friday again??!!

well it appears as though it is friday again. i'm not sure how it arrived so fast, but alas i had better deal with it. luckily i'm finished the cooking for the market... finished so much cooking, i'm having a hard time closing the freezer doors. i don't know what's come over me but i've been cooking like a crazy person for the past couple weeks.

this week was a beefy kind of week. i bought 20 pounds of beef from getaway farm on sunday & turned it into some ultra-retro comfort food.

how kitschy is that?

so it's new-school meatloaf - there's lots of gems hidden inside & has a tangy tomato topping. the sides are fried onions & garlic mashed potatoes and to add to the hilarity, chopped parsley & a sprinkling of paprika. not gonna lie, i'm in love with this one - it's sooooo 50's diner... but better (i hope you agree).

small $9 large $18

i also made a new batch of shepherd's pies. they're tried & true with a tangy gravy, peas, corn, carrots & topped with cheddar-green onion mashed potatoes.

small $9 large $18

so this week i officially went through 20 pounds of beef, 40 pounds of potatoes and 30 pounds of onions... sort of insane, but a great upper body workout!

i also made the two batches of soup that i couldn't get to last week.

disco soup is back! (aka beet, parsnip & pear) 

this version has a hint of fennel & tarragon as well and remains vegan, gluten-free.

i also made a fresh batch of the chicken stew - this one has been pretty popular of late & i'm having a hard time keeping it stocked. so, it's braised chicken in homemade chicken stock with onions, carrots, celery, parsnips, celery root, potatoes, brussels sprouts, peas and herbs.

here are all the flavours:

beet/parsnip/pear

carrot/apple/ginger

butternut squash (with curry or without)

bean/lentil/veggie

roasted red pepper/sweet potato/chipotle/tomato

french onion/beer/cheese

cream of cauliflower

baked beans

vegan chili

seafood chowder

thai chicken & rice

chicken stew

beef stew

beef & barley

mexican pork posole

ummmm perhaps i'll take a break from soup production next week.

here's a complete list of the mains i have stashed away in my freezers as well:

fish cakes & baked beans (serves 2) $15

lobster mac & cheese  small $12.5 large $25

plain or broccoli mac & cheese  small $8 large $16

beef bourguignon $22

chicken, leek, broccoli & bacon pies  small $10 large $20

chicken & chickpea curry  small $10 large $20

vegan curry  small $9 large $18

bacon strata or vegetarian strata $15

yesterday i was scrolling through some pics of the early days of the little red kitsch'n, i used to roll with max 4 main courses a week and about 6 flavours of soup... oh my how it's grown. no wonder my hair looks like this :)

photo taken @ 1am this morning.

oh yeah, salads!

quinoa: asparagus, green beans, toasted pine nuts, artichoke hearts, arugula, tomatoes, basil, garlic, lemon.

broccoli: red onion, red bell pepper, toasted almonds, raisins, bacon (i'll do some vegetarian too), creamy dressing.

red rice: butternut squash, toasted walnuts, red onion, dried cranberries, sunflower seeds, celery, maple, herbs.

today is baking day. mint oreo cheesecakes & butter tarts are back this week. fyi: i won't have any lemon tarts on sunday so if you need a fix, make sure you pop by the market tomorrow. i'm also concocting a new maple/walnut/shortbread square since it is maple season after all.

cupcake flavours:

vanilla-vanilla

carrot-maple

blueberry-blueberry

red velvet-raspberry

chocolate-chocolate or peanut butter

i'm actually having a hard time finding my motivation this morning... i blame the rain. but at least i have these to brighten my kitchen, thanks chelsea.

i had best get cracking, have a catering tonight in addition to market prep... acckkk!

a demain mes amis.

logistics

sometimes i forget that i do not have limitless freezer space. logistics are my nemesis. i have lofty goals, but the reality is, only so much stuff can fit in the freezers. this is how my freezers currently look:

oopsy.

and i haven't even finished all of my prep yet. i've had to scratch the chicken stew & beet/apple/parsnip flavours from my prep list this week but i'll have them for next week at the market.

here's what i have accomplished thus far:

baked beans - molasses, maple, vinegar, tomato, worchestershire. vegetarian but not vegan. 

vegan chili - chickpeas, black beans, kidney beans, bell peppers, corn, lime, cilantro, chipotle. a little bit of heat but nothing crazy. very hearty! gluten-free.

lentil/bean/veggie - i made this batch sort of a hybrid of the vegan stew & the previous lentil veggie soup. there's onions, carrots (noggins), celery, green beans, zucchini, kale (selwood), basil, lentils, white beans in a tomatoey broth. vegan, gluten-free.

carrot/apple/ginger - carrots (noggins), apples (boates), ginger, cardamom, turmeric, green onions, lime, maple syrup, cilantro. also the subject of my last blog post. vegan, gluten-free.

thai chicken & rice - braised chicken in homemade chicken stock with ginger, garlic, sesame, lemongrass, lime, chillies, cilantro, basmati, peppers, carrots, celery, snow peas, bean sprouts & asian cabbages. clearly not vegan but still gluten-free.

beef & barley - getaway farm beef browned off & braised to create a rich beef stock with lots of onions, garlic, carrots, celery, fresh herbs & pearl barley.

also in the freezer there's:

seafood chowder

mexican pork posole

french onion with beer & cheese

beef stew

cream of cauliflower

butternut squash (with curry or without)

roasted red pepper, tomato, sweet potato & chipotle

and maybe a chicken stew if my memory serves me correctly

all soups, stews, etc are packaged in 500 ml containers and cost $7

last week i also made a fresh batch of the chicken, leek, broccoli & bacon pies. they didn't make it into last week's blog but i put a quick mention of them on my facebook page... and then i sold them all. so i'm in the midst of making another batch for this weekend. now i just need to find somewhere to put them... as usual smalls are $10 and larges are $20

as a quick aside, last week i bought i few packs of chicken bones from cheryl at shani's farm. for $12 i was able to make about 15 litres of concentrated, homemade chicken stock. pretty reasonable i think & so much better than the garbage in the stores! so that's the base for the chicken pies and the thai chicken soup.

ok for salads this week, i will have quinoa of course. this week's concoction will have asparagus, tomatoes (den haan), green beans, artichokes, lemon, dijon, dill and maybe a few other surprises. the rice salad is also back. this week it's a combination of red rice & wild rice with roasted squash, nuts, seeds, cranberries, red onion & a splash of maple. and finally, i've been getting lots of requests for the broccoli salad to return. this one is not vegan, but it's still gluten-free. so it's broccoli with red onion, toasted almonds, raisins, red peppers & bacon (but i'll pack up some vegetarian ones as well).

ok time to bake, and run deliveries all afternoon... let the caffeine consumption begin!!!

soup spectacular

this morning i am tired.

i was up until 1 making soup.

oh, what a jet-set life i lead...

don't get me wrong though. i love making soups & stews & chowders & chillies. there's just something so therapeutic and rewarding about taking some humble ingredients, investing a little time & effort, and transforming them into something so satisfying & flavourful.

yesterday, i finished 4 vats & today i'd like to finish another 4. i've been trying to turn over my inventory & let the selection of flavours dwindle, but this is the week that i completely stock up again. yesterday i finished a new batch of vegan chili, baked beans, lentil/bean/veggie and carrot/apple/ginger. and on today's agenda, there's thai chicken & rice, beef & barley, beet/apple/parsnip, and chicken stew - time permitting.

i find that i get the most comments on the pureed soups, mainly people wondering how to get such a smooth texture. now, it's not quite 'rocket surgery' but the answer is technology. here's a little break down using the carrot/apple/ginger as example:

for all soups, and most things really, i start by sauteing the flavour base. for this soup, it was onions, garlic & ginger. at this point, i use medium heat, take my time, and really coax the flavours out of the ingredients. it's now that i add any dried spices as well, they benefit from a long cooking time and it's best to cook them in a bit of fat (vegetable oil in this case) to really bring out the flavour.

for a pureed soup you don't have to worry about chopping everything precisely, it's all going to wind up in the blender anyway, so don't waste too much time at this stage. once the onions are translucent add the rest of the ingredients - carrots, apples, tomato paste, water... and simmer until everything is nice & soft.

then it's off to the blender. word to the wise, do not fire a hot soup in the blender, slap the lid on tight & whizz away. it will explode soup all over you, the walls, the floor, the ceiling, all of your clean dishes in the rack... trust me. remove the little piece in the top of the lid & hold a kitchen towel over the opening. or wait until it cools. or use a stick blender in the pot - like the one i gave myself for christmas ;)

next step is to pass it through a fine-mesh strainer aka 'chinois' using a 1 ounce ladle to really push it through.

i have a love-hate relationship with my chinois. i love the results it produces - perfectly smooth texture, creaminess without adding cream... you get the gist of it. i hate cleaning it. i despise doing the dishes in general, but this piece of equipment takes it to a whole new level! and the jury is still out on how i feel about the physical effort it requires - sometimes i'm thankful for the upper body workout and sometimes i just wish it was easy... but i still use it because nothing else with give you that perfectly smooth texture.

if you're looking to invest in one for your kitchen, they have them at big eric's, russell equipment & advantage to name a few.

once it's all whizzed up, it's time to adjust the seasoning. i kept this soup vegan & gluten free. so to balance things in the end i find a splash of maple syrup, a dash of vinegar or a squeeze of lime and a few fresh herbs really brighten up the flavour and help balance everything out. cream & butter can sometimes be a bit of a crutch so cooking this way makes it much more bright & exciting.

ta-dah, finished product:

soup spectacular part deux commencing in t-minus 10 minutes.

friday again

the weeks are just flying by!

friday is here yet again. that means i have lots & lots of cupcakes to bake today. chocolate, carrot, red velvet, lemon & banana chocolate chip. they've become the standard 5 flavours. maybe next week i'll have something new, and feel free to pop by my table and give me some suggestions!

today i'll also be making oatmeal, white chocolate chip & dried cranberry cookies, macaroons, snickers brownies, passionfruit tarts and lemon squares (something new!).

this week will also see the return of the 4-bean salad with sprouted lentils, mung & adzuki beans, fresh green beans & a dill-dijon dressing. the quinoa salad will be seeing the addition of artichoke hearts, basil & arugula, but otherwise will be the same as the past couple of weeks. the vegan potato salad has also been a hit recently so that one, i'm going to leave the same.

it was a meat-heavy week here in the little red kitsch'n. i have fresh batches of the asian-inspired pulled pork & boeuf bourguignon in the works.

on that note, i had better boogie to the kitchen. see you over the weekend - bottom of the stairs right in front of selwood green. 

holiday menu

everyone always asks, 'what's your favourite thing to cook?'. i find this to be a very difficult question to answer, since i love cooking so many different things. that being said, there is something about making a ginormous holiday spread that makes me happy.

well guess what... there happens to be a holiday this weekend. and it's one of the best. as a girl with a pretty intense sweet tooth, easter has always been a favourite. so, i've made an easter extravaganza for the market this weekend. everything is packaged in either soup containers or the small, individual packages.

so there's:

baked ham (grandma's recipe) with pineapple, mustard & cloves   $7

sweet potato casserole with a pecan crust   $7

potato-bread dressing with savoury & sage   $7

parsnip, celery root & potato puree   $5

brussels sprouts with bacon   $3

baked turnips   $3

for portioning, everything is enough to feed two people when eaten as a side.

there are also three salads this week.
the red rice would be a great addition to an easter meal. it has lots of holiday flavours like toasted pecans, cranberries, savoury, roasted sweet potatoes & butternut squash, and a hint of cinnamon.
the potato salad was also a hit last weekend so i've decided to make it again. it has green beans, radishes, celery, pickled garlic scapes and a vegan dijon dressing.
then the quinoa will be another mediterranean concoction - cucumbers, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, red onion & fresh herbs.

i thought about making pies for the market this weekend, but have decided that cupcakes are more fitting with easter - with their pastel-hued frostings and colourful sprinkles.

doesn't this just scream easter?

 this weekend i'll have vanilla, lemon, red velvet, banana-chocolate chip & chocolate.

there will also be the usual array of other treats - cookies, macaroons, snickers brownies, mint-oreo cheesecakes, hello dollies & tarts. i think it's looking like a lemon & a passionfruit sort of week.

ok time to begin the baking bonanza.
see you over the weekend - i'll be there both saturday & sunday. oh & i nearly forgot, there's an easter egg hunt on sunday at the market for all the kiddies, so make sure to come check it out!

spring has sprung

i've had a little extra spring in my step this week. despite the wicked weather early on, it still feels like spring is here. green things are returning to the market - cucumbers, spinach, mache, and it won't be long until asparagus' return.

in honour of the season i went a little salad crazy. there is a massive quinoa salad this week. it seems i always run out, so this week i planned accordingly. also don't forget, if you'd ever like me to set aside a salad for, just pop by in the morning to place your order (vendors, i'm talking to you!).

so this is what the quinoa looks like this week. it's essentially a greek salad minus the feta. so there's loads of cucumbers from noggins, red bell peppers, cherry tomatoes, kalamata olives, fresh oregano, mint and arugula, garlic, lemon and a smidge of mustard. there's no added oil, just lots of bright, fresh flavours.

the red rice salad will be the same as last week. so the nutty rice is kicked up with roasted butternut squash, toasted pecans, dried cranberries, red onion, sunflower seeds, parsley, sage, maple syrup & apple cider vinegar.

and then, since i was in a spring frame of mind, i made a vegan potato salad. so the potatoes as dressed with grainy mustard, horseradish, tarragon, dill & white wine vinegar and the crunch comes from celery, green beans, radishes, green onions & pickled garlic scapes from moon fire farm - it takes like picnic season.

this week i also filled the freezers. in all honesty, it feels like i've been running all week and just barely managing to get everything done... but i digress. here's a hint at what i made this week:

yes, that's right, a new batch of lobster mac & cheese. but wait, i didn't stop there. i also made plain ones as well as a broccoli-cauliflower version. so they all start the same with foxhill cheese curds, mozzarella, parmesan, asiago & leek bechamel. to give you an idea of how much i made, this is a pic of just the sauce:

not gonna lie, it was a little brutal to stir!

plain small $8 large $16

broccoli-cauliflower small $8 large $16

lobster small $12.5 large $25

i also made a gargantuan batch of seafood chowder. this one is loaded with mussels, haddock, sea trout, smoked haddock, potatoes, leeks, celery & celery root from selwood green and all the seafood i used this week is from peter at the fish shop.

as far as baked goods go, i'm finding it a little difficult to stray from my usual lineup because i inevitably end up disappointing someone. so this week, it's all the old favourites. the snickers are back in their usual form, there are lemon & butter tarts, macaroons, oatmeal cookies, mint-oreo cheesecakes (which i should probably go check on in the oven...) and carrot, chocolate, red velvet, lemon & banana-chocolate chip cupcakes.

this week i also has two custom cake orders. for those of you who don't know, i hate making cakes. i'm starting to mind it a little less, but as far as i'm concerned, cupcakes are the way to go! the reason i'm so late posting this today, was that i had to run into the city to deliver today's creation:

chocolate cake with mint frosting.

wednesday's concoction was a red velvet wedding cake with blueberry frosting and fresh blueberries inside. i also had my first adventures with fondant that day to create pearls to go around the base which i lustre dusted to give them a nice sparkly appearance. and last but not least, piped the couple's name in white chocolate around the border... it took waaayyyy longer than anticipated.

ok time to finish up in the kitchen & continue on with my spring cleaning. oh & look what i spotted in the backyard -

rhubarb! coming soon to a cupcake near you...

what a week.

holy crow how is this march?

sunshine, tank tops, sleeping with the windows open, waking to the sound of birds. it's unreal!

unfortunately this has also been the busiest week in the history of little red kitsch'n, but i did manage to sneak out to chebucto head for a hike on monday.

but otherwise it has been cooking, baking, delivering & running back and forth to the grocery stores and market all week. so far this week, there have been two caterings and a large restaurant order, but my main worry is the dinner for 25 that i have right after the market tomorrow... 

thankfully i've got a pretty good handle on my prep for the market already.

there are two new flavours of strata on the menu this week. for those of you who aren't familiar with them, a strata is a savoury bread pudding with lots of eggs & deliciousness. they can be eaten for breakfast, lunch or dinner (or cold out of the fridge if you're me) but should be paired with a light salad or other veg to make them a complete meal. both flavours start with a base of caramelized onions and foxhill parmesan cheese but one option has roselane smoked bacon & the other is vegetarian with broccoli & cauliflower florets.

small $7.5  large $15

i also made two new batches of soup this week. the first is a roasted red pepper, sweet potato, tomato & chipotle. it's one of my favourite flavours of soup & i toned down the spice level this time so it has a broader appeal. there's lots of southwestern flavours, like cumin, cilantro & lime, in this one too. the second, is a hearty beef stew. i had planned on making a small batch, but there's just something about making stew... needless to say, it grew to epic proportions and i needed to stand on my stepping stool to stir it! it started off with lots of getaway farm grass fed beef, and then got loaded up with onions, celery, turnips, carrots, parsnips, potatoes, brussels sprouts, peas and herbs.

as usual all soups & stews are $7

oh yeah, i almost forgot, i made a new batch of chicken & chickpea curry this week too. it's a smidgen different than the last batch - i added cauliflower and didn't use black rice. i just spaced out last week & didn't package any smalls so this entire batch was made into smalls ($10) so that's back on the menu.

there are also three salads - $5 each:

quinoa - cucumbers, tomatoes, kalamata olives, red peppers, oregano, arugula, herbs, lemon, garlic, dijon

red rice - roasted butternut squash, sunflower seeds, pecans, red onion, dried cranberries, sage, arugula, maple, apple cider vinegar

broccoli - bacon, toasted almonds, red onion, raisins, garlic, creamy dressing (not vegan, or vegetarian for that matter, but i had a request...)

which leaves the baking. the snickers brownies won't be making an appearance this week, instead they will be the 'chocolate bars' that i had around valentine's day, comme ca:

butter tarts will also be back, along with the usual suspects: cranberry, oatmeal, white chocolate chip cookies, mint-oreo cheesecakes, macaroons, lemon meringue tarts, hello dolly's, and cupcakes galore.

ok time to get crack-a-lackin', see you this weekend!