Food – Page 19 – a hippie with a minivan

Vegetable and teriyaki stuffed sole …

I had no idea what I would do when I started this recipe…

but I knew it would have something to do with stuffing some filets of sole with some veggies…

When I saw the filets all lined up and ready, I had an idea to add more flavour…

so I quickly made a teriyaki sauce with some tamari, fresh ginger, garlic, sugar, garlic powder and water and then thickened with cornstarch…

(really great sauce btw… next time I will try to figure out the amounts so I can share)

brushed it on the fish…

Added a layer of green onions…

Red and yellow peppers and asparagus…

And then rolled it all up and placed in the baking dish…

Added another brushing of teriyaki…

then baked at 350 for about 30 min…

I served it with some Basmati rice and an extra drizzle of teriyaki…

This is definately something I will be making again…

Cabane à Sucre 2009…

Yesterday we went to the sugar shack for our annual sugar rush…

If you don’t know what the sugar shack is you are missing out on something… Sugar shacks are where maple syrup is made… the maple water flows from the trees for only a few short weeks a year…

last year was a bad year for the industry because of a long winter and late thaw… but this year is supposed to be an ideal year…

Some families have private sugar shacks ( my uncle is preparing his property for one so one day we will be able to go there one day) but for most a commercial sugar shack is the destination in the late winter/early spring…

We have been going to the same place for a few years now…

It is in a beautiful location, the staff is great, it has a playground and horse and cart ride and the food is amazing… The meal at a sugar shack of course is heavy, rich and full of maple syrup…(and pork… since traditionally the québecois eat a lot of pork)

it is about 15 min away so we headed out just before lunch time…

We walked around a bit and saw some of the animals that they have there….

Had a horse and cart ride…. which Khéna loved!

We went in the cabin to see how the syrup is made… it was the first day that they had lit the fire to start to process…

then… food time… (these pics are from last year because the lighting where we were sitting was not as good this year and the food is the same…)

Cretons (spread made of pork and spices)

Pea Soup (colin has grown so much!)

Lunch… Omlette made with maple syrup, small potatoes, sausages, maple bakes beans, and maple smoked ham… with a side of “oreilles de Crisse”…. (or “Christ’s ears… which is fried pork fat)

of course… Maple syrup….

then dessert…

Maple Syrup Pie

and my favourite… “Beignets” (fried doughnut) smothered in maple cream sauce….

The boys ate well…

then we headed back outside for the traditional Maple Taffy…

Syrup is heated to a certain temp.. then poured on cold snow…

It starts hardening and becomes taffy…

just poke….

and roll…

Delicious!!!!!

What a great day….

Black Magic…

What an amazing cake!!

Simon loves chocolate… ok… the whole family loves chocolate but it was Simon’s birthday on Thursday so I had to make this…

This recipe comes from Hershey’s and it is rich, dense but light at the same time…

I think that this is going to be my cake recipe from here on in… it is just perfect…

and the frosting… another perfection… a really simple Chocolate Buttercream frosting…

For the cake…

Ingredients:

2 cups sugar

1-3/4 cups all-purpose flour

3/4 cup Cocoa

2 teaspoons baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

2 eggs

1 cup buttermilk or sour milk (2 tbsp of vinegar with added milk to equal 1 cup)

1 cup strong black coffee OR 2 teaspoons powdered instant coffee plus 1 cup boiling water (I used 2 tsp of Cocoa in instead of instant coffee)

1/2 cup vegetable oil

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:
1. Heat oven to 350°F. Grease and flour two 9-inch round baking pans or one 13x9x2-inch baking pan. (I used 2 8-inch square pans)

2. Stir together sugar, flour, cocoa, baking soda, baking powder and salt in large bowl. Add eggs, buttermilk, coffee, oil and vanilla; beat on medium speed of mixer 2 minutes (batter will be thin). Pour batter evenly into prepared pans.

3. Bake 30 to 35 minutes for round pans, 35 to 40 minutes for rectangular pan or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 10 minutes; remove from pans to wire racks. Cool completely. Frost as desired. Yields 10 to 12 servings.

For the Frosting…

1/2 cup butter
2 2/3 cups icing sugar, sifted with
3/4 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
1/3 – 1/2 cup cream
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla

cream the butter… sift together sugar and cocoa… add to the butter with the cream and vanilla… start with 1/3 cup of cream but you might need more… beat with mixer for at least 2 min…