The Gouda Life

After months and months of thinking “Jeez, I’d really love to be part of a Supper Club…” I finally decided “Ok, I’ll start a Supper Club”. Waiting around for other people to plan things for you never did anyone any good now, did it? 

Tonight is the first meet & greet of our little Centretown Supper Club and I’m so looking forward to meeting some new like-minded people (and some I already know and love) to chat with over tasty snacks and a glass or two of wine. 

When I asked everyone to bring a small bite to snack on, my brain immediately started to dream up elegant bites with delicate little garnishes. But the truth of the matter is, whenever I try to make things too complicated, they usually blow up in my face and I end up wishing I’d just stuck to what I know; simple, honest food made with straight-forward, speak-for-themselves ingredients. Try as I may, I’m just not a fancy gal I suppose. 



I recently bid some new underwear to win 3 brand-spankin’ new cookbooks for Simply Fresh’s Underpants Up fundraiser and lucky for me, I won! One of the cookbooks I won was Just Married and Cooking (by Brooke Parkhurst, James Briscione) and it is absolutely jammed with simple, everyday recipes that every homecook should add to their repitoire. Everything from Simple Syrup to Pistachio-Mint Crusted Rack of Lamb (part of a full Valentines Day menu). It’s an unfussy, real guide to delicious everyday meals. 

Among it’s pages, I found a delicious sounding recipe for a Roasted-Carrot Hummus. You do know how much I love to dip things in other things right? This was exactly what I needed for our little meeting this evening.  Simple, velvety dip that won’t leave my guests needing to unbutton their jeans (I plan to wear tights so this won’t be an issue for me. Snork snork!)

Roasted Carrot-Cumin Hummus
adapted from Just Married and Cooking

I was too lazy to pull out my food processor so I did this in batches in my Bullet which ended up being more work than it would have been to just move the food processor from the cupboard to the counter. Lesson of the day; don’t be lazy like me.

If possible, this should be made the day before you plan to eat it so the flavours all have a chance to hang out and get acquainted. 

4 medium carrots, peel and cut into 4” chunks (if organic, just wash and leave peel on) 
1 head of garlic, cloves separated and peeled
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 tbsp olive oil
salt to taste
1 16oz can of chickpeas
3 tbsp tahini
Juice from 1 lemon
pepper to taste
extra oil to garnish
cayenne pepper, garnish (optional)

Preheat oven to 400. 

Toss the carrots, garlic, cumin and a good pinch of salt with the oil. Wrap in a packet of aluminum foil and roast until everything is soft, about 30-40 minutes. 



Pour the contents of the foil packet into the food processor along with the chickpeas, tahini, lemon and a few grinds of pepper. Process until smooth. 



Spoon contents into a serving bowl and top with a drizzle of oil and a few sprinkles of cayenne pepper. 



Serve with raw veggies, pita chips or whatever dip-ables strike your fancy. 

 

You know that friend you had as a kid? The one with cupboard upon cupboard of cookies, chips, packaged foods, desserts and a freezer full of pizza, french fries, and chicken fingers? Yes, we all had that friend. But I was not that friend.

In hindsight, it’s probably best that we didn’t have cupboards overflowing with salty, sweet, incredibly over processed foods, but if you’d asked me when I was younger, I would have told you I was deprived. Missing out on a life of Fruit Roll Ups and Dunkeroos in exchange for cheese and apples. Needless to say, I was not at the top of the “Would like to trade snacks with” list.  

Grocery shopping with my dad was one of my favourite weekend activities. He was, and still is, predictable in a good many of his purchases. Especially when it came to the snack aisle. I remember my sister and I would occasionally try to swing one by him, tucking a box of Pop-Tarts or Dino-sours underneath the ever-present bananas or hot mortadella. But my good ol Dad, knowing exactly what should (and shouldn’t) be in that cart, would pluck it out and place it back on the shelf with a smug grin. He must have known that he was paving the path for our future eating habits. As much as I hate admitting when my parents were right…
I’ll leave it at that. I don’t want you getting a big head or anything, Dad. [OK, you were right. There, I said it.] 

I think more so than actually enjoying the sweet packaged snacks, it was thrilling to be able to eat them. Whether it was at a friends house, or with a few allowance dollars, it felt like getting away with murder. The only problem was how terrible they actually tasted. Take a much sought-after Pop-Tart, for example, with it’s sandy crust reminiscent of cardboard,  ’fruit’-filling containing about as much fruit as a jelly doughnut and topped with an icing that likely contains at least 20 ingredients, with not one them being sugar. Not exactly the type of snack that seems worthy of a child’s lust. But of course, that didn’t stop me from cramming perfectly measured square after square into my gob.

Fast forward 15 years. Though you may find the occasional bag of chips, and maybe some processed cheese slices, a well-known guilty pleasure of mine and my sisters, I have very little in the way of snack food. Likely a result of my well-meaning parents. But when I came across Deb from Smitten Kitchen’s recipe for Homemade Pop Tarts [sound of simultaneous jaw dropping to the floor + head exploding], I knew my house was about to get a little snackier. Hey, it’s homemade so it’s cool. Right?


[I made a little homemade jam for extra delicious tarts. My favourite is David Lebovitz’s Berry-Rhubarb Jam. Recipe here.]

Though, as always, I was a little intimidated by the shortbread-like crust, I pressed on and was amazed at how simple these adorable little filled-pastries were. Fill them with whatever you have on hand. I did three different varieties; Mixed Berry, Peanut Butter & Jam, and Nutella filled. Honestly, my favourite was the simple jam-filled ones. It helps keep them moist, and the tart jam was a nice flavour contrast to the sweet flaky dough. If you’re looking for a nice breakfast treat for guests, or even a sweet lunchbox surprise for your kids, these will win over even the pickiest of snackers.



Homemade Pop Tarts
recipe from Smitten Kitchen

Dough
2 cups all-purpose flour (or 1 1/2 All Purpose + 1/2cup whole wheat flour)
1 tablespoon sugar
1 teaspoon salt
1 cup unsalted butter, cut into cubes
1 large egg
2 tablespoons milk or water

1 large egg (for brushing tops of pastry)

Mix the flour, sugar and salt. Using your fingers or a pastry cutter, work the butter into the dry ingredients until there are no bigger than pea-sized lumps of butter. It should hold together if you squeeze it.



Whisk the egg and milk (or water) together. Stir them into the dough until evenly combined. Knead once or twice on a well floured surface, if needed. Cut dough in half and form into a rectangle. I opted to chill mine for 30 minutes before working with it as my kitchen was warm, but you may roll it out from this point into a large rectangle (about 9x12” in size, 1/8” thick). This is not an exact science, folks. Pop Tarts are supposed to be fun.  Cut the rectangle into 3” x 4” rectangles. You should get about nine of these.

Fillings Options
1 tbsp of jam, Nutella, nut butter, caramel, dark chocolate, or other filling of your choice per tart





Place your filling on one rectangle and top with another. Dip the tines of a fork into flour and press around the edges to seal the tarts. Using the tines or a toothpick, poke a few steam holes in the tops of the tarts. Give your addition egg a quick whisk in a small bowl. Brush the tops of the tarts with the egg wash. This will help make them shiny and golden brown on top.



If you’d like, and I trust you will, you can top them with some coarse turbinado sugar for extra crunch.



Place the tarts on a baking sheet and place in the fridge for 30 minutes while you preheat your oven to 350.

Once chilled, bake tarts for 20-25 minutes or until golden brown on top.



Note: if you’d like to do a savoury tart, omit the sugar and cut the salt in half in the dough. Some filling ideas I received from Twitter followers were: Bacon & Egg, Marinara & Mozzarella, Parmesan &  Basil Pesto, and Cheddar & Apple. Really, the possibilites are endless. What wouldn’t taste good in a shortbread crust?! The answer is nothing, guys. NOTHING.

Finally, Friday has come! And it’s brought with it some big fluffy flakes and cloudy skies. My favourite weather (ok, aside from cloudy fall days). It calls for hot chocolate, sleeping in, and cuddling.

I wanted to share a quick snack recipe in case you were planning on taking advantage of this weather and staying in with some close friends and a bottle of wine.

As previously mentioned, I’ve been reading a lot of Jamie Oliver lately. I know I’m a little late to the Oliver game… but better late than never, right? I really appreciate his simple, straightforward recipes that typically contain less than 10 ingredients.

While I was wrapping gifts a few days before Christmas, I turned on the Food Network and watched as he turned a pile of slimy, unappealingly brownish-red livers into a smooth, creamy spread spiked with brandy. If I hadn’t already gotten into my pyjamas at 4pm (a regular occurrence at our house) I would have rushed right out to fill my cart with liver and red onions. Instead, I took a deep breath, told myself I would make them the next week and tried to continue on with my night without drifting away with thoughts of pate. (It wasn’t meant to rhyme! Honest!)

The pate is quick to make, can last up to a week in the fridge if you make the clarified butter to seal it, and is a really pretty, unpretentious dish to share between friends. 

It’s important to note that I made this before I started trying to eat slightly better. Nothing like a layer of butter to stick to your thighs!

Chicken Liver Pate
recipe from Jamie Oliver

1 cup unsalted butter
handful of whole sage leaves
olive oil
2 medium red onions, diced
2 cloves of garlic, rough chopped
2 sprigs of thyme, leaves picked
1 kg chicken livers, if possible organic/free range
1/2 cup brandy
sea salt and fresh ground pepper

to serve:
1 baguette, sliced, drizzled with olive oil and baked until golden
bunch of watercress, arugula or other peppery green
cornichons

To make clarified butter:
On a pan over low heat, add 3/4 of your butter and let it sit for 20-30 minutes until separated. The white stuff on the bottom is the whey. Skim the clear butter off the top and put in a separate pan over medium heat. Let it warm for a few minutes and add the sage. Cook until crispy. Set aside.



Heat olive oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until hot. Add onions, garlic and thyme leaves. Cook for about 4 minutes, stirring occasionally until just starting to colour. Add another splash of oil, your chicken livers and a pinch or two of salt and pepper. Cook on high heat for no more than 4 minutes. The livers should still be a little pink inside. You don’t want to overcook them since they get tough pretty
quickly. Add brandy to the pan and let the alcohol cook off for a minute or two. Pour everything into your blender/food processor and zip a few times until the livers are very smooth. Keep in mind, it will be pretty loose looking but will harden up in the fridge. Have a taste of the mixture, season to your liking and then, as Jamie recommends, add a little more since seasoning goes down when you chill the pate. Add your remaining 1/4 C of butter to the pate and give it another zip in the blender until it’s shiny. 

Spoon the pate into one big dish, individual terrines, or however else you’d like. Top with your sage infused clarified butter, cover and place in the fridge for a few hours or until butter has become semi-opaque.







Get your bread, greens and pickles ready, and off you go! If you don’t want to eat right away, the pate will keep well in the fridge for up to a week.

 
You’ll never guess what I have for you today. Not if your life depended on it. It’s just so unique to The Gouda Life.  

ITS A SQUASH RECIPE. Can you even believe it? I hardly ever talk about squash. I don’t even like squash. I have no problem walking past the squash display. Even if the colour of their flesh reminds me of closing my eyes and staring at the sun on a warm day. I don’t even look. Complete and utter disregard, guys. COMPLETE.

But hold on. Before you go and leave me here, sitting alone with my posse of gourds, please know that this is more than just a recipe for squash. It’s as much a feta recipe, a spinach recipe and a muffin recipe as it is a squash recipe. So get over it already, ok? I’m already planning my next 15 squash recipes. Just for you!

This was based on Heidi Swanson’s Pumpkin & Feta muffin recipe from 101cookbooks.  Only, it’s November 2nd. Two days after Halloween. The pumpkins weren’t nearly as plentiful as I imagined they would be. Didn’t the people of Ottawa know I would be looking for pumpkins today? The nerve.

Whole Wheat Spinach Squash and Feta Muffins

Whole wheat is not 100% necessary. If you don’t use it, reduce the milk quantity to 3/4 cup.

2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups pumpkin or butternut squash, 1/2-inch cubes

 salt and pepper to taste
1 large handful of baby spinach, chopped
3 tablespoons sunflower seeds kernels or pine nuts
3/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan
1/2 cup cubed feta
2 teaspoons whole-grain mustard
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 cup milk
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup all purpose flour
4 teaspoons aluminum free baking powder
1 teaspoon fine-grain sea salt

Preheat the oven to 400.

Toss the cubed squash/pumpkin with the olive oil and a pinch or two of salt and turn onto a baking sheet. Bake until cook through evenly. About 15 minutes.

Toss 2/3 of the squash with the spinach, sunflower seeds, Parmesan, mustard and 2/3 of the cubed feta. Mix lightly just to combine.

In a seperate bowl, whisk the milk and eggs. Add to the spinach and squash mixture and mix gently until combined. Sift the flour and baking powder over top and mix again until combined. Do not over mix or you’ll end up with a tough muffin. Nobody likes a tough muffin!



Fill your muffin tins, oiled or lined with muffin cups, 2/3 full. Sprinkle muffins with remaining feta and squash.



Bake for 15-20 minutes or until tops of muffins are golden brown.

If you’re feeling wild, and you know how wild I am, have one of these for breakfast. and then for lunch.

And then tomorrow, we’ll meet here again and I’ll tell you all about another life altering squash recipe.