Steak time

The coldest, snowiest night of the year. But there’s only one way to cook steak!

Delightful parcels of sheep innards on a stick!

Haggis Pops – English
http://m.instructables.com/id/Haggis-Pops/

Chef Schultzter’s Granny Cameron Pancakes

This pancake recipe comes from Patricia’s grandmother on her father’s side. They’re fluffy and light and go really well with Maple Syrup.

Ingredients

• 1 ½ cups flour (can use whole wheat)
• 2 tsp baking soda
• ½ tsp salt (optional)
• 2 tbsp sugar
• 1 egg
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tbsp butter or shortening
• ¼ tsp vanilla (optional)

Directions

1. Mix all ingredients together
2. Make sure the mix is consistent and there are no lumps
3. Heat the pan to a medium heat
4. Pour large drops into a non-stick or greased frying pan
5. Turn once during frying so both sides are golden

Serving

You can keep the pancakes warm in the oven while cooking them and then serve everyone at the same time. Garnish with maple syrup, cinnamon, or cake sprinkles!
And if you don’t finish the whole batch this breakfast, then put the left-overs into a freezer bag and save for another day. Just pop them in the toaster and they’re ready in no time.

How to Perfectly Roast Pumpkin Seeds

Roasted pumpkin seeds are a necessity this time of year. But you can’t just dump a handful slimey seeds on a cookie tray for 30 minutes in the oven! There is an art to it. I’ll share my recipe with you here, but the rest is up to you.

Gut

First you have to carve your pumpkin and get all the goo and glop and seeds out. Put it all in a big bowl, don’t sit there trying to separate the seeds from the slime as you go.

Clean

Before you start, put a pot of salted water on the stove to boil. And set the oven to 325 F.

Separating the seeds from the goo is actually quite easy if you remember that seeds float and glop sinks! So fill the bowl with water and swish your hand around to separate the seeds and the slime. The seeds will float to the top and you can easy scoop them out in a colander. You’ve got the seeds about 90% clean now. A little more rinsing and picking and they’ll be good for next step.

Boil

That’s right, dump the seeds into the boiling water and let them simmer uncovered for 10 minutes. Once done pour them back into the colander and then onto a towel for a quick drying. They don’t have to bone dry but dry enough for the next step.

Season

Now it’s time to oil, olive oil preferably, and season the seeds. I just use sea salt, but what ever you like. Toss the seeds with a bit of oil – not too much, we don’t want to deep fry them! And the toss in the seasoning. Make sure everything is evenly distributed.

Roast

Now spread the seeds evenly, in a single layer preferably, on a cookie sheet. Put the sheet in the oven and give it at least 10 minutes – probably more but check every 5 minutes and mix the seeds around each time. Pumpkin seeds cook from the inside-out so the only way to know if they’re ready is to try one. Keep on roasting until they’re nice and crunchy.

Eat

Pour the cooled seeds into a bowl and leave it on the counter or store them in a tupperware and bring a handful for lunches.

Cross-posted on 2FatDads

Finnish Pancakes

We got the recipe for Finnish Pancakes from our friend and so Saturday morning we put on our aprons to make breakfast.

FINNISH PANCAKES

Serves at least two

1. In the oven at 425 degrees Fahrenheit bake for 5 minutes:
   • 1 tablespoon butter
   • 2 cups sliced apples, peeled & cored
2. Mix in a bowl
   • 3 eggs
   • 1/2 cup milk
   • 1/3 cup flour
   • 1/4 teaspoon baking powder
   • 1/8 teaspoon salt
3. Pour on top of apples and bake for 15 to 20 minutes

The breakfast was delicious! Topped with maple syrop and cinnamon we’re definitely going to be making this one again.

Strata

Serves six to eight people as a main course

Ingredients

• loaf of Challah (egg) bread (about 12 slices)
• 4 cups of cheese (cheddar, mozza, gruyere, where ever you tastes take you)
• 3 cups milk
• 6 eggs
• 1 tsp each salt, pepper, mustard powder
• 3 chopped leeks
• 1/2 cup red pepper (one should be enough)
• 12 strips of bacon (about half a package) or sausage or whatever meat you want
• 9×13 pyrex dish (or a smaller-but-deeper oval dish, but then do more layers)

Directions

1. cook the bacon
   • I usually use the oven: put wax paper on a cookie sheet and lay out all 12 strips of bacon then bake at 350 until they’re done)
2. chop up the bacon, leeks, and peppers
3. shred the cheese
4. mix the egg, milk, & spices
5. grease the pyrex
6. layout a double-layer of bread, make sure layer is solid – fill gaps with bits of bread
7. cover with half the leeks, peppers, bacon, & cheese
8. put a single layer of bread, ditto
9. put the rest of the leeks, peppers, bacon, & cheese
10. slowly pour the egg & milk mixture into the pyrex starting from middle and moving outwards as necessary to get even coverage
11. refrigerate at least a three hours, preferably over night
12. bake at 350F for 1 hour

Goat Cheese and Zucchini Aperitif Cake

Serves 8

Ingredients

Standard meause	Ingredient	Metric measure
1/2 cup	Whole milk	125 ml
2 tbsp	Olive oil	30 ml
1	Zucchini thinly sliced	1
3	Eggs	3
1 cup + 1 tbsp	Flour	265 ml
3 tsp	Baking powder	15 ml
1/2 tsp	Salt	2 ml
1/2 tsp	Freshly ground pepper	2 ml
1/3 cup	Vegetable oil	75 ml
1 1/4 cup	Grated gruyere cheese	100 grams
3 oz	Chevre en buche goat cheese, diced	100 grams
3 tbsp	Chopped chervil, tarragon, or parsley	45 ml

Note: for a milder taste use less Chevre en buche, or use a milder goat cheese – such as the creamed goat cheese that comes in a plastic tube with metal crimps at each end.

Directions

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F (180 Celsius).
2. Butter a 4 1/2 by 8 1/2 inch loaf pan, line the bottom with parchment paper, and butter the paper.
   
3. In a small saucepan scald the milk and set aside.
4. Head the olive oil in a frying pan over medium heat and saute the zucchini slices until lightly browned (about 10 minutes). Let drain on paper towels.
5. In a large bowl whisk together the eggs, flour, baking powder, salt and pepper.
6. Gradually whisk in the vegetable oil and warm milk.
7. Fold in the gruyere, the zucchini, the goat’s cheese, and the herbs.
8. Pour into the prepared loaf pan.
9. Bake for one hour or until a toothpick inserted inot the centre comes out clean.
10. Let cool slightly before un-moulding, the let cool completely before slicing.

You can probably get three small loaves out of this recipe instead of one large loaf.