February 3, 2014 | Posted in:

Slow cooker chicken soup with garlic

There is a soup from the Provence, in the south of France, that is made by boiling garlic in chicken stock, and then serving the mashed garlic on a toast floating in the soup. It’s a traditional winter soup that I loved as a kid. I’ve adapted this to the North American chicken soup we all love, and thrown it all in the slow cooked for simplicity. I’m happy to report my kids love it too!
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Ingredients

1 whole chicken, breasts removed (I save them for another dish- they just don’t add much in the slow cooker)
2 small turnips, peeled and cut into large chunks
2 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2″ cubes
1 large potato, peeled and cut into large chunks
1 small onion, peeled
1/2 head of garlic, cloves removed but not peeled
2 sprigs of fresh thyme, or 1 tsp ground
1 tsp black peppercorns
1 tsp coriander seeds
1/2 tsp dill
2 whole cloves
(you can add 2 pieces of celery if you like- I actually don’t like the taste of celery!)
salt
8 slices of toasted baguette, or artisanal crackers
1/4 cup grated parmesan cheese

Preparation Instructions

Place the chicken into a slow cooker. Add turnips, carrots, potatoes, onion, garlic, herbs and spices and 6 cups of cold water. Cook 6 hours on high. Let cool.
Take out the peppercorns, coriander and cloves from the soup. Remove the chicken, and pull the meat off of the carcass, the return the meat to the soup. Mash the garlic cloves, (you can just slip them out of the their skins and squash them with a spoon) and return to soup. Season with salt.
To serve, heat soup, and ladle into bowls. with meat and vegetables. Top each bowl with one slice of baguette, toasted with 2 tsp of parmesan cheese over top, or crackers, and cheese sprinkled on top.
Note: I add a squeeze of Sriracha to the soup too! But I like strong flavors!

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January 29, 2014 | Posted in:

Madeleines

These buttery treats are half way between a cake and a cookie. They were made famous by the french writer Proust, who is whisked away to his childhood by the their heavenly taste. In the “madeleine incident”, as it’s known to the literati, they are remembered as being dunked in linden tea, although I think coffee would work just as well! If you can’t get your hands on a madeleine pan, the bottom of a muffin tin makes tiny little cakes that are just as good!
madeleines

Ingredients

2 eggs
10 tbsp melted butter
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup flour
grated zest from half a lemon
pinch of salt

Preparation

Preheat the oven to 375.
Whisk the egg in a bowl. Slowly add the melted butter and whisk until blended. Add the sugar and mix for about a minute.
Add the vanilla and lemon zest. Mix.
Add the flour and pinch of salt and mix until smooth.
Bake 12-15 minutes, depending on which pan you are using.

Thank you to my friend Nancy Wigston for sharing her recipe!

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January 24, 2014 | Posted in:

Slow cooker Moroccan chicken stew

My french grandmother made the very best “couscous” in the world. She would work for days preparing everything, slowly steaming the semolina before rubbing it with butter between her fingers. I’m not sure she would approve of my slow cooker adaptation of her recipe! But why spent 10 hours doing something when you can get it done in 30 minutes with equally delicious results?!
Moroccan chicken stew

Ingredients

1 chicken, cut up into pieces, or two breasts, two legs, bone in
2 lamb shoulder chops
2 tblsp olive oil
1 leek, whites only, chopped
3 cloves of garlic, chopped
1 carrot, peeled cut into large chunks
2 turnips, peeled and cut into quarters
2 zucchini, cut into large chunks
1 1/2 cups of chicken broth
1 small can of chick peas
1 tblsp and 2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
1/2 tsp ground cloves
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

Heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil in a skillet. Brown chicken and lamb and then place in slow cooker.
In the same skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of olive oil. Add the leeks, garlic, carrots and turnips. Fry for about five minutes. Add spices, continue to cook while stirring 5 minutes.
Add broth, stir, and pour contents into slow cooker.
Set slow cooker on high for 4 hours. After 2 hours, open slow cooker and add zucchini and chick peas.

Serve on a bed of cousous (I prepare it by placing it in a shallow bowl and pouring hot water over top, letting it sit then fluffing it with a fork. A dash of with “Harrissa” spice (if you can find it, otherwise chili powder would work) on top is delicious!

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January 22, 2014 | Posted in:

Slow cooker beef shank pasta sauce

I added red wine and black olives to this stew-like pasta sauce to crank up the fullness of the flavor, but my kids loved it too!
Slow cooker tomato sauce

Ingredients

2 large beef or veal shanks
2 tablespoons of olive oil
1 onion
2 garlic cloves
1/2 cup red wine
2 sprigs fresh thyme leaves, or 1/2 tsp dried
32 oz or 1 quart of canned crushed tomates (I used the home-made sauce I made this summer in this video!)
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

Roughly chop the onion and garlic. Heat the oil in a heavy skillet. Brown the onion and garlic, about 3-5 minutes, until translucent. Add the shanks and brown on both sides (about 3 minutes a side). Add red wine and cook 5 minutes. Add tomato sauce and seasoning. Transfer to slow cooker. Cook on high heat for 6 hours. Remove the shanks and shred the meat. Return to sauce.
(I ended up refrigerating the sauce for a couple of days, and it only got more delicious!).

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December 2, 2013 | Posted in:

Gingery pumpkin cheesecake bars

These decadent treats have a chewy gingery crust, a creamy layer of pumpkin cheesecake and crunchy spiced pecans on top. And they’re surprisingly easy to make!
pumpkinsquares_edited-1

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups crushed ginger snaps (about 30 cookies)
1/2 can sweetened condensed mil

1 brick of cream cheese
2/3 cup of pumpkin puree
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 sour cream

1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tbsp butter
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground cayenne pepper
100 gr (small bag) chopped pecans

Preparation Instructions

Preheat over to 350.
Line a 9″ square baking pan with parchment paper.
Place crushed cookies into bottom of pan. Pour sweetened condensed milk over top. Place in over for 5 minutes. Remove from over and mix until combined.
Mix cream cheese with pumpkin and brown sugar. Beat until smooth. Gradually add eggs one at a time, and beat each time until smooth. Pour over cookie base.
Bake 35-40 minutes, until set. Cool completely.
Prepare spiced nuts: (you could just as easily add store bought pralines here!)
In a frying pan, add sugar, spices and butter. Heat until melted. Pour pecans in. Cook until sugar is dissolved, about 5-7 minutes, stirring constantly. Pour out onto parchment paper to cool.
Before serving, top squares with cream cheese and pralines. Cut and serve immediately.

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November 22, 2013 | Posted in:

Roast Brussels sprouts and pancetta

My husband hates brussels sprouts. Here’s a true story that changed his mind: One day we were at a restaurant when the steak he wanted to order was accompanied by brussels sprouts. He asked to have potatoes instead. When his meal arrived, the chef came out of the kitchen with a small plate of brussels sprouts, and insisted that while he may hate most brussels sprouts, he was sure he would not hate these. And he was right. I’ve spent a long time trying to decipher the recipe, and I think I finally got it. Try them, they just may change your mind about this tiny cabbage!
roastbrusselsprouts

Ingredients

1 lb brussels sprouts
1/2 cup pancetta, or sliced bacon
1 tblsp olive oil
1/3 cup sour cream
1/4 cup dijon mustard
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

Preheat oven to 350.
Trim the ends and yellow leaves off of the brussels sprouts. Wash. Place in a large bowl. Add the pancetta or bacon, olive oil and salt and pepper. (not too much salt as the bacon has salt in it).
Toss to coat evenly.
Place brussels sprouts on a cookie sheet and roast for 20 minutes.
Stir. Roast for an addition 10 minutes.
Mix dijon mustard and sour cream together.
Remove sprouts from over, pour sour cream mixture over top and mix to coat evenly.
Return to over for an additional 10 minutes.

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November 17, 2013 | Posted in:

Best Potato Latkes Recipe For Your Custom Cookbook

These amazing food processor latkaes literally take 5 minutes to whip up! And their chopped-up texture make them distinctly hash-brown like! Thanks to Norene Gilletz of Gourmania for sharing this traditional Hanukkah dish! It’s from her Book, the NEW Food Processor Bible. It’s simply delicious- we had them for lunch the other day with a green salad and loads of home made applesauce to dip!
latkes_edited-1

Ingredients

4 medium potatoes peeled or scrubbed (or substitute Purple Sweeties)
1 medium onion
2 eggs (or 1 egg plus 2 egg whites)
1/3 cup flour or matzo meal
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
Freshly ground black pepper to taste
2 Tbsp oil (plus more as needed for frying latkes)

Preparation Instructions

Cut potatoes in chunks and onion in half. Place in processor with eggs. Process on the Steel Blade until pureed, 20 to 30 seconds. Add remaining ingredients except oil; process a few seconds longer to blend into a smooth mixture.
Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Drop potato mixture into hot oil by large spoonfuls to form pancakes; brown well on both sides. Drain well on paper towels. Add additional oil to pan as needed. Stir batter before cooking each new batch. Latkes can be placed on a parchment-lined baking sheet and kept warm in a 250 degree F oven.
(To bake latkes instead of frying, place oven racks on lowest and middle positions in oven. Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Drop potato mixture by spoonfuls onto well-oiled baking sheets; flatten slightly. Bake 10 minutes, until bottoms are browned and crispy. Turn latkes over. Transfer pan from upper rack to lower rack and vice versa. Bake 8 to 10 minutes longer.)
Yield: about 2 dozen or 5 dozen miniatures. Freezes well.

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October 19, 2013 | Posted in:

Hearty Chickpea soup

Another great warm and cozy meal that’s put together in 10 minutes…
CHICKPEASOUP

Ingredients

3 tblsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves of garlic, roughly chopped
1 small can chickpeas
1 large can diced tomatoes
3 cups of chicken broth
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
1 tsp italian seasoning
1 bay leaf
salt and pepper to taste

Preparation Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan
Add the onions and garlic. Cook for about ten minutes, until translucent.
Add cumin, cayenne, herbs. Cook 2 minutes stirring constantly.
Drain chickpeas. Add to onion mixture. Drain tomatoes (reserve juice for bloody marys!). Add chopped tomatoes to onion and chickpea mixture. Cook 10 minutes.
Add broth and bay leaf.
Cook 20 minutes.

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October 15, 2013 | Posted in:

Fire roasted pepper and tomato salad

Here’s a lovely dish to make in the early fall or late summer, when those long thin red peppers are in season. They’re easier to barbecue than traditional rounded bell peppers!

roasted pepper_edited-1

Ingredients

6 marconi (the long thin mild bell peppers) peppers
8 roma tomatoes
1/4 cup olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1 clove garlic
10 greek olives (optional)
For dressing:
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper to taste
2 tblsp balsamic vinegar (optional)

Preparation Instructions

Roast pepper on the bbq, or in the oven, under the broiler, until skins are blackened. Remove from heat and immediately wrap in newspaper or place in a paper or plastic bag. Seal bag and put aside.
Cut tomatoes in half. Remove seeds (run your finger or a spoon inside the tomato to loosen the fleshy pulp and seeds- they will fall right out).
Put 1/4 cup of olive oil and salt in a plastic bag or bowl, add tomatoes, and toss/mix until coated.
Arrange the tomatoes on a parchment lined cookie sheet, and place in a low temperature oven (300 degree Farenheit) for about an hour and a half, turning half way through cooking time.
Peel peppers and remove seeds.
Pull peppers apart with your hands to make long sections of pepper (you can use a knife, but this is so much easier to do while you are seeing the peppers!) Place in bowl. Add the tomatoes, crushed garlic and olives if using. Sprinkle with salt. Add oil and vinegar (balsamic is great if you tend to like a slightly sweeter sauce.) Toss. Serve cold or room temperature.
This salad is best if you can leave it for an hour or two for the flavors to develop.

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October 9, 2013 | Posted in:

Quick coconut curry noodles

Here’s another near-instant soup that’s perfect if you’re craving something spicy and warm.
currycoconutramen1

Ingredients

1 pack ramen noodles
1/2 can coconut milk
1 tsp thai curry paste
1/2 tsp fish sauce
1/2 cup coleslaw mix
coriander
squeeze of lime

Preparation Instructions

Bring 2 cups of water to a boil. Add curry paste and seasoning packet from soup. Add coconut milk, fish sauce and noodles. Simmer until noodles are cooked. Pour into bowl over coleslaw mix. Top with coriander and a squeeze of lime.

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