by Krista | Dec 18, 2009 | Winter
When my three brothers and I were little, we thought our Mum was the only one who knew how to make the best honey-baked chicken in the whole wide world. We begged her to make it, craving the salty sweet contrast of honey and mustard with the lingering flavor of curry powder. We’d scrape every bit of sauce left in the pan and drizzle it over the brown rice mounded on our plates. There were rarely leftovers.
Upon visiting our cousins, however, we were astounded to discover that not only was it one of our most-requested dishes, it was a family favorite in the homes of both my Mum’s sisters too.
We shouldn’t have been surprised. Joy (aka Mums), Rosalie and Janet share more than just recipes and cooking skills. You can tell they are sisters by their hands, their adorable dimples, and their uncanny habit of sighing in unison after every gale of laughter. (Trust me, they cannot laugh without the accompanying sigh. Us cousins tried to make them one time and by the end we were all crying with laughter because they just couldn’t manage it.)
They grew up the youngest of seven children to missionaries in Northern Canada. They were dirt poor but resourceful, learning early how to garden, can fruits and veggies and bake up a storm. I love hearing them tell stories of the missionary barrels they would get at Christmas stuffed with second-hand clothes and toys that filled their little hearts with awe and joy.
They went to the same school and met their husbands, who happened to be roommates. They each had one daughter (and sons!) and we grew up to be dear friends with our mothers and each other. Every year, no matter where we are, we try to get together for one jolly weekend filled with laughter (and sighing!), tears and fabulous memories.
My Mum and my aunts are strong and feisty women. They have suffered deeply and experienced great joy, becoming softer, kinder, freer with each passing year. As they wend their way into their sixties I watch in unabashed delight and pride as they forge a new version of themselves and flourish in their amazing gifts. I love their honesty, soft hearts and courage. They are some of the bravest women I have ever known and when life seems dark and hopeless I think of them and know I can make it.
We are scattered across the States and Canada now, but we all still make Honey-Baked Chicken. We still delight in the smell of caramelized chicken wafting from the oven, still scrape the pan to get those last lovely bits of sauce, and those sisters still sigh after every laugh.
Mums, Rosalie and Janet – I’m so glad you’re in my life. I love you. 🙂
Honey Baked Chicken
Ingredients:
3 pounds chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch strips
2/3 cup butter melted
2/3 cup honey
4 Tbsp prepared mustard
1 tsp salt
2 tsp curry powder
Directions:
1. Place chicken in 9 by 13 roasting pan.
2. Combine remaining ingredients in saucepan and heat until butter is melted.
3. Pour sauce over chicken and bake at 375 for 30-45 minutes, basting once or twice, until caramelized nicely. Serve with brown basmati rice and carrots boiled with dill.
by Krista | Dec 17, 2009 | Winter
Many years ago I read an article in Victoria magazine about the comfort of homemade pudding. The author reminisced about being sick as a child, tucked up in bed under quilts, and how her mother would make her all sorts of wonderful puddings, thick, creamy and oh so comforting.
I was craving such things tonight as rain pelted the windows and gusts of wind found invisible cracks in the house to shimmy through and make me cold. I love my renovated chicken barn apartment, but it’s wicked cold in the winter! I had to chuckle at myself garbed in wool coat, scarf and slippers while I cooked. 🙂
I turned on NCIS reruns to keep me company then pulled out my trusty Betty Crocker cookbook and found a recipe for vanilla pudding that sounded wonderfully warm and soothing.
I mixed white sugar, cornstarch and a bit of salt in the bottom of a saucepan.
Added milk and brought it slowly to a boil, stirring constantly, until thickened. Then I poured most of it into two egg yolks and stirred like mad to incorporate it quickly.
It turned a rich creamy color then thickened beautifully after I returned it to the heat for another minute of boiling. I cooled it between fridge and freezer (I got impatient! :-)) then dipped my spoon in for a taste. Bliss. Smooth and silky on the tongue with good vanilla flavor. Mmm.
Inspired, I proceeded to turn it into pumpkin pudding by adding pumpkin puree, brown sugar, cardamom and cinnamon.
Then I cubed some gingerbread, whipped some cream, and layered everything into pumpkin gingerbread trifle topped with a Swedish ginger cookie and a sprinkling of cinnamon.
Assembled in individual glasses instead of one big bowl, the trifles will be perfect to take to
work for mid-morning coffee break. Even a cubicle can be cheery with such things to look forward to. 🙂
Pumpkin Gingerbread Trifle
(Adapted from Paula Deen)
Ingredients:
2 (14-ounce) packages gingerbread mix
1 recipe vanilla pudding (see below)
1 (30-ounce) can pumpkin pie filling
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 teaspoon ground cardamom or cinnamon
1 1/2 cup whipping cream, whipped and sweetened
1/2 cup Swedish ginger cookies
Vanilla Pudding
(From Betty Crocker’s 40th Anniversary Edition Cookbook)
1/3 cup sugar
2 Tbsp cornstarch
1/8 tsp salt
2 cups milk
2 egg yolks, slightly beaten
2 Tbsp butter, softened
2 tsp vanilla
Mix sugar cornstarch and salt in 2-quart saucepan. Gradually stir in milk. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture thickens and boils. Boil and stir 1 minute. Gradually stir at least half of the hot mixture into eggs yolks. Stir into hot mixture in saucepan. Boil and stir 1 minute, remove from heat. Stir in butter and vanilla. Pour into dish, cover and refrigerate about 2 hours or until chilled.
Directions for Trifle:
Bake the gingerbread according to the package directions; cool completely. Meanwhile, prepare the pudding and set aside to cool. Stir the pumpkin pie filling, sugar, and cardamom into the pudding. Crumble 1 batch of gingerbread into the bottom of a large, pretty bowl. Pour 1/2 of the pudding mixture over the gingerbread, then add a layer of whipped cream. Repeat with the remaining gingerbread, pudding, and whipped cream. Sprinkle the top with crushed gingersnaps, if desired. Refrigerate overnight. Trifle can be layered in a punch bowl.
by Krista | Dec 16, 2009 | Winter
Monday was a perfectly ghastly evening with freezing rain, slick roads, and icy winds, but nothing could dampen our spirits as the Culinary Experimentation Group met to celebrate Mike’s birthday with bacon, bacon and more bacon. 🙂
Our imaginations whirring, we were happy to oblige his singular obsession with that salty, savory, smoky ingredient.
Don started us off with non-bacony drinks to warm our chilled bones, a heavenly creamy creation of his that includes chocolate vodka and strawberries. Merciful heavens! They were deeelicious!
Kat set out a dish of herbed Kalamata olives and a cheese platter, Mike poured red wine, and we all nibbled and sipped while we chopped and stirred.
Cameron’s folks and a dear family friend were visiting, and they pitched right in wrapping steak morsels in bacon, readying them for Cameron’s always-amazing seasonings and a trip to the smoker.
Deborah made a wonderfully rustic potato soup with bacon, served piping hot into our hodgepodge of bowls. Mmm!
Darren made tender, marinated bacon-wrapped pork cutlets and topped with shredded apples and onion. Amazing!
I made a creamy potato gratin with prosciutto (they let me fudge the bacon thing a bit ;-)).
We ended our evening with Kat’s delicious dark chocolate bacon cookies and hot buttered rum.
Happy Birthday, Mike! 🙂
Baked Bacon-Wrapped Center-Cut Pork Chops
(From www.recipezaar.com)
Ingredients:
8 ounces center-cut pork chops
2 slices bacon
1 small red delicious apple
1 small onion
1 tablespoon white wine vinegar
1 teaspoon worcestershire sauce
1 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon meat tenderizer, no MSG, unseasoned
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon ground sage
1/4 teaspoon ground celery seed
4 sprigs fresh thyme
1 large garlic clove, sliced very thin
Directions:
- Wrap your center cut pork chops with bacon and fix into place. Line a loaf pan with aluminum foil and grease the bottom with a tiny bit of oil or cooking spray. Place your chops into the center of the pan, neither touching the sides, nor one another.
- Directly onto each chop, deposit 1/4 teaspoon no MSG unseasoned meat tenderizer, flip chop and repeat. Both sides are now tenderized and oiled. Add thyme, salt, pepper, sage, ground celery seed, and garlic.
- Using a medium grater, grate small onion equally right onto each chop, repeat with small apple. Split white wine vinegar and Worcestershire sauce evenly, pouring over onion and apple.
- Cover and let marinade in refrigerator overnight if possible. 4 hours should do the trick, if you don’t have the time.
- Preheat oven to 350°F and bake, covered, for 1 1/2 hours. When done, the apple and onion should still be on top of the pork chop. Leave them as garnish and remove to serving plate. Serve hot over a bed of pork dressing. Enjoy!
Hearty Potato, Bacon and Onion Soup
(From www.allrecipes.com)
Ingredients:
4 slices bacon, diced
2 tablespoons margarine
3 onions, chopped
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
4 1/4 cups water
1 cube vegetable bouillon
4 potatoes, cubed
2 egg yolks
1 1/3 cups sour cream
1 tablespoon chopped fresh parsley
Directions:
- In a large saucepan over medium high heat, saute the bacon for about 7 minutes, or until lightly browned. Reduce heat to medium, add the butter or margarine and onions and saute for about 5 minutes, or until onions are tender. Add the flour and stir well for one minute.
- Remove saucepan from heat and gradually add the water, stirring well. Return to stovetop, raising heat to high. Add the bouillon and potatoes, bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low. Simmer uncovered for about 10 minutes, or until potatoes are tender.
- In a small bowl, combine the egg yolks and the sour cream and mix together. Gradually add this mixture to the soup, stirring well. Heat through, but do not boil. Stir in the parsley just before serving.
by Krista | Dec 14, 2009 | Winter
It felt like I was living in a Christmas globe yesterday as the heavens opened and dumped snow upon us, coating trees, streets and housetops in a muffling blanket. It was wonderful! 🙂 I blissfully wiled away the hours watching an old Cary Grant movie, reading and cooking, with many breaks to watch the snow fall.
Plotting this weeks meals, I settled on a big pot of soup, stewed chicken for tarts and salads, and a lovely quiche I can heat up quickly for breakfast.
The quiche is crustless and easy as can be, chock full of protein and savory flavors.
First I fry up whatever meat I’m using. Sometimes it’s crumbled sausage, or grated farmer’s sausage. This time I used smoked sausage cut into bits.
While the sausage was cooking, I mixed up the other ingredients: eggs, cottage cheese, dry mustard, green onion, and my favorite fire roasted green chilies.
Once the sausage was cooked, I folded it into the egg mixture, poured into a greased pan and baked for 45 minutes, then scurried back to my warm bed to read my book. 🙂
It turned out beautifully, golden brown, a bit crispy on the edges (I do like those crispy bits!) and is now in my fridge ready to be cut and re-heated for several breakfasts. 🙂
Easy Breakfast Quiche
(Adapted from the British Columbia Egg Marketing Board)
2 cups sausage (or ham)
1 cup cottage cheese
4 eggs
1/2 tsp dry mustard
3 Tbsp mild green chilies
1 green onion, sliced
Dash pepper
Fry sausage and drain. Combine with remaining ingredients and pour into greased 8-9 inch pan. Bake at 375 degrees for 45 minutes. Serve warm.
by Krista | Dec 11, 2009 | Winter
I first spotted Art in an airport lounge in Seattle where I sat waiting to catch my flight home. He was dapper as can be with a tweed fedora, fitted leather jacket over a black turtleneck, wool trousers, snazzy leather shoes, and carrying a saxophone case. I was delighted and thought to myself, “If I was an elderly black man, I’d want to look just like him!”
To my surprise we were seated next to each other on the flight home and when he pulled out a travelogue book set in France, I had the sneaking feeling that he might, just might be a kindred spirit.
I took a deep breath, said hello and before we knew it we were nattering away like old friends. We talked of food and travel, music and books, family and friends, all the things that make life so beautiful. When we parted at the airport he gave me his business card and told me to keep in touch, and I went home pleased as punch to have a new friend.
A few emails later, Art invited me to have dinner with him and his fabulous wife, Donna. I was given the choice of dinner at a Mexican restaurant, a simple French dinner at home, or a full-blown 5-course French dinner. Was there any question? A date was set and on that auspicious day, over an amazing array of culinary delights, a friendship was forged that has swelled to include my siblings, parents and friends. Art and Donna are like family.
Nowadays we get together every couple of weeks for dinner at someone’s house, starting the evening off with a round of hugs and a round of drinks, usually a fine white wine or a lovely apple schnapps.
Not long ago Art and Donna had some of us over for dinner. We sipped our cognac and visited jovially around the table while Art presented us with a beautiful tomato aspic garnished with edible flowers.
Filling our glasses with red wine, he then set a gorgeous crudités platter laden with tomatoes, artichoke hearts, thinly sliced cucumber, celery spears, boiled eggs, stuffed olives and shrimp on a bed of red leaf lettuce. Delicious.
This was followed by roasted peppers, onions and zucchini, cool and bright cucumber salad and a wonderful homemade lasagna.
As always, we ended our evening together cozy on couches in the living room watching British murder mysteries. :-)I’m so glad I said hello that day on the airplane. 🙂
Tomato Aspic
(From The Joy of Cooking)
3 1/2 cups tomatoes
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp sugar
2 Tbsp lemon juice
3 Tbsp chopped onion
1 bay leaf
4 ribs celery, with leaves
1 tsp dried basil or tarragon
2 Tbsp gelatin
1/2 cup cold water
Combine everything but gelatin and water in saucepan, bring to boil and simmer for 30 minutes. Strain out solids.
Soak gelatin in water then dissolve in hot, strained juice. Add water to make four cups of liquid. Pour into mold and chill until set. Garnish with edible flowers. Serves 8.
by Krista | Dec 9, 2009 | Winter
The honey mead fizzed and bubbled, little pieces of oak bobbing to the surface as it brewed in the darkened closet. We had made the mead ourselves, mixing purified water with glistening ribbons of honey and yeast, watching excitedly as it fermented, waiting impatiently for the weeks to pass quickly so we could taste then bottle it.
It was our first attempt at home brewing in the CEG (Culinary Experimentation Group), and when bottling day arrived everyone was in high spirits. We took turns sanitizing, pouring and corking, and were pleased as punch to see the glistening bottles lined up on the counter.
After so much hard work we were ravenously hungry so while the guys cleaned up all the brewing gear, Kat and I dashed off to the store to pick up last minute fixings for dinner.
We decided our dinner party needed flowers so when we spotted these beauties we snatched them right up!
Simple but nourishing was our mantra for the meal, and we found plenty to fit the bill. I diced red potatoes and garlic while Toby chopped fresh dill, then we combined the lot with olive oil, salt and pepper and roasted them until crisp and browned.
Kat made scrumptious sauteed kale with caramelized onions and niblets of garlic.
Darren prepped onions and asparagus wrapped with thick sliced bacon for the grill, and Cameron smoked salmon and chicken to perfection.
It was still warm enough to sit outside that night, so we ate under the stars, the wind sighing through the trees as we visited. While the others finished up, I nipped back inside to roast some figs and top them with a luscious mascarpone brandy sauce dusted with cinnamon.
Twas a fine way to end a hard day of labor. 🙂
Roasted Figs with Mascarpone Brandy SauceIngredients:
1 basket fresh figs, stemmed, washed and halved
1 tub mascarpone cheese, softened
2-3 Tbsp brandy
1 tsp honey
Cinnamon for dusting
Directions:
- Arrange figs on baking sheet and roast at 375 degrees for 15 minutes.
- Blend mascarpone with brandy and honey until smooth.
- When figs are done, let them cool for 1 minute before arranging on dishes.
- Spoon mascarpone brandy sauce over warm figs, dust with cinnamon and serve immediately.
