It’s inevitable, when you live in Prince Edward Island, that you’ll eat a lot of potatoes and find creative ways in which to serve them, including these PEI Potato Patties. That’s because there are lots and lots of spuds grown on our little Island with the rich red soil on Canada’s east coast. Continue reading Bistro Style Potato Patties
I have been invited by www.thinkbeef.ca to participate, as one of ten food bloggers from across Canada, in the Rethink Beef Global Recipe Swap Campaign to promote recipes using ground beef. Each blogger was asked to develop a recipe (using ground beef) that is inspired by his or her cultural background or a culinary adventure experienced. Each blogger was paired with another and the two exchanged their own recipe for the other to try. This posting involves showcasing my own recipe as well as a recipe from my swap partner, Jason Lee, who writes the blog, “Shut Up and Eat”.
I frequently use ground beef in recipes and am never at a loss to come up with meal ideas to use this versatile meat. The recipe I have chosen is Moussaka. This is a one-dish meal typically characterized by ground meat, eggplant, and tomato sauce with a white sauce on top. So, I will begin with a discussion on why I chose Moussaka to feature ground beef, followed by some hints and tips on making this Greek-inspired dish, and will end with my experience cooking my recipe swap partner’s Beef and Coriander Dumplings inspired by his Chinese heritage. This posting has two recipes from two different cultures but both use ground beef as the main ingredient. Continue reading Rethink Beef Global Recipe Swap Campaign: Moussaka
Blueberry muffins are a favorite and, while I have a “go-to” recipe for blueberry muffins that calls for regular gluten flour, I did not have a recipe for Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins. So, I set about developing one of my own and this is the result. My aim was to create a bistro, or deli-style, muffin and I am pleased with the end result. Continue reading Gluten-free Blueberry Muffins
Crepes filled with delectable fillings are one of my favorite meals. Chicken and Mushroom Crepes with Cheese Sauce are a real treat and a lot easier to make than one might think. At one time considered the fare of stylish restaurants and bistros, they can actually be very easily made at home. Continue reading Chicken and Mushroom Crepes
Today, I am sharing my newly-developed recipe for Ham Lentil Soup that is made from a leftover ham bone, broth, and ham. Continue reading Ham Lentil Soup Recipe
For me, one of the hallmarks of a wonderful homemade meal is a fresh batch of tender and flavorful whole wheat biscuits on the table! These are particularly good with baked beans (especially when the biscuits are slathered with molasses!) or, well, just about anything! Biscuits are a form of a quick bread so they don’t take long to whip up and, best of all, they only call for pantry staples like flour, baking powder, salt, butter, milk and sometimes a small amount of sugar.
My recipe calls for a combination of flours – 1 1/4 cups of all-purpose flour and 3/4 cup whole wheat flour. I find that using all whole wheat flour does not yield the tender texture that can be achieved by blending all-purpose flour with the whole wheat. Shortening or butter can be used as the fat for biscuits; however, nothing beats butter for flavor!
These biscuits have a different flavor and texture than my standard white biscuits and these are made with buttermilk (or sour milk) instead of with whipping cream and whole milk (click here for the recipe for my white tea biscuits). They are two distinctly different types of biscuits. The whole wheat ones are slightly more “rustic” while the white biscuits are very refined. I tend to make the whole wheat biscuits to serve alongside a more rustic meal like beans, chili, and stews, for example. My regular “go-to” standard biscuits are the white tea biscuits and, for sure, they are the ones I use for afternoon teas because of their light, tender crumb.
My hints for making biscuits are –
Biscuits are best served slightly warm so make them just before the meal.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Ingredients:
1¼ cups all-purpose flour
¾ cup whole wheat flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp granulated sugar
6 tbsp cold, unsalted butter, cut into small chunks
1 cup buttermilk or sour milk*
1-2 tbsp milk for brushing tops of biscuits
Method:
Preheat oven to 450°F. Line baking sheet with parchment paper.
In large bowl, whisk together the flours, baking powder, salt, and sugar.
Grate cold (or frozen) butter over flour in bowl, or use a pastry cutter to cut in the butter until mixture resembles coarse crumbs.
Make a well in the center of the ingredients. Pour milk into well in dry ingredients. Using a fork, mix ingredients together just until flour mixture is incorporated. Do not overmix. Mixture will be a soft, moist batter.
Let batter rest in bowl for 1-2 minutes then turn out onto a floured surface. Knead dough 8-10 times. Do not over-knead.
Roll or pat dough to desired thickness, about 1” thick. Using a 2” floured round cookie cutter, cut out biscuits, re-flouring cutter before cutting out each biscuit. Gather up remaining dough, pat down to about 1” thick and cut out biscuits.
Using a small spatula, transfer the biscuits to prepared baking sheet, placing them about 1” to 1½ “ apart. Prick tops of biscuits with fork tines and lightly brush with milk, if desired. Bake for 14-16 minutes or until lightly browned on top. Remove from oven and let cool on baking sheet for 3-4 minutes then transfer to wire rack.
Biscuits may also be placed close together in a greased baking pan with sides. Baking the biscuits in this manner will yield soft-sided biscuits.
*To sour milk, place 1 tbsp white vinegar in a measuring cup. Add enough milk to make 1 cup. Stir. Let stand for 5 minutes to sour.
Yield: Apx. 12-13 – 2” biscuits
Delicious easy-to-make classic whole wheat biscuits that are tender and flavorful.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Tea Biscuits
Buttery Buttermilk Biscuits
Rustic Oat Bran Biscuits
Cheddar Cheese Biscuits
I am a huge fan of cooking with the intent of having leftovers for several meals. It’s great to have cold leftover turkey, ham, or roast beef but, after a couple of days, well, it can get a little monotonous. I don’t like to throw out food so the alternative is to find other creative ways to use the leftovers and stretch the food budget. Sometimes, as in the case of a large family, perhaps the leftovers don’t span far enough unless they are used in a way that extends them.
So, whether it’s a case of having leftover meat you’re tired of or not having enough left to plate as straight cold meat slices to make another meal, my recipe for Beef Pot Pie will be the answer for leftover roast beef. Just make sure you make an extra 1 1/3 cups of gravy when preparing that roast beef dinner so you will have enough gravy to make this recipe. Continue reading The Bistro’s Beef Pot Pie
When you live in Prince Edward Island, Canada, where potatoes are one of the main agricultural crops, you find lots of ways to serve potatoes. Twice-baked potatoes, or stuffed baked potatoes, are one of my all-time favorites. I make up big batches of these and freeze them so they are always on hand, ready to be popped in the oven for dinner. Continue reading Twice-baked Potatoes Recipe
If you like brown sugar fudge, you’ll love this Gluten-free Brown Sugar Fudge Square! With a cake-type base, it’s the fudge icing that makes this square and takes it from plain to yummy. It’s like having cake and candy at the same time! Continue reading Gluten-free Brown Sugar Fudge Square
Turkey Chowder is the perfect way to use up leftover turkey. It’s a welcome tummy-warming and tasty chowder for cold winter days and is a real treat after skiing, a long winter walk, snowshoeing, or coasting on the snow-covered hills. Serve with warm rolls or biscuits straight from the oven for an extra special treat. Continue reading Turkey Chowder Recipe
These gluten-free melting moments cookies prove that being on a gluten-free diet does not mean one has to compromise on favorite sweet treats!
I use a 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour, such as Bob’s Red Mills brand, for these cookies. I also add a small amount of very finely ground almonds to the batter as this lends a tenderness to the cookie crumb which justifies the name of the cookies because they do melt in the mouth!
These cookies are very easy to make. Mix up the dough. Pinch off small amounts of the dough and form into small balls. Place on parchment-lined baking sheets and flatten with the tines of a fork. Bake. It’s really no more complicated than that!
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Gluten-Free Melting Moments
Ingredients:
½ cup butter, softened at room temperature
¼ cup icing sugar (aka confectioner’s sugar or powdered sugar)
¼ tsp pure vanilla
½ cup 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour
¼ cup finely ground almonds
¼ cup cornstarch
Method:
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper.
Cream butter. Add the icing sugar and cream well with the butter. Mix in vanilla.
In separate bowl, whisk the flour, ground almonds, and cornstarch together. Add to the creamed mixture and blend until well incorporated.
Form dough into small round balls (apx. 5/8 oz dough per ball). Place balls on prepared baking sheets, about 2“ apart, and flatten each ball with the tines of a fork. Decorate with small bits of maraschino cherries, if desired.
Bake for approximately 15-18 minutes, just until edges of cookies start to tint a golden tan color. Don’t over-bake. Let cool on baking sheet for 2-3 minutes then transfer cookies to wire rack to cool completely.
Yield: Apx. 1½ dozen cookies
These melt-in-your-mouth gluten-free melting moments cookies have a tender crumb and delicate butter and almond flavor.
Ingredients
Instructions
Pin Me To Pinterest:
For other tasty gluten-free cookie recipes, click on the links below:
Gluten Free Lemon-Filled Thumbprint Cookies
Gluten Free Snickerdoodles
Gluten-free Earl Grey Cranberry-Orange Shortbread
These easy-to-make gluten-free Earl Grey Cranberry-Orange Shortbread cookies are brimming with flavor. The ground Earl Grey tea leaves lend a subtle hint of tea flavor as well as add wonderful specks of interest in the cookies. The addition of the dried cranberries and grated orange rind make these very flavorful and tasty cookies.
I have been having very good success using 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour, such as Bob’s Red Mill, for my gluten-free baking. The addition of finely ground almonds adds both flavor and a layer of tenderness to the shortbread crumb.
I use my old coffee grinder to grind the loose tea leaves very finely. This releases their essence which, in turn, infuses the dough with the tea aromatic. Use dried, not fresh or frozen, cranberries for these cookies and make sure they are chopped quite finely.
The dough will be quite soft so form it into a round log shape, wrap it tightly in plastic wrap or waxed paper, and refrigerate it for 2-3 hours before slicing and baking. Refrigerating the dough helps to firm it up enough so that, when sliced with a sharp knife, the slices cut cleanly. Empty cardboard paper towel rolls make great cylinder “sleeves” in which to chill the cookie dough because they help to keep the round shape. Simply slit open the paper towel roll, place the wrapped cookie log inside the “sleeve”, draw the edges of the cylinder together, and secure with tape. Rotate the cookie dough log a couple of times during the chilling process to distribute its weight and help to keep the round shape.
These cookies are a great addition to the menu of anyone on a gluten-free diet. In fact, anyone can enjoy these cookies, regardless whether they have a sensitivity or intolerance to gluten or not – I’ll bet you’d never guess they’re made with gluten-free flour!
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Ingredients:
½ cup unsalted butter, softened at room temperature
½ cup sifted icing sugar (aka confectioner’s or powdered sugar)
¾ tsp finely grated orange rind
1/2 tsp pure vanilla
1/8 tsp almond flavoring
¾ cup 1-to-1 gluten-free baking flour
¼ cup finely-ground almonds
1½ tbsp cornstarch
¼ tsp salt
¾ tsp finely ground Earl Grey tea leaves
¼ cup finely chopped dried cranberries
Method:
Cream butter and sugar together until smooth. Beat in orange rind, vanilla, and almond flavoring.
Whisk flour, ground almonds, cornstarch, salt and ground tea leaves together. Blend dry ingredients into creamed mixture until just combined. Stir in cranberries.
Form dough into log approximately 1½” in diameter. Wrap tightly in wax paper or plastic wrap. Slit open an empty paper towel cardboard cylinder and place cookie log in cylinder. Draw cylinder sides together and secure with masking tape. Refrigerate cookie log for 2-3 hours, turning roll every hour or so to distribute the weight of the log and to keep the shape round. (Unbaked cookie logs may be stored for 2-3 days in the refrigerator before baking, provided they are stored in sealed plastic bags or airtight containers.)
Preheat oven to 325°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. With a sharp knife, slice cookie log into ¼” thick slices. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1½” apart. Bake for 20-21 minutes, or until edges of cookies start to tint golden brown, rotating baking sheet half way through the baking. Let cookies cool on sheets for 3-4 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage.
Yield: Approximately 24 cookies
A flavorful gluten-free shortbread cookie infused with a hint of Earl Grey tea and flavored with grated orange rind and dried cranberries.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Melting Moments
Snickerdoodles
Lemon-Filled Thumbprint Cookies
Christmas Icebox Cookies are a tradition in my household. There are many varieties of cookies that beg to be made, shared, and eaten over the holiday period and these are always a perennial favorite.
The richness of the butter and sugar combined with the slight chewiness of the mixed glazed fruit and currants results in a tasty and flavorful cookie. Use finely chopped fruit and the small currants for these delicate cookies.
Icebox cookies are very easy to make and don’t take any unusual or difficult-to-find ingredients. The dough gets divided into thirds and then each third is formed into a round log shape, wrapped tightly in plastic wrap or waxed paper and refrigerated for at least 3-4 hours before slicing and baking. This is because the dough needs time to firm up enough to be able to cut clean-edge slices.
Plan ahead and save three empty paper towel cardboard cylinders. Slit up the length of the cylinders, these make great “sleeves” for the cookie logs and help to keep the shape of the logs round, or reasonably so. Secure the cylinders closed with tape.
Make sure to rotate the cylinders every hour or so during the 3-4 hours of dough chilling as this will help to distribute the weight of the dough and aid in keeping the cookie log round. When ready to bake the cookies, simply unwrap the chilled logs and, with a sharp flat-bladed knife, cut the logs into 1/4″ slices, place on parchment-lined baking sheets, and bake for 8-10 minutes. These cookie logs can be made two to three days in advance of baking and kept in the refrigerator so they are a great make-ahead cookie dough.
One of the great things about icebox cookies is that they can be made ahead and frozen, either before or after baking. Store the unbaked cookie logs in sealed bags in the freezer until they are needed. Simply let the dough sit at room temperature for approximately 30 minutes or so before slicing and baking. They’re also great to have on hand if unexpected guests drop by – you can pop a pan of the cookies in the oven and have your house smell tantalizing while your guests await fresh-from-the-oven cookies!
These make great host/hostess gifts, too, either baked or unbaked. A festive tin filled with these delectable cookies will be a sure hit with anyone.
They’re also fun to package in cute little bags. Who doesn’t love to get a bag with homemade cookies inside!
If you wish to let the host/hostess bake the cookies when they so desire, simply wrap a chilled or frozen cookie log decoratively and include the baking instructions.
Sometimes, I’ll enclose a small log of unbaked cookies in a little decorative bag and add a few of the baked cookies just to whet the recipient’s appetite!
These are easy-to-make, flavorful cookies that are very versatile – they look great on sweet trays, are easy to package in boxes, tins, or bags for gifts, and they are also wonderful treats in lunch bags, too!
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting.]
Ingredients:
1 cup butter, softened at room temperature
1 2/3 cups brown sugar, lightly packed
2 extra large eggs
1 tsp vanilla
3¼ cups all-purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/8 tsp baking soda
¼ tsp salt
1 cup mixed glazed fruit
½ cup currants
Method:
Cream butter and sugar until smooth. Beat in eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Stir in vanilla.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt together. Beat into creamed mixture until dry ingredients are combined. Stir in cherries and currants until blended into dough.
Divide dough into thirds and shape each portion of dough into three separate logs, each approximately 2” in diameter. Wrap tightly in wax paper or plastic wrap. Slit open 3 empty paper towel cardboard cylinders and place one cookie log in each cylinder. Draw cylinder sides together and secure the cylinders with masking tape. Refrigerate cookie logs for 3-4 hours, turning rolls every hour or so to distribute the weight of the logs and to keep the shape round. (Unbaked cookie logs may be stored for 2-3 days in the refrigerator before baking, provided they are stored in sealed plastic bags or airtight containers.)
Preheat oven to 375°F. Line baking sheets with parchment paper. With a sharp knife, slice cookie logs into ¼” thick slices. Place cookies on prepared baking sheets, spacing the cookies about 1½” apart. Bake for 8-10 minutes, until lightly browned. Let cookies cool on sheets for 3-4 minutes and then transfer to wire rack to finish cooling completely.
Store in airtight container at room temperature for up to 2 weeks or freeze for longer storage.
Unbaked cookie logs may be frozen in tightly sealed bags or containers for up to 2 months. Remove logs from freezer and let stand at room temperature for 30 minutes or so before slicing and baking as above.
Yield: Approximately 5½ dozen cookies
Traditional buttery-rich Christmas icebox cookies filled with mixed glazed fruit and currants.
Ingredients
Instructions
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Classic Raspberry Linzer Cookies
Frypan Cookie Balls
The Rumrunners – Rum and Raisin Cookies
Marvelous Melting Moments
Molasses Spice Cookies
Hearty Hermits
Christmas Fruitcake Drop Cookies
Custard Sandwich Cookies
Cranberry and Eggnog Drop Cookies
The Bistro’s Scotch Cookies
Gluten-free Gumdrop Cookies
Gluten-free Melting Moments
Plum Puff Cookies
Brown Sugar Jam-Filled Cookies
Making homemade Irish Cream Liqueur is very easy – it’s a matter of simply combining all the ingredients in a blender and blending on high for 25-30 seconds. Easy-peasy.
This liqueur will keep, tightly sealed in a sterilized bottle, in the refrigerator for the length of time the fresh cream used in the recipe will stay fresh as noted on the cream carton or bottle.
It’s important to shake the liqueur well before using . This liqueur serves well over ice or mixed with eggnog (1 part liqueur to 2 parts eggnog). Of course, it can also be used in a multitude of other ways as well, such as a flavorful coffee creamer.
Presented in decorative bottles, this liqueur makes a wonderful host or hostess gift.
[Printable recipe follows at end of posting]
Ingredients:
1 cup 18% fresh cream
1 – 300ml can condensed milk
1½ cups whiskey
2½ tbsp chocolate syrup
2 tbsp cold strong brewed coffee
2 tsp pure vanilla
¾ tsp almond flavoring
Method:
Combine all ingredients in blender and blend on high for apx. 25-30 seconds, just until ingredients are blended. Transfer liqueur to sterilized decorative bottle. Seal tightly.
Store in refrigerator for the length of time the fresh cream used in the recipe is “best before”. Shake liqueur well before serving.
To serve, pour liqueur into glass and add ice.
Yield: Apx. 1 litre
Serving Suggestion: Pour 1 part liqueur into glass and top with 2 parts eggnog. Add ice and serve.
Ingredients
Instructions
Click on this link for my recipe for Irish Cream French Toast.
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This Carrot Pudding is an old-fashioned steamed pudding made with very plain, simple ingredients – it doesn’t get much more plain than grated carrots and shredded potato! Continue reading Steamed Carrot Pudding Recipe
How can a cookie with only 6 simple ingredients taste this good!!! Well, they’re not called Marvelous Melting Moments without good reason. One bite of these sweet temptations and, from the rich, tender crumb of the cookie, you’ll find they quickly melt in your mouth. Continue reading Marvelous Melting Moments Recipe
One of my favorite foods to make is the traditional fruitcake – both dark and light versions. And, I adore the scent in my home as the cakes bake. I don’t make both dark and light every year. Rather, I make a dark cake one year then, the following year, make a light cake. Continue reading Festive Light Fruitcake Recipe
Over the years, I have spent some time in Italy and, of course, that always motivates me to do more Italian-inspired cooking like this Minestrone Soup, for example. It’s very easy to get inspired when travelling to beautiful parts of the world, especially those known for fine cuisine and wines! Continue reading The Bistro’s Beefy Minestrone
One of my all-time favorite soups is made with the most unlikely vegetable – cauliflower. I first had this soup on a cold, rainy night in a small café in Mahone Bay, Nova Scotia, many years ago. We were looking for light fare and cauliflower was the soup of the day. I must admit, the thoughts of cauliflower in soup was not at all appealing to me but the menu was limited so this is what was ordered. Continue reading Roasted Cream of Cauliflower Soup
I so love Pickled Beets. They are something I grew up with and I still make them. It’s a bit of a messy job but, oh, are the results so worth it! I look upon these as vegetable candy! Continue reading Best Pickled Beets Recipe
