What’s better than warm fruit crumble with cold vanilla ice cream on a hot day? Not having to share it! Inspired by a late-night craving, below is a recipe for peach crumble — that’s just for you!
There’s no need to lay out the virtues of crisps, crumbles, and cobblers — they speak for themselves. But I will say that while peaches are in season, you should do as much with them as you can. Fresh, local peaches are a whole other breed compared to what we have access to the rest of the year. Sweet, floral and tender with vibrant orange flesh, they’re out-of-sight.
August is the middle of the peach season, and the varieties available right now are ideal for cooking. When buying peaches, look for smooth, firm skin. Avoid wrinkly skin as the fruit may be overripe, and also avoid those with bruises or uncharacteristic marks. Store peaches at room temperature until they’re ripe — you can tell they’re ripe when you gently press on them and the flesh indents. At this stage, it’s best to store them in the fridge.
This recipe for personal peach crumble is quick and easy. I like peaches to remain a bit firm in my crumble, but if you prefer yours soft and mushy (I don’t judge), then cook for an extra 30 seconds in the microwave. Also, go wild with flavours — adding berries or other fruits (such as plums and apricots) will work just as well.
Personal peach crumble
Prep: 5 min
Total: 10 min
Makes: 1 serving
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp quick oats
- 1 tbsp flour
- 2 tsp butter
- 3 tsp brown sugar
- pinch cinnamon
- pinch salt
- 2 peaches, peeled and chopped
- 1/2 tsp lemon juice
- Pinch lemon zest
Instructions
- STIR oats with flour, butter, 1 tsp brown sugar, cinnamon and salt in a small frying pan over medium high. Cook, stirring until mixture is crumbly, golden and the flour is cooked through, 3 to 5 min. Reserve.
- COMBINE peaches with 2 tsp brown sugar, lemon juice and zest in a mug. Microwave on high for 1 minute.
- SPOON crumble over peaches. Serve with ice cream. Enjoy!
Tags: dessert, fall, peach crumble
Adding champagne produces the most delicate of flavours and imparts a lightness of texture that is unsurpassed.
Champagne risotto
4 servings
Ingredients:
- 5 tbsp (75 ml) butter, divided
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) canola oil
- ¼ cup (50 ml) finely diced Spanish onion
- 1 cup (250 ml) Superfino Arborio or Carnaroli rice
- 1 bay leaf
- 2 cups (500 ml) dry Champagne
- 8 cups (2 L) simmering water
- ¼ cup (50 ml) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
- 2 tbsp (30 ml) extra virgin olive oil (approx.)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
Method:
- In a large, heavy-bottomed saucepan set over medium-high heat, melt 1 tbsp (15 ml) of the butter with the oil. When the butter begins to foam, add the onion and sauté for 2 to 3 minutes or until soft and translucent.
- Add the rice and sauté, stirring and scraping the bottom with a wooden spoon continuously, until the rice begins to toast and the edges become slightly translucent.
- Stir in the bay leaf and Champagne and wait for the first bubbles to appear around the edge of the pan.
- Begin adding the simmering water, 1 cup (250 ml) at a time. Between each addition of water, stir the mixture with a wooden spoon for 2 to 4 minutes or until the water is almost completely absorbed. Repeat this step until all but the last 1/2 cup (125 ml) of water is used (this process should take approximately 20 minutes).
- Stir in the Parmesan, extra virgin olive oil, and remaining butter.
- Cook, stirring, until heated through, about 1 minute, until the risotto flows like hot lava.
- Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve immediately.
Courtesy Chef Martin Kouprie, Pangea Restaurant, www.tgwhf.ca
Tags: champagne, fall, main dishes, risotto, winter
Try this Asian-inspired chicken with rice by Chef Ricardo — a perfect weeknight dinner with great leftovers for tomorrow’s lunch!
Asian-style sheet pan chicken
Serves: 6
Ingredients for rice:
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 2 cups parboiled rice
Ingredients for chicken:
- 6 skinless and boneless chicken thighs
- 2 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1 onion, thinly sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into strips
- 1 broccoli, cut into large florets
- ¼ lb snow peas, trimmed and halved
- 3 tbsp olive oil
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- ½ tsp Tabasco sauce
- Salt and pepper
- Sambal oelek
Method:
To cook the rice, bring the chicken broth to a boil in a saucepan then add the rice. Cover, reduce the heat and simmer for about 18 minutes or until the liquid has been absorbed.
Remove from the heat. Stir and let rest covered for 3 to 5 minutes, until the rice is tender.
For the chicken, preheat the oven’s broiler with the rack in the highest position.
Place the chicken opened flat on one half of a baking sheet.
Place the vegetables on the other half. Drizzle the oil over the vegetables and toss lightly, then season with salt and pepper.
Broil for about 15 minutes or until the chicken and vegetables are cooked. Remove from the oven.
Cut the meat into thin strips. Combine the chicken and vegetables with the hoisin sauce and sambal oelek. Serve with the rice.
Optional: If desired, keep 1 ½ cups of the rice and 1 ½ cups of the chicken for Leftover Chicken Fried Rice.
Courtesy Ricardo Larrivee
www.ricardocuisine.com/en
@ricardorecipes
Tags: asian, chicken, entrees, fall, one pan, vegetables, winter
Love the burger but hate using a BBQ? Sandi Richard shows us how to craft a drool-worthy BBQ-quality burger using your own oven.
Oven roasted burgers in 20 minutes
Ingredients:
- 1/3 cup salt
- 2 lbs (900 g) extra lean ground beef
- 1 pot Knorr Homestyle Stock beef
- 1 Tbsp (15 mL) Worcestershire sauce
- Fresh ground pepper
- 1/2 of an onion (optional)
- 2 Tbsp bacon bits (optional)
- 1/4 cup grated cheddar (optional)
- 6 buns
Method:
Preheat oven to 475 F (220 C). Line a baking sheet with foil. Spread salt over foil, then place a cooling rack over top. (The salt sops up the oil that drizzles from the burgers. You don’t end up with heavy smoke from the high temperature.)
Break up Knorr Homestyle Stock with a fork in a medium size mixing bowl. Add beef, Worcestershire and pepper. Mix until well combined. (I just use my hands.) Loosely form 6 burgers and place on cooling rack. Place pan in centre of preheated oven. Set timer for 15 minutes.
Optional: Slice onion into round discs. When timer rings, place an onion disk on each burger and top with a few bacon bits. Return to oven and reset timer for 5 minutes. When timer rings again, top with cheese, turn oven off, but leave burgers in. Toss buns into oven on lower rack for 2 minutes.
By the time you take out your condiments, the buns will be warm and the cheese will have melted. YUM!
Makes 6 burgers
Courtesy Sandi Richard
www.cookingfortherushed.com
@sandi_richard
Tags: burger, fall, main dishes, spring, summer, winter
Grilled pork tenderloin
Ingredients:
- 2 tbsp Jamaican jerk spice paste
- 1 pork tenderloin
- 1 mango peeled and finely chopped
- 1/2 cup each of finely chopped red pepper and celery
- 1/4 cup each of finely chopped green onion and coriander leaves
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tbsp canola oil
- 1 tsp honey
- 1/4 each of salt and pepper
- Lime wedges
Method:
- Brush the jerk paste all over the tenderloin. Marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours
- Meanwhile, toss the mango with the red pepper, celery, green onion, coriander, lime juice, oil, honey, salt and pepper and set aside
- Lightly grease the grill and cook
- Transfer to a cutting board and tent with foil. Let it rest for five minutes and serve with mango chutney
Courtesy Rob Rainford
Tags: entrees, fall, grill, main dishes, pork, rob rainford, tenderloin
Beet salsa
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 3 beets, peeled & chopped into small cubes from Cook Once
- 1 whole Jalapeno pepper, seeded & finely chopped
- 1/2 whole red onion, chopped
- 1/2 cups fresh cilantro, chopped
- 2-1/2 tblsps lime juice
- 2 tsps honey
- 1/2 tsp salt
Method:
- Place beets into a large bowl and add jalapeno pepper, red onion, and cilantro.
- In a small bowl, whisk together lime juice, honey and salt.
- Add liquid mixture to beet mixture and fold to combine.
- Refrigerate for 30 minutes prior to serving.
Courtesy Marlene MacPherson, www.rogerstv.com/marlenesharvest
Tags: appetizer, beets, entertaining, fall, healthy, salsa, vegan, vegetarian
Beet pesto pasta
Serves 4-6
Ingredients:
- 16 large purple beets, top trimmed
- 3 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1/2 cup shelled pistachios
- 1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
- sea salt
- 1 lb dry spaghetti
Method:
- Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Add the beets. Boil until fork tender.
- Drain the beets (but reserve 1/2 cup of beet juice/water for produce two) and peel them, the skins will come away easily. Chop into quarters, reserving 3 beets chopped for Produce One and 10 beets chopped for Produce Two. Place remaining beets in the bowl of a food processor. Add the garlic, pistachios, lemon juice and olive oil and pulse until smooth. Add the Parmesan and continue pulsing until you have a smooth thick spread.
- Using the same pot, fill again with water then add salt to the water; bring to a boil. Add the spaghetti and cook to al dente. Drain when done and toss with pesto. Serve immediately.
Courtesy Marlene MacPherson, www.rogerstv.com/marlenesharvest
Tags: beets, fall, healthy, main dishes, pasta, vegan, vegetarian
Pickled beets
Yields 1 large jar
Ingredients:
- 10 beets, cooked/peeled & cut in quarters
- 1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
- 1/2 cup beet juice
- 3 tblsps honey
- 2 cloves
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 3 peppercorns
- 1/4 bay leaf
Method:
- Place the cut beets into a clean, empty jar.
- In a small pan bring the reserved beet juice and the remaining ingredients to a boil.
- Pour the hot liquid mixture over the beets.
- Let come to room temperature and then chill.
Courtesy Marlene MacPherson, www.rogerstv.com/marlenesharvest
Tags: appetizer, beets, fall, pickles, snack, vegan, vegetarian
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