Author Archives: saltandserenity

Rhubarb Lemonade Gin Fizz

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Rhubarb isn’t just for pies and crisps. It makes a delightful addition to cocktails. If you’re not a rhubarb lover, it’s likely a textural issue. In this recipe, you make a simple syrup with the rhubarb. As the name implies, it’s really easy! Chopped rhubarb, water, sugar and lemon zest are simmered in a pot for about 10 minutes. Once the rhubarb has finished infusing, strain out the solids and keep the gorgeous pink syrup in a jar in the fridge for at least a month.

In addition to cocktails, the syrup would be delicious brushed onto cake layers for a strawberry cake, drizzled onto ice cream for a sundae or even just mixed into soda water for a refreshing drink.

While I don’t enjoy drinking cocktails, I adore styling and shooting them. This one was inspired by a recipe I found online for Fizzy Pink Rhubarb Lemonade. Thanks to Redpath Sugar for the spark.

When I was envisioning this shoot, I pictured two cocktails in the foreground with a gin bottle, out of focus in the background. The only gin we had in the house was in a black opaque bottle. That was not in keeping with the light and airy spring vibe I was trying to create. I found this gorgeous bottle at the LCBO.

My husband inquired as to why I bought more gin, when we already had a full bottle. He just smiled and nodded at my aesthetic explanation. Smiling and nodding is the secret to our 36 year marriage. Plus, he gets to drink the cocktail at the end of the shoot, so no complaints from him.

I used a vegetable peeler to make ribbons of rhubarb as a garnish. If you put them in a container of cold water overnight, they curl up into a pretty garnish. Or, you could just decorate the glass with a slice or wedge of lemon.

Click here to print recipe for Rhubarb-Lemonade-Gin-FizzDownload

Pistachio and Rhubarb Meringue Cake

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If you have been my friend here in this space for a while now, it’s no surprise that I get very excited when rhubarb season arrives. At last count, I had 15 rhubarb recipes on my blog. My youngest son planted a rhubarb garden in his backyard for me on Mother’s Day because I live in a condo. If you have ever planted rhubarb, you know it is the gift that keeps on giving!

The “layers” in this cake are meringue, with ground pistachios folded in for crunch. The meringue layers bake in a low oven (250°F) for about an hour. Then you turn the oven off and leave them there overnight, to dry out completely.

I got the idea for this cake from Sainsbury’s Magazine. Sainsburys is a UK based supermarket. Their website has so many inspiring ideas and recipes. I adapted the recipe very slightly.

The rhubarb is poached in a heavenly combo of orange juice, sugar and vanilla. This is the perfect make-ahead dessert. Bake the meringue layers and prepare the rhubarb filling a day ahead and then an hour before serving, whip heavy cream with some sour cream to make a tangy whipped cream and assemble.

A drizzle of rhubarb syrup and chopped pistachios finish off the cake.

My husband dislikes both rhubarb and meringue, so you can imagine his dismay when I told him what I was planning. He gamely tried a piece when I was finished shooting and discovered that, he did indeed like rhubarb and meringue. He reasoned that the two negatives somehow cancelled each other out. Who said that two wrongs don’t make a right?

This cake is a study in contrast. Meringue can be cloyingly sweet, but the tart rhubarb and tangy whipped cream really balance out all that sweetness. The meringue layers are a crunchy foil to all that soft whipped cream and silky rhubarb. While strawberries are a classic pairing with rhubarb, I love to combine it with raspberries. It is an unexpected combo that looks pretty and tastes yummy.

A slice of this cake is a bit messy but oh so addictive.

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Musakhan Wraps

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These wraps are cookbook author Anas Atassi’s interpretation of Musakhan. Originally served in the fall to celebrate the olive harvest, Musakhan is considered by many to be the national dish of Palestine. It is essentially a whole roast chicken, flavoured with sumac and other Middle Eastern spices. It is typically eaten with your hands. Served on flatbread, over a bed of slowly caramelized sumac flavoured onions, Musakhan is the epitome of Palestinian comfort food.

In Atassi’s Syrian version, the chicken is shredded , then fried with onions and sumac and rolled up into a delicious flatbread. His new book, Sumac is a love letter to that spice and his native country. He says, “With this book, I hope to build a bridge between Syrian culture and the rest of the world, with food the common denominator. But even more, I hope that Sumac will present a positive image of my country, in spite of all the unfortunate events now taking place in Syria.”

The star of this dish is sumac, which comes from the dried and ground berries of the wild sumac flower. It has a deep crimson colour and is tangy with a sour, acidic flavour, similar to lemon juice. Cinnamon, cardamom and cloves add warmth and a depth of flavour to the chicken.

Onions are not a supporting cast member here. They form an integral part of the dish. Three large onions are sliced, seasoned generously with sumac and sautéed low and slow in olive oil, until they become sweet and mellow.

I used large flour tortillas as a wrapper for the chicken and onions. Once filled, I fried them in a bit of olive oil to crisp up the outside.

I decided to serve it with a dipping sauce on the side. I used a vegan sour cream as I wanted to keep the meal dairy-free. I mixed it with lemon juice, garlic and dill. Yogurt would also work well.

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Cherry Almond Laminated Brioche Buns

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In the world of office supplies, lamination involves sandwiching a sheet of paper between two layers of plastic. In the food world, lamination involves the process of sandwiching a layer of butter between two sheets of dough and then folding and rolling it multiple times. Much more delicious than paper encased in plastic.

It creates a dough with hundreds of alternating layers of butter and dough. When this dough is baked, the heat of the oven converts the water in the dough and butter into steam and the dough puffs up into delicate flaky layers. Croissants are a type of a laminated dough.

For these buns, I’m starting with a brioche dough. Brioche is an enriched dough made with butter and eggs. Then we further enrich the dough by laminating it with more butter. I made a video of the process.

These little buns are a really fun weekend project. Making laminated dough takes time but the results are worth it. I mean, look at those flaky, buttery layers.

You can divide the work over 2 days. Make the brioche dough and frangipane filling on the first day. Then laminate the dough and roll and assemble on day 2. These buns are packed with flavour. Sweet frangipane and white chocolate, sour cherry jam and tart dried cherries and crunchy sliced almonds. It’s a powerhouse of texture and taste.

You may be tempted to skip the chilling between rolls, but I beg you not to rush the process. Without the chilling in between each roll/fold, the butter will get too soft and it will start seeping out of the dough. You won’t get beautiful layers. Once the dough is filled and rolled, a final chill is critical to get nice tidy slices. Trust me. I know this from experience. I rushed it on my first try and had a mess. Still delicious but not so pretty.

I baked mine in 5 ounce ramekins. I also tested it in a popover pan. The shape will be a bit more cylindrical, like the bun in the above picture. I think you could also use giant muffin tins. The ceramic ramekins are quite inexpensive. I paid $2.50 for each one at my local kitchen store.

They are best eaten the day they are baked. We had too many to eat, so I wrapped each leftover bun in plastic wrap and then put them in a ziploc bag in the freezer. My husband has been removing one each night after dinner and letting it thaw on the counter for about an hour. Then he heats it up for about 7 minutes in a 350°F oven. He goes to bed very happy. Sadly that happiness disappears after watching Lisa LaFlamme regaling us with the latest and greatest Covid news of the day. We are languishing.

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Strawberry Rhubarb Macarons

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Sometimes beautiful cookies suffer from being overly sweet, or just bland. But these” pretty in pink” macarons are intensely strawberry flavoured , with just a hint of rhubarb, adding a welcome punch of acid. Springtime personified, all in one little cookie.

Macarons (not to be confused with macaroons) have a reputation for being difficult to make. Essentially, a macaron is made from ground almonds, powdered sugar and egg whites. Seems simple enough but so much can go wrong. They are a tricky little cookie. If you overmix, or undermix, fail to measure correctly, overbake or underbake you won’t get the pretty frilly “feet” or smooth surface. You need to pay attention to every step of the process.

But, I’m going to let you in on a little secret. There are two methods by which macarons can be created, the French meringue method and the Italian meringue method. Most macaron recipes out there follow the French method.

In the Italian method, the sugar is boiled into a syrup, and once it reaches 240°F, it is carefully incorporated into the egg whites. In the French method, the raw sugar is added into the egg whites. I had only ever tried the French method. While on the surface it would seem that the French method is simpler, no dealing with candy thermometers and boiling hot syrup, you need to consider the benefits of that extra step of boiling the sugar. Cooking the sugar into a syrup creates a more stable macaron batter.

Making the meringue using the Italian method creates a stiffer meringue, more stable and able to withstand a lot more mixing without deflating it too soon. The results are more reliable when making the macarons using this method. I started using this method 2 years ago and I have had perfect macarons ever since.

Freeze dried strawberries are added to the macaron shell, to aid in achieving that pretty pink colour. They are also used in the buttercream filling, to create an intense strawberry flavour. A dollop of rhubarb jam goes in the centre of all that buttercream.

I’ve had these adorable butterfly sprinkles in my cupboard for a few years now. I used melted white chocolate to “glue” them on.

For a second decorating option, I drizzled the macarons with white chocolate and then sprinkled some freeze-dried strawberry crumbs on them. Also very pretty! Which design do you prefer?

Click here for my very detailed recipe for Strawberry-Rhubarb-Macarons-Download

Yeast Raised Waffles

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In our house we call these “Awful Waffles”. Probably not the best name if I want to entice you to keep reading and try them. In fact, they are absolutely heavenly. Crisp on the outside but delicate and fluffy in the centre, and just a touch chewy.

I can’t remember how we started calling them by that name, but my daughter’s friends would always request “Awful Waffles” for breakfast when they slept over. The waffle batter needs to be made the night before. The yeast and long overnight rise give these waffles an unparalleled flavour and texture. They stay crispy long after they have cooled, although I doubt they’ll hang around that long.

The recipe comes from a charming gem of a cookbook, originally published in 1987. It’s called “The Breakfast Book”, by the late Marion Cunningham. I have shelves full of cookbooks, and this is one of the few that I actually use all the time. The recipe for her raw apple muffins has stood the test of time and is still one of my favourite muffins.

Here’s a video showing you how the batter is put together. Please note that in the actual recipe, the eggs and some baking soda are added in the morning, just before cooking. In the video I added the eggs at the beginning because I screwed up!

Usually I serve them with berries and maple syrup, but they also make an excellent ice cream sandwich! You’ll thank me.

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Fried Eggs on Rösti Potatoes with Shakshuka Sauce

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Rösti potatoes are considered by some to be the national dish of Switzerland. Essentially, they are a giant potato pancake. They differ from latkes in that they do not contain any egg, flour or other binding ingredients. They can be made with either Russet or Yukon Gold potatoes. The Yukon Gold is a bit waxier and will result in a slightly crispier rösti.

The key to a successful rösti is low and slow cooking and enough fat to achieve crispness. I like a mix of butter (for flavour) and vegetable oil (to keep the butter from burning). A non-stick pan is ideal for making rösti.

You could certainly serve the rösti plain, as a side dish for dinner, but I love to treat it like a blank canvas and add toppings. My topping of choice is always fried eggs! It’s no secret, that I adore breakfast for dinner. I’d happily eat eggs for every meal. I decided to serve it with a Shakshuka sauce on the side, as I didn’t want to make the rösti soggy.

Shakshuka is a Middle Eastern/Northern African dish with eggs poached in spicy tomato sauce. Last summer, my daughter and her fiancé were living with us at the cottage. She made brunch for us almost every Sunday. I always requested her homemade sourdough and Shakshuka. She used the recipe from cookieandkate, and I just love the flavours.

A handful of arugula and a sprinkle of crumbled feta and cilantro finished the dish off perfectly.

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Glazed Maple Honey Pepper Chicken

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The inspiration for this chicken dish came from Brad Leone in the July 2020 issue of Bon Appétit magazine. You will need to plan ahead if you want to make this, as the chicken spends 8 hours in the fridge, absorbing a dry rub of black and pink peppercorns. I cut the backbone out of the chicken (Spatchcock is the technical term for this) using poultry shears, so that it would lay flat and roast faster. This is something you can ask the butcher to do, if you’re squeamish about handling raw chicken.

I have never cooked with pink peppercorns before and I was shocked at how much they added to the flavour of the chicken. They are more floral than spicy and they add a delicate, fruity note. The dry brining also gives the skin a chance to air dry, resulting in the crispiest skin after roasting.

The original recipe was done on the BBQ, but I roasted mine in the oven. Before putting the chicken in the roasting pan, I made a bed of peeled halved shallots and lemon wedges to keep the chicken off the bottom of the roasting pan, so that it would roast and not steam in its own juices. Plus, they helped to flavour the chicken.

While the chicken is roasting, I prepared a glaze to be brushed on the chicken during the last 15 minutes of oven time. The glaze is perfectly balanced in terms of flavour. Honey and maple syrup add sweetness , jalapeño peppers add heat, pink peppercorns add a floral note and champagne vinegar adds acidity.

I served it with some wedge roasted potatoes and a green salad. Even though we are just 2 at home now, I still love to make a whole roasted chicken. it’s great to have leftovers the next day.

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Marbled Matzoh Crunch 2021

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No matter how many Passover desserts I set out at the end of the Seder meal, the Marbled Matzoh Crunch is always the first to disappear. Which isn’t surprising when you consider that it’s basically caramel and chocolate coated matzoh. I mean, what’s not to like.

Last year, because of the Pandemic, I had to mail my Passover desserts to all the family members we usually gather with. I sent Raspberry Coconut Macaroons, Triple Coconut Macaroons, Robin’s Egg Macarons and Marbled Matzoh Crunch. Looks like we’re doing a Zoom Seder again this year, but I just couldn’t muster the enthsiasm to bake hundreds of treats for mailing this year. I think we all have Covid fatigue. I’m praying that next year we will all be able to be together again.

Watch the magic in action.

Feel free to customize the matzoh crunch to suit your family. All dark chocolate and a shower of coarsely chopped salted roasted almond is delicious. Dried cherries and chopped pistachios on white chocolate is also a delicious combo. Make it your own.

Click here to print recipe for Marbled-Matzoh-CrunchDownload

Wishing you and your families a happy and healthy Passover.

Potato, Leek and Kale Soup

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How are you all doing this month? It’s ok if you’re feeling a little fuzzy, I get it. We’re a year into this pandemic and it seems like it has been forever. I admit I’m nervous about having to re-enter society again. I’m a bit of an introvert and I think that my social skills, meagre at best, have severely declined. Will I be able to make eye contact with my friends again? Will there be awkward silences in our conversations? I don’t have answers to these question, but I do have soup for you.

Although the first day of spring is a few days away, there’s still plenty of soup weather in my future where I live. This soup bridges the gap between winter and spring. Leeks are an early spring vegetable and they have a much milder and sweeter taste than onions. Pairing them with potatoes is a classic preparation, but I wanted to boost the nutrient quotient, so I added kale during the last 5 minutes of cooking time.

I like to puree about 1/3 of the soup and mix it back into the soup. It thickens the soup slightly but you still have a chunky, substantial soup. My favourite part of soup is the toppings. A drizzle of sour cream and handful of fresh chopped dill are a great way to finish this soup. I also prepared some frizzled leeks for a crunchy element. Totally optional, but worth the effort.

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