New Beginnings

The new year has arrived, and with it, hopefully some new beginnings.  I have decided what I'm hoping for, other than a fresh slate, but I think I like it that way.  This way, if something doesn't come to pass, I won't disappointed, and whatever goes well, will just be an added bonus.  

Out this way 2009 arrived with a bang.  Lucky us, we were hit with a blizzard.  Not just some flurries, or even a decent amount of snow.  No, there was snow, and there was wind.  Lots of wind.  Near hurricane force wind.  Amazingly enough, I didn't lose power!  I did however, huddle inside, drinking lots of lovely tea, and reading a book.  Sadly, I have already forgotten what book it was, but I know it was good.

Back to the new beginnings.  I have a simple and delicious one right here, a satisfying bowl of popped amaranth.  In my case I used blueberries as an add in, and almond milk as the liquid, but use whatever you have on hand, or prefer.  Any milk or milk substitute would be fine, and any berry or cup up fruit would be fantastic.  With this leading the day, how can you not be hopeful for new beginnings?

Popped Amaranth Cereal

1/4 cup amaranth

handful of berries or fruit

milk or substitute for serving

Bring a large empty sauce pan to heat over medium-high.  Pour in amaranth and stir constantly.  After a while it will begin to pop, much like popcorn.  Don't stop stirring!

Once most of the amaranth has popped remove from heat, and pour into bowl.  Top with fruit and milk/milk sub.  Serve and eat as you would any other bowl of Cereal.  Yummy!!

Sugar and Spice...

...and everything nice, that's what little girls are made of. 

And so are these great cookies I whipped up!  My friend and her little girl came over, and I swear neither of them could keep their hands off, or their mouths empty.  They're that good!  

These sugar cookies are beyond simple to make.  I believe they are going to become my go to cookie whenever I need something and I don't have the spare time to make up a batch of my beloved Basler Brunsli, after all, these take a fraction of the time!  

These have a wonderful mouth feel.  They are like little sweet clouds that just melt in your mouth.  They give easily, but they don't crumble.  And right in the centre, there is this wonderful chewy surprise.  What a joy to eat, and I can't wait until next cookie season when I can offer these up to everyone and watch people smile as they eat them.

Spiced Sugar Cookies

3/4 cup unsalted butter

3/4 cup sugar

2 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/2 tsp salt

1 egg

2 tsp vanilla

1 tsp xanthan gum

2 cups arrowroot starch

Preheat oven to 375 F.

Cream together butter, sugar, spices and salt until smooth.  Add egg and vanilla, and beat/cream until fully incorporated.

Mix in xanthan gum.  Finally add arrowroot starch, in 1/2 cup increments.  Beat until a smooth dough forms.

Using a teaspoon place heaps of dough on cookie sheet.  Bake 10-13 minutes, remove from oven and cool.  

Makes 32 good sized cookies.

Leeks and Potatoes

After a long week, I am finally beating that cold that hit me Monday.  Why I tend to get sick at the Holiday's is a complete mystery, but with very few exceptions, every time I get really sick, it's Christmas.  Needless to say, I was not doing quite as much in the kitchen as I would have liked.  Thank goodness I wasn't hosting a Dinner!

Finally, yesterday afternoon, I finally felt well enough to make something, to stand in my tiny little kitchen and create something.  Nothing to crazy mind you.  

Just before the darn cold arrived, I had found several yummy looking items in the produce section of our local Planet Organic, and decided that it was time to put it to good use.  Originally I was crazy enough to pull out leeks, potatoes, cabbage, kale, carrots, onions, mushrooms, garlic and green peppers to throw together a simple meal with few flavors.  Yes, I quickly saw the problem with the few flavors versus my multitude of goodies.  Therefore I decided to pick on item, and then choose a few things to go with it.  The Leeks were calling my name, and from there the potatoes and garlic were a given.  I dug around in my fridge for a moment to locate my homemade chicken stock, and a little bit of heavy cream.  As I was putting everything else way, I was hit by a last minute need to keep out an onion.  From this my new favorite soup (yes, a soup that I actually adore!) was born.

Potato and Leek Soup

If you want more servings, just increase this recipe as need be.  I think it would double, triple, or even sextuple (X6) very well!

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 leek, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cup chicken stock, or other mild flavored stock

3 medium potatoes, diced small *I used Yukon Gold

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

In large sauce pot, heat butter and olive oil.  Saute onion, garlic and leeks until fragrant, and golden.  

Add chicken stock, and potatoes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Simmer until potatoes are soft.  Mash lightly, leaving most, and stir in cream.  Heat through, and serve.

Simple, yet amazingly delicious, and all that garlic actually isn't over powering!  Of course, if you don't like garlic, leave it out!

Chicken Noodle Soup

The world must be coming to an end, I'm putting up more than one post in a day.  Heck, that's more than I manage to put up most weeks!  What is the reason for this madness?  A good chunk of Nova Scotia is currently powerless, including my place of work.  Earliest ETA for power restoration, 11:30 tonight, and where I work is one of the lucky places.  Other area's are looking at an ETA of 11:30 TOMORROW night.  Yep, that's right, they're going powerless for two days.  This is what happens when Winter decides to rear her very ugly head, and blow in with hurricane strength winds, snow, and freezing rain.  Tree's have been downed, the landscape is white, and most of all, it's still way to windy out there for much to be happening at the airport.  I'm glad I'm not trying to travel today.  

The good thing here is, I have the day to myself.  The last time this happened, feels like a lifetime ago.  Really, it was just over a week ago, but today it's literally just me and my cats.  My roommate is at his parents, or fiance's, or somewhere.  Not too sure where, and me, I'm all alone in my apartment :)  It's a nice change.  The downside, apparently my body chose today to come down with a bit of a cold.  Here's to hoping that having a restful day will mean that when I get up to head in for an absolutely crazy day at work tomorrow, I'm all better.  Wishful thinking?  Perhaps, but it won't stop me.

So while I wish I was baking and concocting some elaborate meal, I've been vegetating on the couch watching Martha Stewart and snuggling with my kitties.  Though I did stand in the kitchen long enough to whip up a delicious and simple chicken noodle soup.  Within half an hour I had a big bowl of steaming, nutrient stuffed soup sitting in front of me, making my nose run from the warmth.  Now if that doesn't conjure images of sexiness, I don't know what does!  As long as you have stock, pasta and greens (which you could leave out very easily if you either don't have or really don't like), and enough energy to stand for 30 minutes, you too can enjoy some soup.  And on a day like today, even if I wasn't sick, I think I'd have been enjoying a big bowl anyway.

Express Chicken Noodle Soup

3/4 cup rice macaroni, uncooked

2 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought

2-3 cups sliced greens of your choice

Cook macaroni in salted-like-the-sea water until nearly al dente.  Drain.

Return to pot with stock and greens.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until pasta are cooked to desired tenderness.

Spoon into a big bowl, and and enjoy the healing properties that can only come from chicken noodle soup.

Basler Brunsli

If there is one thing I love it is a recipe that is naturally gluten-free.  The next best thing?  One that is so easy to convert and make work that even the most novice of us can do it.  These Basler Brunsli would fall into the second category.  In case you are wondering what in Heaven's name is or are Basler Brunsli, allow me to enlighten you.  They are, simply put, a chocolate almond cookie.  But they are better than just something simple, they are delicious.  I find that the thick, rustic texture of them instantly makes me think of my Oma, and her wonderful meals she used to make for us.  You know, those ones that seem too simple and plain to be good, but really are the ones you remember forever.  While Oma never made us any Basler Brunsli, at least not that I can remember, I can easily picture her plunking a plate in front of us and telling us to eat.

I have my new favorite treat, and it is quickly becoming my perfect Christmas cookie.  At least until I manage to find myself a Lebkucken recipe that I can easily convert and will taste exactly like the ones I adore (which may well never happen).  These little gems are chewy and thick with a heavy bite.  I find that your tooth sinks in, and then for a moment it almost feels as though you'll get stuck, reminiscent of toffee!  Right after it gives the rest of the way and you have this wonderful pure chocolate taste.  

I found the recipe I worked from at Nicky's site delicious:days and all I have to say is even though I have never met her, nor her friend (Maike), and most particularly not Maike's Oma, I love them all. [see here for the post]  I have not placed a link back to her friend's post as it is in German and I do not know how many of you read German, though I'm sure it could be great fun to try for those of you unfamiliar with the language :)  Due to the fact that I obtained the recipe in weights, and my tendency to cook/bake in both North American and European measurements, I never converted it to cups.  Hopefully one day I will, and if not, perhaps someone else will and would be so kind as to share it with us all!

Unlike the Nicky's and Maike's recipes I did not use Kirsch.  I have only started building up a mini bar (read I think I have two or three items), and therefore do not have any.  To add to the richness of the chocolate I added some vanilla, which highlighted and warmed the chocolate tones - trust me, I made it both with and without, with is better!  This way, these cookies are also suitable for those of you who do not consume alcohol, gluten, or grains of any form.  Thus they make a great addition to your cookie tray for special diets.  I hope they are as well received by you and yours as they were by me and my co-workers!

Basler Brunsli

150 g dark chocolate

300 g almond meal

75 g unsweetened cocoa powder

200 g sugar

pinch of salt

50 g sorghum flour, extra for dusting

4 egg whites

1 Tbsp vanilla

Slowly melt chocolate in a double boiler, taking care not to burn.  When melted remove from heat, and let cool slightly.

In a large bowl combine almond meal, cocoa powder, cocoa powder, sugar and sorghum flour.  

Whisk/beat egg whites until stiff.  Fold egg whites, melted chocolate and vanilla into almond mixture.  The dough is stiff, it might take a little bit of elbow grease.

Divide into two disks, wrap in plastic wrap, and chill for one or more hours in fridge.  If making dough in advance, you can freeze, and remove to fridge the day before you wish to bake them.

Preheat the oven to 425 F, roll dough out, sprinkling generously and often with sorghum, until between 0.5 and 1 cm thick.  I like mine a little thicker and therefore chewier.  Cut out with a rounded cookie cutter, or in pieces with a knife.  They are a slightly more rustic cookie, so they don't have to look perfect.

Place on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet and bake 5-7 minutes, until crisp on the outside, and chewy in the middle.  Of course if you are aiming for a crisper cookie, cook longer if needed.

Cool and store in an air tight container.  Watch them disappear.