Kitchen Scraps won big time at the Canadian Food Blog Awards in the Best Professional Food Blogger category. And in my humble Canadian way I would like to say thank you to Beer and Buttertarts.

Along with the Canadian spirit here is a great Canadian recipe excerpted from Kitchen Scraps: A Humourous Illustrated Cookbook.

It’s ripe with innuendo

LumberJack Flap Jacks

Perhaps the wood is always best first thing in the morning, because nothing gets lumberjacks up faster than morning wood. But what keeps lumberjacks going all day long? Light, fluffy pancakes, full of hearty energy to keep their axes swinging from morning to night. And if you want to go at it all day like a lumberjack, here is a lunch recipe to keep you going all day.

BMP: Bacon and maple syrup on pancake

Pack a hearty lunch with your leftover pancakes. Just slap a couple pieces of bacon (the regular kind or Canadian bacon) and a swizzle of maple syrup between two pancakes, and voilà, you have a pancake picnic. Also try adding lettuce and tomato and a gloop of mayo for a hearty BLT.

If you missed quick pickles on Breakfast TV this morning, here’s what you missed….

We made Pear and clove, Peach and ginger, Prune and spices, Sweet peppers and rosemary.

Quick pickles are a fast way to get pickle flavour without having to break out your grannies rusty canning equipment. These are not a true preserving pickle, but they will last for 2-3 weeks in your fridge and they are super easy to make in small batches so it won’t feel like a hassle to whip up a bunch.

The simple  ratio is easy to adjust to suit your taste whether you crave salty pickles, sweet pickles or extra sour pickles. Plus you don’t have to limit your choice of pickling items to cucumbers. There are tonnes of yummy fruits and veggies just begging to be a quickie pickle.

Here is the basic recipe…

Quickie Pickles

2 cups water

1 cups vinegar or acid

1 Tbsp salt (double if you want salty pickles)

1 Tbsp sugar (double if you want sweet pickles)

spices of choice (dried or fresh herbs, spices or any kind of tea)

1½ cups of diced, sliced or broken down vegetable/fruit

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Place the vegetable/fruit in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the spices if necessary, directly over the vegetable/fruit to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2-3 weeks.

Here are the rest of the recipes from the show….

Pear Pickles

2 cups water

¾ cups white wine vinegar

¼ cup sherry vinegar

1 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

3 cloves

1½ cups of diced pear

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Peel and dice the pear quickly as the pear will oxidize. Place the diced pear in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the spices if necessary, directly over the diced pear to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Serve with crackers and really good stinky blue cheese.

Peach Pickles

2 cups water

¾ cup white wine vinegar

¼ cup white balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp salt

2 Tbsp sugar

2 slices of fresh ginger

zest of ½ orange, removed in big strips using a peeler

1½ cups of peeled and diced peach

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Place the peeled and diced peaches in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the spices, directly over the peach to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Scoop some pickled peaches on a round of brie before it goes in the oven to get all good and gooey.

Peck of pepper Pickles

2 cups water

½ cup white wine vinegar

½ cup red wine vinegar

1 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

2 tsp dried rosemary or oregano

1½ cups of small seeded sweet peppers

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Place the seeded peppers in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the rosemary, directly over the seeded peppers to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Serve pickled peppers with all your favourite antipasto meats and cheeses or as a garnish on a pizza or a bowl of pasta.

Prune Pickles

2 cups water

¾ cups red wine vinegar

¼ cup balsamic vinegar

2 Tbsp salt

1 Tbsp sugar

2 sticks of cinnamon

2 cloves

6 black peppercorns

1½ cups of prunes

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes.

Place the prunes in a large heatproof bowl. Pour the brine, straining out the spices, directly over the prunes to cover.

Wrap the bowl tightly in plastic wrap and allow pickles to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

Serve these prunes with nice sizzling, dripping roasts or patés.

If you are all the way down here you get a bonus… MORE QUICKLES HERE and HERE

Skinny Dipping video.

Cowboys eat unhealthy stacks of flap jacks while their adversaries eat green, stay lean and get mean. There isn’t much a competition if the cowboy only has to stay on for 8 seconds. If you want to get the big bull advantage you’ll need to step your game up with one of these detox shakes before (or after) Stampede. Get the steer out of your rear and get it in gear.

Green Bull Energy drink

Makes enough for 2 unless you want it all to yourself

1 oz. shot of wheat grass juice (fresh or frozen, see sourcing below)

1 avocado, peeled and pitted

1/2 english cucumber, peeled and seeded

1 kiwi, peeled

1 1/2  cups white cranberry juice or white grape juice

1/2 cup of ice

1 small handful of cilantro leaves (optional)

Here’s a fair warning before you get going. Wheatgrass is full of health benefits, however it can also have some health issues concerning mold and mildew. Buying fresh wheatgrass means you need to check for mold and mildew which can lead to an upset tummy or worse. Use your juicer to extract the juice or simply buy wheat grass juice by the shot.

In a blender, combine the wheat grass juice, a peeled and pitted avocado, peeled and seeded cucumber, peeled kiwi, white cranberry juice and the optional cilantro.

Put a lid on the blender and turn it on low, gradually increase the speed and blend until nice and smooth.

Add the ice and continue blending until totally smooth.

Serve it nice and cold in a clear glass.

More on wheatgrass…

gets along with

apple, basil, beet juice, cilantro, coconut milk, cucumber juice, lemon, honey, most sweet fruit juices, yogurt.

Sourcing

If you have a juicer you can get live wheatgrass at specialty health shops like Community Natural Foods or the Farmer’s Market. It comes in small hydroponic planter boxes with tightly packed blades of grass like a little bunch of turf.

Since wheatgrass is consumed raw it is important to make sure there is no mold or mildew around the roots which can be quite dangerous and give you a devastating bug or at the very least rough and tumble tummy rumble. When in doubt, throw it out.

Get freshly juiced wheatgrass by the shot at juice joints like Jugo Juice (jugojuice.com) and Booster Juice (www.boosterjuice.com). It tastes the way it looks, so get ready to chase it with something tastier.

OR You can pick up of wheatgrass ice cubes at Planet Organic and Community Natural Foods. Convenient portions of wheatgrass juice frozen and ready for use.

quickeat

Make a green tzatziki. Add some wheatgrass juice to yogurt with lots of cilantro, a grated cucumber (squeeze out the excess juice), a clove of grated garlic and a bit of salt. Use it like a sauce to mellow out spicy curries or for dipping warm pita bread.

tidbit

A one ounce shot of wheatgrass is the nutritional equivalent of 2.5 pounds of garden fresh veggies. It’s packed with the full range of vitamins, antioxydants and green chlorophyll which is the first consumable conversion of sunlight energy.

Celiacs need not worry. Wheatgrass is the first stage in the growth of a wheat plant, but until it sprouts wheat berries it remains gluten-free.

Fun times on Breakfast TV Calgary this morning with Andy and Susanne. Demo’ed how to make Carrot and Ginger quickie pickles from Kitchen Scraps and talked about some other pickling. We also paired the pickles with some great cheeses and cured meats from Janice Beaton Fine Cheese. 

But first here is the fast and loose ratio and procedure for the brine

2 cups water
1 cups vinegar or acid
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
spices of choice

Procedure

Bring all the ingredients for the brine to boil until the sugar and salt dissolve. Let it steep for 10 minutes. In a large heatproof bowl pour (strain if necessary) the brine directly over the vegetable/fruit to cover.
Wrap tightly in plastic wrap and allow to cool to room temperature before refrigerating. Will be good to eat in an hour and will last in the fridge for 2 weeks.

This isn’t the first post about quickie pickles, but here are some new recipes to try. 

cherry, clove + star anise

20 cherries, pitted and halved
brine
2 cups water
3/4 cup red wine vinegar + 1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
1 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp sugar
8 cloves
1 star anise

Paired with Duck Rilette from Janice Beaton Fine Cheese

citrusy yellow beets

8-10 small yellow beets, peeled and thinly sliced
brine
2 cups water
juice of 1 lemon, plus enough vinegar to make 1 cup
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 orange

Paired with Paillot de Chevre from Janice Beaton Fine Cheese

cukes

10 small pickling cucumbers, cut into 1/4 inch slices
brine
2 cups water
1 cup vinegar
3 Tbsp sugar
2 Tbsp salt
1 Tbsp whole corriander seeds
1 Tbsp fennel seeds
1 tsp tumeric
1 tsp cumin

Paired with Wensleydale Cheddar from Janice Beaton Fine Cheese

 

red, red onion

1 red onion, finely shaved
brine
2 cups water
1 cup red wine vinegar
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt

Paired with 5 pepper country paté from Janice Beaton Fine Cheese

carrot and ginger

8-10 small yellow beets, peeled and thinly sliced
brine
2 cups water
juice of 1 lemon, plus enough vinegar to make 1 cup
2 Tbsp sugar
1 Tbsp salt
zest of 2 lemons
zest of 1 orange

Paired with Smoked buffalo from Janice Beaton Fine Cheese

Plus here is a sneak peak at the quickie pickle recipe from Kitchen Scraps. Carrot and Ginger Quickie Pickle is part of the Interootial-marriage section.

When the Romans saw something they wanted, they just whipped out their spears and made it their own. It is the ease with which the Romans could simply lift a leg and march on a city that ranked the Romans as number one amongst their peers.

Asparagus was once free and wild as the breeze it swung in, but when the Romans got a taste for this wee wild grass, they captured and cultivated it for their pleasure. As Roman soldiers continued to assertively mark their territory throughout the known world, so did asparagus following in the soldiers’ tracks.

However, long after the last Roman legions trickled out, asparagus continued to flow steadily throughout the Middle East, modern Europe and eventually made its course across the ocean to the Americas.

Today we can commemorate another asparagus season with this recipe for toast soldiers, asparagus spears and soft-boiled eggs.

INGREDIENTS

 Asparagus spears

12 asparagus spears

juice and zest of one lemon

drizzle of olive oil

salt and pepper to taste

Soft-boiled eggs

4 eggs

salt and pepper

Toast soldiers

2 pieces of bread

butter 

PROCEDURE

Preheat the oven to 425˚F.

Hold an asparagus by each end in your fingertips. Bend the asparagus, applying slightly more pressure to the fat end until the asparagus snaps. Wherever it snaps is the perfect spot. You can chuck the fat ends and toss all the spears in a single layer in an ovenproof dish. Dirzzle on some olive oil, the zest and juice of one lemon and season with salt and pepper. Toss them with your hands to coat and get them in the oven for 20 minutes. Flip them half way through the cooking.

To soft boil eggs

Get all four eggs in a small pot and submerge by ½-inch in cold water. Get the pot on the stove over high heat. When the little bubbles begin to break the surface 6 at a time, turn on your timer to exactly 4.5 minutes. If the water starts to boil really vigorously, you can turn it down a bit so the eggs don’t get too rattled.

When 4.5 minutes is up, drain the eggs immediately and use a sharp knife to crack them open.  Start with a little tap to break the shell, then a quick hard cut to go all the way through. Season the runny yolk generously with salt and pepper.

To make the toast soldiers

Place the bread in a toaster and hit the magic toast button. Pretty soon the toaster will spit out some toast. Apply butter to the toast, then cut it into 4 long strips, or toast soldiers.

Serve eggs in an egg cup along with 3  toast soldiers and 6 asparagus spears.

Four number ones

Modern scientists do not have any conclusive evidence regarding the effects of asparagus on urine. No one has quite been able to narrow down the compound responsible for causing malodorous urine after consuming asparagus. It could be dimethyl sulfide or S-methylthioacrylate… personally I think it’

s the methanethiol.

The greater mystery is how and why it affects people in different ways. Only some people produce the sulfurous smelling urine after consuming asparagus but, to complicate things, not every one who produces the odour is able to smell it. Resulting in four ‘dis-tinked’ catagories

Those who produce the odour but cannot smell it
Those who do not produce the odour and cannot smell it
Those who produce the odour and can smell it
Those who do not produce the odour but can smell it in other peoples’ urine

More research is clearly needed on this subject …

In an attempt to persuade the deviled egg to choose between it’s inherent devilish nature or become a good egg we have two sides to the argument. To present both sides of the argument Conversations with a Cupcake and Kitchen Scraps have agreed to disagree on the subject of good versus evil in order to lure the Deviled egg to see their point of view. The inherently angelic Brooke from Conversations with a Cupcake will attempt to persuade the egg that it is a good egg. While the irreverently devilish Pierre from Kitchen Scraps will use every rotten-egg trick in the book to get the egg to join the dark side. In the end it will be the reader who decides wether or not the Deviled Egg is good or evil.

The Devil’s Advocate

This is not even a debate, you’re a devilled egg!

Unless you are planning on getting an egg-corcism, you are going to remain a rotten little egg until the day you get fried. So, forget about what’s fair or fowl, eggsercise your rights to be your own egg.

I imagine you’re a little scrambled at the moment, but let’s face it, you’re a bad egg so just try to egg-roll with it or you’ll end up going soft. Toughen up that shell.

You may not be an egg-head, but you’re smart enough to know you’re on an egg-celerated spiral down if you join those other whitey yolkels in their cardboard coffins. You might as well be humpty-dumpty, cause you’ll never be able to put yourself back together again…

It’s not that I’m trying to egg you on, but for the record, the chicken came first… what do you expect, you got no feet? Life can be such a cruel yolk. Speaking of bad yolks… when was the last time you even got laid? Maybe it’s time to meet some older chicks and forget about being such a good egg. 

See what Brooke over at Conversations with a Cupcake has to say about being a good egg… and have your say at the reader poll over there. 

* Poll’s closed and wouldn’t you frigging know it, good triumphed over evil. Isn’t that always the way… $%#$*@ing Hell!

_______________________________

CRIMSON SMOKED DEVILED EGGS

Inspired by kokkina avga–the ruby hued eggs exchanged during the Greek Pasha (Easter) celebration–these red-deviled eggs recieve ample amounts of  color and flavor from beets, smoked paprika, and a hit of cayenne pepper.  Don’t be alarmed by the untraditional mixture of ingredients.  You’ll find the taste is both gloriously good and devilishly delicious.

INGREDIENTS

12 eggs

8 1/2 oz. can sliced beets, drained and pureed

1/2 t. cayenne pepper

1 t. smoked paprika

1/2 t. salt 

2 T. sour cream

1 T. mayonnaise

1 t. onion powder

1/2 t. red icing paste

2 T. microplaned smoked parmesan or romano

2 T. sliced fresh chives

PROCEDURE

To boil eggs (without that devilish grey ring around the yolk): Fill a large pot with enough water to fully cover eggs.  Cover with a lid.  Bring to a boil and cook 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and allow to sit an additional 5 minutes.  Drain water from pot, then cover eggs quickly with ice.  Allow to sit five minutes more. Carefully crack eggs, remove peels, cut in half and place cooked yolks in a medium bowl. 
To yolks, add beets, red pepper, paprika, salt, sour cream, mayonnaise, onion powder and icing coloring.  Mash with a fork until well mixed and smooth.  Spoon or pipe mixture into center ofegg whites.  Garnish with a sprinkling of cheese and chives.

_______________________________

Big huge thanks to Conversations with a Cupcake for coming up with the recipe and the idea to collaborate on such a fun project.

Once upon a time there lived four mole brothers named Marcello, Malcolm, Malvolio and Maury. On the first morning of Spring they were all suddenly awoken by a magnificent medley of Springtime smells wafting down to their mole hole. They all dashed to the front hole to see if they could identify the smell, but when they got to the door three of the brothers all got jammed in the entrance with their noses sticking out and the last brother was stuck behind them with no chance of getting through.

Although they were stuck, the three brothers swooned over the amazing Spring smells wafting through their sleepy winter noses.

Marcello sighed at the nectarous bouquet of flowers, Malcolm trilled at the sweet perfume of honey and Malvolio was ecstatic over the syrupy scent of fresh pancakes!

But Maury, who was stuck behind all of them, grumbled that all he could smell was mole-asses.

Here is a recipe for all of you who are patiently waiting just a little longer for Spring to arrive.

INGREDIENTS 

Batter

½ cup flour + 1 Tbsp

½ cup milk

1 egg

pinch of salt

Molasses Apples

3 Tbsp unsalted butter

1 apple, peeled, cored and diced

2 Tbsp molasses

garnish

powdered sugar

PROCEDURE

This is one of those recipes that you’ll need to follow the rules carefully.

Get all your batter ingredients into a bowl and mix with a whisk to incorporate for 2 minutes. You should end up with plenty of tiny lumps in the batter. Lumpy batter works best, don’t strain out the lumps. Let the batter rest for 30-60 minutes at room temperature. Resting is important!

Set up a rack in the middle of your oven then preheat the oven to 450˚ F. Use a 9” inch all-metal pan (frying pan or pie plates work great). When the oven is up to 450˚ F blap the pan in the oven to preheat for at least 15 minutes. Meanwhile mix the diced apple with the molasses, then just plop the cold butter on top in the bowl.

Remove the hot pan and quickly toss in the apples, butter and molasses. Shake the pan to evenly distribute and blap the whole thing back in the oven for exactly 4 minutes.

After 4 minutes remove the pan and pour in the batter in a circular pattern starting around the edges and working into the middle. Quickly toss it back in the oven. Close the oven door and keep it closed for 16-18 minutes. If you open the door the pancake will deflate.  It will start to rise around the 10 minute mark, but don’t open the door to check it. Turn the oven light on and look through the glass to watch it rise.

Check the pancake after 16 minutes. The edges will be puffed up and it may appear to be burnt, but that is just the dark molasses.

Remove the pan and serve it immediately with powdered sugar or ice cream on top.

Serves two. To serve more make it again, don’t double the recipe.