Teens & Gingerbread

Some amazing Gingerbread Projects in my Baking 11 class at Burnaby Central.

best gingerbread recipe ever!!!  check out the recipe on this blog. Click here to check out the best recipe ever for gingerbread.

Sugar Cookie Dough for Shark Cookies in support of Sophia’s school project ‘Fin Free’

 Sugar Cookie Dough for Shark Cookies in support of Sophia’s school project ‘Fin Free’ (click here to go to my YouTube Video of this recipe made with Sophia)

(for more information about this amazing effort please go to the Fin Free website http://fin-free.com/)

Andrew Weaver MLA, talks about Sophia’s school and the ‘Fin Free Project’. Please see the link below for more information:

http://www.andrewweavermla.ca/category/education/k12_education/

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups icing sugar

1 cup butter or margarine, softened

1 teaspoon maple syrup  

1 egg

2 1/2cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon cream of tartar

In a mixer or by hand mix soft butter with icing sugar and maple syrup until creamy and smooth.

Add remaining ingredients and continue to mix until the dough comes together and cleans the bowl.

Remove from the mixer and wrap in parchment paper  and store in fridge to become cool. 

After an hour in the fridge, remove from the parchment paper and divide the dough into quarters.

Roll out each quarter to desired thickness. We found that if the dough was too thick the cookies would break.

Bake at 350 degrees F (175 C) for 8-9 minutes. The cookies should be white when fully baked with a slightly golden edge.

Allow to cool before icing.

 Icing for the Shark Fins:

1 cup powdered sugar

1/2 teaspoon vanilla or other flavoring extract

2 to 2 1/2 tablespoons milk or water

Blue Food coloring, optional

Iced cookies need at least 24 hours to dry. Cover the counter with parchment paper.Allow fresh-baked cookies to cool completely. Prepare the border icing: Mix together the powdered sugar, vanilla, food coloring, and 2 tablespoons of milk or water for the border icing using a spoon or a fork. It should be thick and not runny but runny enough to go through the tip in a piping bag.

Ice cookies as desired.

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Falcon Ridge Farms - the best organic Jams & Jellies ...and did I mention Herbal Throat Spray?

Falcon Ridge Farms is owned and operated by Grant & Marlys Wolfe

We visited their farm in the summer and I came away with some jams, condiments, herbal teas and the amazing Herbal Throat Spray which I am using at the moment. One of my colleagues came to work very sick and to ward off getting his flu bug I have been using the spray daily. Thanks to Marlys for this great product.

click on the link below to go to Grant and Marlys' website for Falcon Ridge Farms.
http://falconridgefarms.ca

Herbal Throat Spray

A very effective throat spray for sore throats. Contains herbs that have anti-inflammatory and anti-bacterial properties: Echinacea, Oil of Oregano, Astragalus and St. John’s Wort.

Ingredients: Purified Water, Echinacea Angustifolia Seeds and Flowers Extract, Echinacea Angustifolia Root Extract, Astragalus Extract, Rosehip Extract, Peppermint Extract, Nettle & St. John’s Wort Extract, Peppermint Essential Oil, Honey with Onion, Oil of Oregano, Dispersant. 

Jams & Jellies

Our delicious full-bodied jams and jellies are made from organic fruit grown on the farm, including apricots, blackberries, blueberries, cherries, wild chokecherries, grapes, raspberries, strawberries, and rhubarb. For something different, try our Gingered Zucchini Marmalade, Carrot Cake Jam (it really tastes like carrot cake), or Blueberry Basil Jam. Breakfast will never be the same again!

Turkey, Chorizo Slow-Cook Chili

Recipe Title: Turkey Chorizo Slow-Cook Chili

For all you busy people out there who love to come home to a delicious,  aromatic hot meal at the end of the day.

By: Miriam Borys

Servings: 8

Ingredients:

1 ground turkey

1/2 - 1 cup hot Italian sausage 

2 yellow onion - diced 

1 cup diced celery

1 small yellow pepper - diced

5 tbsp. chili powder

1 tbsp. Italian seasoning

1 can (540ml) diced tomatoes with juice

1 can (540ml red kidney beans - rinsed well first under cold water

1 can brown beans (14 oz 398ml)

dash himalayan salt

dash black pepper

Plug in Crock-Pot and turn on to high heat. 

Add brown beans, diced tomatoes and rinsed kidney beans to crock-pot. Stir once and put the lid on and allow the pot to start heating up.

Meanwhile, on the stove top in a sauce pot sauté turkey and chorizo until half done.

Add onions, celery, yellow pepper to the meat and continue to salute until onions are transparent.

Pour all of the turkey/chorizo vegetable mixture into the pre-heated crock pot with the tomatoes and beans. 

Add chili powder, Italian seasoning, salt and pepper.

Replace the  lid on tight and allow chilli to simmer for the day. If you are home during the day you can stir once at mid day but do not lift the lid during the day or this would increase the cooking time (you do not need to stir this at all if at work).

Serve with a tossed salad and bread of your choice.

***Chili powder isn't the same as cayenne pepper. Pure cayenne pepper is much hotter than chili powder. Indeed, cayenne pepper is one of several ingredients that go into making chili powder, but they're not interchangeable. http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/glossary/g/Chili-Powder.htm

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Easy Crock-Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup

Easy Crock-Pot Split Pea and Ham Soup (click here to go to my YouTube video of this recipe)

Created By: Miriam Borys 

Servings:  5-6 

Ingredients:

1 ham  hock ( we bought a ham with bone in to roast for a Ham & scalloped potato dinner. We used all the delicious ham for dinner, leftovers and sandwiches and saved the bone for this soup)
3 tbsp. olive oil
2 large onions - peeled and diced
2-4 carrots - peeled and cut into chunks
2 cups celery chunks
1 bag (500g) green split peas (these do not have to soak  overnight but they need to be rinsed well to remove the impurities
900ml chicken stock
1 cup red wine  (for deglazing the pan)
3 bay leaves
1 tsp. thyme (fresh is best  but today I am using ground)
black pepper

Procedure:

Sauté mirepoix (onions, carrots, celery) on medium heat on the stove first. Sauté until transparent (just cooked and onions are slightly transparent) and turn off the heat and add to crock pot.

Add the following to the crock pot:

chicken stock, ham hock (bone), mirepoix, split peas, bay leaves, thyme, deglazed red wine liquid with fond, and black pepper.

Turn Crock Pot on to medium high, cover with a lid, and  allow to cook until you return from work. No need to peek!

Serve hot with fresh bread or your families favourites crackers.

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
Recipe Blog: 'Cooking Uncovered': www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
YouTube Channel: 

http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Easy, Slow-Cook Chicken Chili

Recipe Title: Easy, Slow-Cook Chicken Chili (click here to go to my YouTube video of this recipe)

How about a culinary side trip to Mexico or the south of Spain? This Chili is one of those dishes that takes so little time to prepare but tastes so good at the end of a busy day when comfort food is such a treat. Your family or friends (on game night especially) will love this. 

If you decide to add more ‘heat’ to this recipe, aka chili flakes or red hot sauce, a dollop of sour cream as a garnish on every bowl of chili served is a nice antidote to the ‘heat’.  Thanks for joining me on Cooking Uncovered, and I hope you enjoy this delicious easy dish. 

By: Miriam Borys

Servings: 6

Ingredients:

1 chicken breast - small chunks

1 onion - diced

1 red pepper

3 tbsp. chili powder*** (do not make the same mistake I did by adding this amount of hot ground chilis the first time I made this dish) 

pinch chili flakes Chili

1 tbsp. oregano

drops red hot sauce

1 can red kidney beans - rinsed well first under cold water

1 can black beans - rinsed well first under cold water in a wire mess strainer

1 can brown beans (optional but tasty)

1/2 cup red wine

1 cup cilantro - chopped

1 cup sour cream - optional garnish

dash salt and pepper 

On the stove top in a sauce pot sauté chicken pieces, 1 tbsp. chili powder, onion, and red pepper until onions are half cooked.  Remember the chili is cooking all day in a crock pot so don’t worry about completely cooking the chicken and onions. This process should be really quick and painless, don’t overthink this part.

Add remaining chilli powder, oregano, chilli flakes, red hot sauce, wine (to deglaze) and rinsed kidney and black beans. If desired add 1 small can of brown beans.
Stir to remove the 'sucs'**off the bottom of the sauce pot so that every bit of flavor is transfered into the crock pot.

Pour all of the chili into a pre-heated crock pot.
Turn to high heat and allow to simmer away. Stir once at mid day but do not lift the lid during the day or this would increase the cooking time (you do not need to stir this at all if at work).
At dinner time when you arrive home lift the lid off, stir and allow the chili to continue to cook and thicken.
Serve with a tossed salad and bread of your choice.

***Chili powder isn't the same as cayenne pepper. Pure cayenne pepper is much hotter than chili powder. Indeed, cayenne pepper is one of several ingredients that go into making chili powder, but they're not interchangeable. http://culinaryarts.about.com/od/glossary/g/Chili-Powder.htm

**caramelized bits that stick to the bottom of a pot or pan

above in the small glass bowl is the chili powder, generally this is the color of store bought chili powder

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Easy Salad Dressing with Fresh Parsley and Ginger

Recipe by:  Miriam Borys 

(please click here to go to my YouTube video of this recipe)

Ingredients:

3/4 cup olive oil - organic extra virgin

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar (the vinegar I use is no name and not organic but on the video I said it was...oops!)

pinch pure salt (I use Himalayan Pink
Salt)

1/2 tsp. grainy Dijon mustard 

2 small pieces fresh ginger - peeled first (1-2 Tbsp.)

1/2 cup fresh parsley  

1 clove garlic

Add all the above to a blender. Blend well until creamy & smooth. Pour into a clean glass mason jar or a plastic dressing container to chill until needed. Makes about 1 1/2 cups of salad dressing.

Chef Miriam Borys, B.Ed., MA.
'Cooking Uncovered'
http://www.youtube.com/user/mlborys?feature=mhee
blog: www.cookinguncovered.blogspot.com
Website: www.miriamborys.com

Pumpkin Pie Time Again!

Check out my recipe!  Best pumpkin pie ever!!!


http://cookinguncovered.blogspot.ca/2013/10/pumpkin-pie-time-again.html

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oEAlJG0w06U Check out my YouTube Video too by clicking on this link!