FNCCC: Mushroom Ravioli

Food Network Canada's April Cooking Club Challenge is Laura Calder's Mushroom Ravioli. Now for those of you outside Canada, Laura Calder is a fabulous Food Network star who is based in France, but comes to Canada every summer to make her show French Food at Home. Having little experience with cooking French food, I love her show because she makes it all seem so easy and manageable. This recipe is very simple too and I think a French twist on a classically Italian dish. I decided to use this challenge as an excuse to finally make my own pasta. I don't have a pasta machine and while I want one, it was quite easy to make this pasta by hand. In a effort to be more healthy after the month of grilled cheese indulgences, I made whole wheat pasta. While my pasta sheets aren't perfect shapes, I love how rustic they are and since the pasta was so easy to make I doubt how often I'll buy the box kind moving forward.

This dish should have come together quite easily, but as I was mid cooking I realized I forgot to defrost chicken stock and didn't pick up fresh thyme last time I was at the grocery store. Perfect reason why it's better when I plan ahead. A minor freak-out later, I made some quick substitutions that made for a nice dish. Laura's recipe didn't specify a type of mushroom so I chose to use King Oyster Mushrooms. I chose them because I have never cooked with them before and have also heard that they are very meaty. The boy doesn't always go for a vegetarian meal, so I figured my best chance for success with this one was an nice meaty mushroom. Also instead of using the brown butter sauce, I made my own lemon cream sauce. The ravioli recipe below is how I made them, with a link to Laura's original recipe.

Whole Wheat Pasta (no machine necessary)

2 eggs
2 cups of whole wheat flour
1/4 tsp salt
approx 1/2 cup of water

1. Mix together the salt & flour. Make a well in the center and break the eggs into it. Using a fork, start to scramble the eggs and slowly start to incorporate the flour into the eggs.
2. Once the eggs have been Incorporated into the flour, start to add water one Tbsp at a time, kneading the dough as you go, until all the flour is incorporated. I used 7 Tbsp of water, but use whatever it takes to get a nice smooth dough.
3. Flour your countertop or a large cutting board and the ball of dough. Start to roll out the pasta into a large rectangle. When you notice the dough starting to spring back, let it rest for about 10 minutes. You'll need to let it rest at least 3 or 4 times if you want to get your dough nice and thin.
4. Once it is rolled out cut into desired shape, for a rustic linguine carefully roll the dough into a jelly roll shape and slice using a sharp knife, use flour to keep the pasta from sticking together. I cut my piece into 12 squares for use in the ravioli.

Mushroom Ravioli
adapted from Laura Calder at foodtv.ca

1-1/2 pounds of king oyster mushrooms, cleaned and trimmed
2 Tbsp butter
A splash of olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
salt and pepper to season
A generous 1/2 cup of white wine
A generous handful of finely grated truffled Pecorino Romano, more for garnish
2 Tbsp dried thyme
8 sheets of whole wheat pasta (approx. 3 x 4 inch)

1. Cut the mushrooms into a 1/2" dice. Boil a large pot of water for the pasta.
3. Add a splash of olive oil and the butter to a sauté pan. Set the pan on high heat, and add the mushrooms, sautéing until slightly coloured. Add the garlic, season with salt and pepper, and continue cooking until the mushrooms are soft, approx. 4 minutes more.
4. Pour over the wine and boil to reduce to 2 tablespoons. Stir in the cheese. Taste, check the seasonings, adding a squirt of lemon juice if you like. Stir in the thyme and keep the mixture warm while you cook the pasta.
5. Generously salt the pasta water once it's boiling. Add the pasta and cook al dente. Drain.
6. Lay a sheet of pasta on each of four serving plates. Spoon the mushrooms onto the pasta. Top with a second pasta sheet. Drizzle over the cream sauce (see below). Garnish with more cheese, and serve immediately.

Lemon Cream Sauce

2 Tbsp Extra Virgin Olive Oil
1 shallot - minced
2 Tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp lemon zest - packed
1/2-3/4 cup half & half - at room temp
2 Tbsp butter
salt & pepper

1. Heat oil in a small sauce pan over medium heat. Add in shallots and saute until soft and translucent. Sprinkle in flour and mix together to make a roux.
2. Pour the half & half in, whisking constantly to combine. Add in lemon zest and butter and stir to melt. Season with salt & pepper to taste.


This was a lovely and very filling lunch, the boy gobbled his up and really seemed to like it. I enjoyed it too, the mushrooms have great flavor and using the wine instead of stock gave the whole dish a sweet undertone that was very nice. I was impressed with how well my homemade pasta turned out and am glad I went for whole wheat with this dish as it added even more depth and flavor. I will make sure next time I have fresh thyme to cook with the mushroom and will also try drizzling the dish in the sage brown butter recommended, since it is one of my faves.

Check out how everyone else fared over at the Food Network Canada Food for Thought Blog, they'll be up after the first of the month. Enjoy!

Grilled Cheese Goodness #4

Well here it is folks, my last grilled cheese of the month, this one is much like the Smoked Gouda and BBQ Chicken in that it was made from leftovers. Specifically leftover Rosemary Rubbed NY Strip with Chianti butter, stay tuned for the post to appear this week in my guest posting over at Domestic Divas. This is a super rich sammie that was inspired by the toasted roast beef subs we always had growing up. Mom with get nice pink roast beef and soft sub rolls, spread some mayo on the rolls, load up with roast beef and top with shredded mozzarella, stick it under the broiler to get the cheese all melty and devour it. I loved those sandwiches and when I has some delicious left over steak I had to try a new version of my old favorite.

Steak Grilled Cheese

Leftover steak (recipe to come for my rosemary rubbed steak)
Mozzarella cheese slices
Provolone cheese slices
Ciabatta loaf
Hellman's Olive Oil Mayo
Butter (I used Chianti butter, recipe to come with the rosemary steak)

1. Heat up panini grill according to directions, or place a fry pan over medium low heat. Slice ciabatta loaf to 1/2" thick slices. Butter one side of each slice of bread.
2. Layer sandwich in panini grill or on fry pan. Place one slice of bread butter side down, spread mayo (as much as you like), layer 1 slice of mozzarella and 1 slice of provolone (more if you want it extra cheesy), 1 layer of steak, 1 more slice of mozzarella and provolone, top with second slice of bread, butter side up.
3. Either close panini press and cook for 5 to 7 minutes until bread is toasty and cheese is melty. If using a fry pan cook on medium low until butter melts, carefully flip and repeat on other side. Cover fry pan and let sandwich slow cook until on side is golden brown and cheese begins to melt, flip cover and repeat on other side.
4. Let rest for a few minutes. Slice and enjoy.

I just received my panini press/indoor grill for Xmas, actually my brother did and realized he had no room in his shoebox of an apartment to keep it so I managed to score it. I was initially again hauling it out to use for one sandwich but it honestly makes, making a grilled cheese so much easier and faster I think it's all I'm going to use from now on. It can also apparently be used to grill meat and veggies, something I'll be trying out more next winter.

But I'm digressing, this sammie was delish and I think the perfect last post on this grilled cheese month. It would definitely work with any kind of steak, but I think there was a lot of added flavor with the rosemary rub and Chianti butter, make sure to stay tuned for the recipe on Domestic Divas. Enjoy!

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cupcakes with Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

A few weeks ago I promised two of my co-workers cupcakes if they help me finish the New York Times Crossword Puzzle. I was working days and they were here much later into the night, so it was something to when things got slow. I had left about 10 answers blank and they were able to get all but one. I figured that was pretty good for the Times Puzzle and set about to come up with a fun and special cupcake. I got some requests, but ultimately went with something I was excited about. Although I'm still thinking about a candy bar inspired cupcake, I went with my most recent inspiration. I'm not sure where this one came from, but I was at my desk the other day and the idea of a cinnamon brown sugar cupcake came to me and rather than do just a basic cream cheese frosting I thought blueberries would make it just a bit more special and a bit more springlike.

Cinnamon Brown Sugar Cupcakes
makes 16-18 cupcakes or 32-34 minis

2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup milk
1/2 cup room temperature butter
1 room temperature egg
1 cinnamon stick
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla
1 tsp ground cinnamon

1. Place milk and cinnamon stick in a small saucepan. Bring milk just to a boil and remove from heat cover and let cinnamon stick steep in milk for 3o minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 350F. In a large bowl, cream together butter and brown sugar until well combined and fluffy. Mix in egg and vanilla.
3. Mix together flour, baking powder salt and cinnamon. Add flour and milk alternately to the butter and sugar mixture, beginning and ending with the flour.
4. For mini cupcakes, place 1 Tbsp of mix into paper-lined cupcake tin. For regular cupcakes, place 2-3 Tbsp of mix into paper lined cupcake tin. Note: due to the baking powder the cupcakes rise, so fill each cup 1/2-2/3 full. Bake for 15-20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Remove to a cooling rack and cool completely before frosting.

Blueberry Cream Cheese Frosting

1 4.4 oz container of blueberries
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 Tbsp water
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 8 oz package of cream cheese - room temperature
1 stick butter - room temperature
2 lbs icing sugar

1. Place blueberries, lemon juice, water and cinnamon in a small saucepan and cook over medium low heat until blueberries start to break down to form a sauce. Cook until liquid reduces to a syrupy consistency. Set aside to cool completely.
2. In a large bowl, beat together cream cheese and butter. Add icing sugar 2 Tbsp at a time until extremely stiff (more stiff that you'd normally like since the blueberries will thin out the icing a bit) you may not need all the icing sugar.
3. Gently fold in the blueberry mixture. If the icing have loosed up too much, beat in a few more Tbsp of icing sugar. Ice cupcakes with an offset spatula or piping bag and tip.

I have to say these are my most favorite cupcakes that I've made to date. Just the right amount of cinnamon flavor with the fresh burst of blueberries and cream cheese. Yum! My co-workers agreed and really seemed to like them. Although they like when I bring anything in so I am beginning to wonder if they would tell me if something was bad. The litmus test was the boy, a professed hater of cream cheese frosting and something that was nearly our demise a few months ago due to my love of cream cheese frosting, but he LOVED these. When I was leaving for work, he asked that I just leave him one mini cupcake to taste and ended up being bummed I didn't leave more. These will definitely be my new go-to cupcake, until of I come up with something else of course. Enjoy!

T&C: Grilled Chicken Wings with a Chipotle Dry Rub

This month is my first time participating in Taste & Create, a blogging event where you are paired up with another blogger and you try a recipe from your partner's site and they try one from yours. I think it's a great idea because not only did it introduce me to a new food blog, but it means someone (that's not a friend or family) has to try one of my recipes!

My partner was Jeff from Culinary Disasters, he tried out my Maple Whiskey Pulled Chicken and seemed to enjoy, which makes me feel all warm and fuzzy inside. I was torn between the wings and his chocolate covered bacon with extra sprinkles! The bacon was intriguing to me because I recently ate at Animal Restaurant in LA where they have a Chocolate Bacon Crunch Bar, that was a bit disappointing. The flavors just didn't pop for me and I was excited for what I imagined to be a delicious salty & sweet treat. I wanted to try out Jeff's take in an attempt to get the deliciousness I had hoped for. That being said it seemed like an easy way out for my first Taste & Create go. So I went with dry rubbed wings, most because I love chipotle but also because the boy loves wings. I also loved the idea of grilling rather than baking or frying.


Grilled Chicken Wings with a Chipotle Dry Rub
from Culinary Disasters

chicken wings
1 teaspoon paprika
2-3 dried chipotle peppers (I had never worked with dried peppers before so I intended on using 2, but had trouble getting the 2nd one ground down with my mortal and pestle and it was late so I used 1 pepper and 1/2 tsp of ground chipotle chile spice)
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon onion powder
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cumin
Pinch of black pepper
4 TB of unsalted butter melted

Combine the dry ingredients, taste, and adjust.

Pat the wings dry, brush on the unsalted butter, and then sprinkle the rub over to coat.

I have found that a medium temperature on the grill is the perfect temperature for grilling chicken wings without torching them and taking half a lifetime to finish. If you don’t have a grill, still getting snow, or to windy then a 350 degree till the wings are done (about 30-45 minutes depending on thickness.

We are a fan of blue cheese dipping sauce in our house so I made some homemade sauce to go with these wings. Not sure Jeff would approve as he seems to be anti-sauce, to each their own.

Blue Cheese Dipping Sauce

1/4 cup blue cheese crumbles
3 Tbsp mayonnaise
3 Tbsp sour cream
1 Tbsp red wine vinegar
Fresh cracked pepper

Mix all ingredients together and set aside in the fridge to let the flavors marry while making the wings. Garnish with a bit of paprika before serving.

These were a massive hit with the boy. He already has it planned for me to make them up at the cottage this weekend and called them "a winner" a compliment that doesn't get thrown around often. I really enjoyed them, but because of the way I made them (with 1 pepper and chipotle powder) they weren't as spicy as I would like. I take responsibility for that as I was making them at 10pm, got frustrated with a pepper in my mortar and pestle (and subbed in the cile powder) and was admittedly being conservative with the spice. There was some heat, about the equivalent to a mild to medium wing, I was just looking for a bit more and will adjust accordingly on the next go. One note on the amount of spice rub, I made about 1 1/2 lbs of wings and the spice rub was just barely enough. I'd say the recipe as written is good for 1 lb of wings if you want a good spicy crust.

All in all I enjoyed my first Taste & Create and will for sure make some of Jeff's chocolate covered bacon in the near future. Enjoy!

Grilled Cheese Goodness #3

I'm a bit behind on my promise of a grilled cheese per week this month, working nights will do that to you. I think I made up for it with this amazingly delicious treat. I love cheese with fruit and anything sweet as is demonstrated in my first sammie of the month with the Apricot Mustard. But I especially like apples with cheese and figured what could be better in a grilled cheese than a Granny Smith. We had some Rosenberg blue cheese leftover from delicious burgers the boy made a few weeks ago and I decided to pair that with a homemade green apple chutney and since the blue cheese is so strong I toned it down with some Emanthaler cheese. All in all it was a perfectly tasty and rich sandwich.

Grilled Cheese with Green Apple Chutney
makes 2 Sandwiches

4 slices of whole wheat bread
1/2 wedge of Rosenberg Blue Cheese - cut into thin slices or crumbled
2-4 slices of Emanthaler cheese or any type of Swiss
Apple Chutney (see recipe below)

1. Preheat your panini press according to the directions for making sandwiches. Layer blue cheese and 1/2 to a whole slice of Emanthaler on 2 slices of bread. Go easy with the blue cheese as it's strong and will get very melty and spread, just be sure the slices has a nice thin layer of cheese. Top with 1/2 of the apple chutney. Top chutney with another thin layer of cheeses and remaining slices of bread.
2. Place one sandwich at a time onto the press (unless it can handle two at a time). Close press and toast for 5-7 minutes, until toasty grill marks appear. Remove from press let sit for 3 minutes, cut and serve.

Green Apple Chutney

1 medium Granny Smith apple - peeled and cut into 1/2" dice
2 slices red onion - diced
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp lemon juice
2 Tbsp dry white wine
1 cinnamon stick
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 Tbsp sugar

1. In a small saucepan heat olive oil over medium heat. Add apples into heated pan and saute over medium heat for 5 minutes. Add in onion and saute for another 5 minutes.
2. Add in cinnamon stick, ginger, sugar lemon juice and wine. Stir to combine. Cook over low heat for 10 minutes until apples get tender and juices reduce down. The apples should be soft but still hold their shape, you don't want it to be like applesauce.
3. Remove from heat and serve or use in a fabulous grilled cheese.



I chose to use my panini press to make this sandwich because I knew I wouldn't need to butter the bread to get it all toasty and delicious. I love blue cheese and was excited to use it this way, but recognize that's it's extremely rich and didn't think the sandwich needed the additional richness from the butter. The panini press was a good call and the bread was perfectly toasty and the sandwich was perfect even without the butter. That being said if you don't have a panini press this can of course be made traditionally in a pan with buttered bread like this one. If you are in the market for a panini press check out the Breville one I have in my Amazon store, while I haven't tried it yet it can also be used to grill meats and veggies. Either way you make this sandwich will work and while it takes a bit more time than some of my others, it's still extremely easy and well worth the extra time to make the homemade chutney. Enjoy!

Debbie Cookies

These cookies are a treat that the boy actually baked. They are something a family friend of his made when he was growing up and he LOVED them. So much in fact, that with all the baking I've been doing he really wanted to make these cookies. His sister sent along a list of ingredients with no directions so I helped him figure it out as he went. He was extremely pleased at how well they turned out, exactly as he remembered. I was so happy that he wanted to bake!

Debbie Cookies

1/2 cup shortening
1/2 cup dark brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 egg
3/4 cup flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup rolled oats
1/4 cup butterscotch chips
1/4 cup chocolate chips

1. Preheat oven to 350F. In a medium bowl mix together flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt and oats. In a large bowl cream together shortening and sugar. Mix egg into sugar & shortening.
2. Add dry ingredients into wet and carefully mix. Mix in butterscotch and chocolate chips. Drop tablespoons of dough onto a prepared cookie sheet, I use cooking spray and parchment paper. Leave room between each drop, as the cookies spread when they bake.
3. Bake cookies, one sheet at a time for 10-12 minutes. Remove sheet from oven and remove cookies to a cooking rack.


I really liked these cookies, they are crispy on the edges and deliciously chewy at the center. I may try making them with whole wheat flour (but don't tell the boy!) because I think it will work well with the oats. These are so simple and something I recommend making the next time you are considering making chocolate chip cookies, as they are just as satisfying and way more special. Enjoy!

Oven Roasted Broccoflower

We first bought broccoflower a few months ago and really enjoyed it. The first time we had it I just steamed it and the next time the boy pureed it with some cauliflower and mashed potatoes for a Shepherd's pie topping which aside from the slight greenish tint was absolutely delicious. This most recent go I decided to oven roast it and now think this is my favorite treatment of broccoflower. Easy and full of flavor it's something I highly recommend trying out.

Oven Roasted Broccoflower

1 head brocoflower - washed and separated into equal sized florets
1 tsp garlic powder
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
1/2 tsp Himalayan pink salt
fresh cracked pepper
2 Tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1. Preheat oven to 400F. Toss broccoflower with olive oil, garlic powder, salt & pepper.
2. Spread on a baking sheet in one layer. Lay rosemary sprigs on top of the broccoflower. Roast in preheated oven for 25 minutes or until tender with nice golden bits. Enjoy!

I don't post too many vegetable dishes on here because I'll be honest veggies aren't my favorite. I know I need to eat them and have been consciously trying to eat more lately. This recipe is the first of hopefully many where I'll be playing around with different vegetables and recipes. It's also a fabulous recipe, oven roasting vegetables really brings out the flavors and just makes them delicious! I found Himalayan pink salt at my local grocery store and decided to try it out. The package said it's good for roasting and I have to agree. You can of course use sea salt or what ever your salt of preference is. Enjoy!

Grilled Cheese Goodness #2

This weeks ooey gooey grilled cheese came about based on some left overs we had, namely the Maple Whiskey Pulled Chicken. The boy was away for work last week and had to listen to me plan out different grilled cheese creations. After torturing him like that I knew once he was home, I had to make him something delicious and wanted to try something I hadn't before. Reusing leftovers was also key. I know most people hate leftovers but turning one meal into two or even three is a great way to save money and really forces you to be creative. While this use of the pulled chicken is that different from how I originally served it it's a twist that was tasty and satisfying especially if you give yourself a couple day break between.

Smoked Gouda Grilled Cheese
serves 2

4 slices Prairie Grain Raisin Bread - this is something my local grocery store bakery makes, but you can easily use any kind of honey oat bread and get the same flavors
4 1/8" thick slices of Smoked Gouda - if your deli doesn't slice it cut enough to cover each piece of bread in a thin layer
1/2 cup of Maple Whiskey Pulled Chicken
3 Tbsp butter

1. Warm up pulled chicken either in the microwave for a minute or so out in a saute pan over medium heat. Reheat until warmed all the way through.
2. Butter one side of two slices of bread. Place a small fry pan over low heat. Place one slice of bread buttered side down in warmed pan, layer 1 slice (or layer) of cheese on the bread. Top with half of the heated chicken, one more slice of smoked Gouda and the remaining slice of bread, buttered side up.
3. Cover pan and let sandwich cook on low until butter is melted. Carefully flip and cover pan and repeat on the other side. Flip again, cover and keep on low until bread is golden brown and toasty. This will take up to 5 minutes or so. Flip and repeat on the other side. Remove finished sandwich to a cutting board.
4. Repeat steps 2 and 3 with the remaining ingredients. Let each sandwich rest a minute or two before cutting.


The Smoked Gouda wasn't as melty as I had hoped, but cooking the sandwich low and slow and keeping it covered got the cheese to melt. The creaminess of the cheese really complemented the chicken and the prairie bread. The chicken is the in-your-face star of this sandwich, but the cheese is what really makes it special, the mellow smokiness completes it. Enjoy!

YWPWT: Lifestyles of the Rich & Famous Pie

For April's Pies With That Challenge the theme is Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous chosen by two love ladies, Natashya from Living in the Kitchen with Puppies and Jacque from Daisy Lane Cakes:

We’ve watched their movies, gone to their concerts, read about them in the history books. Now’s our chance to bake them a pie.

Presenting, “Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous” Pie.

That’s right, you get to go all out in the kitchen this month, making a special pie based on someone famous. Or you can pretend you’re making it for them (it’s always nice to have a pie idea at the ready, just in case Brad Pitt decides to drop by, you know.) Your famous person can be a celebrity, movie star, rock star or group, sports star, or even historical figure. Basically, anyone who’s had more than just 15 minutes of fame.

A few examples of Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous pie might be:

Madonna, Put Some Pants On Pie

Trump Needs a New Hairdresser Pie

George Clooney Moussey Pie

Bogie and Bacall We'll Always Have Paris Pie

Have fun and we can’t wait to see what you come up with.

I had some trouble coming up with something for this one and after much thought I finally settled on something old school. Everyone knows that Elvis' favorite sandwich is peanut butter and banana. Peanut butter and banana is also one of my favorite combinations so what better time to turn it into a pie. I made a couple small, individual pies, but wrote the recipe for one standard 9" pie.


Elvis' Falling in Love with Peanut Butter Banana Cream Pie

Single Pie Crust - I used my go to recipe and just froze what I didn't use
2 3/4 cups chilled whipping cream, divided
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup peanut butter chips
2 Tbsp creamy peanut butter - not the all natural kind or freshly ground
3 Tbsp sugar
2-3 bananas - cut into 1/4" slices

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Roll out crust for a 9" pie plate. Lay in plate, prick holes all over with a fork. Line crust with foil and fill with pie weights or dried beans or rice. Bake for 20 minutes covered. Then remove foil weights and bake for another 10-15 minutes until golden brown (I could have baked my mini pies a bit longer to get the crust more golden)
2. Remove crust from oven and let cool completely (for a couple hours).
3. Using a double boiler melt peanut butter chips with 3/4 cup of heavy cream, stirring the whole time. Once melted, remover from heat and whisk in vanilla and peanut butter. Let cool until just lukewarm.
4. Beat 1 cup of cream with 2 Tbsp of sugar until just before stiff peaks form. Carefully fold in peanut butter mixture in 3 additions.
5. Spread 1/2 of the peanut butter mousse into the cooled pie plate. Top with a layer of sliced bananas. Top with remaining peanut butter mousse and refrigerate overnight or for at least 4 hours.
6. Just before serving beat 1 cup of heavy cream with 1 Tbsp sugar and a drop of banana creme flavoring. Beat until stiff. Spread on top of pie, leaving some of the peanut butter mousse exposed. Top with a few more banana slices.

I was nervous that the peanut butter flavor would overpower the banana flavor, which is why I added the banana flavoring to the whipped cream. It was actually all very subtle, smooth and delicious, which is how I cam up with the title. Elvis' (Can't Help) Falling in Love with You is such a smooth song that it fit perfectly with this pie that after one bite, you can't help but fall in love with. It initially tastes just like a banana creme pie and finishes with a great peanut butter flavor. Overall this one is a winner and one I will make again.

Head on over to You Want Pies With That after April 8 to see what the other ladies came up with.

Enjoy!

Maple Whiskey Pulled Chicken

If you are a regular reader of my blog you might have noticed that I use the slow cooker regularly and often use it to make pulled meats. Mostly it's been pork, but since chicken was on sale last week decided to do a twist on the BBQ Pulled Chicken I made last summer. Being in Canada it only seemed fit to use some pure Canadian maple syrup for sweetness and you can't go wrong with booze in BBQ sauce.

Maple Whiskey Pulled Chicken

2 1/2 lbs of chicken (I used 4 large boneless chicken breasts and 4 boneless chicken thighs)
1 cup of low sodium tomato sauce
1/4 cup cider vinegar
1/2 cup maple syrup
1/4 cup whiskey
1 Tbsp tomato paste
1 Tbsp smoked paprika
1/4 - 1/2 tsp cayenne
2 tsp chili powder
1 Tbsp grainy mustard
1 1/2 tsp hickory liquid smoke
1 medium onion - chopped
3 cloves garlic - minced
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/2 tsp fresh cracked pepper

1. In a 6 quart slow cooker mix together all the ingredients, except the chicken. Add in chicken and cook on low for 5 hours.
2. When cook time is up, remove chicken pieces and shred with two forks. Return shredded meat to sauce and mix it all together. Serve on warmed multi-grain rolls with red onion and 3 year old cheddar.


This pulled chicken is delicious. You are hit with the heat of cayenne on your first bite, but it finishes with the sweetness of the maple syrup. It's very different from the other pulled meats I've made, mostly because I usually use chipotle peppers which give an underlying heat throughout. I like the way the heat comes first and the sweet finishes off, it's great on a sandwich and also good scrambled in with some eggs. The boy was a fan too, especially since he initially thought it was pork! It was my first time using liquid smoke and it definitely added a much need flavor element to this dish, making it taste more authentic and almost like summer.

This is a super easy slow cooker meal that you can set to cook when you leave for work and even if it turns down to warm for a few hours before you get home it just infuses the flavor in the meat that much more. Enjoy!

Baked Eggs

Since we've both been working alot lately, there hasn't been much time for grocery shopping. Even when I do get to shop I don't plan out meals and generally just get basics. I cook when I can, which is usually the weekends and lately I've had to get creative with what I find in the house. That's how this dish came about. Canned tomatoes are always in my pantry, whether its to make a marinara or for soup or for anything I else I can think of, I always have them on hand. Eggs are another staple. The baguette was something that was stale and just about ready for the green bin but I decided to re-use much in the way Italian Peasants would in Pappa al Pomodoro, something I hope to make soon. What came about was a hearty breakfast or brunch dish that was full of flavor and so simple to make.


Baked Eggs

1 large can of diced tomatoes
1/2 day old baguette - cut into a 1" dice
1 small onion - roughly chopped
1 clove of garlic - minced
2 tsp Herbs de Provence
5 Eggs
5 thin slices of Oka Cheese - or whatever cheese you have on hand
salt & pepper

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add in onions and garlic and saute until onions become translucent, making sure not to brown the garlic. Add in the Herbs de Provence and saute for another few minutes, again being mindful not to brown the garlic.
2. Pour the tomatoes into the saucepan, add salt & pepper and simmer for 5 minutes, until the flavors begin to combine. Taste and add more salt & pepper as necessary.
3. Lightly oil a baking dish or pie plate (I used my Emile Henry Pie Plate because it was the only thing I had that was the right size) and spread the bread cube in a single layer. Pour the tomato mixture into the pie plate and break the eggs on top, keeping the yolks in tact.
4. Bake in the oven for 20-30 minutes until the eggs whites become opaque. Remove dish from the oven and strategically place the slices of cheese over the eggs. Return to the oven and bake for another 5 minutes until cheese become melty and bubbly. Serve.


This was delicious! What started out as something I was just throwing together with some things I had in the house, became a new breakfast fave. The eggs ended up cooked over medium, which isn't normally the way I like them, but it worked perfectly here. Monitor the eggs as you bake, to get them cooked to your liking, but as I baked them worked very well. Next time you have some leftover stale bread or friends friends over for brunch, make this dish.

I used Oka cheese because we had it int he fridge, although I've become such a fan that I think it's something we'll always have from now on. But any semi-soft cheese would be nice. Crumbled goat or feta would taste very nice as well. Play around with it. Enjoy!

Grilled Cheese Goodness #1

Here we are with my first official Grilled Cheese Month post. This may be my favorite food holiday all year, so excuse me if I go a bit overboard with the posts! This first sandwich I threw together with stuff we just had on hand in the house. It's simple and basic but oh-so-delicious! The star of this sammie is a delicious semi-soft cheese out of Quebec called Oka. Its name comes from the town in Quebec where it was originally made in 1893. It's got a very pungent aroma and is soft creamy on the tongue with a slight nutty flavor. I first tried it when I was at the Toronto Wine & Cheese Show and fell in love. It's a very versatile cheese that I can't wait to use in Mac & Cheese, on pizza and who knows who knows what else! Post any ideas in the comments.

Oka & Apricot Grilled Cheese
makes 2 sandwiches

4 slices of multi-grain bread sandwich bread
3 Tbsp of room temperature butter - for easy spreading
Oka Cheese - don't have exact measurement, enough for a nice layer on the bread
Apricot Mustard (recipe below)

1. Heat a skillet over medium low heat. Spread a generous layer of Apricot Mustard on two slices of bread. Top mustard with a layer of Oka Cheese, slices should be 1/8"-1/4" thick it melts really well so you don't need a ton, just a single layer. Top with remaining slices of bread.
2. Butter top of sandwich. Carefully place in skillet, buttered side down. Butter other side of sandwich.
3. Cover skillet and cook sandwich on low just until the butter on the skillet side is completely melted. Carefully flip and repeat on other side. Flip again and bring the burner up to medium heat. Cook until ones side becomes golden brown and toasty, flip and repeat on other side.
4. Take out of skillet, let sit for 3 minutes (this step isn't necessary and really hard to do if you are hungry! but helps in the sandwich being a little less oozy than in the picture), cut in half and serve.


Apricot Mustard

Mix 1 part Dijon mustard with 1 1/2 parts apricot jam. Mix until well combined. Taste and add more jam as needed.


This sandwich was simple and oh-so-delicious! Oka is a great cheese for grilled cheese because it melts beautifully, with no oil separation. Basically most semi-soft cheese will work well in grilled cheese, but the flavor of this cheese is just amazing and the nuttiness pairs perfectly with the sweet tang of the Apricot mustard. I used a jam that had apricot chunks in it which made it all the better.

The boy is out of town for work so you don't have the benefit of his take on this one, although I made him a plain Oka grilled cheese over the weekend, which he loved. And the Apricot Mustard is similar to the dipping sauce I made with the onions rings, which he also liked. I have a feeling I'll be making this one again for him, have to go buy some more Oka.
Every cheese monger around here carries Oka, but I'm not sure how easy it is to find in the States. Not to worry though, the Springbank Cheese Co ships Oka and many other cheeses to the U.S. Enjoy!

Beef Stroganoff

Here's another of Grandma's recipes. More accurately it's my adaptation of Grandma's recipe. Her's used onion soup mix and canned mushrooms, I replaced the canned mushrooms with fresh, but kept the onion soup mix. Next time I attempt bee Stroganoff I'll cut out the soup mix, as I think it has a bit too much sodium. That being, said this dish had some great flavor and is one I'll definitely be making again.

Beef Stroganoff

2 Tbsp olive oil
2 lbs sirloin - sliced into strips
2 lbs sliced button mushrooms
3 Tbsp whole wheat flour
1 envelope onion soup mix
2 1/4 cups water
1 cup low-sodium beef broth
1/2 cup sour cream
1 lb whole wheat egg noodles
1 handful of flat leaf parsley chopped

1. Heat 1 Tbsp oil in a large skillet. Add in sliced mushrooms and cook for 2 minutes until begin to brown. Add in beef broth and let simmer until mushrooms are cooked through and broth begins to reduce (approx 5-10 mins). Remove mushrooms with a slotted spoon to a bowl and reserve the beef broth.
2. Heat another Tbsp of olive oil in skillet and brown beef. Once browned remove to bowl with mushrooms.
3. Into drippings add flour, onion soup mix, cold water and reserved beef broth. Stir to combine and let simmer, covered, for 10 minutes.
4. In a large pot boil water and cook noodles according to package.
5. In the skillet, add in sour cream, stirring to combine. Add back in beef & mushrooms. Let simmer to heat up the sauce and reheat the beef & mushrooms.
6. Serve over egg noodles and garnish with chopped parsley.

This is a hearty dinner on those nights that are still cool. The boy is a fan of anything with beef and this one was even better because of the gravy-like sauce. It came together so quickly and easily, especially if you buy already sliced mushrooms and a package of meat that's already cut into strips. Enjoy!

April is Grilled Cheese Month!

Nope this is not an April Fool's Day joke. The entire month of April is devoted to the best sandwich on the planet, in my honest opinion. So in honor of this holiday I will be posting at least one tasty grilled cheese per week. The picture here is a reposting of the Grilled Cheese I made to go with my super duper Tomato Soup. This delicious morsel was made with extra sharp white cheddar, Asiago & Gruyere cheese, you can find the recipe here.

If you are in the LA area be sure head on over to Clementine Cafe in Century City for their fabulous grilled cheeses. Check out the menu here, click on the postcard on the bottom of the homepage to download a pdf of the entire month's selection. I'll be in town next weekend and hope to stop in to try the Grilled Cheese Al Carbon and the Little Armenia. Some of the other sammies that I wish I could be there to try are the Pecorino Sardo with oven-roasted tomatoes, olives and thyme on panini bread or the Camembert with mustard greens and mushrooms on country bread or the Queso Mahon & Chorizo with quince paste and romesco, which sounds so delish and different I may have to try to make it myself! Enjoy!

Pork Tenderloin Hash

It was over a week ago that I first posted my herb crusted pork tenderloin and promised to share what I did with my leftovers. Well here you go. Granted I ate this last weekend for breakfast, but even if it's late it was too tasty not to share. When I bought pork tenderloin and threw it in the freezer for a later use, it didn't occur to me that the package would hold loins. Well it did, so when I defrosted it I had to herb crust both since I couldn't freeze them again. Luckily it turned out well! So I was left with quite a bit of leftovers. My first go was with pork enchiladas with a red chili sauce, enchiladas are one of my go to uses with leftover meat. Another one is hash. Well the hash I made with the tenderloin was so simple and tasty I had to share.

Pork Tenderloin Hash
serves 2

1/2 loin Herb Crusted Pork Tenderloin - diced
4 new potatoes - diced
1 small onion diced
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter
garlic powder
salt & pepper
sliced green onions - for garnish
4 eggs - for serving

1. Heat oil and butter in a large saute pan over medium heat. Once the butter has melted and the pan is hot add in diced potatoes and a liberal amount of salt & pepper. Saute for 5-10 minutes until begin to soften and turn golden brown.
2. Add in onions and pork, more salt and pepper and a liberal amount of garlic powder. Saute over medium to medium low heat until the onions darken, the pork heats through and both the pork and potatoes have nice crispy bits on the outside.
3. Serve with poached or over easy eggs and garnish with sliced green onions.


Now it's safe to say that I'm a fan of hash. This is the 3rd recipe I've posted in less than 6 months (Carniats Hash and Sweet Potato & Turkey Sausage Hash) I think it's mostly because it's an easy and filling meal and a great way to reuse leftovers. it comes together even more quickly if you have leftover potatoes. You can even throw black beans into it, if you have them lying around, basically almost anything goes here. I may try it with some Swiss Chard next time. And of course it's always good topped with my fave, eggs!

I think it's safe to say this was a winner with me. Enjoy!