Recipes

How to Make the Perfect Apple Pie

It’s apple season and the perfect time to make an apple pie!

Last week, I was invited to a virtual pie making class with the University of Toronto – University College Alumni and Chef Umie from Le Dolci bakery. What fun! Here’s their recipe for the Perfect Apple Pie, plus some tips and tricks to know before you get started.

Tips and Tricks

Keep everything cold, including your hands.
Use a cheese grater to cut the cold butter into pieces. (Remember tip #1 above. Your warm hands may accidentally soften the butter.)
Avoid overworking the dough. Friction is your number one enemy. The less you touch the dough, the better. If you re-roll dough too many times, it becomes tough, and who wants a tough pie crust, right?
Use a combination of shortening and butter for the flakiest crust ever.
Bake your pie in simple aluminum pie plate since it conducts heat the best. Ceramic pie plates are the prettiest, but they’re thick and take a long time to heat as well as a long time to cool – this could dry out your pie.
Choose tart apples such as Spy, Gala, Russet, Cortland or Macintosh.
When baking, it’s most precise to measure out ingredients by weight. A simple kitchen scale will do the job! I’ve included the approximate equivalent cup measures.

Pie Crust

Ingredients

375 g all-purpose flour (about 3 cups)

160 g cold butter (about 2/3 cup), cut into 1/2 inch pieces (or grated with a cheese grater)

125 g vegetable shortening ( about 2/3 cup), cut into 1/2 inch pieces

100 g cold water(about 6-7 Tbsp), (keep it in the fridge until you need it so that it stays cold)

5 g salt (about 1 tsp)

15 g brown sugar (optional)

Directions

In a medium sized bowl, combine the flour and salt. Add the shortening and rub into flour.
Grate the cold butter into the flour. Rub the butter into the flour until it looks like pea-sized crumbs.
Sprinkle cold water over the flour mixture and gently stir until it just comes together and the dough colour is creamy, not white. Always use less water instead of more. Remember, friction is your number one enemy.
Transfer dough to a floured counter, shape / squish the dough into a thick disc. Avoid kneading the dough. Cover dough tightly with plastic wrap (in a “T”-shape, i.e. fold the plastic wrap one way around the dough, and then fold another piece of plastic wrap in the other direction around the dough). Allow dough to rest in fridge for at least 15-20 minutes before rolling. While the dough is resting, prepare the apple pie filling.
Roll out the dough on floured counter. Flour your rolling pin. Roll any dough scraps under a piece of fresh dough to prevent overworking the dough. Roll dough to about 2-3 mm thickness. Cut out about half of the dough to form the bottom pie crust. Be sure to allow about 1/2 inch extra dough around circumference of the pie plate.
Roll the crust onto the rolling pin and carefully unroll it onto the pie plate.
Gently press the edges of the pie crust into the pie plate.
Roll out the remaining dough into about 10 thin ribbons.

Keep your rolling pin and surface well floured!

Apple Pie Filling

Ingredients

5-6 cups tart apples, peeled and cut into 1/4 inch pieces (about 4 apples)

1/2 cup sugar

2-3 Tbsp cornstarch

2 tsp fresh lemon juice

1 tsp ground cinnamon

1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

2 Tbsp butter (optional for dotting on top of the filling before clsoing the pie)

1 egg beaten with 1 Tbsp cold water (egg wash)

1 Tbsp sugar (for sprinkling)

Directions

In a large bowl, mix together apples, sugar, cornstarch, lemon, cinnamon and nutmeg.
Pour into the crust, leaving room around the edges to seal. Add in butter in small chunks (optional).
Create a lattice pattern with the ribbons of dough.
Brush the lattice with egg wash just before baking and sprinkle with sugar (optional).
Bake the pie or freeze to bake it another day.
If baking immediately: Bake in a 375 F preheated oven for 20 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for an additional 40 minutes or until the pastry is golden brown and the centre of the pie is bubbling.
If baking from frozen: Bake from frozen in a 375 F preheated oven for 30 minutes, then reduce heat to 350 F and bake for another 60 minutes.

The cinnamon and nutmeg are the stars in the apple filling!

Ready for the freezer! Can be baked from frozen.

My favourite way to enjoy apple pie is warm with a scoop of ice cream! How about you?

Grandma’s Favourite Cheese Biscuits

What’s tea time without a little biscuit, right? This one bowl recipe couldn’t be easier! Enjoy them warm, for melt-in-your mouth deliciousness!

Ingredients

1/2 cup butter
2 cups all purpose flour
1 T sugar
1 T baking powder
1 T garlic powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk
2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 425 F.
Line a large baking sheet with parchment paper.
Melt butter in a small microwave-safe bowl for about 35-45 seconds. Allow butter to cool while you prepare the dry ingredients.
In a large mixing bowl, add flour, sugar, baking powder, garlic powder and salt. Mix these dry ingredients with a fork.
Add shredded cheese to the dry ingredients and mix well with a fork.
Add milk into the bowl with the cooled butter and stir. (It will look like it’s curdling – that’s OK.)
Pour the milk / butter mixture into the dry ingredients. Stir with a fork until it’s just combined.
Pick up a “blob” of dough (about 1/2 cup) and drop it onto the lined baking sheet.
Bake for about 12-15 minutes or until biscuits begin to brown around the edges.

Makes 8 large biscuits.

Peach & Tomato Summer Salad

Celebrate Food Day Canada on August 1st with delicious, local peaches and nectarines! Prep time: 5 minutes

Peach & Tomato Summer Salad

Ingredients

2 peaches or nectarines (leave the skins on)

10 cherry / grape tomatoes or 1 small tomato

1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 Tbsp olive oil

Salt / pepper to taste

Fresh basil leaves for garnish

Directions

Dice the peaches and have the cherry tomatoes. Toss gently with balsamic vinegar and olive oil. Add salt / pepper if desired. Garnish with fresh basil leaves.

Makes 2 small servings

The Sweet Spot Workshop – with Chef Claire Tansey

Sue cooking with Chef Claire Tansey — Sue with Chef Claire Tansey

Disclosure: This post was sponsored by the Registered Dietitians at the Canadian Sugar Institute, and I have received monetary compensation. As always, my own professional opinions and views are expressed.

I love food! And a big part of my job as a dietitian is to help Canadians love food too! I’m passionate about translating the complex science of nutrition into everyday healthy eating tips that make sense and are easy for people to follow. So when my dietitian colleagues at the Canadian Sugar Institute invited me to a hands-on cooking Sweet Spot Workshop with Chef Claire Tansey, I was excited to learn more!

First, some nutrition background

Recently, Health Canada announced new guidelines for sugars and also some new changes to how sugars will be shown on food labels.

Specifically, for the first time ever, there is a Daily Value for sugars, set at 100 grams. According to Health Canada, 100 grams isn’t meant to be the recommended amount of sugars to consume, but instead it’s an amount of sugars that is consistent with a healthy eating pattern. On food labels, the sugars content of the food will be listed in grams (g) and also as a percent of the Daily Value (% DV) (see below for the “NEW” image of the Nutrition Facts table).

Now remember that 100 grams is the total from all types of sugars:

naturally occurring sugars (like the sugars found in fruit, veggies and unsweetened milk products);
added sugars (like different sugars that are added when cooking or processing food); and
free sugars (these are added sugars plus sugars that are naturally found in honey, syrups, fruit juices and fruit juice concentrates).

A comparison of the original Nutrition Facts table to the new one. The new one shows a % Daily Value for sugars. — Image source: Health Canada

Now, the food!

So what exactly does 100 grams of sugars look like when it comes to real food? That’s where the Sweet Spot Workshop comes in. Dietitians teamed up at the workshop to make a day’s menu of food – adding up to 100 grams of sugars, staying within the sodium and fat recommendations, and totalling no more than 2,000 calories (the average number of calories needed by an adult). So here’s what we made. All recipes were inspired by Claire’s latest cookbook Uncomplicated.

Breakfast

Instant Bircher Museli – made with oats, unsweetened apple juice, nuts and fresh pears and paired with a single serving of Greek yogurt – 28 g sugars

Lunch

Chilled Cucumber and Sesame Noodles with Tofu – made with soba noodles, maple syrup, sesame oil, cucumbers, tofu and edamame, served with sweet and sour bok choy – 7 g sugars

Snack

Assorted berries and cherries with a fruit / kale Greek yogurt smoothie – 29 g sugars

Dinner

Coconut Chicken Curry – made with chicken, coconut milk, ginger, curry paste, tomatoes and peas, served with steamed broccoli – 7 g sugars

Dessert

Plum-Almond Galette – made with fresh, local plums – 30 g sugars

The bottom line

You can definitely enjoy a variety of healthy meals with a small dessert AND stay within 100 grams of sugars for the day! Enjoy!

Photos by Flora Wang.

Strawberry Santas

Just in time for the holidays! These cuties are super simple to make and sure to put a smile on everyone’s face!

Ingredients
20 fresh strawberries
½ cup whipping cream
¼ cup icing sugar (more if you’d like it sweeter; less if you’d like it less sweet)
40 mini chocolate chips

Directions
1. Slice the stem off each strawberry so that you have a flat bottom. Turn the strawberry point side up. The wide side of the strawberry faces down and is the base of the Strawberry Santa.
2. Slice the pointed tip of each strawberry (about the top 1/3 of the strawberry). This piece will be the hat.
3. Use a small piece of paper towel to dab off the flat ends of each strawberry piece. This will help the icing stay on.
4. In a medium bowl, beat the whipping cream and icing sugar.
5. Using a piping bag* with a round tip, pipe a swirl of the icing onto the base of the Strawberry Santa. Gently place the hat on top. Pipe a tiny pompom on the tip of the hat.
6. Add two mini chocolate chips for the eyes.

*If you don’t have a piping bag, simply scoop the icing into a plastic re-sealable bag and cut off a small corner of the bag.

Makes 20 Strawberry Santas

New Product Spotlight – PC Lentil & Bean Bites

Sue and Executive Chef Michelle Pennock

Last month, I had the fantastic opportunity to taste test some of the new PC (President’s Choice) Blue Menu products in their test kitchen. And wow, was I ever impressed!

PC Blue Menu is known for their innovative, easy and convenient products. One of my favourites was Lentil & Bean Bites – delicious vegetarian meatballs! They’re made with brown rice, lentils, red beans, black beans, part-skim Mozzarella cheese, quinoa and shawarma seasoning. Looking at the nutrition information, these Lentil & Bean Bites are a source of both fibre and omega-3 fats. Plus a serving of 3 bites contains 140 calorie, 6 grams of fat, 5 grams of protein and no sugar. Pop them in the oven at 400°F for 12 minutes and they’re ready!

Executive Chef Michelle Pennock served the Lentil & Bean Bites in a Middle Eastern Mezze Platter with a colourful array of vegetables, herbed tahini and warm naan bread. Sure to be a crowd pleaser, this can be served as an appetizer or super-easy supper!

Middle Eastern Mezze Platter

Middle Eastern Mezze Platter

Ingredients
6 carrots
5 tsp (25 mL) olive oil
2 tsp (10 mL) PC Black Label Harissa Spice Blend
4 cups (1 L) shredded red cabbage (about ¼ of a head)
3 tbsp (45 mL) fresh lemon juice
½ tsp (2 mL) freshly ground pepper
2 tbsp (25 mL) tahini
1 tbsp (15 mL) each chopped fresh cilantro, fresh mint and fresh parsley
1 pkg (400 g) frozen PC Blue Menu Lentil & Bean Bites
1 pkg (250 g) PC Blue Menu Naan Flatbreads (2 flatbreads)
1 pkg (227 g) PC Hummus Chickpea Dip and Spread
1 vine-ripened tomato, chopped
½ English cucumber, thinly sliced

Instructions
1. Preheat oven to 400°F (200°C). Arrange 1 oven rack in centre and 1 oven rack in lower third of oven.
2. Peel and trim carrots; halve crosswise. Cut larger pieces lengthwise in quarters and smaller pieces lengthwise in half. Toss together carrots, 1 tbsp oil and harissa in large bowl. Arrange in single layer on parchment paper-lined large baking sheet. Bake in lower third of oven, flipping carrots once, until tender and golden brown, about 30 minutes.
3. Meanwhile, toss together cabbage, 1 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp pepper and remaining 2 tsp oil in separate large bowl. Cover and refrigerate until needed.
4. Whisk together tahini, cilantro, mint, parsley, remaining 2 tbsp lemon juice, 1/4 tsp pepper and 2 tbsp water in small bowl until smooth. Set aside.
5. Arrange frozen bites in single layer on greased separate large baking sheet. Bake in centre of oven 5 to 6 minutes. Flip bites; bake in centre of oven 3 minutes. Push bites to 1 side of baking sheet. Arrange flatbreads in single layer on opposite side of sheet; sprinkle flatbreads lightly with water. Bake in centre of oven until bites and flatbreads are hot, 2 to 3 minutes.
6. Stack flatbreads on cutting board; cut into 6 wedges to make 12 pieces total. Arrange flatbreads, lentil bites, carrots, cabbage mixture, hummus, tomatoes and cucumber on large serving platter. Drizzle with tahini mixture.

Serves 6.
Recipe created by Executive Chef Michelle Pennock and reprinted with
permission.

Easy Lunch Ideas for Back to School

Sue Heather beet hummus

A study by researchers at the University of British Columbia found that Canadian children are not eating enough vegetables and fruit during the school day.

The first of its kind, this study looked at 4,827 children across Canada between the ages of six and 17. Using a 24 hour recall, their dietary intakes from 9 am to 2 pm was scored against a School Healthy Eating Index. The Index looks at 11 specific criteria based on Canada’s Food Guide’s recommendations, such as intake of vegetables and fruit, whole grains, milk products and meat and alternatives.

Here are the highlights from the research:
– 1/3 of daily calories (about 750 calories) are consumed at school; almost 25% of these calories came from “other foods” such as candy bars and salty packaged snacks
– Kids are falling short on vitamin A, vitamin D, calcium, magnesium, zinc, potassium and protein
– The lowest scores were for green and orange vegetables, whole fruit, whole grains and milk products
– The average score was 53.4 out of a possible 100 points
– Teens’ diets scored worse than that of younger kids aged six to eight

Here are a few of my lunch ideas, as shown on my interview with CBC Morning Live today.

Chickpea Lettuce Wrap – Kids are attracted to colours in their meals! A great protein packed and flavourful recipe! Add a glass of milk or fortified soy beverage to round out the meal.
Chickpea lettue wrap

Chicken Pasta Salad – My daughter won 3rd prize in a recipe contest for this recipe when she was in grade 3. Ask your kids to grate the carrots and chop the cucumbers. Balance the lunch with a serving of yogurt.

Beet Hummus with Veggies – Kids love to dip! A great way to team up protein plus produce in the lunchbox! Add mini pitas with cheese cubes for a nutritious lunch.

Apple Sailboats – It’s as easy as it looks! Slice an apple into wedges and dip in lemon juice to prevent browning. Cut cheese into triangles and attach with a toothpick. Add a handful of whole grain crackers to complete the meal.

Zucchini Waffles – Breakfast for lunch, why not? These waffles are made with grated zucchini. (Sneak in the veggies wherever you can!) Add a hard cooked egg or small piece of cooked meat / poultry for protein. Mix a few extra berries with yogurt for “dessert”.
Zucchini Waffles with Fresh Berries

Lentil Watermelon Summer Salad

Lentil Watermelon Salad

Watermelon is one of my go-to fruits for the summer! Team it up with some lentils, feta cheese and mint – and you’ve got a beautiful, refreshing, protein-packed salad!

Here’s the Lentil Watermelon Salad that I featured on my TV interview with CHCH Morning Live.

Ingredients
6 cups 1-inch cubed watermelon
1 1/2 cups cooked black lentils (puy or Beluga)
1/4 cup crumbled feta cheese
10 fresh mint leaves, finely sliced
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tablespoon white wine or champagne vinegar
salt and pepper

Instructions
1. In a large salad bowl, combine the watermelon, lentils, half of the feta and half of the mint.
2. In a small container, whisk together the olive oil and vinegar. Season with salt and pepper to taste.
3. Pour olive oil mixture over the watermelon mixture. Toss gently to combine.
4. Top with remaining feta and mint before serving.

Makes 8 servings.
Recipe source: www.pulses.org

Strawberry Pavlova for Canada 150!

Pavlova Sept 17 2016

Celebrate red and white! Happy birthday Canada!

Ingredients
4 egg whites
1 1/4 cups white sugar
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp lemon juice
2 tsp cornstarch
2 cups whipping cream
raspberries
strawberries, sliced

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and draw a 9-inch circle on the parchment paper.
2. In a large bowl, beat egg whites until stiff but not dry. Gradually add in the sugar, about 1 tablespoon at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat until thick and glossy. Gently fold in vanilla extract, lemon juice, and cornstarch.
3. Spoon mixture inside the circle drawn on the parchment paper. Working from the centre, spread mixture toward the outside edge, building edge slightly.
4. Bake for 1 hour. Cool on a wire rack.
5. In a small bowl, beat the whipping cream until stiff peaks form. Set aside.
6. Remove the parchment paper and place meringue on a flat serving plate.
7. Fill the centre of the meringue with whipped cream. Top with raspberries and sliced strawberries.

Who wants seconds?!

This recipe is from one of my favourite sources: AllRecipes.com

Veggies Made Easy

eggplant pizza 1

Do you find it challenging to eat enough veggies? 60% of Canadian adults and 70% of kids aren’t getting enough fruit or veggies every day. Let’s take 3 different veggies and make 3 super easy recipes: Brussels Sprouts Salad, Cauliflower Popcorn, and Eggplant Pizza!

Watch my TV interview clip.

Sue Kelsey nutrition month veggies

Creamy Apple and Shaved Brussels Sprouts Slaw Salad

BrusselsSproutSalad

1 – 9 oz package Mann’s Shaved Brussels Sprouts
1 tart apple (such as Granny Smith), peeled, cored and chopped
¼ cup golden raisins
2 T mayonnaise
1 tsp Dijon mustard
Zest of 1 lemon
2 T plus 2 tsp fresh lemon juice
1 tsp sugar
¼ tsp salt
¼ cup olive oil

1. Whisk the mayonnaise with mustard, lemon zest, juice, sugar and salt. Whisk the oil in slowly.
2. Combine the Shaved Brussels Sprouts, apple and golden raisin and toss with the dressing.
3. May be served right away or refrigerated until serving.

Makes 4 servings. Recipe source: www.VeggiesMadeEasy.com

Roasted Cauliflower

roasted cauliflower

1 cauliflower, chopped into small pieces (or buy pre-cut/pre-chopped cauliflower)
3 T olive oil
½ tsp salt
½ tsp garlic powder
½ tsp onion powder

1. In a small bowl, mix the olive oil with the spices.
2. Pour oil mixture over cauliflower and toss to coat.
3. Spread the cauliflower in a single layer on a parchment-lined baking sheet.
4. Bake at 450°F for 35-45 minutes or until golden brown and slightly crispy.

Makes 6 servings.

Eggplant Pizza

eggplant pizza 3

2 medium eggplants, sliced into 1 inch rounds
3 T olive oil
1 cup pizza sauce
1 cup mushrooms, sliced
1 cup onion, sliced
1 cup green pepper, sliced
½ cup pepperoni
2 cups mozzarella cheese, shredded

1. Preheat oven to 425°F, coat parchment lined baking sheet with olive oil.
2. Arrange eggplant on sheet and flip to evenly coat with olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper and roast for 15-20 minutes.
3. Once time has elapsed, flip and season, return to oven for an additional 10 minutes.
4. Remove from oven, top with pizza sauce, veggies of your choice, and mozzarella cheese. Return to oven for about 10 minutes or until cheese is bubbly.

Makes 4-6 servings. Recipe source: www.HalfYourPlate.ca