Snowy Jaunts and Warming Soup

After a wonderfully jolly weekend of trips up to the snowy mountains and into Canada, and good ol' visits with friends and family, it's time to knuckle down and get ready for my week.

I'm a busy girl these days, working full-time, freelancing for a newspaper and blogging five days a week. As much as I love to cook, by the time I finish my work each day I'm exhausted and all I want to do is curl up with a book and have food ready to eat.

Thus, every Sunday evening is spent in my kitchen, preparing foods that work beautifully as leftovers for the work week ahead: savory tarts, stew, casseroles, pretty much anything healthy that can be divided up easily and reheated.

This Sunday, after two days spent outside in freezing rain and deep snow,

I wanted to warm my bones with hot, soothing soup. I didn't have the ingredients for "real" soup recipes, so I got creative, making it up as I went.

It turned into a lovely chicken soup, thick and hearty with carrots, celery, onion, potatoes and barley,

 and cilantro and fresh lime juice to zest it up.

 

 With tortilla chips on the side, it's the perfect lunch for a rainy Washington day.

Chicken Soup with Cilantro and Lime

8 cups chicken stock

1 large yellow onion, chopped

2 stalks celery, diced

2 large carrots, diced

1/3 cup barley

1-2 tsp dried cilantro

1 large can chicken, shredded

ground black pepper to taste

1 lime, cut into wedges

Combine everything but limes and bring to boil. Simmer for 20-30 minutes until vegetables are tender and barley cooked. Serve with limes and fresh cilantro.

Ryan's Herbed Frittata

My younger brother Ryan is one of the best cooks I know. For years he has delighted us with such dishes as roasted rack of lamb with caramelized walnuts, chicken curry with lime and cilantro or dark chocolate filled croissants.

These days Ryan divides his time between Paris and Amsterdam, but this week we get him all to ourselves for days on end of old movies, games and LOTS of happy eating.

As much as we love his razzle-dazzle, knock-your-socks-off food, sometimes it's the simple ones that are truly comforting.

Saturday morning he gathered all manner of lovely bits together for a fabulous frittata. He finely chopped onion, peppers and bacon, frying them up into caramelized goodness.

Then added heavy cream, eggs and chopped fresh herbs.

He stirred and simmered the lot for a minute or two, then let it sit a bit until almost firm. Finally he topped the egg mixture with chopped cherry tomatoes and herbed feta cheese and slid the pan into the oven to finish cooking and brown the top.

Finally it was done, browned and beautiful, perfect with a slice of hot buttered raisin toast.

 

Ryan's Herbed Frittata

1/2 onion diced fine

1/2 red bell pepper diced fine

1/4 cup crumbled bacon bits

1/4 cup cream

8 large eggs

2 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs such as rosemary and parsley

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, halved

4 ounces herbed feta cheese

Saute onion, bell pepper and bacon until vegetables are soft.

Beat eggs, herbs and cream together and add to pan, stirring gently to heat through. Let sit in pan over low-medium heat until mostly solid.

Top with cherry tomatoes and feta cheese and place under broiler for 3-5 minutes until golden brown and eggs are set.

Serve hot with toast.

A Little Dash Of Canada in Thanksgiving

For as long as I can remember, Nanaimo Bars have been a feature at every family holiday dessert table. The mere mention of the name can cause my overseas brothers to groan in jealous delight. :-)

They come from my homeland of Canada and are devilish little morsels, chock full of butter and chocolate and more butter.

So on this most American of holidays, I wish my Yankee friends HAPPY THANKSGIVING and share a little treat from our Canadian Thanksgiving holidays.

Nanaimo Bars
Recipe from Company's Coming - 150 Delicious Squares!


Bottom Layer:
1/2 cup butter or margarine, softened
1/4 cup granulated sugar
5 tablespoons cocoa
1 large egg, beaten
1 3/4 cups graham cracker crumbs
1/2 cup finely chopped walnuts
1 cup fine coconut

Middle Layer:
1/2 cup butter or margarine
3 tablespoons milk
2 tablespoons vanilla custard powder
2 cups icing sugar

Topping:
2/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips or 4 ounces chocolate
4 tablespoons butter or margarine

Directions:

Bottom Layer:

• Melt first 3 ingredients in top of double boiler or heavy saucepan.
• Add egg & stir to cook & thicken.
• Remove from heat.
• Stir in remaining ingredients& press firmly into an ungreased 9 x 9-inch pan.

Middle Layer:

• Cream all ingredients together; beat until light.
• Spread over bottom layer.

Topping:

• Melt chips & butter over low heat; cool.
• When cooled but still runny, spread over middle layer.
• Chill in refrigerator. Use a very sharp knife to cut into squares.
  

Southern With A Dash of Swedish

Once a week I join a group of friends for Culinary Experimentation Club. It started out with five of us, formed after the season finale of "24" left us with free Monday evenings. :-) Over the months new foodies have swelled our ranks to 13 on an average night.

It is such a jolly time, everyone arriving with armloads of ingredients, visiting amiably over glasses of wine as we stir, chop, roast and finally, EAT!

We are a motley crew of musicians, artists, computer techies, writers, students, and salesmen. Many of us were strangers until Culinary Experimentation Club brought us together, and for some of us, this night is the only time our lives intersect.

In our regular lives we face divorces, single-parenting, heartbreak, and turmoil of faith, but this weekly gathering is a safe haven, a place to love and be loved and divulge as little or as much as we like. Outside world tensions ease as we sip our drinks, discuss recipes, and sneak bits of each others creations when no one (or everyone!) is looking.

I love these people.

This week we chose a Southern theme, adding a dash of Swedish to keep things interesting.

Toby started off the evening with a gorgeous cheese platter and beautiful apple flower, while Cameron braved the rain-storm to find some alder in the woods to smoke flank steak and brisket.

Darren made homemade creamed corn in the crock pot and prosciutto wrapped asparagus in the smoker.

Kat's friend Serena made a crispy coleslaw zesty with lime juice and fresh cilantro.

My brother and I made savory Swedish mashed potatoes, rich with ricotta cheese. Kat whipped up spicy gluten-free hush puppies and, with Mike's hammer expertise, made a pan of fudge dotted with smashed candy canes.

Twas a delicious evening!

Swedish Mashed Potatoes

12 large potatoes
12 garlic cloves
1 stick butter
2 tsp garlic powder
15 oz tub ricotta cheese
15 oz tub sour cream
1 bunch scallions, sliced
paprika

Boil potatoes with garlic cloves until potatoes are tender. Mash potatoes, garlic and remaining ingredients. Spread mixture into buttered 9" by 13" pan, sprinkle with paprika and bake at 375 for 45 minutes until golden brown.

Paris Crêpes

Next to making and sharing delicious food, traveling is my favorite pastime. I gladly give up movies, new clothes and such, and put every spare penny towards plane tickets, hotel rooms and oh so fabulous meals.

This fall I spent a couple of weeks in Paris visiting family and dear friends. One brisk afternoon my friend Amy and I donned coats and scarves and set off for the Jardin de Luxembourg, instantly slowing to a saunter as we entered the gates.

Wide, leaf-strewn gravel paths meandered past twisted old trees, around great stretches of green grass bordered in short, scalloped iron fencing. At the center of nearly every grassy place was an intricately carved marble statue, its base festooned with flowers, the lawns dotted with fallen leaves.

It was lunchtime and clusters of teenagers parked themselves on chairs, benches and even the pathways to eat their meal, laughing, talking and smoking happily in the warm fall sunshine. Here and there an artist sat in the sun, capturing the autumnal beauty in chalk or paint. Well-dressed women sat alone with their thoughts, or shared them animatedly with a friend. My favorites were the elderly couples, the women in heels, dresses and wool coats, the men in dress pants and overcoats, both wearing hats, strolling hand in hand along the winding pathways.

We emerged from the park ages later, our hearts richly satisfied with the beauties we'd seen, and walked towards the Pantheon. By this time our stomachs were crying out for victuals, and we spotted a crêperie across the road. We had the cheeriest waiter, a young fellow about 22 who behaved as though nothing pleased him more than to see his customers happy.

He seated us outside at a tiny round table and brought us flat water and our buckwheat crêpes of choice. I chose a savory one filled with white ham, Emmental cheese, tomato and fried egg, while Amy indulged her sweet tooth with Nutella, banana and coconut. The crêpes were amazing - delectably crisp yet chewy, with fresh and flavorful fillings. Ooeee, SO good on a cold day! :-)

They were delicious, so earthy, rich and hearty that within a day or two we were positively craving them!

We found another crêperie down a twisting side street and were directed to a teensy table by the window with two round-seated wooden chairs. Within a few minutes it was packed to the gills with locals - nary a tourist to be seen - so we were quite proud of our choice. :-) Amy's crêpe was filled with melty, caramelized pears and I had a buckwheat one with cheese, ham and egg topped with a fabulous green salad with a vinegary dressing that dripped down onto the crepe. Deeeelicious!

Wanting to replicate these beauties at home, I was thrilled to discover David Lebowitz's wonderful recipe. I just substitute whole wheat flour. Enjoy!

Buckwheat Crêpes
18-20 crêpes

It's best to let the batter chill overnight, but let it come to room temperature prior to frying them up. And keep stirring the batter as you go while frying since the flour tends to sink to the bottom.

2 cups whole milk
1 tablespoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon sea salt
3 tablespoons butter, salted or unsalted, melted
1/2 cup buckwheat flour
3/4 cup all-purpose flour (I use whole wheat flour)
3 large eggs

In a blender, or with a whisk, mix together all the ingredients until smooth. Cover and chill overnight.

To fry the crêpes, remove the batter from the refrigerator about an hour before frying. Stir it briskly; it should be the consistency of heavy cream. (If not, you can add a tablespoon of milk.)

Heat a 8- to 9-inch skillet on the stovetop. You can use a real crêpe pan that's been seasoned, but I use a Tefal non-stick skillet which works great.

Drop a tiny piece of butter or neutral oil in the hot pan and wipe it around with a paper towel. (I only do this for the first crêpe.)

Lift the pan and pour 1/4 cup of the batter in the middle of the hot skillet, swirling the pan to distribute the batter quickly and evenly. The pan shouldn't be too hot or too cold: the batter should start cooking within a few seconds, giving you just enough time to swirl it. It may take a couple of crêpes for you to get your rhythm.

After about a minute, run a non-stick spatula around the underside of the rim of the crêpe, then flip the crêpe over.

Let the crêpe cook on the flip side for about 30 seconds, then slide it out onto a dinner plate. Repeat, cooking the crêpes with the remaining batter, stirring the batter every so often as you go.

Crêpes should be served warm. To rewarm the crêpes for serving, fold the crêpes and put them in a baking dish covered with foil. Heat them in a moderate oven until warmed through.

Sick Girl Monday

It's pouring rain and I'm curled up on the couch under a quilt trying to get better. :-)

Feeling perfectly blechy I will simply share a photo today, one of my absolute favorite tarts: Blueberry Cherry Tart with Maple Cream. Gnite!

Mums' Sunday Dinners

Welcome to Fabulous Friday where I feature a beloved cook, be they friend, family member or stranger.

With the launch of www.ramblingtart.com I simply had to feature the woman who taught me how to cook: my Mums. I love this picture of her, so happy surrounded by her kids and hubby.

I have so many amazing food memories with Mums - chocolate porridge, Vietnamese noodle soup, and Hungry Man Casserole - but I think my favorite is Sunday dinner.

Mums is the queen of idyllic Sunday dinners, rising early in the morning to slather up chickens with olive oil, stuff them with whole heads of garlic or chunks of lemon and sprinkle liberally with salt and pepper.

She would never dream of roasting the birds without first browning them beautifully, letting the high heat melt away the fat and turn the skin crisp and salty.

While the chickens roast a while on their own, she busies herself washing and chopping veggies - fingerling potatoes, turnips, parsnips, sweet potatoes, great chunks of onion and more garlic. Tossing them together in a big metal bowl, she glugs olive oil over the lot, adds salt, pepper and fresh rosemary from her garden, then nestles them in around the roasting chickens, pops them in the oven and dashes off to church.

This week Mums coated the veggies with heavy whipping cream instead of olive oil and the results were divine! Even the potatoes were moist and tender, their skins a lovely golden brown from the cream.

All of us kids love visiting Mums and Dad on Sundays, my brothers oh-ho-ho-ing appreciatively as they come in out of the cold to a house filled with the scent of roasted chicken.

After hanging up coats and scarves we natter away while setting the table with Mums' cobalt blue dishes, carrying platters of steaming food from the stove, settling in to our usual chairs and bowing our heads for prayer. A quick one, lest a skin form on the gravy. :-)

We linger longest over Sunday dinners, everyone getting seconds, the occasional hand snaking out for just one more potato, one last slice of chicken as we visit.

Afterward we adjourn to the living room for British murder mysteries and hot cups of Earl Grey tea with cream and maple syrup.

Thanks for making Sundays so beautiful, Mums. I love you!

Soufflé Success!!!

Welcome to Plucky Thursday, the day where I attempt culinary feats that scare, daunt or otherwise befuddle me.

This week I faced the soufflé, that beautiful, airy dish whose very name causes me to inwardly tremble.

Naturally reticent to experiment before a crowd, I forced myself to make them not just for me, but for my entire Culinary Experimentation Group - a band of marvy friends who meet every Monday night to cook, imbibe and engage in lively conversation.

I settled on Gordon Ramsay's Spinach Goat Cheese Soufflés, altering the recipe to accommodate the gluten-free diet of one of our members.

Arriving at Don's house - the scene of our convivial evenings - on a particularly blustery night, I struggled through the buffeting winds, my arms loaded down with eggs, soft goat cheese and bags of spinach.

Greeting one and all I put on a brave face, calming myself with the familiar routines of chopping, steaming and grating. Finally the ingredients were assembled, hand-whipped egg whites folded in and I poured the mixture into twice-buttered ramekins and slid them into the oven.

I tried not to look for the first 15 minutes, and when the timer beeped I was appalled to discover the soufflés hadn't risen a smidge! I paced to and fro in front of the oven, willing them to poof, PLEASE POOF!!! But they just sat there, in all their gooey, cheesy goodness, getting hotter but not bigger.

 Mike and Darren hovered close by, ricing potatoes and stirring sticky lemon chicken.

"Just give it a little more time," Darren suggested as we peered in through the glass door. We waited another five minutes. Nothing.

Mike urged me to do the "poofy dance", sure that would do the trick. He obliged us with a demonstration which produced much hilarity but no poofing.


Another three minutes passed, then five, and then HUZZAH!!! Up they came! Golden brown and wondrously poofy!

Soufflés, you are my friend!

Gluten-Free Spinach Goat Cheese Soufflés
Altered from Gordon Ramsay's book "Healthy Appetite"

Cooking Time: says 15 minutes, but mine took about 25
Servings: 8 ramekins

Softened butter, to grease the dishes
1 lb baby leaf spinach, washed
Sea salt and black pepper
3 Tbsp olive oil (or butter)
3 Tbsp finely chopped onion
2 garlic cloves, peeled and finely minced
2 Tbsp sorghum flour
2 Tbsp potato starch
A pinch of Cayenne pepper, or to taste
1 cup milk
7 ounces soft goat's cheese
2 tbsp finely grated Parmesan
4 large eggs, separated

Heat the over to 400°F. Brush 8 ramekins with very soft butter, using upward strokes. Set them on a baking tray, chill for 15 minutes, then repeat with another coating of butter.

Set a large pan over a medium-high heat. When hot, add the spinach and some seasoning. Stir for a few minutes until the leaves have wilted, adding a tiny splash of water as necessary. Tip into a colander set over a large bowl. Cool slightly, then wrap the spinach in a clean tea-towel and squeeze out the excess moisture. Chop finely and set aside.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saucepan and add the onion and garlic. Stir over medium heat for 4-6 minutes until soft. Add the flour and Cayenne pepper and stir over low heat for 3-4 minutes. Gradually whisk in the milk. Simmer and stir for a few minutes until the mixture becomes thick. Transfer to a large bowl and cool slightly.

Crumble the goat's cheese into the mixture, then add the Parmesan and a little seasoning and stir to combine. Mix in the spinach and and egg yolks. Set aside.

Beat the egg whites in a clean bowl with an electric whisk (or by hand for a VERY long time!) until they hold firm peaks, then fold into the spinach and cheese mixture until just combined. Spoon into the prepared ramekins and tap gently on the work surface to get rid of any large air pockets. Run the tip of a small knife around the edge of each one. Bake for 15-25 minutes until risen and golden brown on top.

Serve immediately.