Want a great themed recipe for St Paddy’s Day? Angie Quaale from Well Seasoned in Langley www.wellseasoned.ca gave us a great one!
Slow Cooker Irish Stew
2½ cups beef broth
3 carrots, cleaned & cut into 2" pieces
2 onions, cut into 8 pieces each
5 medium sized russet potatoes cut into chunks
3 parsnips, peeles & cut into chunks like the potatoes
2 pounds beef strip loin cut into 2" cubes
4 garlic cloves, peeled & cut in half
1 can of Guinness beer
¼ cup all purpose flour for dredging
3 ribs of celery coarsely chopped
1 sprig of fresh thyme
1/8 tsp kosher salt
4 tbsp vegetable oil for browning the beef
1/8 tsp cracked black pepper
finely chopped parsley for garnish (optional)
Prepare your beef by cutting it into chunks. In a small bowl, mix the flour with the salt & pepper. Add the beef chunks and toss to coat. Remove the beef from the flour dusting off any excess. In a hot frying pan with vegetable oil, add the meat a few pieces at a time – you just want to brown it, not cook it through. Remove the beef & set aside while you do it all. Do not over crowd the pan, you want a sear not for the meat to steam. When all of the beef is seared & brown, pour about ½ the can of Guinness beer in the pan to deglaze it and let it reduce by about ½ , add the beef stock and remove from the heat.
In your slow cooker add the veggie chunks, thyme & garlic and arrange the beef on top. Add the hot stock and another pinch each of salt and pepper. Cook for 7 to 9 hours on LOW. Right before serving, remove the thyme sprig & discard - sprinkle generously with freshly chopped parsley and serve hot with thick, crusty bread.
Serves 4.
Angie Quaale from Well Seasoned has Christmas Dinner covered with this yummy twist on the traditional Brussel Sprouts.
Merry Christmas!
Brussel Sprout Slaw with Mustard Vinaigrette and Maple Glazed Pecans (This was inspired by a recipe from Bon Appetite Magazine)
1 cup pecan halves
¼ cup pure maple syrup
kosher salt & freshly cracked black pepper
1 ½ lb. Brussel Sprouts, trimmed
kosher salt for boiling
For the vinaigrette:
¼ cup grainy Dijon mustard
2 tbsp. fresh squeezed lemon juice
2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp. honey
¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
Preheat your oven to 350 F. Spread the pecans out on a baking sheet and drizzle with maple syrup; stir with a spoon to coat them well. Sprinke with salt & pepper and bake for 5 minutes; stir and bake them for another 5 minutes, until the syrup forms a glaze on the nuts and they are toasted. Remove from over and spread the nuts out on a dish to cool.
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook the Brussel Sprouts for 7 minutes; drain and run under cool water. Shake off any excess water and allow the sprouts to cool. Run the sprouts through a food processor with a ¼" slicing disk, or cut them thinly by hand. Transfer the shredded sprouts to a large bowl.
In a seperate bowl whisk together the vinaigrette. Toss the Brussel Sprouts with as much dressing as you like and let marinate for about an hour at room temperature. Right before serving, toss them again with the vinaigrette and add the candied pecans. Serve at room temperature.
Angie Quaale from Well Seasoned in Langley has been joining us all December long with great holiday food ideas. Here's what we spoke about on December 10th!
Cranberry Apple Mincemeat (fills about 60 mini-tarts)
1 medium orange, coarsely chopped
4 cups fresh or frozen whole cranberries, washed and sorted
4 cups gala apples, peeled, cored and diced
2 ¾ cups granulated sugar
1 ½ cups golden raisins
1 ½ cups dried apricots, diced
¾ cup apple juice or apple cider
½ cup candied glace fruit
¼ cup best quality orange marmalade
¼ cup unsalted butter
1 tsp. dried ground ginger
¾ tsp. ground cinnamon
¾ tsp. freshly grated nutmeg
¾ tsp. ground allspice
¼ cup brandy
Place orange chunks into food processor and pulse until the peel is in small chunks. Place in a large saucepan. Prepare remaining ingredients (except brandy) and add to the pot as you go; stir to combine. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, stirring occasionally, until very little liquid remains, about 45 minutes. Stir in brandy and continue to simmer until like thick jam, about 5 more minutes. Let cool. Store airtight and refrigerate 3 weeks or freeze up to 3 months.
**Transfer this to a decorative jar, dress it up with a ribbon and you have a brilliant hostess gift.
Tara and Angie's Quick Stove Top Granola
4 cups oats
1 cup shredded toasted coconut
¼ cup sesame seeds
¼ cup unsalted butter
½ cup fraser valley honey
1 tsp. vanilla paste
a few shakes of cinnamon
a dash of freshly ground nutmeg
a pinch of salt
1 cup of raisins, cranberries or any assortment of dried fruit you like
1 cup of slivered toasted almonds
Put the butter, honey, vanilla & spices into a large, heavy frying pan (cast iron would be ideal) set over medium-high heat. Cook, stirring often, for about 5 minutes until the butter & honey is bubbly and the spices have been blended through. Add the rest of the ingredients and cook until the granola is well coated and golden. Set aside to cool and stir in raisins or dried fruit.
Tara's Fabulous Food Feature spoke with Claire Tansey - Chatelaine's food editor about their latest project Modern Classics. A cook-book filled with time-saving tips, cooking tricks and tasty variations that offer you simple irresistible solutions for every meal of the day.
Listen to Tara's Fabulos Food Feature, featuring "Modern Classics" by Chatelaine...
Happy Thanksgiving! Angie Quaale from Well Seasoned joined us for some turkey talk this week.
Turkey Brine
Brining is like a marinade, it keeps food moist and tender. Brining is a way of increasing the moisture holding capacity of meat resulting in a moister product when cooked. Salt changes the structure of the muscle tissue in the meat which allows it to swell and absorb water and flavourings which results in a tender turkey once cooked. Give it a try!
¼ cup kosher salt
¼ cup brown sugar
4 cups cold water
1 orange & 1 lemon sliced
4 star anise
1 cinnamon stick broken in half
12 all spice berries
Mix all together so that the salt and sugar dissolves. Add turkey and then a lot of ice, then refrigerate. Here's the important part - make sure it's cold, very cold, just above freezing cold. That helps with the brining process and keeps your poultry safe from bacteria growth. Brind your turkey for 1 hour per pound... a 15 pound turkey should sit in the brine for 15 hours.
After the prescribed brining time, remove the turkey from the brine. Discard the brine and rinse the turkey under cold water. Pat dry with paper towels and place the turkey in a roasting pan and refrigerate, making sure that it touches nothing else in the fridge, uncovered, for at least 6 hours or up to overnight. This resting period allows the skin of the turkey to dry a bit so it is crisp when roasted. The turkey is now ready to be roasted. Enjoy!
Boozy Cranberry Sauce... because most things are better with a little booze!
1 small unpeeled seedless orange, chopped
¼ cup fresh squeezed orange juice
2 tsp orange zest
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 cup white sugar
3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries (1 bag)
2 tbsp orange liqueur (Grand Marnier or Triple Sec)
In food processor, finely chop orange - set aside.
In large heavy saucepan combine orange juice, citrus zest and sugar. Bring to a boil over high heat stirring frequently until the sugar dissolves. Stir in whole cranberries and chopped orange, continue to cook stirring frequently for approximately 10 minutes until berries start to burst.
Remove from heat, stir in liqueur, let cool. The sauce will thicken as it cools.
Citrus Cranberry Sauce can be put into mason jars for gift giving and will keep up to 3 weeks in the refrigerator. You can freeze your sauce for up to 6 months in plastic containers until you are ready to use it.
For a non-alcoholic version, add more orange juice and remove liqueur.
Makes 3 cups.
Angie Quaale joined us again this week for some early fall BBQ tips. Here is one of her favourite BBQ sauce recipes... perfect for ribs or on toast! :)
Angie's Secret BBQ Sauce
1 cup apple cider vinegar
½ tsp. granulated garlic
½ tsp. ground cinnamon
1 ½ cups ketchup
¼ cup Jack Daniels
3 tbsp. molasses
¼ tsp. ground all spice
2 tbsp. Worcestershire sauce
½ cup brown sugar
1 tsp. ground cumin
1 tsp. ground coriander
1 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp. kosher salt
2 tbsp. chipotle peppers, in adobo sauce (finely chopped)
Combine everything in a non-reactive sauce pan over medium heat. Bring sauce to boil, stirring constantly - reduce the heat and simmer for an additional 20 minutes to combine all of the ingredients. Cool and refrigerate until ready to use. Leaving the sauce in a tighly sealed container in the fridge for a couple of days before you use it will make it extra delicious - it will give all of those flavours a chance to make friends and come together. Use this sauce generously on just about anything you can think of.
Then add your favourite veggies in bite size pieces. My faves include sun-dried tomatoes, fresh basil, black beans, avocado, snap peas, green beans, cilantro, celery, sweet onion, olives, tomatoes, crumbled feta… you get the idea. Go crazy!
You can then use a bottled Italian dressing or make your own oil and vinegar. The magic ratio for any vinaigrette is 3 to 1 oil to vinegar. I add salt, pepper, fresh garlic and a touch of sugar to balsamic and extra virgin olive oil.
Combine it all and chill. Quinoa is a great source of protein and comes in white and a rusty brown variety. Both have a nutty flavour and keep well for a few days in the fridge.
2 lbs. of fresh mussels
1 small yellow onion finely chopped
2 shallots, minced
5 cloves of garlic, minced
2 tbsp. of fresh parsley, minced
1 cup of Guinness
½ cup of half-and-half
4 tbsp. of unsalted butter
Chunks of fresh French bread (for serving)
Wash the mussels thoroughly, discarding any with broken or open shells. In a large stockpot over high heat sauté the onion and garlic in the butter. Add the Guinness and the cream – bring to a boil – cook for aprox. 5 minutes allowing the liquid to reduce slightly. Add the cleaned mussels and cook them until they open – approximately 8 minutes. Discard any unopened mussels. Transfer mussels to warm bowls and spoon juices over them. Garnish with fresh parsley and serve with plenty of French bread for sopping up the sauce.
Makes appetizer portions for 4.
Check out these great Valentine's Recipes from Angie Quaale. www.wellseasoned.ca
OVEN ROASTED MUSHROOM SOUP
Roasting the mushrooms before you add them to the soup, intensifies their earthiness adds another incredible layer of flavour. Once you have taken this extra step – there will be no going back.
8 oz fresh shiitake mushrooms
3 cups fresh cremini mushrooms
4 cups fresh button mushrooms
3 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 tsp dried thyme
salt and freshly cracked black pepper to taste
1 cooking onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
6 cups homemade or best quality chicken stock
1 cup of cream
¼ cup minced fresh flat leaf parsley
¼ cup of dry sherry
Cut the cremini & button mushrooms into quarters or halves if they are small. Remove the stems from shiitakes and discard (they are too woody for this soup) cut them into quarters. Transfer the mushrooms to a small roasting pan and toss with 2 tbsp of the oil, ½ of the thyme and a sprinkling of salt and pepper.
Put your pan in a 400°F oven and roast for about 30 minutes, moving the mushrooms around occasionally until they are tender and golden brown.
Meanwhile, on top of the stove in large saucepan heat 1 tbsp of olive oil over medium heat and cook the onion, garlic & the rest of the thyme along with another sprinkling of salt and pepper. Cook until the onion is soft and translucent - you aren’t looking for any color here and be careful your heat isn’t too high, you don’t want your garlic to burn, it will make your soup bitter. Just before your onions are cooked stir on the sherry and let that reduce slightly. Finally, add the stock, the half of the contents of the roasted mushroom pan. With an immersion blender (or transfer to a regular blender) puree the stock with ½ of the mushrooms. Reduce the heat and continue simmer. To finish the soup, stir in the cream and the rest of the mushroom quarters – simmer for another 10-15 minutes. Garnish with fresh flat leaf parsley and serve with fresh crusty bread & soft butter.
DOUBLE CHOCOLATE PANCAKES WITH STRAWBERRY SYRUP
It must be Valentine’s Day – you are getting chocolate for breakfast. How sweet it is.
½ cup all-purpose flour
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 Tbsp. best quality unsweetened cocoa powder
½ tsp. baking powder
Pinch of salt
¼ cup semi sweet chocolate finely chopped
1/3 cup plus 1 Tbsp. whole milk
2 Tbsp. unsalted butter, cut into bits
1 large egg
Into small bowl, sift flour, sugar, cocoa powder, baking powder, and salt. Add chocolate chips and blend well with a wooden spoon.
On the stove top in small saucepan over low heat, combine the milk and butter stirring often just until butter is melted; milk should be warm but not hot. Remove from heat. With fork, beat the and gradually add to the milk and melted butter mixture. All at once, add liquid mixture to dry ingredients. Stir just until combined.
Heat your non stick frying pan over medium heat until a few drops of water scattered on it move around rapidly before evaporating. Drop the pancake batter onto heated griddle by rounded tablespoons, spreading the batter slightly as you do so. Leave enough room between the pancakes for them expand during cooking. Watch pancakes carefully. As they cook, they will puff up and become full of bubbles. When the done the edges will appear set and small bubbles will appear on the surface. Gently flip the pancakes over; cook until lightly browned on second side, about 45 seconds to 1minute. Keep pancakes that are done on heatproof plate in preheated 200 degree oven until they have all been cooked.
Serve the chocolate pancakes hot, with butter and your favourite fruit syrup or with warm chocolate sauce and whipping cream topped with fresh strawberries.
SIMPLE STRAWBERRY SYRUP
4 cups of thawed frozen strawberries
1 cups sugar
¼ teaspoon lemon juice
Place your thawed strawberries in a food processor and process until smooth. Pour the strawberry puree through a fine wire mesh strainer to remove the seeds. Transfer your seedless puree to a sauce pan, add the sugar and the lemon juice stirring well to combine. Cook over low heat stirring constantly until the sugar dissolves. Turn up the heat and boil over medium high to thicken, reduce the heat, simmer for 5 more minutes and transfer to a bowl to cool. Serve the syrup at room temperature with your pancakes.
