broccoli and cheese quiche with a grated potato crust

30 Monday Sep 2013

Tags

breakfast, broccoli, broccoli and cheese quiche, brunch, cheese, egg, gluten-free quiche, grated potato, quiche, wheat-free quiche

Quiche can be enjoyed anytime of the day… breakfast, brunch, lunch or with a glass of white wine and fresh garden salad for dinner. I enjoy making quiche as there are so many other filling ingredients to experiment with. For example, adding wild mushrooms, dandelion leaves, feta cheese, diced artisan sausage or yellow and orange bell peppers for more color. Here is a great alternative using grated potatoes instead of pastry for the crust.

Broccoli and Cheese Quiche with a Grated Potato Crust

For the Crust:

3 cups grated potato combined with 1 teaspoon of salt

1/4 cup shredded Parmesan cheese

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 teaspoon salt

1 tablespoon melted butter

Preheat oven to 425*F. Grease a 10-inch pie plate.

Allow the grated potatoes and salt to sit for 10 minutes before squeezing the excess liquid out in a clean tea towel. In a large bowl, combine the dried potatoes, Parmesan cheese, salt, pepper and melted butter.

Press the mixture in an even layer into the bottom and up the sides of the greased 10-inch pie plate. Bake in preheated oven for 20 minutes or until the potatoes begin to brown. Remove from oven and let sit for 5 minutes before adding the quiche mixture.

For the Filling:

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 small onion, diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups broccoli florets, diced

1/2 large red bell pepper, diced

5 large eggs

1 cup milk

1-1/2 cups cheddar cheese, shredded

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

In a large frying pan over medium heat, saute the onion, garlic. broccoli and red pepper in butter until the onion is transparent and the broccoli is bright green, about 5-8 minutes. Remove from heat and transfer to the potato crust, making sure that there is an even layer of vegetables.

In a large mixing bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, cheese, salt and pepper. Spread the vegetables in the potato crust.

Bake in a 350*F oven or until golden brown on top and the egg mixture is set. Allow quiche to sit for 10 minutes before cutting.

Enjoy!

wild rose petal jelly and syrup

24 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in preserve

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edible flowers, jelly, preserving rose petals, rose petal, syrup, wild rose, wild rose petal jelly

This post is a catch-up from last July when Brian carefully picked a bundle of wild rose petals for me- truly a labor of love! We dried some and made a batch of jelly with the rest.

I found this recipe on the Martha Stewart website. I followed the advice of a reader and doubled the amount of pectin but my jelly still did not set and I had wild rose petal syrup instead. I look forward to trying again next year for the prized jelly. In the meantime, I have been enjoying this syrup mixed in fruit salads, as Nature Pop and drizzled over chocolate cake. The last four jars will be saved for the darkest days of winter when we can enjoy the scent of July wild rose blossoms and the promise of summer-to-come.

For medicinal and nutritional benefits of wild rose petals, click here to visit a previous cabinorganic post. In the meantime, here is Martha Stewart’s recipe:

Rose Petal Jelly

2 cups water

3 cups unsprayed pink rose petals, thicker tissue at base of petals removed

2 1/2 cups sugar

1/4 cup freshly squeezed lemon juice

3 ounces liquid pectin (or double this)

1 tablespoon rose water

STEP 1 Bring the water to a boil in a medium saucepan; remove from heat. Add petals; cover, and steep for 30 minutes. Strain liquid into clean saucepan. Discard petals.

STEP 2 Add sugar and lemon juice to pan. Bring mixture to a boil, stirring, over medium-high heat. Boil 2 minutes; add pectin, and boil 2 minutes (for firmer jelly, boil up to 2 minutes more). Remove from heat, add rose water. Pour into sterilized jars, and let cool completely. Store in refrigerator up to 6 months.

I will let you know the results of next summer’s attempt in July!

peppermint brownies

18 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in cook, sweets

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brownies, mint, peppermint, peppermint brownies

I found this recipe in August, 1997, in the cooking magazine Bon Appetit and have been baking these ever since. You can now find it on the Epicurean website. As I love mint chocolate I just had to try these. Use the best quality chocolate you can find- these are well worth the effort!

Peppermint Brownies

For the brownies

1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate, chopped

2 large eggs

1 cup sugar

1/2 cup all purpose flour

1/2 teaspoon peppermint extract

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract

Pinch of salt

1/2 cup chopped pecans

For toppings

1 cup sifted powdered sugar

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature

1 tablespoon whole milk

1/4 teaspoon peppermint extract

4 ounces semisweet chocolate, chopped

preparation

Make brownies:

Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly butter 8x8x2-inch metal baking pan. Stir butter and chocolate in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Set aside. Using electric mixer, beat eggs and sugar in large bowl until light and fluffy, about 5 minutes. Add chocolate mixture, flour, peppermint and vanilla extracts and salt; stir until just blended. Mix in nuts.

Transfer batter to prepared pan. Bake until tester inserted into center comes out with moist crumbs attached, about 25 minutes. Cool slightly.

Make toppings:

Beat powdered sugar, 2 tablespoons butter, milk and extract in bowl until creamy. Spread over warm brownies. Chill until set, about 1 hour.

Stir chocolate and 2 tablespoons butter in small saucepan over low heat until smooth. Cool slightly. Pour over mint topping, spreading evenly. Cover and chill until set, about 1 hour. Cut into 20 squares. (Can be made 8 hours ahead. Cover with foil; store at room temperature.)

dry marinades enhance the flavor of your meat dishes

17 Tuesday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in cook

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Tags

beef, dry marinade, dry rub, fish, herb, lamb, marinade, meat, mixed spice, poultry, spice

Liquid marinades made with citrus juice, vinegar or wine are marvelous for breaking down the muscle fiber in tougher cuts of meat and for adding flavor. But here’s the rub: Delicate fish can disintegrate in acidic liquids, and naturally tender cuts of meat need only a flavor boost- not tenderizing. ~Annette Gooch for the Edmonton Journal

On November 4th, 1999, I clipped an article from the Edmonton Journal written by Annette Gooch. It was entitled “Massage food with dried herbs to enhance flavors”. Although I often used a variety of liquid marinades to flavor my meats and vegetables, I was not familiar with the concept of a ‘dry rub’ or ‘dry marinade’. I started with the pork rub for ribs and was hooked. I have since tried the spice mixtures for lamb, beef and fish and have enjoyed them all.

A better technique for flavoring such foods is to treat them to a gentle massage with dried herbs and spices. Not only does a dry marinade enhance flavor without the need for liquid, during the cooking the spice-and-herb coating turns appealingly crusty, sealing in the juices. ~Annette Gooch for the Edmonton Journal

Of course, you can buy handy jars of spice mixtures in your grocery stores and gourmet food shops but I like to make mine from scratch as I usually have all of the ingredients on hand and can then claim that there is more ‘love’ in my dish! I also like to use many of the herbs and spices that have been gathered from my own garden and dried. Small jars of handmade herb-and-spice blends would make nice stocking stuffers or added to gift baskets.

Yesterday, Chayton’s grandma and grandpa came over for supper and we enjoyed some fresh Northern Pike caught locally by grandpa Dale, who expertly filets the fish so that there are (almost!) no bones. For this special treat I used the fish rub blend; a spicy blackened Cajun-style which is pan-fried just before serving.

Fish Rub

2 teaspoon grated lemon zest

1 teaspoon garlic powder

1 teaspoon tarragon

1 teaspoon basil

2 teaspoon black pepper

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

1 tablespoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon sea salt

Mix all ingredients together and massage into the fish. The longer the dry rub remains on the fish before cooking, the stronger the flavors. Note: Reduce or omit the cayenne if you do not want the fish to be too spicy.

I look forward to sharing more dry rub recipes with you. In the meantime… Enjoy!

picking rosehips for winter tea

15 Sunday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in tea, wild berries

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berry picking, herbal tea, immune-boosting tea, Lucy, rose hips, rosehip tea, rosehips, tea, vitamin C, winter tea

I like to let the tea steep overnight and the next day make a delicious rosehip ice tea with a squeeze of lemon. ~Beverley Gray, Aroma Borealis

Last evening, we brought our berry picking baskets with us on the evening walk. The rosehips have been turning bright red, beckoning us cheerfully along the trail and letting us know that they are ready for picking. As I still have many jars of rosehip jelly and syrup from last summer I have decided to simply freeze this year’s berries and use them for winter teas.

I pull the ends off of the hips before freezing in large ziplock bags so that they are ready for use straight from the freezer. Then, when I am feeling under the weather in the winter months I can dip into the bag for a quick immune-boosting tea. Click here for a previous post on the medicinal and nutritional benefits of rosehips, or recipes for rosehip jelly and rosehip syrup.

For the tea, I use about half a cup of hips to about six cups of water. I allow the tea to steep on the stove on low heat for a few hours and add agave nectar (to taste) to sweeten.

Lucy also kept us company on the trail. She is a handy berry-picking companion as she is always on the alert for coyotes or the rare bear. She also keeps the spruce grouse, mice and pocket gophers busy!

zucchini oatmeal gluten free chocolate chip cookies… my new favorite breakfast cookie!

14 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in cook, whole grains

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breakfast cookies, chocolate chip cookies, cookies, gluten-free, oatmeal cookies, wheat-free, zucchini

I found a new favorite breakfast cookie! These are moist and filling, loaded with oatmeal and just enough chocolate for a special treat. I came across this recipe on Nicole’s blog: Gluten Free On a Shoestring. Check out the beautiful pictures on her blog. I used spelt flour so mine wasn’t gluten free, just wheat free. You could also use all purpose flour and skip the xanthan gum.

Zucchini Oatmeal Cookies

2 cups (280 g) all-purpose gluten-free flour

1 teaspoon xanthan gum (omit if your blend already contains it)

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1 cup (200 g) granulated sugar

1/2 cup (109 g) packed light brown sugar

3 cups (300 g) certified gluten free rolled oats (1 cup (100 g) ground into flour)

10 ounces semi-sweet chocolate chips

8 tablespoons (112 g) unsalted butter, at room temperature

2 eggs (120 g, out of shell) at room temperature, beaten

1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

1 1/2 cups packed grated zucchini

Directions

Preheat your oven to 350°F. Line rimmed baking sheets with unbleached parchment paper and set them aside.

In a large bowl, place the flour, xanthan gum, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and granulated sugar, and whisk to combine well. Add the brown sugar and whisk again, working out any lumps. Add the oats and oat flour and mix to combine. Place the chocolate chips in a separate, small bowl, add about 1 tablespoon of the combined dry ingredients to the boss and toss to coat. Set the chips aside.

To the large bowl of dry ingredients, add the butter, eggs and vanilla, and mix to combine well. Add the grated zucchini, and mix to combine. The mixture will be very, very sticky. Add the chocolate chips and the tablespoon of dry ingredients, and mix until the chips are evenly distributed throughout.

Drop the dough in small mounds, about 2 tablespoons each, 1 ½ inches apart on the prepared baking sheets. With wet fingers, smooth each mound of dough into a flat disk. Place the baking sheets, one at a time, in the preheated oven and bake until lightly golden brown on top, darker brown around the edges (about 14 minutes). Allow to cool on the baking sheet for 5 minutes before transferring to a wire rack to cool completely.

Thank you, Nicole! I look forward to trying more of your recipes in the future!

enjoy a cold one on a hot late summer day… ‘Nature Pop’

13 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in ancient grains, write

≈ 3 Comments

Tags

apple syrup, chokecherry syrup, fizzy drinks, fruit syrups, Nature Pop, pancake, rosehip syrup, syrup, waffle

Great ideas for those batches of jelly that refuse to set.

Last summer, for some reason a number of my jelly recipes did not set. I was a bit disappointed as I normally give these colorful little jars of ‘sunshine’ away during the winter holidays and now here I was with over a hundred jars of what I considered ‘failed’ batches of jelly. Instead of jellies, I had two batches of chokecherry syrup (one from earlier berries and one from later berries), two batches of rosehip syrup (one sweetened and one unsweetened), apple syrup and highbush cranberry syrup. (My other jams and jellies did just fine.) I put the syrups away and did not even bother to label them. I wondered how on earth I was going to use up all of this syrup? Then I remembered visiting a jam shop on the way to Kelowna, British Columbia and all of the fruit syrups they had to offer. Of course, FRUIT SYRUPS! These could be served over pancakes and waffles! I could even pretend that I meant to make a syrup rather than a jelly.

Recently I have found a fun and refreshing way to use my fruit syrups. I call it ‘Nature Pop’ and it is based on the Italian Soda beverage. I use about three-to-four tablespoons of syrup in a large glass and fill the rest with soda water. Mix it up and you have a cold, fizzy, fruity beverage. You can also use tonic water instead and add an ounce of flavored vodka for a bit of a kick. Throw in a slice of lemon or orange, or a bit of frozen fruit to keep your drink cool and top with a cocktail umbrella (you can get those at the dollar store or some grocery stores) and you’ve got yourself a festive cocktail. I also mix some syrup into my fruit salads and recently poured a little over my Decadent Chocolate Cake just before serving. We have been enjoying some very hot late summer temperatures here in central Alberta and I have ‘discovered’ Nature Pop just in time! Cheers everyone!

The Birch Patio… another great reason to visit the Devonian Botanical Garden

07 Saturday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in Devonian Botanical Garden, restaurants

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al fresco, Alberta cafe, cafe, cappuccino, coffee, Devonian Botanical Garden, Elm Cafe, kaitas, patio, pickle soup, recommended restaurant, summer dining, The Birch Patio

One of my favorite cafes in Edmonton is Elm Cafe, located on 100, 10140 117 Street. I usually order a large cappuccino and either sit indoors, enjoying the ambience of the tiny cafe and the current art hanging on the walls; or I sit outdoors on their equally tiny patio to take in the weather and changing seasons while sipping the best cappuccino I have ever tasted.

You can imagine how happy I was to visit the Devonian Botanical Garden (DBG) last spring and find that Nate Box of Elm Café had opened The Birch Patio.

The Birch Patio offers a unique and tasty menu of al fresco treats and showcases many local producers, including fresh produce grown right there at the gardens. The menu changes daily and is inspired by the seasons. The Birch Patio also offers a selection of beer, wine and seasonal libations.

On my visit in May, I had the kaitas sandwich and the pickle soup; both were very tasty. Last month, I simply had a cappuccino and a gourmet cookie (double chocolate).

If you’ve taken in any of the DBG’s date nights (June-August) this past spring and summer, then you would have had the opportunity to experience one of The Birch Patio’s themed dinner menus and activities, including long-table dinners, country fair, summer in Paris, seniors’ night and summer dances.

The DBG closes its doors for the season after October 14^th so be sure to stop in even if only for lunch or a mid-day snack in a beautiful location. It will be well worth the drive!

Click here to go to The Birch Patio’s website. (They offer catering!)

Click here to go to the Elm Cafe’s website. (They offer catering!)

Click here to go the the Devonian Botanical Garden’s website.

The Birch Patio Hours

May 1-31 11 am – 3 pm weekdays  10 am – 5 pm on weekends

June 1 – Sept. 2  10 am – 6 pm daily and Date Night Thursdays until dusk

Sept. 3 – Sept. 30 11 am – 3 pm weekdays  10 am – 5 pm on weekends

Oct. 1 – Oct. 14 (Thursday – Sunday only) 10 am – 3 pm

baby update…6 weeks old

06 Friday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in appreciate the seasons, bellybabechild, Chayton, more about us

≈ 2 Comments

Tags

6 week old baby, baby, bellybabe&child, Chayton, child, mom, new mom, newborn

It’s been six weeks since Chayton was born and although I have been ready to get back to my regular blog posts- with no shortage of recipes, projects and stories to share, I have been finding the challenge of the newborn two-to-three hour feeding/sleeping schedule a bit of a challenge. Also, my family was here to visit all last week so things were even busier for a while!

I have no complaints though, as I know that this time with a newborn passes very quickly. Already Chayton is staying awake for longer periods of time, he has gained weight and grown in length, he can roll over on a blanket on his own and is even finally starting to fit some of the smallest newborn clothes. Even his strawberry-blonde hair is longer and thicker and I am starting to notice that his eyelashes are darkening a little.

As I hold him and marvel at all of these small changes, my imagination starts to run away on me as I picture him waiting for the school bus on the curb and leaving for his first day of school.. starting junior high… or even leaving for university or college… I have to stop myself at this point as I start getting misty-eyed at the thought of this tiny little boy, all grown up and independent some day and ready to leave his mom! I know that there is no need to jump ahead here as I snuggle him in a little closer and kiss his fragrant head for the hundredth time today… “Baby steps”, as they say!

One thing that I have noticed about myself since recently becoming a mom is a stronger commitment to living simply, naturally and holistically. With a child, I am fully aware that I am helping to create the world that my child will inherit and I have even more reason now to live a life that is aligned with my core values.

Another thing that I have noticed are the countless ideas that I now have daily on ways to diaper, clothe, feed, raise, play and interact with my child. I look forward to sharing these ideas with you (and learning from your comments and advice) on my upcoming blog: cabinorganic~bellybabechild.

Already Chayton has enriched my life in so many ways and has allowed me to grow in ways that would not be possible without my becoming a parent. I welcome and embrace these changes and strive each day to live fully in the present moment. After all, it’s all we really have.

moroccan lamb burgers

04 Wednesday Sep 2013

Posted by cabinorganic in cook

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Tags

BBQ, burger, ground lamb, lamb, Moroccan lamb burger, spelt buns, spicy burger

Enjoy these delicious and flavorful burgers on one of your late summer barbeque! I baked spelt buns earlier in the day and served these with a thick slice of Monterey Jack cheese.

Moroccan Lamb Burgers

1-3/4 pounds ground lamb (1 package)

1 egg

½ cup breadcrumbs (use wheat-free or gluten-free if desired)

Half of one red onion, minced

2 tablespoons chopped fresh cilantro

1-2 jalapeño chilies, seeded, minced

1 garlic clove, minced

1-1/4 teaspoons salt

1 teaspoon ground black pepper

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

vegetable oil

Combine all ingredients thoroughly (except for the vegetable oil). Shape into four patties. Brush some vegetable oil on your grill and BBQ until done. Serve and eat immediately!

Serve on 4 large hamburger buns, split horizontally and top with mayonnaise, lettuce and sliced tomatoes and Monterey Jack cheese. Enjoy!

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