OATMEAL BREAD

Today was a perfect bread baking day.  An overcast January morning, lots of rain, and a big baby belly that just wants to cozy up by the fire and knit.  Although I've been subsisting on lots of delicious homemade sourdough bread the past few months, I often make the rest of the family a few loaves of delicious yeast breads to have on hand in the freezer.  Every now and then I like to make this rich Oatmeal Bread instead of our regular whole wheat loaf.  The gooey molasses adds a deep dark hue to this oatmeal studded bread.  Kind of chewy, and deeply delicious.  The perfect snack on a winter day, smothered in salty butter.  The best part of winter bread baking is setting the bread to rise by the fire while I rock my self into knitting heaven....

OATMEAL BREAD

2 cups organic large flake oatmeal

2 cups boiling water

1/2 cup organic molasses

(1/2 cup coconut sugar - optional - this will make a sweet loaf)

1 Tbsp sea salt

1/2 cup organic butter

1/2 cup lukewarm water

4 tsp instant yeast

5-6 cups organic flour (I used mostly whole wheat with some unbleached white)

Method:  Pour the boiling water over the oats, stir, and then add the molasses (sugar), sea salt, and butter.  Let cool to lukewarm.  Meanwhile, dissolve the yeast in the warm water.  Using a wooden spoon, stir in the flour, a few cups at a time, and then scrape the dough onto a well floured surface, sprinkle it with flour and knead it. Gather the dough together in your hands and push it away from you with your palms. Fold it in half towards you, then turn and turn and repeat pushing, folding, and turning, sprinkling flour on the dough to keep it from sticking, this may take up to a cupful more. Keep kneading for several minutes, until the dough becomes smooth and elastic.

After kneading, put the dough in a large oiled bowl, and flip to coat both sides with oil. Cover the bowl with a pot lid, and place in a warm place (near a woodstove or in a gas oven that has a pilot light).  Let it rise for 1 to 2 hours, or until the dough has doubled. Punch the dough down to remove air bubbles, then divide into 2 parts. Shape each into a loaf and place into a greased loaf pan. Cover each loaf with a large upturned mixing bowl and return to a warm place again to rise the second time. The loaves should double, about 1 hour. Bake in a 400 degree oven for 25 minutes. When bread is golden brown on top and bottom and bread sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom, it is done.

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

My husband and I are sharing a New Year's Resolution that involves making sure he eats out less when he's in town working.  So, for the past week he has been munching his way through a batch of my oatmeal scones for breakfast.  To keep things from going stale, I made him some morning glory muffins today for his morning snacks that are always in his truck on the way into town.  I like this recipe because it sneaks  carrots, apples, nuts and dried fruits into us, and our taste buds are happy about it.  If I know him, he will probably drench these little babies in molasses just like he does the scones........

MORNING GLORY MUFFINS

(makes about 8 jumbo muffins or 16 small muffins)

3 cups organic whole wheat flour

2 tsp GMO and aluminum free baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 tsp organic cinnamon, ground

1/2 tsp sea salt

2 organic eggs

3/4 cup local honey

2/3 cup organic whole milk yogurt

1/2 cup organic vegetable oil

2 cups organic carrots (or zucchini or both), shredded

1 cup organic apples, peeled and grated

1/2 cup organic raisins, cranberries, goji berries, or dried cherries

1/2 cup organic nuts or seeds

1/2 cup organic unsweetened shredded coconut 

Method:  Grease or line muffin cups with paper.  Preheat oven to 350*.  In a large bowl, sift together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and sea salt.  In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, honey, yogurt and oil.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stir in the carrot, apple, dried fruit, coconut and nuts.  Mix until a thick batter forms.  Spoon into prepared muffins cups and bake about 20-25 minutes.

NEW YEAR'S EVE FONDUE PARTY

     We've started a new family tradition in our house, and it began last night with the most delicious and fun fondue party.  I was so sure I already owned a fondue pot, but after looking everywhere in our cluttered basement, it was nowhere to be found.  Luckily without too much hassle a pretty decent pot was purchased, along with a smaller ceramic dessert fondue pot, and we were ready to roll!  I've only had fondue twice in my life, one year my mother made cheese fondue, and the other time our neighbour made the kind with hot oil.  Both times were very yummy, so I was excited to try it out for myself.  Fondue parties don't have to be too much work, but as you can probably see from this blog, I love to feed people and entertain so I made many of the accompaniments from scratch because it's fun for me.  The cheese fondue is made from Gruyere and Emmenthal cheeses melted with some white wine and thickened with cornstarch and lemon juice.  You can dip all kinds of things into this gooey and stringy delight, including the spread we had last night of crusty homemade bread, steamed broccoli and cauliflower, fingerling potatoes, cherry tomatoes, and strips of red and yellow peppers.  I was happy to have an opportunity to open up and share a jar of my homemade dill pickles to eat with the fondue, along with some mammoth garlic stuffed olives.  

     For dessert I baked a few yummies to dip into the chocolate fondue.  My favorite Maple Shortbread, Maple Almond Biscotti and the star of the night, mini Orange Vanilla Cakes.  We also feasted on a selection of dippable fruits including bananas, pears, clementine segments, and pineapple.  It was a real treat to buy these precious imported fruits for this special occasion.  This meal was so much fun I can't wait until next year to do it again (if I can wait that long!)

CHEESE FONDUE

Serves 4 adults as a main course

9 cups grated Gruyere and Emmentaler cheeses, organic if available (about 1 1/2 pounds)

1 1/2 cups dry local, organic white wine

1 organic clove garlic, sliced in half

2 Tbsp organic cornstarch

2 Tbsp organic lemon juice, fresh squeezed

1/4 tsp organic nutmeg, grated fresh

freshly ground black or white pepper

Optional accompaniments:  cubed bread, breadsticks, steamed small potatoe wedges, bell pepper strips, blanched broccoli and cauliflower, seared scallops, steamed shrimp, whole cherry tomatoes, olives, pickles, apple slices, pear slices

Method:  Rub the inside of the fondue pot with the garlic, then discard the cloves.  In a saucepan over medium-low heat, bring the wine to a bubble and then begin whisking in the cheese by the handful, until melted and combined.

     In a separate bowl, whisk the lemon juice with cornstarch until the starch is dissolved.  Stir this into the cheese, whisking until it is smooth and bubbling.  Season with pepper and nutmeg.  Transfer to the fondue pot and set over the flame.  Serve immediately.

CHOCOLATE FONDUE

Serves 5-6 as dessert

3/4  pound organic chocolate chips

1 cup organic whipping cream

Optional accompaniments:  strawberries, banana, pineapple, dried fruit, shortbread, cake, biscotti, orange segments, homemade marshmallows, cherries, mango, melon, apple, pear, candied ginger

Method:  Set a bowl over lightly simmering water.  Stir in the chocolate and cream, stirring occasionally until chocolate is melted and the mixture is smooth.  Transfer to the fondue pot set over a flame.  

MINI ORANGE VANILLA CAKES

Makes 5 mini loafs (2 1/2 cups batter)

3/4 cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

3/4 cup organic unbleached white pastry flour

3/4 Tbsp aluminum and GMO free baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup organic vegetable oil (sunflower, safflower)

1/4 cup local maple syrup

1/4 cup organic brown rice syrup (or more maple)

3/4 cup organic whole milk

1 tsp pure organic vanilla extract

1Tbsp organic fresh orange juice

zest of 1 organic orange

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Grease the pans with vegetable oil.  In a large bowl, sift in, then combine the dry ingredients, including the zest.  In a smaller bowl, whisk the wet ingredients together.  Add the wet to the dry, whisk gently until smooth.  Pour into the pans and bake for 15-20 minutes, or until lightly golden.  Transfer pans to a rack and allow to cool before removing from pans.

WHOLE WHEAT MAPLE SHORTBREAD 

 Makes about 12-15 cookies

1/2 cup organic whole wheat flour
1/2 cup organic unbleached flour
1/3 cup organic brown rice flour
1/4 cup local maple sugar
1/2 cup organic unsalted butter


Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Sift all dry ingredients into a bowl and rub in the butter. Roll into small balls, pressing down on them with your palm to flatten them a bit, placing on a parchment lined baking sheet.  Bake at 350*for about 15 minutes or until just slightly golden.

MAPLE ALMOND BISCOTTI

1  cup organic whole wheat pastry flour

1/2 cup organic unbleached white pastry flour

1/2 Tbsp aluminum and GMO free baking powder

1/4 tsp sea salt

1/2 cup organic almond slivers

1/4 cup organic vegetable oil

1/3 cup local maple syrup

1/2 tsp pure organic vanilla extract

1/2 tsp pure organic almond extract

Method:  Preheat oven to 350*.  Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.  Sift and mix together the dry ingredients, then stir in the almonds.  In a separate bowl, whisk together the wet ingredients.  Stir the wet into the dry and then form into two logs, 2 1/2" in diameter.  Bake until golden around the edges, about 30 minutes.  Allow to cool and then slice into thin diagonal 3/4" slices.  Bake for another 15 minutes.

CHRISTMAS TOURTIERE AND HOMEGROWN TURKEY

     Wow, am I ever full.  There has been lots of feasting and celebrating going on around here, and I've only now taken a break from stuffing my face to write this post.  It all started with Tourtiere or French-Canadian meat pie on Christmas Eve.  This has been a tradition in my family forever, and I am so happy to have started making this for my family the past couple of years.  I even had enough to make an extra pie to freeze, which will be perfect when I go into labour and need to bring food with us to the birth house.

     While I was busy in the kitchen, my husband Scott had the sombre task of saying goodbye to two of our turkeys so we could feast on Christmas Day.  We were a little worried that wild turkeys would be drier and harder to cook than conventional turkeys.  A night of brining and careful basting did just the trick, and we had the most delicious meal ever.  I've got to admit, Scott and I were pretty proud of ourselves that all the diligence and care of the turkeys paid off.  What a rewarding experience for sure.

I had lots of extra pastry left over after making the tourtiere so on Christmas morning I made some Maple Butter Tarts.  I don't have a picture to share, but I do have the recipe.  They taste so good, especially when they're frozen.

TOURTIERE

Makes 2 thick pies

2 pounds organic pasture raised pork, ground

2 pounds grass fed beef, ground

3 organic onions, chopped
2 organic potatoes, shredded
2 organic carrots, shredded

3-4 tsp sea salt

3/4-1 tsp organic clove, ground

couple of pinches organic allspice, ground

1/4 cup fresh sage, chopped

a few sprigs fresh thyme, chopped

2 organic bay leaves

pastry for 3 pies

1 organic egg yolk, beaten

1 Tbsp organic olive oil

3 cups water or organic beef stock

Method:  In a large heavy saucepan over medium high heat cook the meat for 5-10 minutes or until no longer pink.  Place the meat in a sieve to drain off fat.  Return the meat to the pan and stir in the onions, stock, potato, carrpt, spices, bay leave, salt and pepper.  Reduce heat to medium low and partially cover, simmering and stirring occasionally for 1 hour until the liquid has evaporated.  Remove the bay leaves and let cool and then refrigerate.  Divide pastry into 4 rounds and roll out 2 of the rounds and fit into the bottom of 2 - 9" pie plates.  Spread the meat mixture in pie shells.  Roll out remaining dough and arrange over the meat filling.  Trim and crimp edges to seal; cut steam vents in top of pastry.  Lightly beat the egg yolk and olive oil together and brush onto the top of the pies.  Bake at 425* for 10 minutes then reduce temperature to 350* and bake for 20-25 minutes or until golden.  Cover the pies with foil if they start to get too brown.

MAPLE BUTTER TARTS

Prepare enough pastry to line 2 dozen medium sized tart pans or muffin cups.

1/2 cup local maple syrup

1/2 cup organic brown rice syrup (or more maple syrup)

2 organic eggs

1/2 cup maple or organic coconut sugar

Method:  Preheat oven to 400*.  Stir the syrups together to combine.  Whisk in the egg and then stir in the sugar.  Pour syrup mixture into tart shells, filling them 2/3 full.  Bake for 15 minutes or until pastry is golden

HOLIDAY TRADITIONS

It's been awhile since my last post on gingerbread.  Since then we've completed making and decorating the gingerbread houses.  And yes, I did manage to lay out bowls upon bowls of bright colourful candy around my toddler without him eating any of it.  (Well actually he ate one chocolate snowman because he has developed a fondness for chocolate.) That is the beauty of children, they imitate whatever adults do, so seeing as I don't eat candy, it was pretty easy to show him that the candy was just for gluing onto the gingerbread.

GINGERBREAD HOUSE ICING

4 cups organic icing sugar

1/2 tsp cream of tartar

3 organic egg whites

Method:  Sift together the icing sugar and cream of tartar.  Using an electric mixer beat in the egg whites and whisk for 7 minutes or until the icing is thick enough to hold its shape.  Can be kept refrigerated in a covered dish for 3 days.

 Holiday preparations are in full swing over here, and today we visited a local tree farm to cut down an evergreen for our Solstice/Christmas celebrations.  Growing up, this annual tradition always included coming home to chow down on hearty chili and sausage on a bun.  So, my sister came over and that is just what we did.  I make my chili differently from mom, and I make cornbread to go with it even though she never did (ah the beauty of evolution in tradition).  The addition of delicious toppings like shredded cheese, avocado, olives and cilantro are a nice touch too.

CHILI 

5 cups organic cooked kidney, pinto and black beans

2 Tbsp e.v olive oil

1 pound organic/grass fed ground beef

2 organic green peppers, chopped

2 organic onions, chopped

3 cloves organic garlic, minced

1 Tbsp organic ginger, grated

2 tsp organic mustard seeds

1 tsp organic coriander powder

1/4 tsp organic nutmeg, grated

3 Tbsp organic chili powder

2-4 tsp sea salt

organic black pepper, ground

3/4 cup organic apple cider vinegar

2 Tbsp local honey

2 can organic chopped tomatoes

2 cups water

Toppings:  chopped avocado, green onions, shredded cheese, cilantro, green olives, sour cream

Method:  In a large soup pot, heat oil over medium heat.  Saute beef, onion and green pepper for 3-4 minutes.  Add in garlic, ginger and spices, stirring for 1 minute.  Add the tomatoes, beans, honey, salt, pepper, vinegar, and water.  Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low, cooking for about 30-40 minutes or until mixture is nice and thick.  Serve with toppings.

CORNBREAD

1 cup organic cornmeal, finely ground

1 cup organic whole wheat or spelt flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

2 Tbsp local honey

1/2 tsp sea salt

1 cup organic whole milk

2 organic eggs

3 Tbsp organic butter, melted

Method:  Preheat oven to 375*.  Combine the dry ingredients in a bowl.  Whisk together the wet ingredients in another bowl.  Add wet to dry, stir.  Pout into a 9" X 9" buttered pan and bake for 25 minutes.

MY GINGERBREAD MAN

It began last night.  After a long and full week, I wondered what my son and I were going to do all day today.  Another rainy, overcast day.  Me, a baby full belly and little desire to be mobile.  The only solution was to go for a walk to get the mail, rainy day or no rainy day.  Am I ever glad I did go for a walk.  Five minutes into being outside, my mood immediately changed and I found myself marveling at the beauty of nature.  As my son threw rocks into the ocean, I noticed how lovely and magical the perfect circles that formed on the surface of the water were each time a rock went in.  

     When we got back home, I decided to visit the supermarket to load up on some bulk decorating candy so we could make gingerbread houses!  I purposely chose the supermarket over Bulk Barn, because as you know,  Bulk Barn won't allow me to bring in paper bags to package my goods, but Superstore does.  So yay!  Superstore, you get my business!  I am really hoping I succeed in convincing my son that the candy is solely for decorating, and not food meant for human consumption (what? it isn't!).  I'll let you know how it goes.  I have hopefully enlisted the (willing) assistance of my talented husband to construct the gingerbread houses.  He is a builder after all, so I think he will do an excellent job.  It will be fun to make them altogether as a family anyway.  Until then, Faegan and I spent the morning baking gingerbread men, which taste divine warm from the oven.

GINGERBREAD MEN 

(if I had a gingerbread woman cookie cutter I would have made them too)

I multiplied this recipe by four to make enough men and the house.

1/4 cup organic butter, room temperature

1/2 cup organic coconut sugar (or organic brown sugar which can be as simple as 1/2 cup organic sugar mixed with 1 Tbsp organic molasses)

1/2 cup organic molasses

1 organic egg

1 cup organic whole wheat flour

1 1/2 cups organic unbleached flour

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp organic ground cloves

1 tsp organic ground cardamom

1 tsp organic ground cinnamon

1 tsp organic ground ginger

1/2 tsp sea salt

Method:  Cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy.  (If your butter is cold, simply beat it in the mixer bowl while you blow a hot hair dryer on it for a few seconds, it will be warm in no time.)  Add the molasses and egg and combine.  

     In a separate bowl, sift the dry ingredients.  Then add the flour mixture to the wet ingredients and mix until smooth.  Cover the bowl with a lid and refrigerate dough for at least one hour.  Roll dough out on a floured countertop to desired thickness.  Use cookie cutters to make shapes.  Transfer to greased or parchment lined sheets and bake at 350* for 8-10 minutes.