Orzo….ORZO….

Posted on July 12, 2012 by Deborah

OOOORRRZZZOOOO…. I love saying the word ORZO. It kinda rolls off the tongue and sounds cool. Maybe Ferrari should create a new car and call it Orzo. I would buy one. I bet a lot of people would.

Orzo is a small pasta. The word Orzo is actually Italian for ‘Barley’. It is shaped like a grain of Rice or kernel of Barley, only larger. It has gained it’s fame over the years from being included in numerous Italian soup, casserole and side dish recipes.

It is the star of an Orzo with Parmesan and Sun-Dried Tomatoes. It has … Read more...

Drying Herbs

Posted on July 11, 2012 by Deborah

Herbs….Herbage…Herbaciousness….are fantastic for livening up your culinary experiments in the kitchen, whether they are fresh, dried or even fresh/frozen.

Most people use dried herbs purchased in dusty little glass bottles that have been sitting on a store shelf since at least 1982 and cost as much as a small car. These are *ok*, if you like blandness in your food that is. As opposed to the smack-in-the-face whiff of fresh or freshly dried herbs that makes your nose happy to be first in line to smell the wonderful aromas coming from your stockpot.

I have been growing and using fresh … Read more...

How to Make Simple Strawberry Syrup

Posted on June 28, 2012 by Deborah

If you have ever made Simple Syrup for desserts or cocktails, then you will know this is a *simple* thing to put together. So simple that Clyde the Orangutang from Every Which Way But Loose could mix this up…that is if he isn’t too busy making right turns and punching out bad guy bikers..am I the only one to remember that movie and the sequels with Clint Eastwood?

Anyway, on to syrup making, as I said, real simple to do….

One of the most beloved fruits on my must-eat list are strawberries, and they can quickly be made into strawberry … Read more...

Straw + Berry = Best Taste of Summer

Posted on June 27, 2012 by Deborah

Not many people I know turn their nose up at a red, ripe, delicious Strawberry. If I knew anyone that did, then I’m pretty sure they grew up in Antartica and therefore were deprived of ever knowing what a strawberry was.

Here in Ontario, our Berry season is s-h-o-r-t, painfully short. So short if you are not paying attention, you miss some of the best berries in the world. You then kick yourself continuously until next year, sticking post-it notes all over the house with these words on them – “DON’T MISS BERRY SEASON”. Your spouse then wonders if he … Read more...

Garden Update ~ Haircut # 2…

Posted on June 26, 2012 by Deborah

Actually, some things have gotten their third and fourth buzz cuts already. I tell you, things are just bustin’ out all over in the little garden patch in my backyard. I am really, really having a hard time taming the Sage ‘BRUSH’…pun intended. This thing is getting bigger by the millisecond, and if it has it’s way, will soon take over the whole space. That is the ginormous Sage Brush in the middle of the pic below, it literally is 3 feet high and almost as wide.

The Tomatoes are right behind the Sage in growth spurts. Zero to 3 … Read more...

When life hands you Tomatoes…and more…and more….

Posted on June 21, 2012 by Deborah

You can do one of two things. Either grab your hundreds of bushels of tomatoes and head over to Bunol, Spain for the La Tomatina Festival (the world’s biggest Food Fight) OR…scour the internet, your cookbooks, and while your at it, even your neighbours cookbooks, for as many recipes using tomatoes as you can find. Then get set to cook, can or eat your way through your bounty of tomatoes until you are so sick of them, you never want to see another tomato for as long as you live.

Or at least until next February, when you pull out … Read more...

PB & Banana Rollups ~ Not just for kids!

Posted on May 30, 2012 by Deborah

I must admit, ever since I was a wee tot, I have always loved peanut butter and banana sandwiches. There couldn’t be a better match made in the culinary world than these 2 plain ingredients in my opinion. With this slight spin on the traditional sammie, kids will be even more enamored by them, not to mention, they are easier and less messier for kids to eat without the banana slices falling out.

This is also where you can sneak in some good, whole-grain goodness into without them knowing.

Ingredients

1 ripe Banana
2 Tbsp Peanut Butter (any variety, whatever … Read more...

How to Make Home~Made Vegetable Stock

Posted on May 18, 2012 by Deborah

It is actually a really simple procedure which results in having your own great tasting, NO sodium stock on hand in the freezer to be used in soups, stews, risottos, fish/seafood dishes, etc.

I like to make my home-made stock right before grocery day. I take all those odds and ends of veggies in the fridge that have been sitting around a day or two too long…you know, those carrots that look dried up, or the celery that is going limp, onions, radishes, even the peppers (any kind) that are now getting shriveled and wrinkly, or a smattering of broccoli, … Read more...

Sweet Potatoes in Soup? You betcha…

Posted on April 24, 2012 by Deborah

Today is FREEZING…so, soup is on the menu. One that makes you think of the spices and aromas that fill the air as you stroll the ‘mercados’ in the Caribbean Islands. I came across this recipe from of all places, the North Bay Nugget Newspaper, and of course, being the notorious recipe tweaker that I am, I just had to tweak it – cuz I know I could (and did) make it better. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do.

Caribbean Black Bean Sweet Potato Soup

Ingredients

4 Cups Chicken Broth* (preferably home-made, if store bought, get … Read more...