Lemon mint granita

It's hot! Again? Still? I really can't keep track. All I know is that it's 29 degrees inside my house and I'm tired of going out the door to work covered in sweat. Disgusting, gross summer of 2010, you can finish any time now. Fall, I'm so ready for you.

So in the middle of heat wave number 4,012, I decided the fans and cold drinks weren't quite cutting it. I needed something a little cooler, a little more refreshing to help me chill out. Granitas are easier than ice cream, and usually don't take too much effort to prepare. The end result, in this case, is a tart, icy number that's sure to perk up your palate and hopefully cool down your body temperature on a day when it's almost too much effort to change the channels on the remote control.

Start by removing the peels and pith from four lemons. I used five because my lemons were small, and were smaller after I peeled them none too carefully.

Pack 'em up and put 'em in the freezer for a while. A few hours at least, or in my case, a few weeks. Kinda forgot about them in there to be honest.

Then when they're frozen lemony balls, place them in your food processor.

And add the mint. You'll need about 35-40 leaves, all rinsed and picked off the stems.

Then pulse and blend 'til the mix looks a little like this. Next, let the mixture sit for about 15 minutes.

Scrape the whole mixture into a strainer, and push out as much juice as you can. Then, pour four cups of water, mixed with about three tablespoons of sugar over, pressing with a spatula to extra as much flavour as possible. Note that my method doesn't exactly follow the recipe below, mostly due to the fact that I didn't bother to read it properly. I suggest you pay more attention than I did and do it the proper way for better results.

You're left with this. Pop it in the freezer and let it sit for about 40 minutes or so until it starts to freeze.

Or.....remember it about two hours later and pierce frantically with a fork to break up the ice crystals. The goal here is to have flecks of shaved ice, rather than the glacier like chunks of ice I ended up with. Oops.

I suppose I could have thawed and re-frozen in order to achieve the proper texture, but I was too lazy, and too melty hot to bother. So I chopped out enough chunks to fill a bowl and let the lemony chilling commence. This is kind of like a grown up version of the slushee, and dare I say, would be made ever more excellent with a generous glug of limoncello on top. Refreshing indeed!

Lemon mint granita (adapted from Smitten Kitchen)

4 lemons
4 cups water
Sugar, to taste (we used 3 tablespoons, like a tart lemonade)
Handful of fresh mint leaves

Clean and wash the lemons. Cut off the top quarter of the lemons and slice a thin bevel off the bottom, so they can stand up straight. (You can skip this step if you don’t want to serve them in frozen lemon cups.) Using a grapefruit knife, carefully remove all of the lemon flesh and juice (working over a bowl ensures you won’t lose any), being careful not to cut through the bottom. Stand the lemons on a plate or cookie sheet and freeze until solid.

Using a food processor (a blender will work as well), toss a handful of washed and dried fresh mint leaves into the work bowl. (35-40 leaves.) Add the frozen lemons, and pulse until mostly pureed. Let mixture stand for 15 minutes, so the mint releases its flavor, then press the mixture through a fine-mesh strainer. You’ll end up with approximately one cup of lemon-mint juice.

Stir in the water, then sugar, one tablespoon at a time until the sugar is dissolved and the mixture is to your desire level of sweetness. Pour the mixture into a large roasting pan or baking dish, large enough that the liquid isn’t more than one-inch deep. (Otherwise it takes forever to freeze, trust me. A 9×13-inch pan worked great here.)

Freeze for about 40 minutes, then remove the mixture and scrape with two forks to break up the ice. (Your freezing time will vary, depending on the temperature and muscle of your freezer.) Return to the freezer and freeze until solid, about 2 to 3 hours, scraping it again with forks every hour or so.

Blueberry banana muffins

At least once a summer, I get a craving for blueberry muffins. There's something about the way a blueberry bursts in a baked good, staining everything around it with that intense indigo hue. Sure, you'll end up with a purple tongue and the skins in your teeth when you're done, but it seems like a bit of minor inconvenience for something that tastes so good.

I decided to look around for a blueberry muffin recipe that was a little different from the ordinary. The classic combination of white flour, sometimes scented with lemon, is a classic, but I wanted something a bit heartier, and dare I say, healthier?

I stumbled across this recipe, and as I had some bananas going soft anyway, I picked up some wheat germ at the store and got started.

Here's the bowl of dry ingredients, wheat germ included.

Then, mix up the wet, and add in the eggs.

Mash those bananas!

And fold in the berries. These aren't the wild ones I like, but they are cultivated Canadian ones, so I didn't feel too awful about them. Plus, on sale at Farm Boy!

Filling up the muffin cups. A scoop makes this bit easy.

And here they are cooling in front of the window. What a great Sunday morning treat!

Healthy blueberry banana muffins (from Martha Stewart)

•1 cup whole-wheat flour (spooned and leveled)
•3/4 cup all-purpose flour (spooned and leveled)
•1/4 cup wheat germ
•1 teaspoon baking soda
•1/2 teaspoon salt
•1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
•1/3 cup granulated sugar
•1/3 cup packed light-brown sugar
•2 large eggs
•2 ripe bananas (about 1 pound)
•1/3 cup reduced-fat (2 percent) milk
•1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
•1 cup frozen blueberries

1.Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Line a 12-cup muffin pan with paper liners. In a bowl, whisk together flours, wheat germ, baking soda, and salt.

2.In a large bowl, beat butter and sugars with a mixer until light and fluffy. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. In another bowl, mash bananas with a fork (you should have 3/4 cup); stir in milk and vanilla.

3.With mixer on low, alternately add flour mixture and banana mixture to butter mixture, beginning and ending with flour mixture; mix just until combined. Fold in frozen blueberries.

4.Divide batter among muffin cups. Bake until a toothpick inserted in the center of a muffin comes out clean, 25 to 28 minutes, rotating pan halfway through. Let cool in pan 10 minutes; transfer muffins to a rack to cool 10 minutes more.

Easy tomato basil pasta

I didn't grow any tomatoes this year, but I might try some in pots or hanging bags for next season. For those of you who have a booming crop thanks to all the heat and rain we've had this summer, this recipe should provide a great way to use up your stash.

First, assemble about a pound of small tomatoes (cherry, grape etc.). I used a variety of heirlooms I picked up at the market.

Check out these jeweled beauties!

Toss them around in some olive oil, and add in a chopped clove of garlic, and some salt and pepper.

Then they go in the oven for about 20 minutes, until the tomatoes burst. (Please ignore the pan. It belonged to a toaster oven I owned years ago that has since gone to toaster oven heaven. I know it looks gross, but I swear it's clean, and you wouldn't believe how often I actually use it.)

Meanwhile, you've been cooking your pasta and have drained it. Reserve some of the cooking water, and add the pasta to a bowl. Next, tip in the tomatoes and garlic, and any juices that collected in the pan, and add some chopped basil. Stir stir stir! Add in any cooking water to loosen the dish.

Pile it on your plate, drizzle with some olive oil, add a generous topping of parmesan cheese, and top with some fresh basil leaves. A really easy, summery tasting pasta dish in no time at all.

Easy tomato basil pasta (adapted from Shutterbean)

Here’s what you’ll need: *I halved the recipe and got two healthy servings

-1 lb, spaghetti
-1 lb. fresh cherry tomatoes (the more the merrier!)
-2 cloves garlic, chopped
-salt & pepper to taste
-olive oil

If you like your pasta a bit spicy, red pepper flakes will do the trick! You could also add some balsamic vinegar to bring out the sweetness of the tomatoes. Try it & enjoy!

Plum cake

Do you remember the plum cake from the movie Amelie? I think of that cake -- and that movie, (which would be a great choice for a rainy Sunday like today) -- every time I bake this cake. In the movie, quirky Amelie's cake had some magical properties, and I'm not sure the same could be said of this version. That being said, it's still very good and I think you ought to give it a try -- right after you finish watching the movie.

Start by assembling the batter. The lemon zest adds a fresh flavour to the baked cake.

Then spread into your springform pan. Don't worry about getting everything perfectly smooth because the fruit goes on next.

I used an assortment of plums, split and pitted. But you could just as easily made this cake with peches or nectaries.

Next, press the fruit into the batter. I tried for a bit of a pattern, and I love how the plump rounds of plum look nestled into the batter. So pretty!

Sprinkle with a bit of cinnamon and sugar before it goes into the oven to bake.

And when it's done, it'll look this. the fruit sinks into the cake, and the sugar provides some crunch on top. It smells heavenly as it bakes and cools in your kitchen.

Cut yourself a slice and enjoy a taste of summer!

Cinnamon-sugar plum cake (from Bon Appetit magazine)

1 1/4 cups all purpose flour
1 teaspoon baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (1 stick) unsalted butter, room temperature
3/4 cup plus 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
2 large eggs
1 tablespoon fresh lemon juice
1 teaspoon grated lemon peel

5 large plums (about 1 1/4 pounds), pitted, cut into 1/2-inch wedges
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon


Preheat oven to 350°F. Butter 9-inch-diameter springform pan. Whisk first 3 ingredients in small bowl to blend. Using electric mixer, beat butter in large bowl until fluffy. Beat in 3/4 cup sugar. Add eggs 1 at a time, then lemon juice and lemon peel, beating until blended after each addition. Beat in flour mixture. Spread batter in prepared pan.

Press plum wedges halfway into batter in concentric circles, spacing slightly apart. Mix remaining 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar and cinnamon in small bowl; sprinkle over plums. Bake until cake is browned on top and tester inserted into center comes out clean, about 50 minutes. Cut around cake; release pan sides. Serve cake warm or at room temperature.

Tomato basil pizza

I was in the mood for pizza on the weekend, and wanted to try cooking it on the barbecue. But when it started to rain -- and didn't stop -- on Sunday afternoon, I bit the bullet and turned on the oven to cook one inside.

I used the simple pizza dough recipe, and loaded the top with some small heirloom tomatoes I picked up at the market on the weekend. I'm not a fan of traditional pizza sauce, so I spread the base with some black olive tapenade first; just a thin layer evened out with the back of a spoon.

Then came the tomatoes, each one sliced in half, and some small boccacini balls, sliced in half too. I threw on a bit of leftover chicken as well.

Sprinkle with some fresh basil leaves, salt and pepper, and drizzle with a bit of olive oil and it's ready for the oven.
And here's how it turns out about 15 minutes later. I'm totally throwing modesty out the window and telling you that this pizza ROCKED! It smelled amazing and tasted just as good, especially adorned with a few fresh basil leaves. I may have to repeat this one next weekend -- barbecue or not.

Barbecued tarragon chicken

After years of apartment living and no access to a barbecue, I decided to take advantage of one of the benefits of home ownership and I bought myself a Webber charcoal kettle "Q" recently. I'm still learning how to master it, but I do feel like it's a throwback to the 1950s in my little backyard when I use it, what with the bag of charcoal and wooden matches and all.

The big bonus of the barbecue is that means I don't have to heat up the kitchen. The downside, I've learned, is that all my clothes smell like smoke after I'm done cooking. Perhaps everyone in the '50s spent all summer with the faint whiff of charcoal and burned meant about them?

Last weekend I decided to try my hand a little barbecued chicken. At first, I wasn't sure what to do about the marinade -- until I remembered the huge plot of tarragon I have in the garden. I've never grown tarragon before, and wasn't quite sure what to do with it. But a few quick minutes of Googling later, I came up with this solution that would put a dent in the old crop, and I had the other ingredients handy as well.

Here it is working its magic on the wee bird. I spatchcocked this one, which is essentially just cutting out the backbone so the chicken lays flat on the barbecue. I froze the backbone to use in chicken stock another time (read: when it's about 30 degrees cooler in my kitchen!)


And here it is after it was cooked. It took about 30 minutes or so, over indirect heat. The legs fell off when I took it off the grill, so that's a sign it's done!

I also barbecued some corn in the husks at the same time. I soaked the corn in water for a few minutes before putting them over the coals. It was good, but a bit tricky to husk, what with the peels being bloody hot and all.


Dijon and tarragon grilled chicken (from Bon Appetit)

•1/3 cup chopped fresh tarragon
•1/4 cup Dijon mustard
•1/4 cup dry white wine
•1 tablespoon olive oil
•1 tablespoon honey

Combine ingredients in processor. Process until smooth. Place chicken in glass baking dish. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Pour tarragon-mustard mixture over chicken; toss to coat. Let stand at room temperature 1 hour or refrigerate 2 to 4 hours, turning occasionally.

Prepare barbecue (medium heat). Place chicken on barbecue. Cover and grill until chicken is almost cooked through, turning every 5 minutes and basting with marinade, about 30 minutes. Grill without basting until chicken is cooked through, about 7 minutes longer. Serve chicken hot, warm, or at room temperature.

Sunday market haul

I've been hitting up the local markets pretty hard the past couple of weeks and lugging home bags of fresh goodies. It's pretty hard not to take advantage of everything that's so green and good these days. I try hard to remember the taste of August tomatoes in the middle of bleak, dark February.

Last week I went a bit fruit crazy. It all tasted great, but it was also beautiful to look at. I couldn't resist snapping some shots.

Bowl of Niagara peaches and assortment of plums.

Last of the season's sweet cherries.

And finally, blackberries. I ate these all week with yoghurt, drizzled with honey. Best snack ever!

Banana "ice cream"

Is there a better season than summer to truly appreciate ice cream?

There's not much better to celebrate a hot, sunny day than a bowl, or cone of icy, creamy goodness. I like ice cream in most of its forms, and am not really picky about flavours (though I probably would pass on strawberry). I think I've eaten ice cream, or some variation, in almost every country I've visited, from the refreshingly lemony gelato in Italy, to custardy ice in Portugal, and even to pretty passable stuff in Cuba, which is surprising given the skinny state of any cows we saw.

But since all those places are pretty far away, I needed a much closer solution for my ice cream craving. When I saw this recipe on TheKitchn for easy ice cream using only one ingredient, and I happened to have that one ingredient in my own kitchen, it was a convenient coincidence.

I've used frozen bananas before in smoothies, and know they lend a nice texture, but have never thought to enjoy them just on their own. But why shouldn't they make a great "ice cream"? They should -- and do!

I'm not even going to call this a recipe, because it's ridiculously simple. Start by chopping up two ripe bananas into coin-sized pieces and freeze them. Two hours should do it, but I left mine for about two days before I got around to doing anything with them, and they were fine. (Though I would recommend wrapping your plate in plastic wrap if you leave for more than a couple of hours to prevent browning.)

Frozen on the plate, and a bit tricky to remove. I left the plate on the counter for a minute or two while the fruit softened enough.

Then add the frozen pieces to a blender, or food processor and whiz to your heart's content. I used my mini chopper for this job. I also added a spoonful of coconut, because banana and coconut go so well together.

Blend for a bit and you'll end up with a silky mix you'll swear is actually ice cream. Taste it and you would think dairy somehow jumped into your blender when you weren't looking. It will even form scoops just like the real thing!

My combination with coconut was yummy, and next time I think I might add in a scoop of peanut butter. You might also think about adding in chocolate chips (dark or white), or walnuts might be good too.

So stay cool this summer and give banana ice cream a try!

Corn & ricotta cakes

It's corn season, and as much as I like good ol' corn on the cob, sometimes I fancy something different. So when I was flipping through a copy of this magazine, and stumbled on a recipe for ricotta corn cakes, I thought I should give it a try.

I happened to have a tub of ricotta in my fridge, bought on sale and so far unopened (ricotta has a remarkably long shelf life, in case you're wondering). I also bought some corn at the market, so the combination of ingredients seemed destined to combine.

I started by removing the kernals from the corn. Always easier in a bowl.

Then it's just a matter of mixing wet and dry ingredients, and adding in the corn. I halved the recipe, but ended up putting in two ears' worth of corn because one just didn't seem corny enough.

Here they are, cooking away.


And just a few minutes later, I was left with this fine looking plate. The cakes are slightly sweet and made a nice lunch. I also think they would be a great brunch item, particularly if you have some vegetarians 'round.

Corn & ricotta cakes (from Delicious magazine)

2 corn cobs, or 250 g canned kernels
3/4 c. buttermilk
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1 c. self-raising flour (I used regular a.p.)
2 tbsp. chopped chives
olive oil
salt and pepper to taste

Using a sharp knife, cut down each side of the corn cobs to remove the kernels.

Beat together buttermilk, eggs, ricotta, flour, salt and pepper into a bowl. Stir in the chives and corn.

Heat a large non-stick frypan over medium hat and add a splash of olive oil. Using 1/3 c. of batter for each corn cake, spoon the batter into the pan in batches of 2 or 3. Cook for 2-3 minutes on each side until browned and cooked through.

Baked eggs for a Sunday morning

Sunday mornings are the best -- especially if they're the Sunday of a long weekend! This morning I was up extra early so I could hit the farmers' market and beat the crowds (pictures of my haul to come).

But before I left, I made time for a bit of a special breakfast -- or at least a break from my usual oatmeal or yoghurt and fruit.

If you haven't had baked eggs before, you really ought to give them a try. They're easy, tasty and a nice way to start the day.

Start by buttering a couple of ramekins, or oven-proof small dishes. Then, crack an egg in each, and top with a bit of cream, really only a teaspoon or two. Then season with salt and pepper, some herbs of your choice (I used chives, tarragon and thyme from the garden) and sprinkly with a bit of grated cheese if you like.

Then, pop in a 350/375 degree oven, or you can sit them under the broiler if you prefer. They'll take anywhere from five to 10 minutes, depending on how well done you like your yolk. I prefer mine a bit runny so I can dip toast into it.

Enjoy with a hot cup of coffee, and maybe a newspaper, and try not to think about heading back to work!