Roasted Red Pepper Feta Dip

This is by far my favourite dip and the easiest to make!

In a food processor or blender mix the following;

• 1 1/2 cup feta cheese, drained and cubed
• 1 large roasted red pepper, skinned and chopped
  
• 1 cup fresh mint leaves
• ¼ cup extra virgin olive oil
  
• 1 hot pepper of your choice chopped. I used a banana pepper from our garden. Jalapeno works nicely too.
  
• 1-2 garlic cloves or more to taste
  
• 1/4 cup or more of fresh lemon juice
• *Optional* A squirt of hot sriracha chili sauce. It gives it a little "Je ne sais quoi".
  

Serve cold with fresh veggies or crispy salty pita chips :-)

Enjoy!

Fudgy Orange Chocolate Zucchini Cake

I always make this recipe at the end of the season when you are "zucchinied" out. You know... when your zucchinis have reached a massive size. This is the perfect recipe to use those up. This cake is so moist and delicious, nobody will ever know there is a green veggie in there.

Unfortunately, this year was very bad garden wise for me. Alas, not even 1 zucchini. So I went to a local farmer and asked for his biggest and ugliest one. He had none that were already picked but said he could probably find one in the field that matched my description. And he did! Boy was it ever big...and UGLY. 50 cents he charged me! what a steal!

INGREDIENTS:

2 1/2 cups all purpose flour

1/2 cup cocoa

2 1/2 teaspoons baking powder

1 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon cinnamon

3/4 cup butter

2 cups sugar

3 eggs, lightly beaten

2 teaspoons of vanilla

1/2 cup milk

3 cups grated zucchini (skin on)

1 tablespoon grated orange zest

1 cup of chopped nuts (optional)

Orange glaze:

1 1/4 cup sifted powdered sugar

1/4 cup orange juice (squeezed from the orange you used for the zest)

1 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Sift flour, cocoa, baking powder, baking soda, salt & cinnamon together and set aside.

In a bowl, cream the butter & sugar until fluffy. Add the eggs, vanilla & milk to the butter mix. Stir in the dry ingredients and mix until well blended. Fold in the zucchini, orange zest & nuts. Pour into a greased & floured bundt cake pan. Bake 50-60 minutes.

Allow the cake to cool on a rack for 15 minutes before turning out on to a plate.

Glaze; in a bowl mix together the sugar, orange juice & vanilla. While the cake is still warm, drizzle with the glaze. Garnish with flowers or mint if you wish.

Got The Munchies?

Well, this is what was waiting for me after work... Friskie, bathing himself in catnip. Somehow, fleabag was able to get into the pantry, fetch the Catnip container and open it. I am still perplexed as to how without the aid of human hands he was able to achieve this...

What Mommy?

What a mess!!

After the "buzz" was gone, he proceeded to violently wash himself, eat and then sleep for 12 hrs...Can cats OD on Catnip?

Stemware Tree

"If you're always on the lookout for ways to make entertaining-and-cleaning up-a little easier, you'll delight in discovering this innovative Stemware Rack from Cuisipro, made for securely holding and air drying up to 8 long-stemmed glasses at a time" !!!

This is not only attractive but will save me money$$ !!! How many wine glasses have you "tipped" over while drying... Honey? Or how many wine glasses were put back in the cabinet still wet.......Honey? TOO MANY!

I need this...I REALLY WANT THIS

My X-Mas Wish List

What to get a Foodie/Blogger/Traveller for Christmas...Hummmm let me count the ways!

Each year, Oprah comes up with her "Favourite list", well here's mine in no particular order. Enjoy!

1)Adobe photoshop Elements, just because Pioneer Women uses it!

2) Roots-Village Bag in Vintage Tribe Leather. Love this purse! Perfect for traveling and looks super durable... I need a durable purse.

3) Emilie Sloan Gabrielle Lunch Tote: Cranberry

http://www.ebags.com/emilie_sloan/gabrielle_lunch_tote_cranberry/product_detail/index.cfm?modelid=125693

4) A Class/gift certificate at the Urban Element in Ottawa:

http://theurbanelement.ca/#/home

Here is an exert from their website: " Hands-on Class: This class is a must for foodies and newbies alike-it's for anyone willing to roll up their sleeves and get their hands dirty! You will play an active role in preparing your own 3 to 4 course meal with the help and guidance of our featured chefs. ...Before you know it, it will be time to sit down and enjoy the fruits of your labour. From here, the Urban Element staff will treat you like a guest, pouring wine, plating and presenting you with the wonderful meal you helped create. "

SIGN ME UP!!!!

5) Dinner at au Pied de Cochon in Montréal, Québec. By far my favourite restaurant, if do go, I suggest wearing elastic waist pants.

6) A good Porto, Quinta de Castelinho comes to mind... SAQ sells it.

7) Waiters Rant Book

8) Gel mat for the kitchen. Perfect for those achy tired feet and legs! Hate those hard ceramic tile floors...

http://www.gelpro.com/page/gallery

9) Food Network magazine subscription...why not...

10) Scharffen Berger milk chocolate (not the dark one)... velvety smooth melt in your mouth goodness! My favourite chocolate ever! Usually I much prefer dark bitter chocolate, but this one is simply sinful.

11) Le Nordik Gift certificate. My favourite place to escape and unwind.

Nordic baths http://www.lenordik.com/

Outdoor hot tubs, Finnish sauna, steam bath, Nordic waterfalls, cold and temperate pools, outdoor and indoor relaxation areas & outdoor fireplaces. WHAT'S NOT TO LOVE!??

12) Trail of Crumbs book

13) Gift certificate at Le Cordon Bleu for a demonstration class.

If we win the lottery:



-Kitchen aid mixer in Copper pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze PRETTY pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeze

-Saaco Espresso machine. One of these would make me a happy women!

Our Wine

Hummmm...What to do on a gloomy Sunday besides laundry.....

I decided to label and cap our wine bottles! With the economy and being the wine drinkers we are, we decided it might be more economical to make our own wine. I must say, it turned out much better then I expected. I was pleasantly surprised with the complexity of the bouquet and
how robust some of these were. Very good experience overall, something satisfying about making and bottling your own wine.

New Zealand Merlot...Who knew!

Great Italian Barolo

Jesss....We're Winos

This year's line up

Life is Hard...

Eating, chasing squirrels, napping, more eating..... Tough to be a dog nowadays!

My Heirloom Tomatoes

My favourite thing to do with fresh garden tomatoes;

-Slice tomatoes and fresh Buffalo Mozzarella, sprinkle with fresh chopped basil.

-Drizzle with your best olive oil & balsamic reduction and some sea salt and pepper.

Oh how I miss summer already!! I was so born in the wrong country!

Summer's over...

BYE BYE my Beauties.

My New Favourite Thing

I LOVE this thing! It really really works. Every pet parent on my Christmas list is getting one of these!

Rosemary Butter Dinner Rolls

Can you smell that??!! HEAVEN

After rising.

Look at this rosemary! it was so fragrant and fresh!

Restaurant worthy buttered soft little bundles of joy. The secret is in the pan, as in Cast Iron pan.

Buttered Rosemary Rolls
Frozen, unbaked dinner rolls

Melted butter (regular, salted)

Fresh rosemary, coarsely chopped

Coarse sea salt

-Coat a medium cast iron skillet with olive oil. Place frozen rolls in the skillet, leaving plenty of room for rising. Cover and allow to rise for several hours. (I heated my oven then turn it off and put the pan with the bread in the oven with a dish cloth on top)

-After rising, brush rolls with melted butter. Sprinkle on chopped rosemary. Brush with additional butter.

-Sprinkle with coarse sea salt. I used grey sea salt, I had it on hand & it's my all time favorite

-Bake according to roll package directions (usually 400 degrees for 15 to 20 minutes), until rolls are a deep golden brown on top. If you are adventurous and not watching calories, brush some more butter on top... Just for fun!

-Serve skillet on the table and stand back to avoid the tramped.

Where the wild things are

Hey, we've been living this story for a while. I'll tell you where they are. They're growing in my house because whenever Friskie the cat goes outside he comes back in dragging half of the Boreal forest in his ass. Honestly, you can see where he's parked his butt just by the clumps of vegetation and dirt that he leaves behind. I don't know where he goes or what he does but its deep, dirty and thick. I'm having second thoughts about that pet vacuum ad that was going around a few years back. Remember that? Not only that, but he's been know to hide little creatures in that fur of his... yes, I have found snails, worms...or my bed.. On my WHITE down duvet...Welcome to my life.

Pumpkin Pie Crisp

I have to admit, I hate anything pumpkin, always have until now.. I saw my better half eyeing this recipe and I thought I would make it for him since he loves pumpkin pie. Do yourself a huge favour this Thanksgiving, and MAKE this pie. If you have been waiting for that diamond ring from your man, this might be the pie that will make it happen..Trust me, it's that good.

Ingredients:

Crisp Topping:

1 cup (250 mL) of Oats (I used old fashion quick oats and it worked fine)

¾ cup (175 mL) Dark Brown sugar, packed

½ cup (125 mL) chopped pecans

2 tbsp (30 mL) All Purpose Flour

½ tsp (2 mL) cinnamon

1/3 cup (75 mL) butter, melted

Filling:

1 can of Pumpkin purée (1 ½ cups/375 mL)

**Do not use pie filling, has to be 100% pure pumpkin purée**

1 cup (250 mL) Dark Brown Sugar, packed

1 ¼ cups (300 mL) Carnation® Evaporated Milk

2 eggs

½ tsp (2 mL) each; vanilla extract & salt

1½ tsp pumpkin spice.

**If you do not have pumpkin spice, substitute with ½ tsp of each of: cinnamon, ground ginger and nutmeg.

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 425ºF (218ºC).

2. Topping: Combine ingredients with a fork for topping. Reserve.

3. Crust: Make pie crust according to package directions. On a lightly floured surface, roll pastry to fit a 9” (23 cm) pie plate. OR use a frozen pie shell.

4. Place dough in pie plate cutting excess dough. Roll dough under and flute the edges with your fingertips.

5. Filling: Whisk pumpkin purée, sugar, evaporated milk, eggs and vanilla in a large bowl. Stir in remaining ingredients. Pour into prepared pie plate.

6. Bake in preheated oven 15 minutes, reduce heat to 350ºF (180ºC) and bake for 45 minutes.

7. Add reserved topping and bake for an additional 20 minutes. Remove from oven and cool before serving.

Note:
1. I use a crust saving ring to prevent crust from burning. Foil would also work just fine.

2. Serve with freshly whipped cream if you have some.

3. I found the pie better warm then cold.

Murray Street Kitchen Wine & Charcuterie review

It was a rare hot humid evening last week and my sweeties birthday week. We were craving for a nice glass of wine, some delicious interesting food, and a quiet patio. We discussed several options and decided to head over to our favourite place. We shouldn't have thought twice about it. For the setting, food, and service Murray Street Bistro can't be beat.

We tucked into the Kitchen Charcuterie Plate to start along with a bottle of Malbec Fuerza, Mendoza, 2005 Argentina.

Most of the items in this starter are unique to the restaurant and prior to dining here we had never tasted many of them. For many of you my advice is keep an open mind and savor the flavors. Don't let the descriptions influence your choice. What actually arrives on the plate in front of you bears no resemblance to the picture you form in your mind when you first hear the description.

It keeps us coming back. Its a sampler of the in house specialties and cheeses and needs to be savoured with a finely paired red. Toby our server was well acquainted with the wine menu and its nuances and suggested the grape. Thanks Toby for keeping us hooked. We've been here several times and staff is always very knowledgeable about the food and the wine...above par.

Back to the food. For me and my sweetie theKitchen Charcuterie Plate (22$) is just the most perfect pairing of wine and meats. The plate arrives on a wooden cutting board, each portion occupying its place around the board :

Grilled Elks tongue-Marinated in wine vinegar and lightly grilled with the sear marks visible on the meat. Tender and moist. The acidity of the marinade complimented with the smoky infusion of the grill.

Shaved Beef Heart- Thinly shaved slices of beef heart, pure beef flavor no spices that I could detect. A pinch of salt and pepper is all it takes on these babies.

Pot of homemade Pork Rillette- WOW. We are rillette fans and ever since Marcus in Gatineau closed its deli counter we've been starving for a great rillette. This is one of the best. Homemade and as per tradition served in its glass jar. A generous portion that tastes superb on the toasted crostinis or rosemary flavored bread that accompanies the dish.

Poutine-Crispy hand-cut herb spatzle, shredded mariposa duck confit, roast duck gravy, 5th town Goat cheese curds.

Tuna-Wild BC Albacore tuna (seared rare), Art-is-in bread salad, sun-dried tomatoes, kalamata olives, torched Ferme Floralpe feta, Bryson Farms arugula, roast garlic-chokecherry dressing.


110 Murray Street
Ottawa, Ontario
613-562-7244
http://www.murraystreet.ca/

Tapas Style Almonds

I have tons of cookbooks and sadly rarely use them. My sister in law gave me this wonderful tapas book recently. I thought I would first try the Salted Almonds recipe. They were wonderful and were a hit with everyone. Will make these puppies over and over again!

Mix almonds in pan with oil.

While still warm sprinkle with sea salt and the paprika

1 1/2 cup of whole blanched almonds.

4 tbsp olive oil or grape seed oil

Coarse sea salt

1 tsp or more of paprika (I used hot smoked paprika)

Preheat the oven to 350 F/180C. Put the olive oil in a roasting pan and swirl it around so that it covers the bottom. Add the almonds and toss them in the pan so that they are evenly coated in the oil, then spread them out in a single layer.

Roast the almonds in the oven for 20 min or until they are light golden brown, tossing several times during the cooking. Drain the almonds on a paper towel then transfer them to a bowl.

While the almonds are still warm, sprinkle with plenty of sea salt and the paprika.

The almonds are at their best when served freshly cooked. If possible cook them on the day you place to eat them. However, they can be stored in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Bifstro Marin-Aylmer Québec

- Steak and Seafood-Charming, intimate restaurant in the heart of the historic old Marina area of Aylmer with deck overlooking the Parc de l'imaginaire and Lac des Chênes.

Heard good things so we decided to check it out. Arrived on a busy Friday night. Service was very good which was surprising with the number of people there.

Started with scallops wrapped in bacon. Five or six ?? Broiled scallops wrapped with nice almost crisp bacon. Cooked perfectly. Delicious!

I ordered the Rib eye rare. It came accompanied with home pommes frites and grilled vegetables. The steak was cooked perfectly and the portion seemed larger than the 12 ounce indicated on the menu. This steak was obviously procured from the local butcher. It was about an inch thick and didn't look at all like the same standard steak you get at the chains in Ottawa. It was tender moist and full of flavour from the grill. It was lightly seasoned with Montreal steak spice. The frites were home cut and superb. Crisp and flavourful. The vegetables were grilled to perfection. Not overdone, crisp and still slightly crunchy. The best steak I've had in the area.

Birthday girl ordered the linguini and it surpassed expectations. Fresh pasta al dente with 3 huge sea scallops and a generous amount of large shrimps grilled to succulent perfection in a rich creamy garlicky Alfredo sauce. The accompanying vegetables were also beautifully done. Leftovers came home for lunch next day. A great location, excellent service and great food served in generous amounts. If you want above average steak and seafood this is the place. The secrets out!

The Bifstro Rib Eye $22, 95
Seafood Linguini Alfredo $23.95
Scallops Wrapped in Bacon $9.50

Le Bifstro Marin
11 Front Street
Aylmer, Qc
http://pages.videotron.com/bifstro/EN/indexE.html