Income Tax

A smooth mellow cocktail that is very ironic for this time of year. 

Income Tax

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makes 1 cocktail

1 oz dry gin
1/2 oz dry vermouth
1/2 sweet vermouth
1 dash Angostura bitters
juice of 1/4 orange

Place a few ice cubes in a cocktail pitcher add all ingredients into the pitcher; stir with the ice and strain into a glass. 

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Crunchy Little Lentils

I know I have posted about Three Farmers before... their Camelina oil and their Roasted Chickpea snacks, I believe. I stumbled across this, their Crunchy Little Lentils. These are a great snack and I love them lightly sprinkled over a salad for some added crunch. They are high in fibre, low fat, nut and peanut free, gluten free, Non-GMO, Vegan, a great source of energy and offer about 7 grams of protein. A healthy alternative that is surprisingly filling.    

To find out more about Three Farmers click *here* 


Hope everyone had a nice and relaxing weekend. It's Spring Break, so spending some much needed time with the kids. - JD 

Maiden's Prayer

Surprisingly strong with a sweet citrus note.

Maiden's Prayer

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makes 1 cocktail

1 oz Gin

1 oz Triple Sec

1/3 oz Lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon Orange Juice

Place all ingredients into a cocktail pitcher with ice. Stir. Strain into cocktail glass. 

Have a nice weekend everyone! - JD 

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

As slow cooker recipes go this is one of the more straightforward ones. With minimal preparation and maximum flavour. Great with pasta or a salad. 

Slow Cooker Chicken Cacciatore

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makes 6 servings

4 teaspoons olive oil

3 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts

salt

black pepper

1/2 green pepper, sliced

1/2 red pepper, sliced 

1/2 yellow pepper, sliced

1 cup onion, sliced

20 grape tomatoes

1 1/2 cups water

1/4 cup unbleached all purpose flour

2 teaspoons roasted garlic and pepper seasoning

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon dried oregano

1 teaspoon paprika

Heat 2 teaspoons of the olive oil in a large fry pan over medium-high heat. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Add half of the chicken to the fry pan; cook for 4 minutes on each side or until browned. Remove the cooked chicken pieces to a plate. Repeat with the remaining oil and chicken. 

Add the bell peppers, onion and grape tomatoes to the slow cooker. In a medium bowl combine the water, flour, garlic seasoning, cumin, oregano and paprika and mix well; add to the slow cooker. Top with the chicken. Cover and cook on LOW for 8 to 9 hours or HIGH for 4 to 4 1/2 hours. 

Despite the weather and recent current events, I hope everyone had a good weekend! 
- JD 

Dublin Coddle

I searched through many recipes for a Dublin Coddle and I found that although there may be similarities there are also slight variations. I made my recipe true to the meat and veg form however the method is where I tweaked it. Opting for a bit of less time and less clean up. This traditional Irish dish is absolutely tasty, one of my favourites! 

Dublin Coddle

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6 russet potatoes, peeled and chopped

2 leeks, sliced into rounds

1 onion, sliced into thin rounds

1 pound chicken sausages

1 pound thick smoked bacon, cut into cubes

salt

fresh black pepper

thyme, fresh or dried

3 cups low sodium chicken stock

fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Preheat oven to 375ºF

In a large frypan cook the sausages, according to package or on medium/high heat for 17 to 19 minutes, turning half way through cooking time, until browned and an internal temperature of 165ºF (74ºC) has been reach. Remove from frypan and drain on a plated lined with paper towel (kitchen towel).

Using the same fry pan, add the chopped bacon and cook over medium/high heat until just crisp. Drain on a plate lined with paper towel (kitchen towel). Remove and reserve  some of the bacon fat, if there is an excessive amount, leaving about 1 tablespoon in the pan, add the sliced onions and sliced leeks to the pan. Sauté for a few minutes then add the chopped potatoes. Gently sauté the onion, leeks and potatoes until they have slightly softened. Add a little more bacon fat if necessary. 

Take a large casserole dish and spray with cooking oil. Spoon the potato vegetable mixture on the bottom of the casserole dish. Sprinkle salt over top, grind some fresh black  pepper over top and sprinkle with thyme. Arrange the cooked bacon over the potato mixture. Cut the cooked sausages in half and arrange on top of the bacon. Pour the stock over everything. Cover tightly with a lid or foil and bake in the preheated oven for about  45 to 55 minutes, until bubbly. Remove from oven and sprinkle the chopped fresh parsley on top. Serve with soda bread.     

 

Irish Whiskey Old-Fashioned

Similar to the classic Old Fashion, the Irish Whiskey Old-Fashion is slow sipping and a straight up strong cocktail.   

Irish Whisky Old- Fashioned

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makes 1 cocktail

1 1/2 oz Irish whiskey

1 cube sugar

2 dashes of Angostura Bitters
soda water

Muddle the sugar and bitters in an old fashion glass with a dash of soda water. Add cracked ice, whisky and twist of lemon peel. 

Happy St. Patrick's Day and have a lovely weekend! - JD

Leftovers #45 ~ Chilli Mac

As always with leftover chilli one may feel the need to add an extra can of beans, serve it with rice or quinoa to stretch it a bit further however this time I added cooked pasta. Elbow macaroni would be ideal but any shaped pasta with do. Just cook the pasta according to package directions; then add the pasta to the heated leftover chili. Gently stir to heat together. Serve in bowls with shredded cheese and sour cream on top. 

Hope everyone is having a good week. - JD     

Apple Raisin Bannock

 A delicately dense scone like texture with a slight sweet taste thanks to the dried raisins and fresh apples.  A slice of this bannock with butter and a wee bit of Irish Whiskey or a glass of Irish Cider would be spot on. 

Apple Raisin Bannock

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3 cups unbleached all purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

2 tablespoons caster sugar

3/4 cup raisins

1 apple, peeled and diced

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Grease and flour a round cake tin and line the bottom with baking parchment paper. Set aside.

In a large bowl place all the dry ingredients together, including the raisins and diced apple. Mix together well. Make a slight well into the centre of the flour mixture, pour the buttermilk and stir until a soft slightly sticky dough forms. If the dough seems dry add a bit more buttermilk, a little at a time.  

Transfer the dough into the prepared cake tin and spread evenly. Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until risen and lightly browned. 

Princetown Cocktail

If you are looking for a sweet and smooth cocktail, this would be it.   

Princetown Cocktail
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makes 1 cocktail

2 oz Gin
2/3 oz Port 
4 dashes Orange Bitters

Stir all of the above with ice. Strain into cocktail glass. Serve with a twist of lemon peel, if you wish. 


Have a wonderful weekend everyone! - JD 

Granola Cookies

These no fuss cookies are crisp, chewy and buttery. An understated deliciousness that is quite satisfying.   

Granola Cookies

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1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened

1/3 cup caster sugar

1/3 cup dark brown sugar, packed

1 teaspoon maple extract

1 large egg

2 cups granola, any flavour, slightly crushed

1 cup unbleached all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1/4 teaspoon baking powder

1/4 teaspoon salt

Preheat oven to 350ºF. Line a baking tray with baking parchment paper. 

In a large bowl, beat the butter, sugars, maple extract and large egg with an electric mixer on medium speed, or you can mix with a wooden spoon, until blended and creamy.

Stir and mix in the granola and the dry ingredients.

Using your hands, roll the dough into balls, no larger than a walnut, place on the prepared baking tray and gently press the tops. 

Bake 9 to 11 minutes or until lightly golden brown and the edges and centre are set but not hard. Allow to cool for 1 minute then remove the cookies to a wire rack. 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. - JD 

Last Round

Quite like the crisp, clean taste of the classic cocktail, only stirred; the Last Round gives a different twist to the martini.   

Last Round

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makes 1 cocktail

1 oz dry Gin

1 oz dry Vermouth

2 dashes Brandy

2 dashes Pernod

Place all the ingredients into a cocktail pitcher. Stir with ice and strain into cocktail glass.

Trying to stay warm and follow the sunshine. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD