New in the Kitchen

This past year we must have been a good girl and boy because Santa brought us lots of new toys for the kitchen.

Kitchenaid Ice Cream Maker

This has been on my wish list forever. I have a long list of ice cream and sorbet recipes ready to put this to good use. We have already done an inaugural test with a classic vanilla recipe.

Kitchenaid Grainmill

This has been on Dave's wish list forever. Even though we have been trying to avoid eating bread lately, now at least when we do give into temptation it can be with home-made bread from home-milled flour. He is also hoping it will come in handy for his home-brewing experiments.

Jack Lalane Juicer

Although we generally try to avoid buying small appliances with a single purpose to avoid clutter in the kitchen, we couldn't find any acceptable alternates to a juicer and we both really wanted one. We have already put it to good use making carrot-apple-ginger juice for breakfast most mornings this week.

Silpat Silbread

I have long been a fan of Silpat liners when baking cookies and can't wait to try out the bread version. The perfect compliment to our grainmill!

Crockpot Slowcooker

My slowcooker died a couple of months ago and I have been desperately missing it. I can't wait to put my shiny new red one to use.

Making it Paleo, Bill Staley and Hayley Mason

I have followed their Food Lovers - Primal Palate blog for a long time and was quite excited when Dave got me their new cookbook to add to my collection. I have already tried several of the recipes and am quite impressed with how simple and tasty they make eating paleo. 

I can't wait to play with all of our new toys and post the recipes to share!


Amy

Baked Lemon Pasta

Adapted from The Pioneer Women, serves 6

1 pound spaghettini
4 tablespoons butter 
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 whole lemon, juiced and zested
2 cups sour cream
Salt
Pepper
1/4 cup Parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
2 tablespoons lemon juice
Parsley, finely chopped
Lemon wedges

Preheat the oven to 375 F.

Cook the spaghettini according to the package instructions until al dente. Drain well and set aside.

In a skillet over low heat, melt butter and olive oil. Add the minced garlic and cook for a minute. Squeeze the juice from the lemon into the pan. Remove from heat. Add the sour cream, lemon zest, salt and pepper. Stir until combined.

Combine the sour cream mixture, parmesan cheese and spagettini in an oven safe dish. Bake covered for 15 minutes. Bake an additional 7 to 10 minutes uncovered. Do not let the pasta dry out or burn.

Remove the pasta from the oven and add the additional lemon juice. Garnish with Parmesan cheese, chopped parsley and lemon wedges.

Serve hot.

Thin Mint Cookies

My second batch of Christmas cookies. These are reminiscent of the Girl Guide mint cookies and are very addictive. Be sure to cut them thin or they will turn out hard instead of crispy.

From Baking Bites, makes 2 dozen cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
1/4 cup cornstarch
6 tablespoons cocoa powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1/3 cup milk
1/2 teaspoon vanilla
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

10 ounces dark chocolate
1/2 cup butter
1 teaspoon peppermint extract

In the bowl of the stand mixer, cream together the butter and sugar. With the mixer on low, add the milk, vanilla extract and peppermint extract. Gradually add in the dry ingredients.

Divide the dough in half and roll each half into a 1-1/2 inch diameter log. Wrap in plastic wrap and freeze for an hour until the dough is very firm.

Preheat the over to 375 F. Remove the dough from the freezer and slice the dough into rounds no more than 1/4 inch thick. Place the rounds onto a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes or until the cookies are firm at the edges. Allow the cookies to cool completely.

Melt the chocolate and butter in a double boiler. Add the peppermint extract. Dip each of the cookies into the melted chocolate and allow to set on a wire rack.

Amy

Baked Ricotta Dip

I made this for a Christmas potluck and it was a huge success. Unfortunately I din't manage to get any photos.

Adapted from Inspired Edibles

500 mL container ricotta cheese

3 tablespoons Kalamata olives, finely chopped

3 tablespoons sun dried tomatoes, finely chopped2 garlic cloves, minced
1 teaspoon rosemary
1/4 teaspoon hot chili pepper flakes
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon olive oil (or oil from sun dried tomatoes)

Preheat the oven to 350 F

Add all of the ingredients to a bowl and mix to combine. Transfer the ingredients into an oven proof dish.

Bake for approximately 30 minutes or until cheese mixture is warmed through and starts to bubble around the edges.

Remove from oven and drizzle with olive oil. 

Serve warm with an assortment of crackers, bread and vegetables.

Pumpkin Risotto

This is the first recipe I made from my home-grown, home-made pumpkin puree. It could also be made with pureed squash.

Adapted from Chef In You, serves two

1 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, finely minced
1 onion, finely chopped
1 cup arborio rice
1 cup pumpkin puree
5 to 8 cups of vegetable stock or water
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Salt
Pepper
4 tablespoons parmesan cheese, grated, plus more for garnish
Balsamic vinegar, for garnish

Melt the butter in a sauce pan over low heat. Add the garlic and onions and saute until soft. Add the rice and saute until the grains are translucent, about 2 minutes.

In the meantime, warm the vegetable stock or water in another saucepan. Ladle 1/2 cup of warm stock in to the rice and stir well. Continue adding stock, 1/2 cup at a time, every time the rice absorbs the liquid, while stirring constantly. Continue cooking and adding stock until the rice is tender. With the last of the stock, add the pumpkin puree.

Remove from the heat and stir in the cheese, nutmeg and pepper. You can also add another tablespoon or more of butter if you desire a creamier risotto.

Top with additional parmesan cheese and balsamic vinegar. Serve immediately.

Amy

Sugar Cookies with Eggnog Frosting

It is officially the Christmas baking season!

Nothing says Christmas like eggnog so I couldn't resist this recipe. Soft fluffy sugar cookies topped with rich eggnog frosting... these cookies are heavenly...

Adapted from Authentic Suburban Gourmet, makes three dozen cookies

6 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon baking powder 
1 cup butter, softened
2 cup sugar 
3 eggs 
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 1/2 cups sour cream

1 cup butter, softened
1 teaspoon vanilla extract 
4 cups icing sugar 
6 tablespoons eggnog 
1 teaspoon nutmeg


In the bowl of a stand mixer, cream the butter and sugar until light and fluffy, about 3 minutes. Add the eggs, one at a time, beating until each is incorporated. Add the vanilla and sour cream. Beat at low speed until combined.

Add the dry ingredients and beat on low speed until just combined, scraping down the bowl as needed. The dough will be very sticky. Divide the dough in half and flatten each half into rectangles. Wrap each rectangle with plastic wrap. Chill in the refrigerator overnight or until firm.

Preheat the oven to 425 F. Line two large baking sheets with parchment paper or Silpat liners.

Dust the dough and countertop with flour. Roll the dough out to 1/4 inch thickness. Using a 2-1/2 inch round cookie cutter or a glass, cut the dough into circles and transfer the circles to the baking sheet. 


Bake for 7 minutes or until starting to turn golden.

To make the frosting, cream together the butter and vanilla in the bowl of a stand mixer. Slowly beat in the powdered sugar until incorporated. Add in the eggnog, 1 tablespoon at a time until the desired consistency is achieved. Add the nutmeg and beat to combine. 

Frost the cookies using a knife or spatula. Refrigerate overnight to allow the frosting to set and the flavours to develop.

Enjoy!


Amy

Pumpkin Puree

I was quite surprised to return home after a five week vacation to find that the tiny pumpkins from our garden had turned beautifully orange and were showing no signs of rot. So I decided to try making my own pumpkin puree. Now I just need to decide what to make with it...

From Martha Stewart

One or more fresh pumpkin

Preheat oven to 400 F. Cut off the pumpkins stem and cut in half lengthwise. Remove the seeds with a spoon. Place the pumpkins on a large baking sheet, cut side down. Roast for about one hour or until tender. Remove from oven and allow to cool.

Pull the skin off the pumpkin or scoop out the inside flesh. Place the pumpkin flesh inside a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Line a colander with a double layer of cheesecloth. Transfer the pumpkin puree into the cheesecloth. Allow to drain for at least four hours or until firm.

Store the prepared puree in the refrigerator or freezer.


Amy


Tip: Instead of cheesecloth you can use paint strainer bags that can be purchased from your local paint store. They are typically plastic which means they can be easily washed and reused!