Chicken Pot Pie

This is the first time I've ever made a chicken pot pie.  In fact, I don't think I've eaten one since before I moved out of my parents house years and years ago.  My husband has been in a soccer tournament all day, playing 4 games back-to-back.  It's a wee bit chilly out there today so I wanted to make a cozy dinner for when he gets home. I've had a box of puff pastry in the freezer for quite sometime and I wanted to use it up.  I purchased it in hopes that I'd make a creative appetizer when friends came over a few months back but I never got around to it.  Story of my life (I dream big...ha!).  After reading 4 different recipes for pot pie this is what I came up with using items that I had around the kitchen.  Hope it tastes good! (picture to come - opps, I forgot to take a picture.)
*Next time I make this I will use a real pie crust and you should too.  The puff pastry was good, but I think they pie crust would be WAY better.

Ingredients
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 chicken breasts, cubed
2 medium potatoes, partially peeled & cubed
2 carrots, chopped
1/2 red onion, chopped
1/2 frozen peas
1/2 frozen corn
1 can cream of chicken soup
1/2 cup milk
1 teaspoon sage
salt and pepper to taste
1 square of puff pastry, thawed (takes about 3 hours to thaw on the counter)
1 egg

Method
Boil potatoes until they are close to done.  Remove from heat and drain. Cook cubed chicken in a frying pan with olive oil. Add onion once chicken is just about done.  Cook 4 more minutes or until onion begins to go clear. Add all ingredients (except puff pastry & egg) into a large bowl. Mix until coated. Grease a deep dish pie plate (or shallowish casserole dish).  Pour mixture into dish. On a floured surface roll out puff pastry until it is the size of your dish.  Place on top, making sure no pastry is hanging over the edge.  Beat egg and paint onto top of pastry.  Discard remaining egg. Cook at 400 degrees for 30 minutes. 
This is a great dish to prepare before company arrives because you can just toss it in the oven once they arrive and you can visit without distraction.

Baked Chicken Fingers & Potato Wedges

Chicken fingers are where its' at! Tonight I made a salad with our homegrown lettuce (that will likely be toast after the perdicted cold weather tonight), homemade potato wedges and baked chicken fingers.  A perfect Friday night dinner!  It took 10 minutes to prepare everything.  Super quick meal.

Potato Wedges Ingredients
2 large yellow potatoes, washed and cut into wedges
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons balsamic vinegar
Basil, oregano, thyme, basil, sat and pepper (sprinkle of each)

Method
Cut potatoes into wedges and put into a bowl. Pour oil and balsamic vinegar over and mix to cover potatoes. Add herbs and spices.  Mix to coat.  Put onto a parchment lined cookie sheet and bake for 35 minutes at 400 degrees.  Flip once half way through.

Chicken Fingers Ingredients
2 large chicken breasts, boneless & skinless
1/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tablespoon chili powder
1 teaspoon cayenne pepper (for spice!)

Method
Cut chicken breasts into long, skinny strips.  Put into bowl and cover with remaining ingredients. Place on parchment paper lined cookie sheet. Bake at 400 degrees for 25 minutes, flipping once half way.

Cold Remedies

Today was a busy day of holding down the couch.  Within the first few weeks of every new school year colds are spread around the school like wild fires. I usually fight them off for at least the first few weeks but this year, not so much. It's only week 2 and I'm home sick.  Ugh!  I am determined to recover by tomorrow and am doing everything I can to get to a healthier state.  I've always hated taking medication because I don't feel I benefit at all from it.  In fact, it usually leaves me feeling groggy and with less money in my wallet.  Today's helpful home remedies include:


Gingered Carrot and Squash Soup (leftovers from the fridge - woot woot!)

Vicks Steamer
1 teaspoon Vicks Vaporub
Salad bowl of boiling water

Melt vaporub in water. Cover with a towel and pop your head in there and take deep breaths. Amazing!

Ginger Tea
4 cups water
1 tablespoon sliced fresh ginger

Over high heat bring water to a boil.  Add fresh ginger and boil for 10 minutes.  Remove from heat and strain ginger.  Pour water into a mug with a slice of lemon.  Enjoy!

Neti Pot
Find more information here

9.11.

Today, we remember.

xoxo

Picture borrowed from here



Gingered Carrot & Squash Soup

It is 7:00pm and I am writing this post in my pjs. Not because I am going to bed shortly, but rather because I didn't change out of them yet!  Today was the ultimate lazy day. I went from the couch, to the garden to pick some veggies, to the kitchen to make soup for lunches this week, to the couch, back to the kitchen to make pesto for the freezer, back to the couch and finally back to the kitchen to make pork chops with mushroom sauce for dinner.  Life.is.tough.

This soup is perfect for Autumn.  I might even make it to have for a light lunch on Thanksgiving before a big turkey feast. Yum!

Ingredients
2 tablespoons butter
4 carrots, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, chopped
1 tablespoon ginger root, minced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled and cubed
5 cups chicken stock
Salt and pepper, to taste
Sour cream to garnish

Method
In a large pot over medium heat add butter, carrots, garlic, onion and ginger root and cook for 10 minutes. Add stock, salt, pepper and squash and bring to a simmer for about 25 minutes, or until veggies are tender. Remove from heat and let cool slightly. Pour into food processor in batches and purée until smooth. Return to pot to reheat over medium heat.  Serve with a blob of sour cream on top. Enjoy!

Blackberry Crisp

A friend of ours is going away on business for two months.  We are certainly going to miss seeing him.  He is coming for a visit tonight so I decided to whip together a blackberry crisp with our homegrown berries.  I haven't tried it yet but I will let you know how it turns out.  It took about 5 minutes to prepare - SUPER simple!  Our berries are quite tart so I added 3/4 cup of frozen raspberries to mix it up a bit. 

Ingredients

2 cups blackberries
3/4 cup raspberries
3 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons lemon juice concentrate
1 teaspoon cornstarch
2 tablespoons water
3/4 cup oats
1/4 cup flour (whole wheat or white)
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
1/4 margarine

Method
Place berries in a greased rectangular baking dish.  Mix sugar, lemon juice, cornstarch and water together in a bowl and pour over berries.  In a bowl mix together oats, flour, brown sugar, cinnamon and margarine (use a pastry blender...and if you are like me and don't own one, cut in butter with two knives). Sprinkle on top. Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees.  Serve warm with vanilla ice cream.

** I'm back to report that it was yummy!  Could have used more "crisp" on the top....

5000 Views!

Thank you to all of my followers for visiting my blog.  Today my blog has reached 5,000 hits in 13 months! YA! Tomorrow it's back to reality for me. Back to school preparations. BLAH! Summer, it has been fun.  You have treated me well, and I will miss you.   Until next year...



Chai Update

A few weeks ago I blogged about at home Tazo Chai Lattes.  I have since found the product at The Superstore, hiding in the natural food isle.  It sells for $6.29 regular price which is a a great scored compared to Walmarts regular price of $7.98. Gotta love finding cheaper stuff, and at a Canadian store to boot! Cha-ching!

Kale Chips

Kale is my new best friend.  We are so close that I would almost be willing to wear this tee.  A few more weeks of hanging out and maybe I could be persuaded.  This morning I made kale chips and I am PUMPED about the outcome. I am by far a salty and savoury snacker and would demolish a bag of Miss. Vicky's over a bowl of ice cream any day! I am thrilled to have found a chip alternative.  WOOT WOOT (fist pump to the air...).  They are ridiculously easy to make and you can put whatever seasoning on them you heart desires.  Today I did an olive oil with soy sauce and freshly ground pepper.  YUMMY!



Ingredients
1/2 a bunch of kale
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 teaspoons soy sauce
freshly ground pepper




Method
Wash kale, dry and trim the steams off.  Rip into bite sized pieces (I didn't do this but next time I will) and lay on a parchment paper lined cookie sheet. In a small bowl mix olive oil and soy sauce.  Paint onto kale leaves.  Sprinkle pepper on top.  Pop in oven at 350 degrees for 10-12 minutes or until lightly browned. Let cool on a paper towel so excess oil is removed.  Serve at room temperature once they have crisped up. YUMMY!

Shrimp Quinoa with Kale

Kale...hmmm.  I don't think I've ever eaten it before.  A girlfriend told me that she cooks with kale and has even made kale chips (I'll attempt later in the week), so I decided to give kale a chance.  Tonight I made a shrimp quinoa with kale which earned a two thumbs up from Mr. Hubby.  He said he really liked the texture of it.  I use spinach A LOT when I cook which basically turns to mush when you add it to stuff, but kale seems to keep a little crunch. I will definitely be adding kale to my regular purchases from the grocery store. Kale packs a punch in the nutrition department (check it out!).

Quinoa Ingredients (pssst: this is very good for you! TRY IT!)
1 cup quinoa, rinsed
1 1/2 cups water
1/2 teaspoon salt

Method
Throw everything into a pot over medium heat until it boils.  Cover, reduce heat and simmer for
20 minutes.  Remove from heat and let sit for a few minutes.  Fluff with fork.

Shrimp and Kale Tomato Sauce Ingredients
1 Tablespoon olive oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
1 bag of cooked, peeled, tails off shrimp (about 50 small shrimp)
2 cups kale, chopped
1 cup pasta sauce
1 tablespoon lemon juice concentrate
1 tablespoon red pepper flakes
salt and pepper to taste
Your cooked quinoa that you have set aside
fresh Parmesan cheese to garnish

Method
In a large fry pan heat olive oil. Add the garlic red pepper flakes, salt and pepper and saute for 1 minute. Add everything else except for the quinoa and cheese.  Simmer for about 5 minutes.
Serve over quinoa and sprinkle with fresh Parmesan cheese.  This is very similar to a pasta dish but much better for you!

More is not always better...

While sipping on my coffee this morning I caught up with a great friend of mine on the phone.  While chatting she was making a batch of pancakes and asked "why are my pancakes always so flat?".  The answer; over mixing the flour.  This goes for all baked goods.  You can't go wrong over creaming something (that's what she said), which is when you mix butter and sugar but as soon as you add flour to the mix you need to take it easy.  I suggest using a wooden spoon or a rubber spatcula to fold in the flour instead of using an electric hand mixer.  You will definitely get a much more FLUFFY pancake (or banana bread or whatever baked good you are making).

So there you have it, more is not always better...

Good Eats

We are home from the cottage and likely more pale then before we left.  Despite the rain nearly everyday ,we had a relaxing vacation with friends.  One of the highlights - the food!  As mentioned in my previous post, each couple signed up for a day of cooking.  The dinners were amazing!!  Throughout the course of the week we had steak and potatoes with sauteed mushrooms, homemade pita pizzas on the BBQ, beef and chicken tacos with fresh guacamole, lasagna from scratch with double cheese garlic bread, and pork souvlaki with tzatiki.  YUM! As promised, here are my recipes. 

Tzatiki Ingredients
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cloves garlic (I had forgotten this so I used garlic powder instead)
1 container of Greek yogurt (about 1.5 cups)  PC has an awesome one for $3.99
1 cucumber, peeled and finely chopped
2 teaspoon dried dill
salt and pepper to taste

Mix everything together at least two hours before serving and chill in fridge.  Serve with pork souvlaki kabobs for dipping.

Pork Souvlaki Ingredients
1 lemon, juiced (or 1 tablespoon of lemon juice concentrate)
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 teaspoon dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
4 lbs pork tenderloin, cubed (fat trimmed)

Method
Mix everything together in a bowl and drizzle over prok. Put in fridge to marinate for at least 12 hours.  Thread onto kabob sticks and throw on the BBQ until cooked through, about 6-7 minutes each side. Don't forget to soak sticks in water for about 30 minutes so they don't burn.

Cottage Hummus

My husband and I are getting ready to head up north with a bunch of friends.  We are beyond excited about escaping for the week, but more specifically we are pumped to be spending our vacay with our amazing friends. We booked the cottage in February and have been 'planning' since early May.  Cooking for 10 people everyday would be brutal so we decided that each couple would sign up for a day and is responsible for purchasing, transporting, preparing and serving brunch and dinner.  Smart! We are doing french toast with fruit for brunch and pork souvlaki and vegetable kabobs with tzatziki (whoa, that's tough to spell! Had to google it....) and a Greek pasta salad. I will posted recipes once I return.

Collectively, we decided it would be easiest to hit Costco and stock up on snack foods for everyone.  Another smart idea! One of the snack requests; hummus.  Being the cheapo that I am, I will never, ever buy premade hummus again.  Although delicious, it is ridiculously over priced! I offered to make a huge homemade batch a bring it up.  It is different the my other hummus recipe and has roasted garlic (a requests from a fellow cottager) which give it a sweeter flavour. Here is the breakdown of the total cost of this triple batch of hummus:

$2.37 (3 cans chick peas)
$0.96 (2 jumbo garlic bulbs)
~0.60 (tahini, salt, olive oil, lemon juice - I had already)
TOTAL: $3.93     (*I didn't even use a calculator to add this up!! Hope it's correct.)

This amount of hummus at the store would have been well over $10.00.  This way there are ZERO preservatives/additives and I get the satisfaction knowing I saved a few buckaroos.  Enjoy!

Yields: 3 1/2 cups of hummus

Ingredients
3 cans of chick peas, drained and rinsed (you'd be surprised how much salt is on those suckers!)
2 bulbs garlic, roasted (Chop tips off top of bulb. Drizzle with olive oil & wrap in foil. Bake at 375 for 1 hr. Once cooled, pop out garlic cloves)
4 tablespoons tahini
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice concentration (or juice from 1 large lemon)
1/4 warm water
1/4 teaspoon salt
Paprika to garnish the top with

Method
Throw everything is a food processor and mix until creamy. If it's not creamy enough add a little olive oil at a time until desired texture. Serve with veggie sticks, crackers and pita triangles.

Another Kitchen Must-have

For the last year I have been on a mission to find something to make transferring cut up veggies and fresh herbs from the cutting board to the pan easier.  The other day I was at Stokes looking around at their big sale and found it.  The answer; a pastry scraper! It was only $4.99 so I was extra pumped about my find.  This is going to be so useful during meal prep.

Flax FYI

I've know for years that flax seeds have many awesome health benefits (thanks university nutrition class!), however what I didn't know until recently is that you should stay away from whole flax seeds.  The body is unable to breakdown the whole seed and therefore doesn`t reap all of the benefits that flax has to offer.  The alternative - purchase ground flax seeds or flax seed oil instead. You can even grind up your own in a coffee grinder. 

Baked Crab Cakes

This weekend we had some of our very good friends to the farm for a visit on Friday, Saturday and Sunday.  The weather even cooperated and let the 8 of us relax and unwind (and burn!) on the beach. When we got back home we were hungry so while dinner was getting prepared I had 3 professional taste testers sample a recipe I put together that I wasn't too sure about.  I got thumbs up all around - YIPPEE!!!  The recipe; Crab cakes (NOT crapcakes). I've never made, tasted or even seen a crab cake before so this was a challenge for me. I warn you, there are a ton of ingredients in this recipe, but if you took my advice (here) and invested in a good selection of spices you won't have to purchase much. Next time I plan on making smaller, bite-sized crab cakes for an appetizer instead of an entree. Hope you like 'em too!

Yield: 8 large or 16 small crab cakes

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 small onion, diced (white or red onion - your choice)

1 large egg

1 tablespoon lemon juice concentrate (or 3 tbsp fresh lemon juice)

5 tablespoons Dijon mustard

3 tablespoons mayo

1/2 teaspoons dry mustard

1/2 teaspoon paprika

1/2 teaspoon ground nutmeg

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes

1/2 teaspoon ground cloves

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 cans crab meat

1 cup cracker crumbs (Ritz crackers smushed up in a Ziploc)

1/2 cup breadcrumbs

salt & pepper to taste

Method

In a fry pan over medium heat, add the 1 tablespoon of olive oil.  Cook the onion and until soft, about 4 minutes. Remove from heat. In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, lemon juice, Dijon mustard, mayo and all spices. Fold in the cooked onion, crab meat, cracker and bread crumbs. Refrigerate mixture for 15-20 mins for breadcrumbs to absorb some of the liquid. Preheat oven to 350° F. Divide the crab mixture into 8 or 16 portions. Roll each portion into a ball with your hands and place onto a greased cookie sheet. Press down gently on each ball to form a cake. Bake until golden brown on each side, about 20 minutes (if cooking the smaller ones it should be about 14 minutes). Turn the crab cakes over half way through. Serve with dipping sauce.

Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup low fat sour cream
1 tablespoon lemon juice concentrate
6 slices of pickled jalapenos, diced

Mix all together. Serve with crab cakes.

Sole with White Wine Sauce & Roasted Asparagus

From discussions with my friends I have discovered that I am the only one on the planet that doesn't plan out my meals for the week.  I'm more of a spur-of-the-moment type when it comes to my cooking.  I like to pull a few items from the fridge and go from there.  For me, it promotes variety and creativity when I cook.  Over the last year of writing this blog I have tried over 100 new recipes and my husband has branched out of his the meat and potatoes box he used to live in. YA FOR US! For now this method works for me but when little munchkins eventually come into the picture I'm sure I'll like the structure of having the weekly meals planned out.



I am proud to say that by noon yesterday I knew what I was cooking last night. 6 hours ahead of time! Now that's progress.  Sole in an herb white wine sauce served with roasted asparagus and red pepper.


Yields: 2-4 servings (depending on the size of fillets)

Ingredients
1/2 onion, finely chopped
1 cup white wine
1 lemon, (1/2 juiced and 1/2 sliced)
1 tablespoon garlic, minced
1/4 cup capers, roughly chopped (optional)
1/4 teaspoon salt
Freshly ground black pepper
1 tablespoon of a combo of dried herbs (basil, rosemary, oregano, basil, dill etc.)
4 sole fillets

Method
Combine everything except fish and lemon slices in a skillet over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to medium-low and simmer about 8 minutes. Pour into a bowl and set aside.  In the same skillet over medium-high heat add 3 tablespoons sauce. Season both sides of fillets with salt and pepper. Arrange fillets and lemon slices in skillet. Cook until fillets are golden, about 4 minutes per side. Plate and pour sauce over fish. Serve with roasted asparagus.

Roasted Asparagus
Preheat oven to 425 degrees.  Place asparagus in a oven safe dish.  Pour 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 1 teaspoon of balsamic vinegar over top.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook for 10 minutes, flipping once half way through.  ENJOY!

Local Harvest

While doing my early morning, coffee sipping Internet reading I stumbled across an awesome website. It outlines local agricultural related events and will help you quickly find local food vender's including markets, restaurants, farms and stores anywhere in Ontario.  What a fantastic resource!  I will definitely be showing this website to my Nutrition students in the fall.

www.localharvest.ca

Below is some information taken from (www.localharvest.ca/about-us)

Our Goal For Local Harvest

Our goal is to become the ultimate source for finding local food across Ontario. We want to become local food storytellers and through those stories we hope to motivate consumers to explore their communities for great tasting food...

Another important goal is to build a community centred around the celebration of great local food. We are fortunate to live in an amazing province that grows an abundant variety of food. There are many reasons to buy local, it helps support the local economy, is better for the environment and what we feel is one the greatest reasons, “it just tastes better”. Have you ever tried an Ontario strawberry, farm fresh asparagus, locally grown corn, a fall harvest apple? There is no comparison. The food in Ontario is amazing and we need to be celebrating and encouraging more shops and restaurants to source local products...

Honey Garlic Chicken in the Crock Pot

Anything cooked in a crock pot is a-ok with me.  The prep time is usually under 5 minutes and meat, for the most part turns out so tender.  This time around I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs however next time I use this recipe I going to try chicken breasts because they are much leaner.  They won`t be as tender as the thighs but if it will help with my waistline, I`m game.  I served this over a very small portion of jasmine rice.  It was delish!  It made enough for leftovers --  BOOYA!


Ingredients
1 package skinless, boneless chicken thighs (there were 6 in mine)
3 tablespoons ketchup
1/4 cup honey (try the local stuff! Clovermead has an amazing selection)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup unsweetened apple sauce (or apple, orange or pineapple juice)
4 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon ginger root, very finely minced (optional - - I love ginger!)
2 tablespoons corn starch (to thicken it up)
1/4 cup water

Method
Mix all that stuff together in a crock pot.  Cook on high for 4 hours.  Serve over rice with a side of veggies.


Cooking Hint: my sister-in-laws boyfriend who is pretty much my brother-in-law is an amazing cook and got me hooked on preminced jarred garlic.  It saves SO much time.  You end up having to use a little more since the flavour isn't as intense but it truly makes cooking much quicker.  The jumbo jars can be purchased at Costco and your regular grocery store.

Aunt-to-be

I recently hosted a baby shower for my wonderful sister-in-law (ya, that's right! I'm going to be an Aunt in 6 weeks!).  She is quite the little crafter and has a few very environmentally aware girlfriends that were going to be in attendance.  Pressure was on to come up with a non-cheesy, craftyish, ecofriendly favour for the guests.  I decided to give each guest a potted indoor plant but I had some difficulties finding 12 healthy matching plants.  I hit a local nursery and came across a bunch of rosemary plants that smelled fantastic.  An edible, useful and ecofriendly party favour. Score!  I was very pleased with how they turned out.  The pots were from IKEA for .99 cents each, the rosemary plants were $1.00 each and a bag of potting soil was $2.59. I'm no math teacher but I I think the total cost was about $2.50 a person - YA! 

Tazo Chai Latte

I've mentioned before the many benefits of living in the country - - the serenity, solitude, space, the views, however this does not change the fact that the closest Starbucks is a 20 minute car ride. If I owned a teleporter and Starbucks didn't charge $42 for a small coffee I'd be hittin' that everyday. I have to say, part of the fun of paying and arm and a leg for a latte was getting that special little uplifting quote on the side of my cup.  Because of the recent branding changes I no longer get that spirit lifter. Thanks a lot Starbucks....I digress.

So there I was at Walmart a few days ago. (For the record I try my best to steer clear of Walmart but every so often my errands take me there) and I had a Life.changing.moment. ok, ok, ok, maybe a week changing moment. Tazo, the tea that Starbucks uses has a Chai tea latte concentrate for sale.  A good friend of mine has been using if for quite sometime, however I always assumed she was purchasing a Starbucks brand concentrate that I definitely didn't want to get in the habit of purchasing. It's currently on sale for $6.97 for a 32 oz jug, which makes roughly 7-8 large lattes. It's 70 calories for the concentrate and you use about 1 cup of milk.  Overall a not-too-bad-for-you-treat that tastes great and is cheaper then the real thing. I should probably open a franchise of Starbucks, it might save me a couple bucks.

Milk Frother
My latte loving friend not only gave me a Starbucks gift card for my Birthday last month, but also a milk frother.  A homemade latte truly isn't the same without using this.  They can be purchased in the kitchen section of any department store and usually run between $10-$20.  Thanks KP.

Figures that my longest blog post of all time is about lattes.     

Strawberry Spinach Salad

I've mentioned before that I love spinach and try to slip it into many dishes that I make.  Spinach salad with sliced fruit is my favourite!  Tonight I made a huge salad with a homemade honey dressing with baked chicken breast.  Quick & easy - just the way I like 'em.

Salad
Bowl of baby spinach
4 strawberries, sliced
6 pecans, chopped (I quickly warmed them in a frying pan with a drop of butter)
goat cheese

Dressing
1/4 cup olive oil
1 tablespoon lemon juice concentrate
1 tablespoon honey
2 teaspoons poppy seeds
salt & pepper to taste
*this is enough dressing for more then one salad.  Half if you don't want leftovers

Mix everything together. I always have a few mason jars on hand for mixing up homemade dressings.

Baked Chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
various spices

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Roll chicken in your favourite spices (My husband is obsessed with Montreal steak spice so that is what I put on his and I put rosemary, basil, oregano and thyme on mine). Bake in a ovenproof baking dish, uncovered for 25 minutes.

Steak Sandwiches

I planned my meal last night around the kaisers I was talking about in my previous post.  I was half way through preparing it before I realized the buns were completely mouldy. I ripped through the freezer and found some marble rye bread. A steak sandwich wouldn't be much of a meal without bread. This recipe creation earned a "tastes like restaurant" review from both my husband and myself.  I will be adding this recipe to my regulars for sure!

Yields: 2 large sandwiches

Ingredients
2 steaks, thinly sliced
1/2 onion, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
4 large mushrooms, slices (optional)
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/3 cup red wine
1 beef bouillon cube
1 cup water
1/4 teaspoon pepper
Swiss cheese, sliced
4 pieces rye bread (or two buns)

Method
Warm olive oil over medium heat in a skillet.  Add steak and cook until almost all red is gone.  Add onion and continue cooking until beef is cooked through.  Add remaining ingredients (except cheese and bread).  Bring to a boil, reduce heat, cover and simmer for 20 minutes.  Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Put steak on top of each slice of bread. Cover with Swiss cheese. Put on cookie sheet and bake for 7 minutes.  Remove and form sandwiches.  If you like them crunchier put in oven for 4 additional minutes after you've smacked the two pieces together.  Serve juice from skillet on the side as a dip for sandwiches.    

Local

Buying local foods makes me happy for a few reason.  Since I have become apart of the farming community I am much more aware and appreciative of where my food comes from. Local usually means fresher, little to zero additives/preservatives, tastier and lets face it, it feels wonderful to support those in our community. I was thrilled to find a local bakery selling their products at a grocery store I visit regularly.  Spicers is a family owned bakery that sells amazingly delicious items. Definitely worth the drive to Port Stanley, Aylmer and most recently, St. Thomas for their cookies and cupcakes. Only bummer is they mould much quicker then products with preservatives in them so make sure you keep them in your fridge to extend their life, especially in this humidity.  I was half way through preparing dinner before I realized that the kaisers I needed were speckled with green dots.  Dammit.  Onto plan B....      

Good Things Grow in Ontario

Look for the Foodland Ontario symbol when you're shopping. It's an easy way for you to identify Ontario foods in grocery stores, farmers' markets, and on-farm markets.

(www.foodland.gov.on.ca)

Billy's Strawberry Pie

To celebrate the end of school a few colleagues and I went to Billy's Deli Restaurant on Dundas St. in London for lunch this week.  I had never heard of this place but was told they are known for their pie.  I'm not the hugest pie fan but my God, was the strawberry pie to die for.  Their pie is so popular that you have to reserve a slice on your way into the restaurant ($5.00 a slice but worth every penny).  I will be trying to recreate this rediculously amazing dessert over the next few weeks. 

Raspberry Yogurt Muffins

I've been pretty brutal at posting on here for the last two months but with the time I have off this summer I will be able to cook, bake and post more frequently.  The last two months of school were a whirlwind, and although I'm somewhat sad that it's over I'm in desperate need of some refueling time. Summer, here I come!

My first summertime post: Raspberry yogurt muffins.  I never mess around with baking recipes but this morning I was feeling a little bad ass (My God I live on the edge, eh?).  I reviewed a few recipes and made some healthy modifications and created my own.  My husband and I just sampled them while sipping on starbucks out in the sun of our backyard...and now he's washing my car! Ah, it can't get better then this :)
Ingredients

1 cup white flour

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/3 cup sugar 

1 teaspoon baking powder 

1 teaspoon baking soda 

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/4 cup orange juice

1/4 cup unsweetened apple sauce 

1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 cup fat-free yogurt (any kind!)
1 egg (I used the whole thing but I'm sure you could use the white only)
1 cup fresh or frozen raspberries 

Method
Preheat oven to 400°.  Grease muffin tray. In a large bowl combine flour, sugar, baking powder, baking soda and salt. Mix well. In another bowl, whisk together orange juice, apple sauce, vanilla extract, yogurt and egg. Add to dry ingredients and stir just until moistened (ewww). Fold in berries. Spoon into muffin cups. Bake at 400º for about 20 minutes, or until golden.

Yields: 12 muffins

Birthday Bowls

One of my girlfriends from university and her amazing fiance bought me the most perfect birthday gift!  A beautiful set of colourful, ceramic mixing bowls from Crate and Barrel.  I absolutely love them and cannot wait to get in the kitchen and use them this summer.  4 more days of work then it's two months off for me, which means a lot more posts to come.  Thank you A & B for the thoughtful, generous birthday present.

xoxo

Greek Pasta Salad

This weekend we travelled to my hometown for a surprise birthday party for wonderful friend of mine. We had a fantastic time - ate, drank and laughed a lot!  My contribution to the great spread of food was a gigantic Greek pasta salad.  I needed something that was quick to make an could transport easily. I will absolutely make this again.

Ingredients
2 boxes smart pasta (any shape you wish), cooked, drained and cooled
3/4 bottle light kraft Greek and feta salad dressing
1 container cherry tomatoes, halved
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1 green pepper, chopped
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1 block feta cheese, crumbled

Method
Cook pasta until its almost done.  When making pasta salad you always want to under cook the noodles since they will absorb the dressing and will become mushy if cooked all the way.  Cool in fridge. Mix in everything but the dressing.  Add dressing just before serving.    

Father's Day French Toast

 

This morning we had my husband's family over for a little brunch get together to celebrate Father's Day.  I wanted a meal that was quick to prepare and didn't require a lot of space in the fridge.  We had company on both Friday and Saturday so there wasn't much room in the fridge.  I decided on a fresh fruit spread, peameal bacon and cinnamon french toast.  The easiest meal EVER!  The kitchen gadget that made it all happen - - the flat griddle. If you don't have one I would suggest investing in one.  We use ours often for grilled sandwiches, bacon, eggs, pancakes etc.  It runs about $50 at Canadian Tire, Zellers, etc.

Yields: 4 slices (2 servings)

Ingredients
3 eggs, beaten
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 tablespoon sugar
1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
4 slices of bread
butter to grease griddle
powdered sugar to sprinkle on top

Method
Mix eggs, vanilla, sugar and cinnamon together.  Dip bread in egg mixture and coat lightly.  Cook on a greased griddle for 2 minutes on each side, or until browned slightly.  Sprinkle with powdered sugar and serve with REAL maple syrup.

Beer Battered Perch

I don't eat seafood very often but wish I did.  My goal for the next little while is to try out some new yummy recipes that have a variety of seafood in them.  This was my first time frying something.  It tasted great but I definitely won't be using this type of recipe often because I'm not a fan of at home frying.  I'd much prefer to keep that cooking method at the restaurant. 

Yields: 2-3 servings

Ingredients

6 ocean perch fillets (ocean perch are far bigger then lake perch)

1 cup flour (reserve 1/4 for dusting)

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 teaspoon paprika

1/2 bottle room temp beer
salt & pepper to taste
Canola oil (enough to have a good layer of oil going on the bottom of your pan - I used about 1/2 cup)

Method
In a bowl mix 3/4 cup of flour with chili powder, paprika, salt, pepper and beer. Put in fridge for 20 minutes to chill.  Meanwhile, coat fish with remaining 1/4 cup of flour.  Over medium heat, warm oil in a deep drying pan.  Dip fillets into batter mixture and add to warm oil.  Cook on each side for about 5 minutes.  Remove from oil and serve with tartar sauce (mayo & relish mixture).

A day out and about

This week I took my students a field trip to an herb farm and an apiary.  We had perfect weather and so much fun!  If you have the chance (and have kids) you should definitely check out Clovermead !  We did honey sampling, held bees, fed goats and played like we were back in grade one.  My Mother was even along for the trip. 

 

Sweet Potato & Chick Pea Curry

I have a problem.  When I watch a cooking show I immediately HAVE to cook whatever was on the show.  Last week I was watching "Best Recipes Ever" (The host really annoys me but I like that its a half hour show).  The episode was about vegetarian cooking and the three recipes she made looked very tasty.  There wasn't suppose to be sweet potato in this recipe but I didn't have any squash in the house.  It turned out pretty tasty however next time I would half the recipe because I'm the only one in my house that will eat it...

Servings: 6ish

Ingredients
3 cups cubed peeled sweet potato
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp minced ginger root
1 tbsp curry powder
1 can light coconut milk (or ½ cup milk + 1 additional cup of stock)
1 cup vegetable stock (I used chicken)
1 tablespoon peanut butter
1/4 tsp salt
2 cups packed fresh spinach
1 cup frozen green peas
1 tsp coriander

Method
In Dutch oven, fry onion, garlic, coriander and ginger as directed. Add curry paste; cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add sweet potato and chickpeas; stir to coat. Add coconut milk, stock and salt; bring to boil. Cover and simmer, stirring twice, until vegetables are tender, about 30 minutes. Gently stir in spinach and peas; cook, stirring, until spinach wilts, about 5 minutes. Serve as a stew.

Pineapple on the BBQ

On the weekend I got together with some of my amazing high school girlfriends.  We sat on the deck and ate, chatted and laughed until our stomachs hurt.  I ate something that I'd never tried before - pineapple on the BBQ.  It was absolutely fantastic.  We had it as a side with our entree however it could also be served as a dessert with a scoop of vanilla ice cream on top.  It will be making this dessert very soon.  I know the hubby is going to LOVE it.

Ingredients

1 pineapple, peeled and sliced

Method

Heat BBQ on medium.  Throw slices of pineapple on the BBQ and flip after 1-2 minutes.  They take no time to cook!  Yummy!

Rhubarb Crisp

We have about 10 rhubarb plants growing along the side of our barn that are HUGE (that's what she said). I've never weeded, watered or treated these plants in any way over the last 4 years and they never fail to produce an amazing crop.  I have to admit, rhubarb isn't my favourite however my husband is a huge fan.  I've made stewed rhubarb, rhubarb muffins, loaves, and crisps but have never made rhubarb pie.  That will be my next mission.  Tonight I tried out a new crisp recipe.  Hope you like it :)

Ingredients

1 cup brown sugar, firmly packed

1 cup flour

3/4 cup quick cooking rolled oats

1/2 cup melted butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

4 cups rhubarb, chopped

1 cup sugar

2 tablespoons cornstarch

1 cup water

1 teaspoon vanilla

MethodIn a bowl, combine brown sugar, flour, oats, butter and cinnamon; mix together until crumbly. Press half of the brown sugar and oats mixture into a buttered square baking dish. Top with rhubarb. In a saucepan combine 1 cup sugar, cornstarch, and the 1 cup of water and vanilla. Cook together until clear, then pour over rhubarb. Top rhubarb with remaining crumb mixture and bake at 350 degrees for 45 minutes.

Mojitos

The heat has arrive!  The hubby and I spend the evening on the beach.  There is absolutely no better way to welcome this lovely weather then sitting on the beach, listening to live music, surrounded by torches with a mojito in your hand.  Hello summer! Please stay forever.

Ingredients

1 oz white rum

8 mint leaves

1 tbsp sugar

1/2 oz fresh lime juice

splash  of 7 up

fill with soda

Method

Muddle mint leaves and sugar sugar and add to a tall glass. Add crushed ice, rum, and lime juice. Add soda water, 7 up and garnish with mint leaves.

Thai Curry Soup

Rain, rain go away! We've had rain for days and will continue to until the end of the week.  I wanted to make a cozy, warm dish for dinner - Jill's  Make-shift Thai Curry Soup it is.  It does pack a punch but the flavours are amazing... mmm, Thai soup!

Yields 2 Servings
Ingredients
1 tablespoon red curry paste
1/2 tsp coriander
1/2 tsp cumin
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tsp curry powder
3 cups water
3 green onion, sliced
2 tablespoons fish sauce
1 cup milk
1 tablespoons sugar  (*I used milk and sugar as a coconut substitute because I didn't have any)

juice from 1/2 lime
1 large beef steak, cubed
1/3 cup bean sprouts
1/2 package Thai rice noodles


MethodOver medium heat, warm olive oil. Add coriander, cumin, curry powder and curry paste and cook for 3 minutes. Add all other ingredients (except sprouts and noodles) and simmer for 25 minutes.  Meanwhile, add noodles to a pot of boiling a water for 7 minutes (turn heat off once it boils). Drain. Add noddles and sprouts to curry mixture and cook for 3 more minutes.  Serve in a bowl.  Garnish with cilantro if desired.

Reese's Pieces Cookies

We are heading to a friends place tonight to check out some recent renos they've done and I wanted to take a little treat with us.  I decided to put a spin on my favourite cookies and used Reese's Pieces instead of chocolate chips.  I didn't want to use a peanut butter cookie recipe because they tend to be on the dry side. These cookies are delish!

Ingredients

1 3/4 cup flour

3/4 tsp baking soda
1/4 tsp salt
3/4 c butter or marg, softened (not melted)
1/2 c sugar
1/2 c firmly packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
3/4 c Reese's pieces

Method
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Mix flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Set aside. Beat butter and sugars(that's what she said) in large bowl with electric mixer until fluffy. Add egg and vanilla. Gradually beat in the flour mixture. Stir in Reese's Pieces. Drop by heaping tbsp onto ungreased cookie sheets. Bake 11 - 13 minutes. Remove from tray immediately and put on cooling rack. Makes about 2 dozen cookies

Fried Dough

When I say "breakfast" what are the top three foods that come to mind?  Bacon, eggs and pancakes, right? Well, say that word to an American and chances are donut will be in their top 3. Donuts here are definitely more of a snack.  On Easter weekend my husband and I were lucky enough to spend time with my American side of the family.  It was lovely to see them despite the fact that our time together was quite limited.  While visiting, my wonderful aunt made a yummy brunch treat for us.  Fried Dough Bits.  They were DELICIOUS! 

Yields: 30 ish "tim bit" sized treats
Ingredients

2 packages premade pizza dough (you could also use homemade  - not whole wheat though)

1 cup vegetable or canola oil

icing sugar to sprinkle on top

Method

Flatten out dough to the size of a medium plate (not the saucer size but not a dinner plate...).  Cut into 1 inch x 1 inch squares and dropped about 8 at a time into a deep skillet of hot vegetable oil.  Flip once when golden brown.  Remove before they get to a dark brown colour.  Quickly dust with icing sugar (or a sugar and Cinnamon mixture).  Serve warm. YUM!

*be careful of the oil spitting when you drop the dough in! It can also get a little smokey/stinky so open a window or turn the hood fan on

Sweet Chili Chicken on Rice

Fact: I'm sick of chicken.
Solution: Try cooking different 'cuts' of chicken with different types of sauces

I'm not one for meat bones (that's what she said).  It wasn't until a few years ago that I could stomach having the bone of an animal on my plate.  Over the past year I've been learning to work with and cook meats that are on the bone.  I'm still a work in progress but I'm getting there.  Yesterday at the grocery store I was a total bone cop out.  I purchased boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which I've surprisingly never cooked with.  I created a dish using a prepared sweet chili sauce, which was a success.

Ingredients

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 handful fresh snow peas

1/4 prepared sweet chili sauce

5 tbsp soy sauce

1/4 water

1 cups cooked rice

Method
Put everything (except rice and snow peas) in a skillet and bring to a boil.  Lower heat and simmer, covered for 20 minutes. Stir occasionally.  Break up chicken into bite size pieces as you stir. 5 minutes before its done, throw in the snow peas. Serve over a bed of rice.

Here is a homemade version of sweet chili sauce.  I've never made it but will certain try once my bottle runs out.

Ingredients:1/2 cup rice vinegar (or substitute white vinegar)
1/2 cup + 2 Tbsp. white sugar
1/4 cup water
3 Tbsp. fish sauce
2 Tbsp. sherry (or cooking sherry)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 to 1 Tbsp. dried crushed chili (1 Tbsp. makes spicy-hot sauce)
1+1/2 Tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 3-4 Tbsp. cool water

Method
1.Place all ingredients (except the cornstarch-water mixture) in a pot. Bring to a rolling boil.
2.Reduce heat to medium and let boil for 10 minutes.
3.Reduce heat to low and add the cornstarch-water mixture. Stir to incorporate and continue stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens (about 2 minutes).
4.Remove from heat and taste-test. You should taste "sweet" first, followed by sour, then spicy and salty notes. If the sauce isn't sweet enough, add a little more sugar. If not spicy enough, add more chili.

Homemade Hamburgers

Happy 30th Big Guy!
This past weekend was my husbands 30th birthday.  We celebrated by hosting a backyard BBQ with family and friends in the sun (we completely lucked out and had zero rain all weekend!).  On the menu; a giant bowl of pasta salad, grilled veggie kabobs, dogs and homemade burgers.  I freakin' love summer and cannot wait to have BBQ after BBQ out in the sunshine surround by the people we love so much. 

Happy Birthday to one pretty darn fantastic man.

Yields: 12 patties
Homemade Burgs
3 lbs of lean ground beef
1 package of onion soup mix
2 tablespoons Worcestershire sauce
1/3 cup bread crumbs
1 egg
3 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/4 salt

We have a pattie press which makes like a lot easier.  The press along with the stand mixer (and the help from a not-so-precise Pattie making friend) made the process of making 24 burgers pretty smooth.  Mix all the ingredients together and form into patties.  BBQ through until pink is gone. Serve.