Food Photo of the Day ~ Halloween Hearts

Halloween is a few days away and creating spooky and scary treats is a must. These heart shaped cookies were a snap to make plus I really wanted to use my copper heart shaped cookie cutter. Make whatever sugar cookie recipe you prefer, cutting the dough into heart shapes; when ready icing with different colours such as violet, black, and red then further decorate making ribs, stitches and bone motifs. It takes a steady hand however imperfections are fine besides it adds to the appeal. Make a more runnier icing to re-create the look of blood splatters and droplets. 

Have a great weekend everyone and enjoy the Halloween festivities! - JD

   

Chinese 5 Spice Chicken Tray Bake

Short on ingredients and prepared the night before; this chicken tray bake is an easy one. An overnight marinade that is oven roasted with carrots is a delicious healthy meal which is great served with a super green salad or brown rice. 

Chinese 5 Spice Chicken Tray Bake

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6 large skinless, boneless chicken thighs

3 tablespoons vegetable oil

1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce

1 tablespoon dark brown sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt
1 tablespoon Chinese 5 spice

1 onion, peeled and quartered 

3 - 4 large carrots, peeled and roughly chopped, add these when chicken is ready to go in the oven.

chopped cilantro or parsley for garnish

In a medium bowl whisk together the oil, garlic, rice vinegar, brown sugar, 5-spice and salt.  Place the chicken pieces and onion slices into a large resealable plastic bag and pour the sauce over top; seal the bag and coat chicken with the sauce. Chill for at least an hour or overnight.

Preheat oven to 400ºF. Line baking tray with baking parchment paper. Remove the chicken from the refrigerator and arrange the pieces on the prepared baking tray. 

Take the prepared carrots and place on the baking tray with the chicken and onions. Roast until the chicken is cooked through and slightly browned, about 30 to 50 minutes.

Remove the tray from the oven and let stand a few minutes. Sprinkle or as I like to call it dress with the chopped parsley or cilantro. 

Notes: I had double the amount of chicken thighs with bone and skin therefore I doubled the recipe although I did cut back on the amount of oil because of this. You may also try adding a selection of chopped veggies as well.   

Hope everyone is having a good week so far. - JD

Food Photo of the Day ~ Mug Cakes

I knew this would be the weekend that we would further our mug cake baking skills. Tempting having a cake in a matter of minutes and the kidlets could not resist. My son's mug cake was the classic cocoa with his added touch... marshmallows. Rich chocolate flavour with mountains of gooey marshmallows. 

My daughter's, Nutella, made with almond butter for a fluffy cake. Nutty with a hint of chocolate. A simple yet filling treat!

Hope everyone had a great weekend! - JD 

Mug Cakes *Chocolate*

We have all heard of mug cakes and probably have tried to recreate one in a moment of late night noshing or as a sweet tooth pacifier. The very thought of a mug cake ushers an autumnal... wintery feel. They appear easy, as long as you have a few pantry ingredients plus a mug and a microwave. Most of the recipes consist of chocolate. 

This cookbook offers 4 different types of mug cakes... chocolate basics, two-flavours, melt-in-the-middle and swirls. Regardless, all seem quick and easy. In a matter of seconds or a few minutes you have a sweet treat in a lovely mug. What more can be said about mug cake because basically it is cake! just cooked in a microwave rather than an oven. 

Mug cakes are for anyone and everyone and microwave cooking may be a bit unpredictable so having a trial and error attitude is best. Breaking away from the traditional chocolate mug cake, I wanted to share the recipe for  a White Chocolate & Raspberry mug cake with Matcha Green Tea. 

White Chocolate & Raspberry Mug Cake with Matcha Green Tea

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for 1 mug - 5 minutes (prep + cook) - 800 watts

Ingredients:

1 slice of butter 1 cm (1/2 inch) thick (30g/1oz)

6 squares of white chocolate (30g/1oz)

1 egg

2 tablespoons caster (superfine) sugar

5 tablespoons s plain all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon matcha green tea 

Middle & Decoration:

5 fresh raspberries

In a mug: 

melt the butter with the chocolate in the microwave for 30 seconds (800 watts).  

Beat the mixture until smooth, then allow it to cool slightly. One by one, whisk in the egg, sugar, flour, baking powder and green tea.

Push 4 raspberries into the middle of the mixture. Cook in the microwave for 1 minute 40 seconds (800 watts).

Decorate with 1 raspberry. Allow to cool for 1 minute before eating. 

Although I still prefer to bake an oven cake, here was our attempt at the classic cocoa mug cake. No bad... quite spongy and chocolatey. I anticipate creating more of these in our future.    

Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Red Cabbage

Red cabbage is an easy side dish that has all the right elements... sweet, sour, and crunch. As the cold weather gets more frequent I tend to make this dish more often as it goes with just about anything; and the prep may put some muscle in your arm. There is a fair bit of chopping. With a sprinkle of chia seeds this has a more up to date appeal plus added fibre. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend, we did. It seems like week has been a fast one that has one going in many directions. - JD  

Dictionary of Cuisine

Alexandre Dumas was known for such literally classics as The Three Musketeers and The Count of Monte Cristo however he was a connoisseur of good food. His book Dictionary of Cuisine: A literary & practical guide to the pleasures of the table, proves just that. One of Dumas' contemporaries stated "Assuredly it is a great accomplishment to be a novelist, but it is no mediocre glory to be a cook. Novelist or cook, Dumas is a master, and the two vocations appear to go hand in hand, or, rather, to be joined in one." 

This book reads as a dictionary of culinary terms from A to Z. With suggested matter of fact  "recipes" thrown in for good measure; they appear simplified and off the cuff. Just a bit of this and just a bit of that. No set recipes. However after reading this book it does give you an indication... or inspiration to use ingredients to create a flavourful dish. This is a helpful guide for the home cook and chef. It is one part history, one part information, and one part passion. It just about covers every culinary item or ingredient imaginable. Certainly a light read for the adventurous cook and the home chef. Brief detailing of history, culinary culture, descriptions, definitions, and anecdotal diversions. 

Here is an interesting recipe from the book...

Kirsch Omelet

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Beat 6 eggs in a bowl with a pinch of salt, 3 tablespoonfuls of sugar and 1 of kirsch. Make an omelette of this. Roll. Set on a long platter. Sprinkle with powdered sugar. Make whatever pattern your fancy dictates on the omelet with a hot poker. Heat 1/4 glass of kirsch, mix with 3 tablespoonfuls of apricot jam, and pour into around the omelet. 

Notes: Under this recipe a Rum Omelet was suggested by substituting the kirsch for rum. 

Here is a recipe for macaroni...


Macaroni Home Style
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Boil for 3/4 hour in salted water with 1 onion with a clove stuck in it and a piece of butter. Drain well. Put into a pan with butter, equal quantities of grated Gruyere and Parmesan cheese, a little nutmeg and coarse pepper, and a few tablespoonfuls of cream. Stir and sauté. 

Notes: boil macaroni for 3/4 hour?... I think it would be mushy. Could be a typo however that is how it is written in the book. I would say until tender. 



"Man does not live on what he eats but on what he digests." (an unmarked quote from the book; one can assume Dumas said it himself.) The snow is falling here in E-town. Have a great weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Huevos Rancheros

This is one of our favourite weekend brunch meals. Packed with loads of goodness and healthy layers it is hard to resist. Instead of using tortillas, I used toasted English muffins and placed a heavy dollop of guacamole over each muffin slice, over that a wafer of old cheddar cheese, a plump fresh tomato slice placed over that, a rounded spoonful of spicy salsa; all topped with a poached egg and chopped green onions. This breakfast... or brunch will keep you going for the rest of the day. It may also be served with a few slices of bacon or fruit on the side however I quite enjoy it as is! 

Hope everyone had a lovely weekend. - JD