RECIPE: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream for BC Living "From Scratch"

RECIPE: Vanilla Bean Ice Cream
for BC Living "From Scratch"
July 2024

In the thick of summer, there’s nothing better than a nice cold scoop of ice cream. Well, this might be better – making it from scratch! If you have the right equipment (I’ll get to that), and quality ingredients, you can make whatever flavor your heart desires, right in your own home. 
 
For the recipe below, I used the KitchenAid Ice Cream Maker, as I own the stand mixer already, but there are plenty of other ice cream makers out on the market, and to make this recipe, it’s all very similar. 
 
Below are the instructions on how to make Vanilla Bean Ice Cream – which requires making a custard - but other ice creams require even fewer steps.  
 

INGREDIENTS: 
 
- 1 Grade A vanilla bean (Madagascar) 
- 150 grams granulated sugar (about ¾ cup) 
- 2 large eggs  
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt  
- 2 cups heavy cream  
- 1 cup whole milk (3%) 
 
NOTE: You will also need a food thermometer! 
 
INSTRUCTIONS: 
 
Follow any instructions on your ice cream maker about prepping the machine. My bowl for the stand mixer needed to be placed in the freezer for 24 hours before making the ice cream. 
 
Set up an ice bath (in the sink is best) by nesting two metal bowls together, with ice in the bottom bowl. 
 
Take the vanilla bean and slice it lengthwise, with a sharp knife, and scrape out the seeds (reserving the pod). 

In a medium-sized bowl, combine the granulated sugar and vanilla, rubbing them together with your fingers to break up any clumps. 
Add the eggs and salt to the sugar mixture, whisking vigorously for one minute or so, and then pour in the cream and milk, whisking again until well combined. 

Transfer the mixture to a medium heavy-bottomed pot and add the reserved vanilla bean pod. 
 
Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly with a rubber spatula, making sure to scrape the edges and bottom of the pot.  
Cook until the mixture reaches 175°F or until slightly thickened - this will take about 8-10 minutes, but possibly longer, depending on your stove.  
 
Avoid boiling or your mixture will curdle! 

Remove from heat, continue to stir until it reaches 180°F. 

Strain the custard through a fine-mesh strainer into the top bowl of the ice bath and place the vanilla bean pod back into the strained custard to steep.  
Stir occasionally until the custard reaches room temperature. 
 
Place the bowl in the fridge, covered, and cool until it reaches around 40°F (generally leaving it overnight will be best). 
 
When ready, remove the bean pod, and then follow the instructions on the ice cream maker to churn the cream until it is the right consistency (sort of like soft serve). 
 
When placing it in the freezer to firm (which will take a few hours), make sure it is in an air-tight container. The container should also be easy to scoop from! 
 
Enjoy however you desire – in a dish, on a cone, or maybe even on top of a warm brownie. 

RECIPE: Focaccia for BC Living "From Scratch"

Focaccia
Recipe for BC Living
June 2024
 
Filling your home with the smell of fresh bread is such a treat, and it can be easy too. You don’t have to be a sourdough expert, or have a stand mixer, to make something like a loaf of focaccia. Just a little bit of time and planning, as this bread is best left to ferment a bit overnight. 
 
The other fun part about this type of bread (besides the step where you get to poke it with your fingers like it’s Play-Doh), is that you can add so many things on top. I went with a simple roasted garlic head and some fresh rosemary from my garden, but you can use olives, cheese, tomatoes, bacon, you name it! 
 
INGREDIENTS: 
 
For the roasted garlic: 

• 1 head of garlic 

• Olive oil 

• Salt 
   

For the dough: 

• 4 cups all-purpose flour 

• 1 ½ cups warm water (about 110°F/45°C) 

• 8g active dry yeast (1 packet, or approx. 2 tsp) 

• 2 teaspoons sugar 

• 2 teaspoons salt 

• 1/4 cup olive oil 

For the topping: 

• Roasted garlic cloves, from 1 head of garlic 

• 2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, finely chopped 

• 1/4 cup olive oil 

• Coarse sea salt, for sprinkling 
   
   

INSTRUCTIONS: 

Day 1 (Roasting Garlic): 
 
Preheat your oven to 400°F (200°C). 

Peel away the outer layers of the garlic bulb skin, leaving the skins of the individual cloves intact. 

Using a sharp knife, slice off the top of the garlic bulb to expose the tops of the garlic cloves. 

Place the garlic bulb on a piece of aluminum foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with a pinch of salt. Wrap the garlic bulb tightly in the foil. 

Roast the garlic in the preheated oven for about 30-40 minutes, or until the cloves are soft and golden brown. 

Once roasted, remove the garlic from the oven and allow it to cool. Once cool enough to handle, squeeze the roasted garlic cloves out of their skins and put them in a small jar. Mash the roasted garlic cloves with a fork. Mix them with olive oil and let sit until the next day. 
 

Day 1 (Preparing Dough): 

In a large mixing bowl, combine warm water, sugar, and active dry yeast. Let it sit for about 5-10 minutes until the mixture becomes frothy. 

Add flour, salt, and olive oil to the yeast mixture. Stir until a shaggy dough forms. 

 
Knead the dough on a floured surface for about 5-7 minutes until it becomes smooth and elastic. 

Place the dough in a lightly oiled bowl, cover with plastic wrap, and let it rise in the refrigerator overnight or for at least 8-12 hours. 
 
 

Day 2: 

The next day, take the dough out of the refrigerator and let it sit at room temperature for about 30 minutes to 1 hour to come to room temperature. 

Preheat your oven to 425°F (220°C). Lightly grease a 9x13 inch baking pan. 

Stretch and shape the dough to fit the 9x13 inch baking pan. Press your fingers into the dough to create dimples all over the surface. 

Brush the roasted garlic-infused olive oil generously over the surface of the dough. Add more olive oil if needed, as you don’t want this to be dry. 

Sprinkle the dough with chopped rosemary and coarse sea salt, pressing them lightly into the dough. 

Let the dough rise again for about 20-30 minutes, uncovered, at room temperature. 

 
Once the dough has risen slightly, bake it in the preheated oven for 20-25 minutes, or until the focaccia is golden brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped on the bottom. 

Remove the focaccia from the oven and let it cool slightly before slicing and serving. 

Enjoy it on its own, as a sandwich, or dip it in some olive oil and balsamic! 

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.