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Turkey Mushroom Jarlsberg Burger – A Blenditarian Recipe

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Burgers can be made with any ground meat and can be seasoned to provide a unique flavouring. Even though it is fun creating your own favourite burger using ground beef, it is always interesting building a burger using ground poultry, which has a lighter taste and is more easily digested than an all-beef burger. Ground turkey is a good choice as it easily absorbs additional ingredients, which in turn allow it to make a flavourful burger. With that in mind, I have developed a recipe for Turkey Mushroom Jarlsberg Burger.

Turkey Mushroom Jarlsberg Burger | urbnspice.com

Turkey Mushroom Jarlsberg Burger

Have you ever tried a cheese infused turkey burger? Cheese is an effective way to add moisture to a ground turkey meat mixture. Ground turkey can taste quite bland and actually become dry when cooked if care is not taken to enhance the flavour and texture of the turkey with ingredients such as aromatic mushrooms, onions, garlic and cheese. Jarlsberg cheese is known for its mild, nutty taste and also its excellent melting properties which compliment ground turkey extremely well. In this recipe, I use Jarlsberg cheese in the meat mixture as well as a topping for the cooked Turkey Mushroom Jarlsberg Burger. You will enjoy this delicious burger! Try it!…

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Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup

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URB’N’SPICE ULTIMATE RECIPE SERIES

The weather is starting to change where I live in the Okanagan.  Mornings are chilly and the day is shorter.  Time to make Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup!  This is what my family considers to be “real” tomato soup and this flavourful soup is a favourite requested for birthday dinners and family gatherings.

Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup is similar in style to French Onion Soup, where the finished soup is ladled into an individual baking dish, topped with a buttered and toasted crusty piece of French bread and covered with a thick covering of cheese. This soup can easily be adapted to a gluten-free,  dairy-free and vegetarian dietary option. We like to serve this soup with crispy grilled cheese sandwiches, cut into small strips (or ‘fingers’, as we call them) – perfect for dipping!

Gourmet Creamy Baked Tomato Soup | urbnspice.com

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Egg Rolls – Exposed in a Bowl

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BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into interesting and fun dishes.  To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.”  This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of September honours National Mushroom month is all about incorporating“The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into dishes that can be served in a bowl. As Blenditarian.com states: Bowls are a convenient (and delicious!) way to enjoy your favourite grains, veggies and proteins in one simple dish. There are no boundaries regarding what you can add to your bowls – including The Blend. With this in mind, I developed a bowl recipe that is enhanced by using the Blend. You will enjoy trying this recipe for Egg Rolls – Exposed in a Bowl.Blenditarian Logo | urbnspice.comEgg Rolls Exposed in a Bowl | urbnspice.com

Egg rolls are an American Chinese appetizer that most everyone is acquainted with. They are typically filled with pork, cabbage and other vegetables, enclosed in a wheat wrapper and deep-fried. The filling on its own is a healthy low-carb option that is also gluten-free and dairy free. While the filling is typical of what you would find in any egg roll, mushrooms were added to the turkey meat, together with onions and garlic. The remaining vegetables (carrots and cabbage) were cooked until ‘al dente’ to add texture to the dish (See Method, step 4)….

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Caramelized Prune Plum Frangipane Galette

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Prune Plums are tasty blue and purple plums with a green flesh.  These flavourful plums are in season right now in the Okanagan and there are so many ways to use them.  In this post, I am sharing a Caramelized Prune Plum Frangipane Galette recipe that has a unique caramelized plum filling that you will enjoy trying.  Roasting the plums transforms the flesh into a pretty rose colour and a distinct fragrant flavour.  I have developed this recipe to include almonds, caramel and vanilla bean extract, all of which pair extremely well with plums.Prune Plums | urbnspice.com

Plums are also noted for their health benefits:  they are low calorie and contain over 15 vitamins and minerals, in addition to dietary fibre and antioxidants, which are helpful in reducing inflammation and controlling blood sugar. Examples of sweet dishes plums can be used in are a plum paste (delicious with cheese) or as a filling in pastry; in a confiture, tart or cake or plum kuchen, to name a few.  Examples of savoury dishes are perogies with plum filling, pork tenderloin with plum sauce, and plum chutney.

Caramelized Prune Plum Frangipane Galette | urbnspice.com

Caramelized Prune Plum Frangipane Galette

Galettes are a great way to start experimenting with pastry because they do not require the precise care that is taken with a tart or pie shell.  They are free-form pies, rustic in nature and delicious. Give it a try!

Caramelized Prune Plum Frangipane Galette | urbnspice.com

Caramelized Prune Plum Frangipane Galette

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Back-to-School Blenditarian Sloppy Joes

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BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into creative and fun dishes.  To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.”  This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of August is all about incorporating “The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into a back-to-school weeknight dinner dish.  As Blenditarian.com suggests, “It’s that time of year: school is back in session and schedules are jam-packed. Make back-to-school dinners tastier and better-for-you by adding The Blend (mushrooms + meat) – a quick and easy technique that’s perfect for adding nutrients to dishes for those who are always on the go or simply looking for a way to incorporate more veggies into meals.”  Therefore, I am sharing a recipe below for Back-to-School Blenditarian Sloppy Joes that you will want to try!

Back-to-School Blenditarian Sloppy Joes | urbnspice.com

This recipe utilizes a package of savoury meat blend (the first Urb’n’Spice Blenditarian recipe).  I keep several pouches in my freezer for quick meals like this and for other quick meals like date night spaghetti sauce, chili, and hamburger macaroni casserole (recipes coming soon in future Blenditarian posts).  This recipe for Back-to-School Sloppy Joes can be made in under ten minutes with just a few additional ingredients.

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Junior Chefs’ Best Cookies – GF, DF, Low Refined Sugar

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Kids in the Kitchen Series

It is no secret that I enjoy having children in my kitchen. I love being a part of their eagerness and excitement when I suggest that we do some baking together. Today, we were presented with a different type of baking challenge. Their grandfather requested cookies that included some of his most favourite ingredients. Additionally, we had to consider several dietary restrictions: the cookies had to be healthy, gluten-free, dairy-free and low in refined sugar. Together we came up with a delicious cookie recipe that the children appropriately named, “Junior Chefs’ Best Cookies.”  Skip to Recipe

Junior Chef's Best Cookies | urbnspice.com

Junior Chef’s Best Cookies are Gluten Free, Dairy Free and Low Refined Sugar and delicious!

Baking is a great opportunity to teach children all about measurements such as fractions, weight, volume and calculating yield. These are skills that they need to learn and it sure is a fun way to create memories that will last a lifetime.

“Always eat something that the farmer grows as part of your snack” was the standing rule that we had with our daughters and now that same rule applies to our grandchildren. Okanagan apricots are in season. We really enjoy this fruit, which is juicy and sweet and always creates a drippy mess on our fingers. The rewards for eating what the farmer grows are these delicious healthy cookies! How great is that?…

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Dark Cherry Vanilla Dairy-Free Ice (Nice) Cream with Dark Cherry Vanilla Compote

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Kids in the Kitchen Series

Cherries are in season in the Okanagan and there are so many ways to enjoy them. I could only eat so many raw cherries, and I needed to expand my repertoire of ways how to use these beautiful cherries. With that in mind, I have been playing with recipes for cherry compote, cherry cordial, cherry Danish and the featured recipe, Dark Cherry Vanilla Dairy-Free Ice (Nice) Cream.

Dark Cherry Vanilla Dairy-Free Ice (Nice) Cream | urbnspice.com

Dark Cherry Vanilla Dairy-Free Ice (Nice) Cream and Dark Cherry Vanilla Compote

There are members of my family who are dairy intolerant; so I developed my own version of a dairy-free dark cherry ice cream.   One option is to use coconut milk for a dairy free alternative because it provides the same texture and creamy mouthfeel that an ice cream base made with cream would provide. Full Fat Coconut milk is quite expensive when compared to the cream that is used in regular ice cream. Therefore, for a number of reasons, I have used bananas to supplement the base mixture. Bananas add flavour and a natural sweetness to the base and are a more economical way to make dairy-free ice cream rather than using only coconut milk.

Dark Cherry Vanilla Dairy-Free Ice (Nice) Cream | urbnspice.com

Dark Cherry Vanilla Dairy-Free Ice (Nice) Cream

It is interesting to note that when bananas are utilized as a major ingredient in dairy-free ice cream, it is called “Nice Cream.” The term ‘Nice Cream’ has become a common culinary term. “Nice Cream” is defined by the process of puréeing or blending chunks of frozen bananas into a soft style ice cream. While I enjoy the smoothness of this frozen dessert, it does not hold up well when you serve it. The addition of coconut milk creates a much more stable velvety texture with a delicious creamy flavour. When chopped dark cherries are added, this dairy-free frozen treat is taken to a new level. I have included almond extract in the ingredients because it pairs so well with cherries (omit for nut allergies).

There is one ingredient that you might not expect in this dairy-free ice cream and that is gelatine powder. Gelatine helps with the texture of this dairy-free ice cream, which can often be as hard as a puck due to the lack of fat and sugar. CHEF’S NOTE: Granulated sugar is often used in ice cream recipes because it does not freeze and keeps the ice cream from over crystalizing. You can use any type of sugar (granulated, liquid sugar such as maple syrup, honey, etc.). Sugar unquestionably gives the ice cream a more familiar texture. As Julia Child said, “Everything in moderation – including moderation.” It is really all about balance in everything that you eat. As frozen desserts go, a small portion of this ice cream treat is a healthier and enjoyable dairy-free option. Dark Cherry Vanilla Dairy-Free Ice (Nice) Cream is also gluten-free, egg-free, refined sugar-free and nut-free (if you omit the almond extract).

Typically, I will have lots of cherries left over, so I also want to share with you a recipe on how to make a delicious Dark Cherry & Vanilla Compote that is ready in less than five minutes. Dollop a spoonful of this compote on top of a serving of Dark Cherry Vanilla Dairy-Free Ice (Nice) Cream and you will have your guests and family coming back for seconds as this delicious compote goes so well with the Nice Cream….

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Fresh Peaches and Cream Corn and Chicken Chowder

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The Inspiration of Urbnspice Series

Chowder is a rich and hearty style of soup that is typically made using fish and seafood, smoked bacon, potatoes, vegetables and corn niblets. In this recipe for Fresh Peaches and Cream Corn and Chicken Chowder, I have substituted poultry for the fish and seafood to create a delicious soup that I know you will find flavourful and satisfying.  Skip to Recipe

Fresh Peaches and Cream Corn and Chicken Chowder | urbnspice.com

Fresh Peaches and Cream Corn and Chicken Chowder is a satisfying bowlful of comfort food.

My inspiration for this post is seasonal fresh Peaches and Cream corn, a tender, sweet and creamy tasting variety that is an excellent choice for this chowder recipe.  The corn niblets take this chowder to another level, but why stop there?  I also included the bare cobs in the ingredient list, which are used for a flavour enhancing technique. Serve this chowder with Potato Scones, hot biscuits, buns, or thick slices of fresh bread and butter for a meal that is fit for a king….

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French Canadian Yellow Split Pea Soup – A Historical Perspective

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Soupe de Pois Cassés Jaune

This year marks the 350th anniversary of the founding of Sault St. Marie. The Culinary Historians of Ann Arbor reached out to me regarding French Food Ways of the St. Lawrence and Great Lakes. French Canadian cuisine played a significant role in the history and development of Sault Ste. Marie and given my French Canadian heritage and culinary interests, I welcomed the opportunity to write this article on my version of traditional French Canadian Yellow Split Pea Soup.French Canadian Pea Soup with Pancetta Garnish | urbnspice.com

French Canadian Yellow Split Pea Soup was a staple food and has its Sault Ste. Marie roots established in the voyageur trading routes, which extended from Montreal through the Great Lakes all the way through to the Grande Portage. Peas were a crop easily grown at trading posts such as Sault Ste. Marie and this made restocking of supplies possible. During the fur-trading era, the waterways were the roads and canoes were the means of transport. The Voyageurs (the French word for travellers) made the difficult 12 to 16-week journey to deliver their trading goods. One needs to understand the physical characteristics and demands on these men, and why their diet was so important. Voyageurs were required to be short in stature (approximately 5’, 4”) because the space in the canoe was needed for cargo. They had to be young, strong and healthy to endure the very fast-paced paddling, harsh conditions related to the weather or the terrain and their dawn-to-dusk workday….

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All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist

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BLENDITARIAN CHALLENGE SERIES

Prelude: Blenditarian.Com has initiated a monthly challenge that incorporates their Blenditarian approach into creative and fun dishes.  To clarify for my readers, a Blenditarian is “one who believes the mighty, meaty mushroom makes meals more delicious, nutritious and sustainable.”  This approach stretches ground meat by adding finely chopped mushrooms to create a flavourful and more nutritious dish. The theme for the month of July is all about incorporating “The Blend”(mushrooms + meat) into a “Fiesta” dish. A fiesta is defined as a festival, a carnival, or an excuse for a big party or gathering. When I think of a Canadian festival, poutine is always on the list of menu items. For this reason, I am sharing a recipe for All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist. 

Skip to Poutine Recipe

Skip to Poutine GravyBlenditarian Logo | urbnspice.com

All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist | urbnspice.com

All-Canadian Poutine with a Blenditarian Twist: Caramelized Pork, Mushroom and Maple Topping and All-Canadian Poutine Gravy

The Caramelized Pork, Mushroom and Maple Topping for the poutine incorporates the ‘blend’ in an All-Canadian way. It includes crispy bacon lardons and maple syrup that is used to deglaze the pan. Of course, the gravy that tops the plate is an important component of this dish, and you will find that recipe below, as well. Poutine gravy has a unique colour that is made from a combination of beef broth and chicken broth. This creates the iconic golden brown colour of poutine gravy.…

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