Chef Love-In #2 : Ina Garten -The Barefoot Contessa / Apple Crisp

I'm a BIG fan of Ina Garten. Best selling cookbook author, and star of the Food Network's The Barefoot Contessa. Ina lives a pretty spectacular life in East Hampton, New York with her husband Jeffrey. She once owned a specialty food shop in the Hamptons and then moved on to books and her own tv show.  What I like most about her books/show is that she shares her stylish recipe ideas with great energy and a sense of fun. Her passion for food and for creating special meals for family and friends shines through. Her recipes are foolproof, unique and delicious and I adore her!!! I have 5 of her 8 books...my sister has the other 3!!! :) Check out the Barefoot Contessa here.

The Barefoot Contessa's Apple Crisp (adapted)

This apple crisp is SPECTACULAR!! When I made it, my husband said...'keep this in your regular repertoire!!!'...You will LOVE this!!! It is one of the best I have ever had...and that is saying a LOT!!!

5 lbs of Macintosh apples
Grated zest of 1 lemon and 1 orange
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
2 tablespoons freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 teaspoons ground cinnamon

For the crisp topping:
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 cup granulated sugar
3/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1 cup oatmeal
1/2 pound cold unsalted butter, diced 

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Generously butter a 9 x 14 x 2-inch baking dish. Peel,and cut the apples into large wedges. Combine the apples with the zests, juices, sugar, and cinnamon. Pour into the dish.
To make the topping, combine the flour, sugars, salt, oatmeal, and cold butter in the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment. Mix on low speed until the mixture is crumbly and the butter is the size of peas (this can also be done by hand, but it's a little more work). Scatter evenly over the apples.
Place the crisp on a sheet pan and bake for one hour until the top is brown and the apples are bubbly. Serve warm. 

Wedges of apples waiting to be topped with the crisp mixture...

The topping...Sugar and butter...is there anything better???

After an hour in the oven, bubbling and brown and SO SO Good!!!

Happy Weekend! Make some apple crisp!!! You'll be VERY happy you did!

As Ina would say... "How easy was that?"....

A Birthday Dinner - Part 2 Carrot Cake w/ Cream Cheese Icing.

The Best Carrot Cake....adapted from Canadian Living

Bake one today, for someone you love....

Cream Cheese Icing - Adapted from Canadian Living

8oz cream cheese

1/4 cup of softened butter

2 tsp of vanilla

1- 1/2 cups of icing sugar

squeeze of lemon juice

Whip this together in the stand mixer or beat by hand until light and creamy. Frost once cake has cooled and sprinkle with chopped walnuts.

Happiest of Birthdays Mr. McComb!....xo

A Birthday Dinner - Part 1: Carrot Cake w/ Cream Cheese Icing

My husband celebrated his 48th Birthday on Thursday.
We are having some dear old friends over for dinner on Saturday night and I am making an Italian Feast.

I am chilling out this afternoon with the CBC, the dog, a cup of chai tea and the wonderful task of making CARROT CAKE for my sweetie...it's his favourite.
The recipe for this Carrot Cake is adapted from Canadian Living Magazine. It's an oldie, but a goodie and it's tried and true.
The Carrot Cake comes out moist and not overly spicy. The icing, made with cream cheese and icing sugar is yummy, and not too sweet.
Two secrets to this cake....1) Finely grate the carrot, and 2) the key ingredient in the cake is...crushed pineapple! Brilliant!

                     

CARROT CAKE RECIPE - Adapted from Canadian Living

 

2 cups all purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder\

1tsp baking soda

2 tsp cinnamon

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp nutmeg

3/4 cup of brown sugar

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 eggs

3/4 cup vegetable oil

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups finely grated carrots

1 cup drained canned crushed pineapple

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Pre-heat oven to 350. Grease and flour two round cake pans; set aside. In a large bowl whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg. In a stand mixer bowl, beat together the eggs, oil, vanilla and sugars until smooth; pour over the dry mixture and mix until just blended. add in carrots, pineapple and walnuts. Divide into prepared pans and bake for 35-40 mins. until done. 

 

 

 

                      

House smells so good...and Drake is in full relax mode...Time for a walk!

Happy Friday!

Will ice this cake tomorrow...check back in!

 



 

 

 



 

 



 



 

Happy New Year! Split Pea Soup

May 2014 be your best year yet!

I've missed my blog.
We've been away....3 glorious weeks of holidays and now it's back to business, back to school, back to regular life, eating well and exercise and yoga!!! Hope your holidays were joyful, restful and spent surrounded by friends and family.

How cold is this winter???

It's so ICY and SUPER COLD OUTSIDE (seems like all the time)!

So Today......
A crowd-pleasing, soul-warming Split Pea Soup.

 

I started with these ingredients:

 

2 medium onions chopped

3 cloves of garlic, minced

3 tbl of olive oil

3/4 tbl of dried oregano

3 carrots, diced

1 small potato, diced

1 small sweet potato, diced

8 cups of chicken stock *

750g bag of dried mixed legumes or dried split peas **

( OPTIONAL: I also had a ham bone  that I had frozen from Christmas Eve dinner which I added to the soup) 

 

*  When I need chicken stock in a pinch, and don't have time to make it (yes, homemade chicken stock IS the very best, and truthfully, I don't make it very often!!) I use BETTER THAN BOUILLON....Fabulous!!!

 

 

 

 

** The dried mixed legumes I used was SURAJ brand.

Combined mixture of lentils, green split peas and yellow split peas.

 

 

 Method: In a large dutch oven or heavy-bottomed soup pot, sauté the onions and garlic in the olive oil until onions are softened. Add in the diced sweet and white potatoes, and oregano. After several minutes, add the mixed legumes and then pour in your stock. Cover and simmer for 40 minutes making sure to stir often to make sure soup is not sticking on the bottom. Again, if you have a smoked ham hock or ham bone, then add it in for additional smoky flavour.

The soup will simmer-up lovely and thick. ENJOY!!! and STAY WARM!

 

 

           

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Restaurant Pick #2: XOLA -222A Queen St E. / McComb Mexican Salad Bowls

Oh Xola...you had me at 'ola'!!!

This sweet 17-seat authentic Mexican restaurant has been open in the Beach since the summer and I for one couldn't be happier. The place is really small (getting a table can be challenging during the dinner hour) but vibrant, cozy and colourful.

I absolutely love the ambience of the space. Whenever I am there I feel like I am a guest of the chef and I am waiting in her apartment while she cooks me something yummy and authentic. The wall does say 110% Mexican!!!.The owners and chefs are passionate about what they do...and to their credit, they do it SO well.

What I also really like is that they buy their meat from Royal Beef up on the Danforth.  Royal Beef is one of my ' go-tos' ...artisanal butchers, who have been serving Toronto for 25 years selling naturally-raised meats sourced from local traditional farms.



 

  Check out the amazing graffiti art wall - love it!

Ok, now for the food! It is so great!!! The chef/owner, Mali Fernandez (formerly of Embrujo Flamenco), originally hails from the Xalapa region of Veracruz on the gulf coast. She opened this restaurant to showcase the flavours of the 'Mexican motherland'.

Taquitos estilo Baja - Fish Tacos are a personal favourite!!! Three tacos are served with lightly battered pieces of  fried fish. They're topped with a crunchy coleslaw, avocado, jalapeño salsa and a lovely habanero mayo is drizzled over for an amazing taste sensation.

 

Chorizo and Scrambled Eggs served with a side of black beans and queso fresco (a light Mexican cheese similar to feta). Lightly scrambled eggs over a spiced diced chorizo.....delish.

 

The Xola Beef Burrito is a very popular item (at least one person per table had ordered it on the day I was there for lunch!), it is served with guacamole and is one of the best burritos in town. It is authentic through and through and tastes so delicious. Make sure you are hungry when you order it...it's huge!

 

 

 

In honour of my new favourite Mexican restaurant, I made my own McComb Mexican Salad Bowls for the family. 

McComb Mexican Salad Bowls (serves 6)

 

 

This is a delicious full meal deal in a bowl. It has lettuce, spiced grilled chicken, black bean paste, salsa (home-made or bottled), diced avocado, diced tomatoes, grated cheese and a dollop of sour cream. Super yummy!

 

For the Chicken:

6 Boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tbl cumin

1tbl chilli powder

cilantro chopped

2 garlic cloves chopped

lime juice and zest

1 tbl of chipotle peppers in adobo sauce (check out the Mexican section of your grocery store...you'll find it!)

salt and pepper

 

 

Marinate the chicken in the ingredients listed above, overnight or for a few hours in the fridge. On a grill or in a grill pan, sauté the chicken until cooked through. Set aside to rest for 10 minutes, then slice into strips.

 

Black Bean Paste

1 can of  drained black beans

 3 green onions diced

2 garlic cloves chopped

1 small onion diced

1 tomato diced

1 tsp cumin

s and p

dash of hot sauce

 

 (Saute onions, garlic and tomatoes until onions are soft, add in the can of drained black beans, cumin, green onion, s and p and a splash of hot sauce....simmer for 15mins and use a potato masher to turn it into a lovely paste. )

 

Remaining ingredients:

2 small heads of lettuce

2-3 tomatoes diced

2 avocadoes diced

chopped cilantro

2 limes

grated cheddar cheese

sour cream

salsa - your favourite bottled brand

a splash of balsamic vinegar

 

Fill 6 larger sized bowls with fresh green boston or romaine lettuce. Top with the sliced chicken. Add a spoonful of black bean paste, a large spoonful of salsa, and sprinkle diced tomatoes and avocadoes over the top. Finally add a dollop of sour cream, grate some cheddar cheese over the salad and top with some chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice...I also like mine with a little balsamic vinegar.

 

Super healthy and super good. Try it!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Chocolate Chip Banana Muffins

My mom is a great mom for many reasons. She has many talents, but one thing my kids love is that she`s fabulous at baking desserts and has always been the Queen when it comes to her homemade Banana Bread. I never thought that I`d stray from her tried and true recipe, but I believe that I have found a recipe that could definitely be considered stiff competition for my mom`s fabulous loaves and muffins.

 

 

These muffins have a lovely consistency...not too dry, and not overly moist. The extra 1/2 cup of chocolate chips helps  to make them absolutely decadent and the only other thing you will be in need of, is an ice cold glass of milk or a steaming hot cup of coffee ( with cream and a tiny bit of honey....just the way I like it!).

 

 

Recipe:

2 cups cake and pastry flour (salt and baking powder pre-mixed)

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 tsp baking soda

1 and 1/2 cups chocolate chips

2 large very ripe bananas , mashed

1/2 cup melted butter, cooled

1/4 cup milk

2 eggs 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk flour, baking soda and chocolate chips.

 

In a separate bowl, whisk together the bananas, butter, milk and eggs until well blended and no big banana chunks remain (I used my new, vintage egg beater to make the wet batter nice and creamy - worked like a dream - Thanks D and T!!)

 

 

Pour the wet batter into the dry batter and mix until just blended. Do not over mix your dough. Grease muffin tins or 9x5 inch loaf pan.

Bake in the center of the oven for approx. 25 mins for the muffins and approx. 55 mins for the loaf. Loaves and muffins should be a nice golden brown in colour when ready.

 

 

 

Let muffins cool for 15 mins. and then remove from the tins.

Home-made Goodness! 

 Have one, and then go to YOGA! Namaste!

 

 



A Night @ PC Cooking School / Chipotle Chicken & Pecan Squares

This past Tuesday evening, I had the pleasure of attending a cooking class with a few friends at the @Loblaws PC Cooking School. The class, led by Executive chef Jeffrey Marshall was very entertaining and informative. It was a Southern Spices themed class, and during the 2 hour class, we watched him make 6 courses!!! The lovely thing is, you get to eat everything he makes...the food was so good, we were absolutely stuffed by the time we hit the pecan squares with vanilla ice cream!!!

PC Cooking Class MENU

 

Chili Garlic Peanuts

 

Shrimp Jambalaya Soup

 

Spoonbread

 

Tomato and Black Bean Salad

 

Chipotle Chicken

 

Pecan Squares

 



         

Last night I made a Mexican themed dinner for my family using a few of Chef Jeffrey's recipes and a few of my own!

 

Chipotle Chicken ( serves 8 )

3 tbl of olive oil

6 cloves garlic, chopped

2 med onions, peeled and sliced

1 can of diced tomatoes (28oz)

1/4 cup ketchup

2 tbl of Dijon

3 tbl of brown sugar

2 tbl of chipotles in adobo

3 tbl of cider vinegar

3/4 tsp of cinnamon

s and p

16 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 tbl of honey

squeeze of lime juice

chopped fresh cilantro

 

 Use a small can of chipotles in adobo sauce, reserve 2 tbl and freeze the remaining for another use. In a large dutch oven, heat the oil and sauté the garlic and onions for 3-4 mins. Add in tomatoes, ketchup, Dijon, sugar, chipotles, vinegar, cinnamon and s & p. Bring to a boil. Brown the chicken thighs in another pan and then add to the sauce. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer for 30 mins. Squeeze in the honey, lime juice and sprinkle with freshly chopped cilantro.

       

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Served this over brown rice with Smashed Black Beans and Guacamole. 

 

Made the Pecan Squares too...
350 degree oven temp.
2/3 cup icing sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup butter unsalted
2/3 cup melted butter unsalted
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup cream
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar
4 cups chopped pecans

Line a 9x13 inch cake pan with parchment. In the bowl of a food processor, pulse together the icing sugar, flour and 1 cup of butter and pulse until crumbly. Press gently into the prepared baking dish and bake in the oven for 20-25 mins. While the crust is baking: In a large bowl, mix the melted butter, honey, cream, vanilla and brown sugar. Stir in the pecans. Spread this mixture over the baked crust, then return to the oven for 20-25 more mins. Cool completely and cut into squares.
SO SO GOOD!!!!!! (Especially with a cup of tea....or vanilla ice cream.....or both!!)

Happy Friday!