Tip Tuesday: How to Make any Ice Cream Recipe Dairy-Free

By in Cool, How-to's 6 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

ice creamsThis past weekend we celebrated one of my brother’s birthdays and I was in charge of making the ice cream. A lot of my family members are sensitive to milk so I wanted to experiment with a dairy-free version that everyone could enjoy. I’ve researched a lot online about dairy-free ice creams but have never found anything I felt really confident about, that even dairy-lovers would eat happily.

Finally I came across a recipe that was basically the same as my beloved vanilla ice cream but simply subbed coconut milk for the milk and cream. It made sense. Coconut milk is so thick and creamy, and made with a custard base, seemed to guarantee it creaminess. So, I whipped up a batch of Black Forest Ice Cream (thanks to freezing a couple batches of candied cherries this summer) and Classic Vanilla. I can’t believe it was so easy all along. It worked great.

People were so surprised when they found out the ice cream was dairy-free. Especially the chocolate, because you couldn’t taste the coconut milk at all. You could taste it slightly in the vanilla, but coconut and vanilla are definitely a yummy paring so there were no complaints. The consistency is slightly different than if you made it with full-fat milk and cream but it is still very creamy and far from being icy.

I’ll no longer be searching for specific dairy-free ice cream recipes and will instead just use my favourites and switch out the dairy with canned coconut milk. I found that two cans of regular sized coconut milk came to 3 cups, which was the perfect amount for both of the recipes above.

If you’ve got a dairy-free loved one in your life I encourage you to give this substitution a try. Nobody should have to miss out on the deliciousness of ice cream. And if you try it, let me know how it turns out for you!

*As far as I know, this won’t work as a substitute for recipes that call for sweetened condensed milk (like this no-churn ice cream) or recipes that call for cream that is whipped before folding in (such as with this semifreddo).

Ham, Brie & Pear Panini

By in Lunch 2 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

ham pear brie panini

I went out on a limb last week with this recipe. We had some brie in the fridge and some beautiful red pears on the counter and I just couldn’t resist putting them together in a sandwich. I figured my hubby, whose not a fan of fruit in savoury applications, would not be too thrilled with lunch that day. But to my shock, when he tried it he said, “this would be even better with ham”. My mouth hit the floor. But, I went along with it and we slipped some ham into our sandwiches. He was right, that ham took the sandwiches from good to great.

Even if you’re normally not a person who likes fruit with meat or other savoury items, I encourage you to give this a try. Brie and pear are a fantastic paring, but add to that the smokiness of ham and the zip of mustard and you’ve got one perfectly rounded, killer sandwich. Proof that you should never give up trying new things, you just have to find the right combination.

Ham, Brie & Pear Panini

  • 2 slices whole wheat bread
  • Dijon mustard
  • sliced brie
  • 1/4 pear, sliced
  • sliced ham (or Canadian bacon)
  • baby spinach

Preheat a skillet over medium heat. Spread one side of each slice of bread with olive oil spread. Flip them over so they’re butter side down. Spread one slice with a thin layer of mustard. Top with slices of brie, pear, ham and  a small handful of spinach; top with one more slice of brie (to help it stick together). Top with remaining piece of bread, butter side up. Place on  preheated skillet and let cook until bread is browned and cheese starts to melt. Flip sandwich over carefully; once flipped press down firmly with the spatula to help everything stick together. Cook until both sides are browned and crisp, and cheese is melted. Serve immediately.

Alternately you can cook this in a Panini press or in a waffle iron.

November Meal Plan – Comfort Food

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November Meal Plan – Comfort Food

Happy November! It”s now officially, official – it”s comfort food time! Dinner salads are out the window and our ovens are cranking up the heat. Here is a weeks worth of  comforting and easy dishes to get you through the cold days ahead.

Monday


Quick & Cheesy Chicken Pot Pie

A creamy filling of chicken, veggies and cheese topped with a quick biscuit topping made with homemade baking mix. Depending on the day, we either eat this as a one dish meal or serve it with a simple salad.

Tuesday


Chicken Barley Soup

It”s cold and flu season which means that our consumption of Chicken Noodle Soup goes into overdrive. Ever since we found this recipe we”ve been making it in place of the tradition noodle version. It hits the spot every time. I”ve also switched out the barley with the same amount of uncooked rice and it works great.

Make it even more nutrient rich by making your own Quick and Flavourful Chicken Stock.

Wednesday


Quick Chicken Parmigiana

This is one of my favourite pasta meals. It has such a lovely presentation but is so easy to whip together. Serve with a simple salad to round out the meal.

Thursday


My Favourite Chili

It took me a long time to find my perfect Chili recipe, but I did, and I”ve never looked back. No comfort food week would be complete without a warm bowl of chili. Serve with tortilla chips to scoop, or cornbread to dip.

Friday


(Baked!) Crispy Chicken Sandwiches

Skip the fast food joint and make some Crispy Chicken Burgers at home. This sandwich gets an update with ciabatta rolls, quick aioli and crispy baked chicken breasts that have been marinated in a flavourful sour cream marinade.  Serve with fries or a salad.

Olive Oil Butter Spread

By in Condiments 10 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

I generally try to stay away from margarine as best I can, but butter is just so darn hard to spread straight from the fridge, that I always have a small tub in my fridge for spreading on toast or other such things. I”ve been using olive oil margarine for years – it”s supposed to be the healthy kind. I”ve known for a long time that it really can”t be that healthy because there”s still tons of additives in there and when I was finally brave enough to check the back, I found there were sixteen ingredients in that little tiny tub. Sixteen! This recipe has three. And, it works like a dream.

The final product is a little more set then the store-bought stuff but it spreads just as easily. If you take a taste with your finger it does have a strong olive oil flavour (which is kind of the point) but I don”t notice the olive oil flavour at all once it”s spread on toast. It”s perfect tossed with cooked veggies, spread on toast or sandwiches, used for grilled cheese, tossed with pasta – you name it!

Now that I”ve realized just how easy it is to make my own “margarine” at home, I”m not ever going back. Our eating habits are definitely not perfect, but one by one we”re making healthier changes and recipes like this, that take no effort with great results, make our end goal that much more achievable.

Olive Oil Butter Spread

  • 1 cup softened (not melted) unsalted butter

  • 2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil

  • 1/4 teaspoon salt

Whip butter until loose. Slowly beat in olive oil, scraping down sides of bowl occasionally, until fully incorporated and smooth (mixture will be runny). Beat in salt. Pour into storage container and refrigerate until set.

Adapted form The Highlandview Pantry.

Cinnamon-Honey Marshmallows

By in Candy, Fall, Sweets 14 Comments Tags: , , , , ,

Cinnamon Honey Marshmallows

Ever since my kids and I were sick, I’ve been avoiding processed sugar like the plague, because of it’s annoying habit of lowering immunities. I always like making things processed-sugar-free when I can anyways, because it’s just plain healthier all around.

Last week was bitter cold and snowy. We are in full fledge winter over here. And, the only way I can get on board with that is by making it extra cozy in the house. So after the kids come inside from playing in the snow, I can’t help but make some warm beverages to warm up their sweet frosty little cheeks.

Because of all this hot beverage drinking, I got a major hankering to make some homemade marshmallows. But on my quest to keep things healthy I wanted to avoid sugar and corn syrup. And that’s why these marshmallows are made 100% with honey. The sweetener you’re even recommended to have when you’re sick!

I’ve seen several versions of this recipe and many of them complained that, while delicious, they didn’t really hold up to roasting – that they turned to liquid as soon as any heat hit them. The major difference between those recipes and this? It had double the amount of honey and no complaints of turning into liquid. So, I decided to give it a go and was rewarded with a marshmallow that compares to all those sugar-filled marshmallows but with a wonderful honey flavour. It roasts beautifully, and while it does soften quicker than store-bought marshmallows, it doesn’t liquify and the taste is far superior.

To keep them from being sticky, and instead of coating them in the typical icing sugar, I decided to coat them in cinnamon. Since they’d be destined for our mugs I knew the cinnamon would add a comforting warmth. The cinnamon is quite strong when you eat the marshmallows straight up, but I actually really like it. And, melting on top of a latte or hot chocolate, they’re divine. They would also make delicious fall flavoured s’mores. And, I’m definitely planning that for my next batch, because there will be many more batches to come.

Cinnamon-Honey Marshmallows

For a lighter honey flavour use a mild honey, such as clover.

  • 1/4 cup water
  • 1.5 tablespoons unflavoured gelatin
  • 1 cup honey
  • 1/8 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 tablespoon vanilla extract
  • ground cinnamon, for dusting

Place water in a mixer bowl, sprinkle gelatin over. Allow to sit until softened, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, place honey and salt in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer and let cook until the syrup registers 240ºF on a candy thermometer (the soft-ball stage*). Turn the mixer onto medium-speed and slowly drizzle honey over the gelatin mixture, scraping down sides of the bowl occasionally to make sure it is mixing evenly. Once it’s evenly mixed together add vanilla, turn the mixer to high-speed and let it beat for 10 minutes, until mixture is light and fluffy and has doubled in volume. Meanwhile, prepare an 8×8 inch square pan – grease it lightly, top with parchment paper and grease again. Spread marshmallow mixture into prepared pan. Let sit, uncovered, at room temperature overnight (or at least 4 hours, until dry).

Once ready, dust work surface with cinnamon and flip pan over to release the marshmallows. Peel off parchment paper. Grease a knife or cookie cutter and cut into desired shapes. Coat lightly in cinnamon, brushing off excess. Now they’re ready to be put into your favourite hot beverage, roasted over a fire or eaten straight up!

*If you don’t have a candy thermometer you can test the honey for the soft-ball stage. To do this, drop a small amount of honey into a bowl of cold water, it should form into a ball, when you remove the ball from the water it should flatten out naturally in your hand. This is when you know it’s done and should remove the honey from the heat.

Adapted from Deliciously Organic.

Crispy Baked Hash Browns (Freezer Friendly)

By in Breakfast, GF Sides, Gluten Free, Sides 13 Comments Tags: , , , , , ,

Crispy Baked Hash Browns (Freezer Friendly)

For me one of the perfect weekend breakfasts is a plate full of hash browns, eggs, toast and bacon with a side of coffee. I”ve tried so many versions of homemade hash browns but they never seemed to turn out crisp enough, or were never quite cooked through and always seemed to be lacking in flavour. I”ve been dreaming of a hash brown recipe that I could make in bulk and store in the freezer so I could use it as a substitute for the ones you find in the grocery store that have so many other ingredients in it that you wonder how much real food is actually in there.

This is it. I found the recipe. It took the brilliant minds of Cooks Illustrated to figure it out for me. Thank you! This recipe works on so many levels. It makes a large batch so you can make it easily for guests or you can enjoy some now and freeze the rest for later. The potatoes turn out super crispy thanks to being boiled in water, along with baking soda, which quickly breaks down the outside, without cooking in the inside, so that it gets a nice crust while it bakes. The baking pan is also preheated in a screaming hot oven so that the potatoes start cooking as soon as they hit the pan, virtually turning it into a large skillet. I also love that it”s basically hands-free once you get it in the oven, meaning that if you are serving it to guests you can focus on other parts of the meal.

The preparation plus baking time definitely doesn”t produce instantaneous results, this isn”t a quick recipe. But my plan is to make it in batches when I have the time and then storing it in the freezer so that it can be instantaneous later on. I prepared mine with dinner the first round, froze the remainder and served them for breakfast a couple days later. It literally took five minutes for them to be ready from the freezer and they tasted just as good as when I made them fresh. That”s even better than the ones you get in the freezer isle.

Crispy Baked Hash Browns

I don”t peel my potatoes because the skin adds more nutrition and I like the flavour, but feel free to peel the potatoes before dicing if you prefer.

  • 3.5 pounds russet potatoes, diced ( 3/4 inch or smaller)

  • 1/2 teaspoon baking soda

  • 3 tablespoons unsalted butter, cut up

  • 1.5 teaspoon salt

  • 1 teaspoon onion powder

  • dash of cayenne pepper

  • 2 tablespoons coconut oil (or preferred high-heat oil)

Place a large rimmed baking sheet on an oven rack set to the lowest position. Preheat oven to 500ºF.

In a dutch oven, bring to boil 10 cups of water, over high heat. Add potatoes and baking soda. Bring back to a boil and cook for 1 minute. Drain potatoes and return to pot; place over low heat, shaking the pot occasionally, until any liquid has evaporated. Remove from heat and stir in butter, salt, onion powder and cayenne pepper. Stir together until mixed evenly and potatoes are coated with a starchy paste.

Remove baking sheet from oven and drizzle with oil. Spread potatoes in an even layer. Bake for 30-40 minutes, stirring potatoes every 15 minutes, until potatoes are browned and crispy. Serve immediately.

To Freeze: Allow potatoes to cool fully on baking sheet, transfer to the freezer until frozen. Once frozen toss into a resealable plastic bag. When ready to use, remove as much as needed from freezer bag, cook in a small amount of oil in a pan over medium heat until warmed through (about 5 minutes).

Serves: 6-8

Adapted from Cooks Illustrated Jan/Feb/2012.
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