Winter Recipe Book
Two Cups of Cranberry Jam with Pecans
Fresh cranberries will soon be in the stores again. I love to take advantage of their short period of availability. I freeze some for baking and I also make this jam. That way I can indulge my love of all things cranberry any time of year.
Ingredients:
1 bag (12 ounces) cranberries
½ cup orange juice
1 ¾ cup sugar
¼ cup pecan pieces
Method:
Cook cranberries in orange juice until tender. Add the sugar and cook until 214ºF. At the end, it will be bubbling like hot lava. I turn down the heat and let it cook more slowly rather than wear cranberry sauce. Test for doneness but putting a small amount on a plate and then putting in the freezer for 3 minutes. It should mound up without any juice at the edges.
When it is done, add pecan pieces and boil hard for another minute.
Prepare the jars by washing in hot water and placing in a 250ºF oven for 10 minutes, this will ensure that the jar is sterilized. Pour sauce into hot jars and screw lids on tightly. Let cool on the counter and refrigerate.
*You can get creative with this recipe. You could use cider or wine instead of orange juice and use walnuts if you wish. It looks lovely and tastes even better.
Spinach Balls with Kale…are the Bomb!
Forbes Farm Farmers/Brothers Steven and Gordon Forbes in Oliver created this healthy substitute side dish perfect for your Christmas Dinner. This super healthy farming duo say that this is “super nutritious and tastes just like stuffing!”
Ingredients
1pkg (10oz) frozen chopped spinach – thawed & well drained.
(they used a mixture of spinach & kale from their garden… blanched & chopped)
½ cup minced onion
1 egg
2 tbsp of melted butter
½ cup organic panko (japanese breadcrumbs)
¼ cup Parmesan cheese
¼ tsp garlic salt, thyme and about 1 good tsp of poultry seasoning
freshly ground pepper.
(not necessary to add extra salt in this recipe.)
Method
Combine all ingredients and mix well then shape into balls! Bake at 350° for about 18-20minutes or until cooked through and lightly golden. You can either spray baking sheet with non-stick spray or use parchment paper. Awesome as a snack or served with roasted chicken, turkey… even fish!
——-
Root Vegetable Torte
Chef Rod Butters, Owner/Chef RauDZ Regional Table, Kelowna
Ingredients
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 large shallots, sliced thin
1/2 cup shredded Parmesan or your choice or cheese
1 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup fresh herbs (earthy herbs like parsley, thyme, rosemary and sage), chopped
2 large carrots
2 large beets- red &/or gold
1 medium rutabaga
2 medium white turnips
6 sunchokes (if available)
1 small celery root
2 med parsnips
2 russet potatoes
3 oz mild goat cheese
*All vegetables to be peeled and sliced as thin as possible
Method
Pre-heat oven to 400ºF. Spray casserole dish with non-stick spray or line entire dish with parchment paper. *if wanting to remove from pan for pre-slicing parchment paper will help in the removal of the torte from dish. Layer one variety of vegetable at a time in dish and between each layer sprinkle with garlic, shallots, Parmesan, cream, herbs, salt and pepper. Continue to alternate vegetables until casserole dish is full. Try alternating different colours of vegetables for the greatest effect. Sprinkle goat cheese on top layer. Cover very loosely with tin foil or parchment paper.
Bake at 400ºF for approx 50-60 minutes or until center of casserole feels tender by inserting fork. A baking sheet can be placed under casserole dish just in case liquid escapes while baking. Remove from oven and let stand.
This torte can be served directly from the pan. Garnish with fresh seasonal greens and serve with Quadra Island scallops (also delicious on it’s own).
Chef Notes:
Casserole can be cooked day before and chilled. The root vegetable torte can then be removed from dish, sliced and reheated as in photo.
This recipe can be adapted without using cream or cheese. Substitute a non- salted vegetable stock in place of cream.
Lobster Risotto
Codfathers Seafood Market, Kelowna
Ingredients
1 L Codfathers lobster stock
1 cup carnaroli or arborio rice*
2 lobster tails
2 tbsp olive oil
2 shallots
2 garlic cloves
½ cup white wine
4 oz butter
½ cup Parmesan cheese
1tbsp fresh tarragon
Method
Cook Lobster tails in simmering salted water for 6-8 minutes. Remove meat from shells and cut into 1 inch pieces. Heat lobster stock and keep on a low heat. Mince shallot and garlic. Heat a saucepan on medium heat, add olive oil, and cook shallot and garlic until translucent. Add rice and continue cooking for a couple minutes. Add wine and simmer until all liquid has been absorbed.
Add 2 cups of hot lobster stock and cook, continuously stirring, until most of liquid has been absorbed. Add the rest of the stock a ¼ cup at a time, continuously stirring, until all of the stock has been used. Taste the rice to ensure it is cooked all the way through. Add Cooked Lobster, butter and parmesan cheese. Fold all ingredients together until it is fully incorporated. Season with salt and pepper. Garnish with chopped fresh tarragon
* Editors note: The Olive Oil Merchant imports the most delicious oils as well as high quality Arborio and Carnaroli rice. Not only a staple in my kitchen, I keep extras for gifts.
Hungarian Night Owl Soup
Kalayra Angelyys – Kelowna Soup Sister
Kalayra’s recipe is featured in the Soup Sisters new cookbook now available at book stores across the country.
Feed a small army, makes a big pot of soup-approximately 8-10 L
Ingredients
900 g smoked bone in ham shank
150 g or (6) thick slices bacon, chopped
40 g butter
220 g onions (1 large), diced
5 tbsp paprika (i like a combination of 3tbsp hot, 1tbsp smoked hot, 1tbsp sweet paprika)
250 – 300 grams hungarian farmers sausage (available at: l & d meats, Guisachan Village, Kelowna)
2 l jar sauerkraut-reserve liquid
2 tbsp white vinegar
2 tbsp vegetable or meat stock paste or bouillon cube/packets
4 tbsp flour
180 gr sour cream (3/4 cup)
salt and pepper to taste
Method
Day ahead: simmer ham shank in 3.5 L of water with 2 bay leaves until tender (about 2 hours), let cool, skim fat off top.
Day of: in large pot, melt ½ (20 g) the butter, add bacon and sweat onions
**Take off heat stir in 3 tbsp paprika with 2 tbsp water, stir until well combined.
Add sauerkraut, sauerkraut juice, vinegar and ham stock to produce an acidic stock.
Add vegetable/meat stock paste (or bouillon cubes).
Add diced spicy sausage and ham pieces from cooked ham shank.
Bring to boil, add in the last 2 tbsp of paprika, simmer for additional 45-60 min. stirring frequently and lovingly.
Melt remaining butter in a small saucepan, add flour to create a roux, constantly stirring until the flour foams and turns golden.
Blend the roux into the soup and stir well, cook 20-30 minutes let it thicken slightly.
Add a bit of soup mixture to the sour cream to temper it, stir and add back into the soup, let simmer 15 minutes, add salt, pepper if necessary. Serve with thick slices of hearty bread.
**Remove pot from the heat before adding paprika. Paprika has a high sugar content and therefore burns easily. It then takes on an unsightly brown appearance and bitter flavor.
Quinoa, Kale & Bacon Salad… Winter is Great!!!
Gregor’s Gourmet, Keremeos
Ingredients
4 slices of bacon (cut into inch strips or….1/4 cup of feta is a good substitute for you vegetarians)
1 cup quinoa
1 bunch kale (about 7-9 leaves cut into inch strips)
¼ cup hazelnut or walnut pieces
½ medium onion (cut into thin slices)
½ apple (Granny Smith cut into thin wedges)
1/3 cup apple cider vinegar
1 cup apple juice
1tbsp Dijon mustard
2tbsp olive oil
Method
In a small pot, toast the Quinoa until golden brown over medium heat. Then add ½ cup of apple juice and ½ cup of water, with a pinch or two of salt. Bring to a boil, turn heat to low, cover and simmer for 20 minutes. When done, let sit for 5 minutes, drizzle a tiny bit of olive oil over the top, fluff it up…. Let cool.
In a medium (thick bottomed) pan fry the bacon until crispy over medium heat. Set bacon crisps aside.
Add the onion to the empty pan. Over medium high heat, continue frying the onions until a little colour develops. Now add the apple wedges. Toss apples and onions in the pan to coat for a couple minutes. Quickly add the other ½ cup of apple juice, apple cider vinegar and Dijon mustard.
Let this mixture reduce for a couple of minutes, then add the kale, bacon, and nuts. Turn off the heat right away…you do not want to cook the kale!
In a decent size bowl toss the quinoa and everything else together… voila lunch is served!