French Silk Chocolate Pie

So after making all that pastry dough for my empanadas, I inevitably ended up with left over dough. So what do you do? Why make pie of course!!

So I thought what pie, when I used to eat it, made me happy...I realized that the only pie I've ever loved was the chocolate silk pie!

So the filling consisted of creamed butter, sugar, melted bakers chocolate, vanilla, and eggs. It was a no bake fill so I stuck it in the fridge and let set.

I then added a dollop of whipping cream and shaved chocolate and oh my god was it good! So creamy, so heavenly, so tasty!

I think I need warmer weather to come quick or I'm going to gain 100 lbs...

Empanadas (Beef and Chicken)

A friend of mine has recently been diagnosed with a similar allergy to mine and has had to give up wheat as well. They were coming over this past weekend and I thought why not try to serve appetizers that we can eat as well?

So after a jaunt to my favourite w/g free store i found this pastry mixture complete with instructions that I thought I must try! The pastry dough was prepared as most doughs are, and I refrigerated it overnight.

The beef mixture was up first. It had beef, onion, green peppers, tomato's, chopped raisins, green olives, salt, Worcester sauce, hot pepper sauce, and a hard boiled egg.



Next up was the chicken mixture. Not quite as complex, it had chicken, onion, garlic, turmeric, salt and cheese.

The next step was to roll out the dough and cut out 3 inch circles and place a tablespoon of filling in the centre, brush the seams with egg and pinch it together. Apparently a fairly routine procedure, but I'd never really cooked with pastry before so I admit that my inexperience didn't help much.



Once I managed to get the hang of it... onto the cookie sheet they went and then I brushed the tops with beaten egg as well.

The end result. My hubbie asked me why I was making perogies...sigh...

It was quite possibly the flakiest pastry I've ever eaten in my life! The only thing I messed up was I didn't roll the pastry out thin enough so I ended up with way more pastry than filling. They were tasty, but next time I would definitely roll it thinner so i could taste the filling.

However I can't really complain as most of them disappeared quite quickly...but playing wii bowling can create quite an appetite!

Sopaipillas

Alison...this ones for you!


Flipping through the recipe book I got from my sister in law I almost wept with joy when I saw it had a recipe for sopaipillas. I'd seen my favourite TV chef Curtis make them but when I went to the website I couldn't find the recipe (didn't help I couldn't remember what they were called).

I was uncertain if they would work if I substituted my wheat/gluten free flour mixture, but I decided to take a risk.

I mixed my special flour with skim milk powder, baking powder, salt and butter until the mixture became crumbly.

I then added warm milk and stirred the dough until it formed a ball. I then kneaded it half a dozen times, put it back into the bowl and covered it with a damp tea towel and let it sit for about 30 minutes.

Once the dough was done I halved it and rolled it out cutting it into 2 inch 'squares' (I use that term loosely as you can see).



I then placed the squares in my electric wok that was full of canola oil, piping hot and watched them puff up and turn golden brown.

Alison, if you're reading this I completely thought of you when I was making this...I thought who else would share or at least understand my excitement for deep fried dough?!

Would it taste as good as I hoped? Once cooked I set them on paper towels to let them drain.

Once properly de-greased I sprinkled them with cinnamon and sugar and then drizzled warm honey over them.

They were amazing!! Keep in mind that these kind of treats have been forbidden over the last few years due to my food allergies. So my excitement may have been a little over the top for most.

The honey really added the perfect sweet factor as the dough had no sugar in it...we ended up dipping them in the honey after we decided that if were were already eating deep fried dough we might as well OD properly...so amazing...so bad for you...who cares?!

Four thumbs waaaaaayyyyy up!! Yum.

Chicken Enchilladas

I've done chicken enchilladas before in one form or another but I decided to try a new recipe since the others I've tried from this cookbook have been fabulous.

I started by sauteeing the onion and chicken together.


In a small bowl I then mixed mushrooms, green chiles, sour cream, almond slivers, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper, adding the chicken and onion mixture at the end.




I then placed a small amount of of the mixture on a corn tortilla, adding a sprinkle of shredded cheddar cheese and then tightly rolling up the tortilla and placed seam down in a greased pan.

After about a dozen I decided enough was enough...how many could two people eat? I will say that I had a hard time keeping the shells from cracking open...I ended up brushing them with olive oil and even that didn't really help.

I poured on the sour cream and cheddar cheese and baked them for about 15-20 minutes.

Tastey looking yes? Well I have to say they were a bit bland and the torilla shells were kinda tough. It was okay, but I think the ones I make on my own where I make a creamy sauce that they are smothered in allows the shell to become tender and moist.

I also make mine a bit more spicy...we ended up adding some homemade salsa to them just to zing it up a bit. They were tasty and probably more authentic then the ones I usually make...I'll just have to tweak the recipe a bit next time and maybe put sour cream under them as well...

Tortilla Soup & Margaritas

Next on the hit parade of food inspired from some place south and some place way warmer...although I have to admit it would appear that our deep freeze is over (fingers crossed)...would be Tortilla Soup!

I started by sauteeing onions until they softened and turned transparent. I then added shredded chicken, water, green chiles, chicken boullion powder, parsley and salt and brought them to a boil.




I let it simmer for about 15 minutes and then served it, adding some tortilla strips for flair. I have to say this soup surprised me. At one point I was concerned because it seemes like I was making fancy chicken soup... I guess I kinda did, but the flavours were amazing! I can't really handle spice at all and this soup had the perfect amount of latent heat to it and the tortilla chips really made the soup complete.

All in all one heck of an amazing soup! Two thumbs way up!!!



Of course what complements the mexican meal better than margaritas?! I decided it was too cold for the blended version I usually make during the summer.

Tequlia, vodka, lime juice, crushed ice and a margarita mixer made up this lovely refreshing tall one!

Charras

As I wandered through Zellars the other day (the one good thing that came of this bitter cold...I find myself wasting time to avoid going back out to the cold). I came upon a package of these things called 'charras'. Basically they're baked, flat, crispy, chipolte flavoured corn tortilla shells. They intrigued me and as I checked out the recipe on the side of the package I thought...why not?

So I added onion, bacon and chicken to the frying pan and sauteed them until the onions softened and became transparent.



The next step was to add green peppers and tomatos and cook them until they softened, adding a bit of seasoning to the chicken.

After placing lettuce and green onion on the shell I added the chicken & veggies and then finished with a dollop of sour cream.

I have to say the result was amazing! The spicy flavour of the chicken and shell followed with the smooth subtle flavour of the sour cream, left my tastebuds wondering what was coming next. Considering I started to doubt myself and wondered if I wasn't just making tacos...so NOT the case...

A recipe worth keeping and repeating! Yummy!!

Black Bean Soup

As mentioned previously the desire to escape the cold like so many of my friends have has inspired me to cook foods that make it seems like I've gone south for the winter. The first experiment this year was black bean soup.

A simple recipe that came from a mexican recipe cookbook my sister in law won and had zero desire to use...after I drooled on the pages and started writing down almost every recipe, she told me to keep it... score!!

I took a can of black beans, rinsed them (as i have issues with the liquid they come in), then put them back into the can and refilled the can with water. I then dumped the contents into a blender and pureed it and then transferred it to the stove.

Once simmering I added instant vegetable stock mix, coriander, cumin, sweet pickle relish, and hot pepper sauce. I then boiled it for 15 minutes and served it, garnishing it with a dollop of sour cream, shredded cheddar cheese and some crisp tortilla strips.


Without a doubt the most delicious thing I've made in a loooong time...my hubbie went nuts for it even though when he heard we were having black bean soup the look on his face was so far from enthusiastic...

Two thumbs way up!!!

Quesadillas

At this time of year everyone I know travels to some glorious warm place, escaping the bitter cold. I as usual turn green with envy and say 'someday'...

So as usual I start to make dishes that make me feel that I'm someplace exotic...the first in what I'm sure will be a long line of many...the quesadilla...

Stuffed with chicken, mushrooms, cheese, and green onion and dipped into some home made salsa (left over from the garden bounty last year...I made tons of it just to use up the plethora of tomaos I had). Yummy...

Chicken with lemon Rice and green Beans

This dish is one I usually make when I'm either pressed for time or just plain old lazy. I start with chicken breasts, rice and green beans. I then add white wine, onion, lemon juice, vegetable stock, chives, parsley, garlic, almonds, soya sauce and cracked pepper. Then I bake it for about 30 minutes at 350'.

Ususally right at the end I'll add cheese to the top of the chicken and watch it melt. A Lovely light, fresh citrusy meal!

Valentines Day Feast

Valentines day for me is a day I usually spend cooking. My hubbie is one of the least materialistic people I know and never wants anything... so many years ago i decided that my gift to him would be a romantic, lovely home made dinner.

We stopped going out for dinner at fancy restaurants years and years ago as we tired of fighting for reservations. Half the restaurants refuse to make them and those that do usually had an extremely limited menu. Then they would hover and try to rush you out the door to seat the next couple. Not very romantic!


The first course was a lovely plate of jalapeno monterey jack cheese, Madagascar peppercorn cheese, sesame rice crackers served with champagne. For the first time ever I served the cheese at room temperature as I'd read that to serve it chilled inhibits the flavour. Boy what a difference! The spice of the cheese combined the the bubbles from the champagne made for a decadent flavour overload!




Our entree was this amazing strawberry avacado salad. I like to find different recipes to try to surprise my hubbie and I have to say this one was a rousing success! Lettuce, avacado, strawberries and almonds made up this simple salad. The dressing was what blew me away! It consisted of white sugar, honey, olive oil, cider vinegar and lemon juice. I'll admit to being skeptical at first as it sounded awfully sweet, but it turned out to be quite tasty and not overpowering at all!

The main course consisted of twice baked potatos, a 6 oz, fillet mignon, sauteed mushrooms and baby carrots. My hubbie loves my twice baked potatos, they're simple and easy to do and make a meal just a wee but fancier!

You bake the potato, once done scoop out the potato and combine it with sour cream, butter, cheese, bacon bits (i use real bacon crumbled or those trans fat soaked real bacon bits) and chives. Mix it all together and then scoop back into the shells, then top with more cheese and bacon bits and bake for 15 minutes.

For the steak I was in a quandry as to how to cook it. I initailly planned to BBQ it but after a very painfull chiro visit and a nasty flair up which put me in bed for most of the week I didn't think I'd be up to BBQing. It didn't help that the temperature outside was about -40, so I had to find another method.

I decided to pull out my cast iron skillet and sear these babies! So after searing them I cooked them on a very low temp. (2 on my stove). I was really worried that I would over cook them as both of us prefer our steaks a little pink, but as it would happen they turned out perfectly!

Since there was no char from grilling all you tasted was amazing meat flavour. Next time though I think I would season them with sea salt and cracked pepper. I hesitate to season fillets though...a knee jerk reaction I think...my sister in law as wonderful as she is insists on marinating her fillet minion in Bulls Eye BBQ sauce...shudder...

For dessert I was in trouble. I'd already gone shopping for supplies and was not about to head back...but I'd forgotten to plan a dessert! I searched and searched for the perfect recipe and I was having no luck until I found a recipe for an apple bundt cake. The problem? I had no apples! However I did have mangos and cantelope...

I've never made a bundt cake, so I didn't really know how substituting my wheat/gluten free flour would work but I thought give it a shot! So I started to mix up the batter when I realized I also didn't have any orange juice which was called for. What to do?! I then realized that a couple of weeks ago while shopping I'd found this mango guava rum drizzler. I combined that with water to substitute for the orange juice and continued on.

I then decided to subsitute mangos and cantelope for the required apples and mixed them with cinnamon and sugar. I wasn't sure how these would work either, but i figured if it sucked There was always chocolate! So I layered as best I could the batter and the fruit, but again the batter was incredibly thick...I think it's a side affect from the w/g free flour...

The result though was incredible! I'd over cooked the cake slightly and was quite upset until I realized that even though it was crusty on the outside i was incredibly soft and moist on the inside! And as my hubbie pointed out everyone always fights for the end piece of a cake loaf so now every piece was an end piece!

I dusted the cake with icing suger and topped it with the Mango guava rum drizzle a lovely light citrusy dessert!

We followed that amazing dessert with coffee and extra creamy lindt milk chocolate squares...Yum...

Part of the deal though is setting up a small table in our living room (as we don't have a dining room) and decorating the whole entire room. This take a large part of the day, but it's totally worth it! I light about 75 candles (there's a ton more not pictured...every available surface has candles) and this year decided I to sprinkle rose petals everywhere. The table is wrapped with white mini lights and topped with a simple white table cloth.

Last year I blew up about 70 balloons...it looked amazing but really wasn't very enviro. friendly and they all had to be popped the next day...

Fluffy open faced omlette

The thing about me is I'm extremely picky about how my eggs get cooked. I hate it when they get brown and crunchy. So when i decide to make an omlette it takes a long time. This omlette had bacon, green onions, mushrooms, almonds, sunflower seeds, feta cheez & jalapeno cheese.

I cook the egg over an extremely low temperature (1 or 2 on my stove), I then cover the pan with a plate. I find that by covering it the egg rises and becomes extra fluffy...the other bonus is that I use only 2 eggs and it goes quite far! It takes about a half an hour to cook this way, but i don't end up with brown crunchy eggs!

All in all a tastey breakfast!

Valentines Cookies

So after my cinnamon loaf victory i decided to try to master the soft & chewy chocolate cookie. Hot pink icing is my specialty...no matter how many times i try the icing always turns out neon pink...not red...not pretty pink...hot pink. I picked up the sprinkles at the local groecery store...i thought they would go with the valentine motif of the week.


The end result was okay...not as good as the cookies i saw in the store that inspired them...but they looked yummy!

10 minute fudge

After the mashed potato earth rat creation, I realized I couldn't show up empty handed to a potluck (there's not too many people I know that would be eager for cold mashed potatos).

So I decided to quickly whip up a couple batches of fudge (i had most of the ingredients left over from the plethora of christmas baking I'd done).

The first batch was chocolate with almond slivers...it'a a simple recipe...a can of sweet and condensed milk, 2 bags of milk chocolate chips and vanilla melted together...add the fruit/ nuts of your choice and presto...fudge in 10 minutes!

For the second batch I used white chocolate chips instead of the milk chocolate ones and added dries cranberries and pistaccios. All in all a sweet yet tastey contribution!

Mashed Potato Earth Rat

Friends of ours invited us over for setsubun this year again and set out the challenge to make the potluck a 'regrettable food concoction' evening. Many of these wonderful ladies pulled out the ladies home journal cookbooks and rose to the challenge admirably. Sausage cake, sandwich cake, and these strange wieght watchers balogny & mayo stacks were some of the most memorable for me.


I myself could not find a recipe that would be regrettable yet edible, so i decided to do an homage to the earth rat (this years chinese year symbol). I carefully crafted an earth rat out of mashed potatos (something that cannot be done when the potatoes are hot...at all...as my burns would attest). I then used raisins for the nose and eyes and grape rope licorace for the wiskers and tail (an interesting side note...i found that even when cool the mashed potatoes actually dissolve the licorace...creeepy).