A Pomegranate a day…

…keeps the smile on my face

It's winter. It's cold and a lot of us are miserable.

Oh really Captain Obvious?  Pure genius that is. Water is wet and fire is hot, I suppose? Sheesh.

Okay, that's a fair enough point. A bit mean though…

Oh please. I mean really, what do people expect? It's winter. In the Northern Hemisphere. Where cold stuff happens. Did they expect sunburns and balmy breezes?

Well, no…

BBQ's and Mai-tai's?

I doubt it.

Bikinis and hokey surfer songs?

Something tells me no.

Well… there you go then.

I think that some people just have a hard time dealing with the cold..

Oh don't I know it. Like last week - beautiful blue skies, bright ball of sun up there and that guy said "it would be a nice day if it wasn't cold" 

It's wiiiiin-terrr.

Jumpin' Juniper Balls !!

And the early dark doesn't…um…Excuse me?

Why can't they just accept that it's cold and stop talking about it?? Constantly going on about it doesn't make it any easier to get through!!

Jumpin' Juniper Balls?

Let it go. 

It's not like winter lasts forever. It's really only a few months of actual cold and the rest is up and down and all over the place.

Seriously. Jumpin' Juniper Balls?

I said let it go. Sheesh. I'm making a point here.

Sorry. Carry on.

Well… you kind of derailed my thoughts there… I guess I'm done.

Okay. Sorry again… 

But you do realize you were a bit unfair just now…yes? 

Bah

How eloquent…

…Hey so the holidays went well right? …and let's not forget Valentine's day…

hmmmph

You got to eat some great food ! …speaking of great food, there's some of that cheesecake tart in the fridge…

I'm on a diet.

Oh come on… 

No.

The one with the Mango Pineapple topping…

Why don't you go have a piece and I'll finish this up - it's my fault, I shouldn't have started this on an empty stomach. Go on.

All right. I guess… just a small piece though

Oh go on, make it a big one. And maybe some coffee?

Oh all right, I'm gone. 

…ahem. So…. Anywhoo…

Where was I?

Oh, yes!  Winter is making us miserable…and maybe just a wee bit bonkers as well. 

All joking aside, I do get it. 

The cold days and frostier nights, that damp wind that cuts through every cloth known to man and chills you to the bone; the long, dark hours spent getting your coat, hat, boots, gloves, three sweaters and two pairs of wool socks on just to go take the dog out for a 30 second pee…the irony of practically giving yourself a heart attack shovelling the walkway and drive just so the mailman can safely deliver to you another heart attack in the form of your heating bill… it all adds up to extreme moments of deep and abiding loathing for the winter season.

Sunny side up

There are a few things we can do to help combat the winter blues and while not many of us can manage to embrace it wholeheartedly, many of us are able to at least enjoy it, for the most part. When we were kids, winter weather didn't stop us from doing anything we wanted to do - indeed, we looked forward to the winter for the unique things to do like building snow forts with our friends/soon-to-be enemies and then enthusiastically and usually violently defending those fortresses of snow, as well as tobogganing, skating and snowmobiling.

Winter tends to mean a slow down to us adults. We move slower as our spirits drag our feet; we drive slower - and if you are like me you are not driving that slow out of choice. It is rather due to the fact that we're stuck behind some desiccated old fart who believes he is the leader in the Bingo Parade and drives accordingly. However, there are times when slower driving is necessary which of course adds to our schedules and stress levels leading to long, dark and trying days.

Winter 2014

Pushing through

Since most of us are not about to don toque and parka to take on the suicide slope at Toboggan Hill, we can attempt to get a similar rush while enjoying winter by taking brisk walks, exercising at the gym more often, dancing like a mad fool in your living room - preferably without the spouse and children around. Trust me, therapy bills are no laughing matter. They're damned expensive and you have better things to spend your dollars on.

Some find joining a group or taking a class helpful, either in the real world or online. There are many interesting courses to be found on the web and I recommend checking them out. Follow an interest or further a hobby, as far as it will take you.

Most of all, the key to enduring something unpleasant is to look for what you can enjoy, tolerate or change our thinking about - sometimes it's all a matter of perspective. If you have shelter from the cold, you are better off than a lot of people. If you can fill your belly with warm, homemade food, you are better off than a lot of people. If you can come online to divert your attention from your misery, even for a short time, you are better off than a lot of people. 

I can't do much more than suggest some solutions to help you get through the winter. I can simply hope of better days ahead for you and to try to help you nourish your body at the very least. Nourishing the body with warm, comforting and hearty food usually will end up nourishing the soul as well.

Warm up those buds

I'm a firm believer in keeping the hands busy when the mind is delving the depths of despair. We tend not to be our own friends when we are down, indeed we often make matters worse for ourselves. Keeping occupied does help to corral those wayward thoughts and feelings, for a time at least. I'm sure you know by now that one way is for me to get me arse into the kitchen and have some fun. The recipe for a crockpot stew that follows actually came about last winter but I never got around to writing a post about it. 


Keeping it spicy

One delicious way to get some heat into your life during these cold times is to embrace spice and the foods that tingle the taste buds, like chilies and horseradish. Horseradish is a very underrated vegetable that should be passing over your tastebuds at least a few times per year. Its pungent fumes will clear out your sinuses, brighten up those eyes and put some roses into your cheeks!

Homemade horseradish sauce is incredibly easy to prepare. You can control the magnitude of the fume or 'heat' by adjusting the length of time the veg is left to sit before adding the vinegar. Vinegar stabilizes the 'heat' so if you like it mild, add it right away! Some purists do not advocate adding sugar to the recipe but you do what you like and it will be delicious.

8 to 10 inch piece of horseradish, peeled and rough chopped small or shredded
1/4 tsp salt
about 1 tbsp of water
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar

Add horseradish to food processor with water. Whiz up. Add salt, sugar and then the vinegar when you deem it hot enough. You won't need to wait long - 30 to 40 seconds for medium heat and about a minute for hot. Whiz up briefly to incorporate and transfer to a jar. You can vary the type of vinegar you use - try cider vinegar for an interesting change! Keep in fridge for 3 to 4 weeks. For a lovely sandwich, try adding some horseradish to your mayonnaise :)


Stirring the Pot

Stew:

2 - 3 lb eye of round beef roast or another inexpensive cut, cut into chunks
2 cups pure pomegranate juice, one cup reduced to a thick syrup
2 cups beef broth
1 pie pumpkin, flesh removed from rind and cubed
1 large sweet potato, washed and cubed
1lb of mini white or yellow potatoes
8oz mushrooms, quartered
1 large Vidalia or other sweet onion, chopped 
1 apple, chopped small
2 bay leaves
1 tbsp thyme
salt and pepper, to taste
oil and butter for browning
2 tbsp or more flour for dredging

Marinade:

1/2 cup beef broth
1 tsp balsamic vinegar
1 dried chilli, crushed (optional - I used chilli de arbol which is medium hot, like cayenne)
1 tbsp dried oregano
1/2 tsp worcestershire sauce
1/2 tsp sriracha sauce

Mash:

1 rutabaga, waxed outside removed, cubed
2 or 3 tbsp prepared horseradish sauce, jarred or homemade, to taste
butter
salt and pepper, good pinch of each


Place marinade ingredients in glass or metal bowl, add meat and marinate overnight or at least for 3 hours.

After marinating, remove meat and pat dry with paper towels. Dredge in flour and fry in an oil/butter mixture until browned.

As the meat is browned, put in crockpot with the prepped vegetables and the herbs. Put more butter into pan the meat was browned in and add the dredging flour + more to equal approximately 3 tbsp. Cook for two minutes. Pour in about 1 tbsp of the pomegranate syrup, making sure to scrape up bits off the bottom of the pan.

Add beef broth and pomegranate juice and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let thicken about 3 minutes. If too thick, add some broth to thin. Pour into the crockpot. Cook until vegetables are tender.

For the mash, place cut up rutabaga in pot with water to cover. Bring to a boil and then reduce heat to med-low, cooking until vegetable is tender. Drain, add butter, salt and pepper and mash until smooth. Add the horseradish sauce and blend.

To serve: place both items side by side on plate with a drizzle of pomegranate syrup on top of the stew or in an elegant swirl on the plate.


all text and photographs ©michelle levasseur  The Groaning Board 2015

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Hot Mama Burger

Holé Molé

I know. I need to get to know the fonts in Photoshop Elements… I did see the error before I posted but my evil twin forced me to keep it as it is… so ladies and  gentlemen, whet your appetites for… Mole burgers! I caught them and skinned them myself! Squirmy little buggers…

What is Molé anyway and why do you want me to eat it?

Well young grasshopper…it is a vital ingredient on your pathway to peace and enlightenment. This journey to tasty bud nirvana begins with one succulent, juicy, explosive bite of the best damn burger you ever dropped  your pearlies into!

More?

All right. Molé is the name for the sauces used in Mexican cuisine, differing greatly from each other but all usually containing chillies. It is a thick sauce made up of many ingredients such as roasted chillies and can be broken down into the following factors: chili, sour, sweet, spices and thickeners. These sauces date back to pre-Hispanic Mexico but the original sauces never contained chocolate, which was only used as a beverage at that time. Recipes began to circulate after Mexico's War of Independence in 1810 but before that we can only speculate how the original recipe came about. Chili sauces have over the years been re-invented with numerous ingredients added to them including nuts, seeds and chocolate.

While I have never had the privilege to have an authentic Molé sauce tickle my tongue, I have always loved the combination of chocolate and chillies (you should taste my triple chocolate cherry chili cheesecake - just don't try saying it without paramedics standing by).

This recipe is a marriage of Molé Oaxaca and San Pedro Atocpan, which was purely accidental and wasn't discovered until the writing of this article. I haven't come across a recipe like this anywhere before in cookbooks, restaurants or cooking shows but I am sure they're out there. I was operating on instinct, developing this recipe so it is unique and not authentic at all. It will however be reminiscent of those sauces and that is good enough for me - until I get the chance to taste the real thing!

What you need to know

This burger is made like any other so there is nothing special you need to pull off for this meal to be a success. I would like to remind you of two things -

1) if it ain't dark chocolate, it  
    ain't chocolate 
2) treat your meat gently.

The first point is rather self-explanatory but the second may need further words. The little imp in my head wants to be very naughty right now but I will refrain from indulging. It is very important to handle your meat gently by squeezing it lightly between your fingers and "massage" the meat into a patty. At no time do you want to handle your meat roughly or for longer than necessary.

See how restrained I was?

Putting it all together

 A word about spice blends:
Blends are easy to personalize to your taste as long as you stay with the same flavour profile. I personally don't like either cilantro or rosemary so I substitute with similar herbs such as parsley and thyme in recipes that call for those. They won't taste identical but there are enough similarities in flavour as well as cultural use, to carry off the substitution. As I have mentioned before, I make my own spice blends rather than use store bought. Feel free to use your own favourite blend if what I use here is not to your taste. As this recipe is Mexican based, stay with that flavour profile when you make your own substitutions.
I make the two amounts of blend separately to ensure equal measures of all the flavours. The amounts used will make more than the recipe calls for but I use it in many dishes and it won't be wasted. Don't add the chocolate if you are to store the leftover blend.

Blend
Each 1/2 tsp smoked paprika
         1/2 tsp dried garlic powder
         1 tsp dried chipotle powder
         1/2 tsp salt
         1 tsp dried thyme
         1 tsp dried oregano
         1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
         3 crushed dried d'arbo chillies
1 oz dark chocolate shaved divided unevenly between the burger and the sauce, with more going into the sauce. Precise measurements aren't necessary.

Burger
2 lbs medium ground beef - don't go lean here
1 egg
2 tbsp ground almonds
2 tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup
the one half of the spice blend, with chocolate
2 medium onions, caramelized
flatbread buns or whatever buns you prefer

Mix into the meat gently and let sit covered in the fridge for one hour. Gently shape into patties, remembering the meat will shrink upon cooking when you decide upon the size of your burger. Place onto a plate or waxed paper.


BBQ sauce
While the meat is resting in the fridge for the hour, make up your BBQ sauce in a small saucepan.

the other half of the spice blend
1/4 cup tomato sauce or ketchup
1/2 cup ground almonds
1/4 cup apple juice
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
rest of the chocolate

Heat gently all the ingredients except the chocolate. Add the chocolate at the end of the cooking time, as the burgers have begun cooking. Remove from heat but keep warm.

Before the hour is up, caramelize your onions, if you haven't already done so.

Grill or pan fry your burgers until done - done I say, none of this medium rare business. That's raw meat and raw eggs you're messing with. Cook it. Baste liberally with the sauce. Place cooked patty on your bun and top with onions and a bit of yellow mustard.

Take a bite and say good bye to your loved ones for a few minutes. This kind of loving is private.

Those of you who have to overload your burgers with condiments…just back away slowly… put down the burger and back away.


all text and photographs ©michelle levasseur The Groaning Board 2014

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