Something sweet

I recently found myself with a (quite ripe) pint of raspberries in the fridge.

Usually I eat raspberries quickly, so the fact that these had not already been consumed was quite the surprise.  But they were getting a little mushy, and so they needed to be used.  I was also experiencing some pretty severe writers block, so I did what any same person would do: I baked.  And, as luck would have it I was also able to get my hands on some strawberries.....

Berry crumble was on the menu.

The best thing about a crumble is that it can be made with any in-season fruit.  The second best thing about a crumble is that it's super easy to put together and requires few ingredients...and it's a nice light dessert, perfect for summer nights.

Ingredients
-about 6 cup of fruit...whatever you like.  Apples, pears, peaches, and plums work particularly well, as do berries.  I also like rhubarb, though you need to balance out it's tartness with something a little sweet.
-1/4 cup sugar
-1 cup flour
-1 tbsp lemon juice
-3/4 cup rolled oats
-1 tsp cinnamon
-1/2 tsp ground ginger (or use fresh for more delightful ginger flavour)
-1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
-1/4 tsp salt
-1/2 cup butter (or margarine)

Directions

1) Preheat your over to 350 degrees F.

2) Combine fruit, sugar, 1/4 cup flour, and lemon juice in a bowl; mix well.  Transfer the fruit mixture to a lightly greased 9x13 pan.

3) Combine remaining dry ingredients in another bowl.  Add butter; rub in with fingertips until the mixture holds together in small clumps.  Sprinkle over berry mixture.

4) Bake until the fruit mixture bubbles thickly and the topping is golden brown (about 1 hour).  Let stand 15 minutes before serving.

Delicious.  I like mine with a scoop of vanilla ice cream and a hint of maple syrup......

Keen-what?

Now that I'm back from my holiday, it's time to get back into the swing of blogging on a weekly basis.

Sometimes it can be challenging to come up with a side dish since the old standbys (potatoes, pasta, rice) are so readily available and delicious.  However, eating the same thing day after day can get a little tiresome, and so it's always good to have another side dish in one's repertoire.

Why not try quinoa?

Pronounced "keen-wah," quinoa is a delicious and nutritious South American seed.  Easy to cook, it's become possible in recent years due to it's high protein "superfood" status.  Whether or not you buy the whole superfood thing, quinoa is something that you should try.  It's easy to cook, and is good both hot (as in the recipe that I'm going to share with you) or cold (in a salad).

You should cook quinoa the same way you would rice: two cups of liquid to every cup of quinoa.  I like to cook mine using chicken or vegetable stock...it adds more flavour.  Add both the liquid and quinoa to a pot and bring to a boil; once the liquid is boiling reduce the heat, cover, and simmer for 15 minutes (until you can see the germ...the little white bit curling around the seeds in the photo below).

The other clue that your quinoa is cooked?  All the liquid is gone!

Once the quinoa is cooked you can do any number of things with it.  One especially great option is to cool is to room temperature and mix it with veggies/dressing to make a healthy and balanced salad, but I'm going to share another great option......

1) Cook 1.5 cups quinoa in 3 cups chicken (or vegetable) stock according to the directions above.  When the quinoa is finished cooking, stir in 2-3 tbsp low fat cream cheese (I like to use the herb and garlic kind for more flavour) and stir until well mixed.

2) Saute 5 cups of veggies (any kind) in olive oil and garlic.  When they are crisp tender, add them to the quinoa mixture.

Here I've chosen a combination of mushrooms, asparagus, and peas...but feel free to use whatever is either in season or in your fridge.

And, as always, enjoy!

Thinking outside the box (of KD)

Let's face it: I haven't posted in awhile.

As I alluded to the last time I posted, I've been going out for dinner a lot over the last couple of weeks.  But the other night while staying with my parents I finally found a chance to cook.  The weather was cold and stormy, which called for something warm and bubbly: macaroni and cheese.

Like any good college student, I fell in love with macaroni and cheese in the form of Kraft Dinner, the radioactive orange meal in a box that contains more preservatives than dairy products.  As I grew older, however, I started to desire something that tasted less like sodium and orange number six.

The potential problem with homemade mac and cheese is one of money: good cheese is expensive, and good cheese is what adds flavour.  So I had to find another way to make this casserole taste delicious.....

I found the answer in a recipe by the fantastic Michael Smith.  You can use whatever pasta you have in the cupboard and, better yet, whatever cheese happens to be in your fridge (or on sale).  The flavour comes from the spices added to the sauce: garlic, paprika, cayenne, and dijon mustard (Michael Smith's secret weapon).

Ingredients

-1 pound of pasta (any kind)

-1/4 cup butter

-several cloves of garlic

-2/3 cup flour

-a big splash of white wine

-5 cups milk

-1 pound cheese (any kind)

-2 tablespoons dijon mustard

-2 tablespoons paprika

-cayenne pepper to taste

Directions

Optional step 0......for more flavour, use bacon.  Chop approximately one pound of bacon and toss into a thick bottomed saucepan over medium-high heat (if you add one cup of water, you can allow the bacon to gradually release it's fat and brown evenly without burning).  Cook until the bacon is nicely cooked; remove the bacon, but reserve the fat.

(If you go with the bacon step, omit the butter and use bacon fat instead.)

1) Cook the pasta according to package directions.  Drain (don't rinse...the start helps the sauce stick to the pasta) and set aside.

2) Melt the butter over medium heat.  Add the garlic and cook for several minutes.  Add the flour and stir with a wooden spoon until a smooth paste forms.  Continue cooking the roux for several minutes to add flavour.

3) Add the wine, and stir until the mixture becomes smooth again.  Slowly add the milk and switch to a whisk, stirring until the mixture is smooth.  Then cook a couple of minutes longer until the milk begins to thicken.

4) Stir in the cheese, dijon mustard, paprika, and cayenne pepper.  Stir the cooked pasta into the cheese mixture.  Pour everything into a 9x13 pan and bake at 350 degrees F for about 30 minutes (or until the cheese is bubbly).

For added flavour I like to sprinkle extra parmesan cheese across the top of my mac and cheese....

Then, as always.....enjoy!!