Will Run For Cranberry Pecan Cookies

It's never too early for a cookie!

There is nothing quite like waking up on a Friday morning to find two dozen cookies with paper signs that read "crunchy" & "chewy" on your counter.   Life is good.

There is also nothing quite like making fun of the fact that Farmer gets a little punchy when she asks for a glass of water and you bring her a glass that's two thirds full (or half or three quarters full)  only to find out that she's wrapped around the toilet bowl and she overheard you making fun of her.  Life was not so good.

Luckily Farmer made a full recovery.  This of course had nothing to do with me.  Note to self: when someone asks for a cool cloth don't bring an old painting rag (even if it's clean) that's covered in red paint stains especially if your Farmer has just finished drinking a very berry smoothie.  This will alarm your housemate and she may not want to share her cookies with you.

A's cookies were delicious but not exactly the kind of cookie that I could justify eating for breakfast (not more than once anyway). 

   

Cranberry Pecan Cookies

(10 large cookies)

1/4 C olive oil (butter or earth balance)

1/4 C brown sugar

1 flax egg (1 T of ground flax + 3 T let sit for a few minutes or warm slightly in the microwave)

1/4 C apple cider (apple juice or white grape juice will work as well)

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

3/4 C wholewheat pastry flour

1/4 C ground flax

1 tsp baking powder

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 tsp salt

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 freshly grated nutmeg

2 C rolled oats (not quick cooking)

1/4 dried cranberries

1/4 chopped pecans (or your favourite nut/seed)  

Preheat oven to 350 F.  Mix oil, sugar, flax egg, apple cider and vanilla in a small bowl.

In a separate bowl combing flour, baking powder, baking soda, salt, spices and oats.

Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients.  Stir until combined.

Roll into large balls or drop by the tablespoon onto a preheated baking stone (if using a baking sheet you would likely want to oil it).  Flatten with your hands or a fork.  Bake for 8-10 minutes.

dough ball

breakfast

Incase you are trying to figure out how many cookies you want to have for breakfast according to MyPlate they contain 243 calories per cookie, 4.75 g of protein & 5 g of fibre.

Will Run For Polenta And Mixed Mushrooms

polenta square with mixed mushrooms

This week Farmer was generous enough to share her words of 'wisdom' with A, "When the horse is dead get off!" (not the nicest analogy but you get the idea).  Unfortunately, she was talking about A's failed attempt at making polenta.   Butter & cheese contrary to popular belief cannot fix everything.  Note to self (and A) when making polenta make sure that you are using cornMEAL not cornFLOUR.

Polenta gone wrong.  Really wrong. 

Polenta is one of those dishes that I always say that I don't like but end up eating half of before it makes it to the table.  It's kind of hard to get excited about cornmeal mush.   With the help of roasted garlic, sun dried tomatoes, dried rosemary and mixed mushrooms it turns out that it's a little more exciting than mush.  It helps that it can be ready in less than a 1/2 hour. 

Polenta

(serves 4-6)

ingredients

4 cups vegetable stock

1 cup cornmeal (NOT cornflour)

2 T earth balance (butter or margarine)

1/2 C nutritional yeast (or 1 C grated old cheddar/your favourite cheese)

1/4 C sundried tomatoes ( soaked in hot water until softened)

*2 bulbs roasted  garlic

Warning: Do not make this recipe in shortsleeves/shorts as it stings when it spatters!

1.  Oil a 9 x 9 square silicone pan.

2.  Over medium heat,  heat stock in a medium sized pot.  SLOWLY (unless you're into lumps) pour cornmeal into boiling stock.  Stir constantly with a wooden spoon (no cheating unless you like your polenta lumpy...yuck!) until polenta thickens (15 minutes of stirring).

thickened polenta waiting for tasty additions

3.  Add earth balance (butter), nutritional yeast (cheese), sun dried tomatoes and roasted garlic.  Stir until combined.

polenta with roasted garlic and sun dried tomatoes

4.  Spread onto oiled pan or you can simply serve in bowls.  Allow to cool (place in refrigerator to speed things along) until firm.  Once cooled you can cut into various shapes or simply into squares.  In the meantime prepare mixed mushroom mixture.

polenta in oiled silicone pan

Mixed Mushrooms

mixed mushrooms with rosemary and garlic

ingredients

4 cups mixed wild mushrooms ( stolen from your housemate's shelf)

2 cloves garlic minced

1 T dried rosemary

1 tsp oregano

1 1/2 T olive oil

1 T white balsamic vinegar

cracked pepper

1.  Clean mushrooms by gently rinsing and wiping off dirt.  Remove the ends.

2.  In a frying pan warm oil and then saute mushrooms for approximately 5 minutes.  Add garlic, rosemary and oregano.  Saute until mushrooms and garlic are soft.  Add balsamic vinegar.  Season mushrooms with cracked pepper.

Putting it All Together

Turn oven to broil.  Place polenta squares on baking stone (you can top with parmesan if you wish).  Broil until golden brown.  Remove from oven.  Top with mushroom mixture.  Serve.

**Alternatively you can serve with marina sauce, roasted vegetables, snobby janes etc.

Roasted Garlic

roasted garlic from Spill The Beans Farm

ingredients

2 garlic bulbs (local if possible)

1/2 tsp olive oil (1/4 tsp/bulb)

1. Preheat oven to 400 F.  Using a sharp knife slice off the top of the garlic.  Drizzle each bulb with 1/4 tsp of olive oil.  Place each bulb on a square of aluminum foil and secure or use a ceramic brie baker (I'm not going to lie this gadget has been in my cupboard for the last year unused) .

2.  Bake for 45 minutes.  The cloves with slide out of their skins effortlessly when they are finished (waiting until they cool is a brilliant idea... I of course am not that patient).

polenta and mixed mushrooms

Leftovers were delicious and well deserved post run.  Not to mention that they helped to warm up frozen fingers.  This -20 weather is making the treadmill look more and more appealing.  

Will Run For Snobby Janes

snobby jane nachos

Sometimes a detoxifying smoothie or chia pudding just won't do.  Sometimes a girl just wants nachos. 

Sometimes she just wants nachos, her favourite toppings (tomatoes, avocados, lime juice) and snobby janes.

Sometimes she'll just settle for corn chips.

Snobby Janes

(serves 4-6 hungry people)

1 C dry green lentils

4 C water

1 T olive oil

3 C roughly chopped onions

3 cloves garlic (local if possible)

1 T chili powder

*1/4 tsp smoked paprika 

*1/4 tsp chipotle chili powder

1 14 oz can of diced tomatoes

1 14 oz can crushed tomatoes

1 T wet yellow mustard

3 T pure maple syrup (just say no to table syrup)

Put the lentils in a small sauce pot with water and bring to a boil.  Allow to simmer over low heat for 20 minutes.  Drain and set aside

In the meantime in a large stock pot or deep frying pan heat olive oil and then add onions and garlic until onions have softened (approximately 10 minutes).

Add the cooked lentils, spices, tomatoes, mustard and maple syrup to the stock pot.  Allow to simmer for approximately 10 minutes.

If you have the patience let the snobby jane mixture sit for approximately 10 minutes.

At this point you can either eat a giant bowl of snobby jane, put the snobby jane on a kaiser bun or pull out your favourite corn chips and some toppings  (tomatoes, avocados and cheese) and make delicious snobby jane nachos.

Or if your roommate ate all of the corn chips and left you with only crumbs you can make your own chips out of a whole grain wrap (I LOVE Ezekial wraps) unless of course she ate those too.  Lightly brush wrap with oil and bake in the oven at 350 for approximately 10-15 minutes.

* If you do not have smoked paprika or chipotle powder simply use 3T of regular chilli powder.

'

Will Run For Turtles

chocolate dipped bananas with turtle granola

Happy Noon Year!  Pace Bunny (PB) & I had a brilliant idea this year.  Rather than celebrating New Years Eve we thought that we would celebrate what PB has coined "Noon Year".  

For those of you who are unfamiliar with Noon Year it is celebrated at noon on December 31st by those who like to lounge around in various forms of spandex, while sipping coffee and eating waffles.

This year runners (all four) lined up in their  best hoodies, pink sweatbands (“ I thought you said rum”), black glitter ties and tights that hadn’t seen the light of day in years for what was supposed to be a 3K route (it’s a little too soon for some to talk about exactly how long, or slushy, uphill or close to the highway the run actually was).  

What does all of this have to do with turtles you might be wondering.  Instead of resolutions I've been thinking about races.  I'm looking forward to sloshing through mud, leaping over fire, and rappelling down a ravine in a tutu for the spartan race  and hopefully running two 1/2 marathons (also know as the marathon but PB isn't ready to hear that yet) for the Sudbury Rocks Marathon . The best part of racing (other than crossing the finish line) is all of the awesome snacks that you get to eat while you're training.  

On that note here are two recipes for granola packed with dates, pecans, and cocoa nibs and chocolate dipped bananas rolled in all kinds of turtle deliciousness.

Turtle Granola

(12 1/2 C servings)

ingredients

5 C rolled oats (I used rye, spelt, and oats)

1 C chopped pecans

1 C chopped dates

1/2 C cocoa nibs

4Tbsp buckwheat honey

2 Tbsp coconut oil (1 T olive oil + 1 T Earth Balance will also work)

Preheat oven to 350.  On a baking stone bake cocoa nibs & pecans for 15 minutes.  

Bake oats for 15 minutes (leave oven on).

While oats are baking in a small saucepan combine honey and coconut oil.  Heat over low heat until coconut oil has melted.

Combine oats, cocoa nibs, pecans and honey/coconut oil mixture until well combined.   Spread onto two baking stones and bake for an additional 15 minutes stirring midway through. 

Allow to cool completely before storing in your favourite glass mason jar.  Hide mason jar until breakfast.

Chocolate Dipped Bananas With Turtle Granola

(serves 4)

ingredients

2 firm bananas 

4 T turtle granola

2 ounces Camino bittersweet chocolate (or your favourite brand)

2 tsp coconut oil (olive will also work)

Line a plate or baking sheet with waxed paper.

Peel bananas and slice in half horizontally.

Insert a skewer into each piece of banana.  Place bananas on plate/baking sheet and allow to freeze for 30-60 minutes.

Over low heat (or using a double boiler) melt chocolate & coconut oil.

Dip each banana into chocolate and working quickly roll in turtle granola.

Serve immediately or cover and return to freezer.

Will Run For Farmer Cheese

farmer cheese and focaccia

"When there is a will there is a whey", declared farmer!   She thinks that she's really funny. Who am I to argue especially when there is focaccia & soft cheese at stake. 


After essentially inviting ourselves over to our friend J's for snacks & boardgames we had to come up with something that could compete with a 33 layer cake that serves 72 made with sugar cookies, creme de menthe & bittersweet chocolate, lattes with foam thicker than a DQ blizzard, jalapeno cheese coins, etc.  As you might have guessed J makes the best snacks.

Lucky for J (and us) it just so happens that Farmer has been busy catching up on her cheese making videos over the holidays (does that sound a little odd to anyone but me?).

heat 4 C of whole milk until it reaches 160F

add 1 C buttermilk and  2 tsp lemon juice

let stand for 30 minutes in yogurt strainer

add focaccia

party!

Fromage Blanc

ingredients

Ingredients:

4 cups fresh, local whole milk (3% homogenized milk will work as well)

1 cup buttermilk

2 tsp lemon juice or more if needed

3/4 tsp salt, or to taste

1 tsp fresh rosemary

In a heavy bottomed sauce pan, over medium low/medium heat warm whole milk until it reaches approximately 160 F.  This is just before the milk begins to boil.   Stir constantly (unless you don't mind a thick skin or even better burnt milk).

Remove from heat.  Add 1 C of buttermilk and  2 tsp of lemon juice.  Give a courtesy stir.  It should start to curdle immediately.  If it hasn't curdled within 30 seconds add an additional teaspoon of lemon juice.

Let stand for 10 minutes.

Ladle curds into a yogurt strainer (or cheesecloth pulled taught over a large bowl).  Let stand for 30 minutes.  This will allow the whey to separate from the cheese.

Remove cheese from yogurt strainer (or cheesecloth).  Add salt and rosemary (or other herbs).  Stir until well combined.

Place in silicone mould.  Allow to sit for several hours in the refrigerator to allow flavours to meld.

Enjoy with your favourite focaccia. 

Will Run For Cranberry Sauce

You may already have had your fill of cranberry sauce this season (my apologies if it jiggled and came out of a can) but have you had your fill of port?  It isn't uncommon to see someone drinking port out of a measuring cup early Christmas morning (why exactly Farmer tries to be inconspicuous I'm not quite sure).

If you are looking for a quick and easy recipe for your next cranberry sauce & gravy themed dinner party this just might be it (more about that another time).

Cranberry Sauce

ingredients

1 C Ruby Port (drink remainder in glass measuring cup in order to remain inconspicuous) 

2 cinnamon sticks, broken in half

1 C dried Johnson's cranberries

1 medium cortland apple, peeled & roughly chopped (or other sweet apple such as Macintosh) 

2 1/2 C of frozen or fresh  Johnson's cranberries

3/4 C water

1/4 C brown sugar 

Bring port and broken cinnamon sticks to boil in a medium saucepan.  Reduce heat immediately and simmer for approximately 5 minutes.

Add dried cranberries to the saucepan and simmer for approximately 5 more minutes until the cranberries are soft.  

Add fresh cranberries, chopped apple, 3/4 cup of water, and sugar.  Bring to a boil stirring until the sugar dissolves.

Reduce heat to low, simmer until cranberries and apples breakdown stirring regularly until sauce has thickened to desired consistency (approximately 20 minutes).

Discard cinnamon sticks (unless you have a relative that you aren't too crazy about).

Cool and enjoy.

* Leftovers are great in oatmeal, yogurt, smoothies.

Will Run For Not Quite Nanaimo

In celebration of surviving our elementary school Christmas concert (why is it that it feels like my students'  performance at the Christmas concert is as a direct reflection of my teaching ability or lack there of?), baking two hundred cookies with 23 seven year olds (I probably wouldn't eat them, I'm not going to lie), and a workout that made muscles that I didn't know I had SCREAM (sorry PB you may have to pull me in a sleigh tomorrow) I thought  that it was time for Nanaimo bars or macaroons or maybe both.

* When did it become okay in my mind to wear spandex in public in a small space with strangers?

BASE

ingredients

* 1/4 C date paste 

3 Tbsp ground cocoa nibs (you can find the nibs at the Bulk Barn)

1 tsp vanilla bean paste

1/2 C unsweetened coconut

3/4 C rolled oats

1/4 C chopped walnuts

2 Tbsp melted coconut oil

* You can make date paste by soaking 1 cup dried dates in water for an hour or so, save 3 Tbsp of the water that they were soaking in and microwave them with reserved date water for 1-2 minutes and then blend into a smooth paste.  

Add cocoa, vanilla bean paste and melted coconut oil to date paste.

Add coconut, walnuts and rolled oats.

Divide and press into 6 silicone muffin cups.  Place in the freezer until you are finished with the middle layer.

Not Your Mother's Macaroons + ground cocoa nibs + walnuts

FILLING

ingredients

Cream 2 TBSP Earth Balance (or butter

1 TBSP brewed coffee

1.5 Tsp instant coffee

1 Tbsp vanilla Custard Pudding Powder (I used Birds)  

1 Cups Icing Sugar, sifted

* it's very possible that you will have filling left over.  I won't judge if you decide to eat it straight from the bowl.

Cream earth balance, then add brewed coffee, instant coffee and pudding powder.  Mix well ensuring that the instant coffee has dissolved.  Mix n the sifted icing sugar.  Spread over the base layer.  Freeze for 5-10 minutes.

is it wrong to eat just the filling?

TOP LAYER

ingredients

1.5 ounces of dark chocolate

1 1/2 tsp earth balance (or butter)

* double if you prefer a thicker chocolate topping.

Melt the chocolate squares and butter together in a bowl.

You can do this in the microwave, 20 seconds ... stir...20 seconds stir....etc.  Alternatively, place the smaller bowl of chocolate and earth balance into a larger bowl with just boiled water.

Pour and spread evenly over the top of the other layers.  Freeze.

Personally I like to eat these directly out of the freezer.  They are fairly large so you may want to cut them in half and share with a friend (or not).

If you are looking for a traditional Nanaimo square you can use the following for the base:

1/2 C butter

5 Tbsp cocoa

1 C coconut

1/2 C chopped walnuts

5 Tbsp sugar

2 C graham cracker crumbs

1 egg (or flax egg)

1/2 tsp vanilla 

Press into a 9" square pan.

Double the filling recipe. 

Double the chocolate topping.

the help was less than helpful but he's cute.