Berry Cheesecake Whole Wheat Crepes

My co-worker Leasa asked me to make a crepe recipe. I've never made crepes. I'm not even much of a pancake person. Regardless, I took Leasa's challenge and came up with a very nice crepe with strawberry, blueberry and cheese filling. The inspiration for the cheese filling comes from an episode of "Eat Shrink and Be Merry". Janet and Greta were trying to re-create a super indulgent cheesecake recipe. In place of cream cheese and ricotta, they used a blend of protein rich cottage cheese, sour cream and light cream cheese. I figured that would work just as well as a crepe filling. The crepes themselves are made with whole wheat flour and unrefined cane sugar... I cleaned the classic crepe recipe up as much as I could. Thankfully, the butter stays!

I had a hell of a time making the crepes. There was a lot of trial and error before I got the batter right. There was also a lot of trial and error before I figured out how to cook them properly. I started with a 12 inch fry pan but quickly switched to a much smaller 8 inch pan. The crepes are quite small (the size of large pancakes), but they were easier to cook and actually easier to serve. Instead of rolling, I simply folded the crepe sides over like an omelette.

If you have your own fool-proof crepe recipe and crepe cooking method, I suggest you stick with it. Just try my Berry Cheesecake filling. It's divine!

Berry Cheesecake Filling:

1 cup fresh strawberries, rinsed, hulled and diced
1 cup fresh blueberries, rinsed
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup agave syrup
1 cup cottage cheese
1/4 cup sour cream
1/2 cup cream cheese

1. Add strawberries, blueberries and honey to a small sauce pan and cook over medium heat for about 10 minutes. Mash strawberries using back of a spoon or a fork. When mixture is of a syrupy consistency, remove from heat and set aside.

2. Blend vanilla, agave, cottage cheese, sour cream and cream cheese in a food process and mix until smooth. Remove mixture and place into a bowl. Add half of the strawberry mixture to the cheese mixture and fold together. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes to firm up the mixture. Set aside. Save the other half of the strawberry mixture for topping.

You can also make the filling without berries. It's good plain as well!

Crepes:

Adapted from Eating Well Magazine

1 cup whole wheat pastry flour
2 tbsp sucanat
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs
1/2 cup milk
2 tsp butter, melted
1/2 cup club soda

1. Add everything, except club soda, to a blender and combine until smooth. Pour into a bowl. Cover and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes.

2. When ready to cook crepes, add club soda into batter and mix gently.

3. Dab a paper towel in oil and lightly wipe the inside of a small non-stick skillet (I used an 8 inch). Heat skillet over medium high heat. When water dripped into pan sizzles, pan is hot and ready to make crepes!

4. Ladle about a 1/4 cup of batter into the skillet. Immediately lift, tilt and rotate pan to spread batter into a thin, even layer.

5. Cook the crepe until the underside is lightly browned and the top begins to bubble slightly, about 30 seconds. Work a spatula with a long handle under the crepe to loosen. Either use the spatula to flip the crepe or once loosened, shake the pan to flip. Cook until the second side is lightly browned, about 20 seconds longer. Slide the crepe onto a plate. Repeat process until desired number of crepes is reached. Keep prepared crepes warm in the oven, set to a low temperature.

6. When ready to serve, spoon several tablespoons of strawberry cheese mixture down one side of the crepe, about a quarter way in. Using your fingers, roll the crepe around your filling, like a burrito, keeping the ends open. Place crepe seam side down on a plate. If your crepes are small, like mine, you could also just fold the crepe in half, around the filling, like an omelette. Top with a spoonful of reserved strawberry compote.

For a picture tutorial of how to make and fold crepes, see here.

If not using crepes right away, store crepes between sheets of wax paper. Crepes can be refrigerated for two days or frozen for one month.

Farfalle with Roasted Tomatoes & Asparagus in Brown Butter

After my success with Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce, I thought I would try brown butter again. This time, it is pure butter, caramelized, then mixed with garlic, tossed with fresh roasted tomatoes and asparagus and bowtie pasta and garnished with fresh grated Parmesan, parsley and a drizzle of white truffle oil. Fresh n' Easy!

Recipe adapted from Canadian Living

Serves 4

6 tbsp butter
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 cups cherry tomatoes, cut in half
1 bunch asparagus spears, trimmed and cut into 1 inch pieces
salt & pepper to taste
5 cups cooked farfalle (bowtie) pasta or other pasta of your choice
4 tbsp fresh grated Parmesan cheese
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
White Truffle Oil for drizzling (optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees. Arrange tomatoes and aspargus on a baking sheet in a single layer. Sprinkle with sea salt and pepper and spray with olive oil cooking spray. Roast in hot oven for 8-10 minutes, until asparagus is tender.

2. While veggies are roasting, melt butter in a large skillet over medium heat until foaming and nutty brown colour. Add garlic and fry, stirring, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Lower heat.

3. When veggies are finished, remove from oven and add to butter & garlic filled skillet. Toss gently to coat.

4. Add cooked pasta to skillet and toss gently to mix with veggies and coat with butter. Stir for a couple minutes until pasta is heated through.

5. Spoon pasta into bowls. Top each bowl with a tablespoon of Parmesan and half a tablespoon of chopped parsley. Finish with a light drizzle of white truffle oil.

The bread in the photo is super delicious Seed Bread from A Bread Affair. Pick some up at the Coquitlam Farmer's Market this Sunday!

Chicken Hekka

Another tropical recipe from Sam Choy. Mr. Choy says while growing up, his family always made Chicken Hekka for mainland guests. He describes this dish as being "comfort food" and a "cornerstone recipe" in his cookbook.

But what the heck is Chicken Hekka? There isn't much about it online. Hekka is apparently a Hawaiian word but when I played around with Hawaiian/English translators, I found no entries. Other blogs claim Hekka is based on Japanese cooking and is pretty much the same as Japanese sukiyaki - a one pot meal made with thin sliced vegetables and meat.

Regardless of what it is, Chicken Hekka is easy to make and it's pretty good.

Marinade:
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs, cut into cubes
1/4 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup sesame oil
2 tbsp mirin
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 tbsp minced ginger
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
2 tbsp cornstarch
1 1/2 tsp sucanat

1. Combine marinade ingredients in a shallow dish. Add chicken and toss well to coat. Marinate for at least 30 minutes.

Sake Sauce:
2 tbsp agave syrup
1/2 cup soy sauce*
1/4 cup chicken broth*
1/4 cup sake or Chinese cooking wine

1. Mix everything together in a small bowl and set aside.

Hawaiian cooking does not involve spice. You may wish to add a dash or two or Sriracha to spice things up, or leave as is for a mild flavour.

Stir Fry:
marinated chicken (as above)
1 tbsp sesame or peanut oil
1 inch fresh ginger, peeled and smashed
1 can sliced bamboo shoots
1 carrot, julienned
1 stalk celery, julienned
3 stalks green onion, cut in 1 inch lengths
1/2 onion, sliced thin
1 cups watercress leaves
1 bundle (2 oz) thin rice noodles, cooked, drained and cut into 1 inch lengths
prepared Sake Sauce (as above)
1/2 block firm tofu, drained and cut into 1" cubes (optional)

1. Heat oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger and chicken. Brown chicken.

2. Add bamboo shoots, carrot and celery. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes. Add onion and green onion and stir fry for another minute or two.



3. Add 1/2 cup Sake Sauce and rice noodles. Let simmer for 5-8 minutes. Sauce will absorb into noodles.

4. Gently stir in tofu and watercress. Mix everything together well. Remove from heat. Serve with rice, more rice noodles or as is.



*Use Gluten Free, if needed.

Haupia (Hawaiian Coconut Pudding)

Haupia is a traditional Hawaiian Lu'au desert made with coconut milk and arrowroot starch. When heated together, the ingredients take on a gelatinous texture, and when cooled, the result can be cut into cubes for serving. Top with fresh fruit and sorbet and you have quite a nice dessert for dinner party guests!

After Dinner Notes: I was excited to try this recipe. I love coconut and I thought coconut with raspberry sorbet and fresh raspberries would be a perfect after dinner treat for my family's recent lobster dinner get together. I prepared the Haupia around 4:30pm and put it in the fridge to set. I was optimistic that it would set within a few hours. When the time came to serve dessert at 7:00pm, the Haupia was solid and firm, but it wasn't firm enough to cut into cubes as the recipe indicated. Instead, I spooned it out like a pudding, except it had the consistency of gelatin. The taste was good but the elastic, gelatinous consistency wasn't super appealing. I'm not sure the Haupia just didn't fully set, or if that is the way it is supposed to be. It did go quite well with the fruit sorbet and fresh fruit. Overall I would say it was a bit of a bust. Not sure if I would try it again. I'm going to post the recipe anyway in case any of you are interested or are familiar with the dish and have any tips or suggestions.



Haupia (Hawaiian Coconut Pudding):

Recipe from Say Choy's Aloha Cuisine

1 12oz can coconut milk
1 1/2 cups milk
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp sugar
1/4 cup plus 2 tbsp arrowroot starch*
dash of clear vanilla extract

1. In a large saucepan combine coconut milk and milk.

2. In a small bowl, blend together sugar and arrowroot starch. Add to saucepan and stir into coconut mixture. Whisk well to avoid lumps.

3. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently, until mixture thickens. This will only take a couple minutes.

4. Pour into an 8 inch square glass baking dish. Chill in refrigerator for several hours. When firm, cut into small squares or triangles.

5. Serve with fresh fruit, sorbet, chopped roasted nuts or a drizzle of honey or agave syrup.

To make your own coconut milk, mix 4 cups freshly grated coconut with 2 cups boiling water. Let stand 20 minutes, then drain through a double thick cheesecloth. Squeeze the cheesecloth several times to extract as much liquid as possible. Keep refrigerated.

*Bob's Red Mill makes Arrowroot Starch, but if you can't find it at your local grocer, substitute cornstarch in place.

Lobster Bisque

A "bisque" is a smooth, creamy, soup with French origins. Bisque is broth left after simmering shellfish with aromatic vegetables, straining, then mixing with cream. According to Wikipedia, the name "Bisque" is thought to either be derived from The Bay of Biscay (on the West side of France and the North side of Spain), or from the term "bis cuits", which is a Spanish/French jumble, meaning "twice cooked".

This soup an involved and long process, especially when you factor in the lobster dinner required in advance of the soup making, but in the end, it is well worth it.

From this:



To This:



Serves 2 entrees or 4 appetizers

left over parts of 2 cooked lobsters (legs & bodies)
4 tbsp butter
1 large onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
4 cloves garlic crushed
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup tomato paste
1/2 cup brandy or sherry
1/4 cup sweet white whine
2 tomatoes, chopped
few sprigs of thyme
6 cups water
salt
pinch cayenne
1 1/2 cups cream (I used Half & Half Coffee Cream!)
1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
2 tbsp warm water
1/2 cup cooked lobster meat, in chunks (reserved until end)
A few springs of Italian parsley, chopped (reserved until end)
sour cream (optional)

1. Chop the lobster remains into smaller pieces and place in a bowl.

2. Melt butter in a large saucepan over high heat. Add onion, carrots, garlic and bay leaf to pot. Stir until veggies are translucent.

3. Add tomato paste and stir together for a couple minutes. Add lobster pieces, then add brandy and white wine and mix well. Add tomatoes, thyme, cayenne and salt. Give it a quick stir. Add water and stir again. Let cook, uncovered, for about 1 hour, until volume is reduced by half.

4. Once soup has reduced, place a fine mesh strainer over a large bowl. Strain the soup by ladling it into the strainer. Press the liquid out using the back of a large spoon. Discard the solids. Pour the liquid from the bowl back into the saucepan.

5. Stir in cream and simmer for 10 minutes. In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with warm water and add to soup. Simmer for two minutes, and stir, until slightly thickened. Remove from heat. Skim off any fat from the top of the soup, then whisk quickly for a few minutes so the soup is frothy. This will help incorporate any remaining fat into the soup and incorporate air into it, making it lighter and creamier. Let soup stand for a few minutes so the froth subsides slightly.

6. Drop a spoonful of lobster meat into each bowl. Ladle bisque into bowls over top of lobster. Garnish with fresh chopped parsley and sour cream. Serve with a warm Cheddar Bay Biscuit.

Roasted Asparagus with Balsamic Brown Butter Sauce

When butter is melted and left to cook, the milk solids separate from the fat and sink to the bottom of the pan. There, they begin to caramelize and turn a light brown colour. The resulting liquid is very aromatic and has delicious nutty flavour, which is why the French refer to this as "Beurre Noisette" - hazelnut butter. The butter can be used as is, poured over vegetables, pasta, fish, poultry and meats, or mixed with other ingredients to create a rich, flavourful sauce.

1 bunch fresh asparagus, ends trimmed
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 tsp honey
6 tbsp butter
2 tsp soy sauce*

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Arrange asparagus in a single layer on a baking sheet. Sprinkle with salt and pepper. Lightly spray with olive oil cooking spray.

3. Roast asparagus in oven for 10-12 minutes, until tender.

4. While asparagus is cooking, add balsamic vinegar and honey to a small saucepan and cook over medium-low heat until reduced by half.

5. Melt butter in another small saucepan over medium-low heat and cook until colour turns light brown. Careful not to burn the butter.

6. Once butter is a light caramel colour and has a nutty aroma, remove from heat and add 2 tablespoons of the reduced balsamic and the soy sauce. Stir together. Spoon off and discard any foam from the top. Pour into a glass measuring cup or other glass cup with spout. Stir together well so mixture does not separate. Sauce should be a dark and rich with a thick, syrupy consistency.

7. Remove asparagus from oven and place into a serving dish. Pour Balsamic Brown Butter sauce over top of asparagus. Serve immediately.

*Use Gluten Free, if required.

Cheddar Bay Biscuits

My dad called the other day from the East Coast to say he is bringing fresh lobster home. "Call your sister and plan a dinner", he said. I've eaten lobster before but always with steak, garlic mashed and veggies. This time I wanted something different so I Google'd "Lobster Dinner" and asked my co-workers to see what they would suggest.

One of my co-workers, with roots in the Maritime Provinces, immediately said "Cheddar Biscuits!!!!". The sentiment was echoed online, where several sites recommended cheddar biscuits or cheese appetizers. More Google'ing led me to a recipe for Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits. I've never eaten at Red Lobster but another co-worker assured me that the Cheddar Bay Biscuits are "to die for".

As for the rest of the meal, it's all very light and fresh to pair with the rich taste of the fresh lobster. My sister is supplying the wine (Chardonnay, although Riesling and Sauvignon Blanc are also recommended pairings). Our starters will be the Cheddar Bay Biscuits with a salad of mixed greens and balsamic vinaigrette (and perhaps crumbled goat cheese). Sides dishes will be steamed (or grilled) asparagus (possibly with The Pioneer Woman's Blender Hollandaise Sauce) and corn on the cob. The lobster will be grilled and served with melted garlic butter and lemon wedges. For dessert... I'm not quite sure yet. Either a cheesecake or sorbet with fresh fruit. It will be a very, very substantial, rich and butter heavy meal! I won't need to eat for days afterwards... but you know I will anyway!

Now for the biscuits... These biscuits are not healthy, wholesome, natural, fresh or anything else I strive to achieve with the recipes on this blog. They are, however, delicious, light, airy, flaky, cheesy, buttery and totally sinful. Enjoy in moderation. :)



Recipe comes from Top Secret Restaurant Recipes 2 by Todd Wilbur.

Red Lobster's Cheddar Bay Biscuits:

2 1/2 cups Bisquick Baking Mix
3/4 cup cold 2% or Whole milk
4 tbsp cold butter, cut into small chunks
1/4 tsp garlic powder
1 heaping cup grated cheddar cheese (I used a Tex-Mex blend because that's what I had... sooo good!)

Brush on Top:

2 tbsp butter, melted
1/4 tsp dried parsley flakes
1/2 tsp garlic powder
pinch salt
pinch cayenne(optional)

1. Pre-heat oven to 400 degrees.

2. In a medium bowl, combine Bisquick with cold butter using a pastry blender. If you don't have a pastry blender, try a large fork, a potato masher or even your hands. There should be small chunks of butter, about the size of peas, throughout the mixture.

3. Add cheddar cheese, garlic powder and milk. Mix by hand until combined and formed into a dough.

4. Break off 1/4 cup portion of dough and roll into a rough ball. Drop onto an ungreased baking sheet. Continue with rest of dough. Will yield 12 portions.

5. Bake for 15-17 minutes until the tops of the biscuits begin to turn light brown.

6. When you take the biscuits out of the oven, mix together the ingredients from the "Brush on Top" section. Using a pastry brush, brush the garlic butter over top of the biscuits. Be very generous and use all the butter. Serve warm.

Shrimp & Scallop Spinach Salad with Mango Dressing

This is my absolute favourite salad, barely beating out my second favourite salad.

Another dish inspired by the Island flavours of Hawaii and renowned Island chef, Mr. Sam Choy. Fresh, crisp, bright, delicious - the perfect summer salad.

Serves 2 Main Dish Salads
To serve as an appetizer salad, reduce the amount of seafood to 2-3 of each piece per person.

Shrimp & Scallop Spinach Salad:

1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
10 sea scallops
10 large prawns, peeled & de-veined, tail on
4 cups fresh baby spinach leaves
1 small red onion, sliced very thin
1/2 fresh mango, peeled and sliced thin
1/2 avocado, peeled and sliced thin
Mango Dressing (see below)

1. Heat olive oil over high heat and sauté garlic for 30 seconds. Add prawns to pan. Sear 1 minute each side. Remove from pan and set aside.

2. Pat scallops dry with paper towel. Season with salt and pepper. Add to hot pan and sear for one minute on each side, until lightly brown in colour. Remove from pan and set aside with prawns.

3. Place spinach and onion in a large bowl and toss together. Divide spinach/onion mix between two plates.

4. Arrange the seafood, alternating scallops and prawns, around the outer edge of each plate.

5. Fan a few mango and avocado slices on top and across the middle of each plate.

6. Drizzle Mango Dressing over top of everything.

Mango Dressing:

Yields 1/2 cup dressing

2 tbsp apple cider vinegar
1/2 fresh mango, peeled & pitted, puréed in blender (for 1/2 cup purée)
1/2 tsp Dijon mustard
1 tbsp sucanat
1/2 tbsp fresh basil, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
salt & pepper to taste
1/4 cup macadamia nut or avocado oil

1. Combine all ingredients except oil. Whisk until well blended and sucanat is completely dissolved.

2. Gradually add oil while continuing to whisk. Pour into a container with tight fitting lid and refrigerate at least 20 minuets prior to using. Remove from fridge and shake well to mix. Drizzle over salad.

Nanaimo Farmers Market

While away last week, I took a day trip to Nanaimo to visit the Downtown Farmer's Market.


The market is held every Friday from 10am to 2pm at the Pioneer Waterfront Plaza. This is the view from the market location. The island on the right is Protection Island and that is where I spent my week of resting and relaxing. Just a ten minute boat ride from the Nanaimo harbour, Protection Island is the perfect mix of isolation and convenience. The only commercial entity on Protection is a floating pub!


Back to the market...



It's large - in area as well as vendors. I didn't count all the vendor stands but I would estimate there was 30-40 booths. As you can tell from the photos, there is space for many, many more.

I was quite disappointed with the variety and selection of the booths at the market. There was very little fresh fruit and produce available. I counted only 3 or 4 stands selling fresh produce and even then, the selection of produce was limited. I saw garlic, lettuce, raspberries and little else. One stand sold fresh flowers, which was nice to see. There were two fresh artisan bread vendors and two meat vendors, one of which also sold farm fresh eggs. There was also several stands selling baked goods, james and jellies. There were no cheese vendors, which is odd since Little Qualicum Cheeseworks is only 50km up island from Nanaimo. I thought maybe I justed missed them on this particular day but they aren't even listed as a regular vendor on the website. There was an abundance of crafts and artisan booths - vendors selling jewellery, rock candles/vases, quilts, tie died clothing, ceramics, homemade soaps, glass, knick knacks, woodwork, photography, paintings... it was more like a craft fair than a farmers market and none of the arts and crafts booths appealed to me since I was looking for local edible products.

I didn't go home empty handed though.

I bought cookies from The Cookie Lady, fresh artisan bread from Slow Rise Bakery, cognac sausage from Ravenstone Farm, super spicy Dad's Westcoast Wildfire Awesome Sauce, a chocolate fudge cake from the British bakery vendor (whose name I can't recall or find online), and three jars of jelly from Golden Maples Farm.

The jelly from Golden Maples Farm was the best catch of the day. Created and sold by a very interesting lady named Eileen, Golden Maples Gourmet Jams and Jellies were very creative, unique and tasty. I took advantage of the "Christmas in July" sale and got three jars for the price of two.


Photo from Golden Maple Farms

- Cranberry Jalapeño Jelly: Sweet and slightly spicy. I used this one on a turkey sandwich! The label says it can be thinned with water for use as a marinade on ribs or wings. Great over Brie cheese too!

- Smoky Maple Jelly: Sweet red peppers slowly smoked over hickory and alder woods are the basis of this one. Serve with meats, cheese, on crackers or use as a sandwich spread.

- Christmas Marmalade Jelly: Nothing Christmas-y about this delicious blend. Made with oranges, kiwis, cranberries, raspberries and lemons. Use as a dessert topping. Mix with coconut rum and pour over ice cream or cheesecake. Add a spoonful to tea. I'm still working on a Christmas Marmalade Martini!

All three jellies can also be used as a base for salad dressing. Just mix with oil, vinegar and a bit of Dijon.

Elieen told us there are over 400 varieties of jellies, including wine jellies, spicy jellies, maple jellies, wild berry jellies, domestic berry jellies and ice wine jellies. Check out the list here, although I don't think it's a comprehensive list. The three I bought were delicious but it was very difficult to decide. I could have easily bought a dozen more. I'm thinking I may contact Elieen again to order a case in time for Christmas.

Overall, I was pleased with my purchases at the Downtown Nanaimo Farmer's Market. It's worth a visit if you're in the area!

On Vacation

I'm heading to the family cabin on Vancouver Island for the next week. I may or may not post recipes. I have nothing planned, cooking wise, but you never know what could happen.

Back in August!