Dinner With Parents: Part 1 and 2

We hadn't seen C's parents in ages, or at least, I hadn't seen his parents in ages. C had been working with his dad on a project for work so I think they likely saw enough of each other. I used to hang out with my mother-in-law quite often before I started my new job. When we'd worked on the house as a family, her and I would often be sent to pick up material from Home Depot together, which would turn into either complete frustration in the plumbing aisle, or easy-peasy in any aisle but that one (and don't even get me started on how awesome I am in the ducting/ventilation section, hoo-boy!). On our drives, we'd talk about life and what was going on in each of our brains. What was aggravating us or things we wished we could change. We would commiserate, offer advice, and solve problems. Aside from just car talked, we'd have tea together, maybe cook together, occasionally shop. While I definitely hung out a lot with my mother-in-law, I also get along great with my father-in-law. I was his apprentice while working on the house while C was out of town. He taught me to wire pot lights and outlets and looked like a proud dad when I caught on and could do it on my own. He'd been a shoulder to cry on when things got to be too much, he'd let me take on big projects on the house with his help, and he'd try all sorts of new dishes that I would cook up. I have to say that I am amazingly blessed with the family that I married into. I love my second set of parents so much and couldn't have asked for better in-laws. Unfortunately, now that C and I have been married for a year and work on the house has come to a stand-still, we haven't seen my other parents very often. C's brother has started dating a beautiful girl who he is very into and who is very into him and they have sort of taken our place at the in-law's. I suppose it's part of the cycle of getting to know someones significant other and integrating them into the family. It's their turn to spend more time with the parents now and we're finding ourselves as a couple and as our own little family.

So, since I was missing my in-laws quite a bit, I decided to invite them over for dinner. Since I was still on a vegan diet, I was excited for the challenge to make a meal that would be omnivore friendly but vegan.

I had a big plan. I had found a recipe for a vegan Thanksgiving dish. It was called Seitan Stuffed with Walnuts, Dried Cranberries, and Mushrooms.  I had all of the ingredients and knew that it was a bit of an intensive recipe but I figured when I could start cooking around 4pm and that I would have dinner for 6:30/6:45pm. Unfortunately, when C called his parents to tell her what time they should come by, they thought that was too late to eat and wanted to have dinner around 5/5:30pm. I felt trapped because I really wanted to make the stuffed seitan but I also wanted to accommodate my guests. Sigh. Planned dinner, out the window. I had planned to take a nap before making dinner but that was also out since I had to come up with a new menu. Luckily, since most of what I do in my spare time is reading recipes and food blogs, I already had an idea. I checked the recipe to be sure I had everything I needed and I did. So, the replacement recipe was going to be Mushroom, Lentil, and Wild RiceTimbales (thanks Fat Free Vegan Kitchen!!) with the Impromptu Mushroom Gravy found at the same link (just scroll down a little further).

Alright, time to cook! A couple slices of vegan whole-grain bread went into the food processor to be turned into fresh bread crumbs.

look out bread, you're about to become crumbs!

With the breadcrumbs done, I started saute-ing the onions. There is nothing like the smell of onions cooking in a high quality oil, mmmm.

cooking onions

Oh, hello fresh breadcrumbs!

fresh breadcrumbs, so easy to make!

Now, rough chopped mushrooms, garlic, tofu, sherry, and water get added to the food processor and pulsed until almost smooth but not so much that the mixture loses all texture.

mushroom mixture

This was a wild rice timbale (a custard like dish baked in a drum-shaped pastry mold - in this case, a ceramic ramekin), but I didn't have enough wild rice in the pantry and there was no time to buy more. However, my mom had bought me some red rice that I figured would be dense and chewy enough to make up the rest of the amount I needed. After cooking and draining the rice, it was stirred into the mushroom/tofu mixture.

red and wild rice mix

With the filing done, the mix just needed to be spooned into the ramekins (5 in this case) and then the tops smoothed down. Before spooning the mixture into the dishes, I carefully cut a nicely shaped mushroom into thin slices and placed a cross section of each on the bottom of the dishes so that when the timbales were tipped onto the plates, the top of the custard would be decorated.

timbale mix done

Like a custard, these main dishes are cooked in a similar manner. The ramekins are placed in a larger pan and then boiling water is poured carefully around the dishes. The water should be filled to just below halfway up the cups: enough to help steam the custard but not so high that the heated water could get into the dishes.

timbales, ready to bake

Ok, timbales in the oven and now it's time to prep the sides. I wanted to make this a real family-style dinner. When I think of an old-fashioned family dinner, I think of mashed potatoes, gravy, cooked carrots, and peas. While vegan timbales are likely not old-fashioned, the homey taste of the meal would be satisfying to anyone.

Since most of my vegan recipes are found on blogs or I have saved them to Word documents, I often have to have our laptop on the counter next to me while I work, for quick reference. Having butcher-block counter tops definitely gives me a lot more workspace for when I need to chop. Red potatoes to be boiled then mashed, and carrots to be boiled.

sides, chopped

Once the potatoes were boiled until tender, I drained the pot and mashed them with almond milk, vegan margarine, salt, pepper, and fresh rosemary.

masher taters

The sweet golden carrot slices boiled until just tender and once they were drained, I seasoned them with a little bit of pure maple sugar, salt, chopped walnuts and dried cranberries. Since I wasn't able to make the Thanksgiving flavoured stuffed seitan roll, I decided to add the festive flavours to the carrots, almost like a stuffing.

glazed carrots

After about 50 minutes in the oven, the timbales were set and browned and ready to be served hot. Since they needed to sit for 10 minutes before carefully flipping them over onto the plates, I had just enough time to make the mushroom gravy.

mushroom and wild rice timbales

Chopped onion, mushrooms, and garlic get cooked in a saucepan until translucent and soft. Next, add in the broth, sherry, soy sauce, herbs, and nutritional yeast. To thicken the gravy, some flour gets whisked into a bit of soy milk until smooth and then added to the pot, once all the lumps are out. Now, the gravy just needs to come to a boil so it can thicken. Season with salt and pepper. Easy gravy and soo tasty! It's nice to know that a good gravy doesn't need to contain meat.

mushroom gravy

I carefully ran a long-bladed knife around the edges of the ramekins and tipped one dish onto each plate, gently shaking the cups until the souffle-like entree slid out, maintaining its shape. I was so happy with how the main dish looked! From the weight of each, they also seemed substantial enough to satisfy each guest.

finished timbale

While the gravy was coming together, C put the peas on to steam. Everything was ready and hot and the same time and the 4 of us sat down to eat. The dinner was a perfect comfort meal and definitely had a holiday flavour. While everything was vegan, nobody seemed to notice or mind. Everything seemed to be greatly enjoyed and we all had enough to eat. The timbales were perfect and I would definitely make these again for company. I think that these mushroom and wild rice souffles would also make a wonderful first course for a fancy meal. The blog also states that these can be used as an appetizer spread.

Tummy's full, good conversation, a nice visit and dogs cuddled, it was a wonderful visit. I would definitely like to try and do that more often. Love and hugs to my second parents, looking forward to seeing you again soon!

I am getting hungry again just looking at this photo

For birthdays, our family typically does a dinner for the celebrating party. Since C was celebrating his 29th birthday, I invited my parents over to our place to celebrate and enjoy a home cooked meal (ahem, vegan meal). I had decided on baking a Festive Chickpea Tart (I'm not sure why I am in such a festive flavour mood) courtesy of a recipe from Dreena's Vegan Recipes blog. You can find the recipe here.

Onions, celery, garlic, salt and pepper get cooked in a saucepan until tender.

step 1, saute-ing

 While the veggies cook, chickpeas, soy sauce, lemon juice, and sage all gets added into the food processor (this seems to be a vegan's best friend). I would also say that chickpeas are a vegan's best friend. More than just vegan friendly though, everyone can love these little jewels! Roasted and flavoured for snacks, added as protein and fibre for salad, blended into a dip for veggies...so versatile.

mmmm, chickpeas!

 Alright, I'll stop drooling over chickpeas. Once the veggies are done, they get added to the chickpeas.

almost ready for blending

 Aaaand, pulse!! Blend until smooth, oh the fun!

chickpea mix

Once this mixture is smooth, add in the toasted walnuts and oatmeal and pulse but leave some texture in the filling. With the blended tart filling mostly smooth and in a large prep bowl, whole chickpeas (for added texture - you don't want the tart to be completely smooth), dried cranberries, and chopped parsley. 

tart filling almost done

 Yes, I could have made my own pie shell, but I didn't. Yes, I feel a little ashamed, but not that much. The dough was made with vegetable shortening and not butter or lard, so I was reading the ingredients. Plus, the box came with 2 shells so I can bake another pie sometime! So, all of the filling was smooshed into the shell and the top smoothed out. There was actually quite a lot of filling and so I really pushed it down into the shell, hoping that none would spill over. The top was brushed with some soy sauce and olive oil and sprinkled with walnuts.

unbaked tart

 After baking for 35 minutes in a 400F oven, the tart was browned, fragrant, and hot.

finished festive chickpea tart

 My parents arrived right on time and the tart was cooling when they came inside, presents tucked under each arm for the birthday boy. I heated up some leftover West African Peanut Soup and they had kindly brought along a tossed salad. With a couple glasses of wine poured, our fantastic dinner was underway. 

C's birthday dinner with his in-laws

 I would absolutely make this recipe again for company, or just for dinner for the 2 of us. The leftovers made perfect lunches to pack to work and the filling was dense yet light and satisfying. Maybe the 2nd pie shell would come in handy sooner than I thought...I could definitely go for another of these babies! With presents of new Henley shirts, a warm puffy vest, and a few other much appreciated and needed items, C was feeling much love. The dogs yet again had "grandparents" to lavish them in attention and watch them jump all over each other and play like little monkeys. It was great to spend another nice evening with family and again, I really wish that we could get together more often with my parents. I feel very close to them and we have a great relationship. I love you guys and we'll see you soon! Thanks for the birthday treats for hubs, he loves everything!

the perfect vegan dinner tart

My Birthday: Hubby Cooks

My birthday was quickly approaching and C asked me what I wanted to do to celebrate. Did I want to go out for dinner just the two of us? Dinner at a restaurant with friends? Potluck? Cooked dinner? Big party? After changing my mind a couple of times, I went with my mood and decided that dinner with a few good friends would be much more enjoyable than a large potluck. C would be cooking and I wasn't to lift a finger. My favorite kind of dinner-present! Along with the birthday dinner of my choice, part of the deal is that the birthday boy or girl also gets to pick what cake that they want. I had decided a while ago that I wanted a Hawaiian Wedding Cake with Seven Minute Frosting. The cake sounded light but dense, with pineapple and coconut. After many unhealthy meals for a couple of weeks, all I wanted was a dinner full of vegetables and no cake. So, cake was off the menu but the rest of the dinner would be chock-full of fresh veggies and the main would be a buttery Costco salmon. Mmmm!!

Five of my close friends showed up to our house one by one and we all settled into the living room while C worked on the beautiful dinner. He was well prepared with wine and appetizers and set out an attractive spread of salted peanuts, crackers with Boursin (the most delicious soft cheese with garlic). My friends brought some wine and we cracked open a bottle to share amongst ourselves.

snacks and wine to start the evening

There's something incredibly relaxing and enjoyable about spending time with good friends, eating, drinking, chatting. Maybe it's selfish, but I thoroughly enjoyed doing nothing while C prepped up all of the food. Definitely the best birthday present. It's an interesting transition. When I was a kid, that was always our birthday treat: my mom would let us decide what we wanted for dinner and what kind of cake we wanted for our birthday. This was always something that I looked forward to every year. I remember last time asking for homemade roti and chickpea curry, my mom's shredded pickled cooked beets, and self-saucing pudding for dessert (a chocolate cake baked in a pan that creates its own sauce as it bakes). Now, instead of my mom making me this dinner (except she does still have me over for birthday dinner, heehee), my husband is making it for me. My husband! Holy Time Warp Batman, I'm a grown up with my own family now!

My wonderful husband went to Costco to pick up the salmon fillets (the only place we buy salmon from) and while he was there, he picked up a big bouquet of colourful tropical looking flowers. The arrangement was placed in a bright stripped jug on the table for everyone to enjoy. When I lived in my apartment in St.Boniface, I would often buy myself a bouquet of flowers when I would pick up groceries for my dinner. I always found that fresh cut flowers brightened up a room and made the space feel more homey.

flowers and appetizers

C brought home some mini bell peppers. I had seen them on my last trip to Costco and thought that they were cute so I was looking forward to tasting them.

a forest of mini peppers

With a glass of wine warming my belly and the salt of peanuts still on my lips, C called out from the kitchen the dinner was on and for everyone to sit down and eat. The meal looked amazing! A rainbow of colours on the table was exactly what I hoped to see.

my 29th birthday dinner

C had spent a lot of time making dinner and it was great! Roasted cubed carrots and beets made up one platter, with a large bowl of green peas to pare with the sweetness.

plentiful veggies

Another interesting veggie C found at Costco was yellow and green baby squash. He roasted those as well and simply seasoned everything with olive oil, salt and pepper. The salmon fillet was baked with C's secret seasoning, shhh, Clubhouse Salmon Seasoning. Honestly, that mix is mouth-wateringly good!

salmon and sides

Everyone dug right in and the mmm-ing and ahhh-ing began. It's wonderful to have a husband that can cook! I loaded up my plate, unabashed, and joined the rest of the team in savouring the meal. This was a fantastic dinner and I have to thank my sexy and wonderful husband for doing the shopping and cooking for the night. I very much enjoyed relaxing with my friends and laughing. Turning 29 wasn't too bad after all.

my bountiful plate

The Best 80th Birthday Party!

With the cake safely completed and tucked in the refrigerator, I could finally breath a sigh of relief and go outside to where everyone was already settled, enjoying the perfect weather under the sun, to say a proper hello. My aunt and uncle had come in from Calgary for the big event and the previous day, had taken my grandma for lunch with her other kids to Inferno's Bistro. My grandparents arrived and I gave my grandma a huge hug and kiss. Holding her tight while I rubbed her back, wishing her all the best and a wonderful birthday. My uncle's deck had bench seating all around the perimeter, so we took a load off and watched the dogs enjoy a romp around the huge backyard together. C and I had brought babcia a lovely card that was carefully picked out for its perfect wording, and then I wrote something personal for her. As she was reading the card, she started tearing up, and so I put my arm around her until she was done. She was quiet and hugged me and told me how much it meant to her to read those words and to have all of her family around her. She told me that she's never had such a fuss made over her before and she was so happy for it all. Seeing my grandmother that touched made the day feel even more special and memorable.

Mrs B, Murphy and Bailey, playing

After enjoying some appetizers of fresh cut up veggies and snack mix, everyone was relaxing in the sun, waiting for the last couple to arrive. Finally, it was time to put on dinner! My uncle whose house we were at put some chicken and smokies onto the hot BBQ and while those were busy searing and getting juicy and smokey, the ladies of the family unwrapped the salads and put out the rest of the meal onto the kitchen island, buffet style. I helped myself to some pickled beets, homemade salads (potato, broccoli, and a pasta salad), a bun, half a smokie, and some fresh from the BBQ chicken breast. Everything tasted so delicious and it was a very happy feeling to be eating outside on a beautiful day with my mom's side of the family. The chatting stopped for about 5 minutes while everyone tucked into their meals, savouring each dish and quieting their grumbling tummies with the food. Conversation resumed and I think everyone went back for seconds of something!

babcia's 80th birthday BBQ dinner

After such a great meal, you would think that there would be no room for dessert, but my grandma is not one to give up the most important part of the meal. We cleaned up the dishes and wrapped the leftovers from the fridge and everyone moved inside to congregate around the kitchen. I almost think that guests wanting to spend time in the kitchen comes from our ancestors who would have met around the central hearth of the home. After our stomachs had all settled, everyone was growing anxious to dig into dessert. I had taken the cake and ice cream out of the fridge in anticipation of this so that the ice cream could soften up a bit before serving and the cake could reach room temperature to really show off its flavours. After some dismissive hand waves to not make any fuss, I lit candles and a sparkler and we all sang "Happy Birthday" to babcia. Though she got a bit teary by having the spotlight on her, once I started to cut and serve the cake, she found a seat at the kitchen table with her husband, my hubby, my brother and his girlfriend and looked ready to dig into her special birthday cake.

The Perfect Party Cake, living up to its name

As promised in Dorie's baking book, the cake really stood up to being cut into slices and served. The layers didn't waver and the filling held together. The cake was indeed sturdy, but once a fork pierced the crumb, it was obvious that the cake was indeed moist and delicate. The flavours of the filling, cake and frosting, when I tasted them on their own while assembling the dessert, were nothing special. Now, after tasting a forkful of each layer together, could really see how well they each complimented each other. This was a true case of the sum being greater than its parts.

The cake: after

After making sure that everyone had a slice, this was all that was left of the cake. Twelve servings later, plus one large piece set aside for a friends birthday later that night, and there was still at least 3-4 servings left. This cake definitely could handle a hungry crowd. Homemade ice cream was scooped onto the side for everyone that wanted, and everyone was a taker. The chocolate malted ice cream with marshmallow cream swirls and chocolate covered caramel and malt balls was one of the best ice creams I had ever tasted. I could have definitely eaten more of everything just because of how great the flavour was.

The Perfect Party Cake and Chocolate Malt Ice Cream

While savouring each bite of sweet bliss, I listened to the mmm's and ahhh's of my family truly enjoying their desserts and I could feel a warm pride spread over my heart. The way to the heart is great food, made with love: of this, I have no doubt. While plates were being scrapped clean of the last morsels and drips, we all sat back, content, full, and happy. My grandfather, who as a child, I often thought of as a very stern and serious man (but who has softened in attitude over the past 5 years) stood up and with tears in his eyes, thanked everyone for making this birthday so special for his wife. He was choked up with gratitude that babcia's birthday had been such a memorable event, full of family and love. This is a memory of my grandfather that I will never forget. Many more hugs were shared. More laughs were enjoyed. Family group pictures were taken outside in the yard and finally, each couple started saying their goodbyes and trickling out of the house. I gave both my grandparents the biggest hugs and kisses and told them how much I loved them and was so glad that they had a wonderful and memorable party. My grandma loved the cake and her card, which was all that I had hoped for out of those recipes. While the cake was special to her, I doubt that I will ever make it again. It was very labour intensive, although it was a labour of love. One that will remain for babcia. So, The Perfect Party Cake has likely now been retired as an all-star, and will now be know as Babcia's 80th Birthday Cake.

The last bits of cake being enjoyed

Cake and Ice Cream: Finding the Perfect 80th Birthday Dessert

My grandma's 80th birthday is in the middle of August. My aunt and uncle from Calgary will be coming into town and my other uncle is going to host a BBQ for the celebration. I'm likely going to volunteer to cook a vegetarian dish for my aunt and uncle since they don't eat meat but it's really my grandma that I want to spoil. I mean, it's going to be her 80th Birthday! That's a big deal! I know that she just poo-poos it off, but I want it to be a really special night for her, surrounded by loving family, and spoiled with food that she loves. Food is an expression of love with my grandma.

My grandma is from Poland and cooks every day for herself and my grandpa. Ever day, she eats a bowl of ice cream. Did I also mention that she's not over-weight? The ice cream is her treat, and it's so great to watch her eat her bowl of ice cream because you can tell that she enjoys it, as she does with all sweets.

For her 80th birthday, I really want to make my grandma some homemade ice cream (especially since the ice cream maker has finally come out of its box) and cake or pie. The problem is, I don't know what her favorites are. I do know that she likes fruit tarts and cheesecakes. I remember being a kid and her always having those sponge cakes that you could fill with fresh berries and cream. I also know that she usually buys cherry ice cream, or butterscotch swirl, or something with chunks of chocolate in it. I am still working my sleuth skills to see if she has an absolute favorite, but for now, I need some ideas.

I have made oodles of cakes over the years...take a look at some of the photos from different friend and family member's birthdays.

Chai Spice Cake

The famous Chocolate Peanut Butter Cake

Creamy Lime Cheesecake

But, everyone always has their favorite.

What is your favorite ice cream of all time? One that when you go to an ice cream parlour with 30 different flavours, that you are immediately drawn to.

What is your favorite cake or pie? The one that you want to taste on a special occasion, and that you would want to serve at the end of a perfect meal.

Now, combine the 2 favorites. What are they?

I've ordered 2 ice cream books off of Amazon.ca that I am hoping will inspire me.

1. The Perfect Scoop: Ice Creams, Sorbets, Granitas, And Sweet Accompaniments
2. Scoop: 125 Specialty Ice Creams from the Nation's Best Creameries

I have plenty of cake and baking cookbooks so it's time to flip through those and see what catches my attention that I think my grandma would love.
If anyone has ideas, I would love to hear them!