Kate's Cuisine

When the weather finally turns warm after a long Ontario winter, there’s little that I love more than firing up the grill and getting the smell of good barbecue into the air. One of the first things to go on is usually some nice fatty chops, always with the bone in, as this adds to the flavour. It does take them a bit longer to cook though, so make sure that you do finish them in the oven not on the grill, as this will dry them out. Finish them off with a barbecue sauce during the last few minutes of cooking time or, just leave them as is to get the very most out of that delicious smoky flavour!

2 eggs $0.34
1 teaspoon white vinegar $0.01
Salt and pepper $0.01
4 cups cold water Free!

Total Cost   $0.36

1.) In a small saucepan, bring 4 cups cold water to a gentle simmer. When water is at a low boil, add the teaspoon of white vinegar.

2.) Being careful not to break the yolk, crack the egg and let the egg gently slip into the water. Wait about 2 minutes until the egg sets and white is covering the entire yolk. Remove at this point if you want softly poached eggs. For harder poached eggs, allow to sit in water for 2 – 3 more minutes.

3.) When eggs are desired doneness, use a slotted spoon to remove from water and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Eat as is, on toast, on salad, or any other way you can think of!

4.) Serve and enjoy!

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Poached eggs can seem like such an elegant delight; and if you’re just getting started making them, an incredible frustration to make. How in the world is one supposed to drop an egg into boiling hot water and then whip it out again, all while keeping it in tact and beautiful? It definitely can seem daunting, and I ruined dozens of eggs I’m sure until I finally got it right. The trick to perfectly poaching eggs lies in two things: how fast the water is boiling, and vinegar.

Vinegar is hugely important and something that should never be forgotten when you’re making poached eggs. It’s the vinegar that helps the whites of the eggs set, and wrap around the yolk in that familiar poached pocket look. Once this takes place, it’s really just a matter of waiting until the yolk is as cooked as you like it.

How fast the water is boiling is also very important. I usually put my water on high and bring it to a fast,  rolling boil. Then I lower the heat and bring it down to just a gentle simmer. This is important because if the water is angrily boiling away in the pot, it will ruin the delicate egg before it can ever begin to poach, and you’ll be left with an egg mess floating around in a pot.

Once you’ve mastered these two things it’s all just a matter of getting that egg out of the pot without breaking the yolk, if softly cooked. It’s such a shame to get that far and then have the egg break all over the plate before it can be served. But once you properly poach a few eggs properly, it really is surprising how simple this decadent egg can be!

Cinco de Mayo isn’t hugely celebrated up here in Canada, at least not in any of the neighbourhoods that I’ve ever lived in. But every year when it comes along I see all the delicious Mexican recipes on TV and in magazines and it always makes me think that I really should start cooking more Mexican dishes. It is one of my favourite types of food and it really is so easy to make, not to mention cheap as well. So this year when May 5 rolled around, I started hunting around for an easy Mexican recipe to get me started and I found two of them at the Recipe Girl website: Easy Beef Enchiladas, and homemade Enchilada Sauce.

Both of these recipes are very good and very easy to make. I definitely recommend taking the few minutes to whip up the enchilada sauce. I don’t think I’ve ever had it out of a tin either but this recipe is so good and really doesn’t take too much to make yourself; they both get a big thumbs-up from me. For the recipes, head on over to Recipe Girl and check out the recipes. She’s got some great step-by-step photos that take you through the entire recipe and will make your own foray into Mexican cooking even easier!

1 cup sour cream $0.60
1 teaspoon baking soda $0.02
2 1/4 cups all-purpose flour $0.55
1 cup white sugar $0.19
3/4 cup butter, softened $0.66
2 large eggs $0.34
1 teaspoon vanilla extract $0.22
1 teaspoon baking powder $0.05
1/4 teaspoon salt $0.01
2 1/2 cups canned sliced peaches, drained well $7.48

Total Cost   $10.12

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit. Coat an 8-inch square baking pan with non-stick cooking spray.

2.) In a 2-cup measuring cup, combine sour cream and baking soda. Set aside.

3.) In a food processor combine flour, sugar, and butter. Pulse on and off until blended and crumbly, 10 – 15 seconds. Remove and set aside 1 cup of the flour mixture for the cake topping.

4.) Add the eggs, vanilla, baking powder, salt, and sour cream to the remaining mixture in the food processor. Pulse 4 times on and off, scraping down the bowl when sides start to fill up. Do not overmix.

5.) Spread half of the batter into the prepared baking pan. Place sliced peaches atop and cover with remaining batter. Sprinkle reserved flour crumbs to cover the top of the cake.

6.) Bake 48 – 50 minutes or until the cake is lightly browned around the edges. Note that testing the cake with a toothpick won’t give an accurate result as the peaches are wet and the toothpick will not come out clean, even when the cake is fully baked.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

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This is yet another recipe from the fabulous book, Bite Me, by Julie Albert and Lisa Gnat. I’ve had the book for a couple of years now and have tried many recipes from it including Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons and Parmesan-Crusted Asparagus. To start the recipe, Julie talks about her love of Twinkies and how she shamefully eats them while no one’s looking, because she’s such a Twinkie junkie. Of course, she knows that many Twinkies are not good for anyone, and would love to give up her sinful delight but just can’t figure out how. Reading on with interest, I felt as though I could totally relate.

She went on to say that this recipe was created by Lisa, who promised her that it would completely replace her love of the Twinkie. Feeling doubtful, she took a piece of the cake offering and was delighted to find out that yes indeed, it did taste like a Twinkie! According to the book, Julie had been Twinkie-free for six months at the time of the writing. Feeling encouraged, and a little curious as to how peaches were to substitute the luscious creamy filling of a Twinkie, I got out my baking tools and knew that if any book would steer me in the right direction, it was this one.

Well, the cake was good. I liked it and my girls liked it. But Twinkie-like? No. It was a wonderful, light cake with fruit that had a delicious crunchy crumbly topping. It just wasn’t like a Twinkie. It was however, very much like an apple cake that my grandmother has made ever since I was a kid, and probably even before. And that is never a bad thing. Suffice it to say though, that I had a Twinkie last week and I have a Twinkie in my near future.

As an interesting side note, the book is not only full of good recipes, but also delightful little “Bite Me Bits” for some of the recipes. The bit for Twinkorette Peach Crumb Cake? That it takes a Twinkie 45 seconds to explode in the microwave!

4 round steaks $15.20
2 cups red wine $9.14
2 cups cherries, halved and pitted, divided $1.50
1 leek, diced $0.75
2 cups mushrooms, halved $2.48
2 tablespoons olive oil $0.36
1/4 cup Worcestershire sauce $0.48
Salt and pepper $0.01
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard $0.12
1 tablespoon honey $0.11
2 tablespoons olive oil $0.36
6 cloves garlic $0.06
1 cup red wine $4.57

Total Cost    $35.14

1.) In a resealable plastic bag mix 2 cups of red wine, 1 cup cherries, 2 tablespoons olive oil, Worcestershire sauce, Dijon mustard, honey, garlic, salt, and pepper. Mix together until all ingredients are thoroughly combined. Place round steaks into the bag, covering them entirely with the marinade. Seal and place in refrigerator for 1-2 hours.

2.) In a skillet over medium-high heat, add leeks and mushrooms and saute until mushrooms are browned, about 7 – 8 minutes.

3.) Turn heat to high and add 1 cup of red wine, scraping up bits in pan with wooden spoon. Allow wine to boil for 2 minutes and then, keeping the heat on high, add the mushrooms and the cherries. Cook for about 4 – 5 minutes over high heat.

4.) Add the remaining marinade to the pan and bring back up to a boil for about 2 minutes. Then return heat to medium and allow to reduce for 45 minutes to one hour.

5.) About 20 minutes before the marinade is done reducing, heat 2 tablespoons of olive oil a skillet. When hot, sear steaks on each side for 2 – 3 minutes, just until browned. Then add to the sauce mixture and allow to cook until desired doneness, about 10 minutes for medium.

6.) When steaks are finished, remove from sauce and allow to rest for 5 minutes. When ready to serve, spoon cherry sauce over steaks.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

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