cheese biscuits

Yesterday, we the husband planted me a herb garden.

I'm not one for plants really. Actually, I kill them. I either over water, under water, too much sun, not enough sun, let them get eaten by cats, amongst other things.

But this year I am determined to keep the plants alive. I'm not going to kill them.

My black thumb will turn green.

Or check back in a month when I've killed them all.

What I am good at, is biscuits.

Fluffy, warm, soft, cheesy, biscuits.

With lots of butter. I can't kill those.

Cheese biscuits
[ from Grazing ]

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 cup olive oil
1 cup buttermilk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, and salt. Pour in the olive oil and buttermilk and mix with a wooden spoon until just combined. Add the cheddar cheese and fold gently. Be wary not to over mix, it will make your biscuits tough.

Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead gently 5 times. Pat or roll the dough out into a rectangle, about 1/2-inch thick, then fold it over onto itself. Roll the dough again and fold it onto itself once more, then finally roll the dough out to be 1/2-inch thick. This creates flaky layers for the biscuits. Cut the dough into circles, or cut into squares like I did. Place biscuits onto an ungreased baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until tops are golden brown.

Serve warm with lots of butter.

twice baked potatoes

We're down to the wire folks.

We take possession of our new house in four days. We're not moving in four days, we have to paint first, but things are getting crazy around here.

Things I've learned while packing;

- Cats love boxes.

- Cats HATE tape guns.

- Nesting and packing go quite well together.

- Don't let your pregnant wife pack the boxes with books.

- Husbands think you only need to pack 3 days before you move.

- This infuriates their A type wives.

- You can accumulate a lot of stuff into a small space.

- Especially when you haven't moved in 5 years, gotten married and are about to have a baby.

- One can accumulate a lot of kitchen items. Giant gingerbread man pan anyone? Soup tureen? Angel food cake slicer?

Even though we're enthralled in packing, we still need to eat. I've tried not to buy a whole bunch of food, simply for the reason I don't want to move it. So I've been making dinner from staples and what's left in the fridge.

Russet potatoes + crispy bacon + cheddar cheese = dinner.

Twice baked potatoes. So simple, so delicious, yet I never make them at home. Why? I have no idea. It always seems like something you eat when you go out to a steakhouse, not something to whip up on a Sunday night. You could even pre-make the potatoes, freeze them and then pop them out for the second baking when the need comes.

The filings are infinitely adaptable, cheese, meat, onions, broccoli, you name it, stuff it.

Twice baked potatoes


3 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
4 slices bacon, cooked until crispy
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
salt & pepper to taste


Wrap potatoes tightly in foil, bake at 350 for an hour.

Remove from oven, unwrap from foil and let cool for 15 minutes, leave oven on. Meanwhile, chop the bacon slices into small pieces, add to a medium-sized bowl along with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cream cheese and the butter. Set aside.

Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise cut to remove the top 1/4 of each potato. Using a small spoon, gently remove the cooked potato insides and place into the bowl with the cheese and bacon. Make sure not to go all the way into the bottom or sides of the potato, leave about a 1/2-inch of potato along with the skin. It should make a hollow potato boat.  Repeat with each cooked potato.

Place the hollowed out potatoes into a baking dish. Stir and mash together the potato insides along with the cheese and butter until you have a nice, smooth texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the filling back into the hollowed potatoes, packing it down as you go. It will seem like there is more filling than will fit, it's okay to mound it over the top of the potato, just make sure to pack the filling firmly. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

cheesy corn bake

Fall is about comfort food.

Things that are creamy, warm, gooey, things made into pies. During this time of year, I'm all about things baked in casserole dishes, covered in cheese.

Step in cheesy corn bake.

I came across this recipe back in the height of fresh corn season, but never got around to making it. I regret that. Alot.

When I did finally get around to making it, my god.

It's like macaroni and cheese, but take out the macaroni and put in corn. It can be thrown together with things you probably already have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer, in under 15 minutes. Then bake that delicious blend of cheeses, peppers, and corn for 35 minutes until the top is crunchy and the casserole is bubbling with cheesy, creamy goodness.

I enjoy it tongue burning hot, but the husband ate it the next day cold and liked it even better.

Cheesy corn bake
[ from the kitchn ]

1 green bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 cups corn, fresh or frozen (if you are using frozen corn, be sure to steam and drain it before using)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Saute the diced pepper in about a teaspoon of olive oil, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour, making sure to combine thoroughly. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes over medium heat until roux starts to turn colour and all the flour has been cooked out. Add milk, stirring constantly until mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat, add cheddar cheese and cream cheese, stir until smooth. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.

In a large bowl, add corn and diced pepper. Pour the cheese sauce over top and toss well to coat every kernel. Transfer mixture into a casserole dish.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

cheesy pizza quick bread

Disclaimer : If you like the Chicago Blackhawks, this is not the place for you for AT LEAST 2 weeks. Thank you.

It's game day, it's game day, Canucks are gonna win on game day!

It's here. The first game of the 2011 Stanley Cup playoffs is upon us. Vancouver is at a feverish playoff high right now, me included.

No one can concentrate. Car flags are popping up everywhere. Small dogs have started sporting tiny Luongo jerseys. The call of LOUUUU can be heard into Calgary.

grilled brie sandwiches aka the fancy lady sandwich

A few Saturdays ago, I met my Mom, Aunt and Uncle down at a Vancouver landmark, Granville Island.
I love Granville Island.  The husband and I used to live a few blocks from the entrance of it and it was quite common for us to take a Sunday walk along the seawall to visit Granville Island and take a look at all the shops and of course the market.

On this particular visit, we visited a few stores, the most odd being the broom store , which if you know my Aunt, isn't quite that odd that one of the first places we visited was the broom store. Side note : If you are looking for a really nice handmade broom, great place to check out.

With our $60 decorative broom in hand, we were a little hungry. Off  to Bridges, which again is a Vancouver staple. In my opinion, it has the best patio in the city. Of course it's too cold at this time of the year for the patio, but if you ever come in the summer, make sure to go to Bridges, but be prepared to wait. From your prime waterfront patio seat, you'll be able to look at the Granville Street bridge, along with taking a look at the cute little water taxi's going back and forth between the westside and yaletown. Plus they have some pretty kick ass food.

This afternoon began my obsession with making a grilled brie sandwich. I ordered off the menu and when it came, it completely blew my expectations. Thick sliced grainy bread with a smear of avocado mayo, melted brie and fresh sliced tomatoes.

It's the things dreams are made of.

After lunch, I immediately texted T, who is hands down the biggest brie freak I know. I've seen this girl eat 3/4 of a wheel of brie. Oh yeah, she's hardcore like that.

I told her she needed to come over and we would recreate this.

So this past Friday night, with a jug of T's homemade Sangria (she makes a killer sangria), we tackled making a homemade version of the grilled brie sandwich I enjoyed a few weeks back.

Besides my over-zealousness on the brie, turned out amazingly. Creamy avocado mayo with the bit of fresh, juicy tomatoes and perfectly melted brie all squished together with crunchy toasted bread.

Goes down really well with Sangria and girl talk.

Grilled Brie Sandwich
[ inspired by Bridges Restaurant ]

Makes 2 sandwiches.

4 slices whole grain bread
1 avocado
1 tablespoon mayonnaise
4-5 tomato slices
slices from a small wheel of double cream brie


Liberally spread butter on one side of each slice of bread, set aside. Cut open and scoop out the insides of the avocado, add in mayonnaise and mash until well blended. Season avocado mix with salt and pepper to taste.

Spread avocado mayo on unbuttered side of 1 piece of bread, top avocado mix with a few slices of brie and tomato slices and then finally with the second piece of bread, buttered side facing out.

Place sandwich in a non-stick pan over medium heat and cook for 3 minutes on each side, or until cheese is melted and outsides are golden brown. Remove from pan and let rest for a few minutes before slicing in half.

Eat with your favourite brie-aholic with some great sangria.

fondue times two

Everyone has one. It's kitschy and so awesomely vintage, you feel the need to break it out.

Most couples get one or two for their wedding or maybe you got a hand me down from your parents, either way someone you know has one.

I'm talking about fondue. 

I had fondue in Cuba while on vacation with my mom and I became obsessed. I'd never had it before and wondered how ? How have I not found out about this? It's wine with cheese melted in it and you dip chunks of crusty bread into it! These are all of my favourite things rolled into one dish! 

So I invited some of our good friends over for an introduction to fondue. It was fantastic. Besides the prep of chopping, cutting and presenting everything nicely it was dead simple to make. 

I made 2 types of fondue, cheese and chocolate. I didn't think for my first experience making the fondue I should make oil / broth fondue just in case a had a little bit too much wine and things got dangerous. Luckily I stayed quite sober and everything turned out cheesy, chocolatey delicious. 

sorry about the crappy iphone photo

I don't have many pictures of the actual fondue but I tried to get some. The husband was frowning at me. His frowns told me that we had company we can get photos later. Silly husbands. 

Cheese fondue

[ from the booklet inside the box that my fondue pot was in]

1 large clove garlic

1 cup dry white wine

2/3 pound Swiss emmenthal, cubed

2/3 pounds Swiss gruyere, cubed

juice from half a lemon

1 tablespoon cornstarch

1/4 cup kirsh or white wine

pepper

nutmeg

Rub garlic vigorously on the inside of a medium saucepan. Add wine and over medium-high heat bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn down to low, add cheese and lemon. Stirring continuously, cook until cheese is melted and smooth. Dissolve the cornstarch in the kirsh and add to cheese mixture. Season with pepper and nutmeg. Pour into fondue pot and light flame in the stand to keep warm and smooth. 

Serve with 1 inch cubes of crusty bread, florets of broccoli and cauliflower. 

Swiss chocolate fondue

[from Company's Coming: Fondues ]

12 ounce swiss chocolate bar, broken up

1/4 cup half & half

2 1/2 tablespoons liqueur, I used Kahlua but creme de mente or amaretto would be fine

Combine chocolate and cream in medium sauce pan and heat over medium to low heat. Stirring constantly, heat until chocolate is smooth. Remove pot from heat and add liqueur. 

Pour into fondue pot and light flame to keep warm and smooth. Serve with pineapple chunks, strawberries and cream cheese pound cake cubes.

cheddar muffins

I've kind of taken a break from the blog world. Just a small break I promise.  You may notice a badge on the right hand side of the screen for NaBloPoMo. It means that you have to post once a day for a month, you can do it any month of the year, but November is the big one. So I thought, hey why not. It was hard some days, but I felt good sharing my adventures with the people of the internets. But it also felt good to have a couple days off.

But now I'm back! And I brought gifts! Cheddar gifts!

macaroni & cheese

It snowed today. Not full on snow, more slushy than fluffy, but it's still snow. I'm kind of a snow hater. I dread when it comes and thankfully where I live it's not very often.

I know it might seem scrooge like, but I am absolutely terrified to drive in it.  I'm the person on the highway driving 50 in a 100 zone because she is deathly afraid of skidding out of control. I also can't stop concentrating on the snow flakes falling towards me while I'm driving. Not the safest thing, I feel like a bird mesmerized by shiny things.  It just looks so pretty when it's falling I can't help looking at it.  Also, hate being cold.  And yes, I do know I live in Canada. ha ha.

cheddar cheese buttermilk biscuits

I love carbs.

I also love cheese.