Weather, Crumpets

We don't seem to have blacktop roads any more, they are all white. I half expected our cleaner not to come this morning but she made it. It has been snowing all day. We decided not to go bowling this aft, not really worth it ploughing through the roads. Bit concerned as I have an appointment at the Infectious Diseases Dept. in the hospital Thursday morning. I have a car coming for us, but no doubt he will cry off if the snow gets any worse although I understand the driver tomorrow has an SUV. If he has good tires, may be OK.

Being born and bred in England, I love crumpets. Actually my father owned a crumpet factory once upon a time and during school holidays I used to go help. Rings (like muffin rings) were put onto hot plates and then the batter was poured into them. They were flipped once and then when ready, we had a greased sock on our arm and used to punch the crumpets out of the rings greasing them at the same time. That was my job LOL. I normally buy my crumpets from my grocery store but they haven't had any for a while. Talking  to the bakers where I buy my favourite buns, she suggested making my own. I just googled a recipe and here it is. Of course I don't have any muffin rings or tuna cans (I don't much like canned tuna anyway) so I will have to acquire some. I have an indoor/outdoor grill which has a hotplate I could use. For my English friends, I love Patum Peperium on crumpets as well as sweet toppings. Never had them with clotted cream, but anything is good with that. So now I need rings. OK found a set of 4 for $12.26 at Amazon.ca and as I have a 30 day trial of Prime, I don't have to pay shipping. Now I will have to decide which sock I don't want any more LOL

Crumpets

This traditional British teatime treat is midway between English muffin and pancake. Like an English

muffin, it's full of holes, perfect for collecting rivulets of melted butter. But it's also moister and thinner – more like a small pancake.

These are best enjoyed toasted, and spread with butter, jam, and/or clotted cream. Since their holes reach to the outside crust, there's no need to split them before toasting.

You can make crumpets without English muffin rings (or cleaned tuna cans), but they'll be perfectly round and ever so much nicer looking if you use rings.

1 1/2 cups lukewarm water
1 cup lukewarm milk
2 Tbs melted butter
3 1/2 cups King Arthur Unbleached All-Purpose Flour
2 1/2 tsp instant yeast
1 tsp baking powder
1 1/4 tsp salt

1. Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, and beat vigorously for 2 minutes. A stand or hand mixer, set on high speed, work well here.

2. Cover the bowl, and let the batter rest at room temperature for 1 hour. It will expand and become bubbly. Towards the end of the rest, preheat a griddle to medium-low, about 325°F. If you don't have an electric griddle, preheat a frying pan; it shouldn't be as hot as the temperature you use to cook pancakes.

3. Lightly grease the griddle or frying pan, and place well-greased 3 3/4" English muffin rings in the pan, as many as will fit. (If you don't have English muffin rings, use well-cleaned tuna cans, from which you've removed the top and bottom.) Pour sticky batter by the scant 1/4-cupful into each ring; a muffin scoop works well here.

4. After about 4 minutes, use a pair of tongs to slip the rings off. Cook the crumpets for a total of about 10 minutes on the first side, until their tops are riddled with small bubbles/holes. They should be starting to look a bit dry around the edges. Their bottoms will be a mottled, light-golden brown. Note: They probably won't be as full of holes as store-bought crumpets; that's OK.

5. Turn the crumpets over, and cook for an additional 5 minutes, to finish cooking the insides and to brown the tops gently. This isn't traditional; "real" crumpets are white on top, but the crumpet police won't chastise you for adding a little color to the tops.

6. Remove the crumpets from the pan, and repeat with the remaining batter, until all the crumpets are cooked. Serve warm. Or cool completely, wrap in plastic, and store at room temperature. To enjoy, warm in the toaster. Serve with butter, or butter and jam.

Yield: 20 crumpets

Source: King Arthur Flour

Have a great day

 

Bowling, Cooking!! Exhibition,

Meant to go bowling this afternoon but I have had headache most of the day so just didn't feel up to it. Hopefully tomorrow and maybe Thursday as well.

Sitting here I have a pop up for Instant Pot Ribs. However, Matt does not like anything with bones in, so that's out, sadly. I love ribs. Could do them for myself one day I guess. Me I love chewing on bones. Apparently you can start your ribs in the Instant Pot and then barbecue them. Not that I have a barbecue anyway. Not allowed.

I think I may have mentioned it before, but my parents took me (or they hadn't anywhere to leave me) to a Britain Can Make it Exhibition. This was in 1956 before a lot of you were born. It was there that the pressure cooker was first introduced to English cooks. One of those things which stick in one's mine. They also had a robot which answered questions, yeah right! I assume they had a mike attached to it or something. The other thing that stayed in my mind was the shot tower. I was fascinated. Apparently that's how bullets used to be made by dropping hot metal (lead I think) down a tall tower - this is what it says online "A shot tower is a tower designed for the production of small diameter shot balls by freefall of molten lead, which is then caught in a water basin. The shot is primarily used for projectiles in shotguns, and also for ballast, radiation shielding and other applications where small lead balls are useful." I don't know why that stuck in my head for so long. Must have impressed me. 

My friend Jan (ladydog) linked me to a chicken recipe she was making that day. However, I didn't have all the ingredients - what really staggers me, I don't have Herbes de Provence. I was sure I had some that I made. Oh well, future project. I had already thought about doing Kung Pao Chicken so then thought I would Google for an Instant Pot version (surprise, surprise). I found the following one but made a few alterations as I didn't have a couple of things. The dish was delicious but the snow peas and bell peppers didn't need quite so long - maybe 2 minutes on high. However, I was delighted with the result.

Instant Pot Kung Pao Chicken

Kung Pao spicy chicken with a kick!

2 cups diced/cubed chicken

½ red onion
½ cup diced zucchini ( I used snow peas)
½ cup diced sweet red and yellow chili peppers (Tabasco, I also added a red bell pepper)
1/3 cup sliced green onions
1 Tbs sesame seeds
½ cup low sodium soy sauce
1 Tbs honey
½ - 1 tsp  hot chili paste Pepper Flakes
2 tsp brown sugar
1 tsp garlic
2 Tbs cornstarch
2 cups cooked brown rice

1. In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, honey, chili paste, brown sugar, garlic, and cornstarch. Mix thoroughly with diced chicken, add 1 cup water, and pour into your instant pot.

2. Close lid, set high pressure, and cook for 5 minutes.

3. While that is cooking, cut your zucchini, onion, green onions, and peppers.

4. Vent your cooker, then add in vegetables plus some of your sesame seeds. Seal and cook another 4 minutes on high.

5. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve over a bed of cooked brown rice.

 Source: Slap Dash Mom

Have a great day
 

Instant Pot, Lousy Weather, Forgotten Recipe,

If you don't have an Instant Pot, these comments will probably bore you to death, but for those of you who do, I was re-reading the "distructions" and see it says always put 500 mL/or 2 cups liquid in the pot. My Saturday trial, which worked fairly well, only had a cup of stock which was dehydrated at the end. The thing is, two of us, Ivy Shorts "The Happy Whisk"  and I, both have new pots, whereas my friend "ladydog" has two of them and knows what she is doing, so help and questions are flying around. Of course if she wasn't swanning around in Florida playing her French Horn, it would help LOL.

The weather was pretty foul today, had to cancel a doctor's appointment in the next town. We had snow and whiteouts most of the day and the wind was still blowing a gale. Had to go to the store as I had placed an order, but that is from one underground garage to another although driving was a little dicey. Matt swears they are talking snow again for Tuesday, I hope not, want to go bowling. Just checked the forecast, doesn't sound as though it will be bad.

Elizabeth Seckman just wrote in Really Real Housewives about her son living on his own and needing easy recipes to cook instead of eating out all the time. She had one recipe on her site which I gave her some time ago and which I had completely forgotten. Pico de Gallo Chicken. She also gives an easy recipe for Pico de Gallo.

Pico de Gallo Chicken

A super easy and tasty fresh pico de gallo baked chicken all smothered in melted cheese!

1 lb boneless and skinless chicken breasts or thighs
2 tsp taco seasoning
2 cups pico de gallo
1 cup Monterey jack cheese, shredded

Pico de Gallo - Home made
5 roma tomatoes,
1/2 cup onion,
1 jalepeno (seeded and chopped),
1/2 cup cilantro,
salt to taste,
cumin or sometimes lime juice

1. Season the chicken with the seasoning, place in a large baking pan, top with pico de gallo, and cheese and bake in a preheated 375°F/190°C oven until the chicken is cooked through, about 20-30 minutes.

Servings: 4

Author: Kevin Lynch
Source: Closet Kitchen

Have a great day
 

Sleepless but not in Seattle, Doctor's, Damaging Wind, First Instapot Meal

Been suffering a lot for inability to get to sleep lately. I read, somewhere, that Peppermint Tea was good for sleeplessness. So, I am trying it out. It seems to relax me enough to go to sleep, but Saturday night I woke at about 3 and couldn't get back to sleep again. I also read, Sunday morning, that you shouldn't eat ice cream around 4 hours before bedtime, nor dark chocolate. So, will try ice cream at lunch and see what happens. It doesn't help that I can hear my pulse clearly when I lay my head on my pillow. I hate that. Apparently that is tinnitis and has several possible causes. Luckily high blood pressure is not one of  them for me. As I seem to have had an allergy all day, problems with eustachian tube or hearing is most likely.

Tomorrow we both have to see the doctor. Next town unfortunately. Right opposite the Cannabis Office. Thursday is the Infectious Diseases Dept. Seems silly to me so long after the fact but what do I know?

The wind has been howling round this building all day, I don't know what it's strength is but I read that it is expected to be a "damaging" wind. I hope it will stop by tomorrow.

Some of you will be wondering whether I have tried my Instapot. I found this recipe. I cooked it Saturday night. I think I need to do a few alterations, but it ended up being a delicious meal. I think the cooking time was a tad long, I chose 5 minutes, and the glaze ended up somewhat sticky before I did anything to it. I chose 5 minutes cooking time - that seemed to take forever. One thing I didn't know, and it doesn't say in the recipe, after natural vent, you need to turn to venting before you can take the lid off.

Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin with Garlic Herb Rub

This Instant Pot Pork Tenderloin has a garlic herb rub that gives it INCREDIBLE flavour! Simply cook it in the pressure cooker with some chicken broth or add an easy 4 ingredient honey balsamic

glaze to make it extra special. An easy dinner recipe that is healthy, too! Cook from fresh or frozen.

1 cup low sodium chicken broth I used one cup and cooked for 5 mins. Liquid overcooked, next time will use 2 cups.
1 Tbs balsamic vinegar
1 lb pork tenderloin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried parsley
1/2 tsp seasoning salt
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp black pepper

To Make the Glaze:
2-3 tbs  honey
1 Tbs ketchup
1 Tbs water
1 Tbs corn starch

Place trivet in the Instant Pot and add chicken broth and balsamic vinegar.

Trim silver skin from the side of the tenderloin. Cut in half and place on the trivet in the Instant Pot or pressure cooker.

 In a small bowl, combine garlic powder, parsley, seasoning salt, onion powder and black pepper. Sprinkle half over tenderloin in Instant Pot. Flip and sprinkle remaining seasoning over top.

Place lid on Instant Pot and turn the valve to sealing. Select Manual, high pressure (the default), and set timer to 7 minutes for fresh pork (10 minutes for partially frozen, or 13 minutes for frozen) -- for medium-well. If you like your tenderloin more on the rare side, 3-5 minutes is sufficient for fresh pork. 5 was too long for me. The meat was fine, the liquid almost dry.

When the cook time is done, turn the Instant Pot off and let pressure release naturally for 8-10 minutes. Then let it vent before you open the lid and remove the trivet with the pork on it and let rest for 5-10 minutes while you make the glaze. Do not drain the liquid. I didn't have any liquid after 5 minutes. Not sure, add more stock or use a lesser time.

To Make the Glaze:

Turn the Instant Pot to saute and add the honey and ketchup. Stir together the water and corn starch and whisk into the Instant Pot. Let simmer for 2-3 minutes until thick and bubbly. Taste and adjust seasoning or sweetness to taste.

Slice tenderloin and serve with glaze as desired.

Servings: 4

Author: Ashley Fehr
Source: Recipe Rebel

Have a great day
 

Saturday Recipe

Friday my Instapot arrived. Whooppee. Now all I have to do is learn how to use it LOL.

Another good way of cooking a pork tenderloin. One of my favourite meats.

Peanut Butter Pork Tenderloin

1 1/2 lbs pork tenderloin
fresh ground black pepper
2 Tbs soy sauce
2 Tbs peanut butter
1/4 tso ground red pepper
3 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup pineapple preserves

1. Preheat oven to 375°F

2. Trim fat from tenderloin.

3. Sprinkle with fresh ground black pepper to taste.

4. Line a baking dish with parchment paper or aluminium foil.

5. Mix the soy sauce, peanut butter, red pepper and minced garlic together.

6. Spread mixture over pork loin.

7. Bake uncovered for 30 minutes.

8. Remove from oven.

9. Carefully spread pineapple preserves on top of pork loin.

10. Bake another 10 minutes or until meat reaches 150°F

11. Let stand for 5 minutes before serving.

Servings: 4

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great weekend

No Time to Cook, Bowling,

We had Macaroni and Cheese for supper - yes I made the sauce from scratch. Actually I make enough for 3 or 4 meals and freeze it. Use it for cauliflower cheese too. Anyway, I started thinking (yes I can do that LOL) about all the women (mainly) who don't have time to cook. Too lazy if you ask me. I used to be a "working girl" but I always cooked dinner. Even when I lived on my own in a bed sit - basically - I still cooked. I even invented menus and I was in my early 20s. Spent quite a few hours on the phone to my mother "how do you make a white sauce" for instance. That was in the days before the internet of course. The only person who knew about the internet was Isaac Asmiov. I remember Jamie Oliver, British cook, doing his thing with school kids and holding up items like a cucumber and none of them knew what it was, one suggested celery. I understand even young French women, who used to be the epitome of home cooks, don't learn to cook any more. That probably horrifies me more  than anything. Of course it is also made extremely easy these days, practically anything can be bought in a grocery store. But what happened to the Joy of cooking, literally, the pride in making a successful meal and so on?

We went bowling again Thursday afternoon, if I was stiff yesterday, I am doubled up today. Matt, who does far less moving around than I, doesn't seem to be feeling it. Not only that he beat me twice today. By 5 points the first time but he thrashed me the second time. He was bowling very well. I threatened him with all kinds of dire punishments if he beat me again but he took no notice.

By the way, my new cane tip works very well and my cane stood nicely wherever I put it. whilst Matt's was more difficult to place!!!! I can't imagine why he didn't want it. I could order him one in a flash too.

I was checking out some spinach recipes just now, saw one with gnocchi. I always tell people I eat basically everything, except squid, but I forget that I do not like gnocchi. I really don't know why, but I don't like the texture for a start.

I do enjoy spinach so I thought this would be a good recipe. Mind you, I would use fresh spinach not frozen although I suppose if you are in a hurry!!!!

Steakhouse Creamed Spinach

Among the mahogany walls and dirty martinis, something great is happening in swanky steak-houses across the nation…carnivores are eating spinach. A simple side dish that seems healthy next to fried hash browns and marbled rib-eyes, the overly creamy restaurant version is still too flaccid and watery

for our taste. Using whipped cream cheese, our easy, silky smooth spinach brings home all the taste of the upscale steakhouse without the $15 side-dish robbery and the velvet banquettes.

4 (10oz/283g) packages frozen chopped spinach
2 (6oz/170g) containers Kraft Philadelphia Whipped Cream Cheese
1/4 cup melted butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
2 Tbs freshly grated Parmesan cheese

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Coat an 11×7-inch baking dish with non-stick cooking spray.

2. Defrost spinach according to package directions. Drain very well, squeezing spinach to ensure all excess liquid is removed.

3. In a food processor, place cream cheese, melted butter, salt, pepper and spinach together. Process for 10 seconds. Using a rubber spatula scrape down the sides of the bowl and do 3-4 quick pulses to combine.

4. Transfer to prepared baking dish, sprinkle top with Parmesan and bake uncovered for 20 minutes.

Servings: 8

Source: Bite Me More

Have a great day
 

Bowling, Cane Tip, Underwear, Volcanoes,

Wednesday afternoon, went bowling. Actually, I didn't really want to go. But, we did and I'm glad we did. Have to bowl slowly (between turns) to give my legs a rest but it wasn't too bad today. Except for the fact that Matt thrashed me in the second game. Grrrrr. They were having a pot luck there with lots of goodies and one of the owner's wives came over and brought a whole lot of chocolaty cookies which yours truly hasn't got the willpower to refuse these days. Later we had mini donuts too. Just what I need. Much later I was as stiff as a board from unusual activity. Ouch.

I bought an add on for Matt's cane which he refuses to use, so I am. Unless you have ever used one, you won't really know that canes are a bloody nuisance. Always a problem, where to put them and they are always falling on the floor, Matt's cane is worse 'cos you can't hang it. I put it on my cane but didn't get it right so it fell off before I left. Eventually I figured it out, and now it is firmly on my cane. One uses an allen key (provided) but I had forgotten you could use them either way up so I was making lots of difficulties for myself. My cane is now standing quietly in my computer room, next to my walker LOL. Unless I have to do a lot of walking, I leave the rollator at home and take  the cane.

Been spending a lot on odds and ends at Walmart etc. Now about to order a lifter for hot canning jars. Need it once asparagus comes in because I pickle it properly and seal in a water bath. I've also been buying underwear. I have some pretty old stuff at home so they needed replacements. I have said for years that they needed a mid size between 10 and 8. Now they do, a 9. Perfect fit. Mind you, I've got to stop pigging out or they won't fit me either.

Thursday, some time, my Instant Pot arrives, weather permitting. Supposed to get freezing rain Wednesday evening. My mistake, just checked, supposed to be being shipped Thursday, duuh. Have received the shipping email but don't know it's estimated arrival time.

Just been watching Nature and Nova on PBS. It was all about volcanoes. Naples was one of the towns they featured and all the precautions they are taking to predict the next eruption. I think people who live in such an area are absolutely nuts. They say it could be another Pompeii or even worse. Move now, don't wait for an evacuation through tiny restricted streets and crowded housing areas. I don't understand why people live in such areas.

I have just read that Sweet Potatoes are good for preventing muscle cramps. So I have ordered one. Matt won't eat them, but I think I will as I am prone to cramps. I know you all know more about sweet potatoes as I never cook them. When we first came to Canada in '75 a colleague of Matt's invited us home for dinner. His wife cooked sweet potatoes and Matt enjoyed them. They were baked. So I baked some and he decided he didn't like them so I have never cooked them since. I will now. In fact, from what I have learned over the years, you can more or less treat them the same as ordinary baked potatoes and stuff them with a variety of things.

Baked Sweet Potatoes

Baked sweet potatoes are terrific with just a little butter and seasoning. Purists will love this recipe but if you need a little something extra, try sprinkling brown sugar or ground cinnamon over the top

for a finishing touch.

6 medium sweet potatoes, unpeeled
6 Tbs unsalted butter
1/2 tsp kosher salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

1. Heat oven to 400° F.

2. Pierce each sweet potato several times with the tines of a fork. Place the sweet potatoes on a rimmed baking sheet lined with foil. Bake until tender, about 45 minutes.

3. Make a slit in the top of each sweet potato. Top with 1 tablespoon of butter and season with the salt and pepper.

4. Variation: Baking sweet potatoes intensifies their sweetness, making them surprisingly satisfying with little, if any, embellishment. If you crave something over the top, try some maple syrup or brown sugar, a spoonful of sour cream, a pinch of ground cinnamon, some caramelized onions, a handful of pecans or walnuts, jarred applesauce or chutney, canned chipotles in adobo, crystallized ginger, or grated orange zest

Servings: 6

Source: My Recipes

Have a great day
 

Shopping, Mandarin, Kelp

Riddlesworth Hall

I always hated shopping but my mother loved it. I remember being dragged from store to store to find things. We were looking for a party dress for me one time. We found one I liked but it was too expensive according to  my mother. I don't remember how many other stores we went to trying to find something else and then ended up back at the same store buying the one I liked in the first place. I can never understand people who go from store to store trying to find things at a lesser price, they must spend a fortune on gas. To me, and others I know, shopping on line is perfect. Mind you, even there I don't shop - I find what I want and buy it, I never think to hunt around and compare prices etc. I recently had a lesson in that from the friend who is buying me my Instant Pot. She searched all over the place to find what we both wanted. I went to one store and would have settled for something less if she hadn't found the right item for me. In England when I was at school, we mostly wore school uniforms, I always did. One school I went to, Riddlesworth Hall, had very extensive and expensive uniforms but they were all sold by one store in London so we never had to traipse around.

Enjoyed our Tuesday lunch at Mandarin.  Had a few more dumplings. Going again on March 1,

dumplings should still be around then. I also had some of  their mussels. I don't know where they get such huge mussels, never seen any as big and juicy. Had some Kelp salad too, I love that stuff. Good for you too I believe. Full of all kinds of health benefits - they make a salad of it, I should try making it at home because we don't go to the Mandarin every week. I know I can buy kelp at a local Korean store so all I need is a recipe.

So here is a Sichuan recipe. Sichuan food is not necessarily spicy I learnt from Confucious was a Foodie, but this one is.. Will have to go to the Korean store, not been there for a while as it's on King St. the road I have been complaining about because they have put train lines right down it and really made a screw up of the total road system.

Kelp Salad

Easy kelp salad with a spicy, sweet and sour taste.

200 g fresh kelp or soaked dried kelp
2 Tbs light soy sauce
1 Tbs black vinegar
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1-2 Thai peppers, cut into small pieces
2 scallions, finely chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1 tsp sugar
3 Tbs vegetable cooking oil

1. Roll the kelp up and cut the kelp into thin shreds.

2. Then wash the kelp in cold water for 1 or 2 times to remove extra saltness.

3. Bring a large pot of water until boiling and then place shredded kelp in and cook for 2 minutes. Transfer out and drain.

4. Add light soy sauce, vinegar, chopped scallion, chopped chili peppers and chopped garlic. Heat Chinese cooking oil until hot and then pour the hot oil over the chopped garlic. Mix well.

5. Add some coriander.

Servings: 2

Source: China Sichuan Food

Have a great day
 

Lunch, Movie, Diabetes, Bulbs,

Guess where I am going to lunch today - yes, Mandarin. I wanted to get in one more visit whilst the New Year's dumpling festival was still taking place. I do love dumplings.

Just watched High Noon, Gary Cooper, I have known that song forever, can virtually sing it word for word, but I don't think I ever saw the film before. They talked a lot about politics before and after and the Black List. Politics and theatre should never mix in my opinion. They are supposed to be entertaining us.

Have an appointment to see the endocrinologist on Thursday. My diabetes is basically non existent any more as she knows. Except whilst I was in hospital when they pushed my sugars up to 28, I think that's around 500 in US measurements. It was all due to the stuff they were feeding me by tube. Then they dropped it so low dosing me with insulin, 2.8 (about 50) I was quite frightened both times. I have a medic alert bracelet which, when I got it, said diabetes was my main problem. I meant to get it changed and never did. I will now. Only trouble is, I can't take the bracelet off myself and Matt isn't able to either.

Our kitchen light went out Monday morning, we are no longer able to stand on step stools or such so called in the super. He is so tall, he just reached up and changed the bulb. Amazing. We have been using CFL bulbs but he tells us the LEDs are much better. Have ordered one from the store as we didn't have the right strength bulb anyway. Now I have to dispose of the dud one properly. Understand Canadian Tire may take them. I do hope so as they contain mercury I read. Otherwise I am not sure where we dispose of them locally. I couldn't get hold of the super this morning, I hadn't even realised it had snowed enough overnight for him to be out dealing with the white stuff. Poor man.

Being a chocoholic, this recipe looked so good when I saw it. The comment in red is from me.

Ultimate Chocolate Mousse

The key to this recipe is to use the very best semisweet dark chocolate you can find—we like

Valrhona. The better the chocolate, the better the mousse.

8 oz semisweet dark chocolate, broken into
1/2-inch pieces
6 large eggs, separated
3 Tbs water
1/4 cup sweet liqueur (such as Chartreuse, amaretto, mandarin, or Grand Marnier)
2 cups heavy cream
6 Tbs granulated sugar, divided
Whipped cream and grated chocolate, for garnish

1. Place chocolate in top of a double boiler over simmering water, and cook over low, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted. Remove from heat, and set aside. These days you can melt chocolate in the microwave so long as you know what you're doing.

2. Place egg yolks and 3 tablespoons water in a heavy saucepan; cook over very low, whisking vigorously and constantly, until yolks begin to foam and thicken, about 6 minutes. Whisk in liqueur, and cook, whisking constantly, until sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 6 to 8 minutes. (The sauce should achieve the consistency of a hollandaise or sabayon.) Remove from heat. Pour through a fine wire-mesh strainer into a bowl; discard solids.

3. Fold melted chocolate into sauce. Transfer chocolate mixture to a large bowl, and set aside.

4. Beat cream with an electric mixer on high speed until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes, beating in 2 tablespoons sugar toward the end. Fold into chocolate mixture.

5. Using electric mixer fitted with the whisk attachment, beat egg whites on high speed until soft peaks start to form, about 1 minute. Beat in remaining 1/4 cup sugar, and continue beating until stiff peaks form, 2 to 3 minutes. Fold into chocolate-cream mixture.

6. Spoon mousse into a bowl, and chill until ready to serve, 4 hours or up to 24 hours. Garnish servings with whipped cream and grated chocolate.

Source: Food and Wine

Author Notes
In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: To celebrate chocolate in its most delectable guises, we asked some of the best cooks—Julia Child, James Beard, Maida Heatter, and more—to share their favorite chocolate recipes. Craig Claiborne, who was the New York Times restaurant critic and one of the top food journalists at the time, shared his remarkable chocolate mousse, which could be reliably whipped up without tremendous effort. In his original headnote for the recipe, Claiborne says, “once in a rare while, I discover a formula for a dish that seems the ultimate, the definitive, the ne plus ultra. I am convinced that the finest chocolate mousse creation ever whipped up in my kitchen is the one printed here. As if you didn’t know, mousse means foam in French. This mousse is the foamiest.” The key to this recipe is to use the very best semisweet dark chocolate you can find—we like Valrhona. The better the chocolate, the better the mousse.

Have a great day
 

Family Day, Saturday Shopping, Fired Store Manager,

Today is Family Day in Ontario, most places shut down, even the bowling alley. There was a party in the family room here on Saturday. Obviously a family get together. This is a fairly new holiday. It first came into being in 2007. Before we lived in the States this holiday had been discussed, but nothing had been done about it. Pity, it would have been nice when I was working LOL Of course, in the US it is President's Day. Of course in both cases, not everyone gets a holiday, police, prison officers, firefighters, nurses, doctors and hospital staff, and so on and so on. No doubt they all get time in lieu but it isn't the same. I know in the prison service they used to split up the shifts at Christmas so nobody had to work the whole time.

We never go out on a Saturday, but we did last Saturday. I mainly wanted to get the large Instapot back to Walmarts. Their computer was giving them trouble (how unusual for a computer) so I asked and the young man in Customer Service got me a chair. Very nice of him. Unfortunately, Walmart doesn't have the Instapot I want. Kohls do. We then went to the liquor store and bought up the place. Horrors, they were out of  my Fizz. Well  they had the pink stuff which I don't like as much. However, they did have the same make in a larger bottle which is about 2 glasses worth. There are much bigger bottles of course, but I don't want to be paralytic!! They had a taster there with Folonari Valpolicella. I didn't taste as I know what it's like but had forgotten about it so grabbed a bottle. We actually drank it on Saturday night, enjoyable wine.

As you know, I shop online. I must admit I am getting a tad fed up with their IT department, an item is there one minute and disappears the next. Several times I have phoned my store to ask if they have the item and they do. I have written to complain but I don't suppose it will make any difference. Another thing I am teed off about, they have fired the manager of our store. The usual deal, as far as I can make our, they want to replace him with someone younger. I cannot imagine why, he isn't that old and he does an extremely good job. Funnily enough, our driver on Friday, used to work at our grocery and retired 3 years ago. We were talking about the manager's firing. He knows him and said he was quite shocked at the news, had no indication whatsoever. I complained about that too but I don't suppose it will make any difference. This seems to happen to a lot of people, they fire the older, experienced people and replace them with younger, cheaper salaried, employees. Happened to our son-in-law too. Generally it is difficult for people in this age bracket to find another job although after 2 years, sinlaw has done so and our driver seemed to think the store manager would have no trouble getting another job in retail. I hope not. The driver hadn't got much good to say about the owners of the stores. Big company.

One sees recipes all over the place for roasted Brussels Sprouts, Broccoli, etc. so, Sunday night I

decided to cook broccoli in the air fryer, looked up a recipe, tossed florets in olive oil and sprinkled with onion powder. Cook for 10 mins at 300°F tossing at least once. Matt did not like it but I didn't think they were bad at all. Ate his too. They did need a bit of salt. So, I guess that's the end of that. Not cooking 2 different ways. I cook broccoli in distilled water anyway, it tastes better. Do Brussels the same way. I find the water softener causes it to taste funny although Matt doesn't seem to mind.

I thought this was different and you never know, despite not being good with pastry, I  might give it a go. I might also use store bought pastry (surely not).

Potato And Egg Pie With Bacon And Crème Fraîche

This pie makes a simple, elegant, and satisfying weekend lunch paired with a chilled bottle of Alsace

wine and a green salad. In a pinch, use a store-bought pie crust.

1 3/4 cups all-purpose flour (about 7 1/2 ounces), plus more for dusting
9 Tbs cold unsalted butter, cubed
1 tsp kosher salt, divided
2 large egg yolks, divided Ice water
1 1/4 lbs Yukon Gold potatoes, peeled and thinly sliced (about 4 cups)
1/4 cup finely chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
1/4 tsp black pepper
5 oz thick-cut mild-smoked bacon slices, cut into 1/4-inch pieces
1/2 cup crème fraîche or sour cream
3 large or 4 small hard-cooked eggs, peeled and thinly sliced
1 tsp water

1. Stir together flour, butter, and 3/4 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Using your fingertips, rub butter into flour mixture until mixture resembles coarse meal. Make a well in center. Stir together 1 egg yolk with enough ice water to equal 1/4 cup; pour into well, and stir into flour mixture until just moistened. Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough just until it comes together. Divide dough into 2 disks. Wrap each disk in plastic wrap, and chill at least 8 hours or overnight.

2. Preheat oven to 400°F. Unwrap 1 dough disk, and roll into a 13-inch round on a lightly floured surface; fit into a 9-inch pie pan. Chill 10 minutes.

3. Meanwhile, soak potato slices in ice water to cover (to remove surface starch) about 5 minutes; drain and pat slices dry. Toss potatoes with parsley, pepper, and remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt. Place bacon in a large skillet, and cook over medium-high, stirring occasionally, until wilted and just browned on edges, about 2 minutes. Drain bacon on paper towels.

4. Arrange half of potato slices in refrigerated pie shell, overlapping slices. Sprinkle evenly with bacon; top with remaining potato slices, overlapping slices. Spread crème fraîche over potatoes, and arrange egg slices on top. Unwrap remaining dough disk, and roll into a 10-inch round on a lightly floured surface. Place round on top of pie. Trim edges and fold dough under. Crimp edge as desired. Using the tip of a knife, prick top of pie twice.

5. Stir together 1 teaspoon water and remaining egg yolk; brush over top of pie. Bake pie in preheated oven on middle rack 20 minutes; reduce oven temperature to 350°F, and bake 50 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 300°F, and bake until top is golden brown, about 10 minutes.

6. Let pie rest 10 minutes before serving.

Source: Food and Wine

Author Notes
In 2018, Food & Wine named this recipe one of our 40 best: In February 1979, Paula Wolfert penned an article about great Alsatian chefs cooking their mothers’ food. Included was André Soltner, then the chef at the legendary Lutèce in Manhattan. Soltner opted to recreate his mother’s outstanding potato pie, which Wolfert said was “a simple thing, yet elegant.” It consisted of a flaky pâte brisée filled with thinly sliced potatoes, bacon, hard-cooked eggs, herbs, and crème fraîche. Wolfert noted how strongly Soltner felt while preparing the tart, with “pleasure and nostalgia plainly visible on his face.” The secret to the flaky pâte brisée is the single turn made with the dough in step 2. This is home cooking at its best, from one of America’s most revered French chefs. Soltner described the food of his native alsace as based on ”very good dry white wines and wonderful regional produce.” This pie makes a simple, elegant, and satisfying weekend lunch paired with a chilled bottle of alsace wine and a green salad. In a pinch, use a store-bought pie crust.

Have a great day
 

Our Friday, Saturday Recipe

Thursday we heard on the news that gas prices were going to increase by 7 cents a litre. We stopped at our usual gas bar where they were charging about 89 cents and filled up (bit under half full when we started) Friday, we were told by the driver of our ride that the prices had gone up to over $1 as reported but by the mid afternoon, they were already coming down again.

This time our ride included a woman whom we stopped to pick up. She was  going to the same hospital for the same thing (ultra sound) at the same time. We had to wait for her to come out as she went in after us. Can't complain for a $6.91 ride where we don't have to walk about in the cold. I am so glad we decided to use this service. Mind you, I have an appointment a fair distance away next week, I will be driving to that one. The one time we went before we could park close to the door in the wheelchair spot (I have a plate).

This is different.

Carrot Cake Cookies with Pineapple

Recipe By:BakingObsession123

"A delicious, moist cookie for anyone who loves carrot cake."

Ingredients

• Cookie Dough:
• 3 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup softened butter
• 1/2 cup vegetable shortening
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup brown sugar
• 2 eggs

• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 1 (8 ounce) can crushed pineapple, drained with juice reserved
• 1/2 cup grated carrot
• 1/2 cup golden raisins
• 1/2 cup chopped walnuts
• Frosting:
• 1 (8 ounce) package cream cheese, softened
• 1 tablespoon softened butter
• 2 cups powdered sugar
• 1 tablespoon juice from canned pineapple

Directions

1. Preheat an oven to 375 degrees F (190 degrees C). Lightly grease 4 cookie sheets.
2. Whisk the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt together in a mixing bowl; set aside.
3. To make the cookie dough, beat 1/2 cup butter, shortening, white sugar, and brown sugar with an electric mixer in a large bowl until smooth. Add 1 egg and allow to blend into the butter mixture before adding the second egg and the vanilla. Mix in the flour mixture until just incorporated. Fold in the crushed pineapple, carrot, raisins, and chopped walnuts, mixing just enough to evenly combine. Drop onto the prepared baking sheets by the heaping teaspoonful, allowing 2 inches of space between the cookies.
4. Bake in the preheated oven until the edges are golden, 10 to 12 minutes. Allow the cookies to cool on the baking sheet for 1 minute before removing to a wire rack to cool completely.
5. To make the frosting, beat the cream cheese and 1 tablespoon of butter with an electric mixer in a bowl until smooth. Add the confectioners' sugar and pineapple juice. Beat until no lumps remain. Spread the frosting on the cooled cookies, and allow to dry completely before storing.

Have a great weekend
 

Out and About

Well, after several weeks I finally got to the Cannabis Lab. I was a bit teed, my appointment was for 2 and it must have been 2:30 when I got to see the doctor. Turns out I am taking it wrongly. He says I should split my daily dosage up during the day, not take it all at once. Will try that tomorrow. Different doctor, much nicer, he actually looked at me. I have to see them again in August. At least the weather shouldn't interfere then.

Afterwards, went to the Scottish Bakery, The Rising Dough, where I had ordered 5 Cornish Pasties,

had one left from when I was in hospital and Matt was heating them in the microwave. Must have been horrid, pastry needs to be crispy. Whilst I was  there, I fell for some individual Lemon Meringue Pies, some scones and some rum truffles. I actually hadn't bought the truffles but I had to use their bathroom and saw them on the way back. The pies were delicious, have one left for tomorrow. Decided to have a pasty for supper too. Easy peasy for me. Had a rum truffle later, yummy. If you're interested, I have linked to their page of products so you can drool over the things they make. I should do that instead of buying so much, they are not inexpensive.

I had placed a small order at my grocery store so stopped to pick that up and then forgot to go to the library - ordered some DVDs of Vera, an English cop show I like. When I got home discovered the mail man had been and hadn't been able to get one item in the mail box. Damn. Got a hospital visit tomorrow (Friday) so won't have time to go to the Post Office and/or the library. Funnily enough watched Vera Thursday night. Series 8 I believe, I have ordered 1 and 2.

How's this for a breakfast dish then? Don't think I mentioned before that I bought frozen avocado chunks from the store. They aren't bad, been adding them to salads, but they have a recipe for guacamole. Never made that although I have eaten it a few times.

Bacon Fried Rice with Avocado and Fried Eggs

Chef Ed Kenney uses both white and brown rices in this terrific bacon-studded dish that he serves at his casual Honolulu spot, Kaimuki Superette. “In Hawaii, we call it hapa rice; it’s more interesting

and flavorful than plain white rice,” he says. “In Hawaiian, hapa means ‘partial’ and is often used as a term of endearment to describe people of mixed ethnic backgrounds.”

1 10 oz bag of curly spinach (16 cups), thick stems discarded
2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
Kosher salt
Pepper
12 thick slices of bacon
Canola oil, for frying
2 large shallots, thinly sliced crosswise
4 cups cold cooked medium-grain white rice
4 cups cold cooked medium-grain brown rice
3 Tbs oyster sauce
3 Tbs low-sodium soy sauce
2 Tbs Sriracha
4 Tbs unsalted butter
1 small yellow onion, halved and thinly sliced
1 medium celery rib, julienned
4 scallions, thinly sliced
6 large eggs
1 Hass avocado—peeled, pitted and sliced
Pickled vegetables, such as okra, long beans and radishes, for serving

1. In a large saucepan of salted boiling water, blanch the spinach until wilted, 1 to 2 minutes. Drain well and let cool slightly, then squeeze dry. In a medium bowl, toss the spinach with the sesame seeds and sesame oil. Season with salt.

2. In a very large skillet, cook the bacon over moderately high heat, turning, until crisp, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a paper towel–lined plate to drain. Pour off the fat from the skillet and heat 1/4 inch of canola oil. Add the shallots and cook over moderate heat, stirring, until golden and crisp, about 5 minutes. Using a slotted spoon, transfer the shallots to a paper towel–lined plate to drain.

3. In a bowl, toss the white and brown rices with the oyster sauce, soy sauce and Sriracha until well coated. In a wok or the wiped-out very large skillet, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery and cook over moderate heat until just starting to soften, about 2 minutes. Add the rice and stir-fry over high heat until hot, about 5 minutes. Stir in half of the scallions and season with salt and pepper; keep warm.

4. Heat a large nonstick skillet and brush with oil. Crack half of the eggs into the skillet and cook sunny side up, about 4 minutes. Transfer the eggs to a plate. Brush the skillet with oil and fry the remaining 3 eggs.

5. Spoon the fried rice into shallow bowls and top with the spinach, avocado, bacon, fried shallots, fried eggs and the remaining scallions. Serve with pickled vegetables.

Servings: 6

Source: Food and Wine


Have a great day
 

Instapot, Weather, Rockets, Breakfast,

Happy Valentine's Day to you all.

I am beginning to get fed up with hunting for Instapots. First I decide on a second hand one, then I figure it's not such a good idea and anyway, being from Amazon, returning would be more difficult. However, if I buy from Walmart, I can return it to the local store. So, although it is not the one I would prefer, I think that is definitely the one I am going to buy. Then I was sent to Instant Pot's online store which has the one I really want, with free shipping. No hassle return, but... have to pay for shipping if I returned it. Blow it, I'm going to bed.

They are saying the weather will still be pretty rough tomorrow. We shall see, but I have an appointment with the Cannabis Lab and I have been trying to get there for a while as you know. Also want to take the large Instapot back. I also have shopping to pick up tomorrow, so it had better be good weather. Or relatively good driving anyway. My cleaner did come today although this morning it was snowing and we were getting whiteouts because of the winds - the winds are still howling around our building I might add.

Just watched a fascinating programme on Nova about the future of rockets. Apparently there are now a lot of companies who are developing smaller cargo type rockets ( such as those supplying the space station as is done by SpaceX) but NASA is building a giant rocket to go into deep space. Cannot imagine what it is costing,  but the aim is to eventually use this rocket to colonize Mars etc. Oh I wish I was younger. Matt just doesn't understand why they are wasting their money, but Earth will be too full of people one of these days and we need to spread out. Just hope we have more sense with the places we colonize than we have had with our present home. Apparently the cost of a trip into space has already been reduced from multi millions of dollars down to around $5 million!! That sounds a familiar figure.

Thinking of smoked haddock and having some in the freezer, I remembered my father often cooked it for me for breakfast adding a poached egg. Delicious. Meant to do so this morning but we were a tad late getting going and the cleaner phoned to say she was on her way. Tomorrow hopefully.

I have always been one for making enough of anything to produce another  meal or two. This certainly fills the bill. Love the idea of the Chicken and Herb Crêpes.

French Onion Roast Chicken

Make a big batch of this juicy roast chicken and caramelized onions and you've got enough for three meals. Save the leftovers to make Thai Chicken Pizza the next night, and Chicken and Herb Crêpes

the night after!

2 Tbs olive oil
1 1/2 lbs yellow onions, vertically sliced
2 Tbs chopped fresh thyme, divided
1 3/4 tsp kosher salt, divided
1/4 cup dry white wine
1/4 cup unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp black pepper
2 (3-lb.) whole chickens, spatchcocked (butterflied

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium. Add onions, 1 tablespoon thyme, and 1/4 teaspoon salt; cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are lightly browned, about 15 minutes. Add wine; cook, stirring occasionally, until liquid evaporates, about 2 minutes. Spread onion mixture in a rimmed baking sheet.

2. Combine butter, pepper, remaining 1 tablespoon thyme, and remaining 1 1/2 teaspoons salt in a bowl. Loosen skin on chickens; spread butter mixture under skin. Place chickens, skin sides up, on onion mixture.

3. Roast chickens at 450°F until a thermometer inserted in thickest portion registers 165°F, about 35 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes. Remove and discard skin; slice meat. Using a slotted spoon, reserve 1/2 cup onion mixture. Shred meat from 1 chicken; store shredded chicken and remaining onion mixture in separate airtight containers in refrigerator up to 5 days. Serve remaining sliced chicken with reserved 1/2 cup onion mixture.

Servings: 4

Source: Cooking Light



Have a great day
 

Storm, Instant Pot, Pickling, Holiday,

Well Tuesday we certainly got the weather that was forecast. The snow was patchy on the ground, due to the wind I suppose. We didn't go out but were told that the roads got pretty icy around noon. The woman who is our cleaner said she went home at noon as it was pretty bad. I am not sure if she will make it to us tomorrow or not.

I was surprised that my Instant Pot arrived in the afternoon but, once we unpacked it, decided it was much to big and heavy for our tiny kitchen so have decided to return it and order a 3 quart instead of a 6 qt. Matt isn't too happy about the whole thing and says we don't need it anyway. Hopefully he will settle down eventually.

I spent a large part of the day pickling. I have found that using the brine I use for pickling asparagus works very well for lots of things. I don't go the whole hog with the water bath, but I pour boiling brine on various vegetables and then when they cool, put them in the fridge. In a couple of days I will have various pickled vegetables which I can munch on. They do have to be refrigerated as they are not being fully scalded etc. Funnily enough I know they last a long time because I had several jars in the fridge when I went into hospital and I didn't touch them for quite a while when I came out. I wasn't hungry and nothing tasted worth eating anyway. When eventually I went to the pickles, they were fine.

Tomorrow I hope to hear from Community Support that they have a ride for us on Friday. Matt has his ultra sound in the afternoon at one of the local hospitals. Then we have a holiday weekend, not really for us of course, but Feb. 18 is Family Day - it is one of the few holidays when the bowling alley closes too.

Well, this is a bit different. A take on Chocolate Lava Cakes which are favourites of mine. Mind you, I can't make Lava Cakes, only tried once and they were failures. Matt used to make them very successfully. Doesn't cook any more unfortunately. Luckily for me/us my grocery store sell them frozen. Pretty good. This Caramel version is recommended for Valentine's Day.

Molten Caramel Cakes

Everybody has heard of molten chocolate cake, so we thought we’d try to create a caramel version, with a toffee-ish tender cake encasing a runny dulce de leche center. Well, folks, it worked.

Filling
¼ cup store-bought dulce de leche
1 Tbs unsalted butter, room temperature

Cakes and Assembly
2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1 tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp baking powder
6 Tbs unsalted butter, plus more for ramekins, room temperature
1/3 cup sugar, plus more for ramekins
¼ cup store-bought dulce de leche
2 large eggs, room temperature
½ tsp vanilla extract

Special Equipment

Four 6–8-oz. ramekins

Filling

Stir dulce de leche and butter in a small bowl until well combined. Dollop in 4 equal-size blobs on a metal baking dish or baking sheet. Freeze at least 30 minutes or up to overnight until very firm (the sugar will keep it from freezing completely solid).

Cakes and Assembly

Preheat oven to 350°F. Whisk flour, salt, and baking powder in a small bowl; set aside.

Coat ramekins with butter in a thin, even layer, then coat with sugar, knocking out any excess.

Using an electric mixer on medium-high speed (use the paddle attachment if you’re using a stand mixer), beat 1/3 cup sugar and 6 Tbsp. butter in a medium bowl until light and fluffy, about 4 minutes. Add dulce de leche and continue to beat until incorporated, about 1 minute. Beat in eggs, one at a time, until combined, followed by vanilla. Beat mixture on medium-high speed 1 minute (it might look slightly grainy and separated, and that’s okay!). Reduce mixer speed to low and beat in reserved dry ingredients until smooth.

Divide batter among prepared ramekins. Make a small divot with a spoon in the top of each mound of batter. Place frozen filling onto divots, but do not press down into batter; you want the filling cradled by the batter but still on the surface, as it will sink to the center during baking. Place ramekins on a small rimmed baking sheet. Bake cakes until tops are browned, firm to the touch (be careful when checking as the filling may ooze out and it is very hot), and a tester inserted into the cakes, avoiding the liquid centers, comes out clean, 23–25 minutes.

Invert cakes onto plates to serve. (If you invert the first cake and see slightly underdone batter—it will be tan against the filling’s dark brown color—keep remaining cakes in ramekins a couple minutes longer before unmoulding. You can still eat the underdone one!)

Servings: 4

Source: Bon Appétit

Have a great day
 

Monday, Weather Forecast, Shopping,

We went to the lab to get some bloodwork done for Matt. Turned out I had got the wrong day. Duuh. Not too many people there so we waited. Not like me to make such a mistake. However, all done

now. It was pretty icy out. I was going to park the car out front of our building to have lunch and then maybe go bowling, however, it was icy there and I figured it was not a good idea for either of us to brave the parking area so went underground. Then I thought about bowling, didn't think we would get there early enough to park close to the building and figured walking across their parking lot might be dangerous too so we ended up staying home. Supposed to be one heck of a storm starting tonight, coming up from the south and dropping all kinds of nasty weather on it's way. 10 to 20 centimeters of snow, ice pellets and freezing rain. Strong winds too. Guess we won't be going very far if this does take place which, from the forecast I just heard, I think is pretty likely. I wonder if my Instapot will get delivered?? We have nothing planned for a couple of days so should be OK.

Thursday I am supposed to go to the Cannabis Lab. Been trying to get there for a week or two, would be a bugger if this storm lasted long enough to prevent me once again. We got some shopping today, Monday, and I planned to get some more on Thursday or possibly Friday although Matt has an ultrasound at the hospital on Friday. Have booked a ride, if we can get one. Whilst out shopping I went to Bulkville, we were nearly out of Peppered Cashews. Somebody's been munching and it wasn't me. This time the bin was virtually empty, I think I got as much pepper as I did nuts. My legs were being relatively good so I did a bit of wandering. I discovered they had some "Kisses" but not plain milk chocolate so bought some Almond Kisses. Not bad. I must check the place out some more next time I go. Trouble is, from the parking lot to the store is quite a walk for me these days. Sometimes need to sit down for a while.

This was the recipe I made a bit of a mess of on Saturday. The meat was perfect but as I said, the drizzle was way too sticky. We finished the meat on Monday night and I used some Barrie's Asparagus Mustard Horseradish, worked very well.  I don't have Maldon salt, but this recipe did seem to use rather a lot of salt so I cut back somewhat. One thing I forgot, the recipe calls for a grill/barbecue, we don't have one - not permitted here - so I used the broiler on the stove. Lowered the shelf and it worked out really well.

Beef Tenderloin with Asian Flavourings

An excellent choice for a special dinner. The meat has a rich, rounded flavour offset by the spicy

onions.

3 Tbs (45 mL) soy sauce
2 tsp (10 mL) grated ginger
2 tsp (10 mL) chopped garlic
2 tsp (10 mL) cracked peppercorns
1 Tbs (15 mL) vegetable oil
3 lbs (1.5 kg) beef tenderloin
Salt to taste

ONIONS
1 Tbs (15 mL) slivered ginger
1 Tbs (15 mL) soy sauce
1 Tbs (15 mL) rice or cider vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) Asian chili sauce or other hot sauce
2 Tbs (30 mL) vegetable oil
2 large Spanish onions
cut in ½-inch-thick (1-cm) rounds
Salt to taste

DRIZZLE
¼ cup (60 mL) low-salt soy sauce
½ cup (125 mL) balsamic vinegar
1 tsp (5 mL) grated lime rind

GARNISH
Maldon salt

1. Combine soy sauce, ginger, garlic, peppercorns and oil. Brush on beef and let marinate for 30 minutes to 2 hours. Sprinkle with salt just before grilling.

2. Combine ginger, soy sauce, vinegar, chili sauce and oil. Toss with onions then sprinkle onions lightly with salt. Reserve.

3. Preheat grill to high and turn off middle burner. Add meat to grill and grill with lid closed for 10 minutes, then turn over and grill another 15 minutes or until medium-rare. When you turn meat add onion slices to grill over the lit burners and grill for 5 minutes, turn over and grill another 5 minutes or until browned and juicy. Let tenderloin rest for 5minutes before carving.

4. Combine soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and lime rind in a small pot over high heat. Boil until syrupy, about 4 minutes.

5. Slice beef, sprinkle with Maldon salt and drizzle with soy balsamic glaze. Serve with onions.

Source: LCBO

Have a great day - I hope the bad weather misses you.
 

Instapot,Two Sleevers, Saturday Dinner,

Saturday I ordered my new Instapot courtesy of some very good friends who bought it for me as a kind of Valentine present. Not sure what I have done to deserve such a present, but whatever it was, thank you so much my friends. Now, of course, I have to find out what I can do with it.  I gather TwoSleevers has lots of recipes for both Instapots and Air Fryers. Sunday evening I received an email saying it will arrive on Tuesday. Great, not doing anything all day. I also got an email from TwoSleevers with some recipes for both the Instapot and the Air Fryer.  I will have to have a read. I see some of them are Keto recipes. I really don't know what that is, so I guess I will have to find out. I know it's very popular at the moment. My personal philosophy is, as you know, eat anything and everything in moderation.

I have been checking out the website of Two Sleevers and I see they have a lot about what to do with your brand new Instapot and how to operate it and what the buttons actually do. Haven't studied it yet, but will certainly go back as it seems very useful. Matt  keeps asking me where I am going to put it. Well I plan to chuck out a few pans and use the room for the Instapot.

I tried a new recipe on Saturday. I will share it, but I made a bit of a mess of it. However, we quite enjoyed it. I cooked the piece of the whole tenderloin we bought a while back, my friend and I, but Matt kept saying it was tough. That was not my fault of course. Will see what it's like cold. The meat had a "drizzle" which was supposed to be cooked until sticky, I forgot it and could have glued things together. Dabbed a bit on the meat, but.... although it enhanced the taste, it was difficult to spread. Not sure whether to try the drizzle again with the cold meat and be careful. Just to add to it, I cooked sprouts, and I over cooked them somewhat. Did well didn't I?

Monday  morning Matt has bloodwork, then we have shopping to collect, and might go bowling.

This is an interesting version of Pho which came, through Yummly, from Chef Savvy.

Spicy Shrimp Pho

This Spicy Shrimp Pho is a twist on the traditional Vietnamese soup made with hot steaming chicken

broth, shrimp, cilantro and fresh squeezed lime juice.

4 oz whole wheat thin spaghetti
1 Tbs extra virgin olive oil
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 Tbs jalapeno, minced
2 Tbs green onion, sliced thin
6 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 tsp fish sauce
1 tsp sesame oil
1 cup button mushrooms, thinly sliced
12 oz large shrimp, uncooked
1/8 tsp pepper
1 Tbs lime juice
1 Tbs cilantro, chopped

1. Cook spaghetti until al dente.

2. Meanwhile add oil to a large pot or dutch oven.

3. Add garlic, jalapeno and green onions. Saute for 1-2 minutes.

4. Pour in chicken stock, fish sauce and sesame oil. Bring to a simmer.

5. Stir in mushrooms and shrimp. Simmer until the mushrooms are tender and the shrimp is fully cooked.

6. Take off of the heat and stir in pepper, lime juice, and cilantro.

7. Divide the noodles among the 4 bowls and pour the soup on top.

8. Garnish with extra lime wedges and cilantro if desired.

Servings: 4

Source: Chef Savvy

Have a great day
 

Saturday Recipe

Celebrating Valentine's Day? Here's a good dessert.

Red Velvet Crepes with Cheesecake Filling

RED VELVET CREPES
1 1/2 cups flour
2 Tbs unsweetened cocoa powder
1 Tbs sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 cups whole milk
2 eggs
1 Tbs butter, melted
1 tsp vanilla extract
red gel food coloring
nonstick cooking spray

CHEESECAKE FILLING
16 oz cream cheese, softened
1 cup powdered sugar
4 Tbs unsalted butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup mini chocolate chip

GARNISH
confectioners' sugar
chocolate syrup
whipped cream
berries

1. Add all the ingredients for the crepes, except the food coloring and nonstick spray, to a blender and blend until combined and smooth.

2. Add about 3/4 teaspoon of red gel food coloring and blend until combined.

3. Transfer the mixture to a glass bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

4. Meanwhile, add the cream cheese, butter, powdered sugar, vanilla and salt to a food a bowl and mix with a spatula until smooth and combined. Fold in the chocolate chips.

5. Transfer the mixture to a pastry bag and set aside on the counter so it remains room temperature.

6. Uncover the crepe batter and give it a quick whisk.

7. Heat an 8-inch nonstick skillet over medium heat and spray with nonstick spray.

8. Scoop 1/4 cup of batter into the center of the skillet and immediately tilt and swirl pan to coat the bottom of the skillet.

9. Cook for 2 minutes until the edges have dried and lifted slightly from the sides and the center is set. Flip over and cook for another 30-60 seconds. Repeat with remaining batter. You should end up with 12 crepes.

10. Pipe a thick layer of the cheesecake filling on the bottom half of a crepe. Spread with an offset spatula if needed.

11. Fold the top half of the crepe over to cover the cheesecake filling. Fold in half so that you get a neat triangle. Repeat with remaining crepes.

12. Serve with a dust of confectioners’ sugar, a drizzle of chocolate syrup, a dollop of whipped cream and some berries on the side.

Yield: 12 crepes

Source: Genius Kitchen

Have a great weekend