Making the Most of Time at Home

Spice of Life

With this week’s announcement, we’re trying to find ways to make the most of our time at home. And, as always, that leads us back to the heart of our home – the kitchen. Over the next month, we’ll be doing more cooking and experimenting in the kitchen. Trying new recipes. Experimenting with new flavours.

We encourage you to join us! Try these recipes below (and all of those we’ve collected over the last year in our Spice of Life Recipe Book) and email us your favourite photos.

What we’re listening to…

If the term “the stew” means anything to you, Recipe Club should be right up your alley. Celebrity chef David Chang characterizes his original podcast as part book club and part cooking competition show. In each episode, Chang, cohost Chris Ying, and a guest each cook their own spin on a well-known recipe, sharing how their palate and cultural experience informed how they crafted the dish (and what they thought of the recipe itself).

Check it out on the Ringer and find the latest episodes wherever you listen to your podcasts.

Scrambled Eggs Florentine

This delicious and easy recipe is a step up from your basic scrambled eggs or omelet. Here, you’ll fold spinach and mascarpone into soft scrambled eggs and spoon over crostini for an easy breakfast or appetizer that fits right in. Recipe from Food and Wine.

Click here to download the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1/4 cup unsalted butter, divided
• 4 oz fresh spinach, chopped
• 1 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 6 large eggs, beaten
• 3/4 cup mascarpone cheese
• 3 oz Fontina cheese, shredded (about 3/4 cup), divided
• 1 tbsp snipped fresh chives
• Cracked black pepper
• 1 loaf crusty Italian-style bread, sliced and toasted

Instructions:

• Melt 2 tablespoons butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add spinach and 1 teaspoon salt, and cook, turning with tongs, until wilted, about 3 minutes. Transfer spinach to a plate.
• Melt remaining 2 tablespoons butter in skillet. Add eggs, sprinkle with remaining 1/2 teaspoon salt, and swirl to coat skillet evenly. When edges are cooked, drag cooked egg to edges of pan using a heatproof rubber spatula to form large, soft curds. Cook until eggs are nearly set, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. Gently fold mascarpone and 1/2 cup Fontina into eggs until cheese are melted.
• Preheat boiler. Place egg mixture in a shallow 8-inch square baking dish. Sprinkle wilted spinach and remaining 1/4 cup Fontina on top. Broil until cheese is melted and bubbly, about 5 minutes. Garnish with chives and black pepper, and serve immediately with toast slices.

Baked Garlic Butter Pork Tenderloin

Oven roasted pork tenderloin with rich buttery garlic sauce baked to perfection. This simple recipe is perfect for everyone – from beginners to experienced home cooks! Recipe from Sweet C’s.

Click here to download the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 tbsp sea salt and fresh cracked pepper
• 2 lb pork tenderloin, optional: pre-marinate pork before cooking
• 4 tbsp butter, sliced into 4-6 pats
• 2 tbsp diced garlic
• 1 tsp dried garlic
• 1 tsp dried basil*
• 1 tsp dried oregano*
• 1 tsp dried thyme*
• 1 tsp dried parsley*
• 1/2 tsp dried sage*
• *OR 2 tbsp Italian Herb Seasoning Blend

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Line baking sheet with aluminum foil.
• In a small bowl, combine garlic, basil, oregano, thyme, parsley, and sage. Set aside.
• Generously season meat with salt and pepper.
• In a large pan, heat oil until shimmery. Add meat to pan, and cook on all sides until dark golden brown.
• Transfer meat to baking sheet. Generously coat with herb mix. Place pats of butter on top of the pork.
• Wrap in foil, bake until meat is 150F internally at the widest, thickest part of the tenderloin (about 25 minutes).
• When pork has come to temperature, remove and let rest, tented with foil, for at least 5 minutes to lock in juices. Slice against the grain and serve immediately.
• To store leftovers, place in an airtight container and keep in refrigerator for up to 3 days.
• To freeze leftovers, place in a plastic bag or wrap in plastic wrap and keep in freezer for up to 3 months.
• To reheat, let thaw naturally in the refrigerator overnight, and bake at 350F, wrapped in foil, until piping hot when ready to serve.

Crispy Potatoes with Avocado Salsa

Papas are traditionally deep-fried, but roasting smashed potatoes at a high temperature (with plenty of olive oil) yields a similar result with a fraction of the mess. Make the avocado salsa while the potatoes are roasting; it’s the perfect creamy, cooling complement to the salty, crispy potatoes and bright, spicy jalapenos. Recipe from the Food and Wine.

Click here to download the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs fingerling potatoes
• 6 tbsp olive oil, divided
• 3 1/2 tsp kosher salt, divided
• 1/2 cup chopped yellow onion
• 1/3 cup cold water, plus more as needed
• 1 medium serrano chile, stemmed, seeded (if desired), and roughly chopped
• 3/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro leaves and stems, divided
• 2 tbsp fresh lime juice
• 1 small avocado, pitted
• 1/2 cup pickled hot jalapeno slices, plus 1 1/2 tablespoons pickling liquid
• 2 oz Cotija cheese, grated on smallest holes of a box grater (about 1/2 cup)

Instructions:

• Preheat oven to 350F. Toss together potatoes, 2 tablespoons oil, and 1 teaspoon salt on a rimmed baking sheet, and spread in a single layer. Bake in preheated oven until fork-tender, 30 to 40 minutes. Remove from oven.
• Increase oven temperature to 500F. Using the bottom of a 1-cup dry measuring cup, smash potatoes to about 1/2-insh thickness. (Make sure smashed potatoes are still in a single layer.) Drizzle with 3 tablespoons oil; sprinkle with 1 teaspoon salt. Bake at 500F until bottoms of potatoes are golden brown, 15 to 20 minutes. Flip potatoes, drizzle with remaining 1 tablespoon oil, and sprinkle with 1/4 teaspoon salt. Bake until edges of potatoes are crispy and golden, 8 to 12 minutes.
• While potatoes bake, process onion, 1/3 cup water, serrano, 3 tablespoons cilantro, lime juice, and remaining 1 1/4 teaspoons salt in a blender until smooth, about 20 seconds. Add avocado, and process until smooth, about 10 seconds. If needed, pulse in additional cold water, 1 tablespoon at a time, to reach a thick but pourable consistency.
• Transfer warm potatoes to a large bowl; add pickled jalapeno slices and pickling liquid, Cotija, and 1/2 cup cilantro; toss to coat. Spoon avocado salsa into 4 small bowls; top evenly with potato mixture, and sprinkle with remaining 1 tablespoon cilantro. Serve immediately.

Make Ahead:

• Roasted whole potatoes can be chilled up to 3 days.

Last Word

Said to have first been served at the Detroit Athletic Club a little over a century ago, this equal-parts mix of gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice was resurrected by Murray Stenson of Seattle’s Zig Zag Café near the beginning of the current century. It has since spread around the world and become beloved for its spiky sweet, sour, and herbaceous flavours. Recipe from Liquor.com.

Click here to download the recipe.

Ingredients:

• 3/4 oz gin
• 3/4 oz green Chartreuse
• 3/4 oz maraschino liqueur
• 3/4 oz lime juice, freshly squeezed
• Brandied cherry, for garnish (optional)

Instructions:

• Add the gin, green Chartreuse, maraschino liqueur, and lime juice into a shaker with ice and shake until well-chilled.
• Strain into a chilled coupe glass.
• Garnish with a brandied cherry (optional).

Lemon Pound Cake

Flavoured with lemon zest and juice, and drizzled with a tart lemon glaze, this lemon pound cake is the ultimate dessert for lemon lovers. Recipe from Once Upon a Chef.

Click here to download the recipe.

Ingredients:

For the Cake

• 3 cups all purpose flour, spooned into measuring cup and leveled-off with a knife
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 cup buttermilk (low fat is fine)
• 2 tbsp grated lemon zest, packed
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
• 1 cup unsalted butter, softened
• 2 1/4 cups granulated sugar, plus more for the pan
• 3 large eggs

For the Syrup

• 1/4 cup water
• 1/4 cup granulated sugar
• 1 1/2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

For the Glaze

• 1 cup confectioners’ sugar
• 2 tbsp fresh lemon juice

Instructions:

• Preheat the oven to 325F and set an oven rack in the middle position.
• In a medium bowl, whisk together the flour, baking soda, and salt. Set aside.
• In another bowl, whisk together the buttermilk, lemon zest, and lemon juice. Set aside.
• In the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment (or beaters), cream the butter and sugar on medium speed until light and fluffy, 3 to 4 minutes. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, then beat in the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Scrape down the sides of the bowl again.
• With the mixer on low speed, beat in 1/4 of the flour mixture, then 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture. Beat in another 1/4 of the flour, then another 1/3 of the buttermilk mixture. Repeat with another 1/4 of the flour and the remaining buttermilk mixture. Finally, beat in the remaining flour mixture. Scrape down the sides of the bowl, and give a quick mix to make sure all of the ingredients are well incorporated.
• Thoroughly grease a pan of your choosing (loaf baking pan, Bundt pan, etc.) with non-stick cooking spray or vegetable shortening, making sure to get into all the crevices. Coat the greased pan generously with granulated sugar, making sure the entire surface of the pan is evenly coated. Alternatively, you can coat it with butter and then dust it with flour, or use a non-stick baking spray with flour.
• Spoon the thick batter into the prepared pan and smooth with a rubber spatula. Bake for 50 to 60 minutes in bread pan or 65 to 75 minutes in Bundt pan, or until the cake is golden and a tester comes out clean.
• Set the cake on a cooling rack. Carefully run an offset spatula or table knife around the edges of your pan, between the pan and the cake, to loosen the cake from the pan (don’t forget the centre tube if you’ve made the cake in a Bundt pan). Cool the cake in the pan for 10 minutes. Set a timer because if it stays in the pan too long, it may stick.
• Meanwhile, make the syrup. Combine the water and sugar in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from the heat and stir in the lemon juice.
• Invert the warm cake onto a rack. Slip a large piece of parchment paper, aluminum foil, or paper towels under the rack for easy clean-up. Gradually brush the hot syrup over the cake, letting it soak in (a little syrup will drip off, but try not to rush so that most of it is absorbed). Allow the cake to cool completely, about 1 hour.
• When the cake is cool, carefully transfer it to a serving platter. To make the glaze: in a medium bowl, whisk together the confectioners’ sugar and lemon juice. Add more confectioners’ sugar or lemon juice as necessary to make a thick but pourable glaze (it should be a little thicker than you’d think, about the consistency of molasses or honey). Spoon the glaze over the top of the cake, letting it drop down the sides.

Notes:

• You’ll need 4 to 5 large lemons for the entire recipe.
• The cake can be frozen (without the glaze) for up to 3 months. After it’s completely cooled, double-wrap it securely with aluminum foil or plastic freezer wrap, or place it in a heavy-duty freezer bag. Thaw overnight on the countertop before serving. (add the syrup before the cake is frozen and add the glaze after the cake is thawed.)

Neighbourhood Gems

We’ve once again entered a stay-at-home order. And while this is far from ideal, it does give us the opportunity to once again support local stores and restaurants whenever possible. When you’re able to, please considered shopping local to support small businesses in our community. Here are just a few more of our favourites…

The Bee Shop: Devoted to all things honey and apitherapy (which means using bee products for healing purposes), The Bee Shop is owned and operated by a local beekeeper who promotes urban beekeeping and distributes all types of honey, royal jelly, propolis, beeswax candles, and more. While we work through the latest stay at home order, you can look to order products online through their website.

Goodbye Gluten: By shopping at Goodbye Gluten, you can eliminate the risk of cross contamination since their entire inventory is gluten-free. The retail shop on Avenue Road, south of Wilson, sells everything from baked goods, breakfast cereals, frozen foods, pastas, and prepared foods.

Wildly Delicious: Wildy Delicious is a specialty food store and café located in the heart of the Distillery District. Featuring their own products, they put a unique touch on classics like mac and cheese and fried chicken sandwiches.