Walnut Gougères

I'm a huge fan of the homemade gift, both because it's personal and it's economical. I know that I always loved homemade fudge or cookies from a friend's family, and I love seeing the looks of joy on people's faces when they're presented with something homemade just for them. Homemade gifts are also practical not just for the recipient (who won't go through a cookie or two?) but for the budget too. Even a recipe with more "extravagant" ingredients than you'd usually use (good, cultured butter, nuts and quality chocolate, full flavoured cheeses, vanilla beans, even the occasional drop of alcohol) can make a lot of gift bags, taste better and come in at far less than buying all those gifts! This goes double if you're going to a holiday party or potluck (we have at least two every year) - anyone can go buy a bottle of wine, but if you offer to bring an appetizer or treat for the sweet table? You'll be loved by everyone there!

If you decide that delicious homemade gifts are the way to go, first create a basic list of recipes that will suit multiple people first, to help ease the burden of multiple cooking days! Recipes that you know off by heart (like my mom's shortbreads) or are simple to "whip up" (like cake / cookie balls) are good to start with and are usually easy to make with what's already in the pantry.  If you're used to doing to mass food-gift frenzy (like I am!), why not bring a fresh twist to the favourites? 

When the California Walnut Commission (@CaWalnuts) contacted me about sharing some of their wholesome, delicious giftable goodies for the holiday season, I was spoiled for choice! These are just some of the savoury treats the #CaWalnuts folks are offering up for you to bring a homemade touch to the party. Each is packed with the delicious and nutrient-rich goodness of California walnuts, are easy to make and can be pre-prepped and frozen for convenience and safe storage:

Walnut Gougères – Great for freezing and to have on hand as festive hors d’oeuvres:
A classic French cheese puff with the tasteful addition of delicate walnut crumbs. These versatile mini delights make for impressive hors d’oeuvres or the perfect accompaniment to a wine tasting.

Walnut Arroz Con Pollo – A perfect hostess gift or contribution to a holiday pot luck!
A wholesome, Spanish-inspired recipe, Walnut Arroz Con Pollo is a delicious, hearty one-pot wonder meal perfect for all occasions.

Walnut Cannelloni – These freeze well and can be made in larger batches too.

This meat-free entrée is a delicious indulgence and the addition of walnuts adds flavour, crunch and protein.

The first treat I wanted to make was something I've always wanted to do but never had the occasion to: gougères! I played around a bit with the original recipe as I scaled it back, opting for extra old white Cheddar and chipotle chili pepper in place of the cayenne. I tried making the puffs two different ways - first with "fresh" dough, then after piping them out and freezing them until I needed them. I have to admit that I liked the texture of the "baked-from-frozen" ones better, but I found that the baking method needed tweaking regardless. My updated version is after the jump!

"Rule of Thirds" Soup for a Warming #SundaySupper

Have you noticed the chill in the air? I know we are around here - just putting groceries into the car both my mom and I lost feeling to the tips of our fingers! As soon as our thermometers dropped all I could think about was the people either still without power or who just got it back after the storm - more than anything, they need this soul (and body!) warming #SundaySupper at their tables. Even here in the safety of our heated, electricity-fed home, that biting wind and constant icy drizzle outside slams the cold right into your bones, and it takes very fuzzy PJ pants and several cups of tea to thaw them out again.

But when it comes to warming, stick-to-your-ribs main dishes, the bowls have it. Whether it's a hearty pot pie, a scoop of casserole, a tureen of rich soup or a serving of simple stew with a hunk of crusty bread, few things are so comforting to both eat and make! The time and love it takes to prepare something hearty enough to stand up to Old Man Winter is soothing to the souls of diners worldwide, and the very crafting of the meal is a very zen-like experience for most cooks on a Sunday morning. The smell of dinner cooking, intensifying with every passing hour, calls kids, parents, friends and visitors to the table, all ensured a fabulous reward for having waited so long.

After our Thanksgiving meal back in October, I wanted to re-harness all the roasted goodness the turkey had given to the holiday table. The first thing I did was make stock, sticking the bones into a mesh produce bag with a half head of garlic, a chopped onion, some backyard carrots, 4 stalks of celery, half a sliced lemon, a few bay leaves and peppercorns and a pinch of salt. After simmering all day, all I had to do was remove the bag and reduce the liquid a touch! The next day, I set about making a more or less "traditional" turkey and vegetable soup. With a brilliant shade of yellow from vibrant (and healthy!) turmeric, the broth soon filled with scents of rosemary and thyme. Carrots, peas, leeks, celery, new potatoes and a White Swan squash rounded out the mix before I added the leftover cooked meat.

While I was writing out what was going into this most recent soupy incarnation, I noticed that (almost) everything that went into it was divisible by 3! I didn't even realize I was doing it at the time, but go figure - my OCD must be acting up again! I decided, as a result, to name the final product the "Rule of Thirds" Soup, which photographers and artists out there will appreciate but still makes total sense to us lay people!

We have over 50 contributors to our warming #SundaySupper (hosted by The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen) this week, bringing you their best warm you up dishes. We have everything from stews, soups, main entrees and even some hot drinks and desserts. Just look at the list below that is coming to the #SundaySupper table this week!

Main Entrees: 

• Carrot, Parsnip and Lentil Casserole  - Happy Baking Days
• Chicken with Herbed Dumplings – Bobbi’s Kozy Kitchen
• Chicken pot pie – Gotta Get Baked
• Cholula Chicken Enchiladas – Kwistin’s Favorites
• Eggplant Parmesan – The Hand That Rocks The Ladle
• Roasted Roots and Fruits with Sausage – Shockingly Delicious

Chili/Stews:

• Beer-Braised Beef – Sustainable Dad
• Bigos {Authentic Polish Hunter’s Stew} – From Fast Food to Fresh Food
• Brunswick Stew and Rice – Big Bear’s Wife
• Calico Beans – Home Cooking Memories
• Carbonnade Flamande – The Girl In The Little Red Kitchen
• Chicken Cacciatore {Hunter Style Stew} with Easy Creamy Polenta –Webicurean
• Chicken & Mushroom Stew On Egg Noodles –  Galactosemia in PDX
• Cowboy Beef Stew - Comfy Cuisine 
• Ham and String Beans –  Cindy’s Recipes and Writings
• Hearty Moose Meatball Stew – Mrs. Mama Hen
• Jalapeno Popper Chicken Chili - Hezzi-D’s Books and Cooks
• Lentil and Chorizo Stew – Vintage Kitchen Notes
• Seafood Gumbo and Soul Warming #SundaySupper Wine Pairings - ENOFYLZ Wine Blog
• Soul Warming Hearty Beef Stew - In The Kitchen With KP

Soups:

• 30 Minute Black Bean Soup – Supper for a Steal
• Black Bean Soup – Basic and Delicious 
• Black Bean Soup with Hot Roast Pepper Cream - The Lovely Pantry
• Canadian Beer Cheese Soup – Juanita’s Cocina
• Chicken Soup with Dumplings – The Messy Baker
• Chicken Tortilla Soup – Dinners, Dishes and Desserts
• Coconut Curry Chicken Soup – Damn Delicious
• Easy Chicken and Dumplings – My Catholic Kitchen
• Easy Italian Wedding Soup – Family Foodie
• Easy Wonton Soup – Soni’s Food
• French Onion Soup – Momma’s Meals
• Homestyle Chicken and Dumplings – I Run For Wine
• Lasagna Soup – Cravings of a Lunatic
• Lemon Chicken Noodle Soup – Mangiamo
• Lentil and Bacon Soup – Small Wallet, Big Appetite
• Lentil Soup with Spinach – Mama’s Blissful Bites
• Peppery Mulligatawny Soup with Cherry Tomatoes & Cilantro – Sue’s Nutrition Buzz
• Pozolillo Verde {Green Chicken & Corn Pozole} – La Cocina de Leslie
• Red Lentil Soup with Crispy Aromatic Coriander – Chattering Kitchen
• Roasted Jalapeno Soup – Chocolate Moosey
• Rule of Thirds Soup - What Smells So Good?
• Seafood Chowder – Noshing with the Nolands
• Spanish Garlic Soup – Pippi’s In The Kitchen Again
• Spicy Gumbo Z’herbes – Pescetarian Journal
• Spicy Korean Brisket Soup {Yukgaejang} - Crispy Bits & Burnt Ends
• Spicy Seafood Noodle Soup {Jjamppong} – Kimchi Mom
• Spicy Udon Noodle Soup – My Trials In The Kitchen
• Turkey Noodle Soup – Magnolia Days
• Tuscan Bean Soup  - The Wimpy Vegetarian
• Twisted Chicken Noodle Soup – The Meltaways
• Warm You Up Spicy Bacon Cheeseburger Soup - Daily Dish Recipes

Desserts/Beverages:

• Hot Fudge Pudding Cake – That Skinny Chick Can Bake
• White Hot Chocolate with Orange – GirliChef

White Swan Squash

Join on us on Twitter throughout the day during #SundaySupper. In the evening we will meet at 7pm EST for our weekly #SundaySupper live chat. All you have to do is follow the #SundaySupper hashtag or you can follow us through TweetChat. We’d also love to feature your Sunday Supper Soul Warming Recipes on our #SundaySupper Pinterest board and share them with all of our followers, too.

Butterscotch Apple Pie Filling (Canned)

Every Fall, we do apples big time. Whether we're picking a bag apiece at our favourite orchard, or buying pre-picked goods at the farm stand like we did this year, we always have a ton more than we really know what to do with. My mom has been churning out her fabulous plain-jane apple pies (no sugar or thickeners in the filling, just good ol' Spies and a dash of cinnamon in a shortening-based pastry) and her fabulous apple squares to try and quell the gratuitous amount we have, but I took a few into my own hands and made some delicious treats too!

The first thing I did was fairly unusual for us. As a family who grew up on and still loves the "spartan" style of apple pie, we've never actually resorted to canned filling for anything. However, I do like the flavour of bittersweet butterscotch and spicy tart apples, and since I'm stocking my pantry for Christmas gifts (it's going to look so weird when they're all gone!) I figured why not can my own decadent apple pie in a jar?

This stuff is dangerously good, I tell you. If it makes it into the jars, cracking open one and warming it up to go over ice cream (or just eat with a spoon)? Heaven. It's also a perfect filling for that pastry I gave you yesterday! I had some leftovers that didn't quite make it to jars (ahem) but hit the breakfast table over pancakes too. It tastes like the world's best caramel apple, and in the scheme of things, it's not half-bad for you either!

Good Nutrition Month and Sweet Potato Spelt Pastry

Now that October is over and done with, the real craziness of the holiday season has arrived! Between football season, (American) Thanksgiving, the (American) election, and the end of Daylight Savings Time, it's easy to forget the basics of eating properly in favour of "quick and convenient" prepackaged or drive through fare. But November is also Good Nutrition Month - and this year sweet potatoes are the theme ingredient!

What does “good nutrition” mean?  It means eating your 7-10 servings of fruit and vegetables each day. It means choosing whole grains and lean protein over refined, processed, or fatty varieties. It also means eating a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates and fat and avoiding diets that eschew one or the other. It means drinking enough water and eating enough fibre every day. It means consciously choosing to eat whole foods your grandma would recognize, and cook them at home 90% of the time. And it means giving yourself permission to indulge in treats that are truly "worthy" to you that other 10%.

Sweet potatoes are powerhouses of nutrition - with 438.1% the RDI of vitamin A and 3.76 g of fibre (keep in mind you should be getting at least 35 grams daily), the story is just beginning. For example, sweet potatoes have also been shown to have more absorbable beta-carotene than green leafy vegetables! Sweet potatoes, though sweet tasting and a naturally starchy vegetable, actually help keep blood sugar stable, even in cases of Type II diabetes! All the colour-containing pigments, as well as the natural proteins in the tuber, are packed with anti-inflammatories and antioxidants too.

There are around 400 varieties of sweet potato grown and eaten around the world! The skin and flesh  can be creamy pale, yellow, orange, pink, or even a deep purple! They are all tubers and (like potatoes, winter squash and corn) should be treated as your "starch side" when you're planning a menu, even though they are vegetables.

For this Good Nutrition Month, I wanted to share a recipe that is a simple and versatile variation on a previous recipe:my favourite Potato Pastry Crust. Instead of the Yukon Golds, I tried a few different varieties of sweet potatoes that I found both at my regular grocery store and the Asian market I frequent. The good old common "Garnet Yam" fared the best in terms of a smooth mash and a less-gloopy dough, not to mention the result was a stunning orange (FYI, this will brown in the fridge with prolonged storage). The purple type I tried was too wet to really "hold" the flour together, and I tried a white "Chinese Yam" too, which didn't mash so much as turn stringy (the taste wasn't to my liking on the latter one either, but I loved the purple potato's flavour!). For a different twist on my standard whole wheat pastry flour, I opted for spelt - which so happens to have more nutrients than standard wheat! I couldn't wait to share the pastry with you all, since it's delicious with the apple filling I made (and will share tomorrow!) but also as a savoury base for pot pies like chicken.

Banana Bread Biscotti

Ever had one of those recipes that turns out so unbearably, horribly, awfully wrong that you cannot for the life of you think of a way to save it?

Yeah. Me too.

That is what resulted of the Banana Bread recipe in Quick and Easy Low-Cal Vegan Comfort Food that I tried to make on the weekend. I was heartbroken, to say the least - I bought the soy yogurt recommended, used the almond milk and Earth Balance... the only thing I changed was to add a tiny pinch of cinnamon and leave out the pecans. But, as you can see, the poor thing was a gloopy mess inside even after almost twice the oven time. That, dear readers, has never happened to me with banana bread, even gluten free ones. 

But there's a first time for everything - and this was mine. Normally, any normal-thinking soul would bin the nasty result and chalk it up to experience. I was going to do that, but something inside me kept nagging at the fact that I had spent extra money on the soy yogurt (which I can't stand the taste of on its own) and that the thing did smell delicious even if it looked like Frankenstein's monster. Re-baking the loaf whole was obviously not going to work, since extending the baking time during the initial process did diddly-squat. But I could still double bake it... biscotti style.

I've fallen into the habit of "biscotti-baking" items that, after cooling, were a little soft, cakey, gummy or (in this case) goopy for my taste. The last one I mentioned was the Lighter Granola Cookies, but 
the same technique is great for re-crisping cookies and even granola and cold cereal that was stored in a not-quite airtight bag!

With the banana "bread", I made more or less "true" looking biscotti by cutting the loaf into tiny fingers. A light sprinkle of raw sugar added a little colour and crunch, and by the time they came out of the oven they were crispy, dark brown, smelling to high heaven of goodness and screaming "eat me"! So if you have a loaf of banana bread that didn't quite bake all the way through, or just have some leftovers that are going stale? Slice them up and make Christmas cookies!

We're halfway through the 12 Weeks of Christmas Treats! Can you believe it? I know my freezer is chock full of good stuff already, and I can't wait to see the looks of my giftees faces!