Vanilla rice pudding with poppy seeds and mango

What do you do when without any reason whatsoever you keep forgetting things? Things like you have a class at 3pm, not 4 pm or meeting up with a friend you haven't seen for a long time or more importantly a doctor's appointment that you had to wait almost a year for??? I blame it on the weather (but then again I tend to blame everyhting on the cruel Canadian winter:)). What else could it be?! And of course we all know what to do to make things better when the weather is at fault: turn to some ultra soothing comfort food. This time I chose rice pudding with a twist. The milk, rice and some flavourings combination really works for me. Having tried other versions with cream, egg yolks, folded in at the end of cooking, or even coconut milk (all of which added unnecessary calories and made the pud taste waaaaay too rich) I can honestly say that this simple version is the best one. For me, at least.

Ingredients:

600 ml whole milk
4 1/4 oz caster sugar
pinch of salt
4 1/4 oz arborio or carnaroli rice
1 tsp vanilla
1 tbsp poppy seeds
1/2 tsp lime oil
1 mango


Heat the milk with the sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, add the rice. Reduce heat to low, and cook until thick and rice is tender, stirring occasionally (20 to 25 min). Remove from heat. Add poppy seeds, vanilla and lime oil. Garnish with cubed or sliced fresh mango.

Fig and date granola with cardamom and ginger poached quince

Breakfast is the most important meal of the day. How many times have you heard that??? While we may find it boring, it is absolutely true. It's been scientifically proven that people who eat a nutritious breakfast tend to have more energy throughout the day and are also likely to have less problems with their weight. As a teenager I used to skip breakfast whenever I could. I just thought it was a waste of precious sleeping time. It wasn't rebellion or anything like that it was just a matter of fact. I much preferred to have some quick bite, like a Mars bar or sugary cereal (empty calories, my friends). Nowadays I pay more attention to what I put im my body and I have to say I grew to love breakfast. Actually it's my favourite meal of the day. Especially the loooooong, weekend breakfast, that is usually a 3 or 4 course affair around this household. OK, that sounds more like brunch, doesn't it? I've been known to still be in my PJ's at 3pm, with a warm almond croissant in one hand a double shot latte in the other.
But that only happens on the weekends. On a weekday, when time is of the essence granola is my saviour. This particular granola has oats,nuts, honey and all the goodness of dates and figs. I added honey and lemon juice for moisture, but you can also use any kind of cordial you have at hand. (Blackberry an lime cordial is brilliant for this job). You may also want to have different nuts and seeds. With this one anything goes. Really. Did I mention that oats are good for you? They can help reduce cholesterol, reduce the risk of cardiovascular disease and they are low GI foods, providing a steady release of energy throughout the day.
Quince is one of those fruits that you either love or hate. I belong to the quince lovers category. This wonderfully aromatic fruit is widely used in Middle Eastern cooking, in tagines ans sweets. You can't go wrong with paring lamb and quince.
The Spanish have a great concoction as well. It's called dulce de membrillo or quince cheese. It is served with thick slices of Manchego cheese. Heaven!!!
When raw, quince has a very hard and grainy flesh. Practically inedible. But once it's cooked it turns into this silky, smooth, and soft marvel of a fruit.
You can serve the poached quince with different kinds of granola or muesli, or just plain vanilla ice-cream. Add a thin crisp cookie and you hit a home run.


Fig and date granola

Ingredients

3 cups rolled oats
1/2 cup almonds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/2 cup dates, chopped
1/2 cup figs, chopped
4 tbsp honey
juice of half a lemon

Preheat oven to 350F. Mix oats, almonds,pumpkin seeds with honey and lemon juice in a large bowl.(Mixture should be slightly wet. Add more honey if need be). Line a large cookie sheet with aluminum foil. Pour mixture on the cookie sheet and bake for about 15 minutes or until golden. Remove from oven and mix in chopped dates and figs. Cool completely. Store in an airtight container. Serve with poached quince, thick yogurt and honey.


Cardamom and ginger poached quince

Ingredients

4 large quince
1 cup sugar
5 cups water
2 cm piece of ginger
3 cardamom pods
juice of half a lemon

Peel, halve and core quince. Cut in 1 inch slices. Place quince slices in a large pot along with all the other ingredients. Bring to a simmer. Keep at a low simmer uncovered and cook for about 1 and 1/2 hours, or until the fruit is soft. Take off the heat, and lift quince pieces out of the poaching liquid. Place poaching liquid back on the stove and simmer for about an hour, until the the liquid is reduced to a wonderfully fragrant thick syrup. Remove ginger and cardamom. Discard. Put quince pieces back into the syrup and cool completely, before refrigerating.
Enjoy the aroma that has just filled your house!

Craving some Indian food?

Well, so am I. Pretty much all the time. The smokiness, the spices, those deep layered flavours just can't be beat. The best meal I ever had (at a restaurant) was without a doubt at a restaurant called Bukhara in New Delhi. I remember we went shopping for spices in Old Delhi after lunch and by the time we got home it was almost 8pm. I was so hungry I could scream. Suddenly I remembered a midnight conversation I had (accidentally) overheard the night before. Our host and one of his guests were talking about this great restaurant they always go to when in town. I didn't pay much attention then, but I did remember the name Bukhara. And boy am I glad I did! We immediately asked our host to give us directions to this place. He said he'd be glad to, but he didn't think we could get in there without a reservation. We just pretended not to hear what he had just said. We jumped into a tuk-tuk (kinda dangerous, noisy, dusty, but loads of fun) and went straight to the restaurant. The funny thing was that this is an expensive restaurant. Nobody goes there by tuk-tuk. But hey, when you gotta eat you gotta eat! So after making a grand entrance, we had to wait for a while, but managed to get a table. The food was unbelievable. The chicken, lamb, char grilled veggies were smoky, spicy and utterly delicious. There was no rice on the side, but we had some dhal, cucumber-tomato raita and the most most satisfying piece (or several pieces rather) of naan bread ever!
I can't wait to return. It's hard to describe what it's like in India to someone who has never experienced it. It is definitely a land of contrasts, so vast, colourful, loud and sometimes surprising that it would take a lifetime to get to know it corner to corner.
The sounds, the people, the scenery and the great food will definitely make you want to go back. Most people who have been there say that while you're there you can't wait to leave and once you left all you think about is going back. I know I would be ready to go right now!

This recipe I chose to deal with my cravings is in no shape or form authentic. I know that. But it is Indian spiced, easy, fast fresh and super delicious. For the chicken I used homemade mango pickle (I always have lots of different pickles and spice mixtures in the fridge), but store bought will do just fine.


Baked mango chicken with Indian spiced chickpea salad





Ingredients:

4 skinless, boneless chicken breasts
3 tbsp mango chutney or pickle of your choice

Preheat oven to 400F. Place mango chutney or pickle in a bowl. Add the chicken and coat well. Arrange chicken breasts on an aluminum foil lined baking tray. Bake for about 30 to 35 min.


For the salad:

30 oz cooked chickpeas, drained
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp each fennel, cumin, coriander seeds
pinch of crushed red pepper
1 cup yogurt
lime juice to taste
4 scallions, chopped
1/4 cup chopped cilantro
pinch of sea salt

Heat the oil over medium heat. Add fennel, cumin and coriander and cook until fragrant. Remove from heat and crush spices a little using a mortar and pestle. Put chickpeas in a bowl, add spice mixture and rest of the ingredients. Serve with the baked mango chicken.




India photos by L. N.

Toasted walnut and cassis cookies with some good news

Let's have the good news first. Very happy to announce that my entry Lingue di suocera with star anise for Meeta's Monthly Mingle -World of Spiced Cookies has been chosen the winner of this round.
Anita of Dessert First was kind enough to reward the winner (moi) with a copy of her first book, Field Guide to Cookies: How to identify and bake virtually every cookie imaginable. To purchase Anita's book please click here.
Thank you Anita and Meeta. And to celebrate I baked these wonderful toasted walnut and cassis cookies (only appropriate for the occasion).





Ingredients


2 sticks unsalted butter
1/2 cup light brown sugar
pinch of salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups flour
1 cup walnuts, toasted, finely chopped
3/4 cup blackcurrant jam
2 tsp cassis
powdered sugar for dusting


Preheat oven to 350F.
In a bowl mix butter, sugar, salt and vanilla with a fork. Stir in flour and walnuts. Form tablespoons of dough into balls. Put them on a baking tray 2 inches appart. Flatten them to 1/3 inch thick rounds. Bake about 20 minutes or until golden. Cool completely. Dust with powdered sugar.
Perfect with a glass of milk. Enjoy!

Baked Pepper Squash with brown sugar and cinnamon

As a child I loved winter. Winter was everything to me. Never complained about the cold, about the snow. We used to play all day long, vehemently denying that it was so cold and we got so wet that we could not feel our hands anymore. The only thing that could get me into the house on a perfect snow day was a good dose of classic cartoons. That and some warming food or drink to keep the energy going. I chose to embrace winter with everything it had to offer. Endless days of ice-skating, making snowmen, steaming mugs of hot chocolate, this is what I remember. Time went by very slowly (in a good way) and I was convinced that everyone had it as good as me. I would have also bet my bottom dollar that all my friends from back than would be my friends forever. And nothing would ever change.
Than one day I found myself at the shoe store looking for boots that don't have slippery soles. That's when I realized things have changed. Even though my daily cartoon dosage was not limited to two anymore, I could stay up as long as I wanted and yes, I could finally have chocolate for breakfast, I felt like I lost something forever.
Nowadays I'm trying hard to look at the world with a child's eyes, even when it's -20 outside, and it's slippery, windy, slushy and miserable.That's where the food comes in. Memories of hot mint tea, warm baked potatoes, steaming bowls of hot soup, aromatic baked squash, they all help when you're trying hard for a different perspective on things.



Saturday morning I decided to finally check out the Wychwood Barns farmers market. Not knowing much about it, I was almost too late, getting there right before they closed. This wonderful new project on the Toronto foodie and cultural scene is so much more than a farmers market. The space used to be an old streetcar repair barn. Now it's home to artist's studios, a farmers market, a greenhouse and 12 not-for-profit environmental and cultural organizations.
The Green Barn is operated by The Stop Community Food Center. The Green Barn will operate a sheltered garden, and outdoor bake oven and a compost demonstration site. It's a great place that strives to increase access to healthy, culturally appropriate food while building community and challenging inequality. To find out more, donate or to volunteer please click here.
On Saturdays this farmers market is the place to go if you're looking for delicious, seasonal local food and produce. You can buy everything from organic squash, cabbage, carrots, apples, sauerkraut, honey, the freshest, most delicious smoked white fish from the Georgian Bay to ready made goods, like empanadas, fresh artisanal bread, hot chocolate and more.To find out more about Wychwood Barns click here.
I bought some squash, honey and smoked fish and hurried home because this was going to be a perfect winter's day.





Baked Pepper Squash with brown sugar and cinnamon


Ingredients

1 pepper squash
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut squash in two and clean out both cavities. Melt butter. Add sugar and cinnamon to melted butter. Mix well. Cut each squash half in two. Brush with half of the melted butter mixture. Bake covered with foil for 30 minutes. Take off foil and bake uncovered for 25 to 30 more minutes, basting with remaining melted butter.

Black Forest Trifle (easy version)

It's January. The days are short and extremely cold at the moment. But that didn't stop my dear friends to come over to wish me Happy Birthday (from the other side of town, mind you). So what does a girl like me do in such instances? Prepare a delicious dinner with all the trimmings, of course. Or that's what I should have done, anyway. But it didn't happen. I wanted to make fondue (or a twist on the traditional one) with brie cheese and wild mushrooms. Sounds simple enough, right? Well, apparently not for yours truly. I managed to completely mess up a perfectly simple fondue recipe. It turned out thick and lumpy as hell. But my ever so gracious friends (because that's the kind of people they are) said it was delicious. It was not.
Oh, well at least we had dessert. Black Forest Trifle, namely.
I kept it simple and used store bought Belgian chocolate cake and custard. Those of you who cringe at the thought of store bought custard click here for a good home-made custard recipe.
I used cherries for decoration and only for decoration as they were tasteless. That will teach me never to disobey the cardinal rule of great cooking: always use seasonal ingredients!




Ingredients

Makes 4 to 6 servings, depending on the size of the glasses you use

1 chocolate cake loaf (about 500g)
2 1/2 cups vanilla custard
1 800 ml jar pitted sour cherries in light syrup, drained, 1/2 cup juice reserved
2 tbsp cornstarch
1/4 cup kirsch
1 cup heavy cream
chocolate shards and cocoa powder for decoration

Mix 2 tbsp sour cherry juice with the cornstarch. Add to rest of the sour cherry juice and bring to a boil in a medium sized sauce pan. Stir until thickened. Take mixture off the heat then add the cherries and kirsch. Set aside.
Cut chocolate cake into 1/2 inch thick slices. Whip heavy cream to soft peaks (you can add powdered sugar to taste, if desired).
Prepare 6 small water glasses. Start layering with cake slices, then sour cherry mixture, then custard. Repeat layering once more. Finally, top it off with whipped cream. Garnish with chocolate shavings and sifted cocoa.