Moroccan lamb tajine with dried fruit, cinnamon and honey

This recipe conjures the heady, exotic flavours of North African cuisine, perfect for a cool autumn night or apres-ski in the winter. I created my own version from a variety of recipes online. Traditionally, a tajine is made in a shallow clay pot with a dome-shaped lid, but using a high quality heavy-bottomed saucepan (like Le Creuset) is the best best for the average home cook. This recipe makes enough for four.

To prepare lamb:

Start with a fresh leg of lamb. Mine weighed 2 lbs. I used half and froze the rest for later use. Trim of visible fat and cut into 1" cubes. (Variation: Buy prepared lamb stewing cubes). Heat 2T oil in an oven-proof saucepan over high heat until oil sizzles when water is flicked into the pot. Pat lamb dry with paper towels, then, working in batches, sear the lamb until well-browned on all sides. You'll be needing to turn on the vent on your oven hood. Add more oil throughout as needed. Set meat aside to drain once seared.

To prepare rest of casserole:

Finely chop one sweet onion and 4 cloves garlic. Heat a small amount of oil over medium heat in same saucepan used to sear lamb. Add onion and garlic along with 2 tsp turmeric, 2 tsp cardamom, 2 tsp cinnamon and 1 tsp ground ginger. Cook, stirring often, until browning and fragrant. Stir in 3 cups beef stock and 2T honey. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Add 1T cornstarch stirred into 1T water or lemon juice to make a slurry. Continue to simmer sauce for 5 minutes, then remove from heat.

To cook casserole:

Add lamb cubes, 1 cup halved dried apricots and 1/2 cup halved dried prunes to sauce. (I used dates in the version shown below but decided I prefer it with prunes, which are less cloyingly sweet.) Bake in oven at 300 for 1 hour, removing the lid for the last 15 minutes of cooking. Note: This dish could also be done in a slow cooker. 

To serve:

Serve over couscous with chopped toasted almonds.

DIY shoe colourblock - a cautionary tale

Spoiler alert: I decided to share my experience colour-blocking a pair of peep-toe pumps with fellow aspiring DIYers. In an era of 'OMG - so easy!!' pinspiration, it serves as a bit of a cautionary tale.

I bought the neutral peep-toes shown in the second photo below to wear with a bridesmaid dress. Unfortunately, a rainy day and muddy lawn ruined the heels beyond repair. $80 for a pair of shoes I wore once? Something had to be done. Thinking myself pretty crafty and clever, I decided to spray-paint the heel burgundy. I mean oxblood. (Because that's what we're calling it these days, right?). Easy peasy, I thought.

I ever so carefully taped every square millimeter I didn't want painted, which took a good 20 minutes. Then I got to work, applying three coats with ample drying time in between. Despite my best efforts, the colour bled onto the sole and the upper. No problem, I though; I'll spray-paint the upper portion black and be even MORE careful. Again with the taping and 3 coats. This time not only did the paint bleed again but I also got some drip marks on the upper itself. FML. Luckily, the drip marks aren't too visible other than up close. I may even be able to buff them out. But still, I was feeling pretty frustrated. I had just painted my bathroom walls (a much easier project by comparison), so I grabbed the chemical product I used for cleaning the paint roller brushes. I applied it to makeup pads and Q-tips, and used that to clean up my shoes. It actually worked pretty well, apart from a bit of discolouration on a section of the sole where I had to scrub a little.  

Finally, I loved my shoes. I wore them with pride with my jade cropped trousers for one glorious day (a day when I had the foresight to do blog photos). And then the paint started to flake in spots, probably from tapping one shoe against the other, or against something like a stair riser. As we speak my shoes are having a time-out in my office desk drawer. I'm debating whether it's worth attempting more coats of paint applied with a paintbrush, followed by some kind of sealant. Or maybe I need to stick to shoe DIYs involving ribbons and stud earrings (as seen here)? Have YOU tried any DIY projects on your shoes? How did it go? 

xx

 

 

Top - XOXO via Winners

Pants - Gap

Shoes - Nine West

Eyeglasses - Marc O'Polo

Bracelet - Toronto boutique

Earrings - Gift

Boho with a faux fur shrug

In honour of the weekend, I'm posting an outfit I wore to dinner last Saturday for a troika of birthday celebrations with 'les gars', a group of close male friends I've known since my pre-teens. No surprise here, I was feeling inspired by the 70s. A (consigned) beaded Bob Mackie purse will do that to a girl. After a couple of quiet weekends of painting, cleaning, organizing and errand-running, it was nice to put on some makeup. This past weekend I headed to Kingston, Ontario to visit my sister in her new city of residence. We were joined by our close mutual friend - and recent newlywed - M and her hubby, who live too far for anything but the occasional get-together. It was great to make the most of a weekend with a few of my favourite people. I packed a batch of homemade chocolate-chip cookies and a suitcase of cozy clothes for layering. We enjoyed sunny lakeside walks and saw the leaves start to change colours in a picturesque town that is also my former university stomping grounds.

xx

 Shrug - Laura

Top - Hand-me-down (Olsen)

Jeans - Seven

Sandals - Guess via Winners

Purse - Consigned (Bob Mackie)

Earrings - Le Chateau

Necklace - Witchery

Bracelets - Le Chateau, Aakriti Designs, Joe Fresh, Toronto boutique and gifted

Rings - Le Chateau and hand-me-down

Bento snack box

A couple of months ago, B started a new job where a hectic work pace and long hours make it difficult for him to plan for regular meals. He's also an athlete who trains often and is conscientious about healthy eating. So, after some 'Pinspiration', I decided to surprise him with an on-the-go bento snack box. The idea of repurposing a storage box with customizable compartments from a hardware store totally appealed to my sense of organization (yes, I'm one of THOSE people). Just be glad I didn't coordinate by colour... though the idea crossed my mind. This would also be great for road trips, though in my own version I'd be sneaking in some jellybeans or gummi bears.

xx 

Back row: teriyaki beef jerky, cashews, pecans, dried apricots

Third row: Sunflower seeds, unsweetened coconut, dried prunes, almond slivers, raisins, dried cherries

Second row: BBQ flavoured rice crackers

Front row: Madeira fruit and nut mix, granola bar, Singaporean snack mix

Sundress with black tank

Canadian summers are notoriously short, this past one being a (wonderful) exception. Therefore, we like to find ways of getting more bang for our buck when it comes to summer clothes. Deft layering does the trick, but this dress is a little challenging. It's very low-cut. The pleats on the torso add bulk. To cap it off, I bought it a couple of sizes too big, attracted by the lure of a sale. Last fall, I layered a short-sleeved knit top and a blazer to smooth things out and cover up for the office (see it here). This time I tried the reverse - a black tank top worn underneath, and a sheer skinny scarf to better define my waist. Patent brogues, a black velvet blazer and a structured leather bag gave it a bit of a menswear vibe. 

Do you try to give your summer clothes staying power?

xx

Dress – H&M (also here and here)

Blazer – H&M

Brogues – Libby Edelman

Tights – Winners

Bag – Leo Monk

Tank – Winners

Scarf (as belt) - Thrifted

Slow-roasted candied tomatoes

Think you couldn't make tomatoes taste as sweet as candy? Think again. Heat and time do MAGICAL things to tomatoes, let me tell you. Yes, you need about 3 - 3 1/2 hours to cook these babies but take advantage of a time when you happen to be home for a few hours. The prep work is easy and once the tomatoes are in the oven, you pretty much let them be. I used a whole slab of tomatoes since they will shrink by about three-quarters as the moisture in the tomatoes evaporates.  

To make, slice tomatoes about 1/2 inch thick. In a large bowl, gently toss tomato slices with 4 tablespoons olive oil and 1/2 T each of whatever Italian-style herbs you have on hand. I used oregano, thyme, parsley, rosemary, sage and marjoram. Add a couple of generous pinches of coarse sea salt and 2T chopped garlic. Drain excess liquid from bowl. Place tomatoes on baking sheets lined with foil and bake at 300 for about 3 hours or until almost completely dehydrated, turning once. 

Substitute these for tomatoes in any kind of recipe – toss in salads, serve on crackers with fresh Parmesan and a drizzle of balsamic, add to a pesto pasta dish, layer in a Panini with grilled vegetables, stuff in chicken breasts with goat cheese…hungry yet?

Thrifted navy suede blazer - two days, two ways

With its beautiful tailoring and gold-coloured hardware, this genuine suede blazer from Danier was a thrifty steal at $12. At first I wasn't sure about the princess sleeves but I like how they let your shirt cuffs peek out. The armholes are also cut a bit lower than I like but when thrifting, you can't be too choosy. And its hefty fabric has kept me warm on some cold Canadian days!

I thought I’d show two of the ways I’ve worn it. I played it pretty safe on both counts – once with dress pants in the same tone, a neutral silk button-down and a gold belt and once with a lacy salmon tank, skinny jeans and knee-high boots. If you have other ideas, I’d love to hear them!

xx

 

 

Blazer - Thrifted (Danier Leather)

Pants - Consigned (BCBG)

 Blouse - Thrifted (Jalouzie)

Belt - Thrifted

Shoes - Old Navy

Watch - Kenneth Cole

Ring - Le Chateau

Jeans - Guess

Tank - Banana Republic

Boots - Geox

 Necklace - Thrifted (Jones New York) 

 Watch - Kenneth Cole

 Ring - Le Chateau

Carrot-zucchini cake with cream cheese and vanilla bean icing

One of my favourite little pleasures in life is moist carrot cake with real cream cheese icing. Living in residence in my first year of university, my floormates and I used to scrape off the inferior icing on the cafeteria's carrot cake, stir in cream cheese from the bagel bar, then put it back on the cake. The following year, living in student housing with three other girls, I discovered my housemate's terrific carrot cake recipe. The addition of grated zucchini in her version keeps the cake nice and moist. When I decided to make one recently for my Dad's birthday (the apple doesn't fall far from the tree; we both love it), I decided to step it up a bit. I combined my housemate's recipe with my Mom's recipe for rum-glazed carrots, which we usually have during the holidays, and added a few extra spices. The outcome was exquisite. 

 To make cake:

Peel 1 cup carrots and cut into pieces of roughly equal size, about 3". Place carrots in a small saucepan with 1T margarine and 3 oz rum. Add enough water to just cover carrots. Bring to a boil over medium-high heat and continue boiling until water has evaporated and carrots are nice and glazed. Mash carrots. 

In a mixing bowl, beat 2 eggs and 1 cup sugar until foamy. Gradually beat in 2/3 cup oil. In a separate bowl, sift 1-1/4 cups flour, 2 tsp cinnamon, 1 tsp nutmeg, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda, and 1/2 tsp salt. Gradually add dry ingredients to wet ingredients. Stir in 1 cup grated zucchini and mashed carrots. Bake in a greased 9x13 pan at 350 for about an hour (I had doubled this recipe and it took an hour and 20 minutes in my oven)

To make icing:

Beat together 1 3-oz package softened cream cheese, 2 cups icing sugar, 3T margarine, and beans scraped from one vanilla pod. Taste. Taste again to be sure. Say to hell with it, get a spoon and enjoy some straight from the bowl.

Once cooled, spread whatever icing is left over onto cake and serve with a cinnamon stick for garnish.

Russian-style luxe

I had no idea what to title this post, but I ended up reducing it to the Russian stereotype of fur, red and gold accents and rich patterns. I don't get many chances to take photos of stuff I wear outside of work (that is, when I'm not puttering around the house in sweatpants, or heading to and from the gym in workout gear).  I used an Ottawa blogger meet-up as an one of the last opportunities to wear office-inappropriate shorts before the temperatures really drop. It was great to finally meet the blogger behind Hippie Lace, and catch up with the gals of Tinfoil Tiaras and A Fine Balance over yummy Mexican.

xx

Shorts - Gap (also here)
 Top - Swapped (Banana Republic)

Red scarf - Swapped (also here)

Faux-fur collar - Thrifted (also here)

Shoes - Shoe Republic via sample sale
 Tights - Gap

Clutch - Gift

Necklace - Banana Republic

Ring - Le Chateau

Earrings - Thrifted

Almond-crusted chicken with Balsamic-poached pear and Brie cream sauce

Despite no longer being in school, I find the back-to-school period invigorates me to tackle projects around the house in a way that the New Year never does. This year one of those has been organizing my rather daunting recipe collection. In the process, I came across a recipe I clipped from our local newspaper years ago: almond-crusted chicken with Balsamic-poached pear and Brie cream sauce. It's too decadent and labour-intensive for an everyday meal, but I thought it would be the perfect dish for a birthday dinner B and I hosted for my Dad and the rest of my family. My Dad has been so good to me - like helping with my reclaimed wood headboard DIY project that I can't wait to reveal - and I wanted to show him some appreciation. Look out for an upcoming post about the gourmet carrot cake we had for dessert.

 Serves 6.

To prepare pears (can be made a day ahead):

Peel, slice in half lengthwise and core four ripe Bosc pears. Heat 1 cup balsamic vinegar in a medium-sized saucepan to simmering, then add pears and poach for 5 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon, slice pears, then cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate until needed. Reheat just before using.

Tip: My pears were not completely immersed during poaching, so I turned them once. I kept the leftover vinegar for use in salad dressings.

To prepare chicken:

Pulse 1 1/2 cups almonds in a blender until slightly coarser than breadcrumbs. Pat 6 chicken breasts dry, then roll in almonds. Place on a baking sheet and bake at 350 for 15 minutes or until fully cooked. 

To prepare sauce:

  Melt 6T butter in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Once starting to froth, whisk in 6T flour and continue to whisk until a light-brown roux is formed. Whisking, add 1 cup white wine,  1 1/2 cups heavy cream and 1/2 cup table cream. Simmer until thickened to sauce consistency. Remove from heat and stir in 6T Brie (or other cheese). Season to taste with pepper.

Tip: Clarified butter is used in a traditional roux. 

Tip: Before adding the cheese, I separated the sauce into two batches and added Brie to one and blue cheese to the other so people could choose.

To serve:

 Spoon sauce over chicken breasts and top with poached pear slices. Serve with mushroom risotto finished with a splash of lemon juice, and a green salad with a balsamic dressing made with the leftover poaching liquid.

Recipe source: Ottawa Citizen (with some minor adaptations)