Red Onion Jam

Posted on November 17, 2014 by Andrea

onion jam on a cracker with old cheddar

This jam is totally my jam. 😉 It’s a fantastic condiment with a never-ending list of uses. I love it on a piece of cheese on a cracker. On a grilled cheese? D-lish. This recipe requires a few exclusive ingredients, but aside from that, it is very straight forward and easy. I’m a big fan of kicking up the flavour of dishes with the use of great quality condiments. Makes a great hostess gift with a chunk of cheese and some artisinal crackers.

Red Onion Jam

adapted from a recipe by Rachel Allen

Makes about 3 cups

Ingredients:

1/3 cup of unsalted butter

6 cups of diced onions (I used red but use whatever you like)

1.5 tsp salt

1.5 tsp freshly ground pepper

3/4 cup (real) maple syrup (or granulated sugar)

1/2 cup sherry vinegar (or balsamic)

1 cup red wine (leftover from the night before is fine, or even if it’s been sitting around a few days)

3 tbsp creme de cassis (a blackberry flavoured liquer)

Directions:

In a large heavy-bottomed saucepan over medium heat, melt butter. Add onions, salt, pepper and maple syrup (or sugar). Stir. Cover and let cook on medium-low heat, stirring every few minutes to avoid it sticking (add more butter if it starts to stick). Cook for approximately 30 – 45 minutes until onions are quite soft and cooked down.

Add the red wine, sherry vinegar and creme de cassis. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and continue to cook, uncovered, until it thickens and becomes ‘jammy’. (anywhere from 30- 60 minutes. If using maple syrup, it will take longer as there is more liquid). Pour into sterilized jars. Refrigerate when cool. Will keep for months, in sterilized jars – refrigerated. Caution: addictive.

dice up onions

add to saucepan and cook down slowly

red wine, creme de cassis and sherry vinegar

makes about 3 cups. Pour into sterilized jars.

YUM

close up YUM

Banana-Beet Chocolate Cake (GF)

Posted on July 11, 2014 by Andrea

rich and delish

just so you see how everything isn’t perfect! Still tastes good.

I found this recipe, modified it to suit my baking tastes, and boy is it good! Deliciously moist for a gluten-free product and keeps that way for days (covered). I made mine in a non-stick bundt pan which gives it a nice appearance, and, as with all the recipes here — if it’s not a ‘keeper’, I don’t blog it. Easy, easy, easy. You can eat this as is – plain, and it’s great, but dress it up for any occasion and there will be no complaints from anyone– gluten-free or not. Just make it. I think you’ll actually be healthier after you eat this, too. 😉

Banana-Beet Chocolate Cake

adapted from a recipe from www.greenkitchenstories.com

Serves 8

Ingredients:

1 ripe banana, grated

1 medium cooked beet, grated (if you don’t have a beet, use 2 bananas instead of one)

1/3 cup coconut oil, melted (or butter)

1/2 cup (real) maple syrup

2 eggs

1/2 tsp vanilla

2 cups almond flour

1/3 cup cocoa powder

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp. sea salt

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a bundt pan or 8 x 8 inch baking pan. (I used non-stick as well). Dust pan with a bit of cocoa to prevent sticking.

Mix together in a medium sized bowl – banana, beet, coconut oil, maple syrup, eggs and vanilla. Blend well. In separate bowl, mix almond flour, cocoa, baking powder and salt and when combined, add to wet ingredient and mix until well incorporated.

Pour batter into greased bundt pan or an 8 x 8 inch baking pan. Bake for 45 minutes or until tester comes out fairly clean. Remove from oven, let cool and then loosen cake and pop out onto a cake platter or plate. Cool. Serve plain or with whip cream, yogurt, chocolate sauce, berries – get creative and enjoy. Keeps for several days, covered. (but won’t last that long). Cheers! Enjoy.

easy ingredients

mix together grated beet, banana, egg, oil, vanilla and syrup

baked in bundt pan, tastes great plain

it’s this good.

everybody enjoys this cake

Fruity Breakfast Pilaf (made with steel-cut oats)

Posted on March 15, 2014 by Andrea

Fruity Breakfast Pilaf with pecans (optional)

fruity breakfast pilaf

I love this recipe, not only because it’s delicious, but because of it’s make-ahead ability, ensuring you have a healthy, low-glycemic breakfast that really sticks to your ribs. Steel-cut oats are used, making this recipe a lower glycemic option to flaked oats or instant oats. Remember, the more processed oats are (or grains in general), the quicker they convert to sugar in your body. So, it takes some extra time to cook these oats (30 minutes), but when you make a batch large enough for 4 or 5 days, it’s not really that much of a time investment. Just reheat in the microwave and Bob’s yer uncle, as they say. Feel free to change up the fruit and nut component to your liking. You can find steel-cut oats in every grocery store in the cereal aisle. ***You can use any grain in this recipe (rice, millet, quinoa – just adjust the water amount and cooking time according to package directions).***

Fruity Breakfast Pilaf

adapted from VB6 by Mark Bittman

serves 6

Ingredients:

1.5 tbsp cooking oil (I used coconut oil)

I 1/3 cups steel-cut oats

1/2 tsp salt

1/4 tsp each nutmeg, cinnamon, ginger

2 tbsp real maple syrup

1/2 cup chopped pecans

2 cups berries, fresh or frozen (divided – 1 cup added at end of cooking)

4 cups water

Directions:

Put the oil in a large non-stick pan or medium-sized saucepan over medium heat. When it’s hot, add the steel cut oats. Cook and stir for approximately 4 minutes until kernels are starting to colour and are well covered in oil. Add salt and spices, stirring until fragrant. Add 4 cups of water, maple syrup and 1 cup of fruit. (I used blueberries). Stir, bring to a boil, then lower heat to a simmer. Cover and let cook, stirring occasionally for about 25-30 minutes, until most of the water is absorbed and oat kernels are tender.

Uncover, and stir in remaining cup of fruit (I used raspberries) and serve with milk product of choice (very nice tasting with nut milk or coconut milk beverage) and additional nuts, if desired. You can eat these without any milk product if you prefer.

If making ahead, let cool (covered) then place in a container and refrigerate for up to 5 days. Reheat individual portions in microwave, or in a pan on the stove with a little additional water.

steel cut oats

Saute oats in oil, add spices

add water, syrup, nuts and fruit

simmer, covered (stirring occasionally) for 25-30 mins

serve with milk product of choice and nuts (optional)

Walnut-Date Chews (gluten free)

Posted on January 19, 2014 by Andrea

Walnut Date Chews

These are the best cookies if you want to avoid too many carbs, refined sugar, gluten, egg and dairy! Even if you aren’t avoiding these things, they are the best cookies. You know how after dinner you just want a little sweet? This fits the bill with absolutely no guilt and all pleasure. It’s based on ‘bliss ball’ recipe but I’ve refined and adapted it to be even more blissful. I sometimes even crumble one on my yogurt in the morning. They are a snap to make, so get going.

Walnut-Date Chews

makes 16-20 cookies

Ingredients:

2 cups walnuts

1/3 cup dates, diced (make sure they are soft – reconstitute them with boiling water if they are hard )

2 tbsp maple syrup

2 tbsp coconut oil, melted

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/2 tsp sea salt

1/4 cup dark chocolate chips (optional)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare baking sheet with silpat or parchment paper. Set aside.

Place walnuts in bowl of food processor and pulse 5 or 6 times until roughly chopped. Sprinkle dates over top and pulse 5 or 6 more times. Add vanilla, maple syrup, coconut oil and salt. Continue to pulse until walnuts and dates are finely minced and a nutty ‘dough’ has formed. You may have to take the top of and move the mixture around, pressing it down, then pulse a few times, then repeat until it’s evenly processed.

Using a 1 tbsp scoop, scoop balls of nut mixture onto cookie sheet. Shape into flat-topped circles. If using, place 2 chocolate chips on each cookie. (just for fun and a little hit of chocolate–so good). Cookies only need to be about an inch apart, you can fit them all on one sheet.

Place in preheated oven for 9 minutes. Remove from oven and cool. Enjoy! Store in airtight container for 1 week, or freeze for up to a month.

process until fairly fine

these are the best dates

1 tbsp of dough

bake at 350 for 9 mins

YUM

Christmas Goodies

Posted on December 9, 2013 by Andrea

Ginny

It’s that time of year again – it’s coming fast too! Here are some links to some sweet and savory Christmas goodies– people always appreciate a home-baked gift. These are some of my well-tested and favourite baking recipes. Happy Holiday to all of you and all the Best for 2014!

Healthy Nutty Balls

Savory Double Cheese Pecan Shortbreads

Cranberry Lemon Ricotta Cake

Traditional Shortbread

Ginger Cookies

Almond-Oatmeal Thumbprint Jam Cookies

Peanut Butter Buds

Big, Chewy Chocolate Chip Cookies

Glazed Mini Pumpkin Scones

Chocolate Thumbprint Cookies

Chocolate Chip Biscotti

Fruity Butter Tarts