Spudnuts!

Yes... SPUDNUTS!
My Mom makes homemade donuts for Shrove Tuesday (Mardi Gras) - this was a tradition in her home as a child. She uses a recipe that is made with mashed potatoes - so we call them spudnuts - crazy stuff.

Mmm...
This is the first time I have helped Mom with the production of her famous donuts - I was designated "The Glazer". My job was to lightly coat each donut with a glaze made from sugar, milk, vanilla and butter: "Don't drop them in; just use your hands and lightly skim the surface!" (That oil is over 200 degrees Fahrenheit - so, sorry, Mom, I needed to use a fork to manage those little devils --need to preserve my mouse hand!)

Recipe?
Who me, deep-fry? Not likely to happen, so I have never asked Mom for this recipe. The rare time I have something fried, it is in a restaurant - the occasional order of tempura or yam fries. For the donut lovers out there, try searching the web - I saw a recipe on the All Recipes site that contains Mom's secretweapon: NUTMEG! xo!

Moonbeams, Zombies, Chocolate

Man! I don't know about your town/city/village/space station but in Winnipeg, Canada the winter blues have hit a new level of freakishness - I did a little people watching while I was stopped in traffic this afternoon and I swear they looked like Dawn of the Dead extras; SERIOUSLY! My girlfriend asked me, "Is the moon full?" like she was reading my mind ((which she seems to have an uncanny ability to do, btw!)) - sadly, no, the moon is waning and it's just this wimpy yellow finger nail clipping; no magical power to transform regular peeps into monsters. So the full moon/wild thang factor can't explain the local weirdo surge...

Savings, Schmavings!

I wasn't planning on taking any vacation time until the summer months, but man the travel bargains are beckoning, given my situation. Our flat-as-a-pancake city has been transformed by grubby mountains of ice, snow and road salt, piled 6-8 feet high along the streets, creating strange marble runs for the zombie drivers to blitz carelessly through ((hey, they're zombies, can't kill what's already dead!)). This dreary, eerie ((did I mention, frickin' freezin'?)) environment, combined with the gloom-and-doomer predictions that the world will end in 2012 ((Mayan Calendar hype)) has this Momma thinking, "Savings schmavings... I want outta here; let's go for broke with a side dish of sun and sand!"

Recipe for Escape
Even my usual food therapy tactics seem unappealing, particularly since the near-catastrophic, painfully recent Paula Dean Arnold Palmer cupcake baking session! One promising culinary diversion is the collection of gourmet pastas I received recently from work: exotic pumpkin spice, chipotle pepper and cocoa chili linguine are waiting in the cupboard for their moment in the kitchen limelight - oh thank heaven!

I have been scouring my recipe books and online sources inspiration -- looking for sauces to pair with these fantastically flavoured pastas. I want to enjoy the cocoa chili linguine with something savory; for a main course - don't want to serve those chocolaty noodles as a dessert with fruit and whipped cream ((ugh!)). So I am thinking of a variation on a Mole ((not the critter, the burrowing mole - mole-ay, as in latin-american savory goodness)). I am thinking the mole, freshened up with some zucchini and bell peppers and maybe a bit of mango, would be just the ticket to alleviate my current state. Suggestions? C'mon - I am surrounded by zombies in a desolate deep-freeze called Canada. Won't/can't you please throw me a life line?

Have it your way...here is my recipe for Coco-Mole Linguine. For the cocoa chili pasta, try ordering online from Nature's Farm:

http://www.naturesfarm.ca/index.html

Cocoa-Mole Linguine

Mole Ingredients:

1 tsp. toasted cumin seeds, cooled

1 tsp. crushed, dried oregano
1/8 - 1/4 tsp. ground cinnamon

Dried, crushed chilies to taste, or chipotle paste
2 medium onions, chopped

2 Tbsp. olive oil
1-2 cloves minced garlic

3 medium zucchini cut into bite-size chunks

1 bunch kale, coarsely chopped

1 red or orange bell pepper, chopped

1 tsp. orange zest
1/4 tsp. sugar
Sea salt, to taste (approx. 1 tsp).
1 ounce unsweetened chocolate, finely chopped

1-14.5 ounce tin of diced plum tomatoes

1-1/4 cups water

1-15 ounce tin of rinsed pinto beans

Garnish:
1 ripe mango, finely chopped

1/8 tsp. dutch cocoa powder
Sour cream

Pasta:
Nature's Farm Cocoa Chili Linguine; or your favourite chocolate pasta.

METHOD:
Pulse toasted cumin seeds and chilies (or just cumin seeds, if using chipolte paste) in a coffee mill or small processor until finely ground. Mix together with cinnamon, oregano, salt and sugar in a small bowl.

Measure the olive oil into a heavy skillet and saute the onions until tender over medium-high heat. Reduce the heat slightly and add in the minced garlic, cooking until tender and taking care not to scorch it. Stir in the spice mixture, stirring constantly for 1 -2 minutes. Quickly add in the zucchini, kale and bell peppers; cover and cook for 5 minutes.

Add in the tomatoes, zest, chocolate pieces, beans and water and bring mixture to a simmer - cover and stir occasionally, cooking an additional 15-20 minutes.

Meanwhile, cook your pasta to al dente. Serve the pasta topped with the mole and garnished with fresh mango, a small dollop of sour cream and a light sprinkle of cocoa. Enjoy xo!

Lead Belly Cupcakes :(

Sometimes more of something you love mutates into just TOO much! This was the case with the Paula Dean recipe for Arnold Palmer cupcakes. My baker's antennae were vibrating when I saw the amount of butter and sugar in both the cupcake batter and frosting, but I love Paula Dean and thought - "What the heck do I know?" Well I guess tastes are as diverse as our individual personalities, and although the batter tasted great, the baked end-result was waaaay too heavy and too fatty for this Momma.

Elephants in Tutus!
I baked the cupcakes the evening before the birthday, and frosted them the next day, so maybe if we could have eaten them freshly cooled from the oven the result would have been more pleasing. The flavour of lemon and tea was lovely, but it was overpowered by the butter and bulky texture. The dry heft of these cupcakes reminded me (and not in a good way...) of some day-old Hovis bread I bought in my university days when I was trying to eat healthy on less than $40 a week! How could something infused with so much fat be dry?

Canadian Content?
I am wondering if some of the challenge was in my technique (whipped all by hand, not with electric mixer), and also with our local ingredients. I know my Uncle Chuck in Florida has purchased flour and butter when he is in Canada -- he loves to cook and swears that the butter and flour in the Southern USA are different (???).Different variety of wheat? What are the cows eating? Anyway - no disrespect to the fabulous Paula, but I am wiping this lil' ole recipe right offa my memory banks! Thankfully I have another birthday coming later this month and can redeem myself :)

Green! Green! Green!

Apparently green is the new black... January is the traditional time for reflection, renewal of purpose and tied in with that are all of the resolutions for improved health and fitness. It's all good!

Buzzword = KALE!

Wondering if any of you have tried Kale Chips? A bit of buzz among my fitness connections on this one... will have to try it out. I am thinking it may go the way of yams and yam fries in my house -- can't fill the void now that my kids have developed the taste for the healthy, oven baked french fry replacement - hard to squirrel away a few to take for lunch the next day; actually impossible :) Anyway, I love kale and I am thinking this could be a nice, quick and healthy side to a meal of baked pickerel (walleye) mmmmm...

I first got into kale one winter when I began to have problems with nose bleeds. I suspected they were are result of the dry, cold winter (it was December) but I had never had nose bleeds before, and they kept on starting up (a tad inconvenient at work, and a bit scary for me personally), and so I went to see my doctor as a precaution. She advised me to increase my intake of dark leafy greens to get more Vitamin K - an important nutrient for blood clotting. A week or so of adding spinach and kale to my daily diet and voila, no nose bleeds since (over three years).

So that was my introduction to kale. I would stir fry it in a small amount of olive oil, season with sea salt and pepper and splash with a bit of wine vinegar for variety. I also incorporated chopped kale in place of beet greens in my borscht (the beet greens were not nice in the store at that time of year). For those of you unfamiliar with kale, it is slightly rubbery in texture as compared to spinach greens, and the taste is very mild; slightly cabbage-y.

While comparing kale chip recipes online, I also found a great, free nutritional analysis site where you can look at different foods. What I like about this site is that it functions quickly and also provides values for the raw food, versus cooked variations. ((http://www.nutritiondata.self.com/)) Check it out!

Kale Chips

Ingredients:
6-8 ounce bunch of fresh kale
1 Tbsp. olive oil
Salt to taste
1 Tbsp. apple cider or red wine vinegar

Method:
Preheat your oven to 350 degrees. Wash kale and separate leaves into 2-1/2" morsels ("chip" sized!). Dry kale thoroughly on paper towels or in a salad spinner. Place kale in a large Ziploc bag, add in the oil and gently toss and massage the kale pieces through the bag to evenly distribute the oil. Place the leaves in a baking dish and distribute so that all leaves are exposed evenly. Bake for 25-35 minutes, depending on desired crispness.

Sprinkle baked chips with salt (and pepper, if desired) and a splash of apple cider vinegar. Hope you will try and enjoy xo!

Emergeance

Winding down one year to wind up for another... seems like we just booted 2009 to the side to make way for 2010! I have never been one for resolutions - really think one day is as good as another to get moving, try new things, revisit favourite pass-times etc. One day at a time and one foot in front of the other - after all none of us comes with a guarantee ;)

Hope-filled; Dreaming Always
One thing I do know for certain is that I need to persist in my quest for life balance - too often I am caught in this cycle of busy-ness, raw motion without passion and joy factored into the mix. I am concurrently thankful for and frustrated by my hyper-creative tendencies! My time to paint, time to photograph, time to write etc. is always in a state of tension with my need to earn a living and take care of the basics for my kids.

The Recipe Project Continues...
I continue to make an electronic recipe favourites book for my friends and family. Have finished entering my Mom's Best selections and am now sorting thru the entrees - finding this is a bit thin, as I think I have mostly relied on those tried and true favs from Mom! Also, we tend to have pretty straightforward meals - some kind of grilled meat with raw veggies and rice or pasta! Anyway, I am looking forward to taking the file to the quick print place and having everything neat and accessible - and easy to share.

Vodka for Lunch??? Hey it's the Holidays!
So, let's toast the old year in a comforting way - here is a wonderful recipe for pasta with vodka sauce. I received this recipe at a fundraiser event at De Luca's Cooking School - like much of Italian cuisine, it is simple to prepare and fantastico on the old taste buds. Hope you will try and enjoy with a nice glass of red wine - buon appetitto!

Pasta With Vodka Sauce - Serves 4

Ingredients:
500g (about 16 ounces) of your favourite pasta
3-4 Tbsp. of butter
1/3 lb of back bacon, finely chopped
2 cups whipping cream
1/2 cup premium vodka (no cheap stuff - you are what you eat!)
1/2 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese
4 Tbsp. chopped Italian parsley
Dried chilies and salt to taste
Pepper to taste

Method:
Melt butter in a heavy saucepan, add the bacon and saute for 4-5 minutes. Add the vodka and cook for 1-2 minutes longer. Add the cream, season to taste with salt and chili pepper and then stir in 1/2 of the parsley. Allow to come to a boil, reduce heat and set aside; covering loosely to keep warm.

Meanwhile cook the pasta to al dente in boiling salted water. Drain and return to cooking pot, tossing with parmesan, and half of the prepared sauce. Transfer to a serving platter, top with remaining sauce and cheese, garnish with parsley. Add a little black pepper if desired.

We Are What We Eat

Passing the Torch
One of the things in life for which I am most thankful is motherhood - for both having had a loving Mother in my life, and for having had my own children.

Coming from a large family with lots of commotion in the household and not a lot of privacy, at age eighteen I was eager to have some time alone and I recall how I had absolutely no interest in marriage or family life.

Fast forward to the present, with three kids of my own and the outcome seems nothing short of miraculous; surreal! I remember my first moments with each of my babies and can't imagine a day without having had the pleasure and delight of them entwined in my experience.

A big part of my own upbringing was the time spent helping out with small tasks, including food prep and an early appreciation of what flavours work well together and what constitutes a balanced and nutritious family meal. I have spent many hours copying my favourite family recipes into a large zipper binder in an attempt to carry over some of the goodness (of which I was a fortunate beneficiary) into my adult life, and into my role as a parent.

In more recent days, I have noticed a deterioration to my binder - damn it, I am getting older and some of the loose leaf pages are yellowing and curling! Hard to believe as I still feel like I am about eight years old and can easily place myself into my parents cozy bungalow, lounging on the olive green carpet; surrounded by my Barbies! So... needless to say, I am in the process of editing through my culinary heritage to create an electronic recipe book that I can easily share with my own kids...AND reprint for myself to replace the current tatty version :)

The Project!
I am really enjoying all aspects of this process - like anyone else, I tend to gravitate toward a few favourites in my cooking and I have "rediscovered" some family recipes that have not been served at my home in a while. Also, I am adding in family photos and food shots - really adds to the appeal having the visual breaks, and makes the "book" much more special.

Pretty easy and inexpensive to take your files to a quick print place and get them either hole-punched or Cerlox bound. So, if you're in the same boat as this Momma, I recommend it. Could be a very nice and personal gift to welcome a new neighbour etc.

A Blast From Pam's Past...
Here is one of the recipes from my dear Mom - her Easy Beef Stew. Especially satisfying and comforting at this time of the year. I hope you will try and enjoy.
xo!

Mom's Easy Beef Stew

Ingredients:
2 lbs. round steak, cut into 2” – 3” chunks
2 Tbsp. flour
3 Tbsp. canola oil
2 tsp. salt
½ tsp. ground black pepper
Dash of garlic powder
6 small potatoes, diced
2 -3 large carrots, peeled and chopped
4 large onions, peeled and coarsely chopped
¼ cup dark soy sauce
1 cup water
1 can (approx. 10 ounces) cream of mushroom soup
1 Tbsp. lemon juice
Optional: ½ medium rutabaga, cut in bite-size chunks

METHOD:
Place flour and spices in a Zip-loc bag and add the meat chunks, tossing to coat. Meanwhile heat the oil in a heavy fry pan. Brown the beef, stirring constantly. Place water, soy sauce and all vegetables in a large soup pot and add the browned meat as well. Bring the mixture to a boil over medium heat, then reduce the heat, cover and simmer for one hour. Add the mushroom soup and lemon juice, stirring to combine. Heat another 5-7 minutes and serve.

Dressing Up!

Busy-ness as Usual
Almost Christmas! Feel like my fast-forward button has been stuck in the "on" position for some time now... I know, join the club! It seems that a lot of us are high on the demand side of things and low on time, and the holiday season just adds to the burden for too many of us. I hope that you find/take a few moments in each day to dream, to breathe; just TO BE :)

I have learned to relax - it was not a natural part of my make up. My nickname as a kid was Tazz, because I was always this blur, ripping around; my hair tangled and wet with sweat! I still get keyed up sometimes, but I have learned not to feel guilty about leaving the laundry, dusting etc and crawling into bed early to read instead.

Home Cooked Goodness
I am ever-thankful for having been raised in a home when healthy, nutritious (and abundant!) food was the norm. My Marvelous Mother Martha (MMM) was a farm kid who always had a huge garden, from which we all enjoyed the bounty and learned to appreciate the value and taste of fresh food. So I work hard to keep the fresh factor alive for my kids -- not always easy because their dear Daddy is a Pop Tart, Alphagetti and sugary cereal kind of guy; I swear that he buys all of the junk his mother would never have wasted her grocery budget on!

Apple-licious!!!
In the spirit of taking time to take care of yourself, what could be more important than good nutrition? I am taking care to get my good stuff in the furnace each day, as the pre-holiday work and personal schedules are making my trips to the gym more sporadic. At least we can control our food intake, right?

Recently I was fortunate to be given a wonderful salad dressing recipe that just blew my mind and taste buds -- it is just so delicious (and good for you - nice combo!); you will just want to toss those crappy bottled dressings! The base of the this dressing is apple cider vinegar which has a lovely, mellow flavour with just enough zip to keep it interesting but does not overpower the delicate flavours of your veggies. Here is my fav salad mix and the dressing recipe for you to enjoy and share - a little pre-Christmas gift that you can enjoy forever after, which I sincerely hope you will; xo!

Paul's Awesome Salad*

*Serves One

Salad Ingredients:
2-3 cups baby spinach or mixed greens
1 Tbsp. dried cranberries, or fresh berries
3 ounces chicken or turkey, chopped
1 Tbsp. crumbled feta cheese
1/4 cup diced English cucumber
4 walnut halves, chopped finely

Dressing:
3 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar**
1 tsp. liquid honey (natural, unpasteurized is best for your health)
1 tsp. extra virgin olive oil

**Look for natural, unfiltered apple cider vinegar for the best nutrition and flavour; I buy mine locally at The Bulk Barn. This is an easy meal to make for work lunches or a quick dinner. Easy to pick up a pre-cooked chicken or to roast a larger bird at home to serve up for a few meals.

Assemble at serving time - ENJOY!

Rrrrrrribbit!!!!

Well, as promised, here is the recipe for the Frog Bellies ((raisin-filled turnovers/cookies)) -- still haven't made these, but it's in the works for my ten-year-old son who loves raisins... AND cookies!


Frog Bellies

Ingredients:
Pastry/Dough -
1 cup/250ml softened butter
1 cup/250ml granulated white sugar
1 cup/250ml brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp./10ml vanilla extract
5-1/2 cups/1375ml all-purpose flour
2 tsp./10ml cream of tartar
1 tsp./5ml baking soda
1 tsp./5ml salt
1 cup/250ml full fat sour cream (14% butter fat)
Filling -
3 cups/750ml Thompson raisins
1 cup/250ml granulated sugar
2 Tbsp./30ml all-purpose flour
1 cup/250ml water
2 Tbsp./30ml lemon juice

Make filling by combining all ingredients in a medium saucepan and bringing to a boil over medium heat, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer 10 minutes. Remove from heat and set aside to cool to room temp.

Preheat oven to 350 F/180 C. For dough, cream butter with both sugars, beating in eggs and vanilla until light and fluffy. Combine dry ingredients in a separate small bowl. Add alternately to butter/egg mix with sour cream, beginning and ending with the addition of dry ingredients.

Roll out dough on lightly floured surface to 1/8" - 4mm thickness. Cut rounds using a floured glass or 2-1/2" round cutter. Place a rounded teaspoon/5ml filling on top of each round, cover with a second round and crimp edges all around with the tines of a fork, as for pie crust edges. Bake 12-15 minutes.

Note: can be drizzled with a glaze of icing sugar mixed with a few drops hot water and lemon, or your favourite flavouring: vanilla, almond extract etc.; or allow to cool and try dusting with sifted icing sugar.

ENJOY!

Thank You! Thank You!

The last few days have been amazing! Summer-like temps sure have helped to take the pressure off -- and what a treat for all those out visiting for the Thanksgiving long weekend; the leaves are copper, gold and russet and we have been treated to some incredibly beautiful sunrises and sunsets - WOW :)

Abundant Goodness
I am "recovering" today after a wonderful house-full of family and friends yesterday -- good time was had by all and there is still so much turkey, trimmings etc left today. Whoa! Back to Atkins style eating plan this week, that's for sure! Can only hide in the stretchy pants for so long LOL! Actually -- feeling energized and smiling to myself at the fun we shared. A surprise treat to see my oldest Sister and her hubby -- they drove over two hours to join our festivities; so awesome!

Mmmm...
While I am reflecting on the joys of traditional foods and great company, here is my acorn squash recipe for you to enjoy in moderation ((Oh yeah... really high fat, but so tasty!!)).

I received this recipe from a girlfriend a number of years ago -- I was told the source was the famous Best of Bridge recipe book series. I couldn't believe how incredible it tasted -- very addicting, so I only make it every other Thanksgiving. Hope you will try and enjoy this fall or winter when you have a house full of guests. It freezes well too, so if you have better self control than my family, you could easily make one recipe and portion it out for a few "treat meals" over the winter months.

Can't Believe This is Squash!!!

1 large acorn squash
1 large cooking onion
3/4 cup butter ((divided use))
salt and pepper to taste
1 can Campbell's cream of chicken soup
1 cup sour cream ((full fat or reduced fat))
1 cup coarsely grated carrot
1 package Stove Top Stuffing for turkey ((or chicken))

Method:
Saute the onion in 1/4 cup of the butter until tender and clear - do not brown. Meanwhile bake or microwave the squash -- to bake, cut in half, scoop out seeds and place squash cut-side down on a foil lined baking sheet or roasting pan; bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit for approximately 40 minutes -- squash will be easily pierced with a sharp knife when tender. To microwave, cut in half, scoop out seeds and place face down on a microwaveable platter. Cook on high for approximately 7-8 minutes; allow to stand for 5 minutes.

Once squash is cool enough to handle, cut halves in eighths and cut flesh away from the rind. Cube and set into a 3 quart baking dish. Stir in sauteed onion, carrots, sour cream and soup; add dash of salt and pepper and stir well to combine all ingredients in your baking dish.

Combine remaining 1/2 cup of butter with the package of Stove Top stuffing. Spread this mixture over top of the squash mix in your baking dish. Pat down slightly. Bake at 350 degrees Fahrenheit, uncovered for 40 minutes. Top should be golden brown. To keep warm until serving time, reduce heat to 150 degrees, cover with foil to maintain moisture.

You will just go "mmmmmmm..... Oh my God...mmmm...." when this hits your taste buds - guaranteed! Hope you will try and enjoy in the best of health; xo!