chef(s) at home

Summer Vaca, Summer Roundup

Tue, 21 May 2013 17:23:00 -0400

I am definitely a summer baby.

My family just came back from Banff to kick off the summer but it was barely summer there!

Nonetheless, it was spectacular to hike and spend some good Lam Fam time in Alberta. Most of the larger lakes were closed because they were still frozen, but we got to see Lake Louise on the first day.

(Left to Right: Sis, Me, Mom)

My favourite thing about Banff was probably the spontaneous trails and lakes we found along the roadside. Since a lot of main lakes were closed, we we would literally just drive down the highway and stop at the first sign we saw with a hiking trail! The best surprise was Mistaya Canyon. It’s not a famous one but it’s definitely worth checking out.

Mistaya Canyon

Now onto summer recipes business.

Couple of things to note:

We had to kill four hours at the Calgary airport and I bought this special edition magazine which I’m super super excited about. Be prepared to see recipes from here this summer!
I am going to grow an herb garden this summer. I know, the Lams kill trees. But rest assured, I’m doing my research and already bought basil, cilantro, oregano and Miracle Growth soil. The idea actually came from studying Genesis at Mark Central.

1. God designed man to till and to keep the ground. In fact, growth could not happen without man’s help (Genesis 2).

2. We are from the same place. Vegetation emerged from the ground as God spoke it; man emerged from dust from the ground as God breathed into him. The difference? Man has the breath of life from God. Man was given dominion over the living creatures on earth and all the plants and trees from God.

I’ll probably be sharing more from Genesis as I update you on #tiffsgardeningadventures (tifflam on Instagram).

I’ve compiled a summer roundup of my favourite recipe from each category. I promise new recipes will be coming your way but this should get you started!

Favourite Muffin: Healthy Double Chocolate Zucchini Muffins

Zucchinis are in season and a great way to sneak in veggies for an afternoon or morning treat. This recipe can make a loaf or muffins. Your choice.

Favourite BBQ Potluck Dessert: Rocky Road Brownies

Definite crowd pleaser. Just don’t burn the marshmallows (seriously). You can make this any time of the year but toasted marshmallow reminds me of bonfires which reminds me of camping which is summer.

Favourite Drink: Sangria

Take advantage of the fruits in season! If you aren’t a big fan of wine, this is an easy transition to bring you to the other side ;) My wine recommendation? Mirassou. #25 Rowland love.

Favourite Burger: Black Bean Burgers (with sweet potato fries and coleslaw)

You can’t escape this recipe! I love these burgers. The best veggie burger I’ve ever had. Give it a chance. The worst that can happen is you get gassy.

That’s it folks! I’ll be experimenting with a lot more types of salads, homemade popsicles, homemade bread and things on the grill :) Stay tuned.

25 Rowland Goes to Montreal

Wed, 24 Apr 2013 17:10:00 -0400

ROAD TRIP!

A food trip. I did not stop eating the moment we arrived in Montreal. Apparently I am told this is what you do when you only have one weekend in Montreal. Or are just living in Montreal.

“Where should we eat?”

Allow me to help you with the help of some trusted foodie friend(s) (thank you Jo!). This is in no particular order but there’s an asterisk beside the ones I went to:

1. Schwartz’s*

We heard SO much talk about this it was our first destination literally right off the highway. My suggestion? Don’t get lean cut. I was disappointed with the flavour and “meatiness” and kind of tasted like nothing :( However, I was told medium cut just melts into your mouth so that will be my suggestion! Jinsuk said it tastes like a healthier version of bacon. Your choice.

2. Chez Jose

A go-to for a hot sandwich and fresh smoothie. A friend recommended Churrasco (yummy Portuguese rotisserie chicken) and avocado sandwich. Cash only and closes early!

3. Kouign-Amann Bakery

Jinsuk went here and apparently they have the most buttery, light and flaky croissants. So sad I wasn’t able to go here.

4. Fairmount

Montreal bagels. Enough said.

5. Patiti Patata

Poutine done right.

6. L’Avenue

Amazing breakfast/brunch place and they certainly don’t skip on tastiness or the amount of food they give you. My friend is in love with their Eggs Benedict (particularly the “Sucré-Salé”) but watch out cause there’s usually a line for this place!

7. Santropol

They specialise in Big fresh sandwiches with tasty combinations of their own cream cheese mixes. It sounds odd but super yummy!

8. Pho Bang New York

Really good pho! It’s right up there in authenticity because of the huge Viet community. Also big portions for cheap.

9. La Panthere Verte*

A 55 Essex recommendation from Danica! Em and I went here in honour of her and seriously was not surprised how healthy and how many vegetables were exploding from the sandwich.

This is the Falafel Traditional Sandwich aka The Danica Pita. Vegan, healthy lunch spot that has no English on their website or menu. Sorry I can’t say much more …

10. Juliette et Chocolat

Heavenly. Honestly something magical happens the moment you walk in. The rainy weather doesn’t bother you anymore, the conversation you were just having about work stresses melts into chocolately smelling thin air.

I asked her what’s the best thing on the menu and she said this. She was right.

As if I didn’t have enough chocolate, I ordered semi-sweet dark hot chocolate to wash my chocolate dessert away. So. Good.

Guests to Impress? Roast a Chicken. And Brown Butter.

Thu, 14 Mar 2013 13:52:00 -0400

The weather does funny things to you.

Last weekend it was 8 degrees warmer and suddenly people were wearing flats, ditching their jackets, and in an exponentially smilier mood. All legitimate.

Me? I wanted to make roast chicken. And cornbread. And brown butter. (More on browned butter later but it is one of the most glorious smells on Earth).

There’s basically two important parts to roasting a whole chicken.

1. Buy the chicken (I went to a local butcher and got one for $25 to feed 5 people).

2. Make an awesome butter (Rosemary, lemon, garlic butter to be exact).

Then, you help the chicken and butter become best friends.

Lemon-Herb Roast Chicken (via The Bon Appétit Cookbook)

Such a classic meal, yet we only save it for special occasions like Christmas, Easter or Thanksgiving. This recipe deserves some more attention than that. It features simple seasonings, delicious pan gravy and does not make your chicken dry!

How to avoid dry chicken? Rub the herb butter UNDERNEATH the skin and overtop!

You now know one of the most mother-worthy secrets of all time. You’re welcome.

Ingredients

1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temp

2 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary

2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/2 tsp grated lemon peel

1 6.5-7 lb roasting chicken

1/4 cup dry white wine

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

~ 1 cup low sodium chicken broth (I would use water because I found mine too salty)

2 tbsp flour

1. Combine butter, herbs, garlic, lemon in a small bowl. Stir to combine. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Rinse chicken and pat dry. Slide hand under skin of chicken breast to loosen skin from meat. I used a knife.

3. Reserve 2 tbsp herb butter for gravy. Rub half of remaining herb butter on the skin and the other half under the skin. Sprinkle entire chicken with salt and pepper. Tie legs together to hold shape.

4. Place chicken in a heavy large roasting pan. Roast for 20 min. Reduce oven temperature to 375 degrees. Roast until juices run clear when chicken is pierced in thickest part of thigh (internal temperature should be 185 degrees F) about 1 hour 15 minutes. I basted the chicken twice in this duration. Lift chicken and tilt slightly, emptying any juices in the cavity. Transfer to a platter and tent with foil.

5.To make pan gravy: Scrape browned bits of roasting pan and pour pan juices into a saucepan over medium-high heat. Add wine, worcestershire, a little bit of broth/water and reserved herb butter. Add flour and whisk continuously unless liquid thickens (~7 min). Keep adding broth until you get desired consistency. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

BONUS!!!! The warm weather got me in such a good mood I ventured on to making Brown Butter Cornbread with Rosemary and Orange. Oh yes.

Brown Butter Cornbread with Rosemary and Orange (via Joy the Baker)

Allow me to show you the progression of regular butter to brown butter:

It is like fried onions versus caramelized onions. Raw almonds versus roasted almonds. You give it a little love, and it turns into a masterpiece of flavour.

Hey, cornbread on its own is pretty awesome. Add brown butter? Now we’re talking. Add orange AND rosemary? Homerun.

There is this wonderful nuttiness and sweetness that comes to browning butter. I’m sad to say I have never browned butter before but after this … you can make brown butter brownies, brown butter cookies, the options are endless.

My only fallback with this recipe was that there were too many flavours to just taste the difference with brown butter. Other than that, highly recommended!

Thank you Joy for the recipe!

A "Just Because" Cookie

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 23:03:00 -0500

Hello.

What is this?

A Just Because cookie. I’m not just calling it that because I’m a week past Valentine’s Day (…) but this cookie can really brighten someone’s day for any occasion. What’s better than receiving a free cookie just because someone felt like making it for you?

Red Velvet inspired. Totally unhealthy. Involves Crisco. Yes.

I confess, these beat my Healthy (vegan) Monkey cookies. Crisco does magical things.

Words of wisdom from Minny from The Help:

“It ain’t just for frying. You ever get a sticky something stuck in your hair,like gum?…That’s right, Crisco. Spread this on a baby’s bottom, you won’t even know what diaper rash is…shoot, I seen ladies rub it under they eyes and on they husband’s scaly feet…Clean the goo from a price tag, take the squeak out a door hinge. Lights get cut off, stick a wick in it and burn it like a candle….And after all that, it’ll still fry your chicken.”

Well, it also makes unreal soft-on-the-inside-and-slightly-crunchy-on-the-outside cookies.

I haven’t done much story telling in these last few posts so forgive me for a longer post.

These cookies were made for two special people: (1) Michael (2) My awesome small group.

Michael.

I’ll save you from the mushy gushy.

“Love in this second sense—love as distinct from ‘being in love’—is not merely a feeling. It is is a deep unity, maintained by the will and deliberately strengthened by habit; reinforced by the grace which both partners ask, and receive, from God. They can have this love for each other even at those moments when they do not like each other; as you love yourself even when you do not like yourself. They can retain this love even when each would easily, if they allowed themselves, be ‘in love’ with someone else. ‘Being in love’ first moved them to promise fidelity: this quieter love enables them to keep the promise. It is on this love that the engine of marriage is run: being in love was the explosion that started it.” - C.S. Lewis

OCAD Christian Fellowship.

Our discipleship group made these Bible Study booklets. One thing I love about these students is how they integrate school and faith. As an art and design student, you communicate much about who you are in your work. As a follower of Jesus, you communicate much of who you are as a person. That includes school. It is an all encompassing type of relationship because God is that crazy about you; He demands your life.

“My command is this: Love each other as I have loved you. Greater love has no one than this: to lay down one’s life for one’s friends. You are my friends if you do what I command.I no longer call you servants, because a servant does not know his master’s business. Instead, I have called you friends, for everything that I learned from my Father I have made known to you. You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.This is my command: Love each other.” John 15:12-17

A “Just Because” Cookie aka Red Velvet Cookies via Cooking Classy

2 1/4 cups flour

2 1/2 tbsp cocoa powder

1 1/2 tsp cornstarch

3/4 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

8 tbsp butter, room temp

6 tbsp vegetable shortening, room temp

1 1/2 cups sugar (I reduced it to 1 1/4 cup)

1 egg

1 egg yolk

1 1/2 tsp white vinegar

1 1/2 tsp vanilla

1 tbsp red food colouring

1 cup white chocolate chips

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 375 degrees.

2. Whisk flour, cocoa powder, cornstarch, baking soda and salt. Set aside.

3. Using an electric mixer, beat butter, shortening and sugar until pale and fluffy (about 4 min) in a separate bowl. Add egg and egg yolk until combined. Add vinegar, vanilla, food colouring and mix until well blended.

4. Slowly add in dry ingredients in 3 batches and mix until just combined. Don’t over mix! Mix in white chocolate chips.

5. Scoop out dough, roll into balls and place on greased baking sheet. GENTLY press a white chocolate chip on top of each cookies. Be careful NOT to flatten (if you do, just reshape them to the original height).I did two batches of slightly flattened and not flattened at all. The flattened ones were more crunchy and did not have the natural wrinkles on top. Keep them in balls because they come out way softer and you get the natural wrinkles when they cool!

6. Bake 8-9 minutes on medium rack. Allow it to cool for several minutes on baking sheet before transferring on a wired rack.

And dunk.

fattributes: Roasted Vegetable Soup

Sat, 23 Feb 2013 21:14:37 -0500

fattributes:

Roasted Vegetable Soup

What's for Dinner: Lamb Mango Curry

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 16:22:10 -0500

I was going to call this Malaysian lamb curry but I knew better to do some research before I offended some Malaysians in Toronto … I’m also no curry connoisseur because I’m totally satisfied with eating cheap Indian buffet or “Thai” chicken curry and cannot handle the heat of authentic Southeast Asian curries. I also can’t bring myself to add large amounts of butter, oil or cream in anything so let’s not even classify this as any regional curry. Tiff’s Curry it is.

If you’re curious, what is the difference between Indian/Thai and Malaysian curry? Here’s what I found:

- most Malaysian curries use a special curry paste which consists of mustard seeds, cardamons, cloves, and curry leaves.

- unlike Thai curries, Malaysian curries are not as sweet because they use less coconut milk to complement but not overshadow the spices.

- no sugar, fish sauce or yogurt is added to Malaysian curries.

- Malaysian curries have more spices and thus hotter. Noted …

I ordered Lamb Curry from a local Thai restaurant and it was so good. It had pistachios, raisins, yam, green mango, and lamb. I decided to replicate the exact same thing the next day for my Mom’s birthday!

Happy Birthday Mumsy

Here’s my take on ~~Malaysian~~ Lamb Mango Curry.

Lamb Mango Curry adapted from BBC Food

1 kg lamb stew meat

1 tsp fresh ginger

1 tsp chili powder

2 tsp curry powder

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp tumeric

1/2 tsp cumin

salt and pepper

2 garlic cloves finely chopped

2 yams, cubed

1 carrot, peeled, cubed

2 cans coconut milk

2 mangos, peeled, cubed

1/2 cup plain yogurt

handful fresh coriander, chopped

1 cup raisins

lime, for garnish

1/2 cup pistachios, for garnish

1. Place lamb in a large bowl and mix in all the spices. Leave it to marinade while you chop the other ingredients.

2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium high heat. Add lamb and brown on all sides (it doesn’t have to completely cooked through). Remove from pot and set aside.

3. Add garlic, yams, and carrot. Add coconut milk and deglaze. Add mangos and lamb back to pot. Bring to boil, cover with lid, and simmer over low heat for 30 min.

4. Add yogurt, coriander and raisins. Cook for another 5 min.

5. Serve overtop rice and garnish with lime wedges, pistachios and coriander.

Enjoy :)

The Paper Kites from The Ripe The harmonies are beautiful and...

Sat, 02 Feb 2013 13:42:06 -0500

The Paper Kites from The Ripe

The harmonies are beautiful and the banjo compliments the soft lyrics. This is how I first heard The Paper Kites. I fell in love with them at first sight, all we needed to do was run and embrace each other in the middle of the pouring sun shower and it would be like a scene from one of those horrible Rom-coms.

Healthy Cranberry Coffee Cake adapted from Two Peas and their...

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 20:47:00 -0500

Healthy Cranberry Coffee Cake adapted from Two Peas and their Pod

Ingredients

2 cups whole wheat flour, sifted

1 1/2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

3/4 cup sugar

zest 1 orange

1/2 cup butter, at room temperature

2 large eggs

1 cup plain 0% Greek Yogurt (I used 2% plain yogurt)

1 tsp vanilla

2 cups fresh or frozen cranberries

Streusel Topping

3/4 cup all purpose flour

1/2 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup pecans, crushed

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

1/4 cup butter

Instructions

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees. Grease 8 inch square pan.

2. Combine flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt.

3. In a small bowl combine sugar and orange zest until fragrant. Cream butter and orange-sugar mixture with electric mixer until fluffy. Add eggs one at a time until smooth. Beat in yogurt and vanilla.

4. Slowly add in dry ingredients. Mix until just combined.

5. Make streusel topping in a separate bowl. Cut butter into dry ingredients with a fork.

6. Pour batter into pan. Cover with cranberries. Top with streusel topping.

7. Bake for 45 minutes until golden and toothpick comes out clean.

Kale chips A light simple snack, a healthy alternative for the...

Sun, 27 Jan 2013 19:51:00 -0500

Kale chips

A light simple snack, a healthy alternative for the chip lover in you ;)

What you’ll need:

Bundle of kale
1 Tbsp olive oil
Pinch of salt

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 350 F
Rip kale leaves off from stem and into bite-size pieces
Wash and dry the leaves
Lay on foiled baking pan
Drizzle oil and sprinkle salt on top
Bake for 10-15 minutes or until edges browned

The result is a crispy delicate snack that will hook you on kale for life!

stools.

Sat, 26 Jan 2013 11:55:56 -0500

stools.

Pork and Pumpkin Guinness Stew + Missional Living

Mon, 07 Jan 2013 22:50:01 -0500

Happy New Year (from the Lam Family)!

I hope you had a wonderful break with the company of friends and family this Christmas season.

I’ve got two goodies for you: More pumpkin recipes and my first DIY post.

Pork and Pumpkin Guinness Stew adapted from Food Network

This has been a keeper of mine. A go-to if I have company over and the wonderful pairing of Guinness and pumpkin. I made this for my two high school friends, Jen and Gabby, at 25 Rowland.

I’ve never seen hospitality as a way of living missionally but it totally can be. Since Acts of Service is one of my love languages, cooking a nice dinner for company comes quite naturally. I think the cooler opportunity is sharing a glimpse of what missional living looks like. Many people don’t know what intentional community is and why a bunch of strangers would choose to live with each other for the sake of pursuing Jesus. Our house mission? Acts 2:42-47.

You can see this as a very indirect way of inviting you for dinner at 25 Rowland :)

3 lb boneless pork shoulder, trimmed and cut into 1/2 inch cubes

1 bottle Guinness

2 sweet potatoes, diced

1 green pepper

2 stalks celery, diced

2 carrots, peeled and diced

1 onion, diced

4 cloves garlic

2 tbsp oregano

1/4 cup chili powder

2 tbsp paprika

2 tbsp brown sugar (or more to taste)

1 can tomatoes

1 15oz can pumpkin puree

1 can white beans, rinsed and drained

salt and pepper

1. Heat vegetable oil over medium high heat. Brown pork until all sides are golden. Add beer and scrape bottom of pan. Remove pork on a separate plate.

2. Saute all vegetables for ~10 min. Season with spices and brown sugar.

3. Add pork, canned tomatoes, pumpkin puree, beans.

4. Bring to a boil and then turn heat to low. Simmer for at least 30 minutes. I let mine simmer for 2 hours. The longer the better!

You want to aim for a thicker consistency and aim to have a good balance or sweet, spicy, and “Mexican” … whatever that means to you.

DIY Mason Jars

A pretty practical and handy gift. I made this for my sister this Christmas and she loved it. I got a pack of 12 mason jars from Canadian Tire for ~$15!

I also found these free printable Mason Jar labels courtesy of Limeshot.

I labeled the lid with a generic title, i.e “Legumes” and the jar label with a specific title (in pencil), i.e “Green Lentils.”

This is great to personalize the gift or to ensure they eat the things you want them to eat haha.

Merry Christmas y’all. Please note Phyllis. And then...

Mon, 24 Dec 2012 17:12:36 -0500

Merry Christmas y’all.

Please note Phyllis. And then Stanley. Joy!

25 Rowland Happenings

Sat, 15 Dec 2012 16:08:00 -0500

What’s going on at 25 Rowland this Christmas season?

1. We cut down our Christmas tree.

His name is Horatio and he’s a little crooked.

2. “I am a Christmas Unicorn.”

If you’ve been in our house the past month, you’ve probably heard Sufjan’s, “Christmas Unicorn” playing in the background or heard one of us singing it.

Have a listen. It’s only 12 minutes long.

3. We fed many hungry stomachs.

We had some of our student exec team over for a crazy dinner featuring: Jamie’s sweet potato casserole, fusion bbq pork asian spinach salad, butternut spinach and gruyere tart, lentil vegetarian soup, and cannelloni and triple chocolate cheesecake.

Then we played Donkey (a true Elliot tradition. You just have to come over to find out what it’s about!).

4. Mirassou Pinot Noir at your next Christmas party.

If you haven’t tried this wine you really should. It took us three months to buy a different wine. Smooth. Fruity. Full bodied.

They also make awesome candles.

5. Christmas gift ideas? Jesus Shaves Mug

I bought Steven this mug for our house secret santa. In 4 (ish) months you will soon understand with photographic evidence why this was the perfect gift for him.

“Pour a hot beverage into the mug and Jesus gets cheeky in a flash!”

When you pour hot water in, Jesus’ beard goes away and “Jesus saves” becomes “Jesus shaves.”

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year from 25 Rowland!

Snow. Rain. Buttermilk Biscuits.

Sat, 01 Dec 2012 11:19:00 -0500

Good morning Saturday.

Yesterday I was sitting in an empty room at OCAD and I started drawing … again. OCAD, what is happening to me …

I say this lightly because I actually find it really cool how art and design students “naturally” respond to Scripture. They may hear God speak through images or actually process things through art. For me, it was actually in response to this:

“And if you will indeed obey my commandments that I command to you today, to love the Lord your God, and to serve Him with all your heart and with all your soul, He will give rain for your land in its season, the early rain and the later rain, that you may gather in your grain and your wine and your oil. And He will give grass in your fields for your livestock, and you shall eat and be full.” Deuteronomy 11:13-15

“Circumcise therefore the foreskin of your heart, and be no longer stubborn. For the Lord your God is God of gods and Lord of lords, the great, the mighty, and the awesome God who is not partial and takes no bribe.” Deuteronomy 10:16-17

Do not let you hearts harden. It is Him who waters our soul and our land, making it bring forth and sprout. As the rain and snow comes down from heaven and does not return but waters the earth, so is His Word that goes out from His mouth; it shall not return to Him empty but accomplish what He purposes and succeeds in the thing for which He sent it (Isaiah 10-11).

He is God of creation and God of our hearts.

As you ponder on this, why don’t you also ponder on how these buttermilk biscuits can be so flaky and delicious.

Super Flaky Buttermilk Biscuits via A Cozy Kitchen

1 cup flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup COLD butter

1/2 cup buttermilk, cold

1 large egg, cold

Egg wash:

1 large egg

1 tbsp milk

1. Preheat oven 400 F. Grease a baking sheet and place in freezer.

2. Mix dry ingredients in a large bowl. Grate butter into flour mixture and place in freezer while you gather wet ingredients, about 5-7 minutes.

Why grate? This ensures ultra flakiness because you don’t need to use your hands to mix the dough which adds heat. It’s also the perfect pea shaped size.

3. Whisk buttermilk and egg in another bowl.

4. Make egg wash mixture and transfer both bowls to fridge.

4. Take the bowl out of the freezer and gently break up the butter and combine using your hands, until it resembles small peas. Add buttermilk mixture all at once to the flour mixture. Mix until barely combined and lightly knead the dough until it forms one solid mass.

5. Sprinkle your surface with flour and press the dough into 3/4 inch thickness. Cut out biscuits (you should get around 8 biscuits). Transfer them to baking sheet.

6. Brush tops with egg wash and bake for 15 minutes, until tall and golden brown. Serve with butter and jam :)

Pumpkin Ginger Cookies

Mon, 19 Nov 2012 12:23:57 -0500

If I had to describe this particular Autumn in one word, it would be transition. Much like the actual season, the leaves change colour, students are back in school and the rhythm of life quickly gets back to busy.

Transitioning out of undergrad life into campus ministry life feels a lot like growth pains. I am learning and growing at a crazy rate where I can’t even keep track of everything that’s going on. Sometimes it’s really hard when you actually feel pain and suffering because you are sacrificing so much of what is familiar. However, in order to have a successful transition or growth, you actually have to let your old self die and choose the new self that God is inviting you into. No looking back, but enduring the pain that’s required to move ahead because it’s going to be better.

Moving onto food…

If I had to choose one flavour to represent Autumn it would be pumpkin. The deep, rich colour, the smell, the texture … It’s quite the dilemma when I develop a great love for Pumpkin Spice Latte and then I have to switch over to Gingerbread Latte.

Ginger cookies are also a deep love of mine. Slightly cracked at the top with sugar crystals and slightly chewy on the inside. When I saw the opportunity to combine both together, it didn’t take much to actually bake it.

Pumpkin Gingersnap Cookies via Two Peas and Their Pod

1/2 cup butter, at room temp

3/4 cup sugar, plus more for rolling the cookies (reduced from 1 cup)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree

1/4 cup molasses

1 large egg

1 tsp vanilla

2 1/3 cups flour (I used 1 1/3 cup whole wheat, 1 cup white)

2 tsp baking soda

2 tsp pumpkin spice

1 1/2 tsp ground ginger

1 tsp ground cloves

1/2 tsp salt

1. In a bowl, beat butter and sugar until creamy and smooth. Add pumpkin, molasses, egg, vanilla and mix until well combined.

2. In a medium bowl, whisk flour, baking soda, spices, and salt. Add dry ingredients to wet ingredients and mix until combined. Refrigerate cookie dough for at least 1 hour. The dough can be chilled for 2-3 days.

I chilled mine for 2 days but it didn’t come out as flat and “cracky” as I wanted it to. I would try chilling it for ~4 hours next time to see if the texture changes.

3. When you are ready to bake, preheat oven to 350 °F. Grease baking sheet.

4. Place sugar in a small bowl. Roll tablespoon sized balls of dough in sugar until well coated and place on baking sheet, about 2 inches apart. Bake for 10-12 minutes or until cookies look cracked. The cookies will still be soft. Let it cool on the baking sheet for 2-3 minutes, then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.

gastrogirl: pumpkin grilled cheese.

Sat, 03 Nov 2012 14:13:45 -0400

gastrogirl:

pumpkin grilled cheese.

phoods: (via The Bojon Gourmet: Gluten-Free Bourbon Pumpkin...

Mon, 29 Oct 2012 13:30:22 -0400

phoods:

(via The Bojon Gourmet: Gluten-Free Bourbon Pumpkin Cheesecake Brownies)

They’re back … Pumpkin Brownie Swirl Loaf

Thu, 25 Oct 2012 21:22:00 -0400

They’re back … Pumpkin Brownie Swirl Loaf

Student Special: Vegetarian Harvest Soup

Tue, 16 Oct 2012 22:45:00 -0400

Oh yes, midterm season is here.

The runny noses, the crammed libraries, the days becoming blurred …

So glad I’m not a student anymore.

Just kidding! (But not really). I totally get what you’re feeling and I was once there less than a year ago. Not fun times.

I also know how dinner prep can go down the drain and how memorizing the menu at Teriyaki becomes is a little concerning.

Solution? Vegetarian Harvest Soup.

It’s hearty and healthy, it’s cheap university affordable food, and it makes great leftovers.

I like to call it, Tiff’s Student Special.

In a stressful time such as now, why not make an easy meal to help feed your housemates or friends and brighten up their day? It’s amazing how a smile (sometimes) goes a long way (not always the case … try smiling to someone on the TTC. Just sayin’). Think about how much more a free dinner can go a long way.

Sure it takes time out of studying but if you need a break, make some soup, and go spread some Jesus love by giving it to those in need.

Vegetarian Butternut Squash Harvest Soup adapted from Eat, Live, Run

4 carrots, chopped

4 stalks celery, chopped

1 onion, diced

1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed

1 cups lentils

5 sprigs fresh thyme

1 bay leaf

1 tsp dried oregano

4 cloves garlic, minced

1 15-oz can diced tomatoes

64 oz vegetable broth

salt and pepper to taste

Instructions (2 Options)

A. Combine all ingredients in a slow cooker. Turn heat on low and cook for 10 hours, adding a little more broth at the end if soup seems too thick.

B. (What I did) Put all ingredients in a large pot. Bring to a boil. Lower heat and let it simmer for 3 hours on low.

Word of Advice: Make sure you know your slow cooker! Sometimes, low is SUPER low and takes forever (what happened to me and I also have never used this slow cooker) so if you are pressed for time, go with option B.

Eat up and pass it on!

Apple Crisp

Tue, 09 Oct 2012 13:48:00 -0400

Fall is in full force! The leaves are changing, the air is getting cooler, and it is prime time for apple picking.

I love love love apple picking. You get to eat as many apples as you want as you pick them to the point where your stomach feels all funny and you stop tasting apple. You also get to buy really good pies and apple butter at the bakery.

Meet Cathy. Cathy is an international student from India who has moved to Toronto to complete her Masters in Engineering. She starting living with us during the first week of September and moved out at the end of the month. I call her our honourary 25 Rowland member because she was with us from the start.

What has been really cool about Cathy is that she was here since the beginning. She really got to see a glimpse of what “behind-the-scenes” life is like in an intern house and sit in on staff meetings, have dinner with random company, hear struggles that we are going through and experience hospitality from us! It has truly been a pleasure getting to know her, show hospitality in a way that I never have (have someone stay over at my house for an extended amount of time) and be truly blessed by it. We love you Cathy :)

One particular time where we really bonded and where I received an enormous amount of help from her was making that three pizza and two salad dinner. It all started off with some Apple Crisp.

Whole Wheat Apple Crisp adapted from All Recipes

- 10 cups apples, peeled, cored, and sliced (if you want extra fibre or don’t have a lot of time, leave the skin on. Granny Smith is recommended. Don’t slice too thin.)

- 1/2 cup white sugar (reduced from 1 cup)

- 1 tbsp flour

- 1 tsp ground cinnamon

- 1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

- 1/4 cup water

- 2 cups quick cooking oats

- 2 cups whole wheat flour

- 1 cup brown sugar

- 1/2 tsp baking powder

- 1/2 tsp baking soda

- 3/4 cup butter, melted

- 1/2 cup pecans (optional)

1. Preheat oven 350 degrees F.

2. Place the sliced apples in a 9x13 inch pan. Mix sugar, flour, spice together and toss the apples in it. Pour water evenly on top.

3. In a separate bowl, combine oats, flour, brown sugar, baking powder, baking soda, melted butter, and pecans together. Crumble evening over apple mixture.

4. Bake for about 45 minutes.

Bon appetit.