Author Archives: saltandserenity

Wild Blueberry and Peach Pie

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I have a complicated relationship with pie. It’s not a category of baking I feel especially passionate about. Cookies and buttercream are more my love language. But my husband is a pie person. His mom used to bake him peach pies every summer. The last summer she was alive, she was quite ill, but lovingly baked him several pies, which he tucked away in the freezer, The following spring she died. We still had one peach pie left in the freezer. My husband could not bring himself to eat it. He got comfort from seeing that last peach pie, every time he opened the freezer door. I understood completely.

And then, the unthinkable happened. I accidentally left the freezer door ajar when we went away for a long weekend. We came home to puddles on the floor and a totally defrosted and smelly freezer. I felt terrible. He said all the right things, “It’s ok, it was just an accident, don’t worry about it….” but I felt terrible.

I now make him pies twice a year. An apple crumble pie in the fall for his birthday and a peach or peach and blueberry pie every summer. After 34 years, my pie making skills have improved. He greatly appreciates when I bake pie for him.

Here is how this summer’s version came together. Peaches and blueberries are a beautiful flavour combination. I love to use the tiny wild blueberries for this pie. It will still be perfectly delicious with regular cultivated blueberries if you can’t get wild ones. This year I did not even bother to peel the peaches. Turns out that the skins completely break down when baking, so no need to peel them.

I got extra fancy and made a lattice top and braided crust. You could, of course, omit the lattice and just do a plain lid. It will still be delicious. If you decide you want the braided edge, you’ll need to make an extra 1/2 recipe of pie dough.

My thickener of choice is Minute tapioca (also called instant tapioca). I find that cornstarch or flour make a cloudy filling. Tapioca makes for a thick and glossy filling that slices beautifully.

Please be patient and wait at least 4 hours for the pie to set and cool before slicing. You will be rewarded with picture perfect slices. A scoop of vanilla ice cream would not be overkill.

Click here to print recipe for Wild Blueberry and Peach Pie.

Tater Tot Waffles

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I like to have fun in the kitchen. One of my favourite games to play is “will it waffle?” I have had great success with croissant dough and halloumi cheese. It’s just so amusing to put stuff, other than waffle batter, into the waffle iron and see what happens. I have had less success with my other favourite kitchen game, “can you blend it?” Let’s just say that apple pie milkshake was not one of my greatest creations, and leave it at that.

I discovered the idea of using Tater Tots on bonappetit.com. They did a loaded tater tot waffle version, complete with bacon, chives, sour cream and cheddar. I left out the bacon and topped mine with a fried egg, because everything’s better with an egg on top, right?

The amount of Tater Tots you need to fill your waffle iron depends on the size and type of waffle iron you have. I have made it twice now, once in a Cuisinart Belgian waffle maker and once in a regular President Choice waffle maker. You will need to add a second layer of Tater Tots for a Belgian waffle maker, as the grooves are deeper.

Here’s a video to show how it all comes together:

The Tater Tots go in frozen. I discovered that the best way to ensure an even waffle is to let the tots cook for about 2-3 minutes. Then open the waffle iron and see if there are any gaps or holes. Fill them in with more tots and continue cooking for a total of about 9-12 minutes. I used a medium high heat.

Click here to print recipe for Loaded Tater Tot Waffles.

Everyone I made them for loved the nostalgia factor. Most had not had Tater Tots since they were a child. Shockingly, my friend Ed had never even heard of Tater Tots! Clearly a deprived child. I will be making these for hm very soon.

Tomato Peach and Burrata Tartine

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We are awash in an embarrassment of seasonal produce right now. This week, the tables at the Farmer’s Market near me were groaning under the weight of local peaches and multi-coloured grape and cherry tomatoes. No heirloom tomatoes yet, maybe in a few weeks they told me.

I bought a big basket of peaches and some of them will make their way into peach hand pies for my son-in-law, a hand pie aficionado. Some will be turned into peach-blueberry crisp, for my husband. Some of the peaches will be diced and mixed into my morning yogurt and some will be just eaten out of hand, juices dripping down my forearm.

The rest of the peaches will be used for lunch. We’re making tartines. Tartine is the French word to describe any open-faced sandwich. Start with roasting the little tomatoes. It really enhances their sweetness and adds a lovely texture to the dish. Anoint the tomatoes with olive oil, honey, thyme and a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Luckily my peaches were freestone and not the annoying cling variety. Freestone and cling refer to the peach flesh either coming away cleanly from the pit (freestone), like in the video below, or clinging stubbornly to the pit (cling).

The cheese variety in this video is burrata. Burrata, is the Italian word for “buttered”. It is made from fresh mozzarella. While it looks quite similar to a ball of fresh mozzarella, what differs is what’s on the inside . It is filled with a soft, stringy curd and fresh cream. It has a milky, buttery delicate flavour that’s rich and creamy. If you can’t find burrata, fresh mozzarella or bocconcini will also be quite delicious.

I made a basil oil to drizzle over the tartine, as a finishing touch. It’s as simple as whizzing some fresh basil, spinach (helps to preserve the green colour), and oil in the blender for 3 minutes. Strain it and you have a gorgeous finishing oil. Don’t forget the sprinkle of flaky sea salt.

Click here to print recipe for Tomato Peach and Burrata Tartine.

Chive Blossom Butter

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Did you guys know that chive blossoms are edible? Chives are one of the first herbs to come up in my herb garden every spring. Before I can blink, they have already started flowering. While the stems of the flowering chives are too hard to use, the flowers are gorgeous and totally edible.

When life hands you chive blossoms, make chive blossom butter. It looks fancy AF, but is quite simple to make. Watch how I do it.

Chive blossom butter keeps very well, in the freezer, for at least 2 months. Just slice off what you need. We have been putting this on salmon fillets, baked potatoes and last week, I added a bit of grated garlic and smeared it on bread before grilling for some outstanding garlic bread.

You could also make chive blossom salt and chive blossom vinegar. It’s so much fun and so delicious.

Click here to print recipe for Chive Blossom Butter.

Raspberry Lemonade

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I grew up with frozen concentrate lemonade. Our favourite was the pink variety. It never occurred to me that you could make your own lemonade. But you can and you should! It’s not that difficult and it tastes so much fresher. Plus, it’s customizable.

This raspberry lemonade is the perfect balance of tart and sweet, plus that pink hue is just gorgeous. I think it would be the perfect drink to celebrate the new Barbie movie! You could add a splash of vodka or gin, or some Prosecco or soda water if you want some bubbly.

I got extra fancy and made some floral ice cubes.

Here are a few tips for success:

  • Make your simple syrup at least a few hours ahead so that it has time to chill.
  • Strain the raspberry puree. No one wants raspberry seeds in their drink.
  • Use fresh lemons and strain the juice after squeezing to remove all the seeds and pulp.
  • If you’re going to make the floral ice cubes, start with distilled water and boil and cool it. It will make clearer ice cubes than just regular tap water.
  • Use silicone ice cube trays. They make removal easy.
  • Make sure your flowers are truly edible. Go to a reliable source. I bought mine online from Ottawa Edible Flowers. Just Google for your area.
  • The flowers will tend to float to the top of the ice cube tray, so it is best to freeze in 2 stages. All the details are in the recipe.
  • You could also use fresh raspberries in the ice cube trays instead of flowers.

Click here to print recipe for Raspberry Lemonade.

Lamb Sliders

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Have you ever noticed that miniature food always seems to taste better? I’ve got a delicious recipe for you today using ground lamb to make sliders. The recipe is slightly adapted from Iron Chef Geoffrey Zakarain. He made them on The Kitchen a few weeks ago and I had to try them.

These little sliders pack a big flavour punch. The ground lamb is seasoned with shallots, garlic, mint, parsley, cumin and paprika.

Here are a few tips for success:

  • Use a light hand when mixing everything into the ground lamb. Form your hand into a claw and use your fingers like a rake to incorporate the seasoning ingredients into the lamb. Over-mixing leads to tough burgers. According to tasting table.com, “Mixing ground beef releases myosin, which is a protein that causes muscle contraction. It’s important for burger making, as myosin binds fat and water to the meat, leading to a more tender burger. So you want to retain as much of the protein as possible — but when you mix too much and let too much myosin escape, you can be left with chewy meat.”
  • Salt burgers just before grilling.
  • I used a 2.5 inch round cookie cutter to form my sliders. But feel free to form by hand if that’s more your style.
  • Cook lamb burgers to an internal temperature of 135°F. Insert instant read thermometer into burger from the side, not the top, and push it until it reaches the centre of the burger.
  • The pickled onions can be made and stored in your fridge up to 2 weeks ahead of time. This recipe makes more than you will need, but they are great on sandwiches and in all kinds of salads.
  • If you prefer to keep the tzatziki sauce dairy free, look for a plain vegan yogurt or sour cream that does not contain coconut as the main protein. The coconut flavour will not work for this application. I like Tofutti brand Sour Supreme

Click here to print recipe for Lamb Sliders.

Leek, Potato and Goat Cheese Galette

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While leek and potatoes are a classic pairing for soup, they also work brilliantly together in a galette. Tangy and creamy goat cheese takes this galette to a new level of yumminess.

The dough for this galette comes together in about one minute in the food processor. It’s a very versatile recipe that can be used for both sweet and savoury galettes. I like to make the dough ahead of time, roll it out and freeze it. That way, I can make a galette any time I have a craving.

There are 2 unusual ingredients in the dough. The first is a bit of sour cream. Sour cream helps the texture of the dough stay tender and adds to the flakiness. It also adds a nice tang to the flavour. The second unusual ingredient oil cornmeal. It contributes a subtle crunch to the dough and makes this dough a dream to roll out.

Watch this galette come together:

Tips for success:

  • Don’t over mix the dough. Stop the food processor just before the dough rolls into a ball.
  • Make sure your butter is very cold and the water is ice cold.
  • The potatoes need to be sliced thinly and par cooked in the microwave for about 4 minutes before layering onto the galette. Raw potatoes will not cook thoroughly in the galette.
  • Bake in lower third of the oven. You want the bottom crust to get nice and brown. Cover top of galette with a bit of foil after 30-35 minutes of baking if the top is getting too brown.
  • Add a it more gruyere and goat cheese to the top of the galette for the last 5 minutes of baking time.
  • Garnish with fresh dill for an extra pop of colour and flavour.
  • This can be served hot, warm or even at room temperature. Leftovers the next day can be heated up in a 350°F oven for 5 minutes.

Here are a few more galette ideas for inspiration. Tomato Gruyere Galette, Winter Squash and Kale Rye Galette, Ombre Apple-Honey Galette, Ombre Tomato Galette with Everything Seasoning, Pluot and Thyme Galette, Apple Galette with Pecan Cheddar Crust, Plum and Cherry Galette with Pistachio Crust, Heirloom Tomato Galette and a Family Reunion, Spring Leek Galette, Wild Mushroom and Leek Galette, and Asparagus Ricotta Galette

Click here to print recipe for Leek, Potato and Goat Cheese Galette.

Spaghetti with Sun-Dried Tomatoes, Asiago and Pine Nuts

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If you are of a certain age, you may recall when sun-dried tomatoes were ubiquitous. This was way back in the last century, mid 80’s to mid 90’s. They became so mainstream that they found their way into bagels and cream cheese, wheat thin crackers, flour tortillas and potato chips. They got abused and ultimately there was backlash and they disappeared from our pantries.

I’m on a mission to bring them back. They are little flavour bombs, packed with umami and during most of the year, when tomatoes are sadly lacking in flavour, sun dried tomatoes have a place at the table.

I learned a version of this recipe at one of my very first professional cooking jobs. I was working in an upscale take-out food shop in Toronto’s Yorkville area called Dinah’s Cupboard. I learned so much from Dinah Koo, the shop’s owner. She demanded perfection and precision. She cooked with big flavours and was a master at presentation. I am forever grateful to her for teaching me so much.

It was my job to make a vat of this cold pasta salad every morning. The original recipe called for angel hair pasta, and there were no fresh tomatoes or olives in it. It was one of the most popular items in the shop and sold out every single day. Unlike most pasta salads, which are insipid in seasoning, this salad is an umami flavour bomb, owing to the sun-dried tomatoes and asiago cheese.

My mom, all my sisters and my sister-in-law made and served this at every family get together during this era. Eventually, we all got sick of this salad and it was retired from the rotation. I made it again, last summer, for the first time in 25 years, and everyone was so excited to taste it again.

It’s a perfect dish to make ahead for entertaining. I would suggest adding the fresh basil and pine nuts just before serving, but the rest of the salad keeps very well in the fridge for several days.

Tips for success:

  • Cook the pasta for 2-3 minutes less than the package recommends. The spaghetti will continue to soften as it sits in the sun dried tomato pesto.
  • Use oil packed sun dried tomatoes for the best flavour.
  • Try to seek out asiago cheese. It is widely available now and has a pungent flavour that is hard to replicate.
  • Please, toast your pine nuts!! Untoasted nuts have the texture of sawdust and will ruin the dish.
  • Add fresh basil and pine nuts just before serving.

Click here to print recipe for Spaghetti with Sun Dried Tomatoes, Asiago and Pine Nuts.

Springtime Green Quiche

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At this point in my life, I should know better than to fall for lines from cute guys with a twinkle in their eye. I’m talking about you Jamie Oliver. Through my TV screen, you smized at me, with those baby blues and told me that it was possible to use mashed avocado instead of butter in pastry dough.

I was fascinated. Could it really be true? Avocado, like butter, has a high fat and moisture content, so it seemed plausible. Jamie made a green pea and cheddar quiche using his avocado dough. I settled on leeks, asparagus and gruyere cheese for my version.

I love the flavour of leeks. Part of the onion family, leeks have a mildly sweet flavour but much less intense than onions. They add a depth of flavour to so many savoury recipes.

How to clean and slice leeks: Leeks can be quite sandy, so the best way to clean them is to cut them in half lengthwise. Trim off the roots and dark green leaves. The dark green leaves are too tough to use for sautéing, but they are perfect for adding to homemade chicken or vegetable stock, I put them in a zip-loc bag in the freezer and save them for the next time I make stock. Arrange the light-green/white part of the leeks cut-side down on the cutting board and slice them into thin half moons. Fill a large bowl with cold water and place the sliced leeks in the water. Swish them around and let sit for a few minutes. Scoop the leeks out of the water, leaving the sandy water behind.

Here’s how this Springtime Green Quiche comes together. Watch!

Yes, the pastry is really a vibrant green before it hits the heat of the oven, but it does get quite muted with baking.

The pastry rolled out beautifully, but to be honest, it tasted bland. Avocado, without any salt, lime juice or jalapeño, doesn’t have much flavour. I think that if you’re going to indulge in something decadent, like quiche, with eggs, cheese and cream, you should just go all out and use butter in the dough.

But the Libra in me feels compelled to make a counter argument. Changes to healthier eating are best taken in small steps. Announcing that you plan to cut all animal fats from your diet is unlikely to be sustainable for most of us. But looking for these micro moments, where we can make small changes gradually, eventually add up. If you’re looking to incorporate more plant based fats into your diet, this avocado pastry would be just fine. I’m going to give you two dough options in the recipe. Choose your own adventure. If you try the avocado dough, please let me know, in the comments, what you think!

I love the flavour of gruyere cheese in quiche, but feel free to substitute fontina or Monterey Jack or another good melting cheese. The asparagus on top makes for a beautiful presentation.

Click here to print recipe for Springtime Green Quiche.

Rhubarb and Ricotta Tartine

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It’s the most wonderful time of the year…rhubarb season! I know it’s a polarizing ingredient, but I can’t seem to get enough of it. I must confess, I’m a rhubarb hoarder. I buy way more than I can possibly consume, and I freeze it so that I will have rhubarb all winter long. 

How to freeze rhubarb: Wash the stalks and cut into 1-2 inch lengths. Line a baking sheet with parchment and arrange the cut rhubarb in a single layer. Place baking sheet in freezer until rhubarb is solidly frozen, a few hours. Transfer rhubarb to a freezer zip-loc bag.

How to use frozen rhubarb: Preheat oven to 350°F. Take equal parts of frozen rhubarb and frozen strawberries and place them on a parchment lined baking sheet. Sprinkle with 2-3 Tablespoons of sugar and roast for 20 minutes, until all soft and jammy. Mash with a fork of potato masher and transfer to a jar for storage. I like to mix it into my morning yogurt or use it as a filling for pastries, like strawberry-rhubarb hand pies. It keeps in the fridge for about 10 days. 

Difference between field-grown and hot-house rhubarb: The first rhubarb to hit the market in spring is hot-house rhubarb. Hot-house rhubarb is pink in colour while field- grown is red, streaked with green. The hot house rhubarb retains that gorgeous pink colour after cooking while the field-grown turns a dull brownish colour after cooking. The final difference is the texture. Hot-house is silkier, and less stringy than the field-grown.

Tartine is defined as an open faced sandwich, usually on toasted bread. It has come to mean “fancy toast”, as made popular by the charming Carrie Baird, one of my favourite cheftestants on Top Chef. And if you’ve been following me for a while, you know that fancy is how we roll around here.

Today’s tartine is homemade ricotta spread onto toasted crusty bread, topped with gently roasted rhubarb. If you have never made your own ricotta, I urge you to give it a whirl. Watching milk, salt and lemon, transform into ricotta cheese is pure culinary alchemy. If you are a food nerd like me, you will find the process quite thrilling. Of course store-bought ricotta can be used. I suggest whisking it with a few tablespoons of heavy cream to get a silkier texture.

Watch this video to see how this tartine comes together:

This tartine would be delicious to serve with cocktails or with a salad for a light lunch. If I were going to have it for breakfast, I’d leave out the pickled onions and arugula and add some fresh mint. It’s eminently customizable.

Click here to print recipe for Rhubarb and Ricotta Tartine.