Day #20 Gift > Shortbread Video

Today’s gift to you is a video.  I know you all LOVE the videos.  Well, this one ties in nicely with some previous posts.

Remember when I was at Day #2 of this 29 days of giving thing, that was the day I gave you my recipe for Easy Bar Shortbreads.  I make them every year, only at Christmas time, and they’re easy and very yummy.

Right away, Veggie Club member Suzi tried the recipe, and then she emailed me: “I made your short bread bars for my work Christmas party… and they were a BIG hit.”

On Day #13 I had a preview lesson for the Back-to-Basics class that’s coming up in January.  The little lesson was all about the RIGHT way to measure flour, and there are loads of comments on the blog about that one, thanks!

So today, to tie it all together, I’ve got a video of me making the shortbreads that includes demonstrating the flour measuring part.

I’d be happy if you were to forward this email to anyone you know who might benefit from it, and encourage them to sign up at www.OneRoastVegetable.com to also follow along with the Back-to-Basics lessons (and other great veggie ideas).

Ready to start cooking? Don’t forget to leave a comment below

All best,
Shelley

Day #18 Gift > Homemade cranberry sauce

It’s nearly time for Christmas dinner. People everywhere will be getting up at dawn to put a giant turkey in the oven. They’ll peel pounds of potatoes. They’ll cut Xs in the bottoms of Brussels sprouts. They’ll glaze carrots.

And then they’ll open a can of cranberry sauce.

Now, what’s wrong with this picture? Would you serve canned turkey on this big day? Or canned mushrooms? Probably not. But somewhere along the way we’ve decided that there’s nothing like cranberry sauce alongside a roast, and that canned is fine.

OK. I’m here to dispel that myth Don’t yell at me, I know, I know, canned is quite lovely too. I eat it all the time. But for Christmas dinner? No way! Got to have the real thing. And it’s really simple … you can even follow the recipe that comes on the side of the bag of cranberries, or you can jazz it up a bit with one of my recipes below.

(1) you can turn whole berries into quite a lovely homemade sauce

(2) The cranberries will begin to pop and the outside skin will split open

(3) bring to a boil

(4) as it cooks, it will become quite jammy and most of the berries will explode open

(5) once cooled, it will be thick and lovely

Orange Whole Berry Sauce

One bag of cranberries (or about 3 cups of whole berries)

3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup water
1/2 cup orange juice
2 teaspoons grated orange peel (zest)

Rinse cranberries, pick out and discard any that look very shrivelled or brown. Put all ingredients together into a medium-sized pot. Heat over medium heat. The skins will begin to open a bit and they might spit a bit.

Once it comes to a boil, then reduce heat and let simmer about 10 minutes. Most of the berries will pop open and the sauce will be quite jammy. Let cool at room temperature, taste to see that it’s yummy, then put it in the fridge. Can be stored for a week or so. Makes just over 2 cups.

Spicy Whole Berry Sauce

Same recipe as Orange Whole Berry Sauce, but add:

4 tablespoons dried raisins
1/2 teaspoon dry mustard
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger

Talk again soon,
Shelley

Day #12 Gift > 12 Drummers Drumming?

Today is Day #12 of my 29gifts. So today is supposed to be “12 Drummers Drumming.”

Well, I’m having a hard time getting 12 drummers into a little box suitable for mailing. Legs and arms sticking out, it’s just not going to work. Squish. Can’t get the top on.

So instead, for today’s gift, I’m going to give away a $25 online gift certificate for Amazon.com (or Amazon.ca) to the 12th person who emails me a little food-related Christmas (holiday) story from when you were a kid. Your favourite Christmas food memory, a story about your mom’s cherry surprises, the time your father served pickled fish, the time my grandmother made minced meat out of real meat… Whatever! I’ll post the best stories over the next few days.

Are you ready? Whoever is #12 wins. It’s like 12 drummers drumming… OK, not really. This is better. Email your stories to: shelley [at] OneRoastVegetable.com

Healthy eating ideas for this week…

Since I’ve already eaten today’s allocation of chocolate, I thought I’d better check out The Veggie Club site for something healthy to make for dinner.

Are you in the same boat? If so, here are some ideas based on Veggie Club recipes:

“Almost” Vegetarian Chili

Recipe 1.15 > “Almost” Vegetarian Chili. Healthy, lovely and cheap. It’s only $1.70/serving (and freezes well), and is a yummy meal to have on hand, AND is great as a leftover/lunch.

(To make a completely vegetarian version, leave out the tiny 1/2 pound of lean ground beef).

Trout with Fruit Salsa

Recipe 2.3 > Trout with Fruit Salsa. Especially now that the price of pineapples seems a bit more reasonable, I love making this recipe. I also secretly like having the mango/pineapple salsa with rice, just on its own, as a leftover. Have you tried heating up the salsa? It’s unusually good.

(This is a vegetarian meal if you’re a fish-eating-vegetarian. If not, make the fruit salsa and rice and serve with a veggie stirfry.)

Vegetarian Pizza

Recipe 1.20 > Vegetarian Pizza. Just today, right before I ate today’s allotment of chocolate, I said to André “we should have pizza for dinner.” My recipe uses frozen dough, so the whole thing comes together pretty quickly. Roast a few veggies for toppings — use up what’s in your fridge. I’ve got beets and yellow pepper and red onions. And cheese. And potatoes.

(This is a vegetarian meal if you use vegetarian cheese.)

Homemade Vegetarian Soup

1.6 > Homemade Vegetable Soup (better than Campbell’s). OK, I like to cheat and add chicken to this sometimes, but only when I’ve got leftovers in the freezer from when I roasted Recipe 2.1 > Roast Chicken with Rosemary. But you don’t need to add chicken, it’s great the way it is, and cheap. Err, inexpensive. (Now you’re thinking that cheap means it can’t possibly taste good!) Well, I can tell you, it tastes great, and there’s even a video of me making it here > http://theveggieclub.wordpress.com/2008/03/23/veggie-soup-video/

(To make a completely vegetarian version of this soup, substitute veggie broth for the chicken broth.)

Easy Bar Shortbreads

If you’ve been following my 29gifts, then you’ve also seen my recipe for Easy Bar Shortbreads. Stay tuned, I’m going to make a video to go with that recipe, and I’ll post it on the blog ASAP.

All best and happy Saturday,

Let’s Get Cooking > Virtual Cooking Class #1

How about if we make Vegetarian Chili together? OK, it’s really called “I’m not ready to be a Vegetarian Yet” Vegetarian Chili and it goes well with the other recipe we’re going to be making: Smoky-Corny-Cornbread.

“I’m not ready to be Vegetarain Yet” Vegetarian Chili,
topped with a bit of grated smoky cheddar cheese

It’s yummy AND it’s a great deal, because for only $14.95 you can have all this …

1. You get the illustrated recipes for both the chili and the corn bread (pages of full colour, step-by-step instructions).
2. Then you’ll get a video of me making these two items that you can watch in advance.
3. You will also get a grocery list 3 days before, complete with alternate ingredients to suit
   your tastes.
4. THEN we meet on the phone on Saturday, June 28th @ 9 am Pacific / 12 noon Eastern, and we cook together.
   Yes, you might hear a pan clanking or the water running, but we’ll all be there – and I will walk you through both recipes, step by step, answering questions and cheering you on! Total time will be 1.5 hrs give or take.
5. As a special bonus, you get ONE MONTH F’REE membership at “The Veggie Club,” our private membership site. This one month trial is f’ree when you sign up for the cooking class. You can check out the other fabulous illustrated recipes, the archived expert articles, and lots more cool stuff. Your membership to The Veggie Club will continue after the one month trial for $8.95/month, but of course you can cancel at any time.

This recipe for Not-Quite-Vegetarian Chili keeps well, can be reheated later in the day for dinner, or you can divide it up and freeze it. The Smoky-Corny-Cornbread can be made in a muffin tin and individual ones can be frozen.

So even if you aren’t going to eat it right after we cook, you’ll still want to make sure you register for the “Let’s Get Cooking” Virtual Cooking Class. You’ll get the illustrated recipe, the video, the shopping list, and when the class is over you’ll get a link to download the audio from the phone call.

>> If you’re not a member of The Veggie Club, you can register for this cooking class here <<

If you are a member, the price is only $5, and you can register:

To register for this cooking class by following these steps:

1. Member’s login here > http://oneroastvegetable.com/members/member.php
2. On the RIGHT side of the screen, it says Add/Renew Subscription.
3. From the Membership Type list, choose: “Let’s Get Cooking” Virtual Cooking Class #1 ($5.00)
4. Then click on the “Order” button

All best,

Shelley MacDonald Beaulieu
Owner & Head Tomato

Your Emergency Food Kit > The 8 things you need to make a delicious meal at any time

Our very own Chef Melissa (previous editor for Cooking Light magazine) has such a great column this month that I thought I’d share it with everyone, not just “members.”

==

Your Emergency Food Kit: The 8 things you need to make a delicious meal at any time

It’s happened to the best of us — you’ve started to cook a meal, only to realize that you’re missing a key ingredient. Or you’ve got company coming over, and in your haste to get the meal done in time you’ve burned the entrée.

These situations qualify as a food emergency, and if you don’t have time to run to the store [and you're trying to avoid having takeout delivered], you could have a culinary disaster on your hands.

While a professional chef could whip up a five-star feast with pepper, ground beef and a jar of olives, the rest of us lack the hands-on experience that it takes to get that kind of miracle happen. However, if you make an effort to have these eight ingredients on hand at all times, you’ll be able to whip up an impressive meal on-the-fly:

1. Canned beans. Throw together a quick chili by stirring in chopped root vegetables (the frozen varieties will do in a pinch) and/or ground beef, turkey, chicken or tofu. Add some of your own spices, such as cumin, chili powder, and garlic powder, to deepen the complexity of the flavors.
2. Cornbread mix. Make a hearty batch of cornbread to serve on the side, or mix into muffins for a more impressive presentation. Add eggs and creamed corn, and you’ll have a fluffy corn soufflé.
3. Eggs. Cornbread soufflé is just the beginning of what eggs can accomplish: Mixed with a salad dressing or a tangy mustard, eggs help create a coating that breadcrumbs adhere to beautifully. Scrambled into a stir-fry, they provided added texture, taste and protein.
4. Paprika. This all-purpose red spice adds a kick to just about anything. Mixed with salt and pepper, you have a flavorful rub that can be used on meats and sprinkled onto roasted vegetables.
5. Olive oil. Vegetable oil is a great go-to oil, but olive oil adds an extra layer of flavor to sautéed or roasted vegetables. Rubbed into meats before grilling, olive oil produces a crunchy outer coating.
6. Onions. Sweet onions (also known as Vidalias) are perhaps the most versatile — the mellow flavor won’t overwhelm a dish, making a great addition to vegetables and roast meats. Red onions make for a colorful garnish, and white and Spanish onions pack a powerful flavor punch.
7. Potatoes. Baked potatoes make a filling side dish or a main meal when stuffed with hearty toppings. Sliced and oven-baked, they make a delicious, low-fat accompaniment to casual meals. Bake them with cheese and eggs for a hearty casserole. Add them to a soup or stew for stick-to-your-ribs comfort food. Julienne and sauté them with peppers for a savory hash. The possibilities are (almost) endless! And if you’ve added too much salt to a soup or stew, try this trick: cut up a potato and let it sit in the mixture for a few minutes — the potato will soak up the excess salt. Just don’t forget to take the potatoes out before you serve.
8. Balsamic Vinegar. As the base of a marinade, this vinegar adds a touch of tang to meats and firm tofu. Drizzle over vegetables–Brussels sprouts are especially nice–and sauté for a quick weeknight veggie side. Out of dressing? Whisk together balsamic vinegar, olive oil, diced shallots and a squeeze of lemon juice for a salad topping that rivals anything pre-bottled from the grocery store.

… Written by Chef Melissa, expert contributor for “The Veggie Club”

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And thanks to everyone for the great response to last night’s email about the new one-year pricing for “The Veggie Club” … 4 of the 7 dozen homemade cookies that I’m giving away have already been claimed! Three more to go Yes, you read correctly, homemade cookies. Mailed right to your door. From me. Really http://www.oneroastvegetable.com/02.html

All best, Shelley
Owner/Head Tomato
www.One Roast Vegetable.com

The price of gas

This blog posting discusses very important topics.  Such as the price of gas. And homemade cookies.

You’ll have to read to the end to learn about the cookies (which I’m going to mail right to your door).

The cost of gas continues to go up.  It’s really quite wacky.  OK, me personally, I can drive a bit less, take the metro a bit more. I live in a city with a good metro (subway), and I live right downtown.

But if you have to drive every day, then you’re watching your pennies right now.

I’m getting emails saying things like “sorry, I love your site and your recipes, but with the cost of gas, I have to watch my money.”

Rats.

Then another email comes in:  “With money tight I need to justify to my husband that I am getting my money’s worth.”

http://oneroastvegetable.com/02.html

OK.  So, I got thinking.

One way to cut down on monthly expenses is to reduce the amount of take-out/delivery you’re eating, and to pack your lunch — in other words, cook more at home.  And not just boil-in-bag dinners, or microwaveable bags of steamed veggies! Those are way too expensive!

To save $$, you’re best off cooking from scratch.  It’s also way healthier.

One of the recipes on my membership site, The Veggie Club, is for Vegetable Corn Chowder. It’s $1.29 per bowl to make. From scratch. That’s a dinner-sized serving.  And it’s healthy.

I’ve also got a recipe for Sausage Minestrone, which is $1.35 a bowl. Jesse wrote: “OMG! I made your Sausage Minestrone last night. WOW! … It tasted incredible!”

OK.  So I got thinking some more.

For new members of The Veggie Club — the private membership site where you can find all these full colour, wonderful, illustrated, veggie-filled recipes — if you’d like to sign up but you’ve been worried about your budget, I’ve done two things…

THING #1 THAT I’VE DONE:   The regular monthly rate to be a member of The Veggie Club is $8.95/month.  But if you sign up for 3 months, I’ve reduced the price to $5.50/month.

And even better, how about $4.95/month? That’s your rate if you sign up for a year…

Let’s do the math.  Signing up month-by-month will be $107.40 per year.  Signing up for a year all at once will be $59.40. Hmm, I might be seeing cross-eyed, but that looks like nearly 50% less.

**No matter what it costs, though, it won’t make any difference to you if you’re not committed to eating better, to making more food from scratch, to eating more vegetables, and to eating more at home.

But if you ARE ready, then welcome to The Veggie Club.  Let’s get cooking

http://oneroastvegetable.com/02.html

THING #2 THAT I’VE DONE: I’ve created an affiliate program for members. It’s pretty easy to earn money here … If you refer people who become members of the site, you get paid money.  Nothing more complicated than that.  Payments go out every month. Refer a few people, they sign up, then your membership fees come out to zero.

Of course, if you’ve got lots of friends or a big list, or you live in a big neighbourhood, or your church friends are interested, then you might become a super affiliate like Christine who earned a big whack of money last month (no kidding, over $300).

If you’d like to become an affiliate, once you’re a member, send me an email and I’ll give you the secret handshake

http://oneroastvegetable.com/02.html

I know that you’ve got lots of things on your plate — lives are busy, kids are going here and there, your parents live with you, or maybe you’re struggling to cook healthily for one.

You’ve got lots on your plate … and I’d like to help by adding some yummy meals to your plate Being a home chef, and a girl from small-town Nova Scotia, it’s the least I can do!

http://oneroastvegetable.com/02.html

All best,

Shelley
Owner / Head Tomato

PS/ Bonus cookies, yikes I nearly forgot, I’m sending out a dozen homemade gingersnap cookies to the first 7 people who sign up for the one-year deal … cookies mailed right to your door.  Free.  Yummy.  Did I say homemade? http://oneroastvegetable.com/02.html

Veggie Soup Video

Hey there, happy Easter. Hope you’re having a great day. We spent the weekend in very cold snow country (neither of us are skiers, I’m not exactly sure why were there, but the restaurants are great). Then we got busy this afternoon making up a video for you. You’ll get an inside view of the One Roast Vegetable test kitchen, plus you’ll see parts of André — well, his arms, anyway. It was lots of fun doing this video for you as we announce the launch of The Veggie Club, coming up April 1st. The doors will open for new members — but only for three days. Anyway, if you watch this quick video, you’ll pretty much get the entire recipe for Homemade Vegetable Soup, and you’ll get to check out the art on the walls in our kitchen.

And yes, I do have some goofs in this video, like chopping the veggies where you can’t see them, and trying to keep my hair out of my face … thankfully I wasn’t cooking for the Queen, just making dinner for my giant family of two.  Rest assured that when I’m cooking in the kitchen at Robin des Bois, I’m wearing a full head covering — it’s just not very flattering to wear when making a Sunday afternoon video for my cherry tomato friends

(click on video to start)

 

And here’s a picture of the soup once it’s finished:

All best,

Shelley (Head Tomato)