BBQ Season is here!

Thanks to Blogger Aid-Changing the FACE of Famine's project View & Review, I was selected to sample and write a review on new products from Loblaw's Presidents Choice Biggest BBQ Event and Tour. For more information on their Great BBQ Event go their website and check their schedule to see when they will be touring your area and don't forget to enter the contest. But back to the surprise box that arrived last week.

How great it was to open the box and pull out this beautiful Presidents Choice cooler containing all new must try Presidents Choice BBQ products, and...

this luscious red apron!!

Here are a few of the items that were inside the cooler to help me get ready for BBQ season. PC Slider Thin Mini Burger Buns, PC New World EVOO, PC 100% Sparkling Fruit Juice, New PC Glaze With Balsamic Vinegar Of Modena, PC Maple Bacon Marinade, PC Grilling & Roasting Seasoning Grinder, PC Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies, andtheir new must try PC Thick Cut Ballpark Hot Dog Rippled Potato Chips. Attached to the package of buns was a $10 PC Gift Card to try the new PC Angus Sliders and a tub of the new PC Ice Cream Shop Flavours Ice Cream.

Supper that evening was a no brainer as I knew that I would be drizzling those new PC Slider Thin Mini Burger Buns with the new PC New World EVOO from Chile. In 2006 Chile beat Italy for the prestigious Sol D'Oro Prize for the World's Best Olive Oil. This EVOO originates from the same award-winning region, where olive groves have been cultivated for more than 400 years. The slider buns split apart easily and heated up nicely on the grill and were the perfect size for the Angus meat patty.

The new Grilling & Roasting Seasoning grinder with Sea Salt had the right amount of punch needed to spice up the burgers. It was a great addition to the BBQ cooler from Loblaw's.

Would you believe a chip that tastes like a hot dog? Well, believe it! The new must try PC bag of Thick Cut Ballpark Hot Dog Rippled Potato Chips tasted exactly like a hot dog from the stadium and was a great addition to the slider meal.

The cooler bag also contained various glazes and marinades. The Balsamic Vinegar Glaze conveniently comes in an upside down bottle and its thick glaze is great over grilled vegetables.

The next morning I decided to use the Maple Bacon Marinade for our pork chop dinner. The lovely flavors of the Maple Bacon Marinade would also be an excellent marinade for chicken.

By evening time the heavens opened and the rain came down but that didn't deter us from BBQing our delicious pork chops with the Maple Bacon Marinade.

A lovely addition to the meal was the 100% Sparkling Orange and Tangerine Fruit Juice over a glass filled with ice which was both refreshing and very tasty.

Last but not least, the cooler bag had a $10 PC Gift Card with which to purchase the Angus Sliders and thenew PC Ice Cream Shop Flavor Ice Cream that would go great between the yummy PC Chocolate Chip Pecan Cookies. Wouldn't the ice cream and cookies make for a great ending to a great BBQ meal?

One of the great things about Presidents Choice is that along with their new great food products, as a company they are also involved in many charities in particular the Breakfast For Learning which provides nutrition programs to children of all ages across the country. Once again a huge thank you to Loblaw's Presidents Choice and their partners, and also to Blogger Aid-Changing the Face of Famine.Do take a minute to check out the wonderful food bloggers from around the world at the Blogger Aid link.

BRAISED SHORT RIBS

Ron's cousin Susan once went to me and said, "When do you find the time to do all that cooking?" Well Sue, the truth of the matter is I am just like any other person in our age group, I go through my phases of , "cooking up a storm", and then my dry spells, when it's easier just opening a can of soup and have a sandwich, or ordering in a pizza. Lately there has been more of the latter as I found myself in a bit of a funk with a sinus infection, that got cured, but today seems to be returning!
So, what you see above you is a meal that I prepared a while ago ( in November, that I had saved for just such an occasion as this, when I knew I wouldn't have the energy or inclination to cook and photograph all at the same time, after all I too am only human).
I'm not making any excuses, but frankly, some celebrations do not need to be blogged about all the time as I too want to enjoy the occasion and not always run around with a camera taking pictures, so when I do cook and am reasonably pleased with the outcome I do photograph and save these entries for a later blogging date date. This blog is an important part of me, but there is more to my life than blogging and I don't want it to become a chore but something I do that gives me pleasure. After all, you can pick up any food magazine and see better pictures and more detailed instructions than my abridged version, or for that matter more interesting meals to prepare. But, if you don't mind dropping by and looking, and hopefully getting some ideas from my blog than do continue to drop by and leave a comment on the blog.

I had mentioned some time ago that I had received a cookbook in the fall from BloggerAid Changing the Face of Famine , and find myself using this wonderful book as my go to book for some inspiration and seasonal cooking. This Braised Short Rib recipe is from their Fall section but could easily qualify as a winter comfort food.
These ribs made a beautiful succulent meal, perfect for a cool wintry evening. Season generously.

In a large skillet heat 3 T. oil over medium heat. Add the short ribs in batches and brown repeating until all ribs are done.Transfer to a plate.

In the same skillet add a little more oil and saute the celery, onion, carrots and garlic. About 5 minutes. Remove from skillet.

Add wine, port and vinegar to the skillet, stirring to scrape up the brown bits from the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil and cook until reduced by half about 10 minutes.

Add everything to a dutch oven and....

Add the beef stock.

The stock should cover the ribs, cover with a lid and simmer .

Bake until tender about 2 hours at 35o degrees. When done remove ribs and further reduce the sauce by 3 quarters , about another 23 minutes. You can garnish the ribs with some more salt, pepper and some gremolata. or serve with some nice mashed potatoes or mashed apples and parsnip.

SERVES 6

about 7 lbs of beef short ribs

salt and freshly cracked pepper

1/4 cup olive oil (separated)

2 cups chopped onions

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup chopped celery

3 garlic cloves

2 dried bay leaves

21/2 cups of hearty red wine

1 1/2 cups of port

2 T. balsamic vinegar

6 cups of beef stock.

from EARTH TO TABLE Seasonal Recipes from an Organic Farm by Jeff Crump and

Bettina Schurmann.

BEEF BOURGUIGNON

This is not the Julia Child's recipe but just a typical french braise. The recipe is out of the Food and Drink Autumn fall LCBO book (Liquor Control Board of Ontario). Saturday's are busy days in most households mine included. Weather permitting there is still some last minute yard work that needs to be done, groceries to be shopped and unloaded, cars that need washing and the ever endless house cleaning. When I have such a day I like to prepare some type of stew or casserole in the morning so that at the end of the busy day I am faced with a ready meal as opposed to still having to prepare one. This beef bourguignon is the perfect meal to prepare ahead and serve later.





Recipe;



2-1/2lbs of stewing meat cut into 2" cubes


Salt and freshly ground pepper


3T olive oil


4oz sliced double smoked bacon diced.


18 pearl onions, skinned


8oz small cremini mushrooms.


1 cup chopped onions


1/2 cup chopped carrots


1/2 cup chopped celery


2 cups red wine


2 cups beef stock

1 head garlic, dry papery layers brushed off, top third of bulb cut off.

1 bay leaf

2 stalks thyme

4 sprigs parsley

BEURRE MANIE

3 T softened butter

3T Flour

1. Preheat oven to 300F (150C)
2. Season meat with salt and pepper.
3. Heat 1T of oil in Dutch Oven over medium high heat. Add bacon and saute until slightly crisp. Remove from pan and reserve.
4. Add pearl onions and saute for 5mins. Add mushrooms and saute for another 5 minutes or until onions are tender and mushrooms are browned. Remove onions and mushrooms and reserve. Wipe pan out.
5. Add another 1T of oil to pot and working in batches, add meat in single layers without crowding and brown on both sides about 1 minute per side. Remove meat and place in a strainer over a bowl to allow fat to drip out.
6. Reduce heat to medium and add the remaining 1T of oil to the pot. Add the chopped onions, carrots and celery and saute for 5mins or until softened. Add wine scraping up any brown bits from the base of the pan. Bring to boil and boil for 1min, then add stock. bay leaf, thyme and parsley sprigs. Bring back to a boil and skim off any foam that rises to the top. Stir in the meat.
7. Cover and bake for 2 - 21/2 hrs or until meat is tender. Add reserved bacon, onions and mushrooms, return pot to oven and bake another 15mins or until meat is very tender and sauce is rich.
8. To make Beurre Manie, combine butter and flour to make a paste.
9. If sauce is npt thick enough strain into a separate pot and add the beurre manie a bit at a time until it is thickened to your satisfaction. This should not be a very thick sauce. Season to taste and return to pot.

Serves 4-6

GOULASH WITH SPATZLES

The week has been busy with Christmas baking ,and I can hardly believe that next

week Ron comes home and Christmas Eve is upon us. In our home, Christmas Eve is just as important as the Christmas Day celebrations. I usually host the dinner and we will be 10 at the dinner table this year. My menu is already planned, Lobster Bisque,Shrimp and Pea Risotto, Herb Crusted Salmon,Tarragon Yellow and Green beans, Salad with Mache and for dessert, Chocolate Pots de Creme. After dinner, our custom has been to play a game,in the past we've played Pictionary, Trivial Pursuit, Charades, Uno, Brainiac, etc. etc. Someone always comes with the latest game that is out there ,we enjoy them all. Eventually we find ourselves in the family room catching a nostalgic favorite Christmas movie, and on many an occasion weather permitting we go to Christmas midnight mass. We also always open our gifts afterwards,and when all the OOHS and AHHS are done and the last goodnight has been said we fall into bed blissfully happy and tired. Funny, at this stage of our life we have toyed with the idea of going away for Christmas, but once again we opt for tho comfort of our home and the time spent with family and friends. Maybe next year, we'll go away. Talking about comfort food "GOULASH"' has been served in my family for as long as I can remember. I think every household makes some version of this Hungarian Goulash, but this is my version, and believe me I also never make it the same way. Goulash is traditionally made with beef, but the one that I made was with pork stewing meat. The Spatzles, which I have made on many an occasion from scratch, were , this time made from a package and simply boiled. I will provide the recipe for these lovely egg dumpling or noodle, but you will need a spatzle machine to prepare them. You can also just drop the dough into boiling water, but you would definitely want to see how to do it this way. Anyways, Goulash is just as good served with potatoes, or any other type of pasta.

Goulash

2 lbs. stewing beef

2 cooking onions

salt/pepper/sweet Hungarian paprika

flour for dredging

oil for frying

2 bay leaves

beef broth

wine (optional)

Dredge meat in flour, and in small batches brown your meat. When all the meat has been browned saute your onions and return the meat to your casserole dish. Season with the salt, pepper, paprika, bay leaves. ( some people add tomatoes or tomato paste at this stage, but I usually do not. Reduce heat , cover and simmer the meat. The meat will produce it's own juices but I also like to add some beef broth just enough to cover the meat, and at this stage put the pot in the oven and slowly let it all simmer and get tender. ( about 11/2 hr). We like a lot of gravy so I always check the dish and add a little more beef broth. At the very end I like to include a good splash of wine when I thicken the sauce to make a gravy. But the wine is optional.

SPATZLE

4 cups flour

5 eggs

1 tsp salt

3/4 cup water

about 2 quarts of water for boiling the dough.

Combine the flour, egg, salt and 3/4 cup of water. Working in small batches using a Spatzle machine, fill the cavity and drop dough into salted boiling water. When the Spatzles float to the top remove and continue with process.

I would like to take this opportunity to wish you all a very Merry Christmas and Happy Hanukkah. Take the time to be good to yourself and to others. May you find peace and joy in all things.

I hope to take pictures of the Christmas menu, but I can't promise that I'll get a chance to do it. Sometimes it's just about the food and the company and NOT about the picture and the blog. As this is my first Christmas blogging I don't know how I will juggle it all or even if I want to. So... Merry Christmas To All and To All a Good-night.

CHUCK WAGON BEANS

I"m back from Boston, and getting ready to do some Christmas baking and meal freezing so that when Ron gets home we can relax and enjoy the holidays and catch up with friends.

That means the next few weeks will be busy ones for me. One thing that will help are one pot meals that I can prepare early in the morning and then get on with the baking. (I still have 2 young men at home that come from work/classes and look for food.)

Chuck wagon is usually made with beef, but you can easily substitute, ground chicken, turkey or pork. I have made it with all of these and our favourite still remains the beef, but the chicken is a close second.

CHUCK WAGON BEANS

!/2 lb. bacon sliced

3lb. ground beef

about 3 cups finely chopped onion

1 up finely chopped celery

2 beef bouillon cubes

2/3 cup boiling water

2 cloves garlic minced

2 cups ketchup

2T. prepared mustard

salt/pepper to taste

2 cans molasses-style baked beans

optional about 1/4 cup brown sugar

Heat oven to 375 degrees. In a dutch oven or a large roasting pan fry bacon until crisp, set aside. Drain fat from pan. In the same pan. cook and stir ground beef, onion, celery until meat is brown and onion is tender. Dissolve bouillon cubes in boiling water; stir liquid and remaining ingredients into meat mixture. Cover; bake for 1 hour or until hot and bubbly. crumble bacon; sprinkle over beans. Makes 12 1 cup servings. ( Because ground beef varies in fat content you may want to spoon off excess fat after browning).** Optional you can also shred some Monterey jack cheese over bowls as an extra garnish.