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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Christmas Dinner '14 : On the Side

Roasted Honey Walnut Beet

When I chose the sides for this meal, I wanted a hint of a traditional flavour - sweetness that is usually presented in the form of sweet potatoes or honey glazed carrots. Since beet, which I love, is rarely shown in cookbooks or on the cooking shows as part of these meals, I went with them. I made them for last years Christmas dinner in a root vegetable medley. This year the beets are a star all their own.

Beets are a powerhouse of nutrition that more people need to embrace. They are easy and fast to prepare and cook and impart a sweet flavour without overpowering the taste buds. The addition of walnuts and a faint drizzle of honey just pushes it up to the stratosphere of yumminess.

3-4 lbs of beets, washed and cut into 1/2 inch pieces
olive oil
salt & pepper
about 1 1/2 tbsp honey
3/4 cup or so of crushed walnuts

Toss cut beets in olive oil and spread onto a baking tray. Cover with foil, shiny side down, and roast in oven for about 15 minutes. Remove foil cover and drizzle honey and walnuts over beets. Return, uncovered, to oven and continue cooking until beets are soft, about another 5-8 minutes.
Put beets into a covered serving dish and keep warm.

Roasted Potatoes with Bacon and Scallions

This dish can be roasted at the same time as the beets and the rabbit but will take a little longer due to the bacon. By parboiling the potatoes until a knife just pierces about a 1/4 inch into the skin of the potato, you will keep the potatoes from overcooking as the bacon becomes crisp. This dish is truly so simple it doesn't require a recipe but here it is below.

I bag of mini yellow potatoes, about 15-20 of them
1/3 of a pound of bacon rashers, cut into lardons
4 scallions, chopped with greens reserved for garnish

After potatoes are parboiled, cut into bite size pieces (which will mean in halves for most of them). 
Lay bacon in the bottom of a baking dish (I used a 9" glass one) and top with scallions and potatoes. Cover with foil and roast, stirring occasionally until bacon is crisp. 
If the potatoes look to be overcooking remove potatoes into a serving dish and return the bacon to the oven until it becomes crisp. 
If you prefer soggy bacon (shudder) then by all means eat it that way and either skip the parboiling part or remove the dish when the potatoes are done but before the bacon crisps.
Serve with a garnish of the scallion greens.


all text and photographs ©michelle levasseur The Groaning Board 2014

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The Hen Party

On the last day of Christmas…

Normally for the big dinner on Christmas day we enjoy a juicy, delicious bird and this year was no different but I went even smaller than the usual pheasants. My son is not a turkey lover and quite frankly I could do without it so pheasants have been an equally expensive but much more flavourful substitute for the traditional turkey. This year I chose to do things a bit differently and more cost effectively so I picked up some Cornish hens from Quebec. I knew they were easy to cook and wouldn't require my usual brine for bigger birds.  As per norm I was winging the rest of the recipe, right there on the spot. As I wandered the aisles of the store I came up with the stuffing recipe and I think it sells it. It is a bit of an unconventional stuffing but it is made from easily accessible ingredients that can be locally sourced and balances nicely with the more traditional side dishes that I served with the little birds.

This is not an overly expensive meal but it is enough of a price hike for most families to ensure that this is a special occasion menu for holidays and the impress-the-future-mother-in-law evenings. 

The choice of mushroom and breadcrumbs is yours and is easily interchangeable according to your tastes but I do recommend the use of dried mushrooms and the liquid to add a wonderful depth of flavour. Porcini is my favourite go-to dried fungus but were not available. I used Morels instead, adding a whole new texture to file away in my brain …  shudder… but the flavour more than makes up for its tripe-like feel.

What you need to know

This is a menu with recipes that require some general skill in the kitchen but no more than that. A knowledge of the ingredients used is assumed and I present the recipe with the added assumption that the cook has access to a mid-sized city market. 

Caramelizing Onions:

Caramelizing onions is one of those things that can only be done one way - slowly and with love. Choose sweet onions that are uniform in size, as much as it is possible. This recipe calls for only one onion but some recipes will call for more and it is best to cook in batches, which of course takes some time to do. Ideally, take an afternoon and cook up onions all day, seal them in an airtight container, in portion sizes and freeze.

Thinly slice or chop small as many sweet onions as the recipe calls for and add them to a pan that has had a butter/oil mixture warming up to bubbling. Add some brown sugar, just enough to encourage the onions natural sugars to come out and say hello, about 1 tsp per cup of chopped onion. Lower the heat to medium-low, put a lid on loosely to vent steam and just let it be. This will take anywhere from 25 to 35 minutes, with occasional stirring. When done the onions should be a lovely golden brown, translucent and very soft. 

To store in the fridge or freezer, add a dollop of olive oil to container holding the onions and mix gently.

Stuffed Cornish Hens

Ingredients

3 plump Cornish hens, rinsed and patted dry
herb blend - mine was Herbes de Provence, salt, pepper and thyme
Olive for rubbing the hens

Stuffing
1 pkg Ardennes style paté
1/2 of a small round of camembert cheese
1 sweet onion, chopped small and caramelized
8oz cremini mushrooms, sliced and sautéed with the onions
1 pkg reconstituted Morel mushrooms, chopped + soaking liquid
3/4 c breadcrumbs (One croissant + Panko crumbs)
1 honey crisp apple, cored and chopped
thyme

Place paté, cheese and apple in food processor and mix until well blended and creamy. Add the rest of the ingredients and mix well. This will be a soft mixture. Fill cavity of hens. Put leftover mixture into a baking pan, smoothed flat, and cook for approx 25-30 minutes on the top rack, just until there is a crust on the bottom but the top is not dried out.

Tie up the legs with butcher string. Rub oil over the skin of the bird and sprinkle herb blend generously. Place in pan, breast side up, cover loosely with foil and roast at 375 degrees F for about 1 1/2 hours or until juices run clear. Remove the foil for the last 20 minutes of roasting to brown the skin, basting occasionally.  Let the birds rest for 10 minutes before plating and serving.

Ruby Roasted Root Vegetables
Ingredients

4 parsnips, washed and cut into manageable chunks
1 rutabaga, pared and cut into chunks
4 beets, washed and cut into chunks
Olive oil
Herb blend of thyme, oregano, salt and pepper
brown sugar

Place vegetables in a roasting pan large enough to hold one layer of vegetables. Drizzle with oil, herb blend and brown sugar. Toss to mix well. Roast on the top rack for approx 1/2 hour or until cooked through and browned. Move to a serving dish and keep warm.

Beans Almondine
Ingredients

Three large handfuls of whole green beans, topped and tailed
2 tbsps butter
1/4 cup blanched, sliced almonds
squirt of lemon juice

Roast, steam or microwave the green beans until done. Brown your butter over low heat until a nice golden colour and add the almonds. Pour over the green beans and keep warm.





all photographs and text ©michelle levasseur The Groaning Board 2014

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Warm up to Winter

Get back to your roots

Winter is here. Although the weather is not reflecting that in most areas, it is definitely winter. It is the season some of us are brought low from the winter blues and some of us overindulge in heavy, fattening foods; the cold as licence to stuff your face to keep warm. While our carb needs are greater in the cold weather, the calories needed and the calories ingested should be about on par...However, the distance between those two numbers can sometimes make the Grand Canyon look teeny.

Cooking in cold weather can be a challenge as well as food costs are higher, spirits are lower so convenience foods are turned to more often and local foods can be hard to find. While practicing the lifetstyle of a localvore is extremely important, being a practical localvore should be a goal for most of us. We can't all live in a lovely rural area that respects the rights of individuals to grow and consume our own foods. Most of us these days live in suburban hell or urban jungles where the grocery store is the only lifeline--and the greatest stranglehold on your health and finances, aside from the government. 

Let's take a quick look at the basics:

Family of Four, 2 adults and 2 children:
These are the current rounded off prices at my local NoFrills:

Butter    $5       lasts about 4-6 days depending on the amount you use daily
Bread     $4      lasts about 3 days making sandwiches only -- less if you eat toast every day.
Milk        $5      lasts about 2 days
Eggs      $4       for a carton of eighteen, lasts approx. a week
Cheese $7       for a 500g block of cheese lasts 3 days, unless rationed
Yoghurt $5       for a 900g tub lasts 4 days
Meat      $10     4 times per week, most packages are weighed to a consistent amount at  
                          stores and average $8 to $10 each. For smaller or personal cuts, try the   
                          butcher counter rather than the meat aisle.

Now that is just the basics (assuming you put up some fruits and vegetables in your freezer and pantry). Multiply that by a winter season of vegetable/fruit purchases of 3 to 4 months and the costs enter the realm of the ridiculous. If you didn't use the harvests wisely through circumstance or disinterest, your food costs triple from here. Vegetables are imported and will cost you. Fruits are exotic imports which means irradiation, picked unripe, shipped enormous distances ensuring a larger carbon footprint and will cost an arm...maybe even a leg if you must have strawberries from a store in February.

If you were diligent or fortunate enough to be able to grow and save some of your own vegetables, you can raid your cold stores for great tasting and nutritious food to save money and your waistline. Remember, you don't have to have a farm to freeze and can delicious foods--you just need a freezer, a few inexpensive supplies and a great local market. Oh and a little bit of effort from you.

So what can we eat in winter and still follow a localvore lifestyle? Whether you put up veg in cold storage or are relying upon the local BigMart, there are foods we naturally turn to in winter and fortunately a lot come from Canada--greenhouse grown but let's fight one battle at a time-- and some come from the US. While it is better to eat from your local area, an immediate neighbour's imports can be an acceptable compromise. We get cucumbers from Ontario, sometimes the US and other times Mexico; buy the Ontario first and the Mexico cukes last. If there is no choice, and for me sometimes there isn't as that is one of Lucy's diabetic snacks, then I will buy only one and keep on the lookout for some from a closer location. Remember, the closer your food grows to you, the better off we all are now and in the future.

Yummy Winter Choices
While it can be almost impossible to limit our choices to local only, a balance between local and imported is an ideal compromise. Yes, it would be lovely to be able to be 100% a localvore, but it is more important to do what you can than to do nothing at all. We have to live in the 'real' world of commerce, industry and debt load but by thinking ahead and giving a bit of effort, that living can be done in a way that keeps you happy, healthy and away from the cheap crap foods we are all enticed to buy.

Here are some staples that is it good to have on hand for winter meal-making inspiration and supplies.

From the cold storage:

Squash (winter), potatoes, onions, sweet potatoes, mushrooms, parsnips, turnips, rutabaga, beets, carrots, leeks, apples, raisins, other dried fruits(local, not imported) garlic

Things you put up for the winter, cold storage:

whole tomatoes, stewed tomatoes, pickled vegetables, pressure-canned soups and stews, fruits in syrup, jams and jellies

Things you put up for the winter, freezer:

-vegetables you froze from the summer harvest such as corn, carrots, peppers, peas and beans.
-homemade chicken and meat stock in mason jars or zippered plastic bags.
-frozen fruits from the summer harvest, in own syrup or loose.

From the pantry:

-dried beans and peas, rice, noodles (you can find a lot made locally, if you search for it) 
-if you don't make your own stock then keep a few bouillon cubes or boxes of broth (local and better yet, organic) 
-purchased cans of tomatoes and beans (more expensive than dried), 
-cans of condensed and evaporated milk
-grains such as barley, oats, amaranth, quinoa
-local wines and beers
-sugars
-nut, bean and grain flours

From the spice cupboard:

-any herbs you dried such as savoury, dill, thyme, oregano
-sea salt and other store bought spices and herbs--learn your herbs and spices to be able to check the quality you are buying--some stores will carry really cheap brands that are a waste of money. Try to keep these purchases at a minimum.

(You can also grow some basil and thyme in pots in a sunny window over the winter. Some locations can do this quite successfully.) 


If you can, shop meat sales or place an order with a butcher for a half or whole side of meat and utilize a deep freeze. I will do this with the more expensive cuts I use a lot--like whole chickens and pork cuts. Beef, well, I don't use as much of as I used to do so I only buy that at the local store if I'm in the mood for homemade jumbo burgers.

Not a bad list for the winter blahs...and most could be put up by you using local goods. Not only would you be saving money, you'll be helping yourself and your family eat better. Growing and harvesting your own food, while a demanding enterprise, enriches your life beyond eating chemical free, GMO free foods; the knowledge you gather and pass on to the next generation is priceless. Think about starting a little garden of your own this spring--even if all you grow is herbs, that is a fine place to start.

This issue is an all recipe one and we take a look at Quick and Easy: Weekday meals where you can get a few ideas, I release my extra special recipe for stuffed pheasants I serve at Christmas every year, and there are a few special dishes you can make once in a while to indulge your need for some comfort, aka fattening, foods. My favourite :D

Be happy, be safe, be well

Say Cheese...one more time
Quick and easy: Weekday Suppers
Three Cheers for the Pig
The not-so Fowl Alternative

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