Scotch Truffles for a Scottish birthday!

ScotchTruffles

Lindsay from Appetite had her birthday yesterday and I had wanted to make her something awesome. She is Scottish and after a little research into what constitutes a Scottish treat, I found that most of the treats sounded like something a grandma would make. They all sounded tasty, but nothing struck me as exciting birthday food. Then I racked my brain for another way to bring Scotland into a birthday treat. With haggis out of the question, only because Robert Burns Day had just passed, my mind went to one of my best friend’s favourite drinks, Scotch. Scotch! Of course!

I remember three years ago at my sister’s wedding my dad had set up a Scotch tasting for anyone willing to try. Jon’s brother and I were two of the few who stepped up to the plate. Brian went first, and trying his best to humour my dad’s enthusiasm tried them all, sputtered and admitted defeat. I was next, I maybe made it through two. And these were great Scotches, some of the best I’ve had since. This past year I got to know my wonderful friend Caelin who got me into Scotch. We did fancy tastings and learned how to appreciate the good stuff. While in the Yukon this fall, I proudly partook in the daily Scotch sipping sessions, again with some of the most delicious Scotches I’ve had. This fall we also learned that Scotch pairs well with Cheetos, who knew! (Though really, what doesn’t go well with Cheetos…)

One of the ways the Caelin eased me into Scotch was with this incredible flourless chocolate cake from Chewies in Kits. We’d sip a little Scotch, eat a bite of the rich dark chocolate cake, and float straight up to flavour heaven. It was this flavour combination that I wanted to recreate with these truffles. Had I been in the Yukon when creating these, I would’ve used one of my dad’s amazing and peat Scotches as the rich flavour is so beautiful with dark chocolate. Sadly, I am here and am looking for a job, so I had to use a much less fancy, but still tasty-enough blend that did the trick. If you do make these gorgeous treats, use a great Scotch. Also, I used a 72% Bittersweet chocolate, I would recommend using something slightly less dark, maybe 65%. These were delicious, but may not be really everyone’s cup of tea.

Scotch Truffles

INGREDIENTS

  • 500g dark chocolate wafers, or roughly chopped
  • 3/4 cup whipping cream
  • 4-5 tbsp Scotch
  • cocoa powder or icing sugar for rolling

DIRECTIONS

  1. Dump your chocolate into a medium bowl. Set aside.
  2. In a small pot, heat your whipping cream over medium-high heat. Bring to a simmer, making sure not to scald it.
  3. Pour the simmered cream over the chocolate, stir well until smooth. Add the scotch and stir into the ganache.
  4. Allow the ganache to sit on the counter for 1-2 hours, until hardened enough to scoop.
  5. Use a spoon to carve out quarter-sized balls, roll in your hands to smooth (or don’t… rustic!). Work quickly to avoid melting completely in your hands. Roll each ball in the cocoa powder and set on a plate.
  6. Refrigerate the truffles overnight. These will keep in a sealed container in the fridge for 1 week or well wrapped in the freezer for a month. Best eaten at room temperature, so the texture is smooth and luscious.
All the ingredients for delicious truffles.

All the ingredients for delicious truffles.

Simmered and pouring.

Simmered and pouring.

Work station at the ready.

Work station at the ready.

Don't feel bad if you make a mess. Navigating my other hand to work my camera was troublesome.

Don’t feel bad if you make a mess. Navigating my other hand to work my camera was troublesome.

Aftermath.

Aftermath.

I made some nicely rounded ones and some terribly "rustic" ones.

I made some nicely rounded ones and some terribly “rustic” ones.

A reflection on loss

It’s funny how each person processes a devastating loss differently. I get a lot of comments from friends and family about how strong I am in the face of the loss of my father. My husband too has heard this and while we both agree that I have been able to push on despite this gaping hole in my life, we both also know that I too have moments of utter, debilitating sadness. I know that it was my father who gifted me with the ability to approach serious situations with practicality and lightness, but that can only last for so long (generally until I am alone in bed, looking through pictures or listening to music or thinking or desperately trying not to think).

I am not sure if I had mentioned this previously, but the way my dad told me terrible news was always in the form of a joke of sorts. When my mom was in a car accident in 2008, my dad called me late at night, around midnight-1am. I had just returned from a late-night curling game (we are wild!) and was settling into my dorm room with a movie before bed. Dad called and was surprised to find me up, “What are you doing up so late?!” I, not realizing how weird it was for him to be calling so late, decided to sass him back, “Why are you calling so late?!”

“What are you doing up so late?”

“Why are you calling so late?”

And so it went back and forth a few times, each sassing the other. Then, my dad broke the news that mom was in an accident. She’s okay now, but was seriously injured, requiring physio, screws in her hand and foot, and having to suffer under my watchful eye over the Christmas holiday.

In November of 2011 my parents were slated to come for a visit from Friday to Monday. Much to my surprize they arrived on Wednesday afternoon, surprizing me at school. I thought it was another of my family’s surprize visits, this time gift me two extra days with them in the city (later I would get 6 weeks as a result). They found me in the Harbour Centre and asked if I could go for a beer as they had something to talk to me about. My mind raced, what in the world could they be so solemn about. Ridiculously, my mind went to divorce. This is particularly ridiculous if you knew my parents at all. The love between my mother and father could supply a thousand cupids; hand holding, bum pinching, sweet looks and more, were still a daily occurrence 28 years into their marriage. I thought to myself, “Why would they take this trip all the way to Vancouver just to tell me. No, Stacey, that’s crazy.”

Anyway, we made our way to a pub up the street on Granville, them hand-in-hand. We sat down at an awkward little bar-height table, perched on stools and ordered beers and some appetizers. Dad looked at me and said, “Stacey, you were right all along. I have a brain tumour.” I laughed because it was silly. Then I started to cry because I realized that he was being serious. Mom’s eyes were welling up and I sat there, eyes brimming over with tears, trying to comprehend what that meant.

What it meant for my family was having mom and dad return to Vancouver for six weeks of radiation through December and January. It meant a beautiful Christmas, jammed into our tiny little one-bedroom apartment, my youngest niece sleeping in the tub. It meant getting to spend more time with my parents than I’d been able to for a few years. It meant mom, dad, and I getting to know more about the inside of the Vancouver General Hospital than we’ve ever wanted to. It essentially meant that in a years time I was going to lose my father, a man who has shaped who I am: my humour, my patience (and occasional lack-thereof), my interests and talents.

It is nice to look back on the time we spent together here in Vancouver, because despite the terrible circumstances, it was really good to be together. Looking back on my childhood and adolescence growing up with such amazing parents is also so wonderful. Right now though, just months after losing my father, all I can look back to was the time we spent together in the hospital in Whitehorse, leading up to his death. That too was good time, in that we were together. But it was also kind of terrible. My father had to lose his strength, his ability to use his left side, and eventually his ability to speak. He continued to be the funny, kind, loving father and friend that he always was, but it breaks my heart to think of how he suffered. We had to watch this powerful, amazing man have his strength taken.

I am a puddle of tears as I write this, because it is devastating. Thinking about those weeks we spent together and the fact that it culminated in my father’s passing is absolutely devastating. There is a hole in my heart, in my life and the lives of my mom, sister, friends and family, that will never be filled. My dad was only 61 when he passed away. When he first went into the hospital’s palliative care unit, the neurologist told us he had 2 weeks. Four weeks later, his GP told us that because his body was in otherwise great health, it was hard to say when he would pass. The brain tumour was the only thing to take him from us.

My sister and I are going to get scans of our own to set a baseline for our brains. Though the type of tumour that dad had is not supposed to be hereditary, our family has had an unusually high occurrence and we want to be safe rather than sorry, again. Anyway, this is why I am doing the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada Spring Sprint. And I am so thankful to all of the incredible people who have decided to join me. Our team, somewhat unofficially, now has abut 15 people coming to Vancouver to walk together in the memory of my dad, my aunt, and in honour of the wonderful Katey Norton. That’s amazing, it is going to be a beautiful walk together, I know dad would love it. I am thrilled to get a chance to support the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada and I hope that we continue to work up some wonderful donations so that one day, nobody will have to go through what we have gone through.

Again, if you are interested in donating to the Hook, Line, and Sprinters for the Brain Tumour Foundation of Canada, click the image above. Canadians affected by a brain tumour benefit from your generosity which funds education, information, and support as well as research into the cause and better treatments for brain tumours.

Parmesan Meatloaf

ParmesanMeatloaf

This is a tasty meatloaf with no need for fillers, it has some cheese, some tomato, and a ridiculous amount of flavour.

I am not a huge fan of meatloaf, but have found that when I get a chance to mix things up, I can make it pretty darn tasty. So here we go, meeeaaatttllloooooafffff. Ridiculously flavourful, awesome for dinners and awesome to pack up for lunches galore. Again, this makes a lot so feel free to cut it in half, but I don’t recommend it, meatloaf shrinks down and when things are this tasty, it is a good idea to have enough for more! The parmesan in the name is a replacement for the typical fillers, it adds lots of sharp flavour and bite. Delicious!

Anyway, enjoy it with a heaping serving of Sunday’s Fully-Loaded Cauliflower Bake. Awesome dinner all around!

Parmesan Meatloaf

INGREDIENTS

  • 2 lb ground beef
  • 1 lb ground pork
  • 3 eggs
  • 1 cup cheddar, shredded
  • 3/4 cup Parmesan, finely grated
  • 1 1/2 tsp onion powder
  • 1 1/2 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp coarse salt
  • 1 tsp pepper
  • 1 tsp oregano
  • 1/2 tsp thyme
  • 1/4 tsp basil
  • 1 cup low-sugar tomato sauce
  • 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar
  • 1 tsp sweetener (sugar, stevia, honey, etc.)
  • 2 tbsp mustard

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 425°F. Line two loaf pans with parchment paper.
  2. In a large bowl combine the meat, eggs, cheese, and spices.
  3. In a measuring cup, measure the tomato sauce. Add the apple cider vinegar and sweetener. Stir well to combine. Pour 1/4 cup of the tomato mixture into the meat.
  4. Mix the meat and other ingredients until evenly distributed. Scoop evenly into loaf pans, smooth the top.
  5. Add the mustard to the remaining tomato mixture and stir well to combine. Pour evenly over the loafs.
  6. Cook the two loafs for 15 minutes at 425°F. Reduce heat to 350°F and bake for another 40-50 minutes, until cooked through.
  7. Allow to sit for 5-10 minutes before serving. Carefully lift out of pan and slice on a plate.
Ready to be loafed up.

Ready to be loafed up.

Ready to be sauced up.

Ready to be sauced up.

Ready to be cooked up.

Ready to be cooked up.

Ready to be eaten up!

Ready to be eaten up!

Fully-Loaded Cauliflower Bake: baked potatoes without the potatoes!

FullyLoadedCauliflower

Like in my Cauliflower Mash, cauliflowers make an excellent substitute for potatoes in this classic-tasting dish. Full of flavour, cheesy and filling, this is an awesome side dish for any day of the week. The tang of the cream cheese and sour cream pair perfectly with the salty bacon and sharp cheddar. Really everything you love about baked potatoes are rolled up in an easy to make casserole. This makes a lot, two medium casserole dishes worth, or on 9 x 13″ pan. Feel free to half the recipe, I am packing the extras up for lunches!

Fully-Loaded Cauliflower Bake

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 large head of cauliflower, roughly chopped
  • 2 cups of chicken broth (or water)
  • 4 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 1 cup of sour cream
  • 1 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, shredded
  • 6 slices bacon, roughly chopped and cooked until crisp
  • 3 green onions, chopped
  • 1 1/2 tsp pepper
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 more green onions to top, chopped

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 350°F. Take out either two medium casserole dishes or one 9 x 13 glass baking dish.
  2. In a large pot, cook the cauliflower in the chicken broth until tender (about 10 minutes). Drain and set aside in the strainer to continue to release water.
  3. In the now empty, but still hot pot, melt the cream cheese. Add the drained cauliflower and follow with the rest of the of the ingredients, reserving 1/2 cup of the cheddar and 2-strips worth of chopped, cooked bacon.
  4. Smooth the mixture into the casserole dish(es). Sprinkle liberally with cheddar and the leftover bacon.
  5. Bake for 20 minutes, serve with a sprinkle of green onions.
Could already pass for potatoes.

Could already pass for potatoes.

Cheesy bacony heaven.

Cheesy bacony heaven.

Pre-serving.

Pre-serving.

Meatballs with Easy Cheesy Sauce

Meatballs

Sometimes I just really get an idea in my head for dinner but I am still at work. Conveniently my husband works a lot later than me, so I can often get him to do some dinner prep for me. Today Gen took out the pork and beef to defrost and they were perfectly ready by the time I got home. Meatballs were on the menu and my goodness I am thrilled with them! I whipped up some cheese sauce, kind of like an alfredo, to top them off and I was in an amazing cheesy dream place come dinner.

On a complete random and mostly unrelated note, I was walking home along Granville when I was a sign advertising “1/2 Pd Wings.” Most creative expression  of pound that I’ve ever seen.

Meatballs

INGREDIENTS

  • 1 tbsp butter
  • 1/2 large onion, roughly chopped
  • 3 cloves garlic
  • 1 lb minced beef
  • 1 lb minced pork
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp black pepper
  • 1/4 tsp oregano
  • 1/4 tsp ground sage
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
  • 2 eggs

DIRECTIONS

  1. Heat oven to 375°F, line a cookie sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. In a medium skillet over high heat melt butter and sauté onion for 5 minutes, until just translucent.
  3. Add the garlic and cook 1 minute more, until fragrant.
  4. In a large bowl mash together the two minced meats. Add the sautéed onions and garlic, cheese, eggs, salt, pepper, and spices.
  5. Mix well to combine, it will be gooey.
  6. Roll golfball-sized meatballs and line up on the prepared cookie sheet.
  7. Bake for 20-25 minutes, until browned and cooked through.

Easy Cheesy Sauce

INGREDIENTS

  • 8 oz cream cheese, softened
  • 3/4 cup whipping cream
  • 1/2 cup parmesan, grated
  • 1/4 teaspoon pepper
  • 1/8 tsp nutmeg
  • 1/4 tsp salt
  • 1/2 tsp garlic, minced
  • 1/2-3/4 cup of water as needed

DIRECTIONS

  1. In a medium saucepan, heat the cream cheese over medium-low, stirring until melted and smooth.
  2. Gradually stir in the whipping cream until smooth.
  3. Add the parmesan and seasonings. It will be very thick at this point.
  4. Cook over low heat until smooth and creamy, adding water until you’ve reached your desired consistency.
  5. Serve over meatballs!
All-in-one ready to mash into glorious meatballs!

All-in-one ready to mash into glorious meatballs!

I pan-fried one as a tester. Works as well as baking, but browner.

I pan-fried one as a tester. Works as well as baking, but browner.

Creamy cheese sauce.

Creamy cheese sauce.

Delicious baked meatballs!

Delicious baked meatballs!