Who's Your Valentine?

On this Valentine's Day...

I am celebrating with my very own Valentine, the love of my life for 27 years and the man I said "I do" to on one  beautiful sunny Saturday afternoon in September of 1990.

Our special Valentine's date won't take place until this coming weekend. Having both worked in the restaurant industry for many, many years and having stood witness on countless February 14th evenings watching numerous love birds reaching across their prospective tables for two, whispering sweet nothings into each other's ears, we try and avoid THE actual day like the plague...

Don't get me wrong - I don't dislike the popular 'Hallmark Holiday' - by all means, I am the first to go out and buy cinnamon heart candies or a red foil wrapped Purdy's chocolate heart for my honey. You WILL find me in the card aisle perusing rows of red and white greetings, finding the perfect words that resonate, which I can share with my sweetheart over a glass of sparkling wine or Champagne.

We won't be spending our retirement money on a snazzy dinner at one of hundreds of fancy (and outrageously expensive) restaurants in Vancouver this weekend - no - we will go for a different kind of Valentine's Evening - a couple of drinks, a few appetizers and a show at the local movie theatre. I love any excuse to spend an evening with my Hubby - for a chance to get out and have a good uninterrupted chat over a cocktail, glass of wine or beer.

For those of you who are preparing a special Valentine's Dinner for your significant other - kudos - its a week-night and times can be busy. Maybe you are also waiting for the weekend to celebrate, or perhaps you skip the day altogether. Maybe you give gifts to your loved ones, either store bought or home made.

I wanted to share these 'Queen Of Hearts' Linzer cookies with you so that you can either indulge after your special meal, or maybe wrap them up as a special treat for someone else. These rich, European inspired cookies are cut into heart shapes and then filled with raspberry jam and dusted with icing sugar...Yummy!

Whatever your plans are for Valentine's Day, make it a lovely, loving, love bug kind of day!


Queen Of Hearts Linzer Cookies

1 cup unsalted butter
2/3 cup organic or unrefined sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 1/3 cups ground pecans
2 cups unbleached flour

Powdered sugar for dusting
About 1/4 cup raspberry jam

In large bowl of electric mixer, beat butter and sugar until creamy; beat in vanilla. Gradually add pecans and flour, blending thoroughly. cover tightly with plastic wrap and refrigerate until easy to handle (1-2 hours) or for up to 3 days.

On a floured board, roll out the dough to a 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out with a 2" heart shaped cookie cutter and transfer to a parchment or Silpat lined cookie sheet, spacing about 1" apart. Cut a hole in centre of half of the cookies, using a tiny heart shape or round cookie cutter (1/2" in diameter).
Bake in a 350F oven for about 12 minutes or until lightly browned. Transfer to racks and let cool completely.

Sift powdered sugar over tops of cookies with holes; then spread bottom sides of cookies with jam. Place sugar topped cookie on each jam half to form a sandwich. Store in airtight container - can also be frozen.
Makes about 3 dozen.

Ode to Gluten!!

So I have been paying my dues this past week, since indulging in all things Wheat and Gluten over the Christmas Holidays: cookies, bars, cakes; those cute little Hors D' Oeuvres that you know always contain some sort of wheat gluten, Chinese Take-Out, especially all of those flour-coated, deep fried nuggets like sweet and sour pork balls and shredded ginger beef - I even had to have the Fortune Cookies, yup - I know. I ate buttery, flaky croissants for breakfast and fully loaded Pizza for lunch. Not to mention all of the sugar content - wine and beer and spirits - Oh my!! I feel like I need a full body transplant...

Because I have Fibromyalgia, I have to be careful with anything that causes inflammation, or I go into a full fledged flare. I am usually pretty good and carry a strict rule about staying away from my trigger foods. But this Christmas, for some reason, I revisited my somewhat rebellious teen years and just went for it. Ok my friends, now my disregard of simply 'staying away' from junk has sent my hips, shoulders and back into a frenzy and are screaming at me to go back on my diet.

I am considering starting a cleanse tomorrow to help purge all things gluten once and for all...maybe I should just stop eating altogether...? Note to self: this destructive behaviour has sent you back to square one...but trying to still be kind to myself I remind myself that I can once again be 'good' and get back into that healthful state and be Fibro Symptom Free...

On a positive note, today I visited my friend Jeanine's (The Baking Beauties) web-site to ponder a good recipe for Gluten Free bread, thinking I can at least enjoy a slice toasted tomorrow morning loaded with coconut oil and home made wild blackberry jam - its a start anyway.

I must tell you, I have been a sceptic - not about Jeanine's recipes, but of Gluten Free bread itself - you know the kind you buy for $8 a loaf at the grocery store? I buy all of my bread from an organic bakery and stick with the varieties that are not made with wheat - such as Kamut, Quinoa and Spelt breads. I love these dense, pumpernickel style breads eaten the European way with butter and deli meat or a thick slab of goat or sheep's Gouda. But I admit, I do crave that fluffy light sandwich bread fresh from the oven with some butter and jam. So I perused Jeanine's site and decided to make the Gluten Free Sandwich Bread she had listed under her 'breads' recipe section.

Remember I said I was a sceptic...? Well the ingredients were a cinch to assemble and once I got the loaf into the oven to bake, the whole house was soon filled with the sweet aroma of yeast bread and 40 minutes later I was indulging  in a little slice of heaven!

Jeanine's recipe calls for brown rice flour, tapioca and potato starch and flax meal. I added millet, chia seeds and sesame seeds to increase the fiber content. It rose a good amount (although I should have used a smaller loaf pan - next time) the outer crust is crusty - and the inside fabulously fluffy! My goodness I am in a bread stupor! Thank you so much for your amazing recipe Jeanine! All of Jeanine's fabulous GF recipes can be found HERE.

So I bid thee goodbye Oh evil gluten, I will NOT miss thee now or tomorrow or the next day...I have found my new vice!

Merry Christmas!

Well, I finally got around to making Christmas Cookies this week! No, I didn't make all of the cookies displayed here, you see I have a source in Vancouver that sells my favourite German baked goods imported directly from my old stomping grounds.

I couldn't resist the Rumkugeln (rum balls), chocolate covered Lebkuchen Herzen (gingerbread hearts filled with apricot preserve) and large round Lebkuchen - both chocolate and sugar coated - YUM!!

I always get so nostalgic when I visit this store, because it brings me back to a very special time I spent with my family living in Munich, Germany. At least I can get a taste of those times each time I sink my teeth into one of those delicious cookies!

I love to bake for the Holidays - I crank Christmas music into my kitchen don my favourite apron and get to it! Soon I am lost in another world, as the sweet scents of cinnamon and nutmeg, cloves and brown sugar waft through the house. My baking repertoire includes Pecan Linzer Cookies (an Austrian Tradition), Vanille Kipferl (vanilla crescents) and Zimtsterne (cinnamon stars). The Linzer Cookies are layered with a raspberry jam filling and literally melt in your mouth, while the crescents (half dusted with powdered sugar and half rolled in vanilla sugar) just seem to go 'poof' as you bite into them - so light and fluffy. The cinnamon stars are the answer to a hazelnut macaroon, made with nuts that have been toasted golden brown, egg whites meringue and laced with both cinnamon and nutmeg. As an added treat I top them with a dark rum glaze! My son Mr. S is in his last year of high school and also in his 5th year of taking Foods at school. His Ginger Snap Cookies are also featured in the photo above - so delicious!!
This year I hosted a party for some of my foodie girlfriends and my friend Miriam gave me a jar of her special mincemeat. I was so thrilled to be able to turn that delightful treat into mince tarts and I must say these are some of the best I have tried - Thanks so much Miriam!!

The house is ready to receive our family tonight for our traditional Christmas Eve celebration - the tree is trimmed, the baking is done, and presents are wrapped. Aaah - might I actually start relaxing early today? The food prep is still ahead of me, but nothing too complicated for this evening: beet salad and cucumber salad, Gravelax ( salmon which has been salt-brining for 3 days), a cheese plate, and a variety of warm appetizers including pork and sauerkraut!












I can't think of a more wonderful time to receive guests into the house with the crackling of a wood burning fire, some Christmas Cheer, good conversation and great food to enjoy - we are doing a German Style Buffet tonight - check out this link here to view my Brotzeit Menu, which exemplifies a traditional German Feast!

 An army of nut crackers stands guard on the mantle and even Buddha is dressed for the occasion!

I wish you and yours a fabulous and magical Christmas!

May there be Peace in your part of the Earth!

~ Marlies







***Cookies on upper plate: from top - Lebkuchen Rounds, Mince Tarts, Ginger Snaps, Linzer Cookies; cookies on lower plate: from top - Rumballs, Cinnamon Stars, Lebkuchen Hearts, Vanilla Crescents.

Sunday Morning 'Sunshine Toad In the Hole'

As I continue on my mission to avoid wheat and gluten, primarily in bread products, I continually have to reinvent breakfast to include some sort of low-carb option other than bread. 'Toad in the hole' is one of my all time favourite go to breakfasts and one I have been making the boys since they were able to eat solid food. But for me, the days of scarfing down two Texas Toast size slices of white bread slathered in butter encompassing a couple of oozing farm fresh eggs unfortunately are over. Living with Fibromyalgia, I have to avoid foods that cause inflammation, and wheat is one of the culprits...

I have yet to find a Gluten Free bread that toasts up like regular bread and doesn't become soggy under a soft cooked egg. (If you have such recipe, please feel free to post it here on my blog under comments!) I have found an awesome bakery in my town that bakes organic GF breads daily and two of my favourites are the Kamut and Quinoa bread, but neither have the same appeal to me in this instance as their texture once toasted is more of a dense, chewy experience than a light and fluffy one.

*Note: Original recipe for Toad In The Hole to follow below*

So in order to simultaneously avoid wheat and still be able to have one of my favourite breakfasts, I have decided to ix-nay the ead-bray altogether and make a Toad in the Hole sans pain...

This is what I came up with after raiding the fridge:
1 yellow bell pepper
2 cups leftover cooked yams (diced and finished with some butter and chopped green onions)
1/2 a clamshell of baby spinach leaves
4 eggs (I use organic or free range)
8 bacon slices (I use nitrate free, low sodium bacon)
2 tsp coconut oil
Sea salt and pepper to taste

Method:
1. Cook bacon until crisp; Line a sheet of foil with paper towel; Place cooked bacon on paper towel and wrap foil into an envelope; Place in low temp oven to keep warm.
2. Cut the top off the bell pepper and discard seeds. Slice horizontally into 4 rings; place pepper rings in large preheated skillet over medium heat; add 1/4 cup water and steam pepper rings, covered just until cooked through; add baby spinach leaves to pan - water will have almost evaporated (if it has, add a little more to steam spinach - this will only take a few minutes; remove spinach and keep warm). Into each ring, place 1/2 tsp coconut oil, which will quickly melt; crack eggs into rings; Cook covered until set to desired doneness, about 5 minutes for medium-soft.
3. In separate pan, re-heat yams; Set aside.

To assemble:
Place cooked spinach in a ring onto plate. Place egg and pepper ring inside of spinach ring; serve with pan fried yams and bacon rashers.

**NOTE: If you are able to eat bread, by all means go for the original!

Toad in the Hole

Method:
1. Butter bread slices on one side, place in heated skillet and toast until lightly brown; flip toast to brown other side.
2. Using a 2"-3"round cookie cutter or knife, cut out a circle in bread slice; reserve cut-outs; crack eggs into hole and cook, covered until eggs are set to desired doneness. Place toast cut-outs on top of egg. Serve.

Happy Sunday!

My Traditional Halloween Night Menu

Since the boys were young lads, we have hosted Halloween Night at our house complete with hearty bowls of Chili Con Carne, Savoury Corn Bread, Ginger Snap Cookies and mugs of steaming Hot Spiced Apple Tea. When the boys were younger, the focus was always on what costumes the kids would wear for their trick-or-treat adventures out into our spooky, well-decorated neighbourhood and the long anticipated fireworks display upon their return.
Prior to sending the kids off on their quest for all things sweet, I would fill them up on a hearty bowl of chili and cornbread, to make sure they had some sustenance to soak up all of that sugar. In the meantime the pot of fragrant Hot Spiced Apple Tea was simmering on the stove waiting for the adults to return from their chilly walk around the neighbourhood. And who wouldn't want to indulge in some chewy Pumpkin Ginger Snap Cookies along with that steaming hot beverage?

Although the kids are grown up now, I have continued to follow in the tradition of Halloween Night at our house and tonight is no exception. Trick-or-treaters of all ages will be arriving at our door without fail as soon as darkness begins to creep in. I have invited my Mom and my elderly Aunt, who has just recently lost her husband (my uncle) and downsized into assisted living. I have assigned both women the task of greeting the costumed youngsters at the front door and handing out the treats as neither of them has the opportunity to do this in their own homes.

A few mugs of Hot Spiced Apple Tea should keep them in good spirits and the cookies will bode well with a cup of this yummy beverage as the evening progresses. I wish you and yours a Happy and Safe Halloween!!

Chile Con Carne
This recipe for chili is my tried and true. The original recipe came from my Mom, but I have modified it over the years to what it is today. I am even willing to share my two secret ingredients: cinnamon and cocoa...

Ingredients:
Spice Mixture
4 tbsp Mexican chili powder
1 Tbsp cumin
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tsp smoked paprika
1 smoked chipotle pepper (canned)
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 Tbsp cocoa powder
1 tsp ground pepper
salt to taste
Combine in mixing bowl and set aside.

4 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 lb lean ground beef
1 green pepper diced
1 28 oz can kidney beans, rinsed and drained
2 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
1 can tomato paste
1/2 cup beef stock
2 tbsp brown sugar

Method:
Heat olive oil in large cauldron; add onion and garlic and cook until translucent. Add ground beef and cook until lightly browned; add spice mixture and stir to combine. Add green pepper, kidney beans, tomatoes, tomato paste, beef stock and brown sugar. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium and cook, covered for about 25 minutes. Reduce heat to low and simmer, covered for about 1 1/2 hours. Serve bowls of Chili Con Carne topped with grated Cheddar or Monteray Jack cheese, sour cream and fresh cilantro.

Wheat Free Corn Muffins
I switched up my traditional corn bread recipe to make it GF friendly for those who are not eating wheat. The texture is a little heavier than in the original recipe, but the muffins are equally as delicious!

Ingredients:
1/4 cup sorghum flour
1/4 cup tapioca starch
1/4 potato starch
1/4 cup sweet rice flour
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp baking powder
3/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp xanthan gum
1/4 cup grapeseed or vegetable oil
1 large egg, beaten
3/4 cup milk
1 cup frozen corn kernels (thawed and coarsely pulsed with milk in the food processor - should still be somewhat chunky)
1 cup cornmeal
1/4 tsp chili flakes
1/4 red bell pepper, finely chopped
2 green onions, finely sliced
4 Tbsp chopped fresh cilantro

Method:
1.Preheat oven to 400F. Grease corn stick mold or muffin tin. Place molds in preheating oven while preparing batter.
2.In large bowl, mix cornmeal, flours, starches, xanthan gum, salt, baking powder and sugar.
3. In small skillet over medium heat, in hot oil, cook red pepper and green onions until tender, stirring occasionally. Add chili flakes. Remove skillet from heat; stir in corn mixture, then egg until mixed; stir into dry ingredients until batter is just blended (it will be lumpy).
4. Spoon batter into preheated molds. Bake 15 minutes or until toothpick inserted in centre comes out clean. Serve warm or cool on wire racks and reserve for later. Makes 12 muffins or 14 corn sticks.

Pumpkin Ginger Snaps
The original recipe for these amazing Ginger Snaps came from my girlfriend Debbie in Colorado. I changed things a bit by reducing the butter and subbing in pumpkin puree, then topping the cookies with toasted pumpkin seeds - yum!

Ingredients:
1 egg, beaten
1/2 cup butter, at room temperature
1/4 cup molasses
1/4 cup pumpkin puree
2 2/3 cups flour
2 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 tsp each: ground cinnamon, cloves and ginger
1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

Method:
1.In bowl of electric mixer cream butter until fluffy; add sugar and molasses, continue to mix until well blended; beat in egg.
2. In bowl combine dry ingredients. Add to butter mixture and beat until blended. Add pumpkin and stir until incorporated.
3. Roll into balls and dip into cinnamon and sugar mixture. Place on parchment lined baking sheet, about 3' apart. Gently press to flatten slightly. Press pumpkin seeds into cookies. Bake at 375F for 8-10 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Hot Spiced Apple Tea
This recipe hails from my friend Mary Gray, who followed her English roots when she decided to create a spiced hot beverage including what else...? Yes, tea! Because I don't do caffeine, I have substituted African Rooibos for the black tea.

Ingredients:
4 cups apple juice or apple cider
4 cups brewed strong tea (I use Rooibos Tea)
4 cinnamon sticks
4 cloves
A sprinkling of nutmeg
Honey to taste
Slices of lemon
Rum or Brandy

Combine apple juice, tea, cinnamon, cloves and nutmeg in a medium pot. Bring to a boil and reduce heat to a simmer. Cover and continue to simmer until ready to drink. Serve with honey and lemon slices and a shot of rum or brandy, if desired. Serves 6-8.

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!!