One afternoon we strolled along Roncesvalles Avenue and wandered into a diner called "The Ace" for lunch. I ordered the Xmas burger with stuffing filling and cranberry compote. It was outstanding....Christmas in a burger! Who knew?? My other half had the lunch special....an angus burger with Portobello mushroom, roasted red pepper and boursin cheese. We had to use a knife and fork to get through our lunch and were truly disappointed when our plates were empty. It was just sooo good!
The weekend arrived, rainy and miserable and suddenly cold. Really cold. And dreary. I decided that Sunday, my last day of vacation (until some time next year...ugh...that's depressing!) was going to be a cozy, lazy day spent reading, cooking, and blogging. The house was dark and overcast all day, mimicking the grey sky outside. I woke up a bit late, tired from a late night celebrating my sister-in-law's 50th birthday at a Halloween surprise party for her. I stumbled down to the kitchen, put on the coffee and threw together a pot of oatmeal. I know what you're thinking....that it is so much work, just make the store bought instant packets. No....we'll have none of that Dear Reader! Not when it really is so easy, and just so much better. A few simple ingredients, come together in a magical, comforting and "cozy-wozy" way. Perfect for a dreary morning.
Cozy Wozy Perfect Porridge
An original My Cupboard Love recipe!
3 cups homo milk
3 cups quick cooking oatmeal (not instant)
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1 cup golden raisins
1 cup dried apricots, diced
2 bananas, sliced
maple syrup
homo milk
Combine the 3 cups of milk with 4 cups of water in large pot and bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat. Add the oatmeal and salt and bring the pot to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce the heat and continue to cook for about another 5 minutes until it thickens.
I was starting to feel like someone would have to dust me if I didn't get up and do something. In keeping with the the theme of the day, I decided to make a slow pot of stew with dumplings for dinner. Let the comfort continue! This stew is rich in flavour - make sure to enjoy it with a glass of red wine.
Sunday Stew with Chive Dumplings
An original My Cupboard Love recipe!
3lbs stewing beef, cut into 1" cubes
1/3 cup flour
3 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup pancetta (Italian bacon)
1/2 large onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 tsp dried thyme
1/3 cup tomato paste
900ml beef broth ( one carton)
1 1/2 cups red wine
3 tbsp balsamic vinegar
3 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
salt and pepper
4 carrots, sliced
4 large russet potatoes, peeled and cut into chunks
For the dumplings:
2 large eggs
2/3 cup milk
3 tbsp minced chives
1 tbsp dried parsley
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Pat beef dry with paper towel. Put into large bowl and season with salt and pepper. Add the flour and toss to coat. Heat oil over medium heat in dutch oven. Working in batches, cook beef until browned. Transfer each batch to a bowl once cooked. Once all the beef has been browned, add the pancetta to the pot and cook until crisp, scraping up the browned bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the onion, garlic, thyme and continue to cook until the onion becomes translucent. Add the wine to deglaze the pan, stirring and scraping all the tasty brown bits from the bottom of the pot. Add the tomato paste, balsamic vinegar, Worcestershire sauce, and beef broth. Return the beef to the pot.