Home of the Famous Banana Dog!!

Welcome to Kath's Kitchen featured on The Retirement Show - the best years of our lives, on CFOS 560 each month with co-hosts Bob and Kathryn Durant.

When Bob announced his semi-retirement and left the morning show host slot, we knew that we were about to undergo many changes as he tranisitioned from full time to occasional work (I joined the semi-retired ranks too!).

Thus The Retirement Show was conceived and launched with the premiere show on Tuesday May 28, 2013.

We are delighted to be back for a 3rd year and welcome back our sponsor CanEVA. Barbara Kay will be a a regular guest over the next several months to discuss the importance of Elk Velvet Antler as a safe, natural remedy that relieves joint pain and promotes bone, muscle and cartilage growth, among other things.

The show will feature a number of lively topics ranging from lifestyle, finances, health, travel, entertainment and all of the other issues facing today's 50+ generation. As is our style, there will be lots of kibitzing and fun along the way.

We will spend some time in Kath's Kitchen and will share an easy peasy recipe from our favourites with you, endorsed, of course, by Gracie our resident "sous chef" ... and golden retriever.

The latest recipe is shown below. To view and print archived recipes click on the triangle next to the month of your choice in the archive list on the right side of the screen. Next, click on the recipe of your choice. When it opens into the text area below just choose print from the File menu.

We hope you enjoy this new chapter of Durant's World and will tune in. Join us this year on April 21, May 19, June 23, July 21, August 18, September 22, October 20, November 17 and December 15. Every show is repeated the following Saturday at 2:00pm.

Enjoy and thanks for listening!.

BON APPÉTIT!

Bob, Kathryn and Gracie

10/25/12

Dinner Tonight: Curly Kale and Potato Soup with Sausage


Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
  •  1/2 pound pork sausage, casings removed
  • 2 medium onions, sliced thin
  • 4 cloves garlic, chopped, if using
  • 1 large bunch kale, stems removed and cut into 1/2-inch ribbons
  •  1 pound waxy potatoes, such as Yukon Gold, peeled and sliced thin
  • Salt and freshly ground black pepper
  • 6 cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • Parmesan cheese

Procedures

  1. 1
    Heat olive oil in Dutch oven over medium heat until shimmering. Add sausage and cook, breaking up with a wooden spoon, until crumbled and beginning to brown, about 4 minutes. Remove with a slotted spoon and reserve.
  2. 2
    Add onion and cook until soft and beginning to brown, 10-12 minutes. Add garlic and cook until fragrant, 1-2 minutes more, if using. Add kale, potatoes, and reserved sausage, along with a couple pinches of salt. Cook about three minutes longer, then add chicken stock and bring to a boil. Simmer until the kale and potatoes are tender, about 30 minutes.
  3. 3
    Season to taste with salt and pepper. Divide into bowls and top with fresh black pepper and grated Parmesan. Serve immediately.

10/11/12

Perfect Chicken Stew

Ingredients
1 (3 -7 lb) whole chicken
8 potatoes
6 carrots
2 onions
4 stalks celery
1 (8 ounce) can cream of mushroom soup
1 (10 ounce) can chicken stock
1 cup unbleached flour
2 cups milk (optional)
2 tablespoons garlic powder
3 tablespoons pepper (fresh ground is best)
3 tablespoons salt (kosher or sea salt optional)
hot sauce (optional)


Directions:
1 Season a 3-7 pound chicken with Garlic powder and Pepper. Roast chicken in oven at 325 degrees.
While chicken is cooking, dice potatoes, slice carrots, chop onions and carrots to desired thickness. Place vegetables in stewing pot and add water until vegetables are covered with about an 3 inches of water. Boil rapidly until potatoes are just finished.
3 Remove vegetables from the pot by straining them and keep the water. By removing the vegetables and letting them cool, you prevent overcooking them and they won't dissolve into nothing.
With remaining water on low heat, add can of cream of mushroom soup, can of chicken stock and milk (milk optional).
5 If you don't use milk, I suggest a premium ready to serve brand of creamed mushroom soup, it will be of a smoother, creamier consistency than the regular cans of mushroom soup.
6 Get a small sealable container and fill with 1 cup of cold water, then add 1 cup of flour, cover and seal, then immediately shake vigorously. You are making a thickener for the stew, it should look like the consistency of glue with no lumps. If to thick add a bit of water, too thin add a bit more flour, shake very hard again. If there are a few lumps you can remove them by straining. This process, once learned, is very useful for making gravies or other stews without using a high-fat butter and flour 'roux' thickener.
7 Rapidly add thickener to the starch water/mushroom soup/stock/milk mixture using a whisk. You may have to make a little more thickener if you want a hardier stew, just remember that the stew will thicken more after it is removed from the heat and it stands. Simmer to desired consistency. Stir often. Do not burn! I suggest a non-stick stew pot, it helps prevent burning.
8 Add the cooked (now cooled) vegetables to the stew.
9 When chicken is finished roasting, drain juices into the stew. Remove skin and bones. Tear or cut chicken apart and add to the stew.
10 Stir in about 2-3 tablespoons of salt to stew and about the same amount of pepper to taste.
11 If you want, try adding a dash of hot sauce.
12 Let stew simmer for a little longer. Serve with fresh bread and Enjoy.

10/4/12

Baby pumpkin puddings with cinnamon whipped cream and pecan brittle

A little bit of work but so worth it!!!!

The puddings can be made a day ahead and refrigerated, but bring them to room temperature before serving. 
Serves 6

Pecan brittle
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
3/4 cup pecan halves, broken in rough quarters
Pinch of kosher salt

Puddings
14-oz can pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling), about 1 3/4 cups
3/4 cup lightly packed light brown sugar
3/4 tsp kosher salt
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg
1/4 tsp ground mace
2 large eggs
1 1/2 cups evaporated milk (not condensed) or 18% cream
2 tbsp dark rum
1/2 tsp lightly packed grated orange zest, preferably organic

Cinnamon whipped cream
1/2 cup 35% (whipping) cream
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp granulated sugar
1/8 tsp ground cinnamon

For the brittle, melt half the sugar in a small heavy saucepan over medium-low heat. Once the sugar starts to melt around the edge of the pan, stir until all the sugar has melted. Add the remaining sugar and stir until it has turned a caramel color. This could take up to 15 minutes. If you have a candy thermometer, it should register 250°F (120°C), just below hard boil.

Stir in the pecans and salt and quickly pour the mixture onto a lightly buttered counter or baking sheet. Use a lightly oiled spatula to smooth the brittle into a thin layer (about ¼ inch thick). Allow to cool and then break into shards. Extra brittle will keep in a closed container for a few days.

Preheat the oven to 350°F.

For the puddings, combine the pumpkin, brown sugar, salt, cinnamon, ginger, nutmeg and mace in a large bowl.

Whisk together the eggs, evaporated milk, rum and orange zest in a separate bowl. Stir the egg mixture into the puree.

Divide the custard among six 6-cup ovenproof ramekins and place in a roasting pan. If there are any small bubbles on top of the custards, draw the tip of a small knife across the top to break them.

Make a bain marie by pouring warm water into the roasting pan until it comes halfway up the sides of the ramekins. Place a piece of foil lightly over the top and bake for 45 to 50 minutes, or until the puddings are barely quivering in the middle.

Remove the ramekins from the oven, cool on a rack and refrigerate, covered, until an hour before serving.

For the whipped cream, combine the cream and vanilla in a bowl and whip until soft peaks form. Add the sugar and cinnamon. Whip until the cream is soft and billowy. Refrigerate.

Garnish the flans with a dollop of whipped cream and a shard of pecan brittle.