From spicy to sweet.

What a day, but I am happy to report, I made it through. Our busy Saturdays will soon be over.. what are we going to do with ourselves then? Oh, that's right! Relax, work on the house, work on the yard and go exploring. Oh yes, indeed!

Highlights from today:

-It was absolutely glorious weather. The sun was so bright and warm and everyone was smiling from ear to ear. Gorgeous!

-Rhianna got bowler of the year for the Peewees at our bowling alley.

-We had time for bike rides and playing in the yard.

-Some of my plants are sprouting and all my bushes and trees have buds. I even have one tiny little pink flower open.

-Avery played an INCREDIBLE game of soccer with the rest of his team (Go, Red!) and made it to the final match! That's from being in fifth place out of six. Yahoooo!

-A delicious slow cooker dinner of Jamaican Red Bean Stew (Kyle's favourite) ready for us to eat after our long day.

-A trip to Zwicks Park to play and walk down by the water in the last light of the day. It was breathtaking out there, and we discovered the perfect place to have a picnic. And loons! There were loons!

-DATE NIGHT IN! We're going to eat some Apple Ginger Crisp and finally watch 'Black Swan'. Saturdays evenings are the best.

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And now for the scrumptious recipes of the day. I originally got the Jamaican Red Bean Stew from Savvy and changed it to our liking. I served it with a big chunk of organic sourdough bread (store bought) and a spinach/carrot/sugar snap peas/broccoli sprout salad with a Honey Ginger dressing that I got from the Rebar cookbook. This was our first time trying this dressing and it was so good. Very fresh and light. It complimented the sweet and spicy stew perfectly. Yummy. And for our Date Night snack - Ginger Apple Crisp from Moosewood's Book of Desserts. I changed the recipe up a bit, so I'll put my version on here. Kyle got my apple peeler/corer/slicer up and running for the first time and let me tell you - it is pure awesomeness! Love it.

Jamaican Red Bean Stew

1 tbsp olive oil

4 cloves garlic, minced

2 cups baby carrots, sliced

3 green onions, sliced

1 sweet potato, diced into small cubes

15oz can diced tomatoes, drained

3 tsp curry powder

1/2 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp ground allspice

1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1 can unsweetened coconut milk, well mixed (shake it!)

2 cups vegetable broth

Pour the oil into the slow cooker and set it on high. Add the garlic and put the lid on to cook.

Add the carrots, scallions, sweet potato and tomatoes. Stir in the curry powder, thyme, red pepper flakes, allspice, salt and pepper. Add the beans, coconut milk and broth. Mix well.

Cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. (Don't forget to change it to low after having it on high with the garlic.)

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Honey Ginger Dressing

45g ginger root, minced

2 tbsp fresh ginger juice (I used a juicer, but if you don't have one, use a garlic press)

2 tbsp honey

5 tbsp rice vinegar

1/8 tsp ground white pepper

1/2 tsp salt

1 cup vegetable oil

Add all of the ingredients except for the oil to a food processor and process until smooth. Add the oil and slowly mix.

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Ginger Apple Crisp

Fruit Layer:

6 cups apples, peeled, cored and sliced thin

cane sugar (a few tbsps)

juice from one lemon

Topping:

1/2 cup butter, melted

1/3 cup honey

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

1/2 ground ginger

2 cups rolled oats

1 cup ginger snap cookie crumbs (take the cookies, put them in a ziplock and crush them with a rolling pin until they become crumbs)

Preheat oven to 350.

Layer the apples in a non-oiled 9x13 pan. Mix with the lemon juice and sprinkle with cane sugar.

Melt the butter and place it in a large bowl. Add the honey, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger. Stir well to combine.

Add the rolled oats and ginger snap cookie crumbs to the large bowl. Stir well.

Add the crumb/oat mixture to the top of the apples. Tap it down. Cook for 35-45 minutes until golden brown.

Serve warm with some vanilla ice cream.

St Paddy's Day Feast.

I was lucky enough to be able to make dinner for our little family as well as my sister, her husband and their three kids. This was unexpected, but very welcomed! I love cooking for people. There's something about making people happy with comfort foods that keeps me happiest. I love nothing more than seeing people smile and say "mmmmm" as they taste my kitchen creation.

For St Patrick's Day, I had decided on three items from the latest Vegetarian Times magazine. In some ways I enjoy making new recipes, but at the same time... it means I haven't had time to alter the recipe into something that suits me. Making three brand new items can be a bit intimidating! The first item was an Irish Stew which I think needed more zing to it. The idea was good - full of different types of veggies which is typically something that appeals to me, but the the main flavour was too bland for me. I know they say "Irish food is bland", and I am mostly Irish.. but I like spices! The second item was cornish pasties which everyone loved! The dough was a bit finicky to make it stick, but I found if I didn't brush the edges of the pasties with the egg wash first, it stuck so much easier. The first half of them looked terrible, but the second half (no egg wash) was great! The final item was potato bite fries (which we always make here during brunches!) with a sugar/malt vinegar dipping sauce. I loved the sweetness the sugar added to the malty taste. Yum. Plus... potatoes? Bring them ON! In that way, I am very, truly and completely Irish.

Irish Stew

(as it is in the magazine... I suggest adding more pizzazz to it since I know it has potential!)

2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided

8oz cremini mushrooms, quartered (it suggested button or shiitake)

4 cloves garlic, minced (it suggested 2 cloves, but I always add more!)

1 medium leek - white part only, diced

3 small red potatoes, cut into small cubes

2 medium carrots, sliced

2 medium parsnips, sliced

1 1/2 tsp tomato paste

15 oz crushed tomatoes

1 1/2 cups vegetable broth

2 sprigs fresh thyme + 1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/2 cup lager beer (I used Paddy's red Irish ale)

1 1/2 tbsp quick cooking tapioca

1 cup shredded cabbage

1 tbsp white miso

2 tbsp chopped parsley

Add the first tbsp oil into a large pot and saute mushrooms and garlic for about 8 minutes until the mushrooms are browned. Remove them from the pan and add the other tbsp of oil. Add the leek and cook for 5 minutes. Add potatoes, carrots, parsnips and tomato paste and cook for 2 minutes. Add crushed tomatoes, broth and thyme sprigs and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat, cover and simmer for about 40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Add the beer, tapioca, and mushrooms and cook for 10-15 minutes until thickened, stirring often. Remove thyme sprigs, and add the cabbage and miso. Simmer 4-5 minutes, or until cabbage softens. Stir in chopped thyme and parsley and season with salt and pepper if desired.

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Cornish Pasties

Dough:

1 3/4 cups all purpose flour

1/2 tsp salt

5 tbsp cold margarine, cut into cubes

Filling:

1 tbsp vegetable oil

1 small onion, finely diced

1 stalk celery, finely diced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 small rutabaga, peeled and diced

1 small potato, finely diced

carrot, finely diced

1/2 tsp thyme

2 large eggs

1 tbsp spicy brown mustard

1/4 cup grated Gruyere cheese

To make the dough:

Stir the flour and salt together, and cut the margarine in. Mix until it makes a coarse meal. Stir in 6-8 tbsp ice cold water. Pinch dough together - if it sticks, it's wet enough. Form into a disk, wrap in saran wrap and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.

To make the filling:

Heat the oil in a skillet over medium heat. Add onion, celery and garlic and cook 5 minutes until lightly browned. Add rutabaga, potato, carrot, thyme; cook 3 minutes, then add 1/2 cup water. Reduce the heat, cover and steam vegetables 10-12 minutes, or until tender.

Whisk 1 egg with mustard in a large bowl. Stir in vegetables and Gruyere cheese and season with salt and pepper, if desired. Whisk remaining egg with tbsp of water in a separate bowl and set aside.

Preheat oven to 350.

Divide dough in half and roll one half out on a floured surface to 1/8 inch thickness. Cut out 5 inch disks. Fill the circle with a tbsp of filling and fold it over in a half circle shape and pinch together. Use a fork to crimp edges. Repeat with remaining dough and filling. Brush the tops with egg wash, and sprinkle with salt & freshly ground black pepper.

Bake on a baking sheet for 25-30 minutes.

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Salt and Vinegar Potato Bites

6 medium red or yellow potatoes, cut into 1 inch cubes

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 cup malt vinegar

3 tbsp sugar

Soak potatoes in a large bowl of cold water for 30 minutes. Drain and pat dry.

Preheat oven to 400.

Toss potatoes with oil on a baking sheet, and spread in a single layer. Roast 45 minutes, or until golden and crisp, turning a few times. Season with salt and pepper, if desired.

Meanwhile, bring vinegar and sugar to a simmer in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook 15 to 20 minutes, or until liquid is reduced by half, stirring occasionally.

Serve as a dipping sauce, or sprinkle over potatoes.