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Christmas Gingerbread Bowl

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Christmas Gingerbread Bowl
Christmas Gingerbread Bowl

The story of this Christmas Gingerbread Bowl goes way back to the 1990’s. It’s been with me for a long time. During one of our office December potlucks, one of the girls brought in a show stopping gingerbread bowl filled with home made gingerbread cookies. I was seriously in awe. These were the days I photocopied recipes from the local newspaper because Internet, Google and Pinterest did not exist. I know, hard to believe right. Even KitchenAid Mixers did not exist back then. BUT we still managed to cook and bake and make fabulous food. Us home cooks.

I made this bowl once or twice during my Vancouver, BC days back in the 90’s and then shuffled the recipe into a folder. Fast forward, I move to Calgary, Alberta which sits well over 1,000 meters above sea level (Vancouver is right about sea level. Being so high affects baking and cooking. It just does.)

In my early Calgary years I found the recipe and attempted to make that exact recipe. Several times I failed. Sometime along the way I created my own Orange Gingerbread Cookie recipe (make with or without the orange) which I make annually, for bake sales or cookie exchanges. I decided this year I wanted to attempt the Gingerbread Bowl Recipe again but then I had an aha moment. My cookies bake beautifully, so why not use my own cookie recipe instead of the one given to me. So I did. BAM it worked.

Christmas Gingerbread Bowl
Christmas Gingerbread Bowl

I will forewarn you it’s a process that takes time. Make the time, refrigerate the dough. Roll the dough out, mould onto a prepared bowl, refrigerate again. Remove bowl, cut out shapes, refrigerate again. Bake bowl, let sit on rack until completely cool. Remove bowl. See, a process.

If you want to attempt this recipe give yourself the day to make it. Follow my Orange Gingerbread Cookie recipe and make the dough. Split into two discs, wrapped into plastic wrap and refrigerate for a couple hours. This step is really important. Remove dough from fridge, let warm up a bit and start to roll. If you start to notice cracks, you need to let it warm up a little longer but not too long!

Christmas Gingerbread Bowl Method:

Tools:

  • Aluminum Foil
  • Cooking oil or spray
  • Cutting board or platter to fit bowl (not too big, not too small)
  • Small cookie cutter
  • Baking sheet
  • 1 1/2 quart ovenproof glass bowl

I use a Pyrex Mixing Bowl:

Pyrex Bowl
Pyrex Mixing Bowl, Photo Credit Pyrex

With aluminum foil cover outside of 1 1/2 quart ovenproof glass bowl with a lipped edge. Ensure the foil comes over into the inside about 1/2 inch. Spray or oil the entire surface of the bowl including the lipped edge getting every crack and crevice. Do your best to make sure foil is smooth and has no rough aluminum foil creases.

On floured surface roll out one disc of dough into a circle about 1/4 inch thick. Lift rolled out dough and place evenly onto bowl. Carefully and lightly press dough onto bowl, moulding firmly to shape bowl without stretching. If you end up with a crack, a little bit of water rubbed onto crack will help seal it. Trim dough around edge of bowl with sharp knife. Place on same size cutting board or plate and refrigerate for 15 minutes. Remove from refrigerator, and using your small cookie cutter start carefully cutting out cookies around the middle of the bowl about 1 1/2 – 2 inches apart. Do not go to close to the top or bottom. Refrigerate for an additional 1 1/2 hours. Firming your dough will help stop slippage during baking.

Christmas Gingerbread Bowl
Christmas Gingerbread Bowl

Preheat your oven to 350F.

Place inverted bowl on an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 25 minutes or until lightly browned. Allow gingerbread bowl to cool right on bowl on the sheet. When completely cool, carefully loosen foil and lift foil and gingerbread bowl off your glass bowl. Remove any additional foil.

Until ready to use, store it uncovered in a dry place. With the second gingerbread disk, make cookies for your bowl following the steps in the Orange Gingerbread Cookie recipe.

This recipe will make two bowls or one bowl and cookies.

 

Christmas Gingerbread Bowl
Christmas Gingerbread Bowl

Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Bocconcini Pasta Salad

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Summer fresh grilled veggies with fresh basil and bocconcini is favourite dish around here when it gets to hot to cook. Leftover veggies are an easy addition the next day to any dish, like these Grilled Veggie, Pesto & Bocconcini Pizzas.

Today we jazzed up our grilled veggies with bacon, grilled Italian Sausage and lots of fresh garlic. It was a hot one so making something easy and cool for dinner was right up our alley. If you have a side burner on your grill you could also cook the bacon and pasta right there to avoid your oven all together.

In our family we have some who don’t like peppers, some zucchini and some bocconcini cheese (insert gasp). Since I don’t cater to anyone’s likes or dislikes when I make a meal, I always tell them to pick out what they don’t like and eat what they do.

This would be an easy dish to partially prepare in advance and take camping. Make your dressing and store in a sealed jar. Cook all veggies and store in the fridge in a sealed container. Cook the rest when you are there and assemble.

 

Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Bocconcini Pasta Salad
Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Bocconcini Pasta Salad

 

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Italian Sausage, Zucchini and Bocconcini Pasta Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: lunch, dinner, potluck
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • ½ green pepper, cut in chunks
  • ½ red pepper, cut in chunks
  • ½ red onion, cut in chunks
  • 1 small zucchini, cut in chunks
  • 3 mild Italian sausages, grilled
  • ½ pkg bacon, cooked
  • 5 cups uncooked Catelli Ancient Grains Fusilli
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cracked pepper
  • olive oil
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar
  • 1 container small bocconcini
  • 1 tbsp lemon
  • ¼ cup fresh basil, sliced thin
Instructions
  1. Add peppers and onion to a bowl. Drizzle in 1 tsp of oil, a pinch of salt and cracked pepper.
  2. Add vegetables to a grill pan set over medium high heat on the BBQ and grill for about 5 minutes. While they are grilling, toss zucchini into same bowl, drizzle in 1 tsp of oil and a pinch of salt and cracked pepper. Mix and add to grill pan with other veggies. Cook an additional 5 minutes or until tender and lightly charred all over.
  3. In a pan of salted boiling water add fusilli. Cook according to package instructions. Drain and spread on to a baking pan with edges to cool down.
  4. Drain and cut each bocconcini into fours. Set aside.
  5. Sliced sausage into thin slices. Set aside.
  6. Cut bacon into chunks. Set aside.
  7. In a cup or small bowl mix minced garlic with olive oil, salt and pepper. Whisk in vinegar.
  8. In a large pasta bowl add cooled pasta, sausage, cheese, grilled veggies, bacon and dressing. Toss to combine.
  9. Sprinkle with fresh lemon, salt, pepper and basil. Serve immediately.
Notes
You could also use the Catelli Ancient Grains Rotini or Penne pasta in this dish.

 

Aiden’s Gouda Fruit Salad

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My kids love to get into the kitchen and create things. More often then not they announce what they want to make without checking on ingredients first. This salad was the exception as we just so happened to have all the fruit available. Aiden’s Fruit Salad is made by my son Aiden and on this night accompanied quick sandwiches before a busy activity evening.

A fruit salad can include any fruit you want. We never add a dressing or drizzle of honey to our fruit salads as we let the sweetness of the fruit speak for itself.

Aiden's Gouda Fruit Salad
Aiden’s Gouda Fruit Salad

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Aiden's Gouda Fruit Salad
Author: 
Recipe type: salad, side, lunch
Serves: 6
 
Ingredients
  • 1 cup strawberries, rough chop
  • 2 cups grapes
  • 1 cup blueberries
  • 1 cup green apple, rough chop
  • 1 cup fresh pineapple, rough chop
  • 2 cups watermelon, rough chop
  • 1 tbsp fresh mint
  • ½ cup cubed Gouda, Monterery Jack or grilled Halloom cheese
Instructions
  1. Add all fruit to a bowl. Light stir to combine.
  2. Tear off pieces of mint. Pour cubed cheese on top and serve.

 

 

White Chocolate Lavender Brownies

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Every summer we visit Kelowna and the Okanagan Lavender & Herb Farm. We love to wander the gardens and stop in the cafe to enjoy a lavender infused treat before we leave. We also drop into the little store they have and I always pick up some cooking lavender (or food grade culinary lavender) to play with at home. This is how this recipe came to be. Rummaging through my baking box in the pantry for white chocolate, I discovered the lavender. Having never heard of lavender brownies before I thought dang this could be good. The flavour is very subtle, but 3 out of 4 of us can detect the lavender in the brownies however next time I might try adding a little more. If you can’t get your hands on lavender, just leave it out.

White Chocolate Lavender Brownies
White Chocolate Lavender Brownies

These brownies are simple to make and easy to eat.

5.0 from 1 reviews
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White Chocolate Lavender Brownies
Author: 
Recipe type: snack, picnic, dessert
Serves: 12
 
Ingredients
  • ⅓ cup butter
  • 6 oz semisweet chocolate
  • ¾ cup sugar
  • 2 eggs
  • 2 tsp vanilla
  • ½ cup white chocolate morsels (Bernard Callebaut)
  • 1 tbsp Culinary Lavender buds
  • 1 cup flour
  • ¼ tsp Salt
Instructions
  1. Preheat the oven to 350F.
  2. In a double boiler or bowl over pot with simmering water melt butter and semisweet chocolate. Remove from heat and let cool 5-10 minutes. With a mortar and pestle or spice grinder grind your lavender until fine.
  3. In a second bowl mix together your sugar, eggs and vanilla. Stir in the white chocolate and lavender. Add your flour and salt.
  4. Line an 8 inch greased baking pan with parchment or foil and ensure it extends over opposite edges. Add batter and bake for 25 minutes or until tester comes out clean. Let cool in pan.

 

White Chocolate Lavender Brownies
White Chocolate Lavender Brownies

Infused Water

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About four years ago I hosted one of our annual Mom’s Who Needs Wine Evenings. One of the ladies was pregnant so for her I filled a lovely jug with spring water and added cucumber and fresh mint. She loved it so much that when we went camping together that summer it was all she drank! We experimented more in summer with fruit and the kids loved it.

I try to encourage the kids to drink lots of water during the day. We don’t drink much juice here and rarely pop so infusing their water with good stuff encourages them to keep at it, and eat the good stuff!

There are so many combinations of infused waters the variations are endless. Put out a variety of ingredients and let the kids make up their own. It will encourage family bonding time and them to drink the water. We made three infused waters for these photos and re-used water bottles from a local juice store. Mason jars or any other easy to carry and pretty jar with a lid would also be ideal.

In these photos we made three variations. Here’s how we did it.

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Infused Water
Author: 
Serves: 3
 
Ingredients
  • 3-4 slices thinly sliced orange
  • 3-4 slices thinly sliced lemon
  • 3-4 slices thinly sliced lime
  • 4-6 strawberries, hulled and sliced thin
  • 6-10 slices cucumber
  • 6 fresh mint leaves
  • water
  • 3 bottles
Instructions
  1. To first bottle add orange, lemon and lime. Pop in some ice and fill with water.
  2. To second bottle add strawberries. Add ice and fill with water.
  3. To third bottle add cucumber and mint. Add ice and fill with water.

Infused-Water-v2

Infused Waters
Infused Waters

 

 

Spinach Artichoke Dip

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With so many variations of Spinach Artichoke Dip out there, how do you find just one to love?!

This recipe was inspired by Liz of OMA’s Gourmet Garlic. We started bantering back and forth on this thing called twitter, maybe you’ve heard of it, and I learned she sells garlic grown in her garden in Aldersyde, Alberta.

Growing garlic runs in the family Liz explains, her dad received some garlic from a Russian friend in the mid ’80’s and grew it for years in his backyard garden. Her mom carried on with the growing of the garlic after her father passed away. In 2003 Liz received some garlic from her mom and decided to plant some of the cloves in her own garden. They started to sprout and 9 cloves produced 9 bulbs of garlic. This is where Liz’s story begins.

 

OMA's Gourmet Garlic
OMA’s Gourmet Garlic

 

Garlic is planted in the Spring over 6-8 weeks as this offers the best harvest, Liz says. The garlic cures for four – six weeks before selling the fresh begins in October and November.

Today this naturally grown garlic is sold to several local Chefs, restaurants and stores in fresh or dehydrated forms. And if she’s not busy enough tending her garden and weeds, Liz writes a column affectionately called the ‘Tales of the Stinking Rose, in the Wild Rose Country’ in ‘The Garlic News’, a quarterly Canadian publication.

I recently met Liz for the first time when I picked up some garlic granules and dehydrated garlic. She had me taste just 1 or 2 itty bitty specks of the granules before I left. That’s all you need Liz said and by golly she was right. I was my own sweet stinking rose for the rest of the day from those two little itty bittys samples.

OMA’s Gourmet Garlic is available fresh and dehydrated (powder, granules or spice mill grade). You can find her on Facebook: OMA’s Gourmet Garlic.

I used a light sprinkling of the garlic granules in this Spinach Artichoke Dip. This is a small recipes and serves two nicely. Or one who doesn’t want to share.

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Spinach Artichoke Dip
Author: 
Recipe type: snack, game day, potluck
Serves: 2
 
Ingredients
  • 5 cups fresh spinach
  • 1 14.5oz can of artichoke hearts, rough chopped
  • 1 8oz block of cream cheese
  • ¼ cup mayonnaise
  • ¼ cup sour cream
  • ¼ cup greek yogurt
  • ⅓ cup + ¼ cup parmesan cheese, grated
  • ½ cup old white cheddar cheese, grated
  • red pepper flakes
  • garlic granules or garlic powder
  • ¼ cup water
  • Cooking spray
Instructions
  1. Preheat your oven to 375F.
  2. Spray a small casserole dish with cooking spray. Set aside.
  3. Over medium high heat add a sprinkle of water. Toss in your fresh spinach and cook 1-2 minutes or until spinach is wilted. Put on cutting board and rough chop. Toss into bowl.
  4. Add artichokes through white cheddar cheese reserving ¼ cup parmesan cheese. Mix well.
  5. Toss in a pinch of hot pepper flakes and sprinkle of your garlic granules or powder. Gently mix in and pour into your prepared dish.
  6. Bake for 20-30 minutes and during the last couple of minute sprinkle on the ¼ cup of parmesan cheese. Serve hot with your favourite chips or crackers.
  7. Read more at: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/paula-deen/creamy-artichoke-and-spinach-dip-recipe.html?oc=linkback

 

 

Grain Salad with Edamame

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Several big family gatherings in July called for lots of great potluck, and easy to assemble type food. We had Manitoba, Alberta and Saskatchewan represented in our house over the course of several days, leaving many mouths to feed. So I made big salads and big food. This super grain salad with quinoa was one of them. So delicious and serves 10-12 with the possibility of leftovers. It’s one of my new favourite salads loaded with goodness and easy to take camping or to a BBQ.

I first discovered the PC grain blends a couple years ago when they launched them. Always loved them but it seems they’ve changed the packaging and keep relocating them in their stores. This makes it a challenge every time we go to find the item on the shelves. I love the 5 grains that are in this mix [spelt, barley, rice, wheat berries & oats] which really is a powerhouse in itself, but being a confessed quinoa addict, um fan, I have to be different and add a handful of quinoa into the mix as well. Just because. It’s one of those salads you could change up entirely based on your likes. This one was a hit at our potluck, and a keeper.

 

Grain Salad with Edamame
Grain Salad with Edamame

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Grain Salad with Edamame
Author: 
Serves: 10-12
 
Ingredients
  • 1 pkg [225g] PC Brand 5-Grain Blend, cooked & cooled
  • 1 cup quinoa, cooked & cooled
  • 2-3 cups arugula
  • 1 cup edamame, cooked
  • 2 carrots, peeled & diced small
  • ½ red onion, chopped into small dice
  • ½ pepper (red, orange, or yellow), diced
  • ¾ cup zucchini, diced (we used yellow)
  • ½ cup radishes, sliced thin
  • ½ cup pepitas, [pumpkin seeds] toasted
  • handful fresh chives, chopped
  • 4 tbsp olive oil
  • 2 tbsp white wine vinegar
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tbsp orange juice
Instructions
  1. Pour all grains into a large serving bowl.
  2. Add arugula, edamame, carrots, onion, pepper, zucchini, and radishes. Season with salt and pepper, toss to combine.
  3. Make your dressing by whisking together olive oil, vinegar, orange juice and a pinch of salt & pepper. Pour on salad and toss.
  4. Sprinkle on chives and pepitas.

 

Stuffed Mushroom Stuffed Potato

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This recipe was originally inspired by a recipe contest called the BC Fresh Warba-licious New Nugget Potato Recipe Challenge. Happily I won runner up for my Stuffed Mushroom Stuffed Potato recipe. I have since made the recipe a few times using whatever smaller market potatoes I can find, and it’s equally delicious.

With the recent State of Emergency here in Calgary due to flooding, I find peace of mind when I am able to cook and keep my mind off of the devastating events around us. Playing with and creating new Mushroom & Potato Recipes helped me to do just that.

I love potatoes. Growing up in a small town in Northern British Columbia, Canada, had its perks. My parents grew an overwhelming garden and surrounded us with berry bushes and fruit trees which eventually made their way into our bellies (and some home made wine but that’s another story). Part of the annual crop included potatoes. Not specifically nugget potatoes, but potatoes none-the-less, and it was then my love affair with the potato began.

Never one to shy away from a challenge I discovered BC Fresh and The Food Bloggers Of Canada were having a Warba-licious New Nugget Potato Recipe Challenge. Holy hot potato, this former BC Girl was excited and ready to jump in feet first and get my Warba on.

I told the family my intentions and almost immediately everyone jumped on the “think of a new potato recipe” bandwagon. I love my family for their support and desire to help. The 5 year old shouted “French Fries”, the 7 year old pulled out a cookbook for inspiration and the husband said one word “bacon” and then another “potatoes”. I think he meant “Bacon Potatoes” but it had already been done. And then my spider sense started tingling. Why couldn’t we put a stuffed mushroom inside a cooked stuffed potato. Had it been done before? I wasn’t sure and I wasn’t going to google to find out. This was my idea and I was going to run with it. I immediately pulled out our Blue Cheese Pecan Stuffed Mushrooms recipe and started making a shopping list.

When shopping for potatoes make sure you find small ones that match up with the mushrooms you are buying. IE the mushroom cap should be able to fit inside half the potato. The first time I made this appetizer I had to visually inspect each potato to find it’s mushroom mate and ensure a proper fit. It is here our story of the stuffed mushroom joining forces with the stuffed potato, begins.

5.0 from 2 reviews
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Stuffed Mushroom Stuffed Potato
Recipe type: appetizer
 
Ingredients
  • 6 small potato nuggets (not baby potatoes)
  • 12 white BC mushrooms (small)
  • 8oz cream cheese, softened
  • 4 tbsp blue cheese, crumbled
  • 3 tbsp pecans, toasted and chopped small
  • 1 tbsp green onion, finely chopped
  • ½ tsp basil, dried
  • salt and pepper to taste
  • sprinkle of fresh parsley, chopped
Instructions
  1. Place potatoes in a steamer and steam 40-45 minutes or until soft. Set aside and let cool. Once cooled slice in half and carefully scoop out the insides of the potato leaving the outsides walls sturdy and intact. Set aside potato pulp.
  2. Preheat oven to 350F.
  3. Remove stems from mushrooms and reserve for another use. Set aside caps.
  4. In a bowl beat together cream cheese, blue cheese, pecans, green onion, basil, a pinch of salt and pepper and 2 tbsp potato pulp, until blended.
  5. Stuff mushroom caps with cheese mixture, mounding slightly. Fit stuffed mushrooms carefully inside cooled potato halves. I even placed a small dab of the cream cheese filling on the inside bottom of the potato half to help the mushroom stick and stay in place. Place stuffed potatoes on a parchment lined baking pan and sprinkle with salt and pepper.
  6. Bake in oven for 10 minutes or until cheese bubbles & browns a little. Sprinkle with parsley and even some cooked crumbled bacon. Serve immediately.
  7. Do not freeze.

Fitting the mushrooms
The mushrooms need to fit like a good ole pair of cowboy boots.
Stuffing the mushrooms
Mushrooms stuffed and happy inside of the Warba potatoes.

 

stuffed mushrooms inside a stuffed warba potato ready for cooking
The pink eyes are peeking at us. Everyone in formation and ready for the oven.

 

 

stuffed mushrooms inside a stuffed potato
Out of the oven and one quick drizzle of olive oil before returning to oven for a final few minutes of crisping.

 

Spooky Halloween Cookies

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Halloween is such a fun time for the year. Fun for kids and fun for grown ups! I fondly remember dressing up, filling up our pillow cases with all kinds of candies, coming home so mom could check our candy bags and enjoying sugar highs for days on end. We never baked a lot of Halloween treats while I was younger…but I loved to when I got older and moved away. Office potlucks, dinner parties…always a reason to create in the kitchen.

And then came a husband and kids. Funny how that happens. The kids started going to school and I wanted to send treats for Halloween. They have a Halloween evening dance every year since they don’t celebrate during the day and we are asked to provide treats for sale during the dance. Enter Spooky Halloween Cookies. We use coloured Royal Icing for these cookies and the kids do the decorating. Too much fun.

This recipe makes 3-4 dozen cookies, depending on the size of your cookie cutters. I need a minimum of 25 cookies for class or to bring to the dance, so I kept the recipe as is knowing some would go to work….some to school…some to friends….well you get it!

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Spooky Halloween Cookies
Recipe type: Cookies, Baking, Snacks,
 
Ingredients
  • 6 cups all-purpose flour
  • 2 cups cocoa powder
  • 2 tsp ground cinnamon
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 lb (2 cups) butter
  • 3½ - 4 cups icing sugar
  • 4 large eggs, lightly beaten
  • 2 tsp vanilla
Instructions
  1. In a bowl sift together flour, cocoa powder, cinnamon and salt.
  2. In a large bowl mix your butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy. Beat in eggs and vanilla.
  3. Add dry ingredients and mix well until combined. Divide dough in half, shape into a disc, wrap each piece in plastic wrap and chill for 30-60 minutes.
  4. Preheat oven to 350 degrees. On a floured surface roll out dough to at least ⅛ inch thickness. Cut out your Spooky shapes and lay onto parchment lined baking sheet. You can re-roll the dough scraps 1-2 times before it will become over worked.
  5. Bake in oven until firm approximately 8-10 minutes. Let sit in pan a few minutes then transfer to a wire rack to cool completely.
  6. Once cooled decorate with your favourite icing & sprinkles.