PASTA FRITTATA

If you end up having leftover pasta from last night's meal, you can always make a pasta frittata.

PASTA FRITTATA

2 organic eggs, whisked

1 cup leftover garlicky angel hair pasta with kale and mizuna (or any leftover boiled pasta)

1 Tbsp organic salted butter

sea salt and peppper

romano cheese

Method:  Heat a small cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Set your oven to broil and warm it up.  Melt the butter in the pan and the add the pasta, stirring to warm it through.  Whisk the eggs with some salt and pepper and then add to pan, tilting it to distribute evenly.  Grate some of the romano cheese on top.  Broil about 3-4 minutes in oven until the egg is set.  Serve.

Sunday Family Dinner

     Growing up my family owned a restaurant called The Octagon.  It was famous for high quality fine dining, specializing in steak and seafood.  As kids, we always looked forward to the garlic bread and ceasar salad, which the waiters used to make right at the table on a cart they wheeled up to your table.  It was very cool and very good.  Tonight, I decided to make caesar salad.  It was amazing, but in a very different way from the Octagon's, which was made with egg and anchovy.  I don't have anything against eggs and anchovy, I just prefer to make mine this way.

     We also roasted one of the organic chickens taking up all the space in our freezer.  Along side it I made a lovely gratin with the Jerusalem artichokes I picked up at the market this weekend.  A feast indeed, but I still managed to fit in some dessert, chocolate ice cream with peanut butter.  Ouph!

 

CAESAR SALAD with Whole Wheat Croutons 

 1/2 cup fresh squeezed organic lemon juice

1-2 cloves organic garlic

2 tsp capers

1/2 Tbsp organic dijon

1 tsp nutritional yeast

1/4 cup e.v olive oil

1/2 cup organic vegetable oil

1 Tbsp local honey

sea salt and pepper to taste

 

Method:  In a blender combine all the ingredients except the vegetable oil, which you add gradually in a thin stream until incorporated.  Taste for flavour, adding salt as necessary.

 

WHOLE WHEAT CROUTONS

 2 cups organic whole wheat bread, cut into cubes

1/2 tsp dry oregano

1/2 tsp dry thyme

1/2 tsp dry basil

1/2 tsp paprika

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 Tbsp e.v olive oil

 

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Toss all ingredients in a bowl.  Spread cubes on baking sheet and bake, turning occasionally, for 15 minutes.  Let cool.

 

Sprinkle some chopped romaine lettuce with romano or parmesan cheese, some grated organic carrot, the croutons and drizzle with the caesar dressing. 

 

JERUSALEM ARTICHOKE GRATIN

6 organic Jerusalem artichokes, peeled as best as you can and cut into 1/4-inch slices (about 3/4 pound)

2 large organic russet potatoes,peeled and cut into 1/2-inch slices (about 1 1/4 pounds) 

Sea salt and pepper

1/4 cup e.v olive oil

1 Tbsp organic butter

1/2 cup organic onions, chopped

2 cloves organic garlic, chopped

1 cup organic cheddar cheese, grated

1 Tbsp organic unbleached white flour

1/2 cup organic whole milk

1 cup organic whole wheat bread crumbs

2 Tbsp organic parsley, chopped

Method:Preheat the oven to 400*.  Place the Jerusalem artichokes and potatoes in a mixing bowl and season with the salt and pepper.  Mix in 2 tablespoons of the olive oil and toss to coat.

Butter the bottom and sides of a 2 quart baking dish. Put half of the artichoke-potato mixture in the bottom of the pan, then sprinkle with 1/4 cup of the chopped onions, 1 teaspoon of the chopped garlic, and 1/4 cup of the cheese and the flour. Top this with the remaining artichoke-potato mixture. Sprinkle with the remaining 1/4 cup onions, 1 teaspoon garlic, salt and pepper and the rest of the cheese. Pour the milk over the mixture.

In a bowl, mix together the remaining 2 tablespoons olive oil with the bread crumbs, parsley and season with salt and pepper. Spread this topping evenly over the mixture. Bake for 1 hour, or until the potatoes are tender. 

ROAST CHICKEN with Herbs

1 organic chicken

handful of fresh organic herbs (parsley, oregano, thyme, marjoram)

2 cloves organic garlic

e.v olive oil

sea salt and pepper

mixed vegetables chopped

Method:  Preheat oven to 400*.  In a mortar and pestle smash the herbs, garlic, some salt and pepper and olive oil.  Lift the skin on the chicken breast and smear the herb paste all over the meat of the bird.  Rub the remaining herbs all over the chicken with some olive oil and some more salt and pepper.  Place the bird in a large cast iron skillet with some vegetables and roast for about an hour and a half, depending on the size of your bird.

Yellow and Green Supper

A friend of ours gave us zucchini from his garden. A huge yellow zucchini.  Then Alice, the woman who lives on a hill by the sea gave me a zucchini.  A huge green zucchini.  What do you do with so much zucchini?  You make zucchini potato latkes.

POTATO  ZUCCHINI LATKES with Apple Sauce

2 organic russet potatoes, peeled and grated

3-4 cups grated organic zucchini

1 organic onion or 2 organic shallots, minced

2 tsp sea salt

3 eggs, beaten

1/4 - 1/2 cup organic unbleached white flour

pepper

organic butter and oil

Method: Combine the zucchini and potato in a large stainless steel bowl.  Scoop a handful and squeeze as much liquid out as you can over the sink and then place in another bowl.  Repeat until you've squeezed all of it.  Then mix in all the other ingredients.  Adding more flour if the mixture is too watery.

     Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add some butter and a bit of oil to pan.  Drop spoonfuls of the batter and spread each one out so they will cook evenly and you won't have raw potato.  When golden, flip and cook the other side.  Then slide them onto a cookie sheet in a warm oven until the whole batch is done.  Serve with apple sauce.

APPLE SAUCE

2 large organic apples, peeled and sliced

Method:  Place apple in a small saucepan with a 1/4 cup water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat and cook about 10 minutes, or until the apples are soft and mushy.

SPAGHETTI SQUASH with Browned Butter and Garlic

1 organic spaghetti squash, cut in half and scooped out

1/8 - 1/4 cup organic unsalted butter

2 cloves organic garlic, minced

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup romano cheese, shredded

1 steamed organic broccoli stalk, finely chopped

Method:  Roast the squash cut side down in the oven for about an hour or until the squash is tender.  Scoop out the flesh and drain if very watery.  In a small saucepan melt butter over medium heat and then lower.  Cook, watching very carefully for the milk solids to start to brown.  It will look speckled.  Remove from heat and add the garlic.  Pour the garlic butter and sea salt over the squash, stirring.  Add the broccoli and top with cheese.

Rushing Clouds Dinner

As we ate our supper this evening I looked out at the sky and saw lovely rushing clouds moving past us.  This meal was chosen after a phone call from my sister.  She was excitedly telling me about a great deal she found on a Jamie Oliver cookbook.  I asked her to look up a recipe for chickpeas in it but found none.  But she did find a great one in an International Vegetarian cookbook she owns.  It's a great recipe.  I decided to serve it with Thai Chili Sauce and quinoa.

MOROCCAN CHICKPEAS with Butternut Squash and Zucchini

2 cups cooked organic chickpeas

2 cups organic butternut squash, cubed

3 organic tomatoes, chopped

1 Tbsp fresh ginger, grated

1 tsp organic cumin powder

1 tsp organic paprika

1/4 tsp turmeric

1/4 tsp cayenne

1 2" piece organic cinnamon stick

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 organic onion, sliced into half rings

3 Tbsp organic raisins

3 1/2 cups stock

1 tsp sea salt (but this depends on what stock you use)

1 cup organic zucchini, sliced

1/2 cup organic frozen or fresh peas

cilantro or parsley for garnish

Method:  Saute onions and cinnamon stick in olive oil.  Add spices, stir and then add tomatoes, squash, chickpeas, salt, raisins and stock.  Bring to a boil and then simmer on medium low until squash is soft.  Add the peas and zucchini, cook uncovered until it thickens.  Serve on quinoa or cous cous.

Prep Time- 10 minutes  Cooking time- about 15-20 minutes

QUINOA

1 cup organic quinoa

1 3/4 cups water

pinch of salt

1 Tbsp organic butter (optional)

Method:  Rinse quinoa in a sieve.  Combine quinoa with water, butter and salt in a pot.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook about 10 minutes, or until all water has been absorbed.  Remove from heat and let rest 5 minutes.  Fluff with fork and serve.

YOGURT SALAD DRESSING

2 heaping tablespoons organic full fat yogurt

2 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

3 Tbsp olive oil

1 Tbsp local honey

some sea salt

some black pepper

Method:  Whisk all ingredients together in a bowl.  

Leftovers You Love

I have fond memories of my mom always making soup from leftover turkey the day after Thanksgiving and Christmas. So in keeping with this tradition I picked all the turkey off the bones and made a great stock which served as the base for this Greek soup which can be made with turkey or chicken stock.

AVGOLEMONO (Greek Egg Lemon Soup)

6 cups turkey stock

1/2 cup organic short or long grain brown rice (or use white rice or orzo pasta)

2 organic eggs

1/4 cup organic lemon juice

sea salt and pepper

2 cups leftover turkey

Method:  Bring stock to a boil over high heat.  Add rice, lower heat and simmer partially covered for 20-30 minutes for brown rice (15-20 for white or orzo).  Reduce heat.  In a separate bowl, separate the egg whites from the yolks.  Using a hand blender, beat the egg whites until they are frothy.  Then mix in the yolks.  Add the lemon juice.  Slowly, pour a few ladlefuls of stock into the egg mix. Then pour this into the soup stock.  Add the turkey pieces and stir. Heat without boiling for 5 minutes. Add salt and pepper to taste. (Be sure not to cover the pot with a lid or it may curdle.

Giving Thanks

This was my fifth time roasting a turkey and I decided to try brining.  A couple of years ago my friend Paul did this with his turkey and itwas by far the tastiest, moistest turkey I ever ate.  I decided to try using maple syrup instead of white sugar for my brine, and used up the last of the fresh sage from the garden along with some garlic and thyme.  The result was an excellent tasting turkey, but I think I slightly overcooked it.  All the guests who like white meat claimed it was very moist and didn't thing it was overcooked at all!  It was also a very dark turkey which I think was due in part to the honey in the brine.  Aside from forgetting to turn the oven on for the first hour of cooking, the feast was a great success!  My favorite part, as always was the stuffing.  It is the same recipe my mom made every Christmas and Thanksgiving and I will never tire of it. The pumpkin pie made with the freshly roasted pumpkins from the garden was AMAZING and I am mad at myself for having made tofu pumpkin pies for so many years.  The real deal traditional pies are great!

MAPLE BRINED TURKEY with Whole Wheat Savoury Stuffing

1- 16 pound pasture raised turkey
1 1/4 cups coarse sea salt
1.25 litres boiling water
150 ml local maple syrup
8 litres cold water
5 tsp organic whole peppercorns
20 bay leaves
4 organic apples, sliced
2 organic onions, sliced

bunch of organic thyme

bunch of organic sage

6 cloves organic garlic, peeled

1 carrot

2 organic celery stalks

Stuffing:

5 cups organic whole wheat bread, cubed

3 Tbsp organic poultry seasoning

1 organic onion, chopped

2 organic celery stalks, chopped

2 cups organic mushrooms, sliced

1/2 pack of organic bacon, sliced

1/4 cup each minced organic parsely, thyme, sage and marjoram

sea salt and pepper

organic butter

Gravy: 1 cup organic chicken stock or white wine

2/3 cup organic unbleached white flour

6 cups water

Method for Stuffing:

Preheat oven to 350*. Place cubed bread in a pan and toast lightly in the oven for about 15 mins.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat.  Add bacon, onion, celery and mushrooms to pan.  Saute until the onion is soft and the bacon begins to brown, then add the seasoning and some salt and pepper.  Fry for about 2 minutes, remove from heat and pour into a large bowl. Add the herbs and mix with your hands until thoroughly combined.

Method for Turkey:

Rinse turkey in cool water.  Combine the boiling water, salt, and maple syrup in a large heat proof bowl.  Stir until salt is dissolved.  Add the cold water, garlic, peppercorns, vegetables, and herbs in a large stainless steel stock pot and immerse turkey in the brine for at least 12 hours (I did ours for 18).  Then remove the turkey and pat dry, placing it in a stainless steel roasting pan, on a little rack.  Tuck the wings under the bird so they don't burn while you roast the turkey.

   

Stuff the neck part first, careful not to pack it in too tightly.  Using large toothpicks pin the flap of skin to to the turkey to keep the stuffing in.  Turn it over and stuff the back end (make sure the gizzards and neck are removed!), leaving a nice pile of the stuffing sticking out for picking on as the bird roasts.  Tie the legs together with cooking twine.  Rub the turkey with salted butter and sprinkle with some black pepper.  Place it on the rack and add the carrot, celery and onion to the bottom of the pan along with the neck and 2 cups of chicken stock.

     Preheat oven to 350* with rack in lowest position.  Tent the bird with foil to prevent  browning too quickly.  Roast 1 hour then baste it every 30 minutes with pan liqiuds until a thermometer reads 125*, about 3 hours.  Remove foil and continue to roast until thigh reaches 175*, about 45 minutes.  Tent it again if it browns too quickly.  Transfer turkey to platter to rest while you make gravy.

Gravy: Place the pan on the stove across 2 burners.  Bring pan liquids to a boil over a high heat. Cook stirring until liquid has mostly evaporated, about 5 minutes.  Keep cooking, stirring until the vegetables have browned, about 5  minutes.  Add the stock or wine, cook, stirring constantly until syrupy, 1-2 mins.  Add the flour, cook stirring until flour is incorporated and browned, about 2 minutes. Slowely add 6 cups of water; bring to a simmer, stirring, about 5 minutes.  Continue cooking until gravy reaches the consistency you like.  Pour gravy through a mesh sieve into a saucepan, discarding solids.  Season with salt and pepper to taste.  Keep warm. 

After turkey has rested about 20 minutes, remove the stuffing and carve.

MAPLE PUMPKIN PIE

1 whole wheat pastry crust, unbaked

1 1/3 cups cooked organic pumpkin puree

3/4 cup maple syrup

1 cup organic cream

1/2 cup organic whole milk

1 tsp organic cinnamon

1/2 tsp fresh grated organic nutmeg

1/8 tsp organic grated ginger

3 organic eggs

1 Tbsp organic unbleached white flour

1 tsp sea salt

Method: Preheat oven to 350*.  Blend all ingredients together.  Pour into pie shell and bake for about 45-60 minutes.  Let cool before serving.

Real Canadian Supper

It was a rainy, cool, blustery day here on the Eastern Shore.  What better meal to make than a true Canadian classic?
I never made fishcakes until I moved to the East Coast.  When I married Scott I discovered you always eat fishcakes with beans, baked beans that is.  Apparently mustard pickles are the preferred condiment of choice for this too......

FISH CAKES

1 pound hook and line haddock or pollock

2 cups cooked mashed organic potatoes, refrigerate until cool

1 small organic onion, minced

1 organic egg, beaten

3-4 Tbsp organic parsley, chopped

sea salt and pepper

Method:  Cover fish with fresh cold water and bring to a boil, simmer and cook until fish is cooked through.  Flake in a bowl and refrigerate until cold.  Mix all ingredients together and shape into patties.  If possible let the patties sit in fridge to hold together better, but not necessary.

     Melt some butter in a non stick pan over a low medium heat.  Fry each side of the patty until they are golden.  I like to heat the cakes in the oven for a bit to make sure the insides are nicely cooked and warm.

BAKED BEANS

2 cups dry organic navy beans, soaked overnight or for 6 hours

1 organic onion, chopped

1/3 cup maple syrup

1 Tbsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp black pepper

1/3 cup molasses

Method: Pressure cook or boil the beans until they are soft.  Be sure they are as soft as you are going to want them when they are eaten because they will not cook anymore once they are in the oven.  When they are cooked, drain them and combine all the ingredients in a cast iron pot ((or any lidded pot) with lid.  Cover the beans with water.  Bake in a 300* oven for 4-6 hours.  Check and stir the beans every now and then, adding more water as necessary.

Faegan loves this meal.  So does his dad.  So do I really.

Chinese

I had a bag of fermented black beans in my cupboard for about three years before I finally figured out what to do with them.  Great stir fry at home!

TOFU AND VEGETABLES IN BLACK BEAN SAUCE

1 lb organic firm tofu

1 Tbsp organic tamari

2 tsp rice wine or sake

1/2 tsp toasted organic sesame oil

Method:  Cube the tofu and let it marinate in the above ingredients for 15 mins.

1 Tbsp organic sesame oil

1/4 cup sliced organic green onions

1 Tbsp finely chopped organic garlic

1 Tbsp salted, fermented black beans, rinsed and coarsely chopped

1 Tbsp finely chopped organic fresh ginger

1/2 organic green pepper

1/2 organic red pepper

1 crown organic broccoli, cut into florettes

1 organic carrot, thinly sliced

2 tsp organic tamari

1 Tbsp rice wine or sake

1 tsp local honey

1/4 cup stock or water

1/2 tsp toasted organic sesame oil

2 tsp organic cornstarch

1/4 cup raw organic cashews

Method:  Heat a wok over high heat, add the oil and heat until almost smoking.  Add the tofu and cook until lightly browned.  Remove.  Add more oil if needed and stir fry the broccoli, carrot and peppers until beginning to soften slightly.  Add the scallions, garlic, black beans and ginger.  Stir-fry for 10 seconds, add the soy sauce, rice wine, honey, stock, sesame oil and cornstarch.  Add the tofu and cashews, toss lightly to coat.  Serve with steamed rice.

Burgers and Ice Cream

When you are craving take out, try making your own.

BURGERS

1 pound organic and or pasture raised ground beef

1 organic onion, minced

1 organic egg, lightly beaten

1 handful fresh bread crumbs

1 tsp dijon mustard

1/2 Tbsp ground organic coriander

pinch of ground organic cumin

sea salt and pepper to taste

Toppings etc:

3 organic whole wheat burger buns

Homemade cucumber relish

Organic ketchup

Honey mustard or Dijon

Sliced organic tomato

Thin sliced red onion

Slices of organic cheddar cheese

Method:  Preheat oven to 450*.  Combine all the first ingredients together in a bowl.  Shape into 4 big flat patties. Place in a cast iron fry pan and broil for 25 minutes.  Add cheese to melt in the last 5 minutes. 

SALAD WE ATE WITH THE BURGERS

Organic Oak leaf lettuce

Organic Local Feta Cheese

Grated Organic Carrot

Organic Cucumbers

Organic Red Pepper

Organic Sunflower Seeds

Spiralized Organic Zucchini

Dressing:  1/4 cup olive oil * 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar * 4 Tbsp nutritional yeast * 4 cloves garlic * 3 Tbsp fresh herbs * 2 Tbsp local honey * pepper

CHOCOLATE PEANUT BUTTER ICE CREAM SENSATION

I was craving the homemade peanut butter cups I make, but we didn't have any or the ingredients to make them so I decided to create this which was so good I had two bowls.

2 scoops organic milk chocolate ice cream ( we like PC brand)

1 heaping Tbsp organic peanut butter (PC brand)

drizzle organic chocolate sauce (Nativa brand from Shopper's Drug Mart)

Method:  Scoop ice cream, then PB and drizzle with sauce......AWESOME!

Sunday Dinner

Faegan likes to play outside with his dad on the weekend.  This frees me up to do what I like best - cook.  Once again pears are featured in this recipe and the result was outstanding.  By far one of the best soups I have ever made.

SWEET POTATO SOUP with Roasted Garlic and Pear

600 grams organic  sweet potato

1 ripe organic pear, cored and diced

1 head of organic garlic

1 Tbsp organic salted butter

1 onion, diced

1 Tbsp fresh thyme

2 cups water or stock

1 cup organic whole milk

1 tsp sea salt

pepper

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Roast sweet potato in it's jacket until soft.  At the same time, slice the top off the head of garlic and roast it in the oven by placing it in a covered oven proof pot or in some foil.  It is done when it is mushy and easy to squirt out.  

Saute the onion in the butter in a large soup pot until the onion is soft.  When the roasting is complete, add the sweet potato, garlic, water, thyme, salt, pear and pepper to the pot.  Bring to a light boil and then reduce to simmer for 15 minutes or until pear is cooked.  Garnish with a sprig of fresh thyme or minced chives.

RAW WILTED KALE SALAD with Pepitas, Arame and Carrot

1 small bunch of organic kale, deveined and chopped

1 organic carrot, shredded

1/2 organic red pepper, chopped

1/4 red onion, chopped

1/4 cup arame seaweed, soaked in warm water

1/8 cup organic sunflower seeds

1/8 cup organic pepitas (pumpkin seeds)

2 Tbsp organic sesame oil (not toasted)

1 Tbsp organic apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp organic tamari soya sauce

Method:  In a large bowl, drizzle the tamari over the kale and massage it into the leaves with your hands.  Add the other ingredients and toss.

CHEESE AND ONION TWIST

20 g organic butter

1 large onion, chopped

250 g organic whole wheat flour

250 g organic unbleached white flour

1 1/2 tsp sea salt

4 tsp baking powder

2 tsp dry mustard powder

1/2 tsp pepper

125 g organic butter

125 g shredded organic cheese

1 organic egg, lightly beaten

300 ml organic whole milk

1 organic egg beaten with 2 Tbsp organic whole milk for glazing

1 1/2 Tbsp organic sesame or poppy seeds

Method: Preheat oven to 425* and grease a cookie sheet.  Melt the butter in a frying pan and cook onion over a low heat for 10 minutes without browning.

     Put flour, salt, baking powder, mustard and pepper in a large bowl and mix well.  Cut in butter until mixture resembles fine breadcrumbs.  Stir in the cheese then add egg and milk. Stir until mixture clumps around spoon, then continue mixing by hand until a rough dough forms. Knead on a floured surface until smooth.

     Divide dough in half, then divide each half into three.  Roll each portion into a long rope about 45 cm long.  Press three rolls together at one end then braid.  Join final ends .  Make second loaf the same way.

     Transfer braids to the tray and brush the surface with the egg/milk, and sprinkle with the onion and sesame seeds.  Bake until golden brown about 30 mins.

Real Deal BBQ

We love fire.  All winter we warm our home with a woodburning stove, and all summer we gather around the outdoor firepit.  We also love to cook outdoors on the fire using our grill from the gas bbq we rarely use now.  

This afternoon Scott and I decided tonight would be a good night to grill over the coals.  So as Scott finished up repairing out chimney for our winter fires, I got the campfire ready.  The thing with cooking over the fire is you need to get it going at least an hour and a half before you want to begin cooking.  You need a good base of coals, not flames so your food doesn't catch on fire or burn.

     Seeing as I had that lamb that I purchased this morning at the market, we decided on a menu of lamb with roasted potatoes and vegetables.

FIREPIT LAMB

Lamb Chops or Lamb Shoulder

Garlic

Fresh Rosemary

Fresh Thyme

Salt and Pepper

Olive Oil

Smash the garlic with the rosemary and thyme in a mortar and pestle.   Drizzle in some olive oil and salt and pepper.  Smear this all over your lamb.  Let rest while you get the firepit started.

FIREPIT ROASTED VEGETABLES AND POTATOES

Onion, Beets, Potatoes, Carrots, Parsnips, String Beans, Zucchini, Cherry Tomatoes

Cut all the vegetables in chunks.  Drizzle with olive oil, salt and pepper and fresh herbs (rosemary, thyme) and toss into a large cast iron skillet.  Cover with foil and cook on grill over coals.  Turn and stir often to prevent sticking and burning.  (About 40 mins)

Pastry, Two Ways

Part of the challenge of living "in the country" is that we have limited access to food supplies. There is an Atlantic Superstore in Porter's Lake which is 10 minutes away, and they do offer some organic foods, but no organic meat.  So when we run out, we make do with what we have until I make my weekly trip into Halifax to restock.  That is why we place bulk orders with local organic farmers for beef, lamb and chicken.  We are in the process of organizing one of these orders at the moment, so until then, we buy in small quantities.  Today was one of those days where the only thing I could think of to make with what we had on hand was quiche. Which led to me making whole wheat pastry, tripling the recipe so I could make a pie too.

PASTRY DOUGH

1 3/4 cup organic unbleached pastry flour

1 cup organic whole wheat or spelt flour

1/2 tsp sea salt

90 g (6 Tbsp) chilled organic unsalted butter

120 g (8 Tbsp) organic palm oil

8 Tbsp (120 ml) ice water

     Combine the flours and salt in a bowl.  Cut in the butter and palm oil until it resembles coarse meal.  Sprinkle in the ice water and mix until the dough holds together.  Form into two balls and place in a covered dish and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

     Lightly flour your counter surface and then pat the dough out and flatten about 6".

     Roll out the dough to a size slightly larger than your pie plate.  Press the dough lightly into the plate.  Trim any excess dough, leaving just enough to slightly tuck under once we assemble the pie.  

    ** If you are using this pastry for a recipe that only requires a bottom crust, divide recipe in half and fold the overhanging pastry inwards, leaving a double crust along the side and a rounded edge on top.

QUICHE with Broccoli, Mushroom, Zucchini and Swiss 

1 cup chopped organic broccoli

1/2 cup organic mushroom, sliced

1/2 cup organic zucchini, sliced

1/2 cup organic onion, chopped

5 organic eggs

1/3 cup organic whole milk

1 cup organic Swiss cheese, grated

1 tbsp olive oil or organic butter

sea salt and pepper

1 pastry dough, uncooked in a pie plate

Preheat oven to 350*.  Heat a cast iron skillet over medium heat and add the oil.   Saute onion, broccoli, zucchini and mushroom for about 5 minutes or until soft.  In a medium size bowl, whisk the eggs well until adding the milk and salt and pepper.

Fill the bottom of the pastry dough with the cheese.  Add the sauteed vegetable on top of the cheese.  Then pour in the egg mixture.  Bake in oven for about 45 minutes or until the egg has set and the quiche is lightly browned.

Prep time: Crust takes 10 minutes to make, 30 minutes to chill.  Filling takes 15 minutes to make.  

        

AUTUMN PEAR PIE with Crystallized Ginger

8 medium sized organic pears, peeled, cored and thinly sliced

3 Tbsp arrowroot powder

1/4 cup organic brown rice syrup

6 pieces crystallized ginger, diced

grated zest and juice of 1 organic lemon

double crust pastry

Method: Make the pastry and preheat oven to 325*.  Combine all ingredients in a large bowl. Spoon filling into pie shell.  Gently place remaining dough circle on top of filling.  Roll edge of top crust gently under bottom crust and press edges to seal.  Pierce top crust decoratively in several place to allow steam to escape.  Bake 45-60 minutes or until filling is bubbling and crust is beginning to brown.

Prep time: Crust takes 10 minutes to make, 30 minutes to chill.  Filling takes 5 minutes, assembly takes 5 minutes.

We needed a little salad to go with the quiche so I decided to use up some leftover quinoa we had in the fridge.  Scott warned there may be frost tonight, so I went into the garden to harvest all the red tomatoes, green pepper, green onions and cucumbers so they wouldn't die in the cold.

QUINOA SALAD

3 cups organic quinoa

1 cup cucumber, chopped

1 cup cherry tomatoes, sliced in half

1/2 cup minced endive

1 green onion, sliced

1/4 parsley, minced

olive oil

umeboshi vinegar 

red wine vinegar

sea salt and pepper

Combine the vegetables and quinoa in a large bowl.  Drizzle with olive oil, vinegars, salt and pepper.

The dinner I missed

Last night I was not at home.  I teach yoga every Thursday evening in Seaforth and so last night Scott was on his own for deciding what he wanted to eat.  I arrived home to the most amazing smelling concoction, and luckily some leftovers.  Left to his own devices Scott decided to make salmon melts.  It is like a tuna melt, only he used canned salmon. We were out of mayonaise so he decided to use some hummus.  I had also left some foccacia on the counter which I had picked up from Dobbit Bakehouse in Musquodoboit Harbour.  I think he mixed in some cherry tomatoes from the garden, sprinkled some dried oregano and cheddar cheese on it and baked it in the oven.  Magnificent!  I should let him cook more often!  No pictures though, I ate it before I had a chance...

Clean out the fridge Lasagna, or what should I do with this ground beef?

Scott's parents were coming over for dinner the other night and I had already taken out some pasture raised ground beef from the freezer the night before.  The dilemma - how do you make 1 pound of meat feed 4 adults and one toddler?  So I decided to make up a lasagna.  There were a couple of challenges with this one - 1) I didn't really have enough mozzarella 2) I didn't have ricotta or cottage cheese or even tofu in the house to fill the lasagna with.  No problem though, I just used feta cheese blended with whatever yogurt I had and when I ran out of enough mozzarella for the topping, I just grated a whole bunch of romano cheese to fill in the blanks - it turned out really well!  I ate the rest for lunch today :)

LASAGNA (from my head and I didn't record measurements so modify as required)

About 18 lasagna noodles ( I used a combo of organic kamut and organic white lasagna noodles)

1 jar organic pasta sauce

organic mozzarella cheese

1 bunch organic swiss chard

About 10 organic button mushrooms

1 organic onion

organic feta cheese (found local organic goat feta at Homegrown Oranics in Halifax!)

organic yogurt

1 pound organic pasture raised ground beef

Method: Preheat oven to 350*.  Put a big pot of salted water onto boil for the noodles.  As you wait wilt swiss chard in a pot with a lid over medium heat.  Strain and squeeze all the liquid out and then chop into small pieces.  Slice mushrooms and onions and saute in a skillet with some olive oil.  After about 3 minutes, add the ground beef and brown.  Set aside.  When water is boiling, add the noodles in 2 batches, cooking 3/4 of the way so they are still slightly undercooked.  Be sure to add oil to water to prevent the noodles from sticking to each other.  Drain and cool.  Add about 1/4 cup water to the pasta sauce to dilute.  Pour some of the sauce on the bottom of your big roasting tray.  Layer some noodles on top.  Now is when you can mix some yogurt with the feta to make a ricotta like cheese sauce which you spread onto the layer of noodles, followed by some ground beef mix,  some chard,  some more sauce and ending with a sprinkle of mozzarella.  Repeat.  End with another layer of noodles, then the rest of the sauce and cheese.  Sprinkle with romano and cover with pod lid or aluminum foil.  Bake covered 1 hour, uncover for 20 minutes and serve.