Thanksgiving Dessert

Loved these squares tonight and so did everyone else - from Lucy Waverman in the Globe and Mail this weekend:

Making squares is easier than making pies. The pastry is patted out and prebaked, then the is filling poured on; there’s no worrying about rolling out pastry or shrinkage in the pan.

The easiest way to make free-form designs with melted chocolate is to dip the tines of a fork into the chocolate and wave over the baked squares.

• Ready time: 1 hour 30 minutes
• Servings: Makes 12 to 16 squares.

Base

1 cup flour

¼ cup icing sugar

½ cup (4 ounces or 125 grams)

unsalted butter, cold, cubed

½ teaspoon kosher salt

Filling

3 eggs, lightly beaten

1 14-ounce (398-ml) can pumpkin purée

½ cup packed brown sugar

½ cup maple syrup

½ cup whipping cream

2 teaspoons lemon juice

1 teaspoon vanilla

1 teaspoon cinnamon

½ teaspoon allspice or nutmeg

½ teaspoon ground ginger

½ teaspoon kosher salt

1 cup toasted pecans

¼ cup chopped chocolate, melted

Method

Grease a 9 x 9-inch baking pan, preferably metal, then line with parchment paper.

Mix together flour, icing sugar, butter and salt in a food processor or by hand until mixture just comes together and small clumps form. Do not let it form a ball. Pat into prepared baking pan and prick with a fork. Freeze for 15 minutes.

Preheat oven to 350 F. Bake base for 20 minutes or until pale gold.

Combine eggs, pumpkin, brown sugar, maple syrup, whipping cream, lemon juice, vanilla, cinnamon, allspice, ginger and salt in food processor and process until well combined.

Pour mixture over hot base and sprinkle with pecans. Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until centre springs back when touched. Cool.

Drizzle with melted chocolate. Chill and cut into squares.

Vegetarian Chili

Ingredients:

2 medium onions, chopped
1 medium sweet red pepper, chopped
1 cup chopped celery
1 cup frozen or fresh corn kernels
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 can Italian stewed tomatoes, cut up
1 can (15 ounces) tomato sauce
1 can (15 ounces) black beans not drained
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt

Directions:

In a pot, saute onions, peppers, corn and celery in 2 tbsp oil until tender.

Add garlic; cook 1 minute.

Stir in tomatoes, tomato paste, beans and seasonings.

Bring to a boil over medium heat, stir regularly to ensure bottom
doesn't burn.

Reduce heat; cover and simmer 30-60 minutes or until thickened,
stirring occasionally.

Brisket in Chipolte Tomatillo Sauce

Ingredients
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
5 lb Double beef brisket
2 Onions, vertical sliced
4 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1 Tbsp Toasted cumin seed
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp Salt
1 tsp Cracked peppercorns
1 Can Tomatillos, drained
1 Cup Beefstock
2 Chipotle chiles in adobo sauce
1 Cup Chopped cilantro, stems and leaves

Directions
In a skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown brisket well on both sides. Place in stoneware.

Reduce heat to medium. Add onions to pan, stirring until softened, about 3 minutes. Add garlic, cumin, oregano, salt and peppercorns and cook stirring for one minute. Add tomatillos an s stock and bring to boil. Transfer to stoneware and cook on low for 12 hours. Cool, cover and refrigerate until thoroughly chilled.

When ready to serve, preheat oven to 350. Skim fat from sauce and discard. Remove the meat and slice thinly and place in baking dish. In a processor, place chiles, cilantro and 1 1/2 cups sauce. Purée and pour over brisket. Add remaining sauce. Cook until hot and bubbly, about thirty minutes.
Feb. 10/ 10

The Best Kale Salad You’ll Ever Have by Phoebe Lapine of Feed Me Phoebe

http://cupofjo.com/2013/05/the-best-kale-caesar-salad-youll-ever-have/

Most people can agree that comfort food doesn’t usually involve lettuce. But if you top lettuce with creamy dressing and a large handful of Parmesan, that’s another story entirely. I crave this Caesar salad as much as fried chicken, and with a few tweaks here and there, it’s healthier than the classic versions you’re used to, in addition to being absolutely delicious.

What makes this kale Caesar both healthier and tastier than any you’ve ever eaten is the dressing. There’s no egg and not much cheese—instead, it gets its creamy Caesar-like texture from a whole head of roasted garlic, which acts as an emulsifier, thickener, and general yumminess-inducer. It gets its funky, punchy Caesar flavor from the capers, anchovies and Dijon. Dig in!

Recipe: Kale Caesar Salad with Roasted Garlic Dressing
Makes 4 side servings

You’ll need:

1 bunch dinosaur or lacinato kale
1/4 cup coarse fresh breadcrumbs or croutons
1 tbsp. olive oil
1/4 cup finely grated Parmesan cheese, plus extra for sprinkling over salad
1/2 cup roasted garlic Caesar dressing (recipe follows—this salad would also taste great with Bagna Cauda Vinaigrette or Lemon-Caper Vinaigrette)

Remove the thick stalks from the center of the kale. Pile the leaves on top of one another and roll together into a cigar. Cut the kale into thin ribbons.

Preheat the oven to 400F. Toss the breadcrumbs together with the olive oil in a small mixing bowl and spread in an even layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Toast in the oven until golden brown and crisp, about 5 minutes.

In a large mixing bowl, toss the kale together with the dressing. Add the Parmesan cheese and toss again. Divide among four plates, and top with the breadcrumbs, plus a bit more cheese, if you’d like.

For the Roasted Garlic Caesar Dressing (makes about 3/4 cup):

1 head garlic
Olive oil
Juice of 1 lemon (about 1/4 cup)
1 tbsp. capers
2 anchovy filets
2 tsp. Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp. salt

Preheat the oven to 400F.

Remove the outer layers from the head of garlic so the individual cloves are exposed. Chop off the top 1/4 inch of the head so you can see the raw cloves within their skins.

Place on a 9×13 sheet of foil, drizzle with olive oil, and wrap so the packet is tightly sealed. Roast in the oven for 30 minutes, until the cloves are soft to the touch. Remove from the foil packet and allow to cool.

When cool enough to touch, squeeze the cloves out of their skins and add to a food processor. Puree the garlic along with the lemon juice, mustard, salt, and 1/3 cup olive oil. Taste and add more oil as necessary to reach the consistency you like. (This should be a thick dressing, with a punch of acidity.) Store in an airtight container for up to 2 weeks.

Creamy Kale Salad

http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Creamy-Kale-Salad/Detail.aspx?evt19=1&referringHubId=17250

Ingredients

• 4 cups chopped kale (ribs removed)
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 3 tablespoons raisins
• 1/2 cup plain Greek-style yogurt

• 1/4 cup mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 1 lemon, zested and juiced
• 3 tablespoons sunflower seeds

Directions

1. Mix kale, red onion, and raisins in a large bowl.
2. Whisk yogurt, mayonnaise, sugar, lemon zest, and lemon juice together in a bowl; pour over the kale mixture and toss to coat. Refrigerate 2 hours to overnight. Sprinkle sunflower seeds over the salad and toss to serve.

Roasted Kale and Corn Salad (Pusateri's)

Ingredients:

•  Kale (1 bunch)
• Frozen Corn (1 cup)
• Vinaigrette ( 2 tablespoons)
• Sweet Gherkin Pickle juice (2 tablespoons - really)
• Chili Oil (1 teaspoon)

Method:

• Remove spines from kale and chop coarsely
• Place kale and frozen corn on parchment-lined baking sheet, spray with Pam(R) and roast until kale starts to brown at the edges.
• Put kale and corn in a mixing bowl and add vinaigrette, pickle juice and chill oil.
• Mix well and refrigerate 1-2 hours before serving.

Classic Coleslaw

Ingredients:

• White Cabbage (1/2 head)
• Carrots (2)
• Shallot (1)
• White vinegar (1/2 cup)
• Vegetable oil (1 tablespoon)
• Sugar (1/3 cup)
• Salt (pinch)

Method:

• Shred the cabbage using a mandolin at a fine setting.
• Grate the carrots coarsely with a grater.
• Slice the shallot thinly with a pairing knife.
• Combine all ingredients in a large bowl.
• Add vinegar, oil, sugar and salt and mix together by hand until fully coated.
• Refrigerate at least 1-2 hours.
• Serve.

Note:  This recipe is actually best if made 1-2 days in advance.

Marcella Hazan’s Tomato Sauce

http://cooking.nytimes.com/recipes/1015178-marcella-hazans-tomato-sauce

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups tomatoes, in addition to their juices (for example, a 28-ounce can of San Marzano whole peeled tomatoes)
• 5 tablespoons butter
• 1 onion, peeled and cut in half
•  Salt

•  

  Nutritional Information

PREPARATION

1. Combine the tomatoes, their juices, the butter and the onion halves in a saucepan. Add a pinch or two of salt.
2. Place over medium heat and bring to a simmer. Cook, uncovered, for about 45 minutes. Stir occasionally, mashing any large pieces of tomato with a spoon. Add salt as needed.
3. Discard the onion before tossing the sauce with pasta. This recipe makes enough sauce for a pound of pasta.

Summer Kale Salad with Strawberries and Avocado

http://www.domesticate-me.com/summer-kale-salad-strawberries-avocado-life-changing-tips-making-better-salads/

Ingredients

• 1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon fresh lemon juice
• ½ teaspoon lemon zest
• 1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
• ¾ teaspoon honey
• 3 tablespoons extra virgin olive oil 
• Kosher salt
• Coarse black pepper
• 1 bunch lacinato kale (or curly kale if you prefer), center ribs removed and finely chopped
• ¼ cup pine nuts, toasted
• ½ small red onion, very thinly sliced
• 1 cup fresh strawberries, sliced
• ½ ripe avocado, diced
• 1-2 ounces goat cheese, crumbled (optional)

Instructions

1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the lemon juice, zest, mustard, honey, and olive oil. Season with salt and pepper to taste. (Be generous with your seasoning!)
2. Add the chopped kale to the bowl with the dressing. Use your hands to massage the kale with the dressing for about 3 minutes until the kale has softened slightly. Set your kale aside to marinate for 15 minutes.
3. While your kale is marinating, toast your pine nuts. Heat a small saucepan over medium heat. (Do not put any oil in the pan!) When hot, add the pine nuts. Toast for 2-3 minutes, shaking the pan periodically, until the nuts are golden brown and fragrant. Remove from the pan and let cool to room temperature.
4. Add the red onion, avocado, half of the strawberries, and half of the pinenuts to the marinated kale. Gently toss and transfer the salad to a serving dish or individual plates. 
5. Top with the remaining pine nuts and strawberries, sprinkle with goat cheese, and serve immediately.

SONOMA CHICKEN SALAD

http://www.wholefoodsmarket.com/recipe/sonoma-chicken-salad

Ingredients: 

• Dressing
• 1 cup mayonnaise 
• 4 teaspoons apple cider vinegar 
• 5 teaspoons honey 
• 2 teaspoons poppy seeds 
• Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste 
• Salad
• 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts 
• 3/4 cup pecan pieces, toasted 
• 2 cups red seedless grapes, halved 
• 3 stalks celery, thinly sliced 

Method: 

In a bowl, combine mayonnaise, vinegar, honey, poppy seeds, salt and pepper. Refrigerate until ready to dress the salad. This can be prepared up to 2 days ahead.

Preheat the oven to 375°F. Place the chicken breasts in one layer in a baking dish with 1/2 cup water. Cover with foil and bake 25 minutes until completely cooked through. Remove cooked chicken breasts from pan, cool at room temperature for 10 minutes, then cover and refrigerate.

When the chicken is cold, dice into bite-size chunks and transfer to a large bowl. Stir in pecans, grapes, celery and dressing.

While you may find a version of this recipe offered at your local store, please note that ingredients, flavor and allergens can vary.  

Spicy Cabbage and Collard Green Coleslaw

http://kitchenadventures.typepad.com/blog/2007/01/spicy-cabbage-and-collard-green-coleslaw.html

coleslaw

Our favorite of the deli coleslaws that we have tried in Chicago is Whole Foods' spicy cabbage and collard greens formulation.  It's creamy, salty, crunchy, and has quite a kick of cayenne pepper.  It's also like $9 a pound.  I mean, seriously - this is cabbage, people.  So I went about trying to recreate it at home.  After several weeks of variations, I've settled on what I think is the perfect soulful coleslaw (and Jon agrees).  I added red wine vinegar and cut back on the mayo some, to give it a bit more tang.  The recipe is OK if you make it and eat it the same day, but it's amazing if you let it sit overnight in the fridge.  So mark your kitchen calendar for February 3 and help the Bears win their first Superbowl in 21 years, kinahora!

Superbears Coleslaw
Ingredients:

• 1 head of cabbage (I like to use half a head of green cabbage and half a head of red, but that's just for looks really.  If you don't have a household with the capacity to consume 2 cabbages worth of coleslaw in a week like I do, you can just stick with one color of cabbage.)
• 1 bunch of collard greens, washed and dried thoroughly.
• 4 scallions
• 7 Tablespoons red wine vinegar
• 7 Tablespoons mayonnaise
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

Instructions:
Finely chop the scallions and put them in a medium size mixing bowl.  Add the vinegar, mayonnaise, salt, and cayenne pepper and stir to blend.   Set aside.Remove the stems from the collard greens and the outer leaves from the cabbage.  Shred the cabbage and the collard greens with the slicer attachment in a food processor and combine in a large bowl.

Pour dressing over shredded greens.  With your hands, turn the coleslaw in the dressing until the entire batch is evenly coated.  (There may be not be much room in the bowl to maneuver at first, but as the coleslaw is tossed it will reduce in volume by about a third.)

Cover the bowl with saran wrap and refrigerate overnight.

Serves 8 superstitious Chicago Bears fans

Sweet Marie Bars - Great dessert!

Baked by Elka for our friends Adam, Katja, Tilley and May

YUM YUM YUM

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/life/food-and-wine/recipes/the-quick-fix-sweet-marie-bars/article24941284/

Ingredients

1/2 cup peanut butter

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup corn syrup

1 tbsp butter

2 cups Rice Krispies

1 cup salted peanuts

1 package semi-sweet chocolate chips

Method

In a medium pot over medium-low heat melt peanut butter, brown sugar, corn syrup and butter; once melted allow to gently bubble.

Remove from heat and add Rice Krispies and salted peanuts. Mix well then press into a greased (I use butter) 8- or 9-inch square dish.

Pour semi-sweet chocolate chips onto the still-hot peanut layer and wait a minute for the chips to soften – then, as they melt, spread evenly to create a chocolate top layer. Let cool and cut into 20-25 squares before the chocolate gets too hard.

(Tip: you can throw this into the freezer to speed up the firming of the chocolate – about 10 to 15 minutes – but you still want it somewhat pliable for cutting.)

and don't forget Chukar Cherries and Toffee Crunch -

https://www.chukar.com

and toffee crunch places at one of a kind?

Chocolates to buy

http://www.chocolatebarrs.com

and Anne's chocolates

https://www.annechocolates.com

Muesli

Probably better recipes exist - but I found this back to basics one some time ago:

http://www.greenfootsteps.com/muesli-recipe.html#sthash.nvCrn6Ro.dpbs

and From http://nutritionstripped.com

try this:

NOURISING MUESLI

INGREDIENTS

• 2 cups rolled oats
• 2 cups quinoa flakes
• 1 cup puffed amaranth
• 1 cup almonds, chopped
• 1 cup pumpkin seeds
• 1 cup walnuts, chopped
• 1 cup golden raisins
• 1 cup mulberries
• ½ cup dried unsweetened coconut flakes
• ½ cup hemp seeds
• ½ cup sunflower seeds
• ½ cup goji berries
• ½ cup dried tart cherries
• ½ cup dried apricots, chopped
• 1 tablespoon ground cinnamon
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• dash of nutmeg
• pinch of sea salt

INSTRUCTIONS

1. In a large mixing bowl, combine all ingredients and stir until every ingredient is distributed in the mix.
2. Store in an airtight container, mason jars, or bags for later use at room temperature.
3. Pre-portion individual servings for quick on-the-go snacks or breakfasts (use about ½-1/3 cup for a serving).
4. Serve with almond milk, nut milks, cold or warm.
5. Enjoy!

NOTES

Nutrition Information based on all ingredients, 1/28th of the recipe at ½ cup. This serving can easily be reduced to ¼ cup (divide nutrition information in half).

NUTRITION INFORMATION

Serving size: ½ cup Calories: 220 Fat: 10 Carbohydrates: 25 (net 20) Sugar: 10 Fiber: 5Protein: 8