Quinoa Chicken Bowl

My bowl is a version of these bowls from Pinch of Yum...

http://pinchofyum.com/marinated-kale-and-chicken-bowls-with-sun-dried-tomato-sauce

http://pinchofyum.com/mediterranean-quinoa-bowls-with-roasted-red-pepper-sauce

Black bean bowl

Black beans:

2 garlic cloves, chopped

1/2 small onion, chopped

1/2 tsp cumin

1 can black beans, rinsed

Bay leaf

Salt & pepper

Sauté garlic and onion in 1tbsp oil. Add cumin and sauté one more minute. Add black beans, bay leaf and 1/2 cup water. Cover, bring to a boil, lower heat and gently simmer for 10 minutes. Mash about a third to half of the beans directly in the pot, add another 1/4 cup water and salt & pepper, continue to gently simmer for another 10 minutes. Stir and add 1/4 cup water (again), simmer 10 minutes. Stir, take off heat and set aside. 

1/2 cup quinoa (cook in 1 cup boiling water, set aside to cool the fluff)

1 small bunch kale, chopped bite size, rinse, drain and massage with dressing before adding quinoa. (Dressing - 1 tsp Dijon, 1 tbsp cider vinegar, s&p, olive oil)

2 sweet potatoes, peel, chop, toss with evo salt and pepper, roast 30 minutes 400F.

1 avocado

1/4 Jalapeno, sliced wafer thin

Chili sauce (jar with green lid)

Assemble bowl - fill half a shallow bold with quinoa/kale salad, the other half with sweet potato and black beans. Top with 1/2 avocado, sliced Jalapeno and chili sauce.  

Asian steak salad

 Marinade / Sauce

2 garlic cloves, grated

2 in piece of ginger, grated

2 tbsp sesame oil

4 tbsp soya sauce

1 tsp chili paste

Salad

1 cup shredded cabbage of you choice

1/2 cup julienned carrots

1/2 cup julienned peppers

4 green onions, thinly sliced

1tbsp mint, chopped

1/4 cup each basil and cilantro, chopped

2 cups kale, chopped 

1 Jalapeno, set aside separately 

2 steaks of choice

1/2 package rice noodles (size M if possible)

1/2 cup peanuts 

Marinade steaks in 1/4 of the sauce while you prep veggies in a large bowl. 

Toast peanuts lightly in a dry pan, do not walk away. Transfer to cutting board and chop. 

Cook noodles according to package, drain and rinse under cold water. Using kitchen shears cut up noodles to 1-2 inch pieces. 

Grill steak to desired doneness. 

Mix veggies and noodles with 1/2 the sauce mix well, add more sauce to your liking. Distribute evenly into 4 shallow bowls, top with sliced steak and peanuts (and jalapeños if using). Enjoy!

Eatmore

I think I'm one of the few people I know who likes Eatmore bars. My friend Kirsten made these for me, of course I ate too many and had to get the recipe. It comes from the Whitewater cooks series.

1 cup golden syrup (I used honey)

2 cups chocolate chips

1/2 cup smooth organic peanut butter

2 cups rice crisp cereal or rolled oats (I used a bit of both)

2 cups unsalted raw peanuts

1/2 tsp salt

Toast peanuts and chop them. Set aside. 

Place corn syrup, chocolate chips and peanut butter in a saucepan and melt together in low heat, stirring often, until melted and mixed well. Transfer to a large bowl. 

Add rice cereal/oats, peanuts and salt to the chocolate mixture. Stir with a wooden spoon until well mixed. 

Press into a greased 9x13 pan. Cool completely and cut into bars. 

Makes about 32. 

Quinoa Kale Salad

This is my new favourite recipe. For a few reasons. Besides being delicious, it makes a whole whack and since all the veggies don't wilt it can last a few days in the fridge. Which means lunches for the week! 

It takes some effort to cook, chop, roast but it's well worth it. I hope you will think so too!

1 cup quinoa, uncooked

1/2 bunch of kale

1 cup edamame

1 red pepper

1/4 cauliflower

1/4 red cabbage

4 green onions

Cilantro

1/2 cup feta or goat cheese 

1/2 cup Kalamata olives 

1/2 cup roasted pecans, see recipe below

Dressing:

1 tsp Dijon

2 tbsp cider vinegar

3/8 to 1/2 cup olive oil 

Salt & pepper

Pecans:

1 tsp Dijon

2 tbsp maple syrup

1 tsp olive oil 

Salt & pepper

Rinse quinoa then place in saucepan with 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low and cook for 15 minutes or until all the water is absorbed. Remove to a large mixing bowl to cool while you prep veg. 

Steam edamame for 5 minutes, then rinse under cold water. Set aside. 

Chop kale, cabbage, red pepper, cauliflower, green onion and cilantro. 

Whisk all dressing ingredients until emulsified. 

Combine quinoa, veg and dressing. Next fold in chopped black olives and chopped feta.

Top with pecans when serving. Enjoy!

Rebar Caesar Salad

This salad recipe came to me by way of my friend Carrie, so I thank her since we make this once a week in the summer. This dressing is so good, my kiddo loves it too. We enjoy this as a meal with grilled chicken and homemade croutons. Sometimes we add sliced mushrooms to the salad. 

Enjoy!

http://www.tastebook.com/recipes/768121-Rebar-Caesar-Salad

Not my Laksa

Click the following link to see the inspiration for this Laksa. It. Is. Delicious. 

I made the following adjustments:

1. I omitted cashews and coriander stems in the paste.

2. I substituted fish sauce for the soy since I'm not vegan. 

3. I did not have lime leaves. So I put the lemongrass stalk into the soup pot. 

4. I steamsd a piece of fish to add protein. 

5. I had no bean sprouts so I added sunflower sprouts, which I did have. Also, I had no zucchini so I used red pepper.

Definitely serve with lime. Skip the sesame seeds. 

The moral here is Use What You Have. 

http://talesofakitchen.com/soups/my-awesome-vegan-laksa/

Quinoa pie

It's a cross between a pie and a quiche. Call it what you will, it's a good way to use up greens and packs and travels well to work. 

1 cup uncooked quinoa

3 eggs

1/2 cup sharp cheddar or Gruyere

Salt & pepper

Kale

Olive oil 

Rinse quinoa in water for 2 minutes. Place in pan and add 2 cups water. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for 20 minutes or until liquid is gone. Remove from heat and let sit while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.

Preheat oven to 350F. Using a teaspoon of olive oil, grease an ovenproof glass pie dish (preferably 9in, a square baking dish would work well too). 

Beat eggs in large bowl, stir in shredded cheese, salt and pepper and greens. Quickly add quinoa and a good glug of olive oil. Spread out in the greased pan and cook for 25-30 minutes until top is starting to go golden. 

Let cool, slice and enjoy.  

Edamame Scallion Gyoza

I know. These look hard. Let me tell you a secret...they're not! They take time simply because of filling and folding them. But they are worth it!

1.5 cups shelled frozen edamame

1/4 cup sesame seeds

4 scallions

1 inch knob ginger

Handful cilantro

Olive oil

Salt & pepper

Round wonton wrappers

Stock (veg or chicken)

Steam the edamame. Meanwhile, heat a dry skillet over medium heat and add the sesame seeds, shaking the pan frequently. Watch them carefully, as soon as they start to get a little golden remove from heat. 

Roughly chop the white and light green parts of the scallions. Roughly chop cilantro. Peel ginger. 

In a food processor, add the scallion, cilantro and grate the ginger on a fine grater. Add edamame and sesame seeds. Season with salt and pepper and add 2 tbsp of olive oil. Purée. Scrape down bowl and add 2 more tbsp olive oil - you want the mixture to be thick like wet concrete, not runny like baby food. Purée again. 

Line a baking sheet with a silpat or parchment paper. Set up your station with the filling, wonton wrappers, a small bowl of water and the baking sheet. 

Your wonton wrappers will have one side that is floured, place that side down on your palm. Place a teaspoon of the filling in the middle then, using your middle finger of other hand, wet edge of wrapper. Now let's fold!

Starting at one end, fold the wrapper and seal. Using the thumb on the hand that has the wrapper, push the wrapper over to make a little fold and with opposite thumb seal to edge. Keep going. Fold, seal. Fold, seal. That's it! Place on lined baking sheet and keep making them until all the filling is gone. 

If you are preparing these ahead of time, wet a clean kitchen dish towel and wring out. Place on top of gyoza to keep from drying out.  

To cook...you need a skillet with a lid or something that can act as a tight fitting lid. Heat a non stick skillet over medium heat. Brush with a little olive oil. Add gyoza around pan and let cook for 2-3 minutes until the bottom is browned. Add stock to pan just to cover the bottom, cover and let steam another 3 minutes. They are done once all the stock has evaporated. Remove to a platter. Wipe out skillet and repeat cooking instructions until all gyoza are cooked. Serve immediately with dipping sauce. 

Dipping sauce

2 tbsp soy sauce or tamari 

2 tbsp rice wine vinegar 

1 tsp sesame oil 

Combine, stir, serve. 

I have not tried freezing these, but I can't see why not. I'd double the recipe and just freeze them uncooked on the baking tray. Once frozen place in ziploc bags. I'd thaw them before cooking. I will update this post once I try it!

My quiche

I've had several requests lately for my quiche recipe. So here it is...kinda. This is one of those recipes that I just winged along the way, amounts are approximate and filling can be substituted for whatever you like or have in hand. 

This makes for 2 large quiches which is what comes in a pack (btw get the "deep dish" crusts). It also works great for the mini shells and they freeze beautifully.

Leek x1

Cremini (brown) mushrooms, one large package or half a brown bag

Fresh Thyme, approx 1tbsp

Eggs x8

Milk x1 cup

Sharp cheddar cheese or Gruyere 

Pie shells x2 

Preheat oven to 375F.

- chop mushrooms and white and light green part of leeks

- sweat the leeks in olive oil for 5 minutes

- add the mushrooms and fresh thyme, and season with salt and pepper; cook until mushrooms are cooked and all moisture has evaporated

-set that aside to cool a little

- pierce your quiche shells all over with a fork, then bake for 5-10 minutes just to set the base, set aside

- mix eggs and milk. So here's where it gets tricky, I used 8 eggs and 1 cup of milk, but sometimes I run out. Trial and error. Season eggs with salt and pepper!

- spoon the leek / mushroom mixture into the shells then top with the egg mixture (do not overfill or it will run over in the oven)

- top with cheese

- place on a cookie sheet and bake for 20-25 mins or until the top has puffed a little and the cheese is starting to turn golden

Let cool. Enjoy now or freeze.

Repost: Coconut milk & green lentil soup

This recipe comes from the sweetmiscellany blog. It's hearty, healthy & delish. Try it for dinner then as leftover for lunch. I nixed the bulgur wheat and used leftover brown basmati rice, which I always have in my fridge. Enjoy!

http://sweetmiscellany.blogspot.ca/2013/01/coconut-milk-green-lentil-soup.html?m=1

Zucchini Lasagna

Through my food obsession on Pinterest I discovered an alternative to traditional lasagna made with noodles. Replace the noodles with zucchini and presto you have gluten-free dinner! For me it wasn't about it being gluten-free, just about trying something new. And, well, I am converted!

I have always loathed making lasagna since it can be time consuming. And I hate to break it to you but this is no different. So I broke it down into a 2 day ordeal. Day one, make the sauce then refrigerate it overnight. Day deux, assemble, bake and mange. 

I made this recipe straight up with raw zucchini, so it was a bit watery but nothing off-putting. If you have *more* time you can try grilling the zucchini first. 

Now's a good excuse to get that mandolin you've been eyeing up... I've had one for a few years, and I rarely break it out, but now I WILL! Slicing the zucchini was awesome on this thang (slicing potatoes for gratin is my next favourite on this tool).

Give this lasagna a whirl and feel free to adjust, replace and customize as you see fit for your family. Btw, don't tell your family there's no noddles, I bet they don't even notice ;)

 

My Sauce

1tbsp coconut oil

1 lb ground chicken

1 onion

2 garlic cloves

1 carrot

2 celery stalks

½ tsp each dried oregano, basil and chili flakes

Salt & pepper

1 large jar marinara sauce (like Costco large)

Finely chop all produce.

Heat coconut oil in large heavy bottom pot, add ground chicken to brown taking care to break it up as you stir.

Stir in onion and garlic and sauté for 2 minutes.

Stir in carrot, celery, herbs and salt and pepper to taste.

Add the marinara, bring to a boil, turn down heat and simmer for 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Taste and adjust seasoning. Let cool.

Lasagna

3 long zucchini

1 ball mozzarella

½ cup cheddar

½ cup parmesan

Sliced black olives

Pasta sauce

Using a mandolin or a sharp knife, thinly slice (1/8”) the zucchini lengthwise.

Grate all cheese.

To assemble:

In a 9x13 pan spoon a wee bit of the sauce just to cover the bottom.

Layer in zucchini like you would lasagna noodles.

Top with a ½ the pasta sauce, half the cheddar & parmesan.

Another layer of zucchini.

Top with ALL of the olives, the rest of the pasta sauce and the rest of the cheddar & parm.

Another layer of zucchini.

Finish with the Mozza! Load 'er on!

Cover with foil and bake at 350C for 45 minutes.

Remove foil and bake another 30 minutes until cheese is browned and bubbling, sometimes I turn on broil for a few minutes, but watch it doesn’t burn!

Let cool 15 minutes, yes let it cool! 

Then…ENJOY!

Peach chutney

The reason for peach chutney is our new neighbour got us HOOKED on some delicious handmade samosas. They require a chutney and store bought stuff is...meh.

So my first attempt at canning is this lovely Canadian Living recipe. I halved the recipe and got 4-125mL jars. It's time consuming but wholly satisfying. 

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/peach_chutney.php

Balsamic Onions

These onions are easy and a great topper to burgers or bratwurst.

1 large onion
1 tbsp olive oil
Salt & pepper
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

Peel onion, cut into quarters. Slice the quarters so you end up with "half moons".

Heat the olive oil on med high on a heavy skillet. Add the onions, salt and pepper. Stir for two minutes. Turn heat down to lo and cook for approx 20-30 minutes, stirring often.

When the onions have reduced by half, add the balsamic vinegar and cook for one more minute. Remove from heat and serve on whatever suits your fancy.

Cookbooks

I have to admit I love cookbooks. If I could have a library full of them I would... for now I have an overflowing shelf of them. I love the photography, the inspired ideas, the author's stories and shared food information, the myriad of things I'd love to cook but don't. It just all makes me happy. Despite all that I have a simple few go-to cookbooks, the ones I use to cook not just admire.
The Joy of Cooking. I first bought this one for the sheer fact of the encyclopedic nature of the recipe collections. It offers a lot of basic cooking information about meat, beans, veggies etc. There are no photos but nonetheless it's got a array of solid recipes that are reliable time and again. This has become my one true source for many recipes.
The Journey for Food Lovers series. Oh how I love these, I wish I owned them all! I have the Food of France, the Food of Spain, the Food of India, and the Food of Asia. They are beautifully photographed and offer segments on different ingredients that make up the food of each culture. The recipes sometimes require a bit more time or specialty ingredients, particularly in the Food of India. Overall the recipes are very home cooking friendly and turn out as expected. A delish find!
Bon Appetit magazine. Ok so this isn't a cookbook but it's always a treasured read for me. And in every issue I can find a recipe that I really want to make, that I do make, and usually end up keeping as a regular dish. They often do features on a particular cooking technique or food trend which are always a highlight. After returning from Italy earlier this year Bon Appetit had a pasta issue and showcased the simplicity of cooking a "real" pasta sauce. I tried the Amatriciana and I can attest to a good outcome. Perhaps Santa will bring me a subscription next year... ;)
I can't say I need another cookbook, but I don't think I'll ever stop buying them. They inspire me to turn the mundane task of every day cooking into a culinary adventure where the outcome is me eating. How much better can that be?!

Magic Bars

I make this every Christmas, sometimes twice since they magically disappear! This is an Eagle Brand recipe.

1/2 cup butter
1 1/2 cup graham cracker crumbs
1 cup chopped walnuts
1 cup chocolate chips
1 1/2 cups shredded unsweetened coconut
1 can Eagle Brand

Preheat oven to 350F. Put butter in a 9x13 pan and place in oven to melt. When melted remove from oven and add graham cracker crumbs, mix well and pat into bottom of pan to make a base. Top with the walnuts, then chocochips, and finally the cocunut. Drizzle the Eagle Brand over the top. Bake for 25 minutes.

Let cool (ya right!), cut, eat. Enjoy!

My new tomato soup

Ok, so I'm back and posting a vegan recipe as my new post....yes, I said vegan. Don't worry, I'm not vegan and have no intention of becoming solely vegan. I love a bbq burger in the summer; that said, there's no reason not to incorporate some heatly alternatives for the "non burger days".

I recently purchased the Vegan YumYum cookbook - and the first recipe I tried was a keeper. I can see this tomato soup recipe being a good one for kids, a good way to hide some healthy into a good soup. http://veganyumyum.com/

I have made mine a little less spicey to appeal to the little ones...

Tomato Chickpea Soup

2 tbsp veg oil (I use olive oil)
1/2 red onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
1/2 tsp cumin
1/8 tsp chili flakes
1/2 tsp mustard powder
1/2 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp dried oregano
1 15-ounce can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 28-ounce can tomatoes
1 tsp salt
2-4 tbsp hot water
black pepper to taste

Heat oil in a large saucepan, add the onion and saute for 2-3 minutes until softened. Add the garlic and dried herbs and spices and stir for one minute. Add the chickpeas and saute for a few minutes until they turn golden.

Add the tomatoes and break the them up with the back of your spoon. Turn to low and let simmer for 10 minutes.

You can either transfer this recipe to a blender or use an immersion blender. I think and immersion blender is PRICELESS - you can find them cheap cheap at Superstore - and can be used for soooo many things. So get one.

Add hot water to your blended soup if necessary to thin out, and taste for seasoning adding salt and pepper as you like.

This is a vegan recipe but we like to enjoy it with a toasted baguetter with melted cheddar cheese : )

My mac n cheese

People always say "oh my god, you made it from scratch!". Well, I am here to dispel the myth that homemade mac n cheese is long and tedious to make. The basic premise is that you make a white sauce, add whatever cheese suits yer fancy, toss with whatever noodles suits yer fancy and Voila!

Making it from scratch allows you to control the ingredients - no processed stuff here, just real cheese. If you have kids who like cheesy noodles but not veggies then here's your opportunity... add peas to the topping and you've got something green into their bellies. Try it and you may never go back to the bland box stuff.

For the white sauce...a whisk is essential

2 tbsp butter

2 tbsp flour
1 cup milk
2 cups grated cheese, whatever you like, my preference is a combo of gruyere and medium white cheddar

Cooked noodles - enough for 4 portions

Heat butter over medium hight heat in a heavy saucepan, and whisk in the flour. It will get thick like a paste, keep stirring it for a few minutes to let the flour cook. Slowly add the milk and whisk until there are no lumps. Reduce heat to low and add the cheese, stir until melted. Remove from heat and toss with your cooked noodles.

You can stop here and serve it up. OR you can dish into individual heat proof dishes and top with a breadcrumb topping (below) and more cheese...We're making mac n cheese right? SO ADD THE CHEESE MAN!

Breadcrumb Topping

Mix
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
2 tbsp melted butter

then add
1/4 cup finely grated cheese

BAKE

375F until bubbling and browned on top.

These freeze well, but don't bake them first.

Au naturel

Low fat, no fat, reduced fat, light, etc. are not words I look for on a label. My shopping cart is actually filled with quite the opposite. I refuse to fall prey to the marketing of food. Food is nutrition, not something to be torn apart and remade with synthetic ingredients. If you can't pronounce an item's list of ingredients then perhaps it's time to reconsider your options.

I buy butter, full fat yogurt, regular mayonnaise. And they taste great. You need a lot less of a full fat item to feel satisfied so you actually eat less of it. There's a reason why obesity and diabetes are an epidemic in America: it's called processed food. It's not just fast food that's to blame, but every day items that people buy are not really food anymore.

Compare the North American diet to that of Europe or South East Asia where they eat fresh local ingredients and don't suffer the heart disease and diabetes issues we do. For example, the French eat cheese, and quite a lot of it. They eat a small portion, savour it, enjoy it for what it is.

Having full fats in your diet doesn't mean you will be fat. Fats are actually good for you in moderation. Just like everything else in life....moderation and balance are key. There are two great books which I recommend that show how to live enjoying food, real food.

Michael Pollan "In Defense of Food"
http://michaelpollan.com/books/

Mireille Guiliano "French Women Don't Get Fat"
http://mireilleguiliano.com/

Zucchini Brownies

Well, it's more like cake. Remember the "snacking cakes" that your Mom made when you were little? Kinda like that but WAY better. And you'd never know there's zuccini in it.

I did not write this recipe, it's one I found online at All Recipes and am passing on to you. It's too good not to! I did tweak it a little....the batter is VERY dry so I added 3/4 cup of milk and it turned out great. I didn't make the frosting since it was for us to snack on at home, but I bet it would be good to add if you were taking these over to a friend's. I'm sure they would appreciate a pan of these : )

Enjoy!

http://allrecipes.com//Recipe/zucchini-brownies/Detail.aspx