Latte anyone?

For years I have been longing for an espresso machine that would keep me in the caffeine high I am accustomed to without the high prices of "Starsbucks" as my 3 year old calls it.  To make an investment of this amount it took some debate and heaving consideration.  The math was done and when I found a machine that was refurbished at $400 less it weighed it seemed to tip the scales in my favour.  What to do next???  Select my coffee of course.  Having my roots originating in Costa Rica there was no doubt where I would be getting my espresso beans from; Cafe Britt!  The coffee arrived in a few short days and well before I had a chance to go purchase the machine, was this the order I should be doing things in? No worries too late now...  I finally got over the delightful (insert sarcasm here) upper respiratory infection and was able to pick up my machine.  Lucky for me there was one left with my name on it!  The math said that if we made 2 lattes a day for 11 weeks instead of going to a cafe it would pay for itself in savings.  Now how fast do you think it would pay for itself if we upped that amount to 4-6 per day????  It's hard not to have more than one when the espresso is smooth and not bitter and the milk is heated to the right temp and the foam is plenty.  I even went as far as to pick up all my favorite syrups and sprinkles.  It makes getting up a little easier, even when you've only had a few hours sleep.  Best part; the commute is no existent and pj's are acceptable attire.  Second cup?  Of course!

Beef & Barley Stew

As the weather changes it's time to spruce up those dreary winter days.  A great way to do this is a warm and hearty stew.  Not just any stew, a beef & barley stew with red wine!  Since I posted this photo I have already had the recipe request a couple of times so here it goes....

Ingredients:
1 kg stewing beef, cubed, rinsed and pat dried
1 bottle of a hearty red wine (I used a Chilean Cab Sav)
Chopped or dehydrated garlic
2/3 cup Pearl onions
3 Carrots
1 Red pepper
1 small sweet potatoe, peeled
9 nugget yellow flesh potatoes
1 can sliced mushrooms
1 can diced tomatoes or 1 cup grated fresh tomatoes
2 TBSP Italian Seasoning (basil, oregano, marjoram, rosemary)
1/2 cup barley (pearl or pot barley both work fine)
Stock or water
Salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 400F
In a dutch oven or other oven proof pot with a lid brown beef with 2 tbsp vegetable oil, salt and pepper.  Once brown add wine and stir to deglaze pan.  Continue cooking at med/high until 1/2 of the wine boils off. 
Chop veggies into similar sizes, if the nugget potatoes are small and tender no need to peel.  You can substitute regular potatoes but those should be peeled.  Add all veggies & barley and stir to coat.  Add seasoning and salt and pepper to taste.  Add enough stock or water to come up to the 3/4 full mark on your pot.  Cover and put in the oven for 45 mins.  Check occasionally to ensure there is enough liquid and add stock or water as needed. 

Serve with a crusty Italian bun or loaf and watch the dreariness disappear!

Roasted Vegetable Lasagna

What better inspiration than a bag of the most lovely eggplant I have seen.  It was next to some delicate zucchini and after adding a few more ingredients to my shopping list roasted veggie lasagna was on it's way to becoming a reality.  First was to roast the zucchini and eggplant with olive oil and Italian seasoning.  Second saute the spinach with some fresh garlic, salt, pepper and a smidgen of nutmeg.  Put together an organic tomato basil sauce and add a can of diced tomatoes some Italian seasoning and fresh garlic.  My secret ingredient??? Umami paste added to my sauce to give it that extra special flavour.  You may ask what other secrets I have up my sleeve?  Fresh lasagna sheets instead of dried pasta, it makes all the difference!  Now for the layers:

1. small ladle of sauce

2. fresh lasagna sheets

3. ricotta cheese, topped with sauteed spinach, topped with sauce and a sprinkle of mozzarella cheese

4. next layer of fresh lasagna sheets

5. zucchini, eggplant topped with sauce and another sprinkle of mozzarella cheese

6. final layer of lasagna sheets topped with the remainder of the sauce

7. add a good helping of mozzarella cheese

Bake at 350F until bubbling along the edges and cheese is browned slightly.  I'd say take the time to savour and enjoy every bite however it's so delicious it won't last that long!  Enjoy!

Cajun

Not sure what the allure is.... whether it's because it's the setting for one of the vampire stories I read, or the thought of blackening items and still being able to eat them and say "that's exactly how it's supposed to look".  Maybe it's just the feeling that down home cooking gives you on a cold day?  Whatever the reason I find Cajun food fabulously interesting.  My husband recently travelled to Louisiana and although I could not go with him he made sure that packed away in his suitcase were a few key ingredients to help me create some masterpieces!  Fist up: Fish Fry.

Dinner with friends was served up Cajun style with a good old fashioned fish fry.  I took my package of Louisiana fish fry and some fresh snapper and made a gigantic mess of fried goodness in my kitchen.  Topped with your choice of "Cajun Seasoning" or "Slap Ya Mamma" spice dinner was a hit in the making.  To accompany, and also regulate our intake of fat...I served a spinach salad topped with almond slices, pumpkin seeds, fresh tomatoes and a little buffalo mozzarella.  Last but not least, what would be the point of serving a fried fish without some sort of a chip, Smashed Potatoes!  A take away from watching Michael Smith's Chef at Home it's tasty and a work out all at once.  Cooking these potatoes at high heat always sets off my smoke detectors and my family and I frantically wave blankets and cloths to try and stop the beeping.  It's my way of working off a few calories before I eat them.  Great times were had by all and leftovers were transformed into Cajun fish burgers the following night!  Two birds killed with one stone.

Untammed Feast - Wild Mushrooms

As a yearly tradition I visit the Circle Craft fair and look for something I just can't live without.  Whether it be the olive spoon, aluminum earrings or this year dehydrated wild mushrooms!  Upon approaching the bustling Untammed Feast booth it was clear that they had generated some excitement.  Samples tend to do that amongst a crowd.  We patiently waited our turn and had a taste of their alder smoked chantrelle mushroom dip!  It was love at first bite and I instantly had to have them all... and I did.  Now what to do with these mushrooms?  Go home and make wild mushroom risotto for dinner, that's what.  I began my risotto mostly following the included recipe but used dry white vermouth instead of wine.  The smell that permeated the kitchen and most of my place was making my mouth water.  It was all we could do to wait for it to be ready.  17 mins later it was risotto bliss.  Now looking forward to the next mushroom delight!

Pescatarian for a month

Pescawhat?  Think of a vegetarian that eats fish and shellfish and then you have a pescatarian.  If you have never heard of this you are not alone.  When I recently decided to give up meat for a month and called myself a vegetarian who eats seafood my friend shared that there was actually a name for that, who knew?  In efforts to prepare for the holiday season of amazing delicacies I am eating healthy for the next month.  Now if I happen to loose a few pounds before my birthday and Christmas then so be it!  How did I start this off you may ask?  Well nothing short of delicious in a prawn and tofu stir fry over mung bean noodles.  Healthy, tasty and low fat.  If only all meals could be this easy.  I'll share some of my many food adventures this month and let me know if you want to try this out???

Watermelon Salad

Long gone are the days that salads are just a side line filler.  A good salad can be every bit as satisfying and delicious as any other part of a meal.  In fact if you have ever had the opportunity to eat one of my salads they are usually a meal on their own.  I had the privilege of attending a friends wedding this summer and found yet another interesting salad.  Nothing says freshness quite like a juicy watermelon and when it becomes the center piece of the salad you will never look at it the same way. Served in a bowl topped with goat cheese and fresh basil.it's a delightful blend of sweet and savory.  I'll be trying this again!