Chai

I have loved chai lattes ever since the mega coffee chains that you see on every street corner made them mainstream. Having said that, the syrupy sweet, not too spicy lukewarm chai lattes that you find in those types of shops could use some improvement.

My version may not be authentic, I have not consulted an Indian cook or even a cookbook. I just played around with spices, toasting them gently and then infusing them in roiboos tea and sweet milk. I have really made this to suit my taste, so feel free to adjust the spices as you like. JS finds my version a little heavy on the spice (just the way I like it!).

Please don't be intimidated by the list of ingredients, they are all easily accessible and you can omit the ones you don't have or don't like. I find that all these spices are used very frequently in my house.

This spicy, creamy and not too sweet chai has now got me thinking about incorporating these tastes into an ice cream or gelato since I now have an ice cream maker!! Imagine the spiciness in a cold ice cream with just a hint of sweetness....I'll work on that this summer!

My Un-Authentic Roiboos Chai

6 cups water

3-4 cinnamon sticks

5 cloves

8 cardamom pods

1 bay leaf

1 tsp coriander seeds

1/2-1 tsp black peppercorns

1 big piece of fresh ginger, peeled and sliced into large chunks

1 star anise or 1 tsp anise

3 tbsp sugar

2 tbsp loose vanilla roiboos (or plain roiboos, or if you insist, plain black tea)

1 cup whole milk

Toast all the spices except the ginger and the bay leaf over medium heat in a dry frying pan. When they become fragrant, after about 4 or 5 minutes, remove from heat and transfer them to a mortar and pestle. Gently crush them with the pestle until they are broken up, you don't have to grind them to a powder.

Put all the spices, including the ginger and bay leaf, into a pot with the water and the sugar. Bring to the boil, then turn the heat down to medium, cover the pot and simmer for about 30 minutes. Turn the heat off, then add the tea and cover to infuse for about 5 minutes.

Strain the liquid through a mesh strainer into another pot* then add the milk, add more or less to your taste. Put the chai back over medium heat for about 5 minutes to warm the milk.

Pour into mugs and enjoy!

*at this point, if you are not going to use all the chai, pour some of it into a pitcher, allow to cool then keep in the fridge for a few days. When you want a cup, just add some milk and heat it on the stove until warm.

My Birthday and a bowl of happiness!

This morning, after opening presents in bed, lovely dresses and a top and a jacket from my French family, I turned on the radio. The CBC morning show host was interviewing a guy from Gimli who has extended his carrot harvest into the long, cold Manitoba winter! All he does is cover his carrots with thick foam before the ground freezes and it actually insulates them enough that they don't freeze! He can only harvest about 2 or 3 times in the winter because every time he opens the sealed up foam the ground gets a little colder until eventually it does freeze. This story is so unbelievable to Manitobans, who woke up to -31 (not including the wind chill!) this morning. This kind of out of the box thinking could actually be used farther north where the produce is prohibitively expensive due to shipping costs and the growing season is extremely short.

Coincidentally, I decided yesterday to make a Carrot Orange and Ginger soup. It was delicious and looks so happy and full of vitamins in this very long and very cold winter! I needed a pick me up, and this soup fit the bill perfectly. 

Tomorrow the high is -8, so we are getting a bit of relief from the cold spell. Spring is around the corner and I know I'm not the only one with spring fever at this time of year. Just the thought of fresh asparagus and tiny carrots pulled from the earth are enough to make me swoon. But for now, I am just going to content myself with a brightly coloured bowl of vitamins!

Carrot Orange Ginger Soup or Happiness in a Bowl

2 pounds or just under 1 kg of Organic Carrots

1 small to medium sized onion, or half a large one, roughly diced

1 piece of fresh ginger about the size of a big fat thumb, peeled and grated

1 orange, zested and juiced

salt and pepper

a bit of olive oil

Peel your carrots if they are old and need it, if they are fresh just give them a scrub. Cut the ends off and chop them into large chunks. Don't worry about what they look like, they are going to get pureed in the end.

Saute the onions over medium heat in enough olive oil to coat your soup pot. When the onions are softened, add the carrots, grated ginger and orange zest and juice. Pour in enough water to just cover the carrots. Add a good pinch of salt and some freshly grated pepper. Bring the soup to the boil, then lower heat slightly but continue a very slow boil for about 30 minutes or until you can easily pierce a carrot with a fork. They should be very soft.

Have a large bowl and a ladle ready, then transfer the soup into the blender in batches and puree until smooth. Put the soup back in the pot and taste. If the soup is to thick, add a bit of water. Adjust salt and pepper. Serve with a sprig of parsley and a drizzle of good olive oil and some crusty toasted bread rubbed with garlic and olive oil and sprinkled with coarse sea salt. Eat and be happy!

Voyageur Pea Soup

Every February when I was in elementary school we celebrated the Festival du Voyageur. I don't remember much about it except that we wore long embroidered sashes around our waists, made candy from pouring maple syrup onto clean (never yellow) snow and we ate delicious soupe aux pois. Most of the other kids thought the pea soup was gross, it was mushy and khaki green coloured, but I loved it! That was back in the days where I ate little bits of meat in things without too much disgust. Since then I really haven't had pea soup much at all because of the ham in it. So today I decided to make my own version, meat-free.

Voyageur Pea Soup

2 cups green split peas, rinsed

1 medium onion, finely diced

3 stalks celery, finely diced

1 large carrot, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

About 6-7 cups of water or vegetable stock

3 bay leaves

herbes de provence

a dash of spanish smoked paprika

black pepper

salt

olive oil

Pour a little olive oil into the bottom of your soup pot. I hat giving measurements for thing like this because it should just coat the bottom of the pot. Add onions, celery, carrots, and a healthy dash of herbes de provence. Saute these for a few minutes until the onion is soft, then add the garlic. and just a tiny dash of smoked paprika. I love the smoky resonance of smoked paprika, but I don't think it should take over the taste of the soup, it should just linger in the background so you get a hint of smokiness without knowing what it is.

Add the peas, 5 1/2 cups of the stock or water, bay leaves and a grinding of black pepper. If you are using water, add some salt.

Bring to the boil and then turn the heat down to a simmer and continue simmering for about 45 minutes then reduce heat a little more and cover and simmer for another 45 minutes or until the peas are cooked and mushy. During this time, give it a stir every once in a while and add more water or stock if it looks too thick. At this point taste for salt. It may need a little more, but go slowly so you don't over salt.

Remove the bay leaves. If you have an immersion blender stick it right into the soup pot and give it a whizz. Don't puree it, just help it to become partially blended into a thick, textured soup.

Now, find a red sash to tie around your waist and imagine yourself sitting in the snow eating this soup while singing French voyageur songs!

Scones and Tea!

On Friday we had a nice visit with J and I had wanted to make something to go with tea for an afternoon visit. Naturally, scones came to mind. I wanted to make them a bit different, just for a change, so into one batch I put golden raisins, dried apricots and fresh orange zest, and the other batch got sharp aged cheddar and cracked black pepper. After tasting the two I couldn't decide which I preferred they were both pretty yummy! We served them with some of our summer preserves, grape, rhubarb vanilla and spiced apple cider jelly from my Mom's friend (which I intend to make this year, it is so good!).

Scones are the easiest dough to make in my opinion. The golden rule is not to overwork the dough. I use my hands to make scones, I know some people prefer to use the food processor, do it whichever way suits you best.

We had some left over and I will admit (somewhat ashamedly) to eating about 6 throughout the day. I couldn't let them go to waste, and they just don't keep well, so they had to be eaten that day!

Happy baking and even happier eating!

My Scones

2 cups plain flour

4 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp fine salt

1/4 cup cold butter

3/4 cup cold milk

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Measure the flour, salt and baking powder into a bowl and give it a whisk to combine. Cut the cold butter into small pieces and drop into the bowl. Working with your fingers, rub the butter into the flour, quickly, until the mixture looks like lumpy sand, you want to keep some bits of butter a bit bigger than others. At this point gradually add your milk while stirring with a wooden spoon. If you have added all the milk and there is still flour in the bowl, add a little bit more. When the dough comes together and there is no flour at the bottom of the bowl, turn it out onto a lightly floured, clean counter and turn it over once or twice. Do not Knead. Shape it into a flat, round disc with your hands and cut into 8 wedges. Place them on a baking sheet lined with a silpat or parchment paper and bake for about 20 minutes or until they are puffy and golden. 

Be creative with this recipe. If you want sweet scones, brush them with milk or cream and sprinkle sugar on top before they go in the oven. You can add lemon or orange zest, raisins, currants, dried cranberries, walnuts, pecans, cheddar cheese, dried herbs, grainy mustard, anything you like really. Add fruit and nuts to flour mixture just before adding the milk, as for things like grainy mustard, mix it into the milk before adding. When I make cheese scones I always sprinkle grated cheese on top of the scones before baking. Have fun with these and be creative!

Crepes Sucrees

This post is a bit overdue, but I wanted to give you my crepe recipe.

On new year's morning I decided crepes would be the best thing to go with my traditional New Year's Morning Mimosa.

Crepes sucrees are one of my favourite meals, if you can call them a meal. Once in a while a lot of sugar is just what I need for dinner. My favourite ways to eat them are either with some melted butter and white sugar or a squeeze of lemon and sugar. Both of these ways can be very messy, so you need a plate to catch the drips. JS loves them with strawberry jam or nutella. They are also delicious with some pear or apple compote. Enjoy them with whatever tickles your fancy!

Crepes Sucrees

2 cups (or 250g) flour

500 ml milk

3 eggs

1/2 tsp salt

2 tbsp white sugar

2 tbsp melted butter

as for flavouring your batter, you can leave it as is, or add any of the following alone, or in combination. I personally usually put in some orange flower water and vanilla.

2 tsp orange flower water

1 tsp vanilla

grated lemon zest 

a glug or rum

extra butter or canola oil for greasing the pan

Put flour, sugar and salt in a bowl and give them a whisk together. Add about half your milk, whisking it in as you go.

Beat the eggs together in another bowl then add them to your flour and milk mixture along with the melted (but not hot) butter. Whisk this all together and slowly add the rest of the milk. When the batter is done it should e the consistency of heavy cream. 

Let the batter sit for about 20 minutes.

Now, if you are using a crepe pan, that's great. If not, use a non-stick frying pan. Heat your pan at about medium heat. Get a little bit of oil or melted butter on a folded up piece of paper towel and wipe this onto the pan.

With a soup ladle, pour a bit of batter onto the pan to check your heat. The batter should have time to move around the pan before it sets, but it should set fairly quickly. You need to use two hands for this, one hand to ladle and the other to twirl the pan, like I'm doing in the picture. After about 2 minutes it should be time to flip your crepe. You can do this the French way, by tossing it into the air (which you must try at least once, even if it ends up on the floor!), or by lifting an edge with a butter knife or a spatula and flipping it with your fingers. Leave it for another minute or 2 on the second side until it looks golden and beautiful, then slide it onto a waiting plate. The first crepe is for the cook, because it's not usually the prettiest. If your batter seems to thick or too thin, add a bit of milk or a bit of flour until it seems right to you. 

Finally you are ready for the assembly line. I always have a cloth handy for drips, my paper towel for greasing the pan between crepes and a plate for the finished products.

This might seem complicated, but I promise you it isn't! It just takes a bit of kitchen organization and the result is infinitely worthwhile! 

Bon appetit et bonne annee!

Snow Day!

I have a confession to make and I am rather ashamed of it. I am going to come clean and get it out in the open. I am a bouillon cube user.

I know that vegetable stock is one of the easiest and cheapest things to make, and that it is 100 times better than cubes. I have made stock in the past and I realize that it is so much tastier. I know that cubes are probably full of artificial fats, flavourings, colours, and the dreaded MSG, but somehow I just never get around to making it....until today!

I have been planning it all week, and today is the day. I want to simmer it slowly for a few hours, which requires me to be home and it couldn't have been a better day for hanging around the house. It snowed so much last night and it just seems the perfect day to make something slow and savoury which will fill the house with aromatic loveliness.

So here is my veggie stock recipe. Keep in mind that this shouldn't be followed with scientific precision. Adjust the amounts and even the ingredients to suit your taste. I stay away from anything too strong like cabbage, asparagus or peppers, but feel free to throw in some leeks, shallots, parsley or other herbs. I make my stock with skins on most of the vegetables, so using organic produce here is the best way to go.

My Veggie Stock (not from a cube)

2 onions, skins on (unless they're muddy), chopped into quarters

3 carrots, washed but unpeeled, cut into thirds

3 celery stalks, rinsed, cut into thirds, plus the pale green leaves from inside the heart

Fronds from one bulb of fennel

4 cloves of garlic, skins on, slightly crushed

1 piece of ginger, peeled, about the size of a ping pong ball

5 fragrant bay leaves (please smell them before you throw them in, do they have a smell? If they've been sitting in your cupboard since the 80's they most likely do not. Get rid of them and buy yourself some more from a quality spice store.)

7 peppercorns (because I like the number 7, adjust to your taste)

1 good branch of rosemary

a few branches of dried thyme (I always dry mine from my summer garden and use it on the branch which contains a lot of flavour)

1 scant tbsp coarse sea salt (or less, it's better to adjust salt at the end of cooking, adding too much at the beginning can spell disaster)

Put all of the ingredients in a large pot, mine holds about 4 litres I think. Cover the vegetables with water so they have a nice amount to swim around in. Bring to a boil, once boiling reduce the heat to medium and simmer, uncovered, for about 1 1/2 to 2 hours. Enjoy the smell! When you feel it's finished simmering have a taste and adjust the salt if you need to.

Cool the stock in the pot. Strain out the vegetables through a mesh sieve into a bowl and discard them. Transfer the stock to containers and refrigerate for a few days or freeze for a few months.

Use this liquid gold in soups, stews, pilafs, risottos, or anywhere you would use a bouillon cube and enjoy the difference.

New Year's Resolutions and 2008 Favourites

So, I made a list of all my New Year's resolutions, and there are many. Usually I don't really intend to keep them, but this year I made fairly achievable ones. Do more yoga, write more, keep the blog up to date, things of that nature. So in the interest of getting the year off on the right foot, I decided to post one last entry in 2008.

This photo of Roo is my favourite image of Christmas 2008. She just embodies Christmas in this picture. You can see the happy chaos around her and the big smile on her face. I know dogs can't smile, but look at that face, if she could smile, she would be in this picture.

Here are a few of my favourite food related things from this year:

Favourite meal in a pinch: Red Lentil and Sweet Potato Curry

Favourite morning tea: Milk Oolong

Favourite evening tea: Honeybush Botswana (a blend of honeybush tea with calendula and sunflower I believe)

Favourite spice: Spanish Smoked Paprika

Favourite thing to make with fresh tomatoes: Pa Amb Tomaquet

Favourite healthy snack: My healthy banana cake, which I made yesterday with dates and walnuts, mmmmmm!

Favourite new ingredients: local organic spelt flakes, quinoa flour, red quinoa 

Favourite homemade jams: Nanking Cherry, Apricot Vanilla with apricot almonds

2008 has come and gone, I did a lot of cooking and baking and not a lot of photography (another of this year's resolutions!). We will be celebrating with friends, dogs, wine and a fire tonight to ring in the new year. Hope it's a happy, peaceful and healthy 2009 for all!!