Friday, March 28, 2014

#stormbeef

well hopefully that was the last of it & spring is finally on the way.

leading up to wednesday's #snowpocalypse, there were lots of hilarious hashtags popping up on twitter advising people to load up on #stormchips & #stormbeer. as the storm raged, i was in the kitchen cooking up 24 pounds of getaway farm grass fed beef & #stormbeef was born. 


not only is red wine braised beef perfect stormy weather food, in the event of a long-term power outage, i was going to be well fed.

thankfully the storm wasn't as bad as expected (here anyway...i didn't even have to scrape my car or shovel) & i was able to package up all that beef instead of eating it myself. it made its way in to two main courses - beef bourguignon and brisket & blue, aka my two best sellers! 

brisket & blue:


red wine braised beef with onions, garlic, herbs, pears & sun dried tomatoes. served with creamy blue cheese gnocchi with basil & kale.
small $10  large $20

i also packed up a whole whack of paleo, gluten free & dairy free versions.
small $10

then it was time for beef bourguignon:


the beef is braised in red wine as well, but this version has double smoked bacon, sauteed mushrooms & parsley. it's paired with mashed potatoes & roasted root vegetables with kale. they're all gluten free!
small $10  large $20

then the sun came out & i felt like making a spring-y dish. pasta primavera is something that i've never made for the business before but is one of my most favourite things to eat. i'm pretty pleased with how it turned out.


creamy fettuccine, parmesan, mozzarella, goat cheese, asparagus, zucchini, peas, swiss chard, roasted cherry tomatoes, basil & lemon. oh & white truffle oil - can't forget that!
small $9  large $18

here's a close up:


yay!

the salads this week are broccoli, beet & sweet potato. i'm still giving quinoa a rest but i picked up some millet & kasha this week so stay tuned for new, gluten free concoctions in the coming weeks.

then it was on to baking. there is a fair bit of chocolate happening around here right now. this is what my fridge looks like:


a full batch of snickers, spicy brownies & 3 kilos of goat milk fudge - it's ALL gluten free. i just need to get around to portioning it up.

the cupcakes are finished for the weekend but i still have two cakes to decorate tonight!!!
soooo many cakes. here are the ones i made last week:



stay tuned to instagram (littleredkitschn) and twitter (@littleredkitsch) for pics.

also, just a quick reminder to place your votes in the coast's 'best of food 2014' survey - i sure would appreciate any you feel like sending my way :)

ok time for FROSTING!!!
see you over the weekend at the market.





Friday, March 21, 2014

i'll be brief

i don't know where today went, but it's much later than anticipated & i still have a few odds & ends to finish up before bed - this will be quick.

i made a whole whack of curry this week.

there's chicken:


with chickpeas, cauliflower, potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, quinoa, basmati, lime, coconut & cilantro
gluten free, dairy free
small $10  large $20

and vegan:


with sweet potatoes, potatoes, chickpeas, cauliflower, zucchini, green beans, quinoa, basmati, lime, coconut, cilantro
vegan, gluten free, dairy free
small $9  large $18

then i saw four deer running down the road:


then i made a cake:


here's a close up:


i also caved and put beet salad back on the menu:


it has beets, fennel, kale, asian pear, wheat berries, balsamic, maple, basil & goat cheese

vegan potato salad is back too:


with cucumber, celery, radishes, green beans, dill, mustard & lemon
gluten free, dairy free

i also made sweet potato salad with the usual southwestern flavours.

this week i skipped the broccoli & the quinoa salads just to mix things up a bit, hope no one is too distraught.

cupcakes this week are:
vanilla
 pink grapefruit
red velvet-raspberry
lemon-blueberry
banana-peanut butter
double chocolate
chocolate-mint
paleo choco coconut

my freezer is also up & running again (yahoooooo!!!) so i'll be much more organized this weekend & ready for all of your soup/stew/chowder needs.

that's all for now, back to the kitchen, see you soon :) 


Friday, March 14, 2014

super huge menu

the freezers are stocked once more. 

i'm still in the throes of electrical exasperation, waiting on a part to fix my stand up freezer. it's been a bit of a juggling act the past few weeks, but at least i haven't lost product & can still run with a pretty extensive menu at the market (in fact it doesn't even all fit on my blackboard!).

here's what i'll have this weekend:

beef shepherd's pie ~ getaway farm beef, tangy sauce, carrots, peas & corn topped with cheddar-green onion mashed potatoes (gluten free)
small $10  large $20

brisket & blue ~ braised getaway farm brisket, red wine, leeks & pears with creamy, blue cheese gnocchi & kale (just a few left)
small $10  large $20


moroccan meatballs ~ getaway beef with garlic, ginger, sumac, coriander, citrus in a robust tomato sauce with roasted peppers & swiss chard, served with toasted almond, harissa quinoa (gluten-free, dairy-free)
small $10  large $20


beef bourguignon ~ red wine braised beef with pearl onions & herbs, served with roasted vegetables & blue cheese mash (gluten-free)
small $10  large $20


sweet & spicy meatballs ~ getaway farm pork with ginger & coriander, in a tangy sauce with pineapple, peppers, carrots, celery & citrus served with a side of rice to cool things down (gluten-free, dairy-free)
small $10  large $20


roast pork dinner ~ brined, grilled then roasted boneless pork loin in a maple-mustard sauce, served with gnocchi, grilled apples & radicchio, swiss chard & pancetta. 
just larges left $20
i don't have any current pictures but it's based on a dish from awhile back


mustard-clove pulled pork ~ the pork is from getaway & the seasonings are based on my grandma's baked ham, it's topped with a take on my aunt's sweet potato casserole with candied walnuts (gluten-free, paleo)
large $20


sesame-ginger pulled pork ~ the pork is braised overnight with soy, brown sugar, ginger, chillies & garlic, it's served with sesame roasted broccoli, bok choy, red pepper, bean sprouts, lime, cilantro & cardamom scented rice (dairy-free)
small $10  large $20


chicken parmesan ~ buttermilk marinated, panko-parm breaded & baked chicken in a hearty tomato sauce with spinach & parmesan served over buttered fettuccine & topped with loads of mozzarella & parmesan cheeses
just larges left $10


turkey & dressing pies ~ all white meat turkey in gravy with peas, carrots, brussels sprouts & herbs topped with potato-bread dressing with cranberries & sage
small $10  large $20


bacon-cheddar mac & cheese ~ hearty comfort food with double smoked bacon, cheddar cheese, foxhill curds, roasted cherry tomatoes, green onions & corn in a garlicky bechamel sauce with a panko crust
just larges left $18


lentil shepherd's pie ~ stewed lentils with carrots, celery, peas, corn, tomatoes, kale, balsamic & herbs topped with a winter vegetable mash of sweet potatoes, potatoes, parsnips & cauliflower with a touch of nutmeg (vegan, gluten-free)
small $9  large $18


the soup selection looks like this at the moment:
carrot, apple, ginger
curried butternut squash
beet, parsnip & pear
tomato vegetable
white bean, lemon & kale
baked beans
indian-spiced cauliflower
roasted pepper, tomato & chipotle
beef stew
chicken stew
seafood chowder
thai turkey & rice
green curry, coconut chicken

there's a list on my freezer door stating which ones are vegan, vegetarian, gluten free & paleo. since there are so many options, i only bring a few of each one each week so make sure to come early or let me know if you'd like something in particular set aside.

salads this week are:

classic broccoli


southwest sweet potato


and curried quinoa with peanuts


i know this is information overload today, but one last thing ~ banana chocolate chip cupcakes with peanut butter frosting will be back this weekend!

ok see you all tomorrow & don't forget to vote in the coast's best of food survey please & thank you :)


Thursday, March 13, 2014

best of food 2014

okee dokee, it's that time of year again. the coast has released its 'best of food 2014' survey!


the survey is reader's choice & is a fantastic resource when haligonians are deciding where to spend their food dollars. to have little red kitsch'n mentioned would be fantastic exposure & great for this little one-woman gong show - fingers crossed!

they also did a redesign of the survey this year & i much prefer it to last year. it takes a few minutes to register but after that it's smooth sailing & this year sees the return of lots of individual menu items that were absent last year (cupcakes in particular!).

here are few categories that you might consider for little red kitsch'n:

best pastry (cookie, cupcake, doughnut):



best desserts - snickers brownies perhaps? or chocolate goat's milk fudge? or passionfruit bars? or all those cakes?




best chowder - i have several die-hards for this one:


best salad:




best vegetarian-friendly - there are all the salads, loads of veggie soups & a selection of frozen meals:



best gluten-free friendly - i'm not an exclusively gluten-free operation, but i'm certainly quite friendly with cupcakes, soups, salads & meals for all your gluten-free needs:



best farmer's market stall - i'm huge with the 3-year-olds!!!:

  

best chef - i mean, come on now, obviously ;)


thanks for your consideration & for all of your support over the past few years.
see you at the market!