Poached Apricots for Brunch

 

With the abundant harvest available in August, I’d gone on a buying spree and along with a counter top of other late- summer fruits I had a basket of fresh apricots to deal with. Luckily these amber gems were very easy to pit and freeze, so that was my stop-gap measure. Last Sunday, when I needed some fruit to serve at brunch, I brought the apricots out of the freezer and poached them. They were lovely and refreshing served with a little Greek yogurt, a drizzle of honey and some toasted slivered almonds.

 

Wikipedia defines poaching as the process of gently simmering food in liquid, generally milk, stock or wine. Poaching is particularly suitable for delicate food, such as eggs, poultry, fish and fruit, which might easily fall apart or dry out. For this reason, it's important to keep the heat low and to keep the poaching time to a bare minimum, which will also preserve the flavor of the food.

 

Ingredients:

-          about 4 cups of fresh or frozen apricot halves

-          about a cup and a half of water

-          3 tablespoons granulated white sugar

-          3 tablespoons of honey

-          1 vanilla pod, split

 

Combine the water, sugar, honey and vanilla pod in a pot on the stove and simmer until the sugar has dissolved and the mixture has reduced by about one quarter. Add the fruit and allow it to cook in the poaching liquid on simmer until softened but not falling to bits. (Between 5-15 minutes depending on whether you used frozen or fresh fruit). Remove from the heat and refrigerate the fruit in the poaching liquid before serving.

 

Editorial Note: I poached the fruit a couple of days prior to my brunch and happened to leave the vanilla bean in the poaching liquid with the fruit. It’s my sense that the fruit was thereby darkened more than it needed to be. So, you might want to consider removing the vanilla bean after the cooking is complete and see if the gorgeous apricot colour remains more stable.

Bran Muffins- Love 'em or leave 'em

Raisin bran muffins are kind of like fruitcake...you either love them or loathe them.
  
Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup of shortening ( margarine, Crisco or butter)
• 1/2 cup brown sugar, firmly packed
• 1/4 cup molasses
• 2 eggs 
• 1 cup milk
• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• 1 and 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon baking soda
• 3/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 and 1/2 cups natural wheat bran
• 1/2 cup raisins (optional)

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F.

In a medium sized bowl, cream the shortening and sugar together then add the eggs and  molasses and beat well. Stir in the milk and bran. Mix together the remaining dry ingredients, then stir them in to the liquid ingredients. Add the raisins at this point if you like raisins.

Place the batter in a greased muffin tin and bake for 18 to 20 minutes. Makes a dozen large muffins.

Editorial note: You can make bran muffins out of boxed bran cereals but this recipe uses real wheat bran, which is generally available in the cereal aisle of grocery stores.   

Whole Wheat Pancakes....these are so flippin' easy

Since today is Shrove Tuesday, a.k.a. 'Pancake Tuesday', a.k.a. 'Fat Tuesday', I've decided to re-post a great pancake recipe. 

Raised in Waterloo County, Ontario, Edna Staebler was educated at the University of Toronto. She was an award-winning free-lance writer who wrote, among other things, a cookbook celebrating the Mennonite cooks of Waterloo County called Food that Really Schmecks. This pancake recipe comes from that cookbook; it was published by Canadian publishers McClelland and Stewart in 1979.

Ingredients:
- 3 eggs beaten slightly & combined with enough milk to make a total of 3 cups
- 1 cup of whole wheat flour
- 1/2 cup of white flour
- 2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 2 tablespoons of sugar

Pour the milk and eggs over the sifted dry ingredients and stir until the mixture is "lumpy-smooth". Edna suggests that the pancakes should be fried in bacon fat (that's the 'schmecky' part of this recipe). I suggest using a bit of vegetable oil on your griddle or frying pan instead. An important part of making pancakes is to have the griddle hot when pouring out the batter and to wait until the upper side of the pancake has lots of bubbly holes in it before flipping it. Cooking side #2 takes almost no time at all. This recipe serves 6.

Pancakes Galore

My sister Sylvia came up with a recipe for Fantastic Protein Pancakes.

Ingredients:

•     1 cup flour
•    3/4 cup quinoa flour
•    3/4 cup scottish oats
•    2 tbsp sugar
•     ½ tsp salt
•    3 tsp baking powder
•    2 eggs
•    ½ cup milk
•    1 tsp vanilla
•    1/4 cup melted butter
  

Sift the flour and mix together with the rest of the dry ingredients. Stir the  milk, vanilla and eggs together, then pour the wet over the dry ingredients and stir a few times. Add the melted butter. Stir again until the batter is just combined. Add more milk if needed. Let the mixture rest a minute. Drop the batter by large spoonfuls onto a griddle over a medium heat. Flip the pancakes when golden on the bottom.

Serve with butter, maple syrup and a side of crisp bacon.

Honey Butter a.k.a. Ambrosia

Those oatmeal muffins that I posted yesterday were very good and pretty healthy too, but the little green pot full of honey butter that accompanied the muffins made them ambrosial.

In ancient Greek mythology, ambrosia (Greek: ἀμβροσία...this is why it is impossible to follow road signs in Greece) is the food or drink of the gods. It is often said to confer ageless immortality upon whoever consumes it. What's not to like?

Ingredients:
- 4 tablespoons of butter, softened
- about 1/3 of a cup of liquid honey

Stir these 2 ingredients well, then spread on warm scones, muffins or toast.

Canadian Oatmeal Muffins

I am calling these Canadian because the recipe comes from that quintessential Canadian chef, Madame Benoit. (See post dated December 9th, 2009: Canada's Julia Child).

Ingredients:
- 1 and 1/2 cups of buttermilk
- 1 cup of old-fashioned rolled oats (not 'instant')
- 4 tablespoons of melted butter
- a pinch of mace (if you don't have mace, use a pinch of nutmeg or cinnamon)
- 1 egg, beaten
- 1/2 cup of honey
- 1 cup of all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon of soda
- 1/4 teaspoon of salt

Preheat your oven to 400 degrees F. Pour the milk over the oats and let stand for 30 minutes. Mix the butter, honey, mace and egg in a bowl; then add the oatmeal mixture and mix again. Sift the remaining ingredients together and add to the liquid ingredients, stirring just until everything is combined. (Do not over stir). Grease a muffin tin (or fill the tin with paper muffin cups) and fill the cups 2/3 full with batter. Bake for 12-15 minutes. The yield is 8-12 muffins depending on the size of your muffin cups. Serve warm with honey-butter.

Editorial Note: My sister P. sent me this recipe. She says the muffins keep well in a covered container.

Oatmeal Porridge...'sticks to your ribs', and everything else

From Wikipedia........Historically, oatmeal was a peasant food traditionally known as porridge. Oatmeal has a long history in Scottish culinary traditions because oats are better suited than wheat to the short, wet growing season. Therefore, it became the staple grain of that country. Ancient Scottish Universities had a holiday called Meal Monday, to permit students to return to their farms and collect more oats for food.

In his dictionary definition for oats, Samuel Johnson wrote : "A grain, which in England is generally given to horses, but in Scotland supports the people." (Ouch!) Sir Walter Scott is said to have retorted, "Yes, and where else will you see such horses and such men?"

There has been increasing interest in oatmeal in recent years due to its beneficial health effects. Daily consumption of a bowl of oatmeal can lower blood cholesterol, due to its soluble fiber content. The popularity of oatmeal and other oat products increased after the January 1997 decision by the American Food and Drug Administration that food with a lot of oat bran or rolled oats can carry a label claiming it may reduce the risk of heart disease, when combined with a low-fat diet. This is because of the beta-glucan in the oats. Rolled oats have also long been a staple of many athletes' diets given oatmeal's high content of complex carbohydrates and water-soluble fiber which encourages slow digestion and stabilises blood-glucose levels. Oatmeal porridge also contains more B vitamins and calories than other kinds of porridge. Cooked oatmeal has a lower GI value (glycemic index) than has uncooked, because cooking releases water-soluble fiber from the grain. These fibers release glucose very slowly. It is important to remember that many types of instant, flavored oatmeal have many artificial additives and quite a bit of sugar.

My recommendation is to buy an old-fashioned bag of oats and follow the directions for porridge on the package; the instructions may differ somewhat based on the type of oats you buy.

Ingredients:
- oats
- salt
- water
- honey or brown sugar
- yogurt or cream or milk

It is difficult to make porridge look appetizing but I gave the bowl that you see in the photo above to my Dad for breakfast and it seemed to appeal to him.

French Toast with Homemade Cherry Jam

I'm cooking for my Dad this week and decided to make something a little different for his breakfast. I have made French toast for years without using a real recipe, but thought I would provide one for the novice cooks among you. This one is taken from the Laura Secord Canadian Cookbook. The very best thing about this French toast was my sister's cherry jam that we put on top. She made it in the fall, well after cherry season was over, by chopping up frozen sour cherries in a food processor and simply following the directions for cherry jam that are contained inside the Certo package. It is the rubiest red jam that you can imagine.

Ingredients for French toast:
- sliced bread
- 3 beaten eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1/4 teaspoon salt

Combine the eggs, milk, butter and salt and place the mixture in a shallow dish. Dip the bread slices into the egg mixture and brown on both sides on a hot well-buttered griddle.

Speedy Stollen - for Christmas morning

Stollen is a traditional Christmas sweet bread that originates in the city of Dresden. This recipe is not the traditional one that requires yeast but a much speedier, and some might say yummier, version.

From last year's winter issue of the LCBO's Food and Drink magazine....

Ingredients:

- 4 oz. tube of marzipan/almond paste (I used about twice that much 'cause I like marzipan)
- 2 and 1/2 cups of all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
- 2 and 1/2 teaspoons of baking powder
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 cup of cold butter (grated with a cheese grater)
- 1 cup of extra smooth ricotta cheese
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup milk
- 2 tablespoons of rum or brandy
- 1/4 cup each of raisins, dried currants, dried cranberries and candied citrus peel (Alternatively, use 1 cup of whatever bits of dried fruit you prefer)
- 3/4 cup of slivered almonds (toasted)
- 1-2 tablespoons of melted butter
- 2 tablespoons of sugar for topping the bread after it is baked
(The recipe calls for vanilla sugar but plain white sugar will do)

Preheat your oven to 375 degrees F. Form the almond paste into a 'log' about 10 inches (25 cm) in length. Mix together the flour, baking powder, salt and sugar. Grate the butter into the flour mixture and toss the mixture to distribute the butter evenly. Whisk the cheese, egg, milk, rum and vanilla together until smooth. Add the mixed fruit and almonds to the flour mixture; stir in the cheese mixture until everything is well combined. Cover a baking sheet with parchment paper, then turn the dough onto the baking sheet and pat it into an oval about 10 inches (25 cm) long and 8 inches (20 cm) wide. Lay the almond paste down the middle of the oval in a line that is slightly off centre. Fold the dough over the almond paste to form a loaf. Bake in the centre of your oven for 40 minutes or until a toothpick inserted into the thickest part of the loaf comes out clean. Place the baked stollen on a cooling rack and immediately brush the top with the melted butter, then sprinkle with the vanilla sugar.

Editorial Note: Apparently, you can buy vanilla sugar (Dr. Oetker brand) in the baking section of the grocery store. You can also make it at home by placing a vanilla pod in sugar in a jar with a lid; allow it to sit and infuse flavour for several days.

Grains, Beans and Things (cont'd) :The Granola Connection

Several years ago, we had a charming new family move into our neighbourhood. When I knocked on their door to offer a welcoming jar of jam, I was invited in for a cup of tea. As it happens, they had moved from my home town (some 5 hours west on the 401). My new neighbour knew of my sister through a mutual friend and was further connected through the neighbourhood school's fundraiser cookbook. Sure enough L.'s favourite granola recipe had been submitted to the school cookbook by my sister. That's less than 6 degrees of granola separation.


Like roughage?..You'll love Syl’s Homemade Granola

Try to use organic ingredients whenever possible.
12 cups whole grain flakes. Syl generally uses:
• 6 cups large flake rolled oats
• 2 cups rye flakes
• 2 cups spelt flakes
• 2 cups kamut flakes

4 cups nuts. Syl uses:
• 2 cups raw cashew pieces
• 2 cups raw almond pieces

1 cup raw sunflower seeds
½ cup raw sesame seeds
Optional
1 cup unsweetened coconut

½ cup brown sugar
½ - ¾ cup wildflower honey
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 cup boiling water
¾ cup vegetable oil
½ tsp salt

4 cups dried fruit
• 2 cups raisins
• 2 cups dried cranberries
¼ cup ground flax meal
½ wheat germ

Put all grains, seeds and nuts to a large baking pan.
Mix water, salt, sugar, honey and vanilla in measuring cup. Add oil.
Pour over dry ingredients and mix well.
Bake at 250 degrees for 1 hour, stirring every 15 minutes.
Add raisins, cranberries, wheat germ, flax meal and mix well.
Bake for another 1/2 hour or until grains are dry and pale gold.
Cool completely.

Serve with milk, almond milk, yogurt, or as a dry snack.
Store in glass jars or Ziploc bags.

Leek Quiche

The leek has been recognized as the emblem of Wales since the middle of the 16th century. Its earliest association with Wales dates back to the battle of Heathfield in 633 AD, when St. David persuaded his countrymen to distinguish themselves from their Saxon foes by wearing a leek in their caps. He was a bit desperate I’d say. Were there no feathers around to place in the caps? One would think that the Welsh language would be enough to distinguish them from the poor Saxons in battle. As in… “Take that, you Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch! “

The following recipe was attached to the twist tie that held the leeks that I bought yesterday in the grocery store (originating from Boot’s farms in Scotland, ON). I’m not sure where Scotland, Ontario is but it might just be that I am participating in the ‘hundred- mile diet’ by purchasing these leeks. One thing that you have to remember about leeks is that they are notoriously sandy on the inside so even when you cut off the dark ends of the leeks, you must check to make sure that there is no dirt lurking in the shafts.

Ingredients:
1 cup cooked leeks

I would sauté the leeks in butter to cook them. They really only need to be softened. I suspect that about 2 cups of thinly sliced leeks will make about a cup of cooked leeks. (Cut them across the shaft and only use the white or light green part of the leek.)

3 eggs, beaten
1&1/4 cup light cream
Salt and pepper to taste
1 cup of grated cheddar cheese (I would use old cheddar ‘cause it has way more flavour than young cheddar)
1 ready-made frozen pie crust (You can use the pie crust in the aluminum pan it comes in or, remove it and place it in a flan pan for a nicer presentation of the cooked quiche)

Warm the cream or milk in a saucepan on the stove, and pour over the eggs. (Don’t heat the cream too much or it will cook your eggs). Stir in the salt and pepper. Spread the cooked leeks and grated cheddar on the pie shell. Pour the egg mixture over the filling and bake at 325 º F. for 30 to 40 minutes or until the filling looks firm, or at least, not wobbly. This quiche can be improved by using a home made pastry crust, but that recipe is for another day.

(Supposedly, a leek-heavy diet is part of the reason why French women are so thin. Right.)