Buzzing Happily with Pumpkin Cashew "Cheesecake"

When I think of thanksgiving, I almost immediately picture a large table, or two to three smaller tables patch worked together in a long train, covered with mismatched table clothes and each place set with the proper assortment of plates, cutlery, glasses and crackers for a full meal together. Some, of course, match, like at the parents table where the nice plates and wine glasses reserved only for special occasions are used, but down at the other end, where the kids are usually placed together, it's a colourful array of orange and red dishes, bright napkins folded neatly, and the bright golds and shiny yellows of the crackers. I love the setting of a thanksgiving table, with all the colours and decorations that often resemble an autumn pathway, lined with fallen maple leaves held down by smoothed stones and little tea lights that flicker and eventually fade as the evening progresses.  

There is always family and friends, buzzing happily around the table, while some help to serve the heaping dishes of vegetables and aromatic tray of turkey, balancing the cranberry sauce between two plates in either hand. Some sit across from one another and chat freely, with sounds of laughter filling the whole room, and eventually catching on as everyone sits down together, and the food is served in heaping spoonfuls onto plates. I always send my spoon back to the mashed yams, my favourite, and a few extra Brussels sprouts. 

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Mmmaple is Autumn's Flavour

September, are you in? Because October's already knocking on my door, leaving little gifts of freshly picked pumpkins and a swirl of red-brown leaves on the deck. 

Summer went and packed up it's bags, I've been greeted by a crispness in the air that must be the space where summer once was. And as soon as the vacancy opened up, Halloween came swooping in with hanging ghosts and little witches stirring cauldrons under trees. I know it's a little early, but space seems to be filling up fast. I mean, Christmas has already reserved its place by way of little reindeer and Santa figurines lining store aisles. It's hard to keep up with the changing of seasons, especially when layers pile on in the morning, and layers come off in the afternoon to a change in weather like suddenly summer really did change it's mind, and bags were once again brought back up to the door, and the sun carefully unwrapped from it's place in a suitcase. The cloud of dust surrounding it now dispersed and shaken off. 

Unfortunately, dust always seems to settle somewhere, and usually by that evening, we once again feel the coolness of the air and the softness of the sun's rays are missed. The little electric fire hums to the tune of wind howling outside, and little pockets of cold air come in through windows left open from a sunny afternoon. 

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Forget Everything but a Peanut Butter Cookie

I wanted to make a cookie that was made from the purest ingredients. Using whole foods that can be held in your hands before they become a cookie so full with flavour, and so full of love, that you can't resist just one more... But there's no guilt in all natural foods right? So why not, indulge. 

And so this is all about the cookie. The most delicious, easiest, foolproof, spectacular... well it is a cookie. I mean don't all cookies make the world crumble away, and our focus narrows to the way it melts in our mouth, the way it absorbs milk when you dunk it, and the way the cookie makes you feel, all warm and fuzzy inside? Yes, that's what a real cookie can do.

It started with a huge bag of raw peanuts I picked up at the bulk store, a place filled with everything in bulk, from gluten free flours to dried fruits and nuts, even freshly ground nut butters and honey. And the best part, was an entire aisle dedicated to gluten free products, including pizza and cake mixes. We stumbled upon this goldmine while searching stores for a new dresser, because as it seems, mum and dad have more clothes than I... Really! But after a long winded search, driving from store to store, we turned around and circled back to where we had begun, and with chocolate chai lattes in hand, this building suddenly appeared. And yes, it was like something from a movie, it just appeared, and it hadn't been there before.

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May Showers Bring Back Tea Time

It's May still, isn't it? Yep, according to my calendar we're still right in the middle of it, but heading into a series of days clouded by heavy rainfall. Just when I thought summer was finally nearing, and we were pulling out shorts and tank tops from the backs of our dresser drawers. We had already enjoyed a couple of evenings sitting out on the deck, a plate of chicken burgers on the barbecue, and a salad with fresh fruit set on the table. I'd already started taking those days for granted, riding around the island in shorts and a tank top, flip flops hanging off my toes, on my little red and white scooter. Just hoping for a couple more days of sun, especially over this Mother's Day weekend, I bought a pair of shorts to hopefully get a new shade of tan on my legs - and just as I came out the shops the wind picked up in a fluid motion of clouds covering the sun as well.

I guess it's back to long pants, hot drinks, and big umbrellas stacked by the doors and covering the sidewalks where people should be. Remember shopping in the rain? Jumping into a coffee shop after dashing across the street to be welcomed by a throng of the ten or so other customers who had the same idea - a hot latte and the last of the gluten free baking (oh my goodness, one more scone, don't let that guy take... Okay the cookie looks good too), and just because it is such a rainy day all of a sudden, I'll take a newspaper to watch the people passing by hurried and soaking (I won't laugh, at least not out loud).

You know, I've always wanted to just spend time in a coffee shop, working away at something odd in particular, and people watching. We spent a lot of time on Main Street this week, mum and I went shopping for graduation dresses and popped by to check out a store that was closed, and instead grabbed a drink in one of the restaurants, pairing it with jumbo shrimp and potatoes to keep us going. There are some very interesting people around Main, all doing different things and with different styles - and he stores could keep me entertained for hours! 

So in our eagerness to dress shop again at this particular boutique, with dad in tow this time, we entered the store pulling dress after dress off the shelf - each one beautiful and almost perfect in its own way. I got attached to two, very different, and bounced back and forth between them both, trying them on repeatedly and slowly coming to a decision. If you've ever gone dress shopping, no matter the event, you'll know how much goes into finding the perfect one - with the perfect fit and style for both the occasion and you. We were lucky that the store quickly quieted after we came, giving me all the time I needed in the change room, and all the attention of the salesclerk who was so helpful. She helped me come to a decision with my sister as well, who dad had on the phone, and it was so special to have my whole family there while I chose my graduation dress. 

Anyone up for another round of shops... I'm looking for shoes. (However, I might give it a week for my paycheck to be cashed, and a bit of recuperation). 

I felt like a little girl, peeping in at the perfect dress while the shop was closed. I actually picked out the one I ended up getting today on a previous trip, but I suppose something wasn't quite right. We ended up going around other stores and trying on other dresses. However, I needed dad, and my sister, to be there to make the decision. Ha! I should be on one of those reality shows with the emotion and depth I'm describing this "escapade" with. Don't worry, it really didn't take all that long, and a big plate of Egg's Benedict afterwards refueled us all nicely. Shopping is tiring. Especially trying on dresses and walking around in circles in too-big high heels - you have to curl your toes just to keep them on, and let me tell you, they start to cramp up after a couple laps of the store!

Ginger Maple Tea Lattes

{Print me here}

To end a rainy day, a long day, or as you sit and watch the activities of other people dashing past rain covered shop windows, and need an alternative to coffee or tea, a ginger maple tea latte is just the rich and flavorful hot drink - refreshing and comforting, the perfect balance between the teeter-tottering of this weather. 

I love ginger maple tea lattes because of the sweetness and spice of two key ingredients: maple and fresh ginger. Although I use almond milk for this recipe, cow's milk, or other milk alternative would work perfectly. What a great replacement for your morning coffee!

{Serves 2}

Ingredients:

1 1/2 inch of fresh ginger root, grated or chopped 

3 tablespoons maple syrup 

1 cup almond milk

2 1/2 cups water 

Directions:

In a saucepan over high heat, bring ginger, 2 tablespoons of maple syrup, and water to a boil. Reduce heat, and simmer for 5 to 10 minutes. 

Divide the almond milk among two cups, and divide the maple syrup among them also. Place both in the microwave, heating for up to a minute. This can also be done in a separate sauce pan, before dividing among the two cups. 

When the ginger mixture has simmered, remove from the heat, cover, and let sit for another 5 minutes. (Or pour into a french press for this step).

Pour into the cups of almond milk, and serve.

Enjoy! Xx S 

Eggplant Fries with a Side of Delight

I was reminded of the post I wrote a few weeks ago, and my desire for fresh eggs, with the sound of our neighbors' chickens outside, and the brown blur speeding by the windows as a little hen raced back to the nest she had made beside our house in a little box filled with hay. They've got surprising speed those little chickens; I would never have placed a chicken on the same level of agility as my dog for example, given their tiny legs underneath such a comparatively large and rounded body.

As dad worked outside (it sounded like he chopped wood all afternoon, but we never really checked) he noticed a small indent in the hay shed. And amidst the pieces of straw bent round as if part of a large bird's nest, he noticed a perfectly oval egg in the centre, lightly spotted brown and still warm when he held it.

Our neighbors didn't seem to mind that we had been given an egg by one of their chickens, so after showing them our treasure we brought it inside to replace the depleted stock of store bought eggs from all of my baking. Instead, our neighbors laughed, and the chickens continued to have free range of both their yard and ours.

My luck didn't stop there.

As the morning rose, I sat by the windows and watched the chickens scurry past the fence and onto our driveway. Picking their way through the shrubs and trees, they explored the expanse of grass and hills that makes up our lawn. One little brown chicken scampered through the ferns and low trees, pausing beneath the branches for a few moments, hidden, and then returning to the open lawn.

I wish the little chickens would still give us their deliciously golden eggs, but sadly, I think they've been trained to lay only in the neighbours yard as of that weekend, since I haven't found anymore eggs, depositing checking quite regularly. I have still loved the taste of freshly poached eggs in the morning, or on particular week nights when breakfast for dinner sounds perfect, mum and I have a plate of poached eggs over cooked tomatoes and mushrooms.

When I found out that it was National Egg Benedict Day last Tuesday, I couldn't help but yearn for poach my eggs for lunch when I came home from school early, and drizzle a little bit of honey mustard dressing over top them with avocado, fried onions and tomatoes. Sure, it wasn't exactly an eggs Benny, but I really didn't want to stand over a stove top stirring the buttery Hollandaise sauce, and this version of mum's made a long day seem suddenly insignificant, a delicious plate of good food to brighten my mood. There really wasn't anything more comforting in the drizzling rain, and I was refueled moments after.

If there's one thing I've learnt being gluten free, if it isn't that I absolutely adore avocados, and will eat them with almost anything, it's that getting creative with ingredients, especially a wild array of vegetables and homemade sauces, is the best thing when in a pinch. Sometimes the best meals come from the food tossed together in a large saucepan and served with a tomato and basil sauce. Or when there's no gluten free bread? Eggs are wonderful baked in an avocado, topped with salsa or honey mustard dressing (it's my new favourite!) or quickly fry some rounds of sweet potato for a fancy-style beans on toast (or tuna melt). Anything made gluten free is jazzed up anyway, and even more so in flavour, and I've got proof (well, from mum and dad) who both exclaimed an undying enthusiasm with the plate of aubergine fries I served for dinner.

"This is our new thing! Mum exclaimed, and dipped another fry into the honey which had drizzled down to the bottom of the bowl.

I served a simple dinner of fries and salad, but as I said before, spruced up and gluten free. Both plates had the combination of sweet and savoury flavours, and from what I could tell, went very well with an entire bottle of red wine. I don't usually post two recipes, but since everything went so well together, with room for dessert (to come later), I'll post them both.

Eggplant Fries with Honey
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A new twist on the generic fries, and made gluten free! These eggplant fries are more tender than potatoes, and have their own unique, and subtly sweet flavour that will keep your hand reaching back to the dish of fries. And when drizzled with warm honey, there really aren't too many things that'll compare, and I don't think I'm going back to potato fries. 

I also tried frying a few slices of carrot, which also tasted delicious, although very different to the sweetness of the eggplant. I might whip up this easy seasoning recipe again, just to try my hand at some other vegetables... the pickle jar was beckoning this time, but hungry family members stopped me this time. A healthier version than the fairground fried pickles, its something I'll have to try!

Ingredients:

1/4 cup potato flour
1/4 cup tapioca flour
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp fresh parsley, minced
1 tbsp kosher salt
1/2 tsp black pepper, fresh ground
1 large eggplant

Grape seed oil for frying
salt for seasoning

honey

Directions:

Peel the eggplant, and slice into approximately three inch long and 3/4 inch thick fingers. Set aside.

In a wide, shallow bowl, combine the potato and tapioca flours, dried oregano, parsley, salt, and pepper until thoroughly mixed.

Toss the eggplant slices a few at a time in the seasoned flour until well coated.

In a heavy-bottom medium saucepan, heat at least two inches of grape seed oil. When the oil is ready, drop a few sticks of eggplant into the oil – they should begin sizzling immediately. Be sure not to overcrowd the pan or have the oil temperature drop too much.

When the eggplant fries begin to brown, about a minute later, flip them over and cook for another 30 seconds to a minute.

Remove the eggplant fries from the oil and let drain on a cooling rack. Serve hot with a shake of salt and a drizzle of warm honey.

A great snack or appetizer for 2-3 people.

Candied Pecan and Goats Cheese Salad
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A delicious array of fresh flavours, with the sweet crunch of candied pecans, and the creamy taste of goats cheese, this salad is perfect for the summer alongside something straight off the barbecue, or bring it to a dinner party and you'll for sure get the approval of all the guests - even if they just pick off the pecans as if they were candy.

Ingredients:

3 large handfuls baby spinach mix
1/2 cup candied pecans, recipe here
2 - 3 tablespoons of soft goats cheese
1/2 - 3/4 pear, sliced thinly

Directions:

When candied pecans are roasted and cooled, toss spinach together in a wide bowl.

Add over top pecans, goats cheese, and sliced pear, and you're almost to perfection!

I served this salad with my new obsession, Brianna's honey mustard dressing, and it tasted absolutely delicious.

Enjoy! xx S

Candied Nuts to Keep Us Snacking

These candied nuts might make the perfect snack to bring on the plane - I can't believe we're actually going off to Cuba this spring break, and that we've only got to wait until the end of this week! None of us really know what to expect, and can only know what the guidebooks and reviews tell us; it will definitely be a very different experience. I've traveled to England many times with my parents, and to surrounding countries, and more recently been to tropical vacation resorts such as Hawaii and the Cayman Islands, however I've never been to a place as culturally different to where we live as Cuba. And I am very excited.

I'm also excited to break from bleak weather and cold rain that continues to finalise each week for us - however, I seem to have nothing to complain about compared to the other side of Canada, with snow storms bringing in over a foot of snow just as spring comes around the corner. Perhaps my pale skin will soak up enough vitamin D to last me until summer, and I'll come back happy and energetic (and tanned!) We've got sun screen, sunglasses, and bathing suits on our packing lists, and I can't wait to put them to good use!

A couple of weekends ago my parents took me to buy a backpack for the trip, it's not too large since we're only going for a week, but I've already started packing. Mentally laying out outfits for the week, planning which of my many pairs of shorts to take, and rolling things up to fit in my pack. I'm really excited to be away from my phone, from Facebook, Pinterest, everything, for a week, and in fact, I wish it were longer. I need a break. And I think both of my parents do as well, from work, school, and little problems that seem so great when we're in the middle of it all, but with a step back, a holiday, they don't seem so big on reflection. We need this trip for a change of perspective, and to put things into reality again.

It's actually quite refreshing not really knowing, or not knowing at all, what to expect. I am a planner and an organiser, and I feel myself slowly letting go even before we've left, all because I cannot plan the events, I can't picture the place or the people there at all. I'm trying to get mum to leave some of the planning to chance, since once we get there I expect our knowledge and feel of the place will change drastically from how it is now, and there is no way we can know now what we will want to do. But I think she's nervous: none of us speak Spanish, we don't know anyone there, and well, it's a completely new experience.

Pack on my back, and notebook in my hand, I can't wait to depart from the plane in hot, sunny, tropical Cuba, and just enjoy every moment we have there, wherever it takes us. Hopefully I can jot down recipes to try back at home, with new inspiration from traditional cuisine from the owners of the casas particulairs which we will be staying at, individually run and owned bed and breakfasts, an option for the "more adventurous tourist." I'm also taking a little camera from my trip to France in the summer, and hopefully will return with lots of colourful photos of Havana and surrounding towns which we will be visiting.

Maple Candied Nuts
Print recipe here

These Maple Candied Nuts are so delicious! I made some to top a salad for a dinner last week, and after we had all finished, we sat their munching on the remaining nuts - and finishing every last crumb off! So, I decided today to make another batch, just in case of course. They can be enjoyed as is, a simple but delicious snack, and also as a delicious garnish for desserts. Vanilla ice cream topped with caramel and spiced nuts? Oh that does sound delicious!

I already regret making so little as I did, so you might as well whip up a double batch while you've got all your ingredients ready to go - these will be gone quickly. These are just too good to pass up.

Personally, I don't like spicy foods very much, but if you would like that extra kick - add 1/4 tsp of cayenne powder to the mix.

Ingredients:

2 cups mixed raw nuts (I used pecans and cashews because they're my favourite, but you can choose any type really!)
1/4 cup real maple syrup
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

2 teaspoons kosher salt (I used Himalayan)

Directions:

Stir together nuts in a large bowl.

Pour the maple syrup over nuts, add ground cinnamon and stir to coat evenly.

On a baking sheet, pour nuts out and spread apart evenly. Sprinkle generously with salt.

Bake at 300ºF for 10 minutes. Remove from the oven and stir, before baking an additional 10 minutes, or until nuts are toasted and coating is sticky.

Let cool 5 minutes, the nuts should be dry to the touch. Serve warm or cool completely and store in a sealed container.

Enjoy! xx S.

There's Something About Breakfast: Pancakes

By mid-week I always miss being awoken by the sweet smell of breakfast cooking on the stove, which  will fill the house, and swirl into each room and tumbling around in a delightful sort of tease under our noses. Pancakes that smell like freshly baked banana bread - and even taste like it - sound wonderful at the moment.

Except my stomach is full from a breakfast date this morning, and I ate more like a mad woman than the delicately put together girl I wanted to portray in these knee high boots and black jacket. Perhaps I'll think of these pancakes again when I am home and feel the need for a pick me up, or a restart to the day after travelling back to the island.

We woke up early with the sound of my friend's little brother laughing and chatting as he began his Saturday morning playing in his pajamas, giggling at being tickled and running around the hall of the apartment. I wasn't mad to be awoken so early, instead, I was glad that the sun was streaming in through the open curtains, and the brightness kept my eyes open as I slowly became more and more conscious to the awakened day.

We must have made pretty good haste to be out of the restaurant where we decided to go for breakfast that morning so early before noon, and left the apartment bundled in coats and scarves to face the wind as joggers ran briskly in full running gear. At least we were spared a nice day free from Vancouver's notorious rain. However as I sit here writing it seems that it was only a short bout of sunlight, and the clouds once again are covering the strong rays.

The little place we went to was on Main Street (my favourite street in Vancouver!) amongst little stationary shops, independent clothing stores, and many antique shops. Called the Wallflower, it had black painted designs across the walls and if you looked close enough, you could see little photographs of people's faces that were cut out and then stuck on the wall in the centre of a flower. Even tinier, were sometimes little sayings next to the photo. I wanted to ask them what it would take to get my name on the wall,

"Perhaps I would need to be a frequent customer?" I asked.

Their menu included many gluten-free options, and I was so excited to see the vast choices of items I could actually eat - including Egg's Benedict, something which I haven't had gluten free, and have surely been craving. Underneath the headline, an entire section was devoted to Egg's Benedict, from original to vegetarian, to smoked salmon and cream cheese.

There we sat, the three of us, with our large plates of breakfast in front of us, mine the smoked salmon Egg's Benedict, and forks and knives in hand. It seems amazing now that I was able to eat as slow as I did, knowing now how delicious it was. And I'm sure the bun used was made from tapioca flour, something that I'll be sure to try soon.

Since I haven't yet formed the perfect breakfast bun, similar to the Brazilian Breakfast tapioca bun that came with my lunch from the Ethical Kitchen and now similar to this gluten free English muffin, to make my own Egg's Benedict, I'll give you a breakfast recipe that will surely satisfy that craving for something sweet, and healthy, on your lazy weekend mornings. (Or anytime you wish, really. Because when aren't pancakes perfect!)

I might even make them for lunch today, they really were that good. Have you heard of a second breakfast?

Dad is always my pancake man - he always gets the temperature just right,
resulting in delicious and perfectly cooked pancakes each and every time.
Of course, the recipe needs to be sound or our pancakes won't turn out so
finely tuned.

Gluten-Free Banana Oat Pancakes
Print recipe here.

Since we've always been drawn into cooking crêpes on the weekends, reminiscent of dad's "famous" breakfast crêpes, I decided this morning to venture into something new - real pancakes, made with banana and oats.

Fluffy and golden brown when cooked, these gluten-free banana pancakes have a sweet, creamy middle to be cut into. A healthy and delicious, naturally sweetened breakfast for those lazy mornings. It's the perfect comfort food thats enjoyed around the world, incarnated with sweet flavours when paired with maple syrup, or savoury when served with cooked vegetables and cheese. The modern day pancake even dates back from Roman times, and the earliest known recipe for pancakes was found in a 16th century Dutch cookbook. So delve into history with a hearty plate of pancakes this morning.

Makes 8 pancakes

Ingredients

2 small bananas, mashed
2 tablespoons coconut oil, melted
1 tablespoon lemon juice (about 1 small lemon, juiced)
1 teaspoon maple syrup
2 eggs

1 cup oat flour or ground oats (I used a blender to grind regular baking oats until fine)
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg

Directions

In a small bowl, stir together the mashed bananas, coconut oil, lemon juice and maple syrup.

Beat in the eggs. If your coconut oil goes back to its solid state like mine did at this point, just warm the mixture for short 30 second bursts in the microwave, stirring between each, until it is melted again.

In a medium bowl, whisk together the oat flour, baking soda, salt and spices.

Form a well in the center of the dry ingredients and pour in the wet ingredients. With a big spoon, stir just until the dry ingredients are thoroughly moistened. Do not overmix or you’ll run the risk of getting tough pancakes!

Let the batter sit for 10 minutes. The book notes that you may want to thin out the batter a bit with a touch of milk or water, I did not.

Heat a heavy cast iron skillet (or nonstick griddle) over medium-low heat. If necessary, lightly oil the surface with vegetable oil or cooking spray.

Once the surface of the pan is hot enough that a drop of water sizzles on it, pour 1/4 cup of batter onto the pan. Let the pancake cook for about 3 to 4 minutes, until bubbles begin to form around the edges of the cake.

When the pan is just beginning to set, flip it with a spatula and cook for another 90 seconds or so, until golden brown on both sides. You may need to adjust the heat up or down at this point.
Serve the pancakes immediately or keep warm in a 200 degree Fahrenheit oven.

These pancakes freeze well.

Enjoy! xx S

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