RECIPE: English Muffins for BC Living "From Scratch" - April 01, 2024

English Muffins
for BC Living "From Scratch" Column
April 01, 2024

English muffins are so versatile, from a simple buttered one, to holding together a greasy breakfast sandwich, to being the sturdy base for an eggs benedict. 
 
Whichever way you prefer, once you make them from scratch and taste them for the first time, you may never go back. And while they’re extremely good fresh out of the pan (yes, pan!), you can also freeze them for that Sunday morning brunch. 
 

INGREDIENTS: 

2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 tablespoon granulated sugar 
1 teaspoon salt 
1 tablespoon active dry yeast 
1 cup warm milk (around 110°F/45°C) 
2 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted 
Cornmeal, for dusting 
 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
 
You can make this by hand if you don’t have a stand mixer, but the dough can be very wet and hard to work with. 

In the bowl of your stand mixer, combine warm milk and sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over the mixture and let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until it becomes frothy. 

Attach the dough hook to your stand mixer. Add the flour, salt, and melted butter to the bowl with the activated yeast. Mix on low speed until a shaggy dough forms. 

Once the dough comes together, increase the speed to medium-low and knead the dough for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. Scrape down the sides of the bowl occasionally. 

Form the dough into a ball and place it in a lightly greased bowl. Cover it with a clean kitchen towel and let it rise in a warm place for about 1 to 1.5 hours, or until doubled in size. 

Once the dough has doubled in size, punch it down and turn it out onto a lightly floured surface. Roll the dough out to about 1/2 inch thickness. Use a round cutter (about 3 inches in diameter) to cut out the muffins. Re-roll any scraps and continue cutting until all the dough is used. 
Place the cut muffins on a baking sheet dusted with cornmeal. Sprinkle some cornmeal on top of the muffins as well. Cover them with a clean kitchen towel and let them rise for another 30-45 minutes. 

Heat a cast iron pan over medium-low heat. Lightly grease the pan with butter or oil. Carefully transfer one of the muffins to the hot pan. Cook for about 6-8 minutes on each side, or until they are golden brown and cooked through. If you have a food thermometer, the internal temp should be around 200°F. 
 
You may need to adjust the heat to ensure they cook evenly without burning. Once you can tell the correct cooking time and temp, repeat with the rest of the muffins, a few at a time, leaving some space between them. 
Once cooked, transfer the English muffins to a wire rack to cool slightly before serving. Slice them open with a fork to reveal their nooks and crannies. 
 
(It’s best to separate them before freezing, if you are choosing to do so. They can go directly into a toaster from the freezer.) 
 
Serve warm with butter, jam, or make your favourite breakfast meal. 
 
ENJOY! 

RECIPE: Refried Beans for "From Scratch" on BC Living

You may have caught a pattern over the last few months. I made homemade Queso Fresco that I put on some tacos, which inspired me to make my own refried beans, which inspired me to make my own tortillas. Yes, that is backwards of the recipe release order, but I wanted to give you all the options to make it from scratch from start to finish! 
 
Refried beans from soaking your own to plating it on a tortilla is a gamechanger. No more cans for me, this is worth the effort, tenfold.  
 
REFRIED BEANS
for BC Living

INGREDIENTS 

- 2 cups dry pinto beans (you can also use black beans if you prefer them!) 
- water 
- 2 tbsp lard, oil, or bacon fat 
- 1 onion 
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced 
- salt 
- fresh epazote (fresh oregano if you can’t find, I located dried epazote and used that) 
- optional: ½ tsp cumin, oregano 
 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
 
To make your own Queso Fresco – follow this recipe. 
and 
To make your own Tortillas – follow this recipe. 
 
Rinse your beans, remove any unwanted pieces or debris, and place in a pot or bowl, cover with water, cover and soak overnight.  
(You can also do a faster cooking method by soaking in boiling water for a while first, but I find the overnight soak is the best). 
 
Drain the beans and return to the pot. Add enough water to leave two inches above the beans. 
Peel and quarter the onion and add to the pot with the beans. Also add in the fresh herbs (or a bundle of the dried ones), and a pinch or two of salt. (You can also add in cloves of garlic here.) 
 
Bring this to a boil, and then cover, turn down the heat, and simmer for an hour, giving it an occasional stir. After an hour, check the beans to see if they are cooked, and if not, continue to cook them, checking frequently until they are very tender. 
 
Making sure to retain the bean-water, drain the beans, removing the onion and herbs. 

In a large (make sure there is lots of room) skillet or cast-iron pan, heat the lard/bacon fat or oil (oil to make it vegan) until shimmering – over medium-high heat. 
 
Add in the garlic, and cook for a minute, then add the spices, and beans. If so desired, you can also chop some of the onion and add it in here as well. 
 
Cook in the pan, stirring and smashing as you go (a potato masher would be helpful here – or a fork). 
Add the bean water as needed until you get a texture that you desire. If you prefer a very smooth refried bean, you can also use an immersion blender once you’re done cooking.  
 
Taste the beans for seasoning, adding more salt, cumin, oregano etc. as desired. 
 
Keep warm and serve on tortillas with your desired toppings. (I made a lime crema, and added some cilantro and the queso fresco.) 
 
Enjoy! 

RECIPE: Tortillas From Scratch for BC Living

Tortillas
for “From Scratch” for BC Living
April 2023 
 
I’d been wanting to try making my own tortillas for a while now. I always find when I get a pack from the store, I cannot finish them before they go stale (esp. the fresh corn ones in the HUGE packages). 
 
I got myself a press but you can do the same with a heavy pot, and it will take some practice not to rip them or make sure they’re even, but when you get going, you REALLY get going. 
 
Taco parties just got a whole lot better! 
 

INGREDIENTS 

-2 cups corn flour (masa harina) 
-1.5 cups warm (to hot) water 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 
 
[NOTE: I used Maseca brand corn flour for my dough.] 
 

In a large mixing bowl add the flour and water and mix until the dough starts to come together, and then finish with your hands until it is smooth but springy. (I heard it compared to Play-Doh texture and that’s pretty accurate.) If it’s too dry you can add a tiny bit more water and vice versa with flour if too wet. 
 
Once your dough is formed, cover it with a damp towel (paper or tea towel) and let it rest for 20mins. 
 
I weighed the dough and portioned it into approx. 40g balls – if you do not have a scale, use either a cookie/ice cream scoop or take approx. 2 tbsp of the dough and roll it into smooth balls. You will get around 16 give-or-take. 
 
Get two sheets of parchment paper, or wax, or cut the sides away from a ziplock bag – you might find the dough sticks to one of these, so try another if this is the case. 
 
Place one of the balls between the sheets, and press down with the tortilla press (if you are using, or your heavy pan). The tortillas should be about 5 inches across. 
If you’re using the tortilla press, I recommend placing the ball closer to the hinge – the tortilla will be more centered when you press it this way. 

Carefully peel the tortilla away from the lining, taking care not to rip it. 
I laid the tortillas down on a parchment lined sheet while I made a few, and the skillet was heating over medium-high (I used a cast iron pan – a griddle works too). 
 
Place the tortilla on the hot pan and cook for about 30 seconds on each side – flipping it 3 times and getting some nice browning on each side. 
 
Place in a clean kitchen tea towel to keep warm (or a tortilla warmer if you have one), and repeat the whole process until you’ve made all the tortillas. 
 
The leftovers will keep in the fridge for a few days – freezing isn’t recommended. 
Reheat them in a pan (I add a tiny spritz of water to each side if they’re a little stale), for about 15-20 seconds. 
 
ENJOY! 
 
 

RECIPE: Chocolates From Scratch - for BC Living

RECIPE: Chocolates
for “From Scratch” for BC Living
February 2023

Want to make that box of chocolates gift even more (or, you know, actually) special? Make them yourself from scratch. 
 
Not only will you look super impressive, there are LOTS of leftovers you can store for yourself, and you can tailor the type of chocolate to your preferences, or mix it up. 
 
Don’t be intimidated, even if your first few look strange, they still taste good and you can just eat any mistakes. 

INGREDIENTS 
 
Salted Caramels – Milk & Dark Chocolate 
If you prefer milk over dark, or vice-versa, you can fully double up the chocolate for the coating instead – but the two together do look more impressive. 

 
- 2 cups white sugar  
- 2 cups cream - (whipping)  
- 3/4 cup corn syrup  
- 3/4 cup butter, cut into chunks  
- 1 tsp vanilla extract 
 
- approx. 300g (good) chocolate (dark, milk, etc.) 
- sea salt (flakes) 
 
Mint Chocolates & Rose Chocolates 
The base for the balls is the exact same technique for both kinds of chocolates here. You just add the mint extract, rose water, or whatever you’ve dreamt up, after the base is mixed and then coat later. 
 
- approx. 225g (good) chocolate bars 
- 2/3 cup (160ml) cream (whipping)  
- 1 tbsp unsalted butter (optional) 
 
- ½ tsp  rose water 
- ½ tsp mint extract 
 
For the Coating: 
- approx. 150g (good) chocolate, milk 
- approx. 150g (good) chocolate, white 
- ½ tsp coconut oil (times 2) 
- toppings – edible rose petals, sprinkles, cocoa powder (etc. Optional) 
 
*CANDY THERMOMETER - required 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 

Salted Caramels – Milk & Dark Chocolate 
 
Line and then spray lightly with cooking oil either a 11×7 or 9×9-inch pan. 
 
In a large pot, with high sides, stir together the sugar, 1 cup of the whipping cream, corn syrup, and the butter. Bring this to a boil over medium heat. 
 
While that is happen, in a sauce pan, bring the other cup of the cream up to a low heat. 
 
When the sugar-cream mixture is boiling, very slowly add the heated cream to the pot, then stir constantly as the mixture thickens and darkens. 
 
Measure the temperature with the candy thermometer until it reaches a temp around 245F, then stir in the vanilla. 
 
Pour the mixture into the prepared/lined pan, and spread evenly, then let cool completely. 
 
To cut the caramels to shape, I let them harden in the fridge for 30 minutes, and then removed from the parchment lined tin, cut them to both square and rectangle sizes, and placed on a parchment lined baking sheet. 
 
To Coat in Chocolate: 
 
Chop the desired chocolate into very fine bits, and then melt in a double boiler over water, or in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave (in slow increments) until softened and completely melted. 
 
Drop the caramels into the chocolate, coating completely, and remove with a fork, draining any extra, and place on the baking sheet. 
Immediately sprinkle with sea salt flakes. 
 
Allow to full cool, and set – storing in the fridge or freezer until ready to use. 
 
 
Mint Chocolates & Rose Chocolates 
 
(Note: If you want to make only the one flavour, you can skip the steps of separating and make it all in one. And if you prefer a cocoa powder coating, or nuts etc. to a chocolate one, you can roll the truffles in that after they are shaped.) 
 
Bring the butter to room temp. 
 
Finely chop the 225g of chocolate and place in a heat proof bowl. 
In a pot or in the microwave, heat the cream until it is simmering and then pour over the chocolate in the bowl.  Add in the butter and then stir until chocolate and butter have fully melted and everything is incorporated. 

Grab two flat containers to help quicken the cooling process. 
 
Pour half the mixture into one of the containers, and add the rose water, mixing thoroughly. 
Add the mint extract (a little goes a long way), into the second half and pour it into the second flat container. 
Cover and place in the fridge for at least 2 hours. 
 
When ready to shape, get a baking sheet and line it with parchment paper. Using a small scoop (and gloves to make shaping easier), shape 1-inch balls of each flavor, being sure to keep them separate so you know which is which (you can write it on the parchment). Place back in fridge until ready to coat. 
 
To make coating in chocolate easier, freeze the balls for 30 minutes before covering them in chocolate. 
 
Follow this process for both flavors, using milk or dark chocolate for the mint, and white chocolate for the rose: 
 
Chop the desired chocolate into very fine bits, and then melt in a double boiler over water, or in a heat-proof bowl in the microwave (in slow increments) until softened and completely melted. 
 
Drop the truffle, lightly, into the chocolate, coating completely, and remove with a fork, draining any extra, and place back on the baking sheet. 
 
***For the rose, sprinkle on the edible rose petals, if using, immediately after coating in white chocolate. 
*** I used leftover white chocolate, tinted green with food coloring to drizzle over the mint – this is optional. 
 
Allow to full cool, and set – storing in the fridge or freezer until ready to use. 

RECIPE: Fries - From Scratch for BC Living

Fries - From Scratch
for BC Living
January 2023

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Fries 
 
While fries might seem like an easy food to make from scratch (and they are), I’m more so here to give you tips and my experience experimenting with different methods to achieve a top tier fry. 

From there, you can cook the fries based on what you have at your disposal, maybe including that air fryer you got for Christmas? 

INGREDIENTS 
 
- potatoes, Russet, 2 per person 
- cooking oil (amount depends on how you choose to cook them) 
- salt 
- desired seasoning (see section below) 
 
INSTRUCTIONS 

I’m going to break this down into 3 parts: Preparing, Cooking, and Seasoning. 
 
Obviously first up is Preparing. 
You have the option to peel your potatoes (I did), or just wash them and leave the skin on (take out any eyes or spots). Leaving them on doesn’t change much except the texture, and gives it some color. 
 
You want to be sure that your fries are evenly cut or else some will cook faster than others. Size and shape are up to you, just be consistent.  
 
Place the cut fries in a bowl and soak for at least an hour and up to a day. This removes excess starch and will make the fries crispier.  
Rinse them once or twice after soaking, and then pat dry with either paper towel, or a clean tea towel. 
 
Now on to Cooking! 
There are several options here, if you don’t have an air fryer or want to deal with the mess of frying them in oil, you can bake them. 
 
Toss the fries in some vegetable oil, and sprinkle with salt. 
Preheat the oven to 400F, and bake for about 15 mins. Then remove, shaking/turning them, but make sure none are overlapping, and bake for another 10-15 minutes. Keep an eye on them and test as you go. 
 
For deep frying in oil, heat to 300F degrees and then cook in batches (don’t overcrowd) for about 5 minutes, removing with a slotted spoon to paper towels. 
Increase the heat to 400F and fry them in batches a second time, this time when removing them, add salt right after you take each batch out of the oil. 
 
For the air fryer (what I used) I had it preheat to 375F, coated the fries lightly in oil in a bowl, and then placed the first batch in a single layer in the bottom of the fryer, so that none overlapped. 
I cooked for 15 minutes, flipping them halfway, and removed when they were browned to my liking. 
 
I continued this process until they were all done, and then tossed everything back in to reheat and give an extra crisp and followed that with salt. 
 
Seasoning! 
 
This is where you make it your own. Maybe you’d like just salt on the fries to go with some cold ketchup, or maybe you’d like to get wild and add truffle oil and parmesan. 
There’s also the option to make your own homemade poutine... but that’s for another day. 
 
ENJOY! 

RECIPE: Queso Fresco (Cheese) From Scratch for BC Living

Queso Fresco (Cheese)
for BC Living
November 2022

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Did you know that you can make homemade cheese with just 3 ingredients? I am kicking myself for not attempting this sooner, and now I want to try out other cheeses to make at home.

I did this with the intention of sprinkling it on some tacos (refried bean recipe coming in the future!), but you could spread it on toast, put it on eggs, in a salad, you name it.

INGREDIENTS

- 4L of whole milk
- 1/2 to 2/3 cup fresh juice from about 5 lemons, or lime or white vinegar
- Kosher salt

Other Required Items
- cheese cloth


INSTRUCTIONS

In a pot large enough to hold the liquids, pour in the milk and begin to heat over low-medium, stirring throughout. The key here is to not burn the bottom of the pot, and gradually heat the milk before it boils.

When it’s at a pre-boil/gradual simmer stage (approx. 15-20 minutes) pour in the acid of choice (I used lemon juice) and stir. You will see the milk separating and curds starting to form.

When this process has begun, remove from heat, cover and let sit for about 20-30 minutes.

After this, line a colander with the cheese cloth and pour the mixture through both.
You can discard the whey (the liquid) or save it as there are several uses for it, including making other cheese!

Carefully, as the curds will still be warm, squeeze the cheesecloth to help drain more of the liquid out.
You can twist the curds in the cloth and place some weight on top to help this along – the longer you let the cheese drain, the firmer it will be in the end.

Once it’s drained, place the curds in a bowl, sprinkle in the salt, and mix well. Taste to see if you’d like more salt, and if so, add it in.

Find a container with a tight-fitting lid, and pack the cheese in to help mold the desired shape, and then place in the refrigerator to chill.

It should last for a week, if you don’t eat it all with a spoon right away.