CELEBRATING CANADA DAY!
What is it about summer that makes us crave smoky, charred meat? Or has it got something to do with that wonderful barbecue aroma created by cooking outdoors that gets our attention? Whatever it is, its hard to resist.
This is another great barbecue option and can be prepared a few hours ahead or the night before and stored in the fridge. The best thing is it is super simple and quick to prepare.
You’ve heard of risotto, but what about ‘orzotto‘. It’s a spin on the classic dish with orzo pasta rather than rice and it takes very little time to make. I’m serving it here with broccoli and tender pieces of pork seasoned with a zesty Montreal steak spice blend.
Montreal steak spice, also known as Montreal steak seasoning, is a combination of various spices. It is based on the dry rub mix used to make Montreal smoked meat. Although the actual steak spice will vary depending upon the brand or restaurant making it, it is primarily made up of garlic, coriander, black pepper, cayenne pepper, dill seeds and salt.
Coat pieces of pork with oil then season with Montreal Steak Spice, cover it and refrigerate it well in advance before you plan to cook. This gives it time to rehydrate.
These pork fillet skewers not only look incredible but make a great meal for a warm summer evening!
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Pork Skewers w/ Broccoli Orzotto
Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Pork Tenderloin
In a plastic bag, place Montreal steak spice & 1 Tbsp oil. Add cubed meat & shake well to combine. Place in refrigerator for a few hours or overnight to marinate.
Broccoli Orzotto
In a pot over medium heat, sauté onion & garlic in oil. Add the orzo & 2 cups of the broth. Bring to a boil & let simmer for 6 minutes, stirring frequently with a wooden spoon. Add the broccoli & remaining broth. Continue cooking for 6 minutes or until the orzo is al dente & the broccoli is JUST tender. Remove from heat & add parmesan & lemon zest. Season with salt & pepper if you desire. Allow to rest for 2 minutes before serving.
Grilling
Preheat the grill on high heat. Thread each skewer with 6 pieces marinated pork.
Place the skewers on the grill for 8-10 minutes, turning every 2-3 minutes until all sides are lightly charred and pork is cooked through but not OVERCOOKED.
Remove from grill & sprinkle with fresh dill. Serve with broccoli orzotto.
Recipe Notes
- You can prepare the orzotto a day ahead & refrigerate. It is just as good reheated if your short of time on BBQ day.
The perfect pie for a summer evening. First off, if your not accustomed to using sour cream in a sweet pie filling you will probably cringe. My first encounter with this idea was many years ago and I’m still addicted.
Sour Cream has worked its way into many facets of my baking and cooking, so for me its a basic fridge staple. I know for some people it happens all too often … you pick up a container of sour cream to have on some tacos and then what to do with the rest before it spoils??
This pie recipe makes an extra deep dessert. It works well in a spring-form pan or a deep pie dish. The crunchy, buttery brown sugar streusel on top is lightly accented with cardamom spice & fresh lemon zest. It is the perfect foil to the lush, rich sour cream and raspberry filling.
I should mention, its best not to use light or fat-free sour cream. Another thing, is to bake the pie until the filling is set THEN top with the streusel and bake until golden. This is a pie that is best served cold or just slightly warm as it will not be firm enough to slice if it is hot.
Raspberries lovers … this one is for you!!
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Raspberry Sour Cream Pie
Votes: 4
Rating: 2.25
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Votes: 4
Rating: 2.25
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Instructions
Shortbread Crust
In a bowl, combine butter & sugar; beat until light & fluffy. Mix in flour & baking powder; blend together. Pat dough in a 9-inch spring form pan or a deep dish pie pan.
Raspberry Filling
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In a bowl, combine sugar, flour & salt; whisk in eggs, sour cream & vanilla until smooth. Place raspberries in pie shell & pour filling over top. Bake for 30-35 minutes OR UNTIL FILLING IS JUST SET.
Streusel
In a bowl, combine all streusel ingredients until well blended. After the pie filling is set, remove from the oven & turn the heat down to 350 F. Squeeze the streusel between your fingers & palms to create clumps ranging in size from small to large grapes then top pie with it. Bake an additional 10-15 minutes OR until streusel is golden brown.
Remove from oven & allow pie to cool completely on a wire rack to thicken further. Serve warm or at room temperature. Refrigerate any leftover pie.
Recipe Notes
- Even though I mentioned you should use a full fat sour cream, I chose to use a fat free one too lighten up on the calories.
- The only difference is, it will take longer to bake & the filling is not quite as firm in the end result.
- As far as the taste goes, there is no difference. It's heavenly!!
I have always enjoyed making (and eating) tea breads. They can come in all sizes and even though they are called bread, for most part, I’d say they are cake.
Tea breads are part of the quick bread genre. They are considered quick because they don’t require kneading or rising time. Instead of yeast, usually baking powder or baking soda or a combination of both are used as a leavening agent.
Afternoon tea, the quintessential English custom, was introduced in England by a Duchess in the year 1840. The evening meal in her household was served fashionably late at 8 PM, thus leaving a long period of time between lunch and dinner (supper). The Duchess asked that a tray of tea, bread/butter and cake be brought to her room during the late afternoon. This pause for tea became a fashionable social event. Upper class and society women would change into long gowns, gloves and hats for their afternoon tea which was usually served in the drawing room between four and five PM.
This tea loaf, pairs sweet, ripe strawberries with the bright, clean flavor of lemon zest and is topped off with a tangy kiwi glaze. A match made in food heaven.
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Strawberry Tea Loaf with Fresh Kiwi Glaze
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Rating: 5
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Votes: 1
Rating: 5
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Instructions
Strawberry Tea Loaf
Preheat oven to 350 F. Grease a 9 X 5-inch loaf pan, line bottom with strip of parchment paper with 2-inch overhang on either end.
In a large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda & salt. In a separate bowl, whisk eggs, buttermilk, applesauce, lemon zest & vanilla. Pour egg mixture into dry ingredients. Mix just until incorporated. Fold in prepared strawberries. Scrape batter into pan.
Bake 50-60 minutes, or until cake tested with a toothpick in the center comes out clean. Cool loaf in pan, set on wire rack, 20 minutes before using parchment overhang to lift out loaf. Cool completely on rack. Slice & serve with kiwi glaze.
Kiwi Glaze
In a small saucepan, sprinkle gelatin over the cold water & set aside to soften. Peel the kiwi and blend in a food processor or blender until pureed. Be careful not to over-process as the black seeds will break down & change the color of the puree.
Add the kiwi puree to gelatin mixture. Heat mixture to dissolve gelatin but do not over heat. Continue to stir until dissolved. Keep covered in refrigerator until needed.
Now comes the time to use up all those remaining tidbits of holiday baking still in the freezer. For those who haven’t tried it, sweet bread pudding is perhaps the ultimate comfort food. It’s simple to make, requires no special equipment and uses basic ingredients. It’s not even particularly beautiful on the plate, but it sure tastes good.
Just about every culture that makes bread has it’s own version of bread pudding. An open textured loaf with lots of holes become little pockets of custard. If you choose a bread that is quite ‘airy’ but has good chewiness, your pudding will strike a satisfying balance between lightness and body. In contrast, a loaf with a tight crumb makes a compact pudding with a dense texture.
The custard is what binds the bread together and creates the pudding’s lusciousness. Milk, eggs, sugar and flavoring are the basic elements but of course, other variations can be layered in as well.
Bread pudding was definitely a dessert my mother made since she baked bread every week. At that time it was pretty basic but nevertheless homey and good.
Today, January 22, our family celebrates the birthday of my sister, Marilyn. Birthdays were always made to be special as we were growing up. Not so much as to gifts but in regards to the family acknowledgement of ‘your’ day. My mother loved having a reason to use her cake decorating skills, so your birthday cake was always very unique.
For something special to mark the occasion, I have prepared STOLLEN BREAD PUDDING with SPICED ORANGE SAUCE on my blog.
WE SEND BIRTHDAY WISHES TO YOU, MARILYN —
ENJOY YOUR DAY TO THE FULLEST!
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Stollen Bread Pudding with Spiced Orange Sauce
A delicious variation on a classic made with heavenly German stollen bread.
Votes: 2
Rating: 3.5
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Votes: 2
Rating: 3.5
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Instructions
Bread Pudding
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Arrange stollen cubes to fit compactly into a buttered 9 x 9-inch baking dish. Do not compress to tightly; set aside any leftover cubes. Whisk together eggs & 1 cup powdered sugar until the sugar is dissolved & the mixture becomes light yellow in color. Add cream, vanilla & Grand Marnier; whisk to combine. Stir in a pinch of salt, nutmeg, lemon & orange zest.
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Pour mixture over stollen cubes. Cover & refrigerate for 30 minutes. Preheat oven to 350 F. Remove bread from refrigerator, uncover & dot the top of the pudding with butter & sprinkle with 2 Tbsp. powdered sugar.
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Set baking dish into a shallow roasting pan, larger that baking dish. Set them onto the center rack of the oven. Pour hot water into larger pan until it reaches about halfway up the side of the pudding dish. Bake until fully set & a knife inserted into center comes out clean, 60-75 minutes. Carefully remove the pudding from the water bath & cool for at least 15 minutes before serving.
Spiced Orange Sauce
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Melt butter in a saucepan over low heat. Stir in sugar, Grand Marnier, water, cardamom & salt. Over medium heat, stir until sugar is fully dissolved & the liquid is heated through. Remove from heat. In a small bowl, whisk egg until well beaten. While whisking egg, slowly pour 2 Tbsp. of the hot mixture into bowl with the egg. Then, while whisking the mixture vigorously, slowly pour the warmed egg mixture back into the sauce.
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Place the saucepan back over low heat, gently stirring the sauce, raising the temperature slowly to medium. Continue stirring until the sauce thickens, about 1-2 minutes. Spoon over pudding & serve immediately.
