Roasted Baby Carrots

This hardly requires a recipe, but when you have really nice, fresh, local baby carrots they don't need much adornment. I trim the ends of the baby carrots, then halve them lengthwise. Toss in a little oil, coarse kosher salt, ground nutmeg, and ground white pepper. Then simply roast until tender and caramelized!

Roast Hip Of Beef

• Roast hip of beef, rubbed in rosemary thyme butter
• Horseradish and sour cream mashed potatoes
• Sauteed patty pan squash
• Roasted baby carrots
• Maple balsamic glazed purple radish
• Whiskey green peppercorn sauce

Honey Glazed Carrots

Honey Glazed Carrots
carrots, peeled and sliced into rounds
honey
butter
fresh chopped thyme
salt
white pepper

Cook the carrots in boiling water until just tender. Drain, leaving a little excess water which will help form the glaze. Stir in honey and butter until melted and the carrots are shiny and coated. Season to taste.

Roast Pork Loin Dinner

• Spiced roasted pork loin
• Sour cream and grainy mustard mashed potatoes
• Honey glazed carrots
• Caramelized apples and red onion
• Roasted patty pan squash
• Brown sugar apple cider gastrique

Chritmas Dinner In August

Not too long ago at work we had an entire Christmas dinner in August. We had a feast with all the fixings and afterwards felt happy and stuffed. Our Christmas dinner consisted of Challah bread and butter, different pickles, chutneys, and preserves, honey thyme carrots, peas, creamy mashed potatoes, stuffing, a brined turkey breast with gravy, pumpkin pie, and homemade vanilla ice cream.

fresh Challah bread

mustard pickles, cranberry sauce, red pepper jelly, and pickled peppers

brined turkey breast

gravy

honey and thyme glazed carrots

creamy mashed potatoes

the entire feast

stuffing

Skills - Secondary Cooking Pork Tenderloin Entree

Cooking group one, day two - entree. The entree had to consist of a roasted pork tenderloin, glazed battonets of carrots, sauteed spinach, gratin dauphinoise (recipe provided), peppercorn sauce (recipe provided) and one garnish of choice. Other than that, there were many variations including the seasoning and sear on the pork, a stuffing or none, the doneness and presentation of the pork, how the potatoes were cut, etc. In the captions I have pointed out some key difference.

raw apple slices

fresh herbs

soft poached egg

cheese tuiles

rolled and filled pork tenederloin

bacon-wrapped pork

Easter Lamb Dinner

Today I made a leg of lamb dinner for Easter. I am practicing for an upcoming competition where I have to make an entree featuring leg of lamb, two vegetables, a sauce, a starch, and a garnish (minimum). I am given a limited list of ingredients to work with, which include fresh produce, dairy, herbs, spices, and dry goods. Here is what I came up with yesterday:

• Spice-Crusted Roasted Leg of Lamb (self-butchered)
• Blueberry Red Wine Sauce (sauce)
• Herbed Pommes Duchesse (starch)
• Butter Poached Carrot Curls (vegetable)
• Creamed Asparagus (mystery vegetable)
• Crispy Shallots (Garnish) 

It all turned out quite well and didn't take me too long to do - once I got the lamb meat off the bone. I didn't use recipes for any of it, just techniques I have learned and flavors I know work well together. 

Irish Lamb Stew

There is nothing more satisfying than a hearty, nutritious stew on a cold day. Beef stew is good, but lamb adds a little something special and different. This is an easy stew to make and quite forgiving. If you have a homemade beef or even lamb stock on hand, be sure to use that. The sweet potatoes help to flavor and thicken the stew, but you can add more stock for a thinner stew. I served this stew in bread bowls, and it is pictured below in one of them, surrounded by the delicious, hollowed-out bread pieces. 

Irish Lamb Stew
6 center loin lamb chops, cut into small cubes
all-purpose (plain) flour
2 Tablespoons oil
3 medium carrots, in rondelles
2 medium onions, medium dice
1 large sweet potato, large dice
salt and ground black pepper, to taste
garlic powder and dried rosemary, to taste
lamb stock, beef stock, or water plus beef bouillon seasoning, brought to a boil
1 can peas

Dredge the lamb in the flour. Heat the oil in a large pot, then sear the lamb until browned well on both sides. Stir in the carrots, onion, and sweet potato until well coated in oil. Allow to sweat, without browning, for a few minutes. 
Stir in the spices, then pour the hot stock over top, enough to fully cover the contents of the pot. Bring to a boil.
Simmer for approximately 1 1/2 hours until stew is well thickened. Stir in the peas.

Steamed and Sautéed Vegetables

Here are the vegetable side dishes I made for the supper. They aren't really anything special - I kept the vegetables simple to go with the main courses. I made steamed asparagus, sautéed porcini mushrooms, and sautéed julienne of carrots and red onion. Steaming is my favorite way to prepare asparagus - a tender, delicate vegetable whose flavor should be allowed to shine and not mask. I also think the beautiful stalks should be served whole. Grilling or griddling asparagus also works quite well, but cooking methods such as sautéeing and boiling are tricky with whole asparagus and do not allow the flavor to shine through as well. 

I chose a different type of mushroom than what we usually get - the standard button mushrooms. There isn't a huge flavor difference, and like button mushrooms, I like to sauté the mushrooms for a fairly long time, beginning with high heat to sear them and then turning the heat to low to caramelize them. I often add in onions with the mushrooms and garlic is a good addition as well.

The julienne of carrots and red onions were leftover from my garnish for the salmon en papillote. I just very quickly sautéed them up to add color to the vegetable plate and served them on the side. They did not take long to cook at all because they are a small, thin cut.

I served these vegetables with the roasted carrot coconut sauce, but other than that they only need a dash of salt and pepper, and maybe a dab of butter to flavor them.

Mushroom Black Bean 'Meat'loaf

In my cooking adventures, I like to try healthier options and vegan and vegetarian options. I also like to try to pass these creations off as 'normal', so I can receive unbiased comments and people will actually try them. This is a 'meat'loaf recipe I developed that has no meat, yet the color and appearance is just like meatloaf. The texture may be slightly softer, depending on what type of meatloaf you are use to. The mushrooms provide the dark color and meaty texture and the beans provide the protein. The other vegetables and sauce are added for extra nutrition, flavor, and moistness, and the oats are used as a binder and for texture. The result? This meatloaf is anything but dry, but may be a bit too moist for meat lovers. The flavor is good too, but doesn't exactly mimic beef. In the end, it is a good, healthy meatloaf alternative.

Mushroom Black Bean 'Meat'loaf
1 small carrot, very finely diced or shredded
1 small onion, very finely diced or shredded
2 packages (250grams/8ounces each) white button mushrooms
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (590mL) black beans, well-drained
1/3 cup old-fashioned oats
2 large egg whites (or substitute flax eggs or extra sauce for a vegan version)
1 cup tomato sauce of choice
salt and pepper, to taste

Heat a little oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Sauté the carrot, onion, mushrooms, and garlic until just tender, about ten minutes or so. The vegetables can be finely chopped in a food processor (or by hand) either before or after cooking - they will cook much faster if chopped first.
Transfer vegetables to a food processor and chop if needed, then add the beans and process until well combined. Add the oats and egg whites just until mixture comes together. Then stir in 1/2 cup tomato sauce and seasonings by hand.
Preheat oven to 375◦F. Line an 8x8-inch square pan with parchment paper.
Spread the mixture evenly in prepared pan, it may seem wet but will firm up in the oven. Bake for about an hour, broiling for the last few minutes if a crispy top crust is desired. Heat the remaining 1/2 cup sauce and pour over top. Serve as you would meatloaf!

I forgot to get a picture of an individual slice of it before we dug in...

Turkey Pot Pie

Turkey Pot Pie
1 large carrot, sliced
2 medium sweet potatoes, in small cubes
1 tablespoon margarine
1 small onion, diced
1 1/4 cups chicken broth
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
1/2 cup skim milk
salt and pepper, to taste
2 cups cut-up cooked turkey
1 can peas
CRUST
1 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 1/4 teaspoons baking powder
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 Tablespoon margarine
1/3 cup sour cream
3 Tablespoons milk

Preheat oven to 350◦F. 
Boil the carrots and sweet potato until tender. Alternately, use frozen vegetables. 
In a small saucepan, sauté the onion in the butter until tender. Mix 1/4 cup of broth with the cornstarch, then add remaining broth and milk, salt, and pepper. Boil for one minute. Stir in the turkey and vegetables. Spoon mixture into an 8x8-inch square pan.

CRUST: In a medium bowl, mix together the flour, baking powder, and salt. Cut in the margarine. Mix sour cream and milk until smooth and stir into mixture. Knead dough lightly on a floured surface. Pat into an eight inch square, then cut into four equal squares. 

Place crust over turkey mixture. Bake for about 30 minutes, until mixture is hot and biscuit is golden. 

Happy Canadian Thanksgiving everyone! We had our big turkey dinner yesterday, and decided to make a turkey pot pie with the leftovers today for a little something different  - homey and comforting. The vegetables may be varied as you wish. Chicken would work for this recipe as well. The crust is really easy to put together and the pie is simple to assemble because it only has a top crust, but it is very flaky and delicious. 

Crocker, Betty. "Turkey Pot Pie." Recipe. Low-Fat Low-Cholesterol, New York: MacMillan, 1991. 89.

Classic Chicken Pot Pie

Chicken pot pie is a classic comfort food, and a great way to use up leftovers - both chicken and vegetables. Once the prep work is complete, it really does not take long to put together and is such a homey, warm, and soothing dish. Here is my recipe for a big batch of chicken pot pie. I pictured it here before I put the biscuit crust on top so you can easily see the different colors and textures from the inside. 

Classic Chicken Pot Pie
2 cans cream of chicken soup (590mL each)
2 can-fulls of water
3 stalks celery, chopped
1/3 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1 3/4 cups milk
2-3 cups leftover cooked carrots (or use frozen)
1 package fresh mushrooms, chopped (250 grams or 8 ounces)
1 small bag frozen peas
1 small chicken (or use half of a turkey), cooked and diced
4 cups biscuit mix
4 large eggs
2 cups milk

In a large saucepan, bring the soup, water, and celery to a boil. In a small bowl, stir together the flour and 3/4 cup milk. Stir into soup, stir in remaining milk, and bring to a boil again. Boil until thickened and creamy. Stir in the carrots, mushrooms, and peas. Spread the chicken pieces in the bottom of a large pan. Pour the soup mixture over top and stir together. Cover pan, and bake in the oven at 350◦F for about half an hour, until warmed thoroughly. 

Meanwhile, mix together the biscuit mix, eggs, and milk in a large bowl. Once pie is warmed, pour this batter over top and spread evenly. Bake for an additional thirty minutes, or until biscuit is golden and cooked through. 

You can feel free to vary the vegetables in this recipe to suit your personal tastes - onions, potatoes, and beans are always good. Also adjust the seasoning and spices as desired. You can of course use your own biscuit recipe for this, but you will need a large batch and the biscuit mix is just convenient and fast. The trick to properly cooking the biscuits is to ensure the base is hot before putting the biscuit dough on top. 

Chicken Pot Pie

This is a chicken pot pie my parents made the other day. I won't include an exact recipe for it, since I don't know it. Chicken pot pie is one of those dishes that never seems to have an exact recipe - amounts differ slightly, vegetables in the filling differ slightly, and seasoning is always different. These things always depend on how much you want to make, what you like, and what you have on hand. This chicken pot pie contains carrots, onions, peas and potatoes, as well as pepper and chicken stock for flavor and a little milk for richness. It then has an all-butter flaky pie crust, for which I will share the recipe tomorrow. The basic procedure is to sauté the vegetables in a little oil in a pot beforehand, jsut until they are tender crisp, as they will not fully bake in the oven. Potatoes may even require parboiling. Alternatively, canned or frozen vegetables could be used instead - saving a lot of prep time. After they are cooked, the pre-cooked, shredded chicken is added, followed by some chicken stock and milk and maybe some flour or cream, as well as any seasoning, are added to the vegetables. This is then transferred to a baking dish. We opted only for a top crust, but if you would like a bottom crust too, the filling would be put into a pre-baked crust instead. The top crust is placed over, and the pie is baked in the oven until the filling is hot and the crust is golden. This is a great way to use leftovers that isn't too complicated, and chicken pot pie is great comfort food that can also be enjoyed the next day. Actually, any meat could be used for this. And it is easy to make a big batch to have some on hand in the freezer in a pinch.

Carrot Cake Bars

Carrot Cake Bars
CAKE LAYER
3/4 cup butter or hard margarine, softened
1 cup packed light brown sugar
3/4 cup granulated (white) sugar, divided
3 large eggs, divided
2 large carrots, shredded (about one cup)
1 1/2 cups plus 2 Tablespoons all-purpose (plain) flour, divided
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1 package (250g/8 ounces) cream cheese

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line a 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan.
In a large bowl, beat the butter, brown sugar, and 1/2 cup granulated sugar until light and fluffy. Beat in 2 eggs and carrots. Gradually beat in 1 1/4 cups flour, baking powder, and cinnamon. Spread in prepared pan.
In a small bowl, beat together the cream cheese, 1/2 cup sugar, one egg, and two Tablespoons flour. Drop by spoonfuls over batter in pan and swirl gently with a knife.
Bake for 30-35 minutes until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Cool then chill. Store in the refrigerator. 

These bars are reminiscent of carrot cake, without all the work of making cakes, frosting, and assembling. The are quick and easy and remind of Easter, but would also be nice in the fall or anytime. It is almost like a cheesecake on a cake-like crust! 

Carrot Muffins

Carrot Muffins
2 large eggs
1/2 cup oil
1/2 cup milk
1/2 cup cooked, mashed carrots
1 3/4 cup all-purpose (plain) flour
1/2 cup granulated (white) sugar
1 Tablespoon baking powder
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line muffin cups with paper liners.
In a large bowl, mix together the eggs, oil, milk, and carrots. Stir in the dry ingredients. Divide among prepared muffin cups. Bake for about 20 minutes, until a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. 

A really quick and easy, soft and moist carrot muffin recipe that my mother created and made!

Crustless Mixed Vegetable Quiche

Crustless Mixed Vegetable Quiche
4 large eggs
3 cups milk
1/4 cup cornstarch
2 teaspoons baking powder
salt and pepper, to taste
2 Tablespoons grated Parmesan cheese 
1 medium onion, chopped
1 bag (3 cups) frozen mixed vegetables, lightly steamed according to package directions
2 cups shredded cheese 

Preheat oven to 350◦F. Grease or line one 9x13 inch rectangular baking pan or two 9-inch round deep-dish pie plates. 
Beat the eggs in a large bowl. Whisk in the milk, cornstarch, baking powder, parsley, and spices. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour mixture into prepared pan(s) and bake for 35-40 minutes, until a knife inserted in the center comes out clean.

The vegetables, cheese, and seasonings can be varied to match your tastes. Leftover, fresh, or canned vegetables can all be used, as long as they are lightly cooked beforehand.  Choose vegetables that are fairly small - I used a mixture of carrots, beans, peas, and corn. Not typical in a quiche, but it worked really well! This is a really easy recipe that requires no crust to fuss with. It is also vegetarian and gluten-free! It cooks very well, and can even be kept warm for a while without sacrificing quality. This dish really isn't anything special, but was the first to disappear and got raving reviews, so I guess it went over well.

Carrot Fries

The other night to go along with our supper, my mother decided to try something a little different and make carrot fries. It sounds kind of gross, I know, but they were actually delicious. I am used to her making sweet potato fries, which I really love. They are kind of like regular fries, but sweeter of course, and mom doesn't make them as crispy, which I like, although you can make sweet potato fries very crispy too. Carrot fries look just like the sweet potato fries, and have the same texture, but they do taste a little different. To make sweet potato fries, my mother simply adds a little olive oil and sometimes ground black pepper. To make the carrot fries, she used a little olive oil and brown sugar. The brown sugar really made the fries good. Nice and sweet, with a nice flavor. Recipes for carrot fries often recommend using honey, and maple glazed carrots is also a popular recipe, so carrots with brown sugar made perfect sense. If my mom had not told me otherwise, I would have gone along thinking the carrot fries actually were sweet potato fries, since the brown sugar made them so sweet. My father thought is was squash or something. There are actually quite a few recipes out there for vegetable fries of all different kinds - beets, turnip, squash, kale, you name it. There are also vegetable chips on the market, which are actually pretty good, though these often contain a lot of salt. The idea behind vegetable fries is to be a healthier alternative to potato fries, or a more exciting way to eat more vegetables. Most times, vegetable fries are actually baked, and not deep-fried, which would kind of defeat the purpose. Baking vegetables as fries is so easy, just cut them into matchsticks and throw them in the oven with your main course!

Slow Cooked Root Vegetables

This is a nice vegetable dish to make in the wintertime, when there aren't many vegetables in season, the ones that are in season aren't all that appealing on their own, fresh vegetables don't have the best flavor, and hot, slow-cooked dishes are the way to go. This recipe combines equal amounts of carrots, parsnips and turnips with some sweet potato and onion. They are flavored with olive oil, salt, pepper, brown sugar and parsley. All of the vegetables are cut into approximate one inch chucks, seasoned, and thrown into the slow cooker. Simple, easy, and no work after the vegetables are prepared. This side dish makes a nice accompaniment to any meal. I was a little bit skeptical when my father first pulled out this recipe, but he really pulled it off. Not bad at all for a dish of cooked winter vegetables! I really wish I had remembered to take a picture of these vegetables when they were still in the crock pot right before they were served, as they looked very lovely presented that way. But I didn't, so here is a picture of them in a bowl.

Hearty Beef Stew

There is nothing like a hearty bowl of beef stew to warm you up on a chilly winter day, especially when it's your mother's homemade stew. This stew starts with a thick, homemade broth that is simmered on the stove for several hours, filling the house with delicious smells. Then cubed stewing beef, sliced onion, sliced carrots, diced potatoes, and canned peas are all added. This is simmered until just tender. The stew is excellent served with a crusty piece of bread, and makes a very filling meal that warms you right up! The recipe can also be adjusted to make more servings, and it reheats very well the next day. A nice change from the common chicken noodle soup or bowl of chili. 

Christmas Dinner

Here is a picture of one of the plates of the amazing Christmas dinner my family and I had the great privilege of enjoying yesterday. My grandmother prepared most of this delicious food. She did have some help, as it would be nearly impossible to prepare such an excellent meal alone, but she did a lot of the work herself, and always made sure everyone's plate was full and everyone was satisfied. Our Christmas dinner included: peas, carrots, coleslaw, sweet potato, mashed potato, pickles, cranberry sauce, rolls, stuffing, gravy, and of course, turkey. This dinner was prepared for nearly twenty people. That's no small feat! The coleslaw, the gravy, and the cranberry sauce were all homemade from scratch by my grandmother. The vegetables were freshly prepared, cooked, and seasoned. And the turkey was freshly roasted.  We certainly indulged in a divine Christmas dinner, and I haven't even said a word about the delicious desserts...