Renee & Zoe's Strawberry Ice Cream

As I had promised in my blog post last week and as per the video, here is my recipe for Strawberry Ice Cream.

Strawberry Ice Cream

Makes Approximately 2L

• 2C of strawberries; hulled and washed
• 1C sugar
• 2C whole milk
• 2C 35% cream
• 1 vanilla bean; scraped (optional)
• 6 egg yolks

In a pot, add the strawberries and about 1 tbsp of the sugar. Bring to a boil and turn off.

In another pot, add the milk, 1/2C of the sugar and the vanilla bean. Bring to a simmer but not a boil. While this is happening, separate your eggs and whisk yolks with the sugar. Once the milk and cream has come to s simmer, slowly add a ladleful at a time to the egg mixture; constantly whisking so that they eggs do not cook. Add a few more until the egg mixture is tempered then pour back into the pot with the remaining milk and cream.

Slowly cook over medium heat until the mixture thickens and can coat the back of a spoon. Pour through a sieve to remove vanilla beans and any solid and mix with the cooked strawberry mixture.

Cool completely, preferably overnight in the fridge. To make the ice cream the next day, follow the manufacturers instructions on your ice cream machine.

Tuesdays are here to stay.

For the past two years, Tuesdays have been the days when my Chronicle Herald column would come out. Now, that my column is no longer running, I felt the need to continue my "Tuesday" stories of food and fun. I promise, whole heartedly,  to have a new post every Tuesday and even a few peppered in between too.

For my first Tuesday post, I want to share a super simple yet beautiful snack that I recently made for my Sunday family dinners. Every second Sunday, my husbands family gathers to eat, talk and hang out. I feel this is very important not only for my husband, but for our two kids. Family time over the dinner table is something that has become extinct, and I am trying to bring it back!

This particular Sunday, the hot house tomatoes had just appeared at the market and Doug had made a batch of his now famous, no-knead bread. With mere minutes to whip up a spectacular looking dinner for ten people, I threw together a few simple and tasty ingredients that were lurking in my fridge; pickled red onions, goats cheese and pea shoots. I quickly toasted slices of the day old bread and gave them a splash of olive oil and salt and pepper. My mixed coloured tomatoes, some fresh basil from my garden and a good splash of olive oil finished the pretty dish. So simple, yet so satisfying. Once placed on a platter on our dinner table, the ooh's and aah's came out and everyone tucked in to a delicious treat.

Now that Summer is here, feel free to take what I have made and use it as an outline. I love loading my home made crostinis with everything from smashed peas and mint with feta, to earthy roasted chanterelle mushrooms with bacon.  Invite your family over for dinner and wow them with your simple Sunday meal.

Jambon Dans Le Petit Moulin

We all have childhood memories; smells, tastes, textures. One particular food memory for me was when my maman would boil a ham. It sounds pretty simple, and it was, but what came out of this ham was pretty darn good. The boiling liquid would get saved for ham and pea soup, and after a few days of ham with beans or potato salad, we would take all the little bits and pieces leftover and make "jambon dans le petit moulin" which is basically ham passed through the grinder.

I still remember the first time my husband came to visit me at my parents' place and the look of wonder on his face when I pulled out an old school, hand cranked meat grinder and set it up at the end of the kitchen table. With ham scraps in hand, some celery, onion, mayo, relish and mustard, the magic began. The meat, onions and celery go through the meat grinder (followed by a wee bit of bread to clean it all out), mix with the other ingredients and savour the flavour of this yummy ham mix. To this day, it is a special treat to make and eat.

Maple, Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup

By now, most people are aware that I do a monthly dinner with the Two If By Sea crew and we call them "TIBS Family Dinners". Our last dinner, on March 30th, I decided to go hog wild on the maple syrup, and devote a dinner to the syrupy stuff. Well, the first course (after my amuse of home-made pork rinds!) was a rich and tasty soup of wild rice, mushrooms and maple. Many of those who attended, have asked me for the recipe, so here it is folks! Whip up a batch, close your eyes, and imagine that you are at the TIBS Dinner.

Maple, Mushroom & Wild Rice Soup

• 1 lbs mushrooms (you can use white or cremini); sliced
• 1 onion; roughly chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic; minced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/2 C wild rice
• 4 C stock (chicken or vegetable)
• salt & pepper
• 4 bay leaves
• 1/4 C dark maple syrup
• 1 C 35% cream

In a heavy bottomed pot, melt the butter. Add the onions and garlic and sautee until translucent. Add the mushrooms and cook until all the liquid has evaporated. Add the rice, stock, bay leaves, ample syrup and salt and pepper. Cook for about an hour; until the rice is very cooked. Puree half of the soup, and add back to the pot. Add the cream and more seasoning if needed. Also, thin out with more stock if the soup is too thick for you. This soup is better the next day, and for many days after that too.

If you're interested in attending a TIBS Family Dinner, visit the TIBS Family DInner Facebook Page and/or send us an email to tibsfamilydinner@gmail.com to be added to our mailing list.

My Secret Spaghetti Sauce Recipe

This spaghetti sauce was a favourite of mine growing up  and now it has become a favourite my own family. This is the first time that I'm sharing this recipe with the masses! Make a batch and invite your friends and family over for a feast.

Superbowl Spiced Nuts

Here's a quick recipe for some awesome spiced mixed nuts. This is an awesome Superbowl snack and beer is definitely the ideal pairing. Give this recipe a try and let me know what you think!

WARNING: These nuts are addictive. Seriously.

Vegetarian Lasagna

I love lasagna. The cheesy, gooey lasagna. But, since being in my meatless faze, I decided to forgo my usual meat version  and try a roasted vegetable one.

This was easy enough; fresh pasta sheets, bechamel sauce, roasted vegetables and cheese (lots and lots of cheese!). The mix of vegetables; sweet potato, peppers, onions, mushrooms, broccoli and cauliflower, were simply done in the oven with olive oil and seasoning. The bechamel, a simple white sauce enhanced with bay leaves. Some frozen chopped spinach and a good mound of mozzarella cheese finished the job.

Layer upon layer of sauce, veg, spinach and cheese. Into a 375 oven for 45 minutes and what came out was a heavenly, light lasagna. Try this vegetarian version next time you have a hankering for a cheesy delight.

Bechamel Sauce

• 5 tablespoons butter
• 4 tablespoons all-purpose flour
• 4 cups milk
• 2 teaspoons salt
• 2 Bay leaves

In a medium saucepan, heat the butter over medium-low heat until melted. Add the flour and stir until smooth. Over medium heat, cook until the mixture turns a light, golden sandy color, about 6 to 7 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the milk in a separate pan until just about to boil. Add the hot milk to the butter mixture 1 cup at a time, whisking continuously until very smooth. Bring to a boil. Add Bay leaves and cook 10 minutes, stirring constantly, then remove from heat. Season with salt and set aside until ready to use.