Yes, I know, today is only Tuesday, but as of 4:00pm today, I’m outta here! I thought that instead of missing Friday altogether, I would post a “Tuesday’s with Kerry” this week.

Slow Cooker Smokey Sirloin Chili 

• 5 lb. Sirloin roast, cut into tiny pieces (this is the time consuming part but trust me, it’s worth it)
• 1 large cooking onion, chopped fine
• 2 stalks of celery with leaves, chopped
• fresh parsley, chopped
• 3 cloves garlic, pressed
• 2 tbsp butter
• 1/4 tsp chipotle chili pepper
• 1/4 tsp cayenne pepper
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika 
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• salt to taste
• pepper to taste
• 2 tsp Worcestershire Sauce
• 1 small can of tomato paste
• 1 large can of stewed tomatoes with italian seasoning
• 1 can tomato sauce
• 1 can kidney beans, rinsed  

Add butter to frying pan and brown beef in batches over medium – high heat (do not cook all at once), remove beef and put in slow cooker. Continue to cook remaining batches, adding to crock pot once browned (do not overcook, just needs about 5 min.). With heat still med – high, add to pan juices; onions, garlic, parsley and celery with leaves. Cook for about 7 min., then add spices, brown sugar and worcestershire sauce. Just cook long enough for the spices to get fragrant then add to the crock pot along with the beef. Add paste, stewed tomatoes, tomato sauce and kidney beans. Stir together, taste for adjusting salt and pepper. Cover and cook on low for 6-8 hrs. Remember, try to avoid lifting the lid for a taste or a sniff, as you lose about 20min. of valuable cooking time each time you do!

Serve with warm bread with chive & garlic butter. Aged cheddar and sour cream are nice toppers too. What a treat, to come in from the cold to this hearty, warm dish!

Cheers!

Kerry

What are your go-to recipes for Christmas?

The countdown is on! Only six more days to finish off your holiday shopping, and that includes the holiday food items on your list. I’ve finally finished my gift shopping, now all I have left is my grocery shopping (and trust me, that’s no small feat). 

This year I’m getting off easy–we have been invited to close friend’s for Christmas dinner. Yes, that’s right, that means that I don’t have to cook the turkey! Not that I normally do anyways, that’s my dad’s deal. He has perfected the art, and I don’t like to mess with perfection. Lucky me! 

Sitting down with friends and family, to a table that is overflowing with scrumptious food and drink, is my most favorite part of the holidays. I can almost hear the laughter and enthusiasm from everyone as they gather–it’s just intoxicating! 

I can’t help but feel like I have to come up with something spectacular to bring along; maybe some yummy appetizers and a few veggie side dishes. Any thoughts? 

Sometimes, for inspiration, I look to a few of my favorite food sites, one being Our Kitchen, which you should be familiar with by now if you have been following some of my recent Friday posts. One of my new favorites is The Pioneer Woman  ~ brilliant is the best way to describe her.

Her sense of humor, honesty and complete love affair that she has with her food is just amazing and so refreshing. She openly admits that ingredients such as butter and bacon fat makes everything taste better. Well hallelujah, someone who is on the same page as me! 

Most recently I made her recipe for the stuffed mushrooms, I served these at our Christmas party and they were a huge hit – thanks Ree, you rock, I just love your site! (Not only does she share wonderful recipes, but she is a very talented photographer and she tells heartfelt stories about the man of her dreams and their children, once I start reading I can’t seem to pull myself away). 

So that answers that, mushrooms it is, along with another recipe that I have been dying to try. It was sent in my Canadian Living Newsletter:

Orange Balsamic Cipolline Onions

By The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Cipollini (pronounced chip-oh-LEE-nee) are sometimes called wild onions. If you can’t find them in the supermarket or an Italian market, substitute pearl onions.  

I’d love to hear from anyone out there who has a brilliant recipe that would be fitting for a Holiday Family Feast.

Have a great weekend! ‘Till next week! 

And don’t forget, only six more days to finish that shopping!

Cheers,

Kerry

The countdown is on!

All right, so over the past few Friday’s I have been talking about planning the perfect party, and I think that we are all ready to graduate to the next step, the best step, and the yummiest…preparing food for the party. This post is strictly about food, and honestly, I can’t think of anything better! 

A few weeks ago I posted a recipe for meatballs, other items on my Christmas Party Menu would include:  

Assorted cheeses paired with fruit and crackers.

Assorted Cheese Platter with Fresh Fruit, Bread & Crackers 

It doesn’t get much easier than putting an assortment of cheeses together on an old wooden platter or a piece of slate. Tip: make sure you represent cheeses from different parts of the world, such as France, Italy, Greece, and of course, don’t forget your local artisian cheese factories. Make sure that you have representation from each style of cheese. Some examples: hard (parmesan, Romano, Asiago), semi-hard (Cheddar, Gruyere, Gouda, Jarlsberg), semi-soft (American Brick, Havarti, Buffalo Mozzarella) and soft (cream cheese, ricotta, brie, bleu, Roquefort). 

It’s also a good idea to purchase cheeses that are close to their “best before” date, as they are at their peak flavor. 

Pair cheeses with: sliced pear & apple, grapes, figs, chutney (I just love extra old cheddar and red pepper jelly) and lets not forget, a variety of crackers and bread. 

Putting a name to the face is very helpful! If you’re using slate you could write the names of the cheeses and where they are from in chalk. Or you can use the standard cheese spikes. 

Tip:  Take cheeses out of fridge about an hour prior to serving – cheese should be at room temperature to get full flavor. 

Smokey Bacon Bites – I found this Rachael Ray recipe online last Christmas ~ now a regular in my lineup of appis ~  super easy and very tasty! 

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 pound bacon, chopped into small pieces
• 1 large onion, finely chopped
• Pepper
• Flour for dusting
• 1 sheet puff pastry dough (13×10”), defrosted
• 1 six ounce container herb & garlic cheese like Boursin
• 1 cup Swiss cheese, shredded. 

Puff Pastry

Preheat oven to 400F. Place a medium-sized skillet over medium-high heat, add olive oil. Once hot, add the bacon and cook until crispy, about 5 min. With a slotted spoon, remove the bacon from the skillet to a paper towel-lined plate. 

Remove all but 2 tbsp of the fat from the skillet, return to the heat and add the onion and cook until tender. Remove from heat and combine with the bacon. Season with some pepper and let cool. 

Lay the pastry dough out on a nonstick sheet. Spread the Boursin cheese evenly over the dough then top with the bacon-onion mixture and sprinkle with cheese. 

Transfer to the oven and bake until golden brown and cooked through, about 20 min. Once the dough is done baking, let cool and cut into 1-2 inch squares. (Makes about 35 pieces.) 

Christmas just isn't the same without cranberries!

Cranberry Brie Puffs ~ Christmas without Cranberries, come on…?  

• Half of a 397 ml pkg of frozen puff pastry
• 1 cup fresh cranberries
• 1/4 cup water
• 3 tbsp sugar
• 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, for flouring work surface
• 6 oz brie, rinds removed, cut into 24 equal pieces
• Fresh rosemary for garnish

 Thaw pastry at room temperature for about 1 hour or until soft enough to roll out. Preheat oven to 400F. Put the cranberries, water and sugar in a small saucepan. Cook, covered, over high heat for

2-3 min or until cranberries have popped. Remove lid and stir to mash. Reduce heat to medium and continue cooking until the mixture has thickened and liquid has evaporated. Cool. 

Sprinkle work surface with flour and roll out puff pastry into a 12 X 9 rectangle. With a pizza cutter, cut the dough into 24 equal rectangles. Press pastry into mini-muffin pans (two pans with 12 cups each). Divide cooled cranberry mixture among the muffin cups. Put a piece of Brie in each cup. Bake puffs for 15 – 20 min. or until puffed up and golden brown. Sprinkle chopped rosemary over tops and decorate serving platter with extra sprigs. Serve warm. (Makes 24 pieces.) 

To be continued next Friday… along with a guest post from our friends in New Zealand! 

Cheers,

Kerry