Holiday Survival Recipe: Sugar Cookies

Here is my sugar cookie recipe...a basic for any holiday through out the year and most perfect for using your favorite cookie cutters!  This is a must have recipe for every mother.

Use royal icing and your favorite sugars and sprinkles to decorate.  My favorite for Christmas is snowflake or mitten shaped cut-outs, piped with white icing which gets dipped into non-colored sugar crystals.  (Tip:  My go to is Epicure's Decorating Sugar.  It makes your cookies gorgeous and there are no artificial colors!)

Ingredients:

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp. baking powder (I use Epicure's aluminum free BP)
1/2 tsp. salt
20 tablespoons butter (2 1/2 sticks)
1 cup sugar
1 large egg
1 tbsp. milk
2 1/2 tsp. vanilla (real vanilla please...it makes a difference!)

To make:  Whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together.  In a separate bowl, beat butter and sugar on medium speed until very fluffy. Add and beat egg, milk and vanilla.  Gradually stir the flour into the butter mixture until well blended and smooth.  Chill if necessary before rolling.  Roll out 1/4 inch thick, cut out shapes and bake for 6-9 minutes.  Cool on rack after one minute.

Makes 2 dozen good sized cookies.

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Porcupine Meatballs

The other day at soccer we somehow got to talking about Porcupine Meatballs and I said how much my kids love them.  I like that they are easy and I can prepare them earlier in the day and then pop in the oven an hour before dinner. That day I said I would share my recipe, so here it is:

Porcupine Meatballs

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lbs. lean ground beef
2/3 cup basmati rice
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup finely chopped onion (I use 2 tbsp. Epicure's 3 Onion Dip Mix instead so the kids can't be picky about finding pieces of onion in their dinner - it is a great onion substitute)
1 tsp. salt
1/4 tsp. garlic powder
1/8 tsp. pepper
1 large can tomato sauce (15 oz)
1 cup water
2 tsp. worcestershire sauce

How to make:  Mix the ground beef, 1/2 cup water, onion, salt, pepper, garlic, and rice.  Shape mixture into 1 1/2 inch balls.  Place the meatballs in an ungreased shallow baking dish (i.e. pyrex) large enough that the meatballs are not on top of each other but placed side by side with a couple of cm. between.  Mix the remaining ingredients and pour over the meatballs.  Cover with foil and bake at 350 degrees for about 45 minutes.  Uncover and bake for 15 minutes longer.  (Tip:  Check with meat thermometer like I do or cut one open to make sure it is no longer pink inside) Serve immediately.

I like to serve these meatballs for dinner with a nice green salad and some crusty bread for dipping in all the lovely sauce.  If your kids aren't salad eaters - green beans would be a nice complement too.

Enjoy!

It's warming up FINALLY! Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Cake

I love the warm days of late spring...the garden is in bloom, my lilacs smell heavenly, the birds are singing away, and my rhubarb is growing!  Today I tried a new recipe I came across on-line, and with a few alterations to make it even tastier, I decided it was worthy of sharing with others.

I'll call it Simply Irresistible Strawberry Rhubarb Streusel Cake...




Ingredients:
1 cup sugar
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups flour
2 eggs beaten
1 cup sour cream (I use fat free) or plain yoghurt
2 cups chopped rhubarb
1 cup chopped strawberries
plus see below for the streusel ingredients

How to:  Prepare a 13 x 9 inch baking pan with spray oil OR grease and flour it.  (I use the spray oil and it never sticks)  Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Mix the sugar, salt, baking soda and flour in a large mixing bowl.  Add eggs, sour cream and mix with dry ingredients until moistened - do not overmix.  Add fruit and fold into batter.  It will not look like much in quantity, but it will rise!  Spoon it into baking pan and spread out evenly.

Streusel topping:  Mix 1 cup sugar, 1 teaspoon cinnamon, 1/4 cup softened butter and 1/4 cup flour until it forms a crumbly consistency.  Spread over top of the batter.

Place in the oven and bake for 45 minutes or until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean.
Enjoy warm or cool...with ice cream, whip cream or just a nice cup of tea!

Verdict:  Yum!  This cake needs no other words of praise...it is easy and delicious.  Note:  I used half sour cream and half plain yoghurt when I made this today as I didn't have enough of one...it was perfect!

Comfort found in a bowl of noodles...

Okay go ahead and start laughing...it was a pap smear that led to this blog entry.  Seriously!  My doctor and I were talking over my physical today and I was telling him about writing this blog and how it journaled bits of my life along with recipes I was trying.  He asked jokingly if I was going to write about having a pap, and I responded by saying how could I ever match a recipe to that experience?!  But here I am...taking the challenge of matching a recipe...kind of.

I equate doctor visits to being sick.  I know this isn't always the case, and in many cases like today's physical, it was in fact preventative medicine, but I can't help but get anxious no matter what the reason for my visit.  When I get like this I focus on things that give me comfort...mainly my family, my dog, the mountains outside, an uninterrupted cup of nice, hot tea, and the spring flowers blooming in my garden.

Certain foods also give me comfort and if I am not feeling so well or am tired, they are guaranteed to  pick me up.  I can feel the love as I eat a bowl of spaghetti...sigh...all those tomatoey, noodle hugs being shared with my stomach.  What about chicken noodle soup you ask?  Boring.  My taste buds go to sleep.  I know, I know - it's good for you, feeds a cold, etc. but where is the comfort in it if you don't even look forward to eating it?  I have not abandoned chicken soup completely - here is a recipe that I turn to for Epicure's Ultimate Asian Noodle Bowl...a compromise between the goodness of chicken soup and the love of udon noodles, made more exciting with asian flavor.  This noodle bowl is very comforting, and I look forward to eating it every time!

The recipe:  http://epicureselections.com/en/recipe/4172/epicures-ultimate-asian-noodle-bowl

Tips:  I make this recipe as per the instructions using shredded chicken.  If you are really short on energy use a grocery store rotisserie chicken!  Discard the skin and shred some of the meat.  I make this with udon noodles every time...I'm not sure the whole wheat spaghetti would be as good a match to this soup.  You can buy udon noodles in the asian food section, either dry like pasta or already soft.  The dry ones you need to pre-cook separately...I personally prefer their taste and texture.  I think you could consider the mushrooms as optional, but the other veggies are really nice in there so I would keep them as is.  The Ultimate Asian Sauce is key to this recipe - you can easily make a batch ahead of time and use it in other recipes too.  (i.e. stirfry or marinade) http://www.epicureselections.com/en/recipe/2262/ultimate-asian-sauce  You could ramp up the spice level once you serve it by sprinkling with crushed chillies, as they often do in japanese noodle restaurants.  This recipe is easy!

Verdict:  YUM.  Nothing else need be said except I think I need to make some now...

A Perfect Chocolate Chip Cookie...finally!

Drum roll please...I found it...I discovered the ONE...my quest is over...I have the recipe for the perfect chocolate chip cookie in my possession...well at least MY ideal of the perfect cookie!

I love chocolate chip cookies.  Making a great chocolate chip cookie might sound easy but I believe it is really a test of your baking devotion to get the recipe just right.  My perfect cookie needs to be slightly chewy yet a little crispy too, sweet but without overpowering the chocolaty goodness in each bite.  I am a very hard judge when it comes to chocolate chip cookies, which has led me to trying ALOT of recipes over many years, in my quest for perfection.

The recipe originates from one I found on All Recipes...I have made a few adjustments and renamed it so there is no mistake of what this is for!  The Best Chocolate Chip Cookies:


Notes:  Ingredients -
1 cup salted butter (softened)
1 cup sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 teaspoons real vanilla
1 teaspoon baking soda dissolved into 2 teaspoons hot water
3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups semi-sweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.  Mix the butter and two sugars in a mixing bowl until creamy.  Add the eggs and mix.  Add the vanilla.  Add the baking soda/water mixture and mix.  Add the flour and salt, mixing until combined.  The dough will be quite stiff.  Fold in your chocolate chips.

Spoon cookie dough onto your ungreased cookie trays - this recipe yields 3-4 dozen depending on how big you make them.  I made mine an average size and got 3.5 dozen nice sized cookies!  Bake in the oven for 10-12 minutes or until it just turns that lovely golden brown on the edges.  (Mine were perfect at 12 minutes - this will depend on your oven temperature)  Let cool on tray for a couple of minutes and then transfer to a cooling rack.  Store in an air tight container.

Verdict:  I freeze half the batch so I have fresh cookies the following week/days - this also keeps us from eating them all in a day or two!  (and they are so yummy you will want to!)  These chocolate chip cookies have it all...chewiness...crispy...not too sweet, but sweet enough...you can really savour the chocolate taste because it is not lost in an overpowering cookie dough.  A perfect cookie.

Enjoy!

P.S.  An Epicure note - you could use the Epicure Belgian Chocolate Chips in this recipe to make them even more decadent!

Friendship and Flourless Chocolate Cake...

I had an "a-ha" moment.  It doesn't happen often...

A few days ago I learned that a friend from my cooking group - the Culinary Divas, didn't survive her heart surgery.  She left behind a husband, and two young daughters - it was very tragic and makes me feel so sad for her family.  The dinner table won't be the same as our group goes on it's culinary adventures together - her happy laughter will be missed by all of us.

This tragedy has taught me something about friendship and the strength of a community - particularly a community of women.  Within minutes of the email going out to all the Culinary Divas, offers flowed in volunteering to cook meals or bake for the family.  Within hours we had more than three weeks of dinners covered.  Some of these volunteers didn't know our fallen Diva personally, but they still wanted to help the family though this difficult time.  That to me is the power of community.

This is when my "a-ha" moment came to me. I don't believe a sense of community like this just happens on it's own.   It takes encouragement, inspiration and nurturing to develop it's strength.  I started the North Shore Divas and Culinary Divas years ago with the idea that women like myself needed a place for developing these strengths in ourselves.  Call it part of our personal development if you will.   What I never fully realized until now is that not only have we been making ourselves stronger, but we have developed together into this amazing community of women who will open up and share our strengths where they are needed. It's a beautiful thing.  All this has renewed my energy to keep the Divas going strong - I can see it does make a difference.

Today, in memory of Jill W. I am sharing an amazing Flourless Chocolate Cake recipe from my personal favorites collection.  This recipe is truly a labour of love...follow each step, don't try and skip any and you will have a cake worth sharing.  Make it and invite a few friends over for dessert, conversation and some laughs...you'll feel great afterwards!

The recipe:  http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Flourless-Chocolate-Cake-I/Detail.aspx

Notes:  I have made a few modifications to this recipe:

1.  Use semi-sweet chocolate chips instead and 1/2 cup sugar.  Buy the good quality chips - it really does make a difference.
2.  I use salted butter and then don't add any salt to the recipe
3.  I use a spring form pan instead of a regular round cake pan.  This is very important to a much easier to remove cake!  I cut a piece of parchment paper and line the bottom of my pan, spraying very lightly with spray-oil so it is easy to peel off the cake before plating it.  As part of my pan preparation I cover the outside of it with aluminum foil wrap...it takes two pieces in opposite directions.  You want to make it waterproof up to an inch and a half or so up the sides of the pan for when it goes in the water bath.  (I will add a photo here to show it)
4.  The water bath is very important, don't skip this step.
5.  I refrigerate the cake for a few hours before removing from the spring form pan.
6.  Serve with a dollop of vanilla whip cream and some fresh sliced berries.

Verdict:  This is a serious chocolate cake...it is like eating ganache or chocolate pate.  You only need to serve a small slice to each person - a little goes a long way.  This cake has never disappointed me and it has become somewhat of a legend at my dinner table.  My secret is out...enjoy!

Rest in Peace Jill.
Cheers,
Kris

One of my favorites...Fish Tacos!

My family loves this recipe - the original inspiration was shared years back by a good friend now living with her family in Kelowna - over time I have tweaked it somewhat to make it simple and healthier.  This is a fast dinner to make!

The recipe is Fish Tacos...

Yield:  4 people

Ingredients:

8 medium sized Cod fillets (or any white fish you like)
Epicure Garlic Sea Salt (could be substituted for sea salt and minced garlic or even garlic powder with similar results?)
2 tablespoons Olive Oil

Coleslaw
3 cups of coleslaw (shredded cabbage and carrots - I use a bag of the already mixed)
Zest and juice of 1 lime
3 tablespoons low fat mayonnaise
2 tablespoons chopped fresh basil
2 tablespoons Epicure 3 Onion Dip Mix

8 whole wheat tortillas
Guacamole and salsa are optional

Notes:  
Combine the coleslaw ingredients and set aside.  (pre-make and keep in the fridge for a few hours if you like)  In a frypan heat the olive oil and put the fish in - sprinkle with garlic sea salt.  Cook on one side and flip...repeat sprinkling of garlic sea salt.  The fish will not take very long to cook so keep a close eye on it. Warm tortillas.  You are ready to serve.
To serve: place some fish in the tortilla and top with coleslaw mixture, guacamole and salsa.  Wrap and enjoy!

Verdict:  This recipe is easy and healthy!  If your kids don't eat the coleslaw substitute theirs with diced cucumbers and shredded lettuce.

Happy Cooking!

Adobo Chicken - saying farewell over dinner...

Over the past decade we have been fortunate to host many students from Japan in our home.  Each one has been unique and memorable to us in their own special way.  We feel the home stay experience hasn't only enriched the lives of the students, but all of ours as well.  I love seeing how these young people grow into themselves from the day of their arrival in Canada to the day they return to Japan.  This is such a life changing opportunity: coming to a new country, studying in English, meeting new friends, tasting new foods, seeing Canada in all it's natural and multicultural beauty, learning to embrace their independence, and becoming part of our family.

The hardest part of hosting a home stay student is having to say good bye when they return to Japan.  These girls are always treated like they are a member of our family - so often it is like saying good bye to one of our own when they leave.  We have a tradition of saying farewell to our students over a family dinner.  This dinner is usually also attended by extended family members our students have gotten to know during their time with us.  It is a celebration of their time in Canada and one last gathering for all of us around the table.

Last night we said good bye to Megumi - she arrived last fall and stayed with us for three months before moving to a home closer to her job at the airport.  Today she is on an airplane back to Japan.  It made me so happy to see that she returns home with fond memories of her time in Vancouver and a stronger sense of confidence in who she is and what she wants in her life.  That is the greatest pay off of hosting a student for me...not the money we are paid, but instead seeing that I (and my family) have had a positive influence on their life.  Okay, let's be honest, the cooking compliments I am given by my students are good too!!

Megumi loves my Epicure products...so last night I made Adobo chicken, my yummy scalloped potatoes, lemon dilly green beans. and a tossed green salad. A blueberry buttermilk pie followed for dessert, but I can't take credit for that as it was not homemade.

The recipe I used was Adobo Chicken...a Latin inspired recipe...

Notes:  I used the recipe on the side of Epicure's Adobo seasoning bottle - it mixed 2 tablespoons of the seasoning with 1/2 cup vinegar.  I used cider vinegar as per someones recommendation.  I drizzled it over, and then roasted my chicken pieces in the oven.  Once they were done I sprinkled Epicure's Arriba Sansel over them and served.

Verdict:  The taste of the seasoning and vinegar together is really good and it flavored the chicken - unfortunately the meat didn't brown with it, it turned out a pale color like I cooked it without seasoning at all.  The sauce is too liquid to grab onto the chicken.  Next time I would add tomato paste to the mixture to make the Red Adobo Sauce.  I think this would stick to the chicken better and help it to brown.  I would use the sauce I made last night as is on steamed vegetables - I think that would be a nice complement of tastes.

I guess they can't all turn out well!  That is part of the adventure of recipe trying.
Happy Cooking!

P.S.  The green beans were EXCELLENT - stir fry them in a little olive oil and then toss with a spoon of Epicure's Lemon Dilly Dip Mix.

Instant chocolate pudding finally made healthier...

I don't know about you but I have fond memories of chocolate pudding from when I was a little girl.  To me it was comfort food.

It is sad but in the years since I was young, chocolate pudding has kind of been ruined by all the ready-made varieties available in grocery stores.  Have you looked at the list of ingredients on the packages?  So many preservatives that I can't even pronounce.  I'm sorry but if I can't even say it, how is my poor body going to digest it?  Even the top-selling instant chocolate pudding brand disappoints me with it's list of ingredients.

Epicure's "Chocolate Pudding in an Instant" launched with their 2011 product line-up...I was curious because of my affection for pudding.  I bought a package to put in my sample bag and discovered....drum roll please...their pudding only has FOUR ingredients...sugar, tapioca, cocoa and sea salt!!  No preservatives and no artificial colors.  I got very excited and wondered about it's taste...

I made "Epicure's Chocolate Pudding in as Instant" into a Chocolate Parfait.

Notes:  I used one package of the pudding mix ($5.95) and mixed it with 2 cups of skim milk.  My youngest daughter stirred it with a whisk for 2 minutes, then I stirred it for another 2 minutes.  (the package says 2 minutes total, but the first stirs were child-strength, next time I may use the electric mixer, I think it would be fastest)  At this point it looked very pudding-like.  I spooned it into small dishes, put them in the fridge for 5 minutes and then added a layer of cream I had whipped ahead of time.  On top of this I added some blackberries and then shaved a little semi-sweet chocolate over everything.  This made 8 smaller servings (really all you need!) or it could have been done as 6 regular servings if you like.  I put them in the fridge for an hour before serving.

Verdict:  Chocolate pudding is back in our house!  Woo hoo!  This was easy to make and I LOVE that it is not full of junk.  The whole family LOVED it.  I can't wait to try to make pudding pops in the freezer with this...move over Fudgsicles!!  I think the way I made it tonight would be great with sliced strawberries.  If you don't have time for "made from scratch" this mix is pretty close - especially since it's ingredients are all things you know.

Cheers!

P.S.  I know I may seem partial to Epicure products because I sell them, but when I make their recipes or use their ingredients I am trying them out honestly for my family and my business.   I don't want to personally recommend anything to my customers that isn't a good product - therefore I test it first.

Chasing away the blues with blueberry muffins...

I think the winter blues are out looking for me, but I am determined not to let them catch up!

2011 has started with some challenges for our family and I am trying to keep us focused so we can get past them and make this a great year.  This week we have a few friends struggling with serious health problems, and our thoughts are with them for a speedy recovery.  This makes me also remember how lucky I am to be healthy and have a healthy family.  That is a great comfort to me, and is probably what gives me the strength to remain positive even when life throws in a speed bump along the way.

So, what do I do when I feel blue?  I bake.  Somehow the routine of assembling the ingredients, reading a recipe and making it, is therapeutic.  It makes me feel good.

The taste of blueberries make me happy too...maybe it's because they remind me of hot summer days when we can pick them in our backyard.  A little taste-bud escape from the rainy, winter day outside.

The recipe I have chosen is Shari's Any Berry Muffins  - it was shared with me three years ago by a dear friend of mine.  This is not the first time I have made these!  


Shari's Any Berry Muffins

• 1 cup frozen berries
• 2 cups flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup plain yoghurt
• 1 egg
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 cup oil
• 1 tsp vanilla

Mix flour, salt and baking powder in a bowl.  Mix yoghurt and baking soda together in a glass dish/measuring cup, cover with plastic wrap and allow to expand.  In a separate bowl beat egg.  Add vanilla, oil and sugar.  Then start adding dry mixture and yoghurt mixture, mixing by hand - alternating small amounts at a time.  Add berries - folding into batter gently.  Bake regular sized muffins at 350 degrees for about 30 minutes or until a toothpick when inserted comes out clean.  Makes 12 muffins.

Notes:  I used blueberries to make my batch of muffins.  I also decreased the amount of sugar to 3/4 of what the recipe calls for, otherwise I followed the instructions.  I think it would be interesting to try this recipe with apple sauce instead of the oil - if I had some on hand I would have done it today.  (when I make these next time I will try it that way and leave my thoughts in the comments here)  I made my batch in a mini-muffin pan - it yielded 24 muffins.  I adjusted the baking time to 20 minutes and they came out perfect.  

Verdict:  These are delicious blueberry muffins - nice and moist because of the yoghurt!  My children love them and are excited they have gone to school in their lunch bags.  This is a basic recipe that I think you could jazz up with a little kitchen imagination...maybe a little lemon zest or some chopped pecans?  If you like a classic blueberry muffin then leave the recipe as is, and serve them warm with a little pat of butter for breakfast.  Yummy!  

Cauliflower and Cheese Soup for a cold winter's night

It all began yesterday with a cauliflower in my fridge begging to be turned into something delicious and exciting...the idea of steaming it and making cheese sauce to pour on top was already making me yawn, so I reached for the recipes and started looking for some inspiration.

The recipe that I chose was Epicure's Zippy Cauliflower and Cheese Soup.  


Notes:  It seemed simple enough - I basically simmered a cauliflower, an onion, chicken bouillon, garlic and Epicure's Spanish Seasoning.  The seasoning really made a difference, it gave it a gorgeous "saffron" color and took the taste beyond ordinary cauliflower soup.  After the simmering you remove the vegetables and mash them - I liked that they were not pureed beyond recognition like many recipes call for.  You add cheddar cheese (I used medium as that is all I had), cream (I used 1/2 and 1/2), a little butter and flour, as well as Epicure's Cheese and Jalapeno Dip Mix.  The recipe called for 2 tablespoons but I was worried it would be too spicy for my kids to eat so I reduced this to 1 tablespoon.  I think this was a good call because the soup had just the right amount of "zip" for our family.  If you enjoy spicy I would go for both tablespoons.

Verdict:  We enjoyed this soup, and it made enough that you could have it as a meal with some nice bread and a salad.  I loved the texture and the flavors - not your typical creamy cauliflower soup.  This was not an overly cheesy cauliflower soup either -you could definitely taste the cheese, but it was subtle.  Using the sharp cheddar as the recipe called for, would probably have made it more so.  


Here is a link to the recipe I used:
http://www.epicureselections.com/en/recipe/715/zippy-cauliflower-and-cheese-soup

Cheers!

P.S.  Cauliflowers are in season now and not expensive at the grocery store, making this the best time of year to make soup out of them!  

Sunday night dinner...Champagne Shrimp & Pasta

Sunday night at our house is a pretty social event.  We have an open invitation for our families and friends to come on over and join us around the dinner table.  Sometimes our table is set for six while other times it is all-out buffet style for sixteen or more.  Sometimes the seats are filled with only family members, other times neighbors and friends from both near and far places are added to the mix.  The one constant every Sunday is the warmth and welcome my family and I try to share with everyone around us.

Tonight we were eleven around the table, including three of our grown nephews, MDP, my mom, and a former home stay student. The boys told us this afternoon that they were coming for dinner and I know they are usually pretty hungry.  My originally planned turkey breast roast was definitely not going to fill everyone up!  Not a problem - menu changes or additions are normal fare around here on Sundays so I am quick to adapt with a recipe and ingredients from my pantry.

I chose a recipe for Champagne Shrimp and Pasta (allrecipes.ca) as I had a leftover bottle of champagne from New Year's, and a bag of wild Canadian shrimp in my freezer:

Notes:  I followed the recipe as per the original instructions except I doubled it so it would feed a crowd and substituted linguine for the angel hair pasta.  I tossed the pasta and sauce together in a big serving dish and added a few tablespoons of the parmesan cheese before mixing.

Verdict:  Everyone at the table loved it!  This is a pasta dish you could proudly serve your guests.  I read a review on the allrecipe website that said the reviewer felt it was a restaurant quality dish and I have to say that I agree.  The taste of the champagne is absorbed into the shrimp while cooking and tastes so good.  I would make this recipe again.

Here is a link to the recipe I used:
http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Champagne-Shrimp-and-Pasta/Detail.aspx?prop31=2

Cheers!