The holidays are coming . . .

In getting ready for the holiday season, I begin my baking in November. Over the years I have gathered many favourites; including traditional Scottish shortbread.
My favourite recipe involves just four ingredients: flour, brown sugar, cornstarch and butter.

Try this recipe for a fool proof delicious cookie that is sure to impress your family and friends.
http://www.robertsplace.ca/recipes/shortbread.htm#
It’s not the one I used, but it a very easy one.

This dessert has been a family favourite since I was a little girl. I always loved how the hidden fruit could be perfectly presented after baking.

I decided to check on the history of this dish today. Lo and behold - look what I found from http://www.kitchenproject.com/

The History of Pineapple Upside Down Cake

This cake has a fascinating history :It was invented because several other convenience items were developed that gave the housewife time to make a cake pretty as well as delicious.

The idea of cooking a cake upside down, is an old technique that started centuries ago when cakes were cooked in cast iron skillets. It was easy for cook to add fruit and sugar in the bottom of the pan and a simple cake batter on top and put it over the fire to cook. Then flipping it over onto a plate was a natural way to show the pretty fruit and let it run into the cake as well.

The idea of the pineapple soon after 1911 when one of James Dole's engineer had invented a machine to cut his pineapples into nice rings. Soon the convenient and pretty rings were used in this age old technique of the skillet cake. The invention of the maraschino cherry added the necessary color needed to make this cake stunning.

The first recorded recipe for Pineapple Upside Down Cake According to John Mariani's ( The Dictionary of American Food and Drink , Revised Edition, 1994), "The first mention in print of such a cake was in 1930, and was so listed in the 1936 Sears Roebuck catalog, but the cake is somewhat older." In Fashionable Food: Seven Decades of Food Fads (1995), Sylvia Lovegren traces pineapple upside-down cake to a 1924 Seattle fund-raising cookbook...While rooting around in old women's magazines I found a Gold Medal Flour ad with a full-page, four-color picture of Pineapple Upside-Down Cake--a round cake with six slices of pineapple, candied red cherries, and a brown sugar glaze. The date: November 1925." --- American Century Cookbook: The Most Popular Recipes of the 20th Century , Jean Anderson (p. 432)

Barbeque'd Pizza

On a hot humid day, at the end of summer - one may be craving good ol' homemade pizza, but not wanting to endure the heat of the kitchen oven.

I had always wanted to make (grilled) barbeque'd pizza and had the opportunity this weekend.

Using fresh bakery dough, I added my own seasoning to the crust.

On a hot, oiled grill, the base was cooked on one side, and then flipped.

Topping the pizza in the traditional manner, I cooked it on a medium hot grill.

it was just a matter of time, before dinner was ready.

I am looking forward to enjoying pizza year-round now.

What a treat!

Buon appetito!!

Sunday brunch - an oldie but goodie.

Sunday mornings can be as easy and as lazy as you want.

I tended to the garden on the balcony, I read some magazine articles and I played Scrabble online.

I love eating al fresco, admiring the rewards of my gardening efforts, and sitting out in the fresh air listening to the sounds on a lazy Sunday; lawnmowers, kids playing in the street, dogs barking. Later the smells of weekend barbeques will fill the neighbourhood air.

Today I had a craving for something my Mom used to make for us kids; Soft boiled eggs and Toasted Soldiers. I believe this was some British nickname for the meal. Yes, this was comfort food from the 60's! How simple yet delicious and nutricious! Brunch can't get any better than this in 5 minutes flat preparation.

Easy Rice n Beans

Dinner began two nights ago when I prepared a side dish of rice with sauteed onion, garlic and vegetables.

Tonight's dinner, was a complete meal, that simply began with my leftover rice dish.

I simply heated some canola oil in the fry pan and added my leftover rice. Then I picked some fresh herbs from my balcony garden; basil, chives and parsley.
I chopped these finely and added to the rice.
Lastly, I tossed in one-half cup of chickpeas.

Easy rice n beans. Dinner in one pan. Delicious!

Shrimp - yes please!

Every once in a while, I buy those shrimp rings - you know, the cocktail shrimp in a ring? On sale, one can snag a package for under four dollars. Pop into the freezer for when the urge hits and voila - easy gourmet dinner can be yours tonight!

This decadent treat can be served as an appetizer or as a main meal alongside stir-fried jasmine rice.

I purchased the ready-made puff pastry shells at a steal of a deal; 6 for $1.25.

Then, I prepared a basic white sauce and added sauteed onions, garlic and diced red and orange pepper. At the end of the cooking stage, I added the shrimp.

A spoonful of the creamy shrimp filling was placed in the shell and topped with garden fresh chives and parsley.

Sunday

Sunday morning and a lazy one at that.
But, since breakfast is the most important meal of the day, I try to keep on top of putting some healthy food into my body. (alongside coffee of course)

A simple breakfast today; I prepared an open faced fried egg on a thin toasted and buttered bun, topped with garden grown chives.

Courtesy of www.getcracking.ca
The protein in eggs can help you lose weight by controlling the rate at which your body absorbs calories. A recent study compared an egg-based breakfast to a bagel-based breakfast, each containing the same number of calories. Those who ate eggs for breakfast consumed 163 fewer calories at lunch, felt less hungry and ate 418 less calories over a 24-hour period.*
When managing your weight, choose foods that provide the maximum amount of nutrition for the least amount of calories. Eggs are great nutritional value for those trying to lose or maintain weight. A large egg contains 14 essential nutrients, but just 70 calories.

Breakfast for Dinner.

It was one of those nights.
A night when my tummy needed a sweet breakfast.
What better than to make French Toast with a side of strawberries?

I always make sure to let my one piece of white bread (it makes the best French Toast if you ask me) soak in one egg with some milk.

Breakfast for Dinner. How yummy!

When it gets extremely hot and perhaps humid as well, the lifespan of a banana in that same hot and humid kitchen is quite short.So, if you have found yourself to be the keeper of several over ripe bananas, there is a delicious remedy.

BAKE BANANA BREAD

If you don't have the time to bake, or the kitchen is just too hot to turn on the oven, put the bananas into the freezer.There are two ways to keep bananas frozen; one is my preferred method. It's easy, and I don't have to clean a container after they thaw. I simply toss the over ripe bananas into the freezer, as is; in the skin. No preparation, no fuss, no muss. Done!

The other method is to prepare the bananas for baking. Simply mash the bananas and put into freezer containers. Place in freezer. Done!

When the day comes to do your baking, simply remove the whole banana-in-the-peel and place in a bowl to thaw. When thawed, mash and measure for your recipe.You may notice the thawed mashed banana is a little watery. You may choose to drain a bit of the clear liquid, although I do not and have never had any problems.Or: remove the pre-mashed frozen bananas and set aside to thaw - this may take a while, and you may choose to use low power microwave to speed up the process.

Proceed as normal with your mashed bananas.

Banana Bread is a staple in my home. Not only is it a great breakfast food on the run - it also makes for a nutritious snack in lunchboxes.

For an added treat, I add chocolate chips.

Dinner al fresco.

At the end of a hot day, the last thing I want to do, is cook using the stove or oven. A fast, easy, and wonderfully pleasing dinner for the eyes and the tummy is my platter of cold finger foods.

Behold the colourful array of tastes:
Garlic dills alongside spicy pepper rings on mozarella cheese upon whole grain crackers.
Cucumber slices kissed by honey mustard and hugged inside a mini croissant.
Delicious devilled eggs with yolks that have been blended with creamy mayonaisse and balcony grown chives.

I do believe there is some of that rhubarb pie still in the refrigerator.
It'll be a fine way to end a great meal on a wonderfully warm evening.

Sunday Breakfast

The nice part about a Sunday breakfast is that it can be something special and yet still nutritious. For me, presentation plays a big part in the enjoyment of a meal.

My simple yogurt, granola and strawberries, placed in an ice cream sundae dish makes it a feast for the eyes.

Take the time to do something special for yourself or the one you love. It's a great way to start your day.

cheers!

Le petit croissant

On a grey Saturday afternoon, I decided to make some colourful mini sandwiches to perk up my spirit, and my lunch!

Today I chose mozzarella cheese, hot pepper rings and garlic dill pickles.
My condiment of choice is mayonnaise. I never use butter on the bread when I am adding mayonaisse. A sprig of fresh parsley from the balcony garden is perfect for helping eliminate the garlic breath.

To complete my meal, I enjoyed a couple of homemade peanut butter cookies and a cup of coffee.

Rhubarb - the first harvest.

Rhubarb is one of my favourite fruits*.

It is the first thing we can harvest in the garden, so as a cook, i celebrate spring with the feast of rhubarb.It grows in stalks, with huge leaves. The stalks are reddish, with a bit of green on them. You pick them when they are red mostly. Cut into chunks, and bake into a pie, just like you would apple. Do not use the leaves as they are toxic, but you can put them into the composter.

Rhubarb can be sweetened with white sugar or strawberries in pies and sauce.

For me, I like my rhubarb, straight up.

To make a pie, I make it the same way as an apple pie, either with a double layer pastry or single layer and crumble topping.


*Rhubarb is botanically classified as a vegetable; however in the United States, in 1947, a New York court decided that since it was used as a fruit, it was to be called a fruit.

Teriyaki Chicken with Rice n Veggies

It was great to find that chicken wings were on sale for $1.99/lb this weekend. The perfect oven recipe for this was to make them teriyaki style.

Teriyaki Sauce:

1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tbsp ketchup
garlic - i like lots, i used 2 cloves.

Mix together in a small pot, and simmer over medium heat until boiling and then reduce heat for another 15 minutes. Set aside to cool. When cooled, pour over chicken wings and ensure all wings have been coated with marinade.

Leave chicken wings in the fridge overnight. Next day, preheat oven to 350F. Cook wings for one hour, stirring occasionally and basting the wings with the sauce. Serve with rice and vegetables for a hearty, tasty meal.

Enjoy!

Parsley; The world's most popular herb.

Today I bought my pot of parsley (Petroselinum crispum) at the garden center. Parsley is one of the herbs I always grow.


I cultivate it throughout the summer for use and dry the extra for winter cooking. I use it for soups and stews as it adds a wonderful gentle flavour alongside other seasonings.


For lots and lots of information on parsley, both curled and flat, check out Wikipedia's link: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parsley

Tea Biscuits sugar free

These biscuits are fast and easy to prepare.

Shown above are three versions ; plain, with cranberries and using raspberry jam as filling.

2 cups flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
¾ cup milk
1/3 cup cooking oil

Preheat oven to 375F.
Combine first three ingredients.
Combine oil and milk in a separate bowl.
Pour wet mixture over mixed dry ingredients.
Mix with fork to make a soft dough.
Knead on floured board about ten times.
Roll to ½ inch thickness and cut out biscuits.
Place on ungreased baking sheet and bake for 12-15 mins.


Enjoy!

Quick and easy pizza on Lebanese flatbread.

I make my pizza in the same way as with dough, but the cooking time is about half the time or a little less. I cook enough for leftovers and saran wrap them for the next day.

To reheat: i place the unwrapped pieces in a Teflon fry pan and cover with a pot lid. Warm on medium heat til the bottom is crispy and the pizza is heated throughout.

Welcome to my kitchen.

My passions of cooking and photography meet up in this oh-so-delicious blog. Most often, my days are spent with camera in one hand and later, a wire whisk in the other. I might even juggle position by holding one in each hand.

Above is one of my favourite photos, and meals - a fresh hot bowl of cream of broccoli soup. Broccoli is high in vitamins C, K and A as well as dietary fiber. It also contains multiple nutrients with anti-cancer properties.

I am sure you will enjoy the images and editorials as much as I enjoy sharing them.

cheers
*freyja*