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Traditional Baked Rice Pudding

One of the most comforting desserts I can remember as a child is Traditional Baked Rice Pudding. There are so many versions of a good rice pudding, and this recipe, in particular, is one of my favourites. The recipe uses sweet rice (Arborio) and a few ingredients mixed all together in a snap, and then simply placed in a slow oven for an hour or so. It is perhaps a more familiar version than my post for Trinidad’s version of rice pudding, called “Sweet Rice”. This traditional rice pudding is loved by everyone, from toddlers to the elders. Give it a try – I am sure that you will love it as much as we do.

Traditional Baked Rice Pudding with Fresh Fruit and Stewed Fruit Garnish

Traditional Baked Rice Pudding

CHEF TALK: Serve the rice pudding with a drizzle of maple syrup for a simple dessert. To embellish the rice pudding, add fresh berries or stewed fruit, caramelized sliced almonds or toasted pecans. A little extra pouring cream doesn’t hurt, either.

INGREDIENTS:

3 oz. Rice, Arborio
3 oz. Sugar
1 pod Vanilla Bean
30 oz. Milk, 2 % or whole
3 oz. Butter
2 oz. Raisins, optional

METHOD:

Combine all of the ingredients in an ovenproof casserole dish.
Place in a 300°F oven and bake for 1 hour, uncovered, stirring occasionally or until rice is cooked and mixture has thickened. Add raisins, if desired.
Serve warm or cold.

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my UrbnSpice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Oven Temperature Accuracy
Vanilla Extract
__________

You Might Also Like:

Coconut Orange Pudding – A Gluten Free, Refined Sugar-Free, Nut Free, Egg Free, Dairy Free Dessert

Strawberry Creams

As always, if you give this recipe for Traditional Baked Rice Pudding a try, please come back and leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urbnspice Chef

Follow me on Social Media:

Urbnspice Facebook Page – If you like what you see here, please LIKE my page. I would love that – thank you!

Urbnspice is on Twitter

You will find lots of fun boards on Pinterest

I am also on Instagram

Trinidad Sweet Rice

By Denise Pare-Watson

As a chef, it is always interesting to try the foods of other cultures. I enjoy the more unconventional methods of experiencing the cuisine of other countries and by participating in Habitat for Humanity projects around the world, I have an opportunity to live and eat with the local community rather than the conventional resort or restaurant offerings. One of the Habitat for Humanity trips that my husband and I volunteered in was a project in Trinidad. Trinidad Sweet Rice is one of the dishes that we tried during our time there.

Trinidad Sweet Rice Pudding

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Sandra Boynton on Chocolate

By Denise Pare-Watson

Sandra Boynton, the very popular children’s book author, admittedly has a food passion. She has even written a book on it.

Sandra Boynton on Chocolate:

“Research tells us fourteen out of any ten individuals likes chocolate”

Happiness is an unexpected piece of chocolate

As with most fine things, chocolate has its season. There is a simple memory aid that you can use to determine whether it is the correct time to order chocolate dishes: any month whose name contains the letter A, E, or U is the proper time for chocolate.

Dark Chocolate Truffles

Other Urb’n’Spice Quotes that I think you might enjoy:

Chocolate Intelligence

Rainy Days and Sunshine and Chocolate Covered Strawberries

Urb’n’Spice Books:

Chocolate Desserts Made Easy and Delicious – The Cookbook Series from Pastry Chef Denise Paré-Watson of Urb’n’Spice

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

Food Quotes from Jamie Oliver

By Denise Pare-Watson

Food Quotes from Jamie Oliver: What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn – I love it!

Jamie Oliver

Give your kids a bloody knife and fork and let me put some fresh food in front of them they can eat.

If you only design menus that are essentially junk or fast food, the whole infrastructure supports junk.

I’m probably a bit romantic about it, but I think we humans miss having contact with fire. We need it.

The public health of five million children should not be left to luck or chance.

Heads know that failing to invest in good, nutritious food is a false economy and parents won’t tolerate reconstituted turkey being put back on the menu.

I want Americans to enjoy food. I want them to celebrate food. I want them to, on occasions, to have big cakes and great things. And I want them to indulge.

“If you can eat with mates or friends or family, I mean, it’s such a brilliant thing, isn’t it? If you feel really rubbish and you have a nice bit of food it makes you feel good, you know?”

“Preheat the oven to full whack.”

The whole idea is to earn the flavor. No one gives it to you.

Homicide is 0.8% of deaths. Diet-related disease is over 60%. But no one talks about it.

Pick a destination, go there, be open-minded and talk to the locals. Eat the things they eat and go where they go. You don’t need to be fluent, just as long as you’ve got a smile on your face- people will be jumping over themselves to show you the stuff they’re proud of.

Food is one of life’s greatest joys yet we’ve reached this really sad point where we’re turning food into the enemy, and something to be afraid of

Every child should be taught to cook in school, not just talk about nutrition all day. Good food can be made in 15 minutes. This could be the first generation where the kids teach the parents.

I wish for everyone to help create a strong, sustainable movement to educate every child about food, inspire families to cook again and empower people everywhere to fight obesity.

As soon as I was old enough to peer over the worktops, I remember being fascinated by what went on in the kitchen. It just seemed such a cool place, everyone working together to make this lovely stuff and having a laugh doing it.

Edible Play Dough

What I’ve enjoyed most, though, is meeting people who have a real interest in food and sharing ideas with them. Good food is a global thing and I find that there is always something new and amazing to learn – I love it!

All I ever wanted to do was to make food accessible to everyone; to show that you can make mistakes – I do all the time – but it doesn’t matter.

UrbnSpice Chef Talk

By Denise Pare-Watson

Thank you for visiting my website! I created and developed this site based on the encouragement of my family, friends and colleagues. Over the years of honing my craft as a chef and pastry chef, my passion for the creative, technical and teaching components of the profession provided a great sense of achievement and satisfaction.

Of course, food is one of the things that inspires me in my life. Whether travelling to the local market or to another country or immersing myself in another culture through our Habitat for Humanity builds or cooking with children and for the people I love, the creativity feeds my soul. I have an inordinate amount of energy – which is a blessing or a curse, depending on one’s point of view. I hope to use it to your advantage!

…

Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver

By Denise Pare-Watson

Favourite Kitchen Tools Series

There is one question that I am often asked: “What are some of your favourite kitchen tools?” This question provides me with an abundance of material for future posts. My Food Saver is at the top of my list of favourite kitchen tools, and the chosen item to start my Favourite Kitchen Tools Series of posts. I have used this brand of vacuum systems for over a decade. There are many benefits to using a vacuum system for your food storage needs.

While most chefs are not huge fans of gimmicks and gadgets (actually, to be honest, pastry chefs might be the exception), there are certainly some items that I would not and could not do without!

I believe that I have single-handedly increased the sales of Food Savers in Canada as result of my demonstrations to family, friends and relatives, extolling the virtues of this amazing appliance.

No more pitiful dried out pork chops, freezer-burned beyond recognition in a week’s time; no more frozen blueberries in a bag of crystallized “snow”; no more stale nuts or dried up bits of cheese.

How did I ever live without it? The Food Saver will easily pay for itself when one considers the amount of waste occurring from food spoilage and freezer burn. That is why I decided to write about this appliance and why it is my favourite kitchen appliance. It is a:

Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver

Food Saver Tips & Techniques | urbnspice.com

Best Freezer Reserve Tools: Vacuum Sealer, Sealer Bags and the ever-present permanent marker

My mom and daughters now have Food Savers and use them regularly. This is not an appliance that sits at the back of the cupboard. I use mine on a daily basis for sealing homemade soups or prepared entrees or even for storing dry beans, lentils, rice, and many other items.

I live in an area where local farmers’ markets are abundant. It is marvellous to take advantage of all the seasonally fresh apples, apricots, plums or berries to freeze in the handy pouches. I can pull them out of the freezer at any time for that fresh-picked taste.

It is very satisfying to take a bag of perfectly stored, frozen halved apricots or plums and make a frangipani tart for dessert in the middle of February, or a batch of jam in March.

Seasonal Apricots, ready for freezer storage | urbnspice.com

Tips and Techniques for using Vacuum Sealers

My Food Saver has made buying foods in bulk much more efficient and cost-effective. I generally buy a family sized pack of chicken breasts or pork chops. I separate the bulk items into smaller portions, seal and freeze them.

It is so easy to go into my freezer and remove a bag and place it in the fridge to thaw. If I am in a hurry, I place the item in a large measuring cup or bowl filled with enough cold water to cover the frozen pouch and place in the fridge for a quick thaw. It will thaw and be ready to cook or reheat in less than 30 minutes.

Another revelation: I found that I could store ten times more in my little freezer with the flat frozen food bags than I ever could with rigid stackable containers.

Examples of foods you can make individually are items such as Shepherd’s Pie, Chicken Pot Pie, lasagna or desserts. Just freeze the prepared foods (uncovered) on a tray until firm, then seal either in individual portions or family sized portions. When life gets busy and chaotic, you will find that having a reserve in your freezer is a lifesaver!

Creating Convenience Foods: Individual Shepherd’s Pies

Those are not cupcakes you see in the photo. They are individual portions of Cottage/Shepherd’s pie. Or, Australian Meat Pies, pre-made and ready to bake at moments notice from the freezer to the oven to the table. A light salad is all you need for a light lunch or dinner.

Aussie Pies ready to bake or freeze | urbnspice.com

Aussie Pies ready to freeze or bake

I make little food packages for my Mom. When I visit, I pack as many frozen packages as I can into my suitcase to place into her freezer. She loves having smaller portions of nutrient dense food packages prepared and ready-to-eat in her freezer for the days when she does not feel like cooking. For example, I prepare the shepherd’s pie, place the mixture into paper-lined muffin tins, pipe the potato topping on top, then freeze the portions on a tray, uncovered; once they are frozen, I seal in family portion bags and freeze. You do not have to thaw the little shepherds’ pies – just remove from the bag and reheat in the microwave or oven and enjoy.

Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver

Here are a few tips to keep in mind when working with a food vacuum system, together with time-saving techniques and countless possibilities for you to consider:

1) Chill the food thoroughly first, then portion into bags and seal. Freeze flat on a tray, then store in the freezer.

2) Label your sealed item clearly at the top of the bag (date, portion size, instructions, etc.)

: Creating Convenience Foods: freezer labels

3) Turn a “cuff” down on the bag to ease food neatly into it, fill, and turn the cuff back up to seal. (see top photo)

4) Keep in mind that a space allowance at the top of the bag is necessary to seal properly.

5) When filling bags with soups or other liquid items, use a large glass measuring cup or similar vessel to hold the sealer bag while filling. I usually double seal liquids.

6) Do not overfill your bags – it makes it difficult to seal them. My general rule of thumb is to fill the sealer bag only halfway for liquids. For thicker foods, such as stews, fill the vacuum sealer bag two thirds full.

7) Flatten the food items in the bags (to even out the contents in the bag) before and after sealing (for example, chicken breasts in a single layer rather than all in a lump in the bottom of the bag; seasoned taco meat flattened after sealing to keep packets flat and fill the space for effectively.

Freezer Reserve: Soups, stews and broth

8) Lay the sealed items flat on a cookie tray; then freeze them until firm. Once they are frozen solid, store them upright like little soldiers, label side to front, ready for action! (see photo)

9) When sealing fruits such as apricots or plums, wash, dry and halve the fruit. Place the bag on a flat surface (close to your sealer). Place the fruit in a single layer in the vacuum sealer bag, seal, label and freeze. (see photo above).

10) When sealing items such as soups, sauces, stews, stroganoffs or bourguignon, make sure the food is thoroughly chilled. I typically seal these dishes the next day to allow the flavours to marry.

11) When freezing berries, wash and dry the berries, placing them on cookie trays (parchment lined). Freeze the berries in a single layer; then seal them in desired portions (essentially, I.Q.F.). Fill the bag halfway, flatten to fill the space, seal carefully, label and freeze.

12) Store cheese in the refrigerator beautifully sealed.

13) Try this: Place your favourite marinade in with a flank steak in a vacuum sealer bag, seal and freeze. When ready to use, thaw the still sealed bag in the refrigerator overnight. The flank steak will be deliciously flavoured and ready for the grill.

14) Cook more pasta or rice pilaf than you require and seal the rest in family portions. When ready to use, a quick reheat in the microwave or a dip in boiling water, and voila – pasta or pilaf in a flash.

15) Our family is quite fond of stir-fry dishes: make an easy meal by slicing extra raw beef or chicken or pork thinly ahead of time, seal and freeze in family sized portions. When ready to use, thaw in cold water for a few minutes while you are preparing the stir fry vegetables. Stir-fry the sliced meat first, add vegetables and seasoning. Enjoy a quick, healthy and delicious meal in minutes.

Freezer Reserve of prepared meat for stir-fry dishes

If the quality of frozen food and its storage is a concern, you will find that a food vacuum system is a “must-have” appliance. It is a:

Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver

Good Old Fashioned Baked Beans

By Denise Pare-Watson

I am a lucky, lucky chef to have my Mom’s Vintage Family Bean Pot handed down to me. The beans just taste better made in this good old bean pot! The recipe that I am sharing with you for Good Old Fashioned Baked Beans is an easy dish to throw together. It can slow cook all day on a Sunday afternoon and you will be rewarded with a rich and fragrant comfort dish.

I feel very fortunate to have the vintage family bean pot. It has been in our family for at least four generations.

It has a worn and rustic patina on the outer surface and is wonderfully seasoned from decades of use. The fragrance filling my kitchen was so inviting that we could hardly wait to dig in.

The recipe that I have the best results with starts with dried beans. Although most of the recipes I have made in the past use navy beans, I prefer a medley of beans.

Good Old Fashioned Baked Beans using a Medley of Beans

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Read More »

My Dee’s Old Fashioned Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

By Denise Pare-Watson

There is a story behind these Old Fashioned Coconut Oatmeal Cookies. My sister, Deanne (better known as Dee) and I share a unique birthday, (you can read all about it here). We also have the innate ability to know when something is a little off kilter with each other, much like the phenomenon that twins experience. I can often tell when she is scared or in pain or in need of a phone call. I can remember sitting at the table together over a cup of tea and demolishing an entire cylinder of Digestive Cookies while discussing the latest, greatest and sources of consternation in our lives at the time.

What is really cool is our mutual love of baking. When I married, she typed up all of our favourite baking recipes and gave them to me as a gift. That is why these cookies, which will always be known as, “My Dee’s Old Fashioned Coconut Oatmeal Cookies” are very precious to me.

My “Dee’s” Old Fashioned Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

CHEF TALK: This is a lovely cookie recipe enjoyed over and over again in our family. It is chock full of yummy ingredients. I like to toast the coconut and the nuts before I add them to the cookie dough.

Yield: 3 dozen cookies

INGREDIENTS

1 cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup lightly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup oats
1/4 cup wheat germ
3/4 cup coconut (unsweetened)
1 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. baking soda
1 1/2 cups chocolate chips or raisins
1/2 cup chopped nuts, if desired

METHOD

Cream the butter and both sugars together until fluffy.
Add the egg and mix to incorporate thoroughly.
Add the flour, oats, wheat germ, coconut, baking powder and soda. Mix well.
Stir in raisins, chocolate chips or nuts.
Drop by teaspoons onto lightly greased baking sheets.
Flatten slightly with a floured fork.
Bake at 350^o F. for 12—15 minutes.

NOTES: These cookies freeze very well.

CHEF TIP: I like to pre-scoop all of the cookie dough and place the unbaked cookie nuggets onto a parchment lined baking sheet. Place them in the freezer until firm. Store the frozen cookie nuggets into a storage container or plastic zipper bag. Bake them as needed, adding a minute or two to the baking time.

LEARNING TIPS:

Please CLICK the link above to access my Urb’n’Spice LEARNING TIPS, which are listed alphabetically on the Learning Tips blog post under the following subheadings:

Creaming
Basic Tools – Scoops for Portioning
Toasting Your Nuts
Parchment Paper
Oven Temperature Accuracy
__________

If you try my recipe for My Dee’s Old Fashioned Coconut Oatmeal Cookies, please leave me a comment below with your feedback.

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

You Might Also Enjoy:

Nut Butter and No-Nut Butter Cookies

A Nut Butter Cookie variation: Tiger Dough

Urbnspice’s Cookie Cookbook: Cookies, Brownies, and Squares

“Little Mom”

By Denise Pare-Watson

The Inspiration of Urbnspice Series

My little Mom is adorable!

I cannot quite recall when the name “Little Mom” started – it is definitely a term of endearment. It could be the fact that my wee mom is only 4 ft., 6 inches; having said that, she has a great presence despite her diminutive stature. The entire village adores my “Little Mom.” Strangers fall in love with her and family and friends are fiercely protective of her.

Little Mom

She has the patience of a Saint. This I can tell you from personal experience. I am one of her five daughters. There are so many stories I could tell you! We all have our unique personalities and eccentricities. I can assure you we presented some very interesting and exasperating challenges to our parents. Now that I have two daughters of my own, I often wondered while raising my girls how in the world my Mom did it with five! She handled each and every situation with patience and understanding. She was never too busy to listen to our worries, complaints, dreams and achievements or console us whenever we anguished over our love lives.

As a kid and a teenager, I spent a great deal of time standing by my Mom’s side watching her working at home whether it be cooking without recipes or sewing without patterns. She possessed a high energy level and gave the impression that she was tireless.

I was like most teenagers: self-absorbed, self-centered, and a little impatient with myself. When I decided to try my hand at making a pie, I thought it would be a cinch to make the pie dough. After all, Mom made it looks so easy. She would combine all the ingredients together into an old, beat-up, shallow, porcelain- coated metal bowl, and the resulting pie crusts were always wonderful. The instructions from my Mom were “put enough flour up to the certain chip in the old bowl, and shortening about the size of an egg, etc.” Easy, right? Absolutely – NOT! My first attempt at pie pastry can only be compared to a rubber ball. It did actually bounce! I am happy to say that I have come a long way in the world of pie pastry and can now confidently match my Mom’s. In this modern pastry chef world of precise weights and measurements, I still marvel at the simplicity of the process and the quality of product that my Mom always made in that old beat-up bowl. I would love that bowl now.

Traditional Tourtiere

As you can only imagine, when there are five girls around, there were many “incidents” in the kitchen, like the time that one of my sisters decided to make a cake. Since her cooking experience up to that point was limited to scrambling eggs; that is exactly what she did when the cake mix called for eggs! Needless to say, the cake had an “interesting” texture. Mom took it all in stride and patiently provided constructive guidance.

She was not at all surprised when I left my job as Assistant to a Dean at a university in Alberta to return to school full time to study the Culinary Arts. She told me that I had always shown (even at an early age) a passion for food, how it was grown, how it was prepared, how it tasted, and how it was presented.

Our family had a large market garden which was my father’s pride and joy. I grew up helping him tend his garden. I experienced the taste of a freshly picked Ontario beefsteak tomato, and the crunch of a crisp fresh apple, and the musky smell of the cantaloupes ripening in the warm sun. Talk about the perfect stimulus to kick start the passion that I still enjoy today.

My Mom inspired me to become the person I am today. Mom recently turned 90 and although she has slowed her pace somewhat, she still enjoys cooking and sewing as much as she did when I was growing up. We often discuss our latest kitchen triumphs and experiments, foods we have both tried, or want to try.

Watermelon and Fruit Display created by Little Mom

I aspire to be as patient and generous with my time as she is with her time. My “Little Mom’s” abilities as a wonderful cook, mother, mentor and friend will continue to be my inspiration.

My Inspiration has always been my Little Mom

May 6th, 1927-2018

You Might Also Enjoy:

My Mom’s French Canadian Tourtiere

Apple Cream Pie – The Pie That Stole My Husband’s Heart

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

The Vintage Family Bean Pot

By Denise Pare-Watson

I feel very fortunate to have the Vintage Family Bean Pot. It has been in our family for at least four generations – it was a gift to my parents on their wedding day. This pot has made endless pots of beans for our family. I love making beans in this pot! The beans just taste better!

It has a worn and rustic patina on the outer surface and is wonderfully seasoned from decades of use. The fragrance filling my kitchen was so inviting that we could hardly wait to dig in.

The recipe that I have the best results with starts with dried beans. Although most of the recipes I have made in the past use navy beans, I prefer a medley of beans.

Medley of Beans

You can find the recipe for Good Old Fashioned Baked Beans here. I used the convenience of a pantry staple; (canned bean medley) to simplify the recipe and significantly decrease preparation and cooking times with an excellent result. It makes a complete meal served with a hearty whole grain bread. I hope you try this vintage family recipe. Do you have vintage family recipes that you like to share? Tell me about them.

Vintage Family Bean Pot | urbnspice.com

Good Old Fashioned Baked Beans (the simple way)

You Might Also Enjoy:

Vintage Vinarterta – An Icelandic Cake

Home Welcoming Black Bean Soup

You can find me on social media (see links below) – just be sure to tag @urbnspice and #urbnspice so I am sure to see it. Enjoy!

Denise Paré-Watson

The Urb’n’Spice Chef

Follow me on Social Media

Blog | Twitter | Facebook | Pinterest | Instagram

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License Abstract:	You may read the original content in the context in which it is published (at this web address). You may make other uses of the content only with the written permission of the author on payment of a fee.

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Traditional Baked Rice Pudding

Sandra Boynton on Chocolate:

Favourite Kitchen Tools Series

Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver

Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver

Money Saver – Life Saver – Food Saver

… Read More »

My “Dee’s” Old Fashioned Coconut Oatmeal Cookies

The Inspiration of Urbnspice Series

…

Read More »