Winter Solstice 2013 p2

I won't be forgetting this solstice any time soon .. wow ! Over 24 hours of freezing rain , trees down all over the place ...  it is like one giant skating rink out there !


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace Love and Happy Solstice
Rich

Winter Solstice 2013

I woke up to a frozen wonderland today ... thought I'd share a few of my finds.


 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Happy Winter Solstice !   The days get longer from here on ...

Peace, Love and Happiness
Rich

Urban Pantry - Rich's Restaurant Review

Nestled in the heart of Uxbridge , is a wonderful little restaurant , serving up some amazing dishes .
Once a month , they have a Tapas night ,
We have arrived ... let the feasting begin !

 

An amazing selection of mostly local , and all freshly made foods .. so hard to choose which ones  I want 

We had some fun with the menu , and used crayons to mark off our choices :) 

Calamari and Chorizo ... yum! 

Garlic Scape & White Wine Mussels . fun and tasty ! 

Chicken Liver n mushrooms  loved it , my first time trying :) 

Duck fat Roasted Potatoes with Garlic Aioli 

Lamb Sausage with Cold Root Vegetable Salad 

Taste : Fantastic !  Perfectly seasoned , and balanced flavours
Texture : Fantastic !  Everything was wonderful
Atmosphere :  A little loud , but warm and inviting
Service :  Friendly , Fast and very helpful
Value : Pricier than my normal meals , but so worth every penny !
Quality :  Top Quality , with local ingredients highlighted
Overall : An amazing night out



Urban Pantry : 4 Toronto St N, Uxbridge, ON L9P 1E6

Peace, Love & Good Food
Rich 

Turkey Meatball Pan Pizza

It is that time of the year when I have to start using up what's in the freezer , partially to save money , and b/c it is a good thing to do :)  Makes room for new deals , and creations.    Found some ground turkey ... and my first thought was meatballs ...  second thought was I wanted pizza ...  So ...  Hahahaha

Turkey Meatball Pan Pizza 


Ingredients : Makes (1) 12 x17 Pan Pizza

Crust - 2 cups of flour - 6 Tbsp EVOO - 1 1/3 Cup Hot Water- 4.5 Tsp Pizza Yeast - 1.5 Tsp Sea Salt - 1 Tsp Dehydrated Garlic & Basil - 1 Tbsp Sugar  ( In large bowl , mix dry ingredients well, add the wet and using two wooden spoons , mix and knead for about 6 minutes , spread out using your fingers into an oiled baking tray )

Pizza
- 3 Tbsp Sauce , I used my Spicy Smoky Sweet Ketchup ( SSS )
- Two Cups of grated cheese ( I blended mozzarella and 5yr old cheddar )
- 1 each small Red, Orange & Jalapeno pepper , sliced thin
- Good handful of cremini mushrooms , sliced 
- 2 slices good quality bacon , chopped - 1 red onion , sliced thinly -  9  Small Turkey Meatballs 


Meatballs ( Makes about 16 ) 
1 lb ground turkey -1 large egg -1 handful breadcrumbs - 4 cremini mushrooms , small diced 
1/2 onion , small diced -1/2 jalapeno - 2 cloves of garlic, minced - chili powder, s&p. l&p rosemary to taste
Mix well , form into smaller than golf ball sized balls ...  quickly fry in a pan until crispy on all edges at medium high heat, remove and drain . 



 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Peace, Love and Good Food :)
Rich

Prosciutto Mushroom & Jalapeno Pan Pizza

Just love making pizza at home, even the worst one is usually twice as good as take out :)
Finally , after being stuck on pita pizzas for about 2 years , so easy , so quick, and the price was right at 6 loaves for $1 ...   However my real passion is for from scratch pizza , there is something rewarding about making everything yourself.

So I bought myself some pizza yeast , and dove back into it .

Ingredients : Makes (1) 12 x17 Pan Pizza

Crust - 2 cups of flour - 6 Tbsp EVOO - 1 1/3 Cup Hot Water- 4.5 Tsp Pizza Yeast - 1.5 Tsp Sea Salt - 1 Tsp Dehydrated Garlic & Basil - 1 Tbsp Sugar  ( In large bowl , mix dry ingredients well, add the wet and using two wooden spoons , mix and knead for about 6 minutes , spread out using your fingers into an oiled baking tray )
Pizza - 3 Tbsp Sauce , I used my Spicy Smoky Sweet Ketchup ( SSS )
- Two Cups of grated cheese ( I blended mozzarella and 5yr old cheddar )
One Red Onion , Slivered
6 Cremini Mushrooms , Sliced
1 Jalapeno, Sliced
10 Slices of Prosciutto Salami, cut into thirds



 

After pressing the dough into the pan , cover lightly with whatever sauce your using .
Preheat Oven to 415F

Sprinkle 1/3 the cheese
Start adding the toppings , keeping in mind the proscuitto needs to be on top to get crispy .

 

Once the toppings are on , its time for the rest of the cheese :)



Straight into the preheated oven for about 12 minutes , reduce the temperature to 350 and continue baking for 8 more minutes .  ( I should note , this is for a slightly well done pizza ) You can skip the last step and just bake for 15 minutes if you prefer a normal doneness ( Is that a word ??? Hahaha ) 

 

That is it , remove from the oven , and grab a plastic or wooden spoon to avoid scratching your pan .

 

You can stop admiring your handy work now , and slice and serve !

 

MmmmMmmm Good !

 

That's it ... this should feed 4 people for dinner , and is ready in just under 30 minutes :)
Topping options are endless , This was a particularly good combination for just 5 toppings .

Peace, Love and Good Food :)
Rich

Mashed Potato Skillet Pizza

The Original Dish :)

Mexican Sausages from the butcher , Local Yukon Spuds & Cremini Mushrooms , Onion & Garlic from my garden , and some flash frozen peas ...  Oh can't forget the butter either !  Hahaha

I don't know about you , but i LOVE Bangers n Mash  :) Its more of a cool weather meal for me , as all that boiling water really heats up the kitchen .  So , earlier this week I made myself some ( See above )

I must say, it was delicious ! Such Simple, Good Food :)  As always tho , I made way more than I could eat in one sitting ...  Then I had a thought. On how to recreate the leftovers into something different , and tasty !





Ingredients :
1 Sausage ( Preferably from a butcher )
 2 Cups Garlic mashed Potatoes ( Or whatever is your fancy )
2 Cremini Mushrooms, Sliced
1/2 Red Onion , Sliced
1/2 Jalapeno , Sliced
1/2 cup Mozzarella , small cubes
2 thin slices 5 yr old cheddar , diced

You will need an oven safe pan for this , I choose my 8" cast iron skillet ...

Preheat oven to 350F , pan can be preheated too if you like. 
Drizzle the pan with a bit of EVOO
Use a fork to smush the mashed potato in the pan
Start adding the toppings, Sausage, Onion, Jalapeno , Mushrooms ...

Into the oven for 20 minutes

Side note : This recipe qualifies for Gluten Free

 

Sprinkle the cheeses over the top , return to the oven for 20 minutes



Its didnt have quite enough colour for me , so I cranked it up to 400F and popped it back  in for a few more minutes ...  

 

And this was what I was rewarded with ...  Creamy Garlicky Goodness , topped with all my favourite flavours :) Yummy !!

 

No need for plates , just grab a tray ( as the pan is HOT! ) and a fork , and enjoy !


This recipe is part of my Creative Leftover series , any feedback would be greatly appreciated .

Peace , Love and Good Food !
Rich