Easy Bone Broth

Here is a perfect recipe for home made bone broth.  Very easy especially if you have a large crock pot.

3 L  cold water
1 kg.  beef bones
1 large onion
vegetables of choice - any vegetables in your fridge that you can spare for this broth.
Bring up to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 4-5 hours.
Do not stir and do not cover or the impurities will be mixed into your broth.

Please click here to go to the youtube video of this recipe 

Enjoy!
Miriam

more delicious perogies at DJ.s in Vernon

Check off the list...another perogie fix in Vernon.. Delicious as always at D J's Perogie Kitchen!

Beautiful Florence

In Florence for 2 days with new friends Summer from Dallas, David & El from Florence.  What an amazing time hosted by two very lovely people.  At the Phamaria di Santa Maria Novella we spent time looking at the amazing original Fresco's. Awestruck !

Easy-Peasy Almond Butter & Cilantro Hummus

Recipe created by: Miriam Borys Busby

Ingredients:

2  x  540 ml can chick peas – well rinsed under cold water

⅓ cup olive oil
2 tablespoon apple cider vinegar
1/2 shallot  (approx. 3 tbsp.)
1/2 - 3/4  cup vegetable stock ( or water) liquid is used to thin the hummus to the desired consistency

3 tablespoon almond butter
1 cup cilantro with stems

1 large serranno pepper (fresh) if you like more heat in the hummus, feel free to add more pepper

Cracked pepper & salt to taste 

1. Drain chick peas well. Rinse under cold water in a wire mesh sieve and drain well.
2. Add all ingredients into the food processor. To help in the processing cut up pepper into chunks first.
3. Process until large pieces are gone. Scrape the sides of the processor bowl down.
4. Continue to process while adding vegetable stock or water  until the hummus is at the desired consistency. This stage is up to you and your personal taste so add more liquid if you don’t want the hummus too thick.
5. Store in the fridge until needed. Goes very well with crackers or a  fresh vegetable tray.
   
   
   
   
   
   
   

You know what they say?...If you can't sleep....bake!

Oatmeal Coconut Chocolate Chip Cookies (click here to go directly to my YouTube video of this recipe) 

By: Chef Miriam Borys

Yield:  3 dozen small cookies

Ingredients:

¼ lb. Butter (½ cup)
½ cup brown sugar
½ cup white sugar
1 cup all-purpose flour ( or ½ cup a p flour & ½ cup wholewheat flour)
1 large egg
1 tsp. Vanilla
1 cup  large oat flakes (not instant) (can be baked for 7-8 minutes at 350 and let cool first)
½ cup coconut flakes
1/2 tsp. baking soda
1/2 tsp. baking powder
1/2  tsp. Salt
1 cup of chocolate chips or more (I use 1/2 dark and 1/2 milk chocolate chips)

In a mixer or by hand cream room temperature butter and sugars together. Add the egg and and vanilla and continue to mix.

1. Add all the dry ingredients and mix with a wooden spoon until it forms cookie dough
2. Add chocolate chips of choice.
3. Scoop to bake or roll in parchment paper to freeze for later use.
4. Bake cookies at 350° for 15 minutes 

cream the sugars

yummy....fresh baked cookies

Remembering Carl on April 1st

Carl would have been 74 years young today and if you click on this link I have an older video of us making pasta together at our house on Doran.  Such great memories! The second video (click here) is Carl and I finishing up and cooking the ravioli in a pesto sauce. Carl was always such a good sport in any of our kitchens and I am so grateful for him.

Focaccia Bread - Easy to Make

Original Recipe By: Eileen Little (my Mom)

Recorded and adapted by: Miriam Borys Busby

1st proof  (letting dough rise)

 Ingredients:

3 pkg. instant yeast (3 X 8g or 7 tsp.)
2 ½ cup of warm water (not too hot or it will kill the yeast)
½ cup olive oil + ¼ cup for drizzling
2 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. white sugar
1 egg
6 1/2 cups flour + flour for kneading
Dry herbs of choice (1 tbsp. each of rosemary, thyme, oregano)
1 tsp. cracked salt for the top of the focaccia
1/4 cup corn meal to line the pan

In a large liquid measuring cup measure the warm water and then add oil, sugar & egg. Whisk with a fork. Add yeast and stir. Leave this mixture for a few minutes to activate the yeast...it will bubble up on the surface as the yeast 'blooms'. If your yeast does not bloom it should not be used.

Add flour, salt and herbs to a large mixing bowl or a stand mixer bowl if one is available. Pour yeast/water mixture into the flour. 

shape dough & add toppings

Mix with the dough hook or by hand until the bread dough comes together into a ball and cleans the bowl.

Transfer to a workable surface and knead for 5 minutes, adding flour so that the dough does not stick to the surface.

Once the dough is smooth, form into a large ball and place in an oiled bowl. Turn the dough over in the oil so that all the bread dough is covered in oil. Cover with parchment or a tea towel and allow it to sit in a warm place. This is the first rise and the dough needs to double in size. This takes approximately 45 minutes.

When the dough has doubled in size, punch down the bread dough.  Remove the dough from the bowl and place into the middle of a large baking pan coated with corn meal. Shape dough by gently pulling (don't tear) the dough so that it stretches into a large rectangle shape (see photo). Once the dough is shaped, make indentations in the dough with your fingertips (this is to allow the olive oil to pool).

Drizzle approximately 1/4 cup of olive oil over the surface. Sprinkle with fresh or dried herbs of your choice (Italian seasoning works well) and lightly sprinkle salt over entire surface.

2nd proof

Allow to proof for the 2^nd time until the dough has risen above the baking sheet doubling in size (another 45-60 minutes).

When the 2nd prpoof is complete reheat oven to 400°.  

Bake focaccia for approximately 25-30 minutes until golden brown.

Serve with a dipping bowl of olive oil and balsamic vinegar sprinkled with dried or fresh herbs.

baked focaccia

1st rise

punch down 

shape the dough - use cornmeal on the bottom of the baking pan

shape the dough to fit a baking sheet & proof for the second time