Looking for a little holiday flavour?
In the last edition of The Record, we started a roundup of Christmas recipes – featuring suggestions from some of the city’s best chefs, along with our own staff favourites. We continue the fun today with offerings from Amber Anderson of Amber’s Choice, Dan Close of the Spud Shack and our own Cayley Dobie.
Happy eating!
File photo/THE RECORD
A sweet tooth’s delight – Gooey Brownies
By Amber Anderson, Amber’s Choice
“I have a fantastic gooey brownie recipe – they are the best I have tasted. Mmmmmm …,” writes Amber Anderson of her holiday offering.
1 cup butter
2-1/4 cup sugar
5 eggs
1/2 tablespoon vanilla
3/4 cup flour plus 1 tablespoon flour
3/4 cup cocoa powder plus 1 tablespoon cocoa powder
1/4 tablespoon salt
1/2 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips
Melt butter and sugar in a sauce pan on very low (just until all melted). Transfer butter mixture to a large bowl. Add egg one at a time. Mix each egg into butter mixture and mix well. Sift dry ingredients together, then add to egg mixture.
Oil and flour a nine-by-13-inch cake pan, pour batter into pan and sprinkle chocolate chips on top.
Bake at 350 degrees for 35 minutes (the batter will still be a little soft). Take out of oven and let cool.
Add a maple twist – Maple syrup Brussels sprouts
By Cayley Dobie, reporter
This is a twist on a Weight Watchers recipe I stumbled upon last holiday season.
I play pretty fast and loose with all recipes, and I encourage you to do the same. Everything right down to the ingredients can be tweaked, so go ahead and make it your own.
What you’ll need:
Cooking spray
2 cups Brussels sprouts
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
2x 1/4 tsp of sea salt
1/4 tsp black pepper
2 tbsp of balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp of maple syrup
Instructions:
Preheat oven to 450 F. Coat a large baking/roasting pan with cooking spray.
Cut the Brussels sprouts in half (or to a desired size – sometimes I keep them whole if I’m feeling lazy) and place them in the baking pan.
Add the olive oil, 1/4 tsp. (or to taste) of the sea salt and black pepper. Mix it well so all the Brussels sprout are coated in oil.
Roast for about 10 minutes, and then stir the Brussels sprouts and rotate the pan. Roast them for about another 10 minutes or until cooked to your liking (I like mine pretty soft).
While the Brussels sprouts are cooking, combine the balsamic vinegar, maple syrup and remaining sea salt in a small saucepan and cook over medium-high heat.
Bring the mixture to boil and keep it boiling, stirring frequently, until it thickens and becomes gooey.
Take the Brussels sprouts out of the oven and place them in a serving dish. Drizzle the syrup mixture over the Brussels right before you serve them.
(Note: If you cook the syrup drizzle too long, it’ll get too sticky and hard to use.)
File photo/THE RECORD
Get creative with wild mushrooms – Wild Mushroom Bruschetta
By Dan Close, Spud Shack Fry Co.
Ingredients:
1 package puff pastry rolled to 1/4 inch thickness
Soft cream cheese, as needed
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp butter (optional)
2 large shallots
3 cloves garlic
1 to 2 lb. wild mushrooms cut into 1-inch pieces (chanterelles, portobello, shiitake, crimini, morels)
1/4 cup red wine
2-3 Tbsp chopped fresh herbs (Italian parsley, thyme, rosemary, chives)
Salt and pepper to taste
Truffle oil, as needed (preferably white, but black will do)
Three-year-old white Quebec cheddar (finely grated using a rasp), as needed
Directions
Roll out the puff dough and prick it all over with a fork. Bake the dough in a 400 F oven for approximately 10 to 15 minutes, don’t let it burn. Allow the baked puff dough to cool, lightly push down any dough that has risen too high.
In a sautee pan, heat the oil and butter till melted. While stirring add the shallots, do not burn. Once shallots have softened, add the garlic and cook for another three to five minutes.
Add mushrooms to the pan and cook for five to 10 minutes, stirring occasionally.
Once all the liquid from the mushrooms has evaporated, deglaze with the red wine.
Allow all the red wine to reduce till almost dry. Add chopped herbs to taste. Season with salt and pepper to taste and allow to cool.
Spread cream cheese over cooled puff dough. Add mushroom mixture to puff dough.
Top with truffle oil and grated cheese.
Bake in the oven at 350 F, for approximately 10 minutes. Remove from oven, cut and enjoy.
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Got a favourite dish to share?
In our two-part Taste of Christmas section, we’ve offered you a chance to enjoy recipes from some top chefs and a couple of our staff members.
You can try your hand at everything from making your own duck prosciutto (courtesy of Todd Bright of Wild Rice) to making ooey-gooey-good chocolate brownies (courtesy of Amber Anderson of Amber’s Choice).
Now it’s your turn.
Do you have a favourite holiday recipe to share with other readers? Send your holiday food ideas to reporter Cayley Dobie, [email protected].
Check out our full list of holiday recipes online at www.royalcityrecord.com – click on the Community tab and follow the link for Food.
