When I'm not at Work

A Dedication... well it was supposed to be.

I really wanted to dedicate this blog post to my sister and my sister-in-law. You see they both have their own blogs too. My sister is kind of using her blog like it's a journal. We get to see inside some of her own inner-journey. My Sis' Mel has two gorgeous kids, works and has recently fallen in love with gardening. I love seeing the pics on her blog and these beauties (recently taken in my own garden) are dedicated to her. It means so much to me that she is doing her blog and I'm inspired by the honesty that she writes with.

My Sis-in-law is also an inspiration. She has a blog too. Her blog is about writing and yes... she is a writer. Her first novel was published about 2 years ago and she has been working ever since. She also works, has 3 gorgeous kids and is married to my brother (I won't comment ;-) I can't imagine how she juggles everything and still manages to keep up with a blog that is inspiring a lot of other people to write as well! My Sis-in-law is gaga about chocolate and this post was supposed to be about chocolate.

And it is.

Sort of.

There is chocolate in it.

To be honest, I just couldn't resist this ice cream. Thoughts of summer (I might be seeing them this summer - they all live in Calgary which is pretty far from T.O.) and the sounds of this recipe just caught me and I couldn't walk away. Who can resist caramel and chocolate. I won't lie to you, this recipe called for a little bit of fiddling. Really though, not only was the fiddling more time consuming than difficult, it was MORE than worth it. You must try this ice cream. I wish that I could send it out to my Sis-in-law and my Sis ('cause I think that she might also LOVE this one) so that we could all enjoy it together.

Chocolate Chip Salted Butter Caramel Ice Cream

adapted from Technicolor Kitchen

2 cups whole milk

1 1/2 cups sugar

4 tbsp salted butter (I didn't have so I used unsalted butter and upped the salt content to 1 tsp)

scant 1/2 tsp sea salt (I used Fleur de Sel)

1 cup heavy cream

5 lg egg yolks

3/4 tsp vanilla

1 cup dark chocolate, chopped

Make an ice bath - fill a lg bowl 1/3 full with ice cubes and add enough water to make them float. In a smaller bowl pour 1 cup of milk and place on top of the ice cubes with a seive at the ready.

In a medium sized sauce pan (heavy bottomed) begin to cook the sugar over medium heat. As it begins to melt stir until it's dissolved. (the lumps will melt) Continue to stir occasionally until the mixture begins to go brown and starts to smell like it's going to burn. Remove from heat and add the butter and salt. Once butter is melted then add in the cream (slowly, stir as much as you can) and the rest of the milk. Return to the heat.

Whisk the yolks in a small bowl and gradually add to the caramel mixture (could just add some of the caramel mixture to the egg yolks first and then add the whole thing back into the pot on the stove) making sure that the yolks will not cook on contact. Stir the whole mixture constantly until it reaches about 170 degrees F (use the spoon trick - if the mixture doesn't come back together once you run your finger through it off the back of a spoon then it's pretty much ready)

Remove from the heat and pour through the seive into the bowl of chilled milk. Mix thoroughly and add the vanilla. Cover the mixture with cling-wrap (right on top of the custard so that a film doesn't form on the top) and continue to chill in the ice bath. Once it's cooled enough put it to refridgerate for about 8 hrs or until completely cooled.

Melt the chocolate in a double boiler and cool slightly.

Pour ice cream into ice cream maker and churn until it starts looking solid. Once it looks ready to put into freezer containers, add the melted chocolate and stir just enough to create a ripple.

Pour into freezer containers and freeze for about 4 hrs.

Thaw just a bit before scooping...

Toffee Packaging

Sometimes I do stupid things when it comes to shopping. For example, on numerous occasions I've had things to purchase in my hands, I'm in the line waiting to pay and while I'm there I reconsider, leave the line, put all my purchases back where I found them (that's the really crazy part... I know!!) and leave the store. Sometimes, I'll go back to check something out for months and still never buy it! I'll plan the purchase, budget it out in my head and then chicken out (yeah, it is chickening out... really). Except when it comes to food stuff. I don't shop unwisely but I will spend the money, especially if something looks interesting. So, a while back I picked up these toffee bits in the grocery store. I would love to give you some kind of nice speech about how they are organic, or made with sucanat or whatever... but I can't. These are the awful, processed, teeth rotting things that should make me cringe. BUT... they landed in my house none-the-less.

I didn't think to do anything with them for quite a while. I was waffling about what exactly to do with these things on their maiden voyage in my oven. Anyway, I had a good friend in university whose Grandma gave her great advice when it comes to baking, 'When in doubt, use the recipe on the back of the package'. So, I checked the package and sure enough this recipe is what I found.

It's kinda like a brownie. Sometimes, I find blondies a little too cakey. With this one I added a little more butter (never a bad thing right?) and it turned out more gooey - kinda just right! I think though that the toffee bits just kind of melted into the texture of the whole thing. I thought that they might be crunchier but I couldn't even taste where they were... still, what resulted was good, subtle and just right.

Chipits Toffee Crunch (mmK - mine had no crunch) Blondies

adapted from the back of the chipits package!

As it appears:

1. Beat 2/3 cup unsalted butter with 1 cup brown sugar and 2 eggs until well blended and fluffy.

2. In a bowl, mix together 2 cups all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/2 tsp baking soda and 1/4 tsp salt. Mix well.

3. Add flour to butter mixture

4. Stir in 1 cup toffee bits and 1 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips (really guys, chocolate of choice here)

5. Spread evenly in greased 13X9 baking pan.

6. Bake at 350 degrees F for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean

7. (optional) Remove from oven and sprinkle with more toffee bits.

8. Cool and cut into bars...

Blueberry Buttermilk

Admittedly, I'm really clawing my way through this week. There are a million 'gotta-get-this-done' things going through my head and at the end of the day, I'm accomplishing too little and trying to accomplish too much. Summer vacay can't arrive soon enough my peeps. Weekends just aren't cutting it at the moment. At least with recipes like this I won't be drowning my sorrows by spending $ at a coffee joint.

I eyed this recipe on another blog last week and well... it caught my eye - obviously. It was adapted from Gourmet and you all know how I feel about Gourmet *sigh* RIP. 'Eats Well With Others' did a beautiful job with this cake using blueberries instead of the raspberries that it originally called for. Joanne (blog-girl) also made strawberry whipped cream with her blueberry beauty. I didn't bother with that because... well... my arms get too tired. I'm doin' it by hand and sometimes I just can't psych myself up for the job. Remember the burnout speech above?!

Anyway, as it turns out, the cake didn't need the whipped cream (although it really always is a lovely addition even if it isn't 'needed') and we've been enjoying it 'au natural'.

Blueberry Buttermilk Cake

1 cup all purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup unsalted butter at room temperature

2/3 cup sugar + 1 tbsp sugar reserved until the end

1/2 tsp vanilla

1 large egg

3/4 cup buttermilk, well shaken (not stirred ;-)

1 cup blueberries (the actual recipe calls for raspberries which would be fantastic too, especially in season)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F and butter and flour a 9 inch round pan (I used a springform).

Combine the flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt in a bowl and set aside. In a large bowl beat together the butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in the vanilla and beat some more, then add the egg and beat until well mixed and fluffy. Beginning and ending with the flour, alternate adding the flour mixture and the buttermilk in 3 batches, mixing well after each addition.

Spoon the batter into the prepared pan and place the berries on top of the batter. Sprinkle the remaining sugar over the top of the berries. Bake for about 25 minutes or until a cake tester comes out clean.

Let it cool for about 10 minutes before cutting or removing from the pan.

Making my own tortilla's... sort of.

Once I got into my later teen years by brother 'J' and I (he's younger by 2 1/2 yrs) started having some of the same friends. We went to church a lot - which included both Sunday morning and evening services. A big part of the 'raison d'etre' around especially a Sunday evening service for me (and eventually my brother) was so that we could all pile into a car and go out after church and enjoy ourselves whilst eating junk food. For both J and I, our junk food of choice became Taco Bell. What could be better - cheap food that was tasty (ok, I know... but really, it kinda is), great hot sauce and it filled the car with ridiculously hilarious sounds and smells on the way home after. I recall on more than one occasion having hot pepper packet eating contests - Gross!

Anyway, thus began my fascination with Tex-Mex. Lately, here in T.O. I've given up trying to find something that is really well-done (if anyone has some good suggestions, PLEASE pass it on) and taken to either making my own thing or once a year or so making a homage back to the nasty fast food joint (making sure to load up adequately with hot sauce!)

I do make 'taco's' here at home for the kids but haven't really tried to do much with it - ground beef, beans, spices. Well, I finally discovered that it's really not that hard to make reasonably adequate flour tortilla's. AND I actually really like them. So, with my new tortilla recipe under my belt, I ventured successfully into veggie bean/corn and rice taco filling which was really good. Add to that the awesome chipotle powder from my 'Big Carrot' extravagance last weekend and the veggie rice just knocked it out of the park. Serve with some sour cream (no low fat stuff... ok? We've had this talk) and salsa and you'll be making these puppies at every available opportunity... YUM

Flour Tortilla's

adapted from Homesick Texan

makes about 8 large tortilla shells (double this recipe if you are having a crowd, or are really hungry)

2 cup all-purpose flour

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

2 tsp vegetable oil

3/4 cups warm milk

Mix together dry ingredients in a large bowl and set aside.

Slowly add warm milk. Stir until a loose ball forms. Knead for a couple of minutes on a floured surface until the dough is firm but still soft. Place dough back in the bowl and let it rest for about 20 minutes. Separate the dough into 8 sections and roll each into a ball. Cover each of the balls with a damp cloth while you roll one out into a large circle. Let it be thin and about 8 inches around.

Place the tortilla into a heated caste-iron skillet, I didn't use any oil but you could lightly brush with butter or oil if you would like. Cook each side for about 30 seconds. Store the cooked tortilla's on a plate covered with a cloth until you are ready to use it.

Bean and Corn Rice

(adapted from 'Taste of Home Magazine - my Mom awesomely gets me a subscription every year)

serves 6

3 cups cooked rice

1 large can of black beans or kidney beans, drained mostly

1 1/2 cups of corn (frozen or canned - just not creamed corn!)

2 tbsp oil of choice

1/2 red onion, chopped fine

1/2 green pepper, chopped fine

4 cloves garlic, crushed

2 tsp sea salt

1 1/2 tsp smoked chipotle powder (!)

1 tsp cumin

1 tsp paprika

1 tsp coriander

(you could also use a premixed taco seasoning instead of all of this - it would turn out just fine.)

In a heated Dutch oven saute the veggies in oil for about 4 min. Once the veggies are wilted add in the beans and mix well. Add in the corn and mix well and allow the mixture to cook over a medium to low heat for a few minutes. Add in all the spices and check for taste. Once you are happy with that then add in the cooked rice and mix well. Check tastes again and serve!

I think that stuffed green pepper would also be really nice here - some cheese on top, a little salsa on the side. Nice 'no-carb' option (not that I give a rats ass about 'no-carbs' ;-)

Spicy, Peanutty Bok Choy Stir Fry

I just got back home after an awesome yoga class. I read a book a while ago ('Skinny Bitch in the Kitch' - not the greatest read but there are some good morsels in there) which stated that if everyone in the world practiced yoga there would be world peace. I thought that it was a gross over-exageration at the time but now... I almost believe it myself. I'm ravenous though - I know 'biker-chic', Ms 'yeah-I-run-10k', ravenous after a little 90 min. yoga class. But, there it is.

I could have gotten something down in Greek town where my class was but I've been craving veggies lately. To be honest, I haven't been eating well lately. Little snacks really more than anything. Today I needed veggies and protein. So I picked up some beef at the health food store and rode home (yeah - I biked to my class - total hippie) and pulled out the bok choy that came in this weeks food box.

I was psyched. Originally a simple bok choy/beef/soy sauce thing was in my mind. Somehow though all these other veg's made it out of the fridge and landed on my cutting board. The next thing I knew I was pulling out the peanut butter and goin' to town with the pepper sauce.

What resulted was still pretty simple but absolutely just what I needed. Right now I am totally and utterly satisfied. Serve this by itself or with whatever grain you prefer. I have only just discovered that I'm out of quinoa, otherwise that would have been my grain of choice with this puppy. Brown rice would hold up nicely to these bold flavours as well.

Bok Choy and Beef Stir Fry in Spicy Peanut Sauce

serves 4

2 - 3 tbsp oil

1/2 red onion, sliced thin in rings (this is huge for me!!!)

2 medium carrots (sliced through the long blades on the box grater)

1/2 zucchini (that's all I had, you could use more), sliced long and thin

2 medium sized bok choy, ends cut off then cut it like celery

4 cloves of garlic, crushed

1 lb of beef sliced thin for stir-frying (You could use 3 scrambled eggs instead)

3 - 4 tbsp of soy sauce

1/2 cup peanut butter

2 tbsp Hoisin Sauce

1 tbsp pepper sauce

red pepper flakes (I sprinkle it on top of my serving)

In a heated wok pour the oil. Add in the veggies and saute about 5 minutes until the veggies are kind of cooked but not too wilted. Add in the beef and let it brown. Add in the Soy sauce and then add in the peanut butter. Mix it together (yeah, right in the wok) until it's all mixed together. Add in the hoisin and pepper sauce and check the taste.

Serve with grain of choice and sprinkle with red pepper flakes.

Summer... Chocolate Ice Cream

That's right my peeps. Summer! Well, not quite... but it feels like it here in Toronto, ON. Look, here's how I see it. We only get summer for a couple of months here - 3 to be utterly exact. I think that when we get great weather in May, it's as good as begun. Derek and I were able to enjoy our first 'terrace' experience this season, people watching out on our favourite patio on our date night. As if the great weather wasn't enough, we're all starting to catch World Cup Fever here in the house. The excitement is building. So, See... there are many indications that summer has indeed begun.

As soon as summer hints at making an appearance, I'm pulling out my ice cream maker. A most beloved gift from my mom-in-law. I've tried many recipes but always come back to this one.

Derek is a big ice-cream guy. Me, not so much. I've got a couple of recipes nagging at me though this season which I will get on soon... trust me. But really, the tried and true Chocolate ice cream. I found this on a search at Epicurious.com and at really has never failed. Delish! The better quality the chocolate, the better the ice cream. I use Callebaut 60% choc chips (which incidently I've seen on ocassion at Bulk Barn for those interested). If you have an ice cream maker just trust me on this one. You won't be disappointed.

Chocolate Velvet Ice Cream (from Epicurious.com)

2/3 cup of dark chocolate (about 60% cocoa solids)

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup cocoa powder

1 1/2 cups heavy cream

1 cup milk

3 large egg yolks

Make sure that the chocolate is chopped small. Combine the sugar and cocoa in a medium sized, heavy bottomed saucepan. Add in the cream and milk and whisk until combined. Bring the mixture just to a simmer over medium heat. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, beat the egg yolks until smooth. Take large spoonfuls of the cream mixture and whisk it into the egg yolks until combined (about 2 large spoonfuls). Then add the yolk mixture into the cream mixture. Place it all back on the heat and let a food thermometer get to 170 degrees F. (usually I just keep it on for maybe 5 min., do the back of the spoon test - if you can run your finger down the back of a spoon and the mixture doesn't immediately flow back together then it's ready). Once heated remove from the heat and add the chopped chocolate. Make sure that the chocolate is complete melted into the mixture and then run the whole mixture through a seive into a large bowl. Cover the mixture with plastic wrap - make sure that the wrap is right on top of the chocolate mixture otherwise a film will form on the top of the chocolate custard. Cool off to at least room temperature then put it into an ice cream maker until it firms up (about 20 - 25 minutes.

Place in a container and put in the freezer until it completely firms up.

Let it melt just a bit before serving and totally enjoy!

Chipotle inspiration.

For the most part when it comes to baking I'm completely by the book; very careful about quantities and ingredients and all that. When it comes to regular cooking however, I'm much more lacadaisical; preferring to be inspired by a recipe rather than following to the letter of the law. As if you all don't know that by now.

I love getting inspired. I love it when one ingredient takes you on a ride and you end up somewhere you just couldn't have imagined. It happened for me this weekend. Once again, bouncing around in 'The Big Carrot', I really needed some cumin (got stuck in the middle of a recipe the day before and discovered I was out - ugh!). While trying to figure out how the *&%$ to get the cumin out of the container (really - come on, does it have to be that complicated?), I spied this smoked chipotle powder and... well, I ended up with a very small bag of cumin and a large bag of smoked chipotle powder.

On the back of the chipotle powder package was a recipe for mushrooms sauteed in chipotle powder and then used as an appetizer. Here's where things started to wind in a different direction. My next thought was 'I have spinach in the fridge' (seemingly completely unrelated - right?), followed closely by '...and I could do some rice too'. Ok, now we've got something here. And So it was born. A meal (or very tasty side-dish) stemming from one little ingredient and a spice at that - but what a beautiful creation! If you get your hands on some of this red gem don't let it go!!

Chipotle Rice with Mushrooms and Spinach

serves 6

1 lb button mushrooms, halved

1/2 red onion, diced small

3 cloves garlic, crushed

4 cups of spinach, stemmed and chopped

3 tbsp of olive oil, butter (or sometime I'll use bacon fat leftover - no waste)

3 cups of cooked rice

2 tsp chipotle powder (this will kick so if you are nervous about heat, scale back to 1 tsp)

3 tsp bouillion powder

1 1/2 tsp salt

dash of cumin (ok, I had to use it b/c it was the whole reason I was in the store in the first place, right?)

In a heated Dutch oven saute the onion and mushrooms in oil/fat until the onion just starts to get clear. Add in garlic and spinach and continue to saute until spinach wilts (just a few minutes).

Add the spices into the veggies and mix well. Add in the cooked rice and mix well again. Double check the seasoning (this will have a nice little kick so beware).

This was beautiful. I can't wait to try this in my upcoming bean and rice burrito recipe... soon!!!