You might have noticed this month that our logo has changed. Since I first started The Cook’s Companion in April 2005 so many wonderful new avenues have opened up for the business. I’ve branched out into food writing, TV presenting, private classes and kitchen coaching just to name a few. I’m very excited about this new look as I think it better reflects what The Cook’s Companion is all about—bringing you new and fun ideas on food and entertaining but in a non-intimidating and hopefully amusing style! I’d love to hear what you think about this new look so drop me a line if you get a chance.

The logo is not the only thing new around here. Launching in February is my newest service—The Menu Companion. We all love to enjoy a great meal with friends and family but preparing for a special evening can take a huge amount of time—not just the cooking, but the planning and the preparation. This is where The Menu Companion can help.

Choose from a wide selection of dinner party menus that will offer you and your guests a delicious and visually stunning meal with a minimum amount of time and effort on your part. The entire menu is mapped out and timed for you from the organized shopping list to the identically scaled recipes to the pre-planning that is required. It’s simple and easy to use. I know you’ll love this service so much that I’ll let you try it for free before you buy. Check out the website today at http://www.themenucompanion.com/ and your next dinner party is only a few clicks away!

So between switching all of our marketing materials over to our new look, creating and tasting lots of wonderful new recipes for The Menu Companion and still keeping up with cooking classes, life has been a bit crazy in my kitchen but I wouldn’t trade it for the world!

I hope you are spending your time doing the things you love to do and if you aren’t then take some time this weekend and invite some friends over to share a glass of wine and something decadent to eat! Come Monday morning you’ll feel better for it!

Coming up on March 3rd, Meena Agarwal will join me as special guest chef for our Indian 1o1 class. I’m looking forward to this class as it’s always fun to share the kitchen with someone who has as much passion about food as Meena does. Her extremely popular blog Hooked on Heat showcases mouth watering recipes and great information about her favourite Indian and Malaysian dishes.



Recently I caught up with Meena to ask her a few questions about her background, her love of cooking and if she’d share her favourite recipe with us. Here’s part of our conversation. Click here for the entire interview.



NH: You have such an eclectic background with your mom being Malaysian, your dad being an Indian and you growing up in the Middle East. How do you think this has influenced your cooking style?





MA: The food I cook regularly for my daily meals are often a blend of my favourite dishes from almost every part of the world that I’ve had the good fortune to visit. Most times, it’s only a memory of a dish I ate somewhere that gets me experimenting. I love how mixing different flavours can create a wonderful concoction for your palate.



NH: What do you think the biggest misconception about Indian food is?



MA: Of the few complaints I get on Indian cooking, the one that stands most prominent is the myth that Indian cooking is just too hard. Try as I might, somehow, I can’t convince people enough on just how simple and quick and not to mention, healthy, Indian food can be. Now before you roll your eyes at me and say, “Yeah sure, easy for you, you’re Indian!” just hear me out. True, I was born in an Indian household with a Mom who cooks the most delicious Indian food I know. But truth be told, and as much as I would like to believe, I wasn’t born with Indian culinary instincts in me. Like any of you not familiar with the South-Asian cuisine, I too started off without much knowledge.



NH: Like my husband, you joke that your hubby is your guinea pig. Do you think they know how good they have it??!!



MA: Oh, I definitely hope so! Or maybe we leave them to fend for themselves, and ask them what they think!

I’m sure we’ve all seen the commercials, a pouting but sultry woman flipping her gorgeous, shiny, long hair over her shoulder, breathlessly telling us she’s worth it. Of course we’re worth clean, shiny hair without any tell tale skunk lines. I’d also like to think I’m worth a tad bit more than that. I’d like to think I was worth a hot bubble bath every night. Perhaps a warming glass of Merlot and a chance to read my book for 10 minutes without being interrupted. Or the opportunity to curl up in front of the tv and watch some brainless show without feeling guilty for it! But I think I’m dreaming on all those accounts; not the worthy part of it just finding the time to do it!

With Valentine’s Day fast approaching I thought if I can’t manage all of the above (particularly the no skunk line with my schedule) then perhaps I’ll treat myself to a sweet treat. But what to make I thought? So when I came across this Nice and Easy Raspberry Toffee Ice-Cream Cake I knew I was worthy of it! It’s a no bake, easy to assemble treat that has all my favourite dessert flavours; tangy raspberry, smooth vanilla and the decadence of white chocolate. The striped colours of bright red and white are perfect for Valentine’s Day so even though I’ll tell my family I made it for them, I might just cut the recipe in half and hide my own special sized treat…because you guessed it; I’m worth it! Now I have to work on balancing the cake plate, wine glass and book while I step into the tub!
Whatever size you make, I’m sure you’ll enjoy this delicious cake because you’re worth it too!

Nice & Easy Raspberry Toffee Ice-Cream Cake
Serves 12
Preparation Time: 10 minutes + refrigeration time
Cooking time: 0 minutes (don't you love this number!!)

Ingredients:

• 1 litre good quality vanilla ice-cream
• 1 litre good quality raspberry sorbet or gelato
• 1 litre good quality English toffee ice-cream
• 250g fresh raspberries
• Good quality white chocolate for garnish
  
  
• Line a deep 19cm square cake pan with two pieces of plastic wrap so base is covered twice and wrap extends 5cm over all four sides.
• Soften vanilla ice-cream slightly. Spoon into prepared pan, pressing into an even layer with the back of a spoon. Freeze for about 1 hour or until firm. Tip: Spray the back of your spoon with non-stick cooking spray and your spoon will easily slide over the ice-cream.
• Spoon sorbet onto vanilla ice-cream layer with back of a spoon. Freeze about 1 hour or until firm.
• Soften toffee ice-cream slightly. Spoon onto sorbet, pressing into even layer with back of a spoon. Cover, freeze about 6 hours or overnight.
• To serve, invert pan onto serving platter and carefully remove plastic wrap. Spoon fresh raspberries on top and garnish with shavings of white chocolate.
  
  *Recipe adapted from the Australian Women’s Weekly

As Canadians, most of us are fortunate enough to enjoy three meals a day. Where, how and when we eat them is often the differing factor. When you consider that 15 million Canadians spend one-half of their waking hours at work, chances are we eat at least one of those meals per day at work and depending upon our schedule it can be up to 3 meals per day. So it stands to reason that our eating habits are greatly influenced by the workplace and the people we eat with.

According to the Public Health Agency of Canada, over half of Canadians carry excess weight and two-thirds of these are considered to be at a health risk. Obesity increases the risk of coronary heart disease, osteoarthritis and various cancers. It also increase the risk of back injuries which are a significant cost to the work industry as 35% of all Worker’s Compensation claims are related to back injuries.

Currently there has been a big focus on changing individual behaviour towards eating but little towards institutional changes. By establishing a healthy workplace environment, employers demonstrate a commitment to their employee’s health. In turn employers stand to gain an increase in productivity and morale, an enhanced ability to cope with stress, lower health care costs and reduced absenteeism

Snacks and meals in the workplace play an important role. In most cases, they are often used as a means to relieve current work pressures, opportunities to take breaks and as a social aspect of work. However the meals and snacks provided during meetings or work sponsored events, cafeterias and vending machines are often high in fat and sugar such as cookies, pastries and fried foods which can lead to sluggishness and contribute to an unhealthy weight gain.
Although it is important for employers to provide healthy eating options it is also beneficial for them to encourage a healthy lifestyle among their employees that can be followed through at home and become part of their family’s life. By providing opportunities for employees to learn and understand the basics of nutrition, food label reading, fat, cholesterol and salt intakes and fitness options, employers stand a greater success of having the employee take it on as a personal priority instead of it being viewed solely as a corporate priority.

Implementing a healthy eating campaign, which could include healthy food options and fitness programs, can work for workplaces of all different sizes and budgets. There are several food solutions that can be looked at and put into practice with minimal effort and expense.
Companies can look to form partnerships with local healthy vendors which would allow employees to benefit from programs such as loyalty food plans, employee health specials of the day and healthy food discounts.

Workplaces that currently provide a cafeteria can also employ meal or food vouchers and healthy eating discounts. A subsidy to meals in workplace cafeterias can also often cut down on time spent outside of the building.

Cafeteria workers should also be well versed in Canada’s Food Guide To Healthy Eating in order to properly prepare food and answer questions from employees.

Consider the environment for eating by providing comfortable, safe and clean conditions for employees to take their breaks and mealtimes instead of a quick and often unhealthy meal grabbed at a desk.

Ensure work schedules provide adequate time for eating.

Meeting organizers can ensure that snacks and meals provided mirror healthy eating options such as fresh fruit, juices, water, low fat muffins and bagels.

For those workplaces without a cafeteria or canteen, providing refrigerators, microwaves and hot plates are essential for making it convenient for employees to bring their meals from home.

Making on-site programs such as Weight Watchers available at work.

Have employees create and stock a garden that produces fruit and vegetables for employee’s use.

Put into action lunch time fitness options such as intramural sports, running and walking groups, nutrition lunch and learn seminars and cooking demonstrations.

Provide pre-ordered healthy meals to go for employees to take home for dinner promoting healthy eating habits after work hours.

Make available weekly meal planners with shopping lists and the opportunity to online grocery shop (with delivery to central workplace location) to promote healthy food choices.

Remember that like all new initiatives before embarking on a workplace health program, employers must know who their audience is, have an understanding of what motivates them, provide a wide variety of options and be realistic with their goals. Not all employees will want to adopt a new lifestyle program however by making it part of the company culture across all levels, most employees will pick out what is important to them and incorporate it into their daily lives. Most people want to inherently be healthy, it is a matter of gaining the insight and education into how to achieve this. By facilitating this education, the employer can play an important role.

It is socially important and economically viable as well as a profitable business practice for employers to responsibly ensure that workers have access to nutritious, safe and affordable food, an adequate meal break and decent conditions for eating. Each healthy individual contributes to achieving a healthy corporate philosophy.

Healthy Snacks for the Workplace
It’s good for the mind, body and soul to work mini snack breaks into your work day but don’t just mindlessly eat. This can cause quick and unhealthy over eating without our minds even registering what we have eaten leaving us unsatisfied. Put aside your work for a few minutes, take the time to enjoy what you are eating and you will find yourself revved up and ready to go again.

Here are some examples of healthy snacks that you can keep at your desk handy when you need that pick me up.
· Trail mix and/or dried fruits and nuts
· Breakfast cereal (choose a higher-fiber, lower-sugar type)
· Single serve cans of higher-fiber, lower-fat, and lower-sodium soup (microwavable)
· Instant oatmeal packets (look for less-sugar options)
· Tuna salad kit (includes a small can of water-packed tuna, and crackers)
· Higher-fiber, lower-fat crackers
· Natural-style peanut butter with crackers, bagels, and/or fruit
· Packets of low-calorie hot chocolate

I’ve never been one for resolutions and especially at New Year’s; too much fun going on at this time of year to burden myself with unrealistic expectations. Besides resolutions are often about cutting back in your life and I’ve always felt that life is too short to deprive yourself of all the good stuff; like champagne, rich gooey cheeses and butterscotch sauce - everything in moderation I say!

Instead of resolutions I usually just make little promises to myself throughout the year as I see fit. For instance somewhere in the middle of 2007 I decided that I needed to stop being such a procrastinator in certain areas of my life. I pushed myself not to put off those little tasks that can add up quickly and then stress me out even quicker. So I made the call for any home repairs when they happened, I tackled my writing assignments well before they were due and I picked up the clutter when I saw it instead of stepping over it (and over it and over it!). I must say I did a pretty good job of sticking to it and I feel great about it. So maybe I am happy to make resolutions but just not only on January 1st. Seeing as it’s January 7th I should be safe to try a few.

Here are a few of my foodie promises to myself.

· Explore a different culture’s cuisine. African flavours and spices are first on the list.
· Open those bottles of wine I have been saving for a special occasion. Isn’t a Tuesday enough of a celebration?

· Continue to push my kids’ palettes with new tastes and textures. My 6 year old asked me if we were still on that “sophisticated palette kick” - um yes... that would be called eating in our house!

· Stop procrastinating and stock the freezer with batch meals for those crazy week nights—cabbage rolls, stews, soups, lamb shanks etc.

· Take my own advice and clean out my kitchen cupboards. I’m tired of moving the blender, the food processor and 3 coffee makers (don’t ask) just to get to the hand mixer.

I’ll let you know how the list goes! Happy New Year and Bon Appétit

It’s the New Year again and it seems like we just popped the last bubbly and threw confetti into the air. If your 2007 health resolutions went the way of your confetti then perhaps it’s time to set more realistic guidelines for a healthier eating plan. Just like any new skill, eating healthier takes planning and practice. Making one or two simple changes to your diet successfully will give you the confidence and boost you need to keep adding healthier changes. To help get you started in 2008 here are a few easy to include tips that you can start introducing into your daily eating routines.

1. Plan your menus for the week (this will take some practice and time in the early weeks) and shop only once per week. This will help keep you away from the impulse packaged foods aisle and give you all the ingredients you need at your fingertips to create quick and healthy weekday meals.

2. Reduce the salt but bump up the flavour in your cooking by cutting back on the salt and increase the amount and types of spices, herbs and flavourings. By including fresh or dried herbs and flavours like garlic, chilli and ginger into your meals you won’t feel the need to add as much sodium in your recipes. Take the salt shaker off your table too!

3. When baking substitute half the suggested white flour with whole wheat flour. You may need to add one or two more tablespoons of liquid as the mixture will be slightly drier with whole wheat flour but you’ll increase your protein and retain essential natural nutrients that you don’t get in white flour.

4. Add canned beans to your stews, soups, casseroles and salads. Packed full of fiber and protein, drained, canned beans such as chick peas, kidney beans and black beans are easy to use and keep on hand.

5. Help cut the fat in your diet by switching your family to low fat or skim milk products. These contain the same amount of protein, B vitamins and calcium but with less fat. If you cook or bake with cheese, choose a strong tasting cheese like mature cheddar or blue cheese and you won’t have to use as much.

Here’s a recipe that you can include in your weekly meal plans. Ginger Chicken With Rice Noodles is high in protein, low in fat, contains ingredients that keep well in your pantry and refrigerator and can be prepared in advance. Simply reheat the baked chicken and poaching liquid when ready to serve and place over hot rice noodles or rice of your choice. Feel free to decrease or increase the chillies to suit your family’s tastes. My kids like the “funny see through” noodles and have increased their tolerance to chillies the more they have been exposed to them! Enjoy and Happy New Year!

Ginger Chicken with Rice Noodles
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 20 minutes
Cooking time: 50 minutes

Ingredients:
4 chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
250ml (1 cup) low sodium chicken broth
60g (1 inch piece) ginger, peeled and very thinly sliced into matchstick size pieces
4 green onions, sliced thinly
1 green chilli, deseeded and sliced thinly
1 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 teaspoons lemon juice
½ teaspoon sugar
225g rice noodles
For the Sauce:
1 teaspoon fish sauce
3 green onions, thinly sliced
1 red chilli, deseeded and thinly sliced
60g (½ cup) sugar peas, sliced thinly
Coriander leaves for garnish

Preheat oven to 350F.

Place chicken breasts and broth in a large shallow saucepan. Add enough cold water to just cover the chicken. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes. Remove chicken and place on plate to cool, keeping liquid in pan.

Continue to simmer the poaching liquid until the stock is reduced by half, about 10 minutes. Add the remaining sauce ingredients and keep warm.

Meanwhile cut each chicken breast into 4 slices. Arrange side by side on a large piece of foil. Divide the ginger, onions and green chillies among the chicken slices.

In a small bowl, mix the soy sauce, lemon juice and sugar; stirring to dissolve the sugar. Pour over chicken slices. Fold foil over and around the chicken to make a parcel. Bake in oven for 15 minutes.

While chicken is baking, pour boiling water over noodles until covered in a heatproof bowl and soak for 15 minutes.

To serve, divide the noodles amongst 4 large, deep soup plates. Unwrap the chicken and arrange the pieces and accumulated juices equally over the noodles. Spoon the poaching liquid over the chicken and garnish with coriander if desired.

I’ve never been one for resolutions and especially at New Year’s; too much fun going on at this time of year to burden myself with unrealistic expectations. Besides resolutions are often about cutting back in your life and I’ve always felt that life is too short to deprive yourself of all the good stuff; like champagne, rich gooey cheeses and butterscotch sauce - everything in moderation I say!

Instead of resolutions I usually just make little promises to myself throughout the year as I see fit. For instance somewhere in the middle of 2007 I decided that I needed to stop being such a procrastinator in certain areas of my life. I pushed myself not to put off those little tasks that can add up quickly and then stress me out even quicker. So I made the call for any home repairs when they happened, I tackled my writing assignments well before they were due and I picked up the clutter when I saw it instead of stepping over it (and over it and over it!). I must say I did a pretty good job of sticking to it and I feel great about it. So maybe I am happy to make resolutions but just not only on January 1st. Seeing as it’s January 7th I should be safe to try a few.

Here are a few of my foodie promises to myself.

· Explore a different culture’s cuisine. African flavours and spices are first on the list.

· Open those bottles of wine I have been saving for a special occasion. Isn’t a Tuesday enough of a celebration?

· Continue to push my kids’ palettes with new tastes and textures. My 6 year old asked me if we were still on that “sophisticated palette kick” - um yes... that would be called eating in our house!

· Stop procrastinating and stock the freezer with batch meals for those crazy week nights—cabbage rolls, stews, soups, lamb shanks etc.

· Take my own advice and clean out my kitchen cupboards. I’m tired of moving the blender, the food processor and 3 coffee makers (don’t ask) just to get to the hand mixer.

I’ll let you know how the list goes! Happy New Year and Bon Appétit.

T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house, this creature was stirring….and chopping and mixing and stuffing! Yes, it’s that time of year again to gather everyone around the table for what seems like a never ending procession of food. If I’m not cooking for my classes then I’m in my own kitchen trying to meet the demands of cookie exchanges, class treats, baked gifts and stocking up the freezer with nibbles for those impromptu invites for a glass of Christmas cheer (now those I don’t mind prepping for!). To help make all of this shopping and chopping go smoothly there are a few kitchen tools that I couldn’t live without. Well okay I could but you’d have one grumpy cook in the kitchen and we all know that’s never a good thing! So to help fill your Christmas wish list and hopefully your stocking, here are a few of my favourite things!

1. A good sharp knife—it doesn’t have to be the most expensive knife, just the sharpest. In fact I purchase used Chef’s knives at Nella Cutlery for around $20 each and make sure I get them professionally sharpened every 6 months or so.

2. Microplane—Before these became popular I used to buy wood rasps in hardware stores. They are fast and easy to use for grating anything from lemons to butter to chocolate.

3. Industrial Grade Large Cutting Boards—in at least 4 different colours. I reduce the chance of cross contamination and multi-task without constantly cleaning and drying the same board.

4. Cast Iron Grill Pan—when I’m too lazy to fire up the BBQ, the grill pan makes an ideal indoor substitute and gives me those perfect grill marks every time.

5. Someone to clean up after me. Indispensable. Thanks honey!

Hope your holiday meals are stress free, full of laughter and delicious too! Happy Holidays to you and your family. Bon Appétit.

Wild Hibiscus Flowers in Syrup

These little gems are a garnish for sparkling wine. The little flower sits in the bottom of your glass, all the bubbles stream off and slowly open up the flower. At the end of the drink you can eat the flower which has a delicious raspberry and rhubarb flavour. I picked up a huge jar of these in Australia and if you want to sample them you’ll just have to book a cooking class!

T’was the night before Christmas and all through the house, this creature was stirring….and chopping and mixing and stuffing! Yes, it’s that time of year again to gather everyone around the table for what seems like a never ending procession of food. If I’m not cooking for my classes then I’m in my own kitchen trying to meet the demands of cookie exchanges, class treats, baked gifts and stocking up the freezer with nibbles for those impromptu invites for a glass of Christmas cheer (now those I don’t mind prepping for!). To help make all of this shopping and chopping go smoothly there are a few kitchen tools that I couldn’t live without. Well okay I could but you’d have one grumpy cook in the kitchen and we all know that’s never a good thing! So to help fill your Christmas wish list and hopefully your stocking, here are a few of my favourite things!

1. A good sharp knife—it doesn’t have to be the most expensive knife, just the sharpest. In fact I purchase used Chef’s knives at Nella Cutlery for around $20 each and make sure I get them professionally sharpened every 6 months or so.

2. Microplane—Before these became popular I used to buy wood rasps in hardware stores. They are fast and easy to use for grating anything from lemons to butter to chocolate.

3. Industrial Grade Large Cutting Boards—in at least 4 different colours. I reduce the chance of cross contamination and multi-task without constant

ly cleaning and drying the same board.

4. Cast Iron Grill Pan—when I’m too lazy to fire up the BBQ, the grill pan makes an ideal indoor substitute and gives me those perfect grill marks every time.

5. Someone to clean up after me. Indispensable. Thanks honey!

Hope your holiday meals are stress free, full of laughter and delicious too! Happy Holidays to you and your family. Bon Appétit.

“Christmas is for kids. Christmas is for kids. Christmas is for kids.”

This is the mantra that I will silently be chanting over and over again this holiday season as I curb the urge to decorate the house straight out of a Dickens novel. In year’s past I’d spend hours hand tying bows (colour coordinated to my place mats), readjusting the pine branches so they sat just right (even on the trees outside!!), made sure each wrapped present matched the one sitting next to it and of course decorating the Christmas tree so that it was evenly balanced with light, colour and texture! Last year as I hung precariously off the kitchen bar stool trying to reach one of the silver bows that wouldn’t bend at an exact 45 degree angle, my husband snidely commented to me that perhaps our children might like to have a go at adding a few decorations. I rose my eyebrows and asked my 5 year old if he would like to add a decoration to my (ooops, our) Silver Bells themed tree. “Really?” he asked in astonishment. “Sure”, I said. “After all it is the family tree.” And with that he pulled out the Transformer Santa Claus puppet that he made at school and stuck it right smack dab in the middle of the tree blocking the hand blown glass ornament I had picked up in New York one year. As I reached over to start to re-position it, I heard dear hubby clear his throat and start to hum “Peace on earth, good will to men”. I withdrew my hand, ruffled my son’s hair and told him that now the tree was complete with good old Optimus Prime Santa and silently suppressed a cringe.

This year I’m letting the kids do the tree decorating (my husband tells me it’s good therapy for me!) and to help keep me out of the way, I’ll be in the kitchen. We’re having a Tree Trimming Party with all the works so while I’m whipping up fragrant Mini Tourtière Tarts, the family tree will be made over into a Bob The Builder/ Transformer/Spiderman evergreen extravaganza! The boys are excited, my husband can’t stop chuckling every time he thinks of it and I am secretly contemplating decorating the master bedroom with every single bow and ball I own just to get even!
Whether you’re having a tree trimming party or just looking for a holiday inspired meal, try these open faced Mini Tourtière Tarts. The spices will have your home smelling like Christmas even if your tree might not look like it! Enjoy and Happy Holidays to you and your family.

Mini Tourtière Tarts
Makes 20 tartsPreparation Time: 10 minutes
Cooking time: 40 minutes

Notes: Tourtière is a French Canadian meat pie that is traditionally served on Christmas Eve so these little open faced appetizer size tarts are easy to make thanks to frozen mini tart shells. Serve them with your choice of side vegetable or salad and you have a satisfying and aromatic meal that will get you into the holiday spirit.

Ingredients:
1 onion, finely chopped
2 tablespoons water
450g ground pork
2 teaspoons parsley
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon thyme
1/4 teaspoon cloves
1/4 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon sage
1/4 teaspoon fresh ground pepper
1 egg, lightly beaten
3/4 cup sour cream
20 frozen mini tart shells

1. Preheat oven to 425F.

2. In a medium saucepan, combine onion, water, pork, and seasonings. Cook over medium heat for about 15 minutes, stirring often, until pork is cooked through and onion is soft. Drain any excess fat.

3. Combine egg and sour cream together. Stir into the meat mixture.

4. Arrange tart shells on a baking sheet. Spoon a heaping tablespoon of the meat mixture into each tart shell.

5. Bake at for 8 minutes at 425F, reduce oven heat to 350 degrees, and bake for about another 14 minutes, until the pastry is golden. Serve immediately.

November is the month for me that I sit back and take a deep breath and enjoy the ability to do so. Heading into one of our busiest times of the year, November is a time to keep things simple and fuss free before the headiness of December rushes at us. That’s why I always like to invite a few friends over at this time of year so I can truly enjoy their company without having the sometimes stressful commotion of a big holiday gathering. For a relaxed simple and welcoming evening I often throw a stew party. Stews are ideal to do in advance (most stews freeze well and hold in the refrigerator for up to 3 days), are often inexpensive to make yet substantial enough to tame the biggest of appetites. Sometimes I prepare 3 different stews for my guests to choose from, some crusty bread and a glass of wine or specialty beer. Even easier, ask a few of your guests to bring a pot of their favourite stew to make it a stew tasting party. Make it informal by serving the stew in deep bowls or big cappuccino mugs. Throw a few big pillows and warm blankets on the couch and floor and allow your guests to curl up in front of the fire and enjoy a relaxed meal winter picnic style! Here’s one of my favourite stew recipes to start you off. Enjoy!

Moroccan Vegetable Stew With Couscous
Serves 4
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking Time: 40 minutes

Note: This stew has a delicious aroma that will welcome your guests the minute they walk through the door. Don’t be put off by the amount of ingredients, this is a great opportunity to clear out your pantry and use up some of your spices.

Ingredients:

1 onion*, cut into wedges
2 carrots*, peeled and cut into 1 inch rounds
3 zucchini, cut into 1 inch rounds
1 small butternut squash, cut into 1 inch cubes
3 slender (Japanese) eggplants, cut into 1 inch rounds
3 cloves garlic*, peeled and left whole
¼ teaspoon chilli powder*
½ teaspoon cinnamon *
2 teaspoons ground cumin*
2 teaspoons ground coriander
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon turmeric
¼ cup (65ml) extra virgin olive oil*
1 x 425g tin crushed tomatoes*
1 tablespoon honey*
½ cup (125ml) vegetable stock*
2 tablespoons chopped coriander
1 250g package of couscous* – prepared according to direction on pack

1. Preheat oven to 200°C/400F.

2. Place onions, vegetables and garlic in a shallow roasting pan. Mix together spices and toss through vegetable mixture with olive oil. Place in oven and cook for 30 minutes or until soft.

3. Transfer vegetables to a medium sized saucepan. Add crushed tomatoes, honey and stock and cook a further 10 minutes. Stir through coriander. Serve with couscous.

*Denotes recommended pantry item.

Join me in supporting Empty Bowls on Sunday October 21st from 1pm—4pm at Appleby College, Oakville Ontario. I’ll be there with 60 litres of home made soup for you to taste!

Share in the spirit of Thanksgiving and help raise both funds and awareness of homelessness in the Oakville community. Empty Bowls guests choose a unique pottery bowl, handcrafted by artisans and taste delicious soups prepared by top chefs from local restaurants. They then take home their bowl as a keepsake. Your minimum $50 donation goes directly to Home Suite Hope, providing ongoing solutions to local homelessness. For tickets: www.appleby.on.ca/community/EmptyBowls.aspx

The month of October cannot go by without mentioning food. This is the month that our taste buds start to crave heartier meals and local produce is often at its peak with the abundance of apples, pears, squash, turnips and the like. You might go apple picking with the kids and then be stuck with 2 bushels of apples which will eventually get turned into every pie shape and form possible. Our children will be looking forward to devouring Hallowe’en treats (maybe not the best food group but it’s so much fun!!) and of course if it’s not you cooking the Thanksgiving turkey then chances are you’re still enjoying it and all the fixings at a family gathering. I’m getting full just thinking about it!

If you’re responsible for this year’s family gathering or just want a lighter alternative to all the major “eating events” this October you might want to try my Cream of Lettuce Soup as a beautiful starter to any great meal. It’s bright in colour, low on calories and will even have your kids eating their vegetables and drinking their milk.

Cream of Lettuce Soup
Serves 10-12
Preparation Time: 15 minutes
Cooking: 1 hr
Notes: The lettuce gives this soup a beautiful light green colour, perfect for the fall and like most soups it can be made the day before. Do not add the final cream until you are ready to serve and reheat gently so as not to curdle the cream. The soup may thicken upon standing so add additional chicken stock if required when reheating.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 heads of Iceberg Lettuce, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup uncooked long grain rice
• 6 cups (1500ml) good quality chicken stock
• 2 cups (500ml) milk (can use 1% or 2%)
• Salt and pepper to taste
• ¼ cup (65ml) 10-18% cream (your choice depending upon the fat content desired)
• ¼ cup coriander, chopped for garnish

1. In a large soup pot, melt butter over medium heat. Add onion and sauté until soft. Add lettuce, rice and chicken stock; bring to a boil and then reduce heat to low and simmer for 30 minutes.
2. In a heavy bottom pot, gently warm milk being careful not to scorch.
3. Cool soup slightly and blend in food processor or blender. You may need to do this in batches. Return the soup to the pot and add warm milk, salt and pepper to taste.
4. Just prior to serving add ¼ cup whipping cream. Serve garnished with coriander.

For some reason I struggled this month to find something inspiring and interesting to write to you about. Maybe my brain is in overload testing new recipes, getting the kids organized at new schools, working and figuring out how I’m going to manage 3 Thanksgiving dinners in 3 days! In any case I decided to look at last year’s October newsletter to see what we talked about. And then it hit me. I must be in some sort of subconscious depression because at this time last year I was on my way to Italy ready to eat and drink my way through Tuscany. Talk about inspiring. I started pouring through my photos, recipes and food goodies from that trip. I was startled to notice a few hours had gone by and I needed to get down to the task at hand.

All that reminiscing about Italy made me realize that although it’s great to revisit the past it’s also equally important to enjoy the here and now. So with that in mind, I’m going to celebrate October with my family and friends to it’s fullest. I may have to roast 3 turkeys at once to enjoy with 3 separate family and friend groups, I’ll dress the kids up to the nines and let them eat as much Hallowe’en candy as they can muster on the 31st, help bake 1000 Apple Crumble Pies at my son’s school and make 60 litres of home made soup and dish it out at Empty Bowls Charity Event. And through it all I’m going to remember how lucky I am to not only have a fantastic family to share this with but some wonderful friends to indulge in a glass of wine when my arm can’t stir another pot or baste another bird!

No matter how you chose to spend your October, try to remember to thank the people who you share your meals with for taking the time to stop what they’re doing, sit down and raise a fork with you!