Friday, November 6, 2015

Sea Salt Pumpkin Butter Cups


Halloween Candy season may be over, but Pumpkin has not gone out of style just yet.  I saw these online the other morning at 5AM because my 14 month-old is all, SCREW YOU TIME CHANGE, THIS FEELS LIKE 6AM STILL, and I realized I actually had everything I needed to make them!  Chocolate chips, pumpkin puree, almond butter, pumpkin pie spice and honey.  That's it.  A dark chocolate shell with a creamy pumpkin butter center.  Oh, and sea salt on top because chocolate can barely go without it these days.  They were easy to make and delicious (however I recommend popping them in the fridge to let the bottom chocolate harden before you add the filling and top).

Enjoy these.  Enjoy your weekends.  Enjoy your sleep if you're getting any (I hate you).    

Recipe here.


Wednesday, November 4, 2015

Thanksgiving Sides on TODAY


Did you know Thanksgiving is 3 weeks from tomorrow?  NOBODY PANIC.  I say that as I panic, of course.  However, if you tune into the Today Show everyday this month, you'll become inspired with a new Turkey Day idea.  Today Carson and I made two side dishes: his mom's "Drunken Mashed Potatoes" and my version of the Midwest classic, Green Bean Casserole.

If you missed the segment or want to view the recipes, click here.



Photos by the lovely Samantha Okazaki.

Saturday, October 31, 2015

What's Happening in November!

Happy Halloween! It's a night of sugary treats and yummy sweets...speaking of which, once you get your fill of refined sugar, consider alternative sweets!



November 16th - Learn how to create delicious and healthy raw desserts without refined sugar, dairy, eggs or flour! Yummy tastings included! By purchasing tickets, you will be supporting our work in delivering cooking and gardening workshops and programs to those who live, work and play in the City of Burnaby!



Tickets can be purchased through
Eventbrite at http://naturalsweetness.eventbrite.ca
or by calling (604) 294-7421.



Now, lets check out what is happening locally in November!



Winter Farmer's Market: Royal City & Vancouver



Now that Burnaby Farmer's Market has ended for the 2015 season...Check out the Royal City's Farmer's Markets.








When: November to April (first and third Saturdays of the month)



Also, Vancouver's Winter Farmer's market at Nat Bailey Stadium: http://eatlocal.org/markets/winter-market/ - Every Saturday from 10:00 am to 2:00 pm from November 7, 2015 to April 23, 2016.



Homesteader's Emporium Workshops



With Christmas fast approaching, now is the time to get started on homemade gifts.



For all you interested DIYers, check out some of the wonderful workshops that is offered in November and December (leading up to Christmas) where you can make and give homemade gifts!



Website: http://www.homesteadersemporium.ca/ - some workshops may be sold out!



Burnaby Library Talks: Agricultural Roots - Nov. 4th



Join local historian Eric Damer of the Burnaby Village Museum for a presentation and an
illustrated talk on the history and development of farming and food
production in Burnaby.



Location: Tommy Douglas Library, 7311 Kingsway, Burnaby



More information and registration (it's free): http://www.bpl.bc.ca/events/burnabys-agricultural-roots




 



Vancouver Food Bank: Get Into Canning this Fall! - Nov.4th











When: Wednesday, November 4, 2015 - 6:00pm to 8:00pm






Location: 1150 Raymur Avenue












It's fall and the perfect time to find
out if you are interested in canning. Join the Greater Vancouver Food Bank for a fantastic taster
session offering you the opportunity to learn how to make your own jams
and jellies! 


 




Learn the basic techniques, get some practical experience and find out if canning really is for you and your family.




Participants will also be able to take home a jar of preserves.




Cost: $15.00




For more information and to register, please contact Lisa Bouwmeester at LisaB@foodbank.bc.ca or (604) 216-3073.






Il Mercato Italian Night Market - Nov. 20th






This market brings together the tastes of Italy with fresh produce grown
locally, in addition to delicious food prepared by Il Centro's chef and
handmade products from local artisans.




It offers a taste of Italian
cuisine and music featuring the classic mandolin and accordion. There
will also be children's activities provided by the centre's Italian
school teachers.









When: Friday November 20th


Time: 4:00 pm to 8:00 pm


Location: Italian Cultural Centre,
3075 Slocan, Vancouver



UBC Farm's Workshop - Grow Your Own Mushrooms at Home for Food & Medicine - Nov. 21st



Join Danielle Stevenson in this morning workshop that will cover some of the many ways you can grow mushrooms at your home or
apartment and highlight ways you can make use of household waste as a
food source for your mushrooms!



This is suitable for beginners to
mushroom cultivation, and for those who have tried without success to
grow mushrooms. Each participant will leave with a grow kit of a
delicious edible or medicinal mushroom and detailed instructions on
care.



Where: UBC Farm, 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver, BC, Map

When: Saturday November 21, 2015

Time: 9:30 am to 12:00 noon

Cost: $58.00 + taxes

More information or to register: http://www.calendar.events.ubc.ca:80/s/6Yz



UBC Farm's Workshop - Mushroom Companions to the Garden, Orchard and Farm - Nov. 21st



Join Danielle Stevenson in an afternoon workshop on growing many delicious and medicinal mushrooms amidst your veggies, berries, bushes and trees- increasing your
home-grown nutrition and boosting soil and plant ecosystem health.
Mushrooms can also be grown in shadier areas where other types of
growing are limited, and be used to filter runoff from chicken coops, or
digest household and pet waste.



Learn how to assess your site for
the best spots to incorporate fungi, and then learn hands-on how to
make mushroom beds, logs, pathways, companion plant mushrooms within
your veggie beds, and add beneficial mycorhizal fungi to your site.



Where: UBC Farm, 3461 Ross Drive, Vancouver, BC, Map

When: Saturday November 21, 2015

Time: 1:30 am to 4:30 pm

Cost: $47.00 + taxes

More information or to register: http://www.calendar.events.ubc.ca:80/s/6YA






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Don't forget to check back on our website for our gardening or cooking
workshops. We have some great workshops in the works and events will be
posted shortly!



If you have a farming/gardening/food security event that you would like to share, please email us with the information to: burnabyfoodfirst@gmail.com. We would be happy to share your events on our blog!







Friday, October 30, 2015

Homemade Take 5 Bars


Are you ready for the best weekend ever?  A glutenous, guilt-free, indulgent weekend full of candy and costumes and sports??  At least that's the type of weekend I'm about to have.  I have my red cape and red lipstick all ready to go because I'm sorry, but I couldn't find a single non-slutty Little Red Riding Hood dress, so that's what I'm going with.  My Grandmother/Wolf, Hawkeye, Ariel and Elmo are very excited to trick-or-treat.  And last night I made these Homemade Take Five bars following this recipe, hence the beginning of the best weekend ever... because when you put peanut butter on pretzels and then caramel on top of that and then dip the whole thing in chocolate YOU WIN!




For more Homemade Halloween treats - like Butterfingers, Snickers, Almond Joys, Peanut Butter Cups and Peppermint Patties - click here.  For Baby Ruth Bars, click here.  Happy Halloween!

Food Reward Friday

This week's lucky "winner"... the Reese's PBC Burger!!
Image credit: The Works

Read more �

Thursday, October 29, 2015

Quinoa Pilaf in Turkish Dolmas on CBC's Weekend Morning Show!

 On Saturday, I'll be presenting the following Dolmas using local Tamarack Farms Quinoa, for CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod.  






Turkish Dolmas with local Quinoa pilaf (Adapted from Classical Turkish Cooking, by Ayla Algar)

2 cups vegetable stock
1 onion, finely diced
2-3 tbs olive oil
� cup fresh tomatoes, finely diced
� cup almond slices (or pine nuts.  I used almonds due to cost and allergies)
1-2 Tbs Turkish Baharat � or � � tsp each of cinnamon, dried mint, fresh dill, nutmeg, cloves, pepper
3 tsp sugar
� cup currants (or zerishk)
� cup raisins
3 tbs lemon juice
salt, to taste

For the Cabbage:  � cup water, 3 tbs lemon juice, salt
For the Peppers:  Rich tomato sauce, red wine

1. Saut� the onions in olive oil in a pot.  Add seasonings, tomatoes, almonds, currants, raisins, currants and then salt and lemon juice.  Add the quinoa and coat through.  Add the stock (or water) and bring to a simmer.  Cover and let simmer for 20+ minutes.  Let cool.

2. For the cabbage leaves:  Bring a pot of salted water to a boil and place a cored cabbage in the water for 4 minutes.  Peel off leaves and return to pot to repeat to remove more leaves. 

Cut out a small triangle of the core of each leaf.

Place a tablespoon or two of the pilaf at the top of the leaf, and roll, like a burrito or salad wrap, and place in a baking dish that has been lined with extra cabbage leaves at the bottom.

Fill the baking dish and cover with the water, lemon juice, olive oil and salt mixture. Bake at 300�F for 1-1/2 hours.

Serve warm or cold.

3.  For the peppers:  Core the peppers and cook in the boiling water for 4 minutes, to soften.  Fill with pilaf and place in a baking dish with a rich tomato sauce with red wine.  Bake at 350�F for 1 hour, or until soft.

Serve hot, warm or cold.

Enjoy !

Wednesday, October 28, 2015

Baked Spaghetti Squash w/ Blue Cheese Sauce


First things first, the winner of the Happiest Little Baker Giveaway is Valerie!  However, HLB is also  going to give the first 50 readers that sign up 10% off using the coupon code SIRIOUSLY10.  Go, go and join (they even have allergy-friendly kits).  My kids are already talking about next month's box :)

Now, on to this wonderfully delicious baked spaghetti squash recipe.  I was at a cooking class last week with my mom and some friends, and it was centered around root vegetables.  One thing the chef prepared was this baked spaghetti squash with a blue cheese sauce.  Any vegetable that disguises as a pasta is my kind of vegetable, especially smothered in a creamy, salty, tangy sauce.  This tastes sinfully good, but is much better for you than a bowl of fettuccine alfredo... right?  A perfect Thanksgiving side dish, this would be... signed, Yoda.    


Baked Spaghetti Squash w/ Blue Cheese Sauce
(Serves 4-6)

1 large spaghetti squash
Salt and pepper
2 Tbsp chopped fresh sage
1 Tbsp olive oil
1 tsp butter
1 small shallot, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp flour
1 cup chicken stock
1/2 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup blue cheese crumbles
1 Tbsp chopped parsley
1/3 cup bread crumbs
Pinch of cayenne 

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Carefully slice the spaghetti squash in half and scoop out the seeds with a spoon, discard.  Place both halves on a baking sheet, flesh side up, and drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Roast for about 30 minutes, until the skin begins to wrinkle and golden.  Remove, let cool slightly, and then scrape out the spaghetti squash "noodles" with a fork.  Place in a casserole dish, drizzle with some olive oil, add the sage and toss.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Set aside.

Over the stove in a medium-sized skillet, heat the tablespoon of olive oil and butter over medium heat.  Add the shallots and garlic, and saut� until fragrant, a few minutes.  Add the flour and whisk continuously until there are no lumps.  Whisk in the chicken stock and cream, stirring frequently until sauce begins to thicken.  Lastly, add the blue cheese and parsley, continuing to whisk.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Pour sauce over spaghetti squash and toss to combine.  Sprinkle the top with bread crumbs and place back in the 400 degree oven, just until the bread crumbs turn golden and the sauce starts to bubble.