Christmas 2015

Christmas Eve was our traditional English fry-up. Poached eggs, lean sausages, bacon, baked beans, mushrooms, tomato, onions, spinach and arugula and a Scotch bap. Plenty of brown sauce and a crisp white wine. 

Christmas Day dinner was mini beef Wellington's with seasoned oven roasted vegetables; potatoes, carrots and parsnips and a full bodied red wine. 

Boxing Day, we hosted a party at our house with close friends. A selection of cheese with biscuits and crackers, red wine salami, an array of dried fruit, olives, wasabi peas, olive spread with dill and onion bread, that was lightly toasted, Fortnum's Smackerels, green goddess dip with multigrain corn chips, a selection of my own baking and chocolate ginger thins... which are like those after dinner mint thins... After 8:00's however instead are filled with a lovely syrupy ginger filling. Non-alcoholic beverages and wine were on hand.  

All guests left with a homemade pumpkin loaf and an assortment of my holiday baking.

It was a lovely Christmas, shared with those near and dear ones, and I hope yours was too. - JD 

Roasted Chocolate Coated Chickpeas

A few weeks ago we managed to go to an annual craft fair here in E-town. We usually go to pick up some holiday treats and such. While we were cruising the aisles and multitude of vendors; tucked at the back was a modest Three Farmers booth. If you recall I did a post months ago regarding the Three Farmers Camelina oil. I picked up another one of their oils, roasted garlic and chili, and tried a sample of their chocolate coated chickpeas. They were quite good and I do recommend you try these. A different snack that offers 3 grams of protein and 3 grams of fibre, with 10% iron, and are gluten free!  

To find out more about Three Farmers click *here*

Hope everyone is surviving the Christmas rush. I am finishing the last little bits of baking. - JD

Champagne Vinegar

Yes, champagne vinegar. With it being such a small bottle we tend to enjoy and use this only on steamed or roasted asparagus and brussels sprouts. Mixed with a bit of oil it would make for a lovely salad dressing. Great to cook and marinate with too. Although, it would be extravagant to mix this vinegar with some olive oil to dip bread into. I found this at Winners however I am keeping my eyes open elsewhere to see if I may find something similar. To find out more about Sparrow Lane click *here* 

It is a bit more chilly today. So staying warm today and throughout the weekend is a must. - JD 

Grazing

I thought I would post about this cookbook before we get into the throws of the Holiday spirit and the blissful overindulgences. Christmas, or any holiday, for that matter bring together family, friends, and food. Snack food during this time is just as important as the main meal. You do not want to border on too little or overwhelm with too much. Balanced choices that can maintain energy levels, blood sugar, and hunger are key. So that the company and conversation keeps them preoccupied rather than the food... the food should keep them satisfied.

Nowadays we all lead busier more complex lives and snack food... fast food is more readily available and that comes at a cost to our health, wallets and waistline. This cookbook has plenty of healthy snacks and finger foods for kids and adults. Whether you plan ahead or in dire need of something quick these recipes will help you through those busy periods  like the Holidays. Like Peanut Butter Power Bars, Breakfast Bean Cookies, Smoked Salmon Devilled Eggs, Fig and Olive Tapenade, Savoury Parmesan Biscotti and Spiced Tomato Apple Cake. Everything from savoury to sweet... crackers, granola, spreads, skewers, samosas, brownies and cupcakes. There is even a section called quickies so if you are really pressed for time you can whip something together quite easily.         

I wanted to share the Green Goddess Dip recipe as this is not a typical dip you would serve. It is different and I thought it would be a lovely accompaniment to the holidays. It is green and therefore very festive looking. 

Green Goddess Dip

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Makes about 2 cups

1/4 cup white wine or white balsamic vinegar

1/2 - 1 cup chopped fresh parsley (stems removes)

3 green onions, chopped 

small bunch of fresh chives, chopped 

1 teaspoon - 1 tablespoon anchovy paste (optional)

1 - 2 garlic cloves, crushed

1 tablespoon lemon juice (or to taste)

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 freshly ground black pepper 

1 cup low fat mayonnaise

Purée the vinegar, parsley, green onions, chives, anchovy paste (if you like), garlic, lemon juice, and salt and pepper in the bowl of a food processor until smooth; blend in the mayonnaise. Refrigerate until ready to serve.  

* You can add a mashed ripe avocado to the mixture before adding the mayonnaise.  

Have a good weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Candy Cane Bark

This was my daughter's creation, Candy Cane Bark. With only a few simple ingredients we created this sweet treat to share. Solid milk chocolate topped with white chocolate and crushed candy canes for some minty goodness. My son wasn't going to miss this opportunity and helped by keeping an eye on the chocolate as it melted and by placing a handful of crushed candy canes on top. They definitely had fun and enjoyed sampling once the everything had set.  

Hope everyone had a good weekend! - JD  

Almond Hazelnut Biscotti

There are a few different recipes for biscotti. Some ask for butter while others ask for vegetable oil. The ones I prefer are made with vegetable oil; I find them less fussy and quick to make. Traditional biscotti uses an anise extract for flavour however one can play around with the ingredients to suit ones culinary desire. Creating flavours to suit any occasion or season. Biscotti is lovely at Christmas however it may be enjoyed all year round. 

Biscotti

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1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 cup caster sugar

3 eggs

1 teaspoon vanilla 

2 teaspoons almond extract

3 1/4 cups all purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

1 cup of chopped nuts (almonds or hazelnuts)

Preheat oven to 375ºF (190ºC) Grease and baking sheet or line with parchment paper.

In a large bowl beat together the oil, sugar, eggs, vanilla, and almond extract until well blended.

In another bowl combine the flour, baking powder, and nuts. Stir into the egg mixture to form a heavy dough. You will need to use your hands for this bit... Divide the dough into two pieces. Form each piece into a roll as long as the baking tray. Place each roll onto the prepared baking sheet and press down to about a 1/2 inch thickness.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes in the preheated oven, until golden brown. Allow the baked rolls to rest on the baking tray until cool enough to handle. When cool enough transfer to a large cutting board and slice crosswise into 1/2 inch slices. Do this for each roll.

Place the slices cut side up back onto the prepared baking tray and bake for an additional 6 to 10 minutes on each side. Slice should be lightly toasted to a lovely golden colour. 

Notes: You can change the flavour by adding different extracts and essences. Also chopped dried fruit works well; as does freshly grated zest from a lemon, orange, or a lime. Although I prefer my biscotti plain you can dress it up by drizzling a good quality chocolate over top.

Hope everyone is had a good week. Enjoy your weekend everyone! - JD 

Food Photo of the Day ~ Candy Cane Shortbread

I like to make all sorts of different flavours of shortbread and this one I came up with on a whim. I had some candy canes that were broken and decided to add them to the shortbread dough and then I add a few drops of red food colouring to the butter and some mint flavouring, to the butter before mixing into the dry ingredients. When they were baking the buttery mint smell filled the kitchen; although my son said that the cookies themselves didn't taste too minty. Which is great because one can have a heavy hand when adding additional flavour. They were decorated with an icing swirl to mimic a peppermint candy. 

Hope everyone had a great weekend. Still plenty more baking to do. - JD