Last night's supper

was simple and elegant and delicious... most of all, cheap!

BBQ lemon and jalapeno chicken
Green salad
Rice

Recipe:

BBQ lemon and jalapeno chicken

chicken parts (I deboned and skinned them myself...)
lemon juice
jalapeno jelly
cilantro
garlic
salt and pepper to taste
oil

Mix everything together except the chicken parts to create a marinade. Pour the marinade over the chicken parts in a plastic bag and let rest for 2 hours minimum.

BBQ over a hot bbq. Serve with peppery salad greens (arugula, nasturtium leaves, red lettuce) and rice.

Delicious! ;)

As it happens...

With the recent moves, and the fact that I've been essentially unemployed for the previous six months, and the fact that my rent has nearly tripled, and the fact that my job has me on a summer layoff... I am now penniless. As a single mom, I've been there and done that before. I coped as best I could, and usually managed fairly well. This time, however, I've had to turn to the food bank for help.

I've mentioned it before. Food bank fare can be less than apetizing, or in some cases not paricularly healthy. This time I have to say, I am proud of the donations made by the members of this community.

In my box, I found pasta and pasta sauce. I found canned meats, beans, soups, and crackers and cereal. I found variety of product, not variety of brand name. There was fresh milk, there were fresh eggs. There was even fresh vegetables available... Stuff that the grocery store would throw out was donated to the local food bank, and we could choose amoung lettuce, potatoes, plums, and apples.

I was even asked if there was anything in paricular that I needed. I asked for tomato juice or canned tomatoes and received both! What a blessing!

In these difficult times, where many are struggling to make ends meet, lets remember those that rely regularly on the food bank. Talk to your local grocery stores and restaurants... Maybe they can make fresh donations of produce still good to eat, but not necessarily marketable.

If you need to go to the food bank, know that you are not alone. There are people there from many backgrounds, and with many stories. Most of all, you will find a blessing there.

I know you have all made donations in the past, and I'm positive you will make donations again. From the bottom of my heart, I say thank you.

Summers here and we moved... twice!

Well summer's here and since I've last posted I got a new job in another town, found an apartement, packed, sent one of my girls to France on a school trip, moved, got sick, called the health departement only to learn that there is a ton of mold in the place, searched for another apartment and moved for a second time in less than three weeks...

I am slowly unpacking the non-essentials, as long as we have clothes, food, and dishes, we are okay. So now I can start exploring my new (old) neighbourhood. New because I've never lived in this neighbourhood before. Old because I've lived in this town before many years ago. I am excited to see so many new restaurants, and ethnic restaurants too! WOW! I'm glad to see many of the old places are still there too. That means my chosen industry is doing well here... I do beleive I have come home...

What makes this place, well, next to heaven? The farmer's market that is half a block away. We can roll out of bed early Saturday morning, get dressed, walk over and buy a danish to eat while we peruse through the other stalls. Local meat, thick cut bacon, fresh farm eggs (which I'll have to get the kids used to...) And fresh vegetables grown within a few kilometers from town. I bought a bag of mixed salad last week, we ate from it over the week, and had the last serving on Friday. Bagged salad from the grocery store wouldn't last so long! Specialty dishes like samosas, and fresh kettle popped popcorn (what a show that is!!!) And fresh baked goods... Local artists selling there wares... Talking with the producers of the product about there goods, sharing recipes and ideas... This has to be a simple taste of heaven. I think I'm going to like it here!

Not strictly food related...

...but funny anyway.

My adolescent, angry about having been 'pestered' by her younger sisters at supper time, declares forcefully an hour before bedtime:

'I'm going to bed! And it's not my decision!'

Cooking like a peasant and eating like a Queen

This is such a simple soup, and with just a few special ingredients it is transformed into high class fair. It has a very fancy name of course, Pottage Soissonais, what it really is though is a white bean soup.

Pottage Soissonais
(serves 12 as a soup course, 6 as a meal)

3 cups white navy beans
18 cups liquid, seperated in 6 cup water, 6 cup water, and 6 cup strong broth measures
3 cups mirepoix (mix of onions, carrots and celery, ratio of 2:1:1)
1 tbsp dry thyme, rubbed
1 tbsp dry oregano, rubbed
2 bay leaves
2 whole garlic cloves

*Where possible, use freshest ingredients possible, but dry ingredients work well in winter.

Clean and soak the beans in the first 6 cups of water as directed on the package.

Once the beans have been soaked, pre-cook the beans in the second 6 cups of water with the remaining ingredients, until the beans are soft. Add more water if necessary.

Once the beans are cooked and most of the water absorbed, add the broth. Bring to a boil. Taste and adjust the seasoning with salt and pepper if desired. Once the soup is prepared, remove the bay leaves and blend thouroughly with a hand blender, or in batches in a regular blender.

Now here are the 2 optional ingredients that take this regular soup from everyday fair to wow.

1/4 tsp pesto
a few drops of cream

Once you serve the soup into bowls, gently drop the pesto in the center, and drop an odd number of cream around the pesto. Take a sharp knife or a toothpick and drag it through the drops of cream to create little hearts. With only 3, 5, or even 7 drops of cream per bowl, this is a very healthy and luxuriously delicious soup. Once served at the table, stir the hot soup and enjoy.

Food, food and more food!

During the holidays I had so much food! Each bite was delicious and much appreciated if I do say so myself. Between the "Six-pâte", the tourtières, the turkey, the dressing, the potatoes, the homemade preserves, the peanut-butter fudge, the "sucre à la crème", the vegetables, the salads and so much... so much more!

Certainly, spending time with family was the most special time of the holidays. Not only do we get to share food, we get to share stories and love and time together. And the gifts don't hurt either. ;)

As you can surely appreciate, it's taking me a bit of time to get back on track. Slowly I'm getting there. I hope you had Christmas this season, and I wish you all a blessed new year.