Gorgonzola Asparagus Bake

Gorgonzola Asparagus Bake

2 pounds young asparagus (the more narrow, the more tender)
3 tbsp chopped chives
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 ounces Gorgonzola cheese, crumbled
1 cup all purpose flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
5 eggs (or 10 ounces egg substitute)
1 cup milk
1 tsp cracked black pepper
1 pinch Kosher salt

Preheat oven to 350 F. Trim asparagus of any tough, woody ends to their stems, and then steam just until tender. Sift flour, baking soda and 1/2 teaspoon salt together, then add chives, minced garlic, Gorgonzola, butter, eggs, milk, Kosher salt and pepper in a bowl and mix to combine.

Place asparagus in a greased 9 x 9 inch cake pan. Pour egg mixture over and bake for 30 to 40 minutes or until golden brown. May be served warm, room temperature or cold.

Serves: 4-6.

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Life is sweet

Instead of doing a personal post yesterday, I switched up the kitchen babble above on the headline — after all, since Google only wants to index the first thing it comes to, I’m not quite sure exactly how this will play out in the great “search engine” escapades, but then again — I’m not exactly out for a popularity contest. I’m not wanting the blog to ever grow to the point where it becomes a job and not something that I enjoy.

Life, however, is sweet. There is so much to be thankful for: the ones I love, my true love, my friends, you, my home, my job, even my bills.

Okay, you’re going to write me off as a nutjob for being thankful for my bills, but that means that I have the things that I enjoy, but that I still realize they’re only “things”. If I were to wake up tomorrow and they were gone, yes, I’d be sorry, I’d probably even cry (yes, I’m a guy, and I cry), but it’s the people in my life that mean the most. I’m not one of those smarmy people who tell you to love everyone — in fact, I’ll tell you right off the bat that there are certain people I cannot stand to be around, and that even the sound of their voice causes the hair on the back of my neck to stand up. The thing I remember, hwoever, is tha tI don’t allow them to have free rent inside my head.  That’s precious real estate, and they don’t deserve it.

So, as we approach Canadian Thanksgiving, take some time to stop (or at least slow down) and give thanks for all the good things in your life. More than likely, there’s a lot more than you can initially name.

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Greetings From The Wannabe Gourmet!

Hi there everyone! Jonathan here again. I hope that you’re finding some recipes that are useful or that inspire you to make your own masterpieces.

A few things that I’ve learned over my years in the kitchen that I thought I’d share with you:

The first time, always make the recipe the way it’s written unless you have a food allergy. This will give you a starting point as to how the food should look, taste, feel, smell, etc.

Secondly, when making the recipe again, make it your own. Don’t be afraid to alter spices, ingredients. By putting your own signature on it, you might just make a new family favourite.

Lastly, don’t attempt to take short cuts. Sure, using store bought pie crust is okay, but using canned mushrooms instead of sautéed mushrooms not only alters the flavour, but the texture as well of your completed dish.

The most important thing? HAVE FUN! Cooking shouldn’t be chore-like. You should always strive, regardless of the situation, to enjoy every step of preparation.

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Giving Thanks…

You’ll note that the next few “personal” posts from me will be centering around a common theme: Giving Thanks. You see, Monday is a dual holiday. In the United States, “Columbus Day” is celebrated (and let’s not get me going on that, okay? I’m not a great fan of that European, but that’s me.) In Canada, however, it is Thanksgiving. You know, the day of turkeys and stuffing and sides and overeating and sitting back with your pants unbuttoned, questioning why you had to have that third slice of pie, that second helping of “green been casserole” (which also is an evil concoction, but I digress), or that extra sweet potato.

I jest, of course. Many of us have learned to not over indulge, instead, taking our cues from the true meaning of the day. Giving thanks for all that we have been fortunate enough to have earned through hard work, for the ones we love who gather near, and for those who we love, but have passed on.  I have a tradition in my household, where no matter how many there are gathered for dinner, we “turn down” a place setting:

The purpose of the “turn down”? It represents those who have passed on, as well as those who are unable, due to illness or distance, to celebrate with us on whatever special occasion it is. Only the cup is turned down, the rest of the dishes go unused. I started this tradition when I was in my teens, and am now (mumble, mumble)… okay, I’m 39. But it’s a way to remind everyone who is present to always be thankful for all that we have.

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Crème Brulé

Crème Brulé

6 large egg yolks
6 tbsp. sugar
1 1/2 cups heavy (whipping) cream or 18% coffee cream
1/2 tsp. good-quality vanilla (I used Madagascar vanilla bean paste, in which you can see the teeny seeds from the vanilla pod)
sugar, for sprinkling on top

Preheat oven to 325°F. In a bowl, whisk together the egg yolks and sugar. Whisk in the cream and vanilla.

Divide among 6 small ramekins, and put them into a roasting pan or 9″x13″ pan; pour water in so that the water comes about halfway up the sides of the ramekins. This will sort of insulate them so that they cook gently and evenly.

Bake for about 40 minutes, until the custards are set but still just slightly jiggly in the middle (you’ll get a feel for this!). Take them out, let them cool and then refrigerate for a few hours or overnight, until nice and cold.

Sprinkle an even layer of sugar over each dish and caramelize with a torch or transfer to a cookie sheet and place under the broiler in the oven for about 2 minutes, just until the sugar is caramelized and golden. Turn the sheet around, if you need to, to help them caramelize evenly. Refrigerate again, or just let them sit on the countertop while you eat dinner or make coffee, just until the sugar is set and crackly.

Serves 6.

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Chili Con Carne

Chili Con Carne

1 lb 93% lean ground beef (or ground turkey breast or ground chicken breast)
14 oz dark red kidney beans (drained and rinsed)
28 ounces diced tomatoes (or 2 14 oz cans of petite diced Italian tomatoes)
16 oz water
1 small can tomato paste
1 large onion, minced
4 cloves garlic, minced
4 tbsp chili powder
1/8 – 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper (depending on your tolerance for heat)
4 ounces of grated cheese (Reduced fat Cheddar or Mozzarella are popular)

In a large soup pot over medium heat, brown meat of choice along with onion, garlic and chili powder.

Spoon off any excess fat (there should only be a minimal amount of this), and then add the rest of the ingredients except cheese. Cover and bring up to a simmer, leaving the lid slightly askew so that the pot does not boil over. Allow to simmer for 30-60 minutes. (N.B. The chili flavour actually is better if you can make this they day before and refrigerate over night.)

This recipe may be modified with the addition of other vegetables as desired; diced carrots are nice, as are sliced, sautéed mushrooms, diced green peppers, or even jalapeños.

Serve with crackers, over mashed potatoes, in a hollowed out bread bowl, or as a filling to baked potatoes. Top with 1 oz grated cheese.

Serves 4.

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