Leek & Cauliflower Puree

This is one of my favourite side dishes over the holidays because it carries all the flavour of a luxurious potato side dish without feeling as heavy. I started developing this a few Christmases ago as my aunt cannot eat potatoes. Since so many holiday meals are served with potatoes on the side, I wanted her to have an option that was equally tasty without defaulting to rice. The flavour here really comes from leeks - you want them to get nice and soft and buttery. It’s ok if they brown a bit too, that’s just extra flavour! If you don’t have a food processor you could use a blender or hand blender. The other advantage to cauliflower over potato is you don’t have to worry about it turning gummy when blended!

About the ingredients

Leeks: as you will begin to notice in my recipes, leeks are one of my favourite ingredients. They add a gentle onion flavour without too much bite, and I find they pair nicely with cheese without overtaking the dish. 

How to store leeks:

Leeks should be stored in the fridge but they can be REALLY big. Since you only eat the white part of the leek, if you’re tight on space, you can always trim off the green parts before storing them in your fridge. Just dampen a paper towel and wrap the cut ends until you are ready to use.

How to clean leeks:

I always give them a good rinse on the outside - if the outer layer seems to be discolouring, I will peel that off. Again, you only use the white part, so I cut off the greens. I’ll then peek down in the layers of the white part - if it seems really dirty I will chop the leeks to whichever size I need, then give them a rinse in a colander or soak in a bowl of water to remove all the dirt. Sometimes soil can get between the layers so it’s important to give them a good clean!

What do I do with all these leeks?!:

Typically leeks come in bunches of three. This recipe will use one. For the other two, you can pretty much use them in any recipe that calls for onion. They are awesome in soups. I use them in my turkey dressing/stuffing. I have a great leek and camembert quiche recipe in the archives. They are delicious with a roast chicken - add them to the pan and the chicken fat drippings will caramelize the leeks while it roasts. THE WORLD IS YOUR LEEK.

Choosing your milk: the higher the milk fat content of your milk, the richer this side dish will be. If you are looking for a lighter side, choose 1 or 2% milk. If you’re looking for a luxurious, creamy side, go all out with 35% m.f cream. Anything in between will also be delicious! I have not tried this recipe with non-dairy milk but I think any unsweetened nut or oat milk would probably work nicely.

Cheese: in the recipe, I recommend using parmesan cheese but really, any hard, sharp cheese will work well. Asiago would be delicious. So would Grana Padano. It isn’t meant to be like… “cheesy” in flavour, just super savoury and delicious. Save your cheddar for another recipe!

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Leek & Cauliflower Puree

Serves 4-6, 30 mins prep/cook time

Ingredients:

1 cauliflower head, leaves and stalks removed

1 leek, green part removed

1 tsp, olive oil

1 tbsp butter

½ cup of milk or cream (higher the milk fat the creamier it will be)

¼ cup grated parmesan

Salt n pepper to taste

Method:

1. Prep your cauliflower - you can either boil or steam the cauliflower, your choice! First I chop the cauliflower into roughly equal pieces so it cooks evenly. Then while the cauliflower cooks, skip to step 2 to get your leeks cooking at the same time.

   • To boil: bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add in cauliflower and boil until fork-tender, about 5 minutes. Drain and place in the food processor.

   • To steam: place your steaming basket in a medium pot with 1 cm of water. Add cauliflower pieces to the steamer basket and cover with a lid. Allow to steam for 5-7 mins until fork tender. Remove cauliflower and place it in the food processor.

2. Thinly slice your leek, first by running the knife lengthwise down the white part, and then slicing crosswise. Add to a pan over medium-low heat with olive oil and butter, and a pinch of salt. Allow to cook until translucent, buttery and softened. I like to let them deeply cook, 10-15 minutes.

3. Once leeks are cooked, add to the food processor along with your milk/cream and pulse until smooth. Add in your cheese and pulse again until well combined. Taste. Does it taste like you want to eat more? If no, you probably need some more salt and pepper. Add a touch, pulse again, and taste. Continue until it tastes delicious and perfectly seasoned!

4. You can keep the puree warm on the stove in a pot, covered, over low heat while you wait for the rest of your meal. You can also refrigerate for 3-5 days to reheat!
   

Maple Sriracha 'Bits and Bites'

My mom always made “bits and bites” in December to have on hand whenever people popped in to visit over the holidays. I love the toasty, warm flavour of these, and over the years I’ve started to make them in Toronto for my annual “January Party” with my own twist - adding in maple syrup and sriracha! Even though this year there won’t be parties or company stopping in, these make for a great snack with a movie on a winter's night and they keep super well. If you are doing gift drop-offs for friends, pick up some fun tins from a local shop, and you can gift a homemade treat! 

This recipe makes A LOT, but you can easily half the recipe if desired. I recommend making the full version so you have snacks forever.

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Maple Sriracha ‘Bits and Bites’

Yields .. a lot. Like 40 cups worth. 3.5 hours total prep/bake time.

Ingredients

Maple Sriracha Sauce

3 tbsp sriracha 

3 tbsp maple syrup 

¼ cup Worcestershire sauce

1 tbsp garlic powder

1 tbsp onion powder

1.5 cups salted butter, melted (if using unsalted butter, add 1 tbsp kosher salt)

Bits and Bites Components 

1 550g box Shreddies = 11 cups

2 200g boxes Cheese Nips  = 7 cups

1 400g bag Stick Pretzels = 8 cups

1 700g can Honey-Roasted Peanuts = 5.5 cups

½ 570g Family Size box of Cheerios = 10 cups

Method

1. Preheat oven to 250F

2. In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until smooth and well emulsified.

3. Mix together your “bits and bites” components into two large roasting pans. You can also use tin foil pans (I would use the roasting pan sized ones). You want to ensure there is room in both roasters to easily stir - this will help with your stirring and also allow the air in the oven to circulate better to dry out the mixture!

4. Pour your sauce over both pans, evenly dividing the sauce. Give the mixture a good toss so everything is evenly coated - you don’t want the sauce concentrated in one area!

5. Bake in the oven at 250F for approximately 3 hours, tossing every 45 mins. Make sure you stir all the way to the bottom otherwise the pieces on the bottom will burn.

6. You are looking for the bits and bites to be dried out - you don’t want any soggy pieces. If the mixture isn’t fully dried out after 3 hours, reduce the heat to 225F and continue to bake until everything is perfectly dried and toasty!

7. Remove from the oven and allow to cool completely.

8. Store in an airtight container on the counter. They will keep for 1-2 months!

Ginger Molasses Cake with Apple Cider Sauce

Ginger molasses cake was a classic winter dessert growing up. We often had it around the holidays - warming, aromatic, and so cozy. Most recipes make a 9 x 13 pan which is simply too much dessert for someone living alone. This version keeps all of the comfort of the original recipes but adjusts it to make 1 circle cake pan, or 8 servings, instead of what sometimes feels like 400 servings. I’m being dramatic, but small batch baking is needed in 2020! The sauce uses pressed apple cider (the kind that comes in jugs at the farmers market), but if apple cider is out of season I’ve included a modification below for a brown sugar sauce. Served best warm with whipped cream or ice cream.

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Ginger Molasses Cake w/ Apple Cider Sauce

8 servings, 35-45 mins total

Cake Ingredients:

1/3 cup butter, room temperature

1/3 cup white sugar

1 egg

1/2 cup molasses

1 1/2 cup all purpose flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1 tsp ground ginger

1/2 tsp kosher salt

1/2 cup hot water

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F. Line the bottom of a 9 inch cake pan (circle) or 8x8 square pan with parchment paper and grease the sides.

2. Cream together butter and sugar until light and fluffy. Add in egg and continue to mix until well incorporated.

3. Mix in molasses - if using an electric mixer  beat for 2-3 mins until light and fluffy. Otherwise mix by hand for 5-6 mins until light and fluffy.

4. Add in dry ingredients, mixing until just combined. Texture should be like cookie dough.

5. Pour in hot water and mix until batter becomes looser. Do not overmix, you just want the batter to look uniform.

6. Pour into a greased and lined cake pan and bake at 375F oven for 20-25 mins, until the cake tester comes out clean.

Sauce Ingredients:

1 cup of apple cider 

¼ cup of brown sugar

2 tbsp of flour

2 tbsp of butter

Method:

1. In a small pot combine apple cider, brown sugar and flour over medium heat. Whisk until clumps of flour are gone and bring to a boil. 

2. Boil until sauce thickens (3-5 mins). Remove from heat. Add butter and whisk until combined. Serve warm over gingerbread.

** if you don’t have apple cider, you could do 1 cup of brown sugar, ½ cup water, and 1 tsp of lemon juice, plus the above flour and butter ratios for a tangy brown sugar sauce.

3 ways to make gifting cookbooks more personal

I used to hate cookbooks. I remember thinking, “why would I use a cookbook when I could just google a recipe, read reviews, and find the best one?!”. In today’s “digital world”, slowing down and reading a cookbook seems like a lot of effort, but once you dig into cookbooks, you’ll see how much beautiful storytelling is there to enjoy. You’ll also realize how much you can learn from the chefs describing their techniques, backgrounds, and modifications. Now I love gifting cookbooks to loved ones because it’s a special way of sharing something that’s really important to me. Here are a few ways I’ve made gifting cookbooks more personal over the years:

Choose a cookbook you love and add sticky notes to your favourite recipes.

Rather than giving someone a cookbook and generally saying, “I love it!”, add sticky notes to the pages of your favourite recipes and explain what you love about it. Examples:

• This is my favourite weekday meal. Super tasty and fast to cook.

• I make these pancakes anytime I feel like something a bit fancier for brunch.

• This salad dressing is amazing! I make it every Sunday so that I have it in the fridge for the week!

This will help your friend or family member navigate the cookbook easily, plus it allows you to share your favourite recipes.

Package up ingredients featured in the cookbook and stock their pantry!

Some cookbooks call for ingredients that you know your friend likely doesn’t have on hand -  especially if it’s a regional cuisine cookbook that may call for whole spices or pantry items like ghee, tahini, or a specific type of lentil. Depending on your budget, you could bundle some of these ingredients with the cookbook when you gift it so they’re ready to start cooking right away.

Choose a cookbook you’ve been eyeing as well, and schedule a virtual cooking hang with your friend!

Is there a cookbook you’ve been wanting to buy for yourself? Gifting the same cookbook to your friend can allow you to schedule time to explore the recipes together. Maybe you do a monthly cookbook club where you Zoom while trying out the same recipe. Or if you’re in the same city but still social distancing, you could each choose different recipes to cook and swap half the portions with each other. Exploring a new cookbook together can be a great way to connect!

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I hope you find this guide helpful! Leave a comment if you’d like to see more content like this!

Glazed Chicken Meatballs

These chicken meatballs are moist, flavourful and just.. so good! I’ve been making them weekly, often serving them with roasted veggies or a side salad. You can play around with the spice combo, but overall the ratios below are perfect. The key to these meatballs is mixing together the egg, panko and spices before adding in the meat. This allows for the spices to be evenly distributed and avoids overmixing the ground chicken. They are glazed versus super sauce-y, so they would also make a great appetizer at a gathering.

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Glazed Chicken Meatballs

Serves 4, 30 mins

 Ingredients:

1 package of ground chicken

½ cup panko crumbs

1 egg

½ tsp of each: garlic powder, paprika OR curry powder, red pepper flakes (OR ¼ tsp if you don’t like spicy things), kosher salt

Pepper

¼ cup of jelly/jam (grape, fig or quince are best!)

2 tbsp light soy sauce

2 tbsp water

Method: 

1. Mix together the egg, panko and spices until well mixed. Add ground chicken and mix until the breadcrumb mixture is well distributed. Roll into meatballs the size of your choice – I like 1.5 tbsp ish!

2. Heat non-stick pan to medium heat, add 2 tsp of olive oil. Brown the meatballs, turning often to maintain their round shape. Continue to cook until cooked through (165F meat thermometer) - typically 12-15 minutes for the size above. While the meatballs are cooking, make the glaze!

3. Mix together the glaze (you can use boiled water if you need help breaking down the jelly).

4. Once the meatballs are cooked through, pour the glaze into the pan and continue to cook until it thickens and coats all the meatballs. If you want it more sauce-y you can add water a tbsp at a time to the pan!