Happy Holiday (Cookies)

I hope everyone had an excessively happy Christmas/celebration-of-your-choice - can you believe the new year is almost upon us? It kind of blows my mind.

Anyways, I've got some little birds that want to express their holiday message:



They happen to be made out of gingerbread, a cookie-type I've long been frustrated with. You might know the deal: get all the lovely spices together, create fragrant, delicious dough, then bake it and end up with somehow bland little cookies that harden into rock a day or two after they leave the oven.

Thankfully, Ms. Martha Stewart came to the rescue with her incredible version of plain 'ol gingerbread. These cookies aren't dry. Instead they're bursting with ginger-y, spicy tastes and moistened just the right amount by a generous helping of molasses. I was impressed by how long they retained their wonderful flavours and texture (though I don't think I left any longer than a week - they were all eaten by then).


Don't they look tantalizing?

I would recommend this recipe to anyone looking for the perfect satisfying winter cookies (I know Christmas has come and gone, but I fully plan to make at least two batches of these before the snow melts, and I wouldn't be surprised if I keep making them throughout the year - they're just that good). I've added a few suggestions in italics, since I made minor alterations when cooking the cookies.

Without further ado,

Molasses-Gingerbread Cookies
Courtesy of Martha Stewart Living

Martha says these make around 4-6 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your shapes, and that, "these cookies have a dark colour and a pronounced molasses flavour."

5 1/2 c. all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 tsp. salt
4 tsp. ground ginger
4 tsp. ground cinnamon
1 1/2 tsp. ground cloves
1 tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
2 sticks (16 tbsp.) unsalted butter at room temperature
1 c. packed dark-brown sugar
2 large eggs
1 1/2 c. unsulfured molasses

1. Whisk together flour, baking soda, salt and spices in a medium bowl.

2. Beat butter and sugar with a mixer on medium-high speed until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in molasses. Reduce speed to low. Gradually add flour mixture, and beat until just combined. Divide dough into three portions and wrap each in plastic. Refrigerate for one hour.

3. Preheat oven to 350 degrees (Fahrenheit). On a generously floured piece of parchement (Note: I used a cutting board with waxed paper attached to it with tape - this dough is quite sticky and can be frustrating to work with, so be prepared and have a pie lifter standing by for transferring the cut cookies to the baking sheet), roll dough (Me again - she suggests you roll the dough quite thinly - a scant 1/4 inch, but I preferred the cookies thicker - just under 1/2 an inch - to preserve the molasses moistness for longer, and also provide a more satisfying eating experience).

4. Here she has a whole system whereby you roll the dough, then freeze for 15 mins and cut the shapes, then freeze for another 15 mins to make transferring to the baking sheet easier. If you have room in your freezer, go for it. I didn't, so I just suffered through some very uncooperative raw cookies. Either way is fine, just depends on your freezer size and your patience levels. Cut out desired shapes by whatever means you choose, transfer to parchment-lined baking sheets.

5. Bake cookies for 6 minutes. Remove sheets from oven and tap them firmly on the counter to flatten cookies (another step that you don't have to do, but if you desire flat cookies, go for it). Return to oven, rotating sheets, and bake until crisp but not darkened, 6-8 minutes more - I wound up baking the cookies for just around 11 minutes, which left them fully cooked but still relatively moist. Cool on wire racks.

Cookies can be stored in airtight containers for up to one week (well then - I ate them in time it seems!).

The link to the original recipe on Martha's website, in case you'd rather get it straight from her without all my suggestions.


Fresh out of the oven and looking ready to fly right into someone's mouth!

Roast Chicken Dinner - Epic Post

I've continued to not cook much for the past few weeks, mostly because I've been at home and my parents have been there to cook for me (they make good food, so I've been taking advantage of that fact). Yesterday, though, I decided to make use of their knowledge to finally learn how to roast a whole chicken.

It is as easy as they've been claiming all these years - just whip up some stuffing, toss a few ingredients on the bird's skin, pop it in the oven for a while and presto! an impressive meal fit for a small dinner party!

I'll start with the basics of prepping a whole chicken for the oven.

The first thing you want to do is make some stuffing, and though the commercials try to claim otherwise, the best stuffing is homemade. Plus it's ridiculously versatile - you can toss various ingredients in depending on what you have lying around. My stuffing consisted of white bread broken into small chunks, diced onions and celery, chopped apples and raisins, but you can also add chestnuts, dried cranberries, fennel...the options are endless, really. I also added Italian herb mix, sage and rosemary to enhance the taste.

Then it was time to prep the chicken itself. In a clean sink I sprinkled some salt on its skin, let that sit for a moment, then rinsed it throughly and patted it dry. Then the bird was plopped into a roasting pan and stuffed. After the stuffing, a generous amount of lemon juice was squeezed over the chicken, followed by salt, pepper, Italian herb mix, sage and rosemary, all of which were rubbed into the skin to facilitate full flavour transfer.

At this point, the chicken was ready to go into its oven, preheated to 350 degrees Fahrenheit, a task I completed with much enthusiasm (excuse my appearance, I'd been in the kitchen all day):



While the bird was roasting (and being basted every 20 mins or so), I whipped up an equally delicious side dish that shared the oven quite nicely - sweet potato and plain potato fries. These I cut into rough fry-shapes, tossed in oil, curry powder and a hint of chili powder, tossed on a baking sheet and stuck in with the chicken.

The result, served with a dipping sauce made of cream cheese, dijon mustard and lemon juice:



Now, to go with the potatoes, and after about an hour and a half in the oven (about 20mins of that was spent with it set on high broiler to fully brown the skin), the chicken was ready to emerge:



It completed the picture for a lovely, foodfull table and an equally appetizing plate:





Absolutely delicious!

I also learned how to carve the beast from my father, a much easier task than I imagined:



All in all the meal was a great success - the little bit of extra lemon I squeezed onto the chicken created a pleasantly fresh taste that cut the grease of the bird a bit, and that dipping sauce I whipped up off the top of my head was great with both the potatoes and the asparagus. Now I feel like a real cook!

---

Here are the recipes written out for those of you who feel like adding roast chicken to your repertoire:

Stuffing for a Small Chicken:

-1/2 a small loaf of bread (of your choice), broken into small chunks
-1/2 a small onion, diced
-About 1 c. celery, diced
-1/4 c. raisins
-1 to 1 1/2 c. apple, cut into small pieces
-Sage, Italian herb mixture, rosemary, tarragon to taste
-Salt and pepper to taste

---

Chicken Rub/Marinade:

-1/2 a large lemon
-Sage, Italian herb mixture, rosemary, tarragon to taste
-Salt and pepper to taste (I recommend a coarser salt like Fleur de Sel)

---

Mixed Potato Fries:

-2 small potatoes, cut into rough wedges/sticks
-1 large or 2 small sweet potatoes, cut into rough wedges/sticks
-2 to 3 tbsp. olive oil
-Chili powder and curry powder to taste

---

All-Purpose Dip:

-1 c. cream cheese or sour cream or plain yogurt
-1/4 c. dijon mustard
-3 tbsp. coarse (full seed) mustard
-lemon juice to taste

Forced Hiatus

Well, I'm back. I know it's been over a month, but I've genuinely not been cooking much at all after breaking my ankle quite badly on Thanksgiving weekend (thankfully I'd already eaten a delicious turkey dinner, so I didn't miss the best part of the holiday). I'm now back on my feet, which means I'll soon be back at the stove, hopefully getting back into the swing of things.

To re-start the blog, I thought I'd post one of the most decadent things I've ever created in the kitchen. I blame my boyfriend and my roomie for this one - the boyfriend was craving chocolate and the roomie egged him on and I offered to bake them anything and this was the result:

Chocolate Chip Cookies


PLUS

Homemade Chocolate Icing


EQUALS

CHOCOLATE CHIP CHOCOLATE COOKIEWICHES!!



I know, ridiculous. But also delicious.

Recipes:

'Special Chocolate Chip Cookies'
This recipe is from the Cottage Cookbook, a compilation put together by cottage folk, for cottage folk. I've been baking these cookies since I was a wee child.

1/2 c. butter
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. white sugar
1 egg
1 tsp. vanilla
1 c. flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp. salt
1 small pkg. chocolate chips (around 1 1/2 to 2 c.)

-Cream butter, sugars, egg, vanilla.
-Add flour, baking soda, salt. Mix.
-Add chocolate chips.
-Spoon onto greased cookie sheets, press flat, bake at 375 degrees Fahrenheit for 10-15 mins.

Very quick, very easy, VERY delicious.

The icing I just threw together with what I had - we were out of milk, meaning most of the recipes on the web were no good for me. Instead I grabbed around 1/4 c. of butter, melted it in a saucepan with three squares of semi-sweet chocolate (using a whisk to keep everything smooth) and then mixed the butter-chocolate mixture with 1/2 c. of icing sugar in a bowl, creating a light, yet very rich dark chocolate icing. Mmm-mm good.

Specialty Tofu

On Monday night I got home from work and realized I didn't have much in the fridge. After some rummaging I wound up with half a block of leftover tofu, some broccoli and a tupperware full of leftover basmati rice. The meal I created wound up being quite tasty, mostly because of the foolproof way I've developed of cooking tofu.


See? Doesn't it look good?

To get these slabs of golden-brown, slighty crispy goodness you need a block of firm or extra-firm tofu, Thai sweet chili sauce and soy sauce (told you it was simple). Cut the tofu into slabs around 1/2 a centimetre thick as shown in the photo. Heat up some oil (I like to use sesame, but any cooking oil is suitable) over high heat in a frying pan until the stuff is sizzling merrily.

Lay the tofu slabs in the pan flat on one face, allowing them to cook (keep the heat high) for about 1 min. before drizzling a generous amount (around 3-4 tbsps I'd guess) of soy sauce overtop. Allow the tofu to begin browning on the underside before adding about 2-3 tbsps of Thai sweet chili sauce and let the slabs brown until the bottom edges are slightly crispy.

Flip the slices over and add a bit more soy and thai sweet chili sauce, letting the other side brown and crisp (I like the edges almost burnt - gives the slices a great flavour). Turn the heat down low to allow the sauce in the pan to reduce a bit and form a slightly caramelized glaze on the slices. Flip to ensure both sides are covered with the sauce and then serve.


I ate mine with barely-cooked broccoli and the leftover rice.

This is the kind of recipe that you'd use if you were trying to convince a friend that tofu wasn't some evil vegetarian plot. Trust me, it works (and once they let their guard down the tabbouleh can easily take them. Bwahaha).

I'm thinking that the next post will probably have to do with Thanksgiving. I am so excited for the turkey feast (plus I get to wow my parents with some kind of meal on Friday night - I need to find a good recipe).

Also I'm baking more cookies soon, this time ones that are a little more exciting than plain 'ol chocolate chip, so keep an eye out for that.

Weekend Cooking

I wound up focusing on decadent foodstuffs this weekend - quasi-kettle corn, french toast, hot chocolate and some cinnamon-dusted baked sweet potato slices. Mm-mmm good.

French toast hit the spot this early afternoon, as we'd been out all night at Nuit Blanche, Toronto's second annual nightowl art extravaganza. I hadn't cooked the stuff for years (if ever, now that I think about it), but it's a pretty simple recipe that becomes delectable with the addition of a few berries (raspberries and blueberries in this case) and a generous helping of maple syrup.


Happy french toast brunch!

I used three eggs, about 1/2 c. of milk and a sprinkling of cinnamon in the 'batter', which wound up being the perfect amount for nine sizable slices of sunflower rye bread. I also sprinkled a bit more cinnamon on each side of the bread while it was in the frying pan.


I discovered that it was extra-good to squish the raspberries onto the maple syrup-doused toast, ensuring optimal coverage.

The three of us devoured the F.T eagerly, leaving only the slightest smudge of maple syrup on the plates.



I look forward to making some blueberry pancakes with the leftover berries (the raspberries were finished off easily during brunch).

I also provided a sweet pick-me-up before Nuit Blanche, creating what I'm going to call quasi-kettle corn on a whim.

I popped two bags of microwave popcorn then, in a small saucepan, melted 1/2 a cup of butter and about 2-3 tbsps. of brown sugar over medium heat on the stove, creating a vaguely caramelized butter topping. The next time I do this I'll use a little less butter to allow the sugar to caramelize a little but more, but the result was still enjoyed by my friends without a word of complaint.

I'll leave off with another standalone photo, this one an example of my occasional 'snack dinners'. This one consisted of a few homemade chocolate chip cookies, dates with cream cheese, mini carrots with ranch dip and granny smith apple slices with some aged white cheddar.



Delicious!

Coconut Riff

I was a huge fan of the last coconut-curry stir fry I created, so tonight I revisited the idea with slightly different ingredients and stuck it on top of rice (instead of with sticky rice as a side). The result was absolutely delicious, plus it left enough for me to share with my roomie and have a good sized lunch for tomorrow.


This is pre-coconut milk - isn't the spinach a lovely colour?

The ingredients this time were as follows:

-1 small sweet potato
-1 1/2 handfuls spinach leaves
-1 small can water chestnuts
-1/3 of a block of firm tofu
-1 handful green beans
-1 small head of broccoli (stem peeled & chopped as well)

Sauce: Sesame seed/olive oil, soy sauce, sweet chili sauce, medium curry powder, coconut milk

I microwaved both the beans and the chopped-up sweet potato (separately) for two minutes to ensure they were tender in the stir fry, but the rest of the veggies went in raw. As in the last fry-up I started with the tofu, heating up the wok and searing it with the oils, soy and sweet chili sauce along with a bit of curry powder. I then added the beans and sweet potato, followed by the spinach. I let the spinach wilt, then added the rest of the ingredients and poured the coconut milk over everything, which was then left to simmer until the broccoli florets were tender and the rice (again, bless my lovely rice cooker) was done.


Sorry for the slight blurriness - I'm still working on my lighting.

I served it in my beautiful white IKEA bowls over the rice and enjoyed it while watching the premiere of Grey's Anatomy.

More cooking notes to come after this weekend, I'm sure.