Triple Berry

Last weekend I offered to make dessert for a BBQ and then the event day rolled around and I thought, ugh...what am I going to make?...and then laziness started setting in...but...then I remembered I saw this over at cupcakesandcashmere and voila! Easy berry deliciousness!

xo J

orzo with proscuitto + asparagus

If it wasn't detrimental to my petite frame I could eat pasta everyday of the week! The combinations are endless. By far one of my favorite pastas is Orzo, especially if I am lucky enough to hunt down some Greek orzo. For the most part, Italians do it better but when it comes to Orzo those Greeks know how to do it right!

I came across this recipe and knew I had to give it a try...asparagus...check!...Proscuitto...check check!.....taste?....Amazeballs!

Cooking the orzo slowly with the broth is ultimate punch of savoury flavour!

And with a glass of wine on the side it was absolutely delicious! I had to stop myself from eating what I had put aside for the next days lunch.

xo J

Homemade is the best made!

Since I wake up fairly early on weekdays I am never in the mood for a big meal in the morning so breakfast for me Monday through Friday consists of my latte and a yogurt (vanilla to be specific, it's the only yogurt flavour I like, I know boring right). The problem with that is as 10:00 am rolls around and lunch is a far off 2 and half hours away my stomach feels like it is eating itself. So to boost up my breaky I like to toss a bunch of my homemade granola on to my yogurt.

This is a really easy and fast granola to make, especially if you buy all your nuts pre-chopped and really to me so much more delicious than any store bought one, especially the organic super yuppie expensive ones.

The best part is you can put in WHATEVER you like, my favorite combination is:

• 4 cups of oats


• 1/2 cup of sunflower seeds


• 1/2 cup of chopped almonds


• 1/2 cup of chopped pecans


• 1/2 cup of shredded coconut


• a very liberal sprinkling of cinnamon (I like a lot of cinnamon!)


• 1/4 cup of vegetable or sunflower oil


• 1/3 cup of honey or maple syrup

This is where it gets a tad messy, really the best way to fully incorporate the oil and honey/maple syrup is to get your hands in there.

Pre-heat oven to 350, once you put the granola in it should take about 20 minutes or until a nice golden brown. At first I only check on it about every 5 minutes, giving it a bit of mix with a spatula so the oats evenly brown but in the last 5 - 7 minutes I check it more frequently as it starts to brown quickly (the very first time I ever made this I burnt the crapola out of it). You'll know it is getting close to ready when the sweet smell of cinnamon permeates your kitchen.

Put in an air tight container and enjoy for the next few weeks. I meant to take a picture of my yogurt and freshly made granola but then I ate it too fast!

xo J

Let my garden grow...

...or actually my Dad's garden! As I patiently wait for my lovely sparkly new apartment to be completed my parent's have generously let me take over their basement, while there are some cons to being back with the 'rents there are definitely some perks as well. Such as having the ability to plunder my Dad's very productive veggie garden.

Can you believe this little veggie oasis in the city!

My Spoils for the day: 2 cucumbers, 2 zucchinis, a mini mountain of cherry tomatoes, 1 paddy-pan squash, a good handful of green beans, and just a sample of the field of basil growing out there. Really looking forward to the corn being ready. There is probably another 15 different types of veggies growing out there, it is really quite impressive, the possibilities are endless!

Since my parent were out of town it was up to me to polish off all these veggies so night one I chopped up a bit of everything and tossed it in some barley with crumbled feta and just some olive oil and balsamic, it was delicious, hearty and healthy. You could also do this with couscous or a small pasta. I left all the veggies raw, including the zucchini and paddy-pan because I like the crunch.

Night two I tried to finish off the cherry tomatoes by saunteing them with some onion and garlic and tossed in the blanched green beans, added some chicken broth to make a bit of a sauce and threw in some nice prawns and soaked it all up with some crusty bread. This would have been perfect tossed with some penne but I was trying to be good since I had scarfed down all that barley already.

xo J

Punchfork aka Recipe Heaven

Hi Mes Amis!

Jenny C here - it's been a long time! How's your summer treating you? Vancouver finally got some sunshine, so you know it's time to take it in!

I would be outside right this moment, but I found this website I knew you'd love - it's called "Punchfork" and it gathers recipes from the greatest food sites and blogs on the web. All in one place! Did your head just explode? Trust me, it will when you click on the link. Be prepared to witness some awesomness!

And if you ever need ideas for dinner - bingo!

Anyhoodle, here's the link: Punchfork

Eat drink and be merry!!
xo
Jenny C

Summertime Slaw and a whole lotta pig!

This past weekend the Amis took part in an epic day of Pig! Yes the first annual Pigfest was a raging success. ..a spit roasted pig, four full racks of ribs, a pile of sausage and a keg of course! Thanks to Jenny and her guy for hosting an unforgettable day!

mmmmmmm....Pig!!!

Beer me!

My contribution was this really delicious slaw! Smitten Kitchen has become my go-to whenever I need a recipe, she has it all!

Crunchy slaw goodness!

xo J

This is my Pad

My Pad Thai, I admit right up front that this is far from a truly authentic Pad Thai, but what it is, is easy, fresh and delicious!


I slice up green onion, cilantro, simply wash bean sprouts and whisk some eggs.


Dice up chicken (I put prawns in when I have them) toss in a bit of salt, pepper, cayenne or paprika.

This is where I cheat heavily, all recipes I look up usually have about ten things to put in the sauce and I just don't have them all on hand. I use this thai sauce and doctor it up with lime juice, rice wine vinegar and sesame oil.

Some must need condiments!

Saute the chicken first and remove then scramble the eggs, add the veggies and re-add the chicken, throw your rice noodles in, drench in sauce and eat up!!

xo J

Too yummy for pictures: Leek, Bacon and Pea Risotto

Hey Peeps,

So you're hungry - you want some yumminess for dinner, maybe you want to impress a date or a friend, this is the recipe for you. I've made it a few times, and every time it comes out ubber tasty. Try it soon - you will love it.

PS yup I was too hungry to take pictures, so this pic is courtesy of the team at Martha Stewart. "What the hell Jen?" you ask. I have no defense - I guess I'll just have to make more to show you another time. See what sacrifices I'm willing to make for you lovely people? I know, you're welcome ;)

Less talk - more recipe - click here to see it

PPS if you don't have leeks on hand - a bunch of green onions works very nicely.

xo
Jenny C

Too Sweet For Words

How flippin' cute is this cake? Ok it's probably impossible to make, but have faith! What's the worst that can happen? Leftover cake? That's still delicious!

Find how-to instructions here

Send us a photo if you give it a try!!
xo
Jenny C

(found via Swiss Miss)

Perfect Potluck: A Lasagna Bar!

Hey Mes Amis!

Jenny C here.... Sorry I've been M.I.A. this week - but my world has finally gotten busy again. Huzzah! But enough about me, it's your weekend and you want to have friends over... or you'd love to host a dinner party but feel overwhelmed at the idea of executing a menu.

Solution? A "Build Your Own Lasagna Bar"!

The amis and I tried it out last week. Everyone brought a couple ingredients, we laid them out and let each other go to town building perfect personal lasagnas.

Brilliant, non?

We had the following ingredients in our bar: lasagna sheets (obvi), tomato sauce, bechamel sauce, ground sausage, mozza, parmesan, smoked cheddar, roast veggies and spinach. The possibilities are endless, make a list, have your friends forage for ingredients and have a great time!

Bon Weekend!
Jenny C

Flying Solo - Week Twenty

Happy Friday mes amis!

One week from now those of us who celebrate Christmas will be full-bellied with Christmas Eve goodies. Both my family and my guy's family follow the old Catholic tradition of Fish for dinner, so it's good old salt cod (aka bacalla) to the rescue! More pics to follow!

This week has been good, Jessy and I have kicked butt on her P90x program, so we can indulge guilt free over the coming weeks. Voice over biz is hibernating like little grizzly bears, but a couple part-time gigs have come up that look exciting so I polished off the old resie and applied.

This weekend it's friends, friends and more friends. What are you up to?

If you feel like a sweet treat but don't want to bake, try this DIY chocolate hazelnut spread. This recommendation especially goes out to our peeps Ant and Chicken (best nicknames ever) who LOVE Nutella.

Bon Weekend!
xo
Jenny C

A Cup Of Cheer

With the holidays in full swing and Christmas around the corner - there's a lot of get-togethers and a lot of raising glasses. If you're hosting a party and want to inject some winter wonderland into your bevies Serious Eats has some great ideas, here's some that I think look particularly drinkable:

Eggnog - the real stuff, made with good ol eggs. I made this boozy version yesterday with my family - it was delicious! I'm not squeamish about raw eggs because my grandma had me drink the yolks beaten with sugar as a child (it was good!). Anyhoodle, if you're feeling brave and aren't pregnant or have auto-immune issues, try it! Recipe and image via Serious Eats.

DIY Spiced Rum If you like mulling wine, try kicking it up to the next level by mulling regular rum into a spicy warm cocktail.

Holiday Punch Similar to the spiced rum above, this recipe uses warm spices like cloves and cinnamon to amp up apple cider and rum. Great for a big party, and an extra wow if you flambe it.

The Chocolate Velvet This drink had me at its name. It's a seemingly bizarre combo of chocolate stout beer and bubbly with a hint of orange. I'm intrigued. Scared but intrigued.

Hot Buttered Mai Tai Ok now you're speaking my language. Y'all know I love mai tais and this recipe makes them a little more wintery. Bartender - a round of doubles please!

Moral of the story - winter is here, so why not share some good cheer indoors with your friends and family. Get out those jiggers and have fun!

Splendiferous Sweet Potato Bourbon Bundt Cake or I Am Thankful for Maple Syrup

Bundt cake dripping with sweet bourbon syrup - heaven!

As Jessy mentioned yesterday Friends Thanksgiving on Saturday was awesome. There was a lot of love in the room and a feast of fabulous food. We shared guilty pleasures that we're thankful for, so I randomly said I am thankful for maple syrup. Some people laughed but think about... aren't you too? :)

But I digress.

Sweet Potatoes in a cake. Go with me here peeps - this cake tastes like warm and spicy autumn happiness. Take an afternoon, put on your favourite CD (my mom and I rocked out to Neil Diamond) and enjoy the process.

The recipe I followed is taken from Martha Stewart's site - click here for the cake recipe, and here for the bourbon syrup recipe. What can I say, I'm feeling like a lazy typer this morning - plus there's a cute video of Bundt master Dorothy Dalquist when you follow the link that's helpful too. After you print out the recipe - come back to this post because....

Here's my secret tweaks:

Numero Uno: Use a smaller bundt pan. The recipe calls for a 10-12 cup bundt pan. I have a 6 cup one, so I only put three-quaters of the batter in hoping to avoid over-flowing. Nope. Could've used the whole batter in the 6 cup bundt pan. Ah well bake and learn.

Numero Dos: Having an extra bit of batter led to unexpected awesomeness in the form of sweet potato bourbon cupcakes. Delicious! Note on baking time: these only take about 25-30 minutes to bake. Poke with a raw spaghetti noodle roughly 20 minutes in and see if it comes out clean. Keep checking till your happy.

Numero Tres: Pumpkin spice. The recipe calls for it, I didn't have it. So - improvise! I used 1 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, and 1/2 tsp cloves.

Numero Four: I used brown sugar in the bourbon syrup - which ended up tasting really maple syrupy. (As aforementioned, that's a good thing) It also gave the syrup a great caramel colour.

Numero Five: I didn't do this, but thought of it later to make things even more over the top... warm up the extra bourbon syrup a bit before serving. Mmmm

Happy Baking!!

Flying Solo - Week Ten

Holy Frijoles - ten weeks of writing the "flying solo" posts. Dang!

Bonjour mes amis!

Another Friday is upon us and yes, us Canadians are ready to celebrate Thanksgiving on Monday. So while "Flying Solo" is supposed to look back on the week past, it's very difficult to ignore all the yumminess and extra time with loved ones coming up this weekend.

Let's address the past week quickly so we can get back to turkey talk. This week I had 2 auditions for 2 great animated projects. I sent in my first auditions from home (there's something to be thankful for!). And my engineer friend weighed in and said my home studio sounds great. Woo hoo!

I can talk more about business, but who am I kidding - I really want to get back to Thanksgiving!

Every year our friends gather to celebrate Thanksgiving together (usually a week or so after the official day). It is one of my most cherished dinner with friends all year. We usually go around the table and say something that we're thankful for. I love this Thanksgiving tradition. What are your favourite Thanksgiving traditions?

This year "Friends Thanksgiving" will be celebrated on October 16th, so stay tuned for more photos, recipes and warm fuzzy thoughts on it!

If you're looking for dessert options for Thanksgiving or Autumn in general, the photo above is a Honey Crisp Apple Cake from Serious Eats, and there is a virtual "horn of plenty" of Thanksgiving desserts on MarthaStewart.com as well.

Have a great weekend everyone! Take a moment to share some gratitude!

xo

Airy Kitchen and a Quick Dinner Recipe

(Image above: Sweetie Pie's Interior Infatuations) 

One day I will have an open airy kitchen like this. Le sigh! What does your dream kitchen look like? Mine definitely needs an island to gather around! And what to cook? 

Well to keep on the healthy kick ignited in me last week, I might make a bok choy and tofu stir fry. I made this recipe the other night, marking my first time cooking with tofu (what can I say? I found the stuff intimidating). Anyway, this recipe is quick, easy and healthy. And if you've got some extra rice kicking around - this supper gets whipped up in a snap!

Bok Choy and Tofu Stir-Fry

Prep Time: 15 min

Cooking Time: 10 min

Serves: 3

2 tsp canola oil

1 large garlic clove, minced

1 tbsp ginger, grated

4 cups bok choy, coarsely chopped

1 cup shitake mushrooms, sliced (I used dried porcinis b/c that's what I had)

12 oz. firm tofu, drained and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

2 tbsp soy sauce

2 tbsp hoisin sauce

1/4 cup green onions, chopped (green tops only)

1/4 tsp black pepper

1 tsp siracha*  (optional: more for the heat lovers out there)

2 cups cooked rice

Coat a nonstick ok or skillet with oil, heat pan to medium-high. Add garlic, ginger, bok choy and mushrooms, stir-fry until bok choy is wilted, about 3 minutes. Add tofu cubes and brown for 5 minutes - give that tofu some colour!

Stir in soy sauce, hoisin sauce, green onions and pepper. Heat through about 1 minute. Serve with some steamy rice. 

It's a bird, It's a plane, No it's a giant zucchini!

Pictured above: Zucchinius Enormous with penny comparison

What do you do with a zucchini the size of a brontosaurus thigh? Make zucchini bread of course! ...lots of zucchini bread. Half of the mama zucchini pictured above was enough for me to make 8 loaves of zucchini bread, and a dozen zucchini latkes. Yipes!

If you're facing a bountiful zucchini harvest - here's what I made:

Zucchini Bread
Recipe courtesy Paula Dean, tweaked by Jenny C

Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 50 minutes
Yield: 2 loaves

3 cups flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 tsp baking soda
3 eggs
2 cups white sugar
1 cup vegetable oil
4 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups grated zucchini
2 tbsp lemon zest

*Optional add-ins:
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup pecans or walnuts
1 cup whatever your pantry or imagination inspires

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease two 9 x 5-inch loaf pans.

Sift together flour, baking powder, salt, spices and baking soda.

In a large bowl (or your Kitchenaid Mixer) beat eggs until light and fluffy. Add sugar, and continue beating until well blended. Stir in oil, vanilla, zucchini, and lemon zest. Stir in sifted ingredients. Pour into prepared loaf pans.

Bake for 50 minutes, or until a skewer (or uncooked spaghetti) inserted in the middle comes out clean. Remove loaves from pans and cool. Chill before slicing.

Zucchini Latkes
Recipe courtesy Mario Batali (via Serious Eats), tweaked by Jenny C

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 30-45 minutes
Yield: 24 latkes

*Note: I halved this recipe because I had about 3 cups of shredded zucchini left over from making zucchini bread and couldn't fathom shredding any more that day.

6 cups shredded zucchini, squeeze out excess moisture
1 medium onion finely chopped
3 eggs, beaten
1 1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp pepper
2 scallions, thinly sliced
1/2 cup extra virgin olive oil (I used canola oil)
1/3 cup Parmesan cheese
1 tbsp parsley, finely chopped

*Optional:
1/2 - 1 cup coarse breadcrumbs (I smashed up some croutons I had on hand). Add in if your mixture looks too wet.

In a medium bowl stir the zucchini, onion, eggs, scallions, cheese, parsley, salt and pepper together. Add bread crumbs if you like.

In a large heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat, heat the oil until hot. Place golf ball sized handfuls of the zucchini mixture into the hot oil, pressing down on them to form 1/4 to 1/2 inch thick patties. Brown on one side (about 2-3 minutes), turn and brown on the other. Let drain on paper towels. Serve hot!

I hope you enjoy these recipes! Now, what to do with the other half and it's brethren in my Dad's garden?! Ideas?

Baked Blueberry French Toast

Don't worry, your blueberry french toast is only exploding temporarily!

Here's what I brought to my friends place on Saturday before we headed to the PNE. I had a minor freak out when the french toast tried to escape the bonds of the dish (pictured above). Thankfully after stabbing it a few times (to check if it was done) and leaving it to rest a bit, it came back down to earth. Whew!

Do you have a bunch of friends staying at your place or do you need a recipe to bring to a brunch?

Look no further mes amis - this is the french toast to end them all. I usually am not a big fan of french toast the traditional way. My dad's version tastes too eggy and fried for a sweet dish (sorry dad)! This baked version removes the savory/sweet confusion. It's definitely on the sweet end and its custardy texture complemented with the tart blueberries cutting through the maple syrup makes this french toast a deliciously sinful way to start your morning.

Baked Blueberry French Toast
Recipe courtesy of Gourmet Magazine (slightly tweaked by Jenny C)

Prep Time: 30 minutes
Bake Time: 40 minutes
Inactive Time: 8 hrs to 1 day for absorption
Yield: 6-8 servings

1 (24 inch) baguette
6 large eggs
3 cups milk (I used 1%, original recipe calls for whole milk)
1/2 tsp grated nutmeg (I used cinnamon b/c I didn't have nutmeg)
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 cup pecans* (optional: I left them out b/c of my amis' nut allergies)
1/4 cup butter plus 1 tsp* (for pecans)
1/4 tsp salt* (if you're adding pecans)
1 1/2 cup blueberries

Butter a 13 by 9 inch baking dish. Cut your bread into 1 inch slices and arrange in one layer in the baking dish. It's ok to smoosh the bread in order to fit more slices - pack it in there!

In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, nutmeg (or cinnamon), vanilla and 3/4 cup brown sugar and pour evenly over bread. Chill mixture, covered, until all liquid is absorbed by bread, at least 8 hrs and up to 1 day.

*For pecans: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. In a shallow baking pan spread pecans evenly and toast in middle of oven until fragrant, about 8 minutes. Toss pecans with 1 tsp butter and salt.

Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

Sprinkle blueberries and pecans (if using) over bread mixture. Cut 2 ounces (1/2 stick) of butter into pieces and in a small saucepan heat with remaining 1/4 cup brown sugar, stirring until butter is melted. Drizzle butter mixture over bread, place baking dish on cookie tray to catch any overflow and bake mixture 40 minutes (the original recipe says "bake 20 min" but I've done that before and found it too loose still... if you like your french toast looser go for it), or until any liquid from the blueberries is bubbling.

Poke it if you're curious to see that the middle is cooked, then let rest a little & serve with maple syrup.

Enjoy!