Banana flambé

When I was a child, my mom would make thin crêpes with bananas flambés for dessert.  It was my sister and I's favourite.  It was always exciting to see my mom reach for bananas and the bottle of rum after dinner; we knew we were in for a treat! (don’t worry – this dessert is safe for children.  All alcohol will evaporate when cooked)

What I love about this dessert is that it can be assembled in approximately 10 minutes and takes very little preparation.  It is also very versatile; the banana flambé can be served with vanilla ice cream, crêpes, or on top of graham crackers. 

Mushroom & Onion Beef Stew

Last weekend I saw the first snowflakes in Toronto.  We have been lucky this year and fall was quite warm but as Christmas approaches, I look forward to snowy days.  There's nothing better than this comforting mushroom & onion beef stew to warm up on very cold days.

For a larger crowd I prefer using a chuck roast but for a quick weekday meal, I opt for the stewing beef cubes.  My mother use to make this recipe and would always serve it with fluffy mash potatoes and green beans.  As the beef slowly cooks, the amazing flavours of this dish will fill your kitchen with the irresistible aromas.

The best part of this recipe is that you can prepare it ahead of time and freeze it.  Simply thaw the ingredients, pop in the slow cooker and add water.

Julia Child's French Onion Soup

PBS brought us so many wonderful shows: Sesame Street, Mr. Rogers, Painting with Bob Ross (don’t laugh, I use to love watching him paint! The man can paint threes in 2 seconds and the man made the woosh woosh sound effects as he painted them! Pure magic) and of course Julia Child’s cooking show. Up until a few years ago I simply knew of Julia Child, but it wasn’t until my friend V gave me Mastering the Art of French Cooking that I truly appreciated her and started preparing some her recipes.

French Onion soup is a quintessential part of French cooking. You could eat the onion flavoured brown liquid in a can OR you could make a large batch of the soup below and swoon when you savour it.  

Liver Pate

BIG ANNOUNCEMENTS: Mr.C is taking me to Paris for my 30th Birthday! 

Since he surprised me with this incredible birthday gift, the only thing I can think about is French food: flaky croissants, delicious French onion soup, mountains and mountains of cheese, and of course liver pâté.

Now, I don’t actually like liver to look like liver on my plate. What I mean by this is that I don’t like the sight, color or texture of chicken livers but once they are cooked, seasoned and then puréed into a light, delicious pâté, I can’t stop myself from eating it.

I finally got over my fear of cooking liver and tried a recipe for liver pâté. I always thought liver pâté was difficult to prepare but I was very surprised how easy it is to make.

Small Lemon Meringue Shots

My great grandmother, grand-maman Prudentienne, use to make this incredible lemon Meringue pie.  The crust was buttery and sweet, the lemon filling dense, tangy and creamy and the meringue light as a feather.  For Mr. C’s birthday I decided to adapt her recipe and layer the ingredients of the lemon meringue in tall shot glasses instead of a pie shell.  A bit of a twist on a beloved classic!

Brandy & Shallot Sauce

I first tasted this sauce a couple of years ago. My mom made her incredible roast beef for Christmas dinner and she prepared this Brandy & Shallot sauce to go along with it. The sauce is rich and full of butter (which surely explains why it is so delicious) and quickly became my go-to sauce to serve with red meat. It’s very versatile and you can pour it on steaks, roasts or beef wellingtons.

The sauce can be prepared the day before serving and refrigerated.

Cream of Chicken and Mushroom Soup

I usually make a large batch of chicken noodle soup but this time around I wanted to change things up a bit.

This cream of chicken is easy to prepare and of course incredibly delicious and comforting.  And as with all with my soup and cream recipes, you can freeze leftovers for later.

Spicy Cheddar Cheese Crackers

Every morning I like to read various cooking blogs to find new inspiration to create recipes. A blog I read religiously is Joy the Baker. Not only is she wonderfully witty and lovely but her recipes are always simple and incredibly delicious. I would strongly recommend you bookmark her blog in your favorites. 

A couple of weeks ago Joy posted a recipe homemade cheddar crackers and I had to try them. They are incredibly easy to make and OH SO YUMMY! Much better than anything that will ever come out of a box!

This recipe yields a lot of crackers so I would recommend you freeze half of the dough for future use. Simply thaw in the refrigerator before using.

I made tiny little stars to sprinkle on top of soup (similar to goldfish crackers but a million times better…) and larger crackers to snack on.

Buffalo Bites

Buffalo Bites have all of the amazing taste of traditional Buffalo Chicken Wings but none of the mess.  Frankly, there is no way to eat chicken wings without having sauce on your hand, mouth and chin (or if you're like me, the sauce will magically appear on my forehead, in my hair and very often on my clothes.  Very classy indeed...)

You can also prepare the chicken meatballs ahead of time and freeze them. Simply reheat with the sauce on game day or before your cocktail party!

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

I have to admit I’m not a big fan of soft drinks. I find them too sweet and truth be told I would much rather eat my calories than drink them. When a good friend of mine revealed that the secret ingredient of her amazing pulled pork recipe was cola soft drink, it tickled my curiosity and I had to try it. The result is surprisingly delicious and easy to prepare.

You can also substitute the cola for root beer if you prefer hints of cinnamon and cloves.

All leftover pork can be frozen.

Creamy Coleslaw

This is a quick and easy recipe you can make during busy weeknights.  Because I don't have much time to cook on week nights (and because I'm lazy), I like to make a large batch of coleslaw as a side dish.

I prefer to buy some pre-washed and chopped bags of cabbage or shredded broccoli and carrots (as I mentioned, I'm lazy).  Add a few ingredients and voila! a fresh salad to serve with your main dish.

Chili con Carne

This recipe is perfect to serve on Sunday afternoon or to share with friends while watching an exciting game on TV.  Unfortunately hockey fans will not be cheering for their favourite team this year because of the lockout.  Being a huge Habs fan myself, I'm a bit sad that the hockey season was cancelled;  watching a good Canadiens game always makes me feel like I'm back in home in Montreal.

I like to serve the chili topped with shredded cheddar cheese, sour cream and chopped green onions.  Tortilla chips and garlic bread are also a great side for this dish.

Although this recipe calls for a can of tomato soup, you can substitute this ingredient with a can of diced tomatoes.  I personally like the creaminess and flavour the soup bring to the chilli.

I prefer to use a slow cooker for the chili but you can also cook it on your stove top.  I find the longer it simmers, the better the chili!

Refrigerated Garlic & Dill Pickles

Two methods can be used to pickle vegetables:  refrigerator pickling and processed pickling.
 

When you make refrigerator pickles, you place your vegetables into clean jars with spices and pour over hot pickling liquid.  Once these pickles have cooled down to room temperature, they are stored in the refrigerator for preservation. This method is suitable for smaller batches to preserve and the pickles must be stored in the refrigerator at all times.

Preserved pickles uses a similar method as the refrigerator pickles:  vegetables and spices are packed into clean glass jars and are then filled with a vinegar-based pickling liquid.  Air bubbles are released by tapping the jars and then lids and rings are attached.  The final step, the processing, consists of boiling the sealed jars for a certain amount time. Once processed, these pickles will have a shelf life of about a year.  Once unsealed, the jars must be stored in the refrigerator.

Keep in mind that the ratio of water to vinegar of this recipe is necessary to prevent the growth of toxic bacteria.  While you can't change this proportion, you can safely double this recipe.

You may notice that the garlic may turn blue or green in the jar.  This is normal; the garlic is simply reacting to the acid of the vinegar.

Your dill pickles will be ready to enjoy after a few days!