Category Archives: Recipes

Appetizers, General, Recipes

Sausage-Stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps

Sausage-stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps
Sausage-stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps

I was recently contacted by Laure Solange Tchamdja, President and CEO of Aldanel Authentic Foods, of Charlottetown, PEI, to let me know about her new line of tomato sauces being produced right here on PEI. I sat down for a chat with Tchamdja to find out more about the sauces.

In October, 2013, Tchamdja began producing tomato sauce. The company manufactures five varieties of their tomato-based sauces, all sold in 240ml bottles: Tomato Celebration, Spinach Carnival, Chili Tango, Carrot Symphony, and Rouge Poivron. Over the period of some nine months in the lab, the BioFood Technology plant on the UPEI campus in Charlottetown helped Tchamdja convert her family recipe into a commercial product suitable for the retail market. As the company does not presently have its own manufacturing plant, the sauces are produced at the BioFood Technology plant on the UPEI campus in Charlottetown.

Tchamdja wanted to create a tomato sauce product that is safe and healthy, not too spicy, and that would help working women, young professionals, and students prepare healthy meals at home. She says her products are versatile and multipurpose and one does not have to be a chef to use them. They can be used directly from the bottle as pasta sauces, added to soups and vegetables, used as a condiment for meat and fish, as a sauce for pizza, on nachos, and even as marinades for meat and fish. So, the product can be used as is without having to cook it again or it can be used as an ingredient in a recipe. Tchamdja says her products are all natural with no preservatives and are low in sugar.

Initially, Tchamdja sold her tomato sauces at local PEI shops such as Riverview Country Market. She has since expanded her markets to include Sobey’s and Co-op Supermarkets, Pete’s Frootique in Halifax, and Winners and Home Sense stores in Eastern Canada.

The products are sold under the Aldanel™ label, the letters for which are formed from those found in the names of her children. Depending on the retailer, prices per 240 ml bottle range from $4.49 to $5.99 (as of the time of writing).

Tchamdja offered me some complimentary samples of her Tomato Celebration sauce to try. Tchamdja is correct – I found the sauce to be a versatile ingredient in several dishes. I have used it as a pizza sauce and found it very tasty. I have also used it in a recipe I created for  baked stuffed fingerling hors d’oeuvres. And, I have used it as an ingredient in the following recipes for sausage-stuffed cremini mushroom caps.

My recipe for stuffed mushrooms is suitable for hors d’oeuvres or, add a tomato sauce, and they turn into an appetizer.

I have chosen to use cremini mushrooms but white button mushrooms would also work.  As well, any kind of sausage can be used – I have chosen to use sun-dried tomato sausage from KJL Meats here in Charlottetown.  The herb and garlic Gouda cheese I used is from Glasgow Glen Farm in New Glasgow, PEI. The tomato sauce that I am featuring in both recipes is Aldanel’s “Tomato Celebration” variety but any of their other sauces would work well, too.

Sausage-stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps
Sausage-stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps

Stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps (Hors d’oeuvres)

1 tsp olive oil
½ tsp butter

12 medium-sized cremini mushrooms, washed, dried, and de-stemmed (reserve the stems)
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1½ tbsp onion, finely chopped
2 oz. sun-dried tomato sausage, removed from casing and loosely broken up
2 tbsp Ardanel™ tomato sauce
2 tsp truffle aioli
½ tsp basil
½ cup fine breadcrumbs
2 tbsp shredded Gouda cheese
1 tbsp finely grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper, to taste

Method:

Assemble ingredients.

Trim and discard ends from mushroom stems.

Remove the stems from the mushroom caps and place mushroom stems into bowl of small food processor. Pulse until mixture is finely chopped.

Add garlic, onion, and sausage and pulse just until mixture is combined.

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

Heat oil in small frypan. Add butter.

Add mushroom-sausage mixture and cook over medium heat for 4-5 minutes, or until sausage meat is no longer pink.

Transfer mixture to small bowl.

Add the tomato sauce.

Add truffle aioli, basil, breadcrumbs, and cheeses along with salt and pepper to taste.

Place mushroom caps on parchment-lined baking sheet. Stuff each mushroom cap with mixture, slightly mounding the top. Sprinkle with finely grated Parmesan cheese.

Bake for about 12 minutes. Garnish with fresh chives, sliced green onion, or parsley, if desired.  Serve immediately.

Yield: 12 hors d’oeuvres

Sausage-stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps
Sausage-stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps

Stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps with Tomato Sauce (Appetizer)

12 sausage-stuffed cremini mushroom caps (recipe above)

Tomato Sauce:

½ tbsp butter
1½ tbsp flour
½ cup chicken or vegetable broth
½ cup light cream or milk
¼ cup Ardanel™ tomato sauce
½ tsp Italian seasoning
¼ cup finely grated Parmesan cheese
½ cup shredded Mozarella cheese

Method:

Over medium heat, melt butter. Stir in flour.

Whisk in the broth and milk until mixture is smooth.

Stir briskly until mixture starts to thicken then add the tomato sauce, Italian seasoning, and cheeses.

 

Stir until cheese is melted and sauce is thickened to desired consistency.

Grease four oven-safe appetizer-sized baking dishes. Place three stuffed mushrooms into each dish.

Pour the sauce over the mushrooms, dividing it equally between the four dishes.

Sprinkle with shredded mozzarella cheese.

Broil on high for about 5-6 minutes, until cheese is melted and sauce is bubbling. Serve immediately.

Yield: 4 appetizer servings

Sausage-stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps in Tomato Sauce
Sausage-stuffed Cremini Mushroom Caps in Tomato Sauce

To learn more about the Aldanel tomato sauce products, visit their website.

This recipe is also being submitted for the Foodie Pages CHEF’S BOX Challenge.

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Appetizers, General, Recipes

Baked Stuffed Fingerlings

Baked Stuffed Fingerling
Baked Stuffed Fingerling

I love miniature potatoes. They’re fun to work with. They make wonderful hors d’oeuvres, are the perfect size for roasting, and are the ideal size to drop into soups just the way they are without cutting them up.

Through the Food Bloggers of Canada association of which I am a member, an opportunity arose this fall to take little creamer potatoes produced by the Little Potato™ Company of Alberta and create an original recipe using the potatoes. Coming into the Christmas party season, I immediately saw them as potential hors d’oeuvres.

Stuffed Baked Fingerlings
Stuffed Baked Fingerlings

The Little Potato™ Company grew their first acre of tiny potatoes in 1996. A father and daughter team, Jacob Van der Schaaf and Angela Santiago, planted, weeded, and harvested the first crop by hand. It was a success and soon Angela began marketing the potatoes at Farmers Markets and to restaurants.

The tiny potatoes grew in such popularity that production expanded and, today, the Little Potato™ Company grows six varieties of the little gems which are available at grocery stores across North America.  To learn more about The Little Potato™ Company and their various varieties of miniature potatoes, visit their website.  You can also find them on Facebook.

The Little Potato Company varieties of potatoes available at the Co-op Food Market on Walker Avenue in Charlottetown, PEI
The Little Potato Company varieties of potatoes available at the Co-op Food Market on Walker Avenue in Charlottetown, PEI

Two bags each of Little Potato™ Company yellow fingerlings and Something Blue® mini potatoes arrived via UPS at my door one evening. I was thrilled that the oblong fingerlings were sent since they are the perfect shape and size to use when making miniature stuffed baked potato hors d’oeuvres. The recipe I have created especially for these little creamer potatoes can also be used to stuff mini round potatoes as well but the shape of the fingerlings really lends them to being stuffed attractively.

Any flavour of sausage can be used in this recipe. My choice is sweet Italian but, if you like hot flavours, then chipotle would be a good option. The sausage needs to be removed from its casing and it is important to break up the sausage meat really well as it is being scramble-fried because it is going to be piped through a pastry bag. Also, its purpose is to add flavour to the filling and a large chunk of sausage is not desirable in a tiny hors d’oeuvre.

It’s also necessary to extract as much fat as possible from the cooked sausage as the fat can drip through the potato skin and make a messy hors d’oeuvre. To remove the fat, let the cooked sausage drain in a colander for about 15 minutes then wrap the meat in paper towel, repeating the process a couple of times, if necessary, to remove the excess fat.

The little fingerlings take about 15 minutes to cook. Once they are removed from the boiling water, just barely let them cool enough that they can be handled. Slice each fingerling in half, horizontally. Then, using a melon baller, remove the potato pulp, leaving about a 1/16th inch thick wall of potato in each half to give the potato shape. Transfer the potato pulp to a potato ricer.

Press the potato through the ricer into a small bowl. The potatoes can be mashed instead of ricing but the potato ricer gives a smoother, finer texture that is completely lump-free.

Add the remainder of the ingredients to the riced potato and mix well.

The filling can be transferred to the potatoes with a spoon but a piping bag and Wilton tip 8B makes the job quicker, easier, and will give a neater presentation.

Add a sprinkle of paprika, and pop these little hors d’oeuvres into a 375ºF oven for about 12 minutes. Use either a parchment-lined baking sheet to bake the stuffed potatoes or, if you have a baguette pan, it works really well, too.

Garnish, if desired, with a sliver of green onion or chopped chives, then serve to the delight of guests at your next party.

Stuffed Baked Fingerling Hors d'oeuvre made with potatoes from The Little Potato Company
Baked Stuffed Fingerling Hors d’oeuvres made with potatoes from The Little Potato Company

Baked Stuffed Fingerlings

Ingredients:

1 – 4 oz sausage (e.g., Sweet Italian, Sun-dried Tomato, Chipotle, etc.)
1 tsp olive oil

12 Little Potato Company fingerling creamer potatoes
½ tsp liquid chicken bouillon
½ tsp minced garlic
1 green onion, finely chopped
1½ tsp truffle aioli
2 tbsp sour cream
3 tbsp Gouda cheese, finely grated
1½ tsp tomato sauce
⅛ tsp basil
Salt and pepper, to taste
Paprika
Slivers of green onion tops or chopped chives for garnish

Method:

Heat olive oil in small frypan. Remove sausage from casing and crumble. Add to hot oil. With the end of a flat, heat-resistant lifter or spatula, continue to break up the sausage as it cooks. Scramble fry until sausage is brown, approximately 7-10 minutes. Transfer sausage to a colander and let fat drip out for about 10-15 minutes. Then, roll the cooked sausage in paper towel to remove any remaining fat. Set aside.

Cook fingerling potatoes in boiling water for about 15 minutes or until fork tender. Remove from heat.

Preheat oven to 375ºF.

As soon as the potatoes are just cool enough to handle, cut each in half, horizontally. Using a melon baller, remove the potato pulp from the skin, leaving about a 1/16th inch thick wall of potato in each half to give the potato shape. Transfer potato pulp to a potato ricer. Press pulp through ricer into small bowl. Add remaining ingredients and mix until incorporated.

Transfer mixture to a pastry bag fitted with Wilton tip 8B. Pipe filling into each fingerling half. Sprinkle with paprika. Place mini stuffed potatoes on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in the cradle of a baguette pan. Bake in preheated oven for about 12 minutes. Remove and garnish with a sliver of green onion or chopped chives. Serve hot.

Yield: 24 hors d’oeuvres

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Disclosure:  The potatoes used in this recipe were provided to me, free of charge, from The Little Potato™ Company for the purposes of sampling them and creating a recipe with them.  The recipe for Baked Stuffed Fingerlings in this posting is an original recipe developed by me in my home kitchen.

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General, Pies and Tarts, Recipes

Squash Pie

Move over pumpkin!  Your cousin, squash, makes better pies!

Squash Pie

Growing up, it was more common in our household to have squash rather than pumpkin pie.  My ancestors always claimed squash makes a better, more tasty pie and I have to agree.  Squash gives a richer pie with a depth of flavour that I don’t find characteristic of pumpkin.

Squash Pies
Squash Pies

There are several different kinds of squash that can be used for pie making but my preference is the tall vase-or bell-shaped butternut squash. Butternut squash is considered a variety of winter squash.  Though harvested in autumn, butternut squash is generally available in supermarkets through the winter months because of the squash’s long “keeping” quality.  I’m guessing it is their availability through the winter months that has earned them the term “winter” squash since they certainly wouldn’t be harvested in the winter in our cold and frosty northeastern climate!  With its mildly nutty flavour, butternut squash has a natural sweetness to it.   The  pulp of the butternut squash is bright orange in color and, while it loses that color when made in to a pie, it turns to a lovely caramel color.

Squash Pie
Squash Pie

My grandmother always cooked her squash in a pot with some water on the stovetop.  However, squash already has a high moisture content and adding more water to the mix can make it difficult to get the cooked squash sufficiently drained that you don’t end up with a soupy texture pie.  My preference is to, instead, roast the squash as it reduces the moisture level and I find it also gives the squash an even deeper, richer flavour.

For my squash pie recipe (found at the end of this posting), 2 cups of puréed squash is needed.  I used a butternut squash weighing 3 pounds which yielded 4 cups of purée, enough for 2  – 10″ pies.  So, if all you want is one pie, try to find a squash that weighs 1½ to 1¾ pounds.

Butternut Squash
Butternut Squash

To roast the squash, I simply began by cutting the squash in half, starting at the top narrow end, slicing all the way through to the bottom.

With a spoon, remove the seeds.

With a soft brush, apply a thin layer of olive oil to both the flesh and skin sides of the squash.

Place squash, flesh side down, on a greased, foil-lined, rimmed baking sheet.  Bake in preheated 425°F oven for about a half hour. Remove the squash from the oven and, with a large lifter, carefully flip the pieces over, applying another light brushing of olive oil to the flesh side. Return the squash to the oven for about another half hour or so, until the flesh of the squash is very soft.  Remove from oven.

As soon as the squash has just cooled enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the skin of the squash and put it in the bowl of a food processor.

Process until the squash is puréed smooth.

Then, transfer the purée to a cheesecloth-lined colander fitted over a large bowl or pot and leave it to drip for about an hour or so.  The goal is to remove as much remaining liquid as possible.  I find it helps to stir the mixture two to three times and to press down the mixture with the back of a large spoon to extract the liquid.

To make one pie, transfer 2 cups of the purée to a medium-sized bowl.

Add the slightly-beaten eggs.

Next, add the sugars, salt, spices, and evaporated milk.

Mix the ingredients well – I use a hand mixer.

Pour the filling into the prepared pie crust.  Although not necessary, I sometimes (but not always) pre-bake the crust for about 10 minutes to set it.  If you do this, be sure to use pie weights to ensure the crust does not bubble up, creating air pockets underneath.

I find it useful to place the pie on a rimmed baking sheet for easy transport into the oven.  The filling is very liquid at this point and it is very easy to spill it or slosh it up over the sides of the crust edges.  In fact, sometimes, I only partially fill the pie, then set it on the oven rack and finish filling it there.

It helps to start baking the pie at 375°F for the first 15 minutes to give it a quick set then lower the temperature to 350°F and bake for another 1¼ hours longer or until a knife, or a toothpick, inserted into the center of the pie comes out clean.

The pie should be thoroughly cooled and allowed to set before cutting.

Squash Pie
Squash Pie
For tips and hints on making pie pastry and a recipe for pastry, click here.

Squash Pie

1½ – 1¾ lb butternut squash
Pastry for deep 10-inch single crust pie

For the pie filling:
2 cups squash purée
2 extra large eggs, slightly beaten
⅔ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
⅓ cup white sugar
¼ tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
½ tsp ginger
¼ tsp cloves
¼ tsp mace
⅛ tsp nutmeg
1⅔ cup evaporated milk

To roast the squash:

Preheat oven to 425°F.

Line large rimmed baking sheet with tin foil. Spray with cooking oil.

Cut the squash in half from top to bottom. Remove and discard seeds. Lightly brush olive oil on both sides of squash. Place squash, flesh side down, on baking sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes then remove from oven and carefully flip the squash halves over. Apply a light brushing of olive oil on the flesh side of the squash.  Return squash to oven and continue roasting for another 20-30 minutes or until squash is very soft.

To prepare the squash purée:

Line a large colander with cheesecloth.  Set aside.

Remove squash from oven. As soon as the squash has just cooled enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the squash and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Purée the squash until it is very smooth.

Transfer the purée to the cheesecloth-lined colander. Let sit for about an hour to allow any excess water to drain from the purée. From time to time, stir the purée and, with a large spoon, press out the moisture from the purée.

To make the pie filling:

Preheat oven to 375°F.

Transfer purée to a medium-sized bowl and add the eggs, sugars, salt, spices, and milk. With a mixer (either a hand or stand mixer), mix ingredients thoroughly. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Place on rimmed baking sheet.

Bake pie in lower third of oven at 375°F for 15 minutes then lower temperature to 350°F and continue baking pie for about 1¼ hours longer or until knife or toothpick inserted in center of pie comes out clean.

Let pie cool completely before cutting.

Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Yield: 8-10 servings

Squash Pie
Squash Pie

If you have made this recipe and enjoyed it and/or wish to share it with your friends and family, please do so on social media but be sure to share the direct link to this posting from my website.

Squash Pie
Squash Pie

 

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Squash Pie
Squash Pie

 

 

Squash Pie
Print

Squash Pie

Similar in taste to Pumpkin Pie, this Squash Pie is made with butternut squash and has a lovely deep flavour with spices similar to those used in pumpkin pie.

Course Dessert
Keyword pie, squash pie
Servings 8
My Island Bistro Kitchen Barbara - My Island Bistro Kitchen

Ingredients

  • 1½ - 2 lb butternut squash
  • Pastry for deep 10-inch single crust pie

For the pie filling:

  • 2 cups squash purée
  • 2 extra-large eggs, slightly beaten
  • ⅔ cup brown sugar, lightly packed
  • ⅓ cup white sugar
  • ¼ tsp salt
  • 1 tsp cinnamon
  • ½ tsp ginger
  • ¼ tsp cloves
  • ¼ tsp mace
  • ⅛ tsp nutmeg
  • 1⅔ cup evaporated milk

Instructions

To roast the squash:

  1. Preheat oven to 425°F.
  2. Line large rimmed baking sheet with tin foil. Spray with cooking oil.
  3. Cut the squash in half vertically. Remove and discard seeds. Lightly brush olive oil on both sides of squash. Place squash, flesh side down on baking sheet. Roast for about 30 minutes then remove from oven and carefully flip the squash halves over. Return squash to oven and continue roasting for another 20-30 minutes or until squash is very soft.

To prepare the squash purée:

  1. Line a large colander with damp cheesecloth.
  2. Remove squash from oven. As soon as the squash has cooled enough to handle, scoop the flesh from the squash and place it in the bowl of a food processor. Purée the squash until it is very smooth.
  3. Transfer the purée to the cheesecloth-lined colander. Let sit for about an hour to allow any excess water to drain from the purée. From time to time, stir the purée and, with a large spoon, press out the moisture from the purée.

To make the pie filling:

  1. Preheat oven to 375°F.
  2. Transfer purée to a medium-sized bowl and add the eggs, sugars, salt, spices, and milk. With a mixer (either a hand or stand mixer), mix ingredients thoroughly. Pour mixture into prepared pie shell. Place on rimmed baking sheet.
  3. Bake pie in lower third of oven at 375°F for 15 minutes then lower temperature to 350°F and continue baking pie for about 1¼ hours longer or until knife inserted in center of pie comes out clean.
  4. Let pie cool completely before cutting.
  5. Serve with a dollop of whipped cream and a sprinkle of cinnamon.

Recipe Notes

Yield: 8-10 servings

 

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General, Pickles

Green Tomato Chow

Do you have an abundance of green tomatoes you’re wondering what to do with?  Today, I am sharing my recipe for Green Tomato Chow (printable recipe follows at end of posting), a tasty condiment that makes good use of green tomatoes.

Homemade Green Tomato Chow Green Tomato Chow is a great condiment to serve with cold meats, baked beans, stews, casseroles, chicken and meat pies, hot chicken/beef/turkey dinners and, of course, if you are a Maritimer, with fish cakes. Continue reading Green Tomato Chow →

General, Jams

Crabapple Jelly

As I write this post, it’s apple season in Prince Edward Island and orchards are filled with trees bearing wonderful apples of so many varieties.  There’s nothing like heading to a u-pick orchard to pick your own apples.  I typically pick several pecks each fall — in fact, sometimes it’s easy to get carried away and pick too many!  However, they do get processed into pies, crisps, sauces, and jellies like this Crabapple Jelly.
 Continue reading Crabapple Jelly →

Appetizers, General, Recipes, Salads and Salad Dressings

Summer Garden Vegetable Dip

I love late August because there is an abundance of fresh garden produce available.  Vegetable and dip platters make a great snack for any occasion.  Vegetables are so colorful that they make any platter look outstanding plus raw vegetables are healthy food. Today, I am sharing my recipe for a Summer Garden Vegetable Dip. Continue reading Summer Garden Vegetable Dip →

Appetizers, General, Recipes

A Prince Edward Island-Inspired Menu for Food Day Canada 2014

PEI Mussels Steamed in Beer
PEI Mussels Steamed in Beer

It’s Food Day Canada today (August 2, 2014). This is a day to celebrate and enjoy all the great food that is grown, fished, or otherwise produced in Canada. Coming from Prince Edward Island, we are truly blessed with the abundance and variety of fresh food at our disposal. Continue reading A Prince Edward Island-Inspired Menu for Food Day Canada 2014 →

Desserts, General, Recipes, Sauces and Salsas

Caps off to Haskaps – A Trendy New Berry on PEI

Haskap Berries
Haskap Berries

It’s not often that I discover a new food on Prince Edward Island. Until recently, I had never heard of haskap berries and did not know that they were grown on PEI.  Earlier this month, I travelled to Rollo Bay in the Eastern end of the Island to view a five-acre field of haskap bushes and to have a chat with the growers. This posting will also contain a recipe for Hascap Sauce.
Continue reading Caps off to Haskaps – A Trendy New Berry on PEI →

General, Recipes, Squares

Old-fashioned Brownies – A Perennial Favorite

Old-fashioned Brownies
Old-fashioned Brownies

There is nothing more plain yet more tasty, in my opinion, than a good old-fashioned brownie.  One of the best things about brownies is that they don’t take any ingredients that most bakers are unlikely to have in their cupboards.  That means they can be whipped up fairly quickly without a lot of advance planning and a trip to the supermarket.  They can also be eaten plain or dolled up with a dob of icing and a piece of maraschino cherry or they can be iced all over. Continue reading Old-fashioned Brownies – A Perennial Favorite →

General, Muffins and Sweet Breads, Recipes

Rhubarb and Orange Muffins

We are blessed with well-producing rhubarb in our backyard garden. The photo below is of two crowns of German Wine Rhubarb I started several years ago so it is quite a mature patch now. It has very deep ruby-red stalks. The patch graces us with a steady supply of rhubarb for fresh usage and for freezing.  It also allows me to create all kinds of recipes featuring rhubarb like today’s for Rhubarb and Orange Muffins. Continue reading Rhubarb and Orange Muffins →