Twin Comfort of Dessert

I'm not sure if I'm even allowed to be sitting here, enjoying the Indie music and being around busy people, chatty people, groups of people slumped over coffees with their heads bent towards each other and deep in conversation. I haven't bought anything; I sought refuge from the rain outside. As I passed by the huge windows of this rustic coffee shop, I felt the pull of just sitting and spending time at a table situated in a corner. I love to watch the people that come and go, each one with a story which I attempt to discover. Each person has a distinguishable taste, noticeable by their sense of style as they walk from the door to the counter and order their choice of drink, sometimes pairing it with a muffin or scone, at the coffee bar.

I went to school today for a Provincial exam, and sat for three hours in the gym with all of the other English students writing three essays and answering 25 multiple choice questions. Afterwards, in our exhaustion and giddy perception of being free from the pressures of this exam, at least for a little while, some friends and I drove down the road for tea together. The woman behind the counter provided samples of aromatic tea leaves for us to smell, and help us to try and figure out which tea to make into a drink, until we all decided upon a black English tea, latte style.

So there we sat, all six of us, with twin lattes in our hands and perched in chairs situated around one small round table, legs intertwined. We went over the exam, exclaiming our surprise at some of the answers, and trying to figure out whether we had chosen the right one - if pre-exam chatter hadn't been stressful enough!

Our stomachs began to growl promptly, as our nerves settled down to make way for hunger, and our pack abruptly stood and left with the steam out of our hot mugs trailing behind. The smell of that little tea place was so calming and comforting, even if the white decor wasn't. And with a hot drink to sip I began to completely unwind from the buzz of sitting an exam.

Again we found an under-sized table to share, with nearly enough room for all of our lunches to share the space. Inside had been too busy, and all the tables were taken, so wrapped up in our fur-lined parkas and knitted scarves, and still huddled around lattes, we parked ourselves under a big out-of-place summer umbrella that dripped with the drizzling rain. There couldn't have been anything more Vancouver. Lunch was taken outside because its so beautiful, and we love it outside, but there we were wrapped up in big thick coats and leaning away to prevent being hit from the splatter of the rain.

So as I sit here, slowly warming with the steam of other's hot drinks rising into the space around me, I think of a decadent dessert to complement a peaceful afternoon. What better way to enjoy the fresh flavour of fruit with a sweet gluten-free topping than Twin Crumbles, have two for you and another, and just sit for a while.

Twin Apple-Blueberry Crumbles
Print recipe here.

The perfect complement to any meal, these little crumbles are quick to whip up when you have a craving for something sweet, and are light enough to leave your taste buds fulfilled without filling you up too much.

Fresh fruit sweetens the pots with delicious flavour, and be sure to serve them with a dollop of vanilla yogourt or ice cream for a creamy treat. This can be served as a summer or winter dessert, switching up the fillings for more seasonal fruits. Pomegranate and pear, anyone?

Serves 2

Ingredients

1/2 apple, sliced thinly
1/4 cup fresh or frozen blueberries
1/2 tsp lemon juice

2 tbsp gluten free oats
2 tbsp brown sugar
2 tbsp ground almonds (or almond flour)
1 tbsp corn flour
2 tbsp cold butter

A pinch of cinnamon

Directions

Preheat the oven to 375°F.

Divide the blueberries among two ramekins, top with sliced apple and drizzle with lemon juice. Set aside.

In a mixing bowl, combine oats, brown sugar, ground almonds, and corn flour. Chop up the butter and add into the bowl, rub between your fingers until the mixture becomes crumbly, resembling bread crumbs.

Divide the crumble topping among the two ramekins, levelling evenly. Sprinkle a pinch of cinnamon on top of each crumble.

Place in the centre of the oven and bake for 18 to 20 minutes, or until the topping begins to brown and blueberries begin to bubble.

Allow to cool 5 minutes before serving with a spoonful of vanilla yogourt or ice cream.

Enjoy the sweetness of this treat after a long day!
xx S.

A Flurry of Festivities

We've been traveling in a flurry of festivities and holiday cheer this past week. From parties and gatherings with friends which have filled the afternoons and evenings, I've never felt so exhausted from good food, laughter and welcoming homes. Everywhere, each home and out front all the stores, are decorated with colorful baubles, twinkling lights, one fuzzy tree to be admired in the centre of activity, and countertops are repeatedly replenished with the endless possibilities of delicious food; baked goods topple higher on delicate porcelain serving dishes, mandarin oranges roll over each other and across the counter when someone grabs a select orange, and hot plates enter the oven before quickly being swept up and onto awaiting plates in the dining room.

After such busy activity in this hive, I like to think of us who live on this island as bees living together, I've settled down this afternoon to a classic cup of tea, and a few scrumptious treats still awaiting to be eaten. Gluten-free mince pies tiered precariously on a serving platter, the pastry flaking when someone ventures to move them.

Christmas morning we awoke late, all tired out from our Christmas Eve party the night before. Friends gathered at our place to spend the evening together around glasses of wine, home cooking, and Christmas music. Groups were situated throughout the living area in our house, chatting and laughing together. I fiddled around in the kitchen for a bit, preparing appetizers to share, before sitting down with my sister for a bit, and playing board games with one girl much younger who comes with her parents each year.

It was nice this year as the guests didn't stay long, departing just after ten o'clock, but we all decided upon a movie to watch, which dragged the night out until after one. I slept badly with excitement for Christmas morning, waking up repeatedly before turning back over and trying to fall asleep again.

Then my sister bounded into my room just after nine thirty in the morning, exciting the dog with her enthusiasm and movement, and they both tumbled over me wrapped up in just a few blankets. My parents still exclaimed this year how it was unusual for me to be up after my sister, despite the same thing happening last year - although we stayed up far later after guests drank too much at our Christmas Eve party.

To her surprise, my sister and I were in matching pajama pants, something I planned without her knowing the night before, as she remains consistently loyal to her favorite pajamas. We made tea for the family, rooibos for mum and dad, regular and chai for my sister and I, and then proceeded to gather the plump stockings which leaned against the hearth to be carried up to my parents bedroom.

Opening our stockings together up in my parents bedroom is one of my favourite parts of Christmas. Everyone is together, and just like when I was little, each of us sits cozied up in fuzzy pajamas, worn slippers and hot cups of tea as we enjoy being together after a busy year and even more hectic season. The excitement of opening the first present of Christmas, tearing wrapping paper and tossing it to the floor, brings me full circle and back to completely enjoying the holiday season.

And so I drag the festivities, and the fun of unwrapping presents, long into the afternoon. Taking my time with each present, my sister groans when the time it takes for her to unwrap three presents has only given me time to unwrap one.

"I think you need to go a little slower!" She mocks, and when I do, she can't resist that little sisterly nudge, which I know is code for,

You're really funny, and I love that about you.

Honey Marmalade Baked Brie
Print recipe here.

A deliciously gooey and tasty appetizer for the holidays, baked brie is a soft delicate cheese spread for rice crackers or gluten-free bread. The sweetness of the marmalade makes this twice as enjoyable.

Use fresh cheese from your local farmers for the best flavour, and choose select marmalade to top.

Perfect for a party or as a pre-dinner cheese tasting.

Ingredients

1 round of soft brie
Orange marmalade to spread on top

Pecans to top, whole pecans look aesthetically pleasing, however if you would prefer, chop the pecans into larger pieces. This may be easier when many people are cutting into the same dish.

4 tbsp honey

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

Remove the brie round from the wrapping, and place in a round oven-proof dish with a lid.

Spread marmalade thickly on top of the brie, it should be approximately 0.5 cm thick.

Sprinkle the whole or chopped almonds on top and place the covered dish in the kiddie of the oven.

Bake for approximately 15 minutes, the brie should be runny in the centre, however the outside will still appear hard.

While the brie is in the oven, heat the honey in a small pan over medium heat, or in a small bowl in the microwave until it becomes runny and translucent.

To serve, drizzle the honey over the brie, and have rice crackers or other gluten-free crackers to spread the brie over.

Happy as a Yam

It was dark all day today; the clouds never parted and the rain only stopped for breaths of wind to channel down through the valley. In our pyjamas and morning sleepiness, we dallied into the afternoon as breakfast stretched into lunch, lunch into dinner.

It was a nice day, I can't deny that, but now as the light fades and the fire burns brightly, I feel winter is right there, standing on the doorstep prying to wash over us again, snow, frost, and all.

I'm coming. I'm coming.

It seems to whisper as if beckoning, enticing.

Good thing I've got my nice warm coat, my dashing red, woolly headband, and my thick Roots socks to keep me warm as I venture through the trees with my dog. Good thing for my hot bean bag at night as I curl into a deep sleep. And thank goodness for the kettle, fuelling me, pushing me through, with each cup of tea.

The first Christmas craft fair of the year was held today, just a short walk down from my house, and I could see the abundance of cars lined up in the parking lot outside the building, in neat rows like received Christmas cards will start to be; one will say

Happy Holidays!

Next to another that chimes Silent Night from a small box in the centre of the card. There will be no surfaces available again this year. No longer a perch for Saturday afternoon phone calls, the window sill becomes a home for the cards each winter, and the cat jealously eyes their beneficial location, her usual kaleidoscope to the world she no longer escapes to - her bed by the fire, for some reason, is much more enticing.

I couldn't bring myself to shop Christmas already, and the people exiting with baskets of goodies, soaps with names like Gingerbread and ornaments made from shells and driftwood, donned in their handmade knitted scarves, for once didn't make me envious. I wasn't ready for the sound of Christmas carols to be blasted from a speaker made in the seventies, causing the singer's voice to waver over high notes that couldn't be interpreted properly by such ageing technology. No, today I was still enjoying autumn, playing in the leaves and baking throughout the day; cookies in the morning - gluten-free chocolate chip - and blissful brownies in the afternoon.

My friend from Northern B.C. came down last weekend, for Remembrance holiday, and as we shopped downtown, milling about the shops and going for lunch at the gallery, I noticed the amounts of Christmas stock in store front windows, the gift packages in cosmetic and soap shops that lined the shelves and overflowed onto the floor, and the largest display, an ornamental Christmas tree in The Bay with decorations of yellow and gold throughout store aisles - tinsel, candy canes and baubles.

We even saw snow that weekend.

It was on our way into town that morning, and as both of us sat snuggled on the ferry, angling ourselves away from the slight draft coming from the door, my mum texted me with exclamation and excitement in her words,

"Look outside! It's snowing!"

We peered up from inside our scarves and could barely just make out the flittering of glimmering white specs across the sky, almost invisible against the white of the clouds and through the gleam of the windows. And it certainly felt cold enough today, as we headed out the door only to return for more layers, for a light dusting of snow on the ground, or even to be woken up in the brisk air as frost covers tomorrow's morning.

Sadly, it's forecasted to rain all week. My gumboots and umbrella will remain perched beside the front door, a dim reminder of the weather outside, even as I comfortably remain in the kitchen with the fire blazing and the oven baking something wonderful.

"Today doesn't look so good, maybe I'll just stay in, warm,"

I tell myself, until mum and dad drag me out of the house, earnestly stating how much I will enjoy getting out once I've had some air, as if I were the one on the leash, and not the dog. But I always feel so much better after, they're right, and especially after the heat and dryness of indoors for so long, that begins to make you feel cooped up, even if it does seem so cozy.

So finally, even after having this family favourite numerous times, we like it for lunch on the weekend, I have found the time when other recipes haven't bombarded me to post about them (who knew that could happen) and finally sat down to post about Yam Tuna Bakes. Tuna bakes have always been a delectable comfort food, although when I became gluten-free it was time to put a twist on the old bread base, and it also gave me an opportunity to find something tastier.

Oh the delight of finding pleasure in old comforts.

Even in the morning, yam tuna bake holds a high rank.
(A message received from my sister).

Yam Tuna Bake
Print Recipe.

For rainy days, for family picnics or gatherings, I'd whip up this old favourite any day. A comforting twist on a pantry staple, yam adds lots of healthy nutrients and enjoyable flavour. It can be made ahead of time by putting the yam in the oven at 450 F for about an hour, halved and scored, or for a faster method can be microwaved until tender for few minutes. Either way, the flavour will remain.

Don't be burdened by the ingredients in the recipe either, if you haven't got something, just incorporate the vegetables that you do have, and save a little time (and money) by skipping that extra dash to the grocery store. Besides, it'll probably be busy and just take too long anyway.

When choosing yams for this recipe, I usually go for the oddly shaped ones that end up neglected at the bottom of the baskets in grocery stores. For some reason, I just love their shapes and the interesting knobs in the skin, there isn't anything wrong with them, they're just different. And for that, should be loved like any other. 

Serves 2-3

Ingredients

1 large cooked yam, sectioned into equal parts

1 can albacore tuna
1-2 tbsp mayonnaise
1 spring onion, thinly sliced
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/2 tomato, diced
salt and pepper to taste

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper, optional for a spicier taste

1/2-3/4 c grated mozzarella

Directions

Set the oven to broil, or preheat to 500 F, and set the sections of yam on a baking sheet. Set aside.

In a medium sized bowl, combine the drained tuna, mayonnaise, vegetables, and season with salt and pepper. Add cayenne if desired. Stir to combine completely.

Spoon the tuna mixture in equal amounts onto the yam halves, and sprinkle with the grated cheese.

Place the baking tray under the broiler and cook for about 5 minutes, until cheese begins to bubble but not so much that it browns.

Remove, and cool before serving.