Leeky Carrot and Rice Soup

Leek and Carrot Soup is full of spring flavour, and the abundance of veggies, lentils and whole grain rice makes it a healthy, not to mention delicious, lunch!

Yes, I know we are in the throes of Summer. However, as someone whose body temperature drops when she eats (don't ask, I don't get it either), soup is always a possibility when it comes to mealtimes. However, I also appreciate that heavy, hearty soups are really too much for July weather, so after a trip to the local farmer's market I (re)made this soup. I say re-made because I originally made (and photographed) this recipe last March, but never got around to posting it. Good thing too, because it allowed me to tweak it and the changes are reflected in the recipe below. The recipe is also easy to veganize, should you choose to do so, but for a more "cock a leekie" experience I suggest a rich chicken stock (I used homemade) and butter.

The simplicity of this soup really allows the vegetables and herbs to shine. In the height of Summer (if you have it in your garden) use fresh herbs with abandon (except oregano, which for some reason bitters the soup when fresh) and of course, the best veggies you can find. Since my garden hasn't quite exploded with produce yet, I used my farmer's market haul, and supplemented the mix with garlic scapes (from my fiance's garden) and my Egyptian Onion bulbs. Use what looks good and you'll be laughing!

P.S.: If you like your soup with a kick (like a certain blog writer... ahem), use chili oil (like my favourite) to saute and stir in a dash of Tabasco at the end!

Pineapple Drops

Pineapple juice makes this hard candy taste like honey, and with a tiny cube mold making lots is easy!

If you could believe it, I used to be deathly afraid of boiling sugar. Like my (still unresolved) fear of hot oil, I was burned by molten sugar syrup when I was younger, and avoidance seemed like the best tactic. Of course, now that I've been making and canning other splattery things like jam, I have developed more or less asbestos hands and while I can't say I've escaped unscathed I do know how to be a bit smarter about the substance! 

In possession of a can of pineapple juice (left over from stir fry night), I decided to see if I could somehow convert it into a candy. I had a feeling that gummies would be out due to their gelatin base, but I wondered if hard candy would work. Well, I can safely say it does - and while the finished candy tastes nothing like pineapple, it does taste like the most divine honey in solid form! It's a good thing I picked up a tiny silicone ice cube mould for this recipe, otherwise they would be taking up permanent residence around my waist!

Quick Marshmallow Fluff and Fluffernutter Fudge

Fluffernutter Fudge is a great use for unsweetened, natural peanut butter. A sprinkle of salt balances the sweetness. Gluten free and dairy free to boot!

My summers as a kid were always filled with campfires of some sort. First were the communal fire pits on Beausoleil Island, where all us boaters would rotate bringing wood and we'd gather with skewers, graham crackers and marshmallows. Being allowed to "play with fire" was arguably the coolest part of the summer, and when I was old enough to babysit I would occasionally buy my own bag of marshmallows so I didn't have to share!

Oddly enough, only my grandparents ever had mini marshmallows that I can recall. Even if we were making Krispie Squares, it was always the big ones because us kids could just grab the remaining ones for snacks. Only recently did I purchase a bag of them to make cookies, but after using what I needed, I still had a bunch left that were starting to do what mini mallows do - turn into sugary pebbles. Not really wanting to go the traditional route (and having no cereal), I came across a method for turning the marshmallows back into their "fluff" form - perfect for my favourite marshmallow application, fudge!

Marshmallow Fluff in my possession, I set about making a small (read: manageable to eat) pan of peanut butter fudge. Why peanut butter? Well, for one, it's rich and somewhat salty, which counteracts the overbearing sweetness of most marshmallow based fudge I've had. For another, it's inherently creamy, so small pieces satisfy (and it lasts longer!). This fudge is layered with peanut flavour too, thanks to the use of peanut flour in addition to the natural peanut butter (yes, natural worked here!). To offset any residual cloying sweetness, I sprinkled some flaky Kosher salt over the whole thing.

A tiny taste of the finished candy brought back waves of nostalgia for the treats of summer and fall fairs. Perfectly peanutty, just sweet enough, and melt-in-your-mouth good, I have no qualms about making it again - and if I can't find the Fluff (it's hit and miss around here) I can whip up my own!

Baklava Swirl Bread

This is no ordinary swirled loaf - the lusciousness in this whole grain bread is leftover filling from Nut Free Baklava plus an extra drizzle of honey for luck! The dough even gets an extra hint of decadence from orange flower water and toasted sesame oil.

Remember the filling from my delicious Nut-Free Baklava? Well, I had leftovers on my hands, and since our stash of bread was running low, I figured what better use than in a swirled bread? I don't often go "overboard" on the decadent loaves for mom, especially since that we're well into the short sleeve and shorts weather, but once in a while it serves as a nice treat! This bread is a heavy adaptation from the Cinnamon Swirl Bread on Pinch of Yum, which looked decadent and one I'm definitely going to make in the future!

Since I was making bread with a baklava-style swirl, I figured I would pull in some other Greek(ish) flavours with the dough. A dash of orange juice and orange flower water added a light fruity and floral note, while toasted sesame oil shone through with a nutty tone. Using yogurt instead of water kept the dough impossibly soft and tender, which was a great contrast with the crunchy bits in the filling. It's a good thing this recipe makes two big loaves, because my mom couldn't wait to dig in - they were barely room temperature by the time she cut into them!

Nut-Free Baklava

Yes, nut free baklava is possible! The filling for this decadent flaky pastry is a mix of nut free granola, sunflower seeds and buckwheat kernels pulsed with raw honey and spices, while the syrup is honey and sugar with a splash of rose and orange flower water. Rolled, rather than stacked phyllo ensures the filling stays put and slicing is easier too!

Baklava is a definite crowd pleaser - I honestly don't know a single person who truly abhors the sweet, sticky, flaky pastry once they've tried it! Since my grade 7/8 class at work was putting on Mamma Mia! as their school play, they asked if I could make the dessert option for their refreshment table. Of course, I agreed, and the subject of baklava came up. However, there was a big, glaring "BUT" in this plan. As per school policy, there could be no nuts involved.

Not to toot my own horn (okay, kinda to toot my own horn), this challenge didn't faze me at all. While the previous Home Economics teacher had mentioned that there was "no way" the dessert could be made without nuts, I have had previous experience in doing just that. I took the same principles and adapted them to a more traditional baklava application (involving the syrup component). To save on mess and make for a somewhat neater presentation, I rolled the sheets of filled phyllo instead of stacking them, which both ensured an even distribution of filling and an easier cutting job. The rolls also absorbed the syrup a little more thoroughly, creating bites of pastry that were sweet without being wet-wipe sticky.

Now, I will not say this is a "quick" dessert. I made it the morning before it needed to go into the school so it had a full 24 hours to absorb the syrup, but all told it took about 1 1/2 hours to put together from start to finish. Do make the syrup first - it needs to cool to room temperature and this way it stays out of the way! Any leftover filling and phyllo can be made into "muffin tin" baklava snails (my mom loved those as her "treat" and they also gave my fiance a chance to taste the dessert for the first time), and the filling can also be frozen and used as a mix-in for bread or cake filling. Make no mistake, the next time I get a chance, this is going to be back on the dessert table.