Monthly Archives: October 2012

pickerel in brown butter sauce

28 Sunday Oct 2012

Posted by in buy local, cook

≈ 1 Comment

Tags

, , , , ,

Pickerel is such an easy fish to prepare and eat. It’s not too fishy, has a nice firm flesh and goes with any side side I can think of. Here is another great recipe from High Plains: The Joy of Alberta Cuisine. This is a simple yet flavorful way of preparing your pickerel. I double the amount of lemon juice in the sauce as I like mine very ‘lemony’. Today, I served the fish on a bed of brown rice with a side of salad.

Pickerel in Brown Butter Sauce

1/2 cup flour (I use spelt flour or whatever freshly milled flour I have on hand)

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

1/4 teaspoon paprika

1-1/2 lb. pickerel fillets

3 tablespoons canola oil

1/4 cup butter

juice of half a lemon

2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped

Combine flour, salt, pepper and paprika in a shallow dish. Dredge the pickerel fillets in the seasoned flour, coating both sides well and shaking off any excess flour.

Heat canola oil and 2 tablespoons of the butter in a nonstick frying pan over medium-high heat. When fat is sizzling, add the fish and panfry until golden brown, about 2-3 minutes on each side.

Remove fish from pan and serve on a warm platter. Add remaining butter to pan and cook until it begins to brown. Mix in lemon juice and parsley then immediately pour sauce over fish and serve. Enjoy!

Resource:

Chavich, C. (2001). High Plains: The Joy of Alberta Cuisine. Calgary, AB: Fifth House, Ltd.

 

autumn passing

24 Wednesday Oct 2012

Posted by in appreciate the seasons

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , ,

 

 

Winter is nearly here but before I get too excited about skiing and snowshoeing and dark cozy evenings by the fire I wanted to share a few autumn moments here around the cabin.

Just a few weeks ago we were surrounded by gorgeous walls of yellow as the leaves of the aspen poplar trees began to change color. Then a few days of strong winds blew all of the leaves to the ground. Each autumn it shocks me just how intensely bright and beautiful these leaves become.

As the grasses and woods turn brown, Lucy has suddenly become perfectly camouflaged. She is back to her joyous leaping through the tall grass and chasing the spruce grouse.

Below is the view of the lake from the cabin. In spring and summer I can’t actually see the lake because the trees leaf out and block the view. I don’t mind as I love the privacy and I can still smell and hear the water all summer long. I also spot many kinds of water birds as they pass through this time of year. Last week we had a large group of swans at the water’s edge.

October is my favorite month of the year. I love the warm colors, the smell of leaves decaying (nutrition for next year), the sights and sounds of migrating birds by the hundreds… I love warm sweaters, wool socks, crackling fires and long scarves. I also love the early darkness as I can reacquaint myself with the stars and moon.

The outdoor projects are done for the summer, the garden has been harvested and put to bed for the winter. I am spending more time indoors now, reading, writing and getting back to my yoga practice. These changing seasons remind me to be grateful for all that I have and to look forward to more beauty and adventures in the new season to come.

homemade granola- there is no turning back!

18 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in cook

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , ,

I have to warn you… Once you make your first batch of homemade granola there is absolutely no turning back. Store-bought will never taste this fresh and good. Your friends and family will gobble this healthy breakfast up in no time and beg you to make more. It really takes very little time to make it and it is cheaper to make it yourself using your own favorite ingredients. I like to make a double batch and store it in a glass gallon jar on the counter. Serve this with milk or yogurt and fresh berries for breakfast or eat it as a snack later in the day.

Granola

4 cups large flake oats

3/4 cup raw sunflower seeds and/or pumpkin seeds

1 cup raw almonds, walnuts, pecans or macadamia nuts (or a mixture of these)

1-1/2 cups unsweetened shredded coconut

1-1/2 cups dried fruits, such as raisons, currants, dried

grated zest of 2 oranges

3/4 cup maple syrup or honey

1/4 coconut oil

Preheat oven to 300 degrees (F). Combine oats, nuts, dried fruit and zest in a large bowl. Heat the coconut oil and maple syrup in a small saucepan on low heat until warm. Pour over the dry ingredients and mix thoroughly.

Divide mixture between 2 cookie sheets and spread into a thin layer. Bake for about 45 minutes or until golden brown, stirring every 15 minutes. Allow mixture to col completely before storing in an airtight container. Enjoy!

Yield: about 10 cups of granola

and finally… apple jelly

09 Tuesday Oct 2012

Posted by in cook, preserve

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , ,

At last, here is the crabapple jelly recipe I’ve been using for over a decade. It’s from Jean Pare’s Company’s Coming series on Preserves. I’ve tried adding a single bird’s eye chili on each jar for color and a bit of heat but usually I stick to the classic recipe. Crabapple jelly is my absolute favorite along with raspberry jam.

 Crabapple Jelly

4 ½ lbs. crabapples, or tart apples, such as Granny Smith

7 cups water

5 cups of the prepared juice

3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh or bottled

3 ¾ cups sugar

Remove stems and blossom ends from apples. Coarsely chop apples with peel and core included. Turn into large pot. Add water. Bring to a boil on medium-high heat. Cook for about 50 minutes until mushy-soft. Drain several hours or overnight in a jelly bag.

Combine prepared juice and lemon juice in a large pot. Add sugar. Stir on medium-high heat until it comes to a full rolling boil. Boil hard for about 40 minutes, stirring once or twice, testing for jelly stage near the end. Skim off foam if necessary. Pour into hot sterilized jars to within ¼ inch of top. Seal. Makes 3 half-pints.

Resource:

Pare, J. (1994). Company’s Coming: Preserves.  Edmonton, AB: Company’s Coming Publishing Limited.

apple butter

04 Thursday Oct 2012

Posted by in cook, preserve

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , ,

I used to have a crabapple tree in my backyard when I lived in St. Albert. Every autumn I would make crabapple jelly, crabapple butter and spiced apples for apple strudel. A few weeks ago, a dear friend and neighbor invited me up to her farm just up the hill to pick crabapples. B and I filled quite a few baskets full and I have been busy making the butter and jelly, as well as many batches of apple sauce (which I froze) and a large batch of dehydrated apples. After all of that, I still have a large bowl of crabapples sitting on my counter… Perhaps I can bake a pie tomorrow?

Apple Butter

4 lbs. tart apples, quartered

2 cups sugar

3 tablespoons lemon juice, fresh or bottled

1 teaspoon cinnamon

Remove stems and blossom ends from apples before cutting into quarters. Place in a large pot, including seeds, core and peeling. Add sugar, lemon juice and cinnamon. Stir. Let stand until apples release some juice. Cover. Heat slowly. Bring to a boil. Cook gently, uncovered, stirring often, until apples are tender. Press through a food mill. Turn pulp into an enamel roaster. Bake, uncovered, in a 325 degrees (F) oven, stirring every 30 minutes, until thick, about 2 to 2 ½ hours. TO test for doneness, cool a teaspoonful on a chilled saucer. It should stay smooth. This may also be cooked in a large pot on top f the stove, stirring often. Pour into hot, sterilized jars to within ¼ inch (6 mm) of the top. Seal. Makes 4 half-pints.

Resource:

Pare, J. (1994). Company’s Coming: Preserves. Edmonton, AB: Company’s Coming Publishing Limited.

the season for jams and jellies…

01 Monday Oct 2012

Posted by in appreciate the seasons, cook, preserve, wild berries

≈ Leave a comment

Tags

, , , , , , , , , , ,

Since early August I have been been busy picking berries as they ripen in the wild and preserving them in jams and jellies.  I love making preserves! I love the process of turning berries into little jars of sunshine, the satisfaction of a cupboard filled with preserves and the way the entire house smells like pie when the jams and jellies are cooking. I also love giving these jewels away as gifts as it is rare to enjoy wild berry preserves unless your lucky enough to find them at the farmers market or you pick and preserve them yourself.

Above is this year’s gooseberry jam. Click here for the recipe.

Here is this year’s rosehip jelly. One batch set beautifully and the other did not. I will simply label the watery one as ‘rosehip syrup’ and use it for pancakes and waffles. Click here for the recipe.

This raspberry jam is not from wild berries but from fruit from a dear friend’s backyard. Click here for the recipe.

Here is some high bush cranberry jelly in progress and below is the final jellies, just in time to serve with Thanksgiving turkey. Click here for the recipe.

I have also made apple butter, apple jelly and two batches of chokecherry jelly. I will post those soon with the recipes. In the meantime, I hope you are enjoying this beautiful season!