Almond Butter and Cherry Cookies

  
Today,we all seem to know someone who has some form of food allergy. Unfortunately one of the most notorious being, a peanut allergy. Gone are the days, when almost everyone was able to enjoy the classic peanut butter cookie. So with this in mind, I decided why not take a standard peanut butter cookie recipe, and concoct a special one for all my friends out there who have had to deprive themselves of this little pleasure in life.  I figured why not substitute almond butter for peanut butter, and add loads of toasted almond slices for that much needed crunchy bite. To make the cookies even more delightful, I added some dried cherries which we all know marry so well with the flavour of almonds. They might not be the peanut butter cookie we've all grown to love, but I do hope that this recipe will satisfy that craving for all of you out there with this particular food allergy. For the rest of us, I hope the recipe will make a nice addition to our present collection. Enjoy!

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cup all purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup soft butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1 cup almond butter
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 egg
1/2 teaspoon almond extract
1 cup sliced almonds
1/2 cup dried cherries coarsely chopped

Place the almonds on a baking sheet and bake for 5-7 minutes in 350º F oven until golden.  Set aside.
In a mixing bowl beat the butter and sugar until thick and creamy. Beat in the egg, vanilla and almond extract.  Combine the almond butter into the egg butter mixture. In a separate bowl, blend in the flour (reserving 1-2 tablespoons to coat the chopped cherry pieces), baking soda, and salt. With a wooden spoon incorporate the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients. Blend in the almonds and coated cherry pieces. Measure a spoonful of dough and form into balls. Place on a parchment lined baking tray and gently flatten the ball of dough with your hands or fork to about 1/4" disk. Sprinkle each cookie with demerara sugar. Place the cookie dough 1 inch apart and bake in a pre-heated 375ºF oven for 8-10 minutes. Makes 48 cookies

Paprika Beef Stroganoff

My husband has never been one for creamy sauces where heavy dairy products are introduced into the mix. Whenever I would suggest anything remotely connected to a white creamy sauce, it was like presenting a vampire with a necklace of garlic.....just about the same reaction. The other night I decided to tread on thin ice, and make beef stroganoff  where the star ingredient is not only paprika, but one of the dreaded  ingredients "sour cream". To soften the blow, I decided to serve it with plain healthy riced potatoes. By not adding butter or cream to the potatoes, and using a potato ricer instead of mashing them produced a fluffy light side dish.....the perfect balance to compliment the thick and creamy sauce. So you can imagine my amazement that this dish, which I had left dormant for so long, was a big hit with him. So here is my take on this classic dish which was so popular back in the 1980's, but vanquished from my dining table until it made its comeback recently and is here to stay.

Ingredients:
1 1/2 lb. sirloin beef cut into roughly 1" cubes
2 tablespoons extra virgin oil
2 tablespoons butter
1onion cut into diced pieces
1-2 cloves of garlic finely chopped
1 pint of button mushrooms sliced
3 sprigs of fresh thyme
2 teaspoons paprika
salt and pepper
2/3 cup red wine
1 1/2 cup beef broth
1/2 cup or more sour cream (to taste)

In a dutch oven pan, heat the oil and butter until very hot. Drop in a few pieces of beef, season with some salt and pepper. Brown the meat on all sides. a few pieces at a time. Cooking only a few pieces at a time will allow the meat to brown better. Transfer the meat to a plate and set aside. Continue browning the meat until it is all done. Add the onions and garlic to the pan and cook for about 3 minutes. Stir and scrape all the meat flavours from the bottom of the pan. Return the meat to the dutch oven pan and stir. Toss in the mushrooms and cook an additional 2-3 minutes.Pour in the wine and allow to reduce. Stir in the paprika. Toss in the thyme sprigs and and the beef broth. Bring to a boil and then lower the heat. Cover and simmer. Braise for 40-60 minutes to the meat to tenderize. The sauce will reduce and thicken. Just before serving add the sour cream and serve with potatoes  or noodles. Serves 4

                                                        

"Sisterhood of the World Bloggers Award"

I would like to send out a huge thank you to my blogger friend  from Malaysia, Ami for awarding me the "Sisterhood of World Bloggers " award. I invite you to check out her wonderful blog, Ami's Vegetarian Delicacies  http://amisvegetariandelicacies.blogspot.com. It's packed with flavourful recipes from Sri Lankan and Indian cuisine. The flavours of the world right at your doorstep is just a click away at, http://amisvegetariandelicacies.blogspot.com.

CSN Giveaway Contest Winner!!!

Congratulations go out to a fellow Food Network community friend, Ava DJ, who was selected by Random.org services as the winner of the $45 CSN giveaway contest. Thanks to all who participated this time around, taking the time to leave comments on my posts or joining as new followers.

CSN $45 Giveaway Contest

I want to thank all my blog readers by holding $45 gift certificate giveaway contest from CSN Stores, which has over 200 online stores where you can find anything you need whether it be swingsets, fitness equipment, or even cute cookware!’  All you have to do is drop me a line or sign up as a new follower to be eligible!  Please remember to also leave your email address so that you can be contacted should you win. The  winner will be announced  Saturday, February the 26th.Good luck to everyone!

(Open to all Canadian and United States residents)

"Recipe to Riches" Update

Although I had more than a few misgivings about participating in the Recipe to Riches Food Network competition, I did finally throw my hat in the ring, literally at the last minute. Although I didn't quite make it to Toronto with my recipe, I did make it to the judge's table, and had the privilege of meeting one of my favourite television chef celebrities, Laura Calder. That in itself was quite the reward. My other consolation was that at least my recipe warranted some debate over its marketability. The idea of the sour cherry filling seemed well received as were the use of  "healthier " ingredients such as dark chocolate (filling) and canola oil versus butter (cake batter). Unfortunately, one of the judges stood firm on the notion that the average consumer might find the dark Dutch cocoa flavour too intense and the cake not sweet enough. 
In spite of endless waiting period involved in the process and the final outcome, I can't say I regretted the experience. I got to meet some lovely people, had a few laughs, and experienced first hand that not all television reality shows will make you self destruct. The judges were constructive in their criticism, and the staff so supportive. Above all, I was touched by the compassion and concern shown by the Food Network television crew upon the realization that the golden ring was not to be attained. So I guess there can be some dignity in reality television after all. 
Most of all I would like to thank all my blogger friends for your support and encouragement in pursuing this challenge. I truly came out richer having gone through this experience. 

 

Garam Masala Tofu with Chick Peas

Tomato paste is not only reserved for our much loved Italian dishes. Combining it in a garam masala recipe will give the dish depth, and a beautiful rich colour. For this take on the poplular tikka masala chicken dish, I went vegetarian and made it with tofu. Adding chick peas, carrots, sweet potatoes, and zucchini brought it all together, making for a one pot meal with a thick rich sauce. This is sure to please even the non vegetarians in the family.

For those not familiar with fenugreek, an herb used in most curry dishes, it can be found in dried leaf form or seeds. I came across a powdered type which I used for the recipe below. Similar to red clover, fenugreek has apparently been used down the ages to increase milk supply in lactating mothers.  It is also purported to have other numerous health benefits; anywhere from breast enhancement, helping with the common cold, reducing cholesterol and sugar levels to alleviating arthritic joint pains.  Commonly used in Chinese medicine, it is also supposedly beneficial  for the health of your kidneys.

Ingredients:

10 ounces firm tofu

1 small onion coarsely chopped

1 garlic clove finely chopped

3 tablespoons olive oil

1 teaspoon cumin

1 teaspoon coriander

11/2 teaspoon fenugreek

2 teaspoons turmeric

2 teaspoons garam masala

salt and pepper

1 large carrot peeled and sliced 

2 small sweet potatoes cut into 1/2" thick pieces

2 cups cooked and drained chick peas

3/4 cup water

1 heaping tablespoon tomato paste

1 cup chopped tomatoes
1 zucchini sliced

Method:

Heat the oil and saute the onions and garlic for 2-3 minutes

Stir in all the spices. Cook a minute to let the flavours infuse

Toss in the tofu and stir to coat with the spices

Stir in the sweet potatoes and carrots

Pour in the chick peas, water.and tomato paste

Add the tomatoes and sliced zucchini. Cover and simmer for 15-20 minutes to allow the flavours to infuse and to allow the sauce to thicken