Being so close to the US border as allowed me to discover some great place not too far from where I am now. I had the chance to go visit the Seattle pike place market recently. I have to admit i had been there before, but never in May, never when the tulips are blooming and the Washington apple are in season. I never experience such a joy just to walk around, stand after stand of beautiful flowers. The color of the fruits and vegetables made you want to grab one of each. The apple were the best I never ate. You know when a apple is good when it almost taste like a pear, not too sweet or sour. They had one stand that serve all types of jelly: made with lavender, chocolate, mint, rosemary. They had another one that sold seafood, but you could also order little share bites such as oyster cocktail or bite size crab cake. From the million spices or all odor and taste to the multi-colored peas and beans, there was something for everyone. Unfortunately I was there for only one day, i found myself unable to purchase more than a few items. I decided that next time I will make a point of bringing a cooler and purchase more than an apple. The pictures are to give you a taste ! Also check how you make cheese curd ! Humm the best poutine cheese ever !

 


  
 

I have cravings for... banana chocolate chip muffin

Wednesday, May 18, 2011 at 12:08AM

I was talking to my friend yesterday and she mentioned that she was waiting on her banana to ripe so that she could make some banana muffin. I said, why don't you make banana bread, she said yeah that could be a good idea, like I was trying to sell her on the idea of banana bread. I don't know why I love fresh banana bread, more than bananas muffins. Well never mind , that was story of the past. I have found an amazing bananas muffin recipe and I think that if your short of a loaf pan this will make a really good alternative.
Give 12 muffins
Ingredients

• 2 ripe bananas, mashed
• 2/3 cup of sugar
• 1 1/2 cup of white flour
• 1 1/2 teaspoon if baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon of salt
• 1 large egg
• 1/4 cup of milk
• 1/2 cup of margarine or butter unsalted
• 1/2 cup of chocolate chip or walnuts.

Recipe

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degree F
2. Use a 12 muffin tin and use 12 muffins liners.
3. Mix all the dried ingredients together except the chocolate.
4. Mix the bananas, egg, butter and milk well together until smooth.
5. Add the bananas mix to the dry ingredients until well blended.
6. Stir in the chocolate chips.
7. Pour evenly in the muffin liner.
8. Cook for 30 minutes or until golden brown.

 It's raining outside, I need confort food.

Tuesday, May 10, 2011 at 10:09PM

It's raining again, like the other 6 months of the year in Vancouver. It makes me want to eat more comfort food. I always try to experiment and this time i found just the right mix of healthy versus comfy! Try Annie's stew. You'll need a large slow cooker to make this recipe.

  

                                   

Ingredients

• 4 cups of beef in cube
• 1 large onion cut in large cube
• 4 large potatoes or 10 small one, cut in large cube
• green beans, cut and clean
• 3 carrots cut in large cube
• 2 corns cut in half
• 4 cups of beef broth
• 2 tablespoon of grainy mustard
• 2 tablespoon of Worcestershire's sauce
• 1 large ziploc bag
• 2 cups of flour + 1/4 cup extra
• 1 tablespoon of paprika
• 1 tablespoon of salt
• 1 tablespoon of pepper

Recipe

1. Cut the beef in cube.
2. Place the flour, salt, pepper and paprika in the ziploc bag.
3. Place the beef cube in the ziploc bag and shake well until evenly coated
4. In a large pan brown the beef until no longer pink, do not overcook.
5. Place the beef broth in the slow cooker.
6. Add the Worcestershire's sauce and the grainy mustard, mix well
7. Add the flour and mix well, You can swift the flour in the same time to make sure there is no crumbs of flour in the liquid ( do this by using a strainer)
8. Add the beef, the corn, potatoes, carrots. Don't add the beans yet.
9. Cook on high for 4 hours or low for 8 hours. A hour before the end add the beans.
10. Add salt and pepper to taste. Serve with home made buns ! 

         
Yeah Strawberries and rhubarb pie

Sunday, May 8, 2011 at 03:08PM

I went to my local market yesterday and I noticed they had received some local grown rhubarb. I was over the moon, as I have not cooked with rhubarb before but I could very clearly remember my own making the best pies with it. I decided to give it a shot. It ended up being really good and there almost none left already !
     

Strawberries rhubarb pie

Ingredients

• Two pie crust
• 1 1/4 sugar
• 1/4 cup of cornstarch
• 2 cups of fresh strawberries, but in pieces
• 2 cup of rhubarb, cut in 2 inches small pieces
• 1 teaspoon of soda
• 2 teaspoon of butter

Recipe

1. Make sure if your pie crust was frozen, that you leave it out to unthaw.
2. Boil water in a medium saucepan. One the water is boiling add the soda and mix. Add the rhubarb and let soak for 3 minutes.
3. Drain the rhubarb and rinse with cold water, set aside.
4. In a large bowl, mix the sugar and cornstarch together.
5. Add the cut strawberries and rhubarb and mix really well. 
6. Use your first pie crust and place in a 9inch pie plate.
7. Add the fruits mixture and add the butter on the top.
8. Add the other pie crust to the top and remove any excess on the side.
9. Bake a 450 Degree F for 15 minutes and then bake at 350 F for 45 minutes.
10.  Allow the pie to cool 30 minutes before eating it !!!  Enjoy !

Long macaroni with tomato sauce and homemade buns

Saturday, May 7, 2011 at 01:31AM

Dear viewers,
I apologize for not being as consistent as I wished. Between work, special event, cleaning, fishing, cooking I haven't found the time to write ! So I will double the pleasure with 2 recipes today. The first one as been requested by Pierre, who still have memory of the long macaroni with tomatoes sauce ! The second one is a recipe I made today for my boyfriend: homemade white buns. I just had a couple and they are totally amazing! Be ready to wait for a while thought as they take quite a while to rise.
Pierre you'll be happy to know that the macaroni recipe take no time at all. It's really simple and that's the key, the kid like it and i think that's why we all remember it back home.

Long macaroni with tomato sauce Quebec's style
Ingredients

• Long Macaroni noodle ( with the hole in the middle)
• 1 small onion
• 1 garlic clove 
• 2 tablespoons of butter
• 1 can of 350 ml of tomato juice
• 1 small can of tomatoes, crushed
• salt and pepper

Recipe

1. Cook the macaroni as indicated on the box but stop the cooking halfway throught the end.
2. In a pan, melt the butter and sweat the onion and garlic. Cook 5 minutes.
3. Add the tomatoes juice and the tomatoes.
4. Mix the spaghetti and tomato sauce together and bake in the oven at 350 degree for 20 minutes.
5. Enjoy !

Home made bun's ! (About 25 medium buns)

Ingredients

• 2 cups of milk
• 2 large eggs
• 1/2 cup of butter
• 1 1/2 teaspoon of salt
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 1/2 cup warm water
• 2 tablespoon of yeast
• 1 teaspoon of sugar
• 7 cups of flours

Recipe

1. In a large bowl add the yeast, 1 teaspoon of sugar and the warm water. mix well together until no grains but a smooth consistency. Let sit for 10 minutes in order to proof.
2. In a saucepan at medium heat add the butter and the milk. Melt the butter and warm through. Do not over heat or this will kill the yeast. It must be only warm and not hot.
3. Add 2 slightly beaten eggs to the yeast.
4. Add the warm milk and butter to the yeast.
5. Add the sugar and salt
6. Mix really well, then add 6 cups of flour, one at the time, mixing really well in between each cup.
7. Take a bit of flour and flour your surface to work the dough. Use flour on your hand to stop the flour from sticking to your finger. Reflour as necessary.
8. Knead the dough for 10 minutes straight.
9. You deserve a break ! Let the dough rise for an hour and a half. To allow better rise, place the dough in a large bowl, place in a warm area and cover with a damp towel and wrap in a plastic bag.
10. After the 1 1/2 hour is over give a punch in the middle of the dough and prepare your baking pans. You will need about 3 pans. Make small ball the since of a golf ball and place them a few inch apart.
11. Place a damp towel on the top and let rise for another hour.
12. Yeah! Almost done, cook at 350 degree for 20 to 25 minutes in the middle rack of the oven. They will be perfect, crispy on the outside and moist on the inside !