First Halloween in the new house, we wondered if any kids would scale the big hill for treats, and they did! A few brave young souls came up to receive a chocolate reward. We finished off with an orange-themed dinner…baked squash, carrots, and a little poached cod. Simple and delicious.
Category: Cooking
Huevos, olé!
Last night we had visitors at the little house by the sea, a nice barbecue and plenty of reminiscing. We also had plenty of leftovers.
What to do on day two with the barbecue potato thing, a combination of peppers, onions, and potatoes? The time was right for a Spanish omelette. After reheating the potato dish in a skillet, I whisked in some eggs and bacon bits, and topped it with a sprinkling of aged cheddar. In a perfect world I would have had some Serrano jamòn and Manchego on hand, but that’s the joy of leftovers…using what’s on hand.
Settling in…
. So it seemed like a good idea…move half way across the country and pay attention to the food blog at the same time. All the while, we were having “farewell” dinners with friends and clients. In reality, we ate a lot of restaurant food, much of which was not that notable. It was not health eating at its finest, either.
After a week on the job, it was time for a good housecleaning, and a big shopping trip. We’ve gone from the big city and tiny shops to a tiny town and a giant supermarket. Quite a change. But we did find a lovely little organic café and grocery to fill in some of the missing bits, last night we made our first batch of marinara for the freezer, and earlier in the day, chicken soup. Things are starting to come together. Soon…beans and bread!
Serendipity Dinner
In an effort to use up last year’s batch of canned tomatoes before the new ones are ripe, we made a huge pot of marinara on the weekend. Some has gone to the freezer, but the mother of all sauces is so versatile, it’s getting used in all kinds of dishes. Yesterday, pizza toast for lunch. Then on a stroll to Plank Road for a chicken breast big enough for two, we spotted these luscious two-colour egg noodles. They went perfectly with the chicken…which we cooked in a 400F oven for about 40 minutes. Here’s what was in the pot: 1 boneless, skinless chicken breast, 1 carrot and one yellow bell pepper, diced. Five large white mushrooms, quartered. 1 cup/250ml of marinara. Cover and bake.
Shiitake Special Pizza
When this pizza came out of the oven, it looked almost too beautiful to cut! We started with a whole wheat crust (find out how in our recipe pages). Then we turned to the pantry and last summer’s canning for ideas. A little salsa for the first layer, topped with slices of roasted red pepper. After that, half a shallot, thinly sliced, and the caps of a plethora of baby shiitakes from Waymac Farms, by way of our local farmers’ market. Then, to top it off, some aged cheddar and mozzarella from Black River Cheese. We’re so glad we can buy it just down the street at Better Bulk!
Cut it we did, by the way, and ate it with gusto.
Keeping it Simple
Today our daughter is celebrating her 30th birthday, and we are so grateful for her. She’s an amazing young woman. Last night when we returned home from gathering the ingredients for her birthday dinner, a simple dinner was in order. So we grilled the lamb chops himself had picked up at the East Lynn Farmers’ Market, and used some more of Nick’s delicious romaine to make a simple Caesar salad. The fresh Ontario garlic in the dressing was piquant!
Hail Caesar!
This morning we were just getting back from our walk when our neighbour, Nick, came around the corner. Nick is a lovely Italian man who likes to garden. His little city plot is a veritable Garden of Eden, and even those of us with urban farms of our own look forward to his gifts throughout the season.
On today’s menu, three or four heads of delicious Romaine. So what else but Caesar salad? For our lighter version we dressed a whole head with this recipe:
Whisk together a tablespoon each of wine vinegar and olive oil, a teaspoon of anchovy paste, and a crushed clove of garlic. On top, a sprinkling of Grana Padano and some oven-baked pumpernickel and multigrain croutons.
Delish!
Time to Start Fresh
Last summer we canned bushels of tomatoes, which have lasted us through the winter. We also made sauce and salsa. Today we’re eating the last batch of marina from that harvest…which means time to get cooking again. It looks like we have just enough canned tomatoes and salsa to last until the next harvest. Summer in a jar!
With some basil from the garden, whole wheat penne, and some Gran Padano, that marinara’s going to be good!
It's Beginning to Taste a Lot Like…Christmas?
Back from a long walk in preparation for a busy day, I thought some French toast would be nice. But alas we were out of bread. My resourceful husband seized on an idea. Why not use up that leftover panettone that has been lurking in the freezer since Christmas? If you live in an Italian neighbourhood, it’s almost guaranteed you’ll receive one of these eggy breads over the holidays, and frequently, multiples. They’re often studded with raisins or dried fruit, and hold together beautifully when dipped in egg and cooked. We had ours with a bit of sliced banana and some Canadian maple syrup. Today’s gonna be great!
Cheeky!
Earlier this week we were at Royal, picking up a chicken. But they also had these tremendous veal cheeks. So today as the heat returned, we made…cold day food. Go figure! Start some veg; in our case, orange pepper, shallot, and garlic. Then brown the cheeks and deglaze with whatever’s handy. Red wine, in our case. Add some pepper and chopped rosemary, dried chanterelles and a jar of stewed tomatoes. Pop in a 350 oven for an hour or so covered, then boil some potatoes while the pan is percolating along uncovered.
Nice.