back to reality

vacation is over.

le grand sigh.

i got off the plane last night, drove home & immediately got back to work to get ready for the weekend. i took an ENTIRE week off but it feels like i didn't miss a beat in the kitchen. i have a few odds & ends to finish up but i'm almost done and it's miraculously quite a reasonable hour.

before i left i made a giant batch of moroccan meatballs so i wouldn't be scrambling today. per usual, they're made with getaway farm beef, garlic, ginger, sumac, harissa & herbs. the tomato sauce has lots of fennel seed, dates, olives, roasted peppers, citrus & kale. the side dish is harissa quinoa seasoned with toasted almonds, green onions & lemon. the entire dish is dairy free, egg free, gluten free and i even made a few paleo versions which are grain free.

small $10  large $20

so, after being away for a week, i'm a bit discombobulated & not 100% sure of the contents of my freezer at the market. i have an absolute ton of product right now, just please bear with me as i try to locate it all tomorrow :)

i made three types of salad this week.

the broccoli has red peppers, red onion, sunflower seeds, dried cranberries & double smoked bacon. i forgot to buy almonds so it's nut free this week... oopsy.

the quinoa has shaved fennel, pink grapefruit, kalamata olives, parsley, arugula & a white wine vinaigrette.

the beet salad got a bit of a makeover this week. i added maple roasted carrots, parsnips & apples. i tweaked the dressing a bit too with the addition of dijon mustard & red wine vinegar.

soups this week are:

carrot/apple/ginger

beet/parsnip/pear

vegetable stew

baked beans

white bean/lemon/kale

roasted pepper/tomato/chipotle

chicken stew

beef stew

seafood chowder

i've got a shani's farm turkey on order for tomorrow so the thai turkey & rice will be back soon.

the sweets are pretty much the same as usual, except i brought back the spicy chocolate brownies this week. these are the most adventurous sweets on my table. it's a decadent brownie base spiked with chai masala. then it's covered with a thick layer of chocolate ganache that's seasoned with a generous dose of cayenne pepper. as you eat it, you'll taste the rich, creamy chocolate at first and then a slow burn will start to creep up the back of your throat. they're fun :)

announcements:

- don't forget to get your valentine's day orders in - the sooner i get my shopping list & delivery route organized the better (it's a pretty chaotic day for me)

- i'll be coming to the dark side again on february 8th for another halifax crafters pop-up market at two if by sea. i'll have meals, salads & sweets with me from 8-5 & i always appreciate visitors!

that's all for now folks, hope to see you all over the weekend :)

rrrrrromance

it's that time of year again - valentine's day is fast approaching and once again i'll be offering a 3-course dinner for two delivery service throughout halifax & dartmouth.

going out on valentine's day can be such a pain - making a reservation, stressing over if it's at the best restaurant, figuring out what to wear, booking a baby sitter, finding parking, paying for marked up wine... the list goes on & on. i think it's a much better idea to stay in, relax & enjoy a nice meal at home with your valentine without all the stress.

enter little red kitsch'n. this will be the third year of my valentine's day dinner delivery service. all the food is fresh, never frozen, so heating times will be much faster & it gives me a little more wiggle room with menu options.

it's simple - message me your order to jenna@littleredkitschn.com with your address, phone # & preferred delivery time and then on the 14th i'll pop by & drop it off. in an effort to preserve my sanity, the meal must be the same per household, each appetizer & main course is meant to be shared. payment in advance by visa, mastercard or email money transfer works just fine or cash at the door is even better.

here's this year's menu:

- choice of appetizer -

panko crusted crab & corn cakes with grilled pineapple salsa, cilantro, lime & spicy mayo

citrus salad with pomegranate, shaved fennel, pistachios and baby arugula with a shallot & honey vinaigrette (gluten free)

thai inspired green curry & coconut chicken soup with sweet potatoes & chillies (gluten free)

- choice of main course - 

beef bourguignon in a robust red wine sauce, pearl onions, roasted root vegetables, wilted kale & creamy blue cheese mash (gluten free)

maple roasted pork loin with crispy pancetta, gnocchi, radicchio, swiss chard & roasted apples with a grainy mustard sauce

truffled mushroom lasagna with roasted garlic bechamel, fresh herbs, spinach, parmesan & goat cheese

- sweet sampler - 

(the sweet sampler will be the same for everyone - perfect for sharing)

chocolate covered strawberries (gluten free)

shades of pink mini cupcakes (can make some gluten free)

decadent chocolate chai brownies (gluten free)

salted caramel brown butter blondies

hazelnut truffles (gluten free)

this is what it looked like last year:

the cost of dinner for you & your sweetie is based on your main course selection:

beef - $80 ($92 after tax)

pork - $80 ($92 after tax)

mushroom - $70 ($80.5 after tax)

please place your orders by february 10th so i can gather supplies & get preparations underway.

hope the menu sounds good this year & you're all racing to your computers to get your orders in ;)

xoxo

stocking up

i'm going away again (squeeee, yipee, yahoo). i'll be gone from january 16th to the 23rd & will be missing an entire weekend at the market (shock, horror, dismay). this weekend will be your only chance to load up for a couple of weeks. i've made sure that the freezers are full & i'll bring extra meals & soups with me tomorrow.

here's what i've been up to this week:

chicken parmigiana

it starts off with a base of buttery fettuccine, then gets topped with a spinach marinara, then comes the parmesan-panko crusted chicken breast & finally its topped with mozzarella, parmesan and fresh basil.

small $10  large $20

i also made some grain-free versions with sauteed mushrooms, peppers & zucchini in place of the pasta and without panko on the chicken.

small $10

there's also a new batch of brisket & blue:

it's braised getaway farm beef brisket with red wine, leeks, pears, tomatoes & herbs with a side of creamy blue cheese gnocchi with roasted garlic & kale.

small $10 large $20

(side dishes of just blue cheese gnocchi are $7.50)

i also made some grain-free versions with loads of lightly dressed massaged kale & crumbled blue cheese on top.

small $10

here's a full list of frozen entrees:

beef shepherd's pie      small $10 large $20

moroccan meatballs     large $20

holiday pulled pork     small $10 large $20

lobster mac & cheese      small $12 large $24

cheddar-bacon mac & cheese     large $18

mediterranean vegetable ragu     small $9 large $18

lentil shepherd's pie     small $9

vegan curry    small $9 large $18

i also have a few tourtieres left & side dishes of cranberry-sage dressing.

getaway farm pork, warm spices, savoury crust - $20

potatoes, bread, onions, celery, dried cranberries, herbs - small $7.5 large $15

i've also been a bit of a soup factory lately trying to replenish all my stocks for the cold weather months. this week it was a new batch of disco soup - aka beet, parsnip & pear.

it's vegan, gluten free & paleo.

and it's only taken me three years (jeepers), but starting this weekend i'll have a proper list for the freezer door which clearly labels which ones are vegan, vegetarian, gluten free or paleo.

here's the list of current flavours:

carrot, apple, ginger

curried butternut squash

beet, parsnip & pear

white bean, lemon & kale

vegan vegetable stew

black bean & corn chili

baked beans

roasted pepper, tomato, chipotle

chicken stew

beef stew

seafood chowder

there are three types of salad this week too - all $5 each. 

the broccoli is the same as always.

the beet has pears, fennel, wheat berries, red wine vinaigrette & goat cheese.

there are a few vegan ones as well.

and the quinoa had a greek makeover with olives, peppers, tomatoes, cucumbers, roasted zucchini, basil, oregano, lemon, garlic & feta.

there are a few vegan versions of this one too.

and as usual, there will be loads of sweet options, those are easy to see though so i don't feel the need to write about them.

lastly, just a couple reminders that i will be at a halifax crafters pop-up market at two if by sea in dartmouth on february 8th & i will be doing my valentine's day 3-course dinner delivery service again this year (menu will be posted soon) so mark your calendars.

hope to see you all over the weekend... and i know it sounds desperate but please come on sundays too. you don't even have to buy anything, i just need people to chat with :)

blizzard!!!

as much as i hate the winter, it is pretty good for business. people are craving soups, stews & hearty comfort foods to get them through this ridiculous weather. the freezers took a beating over the holidays & i was too busy baking to properly restock them. that changed this week... i'm actually running out of space!

thus far i've finished new batches of chicken stew:

featuring shani's farm chicken & a pretty serious overnight chicken stock.

seafood chowder:

with mussels, tilapia, haddock, clam broth, potatoes, dill & a touch of lemon.

baked beans:

with molasses, maple, cider vinegar & tomato.

there's carrot, apple, ginger soup that just needs to be pureed:

it's vegan, gluten-free & paleo for all those january cleanses!

and finally, i just need to put the finishing touches on a batch of vegan curry (i like to let it sit overnight so all the flavours come together before i package it up):

this one is full of deliciousness - roasted cauliflower & sweet potatoes, yukon golds, green beans, chick peas, zucchini, cherry tomatoes, garlic, ginger, coconut, cilantro & lime. it's vegan & gluten-free but not quite paleo.

small $9  large $18

i'll also have the usual assortment or sweets...just not in the usual quantities since i'm assuming most people are on diets.

stay warm & safe. fingers crossed that the roads are clear tomorrow & we can all make it in to the market.

happy snow day!

ps: salads this week are curried quinoa, beet/fennel/wheatberry & traditional broccoli.