December 23rd: Hashbrown Casserole

This is just like last year. We have a crazy Christmas Eve eve party, for which I make a tonne of food, but in the midst of partying, I don't have time/don't think to take pictures of the food. Coincidentally, I don't have any pictures from the party at all, as I think my camera may finally have bitten the dust. So I have no visual aids to accompany this recipe for Hashbrown Casserole. This is an old favourite around the Sellers household, especially at Christmastime. It's also best to make it when serving a crowd, because it's not the healthiest, but it is the tastiest, and if you don't have to share, you are likely to overeat. Here it is:

Hashbrown Casserole

500 mL (large tub) sour cream

2 cans cream of chicken soup*

½ cup salted butter, melted and slightly cooled

2 cups grated Cheddar cheese, preferably old

1 kg (2 lbs) frozen hashbrowns

Several green onions, sliced (optional)

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a large bowl, combine sour cream, soup, butter and cheese. Stir in hashbrowns. Spread into a large casserole dish (13 x 9 inch). Bake for 1 ½ hours until golden and hot.

Optional: green onions can also be stirred into the mixture, or sprinkled on top, before or after cooking.

Serves 8-10.

*Can sub cream of mushroom or cream of broccoli for a vegetarian version. Tastes better with cream of chicken.

December 21st: Dijon chicken and Dijon Brussels Sprouts

I was hoping to have more than one fabulous Brussels sprouts recipe to share this month, and luckily, tonight's meal makes it two. I re-tried one earlier this month from epicurious: Chicken, Brussels sprouts and cranberries, but even varying the recipe a bit from the first time I made it, it is not a keeper. Tonight's meal though: oooohhhh, success! Conversation between me and Olivia as we ate:


O: "I could drink this sauce."
K: "Because it's so yummy?"
O: "Yeah."
K: "I agree."


From smitten kitchen: Dijon chicken and Dijon Brussels Sprouts. Essentially the same sauce for both your chicken and your sprouts. I didn't make anything else to go with supper, so it's a good thing Greg wasn't here, because I ate part of his portion too. I could not stop; it was just too delicious.

The only thing I would change is cooking the Brussels sprouts for just a bit shorter than the recipe indicates, unless you like 'em mushy. I don't.


I would have made more, but I also had to make blondies for my work Christmas potluck tomorrow and two pans of hashbrown casserole (recipe to follow in a few days) for our Christmas Eve eve party. A girl can only do so much. And I was single parenting tonight. Plus all my other nightly requirements. Egad. Maybe I'll sleep in Nova Scotia. Can't come soon enough. O agrees!

December 19th: Jenn's Bits & Bites and Spiced Sugar Cookies

Christmas Eve eve party crunch is on. Every night this week is devoted to food prep for the party. Monday night, after a too-long bus ride home, I set to work to get recipes underway before I scooted off to a much-needed pre-natal yoga class to keep me sane. Also, sometimes I nap during the relaxation part of class. I really, really hope I don’t snore. I also do this on my too-long bus rides. One must sleep wherever one can manage the time. Even sometimes when one is supposed to be mindfully meditating.

I asked my friend Jenn for her Bits & Bites recipe after she posted to facebook how great her house was smelling as she was making them. These are “Grandma Welling’s Bits & Bites,” but I do not know who Grandma Welling is, so I’m calling it “Jenn’s Bits & Bites.” This recipe makes a ridiculous amount of bits and bites. Seriously. Do not make the full recipe unless you are having a party. Thank goodness I am. Here’s the recipe, followed by my many comments:

Jenn’s Nuts and Bolts

1 lb unsalted butter
1 tsp Tabasco sauce
3 tsp Worcestershire sauce

1 box unsalted pretzel sticks or circular
1 box Shreddies
1 box Cheerios
1 lb or more almonds
1 lb or more unsalted peanuts or mixed nuts

3 tsp summer savory
3 tsp celery salt
3 tsp onion salt
3 tsp garlic salt

Melt butter, add Worcestershire sauce and Tabasco sauce.

Mix pretzels, cereals and nuts in roaster. Pour spiced butter over. Stir.

In small bowl, blend dry spices. Sprinkle over buttered cereals. Stir.

Bake uncovered at 200 degrees for 2 hrs. Stir occasionally.

Store in jars when cool.

So here’s my beef: I hate when recipes say “1 box” or “1 bag” of an item, when that item comes in many different-sized boxes or bags. I ended up going with 550 g Shreddies, 400 g Cheerios and 400 g pretzel sticks – which, by the way, do not come in unsalted variations, to my knowledge. I assumed if the recipe calls for 1 lb of butter, it must need a fair amount of dry goods to coat. I did not realize that once I opened all those boxes and bags and tried to dump the contents together, that I wouldn’t actually be able to dump them all together because OH MY GOD this recipe makes A LOT!!!! Way more than any pan or bowl I own can hold. Second beef: recipes that don’t tell you how much they make. When I read “mix in roaster,” I was thinking a roasting pan, and no problem, I have lots of those. No, no, it can only mean a turkey roaster, like for a huge family Christmas turkey dinner. This, I do not have. After much stress and debate and texting our neighbours to potentially borrow their turkey roaster, I ended up splitting the recipe between my now-seemingly-miniature chicken roasting pan, and my previously-considered-huge stock pot. Then, last minute, I decided to spice up one of the pots. 1 tsp of Tabasco to 1 lb of butter seemed a little pointless, so while the first pan had ½ tsp Tabasco in it, the second had ½ tsp plus 1 tbsp Tabasco, and ended up with a pleasant spiciness. (I melted some extra butter and added the Tabasco to that, then drizzled it over the second pot, so the spicy variety is also a bit more buttery.) Then I left the pots for Greg to tend and I went and stretched and tuned into in utero baby and slept when I should have meditated.

Yup, that's half.

The thing is, the recipe is quite tasty, and for all the stress it caused me in my tired and hungry state, I would make it again, but maybe only half the recipe next time!

Sunday night I had mixed up some dough for Spiced Sugar Cookies, and once home from yoga, I got to rolling and cutting and baking, which is an exercise in patience for sure. A baker, I am not. Poor O was hoping to help me with these cookies, but I worked on them both nights after she was in bed. There are simply not enough hours in the day. I made these sugar cookies last year, but this year I tried the spiced variety. Have a mentioned my love for cardamom in the past? Sometimes, if I am feeling a need to relax, I will take the jar of cardamom out of the cupboard, remove the lid, and lightly inhale the scent. I. Simply. Love. It. [I have mentioned this. I'll try not to again.] These are basic sugar cookies, with cardamom and cinnamon added. A bit more flavour, a bit darker in colour, but with the same dry, crunchy, deliciously simple sugar cookie base. Yummy.

Sleep? Not nearly enough. Ever.

December 12th: Quinoa-Bean Soup & Shortbread

This time of year, it can be nice to have something quick, light, and healthy. I made this recipe almost by accident. G & I went to Montreal the first weekend of December, and I brought along all the recipes I'd pulled out of magazines and printed off the internet that wanted to make this month, then spent time on the weekend organizing my meal plan for the month of December. The Quinoa-Bean soup came from October 2011's Chatelaine, and was actually on the back of another recipe I wanted to make, which I realized after I'd scheduled the soup for today. I didn't expect to like it much, but decided to make it, for the reasons above: it sounded fast and easy, and would be healthy. Turns out it's also quite yummy, and vegan to boot. Yay, surprise!

Another quick an easy for a Monday night comes from November 2005's Chatelaine: Shortbread. I haven't made any other shortbread recipes, so can't compare, but this one seems foolproof to me and is tasty delicious.

I burnt my fingers eating a piece as soon as the pan was out of the oven.

December 8th: Veggie, tofu & peanut sauce noodles

This recipe is super similar to an old favourite, pork and broccoli over noodles in peanut sauce, but this version replaces the pork with tofu and the chicken broth with water and voilà, vegetarian version! The recipe I made on Thursday night came from December 2011's Chatelaine: Crispy tofu with peanut sauce. I cooked some pasta for the side and it looked like this:

But I'm going to alter the recipe, and suggest if you make it like this, you will like it better:


Veggie, Tofu & Peanut Sauce Noodles


200 g spaghettini
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 350-g package extra-firm tofu, patted dry and chopped
1 small onion, sliced
1 sweet pepper, sliced into thin strips
1 head broccoli, chopped into florets, with stems peeled and chopped
1 227-g package sugar snap peas
1/2 cup peanut butter
1/4 cup hoisin sauce
1 tbsp hot chili-garlic sauce
1/4 tsp salt
2 green onions, sliced (optional)


Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook spaghettini according to package directions. Drain.


Meanwhile, heat oil in a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add tofu, onion and pepper and cook until tofu is golden and vegetables are tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Add broccoli and peas and cook for 1-2 minutes more. Remove pan from heat, and add drained spaghettini to pan.


Whisk peanut butter with 2/3 cup hot water, hoisin, chili-garlic sauce, and salt. Pour sauce over pan and stir until entire mixture is well coated in sauce. Serve topped with green onions, if desired.


Serves 4.

December 7th: Golden Potato Casserole and Creamy Brussels Sprouts and Snap Peas

Wednesday night and it was time to buy and decorate our Christmas tree. Greg and Olivia did the decorating while I whipped up a fabulous meal.

First up: Golden Potato Casserole, an old favourite from December 2003's Chatelaine. For those of you who received a compilation of my favourite recipes for Christmas in 2003, this is in it. For the rest of you, I've included it below:


Golden Potato Casserole


6 large Yukon Gold potatoes
3 garlic cloves, peeled
6 green onions
2 cups (500 mL) sour cream (depending on size of potatoes, may not need full amount)
1 1/2 cups (375 mL) grated old Cheddar cheese, divided
1 tsp (5 mL) salt
freshly ground black pepper
1 tsp (5 mL) paprika


Peel potatoes, then slice in half. Place potatoes and garlic in a large saucepan. Cover with water. Cover and bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce heat to medium. Boil gently, partially covered, until fork-tender, 20 to 25 minutes. Preheat oven to 350°F. Lightly coat a 9x13-inch baking dish with butter.


Meanwhile, thinly slice green onions. Drain water from cooked potatoes and garlic. Return potatoes and garlic to pan. Mash, leaving lumps. Stir in green onions, sour cream, 1 cup cheese, salt and pepper to taste. Turn into prepared dish. Smooth top. Cover with remaining 1/2 cup cheese and sprinkle evenly with paprika. Bake, uncovered, in centre of preheated oven until cheese is melted and potatoes are hot, 30-40 minutes.


Makes 10 servings.


Although we've had this recipe around for years, I don't make it often. I’m thinking I need to do a cook off between this potato recipe and Cheddar Mashed Potatoes; I suspect the latter might win. Today’s recipe is really good, but super rich (a whole tub of sour cream may be too much!) and slightly on the salty side - so I've reduced the salt in the recipe above. It was well received by the fam.

To accompany, I made Creamy Brussels Sprouts and Snap Peas from December 2011's Chatelaine. One of my favourite things about December – and there are so many! – is that Brussels sprouts recipes abound. Everywhere you look, people are suggesting ways to eat one of my favourite vegetables. I can remember, even as a kid, loving Brussels sprouts (Mom, is this a figment of my imagination? I’m sure I did.). My kid definitely has my gene. Bypassing all the melted cheese-mashed potatoes on her plate, what she liked best were the Brussels sprouts. I’m so proud. Even though she commented on the sauce being spicy, she still ate them all and asked for more. She wouldn’t eat the sugar snap peas, which is ridiculous, because she loves them, but oh well.

This recipe is almost identical to an earlier one I like to make for Thanksgiving, but this one has a spicy kick to it and doubles the veggies with the inclusion of sugar snap peas. I made the full sauce recipe for only half the vegetables, so I’m not sure what it would be like if I cooked it according to the recipe proper, as we like our food super saucy. We used the extra sauce as gravy on our potatoes. I subbed 10% cream for the 35%, and will be doing that from now on. Rich enough. Oh yum. Other than the chicken broth in the Brussels sprouts sauce, this meal was vegetarian, but so rich and filling; it was completely satisfying.

And yes, not to fear, I plan to try out some more Brussels sprouts recipes as the month progresses; should I find something fantastic, I will be sure to share!

Olivia puts the crowning touch on the tree!

December 4th: Mushroom Alfredo

Who knew Alfredo sauce is so simple? It’s just butter and cream heated together. Seriously. Why do they sell jars of this stuff? I found this basic recipe on epicurious: Fettuccine Alfredo, and made my own riff on it:

Mushroom Alfredo

350 g fresh fettuccine

1 tbsp each unsalted butter and olive oil

1 lb assorted mushrooms, sliced

2-4 garlic cloves (to taste), finely chopped

¾ cup half and half (10%) cream

6 tbsps unsalted butter

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package directions, approximately 5 minutes. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta.

Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add cream and butter and heat through, simmering gently. Stir in ¼ cup reserved cooking water, cooked pasta, and Parmesan cheese. Thin with more water if necessary.

Serve and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

 

 

Greg thought this was good enough to sell (as in, in a restaurant). Booyah.

November 30th: Asian chicken stir-fry

I'm not a big stir-fry fan. They are quick and convenient but I almost always toss any stir-fry recipe I try. Tonight's was a pleasant surprise, in that case, as it was better than expected. I might try it again, and if I do, I think I'll double the sauce for extra yumminess. From October 2011's Chatelaine: Basil chicken with mixed Asian vegetables. I used fresh veggies, not frozen. I recommend chopping the basil small.

Melting crayons

This is not a food post! Please don't eat these. It was a project for me and Olivia that turned out so beautifully, I simply had to share.

Last year, with my December Chatelaine, I received a tiny silicone mold with four Christmas-shaped molds in it. We've mostly used it for ice cubes since then; O is a fan.

This year for Christmas, although she doesn't know it yet, O is receiving a refill on her art supplies: new crayons, pencil crayons, markers and chalk. This is partly because she has been using these up like a mad-child with her passion for colouring, but also because I packed up the best and took them with us to Nova Scotia in October, and then left the pencil case behind at Stayner's Wharf Pub & Grill, where I do not recommend the Chicken & Shrimp Hot Pot. Her remaining markers run dry all the time. The remaining pencil crayons are increasingly shorter. The crayons are peeled and broken. The chalk - we still have lots of chalk - is also all broken. A refill is necessary.

I decided to try melting crayons, something I've always heard could be done, and the Christmas-shaped mini molds seemed like the perfect vessel for cooking them down. I had just used the molds on the weekend to make mini chocolate orange muffins, but they didn't pop out well so the shapes weren't decipherable. The crayons, on the other hand, worked perfectly:

I used single colours in the molds, but found some recipes online that call for mixing various colours together (such as). My oven runs cool, so I had to bake the pan for about 10 minutes at 350°F - you may require less time or a cooler temperature - for the crayons to melt. Then I just removed them from the oven and let them cool and harden on the stovetop. They popped from the mold easily (not sure how this would work in a rigid mold).

Even though I used teeny tiny molds, it took a suprising number of crayon chunks to make these. Since I was using a flexible mold, I put it on a flat baking sheet to keep it level when the crayons are all melty. In future, I would put tin foil or parchment paper under the mold to keep the baking sheet clean when the crayons inevitably run.

We're saving these crayons for colouring fun at our upcoming Christmas Eve eve party.