This is a true Jambalaya, but in a Canadian “French Quarter” way. Read through and then give it a try. This recipe will serve 4.
It’s not quite the recipe that Don and Gena invented a couple of years ago and THAT was fabulous. Just one thing wrong…..no one can remember all what went into it. It was absolutely fabulous so I guess we have to wait until Gena comes back and those two go at it again!
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 1 tsp. salt
- 1 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. oregano
- pinch of black pepper
- pinch white pepper
- 1/2 tsp. thyme
- 2 1/2 tbsp. lard
- 2/3 cup smoked ham, chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped smoked sausage
- 1 1/2 cups chopped onion
- 1 cup chopped celery, peeled
- 3/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 1/2 cup chicken in bite size pieces
- 1 1/2 tsp. grated garlic
- 1 lb. fresh roma tomatoes, chopped
- 3/4 cup tomato sauce (homemade if you have it) canned
- 2 cups seafood stock
- 1/2 cup chopped green onion (yuk)
- 2 cups uncooked converted rice
- 3/4 cup shrimp, peeled, medium
- 10 oz. oysters in their own liquid
Combine all the seasonings in a small bowl and set aside.
In a large suacepan, melt the lard over medium heat and add the ham and sausage and saute until crisp, stirring constantly.
Add the onions, celery and green peppers and saute for about 5 minutes. Add the chicken. Raise the heat to high and cook for 1 minute, constantly stirring, so as not to burn.
Reduce to medium heat, add the seasonings and garlic and cook for about 3 minutes. Yes, constantly stirring. Add the tomatoes and cook until the chicken is tender (about 8 minutes). Now add the tomato sauce and cook for 7 minutes more. Stir in the stock and bring to a boil. Stir in the green onions and cook for about 2 minutes.
Now….add the rice, shrimp and oysters. Stir this well and remove from the heat.
Transfer this to a large baking pan , cover with foil and bake in a 350 oven for about 30 minutes. Remove the bay leaves and serve immediately with the Creole Sauce (recipe follows).
Creole Sauce
Be really careful with this sauce…you pour it over the Jambalaya but it is seriously HOT.
- 2 whole bay leaves
- 3/4 tsp. oregano
- 4 tsp. salt
- 3 1/2 tsp. white pepper
- 1/2 tsp. cayenne pepper
- 4 tsp sweet paprika
- pinch of black pepper
- 1/2 tsp thyme
- 1/2 tsp basil
- 4 tbsp. butter
- 1 cup peeled and chopped roma tomatoes
- 3/4 cup chopped white onion
- 3/4 cup chopped and peeled celery
- 3/4 cup chopped green pepper
- 1 1/2 tsp. grated garlic
- 1 1/4 cup chicken stock
- 1 cup tomato sauce (homemade if you have any left)
- 1 tsp. sugar
- 1/2 – 3/4 tsp. Tabasco sauce
Combine the seasoning ingredients in a small bowl and set aside
Melt the butter in a large skillet and stir in the tomatoes, onion, celery and peppers. Add the garlic and seasoning mix and blend really well. Saute for about 5 minutes and the onion is transparent.
Stir in the stock, tomato sauce, sugar and Tabasco and bring this to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer for about 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Before serving, remove the bay leaves.
Serve with a lovely Ciabatta bread, toasted and buttered. Add a glass of your favourite red, light the candles and enjoy!
White Chocolate Truffles
I know, ANOTHER treat for the entertaining season ahead. It is fast, easy and I will bet you make more than one recipe of these delectable delights…..
This will make about 6 dozen yummies so you can divide it up if you wish to do a different flavour or two.
- 3 pkgs. white chocolate chips
- 1 can Condensed milk
- 1/4 cup white chocolate liqueur
and (here, you can also change the flavouring) 1/2 tsp. of peppermint OR orange OR lemon flavouring
- chocolate sprinkles
- sanding sugar
- coconut
In a bowl over a pot of simmering water, melt the chips with the condensed milk. Remove from the heat and add the liqueur and flavouring. (I always warm the liqueur a bit so it doesn’t seize the chocolate). Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until firm.
Using a generous tsp. roll into a ball and then roll into whatever you are going to use (sprinkles, sanding sugar or coconut) and shake off the excess. If it gets too soft to work, just put it back in the refrigerator to get cold again.
Store in a covered container until party time. I bet you can’t just sample one.
Brie Bowl
I am sort of used to family diving in and appreciating what they are served in our home, but believe me, this caused a feeding frenzy. I kid you not. I almost didn’t get any but they called me from the kitchen to come quickly….it was almost gone.
- 1 1/2 tsp chili powder
- 1/8 tsp. cayenne
- 1/2 tsp. garlic powder (not salt)
- 1/2 tsp. dry mustard
- 1/2 tsp. sugar
- 1 sourdough round loaf
- 1 tbsp. butter, room temperature
- 1 8 ounce round of Brie Cheese (we used triple cream)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees and, in a small bowl, mix all the spices together.
Cut a circle in the top of the bread and remove the top. Remove the bread in the center large enough to accommodate the brie wheel and cut the bread into bite size pieces.
Butter the bread and sprinkle with 2 tsp. of the spice mixture. With a sharp knife, make 2 inch cuts at 1 inch intervals around the edge of the bread. Remove the rind from the Brie and place it in the bread. (the Brie not the rind, silly me…)
Sprinkle the remaining spice over the Brie and replace the bread top. (lid).
Bake about 25-30 minutes on a parchment lined cookie sheet. To serve, remove the top of the bread and break into bite-size pieces. Dip the bread in the hot Brie (being careful of course, not to burn your mouth).
Have napkins and small plates available and hope they leave you a piece. It will be completely gone…no crumbs left. Will our kids comment here?
Cherry/Chocolate Semifreddo
I’m sure you can leave the diet outside to “taste” this one. OMG this is yummy. Nice to serve 6 special people.
- 8 egg yolks
- 3/4 cup sugar, divided
- pinch of salt
- 1/4 cup Kirsch
- 1/3 lb. chopped cherries
- 1/4 cup chocolate chunks
- 1 cup whipping cream
Line a 9 x 5 inch loaf pan with plastic wrap.
In a double boiler whisk together the egg yolks, 1/2 cup of the sugar, kirsch, salt until thickened and creamy. Remove from heat and place over a bowl with ice water.
Beat whipping cream and remaining sugar until soft peaks form. Fold in the cherries and chocolate chunks. Gently fold the whipping cream mixture into the egg yolk mixture. Place in the loaf pan, smooth the top and cover with plastic wrap.
Put in the freezer overnight. When ready to serve you can do it either by using an ice cream scoop and just simply scoop it out into a pretty dessert bowl or tip it out of the pan, remove the plastic wrap and slice it. Either way it is to die for. So, so good.
Harvest Trifle
It is called “Harvest” due to the fact that pumpkin is used. I would also be tempted to use it a Christmas. It looks lengthy but is more than delicious. I have been tasting as we go. On Saturday, we will take pictures of the finished product to add to this site.
Pour yourself a coffee, sit down and read this through. Take a deep breath and say “damn I can do this” and go for it. Not hard to do.
Vanilla Rum Custard
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 2 cups whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 3/4 cup sugar
- 6 large egg yolks
- pinch of salt
- 2 tsp. pure vanilla extract
- 2 tbsp. rum, or to taste
Whisk the cornstarch and 1/2 cup of the milk together in a medium bowl. Add the sugar, egg yolks and salt. Whisk until the sugar dissolves.
In a saucepan bring the remaining milk and cream to a simmer. Remove 1/2 cup of the hot milk mixture, whisking it vigorously into the yolk mixture until well blended. Gradually whisk the yolk mixture back into the saucepan. Cook, stirring for about 2 minutes (to a boil) and then another 30 seconds more. Pour into a clean bowl and add the vanilla and rum, stirring to incorporate well. Cover the surface with plastic to avoid a skin forming. Let cool to room temperature and place in the refrigerator. (can be made 2 days ahead). You are not done yet….
Pumpkin Caramel Sauce
- 1/4 cup butter
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 1/2 cup pure canned pumpkin
Melt the butter in a heavy small saucepan over medium heat. Add the sugar and cook until mixture become a deep amber colour, stirring constantly – about 8 minutes. Now don’t get scared here. SLOWLY AND CAREFULLY, add the cream, whisking as you pour. It will seize up like a newly washed girdle that got stuck in the drye,r but keep whisking. (I kid you not). It will take up to 5 minutes for the caramel to dissolve and become smooth again. Add the pumpkin and salt and stir until completely blended.
Cover with plastic and when room temperature, place in the refrigerator. Nope..still not done. (Can be done 2 days in advance as well)
Roasted Fruit
- 4 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 4 large firm Bosc pears, peeled, cored and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
- 1/3 cup sugar
- 4 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1 tsp. ground cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
- 1/2 tsp. grated lime zest
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 1/4 tsp. ground mace
- 2 tbsp. cold butter, cut into small pieces
Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. Toss the fruit in a large bowl with all the juice, sugar and spices to cover all the pieces. On a parchment lined cookie sheet, spread out the fruit in a single layer. Dot with butter and place in the oven. Every 15 minutes turn the fruit with a spatula for a total of 45 minutes. Really watch the last 15 minutes so the fruit doesn’t burn. Cool the fruit on the pan.
Pound Cake and Gingerbread Cookies
Bake your own, but it can be already made and packaged – either one is okay
- 20 gingerbread cookies are needed
- 6 tbsp. a favourite liqueur (almost anything will do)
Wait until you read the full assembly instructions before doing anything here. This is just a heads up.
You have a choice here. Either make one large trifle or individual servings. In the case of the latter, just divide the ingredients equally in your prettiest dishes.
Line each dessert dish with cake cubes. Crumble the gingersnaps and use half to layer the cake pieces. Drizzle half of the liqueur over this. Drizzle enough of the caramel sauce to cover the cake. Spoon some of the roasted fuit into the dishes
Cover this layer with more cake and cookies, drizzle the remainder of the liqueur over, layer with sauce and add more fruit. You will not use up all the cake and cookies so just set it aside for the moment.
Now, cover all the dishes with plastic and place in the refrigerator until ready to serve.
Topping
- 2 cups whipping cream
- 3 tbsp. sugar
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla
- 1 tbsp. rum
- sprinkling of gingersnaps
When ready to serve, place a large dollop of whipping cream on top of each dish, add a drizzle more of the caramel sauce and add a sprinkle of gingersnaps. Whew!
There, I told you you to do it. Now, I need a martini…….
Christmas Baking List 2012
Here we go again….time to start thinking about what to bake for this year. Some of my favourites are always on the list and a couple of new ones. One thing for sure, it WILL change from time to time as we go through the day(s) around November 11th and something new will crop up.
Here we go…..
- Italian cookies
- Chocolate Flowers
- Raspberry Meringues
- Victoria cookies
- Cheese Shortbread (for company coming)
- Whipped Shortbread
- Lemon Shortbread
- Pecan Shortbread
- Christmas Gumdrop Cake
- Lemon Bars
- Custard Tarts
- Maple Pecan Tarts
- Cranberry/Pistachio bark
- Spiced Nuts
- Candied Nuts
- Nuts and Bolts
- Truffles
What can I say? Bring it on. This is the time we have sooooo much fun. Don makes his Tortiere the same time. We go like stink in the kitchen all day and then drop in the easy chair with a huge sigh!
Cinnamon/White Chocolate Cheesecake
Wow! What a wonderful way to celebrate ANY occasion/reason/excuse to try another cheesecake. Here we go….
- 1 8 oz. package Philadelphia cream cheese, room temperature
- 1 8 oz. container Philadelphia Cinnamon Indulgence cream cheese, room temperature
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1/2 tsp. cinnamon flavouring
- 2 large eggs
- 4 squares good quality white chocolate, chopped, divided
- 1 graham crust (ready-to-use)
Mix the cream cheese, sugar and cinnamon flavouring in your electric mixer until completely smooth. Add the eggs and mix until thoroughly blended. Stir in 1/3 cup of the chopped white chocolate.
Pour into prepared crust. Sprinkle the top with the remaining chopped white chocolate.
Bake in a 350 oven for 35 minutes or until center is ALMOST set. Cool, Refrigerate for at least 3 hours….haha you have to wait.
A little hint would be to place a pan with water on the bottom rack of your oven while baking. It prevents cracking. Also, run a spatula around the edges so when it cools down, it isn’t ‘pulling’ from the sides of your pan…again…no cracks on the surface of your cheesecake. Just sayin’.
Harvest Bread Pudding With Ginger Sauce
Family gatherings, be it Thanksgiving or Christmas, allows one to dream….dream about the smells that permeate your home (and really half the neighborhood), the table setting, company coming, menu, laughter, pure joy of seeing one another again, etc. This is a dessert that uses pumpkin but in a different way. One that really is enjoyable and memorable.
- 4 1/2 cups white bread (stale or oven dried out), cubed
- 4 large eggs
- 3 egg yolks
- 1 cup whole milk
- 2 1/2 cups whipping cream
- 3/4 cup canned pure pumpkin puree (not pie filling)
- 1 cup dark brown sugar
- pinch of salt
- 1 tbsp. rum
- 1/4 tsp. nutmeg – freshly grated
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/4 tsp. ground cloves
- 2 tbsp. cold butter, cut up
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter a 13 x 9 inch baking dish. ( To oven dry the bread, place the cubes on a cookie sheet in the oven for about 10-15 minutes, if it is fresh bread).
Place the cubes in the cooking dish and whisk all the remaining ingredients except the butter, until smooth. Pour over the bread and let sit for about 10 minutes until the bread is completely soaked pushing down gently, if necessary. Now dab the butter over the top and bake for about 45-50 minutes unil set in the middle but not dried out.
Ginger Creme Anglaise
- 1 cup whole milk
- 1 cup whipping cream
- 2 tsp. ground ginger
- 1 tsp. vanilla
- 5 egg yolks
- 1/2 cup sugar
In a suacepan over medium heat, bring the milk, cream, ginger and vanilla just to a slight boil, stirring often. ( While this is heating up, whisk the yolks and sugar until smooth.) Remove the pan from the heat immediately.
Slowly pour about 1/4 – 1/3 of the hot cream mixture into the egg mixture whisking constantly. Now add this back to the remaining cream mixture in the saucepan and while still whisking, stir until it coats the back of a spoon.
Pour into a bowl and when plating the pudding into your prettiest dessert bowl, ladle a generous amount of the sauce over the top.
OMG this is good.
Gingered Crab in Potato Nests
A few weeks back, we had the landscaping crew over for a ‘thank you dinner’ for the wonderful work and great fun we had last summer (and still tweeking) in our yard.
After dinner was over, they commented this was one of the highlights of the evening. Imagine! So before I lose the recipe, here it is and we will be using it again in a couple of weeks for our next dinner with company.
- 1 large baking potato -about 8 oz., peeled and grated
- 1 lightly beaten large egg
- pinch of freshly grated nutmeg
- 1 tbsp. chopped flat leaf parsley (not cilantro)
- sea salt
- crushed red peppercorns
- syrup from jar of ginger (it is thick) to taste
- 3 tbsp. melted, unsalted butter
- 1/2 granny smith apple, cored and diced
- 1 tbsp. fresh lime juice
- 1/2 cup cooked fresh crabmeat, chopped
- 1 tbsp. olive oil
- creme fraiche
- finely chopped dried cranberries
- fleur de sel
Preheat oven to 420 degrees. Oil a mini muffin tin or two with cooking spray and set aside.
In a bowl, beat the grated potato with the egg and nutmeg. Add the parsley and season with the sea salt (a bit) and crushed red peppercorns (a bit). Take a small amount of the grated potatoes in your hands and squeeze out the excess liquid. Press the potato in the bottom of the muffin cup to form a nest, and repeat for the remaining potatoes. Add 1/2 tsp. melted butter in each nest. Place in the oven and bake for 25 minutes or until crisp and golden. Remove from oven and carefully remove from the pan. Let cool on a rack.
In a bowl, gently toss the apple with the lime juice, crab, ginger syrup and oil. Season with the sea salt and pepper. Using a teaspoon, drop a small amount of filling inside eash nest. Top with a dollop of creme fraiche and a sprinkling of fleur de el and the chopped cranberries.
Your company will rave and again, you go back to the kitchen, give yourself a high five and proclaim….damn I can do this!
Suzanne’s Apple Tart
While visiting Suzanne and Victor in September, she made this dessert. It was a wow and I made it myself just a few weeks ago. Try it, it is easy and ever so yummy.
For the Crust:
- 1 cup flour
- pinch of salt
- 1/3 cup icing sugar
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter,
I used my Kitchen Aid mixer and beat this like I would my shortbread recipe. When it is “fluffy”, pat the dough on the bottom and up the sides about 1 inch in a 9 inch springform pan. (mine was 10″ and I added one-half of the measurements more and it worked out just fine. Cover and place in the refrigerator until you make the filling.
For the filling:
- 12 ounces cream cheese, room temperature (1 1/2 blocks of cream cheese)
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 1 large egg
- 1 tsp. pure vanilla extract
These are the actual measurements I used…In your mixer, beat the cream cheese and sugar until smooth, add the egg and vanilla and beat again until completely smooth. Remove the crust from the refrigerator and smooth this filling over the top of the crust. Now cover again and return to the refrigerator. You are almost done.
For the topping:
- 1/2 cup sugar
- 3/4 tsp. cinnamon
- 6 large granny smith apples, peeled, cored and sliced into 1/4 inch size pieces.
Again, these are the actual measurements I used….
Combine the sugar and cinnamon in a medium size bowl and toss the apple slices to coat. Remove the pan from the refrigerator and pour the apples into the pan. Sort of level it out but keeping a rustic look to this tart and sprinkle the almonds over the top. Then place in a preheated oven of 450 degrees for about 25 minutes. Cover the edges of the crust and bake at least another 20 minutes, but be really careful not to burn the crust. I would lower the temperature to 400 degrees to continue the baking.
When cooled down (room temperature) sprinkle with icing sugar. If you really want to put on the dog, have a bowl of whipped cream on the table and a big spoon. Get the picture? Don’t say I told you….
Baked Sesame Crusted Pacific Halibut
The halibut recipe goes with the succotash recipe of yesterday. The combination of the two dishes is so great you will make it more than just a few times.
Enough fillets for the number of people to be served. Massage the fillets with a lemon olive oil (bought, not just lemons and olive oil),
Sprinkle the fillets with sel de Mer and pepper
Sprinkle black sesame seeds over the top of the fillets
.
Place on an oiled cookie sheet in a very hot oven 425 degrees for no more than 5 minutes.
Now for the plating……have generous serving of the succotash on a plate and gently spread it out just a tad…..set the fillet on top and add a slice of lemon on the side.
VOILA! It is superb as an appetizer (we had it this way) or add to the sides being served and make it an entree.
Thanks Chef Gillespie of Hester Creek Winery….what a delight this dish was.
Almond Cream Cheese Cake
This is really nice in flavour and texture. A little different ‘secret’ ingredient makes the difference.
- 2 1/4 cups flour
- 1 cup sugar
- 3/4 cup cold butter
- 1 tsp. cinnamon
- 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp. baking soda
- pinch of salt
- 3/4 cup sour cream
- 2 eggs
- 1 can Solo Almond Cake and Pastry filling (secret ingredient)
- 8 oz. softened Philadelphia cream cheese
- 1 cup blackberry jelly (strained jam will do)
- 1/2 cup slivered almonds
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 10 inch springform pan.
Combine the flour and 3/4 cup of sugar until well blended. Grate the butter into this and mix until it resembles coarse crumbs. Reserve 1 cup of this mixture and set aside.
To the remaining mixture, add the cinnamon, baking soda, baking powder, salt, sour cream, 1 of the eggs and the almond filling. Blend this really well. Spread this mixture carefully over the bottom and approximately 2 inches up the sides of the pan.
In a bowl, combine the cream cheese, remaining sugar and the other egg, , blending well so that there are no lumps. Spread this mixture over the batter in the pan.
Spoon the jelly/jam over the cream cheese filling and carefully spread the reserved crumb mixture over the surface and sprinkle with the almonds.
Bake this for about 1 hour until the filling is set and the crust is golden. Cool at least 20 minutes before trying to remove the pan.
Let everyone just try to guess the fantastic flavour…yeah I know almond, but there is almond and then there is almond.