October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month

Rose Reisman has written 19 cookbooks. In 2002, she published The ART of Living Well - Light cooking and Eating to fit the way we Live.

The cookbook was a fundraiser for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation and I had the opportunity to see Rose Reisman demonstrate several recipe during a fund raising event for the Canadian Breast Cancer Foundation.  The price of admission to the event included a copy of the cookbook and a chance to meet Rose.

I do recall trying several recipes when I got the book including Yukon Gold Potato Soup and Rose's Famous Light Fettuccine Alfredo, but one recipe keeps me pulling the book off my shelf "Creamy Shrimp and Dill Spread"  A tasty shrimp dip that is a hit whenever I bring it somewhere.  Needing to bring an appetizer to an event - I reached for the trusty recipe.

It is rather ironic that I had reached for this book considering October is Breast Cancer Awareness month.  Also when you are female and turn 50 you get contacted to have a Mammogram, and today was the day.  Even though we have not found a cure for breast cancer (or cancer in general) the survival rate for early detection improves every day.  The friend that I attended the Rose Reisman fundraising event is a 20 year breast cancer survivor,  a cousin is almost a 30 year survivor.  As uncomfortable as the screening techniques may be - they help save lives.  Get it done!  It could save your life.

So what recipes did I try from The ART of Living Well............

To start I selected "Sweet Red and Yellow Pepper Soup", because it called for charing the peppers first. For some reason I was always worried that I would burn the peppers so I have never tried to char peppers before.  Charring peppers was not as hard as I thought!  I love pureed soups and this one had a great combination of flavours.  Warm soups are a great fall weather food especially on cooler rainy days.  I think we will see a repeat appearance of this soup soon.

I decided to make a bonus appetizer "Asparagus Prosciutto Cheese Tortilla Slices"  when I found some nice asparagus at a reasonable price and I had all the other ingredients already.  I had originally dismissed the idea of making this recipe because I didn't think I would find  asparagus.  Though I was a bit disappointed with the recipe - it seemed to lack flavour.  I think some additional herbs or seasoning would help if I make it again.

The next course was "Salmon Parcels Wrapped in Rice Paper" with "Japanese Curly Noodle Salad with Sesame Dressing".  I thought they would complement each other both having asian flavouring.

I find salmon, cooked right,  has such great flavour, that there is no need to add other flavours to compete with the salmon.  In this recipe you spread the salmon with hoisin sauce before wrapping it in rice paper to cook.  A sauce made with coconut milk is then served with it.   The salmon was juicy in its crisp rice paper wrap - an interesting way to serve salmon.

The salad was a nice fresh salad to serve with the salmon,  with crunch coming from toasted almonds and the dried noodles.   A great salad to bring to a potluck.

Hungry for chocolate (who isn't hungry for Chocolate!) I indulged with " Sour Cream Brownie Cheesecake".  A reduced fat version with all the great taste you would want from a cheesecake, with enough chocolate flavour to satisfy even the most die hard chocoholic.  I would certainly make again if I had to bring dessert somewhere.   The only problem is it does make a large cheesecake,  and even though it is low fat you should still be mindful of the amount to eat.  So I need some help eating up the cheesecake - anyone want some?

Lets go pick some apples

When there is a nip in the air and the trees become more colourful we start to think of a popular fall activity -  Apple picking.  Many of us head out to orchards with friends and family to pick crisp, sweet apples to enjoy during the fall.

A group of colleagues and I made the annual track this weekend.  We have been doing this for over a decade.  A local orchard agrees to donate apples to a local food bank, we supply the labour and deliver the apples.    It sounds like a lot of work, picking a 150  bags of apples, but many hands make light work.  Afterwards we reward our hard work with a potluck picnic in the orchard!

With little planning we always seem to put together an amazing spread.  Food always seems to taste better when outdoors, and when you get to enjoy it with friends it is always better.

In honour of this fall tradition, this weeks cookbook pick is a theme cookbook - all about Apples!
The Apple a Day Cookbook by Janet Reeves entices readers to include apples in many dishes that they would not have thought an apple belonged in!

As you know my goal is to create a 3 course menu from the selected cookbook each week,  which I did this week, but I spread the dishes over 2 days.  The appetizer and dessert I brought to the picnic and the main course  was for supper the next day.  

This weeks menu included:

Curried Apple Soup

Chuckwagon Beef Stew

Pumpkin Apple Butter Pie

The curried apple soup was very easy to make with ingredients most of us have at home.  The warm soup was great to have on a cool day with just enough heat from the curry to make it interesting.  It will certainly be a soup I make again.  

Each year after we pick the donated apples we usually pick apples for our own use.  Most of the apples I pick get eaten fresh, but a few will find their way into Apple Jelly and Apple Butter.  A jar of Apple Butter left from last year was the reason I choose the Pumpkin Apple Butter Pie recipe.  A twist on the traditional pumpkin pie.  The addition of the apple butter made for a softer filling than a typical pumpkin pie, but provided an interesting hint of sweetness. 

The Chuckwagon Stew seems like a typical stew with the exception of apples.  I was concerned that the apples would overpower the stew or cause it to be too sweet.  I was pleasantly surprised the stew tasted delicious and you would hardly know apples where in it, as they pretty much dissolved into the stew.
A great way to add a little more fibre to your stew.

This week I will take some time to convert a few of those apples into Apple Jelly and Apple Butter but for now I think I will go eat an apple.