Dinner.....Short Ribs, Salad, Homemade Crackers and CHEESE!

Last night was delicious, nutritious and so memorable.  A great day to celebrate the healing of my leg and the OK from the specialist to start bearing weight on the noodle (what is left of the leg!!).
It started with short ribs that were braised in the oven at 250 for about three hours then removed and cooled.  They were braised with apples, garlic, onion, fennel seed, cumin seed and salt.  A little water was added the whole lot was covered and left to slowly roast for the afternoon.  Once the short ribs were cooled, they were removed from the pan and the juicy goodness they cooked in was strained and made into a glaze by adding honey, Dijon and a splash of balsamic. The ribs were put back into the oven at 300F with some vegetables and let slowly cook and be glazed until they had the colour I was looking for. The topper was a wedge of Blue Brie to be enjoyed with the meat and it was!!  Added to a salad with roasted parsnip and yams it was enjoyed, savored and remembered.

But while all of this was going on, the hunger started to show itself in the form of noise from the belly so I took out a frozen loaf I am now stock piling in the freezer (just for occasions like this) of crackers.  These are so easy to make and healthy to eat and I can't stop making them!!  The crackers were paired with the Blue Brie cheese as well as an "ash covered soft surface ripened goat cheese" called Le Cendrillon.  I am still relishing the meal and the good news of healing.

Tonight I am craving soup so, I am going to make some beef wontons and miso soup with the leftovers....the blue cheese might just end up in there again with the beef as it was too good not to have again!!

Have a delicious day!

I Love Salad

As the days show signs of spring, my thoughts are going to salad!!  I love salad and that is that. Almost any meal can be turned into a salad.  It is quick, easy, filling and I have even had success turning my meat and potatoes father into a salad lover.  Still having all his favorite foods but just topped on a salad.  Are there enough greens going in this body....OH YEAH!

Here is a salad with come cooked veg, fresh picked morel mushrooms, meat and just topped on some delicious greens.

Portabello mushroom with melted cheese, sauteed kale and some prosciutto, coconut shrimp and placed on a salad.

Fresh figs, Buffalo Mozzarella,fresh yellow cherry tomatoes, goat cheese, toasted sunflower seeds, cucumber and sitting on a bed of spinach!

Duck Confit and a salad.  The meat was so juicy it needed no sauce and the juiciness of the salad was a perfect compliment to this protein.

Beef Short Ribs and a salad.  Need I say more???

Meat pie and a delicious pomegranate salad.

Wild boar Heart and Kidneys fried up with some Boar Belly.....and yes on a salad.

This probably could go on forever but will stop for now! Get into the greens, they are healthy, raw, delicious and very filling.  Personally I feel this is the best way to end your day.  Getting that satisfying feeling of eating something good, healthy, nutritious and delicious!!!
Green it up!

The Last Pumpkin!!

A delicious pumpkin preserved from the harvest of 2010.  Some delicious cheese cooked with white wine and garlic in a beautiful ceramic dish.  Fresh salad with all the favorite fixings and one of the favorite dinners is served!

Roasting the pumpkin in the oven to bring out the natural sweetness lends to a perfect balance for the chilies that were dried by the fireplace.  Adding coconut milk (great for the digestive system) and 1-2 tbsp. of Apple Cider Vinegar the spicy, sweet and sour effect is created.  Personally this is my favorite the combination and balance of these three ingredients satisfies all the cravings.  Add some cheese, homemade crackers and a fresh organic salad then sit down to enjoy a delicious meal have some fabulous discussion and take away the "little shy", as Jonathan calls it with a glass of vino tinto.  A favorite night in these parts!

I am going to make crackers again today and will give the recipe and details very soon.  Ever had "Raincoast Crackers", a little pricey very delicious and incredibly easy to make.....seriously you can make a few batches in an hour and have them for a few weeks.  Unless you are like us and eat them all!!!

Have a delicious day everyone!

Little Pizza for the Soul!

Pizza, one of the favorites in this kitchen.  A great way to use up leftovers, satisfy a cheesy craving and making it is a fabulous way to get everyone involved in what they are eating!

This particular night there was a feisty almost two year old who loves to do everything we are doing soooooo he got to make his own pizza.  Although distracted by a bracelet when it cam time to eat, he was fully involved in the making of the pizza and got to pick his own toppings. 
When using up leftovers,one of the favorites is to put the greens on the top of the pizza especially heartier ones as they crisp up and give a great texture to the pizza and when a little sea salt is added the flavour is delish!
The fridge is now ready for one of the two favorite Fridays of the month, the organic food bin.  Every two weeks a bin of delicious organic vegetables is delivered to the door and for about $75.00 it feeds two of us for two weeks with little else to buy for fresh veggies and fruit.
This bin of beauty arrives tomorrow and tonight is all about eating what is left for veggies in the fridge.  More creations to come and pictures that I hope you will enjoy!
Have a Magically Delicious Day!

Pounding out the Pastry

Getting ready for a weekend of fun, the birthday of a very dear friend and brushing up the pastry super powers here come the croissants and pain au chocolate, using up all the leftover pastry for a very sweet and delicious dish.
It has been a long time since puff pastry was made and the first time in the home kitchen.  So far I have made it twice and many more times this delicious and delicate pastry will find itself the star of my day!  Starting with the classics and moving onto the creative there will be more fun creations to come.

The first batch of croissants were a little heavy and a longer rising time was used for the next batch.  This process is very slow and patience is required in order to really get the most out of the pastry.  The whole process for this recipe is close to 17 hours from start to finish.  I could be a lot shorter but I like the dough to have time to ferment, rise and produce and light and fluffy delicious pastry that brings me back to mornings in France with a cafe noir and pain au chocolate in the morning.....in the end that is all I am trying to recreate!

Have a magically delicious day!!!

The Wild Boar....and learning how to use everything edible!

Knowing where my food comes from is very important to me.  How the animal is raised, fed, loved and watching it grow and live a very happy life.  This past fall we bought a Wild Boar and a Lamb.  The freezer is now stocked but yesterday was a day of thanks and gratitude for this beast that is now going to feed us for quite some time!  Chops, ribs, belly, scraps for sausage, roasts, ribs roasts and one giant leg intact for an outdoor fire roast this summer.....OH YEAH!

I am also learning about using as much of the animal as possible.  So with fresh organs ready to eat, we dove into the heart and kidneys last night.  It was actually delicious and the heart is really good!   Sliced thin, marinated in garlic, marjoram and olive oil then covered in corn flour and added to a salad.  I also slow cooked the belly, crispy on the outside and delicious fat dripping from the inside.....just a small amount is very satisfying!

I am keen to make heart and kidneys again and now that I have the flavour and texture taste for it, Now it is time to up the stakes and go delicate and delicious.  Tonight is rib roast night and I am very stoked.  Also stay tuned for Pain Au Chocolate, Crossiant and other treats as I am also diving into pastry perfection!

Busted

About three weeks ago I broke my leg, the Tibial Plateau to be exact.  Now two weeks after surgery, three pins in my leg, a drilled hole to fix a chip and depression in the bone, the body is finally starting to come around.  Having a lot of time to muse over what will be cooked the next time the kitchen is entered with confidence and strength in the leg is hard, as the cravings change everyday.  This is however giving a lot of time to read the kitchen books that have been collected over the years.  The ones that are picked up often as they have the recipes that are used a lot and with confidence and the ones that aren't touched nearly as much for their inspiration and culinary delights.  The favorite book which will reign forever as the bible of my kitchen is "The Professional Chef", this book has everything for the basics, the skills and great tips.  I recommend everyone have this book....sorry no pictures today but will get everything together soon with photo's.  I will share my favorite cook books over the next bit as the healing is happening and the strength is growing for me to stand for more than 15 minutes at a time without succumbing to the pain.
I did however manage to make a sweet and sour green lentil soup with garlic sausage and Portabello mushroom yesterday.  I didn't take too much standing and was worth every minute I stood solely on my right leg.

I hope everyone is feeding themselves good food and cooking with love as everybody and every body deserves this in daily life.