Keeping It Simple - Origami

Hello everyone!

Today I'm sharing a simple origami DIY, that has a variety of uses....plus it's easy and fun to do.

For this project, I wanted to make holders for mini succulents to be used as place cards for a brunch. You can use any paper you like, but I scanned two contrasting fabrics, double-sided, to make mine. I cut down the paper to 9"x12" to make my 3" containers/boxes. I also used a bone folder (seen in video) to make sharp creases (important in origami). I asked my husband to make a short video, as he was heading out the door, of the action - easier than step by step pics!

That's it! I've also made these for candle holders for backyard parties, and for holding individual servings of party snacks....like popcorn. If you give these a whirl, let me know! 

janis

Baked

The week has flown by. Where did it go? Hope you've had a good week so far!

Since we're heading into party season, thought I'd share one of my fave appetizer recipes. It involves a nut crust, as I prefer that over a traditional crust (a little healthier too, unless you're allergic to nuts!), and it has way more flavour as well.  Party snacks are my favourite way of eating, but sadly not everyday is a party ;)

Mediterranean Tarts with a Nut Crust - makes 24 mini tarts

Crust:
3 cups almond meal
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon baking soda
2 tablespoons chopped parsley
1/3 cup vegetable oil
2 tablespoons water

Filling:
1/2 small red onion, finely chopped
1- 5oz container of baby spinach
1/3 cup parmesan cheese
1/3 cup finely chopped sun-dried tomatoes (if you use jarred tomatoes in oil, drain oil first)
3 large eggs, lightly beaten

To make crust:
Preheat oven to 350f/180c. Lightly spray a mini muffin tin with oil and set aside.
Whisk together the almond meal, salt, baking soda and parsley in a large bowl. Stir in the oil and water and mix together until well combined and clumps together without crumbling apart. Break off small pieces and press into each muffin cup. Bake for about 10 minutes until just starting to brown. Allow to cool before filling.

To make filling:
Saute the onion in a little oil, over medium heat, for about 5 minutes until starting to brown. Add the spinach and tomatoes and cook for a few minutes until spinach is wilted. In a large bowl, lightly beat the eggs, then stir in cheese. Stir in the spinach mixture and combine well. Spoon into each crust and bake for about 20 minutes, until lightly browned on sides and cooked through. Try to save some for your guests. They're so good.

Do you prefer a traditional crust? Have you made a nut crust? Let me know! 

janis

Lemonade for Wednesday

How's your week going, so far? I've been trying wrap things up before we leave for Maui this weekend. Can't wait.
I thought today would be a good day to share a little funktified (made up word) lemonade with you. This is a snippet of a story I shot for BC Home and Garden, and it's on the cover of their current issue. With the help of Arthur Wynne and Nick Devine (who came up with the recipes) of El Camino's and The Cascade Room, Felice, Heather and I put together a grown-up lemonade story. So, so, delicious.  Check out the July/August issue for more recipes....I've given you one of them.

Rosemary Honey Lemonade, The "Nick Faldo", New Orleans Lemonade.

Pineapple and Basil Lemonade. The chicken is one of Heather's brood. 

Limonada Caliente with 100% agave tequila (this was our favourite!)

fill an empty wine bottle with still water, de-seed and slice a whole jalapeno, drop it in the bottle, seal and leave in fridge for at least 24 hours.
in a cocktail shaker:
add 1oz fresh pressed lemon juice,
add 1oz simple syrup (boil 1/2 water to 1/2 sugar, leave to cool)
add 4oz of your jalapeno water,
add ice and shake vigorously,
fine strain into tall ice filled glass.
to make this alcoholic, add an ounce or two of 100% agave tequila.

If you try out any of these, let me know which one is your fave.

Have a happy Wednesday!

janis

Baked

Well hello everyone! How was your Christmas? I've spent the last 6 days bed or couch bound due to a Yuletide cold/flu (what is the difference anyway?). I did pop out to my mom's for Christmas day, but that was it. Hope you managed to breeze through the holiday bug free!

I tried out a recipe for our New Year's Eve get together. Yum. Have you made yorkshire pudding before? I grew up eating it pretty much every Sunday, but only recently starting making them myself.  I thought I'd make mini ones, then top them with a mushroom compote along with a little gruyere cheese. Bite (maybe two!) size and perfect for a cocktail party.

Mini Yorkshire Pudding with Mushroom Compote - makes about 24

1 cup + 2 tablespoons milk
4 oz all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3 eggs, beaten
about 1/3 cup vegetable oil for mini muffin tin

Mushroom Compote: You might want to double this recipe. I did.

4.5 oz mixed mushrooms, finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, finely chopped
1/2 red onion, finely chopped
1.5 teaspoons fresh thyme, finely chopped
2 tablespoons red wine
3 tablespoons olive oil

To make yorkshire pudding: Preheat oven to 425f. In a medium bowl, sift together flour and salt. Make a   well in the flour mixture, and whisk in the 3 beaten eggs. Add the milk, a bit at a time, while whisking away. Your batter should be a little thicker than unwhipped whipping cream. Refrigerate batter for 30 minutes.

12 minutes before you take out your batter, place 1/4 teaspoon vegetable oil in each cup of the mini muffin tin. Place in oven and heat until it smokes, about 12 minutes. Take pan out of oven and place on a stove top element/flame set on low (I do this so the oil stays as hot as possible while I pour batter into tin cups). Put one tablespoon of batter in each cup, working quickly, then place back in oven. Your oil really needs to be super hot, so the puddings rise high and are light and airy.

Allow to cook for 15-20 minutes, until puffed high and golden brown. Really try not to open the oven door while cooking, as they may flatten. Place on a wire rack to cool.

To make compote: In a large pan, on medium low, heat up your oil, then add onion and garlic. Cook for about 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Add mushrooms, red wine and thyme, and cook for another 10 minutes.

To assemble: Warm up yorkshire puddings in a 350f/180c oven for about 5 minutes. Top with a small piece of gruyere and a spoonful of the compote.

I'm definitely going to make these for the party. Pretty easy and, if you're not shooting the process, or getting over a yuletide bug, it takes no time at all. ;)

Back soon!

Janis

Baked

Hi everyone! For those of you enjoying a long weekend, I hope you've had a good one. To everyone else, just a big, old fashioned, happy Monday!

I made some really crispy, and pretty tasty, crackers. They are actually good for you too. Super easy to make but, the rolling out, I must admit, is pretty labourious. It's hard work rolling out to 1/8 inch! Keep in mind, it's good for the arms ;)

Walnut, Fig and Flax Crackers - makes about 48 2"x2" crackers

1/4 cup finely ground flaxseed (either grind your own, or buy flaxseed meal from a grocery shop)
1/4 cup whole flaxseed
1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon sea salt
1 tablespoon brown sugar
4 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened
1/4 cup walnuts, chopped
1/2 chopped dried mission figs (any fig would work)
1/2 cup milk

Preheat oven to 325F/160c. In a bowl, combine the flour, baking powder, flaxseed, salt and sugar. Add the butter and mix at medium speed with an electric mixer until the mixture looks like coarse bread crumbs (you could also use a food processor).
Fold in the walnuts, figs, and milk and mix until you have a smooth dough. I use my hands for this part.
Wrap dough in plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 30 minutes.

Spilt dough in two, and roll out to 1/8 inch on a lightly floured surface. Cut with a pastry cutter, or knife, into squares. You can use cookie cutters to create any shape you like, really. Transfer shapes, using a thin spatula, to a parchment paper lined baking sheet.
Bake crackers until golden brown, about 20-25 minutes. Let cool on a wire rack.

I hope you try these crackers out. Again, they're super easy and, if I can make them anyone can!
Have a good day. Back soon!
janis

Baked

Hello Monday! Still lounging around for the long weekend. Love it.

I made some olive biscuits, as a snack to go with cocktails,  and they're both salty and sweet. I found this recipe via the internet a few years ago (I believe it was created by Jean-Pierre Autrand). Must admit, they are a bit different so I think it may be either a love or hate thing for most people. I happen to love them. If you try them out, let me know what you think!

Sweet & Salty Olive Biscuits - makes about 36 tiny biscuits/cookies

9 tablespoons of unsalted butter, softened
3/4 cup icing sugar (I used only 1/2 cup to make them a little more salty than sweet!)
1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1/2 cup cured olives pitted and coarsely chopped (I used Kalamata olives, though the original recipe called for olives from Nyons. Didn't have those.)

With an electric mixer, cream the butter until it is light and fluffy. Mix in the sugar until blended, then drizzle in the olive oil and mix until combined. Add the flour and stir through until the dough is smooth. Add the olives and stir in until completely incorporated into the dough.

Place the dough on a piece of waxed or parchment paper, in the centre. Cover with another piece and then roll out the dough until it is about 1/4 inch thick.  The dough is very sticky, so using paper will make it possible to roll out. Refrigerate dough for at least 3o minutes up to over night.

You can use what ever biscuit/cookie cutter you like, but I used a tiny, round, crimped cutter. Cut out shapes and place on 2 baking sheets lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle a little course sea salt on tops. If you have dough left, roll flat again and place in refrigerator until ready to bake.

Bake in a 350F/180c oven for about 12-15 minutes, or until golden brown.

These mini, paper thin, wood boats make a perfect size serving dish for these biscuits.  I picked up mine at Vancouver Special.

Again, if you make these let me know what you thought of them. I'd love to know!

Have a great day. Back soon.
janis

Baked

Did you all have nice weekends? I think many of you are enjoying a long weekend, but us poor souls in B.C. are not. What's up B.C.? By the way, I think the February holiday (for Canada) should be "Flag Day" on the 15th to celebrate the anniversary of our flag as we know it. Just a thought. What do you all think?

I baked samosas over the weekend, with some mango chutney, and they were really simple to make and pretty tasty. Perfect for a cocktail party, or just to pick at all day like they are calorie-free.

Baked Samosas - makes about 20

Samosa dough:
2 cups of all purpose flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ajwain seeds (you can find these in the "international" aisle of your grocery store)
6 tablespoons of vegetable oil
2/3 cup water

Mix the above ingredients together in a bowl, and knead a little before covering with a tea towel. Set aside while making the filling.

Samosa filling:
2 medium size potatoes (peeled and cut into 1/2 cubes and boiled until just soft)
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1/2 cup peas (fresh would be nice, but I had to use frozen.)
2 tablespoons of fresh coriander (a.k.a. cilantro)
1 teaspoon chilli powder (Indian style, not Mexican)
1 teaspoon amchur powder (dried mango)
1 teaspoon turmeric
1/2 teaspoon garam masala
1/4 teaspoon salt

Heat oil on medium heat and, when hot, add potatoes and "mash" up a bit, then add all the other ingredients. Done.

To make samosas, break up dough into about 10 pieces, and roll into balls. Roll out balls to about a 6"  disc. Cut disc in half, smear a little water along the edges, and shape into a cone. Press seam to seal.  Fill cone with about 2 tablespoons of filling and fold top over, and pinch to close. Make sure it is sealed, so you don't lose any of the filling.

Place samosas on a non-stick baking sheet, brush a little oil on the tops and bake for about 25 - 30 minutes, or until a light golden brown. They smell amazing while baking!

Mango Chutney:
1 teaspoon safflower oil (or just plain old vegetable oil)
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 small red chillis, seeded and chopped finely
1/4 teaspoon cumin seeds
2 large mangos, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 teaspoon ground coriander
4 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
4 tablespoons raw sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt

To make the chutney:
Heat oil in a saucepan on medium-low heat. Add the garlic, chilli, and cumin seeds and saute until light golden. Add the rest of the ingredients and simmer for 10-15 minutes, making sure to stir often so it doesn't stick or burn.

As I mentioned, they make a great cocktail snack, but they are also perfect for the morning-after-the- cocktail-party snack as well. This is what my husband told me, anyway. ;)

Have a nice Monday....even if it's not a holiday for you! Back soon!
Janis

Baked (formerly known as Baked On Monday!)

Hi All! I've decided that I'm still going to share some fantastic recipes with you, but on no particular day.  I chose Mondays, at the beginning, as I always tried to have a "work at home day" on that day, as I needed to ease into the week and I find baking very calming. Turns out I'm shooting on most Mondays now, and that's just the way it goes. I'll just have to adapt ;)

I found a perfect recipe for a cocktail party in Chatelaine magazine. Gruyere Cheese Puffs. Enough said?

Gruyere Cheese Puffs - makes about 2 dozen

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1/2 teaspoon sugar
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
3/4 finely grated Gruyere cheese (about 100 grams)
1 tablespoon snipped chives
pinch of cayenne

Preheat oven to 400˚f. Arrange racks in top and bottom thirds of oven. Line two baking sheets with parchment paper.
Pour 1/2 cup of water into a saucepan and set over high heat. Add the butter, sugar and salt. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally, 1 to 2 minutes, then remove from heat.
Using a wooden spoon, add all the flour at once, beating briskly until the mixture comes away from the sides of the pan.

Scrape dough into a medium bowl. Let dough cool for about 2 minutes. Then beat on low speed, adding 1 egg at a time, letting it be combined into the dough before adding the next one.
Stir in 1/2 cup of the cheese, chives and cayenne. Divide dough into 24 mounds, 1 inch apart on sheets. Sprinkle with remaining 1/4 cup of cheese.

Bake for 10 minutes. Rotate and switch sheets, then reduce heat to 350˚f. Continue baking until tops are golden, 7 to 10 more minutes. Remove puffs to a cooling rack.
Puffs will keep well, frozen in an air tight container, for up to 1 month. To reheat, place in centre of 400˚f oven until warm, about 5 minutes.

These cheesy puffs are the perfect cocktail snack (and with a little Prosecco), but they will disappear quickly so maybe double the batch! They're incredibly light and airy, not heavy at all. Deeelicious.

Back soon! Have a lovely day.