Butternut Squash and Chickpea Curry

I needed something that would be quick and easy, include ingredients that I had on hand, and would make enough for a couple of dinners...Jamie Oliver to the rescue!  This recipe popped up on my Twitter feed and it completely fit the bill.  My only complaint is that it isn't hot enough for me, but my kids enjoyed it (and I just added more chili to mine!)  For someone who doesn't love leftovers; I ate this all week and enjoyed it more and more as the flavours deepened!!

BUTTERNUT SQUASH & CHICKPEA CURRY
Ingredients:

1 butternut squash, peeled, seeded and diced into 1" chunks

1 tbsp freshly grated ginger

1 large onion, diced

4 cloves of garlic, minced

1 fresh red Thai chili sliced

1 bunch of fresh cilantro, leaves removed and stems finely diced

1 tbsp coconut oil

1 tsp mustard seeds

1 tbsp curry powder

1 tsp turmeric

1 large can of diced tomatoes

2- 400g cans of coconut milk

2-400g cans of chickpeas, drained and rinsed

• Melt coconut oil over medium high heat in a large skillet.  Add ginger, garlic, red chili and onion.  Stir frequently until golden brown.  Add mustard seeds, curry, and cilantro stems.  Saute until crispy.
• Add the turmeric, can of tomatoes with juice, and coconut milk.  Bring to a boil and add squash and chickpeas.  Reduce heat to medium and simmer until tender and sauce has thickened (approximately 25 to 30 mins).
• Serve over a bed of basmati rice.
• ENJOY!

Cobb Salad with Vinaigrette Dressing

I think my favourite salad is a Cobb Salad simply because it has so many ingredients that I love all put together in such a colourful and beautiful display!  Traditionally this is served with a creamy dressing, but this lighter vinaigrette is so delicious that you won't imagine putting anything else on top of your salad!!

COBB SALAD WITH VINAIGRETTE DRESSING

Ingredients:

DRESSING

1/4 cup red wine vinegar

2 tsp salt

1 tsp lemon juice

1 small garlic clove, minced

1 tsp coarsely ground black pepper

3/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1/4 tsp sugar

1/4 tsp dried mustard powder

3/4 cup of grapeseed or avocado oil

1/4 cup olive oil

SALAD

1 large container of mixed greens (choose one with 'sturdier' leaves like romaine, kale and endive)

2 baked chicken breasts, diced

2 medium tomatoes, diced (I used a mixture of a small yellow,red and orange tomatoes for colour)

3 hard boiled eggs, sliced

1/2 cup blue cheese, crumbled

6 strips of bacon, cooked and diced

• In a blender combine the first 8 ingredients for the dressing.  Slowly add the oils in a steady stream.  Place in a serving container and set aside.
• Cover a large serving platter with the mixed greens.  Arrange the chicken, tomatoes, eggs, cheese and bacon over the greens in rows. Grind black pepper over top.
• Serve with the dressing and ENJOY!

Feta Artichoke Bites

Yet another easy, economical and tasty appetizer that I made for our annual Xmas Open House and upon looking through my draft file, realized that it didn't get published?!

FETA ARTICHOKE BITES

Ingredients:

1 jar (7 1/2 oz) marinated artichoke hearts

1 cup diced seeded tomatoes

1 cup crumbled feta cheese

1/3 cup grated Parmesan cheese

2 green onions, thinly sliced

1 baguette

• Drain artichokes, reserving 2 tbsp marinade.  Chop artichokes and place in a large bowl.  Stir in the tomatoes, cheeses, onions and reserved marinade.  Cover and refrigerate for 1 hour.
• Cut baguette into 1/2" slices.  Spread with artichoke mixture.  Place on an ungreased baking sheet.  Broil 4 to 6" from the heat for 4 - 5 minutes or until edges of bread are browned.  
• Serve immediately.

  

Fruity Beef Curry

As we have a freezer full of "Cooper's Farm's" hormone and antibiotic free, pasture raised, Angus-grade beef, and I was wishing I was somewhere far warmer than home, I created this sweet and succulent curry which fit the bill perfectly!

FRUITY BEEF CURRY

Ingredients

2 tsp EVOO

1 lb lean ground beef

1 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 cups chopped onion

1 tbsp cumin seeds

2 tsp coarsely grated fresh gingerroot (or 1/2 tsp ground ginger)

1 tsp turmeric

1/2 tsp ground cardamom

1 bay leaf

1/8 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp dried crushed red chilis

3 medium sized tomatoes, chopped

2 McIntosh apples, peeled, cored and chopped

Juice and grated peel of 1 medium lemon

1/2 cup sultana raisins.

2 medium bananas, cut into 1" pieces

1 cup chopped, ripe mango

2 tbsp liquid honey

• Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  Add ground beef and salt and saute until beef is no longer pink.  Add next 8 ingredients.  Stir together and cook for approx. 5 mins, stirring often until onion is soft.
• Add next 4 ingredients, stir and cook covered for about 5 minutes, stirring occasionally until apple just begins to soften.
• Add banana, mango and honey.  Stir, cook covered for 1 to 2 minutes, or until heated through and fruit is just slightly softened.  Remove and discard bay leaf.
• Serve over basmati rice and ENJOY! 

Slow Cooker Beef Stew

I am having a bit of a love affair with my slow cooker lately!  I just enjoy being able to plop all the ingredients into it, covering the dish and leaving it all day.  When it is dinnertime, VOILA!  Dinner is ready and I'm not spending tons of time in the kitchen (instead I am using it much more effectively by helping the kids do their homework...sigh!) 
This is one of my go-to easy peasy beef stews which has a changeable recipe depending on what root vegetables I have.  Sometimes for kicks I throw in parsnips, sweet potatoes, and turnips!  Experiment with whatever you have in your vegetable bin and try it for yourself!

SLOW COOKER BEEF STEW

Ingredients:

2 lbs stewing beef, in 1/2" cubes

1/2 cup all-purpose flour

 1 1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp black pepper

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp Worcestershire sauce

2 cups beef stock

1 garlic clove, chopped or minced

1 bay leaf

4 carrots, diced (or 1 lb bag of whole baby carrots)

2 onions, diced

1 rib celery, diced

3 potatoes diced in 1" cubes

2 cups tomatoes, diced

• Place meat in the slow cooker. 
• Combine flour, salt, and paprika in a small bowl.  Stir into meat until coated well.
• Gently stir in remaining ingredients, combining well.
• Cover.  Cook on low for 8 to 10 hours, or high for 3 to 4 hours.
• Stir well before serving and ENJOY!

*I generally prepare this in the morning so I can cook it on low - I just find that this low and slow cooking style makes the beef far more tender than cooking it on high!*

Baked Farfalle with Prosciutto and Mushrooms

This is one of those comforting type of pasta dishes that can be frozen and reheated or just eaten immediately because it smells soooo good!  Personally I find there are fewer seductive savoury flavours than the combination of cremini mushrooms, whipping cream and prosciutto together!!!  Try this with a glass of crisp white wine and you'll know what I mean!

BAKED FARFALLE WITH PROSCIUTTO & MUSHROOMS

Ingredients:

1 tbsp EVOO

4 oz prosciutto, diced

1 onion, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

3 cups sliced cremini mushrooms (about 250g)

1 1/2 tsp dried basil

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup white wine

1 can (28 oz/796mL) of diced tomatoes

2 tbsp tomato paste

1/3 cup whipping cream

5 cups farfalle pasta (bow tie)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley

1/2 cup grated Parmesan Reggiano cheese

• 
  
  In a large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; saute prosciutto until golden, about 5 minutes.
• 
  
  Add onion, garlic, mushrooms, basil pepper & salt; saute until mushrooms are golden, about 8 minutes.  Add wine and boil until almost no liquid remains, about 1 minute.
• 
  
  Add tomatoes, stir in tomato paste and bring to a boil.  Reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes.  Add cream; simmer until thickened (approx. 5 mins) *At this point you could cool the mixture for 1/2 hr and then refrigerate in an airtight container for 24 hrs if you want to make ahead*
• 
  
  In a large pot of boiling, salted water, cook farfalle until tender but firm, approx. 10 minutes.  Drain and return to pot.  Add sauce and parsley; toss to coat.
• 
  
  Transfer to a 2.5L baking dish, sprinkle with Parmesan Reggiano and bake for 30 minutes, or until bubbly, in a 375F oven.
• 
  
  ENJOY!!

My New Pressure Canner & Beef Barley Soup/Hearty Chili

Well I decided, after looking at my brimming freezer full of Cooper's beef, pork and chicken, that I need to figure out another way to preserve these low acid foods. Although I love my freezer, if left too long, meat gets freezer burnt and unusable. Last year I did a tremendous amount of traditional canning and our family and friends have benefited from the wonderful jams, chutneys, sauces and pickles that I made...so why not figure out a way to preserve whole meals and have the ULTIMATE in convenience foods?

I knew about pressure canners from my Bernardin book, but had never actually seen one (the stores are full of pressure cookers, but don't mistake the two!) Foods that are low in acid, such as homemade soups, sauces, vegetables, meat, fish and seafood require heat processing at higher temperatures than that of boiling water to prevent growth of spoilage organisms that can lead to botulism, which is a deadly form of food poisoning. Low acid heat processing times have been established using pressure canners (large vessels). Pressure cookers differ in design and function from pressure canners and are therefore, not suitable for home canning!!

Finally in Canadian Tire I found my 22qt. weighted gauge pressure canner for $129. I balked a little at the price, but then reasoned that I will now be able to create chilis, stews and a variety of soups and have them shelf stable...and at hand to create a nutritious meal for my family in a moment's notice (and frankly my time is definitely worth the money!!)

The nicest thing about pressure canning is that you use such a high temperature to preserve the food, that there's no need to sterilize your jars and lids ~ what a time saver! I just dish washered them and filled them as with normal canning (putting the lids and rings in hot water, wiping down the rims of the jars and then placing the lids on the jars finger tight). The rest was so easy that I wondered what I was worrying about all this time?!

BEEF BARLEY SOUP

Ingredients:

2 tbsp EVOO

1 lb stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1" cubes

2 tbsp all-purpose flour

2 onions, chopped

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 carrots, chopped

2 stalks of celery, chopped

1 tsp dried thyme

1/2 tsp crumbled dried sage

5 cups homemade beef stock (or low sodium)

1/2 cup red wine

1 can (19oz) chopped tomatoes

2 cups water

1/2 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/4 tsp salt (or to taste)

1/2 cup pearl or pot barley (both are polished and can be used interchangeably)

• In a large Dutch oven, heat oil over medium-high heat. Toss the beef cubes with the flour and in batches, brown all over. Transfer each batch to a plate and drain any fat from the pot.
• Increase heat to high and saute the onions, garlic, carrots, celery, thyme and sage. Stir often for approximately 2 minutes or until the vegetables are softened and light brown.
• Stir stock and wine into pot and cook for 1 minutes, stirring and scraping up any brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the beef, tomatoes, water, pepper and salt. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered for 1 1/2 hrs, or until the beef is tender.
• Add the barley, cover and simmer for 30 minutes more, or until tender.
• ENJOY!

HEARTY CHILI

Ingredients:

4 lbs stewing beef, trimmed and cut into 1/2" cubes

1/4 cup EVOO

3 cups diced onions

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 tbsp chili powder

2 tsp each cumin seed and salt

1 tsp dried oregano

1/2 tsp each pepper, ground coriander, crushed red pepper flakes

6 cups undrained and chopped tomatoes

• In a large pot, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown beef in batches and remove to a plate. Drain excess oil from pot.
• Saute onions and garlic in pot until soft (1 to 2 minutes). Add remaining spices and cook for 5 minutes. Add beef, tomatoes and stir, scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the pot.
• Boil gently, uncovered, for 45 to 60 minutes, stirring occasionally.
• *If canning add the pinto or kidney beans when reheating, otherwise add at this point for 5 to 10 minutes.

If canning jars are warm ensure that the chili or soup is hot, otherwise both are to be room temperature. Place rack in the bottom of the pressure canner and add the recommended amount of hot water for warm jars, or room temperature water for cooler jars, to the bottom of the canner. After wiping the rims of the jars and firmly tightening the lids, place the jars on the rack. If you have enough 500mL jars to be processed, place a second rack on top of the first layer of jars and continue placing the jars in the canner. Tighten the lid and follow the manufacturers instructions for venting (10 minutes without gauge, then add gauge at the appropriate pressure). Process 500mL jars for 75 minutes, or 1L jars for 90 minutes. Once processing is complete, shut off the heat and allow the canner to completely cool ~ DO NOT ATTEMPT TO LOOSEN THE LID BY COOLING THE CANNER OR BANGING ON THE LID! Remove jars without tilting and cool upright and undisturbed for 24 hours. DO NOT RETIGHTEN SCREW BANDS!! After cooling check jar seals (which should be curved downwards, or they need to be processed immediately), remove screw bands and wipe dry. Replace bands if desired, label jars and store in a cool, dark place.

*Note: Canned foods should be used within one year of processing - make sure that you rotate your jars to ensure the oldest dates are in the front of your cupboard!