This recipe was in our newspaper this weekend and I decided to make it. The recipe is actually called Olive Oil Cake but it can be a bread or a cake! The bread is sweet, moist, a bit salty and very light. Stephanie says that it is lighter than corn bread. The overall flavour profile will depend on which kind and brand of olive oil you use. It is really easy to make and takes no time at all. We ate this Bread with a Red Lentil Soup and a Red Bean, Peppers and Feta Salad for a truly tasty and healthy dinner.
Olive Oil Bread
4 eggs
3/4 cup sugar
2/3 cup extra virgin olive oil
1 - 2 tablespoons fresh finely chopped rosemary
1 1/2 cups flour
1 tablespoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher or sea salt
Heat the oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 inch spring form pan.
In a mixer, on high, whip the whole eggs for 30 seconds. Slowly add the sugar and beat until the mixture is foamy and a pale yellow. Slow the mixer to medium low and drizzle the olive oil in slowly so that all the oil is absorbed by the egg mixture. Fold in the chopped rosemary
In a separate bowl, combine the flour, baking powder and the salt.
Using a large spatula, add the dry ingredients to the egg/olive oil mixture in 3 batches making sure to gently incorporate all the flour.
Pour the batter into the spring form pan and bake in the oven for 35 - 40 minutes.
Test with a toothpick for doneness. The toothpick should come out clean when inserted in the middle of the cake.
When done, let cool on a wire rack for 5 minutes and then release the sides of the pan and let cool. Can be served warm.
This bread can be stored for several days but I would not know because everyone liked it so much that there was none left!
Sunday, March 21, 2010
Sunday, February 7, 2010
Mother Earth Apple Bread
This is a very moist, dense and flavourful bread that is ideal for brunch, snacks and with coffee or tea. It is a vegan bread - there are no eggs, no milk or other dairy products in the bread. The only potential allergens are wheat & walnuts.
Mother Earth Apple Bread
2 1/2 cups grated apple - about 4 medium MacIntosh apples
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup honey - I used Buckwheat honey which gave the bread a rich dark colour and flavour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 1/2 salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (can be omitted if nuts are a problem)
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place the apples and raisins in a medium bowl and cover with the boiling water. Pour the oil on the top and mix well. Set aside the fruit mixture for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add the honey and spices, mix again and let cool.
In another large bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda.
Combine the fruit mixture, the flour and the nuts. Blend well to incorporate all the ingredients.
Pour into 2 very well greased loaf pans and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until done.
After baking, let stand on a cooling rack for 20 minutes (or until you can touch the pans with bare hands) and then invert to remove the breads from the pans. If you try to remove the breads from the loaf pans when they are still hot, they will stick to the pans. Let the breads cool down before cutting. The breads can be frozen for 1 month.
Mother Earth Apple Bread
2 1/2 cups grated apple - about 4 medium MacIntosh apples
2 cups raisins
1 1/2 cup boiling water
3 tablespoons canola oil
1 cup honey - I used Buckwheat honey which gave the bread a rich dark colour and flavour
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice
1 1/2 salt
3 cups whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking soda
3/4 cup chopped walnuts (can be omitted if nuts are a problem)
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Place the apples and raisins in a medium bowl and cover with the boiling water. Pour the oil on the top and mix well. Set aside the fruit mixture for 10 minutes.
After 10 minutes, add the honey and spices, mix again and let cool.
In another large bowl, sift together the flour and baking soda.
Combine the fruit mixture, the flour and the nuts. Blend well to incorporate all the ingredients.
Pour into 2 very well greased loaf pans and bake in the preheated oven for 60 minutes or until done.
After baking, let stand on a cooling rack for 20 minutes (or until you can touch the pans with bare hands) and then invert to remove the breads from the pans. If you try to remove the breads from the loaf pans when they are still hot, they will stick to the pans. Let the breads cool down before cutting. The breads can be frozen for 1 month.
Thursday, January 21, 2010
Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions on Fresh Pasta with Caesar Salad and an Italian Chianti
Tonight we had home made Fresh Pasta topped with Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions, Caesar Salad with Sourdough Baguette Croutons and Italian Chianti. The meal was delicious!
Wine: The wine was Ruffino Italia Chianti 2008. The wine can be identified by a black and cream coloured label on a dark green glass bottle and the $16.99 price tag.
Chianti wines are from the Tuscany region of Italy. Since the mid- 19th century, the recipe for Chianti has not changed and must contain 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia bianca. The best Chianti is full of cherry, raspberry and plummy fruit flavours. Chianti used to be in plump bottles encased in a straw basket. Gone are the baskets, but the bottles tend to be plumper than regular wine bottles.
Our Ruffino Chianti was a light burgundy colour. It had a nose of red grapes, cherries, red plum, a touch of oak. It was not too acidic but not sweet. The initial tasting was clear and smooth with splashes of dark fruits, red grapes, and strawberries. The end notes had tannins but those of grape skins and not oak barrels. The wine tasted darker and smoother than it looked. It was pleasing as a before dinner wine and it complimented the food during dinner.
Pasta: The fresh pasta was made by Stephanie with her new KitchenAid Professional 610 Stand Mixer using the Kitchen Aid Pasta Press. The recipe for the pasta was in the recipe book that comes with the Pasta Press attachment. Fresh pasta is easy to make and tastes lighter than dried pasta. Stephanie says that it took her 30 minutes to make enough pasta for 2 meals and the pasta cooked in 5 minutes in boiling water.
Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions: The recipe for the Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions is from Smitten Kitten blog. We used Eden Organic Whole Roma Tomatoes with Basil, regular salted butter and a big yellow onion. The recipe is simple and tasty. Unfortunately, there were no leftovers!
Caesar Salad: I have been making Caesar salad for years and all my children request it when they come to visit. Many have told me that that "so and so" makes the best Caesar salad but after tasting mine, they all agree that mine is the best. My secret to a thick dressing is to use the Braun Hand Blender to thoroughly blend the oil and vinegar.
1 clove garlic coarsely chopped
4 drops Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
5 anchovies and the oil from the anchovy can
10 capers
1/4 tsp dry mustard or 1/2 tsp prepared mustard (see note below)
Put all the ingredients into the blender cup and process, on high, until a thick paste has formed - about 3 minutes.
5 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 - 2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the paste in the blender cup and process until all the oil is incorporated. Then add the next 2 tbsp olive oil and process. Add the final 1 tbsp olive oil and process until the paste is thick and all the oil is incorporated. Add the lemon juice all at once and process. The paste will lighten in colour and become liquidy. Add 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and process. Taste the dressing and if it needs more acid, then add 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar.
I do not add any salt to the dressing because the anchovies and the Parmesan cheese contain more than enough salt. Fresh ground pepper can be added to the dressing or ground on the finished salad before serving.
1 romaine lettuce torn into pieces and dry (dressing will not adhere to wet lettuce) in a wooden salad bowl.
Pour the dressing on the lettuce and gently toss until all the lettuce is coated. Add the croutons (see below) and gently toss again. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on top. Please use good Parmesan cheese and not the imitation stuff! Serve immediately.
Croutons
If I put croutons in the salad, I always make mine from real bread. I find that the store bought ones are hard to stab with a fork, hard to eat and are full of salt but generally tasteless. They do not enhance the overall flavour and texture of the salad. If you do not have time to make your own croutons, then just omit them all together.
Today I bought, from Cobbs, a small sourdough baguette. I cut the bread into cubes, and then sauteed them, in a mixture of canola and butter, until they were golden brown. I set the croutons aside to cool.
Mustard
I used to always use dry mustard in this recipe. One day, I discovered that different mustards gave the dressing other subtle flavours. I have experimented with Grey's Prepared Dijon Mustard with White Wine, Maille Green Mustard and Maille a l'Estragon (only found in Paris). All these work well. So experiment with your favorite mustard.
Alas, we so satiated that dessert did not happen! Maybe next time.
Buon appetito!
Wine: The wine was Ruffino Italia Chianti 2008. The wine can be identified by a black and cream coloured label on a dark green glass bottle and the $16.99 price tag.
Chianti wines are from the Tuscany region of Italy. Since the mid- 19th century, the recipe for Chianti has not changed and must contain 70% Sangiovese, 15% Canaiolo and 15% Malvasia bianca. The best Chianti is full of cherry, raspberry and plummy fruit flavours. Chianti used to be in plump bottles encased in a straw basket. Gone are the baskets, but the bottles tend to be plumper than regular wine bottles.
Our Ruffino Chianti was a light burgundy colour. It had a nose of red grapes, cherries, red plum, a touch of oak. It was not too acidic but not sweet. The initial tasting was clear and smooth with splashes of dark fruits, red grapes, and strawberries. The end notes had tannins but those of grape skins and not oak barrels. The wine tasted darker and smoother than it looked. It was pleasing as a before dinner wine and it complimented the food during dinner.
Pasta: The fresh pasta was made by Stephanie with her new KitchenAid Professional 610 Stand Mixer using the Kitchen Aid Pasta Press. The recipe for the pasta was in the recipe book that comes with the Pasta Press attachment. Fresh pasta is easy to make and tastes lighter than dried pasta. Stephanie says that it took her 30 minutes to make enough pasta for 2 meals and the pasta cooked in 5 minutes in boiling water.
Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions: The recipe for the Tomato Sauce with Butter and Onions is from Smitten Kitten blog. We used Eden Organic Whole Roma Tomatoes with Basil, regular salted butter and a big yellow onion. The recipe is simple and tasty. Unfortunately, there were no leftovers!
Caesar Salad: I have been making Caesar salad for years and all my children request it when they come to visit. Many have told me that that "so and so" makes the best Caesar salad but after tasting mine, they all agree that mine is the best. My secret to a thick dressing is to use the Braun Hand Blender to thoroughly blend the oil and vinegar.
1 clove garlic coarsely chopped
4 drops Tabasco sauce
1/4 tsp Worcestershire sauce
1 egg yolk
5 anchovies and the oil from the anchovy can
10 capers
1/4 tsp dry mustard or 1/2 tsp prepared mustard (see note below)
Put all the ingredients into the blender cup and process, on high, until a thick paste has formed - about 3 minutes.
5 tbsp virgin olive oil
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 - 2 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar
Add 2 tbsp olive oil to the paste in the blender cup and process until all the oil is incorporated. Then add the next 2 tbsp olive oil and process. Add the final 1 tbsp olive oil and process until the paste is thick and all the oil is incorporated. Add the lemon juice all at once and process. The paste will lighten in colour and become liquidy. Add 2 tbsp red wine vinegar and process. Taste the dressing and if it needs more acid, then add 1/2 tbsp red wine vinegar.
I do not add any salt to the dressing because the anchovies and the Parmesan cheese contain more than enough salt. Fresh ground pepper can be added to the dressing or ground on the finished salad before serving.
1 romaine lettuce torn into pieces and dry (dressing will not adhere to wet lettuce) in a wooden salad bowl.
Pour the dressing on the lettuce and gently toss until all the lettuce is coated. Add the croutons (see below) and gently toss again. Sprinkle shredded Parmesan cheese on top. Please use good Parmesan cheese and not the imitation stuff! Serve immediately.
Croutons
If I put croutons in the salad, I always make mine from real bread. I find that the store bought ones are hard to stab with a fork, hard to eat and are full of salt but generally tasteless. They do not enhance the overall flavour and texture of the salad. If you do not have time to make your own croutons, then just omit them all together.
Today I bought, from Cobbs, a small sourdough baguette. I cut the bread into cubes, and then sauteed them, in a mixture of canola and butter, until they were golden brown. I set the croutons aside to cool.
Mustard
I used to always use dry mustard in this recipe. One day, I discovered that different mustards gave the dressing other subtle flavours. I have experimented with Grey's Prepared Dijon Mustard with White Wine, Maille Green Mustard and Maille a l'Estragon (only found in Paris). All these work well. So experiment with your favorite mustard.
Alas, we so satiated that dessert did not happen! Maybe next time.
Buon appetito!
Sunday, January 17, 2010
Steven's Curried Chicken
Steven makes the most delicious curried chicken. Serve this flavourful dish with basmati rice, steamed broccoli and an Italian red wine. We had a Chianti by Antinori called Peppoli Chianti Classico 2006. The wine paired well with the spicy flavours of this dish.
Steven's Curried Chicken
Serves 4 - 5 people.
Ingredients:
10 skinless chicken thighs (app. 1.5 kg)
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/2 large onion coarsely chopped
1 green pepper coarsely chopped
1 garlic glove chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp Spicy Paste (see below)
1/2 tsp thyme
1 can (28 oz. 796 ml) Aylmer Diced Tomatoes - No Salt Added
3 tbsp currants/raisins
2 tbsp slivered almonds
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken thighs in the flour mixture and set aside. Heat the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the floured chicken thighs in the butter and set aside in a 13" by 9"oven proof glass casserole dish.
In the dutch oven, add the coarsely chopped onion, green pepper and garlic and sautee until the vegetables are soft. Add the curry powder, thyme and . Add the diced tomatoes, stir until well combined and heat until the mixtures comes to a simmer.
Pour sauce over the browned chicken thighs and bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and add the currants and slivered almonds. Return the chicken to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Serve on basmati rice.
Spicy Paste
This paste keeps well in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 cup dried red Thai or cayenne chilies
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp lack peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
12 medium size cloves garlic
2 slices fresh ginger (each 2 1/2 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1/8 inches thick)
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches long) broken into small pieces
Method:
Pour vinegar into a blender jar and then add the rest of the ingredients. Puree, until the mixture forms a highly pungent reddish-brown paste.
Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. At all times, use a clean utensil when measuring out the paste.
The paste can be used in any sauces to impart a spicy flavour.
Steven's Curried Chicken
Serves 4 - 5 people.
Ingredients:
10 skinless chicken thighs (app. 1.5 kg)
1 cup flour
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
1/4 cup butter
1/2 large onion coarsely chopped
1 green pepper coarsely chopped
1 garlic glove chopped
1 tbsp curry powder
1/2 tbsp Spicy Paste (see below)
1/2 tsp thyme
1 can (28 oz. 796 ml) Aylmer Diced Tomatoes - No Salt Added
3 tbsp currants/raisins
2 tbsp slivered almonds
Method:
Preheat the oven to 350 F.
Combine the flour, salt and pepper in a shallow dish. Dip the chicken thighs in the flour mixture and set aside. Heat the butter in a dutch oven over medium heat. Brown the floured chicken thighs in the butter and set aside in a 13" by 9"oven proof glass casserole dish.
In the dutch oven, add the coarsely chopped onion, green pepper and garlic and sautee until the vegetables are soft. Add the curry powder, thyme and . Add the diced tomatoes, stir until well combined and heat until the mixtures comes to a simmer.
Pour sauce over the browned chicken thighs and bake, uncovered, for 40 minutes. Remove the casserole dish from the oven and add the currants and slivered almonds. Return the chicken to the oven and cook for another 10 minutes or until the chicken is tender.
Serve on basmati rice.
Spicy Paste
This paste keeps well in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months.
Ingredients:
1/2 cup cider vinegar
1 tsp tamarind paste
1 cup dried red Thai or cayenne chilies
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tsp lack peppercorns
1/2 tsp whole cloves
1/2 tsp ground tumeric
12 medium size cloves garlic
2 slices fresh ginger (each 2 1/2 inches long, 1 inch wide and 1/8 inches thick)
2 cinnamon sticks (3 inches long) broken into small pieces
Method:
Pour vinegar into a blender jar and then add the rest of the ingredients. Puree, until the mixture forms a highly pungent reddish-brown paste.
Store in a glass jar in the refrigerator for up to 3 months. At all times, use a clean utensil when measuring out the paste.
The paste can be used in any sauces to impart a spicy flavour.
Saturday, January 9, 2010
Spanish Red Wines with the Tempranillo Grape
The Tempranillo grape is the most famous red Spanish grape. This grape is black coloured, thick skinned and makes a full bodied red wine without the tannins. Although this grape is a mainstay of Spain, there are new plantings of it in California, Australia, Argentina, South Africa and the BC Okanagan Valley. For those of you that enjoy Malbec, expand your horizons with this new grape. You can find the following wines in the BC liquor stores, or click on the following links for the other provinces: Alberta liquor stores or Manitoba liquor stores, or Ontario liquor stores.
Navarro Lopez Pergolas Old Vines, Tempranillo 2006, Valdepenas, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Price: $11.00
Expert Tasting: dry, light, elegant red wine, black cherry, licorice, orange, mineral, smoky, tobacco flavours, goes with pizza, ribs or meat.
Torres Coronas Tempranillo 2005, Catalunya, Spain
Price: $14.00
Expert Tasting: soft, supple, fresh, earthy, black cherry, spicy, licorice flavours, goes with any food.
Sabor Real Tempranillo 2006, Toro, Castilla-Leon, Spain
Price: $17.00
Expert Tasting: round, fresh, peppery, cherry, licorice nose, orange peel flavours, good as an appetizer wine or with pork, lamb chops or paella.
Torres Celeste 2005, Ribera Del Duero, Castilla-Leon, Spain
Price: $25.00
Expert Tasting: ripe, round, smoky, tobacco/leather, bits of chocolate, rustic style, good on cold winter days and with roast meats.
Pintia Toro 2004, Toro, Castilla-Leon, Spain
Price: $73.00
Expert Tasting: big, warm, chocolate, black fruit, oak, spice. Good with roast lamb but best to rest in the bottle for 5 - 10 years.
Over the next few weeks, I will be testing (drinking) these wines and posting my comments on them.
Navarro Lopez Pergolas Old Vines, Tempranillo 2006, Valdepenas, Castilla-La Mancha, Spain
Price: $11.00
Expert Tasting: dry, light, elegant red wine, black cherry, licorice, orange, mineral, smoky, tobacco flavours, goes with pizza, ribs or meat.
Torres Coronas Tempranillo 2005, Catalunya, Spain
Price: $14.00
Expert Tasting: soft, supple, fresh, earthy, black cherry, spicy, licorice flavours, goes with any food.
Sabor Real Tempranillo 2006, Toro, Castilla-Leon, Spain
Price: $17.00
Expert Tasting: round, fresh, peppery, cherry, licorice nose, orange peel flavours, good as an appetizer wine or with pork, lamb chops or paella.
Torres Celeste 2005, Ribera Del Duero, Castilla-Leon, Spain
Price: $25.00
Expert Tasting: ripe, round, smoky, tobacco/leather, bits of chocolate, rustic style, good on cold winter days and with roast meats.
Pintia Toro 2004, Toro, Castilla-Leon, Spain
Price: $73.00
Expert Tasting: big, warm, chocolate, black fruit, oak, spice. Good with roast lamb but best to rest in the bottle for 5 - 10 years.
Over the next few weeks, I will be testing (drinking) these wines and posting my comments on them.
The Idea for Delights of the Palate
The idea for this blog came to me when I realized that I have snippets of information on food, wine, beer and scotch all over the place - in my head, on my computer, on little bits of paper in my purse, in my filing cabinets and in my recipe books. I thought that if I had one place to put all this information so that I can easily have access to it, it would make my life just a bit easier. Better yet, if I wrote it out for me to use, why not write it out for my friends and family to use? So here it is.
This blog will contain information on wine, beer, scotch, chocolates, teas, coffees and all sorts of tasty foods. I will mention names - brand names, books, restaurants, people. I will endeavor to give out correct information - as best as I can find or know. Many times, the comments will be my personal opinions.
I invite you to read the blog, have fun sensing and create your own collection of opinions.
This blog will contain information on wine, beer, scotch, chocolates, teas, coffees and all sorts of tasty foods. I will mention names - brand names, books, restaurants, people. I will endeavor to give out correct information - as best as I can find or know. Many times, the comments will be my personal opinions.
I invite you to read the blog, have fun sensing and create your own collection of opinions.
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