Dangerously Delicious Doughnuts

It is holiday time again and I wanted to share with all of you a little family recipe that works not only for Christmas, but is perfect for Hannukah too! No, it isn’t fruitcake, but a light and airy little goodie called a doughnut. I am not talking about a garden variety chocolate glazed doughnut from the corner coffee place, I am talking about a rich, hot, buttery version. Made by you and for you.

My dad would make doughnuts every Christmas. My dad’s version is a small, free form doughnut that is super easy to make, and even easier to eat when the holiday munchies set in. Grab a group of friends and whip up a batch to enjoy with some hot toddies or mulled wine. Happy Holidays!

Les Beignes Lavallée

• 2½ cups (250g) flour

• 1¼ cups (240g) sugar

• 2 tsp (10ml) baking powder

• 1 tsp (5ml) baking soda

• 2 eggs

• 2 tbsp butter (28g); melted

• 4 cups (1L) oil * I use peanut oil or vegetable oil

• 3/4 cups (225ml) plain yogurt

• 1tsp (5ml) dark rum

Melt the butter. In a stand up mixer with dough hook, mix all the dry ingredients then add the wet ones. Mix until it comes together. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Heat oil to 300F or until the dough starts to sizzle when dropped in. With two wet teaspoons, make quenelle shapes (looks like a football) and drop into the oil. Cook until browned on one side, then flip and cook for a further 2-3 minutes. Once cooked (about 4-5 minutes depending on the size) drain on paper towel and roll in a mixture of white sugar and cinnamon.

Enjoy right away as they are best when eaten warm.

My 10 Favourite Holiday Recipes

Tourtiere

Pork Roast

Baked Beans

Salted Caramels

Chicken Liver Parfait

Pudding Chomeur

Seafood Chowder

Fruit Cake

Spiced Nuts

Shucked Oysters

The holidays can be a stressful time; family, friends, parties, presents, etc. I have  come to rely on a few recipes over the years to get me through the craziness of the holidays. Here are ten of my favorite, tried and true recipes that work for quick gatherings amongst friends or elaborate dinners with family. 

1. TOURTIÈRE

What can’t I say about this magnificent meat pie? It has been a staple in my life since day one and is still a holiday favorite. My secret? My spices; cloves, cinnamon, allspice and a little something extra that I cannot divulge. To me, tourtiere just smells and tastes like the holidays.

2. PORK ROAST

Oh the pig! I Enjoy roasting his big ‘ol hind leg with tons of savory and oh the cracklin’! Enjoy him hot out of the oven and the next day, cold and thinly sliced on toast with a slathering of the now solid pan/fat juices. 

3. PUDDING CHOMEUR

Maple syrup dessert overload! If you love maple syrup and you love dessert, this scrumptious French Canadian pudding is for you. Forget about the buche de Noel, make this dessert your go to for the holidays.

4. BAKED BEANS

Especially good cooked with pork belly, maple syrup and salted lard. These beans are worth making over the holidays. They are also awesome the next day, heated up in a skillet and served with eggs and bacon.

5. SEAFOOD CHOWDER

A big bowl of warmth on a cold holiday eve. Santa Claus would certainly be happy getting a bowl of this after delivering all those toys than sugary cookies. This is a Maritime favorite, and has become one of mine since moving here. I like to add smoked oysters to my chowder to make it extra special.

6. SALTED CARAMELS

This is the gift that I give during the holidays. The perfect hostess gift and a perfect way to win over the mother in law. These buttery little treats go fast, so make sure to stash a few for yourself.

7. FRUIT CAKE

Yep, I love fruit cake! Soaked in dark rum and aged for over a month, this boozy cake is best eaten as a midnight snack with a glass of wine. Not a lover? Try this one and I guarantee it will win you over.

8. CHICKEN LIVER PARFAIT

Unctuous, buttery and decadent. What better way to start a holiday gathering than having some of this spreadable goodness? Easy to make, easier to eat. The best holiday hors d’oeuvre.

9. SPICED NUTS

Salty, spicy nut? Why yes, thank you. How about a glass of Nova Scotia sparkling to accompany it? So tasty, these little treats will keep your guests happy and have them begging for more once they have run out.

10. SHUCKED OYSTERS

Briny bivalves are a great way to ring in the New Year or eat on a quiet night at home. A Lavallee holiday favorite, you can’t go wrong with a few dozen shucked Black Point or Eel Lake oysters and mignonette.

The holidays are a great time of year. I especially love the eating and entertaining. These ten holiday favorites have made my life easier, and I am sure they will for you too. Have a few holiday favorites of your own? Please feel free to share them with me as I always love to hear your feedback.

Granola - Breakfast of Champions

Are there mornings where you find yourself on auto pilot? Wake up, roam around like a zombie, caffinate, and attempt to begin the day. Wait, did I miss something? Probably like most of you, I did. Breakfast.

If you are like me, this is a meal that I have skipped for ages. Just because I cook for a living, it does not mean that I eat properly. Sure, some of us consider that cup of Joe our breakfast, but that is by no means considered a meal.

I am not promoting skipping this most important meal of the day, and yes it is the most important. I take the time the make sure both of my kids eat a healthy breakfast, but as I sit there, beside them and encourage them to eat it all up, I am still skipping my morning nosh. So, what can I do to change my unhealthy behavior?

Maybe I need an incentive. Some food item that excites me and makes me want to take the time to nourish my poor sleep deprived body, and make sure that I fill it up with the fuel that is needed to make me function properly throughout my day.

The list of possibilities are endless; eggs, toast and smoothies. In a perfect world, my man servant would serve me up a European style breakfast of cured meats and cheese, but alas, my winning lottery ticket has yet to be bought.

My husband leaves the house every morning with a jar of milk, a piece of fruit and his incentive, my homemade granola. Yes, this fruit and nut mixture is what makes him run like a fine tuned sports car, and purr all day long.

Ah the granola. Making your own granola sounds like a lot  of work but it isn't. Think of it as a fun project to make at night instead of watching the boob tube, or a rainy day activity with the kids. I switch mine up by adding whatever dried fruit and nuts I have on hand at the time. You can add honey, molasses or maple syrup to the mix, and if you want to be sassy, add some dried, crystallized ginger.

Want to turn it into a snack your kids will ask for? Throw in some chocolate chips and dried banana at the end once it is all cooled down. Granola in a fancy pants jar also makes a perfect gift for a hostess or birthday gal.

Try whipping up a batch of granola and make it your own. This mix goes great with yogurt, and I even sprinkle it on ice cream. Soak it in milk and plain yogurt for an hour an it turns into the ultimate muesli too.

Granola

• 450ml (5C) old fashioned rolled oats
• 375ml (3C) chopped almonds (or any nut that you prefer)
• 125ml (1C) sunflower seeds
• 125ml (1C) pumpkin seeds
• 125ml (1C) unsweetened shredded coconut
• 30ml (2tbsp) ground flax seeds

Mix all ingredients and add:

• 250ml (1C) honey
• 250ml (1C) maple syrup
• 150ml (1/2C) canola oil (or walnut oil works too)

Mix together and put on parchment lined baking sheets in thin layers and bake at 150c (300F) for about 45 minutes; making sure to stir every ten minutes.

Cook until golden brown, cool, and then add:

• 125g (1C) raisins
• 125g (1C) dried blueberries
• 125g (1C) dried cranberries

Store in a sealed jar. Keeps for about a month. 

Lamb Tagine - Toddler Approved.

I have a number of favorite dishes on rotation in my house. Lamb tagine is definitely one of them! How good is this dish you ask? Well, my two year old boy, Phil - who happens to be the pickiest eater on the planet, gives it two big thumbs up. 

Aside from being toddler approved, this dish is very easy and quite healthy. I usually serve it over brown rice or couscous. 

I recently made this dish at the Select Nova Scotia "Meet Your Farmer" event in Dartmouth. I was fortunate enough to show people how to make this recipe while standing alongside my favourite lamb farmer in the province, Bill Wood of Wood 'n Hart Farm. During this event I received tons of requests to re-post the recipe. I also had some folks ask me if I could put together a video recipe as well. So folks, here it is, lamb tagine...the video.

If you're looking for the full recipe, I actually wrote about this dish in a post from March of 2010. This post can be found here:

Lamb Tagine - complete Recipe and photos

Spicy Pickled Green Tomatoes

​Here's a great pickling recipe that I did several weekend. It's from one of my favourite new cookbooks: A New Turn to the South by Hugh Acheson. I have pulled a jar of these pickles out on several occasions and they are amazing! They're awesome on their own or even in a sandwich.

Directions

1. ​Core and thinly slice tomatoes. (1/4" thick)

2. Process jars. I used 500ml wide mouth mason jars. Here are good instructions for preparing the jars.

3. Stack sliced tomatoes in processed jars.​ Make sure to leave enough room at the top for the brine.

4. ​Ladle hot brine into jars. Leave about 1/2" of space at the top of the jar. See the brine recipe below.

5. Process filled jars in boiling water for 8 minutes.​

BRINE (for 6 500ml jars)

• 2C sugar

• 2 Tsp mustard seed

• 2 Tsp fennel seed

• 1 Tsp hot smoked paprika

• pinch of red pepper flakes

• 2 2/3 C cider vinegar

• 1 1/3 C water

Bring all ingredient to a boil in a pot. Simmer for 2 minutes.