Apples!

Like fiddleheads in the spring, it's Gravenstein apples in the late summer and early fall.

My favourite kind of apple. Crisp and tart, and only available for a very short time.

I was an unkind cousin and sent Ross a picture. These are his favourite apple too, and I felt guilt wash over me as I hit the send button.

The best way to get these delicious apples is to pick them yourself. I find the ones in the supermarket can sometimes taste like they were picked last week. Well they probably were.

I usually try to get them at a local market, or sometimes make a trip to the Valley especially to buy them.



I'm on my second round now, about a dozen each time, sometimes eating two a day.

Once these apples are finished I lose interest in this fruit pretty quick.

When I do buy apples through the winter it's usually the Granny Smith.

I get the crispy tartness, but not the flavour of the Gravenstein.
(Shelley)

The Toasted Tomato Sandwich

Well the harvest was not too bad on the mini tomato bush.

But alas...it is coming to an end.






Next year, I'll plant more, and will get them going sooner since there will be no roofers to worry about.





I love the little cherry tomatoes. They are great in salads, or just to eat a few right out of the dish.

A little fussy to make a toasted sandwich, but good all the same. Even better with home made French bread!

I have a fresh basil plant, and tore up a couple leaves and sprinkled them over the tomatoes. Not sure why I hadn't thought of this before.

Not only did it taste great...the warm toast brought out the basil aroma. That's all you could smell for the rest of the morning.

Better than an air freshener!
(Shelley)

Tequila Slammer

...my new favourite drink!

Now I would call a shot a slammer. With a wedge of lime and a lick of salt.






















Last weekend I was at a restaurant in Halifax, Two Doors Down, and on the menu they had a drink called a Tequila Slammer.

It sounded interesting, tequila, ginger simple syrup, pressed lemon, and topped with ginger beer.

Well you just know I had to try one...or two!

Now to make my own...

I bought the tequila they used, and have made a few since Friday trying to get it just perfect.

I don't know (don't remember) if it tastes like the one I had last weekend, but it's pretty damn good.

Ginger Tequila Slammer

Over ice...
1 1/2 oz Mialgro Resosado Tequila
1 1/2 oz ginger simple syrup
1/2 lemon, juice
top with ginger beer, I was looking for Propeller, bought Crabbies

Ginger Simple Syrup

2 cups water
1 cup sugar
fresh ginger, peeled and cut in pieces, I used about 6 inches

Boil together, and then remove from stove and let steep for about an hour.
Keep in the fridge.









Oh yum! Not quite the same colour...but it might have been a difference in colour in the beer. Or maybe I was heavy handed...
(Shelley)

Spring Rolls with Chicken

I really need to pay more attention to what I'm doing...

But...this was a happy accident that turned into one of the best spring rolls I have made yet. Not really a "Fresh" roll since all the insides are cooked, but the veggies are crispy enough to think it's fresh.

Initially I thought of making a caesar salad with chicken. I would normally BBQ the chicken, but I worked a bit late and was in a hurry.

I chopped it up, and pan fried in a little olive oil...and instead of sprinkling garlic powder...I sprinkled smokey paprika.




Now I know those two look nothing alike...but I had on my mind the chilli chicken kabobs I make...and was thinking chilli instead of garlic...and ended up with paprika.














So already in my mind I was thinking a quick change to the menu...put the lettuce away, chopped up a few veggies and got out the rice paper wrappers.













Spring Rolls with Chicken
Boneless chicken breast, cut up
2 tsp smokey paprika
cabbage, sliced thin
yellow beans, chopped
green beans, chopped
shallot, grated
carrot, grated
salt to taste
8 inch rice wrappers



Coat the chicken in the paprika, season with a little Kosher salt, and pan fry until done.

Remove from pan and set aside.

Add a little water to the hot pan, and add your veggies.

Cook until the water evaporates and the veggies soften a little, but are still crisp.



Meanwhile, shred the chicken.




Once the water has evaporated in the pan, add the chicken back in.

Stir to mix well.

Prepare the rice wrappers, fill and roll.







I made two dipping sauces for the chicken rolls. Hoisin sauce and lime, one of my favourites, and a curry sauce which was pretty good with the rolls as well.

Hoisin Lime Dipping Sauce
Hoisin sauce
Lime juice

The amount of lime juice is a matter of personal taste. Hoisin sauce is good all by itself too!

Curry Dipping Sauce
Plain Greek yogurt or sour cream
Curry powder

Again, it's a matter of personal taste. The curry taste can be as strong as you like it to be.

I think I'm "rolled" out. No more fresh spring rolls for awhile. Looks like its going to be a great day today, so I believe the BBQ will be fired up tonight!
(Shelley)

Fresh Spring Rolls with Pork and Peanut Dipping Sauce

I think it's because I'm a gift wrapping fanatic that I like making the spring rolls so much...

Plus they taste so good.  I'm at it again with the rolls.

I've tried a few different ways...spicy, bland, seasoned, and without...and my first favourite would be the pork rolls I have made.

I poached the piece of pork and sprinkled with a little salt and pepper. That's it for the seasonings inside the roll.

But it's all about the sauce baby! I can see where I'm going to have lots of fun with the sauce.

Some I have made in the past months since touring through Vietnam, I had added quite a few flavours inside the roll. They either get lost because the sauce is strong, or they over power the sauce.

Too many flavours happening. KISS..."Keep it simple..."...well you know the rest...






Fresh Spring Rolls with Pork
3 8 inch rice wrappers
1 boneless pork loin chop, cooked and sliced thin
Carrot, about 1/2 medium, sliced
Cucumber, 2 1/2 - 3 inch piece, sliced (seeded)
fresh mint, chopped
rice noodles, cooked
pinch of salt and pepper for the pork










Prepare the wrapper by dipping in hot water for only a second or two.









Arrange the noodles, carrot, cucumber, pork, and top with more noodles.













Wrap and slice...or not.

Peanut Sauce
2 Tbsp Hoisin sauce
1 Tbsp peanut butter
2 Tbsp lime juice

Mix all together.

(Shelley)

Bazlama Revisited

One of my favourite recipes so far is the Turkish flatbread Bazlama.  I think it's the versatility of the dough that is my main fascination.  Made the traditional way, it is truly delicious, but I've also used it for some other purposes such as Raisin Bread Rolls, Pizza, and Cinnamon Swirl Bread.

When used as a bread, the dough is very light and airy, so I think adjusting some of the ingredients is helpful.  A bit less yeast, a bit less fat, a bit less dairy.  Many people say that baking is strict and exact measurements are key.  I disagree.  Especially when it comes to breads.  I prefer to measure approximately and then adjust by the texture and feel of the dough.  Just remember to adjust with liquid if things are too dry or more flour if it's too wet.
(Ross)


Basic Bazlama Recipe
1 cup Warm Water
1 tbsp Instant Yeast
3 cups Flour (plus one cup more for kneading)
1/2 cup Yoghurt (or Sour Cream)
1/4 cup Olive Oil
2 tsp White Sugar
2 tsp Salt

• Add the yeast to the warm water and set aside to let the yeast activate.  If the yeast is good, it should only need 10 or 15 minutes.
• Meanwhile, combine the yoghurt and the flour.  I used my hands to mix it in until the dough was damp and crumbly.
•  Next add the sugar, salt, and oil. Stir and/or knead this into the dough.  I think I just used my hands to mix it at this stage too.
• Once the yeast has started to foam nicely, add the yeast/water mixture to the dough and knead it in.  The dough may be quite sticky by now, so additional flour might be needed.
• Turn the dough out onto a floured surface and knead until it has a smooth texture. Form the dough into a ball, cover it, and let it rise for about an hour or so.

Pizza

• I used only about 1/3 of a cup of yoghurt and 2 tablespoons of oil, so I also adjusted the amount of flour accordingly.
• After letting it rise, I rolled out the entire ball as flat as I could then placed it on a pizza pan.
• This was topped with tomato sauce, then pepperoni, and finally grated mozzarella.
• Bake in a hot over (450 or 475) until the cheese starts to turn brown and the crust is done (about 10 to 15 minutes).
• The texture is more fluffy than pizzeria pizza, but yummy just the same.

 

Raisin Bread Rolls 

• This time I used 2/3 of a cup of yoghurt and canola oil instead of olive oil.
• When adding the sugar and salt, I also added ginger, cinnamon, and raisins which had been soaked in bourbon.
• After the dough had risen, I divided it into 12 and formed each one into a small ball, then placed them all in a greased muffin pan.  Next time, I think I would make more balls so they would be smaller.
• I let these rise for about half an hour or so and then baked them at 375 for 10 minutes or so -- until they are nicely browned.

Cinnamon Swirl Bread

• This started out to be cinnamon rolls but I made the mistake of using melted butter -- which started to make a big mess.
• The yoghurt was running low, so I used 1/3 of a cup plus about 1/4 cup or so of vanilla soy milk.  I also was heavy handed with the sugar.
• The dough was rolled out similar to the pizza, but into as much of a rectangle as possible.
• Mix about 1 1/2 cups of brown sugar with a tablespoon of cinnamon.
• Melt 1/2 cup of butter and add the brown sugar mixture to it.
• This is where it gets messy -- it's worth it though.  Spread the butter and sugar mixture over the dough and then roll it up.  The butter/sugar will leak out of the ends, so be careful to try and prevent this.
• Place the rolled up dough into a well greased bread pan and bake at about 375 for 15 minutes or so. The top of the loaf should be nicely browned.
• Let cool briefly and then remove from the pan onto a serving plate.
• Note to self:  Grease the pan and grease it well!   -- See below.

Some came out of the pan.

Some stayed in the pan.

Max's Garden Salad

My intent was to start in Vietnam reviewing recipes...spring rolls to be exact. But I got a little sidetracked.

As I was wandering through the grocery store yesterday morning...looking for pumpkin puree for my cat (a long story), I noticed the display of Annapolis Valley produce.

We are so lucky to have such wonderful local produce this time of year, it seemed a shame to pass it by.

So I didn't...

I worked it around the Turkish Shepherd's Salad that Ross posted on August 20. I like how simple the dressing is...an enhancement to the veggies rather than taking over.

All ingredients were fresh, most local...the tomatoes from my deck...and I didn't measure a thing! I just started chopping and layered everything in a bowl.

When I was ready to serve, everything got tossed with a little olive oil, lemon juice, and fresh chopped basil.

I've named this salad after my cat...since he was the reason I was in the grocery store in the first place.

Max's Garden Salad
Romaine lettuce
Green beens, cut in pieces
Yellow beans, cut in pieces
Red onion, sliced
Mushrooms, sliced
English cucumber, seeded and chopped
Green pepper, seeded and chopped
Carrots, sliced
cherry tomatoes, halved
Feta cheese

Dressing - equal parts olive oil and lemon juice

Toss with the dressing just as you are ready to serve.

Vietnam - Kenya - Australia - Czech Republic - Turkey "A Review"

Ross and I have often talked about writing a cookbook. 

We get together, the subject of a cookbook always comes up, and we make a promise to each other, "start making a list of our favourite recipes". 

Then a year goes by (maybe two), life happens, and we start making plans all over again.

We were never sure where to start.

What kind of cookbook we should write?

Favourite recipes handed down from our mothers and grandmothers, or something else altogether.

With this BLOG the subject of a cookbook has come up again...and guess what? We have  finally started our list of recipes without even realizing!

We’ve decided to go back to the beginning of “Around the World”, and re-visit the recipes we’ve posted.

If we want to make this cookbook about recipes we love, and would make over and over, we need to make the recipes “ours”. Put our own stamp on them…tweak them…and mix up the ingredients a little.

So…we’re heading back to Vietnam, Kenya, Australia, Czech Republic, and Turkey for an overhaul of the recipes we’ve tried, and probably some we haven’t.

The idea of a cookbook isn’t so much now just a topic to discuss over and over. We have a place to start. Whether we share the cookbook in a small way with family and friends, or go big…it seems like we are finally going to give it a go…

Stay tuned for a peek of our favourites from our first five countries!

And stay tuned for "Cooking with Cousins - Our Favourite Recipes from Around the World"

Kisir

It's kind of like tabbouleh. I thought perhaps there wouldn't be as much preparation, but I was wrong.



It caught my eye because of the cumin.

I'm determined to like it.

The recipe makes a huge amount, and is partially cooked so I doubt it will keep too long in the refrigerator.

It was my contribution to yet another get together...I think it was a hit.

This time I decided on something that is healthy...and then I parked myself in front of a cream cheese dip. Well I tried!

I do have enough for lunch tomorrow.

Will be a busy first work day of September and always nice to have something prepared in advance.

This will be my last recipe from Turkey...for now.




Kisir

1 cup bulgur wheat
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 red onion, diced
1 - 2 Tbsp tomato paste
2 Tbsp lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt
1 Tbsp cumin
3-4 tomatoes, seeded and diced
4-5 green onions, diced
1 cup chopped parsley









Add the bulgur to a bowl and pour in two cups boiling water. Let stand at least 5 minutes.

In a medium sized pot, add the oil, onion, tomato paste, lemon juice, salt, and cumin.

Cook until the onions start to soften.











Wash and drain the bugler, and add to the onions.

Cook another 5 minutes.

Remove from heat, cover and set aside to cool.










When mixture is cool, add the tomatoes, green onions, and parsley.

Toss.

Serve with flatbread or crackers, or as a side. Best served cold.
(Shelley)