Cooking

Tangy Mango Coronation Chicken Sandwiches

Happy 75th Anniversary of Victory of Europe Day!

I have always loved VE Day because I remember my Mum telling me many stories of VE day and how happy everyone felt. Or perhaps she told me the same story many times over. It doesn’t really matter. I just loved hearing about that day. She used to tell me about the huge street party they had the following day in front of her Aunt Annie’s house in Birmingham, England. All the neighbours brought out tables and chairs onto the front lawns. They ate sandwiches, drank tea and lemonade, sang songs and danced into the night. A victorious celebration.

This is the photo my Mum used to show me when I was small. I loved looking at it because everyone looks so happy.

Britain had many food rations during the war years: tea, sugar, jam, meat and eggs plus more and I can only imagine how ecstatic everyone would have felt to be all together eating homemade sandwiches and drinking hot tea. I also love how each table is decorated with tablecloths and real china and tea cups and saucers.

My Mum always loved a good party, and this day was no exception. Everyone from the neighbourhood was there: the very young soldiers, the wee kids who were born during the war, and lots of happy mums, wives, sisters, daughters helping out with the food and drinks. It’s hard to believe the magnitude of joy, relief, and pure happiness that all of these people felt on that day. Because they were finally safe. Their boys and men were coming home.

To celebrate VE Day, I am making Tangy Mango Coronation Chicken Sandwiches. Coronation Chicken Sandwiches were actually created for Queen Elizabeth’s Coronation in 1952, but they are popular for street parties, so I thought they would be appropriate for today. These Tangy Mango Coronation Chicken Sandwiches are made with cubes of cooked chicken, mayonnaise, curry powder and mango chutney all sandwiched between wholemeal bread. So good!

The one crucial ingredient for Tangy Mango Coronation Chicken Sandwiches is mango chutney. It just wouldn’t taste the same without it. If you don’t have any, which I didn’t, you can make your own (my recipe is below, you will need to make it one day beforehand). You only need one tablespoon of chutney for about 3 cups of cubed chicken, but you do not want to leave it out. It’s essential! Trust me!

Making your own chutney is so easy. If you’ve never made your own chutney, here’s how you do it:

To make your own mango chutney, chop up onions, raisins, garlic and ginger into small pieces. You can leave the mango in bigger chunks.

The next step is to throw all the ingredients into a pot and simmer. After cooking everything for 20 minutes or so, all the ingredients will have cooked down and look soft and smell gorgeous.

When everything is done, let your chutney cool down a bit. After the chutney has cooled for a bit, pour it into a clean and warm mason jar (if it’s cold, it may crack). It’s easier to pour it into your mason jar with a funnel. If you don’t have one, you can carefully spoon it into the jar.

This recipe for mango chutney makes about 400 mL. You will have lots left over to enjoy with baked chicken, egg dishes, or a ploughman’s lunch. Put the mango chutney in the refrigerator until it’s cold. Then you’re ready to make your sandwiches.

To make the filling, mix together mayonnaise, mango chutney, curry powder and the chicken. You can use this in sandwiches or piled high on a bed of lettuce.

Coronation Chicken Sandwiches are excellent for a backyard picnic meal. You can serve these with club soda with lemon, a shandy (traditional british drink of beer mixed with ginger ale, or a Radler (Austrian drink of beer mixed with lemonade) or a cider. Enjoy!

While the big 75th VE Day Celebrations were not able to go ahead as planned and as many people were hoping, we can still reflect in other ways.

I have added some links below, to listen to some important messages of the day.

Here are a few links to videos from May 8th, 1945. If you want to get a taste of life on that day.

Winston Churchil

UK Street Parties and Celebrations in Pictures May 8, 1945

King George VI, May 8th, 1945 and Queen Elizabeth May 8th, 2020

Print Recipe

Ingredients

Mango Chutney
2 cups mangoes (I used frozen, but fresh would be fine)
1/3 cup diced onion (about 1/4 onion)
1/3 cup white sugar
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons raisins (chopped)
1 tablespoon crystallized ginger (chopped fine)
1/2 small clove of garlic (chopped fine)
Coronation Chicken Salad
3 cups of cubed or shredded cooked chicken.
6 tablespoons mayonnaise
1 teaspoon curry powder
1 tablespoon mango chutney
croissant, sourdough or wholemeal bread

Instructions

To make the chutney:

Chop the raisins, onions, crystallized ginger and garlic into small pieces.

Pour the sugar and vinegar into a medium size pot.

Add the mango and the rest of the ingredients.

Simmer on a medium heat with the lid on for about 20 minutes.

You can take the lid off for the last few minutes.

It's ok if it cooks down a bit, but you don't want it to dry out.

Let the chutney cool in the pot for a bit.

Pour the chutney into a container (warm glass mason jar, or another container)

Keep in the fridge.

Use within 2 weeks.

To Make Coronation chicken Salad

Mix together the mayonnaise, curry powder and mango chutney.

Add about 3 cups of cubed or shredded cooked chicken.

Stir together until all the ingredients are fully incorporated.

Serve on wholemeal bread, croissant or a bed of lettuce.

7:17 pm

Baking

Simple Amaretti Biscuits

What can I say? Amaretti Biscuits are just so darn good! Made from egg whites, ground almonds and sugar these biscuits are perfect with your morning coffee or afternoon tea. They are crisp with a bit of chewiness in the middle. I just love them!

Amaro means ‘bitter’ in Italian, so Amaretti means ‘little bitter ones’ because they are traditionally flavoured with bitter almonds. They were first made in the mid-1600’s by Francesco Moriodo, a pastry chef at the court of Savoy.

I made these cookies recently to go on top of my Blueberry Mango Ice Cream Cake. So good!

You could also use Amaretti Biscuits in trifle or any other layered dessert. For an extra almond flavour, you could add a tablespoon of amaretto.

Print Recipe

Amaretti

Serves: 24

Cooking Time: 60 minutes

Ingredients

125 grams ground almonds
125 grams confectioners sugar
1 tsp all-purpose flour
2 large egg whites
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1/4 tsp nutmeg

Instructions

Preheat oven to 300 degrees F.

Mix the ground almonds with the confectioners sugar, flour and nutmeg.In a bowl.

With an electric beater, a really good whisk, or a stand-mixer, beat egg whites until they form soft peaks. This means that the egg whites fold over gently when the beaters are lifted.

Add granulated sugar and continue beating on high until stiff peaks are formed. This means that the mixture does not fold over when the beaters are lifted up. The meringue stands up on its own and is stiff and shiny.

Stir the dry ingredients into the egg whites very gently.

Drop about 2 tsps of batter 2 cm apart onto a baking tray lined with parchment paper.

Bake in oven for about 35-45 minutes until light brown.

Shut the oven off, leave the door propped open and leave the cookies in the oven for an additional 20-30 minutes.

Remove baking tray from oven.

Cool cookies on rack until cold.

Store in a cool, dry place.

Notes

Adapted from The Italian Baker by Carol Field.

3:30 pm

Baking

Stunning Blueberry Mango Ice Cream Cake

This Blueberry Mango Ice Cream Cake with Amaretti Biscuits is colourful, luscious, and perfect for any occasion. But, it’s exceptionally stunning to serve as an Easter dessert. When it comes to cakes, I tend to lean towards baked cakes. But, ice cream cakes are different: the combination of flavours and textures are alluring; the beautiful colours are uplifting, and the flavour combinations are endless. If you are looking for something to wow your family, make them an ice cream cake. They will love it!

The first time I made an ice cream cake, I couldn’t believe how delicious, easy and professional looking it was. They are a real showstopper! It’s very exciting when you finally remove the sides of the springform pan and all the layers of ice cream, crust and cookies are unveiled before you eyes. Ice cream cakes are terrific if you are short on time, or need to do your cake preparations in the evening after the wee ones are in bed.

They also stay hidden very well in your freezer. This may not seem like an important issue, but if you’re anything like my family, surprise is key! My Mum made us birthday cakes every year, just like most Mums. But we never got even a sneak peak of the cake until dessert time. I always knew she had baked a cake, because the house smelled so good, but I could never find the cake. My Mum knew from the look on my face that I was perplexed, but would keep me guessing until the last minute when she brought the cake out all covered in lit candles. So, if you like to keep your cakes hidden until dessert time…this one’s for you!

Of course, this year, ice cream cakes have an added bonus – no flour!

I made this ice cream cake a few years ago for my son’s birthday, and again this year for his 21st birthday. Blueberries are his favourite fruit and mango pairs with them so well – colour-wise as well as in flavour.

Usually, when I make an ice-cream cake, I go to an ice cream shop and buy fun flavours and layer them up. In the future, when shops re-open, you could go that route…and then you have hundreds of flavours to play around with. But with ice cream shops closed, I decided to create my own flavoured ice cream by mixing vanilla ice cream and frozen blueberries and mangoes. Easy peasy!

There are many other flavour combinations you could use, with grocery store ingredients, if blueberry mango doesn’t appeal to you. Just follow the directions below with the fruit of your choice or mix and match ready-made store-bought ice cream flavours. You can’t go wrong with an Ice Cream Cake.

This cake starts off with a delicious buttery crunchy crust of graham cracker crumbs mixed with melted butter and sugar. The crust is baked in the oven for about 15 minutes until slightly golden and aromatic. Try not to eat it straight out of the pan. I dare you!

I chose Mango Ice Cream to be the bottom layer, as I thought the amaretti cookies would be a nice contrast against the blueberry ice cream. You could do it the other way around if you wanted. It would taste just as nice. Can’t find mango ice cream? Read on.

Blueberry Ice Cream is the top layer. So sweet and blueberry-delicious. Can’t find blueberry ice cream? Read on and find out what to do.

I had a quick look for amaretti biscuits in my local grocery store. But none were to be found. In more normal times, I might drive around the city looking for some. Instead, I decided to make my own. Homemade biscuits are actually tastier…more nuttier…less sweet. I think during this crazy lockdown period, we’re all learning to become a little more self-sufficient. And that’s a good thing.

If you can’t find amaretti biscuits, and don’t want to make your own, you could also cover the top with whipped cream (with a bit of sugar added) and sprinkle with coloured sugar or cake sprinkles. Frozen whipped cream is delicious!

This cake is so amazingly delicious. It’s the type of dessert that will make all of your the guests at the dining table absolutely silent as they savour the sweet blueberry, tangy mango and crunchy nutty amaretti cookies. So good!

Print Recipe

Blueberry Mango Ice Cream Cake with Amaretti Biscuits

Serves: 8

Ingredients

CRUST
2 cups graham cracker crumbs (or about 12-15 graham wafers)
3 tablespoons sugar
1/2 cup butter (melted)
ICE CREAM FILLING
2 litres of vanilla ice cream
1 cup mangoes (thawed from frozen or fresh; this can be thawed in the microwave, just don't get the fruit too warm)
1 cup blueberries (thawed from frozen or fresh; this can be thawed in the microwave, just don't get the fruit too warm)
1/3 cup whole blueberries (optional)

Instructions

CRUST: Preheat oven to 325 degrees.

Blitz graham crackers either in a blender or food processor until reduced to crumbs.

Pour crumbs into a bowl and stir in sugar.

Stir in melted butter until all incorporated.

Pat the crumb mixture into a 8" springform pan. Make sure the crumb mixture goes up the side of the pans. Try to spread the mixture evenly and not very thick, especially on the bottom and where the sides meet the bottom. If it's too thick, it will be very difficult to cut when serving.

Bake the crust in the oven for about 12-15 minutes, until golden in colour.

Place baked crust on rack and let cool until cold (about 30 minutes).

ICE CREAM FILLING: Remove vanilla ice cream from freezer and let it soften on the counter for 5-15 minutes, depending on how frozen it is when you remove it. You want to be able to scoop it out very easily.

If you are using frozen fruit, thaw the fruit in the microwave. If you don't have a microwave, you will have to start to thaw the fruit much earlier (such as in a container or zip lock bag in warm water in the sink).

Blitz the mango for the first layer on its own either in a food processor or a blender. If you don't have either of those, you can mash the fruit with a fork or potato masher. The texture is up to you. I blitzed mine until it was pureed, but the fruit can also be roughly smashed - that would be fine.

Stir the mango into the ice cream in a bowl or blitz in a food processor or blender, until the fruit is fully incorporated. For a marble effect, partially mix, so that there are swirls of fruit throughout the ice cream.

Pour the ice cream onto the cold graham cracker crust.

Cover with saran wrap and place level in the freezer.

After about 1-2 hours, when the first layer is semi frozen, you can repeat steps 8-11 with the blueberries. I stirred in some whole frozen blueberries with the pureed mixture. But that is completely optional.

Sprinkle the second layer of ice cream with the amaretti cookies.

Freeze the cake for several hours until very firm.

Prior to serving, remove the ice cream cake about 10 minutes before serving.

Slice carefully with a sharp knife and serve.

After serving, cover the remainder of the cake snugly with saran wrap and place in the freezer until the next time.

If covered properly, and kept frozen between servings this cake will keep in the freezer for a few weeks.

3:22 pm

Baking

My Mum’s Best Ever Date Squares

To celebrate Mother’s Day, Melissa of the food blog breadandwords and I are teaming up together again. We are featuring recipes that our mothers made when we were young: Melissa’s Mom’s Traditional Argentinian Empanadas and my Mum’s Date Squares.

If you love empanadas, head over to breadandwords, to read about her Mom’s traditional Argentinian Empanadas. I am definitely making some of those soon.

My Mum’s Date Squares were one of my family’s favourite desserts when I was little. They were the best ever. The flavours of soft dates, a caramelized bottom and a crumbly oat and sugar topping is superb. With six of us in the family they never lasted long in our house.

These date squares are quite sweet and not overly buttery. The lengthy baking time caramelizes the brown sugar in the bottom layer which makes it chewy while the top layer remains crumbly. We always loved my mom’s date squares.

Mum inspired all of us in various ways. It was my her sense of adventure, I think, that always inspired me. She came to Canada 70 years ago, on January 17, 1949. She had bought a one-way ticket from England arriving at Pier 21, Halifax, Nova Scotia on a bright, sunny, wickedly cold day. At 28 years years old, and next to no money in her pocket, she was excited, free and full of adventure.

My Mum was always good at making the best of things. She grew up without a Mum and with a very stern father. You can read more about her upbringing here, with her bread recipe that I posted on the 100th Anniversary of her birth. I often wonder how she matured into such a happy adventure-seeking woman. But that she did.

Her two favourite past times were quiet, solitary activities: baking and reading. Reading was an activity she enjoyed ever since she was small. She loved to tell us the tale about hiding out in an apple tree, eating a large juicy apple and reading a book, while her Aunt hollered for her to come help with the chores. (She actually did really like that Aunt, she was just tired of chores that day).

My Mum’s other favourite past time was baking. Her favourite recipes either came from friends, my dad’s relatives or British recipes she clipped out of the newspaper. She would have loved Instagram.

If Mum could read and bake at the same time she was the happiest. I think she liked making date squares more than anything else because she could do her two favourite activities simultaneously.

recipe card

I’m very fortunate that my Mum wrote down all the family’s favourite baking recipes. So it’s very easy for me to recreate them, although, I’m sure nothing is ever as good as when your Mum makes something for you.

While I was making these dates squares, I could distinctly remember how my Mum made them. After each step in the recipe she would curl up on the sofa to read while the dates cooked away on the stove, read some more as they cooled down in the pan and then read a little bit more as they baked in the oven. I think she had secret magical baking powers because she never used a timer but also never burnt the date squares. Or maybe each step took just as long as reading a chapter in her book.

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Mum's Date Squares

Serves: 16

Cooking Time: 30 minutes

Ingredients

1 pound dates (approx. 450 grams)
1 cup brown sugar
3/4 cup cold butter
1 cup flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups oats

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 ℉.

Chop the dates roughly. Put the dates and brown sugar into a pot and add about 1 cup of water. Cook on a lowish heat until the dates are soft and spreadable. This should take about 10-15 minutes.

Place the flour in a food processor, add small cubes of cold butter and pulse about 10-15 times until butter mixture has fine lumps throughout. Place in a bowl and then add brown sugar and oats.

Spread half of the dry mixture in the bottom of an 8 inch baking pan that has been lined with parchment paper. Gently spread date mixture on top. Sprinkle oat mixture on top.

Bake in a 350° F oven for 30 minutes, or until golden on top.

Let the squares cool down in the pan for about 30 minutes or more before serving.

1:00 am

Baking

Tantalizing Brown Butter Orange Hazelnut Madeleines

I made these Orange Hazelnut Madeleines for Easter this year. Madeleines are a delicate and lightly sweet mini cake (often called cookies) baked in a scallop shaped metal tray. They are ubiquitous to France and eaten almost every day: hot off the press with coffee during a morning visit to the market or later for an afternoon snack. They are so perfect when you’re craving something sweet, but only want two or three bites. I don’t know about you, but that’s me pretty well every day. I dipped my madeleines with an orange glaze, but you can eat them plain. They’re nice both ways.

Madeleines: tricky or easy?

This is the first time I have ever made madeleines. My husband bought me a madeleine mold several years ago but I had actually never used it until now. I read many madeleine recipes over the years but the thought of making homemade madeleines always sounded so tricky. So, I put off baking any for ages!! Well, that was all for nought. Sure, madeleines have specific instructions but if you follow them step-by-step they’ll work out beautifully. Promise!

I made mine with browned butter. The instructions and photos for browned butter are in the recipe for Brown Butter Finnish Cookies. The flavour of browned butter goes well with these Orange Hazelnut Madeleines.

Refrigerator cold Madeleine batter in frozen tray, all ready to go in the oven.

Soft, delicate and set madeleines just baked. The scent is divine!

Madeleines have a lovely soft crumb. Here they are dipped in orange glaze and ready to serve.

Easter Desserts

As I mentioned last year in my post on Easter Mini Simnel Cakes, my family has no favourite Easter dessert. Anything goes really, as our family has never had a traditional Easter sweet. I was thinking about what to make this year – something Scandinavian with cardamom? or Italian Pastiera di Grano? Just before Easter, our family was keeping up on the news about the fire at Notre Dame and reading about it’s lengthy history. I have very vivid memories of visiting Paris and Notre Dame Cathedral many years ago. It was hard not to reminisce about France. I don’t know about you, but a lot of my travel memories focus on food, so with France in our thoughts, I decided to bake french Orange Hazelnut Madeleines.

History of Madeleines

Madeleines have been a popular cookie/cake in France since the 17th century and are synonymous with France, much like the Notre Dame Cathedral. There are many versions on the creation of madeleines. One popular story is that a young girl named Madeleine baked some cakes using her grandmother’s recipe, for the deposed and exiled King of Poland, Stanislas Leszczynska when he was living in Lorraine, France. He named them Madeleines and gave some to his daughter, Marie, who was married to Louis XV. She introduced them to the French court and before you knew it, everyone wanted them. There are other legends as well, but I like that one best.

Regardless of who invented the original recipe, there is one person that made them popular for eternity: Marcel Proust. He wrote in his autobiographical novel ‘La Recherche du Temps Perdu” about eating a madeleine dipped in tea and the strong memories of his childhood that it evoked.

Here is the passage describing that event. Being a real foodie, I just love it.

She sent for one of those squat plump little cakes called “petites madeleines”, which look as though they had been molded in the fluted valve of a scallop shell...I raised to my lips a spoonful of the tea in which I had soaked a morsel of the cake. No sooner had the warm liquid mixed with the crumbs touched my palate than a shudder ran through me and I stopped, intent upon the extraordinary thing that was happening to me. An exquisite pleasure invaded my senses…

And suddenly the memory revealed itself. The taste was that of the little piece of madeleine which on Sunday mornings at Combray…when I went to say good morning to her in her bedroom, my Aunt Leonie used to give me, dipping it first in her own cup of tea or tisane…and the whole of Combray and its surroundings, taking shape and solidity, sprang into being, town and garden alike, from my cup of tea.

Enjoying a madeleine with a hot cup of coffee is perfect for rekindling cherished memories.

If you have been to France, maybe these petit madeleines will evoke a special memory of your visit. If you haven’t visited, I hope they will inspire you to go.

Print Recipe

Brown Butter Orange Hazelnut Madeleines

Serves: 24

Cooking Time: 9-10 minutes

Ingredients

For the batter:
3 large eggs, at room temperature
130 grams white sugar
1/3 tsp salt
175 grams flour
zest of 1 orange
120 grams browned butter (see above for link to instructions)
2 Tbsp hazelnut almond butter
Glaze
150 grams powdered sugar
1 tbsp orange juice
2 tbsp water

Instructions

Brush the madeleine molds with melted butter, then dust with flour. Place tray molds in freezer until ready to bake.

In a stand mixer, mix eggs, sugar and salt for about 7-8 minutes until frothy and thickened. Don't stop too early, this mixing will assist with the rising.

Sift flour into mixture while folding in with spatula.

Warm nut butter in microwave (30 seconds or so on high).

Add warmed nut butter and orange zest to browned butter, stir to incorporate.

Slowly pour the butter mixture into the batter and fold in gently. You don't want to deflate the batter.

Cover the bowl and refrigerate for 1-3 hours. I did 3 hours, but I have also read to refrigerate overnight. Three hours worked fine for me.

Preheat oven to 425 degrees F.

Put about 1 dessert spoon of batter into each indentation of the madeleine mold. It should fill it about 3/4 full. But don't spread it. Just scrape it in off the spoon.

Bake for about 9-10 minutes. You don't want to over cook them. They should feel just set, not too dry or too firm.

To make the glaze, mix together orange juice, sugar and water.

Take the cakes out of the oven and place the tray on a rack. As soon as they are cool enough to touch, slide them out onto a rack.

When the madeleines are still warm, but not hot, dip each side in the glaze. If you have too much, scrap off the extra glaze and then place on a rack scalloped side up. I think you could also brush the glaze on with a brush.

Most recipes say that they taste best the day they are made. I kept some on my counter for a few days, and they were still tasty. But they won't last longer than that. They're too good.

adapted from the Sweet Life in Paris by David Lebovitz

6:59 pm

Baking

Fantastic Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Bread

I love love love cornbread, and this Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Bread has it all! This corn bread is going to take any meal up a notch with its A-list of ingredients: corn kernels, buttermilk, loads of cheddar cheese and a few nice spoonfuls of pickled jalapeno peppers.

I don’t know if you’re like me, but for some dinners, I just love having bread on the table. I don’t really have time to make yeasted breads everyday, and I don’t necessarily need that kind of bread every meal. Quick breads are amazing, because not only are they quick, but they are often fill with amazing flavours! For us, this quick bread really hits the spot. You can have it ready for dinner in about one hour. And it’s just so darn good.

Let the cornbread cool on a rack until it’s just slightly warm…but without the parchment paper!

All ready for slicing up!

This cornbread has a nice amount of cheddar cheese and just the right hit of jalapeno peppers. It has a bit of brown sugar in it, but it’s just enough to give this cornbread a nice mellow flavour.

You can also bake this cornbread in a square 8 inch pan, if you like. I personally like using loaf tins, especially glass ones. The outside of the cornbread browns up really nicely in a glass pan.

This cornbread is delicious on its own, or you can spread it with butter if that’s what you prefer. Also, if you have a favourite flavoured butter recipe, now would be a good time to pull that out and whip some up. Not that this cornbread needs anymore flavour, but there are some great flavoured butter recipes that could take this up a notch.

Cheddar Jalapeno Corn Bread can accompany so many dishes: soups, chili, ribs or stews. Easy to make, and so nice to enjoy.

Let me know how yours turns out!

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Cheddar jalapeno Corn Bread

Serves: 12-16

Cooking Time: 25-35 minutes

Ingredients

3 cups all-purpose flour
2 cups corn meal
4 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed
2 cups buttermilk
4 large eggs
1 cup melted unsalted butter, cooled
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
2 cups shredded cheddar cheese, divided
3 pickled jalapeno peppers, finely minced

Instructions

Preheat oven to 400 degrees fahrenheit.

Line two bread loaf pans with parchment paper.

Whisk together the flour, cornmeal, baking powder, baking soda, cayenne pepper and 1 cup of grated cheese.

In a food processor, add the brown sugar, corn, and buttermilk and blitz for about 5 seconds. Add eggs and blitz another 5 seconds.

Stir the jalapeno peppers into this mixture after it has been processed.

Pour the wet ingredients into the dry in a big bowl.

Fold the ingredients together, until just combined.

Add the melted butter and fold some more until the mixture looks moistened.

Pour the batter equally into the two lined bread pans.

Sprinkle the remaining cheddar cheese on top of each loaf.

Bake until the cornbread is a nice deep golden colour which should be about 25-30 minutes.

Let the loaves cool in the pans on a rack for about 10 minutes.

Then remove from pans and let the loaves cool for another 10 minutes.

Serve warm or at room temperature.

Notes

These loaves freeze up beautifully. Wrap the loaves well, pop in the freezer and use within one month.

slightly adapted from Cook’s Illustrated Baking book

5:40 pm

Cooking

Sizzling Mapo Tofu with Pork, Tofu and Eggplant

This recipe for Sizzling Mapo Tofu is an easy and delicious dish to make any night of the week. As preparation only takes about 10 minutes and cooking is just as fast. So, your family dinner will be on the table in no time.

Another thing that I love about this dish are the textures. I love the combination of soft eggplant, tender tofu, small pieces of pork, crisp green onions. And that fiery trio of ginger, garlic and hot sauce really hits the spot. So, this dish couldn’t be more perfect.

I’m sure you have your own go-to dinner recipe when food needs to be on the table as fast as possible. Well, Mapo Tofu is that dish for me. I have been making this dish for many many years. I just love it. It is warming, satisfying and delicious anytime of the year. And, boy, is it fast to make.

I make this dish with pork. but you could easily turn this dish into a vegan dinner by omitting the pork. Because there are so many seasonings, you won’t miss the pork.

I love reading about the history of recipes. And this one is pretty amazing. Mapo Tofu actually dates back atleast 200 years. It was originally made by an elderly woman at The Chen Xingsheng, a small restaurant near the Wanfu Bridge in north Chengdu, the Capital City of Sichuan province in China, that she ran with her husband.

Ma means pork, and po means elderly, so mapo was actually used to describe the woman who made and served this delicious dish.

If you need a quick and delicious dinner – Mapo Tofu with Eggplant is for you!

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Ma Po Tofu

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Part A
1 eggplant, cubed
2 garlic clove, chopped
2 tsp chopped ginger
1 Tbsp + 1 tsp sambal oelek or other hot chili sauce
300 grams ground pork
Part B
360 ml vegetable broth
1/4 cup soy sauce
2 tsp sake
dash of pepper
1 package of firm tofu, cut into cubes
Part C
4 green onions
3 Tbsp corn starch
1/4 cup water
2 Tbsp sesame oil

Instructions

Saute eggplant, then remove from pan.

Saute garlic and ginger and when aromatic add the sambal oelek.

Add pork and saute until cooked.

Add Part ‘B’.

Add eggplant back into pan.

Mix cornstarch with water.

Add mixture to pan.

Add sesame oil and green onions.

Serve with rice.

Enjoy!

6:12 pm

Baking

Salted Caramel Blackberry Cake – So Darn Good

salted caramel blackberry cake with yogurt

I love blackberries. they have just the right sweetness and are a delicious combination of raspberry and blueberry flavours – two of my favourite berries. But, they have always been hard to buy as well as super expensive here in Ottawa. So, I was super excited to to find them frozen in my local grocery store. So exciting! Fresh blackberries also don’t last very long, so having access to frozen berries is fantastic. Plus, they work a charm in this delicious Salted Caramel Blackberry Cake.

This cake is a delicious rich cake overflowing with jammy blackberries and rich caramel notes from the brown sugar and salted caramel chips. As it’s also made with ricotta cheese, it’s an excellent snack cake to be served with either your favourite hot beverage or layered in a glass with yogurt and more blackberries.

The other reason to love blackberries, is because they are also super healthy. They are high in antioxidants, fiber, and vitamin C.

This Salted Caramel Blackberry Cake bakes up really well and quickly, and smells divine in the oven.

Cake, yogurt, berries…triple yum!!!

Add extra berries on top if you like. It makes for a beautiful presentation.

This cake is so rich with ricotta cheese and jammy blackberries, it would be good enough for breakfast with yogurt and more berries! Or pack it up for lunch. And while you’re putting together your lunch kit, why not add an extra slice for a friend and make someone’s day extra special!

This cake slices up very well, has a good crumb, lots of berry flavour and a few nice hits of salted caramel sweetness! The blackberries and salted caramel chips provide enough sweetness that this cake doesn’t need any icing. Which is a plus for me!

So so so good! Try cutting up some cubes of cake and pile on some delicious yogurt and extra berries. Yum!

Print Recipe

Salted Caramel Blackberry Cake

Serves: 10-12

Cooking Time: 50-60 minutes

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups flour
1 cup brown sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3 large eggs
1 1/2 cups ricotta cheese
1/2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup butter, melted
1/2 cup salted caramel chips
1 1/4 cup blackberries (frozen or fresh)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Line the bottom of a 9" round cake tin with a circle of parchment paper.

Lightly grease the sides of the cake pan.

Whisk flour, brown sugar and baking powder together.

Mix together the eggs, ricotta cheese, vanilla and melted butter.

Add dry ingredients to the liquid ingredients.

Lightly stir in about 3/4 cup of blackberries.

Pour the batter into the cake pan.

Sprinkle the remaining blackberries on top of the cake.

Bake in the preheated oven for 50-60 minutes.

When done, the cake should be lightly golden on top.

Remove from the oven and let it cool on a rack in the cake pan for about 10 minutes.

After 10 minutes, remove from the pan and let it cool down completely on a wire rack.

Enjoy!

slightly adapted from epicurious.com

1:01 am

Cooking

Argentinian Matambre with Chorizo Sausage and Spinach

It’s still winter here in Ottawa, but about 9,000 km straight south of us, Martes de Carnival is going on in Argentina. To mark this special event, Melissa Johnson from the delicious and inspiring breadandwords food blog and I have teamed together to create two variations of Argentinian Matambre: a unique, colourful and very traditional dish of Argentina.

Matambre is made from flank steak that is stuffed with a variety of herbs and vegetables and then rolled up! Matambre is really an amazing and delicious dish. There are so many flavours popping out at the same time – it’s just so so so good! You can serve it at dinner parties, backyard barbecues or as an appetizer. It’s so delicious!

Matambre literally means kill (matar) hunger (hambre). And this dish certainly does that quickly!

As Matambre is so versatile, Melissa and I decided to do two variations of this amazing Argentinian dish. Melissa’s recipe for Matambre is reminiscent of the one her Argentinian mother used to make. Her Matambre is stuffed with parsley, cheese, garlic and other colourful vegetables. Melissa seared her steak and then baked it in the oven.

For my recipe, I wanted to add some spice, so I added a layer of chorizo sausage. The spinach combined with the carrots and red peppers is divine. And who knew that olives would taste so mighty fine with steak. Well, they do. Amazing, actually! After the steak is rolled up and seared in a hot skillet, it was simmered in a red wine-based broth for 90 minutes until tender. Yum!

To make matambre, you have to butterfly your flank steak. To do this, you will need a very sharp knife, so be careful with your fingers! In the center of the piece of steak (running with the grain) cut about half way through the meat. Then make two short slits perpendicular to the main cut. Slice the steak open along the long cut. Just go easy, if you poke through, it’s not a big deal. You want this steak to open up like a book.

Now it’s time to start layering the filling ingredients. As you lay down the filling, leave a few inches at the far long end.

For my Matambre, I spread the steak with dijon mustard, leaving a one inch border. Next, spread a layer of herbs, jalapeno peppers and garlic. Then sprinkle sauteed chorizo sausage all over followed by a layer of spinach leaves. Next, make rows of the sliced red peppers, orange carrots, green olives mixed with roasted red peppers, and red onion. It will be very colourful.

Roll the steak up towards the empty long end. It may look a bit messy, and if a few filling ingredients pop out, don’t worry, you can put them back in after it is all tied up. Keep the seam side down as you start to tie it up. I used four strings across the steak, and because I wanted to simmer it on top of the stove, I also used one long one for the full length. (Here’s a great video to watch, just scroll down to the bottom, if you want some tips on tying up your meat!)

Sear the steak on all sides in oil in a hot skillet. I simmered my Matambre, but you could also bake yours. If you’re interested in baking your Matambre, check out Melissa’s instructions to see how she baked hers.

After about 90 minutes, when the meat feels tender, it will look sort of like this. It really stays together quite well.

Time to slice this matambre up!

Again, get a really sharp knife, and slice your matambre. It actually slices really easily. And have a look inside. So gorgeous! Look at all those colours!!!

All of the ingredients create a lovely pattern inside. Remember to present it on your prettiest platter. It will be a showstopper! It’s popular to serve it with chimichurri sauce. You will find the recipe below.

Try both of our recipes or mix and match: bake mine or simmer Melissa’s on top of the stove. Or choose your favourite ingredients from both recipes.

Let us know what you made and how it turned out!

Thanks so much

Melissa and Suzanne

Buen provecho!

Print Recipe

Argentinian Matambre with Chorizo and Spinach

Serves: 4

Cooking Time: 90 minutes

Ingredients

2 - 2 1/2 lb flank steak
1-2 Tbsp dijon mustard (depending on the size of your steak)
1 handful each parsley, watercress, and cilantro (chopped)
2 Tbsp pickled jalapeno, chopped
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic
1 large handful of baby spinach leaves
1 carrot, cut in quarters
1 red pepper, sliced
about 10 large green spanish olives, sliced in half
1/2 roasted red pepper
2 chorizo sausages, cooked and chopped up
1/2 red onion, sliced
Broth
2 cups red wine
1 1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp thyme
1/2 tsp garlic, crushed
2 bay leaves
Chimichurri Sauce
2 tomatoes (scrape the seeds out, and chop fine)
1 red onion (chopped fine)
3 garlic cloves (chopped fine)
one handful of parsley (chopped fine)
1/2 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1 tsp paprika
1 tsp oregano

Instructions

Butterfly the flank steak. See instructions above, or find a video on youtube (it's really easy, actually)

Spread dijon mustard all over the steak, leaving a 1" border.

Chop the parsley, cilantro and watercress together with the pickled jalapeno, cumin and garlic. Make sure they all get mixed together.

Spread the chopped herbs on top of the dijon mustard. Leave 2-3 inches at the far, long edge of the steak empty. This makes it easier to roll up.

Spread the chorizo sausage on top.

Layer the washed baby spinach leaves on top of the sausage.

In rows, running along the grain of the meat; place the olives, carrots, red pepper. You can do thick rows, repeating rows etc. But try not to overstuff, or it will be difficult to roll.

Roll the steak, and leave it on the cutting board while you get ready to tie it up.

Cut about 4-5 pieces of butcher's twine and tie the twine around the steak. I used one extra long one to tie from end to end because I simmered it on top of the stove and I didn't want anything to fall out.

Heat up a bit of oil in a large skillet. Sear the steak on all sides, until all sides are nicely browned.

Place the steak in a large pot.

Add 2 cups of red wine (I used Malbec because it's Argentinian).

Add water until the steak is submerged.

Add the oregano, thyme, garlic and bay leaves.

Simmer for about 90 minutes, until meat is tender.

Place on a cutting board and let it sit for about 10 minutes.

Slice up and serve with steamed carrots and sweet potato fries. Yum!

Chimichurri Sauce: Chop, chop, chop all of the herbs and vegetables until very fine, especially the parsley.

Add the rest of the ingredients and stir to combine.

Let the marinade sit in the fridge for at least one hour.

Refrigerate after dinner. Will be good in the fridge for a couple of days.

chimichurri recipe lightly adapted from Jamie Magazine

1:00 am

Baking

Banana Bread with swirls of Nutella

I made so much nutella the other day, I didn’t think we would ever finish it. So, I decided to make this Banana Bread. And who doesn’t love banana bread with chocolate chips and swirls of Nutella!

I have made loads and loads of banana bread ever since I was a teenager. When I was 17, I won a contest for banana bread in our local newspaper. The prize was kitchen flooring which my parents really loved. I really wanted the silver tea set that the person one down from me won, but c’est la vie. My parents were happy.

This quick bread has it all; moistness from the bananas; just enough sweetness from white and brown sugars and nutty aromas from the browned butter. And if you slice it up while it’s still warm, the nutella and milk chocolate chips will be warm and molten. Double yum!

This bread is also a great way to use up bananas that are over ripe. This can happen especially quick in the summer. Blackened bananas freeze very well. I used to freeze bananas in their skin. And that technique works just fine, but then you have to thaw them to get the skin off. So, now I peel the overly ripe bananas, chop them up and place them in a freezer bag. And I always label the date and how many bananas are in the bag. So helpful down the road when I pull them out to use them.

I made this bread with browned butter to amp up the flavour components. I have instructions in a previous post on how to brown butter, if you have never done that. It’s really easy, by the way!

This banana bread is absolutely delicious on its own. You don’t need to add butter or anything. I think it’s absolutely delicious on it’s own. It would be fantastic with a large mug of a spicy herbal tea or a chai latte. So good!

Enjoy!

Print Recipe

Serves: 2 loaves

Cooking Time: 1 hour

Ingredients

3 very very ripe bananas, mashed or pureed
1 cup butter (browned)
3 eggs
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 cups white flour
1 cup white spelt flour
1 cup oat flour (whole oats pulverized in your food processor)
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp vanilla
1/2 cup plain unsweetened yogurt
1 cup chocolate chips
1/2 cup nutella (warmed)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line two loaf tins with parchment paper.

Brown the butter (see instructions above).

Add sugar to browned butter.

Once the egg and butter mixture has cooled, add in the eggs, vanilla, yogurt and bananas.

In a separate large bowl, stir together the flours and baking soda.

Add butter and sugar mixture to dry ingredients.

Stir all ingredients together until mixed.

Add chocolate chips.

Add about 1/4 of the mixture into each loaf tin.

Spread 1/4 cup of the warmed nutella down the centre. Swirl with a butter knife.

Add the rest of the batter overtop of the nutella. Then spread another 1/4 cup of the nutella on the top. Swirl with a butter knife, mixing the batter with the nutella.

Bake in the oven for about 1 hour, until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let it cool in the loaf tins for about 10 minutes. Then remove from the loaf tins and cool on a rack.

Notes

These loaves freeze very well. If freezing, dont forget to label the package with the date and the name of the bread. Use within 3 months.

5:40 pm

Baking

Orange Nutella Alfajores

I have wanted to make alfajore cookies ever since I first heard about them. Their common description of being a melt-in-the-mouth cookie sandwiched together with dulce de leche just seemed heavenly. And they are.

Alfajores Cookies are one of the simplest cookies to make. They are made from just a handful of ingredients; flour, cornstarch, butter, sugar and egg. And they are ready in a jiffy.

The first batch of alfajores that I made was sandwiches together with dulce de leche. Dulce de leche, for those that are not familiar with this unctious spread, is caramelized milk. It is made by baking milk in a low oven for several hours, until it is thick, golden and sweet. You can buy it from Latin American shops, or make your own. Although I always buy mine. With Valentine’s Day approaching, I wanted a chocolate filling. I added orange zest to the cookie dough, sandwiched them together with Nutella, and Orange Nutella Alfajores were born. And I must say it is a heavenly match.

You can use store-bought Nutella for the filling. Or if you have time, try my recipe for Nutty Chocolate Hazelnut Spread. It is divine.

Alfajores cookies have been popular in Uruguay, Peru and Argentina since the mid 1800’s. Common fillings in alfajores are dulce de leche, chocolate mousse, fruit spreads or whipped cream. Toppings include meringue coating, milk chocolate, coconut or a sugar glaze.

I always find it interesting to read about similar foods in different parts of the world. The word alfajor comes from the Arabic “al-hasu”, which means filled or stuffed. Culinary experts have traced Alfajores to Andalusia, Spain during the occupation by the Moors. There is a strong similarity between alfajores and mamoul, a buttery confection filled with date paste that is popular in the Middle East and North Africa. I can’t wait to make a batch of those.

Alfajores are so popular in Peru and Argentina, that there are chain restaurants that only sell alfajores. Casa del alfajor is one such chain in Peru. There is also Havanna, in Argentina, which has been around since 1947.

Try making a batch. You will love them!

Print Recipe

Orange Nutella Alfajores

Serves: 18

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

200 gram flour
300 gram corn starch
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
250 grams softened butter
150 grams sugar
3 egg yolks
1 Tbsp brandy
zest from one orange
nutella (store bought or my own - see above)

Instructions

Preheat oven to 325 degrees Fahrenheit.

Line baking sheet with parchment paper.

Mix together flour, corn starch and baking powder and soda.

Cream together butter, sugar and orange zest for 5 minutes, until pale and fluffy.

Add the egg yolks and brandy to the butter mixture.

Add in the flour mixture.

Mix briefly until well incorporated.

Roll out dough until about 1/4 inch thick. Cut out cookies with cutter about 1 1/2 inches in diameter.

You can place them relatively close together, as they will not spread.

Bake for about 10 minutes, only until slightly golden around the edges.

Cool on baking tray for 5 minutes, then place them on a cookie rack to cool.

Sandwich them together, when they are cold, with nutella.

1:00 am

Preserves

Nutty Chocolate Hazelnut Spread Recipe

Nutella!!! This infamous blend of chocolate and hazelnuts not only tastes amazing, but also has quite a lot of history behind it.

World Nutella Day

World Nutella Day is February 5th and was created by Food blogger, Sara Rosso in 2007 to help celebrate this popular treat. She handed the reins of World Nutella Day over to Ferroro in 2015.

I have wanted to make my own chocolate hazelnut spread for quite some time now. This week seemed appropriate with World Nutella Day and Valentine’s Day so close together.

Why make Homemade Nutella?

I love store bought Nutella. But, like most food items, I prefer to make my own: I can use the best chocolate, sweeten it slightly with a small amount of local honey, and use fresh organic hazelnuts. It is also possible to use a variety of nuts, if you prefer.

This Nutty Chocolate Hazelnut Spread is made up of roasted and skinned whole hazelnuts, dark and milk chocolate, honey, milk and milk powder. You can alter the percentage of hazelnuts to suit your taste. This recipe contains 26% hazelnuts, Nutella contains about 13% and some places in Italy use as much as 50% hazelnuts. So, you can make it as nutty as you like.

How easy is it to make Nutella?

My recipe for this Chocolate Hazelnut Spread is so easy to make. All you need to do is roast and grind some hazelnuts, melt some chocolate, heat some milk mixed with powdered milk and honey and then blend them all together.

Store-bought Nutella is nice, but we really love our homemade version. It is nuttier, darker and less sweet than store bought. You can adjust the percentage of nuts, as well as the type of chocolate used. You will never get the hazelnuts as pureed and smooth as in store bought Nutella, but we actually prefer the crunchy texture.

Can I use other nuts?

If you find hazelnuts too strong, you can substitute part of them with skinned almonds, or macadamia nuts. Make sure you remove the skin from the hazelnuts and/or almonds. It’s not imperative to remove all of the skins, but try to get as much off as possible, as the skins will add a bitter taste.

When you put your nuts in your food processor, try to grind them as finely as possible. Homemade Nutella will not be as fine as store bought. But you will really be able to taste the roasted nuts and heavenly chocolate. That’s the joy of homemade!

This Nutty Hazelnut and Chocolate Spread is a blend of dark and milk chocolate. You can adjust the amounts of each chocolate, as long as the total weight stays the same. My version has some small chunks of hazelnut in each bite. So nutty!

Besides being so amazingly tasty, the combination of hazelnuts and chocolate has an amazing history.

History of Nutella

In Italy, the combination of chocolate and hazelnuts is called Gianduja. Gianduja was created over 200 years ago during Napoleon’s regency in Turin, Italy in the Piedmont area.

In 1806, Napoleon imposed the Continental System, which prevented British goods from entering European harbours under French control. This created a shortage in cocoa, which was devastating to chocolatiers.

In Turin, a chocolatier, whose chocolate supplies were low, began mixing his chocolate with ground hazelnuts, which are plentiful in this area of Italy. The name Gianduja is named after a popular Carnival marionette that is an archetype of the Piedmontese.

One hundred and fifty years after this crazy time for chocolate lovers, chocolate became expensive and scarce again due to the rationing in Europe during World War II. Pietro Ferrero was a pastry maker in Italy and in 1946 created Pasta Gianduja. His original version was formed into a loaf which was sliced and eaten on bread. In 1949, he accidentally added cocoa butter, which made it soft and easy to spread. It was renamed Nutella in 1964.

I hope you enjoy this Nutella recipe!

Buon Appetito

Print Recipe

Nutty Chocolate Hazelnut Spread

Serves: 12-16

Cooking Time: 10 minutes

Ingredients

240 grams dark chocolate
150 g milk chocolate
2 Tbsp honey
300 grams 2% milk
50 grams milk powder
150 grams hazelnuts

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Roast hazelnuts on an ungreased cookie sheet for about 10 minutes, do not burn. When they are fragrant and the skins seem loose, they are ready to take out.

Rub the warm hazelnuts in a clean tea towel, until most of the skins have rubbed off.

Add the hazelnuts to the food processor and grind until fine.

Warm the milk with the honey and powdered milk.

Melt the chocolate in the microwave. I melted it at 30 second internals, stirring in between. Do not overheat, or it will burn and you will not be able to use it.

Add the warm milk, and chocolate to the hazelnuts in the food processor.

Combine until everything is mixed together.

Scrape into a clean container.

Keep in the refrigerator for one week.

6:04 pm

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