Food.Love.Happiness

Clementine Muffins and a Londonlicious dinner

2012-02-05T16:31:00.000-08:00

Clementine season is coming to a close and that it is definitely apparent from the shabby, sad looking clementines still leftover at the grocery store. The poor little things can't compare to their holiday time companions. Although the days of snacking on two or three a day (don't judge me) are over, I was surprised to learn they can be incorporated in refreshing baked goods.

I saw these Clementine Bling Muffins on Pinterest and knew I had to make them.
Recipe by The Novice Chef Blog

Clementine Mini Muffins
Ingredients:
Muffins:
1 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1/4 cup canola oil
1/3 cup milk
Zest and juice of 1 clementine
1 tsp vanilla extract
Icing:
1 cup powdered sugar
1 tbsp clementine juice
Zest:
1/2 cup sugar
Zest of 1 clementine

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. In another bowl, whisk together egg, oil, milk, zest, juice and vanilla. Add dry ingredients to the wet and whisk until combined. Evenly divide the batter into a mini muffin pan. Bake for 14-16 minutes.

For the glaze, whisk the powdered sugar with the clementine juice so it's thick enough to thickly coat the back of a spoon. For the sugared zest, combine the zest with sugar and break up with your fingers. I found mine didn't turn out that orange, so it may require more than one clementine for zest.

When the muffins are cool, dip the tops in the glaze, then sprinkle with the sugared zest.

Mine didn't turn out as "blingy" as the original picture, but they were still a big hit. We went to a potluck last weekend and always go overboard when it comes to cooking for other people, so we brought the clementine muffins and some homemade sushi:

I also made some Banana Maple Date Scones for my mid-morning work week snacks. Whether it's homemade granola bars, baked oatmeal squares or power muffins, I have become pretty serious about making my own snacks instead of eating pre-package granola bars or buying something at a coffee shop.

These scones were more of a treat than a nutritious snack, but I love the addition of the sweet dates.

Last weekend was also Londonlicious, where many restaurants in town had prix fixe three course meals for $25-30. I love it because it gives budget-friendly folk like us a chance to try some new restaurants and have a nice meal out :) This year we decided to try some classic French cuisine at Auberge de Petit Prince. The prix fixe menu was fairly simple, but compared to the price of the entrees on the menu, it was a great deal.

I started with buckwheat crepes filled with olive tapenade, cream cheese, pesto and tomatoes. Mike splurged with the escargots and sherry cream on brioche (a little rich for me). My crepes weren't anything amazing, but it was a nice start to the meal. I tried one of Mike's escargot--my first experience--and actually kind of liked it, but it could have been because it was smothered in butter and cream.

For our mains I ordered the lemon, thyme and green peppercorn marinated chicken on sweet potato puree and ratatouille. The sweet potato puree was insanely good and I devoured it pretty quickly. The chicken and ratatouille were both simple as well, but well seasoned and delicious.

Mike ordered the slow braised beef cheeks in puff pastry with garlic and leeks. Again, a fairly simple entree, but the sauce and beef chunks melted together like butter. I liked how the portions were fairly small as it was a good taste of the food without feeling too stuffed afterwards. Who needs huge plates of food when you're having a three-course meal?

Dessert was chocolate cake all the way for me, but I obviously had a generous sampling of Mike's vanilla cream brulee. The restaurant also has a patiserrie business, Petit Paris, in the Covent Garden Market, so I expected good things from their desserts. The chocolate cake had a layer of white chocolate ganache and a drizzle of raspberry coulis. I normally find chocolate cake too dry and "cakey," but this one was heavenly and I ate most of it before Mike could even try some.

The meal wasn't spectacular, but it was pleasant and I am glad this was our Londonlicious pick for this year. The restaurant is located in a beautiful Victorian-style manor house and has a wonderful ambience with a lot of smaller, cozier rooms instead of one large dining room. I loved the atmosphere and I felt like I was eating in a grand, old French mansion. It would be a great place for a special private party or event. Maybe someday we'll go back for a special occasion and try more dishes from their regular menu.

Chef Laura cooks...a lot of food

2012-01-27T08:32:00.000-08:00

Last night was week three of culinary class at George Brown College. I didn't realize how much food I would be able to take home after each class, but it's been a blessing in disguise.

I have to admit I was a little intimidated when I walked into the huge, professional kitchen with everyone in chef's uniforms. We are all required to have a chef's uniform, non-slip shoes, apron, towel, knife and tools. Putting on a chef's jacket for the first time was definitely cool and I had a little too much fun with it:

We didn't cook anything the first week, but instead got our uniforms and tools organized and watched the chef demo how to make basic stocks. He demonstrated chicken, beef and fish stocks. The most important thing I want to take away from the class is how to use a knife properly. The chef demonstrated how to properly cut onions, celery and carrots for the mirepoix (the vegetable flavour base for the stock). My knife skills have drastically improved in only a few weeks, granted I did invest in a fancy, new chef's knife.

(A bit of what the kitchen looks like. Photo by Nostrovia)

Last week was onto salads, and again more vegetable cutting practice. Chef demoed a tuscan bean salad, cucumber and onion salad and a pacific rim beef salad. The beef salad had an asian influence with oyster sauce, lime juice, water chestnuts and sesame seeds and was delicious. Did I mention we also get to taste whatever the chef makes?

We then made our own bean salad. The recipe was pretty basic, but it was a chance for us to get comfortable in the kitchen and try our hand at cutting vegetables properly.

They are very nice and lay all of our portioned ingredients out for us beforehand (but we do have to do our own dishes, which is fair). We boiled the pre-soaked beans, then combined the ingredients for the salad: beans, vegetables, olive oil, red wine vinegar, lemon juice, salt and pepper, fresh herbs, asiago cheese and prosciutto. We also get to take home any leftover ingredients we don't use, so we each got a whole package of prosciutto and a wedge of cheese. Yum!

The recipe made enough salad for an army. I tried to pawn the salad off on other people during the week, but I still had way too much for one person.

This week was onto soup, which is one of my favourite things to make. Chef talked about basic sauces, like bechamel and rouxs, and demonstrated a chicken veloute. He then made a cream of mushroom soup using the veloute. Don't order cream soup at a restaurant if you're a health conscious eater, as the chef used 35% cream (yikes) and a ton of butter. He then toasted croutons in a pan of butter and sprinkled them on top of the soup.

I had a taste and yes, it was amazing, but not something I could handle regularly. He then demoed the piquant vegetable soup we would be making. We were supposed to start our soup base by sweating bacon, but I left mine out for a purely vegetarian soup (I don't know if my stomach can handle this class!).

The soup included cabbage, carrots, onions, spinach, chickpeas, tomato paste, chicken stock and fresh herbs, and was basically a minestrone-type soup. We all ended up going home with about 4 litres of soup each. The cool thing about the class is it's mostly working twenty-somethings like me who want to learn how to cook and have something fun to do on a weeknight. It is a lot different than cooking at home though and I definitely don't feel as relaxed, but it's nice to be able to chat and help each other out and to know we're all just learning.

The class so far has been a great introduction to basic skills and recipes. We don't learn anything super fancy, but rather it's more of an introduction to basic recipes and skills. Being able to learn these things at a well-established culinary college like George Brown is pretty neat too. Next week we learn bolognese sauce, vinaigrettes and lasagna. I am scared to think how much lasagna we'll get to bring home...

Living the Toronto life

2012-01-21T08:15:00.000-08:00

So after a few too many years living in London, Ontario I have moved (kind of) to Toronto. I say "kind of" as Mike will still be living in London with our cat as he finishes school, but I have my own place in Toronto and I am ready to take on some new adventures.

I will be getting some great work experience in the magazine industry and most importantly, I get to do what I love most, which is write. I am also incredibly excited about a certain new weeknight activity...

I am taking a continuing education Culinary Arts course at George Brown College! The course is once a week for 12 weeks and covers basic culinary techniques and knife skills. I have wanted to take a formal culinary course for ages now, so being here is great chance to finally learn.

The only downside to my new routine is probably the kitchen situation. My apartment only has a microwave and a hot plate, so my cooking is limited. I had to buy a toaster oven so I could at least toast things.

Yep, that's it. Not ideal for a foodie like me, but I'm sure I'll manage.

The other night I made a delicious stuffed sweet potato using just a microwave and toaster oven. This recipe for roasted grape, goat cheese and honey stuffed sweet potatoes from How Sweet It Is was so intriguing, I had to make my own version (I used cottage cheese instead of goat cheese). Let me tell you, I have now discovered roasted grapes and they will be going on everything from now on.

I should start a blog solely about toaster oven cooking....

Not having much of a kitchen gives me a great chance to try some downtown restaurants and food spots. For my first meal in Toronto, Mike and I decided to try some japanese and korean cuisine at HoSu Bistro on Yonge Street. The restaurant has a vast selection of sushi choices, noodle dishes, bento boxes and korean rice bowls. We started with the sushi appetizer, which was 3 pieces of assorted sushi and 4 pieces of maki.

For the main course, I went for the chicken bibim bop and Mike had the dolsot beef bibim bop. The "dolsot," for an extra dollar, comes in a warm stone bowl and has an egg on top while the chicken comes in a plastic bowl with no egg.

This was my first experience with korean cuisine and I would love to try the real thing one day. I should have gone for the dolsot, as it looked a lot more impressive than mine, and was kept warm during the meal by the stone bowl. The chicken was drenched in sauce that was a little too spicy for me.

Each bowl was packed with rice, noodles, veggies and meat, and was less than $10. I would highly recommend this place if you want to try a selection of japanese and korean dishes, or want a hearty warm meal for cheap.

I also don't have my DLSR camera with me, so many of my photos are (and will be for the next little while) probably from my phone. This food blog may be taking a different turn in the next little while, but hopefully for the better--just like me.

It's never too late for Christmas bread

2012-01-12T15:48:00.000-08:00

I know it's a little late for a holiday recap considering the holidays have been over for awhile now, but I have so many photos piling up that I wanted to share.

On the foodie front, I participated in another cookie exchange and made another four dozen cookies. This one was for Mike's class, so naturally the cookies had to be medical-themed. I made--with lots of help from Mike--male and female gingerbread doctor cookies.

I made the "scrubs" with royal icing, then drew on the pockets and stethoscopes with food colour markers. I piped the hair and faces with buttercream icing.

I also made snowflake cookies...just because they looked nice.

The cookies were presented at a cookie exchange with about 15 other people. Since there were so many people, everyone just took however many cookies they brought. That still meant we came home with four dozen cookies. I developed a bad habit of eating cookies with breakfast over the holidays (and every meal actually). That picture is only about half of what we came home with!

On Christmas Eve we spent the afternoon making tourtieres (meat pies) with Mike's Mom. The recipe she uses was her grandmother's and includes various ground meats, such as veal, pork and beef.

She then mixes in onions and spices and bakes the mixture in a pie shell. And she even cut some of the pie crust into holly leaves for the top.

The food gods were extremely good to us this Christmas and we were blessed with a Kitchen Aid StandMixer (amen!), a bread maker, a food mill, a mandolin slicer and lots of other cool kitchen things. My present from Mike was an espresso/cappuccino maker. He was considering getting a Tassimo single cup brewer, but in the end went for the do-it-yourself, classic espresso maker.

Having endless cappuccinos at your fingertips is a dangerous, dangerous thing...

I am one of those strange people who love fruitcake and look forward to eating it every Christmas. My parents bought a Pannetone loaf for holiday snacking and I loved eating it so much I decided to try making one myself. Pannetone isn't quite fruitcake, but is a sweet egg-type bread with candied fruit inside.

I got to test drive our beautiful, new stand mixer in the process. I don't know if these modern appliances are actually making us better cooks, but it sure is nice to let it do all the work.

Pannetone Loaf (recipe from Canadian Living)
Ingredients:
1/3 cup raisins
1/4 cup candied mixed peel
4 1/3 cups flour
1/2 cup sugar
1/3 cup warmed milk
1 pkg active dry yeast
3 eggs
3 egg yolks
1 1/2 tsp grated orange or lemon rind (or lemon juice)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
3/4 tsp salt
3/4 cup softened unsalted butter

(Full instructions)

If you like raisin bread or sweet breads (not to be confused with sweetbreads), then you will definitely like this as a holiday snack, or anytime bread really.

So much has been going on the last few weeks. You know how you have times of quiet and nothingness and then everything seems to happen all at once? That has been my life lately. I am overjoyed at some new changes though and can't wait to share. It's been a great start to the New Year so far.

The holiday season (and some holiday D.I.Y projects)

2011-12-22T13:41:00.000-08:00

Twas a few days before Christmas and all through the house, not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse (errr cat...)

The cookies were decorated with the utmost of care...

In the hopes that three dozen more in a cookie exchange would soon be there.

The pies were crafted and snug in their bed (i.e oven)...

While visions of stand mixers danced in my head...

Me in my snuggie and Mike in his sweater....

Had just had a nap after a holiday party dinner.

When out of the living room there came a racket so big...

Why it's only Scottish Santa playing a little bagpipe jig!

Away to the mall I flew like a flash...

Tore open my wallet and threw up some cash.

For the presents were bought and wrapped under the tree...

Something for everyone on my list, including me :)

Now that I've got that cheese out of the way, I thought I would share some neat Holiday D.I.Y projects. This one isn't food related, but it's a quick and cheap way to decorate your home for the holiday season, so you can get back to more important things, like food. Did someone say melted brie wheel?

If you're a fan of real Christmas trees like I am, then you'll know the trials and tribulations of vacuuming constantly and watering the stand three times a day. But there's nothing like having a real tree in your house. Sure, it confuses the hell out of household pets, but the smell of fresh pine and the lights twinkling on its branches are worth the hassle.

Making your own Christmas wreath is a great way to use up the trimmings from the tree. For less than $10, I made my own wreath and have the equipment to make one every year now.

All you need is a wire wreath frame or a metal coat hanger. The wire frame was $3.50 at Michaels Craft Store. A coat hanger might be more finicky to make the wreath perfectly straight, but it is free. You'll also need floral wire which can also be purchased at a craft store and any embellishments, such as bows or pinecones.

Start by trimming the branches into smaller pieces. Grab a handful of pieces and place it on the wire then wrap tightly with the floral wire. (Watch this video for step-by-step instruction).

Grab another handful and overlap it with the first bunch to hide the wire. Continue until you have covered the whole wire frame.

And you have your very own Christmas wreath for a fraction of the cost of a store bought one. Add embellishments using a hot glue gun or by tying it with the floral wire.

Hot chocolate is usually a warm comfort on those cold winter nights, but I've never thought about making my own mix until this year. I have a recent obsession with food in jars, so I've been browsing many neat recipes for jar gifts, including cookie mix and hot cocoa mix. All you do is add ingredients to a jar, print out a recipe card, tie on some ribbon and you have a neat homemade gift.

I printed the recipe labels and used the recipe from The Yummy Life.

Add 1 cup of unsweetened cocoa powder, 2 cups icing sugar, 3 cups skim milk powder, 2 tsp cornstarch, 1 tsp salt to a mixing bowl or food processor.

Pulse in the food processor or mix until combined. Add the chocolate chips and any additional flavourings or toppings (like marshmallows, instant coffee/espresso or cinnamon). A Christmas candy bag also works well for packaging the mix.

I will definitely be adding this to some gift baskets this year along with some homemade chutney and canned bruschetta mix. Hope everyone has a Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays!

The Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap: Sugar Spiral Cookies

2011-12-12T10:19:00.000-08:00

I have never participated in a cookie exchange before, but this year I have somehow convinced myself to join two (possibly three) holiday exchanges. The idea of most cookie exchanges is to bake a dozen or more cookies depending on the number of participants and exchange for the amount of cookies you baked, i.e, you bake some cookies, then get a bunch of cookies in return.

The idea of the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap was the same, but the twist was to send one dozen cookies to three random bloggers and receive three packages from bloggers in return. Oh, modern technology. Now enthusiastic foodies like myself can not only bake for friends and family, but for other food bloggers all over North America! More than 600 bloggers from Canada and the United States participated in the swap and more than 22, 000 cookies were shipped. How cool is that?

I loved sending a holiday treat in the mail and being a part of something really neat for the food blogging community. All I seem to get in the mail usually is bills and ads, so for the last week or so I have loved checking my mailbox for cookie packages. The cookie swap was organized by Julie of The Little Kitchen and Lindsay of Love and Olive Oil. They sent out our three matches and it was up to us to mail cookies by December 5 and post our recipe by December 12 (complete rules here).

The other challenging part was deciding what kind of cookie to make. The rules stated we had to make one kind of cookie, it had to be homemade and couldn't be something we've blogged about before. I scoured many cookie recipes for inspiration, as I wanted my cookie to be neat and memorable (if I was going to pay to ship them somewhere and foodies can have quite high standards you know...). I found the recipe for these sugar spiral cookies originally on Pinterest and thought they incorporated holiday colours well, plus you really can't go wrong with a good old sugar cookie.

Spiral Sugar Cookies (adapted from this and this recipe)

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp salt
2/3 cup icing sugar
1/4 cup granulated sugar
1 1/4 cup butter (room temperature)
1 tsp vanilla
Food colouring (about a tsp, but depends on the colouring you want to achieve)
1 cup sprinkles

Combine flour, baking powder, salt and sugars and mix together. Add in butter and continue mixing. Add in vanilla extract. Divide the dough into two equal parts and place in two separate bowls.

Mix red or green food colouring into one of the bowls (I made one batch of green and two batches of red). Roll out both balls of dough about 1/4 inch thick onto parchment paper. Refrigerate for about an hour.

Brush white dough lightly with water using a pastry brush. Place the coloured dough on top of the white dough and trim the edges.

Lightly roll the dough and pinch the edges together.

Pour sprinkles onto a plate and roll the rolled dough in the sprinkles until covered. Wrap the dough tightly in plastic wrap. Refrigerate for a few hours or overnight.

Slice the dough and place the cookies on a lined cookie sheet.

Bake for 15 minutes at 325 F (my test batch browned a little too much at 350 F, but it depends on your oven).

Ship your cookies off to three wonderful food bloggers.

I would like to thank Eri from It all tastes Greek to me (Toronto, Ontario) for her Santorini-inspired spice cookies:

And Sarah from West Wellington Veggie (Ottawa, Ontario) for her Oatmeal Chocolate Cookies:

These cinnamon stars from Heather of New House, New Home, New Life (Tillsonburg, Ontario) were beautifully wrapped and tasted amazing as well:

I will definitely be participating in the Great Food Blogger Cookie Swap next year. If there was a downside, I would have to say it is having so many delicious cookies lying around the house. I'm one of those people who enjoys giving rather than receiving. I loved making my cookies, but the hardest part is trying to pace myself in eating the three dozen cookies I received. (Sign up for notifications of next year's swap here)

Now I have to bake another three dozen cookies for another cookie exchange next week. Tis the season.

Holiday Chocolate Bark three ways

2011-12-05T12:38:00.000-08:00

Every December I usually go overboard at Bulk Barn stocking up on holiday baking ingredients. Keeping cookie exchanges, edible gifts, parties and family gatherings in mind, it's usually the one time of year I can stock up on mass supplies of chocolate, dried fruits, nuts and candy without feeling guilty.

One of those edible gifts on my baking list is usually chocolate bark. It's incredibly easy to put together and makes a great host gift or party treat bag. All you do is melt chocolate, add your desired flavours or topping, and you have a tasty holiday treat in less than 10 minutes. You can also play around with flavour combinations and add different dried fruits and nuts, as well as extracts.

The first two types of bark were adapted from The Happy Baker cookbook. This is one of my go-to dessert cookbooks and has all kinds of easy and delicious recipes, as well as funny dating anecdotes from the author.

Candy Cake Bark (from the Happy Baker cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups melting chocolate or 1 300 g bar of 50-70 per cent chocolate
1 tsp peppermint extract
12 candy canes (can be mini or regular sized, about 20 mini)
1/3 cup white chocolate
1 tsp canola oil

Place the candy canes in a ziploc bag and crush with a rolling pin or baking hammer. This is a great way to release that pre-holiday stress.

Melt the milk chocolate over low heat. Melting chocolate can be tricky, but I try and remove it from the heat just before it's all completely melted. Also, I try to keep it at a really low heat (like 2 or 3 on the stovetop) and constantly stir it as it melts. It's up to you which kind of chocolate to use, but I like the chocolate wafers rather than chips for melting.

Stir in half of the crushed candy canes and peppermint extract. Spread the chocolate onto a cookie sheet lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle with the remaining candy canes.

Melt the white chocolate and add the oil. Drizzle the white chocolate over the bark. Set in the freezer for about 20 minutes then break into pieces.

White Chocolate and Cranberry Bark (from the Happy Baker cookbook)

Ingredients:
1 1/4 cups white chocolate
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/2 cup sliced almonds (or shelled pistachios)

Melt chocolate over low heat. White chocolate is a little more finicky than milk chocolate, so stir often and make sure it doesn't harden.

Remove from heat and stir in the cranberries and almonds. Spread over a lined cookie sheet and let set in the freezer.

Chocolate almond Bark (my own recipe)

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups chocolate
1/2 cup whole almonds (you can chop them or leave them whole)
1 tsp almond extract

Melt chocolate then remove from heat and stir in almond extract and almonds. Spread onto a cookie sheet and let set in the freezer.

There are endless possibilities when it comes to making different types of bark. The Happy Baker also recommends a dried blueberry and hazelnut combination, which sounds amazing. Bulk and baking stores also carry chocolate wafers in many different colours and flavours. Just resist the urge to open the freezer every five minutes to break off a piece of bark for yourself (never done that...)

Canning Strawberry Jam

2011-11-29T09:14:00.000-08:00

I know, I know, most of my blog posts recently have been canning related. But there's just so much to learn and know about the art of preserving. I recently joined a preserving online community, Punk Domestics, and submitted one of my apple posts (see here).

I have also been brainstorming canning related Christmas ideas, as my family members and friends know by now that some of their gifts will be canned. I'm thinking some cranberry sauce, chutneys and possibly canned bruschetta (would be great for Holiday party appetizers). I have already given away most of our apple butter and apple pie filling jars because sharing something you made with others is the best part of the process.

Once upon a time we had a crazy idea to make strawberry jam favours for our wedding. The idea sounded neat at the time, but we slowly learned that making 100 jars of jam takes a lot of work. We were lucky to get a good deal on strawberries back in July while they were still in season, but then came the task of finding freezer space and storage space for all of the berries and jars. Our wedding venue fell through a few months ago, so we decided to put off the wedding for awhile while we figure out what to do.

We don't know what we're going to do with all of the jam we made (Mike suggested selling them to his classmates to raise money for charity) as I'm not sure how long self-preserved jam lasts, but I'm sure the jam will find a good home eventually.

The jam is actually one of the easier canning recipes I have come across. You don't have to cook the mixture for hours or add a lot of fancy ingredients. The only laborious part comes in de-stemming the berries, which did take quite awhile considering we bought 8 flats (36 quarts) of strawberries...

Strawberry Jam (from BHG's Canning Magazine):
(Makes 6-8 jars)

Ingredients:
12 cups strawberries (3 quarts)
1 1.75 ounce package of pectin
1/2 tsp butter
7 cups of sugar

Place berries in a pot and mash them with a potato masher as you bring them to a boil. Stir in the pectin and butter. Bring to a full rolling boil, stirring constantly.

Add sugar all at once. (Yes, there is a lot of sugar in jam recipes, so don't be alarmed. This is what seven cups of sugar looks like:)

Bring mixture up to a rolling boil again and boil hard for one minute. Remove from heat and skim off foam with a metal spoon. Ladle into sterilized jars leaving 1/4 inch headspace. Process jars in a canner for five minutes.

Considering the high sugar content, the jam only has about 38 calories per tablespoon (according to the magazine). There are also many fruit combinations you can use to make the perfect jar of jam. I have also tried rhubarb, as well as black cherry, and had great results. To me, a good jar of homemade jam is a canning classic that will never go out of style.

Check out this recipe on Punk Domestics:

Canning apples: Apple pie filling and Apple Sauce

2011-11-21T12:15:00.000-08:00

The great part about canning is you can find uses for large amounts of food without it going bad. If you've ever wondered what to do with 20 pounds of apples, then read on. Seriously, I didn't know there were so many ways to use apples since discovering apple picking. I have made apple butter, apple pie, baked apple oatmeal and now apple pie filling and apple sauce.

Apple sauce is a given when it comes to something to make with a large amount of apples. It's great in oatmeal, yoghurt, desserts and by itself as a snack. Apple pie filling on the other hand is a new thing to me. The concept of having pie filling readily available in a jar in my pantry seems a little too convenient (and dangerous). I mean, open a jar, dump the filling into a pie crust and you have a homemade apple pie? Good thing I now have six jars of it...

The apple pie filling was a little more finicky to make, and a little messier, but it would make a great hostess gift along with a readymade pie shell.

Apple Pie Filling (adapted from this and this recipe):

Yields approx. 6-7 quarts

Ingredients:

14 cups of peeled, cored and sliced apples (amount doesn't need to be exact as you add what you need to each individual jar)

4 1/2 cups sugar

1 cup cornstarch or flour for thickener

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp nutmeg

2 tsp salt

3 tbsp lemon juice

10 cups water

In a large pan, mix sugar, cornstarch, cinnamon and nutmeg. Add salt and water and bring to a boil until bubbly. Remove from heat and add lemon juice.

Pack jars tightly with apple slices leaving 1/2 inch room on top.

Now for the messy part (and it will get messy). Fill the jars with the hot syrup and remove air bubbles. I found poking the apples and inner sides of the jar with a knife helped to distribute the syrup, although it did sacrifice the overall "sliced" look of the apples. According to some canning websites, air bubbles are bad when it comes to canning, and can ruin the sealing process, so I made sure my jars were mostly bubble-free.

Process jars for 20 minutes in a canner.

Applesauce is a little easier to make and probably better for you with less sugar content. Eight pounds of apples (about 24) will make approximately six pints of sauce. I went for the original recipe this time, but have made flavoured variations before, such as ginger honey or maple.

Applesauce (from BHG's Special Edition Canning Magazine)

Ingredients:

24 medium apples

2 cups water

Cinnamon stick or powdered cinnamon to taste

1 cup sugar

Core and quarter apples. Combine apples, water, cinnamon and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer, covered for 25-35 minutes.

I don't have a food mill, so I just mashed the apples with a potato masher. I'm ok with having peels and chunks in my applesauce, but if you're not, press the apples through a sieve or mill and return the pulp to the pot. Stir in the sugar and 1/2 to 1 cup of water to make desired consistency. Bring to a boil and stir constantly.

Ladle sauce into jars, leaving 1/2 inch room on top, and process in a canner for 15-20 minutes.

So, there you have it. Two more ways use apples in case you ever find yourself with 20 pounds of apples. You could also make apple cake, apple tarts, apple chips, apple crisp...

Check out this recipe on Punk Domestics:

Cabbage Rolls

2011-11-13T09:12:00.000-08:00

Sometimes you just get a hankering for some good old-fashioned comfort food. You know, the kind that looks awful and is impossible to photograph, but tastes wonderful and feels warm in your belly. For some reason I had a hankering for cabbage rolls. I don't really know why. I used to hate them as a kid. I also hated olives, pickles, most vegetables, wine (not to say I drank it a lot as a kid, but the sips I had I thought were disgusting and didn't know why adults liked it so much) and peppers. Now I eat olives and pickles straight from the jar, love wine and apparently like cabbage rolls. I still hate peppers.

There is really no way to make this post glamorous or pretty-looking. Besides the fact that I made cabbage rolls, I also tend to sometimes be messy when I cook. It's quite difficult to keep my "mise en place" pristine when my kitchen is the size of a walk-in closet. I don't think I've shared a picture of my kitchen on the blog yet, but this is what I have to work with:

Only one person can cook or move in the kitchen at a time, so this is why there is sometimes a little clutter in my food photos. One day I will have a gorgeous kitchen and take beautifully styled food photos like the food bloggers I admire, but for now, I will make cabbage rolls in my apartment closet, I mean kitchen.

Cabbage rolls -- an Eastern European speciality-- consist of cabbage stuffed with various fillings, such as meat, rice and vegetables, baked in sauce. If you're looking for a cheap meal that will feed many people or survive many days of meals, then this is that meal.

Cabbage Rolls (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:
1 head green cabbage
1/2 cup cooked brown rice
1 onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
3 tbsp lemon juice
1 pound lean ground beef or turkey
1 tbsp dill, parsley
1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp pepper
1 cup reduced sodium chicken broth
1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese

1. Cook rice for 30-40 minutes (You can put the rice in the rolls uncooked, but because I was using brown rice, which takes longer to cook, I was worried it wouldn't cook thoroughly in the rolls).

2. Place the cabbage in a large pot of boiling water and boil for about 10 minutes. Drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

I am also crazy and decided to make my own tomato sauce because I wanted to add that much more preparation time. I really can't go back to sauce in a jar after making my own. I can also add a lot more fresh, green vegetables and I mean, look at those plump, juicy tomatoes!

3. Heat oil in a saucepan and add onion and garlic. Cook until softened.

4. Mix ground meat, rice, dill, salt, pepper, lemon juice and onion mixture.

5. Carefully remove a leaf from the cabbage and lay it on a work surface. Cut out the stem of the leaf. Place desired amount of filling on the leaf and roll closed.

6. Spread a layer of tomato sauce in a casserole dish and place finished rolls in the dish close together and snug.

7. Pour stock over rolls, then dollop tomato sauce over to cover. Grate parmesan cheese on top if desired. Bake covered for 40 minutes at 375F, then uncovered for about 20 minutes.

Like many casserole-type dishes, there is no way of making them look or sometimes even sound appetizing, but believe me, there is nothing wrong with doling out a meal in one melted, gooey mess.

Apple Pie (and another apple picking trip...)

2011-11-07T06:14:00.000-08:00

I did it again. It was a nice weekend and we ran out of our stash of apples, so I thought, let's go apple picking! I checked with the local orchards and this happened to be the last weekend of the year for pick-your-own apples. Last time I went with a friend, but this time Mike and I went to stock up on the last fresh apples of the season.

I didn't get any pictures of the orchard last time, so I had to snap a few phone pictures of the sun beaming through the rows of apple trees:

And of course, I had to admire our bounty: 20 pounds of fresh, beautiful apples.

Naturally (again), I was thinking of ways to use the apples and this time I had to give in and make a good old fashioned apple pie. It really is the only logical thing to make when one has so many fresh apples, don't you think?

After some research and deliberation between a few recipes (because I'm a food nerd), I decided on Canadian Living's "Best-Ever Apple Pie" recipe.

(Five apple pie recipes open on my computer at the same time. This is how intense I am sometimes...)

I used a ready-made pie crust for the bottom because I had one in the freezer to use, but I made the top lattice pastry from scratch. I used mostly Granny Smith apples, as they seem to be the best for pie making.

Canadian Living's Best-Ever Apple Pie

Ingredients:

Pastry

3/4 cup shortening

3 tbsp butter, softened

2-1/4 cups flour

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup ice water

Filling

8 cups thinly sliced peeled apples (about 2-1/4 lb or 8-10 apples)

2 tbsp lemon juice

1/2 cup sugar

3 tbsp flour

1/2 tsp cinnamon

Glaze

1 egg yolk

2 tsp sugar

1. Peel and thinly slice apples.

2. Toss apples with lemon juice, sugar, spices and flour. Set aside.

3. For the pastry: In a bowl, beat shortening and butter until smooth. Stir in flour and salt then pour in water all at once. Stir until dough forms. Transfer to a floured surface and knead into a thick disc. Refrigerate for at least one hour.

4. At this point you could make the bottom crust with the pastry dough (see full recipe). To make the lattice top, lay chilled dough out on a floured surface. Cut into thin strips. For good step-by-step instructions on making the lattice, check out this tutorial.

5. Add the lattice strips in desired pattern. Whisk egg yolk with 1 tbsp water then add sugar. Brush pastry with mixed egg wash.

6. Crimp down edges or use fancy pie shapers like these ones that make your pie look like a spaceship.

7. Bake at 425F for 15 minutes then reduce heat to 350F and bake for 40 minutes.

This was actually my first time making an apple pie from scratch (alright, almost from scratch) and I'm glad I finally know how to make a pie. I also canned some apple pie filling this weekend, so now I have even more of an excuse to make more pies. There's really nothing better than the smell of a freshly baked apple pie.

Pumpkin breakfast muffins

2011-11-01T18:16:00.000-07:00

I'm back with yet another pumpkin recipe. I've received a few comments, questionable looks and concerns from friends over my recent pumpkin obsession. Perhaps it's finally time to put down the can of pumpkin and stop daydreaming in orange. Maybe I have to admit that pumpkin season is over. Soon it will be time to move on to an equally delicious and timely food trend, like gingerbread or eggnog, and leave pumpkin behind. So, I leave you with the most delicious, moist breakfast muffin recipe using pumpkin. But first, a Halloween recap:

We had a great Halloween weekend this year and I was really pleased with our costumes. I was Hipster Ariel and Mike was a Justin Bieber bobble head. When he first told me about his costume I didn't really get it, but after he came back from the print store with a huge printout of Justin Bieber's head I just had to laugh.

I was also happy that we finally got a pumpkin this year. I hadn't carved one in years, so I was excited to actually get one and roast the seeds (obviously the best part).

I have always just carved the standard triangle eyes and smile, but I stumbled across a cute cat-themed pumpkin template. In my opinion, you can never have too many cats in your life. Not sure if our cat agreed:

After all of those Halloween treats, these muffins are a feel-good, healthy breakfast. According to the original recipe, they are only 71 calories a muffin. I usually have one for breakfast, then another one as a late morning snack with coffee.

Pumpkin Breakfast Muffins (adapted from Dashing Dish)
(Makes 12 muffins)

Ingredients:
1 cup pure pumpkin
1/2 cup applesauce
1/2 cup plain yoghurt (can be Greek or regular)
3 large egg whites
1 3/4 cup rolled oats
1/2 cup sugar
1 tsp baking soda
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp vanilla extract
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp allspice

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Combine all ingredients in a bowl. Transfer to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth. Divide mixture among a greased muffin tin. Bake for 20 minutes.

Apple Butter

2011-10-26T15:48:00.000-07:00

The weather was so incredibly nice this weekend that I wanted to bask in it and do something outside. So I called up my friend and asked if she wanted to go apple picking. I then admitted that I had never actually been apple picking before. She asked how I had grown up Canadian and never been apple picking. She listed some quintessential Canadian fall activities: Had I been to a maple syrup farm? Picked my own pumpkin? Gone on a hay wagon ride? I had done all of these things, but apparently not apple picking.

We were given a bag and a map of where the different kinds of apples were in the orchard. Let me preface this by saying I have never actually liked apples that much. I like them in things, but I don't really like them by themselves. They just kind of seem like a plain fruit to me. Why have an apple when there are more exciting and pretty fruits like strawberries, kiwis or blackberries? I think it's because I've never had the right apples.

My friend showed me the correct technique of pulling them from the branch. You put the "eye to the sky" and lightly twist it off the branch, and never tug on the branches. She then pulled one off the tree, bit into it and ate it. "You can do that?" I said. I picked one off the branch, bit into it and thus commenced a whole new apple experience. It was the sweetest, freshest, juiciest apple I had ever tasted. We ended up splitting a bag of apples --about a 1/2 bushel-- and I still came away with more apples than I know what to do with. Obviously my first inclination was to make apple butter:

I recently made my own applesauce and have been intrigued by the idea of apple butter. I suppose it's not really a sauce or a preserve, but more of a spread. The mixture is thickened by using apple cider instead of just sugar and spices as with apple sauce. The orchard we went to sold fresh apple cider, so I was sure to stock up on a jug. I still don't really know what to eat the apple butter with besides bread, but I now have seven jars of it to unload on people as early Christmas presents.

Apple Butter (recipe from Better Homes and Gardens Canning Magazine)

Ingredients (makes approx. 6 half pint jars)

4 1/2 pounds apples (about 15 medium)
4 cups apple cider or apple juice
2 cups sugar
2 tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp allspice
1/4 cloves

Core and quarter the apples and leave the peels on. Combine apples and cider in a large pot and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and let simmer uncovered for 30-35 minutes.

Press apple mixture through a food mill and return 9 1/2 cups of mixture to the pot. (I didn't have a food mill, so I just mashed the apples with a potato masher and let cook for a little longer to thicken).

Stir in sugar, lemon juice and spices. Bring to a boil then reduce the heat and cook on low for 1 1/2 to 1 3/4 hours stirring often. Ladle hot butter into sterilized jars and process in a canner.

I always find the recipes for canning easy to actually make, but the cooking time takes forever. With cooking the apple butter plus heating up the canner and processing, the whole thing took a few hours. However, the beauty of canning is that a few hours leads to an entire bounty of jars that will last ages and make great gifts.

Pumpkin recipes and some life revelations...

2011-10-23T11:55:00.000-07:00

You know when you have those moments of revelations where things just seem so clear? I'm in one of those moments right now. It's been a tough few months. A lot has happened that has made me re-think things in my life and my priorities. I realized I was living my life as what I thought was "right," what I thought would impress people, what I thought was the good track, but it wasn't me. In fact, it was all completely wrong for me.

I was in the mindset of trying to prove things to myself and to other people. I wanted to prove I had the perfect job, the perfect life, the perfect relationship and everything would fall into place if I stayed on that track, but nothing is perfect. In reality, I haven't found my "calling" yet and I have a lot of self-discovery and soul-searching ahead.

I feel like I'm at a time in my life where I need to figure out what makes me happy and this is the perfect time. There is no rush to settle down and live the daily grind because it seems like we have to have everything figured out. Our 20's are for figuring ourselves out, having experiences, traveling, enjoying life, making mistakes, reaching for things and not having to go with flow. We have the rest of our lives to worry about the little things. Right now is for the big things.

Now that I've had my spiritual fix for the day, I thought I would share in some the recent pumpkin wealth. I can't even count how many pumpkin recipes I've bookmarked (or how many Pumpkin Spice Lattes I have consumed lately). Pumpkin just goes so well in sweet breads, cakes, muffins and even though I was skeptical at first, savoury dishes.

This pumpkin rosemary hummus recipe from Running to the Kitchen is a great way to use leftover pumpkin. Who ever thought pumpkin and hummus would go together?!

Add 1 can of chickpeas, 1/2 cup of pumpkin, fresh rosemary, some glugs of olive oil, garlic and cumin to the food processor and blend.

No pumpkin recipe roundup would be complete without a warm, gooey pumpkin dessert. This pumpkin roll recipe was actually easier than I thought to make. I had no idea cake could be rolled without it falling apart and crumbling, but this cake is so light and fluffy that it worked beautifully.

Pumpkin Roll Cake (Joy of Baking)
Ingredients:
Cake:
3/4 cup all purpose flour
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp allspice
1/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, room temperature
1 cup sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
2/3 cup pumpkin puree

Filling:
8 ounces cream cheese
2 tbsp butter
1 cup icing sugar
1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Pecans or walnuts to sprinkle

Preheat oven to 375. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and butter and flour the paper.
Sift flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt. In a separate bowl beat eggs and sugar for five minutes. Beat in vanilla and pumpkin. Fold into the flour mixture. Pour the batter onto the pan. Bake for 13-15 minutes.

Now the somewhat tricky part:
Dust a dish towel with icing sugar. Remove the cake from the oven and place on the towel. Carefully roll the cake up in the towel and place on a wire rack to cool.

Once the cake has cooled, unroll it and spread the filling and nuts on top. Then roll back up and place in the fridge to cool for about an hour. I went a little crazy with the icing, so it squeezed out a bit when I rolled it, but in my opinion, you can never have too much icing.

The best part of this cake is slicing it and admiring the swirl pattern in every slice. It would make a great Thanksgiving or Christmas dessert idea and conversation piece.

Butternut Squash Lasagna

2011-10-17T19:18:00.000-07:00

It's official: the season is changing. I was on a hunt this weekend for sweaters, mitts and cozy apparel as the weather starts to turn colder. I also have more cravings for hot cups of tea and some hearty, warm food. It seemed like the summer just ended, but already more change is happening.

Although I eat butternut squash all year round, it seems to be one of those "it" foods at the moment, much like pumpkin. This post may have you seeing orange with all the cheesy and butternut squash goodness of this lasagna.

I find lasagna one of those things that takes a lot of preparation and time to make. Whenever I make it I usually end up with endless tupperwares of freezer meals because of the sheer size, so it's worth it in the end. This lasagna seemed slightly more tedious than normal because of the different butternut squash layers, so some initial confusion resulted in me literally drawing out a diagram of the layers:

The Healthy Foodie (whose recipe I used) says she actually took three days to make the lasagna, but the process wasn't as bad as I thought once I got going (I just thought of the cheesy, gooey end goal in sight!)

Butternut Squash Lasagna (Full Recipe)

Ingredients:
1 butternut squash (they have been huge at the grocery store lately, so pick your battles!)
2 onions
1/2 can tomatoes or 2-3 fresh tomatoes
300-400g spinach
1 box of whole wheat lasagna noodles
200g light feta cheese
200g mozzarella cheese
Rosemary, nutmeg, salt, pepper
1 tbsp honey

For the squash:
Heat oven to 375. Microwave the squash for 3-5 minutes. Cut and peel into cubes and place in a glass dish. Top with salt, pepper, olive oil, nutmeg, rosemary, 1 tbsp honey and 1/4 cup water. Cook for 20-35 minutes until tender.

For the sauce:
Set aside 1 cup of the roasted squash for the spinach/feta layer. Add some olive oil to a pan and cook onions for a few minutes and add salt and pepper. Add the remaining squash and 1/2 a can of tomatoes or 2-3 fresh diced tomatoes. Season with rosemary, nutmeg, salt and pepper.

For the spinach/feta layer:
Cook 1 onion diced and 1 box/package of spinach for a few minutes until spinach is slightly wilted.
Cook lasagna noodles until almost cooked then drain in a colander and rinse with cold water.

To assemble the lasagna:
Spread a thin layer of sauce on the bottom of the pan. Add 3-4 lasagna noodles depending on the size of the pan. Spread more sauce to cover the noodles.

Add more noodles, then the spinach and onion mixture. Crumble feta cheese on top, then add the reserved one cup of squash.

Add remaining noodles and sauce on top. Then top with grated mozzarella cheese.

Bake for approximately 40-45 minutes.

Although I'm still a fan of the traditional meat and cheese lasagna, this vegetarian "winter" themed option is definitely a keeper. It was surprisingly not as filling or heavy as I thought, and will make some great, warm leftovers for this cold and rainy week.

Vegetarian Dinner Party

2011-09-18T14:26:00.000-07:00

A few of Mike's classmates live in the same apartment complex as us, so they all decided to throw an "apartment hopping" dinner party last night. The idea was that each apartment would cook a different course (appetizers, entree, dessert) and everyone would hop to each apartment throughout the night. I was obviously excited at the prospect of cooking for people and even more excited to be assigned the entree course. Each apartment also had to have a signature drink or cocktail for everyone.

We didn't even plan to have all vegetarian food, but our choices for a "tapas" style entree turned into all vegetarian dishes. We thought there would be a lot of food throughout the night, so we wanted to keep whatever we made to a smaller scale, but still delicious.

We started with a selection of dips, including hummus, black olive tapenade and eggplant capanata. I made the eggplant dip earlier in the week and knew it would be perfect for a party. It's similar to an antipasta dip and includes eggplant, celery, onions, olives, capers, pine nuts and raisins (recipe from Canadian Living). The olive tapenade is black olives, olive oil, lemon juice and garlic blended together.

The main feature of our "entree" was quinoa veggie burger sliders. Again, I made these earlier in the week as a meal and thought they would be great on mini ciabatta slider buns (recipe from Chatelaine).
These make a great vegetarian meal and the quinoa and veggies mixed together form quite a substantial "burger."

Cook the quinoa using a 2:1 ratio (2 cups water to 1 cup quinoa). Grate celery, zucchini, carrot and add it to a pan with minced shallots and garlic. Cook for about 5 minutes until browned. Add cornstarch and eggs and form into patties. Then pan fry for about 3-4 minutes a side until golden brown.

We put out some homemade corn relish, honey mustard and cottage cheese for people to put on the sliders. They were a big hit and looked great on my cupcake holder from Ikea.

Our signature drink was a tea fusion of earl grey tea, blueberry juice and SoCo (lychee liquor). I didn't end up getting a picture of the table set up with all the food, as it was eaten so quickly, but you get the idea.

The party turned into more of a potluck, as some people just brought things over, but we all managed to hop to three different apartments during the night. It was a fun night and a neat idea for a dinner party.

Corn Salsa

2011-09-07T17:26:00.000-07:00

Ever since I got a canning kit for my birthday I have become obsessed with canning. Every time we have leftover veggies or fruit, I think, hey, maybe I can can them. I am constantly flipping through my canning recipe book thinking of something else that would make a neat gift or something to store over the winter.

I believe I am addicted to canning now.

Since corn has been in season over the last few weeks, we have been buying it almost every weekend. We usually buy a dozen and then eat it with pretty much every meal that week. The season for beautiful, delicious Ontario sweet corn is coming to an end, so I thought I would savour some of the bounty by making corn relish and corn salsa. The relish was simple and fairly quick to make and tasted great on grilled sausages. The salsa, on the other hand, takes almost an afternoon to make, but is worth it in the end.

(This is my stash after having a canning kit for a few weeks. I wonder what I'll have stored in a few months!)

Corn Salsa (adapted from "Chunky Homemade Salsa" recipe from Better Homes and Garden)
(Makes 2.5 pints)
Ingredients:
4 pounds ripe tomatoes
2 cups of corn
1 jalapeno pepper, chopped and seeded
4 chili peppers, chopped and seeded
1 onion, chopped
1/4 cup parsley (or cilantro)
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup white vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
1/4 can of tomato paste
3 cloves garlic, chopped
1 tsp salt
1 tsp cumin seeds
1 tsp black pepper

Directions:
1. To peel the tomatoes, immerse them in boiling water for about a minute, then dunk them in cold water and remove the skins. Remove cores and seeds and drain in a colander and set in the sink for 30 minutes.

2. Transfer tomatoes to a pot and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat. Let simmer for an hour and a half.

3. Add corn, peppers, onions, parsley, lime juice, vinegar, tomato paste, garlic, cumin seeds and pepper. Return to a boil and let cook for about 10 minutes. Remove from heat.

4. You could just keep this in the fridge to eat or begin the canning process by ladling the hot salsa into sterilized jars. Process the jars in the canner for 15 minutes then take out and let sit for about 24 hours.

I'm still fairly new to canning, but I love that I can now make homemade sauces, relishes, chutneys and jams for little cost (plus, homemade always tastes better). I will never be going back to store bought salsa after this and I know it will be nice to taste fresh corn in the winter.

Quinoa and butternut squash pie

2011-09-03T17:58:00.000-07:00

A few weeks ago we got back from our South America trip and had nothing in the fridge to eat except a butternut squash and some onions. I thought it would be fitting that I make a dish using quinoa, a grain that originated in the Andean region of South America. I tried a few quinoa dishes while we were there including chicken and quinoa soup and quinoa salad and loved their many uses for the now popular "super grain."

Whenever I make quinoa, it seems to turn out too dry and sticky. The quinoa I had in Peru was moist and flavourful and the little beads just popped in my mouth. This recipe from Martha Stewart Living calls for chicken stock while cooking the quinoa, which I think adds a lot more flavour to it than normal.

Quinoa and Butternut Squash Pie (full recipe here)
Ingredients:
1 butternut squash, peeled, halved (plus a few slices for the top decoration)
A handful of fresh sage leaves
1/2 onion, diced
1 garlic clove
1 cup quinoa
2 cups low-sodium chicken stock
2 tbsp parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp olive oil
Handful of kale

Directions:
1. Brush butternut squash with olive oil and place on a baking sheet. Bake for 15-20 minutes.

2. Heat olive oil in a pan. Add onion, garlic and cook until translucent for 3-5 minutes. Add kale.

3. Cook quinoa and stock in a pot and bring to a boil. Cover, reduce heat and simmer until liquid has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Let stand for about 2 minutes.

4. Coat a 9-inch pie plate with margarine or cooking spray. Add a few butternut squash slices and sage leaves.

5. Mix quinoa, squash, sage, parmesan, salt and pepper together in a medium bowl. Add to pie plate.

6. Bake for 20 minutes. Let cook for 5 minutes. Invert onto serving platter. Serve with a side salad or cottage cheese. Makes a great packed lunch too.

I will post some pictures and stories of my trip soon, so stay tuned!

"Taco" salad bowls

2011-07-25T17:47:00.000-07:00

It's been so hot here that I've been making lighter, snack-like meals instead of cooking too much. Temperatures were in the 35's and 40's last week and it was uncomfortable, but I would rather have warmth over snow and cold any day.

Last night I made caprese salad bites with a baquette for dinner and the previous night I made chicken cashew lettuce wraps. Both meals were small, but refreshing. Who wants to make soup or use the oven too much in this heat?

We've been trying to clear out the fridge before we go on vacation, so I used up a lot of produce by making these "taco" salad bowls.

I saw the recipe here and she claims these bowls with all the ingredients in them are only about 300 calories each. Apparently a typical restaurant "taco bowl" can pack as much as 500 calories, as the shells are usually deep fried before serving.

These ones are made with a regular, whole wheat tortillas. I used tofu as the "taco meat." I love tofu, but it only lasts about 3 days opened in the fridge, so I tried freezing it. The frozen tofu is a lot more crumbly than normal, and actually makes a better ground meat substitute, plus it still tastes the same. You could also use chicken or beef as the meat and still have a low-calorie meal.

To make the tortilla bowls:
Place the tortilla in a small oven-proof bowl. I used a small, corningware dish. Or flip a bowl over and place the tortilla over it (see here for photo instructions). Bake in the oven at 350 for about 10 minutes. The tortilla should be warm enough to keep it's shape and slightly browned and crispy, but not falling apart.

Sautee your desired meat filling with taco seasoning or paprika, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper. I made a few jars of homemade corn salsa a few weeks ago as my first canning experiment and will never go back to the store bought kind. Hopefully I can make some more and stock up now that sweet corn is in season.

Then fill the bowls with your desired ingredients. I started with lettuce, then added salsa, fresh corn, avocado slices, "taco meat," grated cheese and a dollop of plain yoghurt (you could also use sour cream).

The presentation is really neat and they're actually surprisingly filling. The tofu actually tasted more like chicken, but it was hardly noticeable with all of the other fillings (in case you're not a tofu fan).

I can't believe we're leaving for South America this week. It seems like we've been planning for months and I've been wanting to go forever. We're going to Peru for a week, then Ecuador and the Galapagos Islands for another week. I am beyond excited and desperately need a vacation. I'll be posting pictures and my foodie adventures there when I get back!

Pear and Earl Grey Cake

2011-07-04T18:11:00.000-07:00

One of the first recipes I ever made by myself when I was younger was a pear flan from The Usborne First Cookbook.

I wish I still had this cookbook around somewhere because it was so easy to read and follow for kids. I don't remember there being many steps in the flan, as I think it was just lying pears down in a pan and sprinkling some ingredients over top, but I remember being so proud of making a cake all by myself. I was obsessed with this cookbook and tried to cook some of the recipes with my limited skills. I can see now that I was just as passionate about food and cooking when I was younger as I am now. Now, I would say I have a couple of years of experience under my belt, as well as quite a few cookbooks.

When I saw this recipe for pear and earl grey tea cake online I knew I had to make it (a) because I love pear cakes and (b) I am intrigued by the use of tea in cooking. You may remember my tea-inspired dinner party during Project Food Blog. The pears are poached in some earl grey tea before they are baked with the cake, which adds a hint of flavour to them. The cake itself is "coffee cake" like and obviously great with a hot drink.

(Do you notice my new cake stand? I have been looking everywhere for a decent one and found this neat vintage looking one for $10 at HomeSense.)

Pear and Earl Grey Cake (measurements had to be converted from original recipe)

Earl Grey Poached Pears
6 cups of water
1/2 cup sugar
1 strip lemon peel
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 tbsp earl grey tea leaves
6 pears, peeled, not cored

Combine water, sugar, tea leaves, lemon, and vanilla in a pot and bring to a boil. Simmer for about 10 minutes to infuse the flavours. Strain the mixture and pour it back into the pot. Peel the pears, but do not core them. Place them whole in the liquid. Simmer again for about 15 minutes until the pears are soft. Take them off the heat and let cool. When cooled, slice and core the pears into quarters or small slices.

Cake
3/4 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
3 eggs
1 1/4 cup plain yoghurt (can substitute sour cream for a heavier cake)
1 1/3 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
pinch of salt
1 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 320 degrees F. Beat butter and sugars using a hand mixer. Add eggs one at a time and beat well after each. Add yoghurt, then slowly add flour, baking powder, salt and cinnamon.

Grease a bundt or square pan. If using a bundt pan, add the topping in first, then half of the batter. If using a square pan, add the first layer of batter. Arrange the pear slices in the batter. Pour the remaining batter on top to cover up the pears.

All six of the pears did seem like a lot, so I stored the rest in the poaching syrup to use for another batch of cake or dessert.

Crumble topping
1/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp flour
1 cup chopped nuts (can be pecans, walnuts or hazelnuts)

Combine topping ingredients and chop up butter until a coarse crumble forms. Sprinkle on top of batter.
Bake cake for 50 minutes to one hour.

Sometimes I just crave a light, fruit dessert instead of something chocolatey and heavy. This cake reminded me how great pears work in dessert and brought me back to my childhood a bit.

Food Network Cooking Challenge: President's Choice products

2011-06-25T13:11:00.000-07:00

This month's Food Network Cooking Club Challenge was inspired by the latest episode of Top Chef Canada where the contestants were challenged to make a quick fire dish using President's Choice products.

The cooking club challenge was to make a dish using one of five P.C products. The first product was Smokin' Stampede Beer and Chipotle Barbecue sauce. Mike swears by this stuff and it tastes amazing on hamburgers, sausages, and anything barbecued:

The second product I use regularly is PC Blue Menu Memories of Szechwan Spicy Peanut Satay Sauce. Every time I make stir fried vegetables or any kind of stir fry inspired dish I use this sauce. We have about three bottles of this in our pantry.

The product I decided to use for the challenge was PC Butter Puff Pastry. I had some beautiful sausage from our local market, so I decided to make the British classic, sausage rolls. These are not to be mistaken with the American "piggies in a blanket," which are hotdogs in croissant rolls. Sausage rolls are basically ground sausage and breadcrumbs rolled in puff pastry. They make a great appetizer and are easy to make for a party or gathering.

I had also never used puff pastry before, so I was curious as to what it was like to work with.

Ingredients:
1 sausage, thawed
1 box of PC Butter Puff Pastry
1 onion
1 tbsp butter
Handful of sage leaves
Handful of breadcrumbs
1 egg, beaten with a dash of milk
Dijon mustard if desired

The first step is to make the filling for the rolls. Sautee an onion in about a tbsp of butter for about 10 minutes. Add a handful of fresh or dried sage leaves. Cook for another 5 minutes until the mixture has browned. Let cool for a few minutes.

Cut the casing off of the sausage and put the filling into a bowl. Add a handful of breadcrumbs and the onion mixture.

Lay the puff pastry out and roll it out a bit. Cut out strips that are big enough to roll over the filling once. Brush the pastry with the egg wash. At this point, you can squeeze a bit of dijon mustard onto the pastry if you would like.

Roll out the sausage filling in your hands to form a sausage-like shape. Lay the filling down, then wrap the pastry over the filling and press down the edges to seal. Brush the top of the pastry with the egg wash.

Put the rolls in the fridge for a few minutes to cool. Take the rolls out and cut into your desired shapes.

Bake at 350 degrees for 25-28 minutes. I prefer mine crispy and a bit brown so I left them in a few minutes longer, but 25 minutes will get them cooked perfectly.

These were actually simple to make and taste a hundred times better than frozen appetizer sausage rolls. The fresh, good quality sausage really made a difference, and the puff pastry was easy to roll out and handle.

Is there such thing as a healthy cookie?

2011-06-21T17:22:00.000-07:00

Cookies have always been one of my favourite desserts. I love everything from chocolate biscuits, to oatmeal raisin to even those high school cafeteria cookies that left a huge grease stain on a napkin. My Mom was working at Christies Cookies in Toronto when she was pregnant with me, so all of that cookie sampling must have given me some cookie loving gene.

A nice cookie and a cup of tea is my ultimate evening dessert, so when I saw this recipe for "healthy"cookie bites from OhSheGlows, I was intrigued. You mean, there is such thing as a tasty cookie that is not baked with butter and eggs and is also 56 calories a cookie?!

I had some bananas that were browning, so I decided to try a batch of the recipe just to test it. When they were done I tried one, then two, then decided to make another batch and freeze it for a rainy day. We sat outside on our balcony and tried the cookies with some "midsummer night's dream" iced tea from David's Tea (part of their summer collection).

There is nothing better than enjoying the nice weather with a muskoka chair and some iced tea, even if we are right in the middle of the city.

"Healthy" Oatmeal Cookie Bites
Ingredients:
1.5 ripe bananas, mashed
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 tbsp olive oil
1 cup rolled oats
1/3 cup ground almonds (I smashed the almonds in a ziploc bag with a rolling pin)
3 tbsp shredded coconut
1 tbsp cinnamon
1 tsp maple syrup
Pinch of sea salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/3 cup chocolate chips (I used dark chocolate)

In a small bowl, mash the bananas, then add the vanilla, maple syrup, olive oil and mix.

In a large bowl, whisk the oats, almonds, coconut, cinnamon, salt, chocolate and baking powder.

Add the banana mixture to the dry ingredients. Stir until combined. Form the dough into balls. The dough is pretty sticky and doesn't hold well together, so just poke at them a bit when they're on the tray. Bake for 14 minutes at 350 degrees.

The cookies get their sweetness from the banana and coconut. I added a touch of maple syrup to the recipe, which probably adds a few more calories to the cookies, but these are a sweet treat you can feel good about.

Tomato Bread Soup

2011-06-18T12:18:00.000-07:00

Dallas over at Southwestern Ontario Foodie, a fellow London food blogger, recently reviewed "The Ontario Table," a new cookbook that focuses on Ontario ingredients. She challenged readers to buy $10 of local food this week as a giveaway for the book.

London, Ontario has a surprising number of local food venues and there are many farms located within minutes of the city; however, I don't think the local food scene is as well-established as other cities. I do love that there are outdoor farmer's markets around pretty much most of the days of the week.

I nipped down quickly the other day to pick up some more fresh herbs for our herb garden and ended up buying two pots of basil, one pot of mint and one of rosemary. We already have some basil, parsley, sorrel and thyme growing, so we almost have the abundance of herbs we had last summer. I have also been snatching up Ontario asparagus every time I go to the market, as the farmer said the season is almost over for asparagus. There is also a great butcher in the market who sells amazing sausages for a good price. I got a chorizo, mild and two honey garlic sausages for about $8. So, I absolutely spent $10 on local food this week and will continue to spend more to support local food.

I had a baguette that was going stale and a lot of fresh basil, so I decided to make Tomato Bread Soup last night. I had made tomato soup before, but had never thought to put bread in it to make it thicker. The soup, also called "Pappa al Pomodoro," is a Tuscan dish that to me almost seems like the Italian equivalent to French Onion Soup.

I have a weird love for soggy bread and love it smothered in gravy with a hot chicken sandwich or melted in with cheese and onions in french onion soup, so I knew I would like this soup.

Tomato Bread Soup (adapted from this recipe)

Ingredients:
1 baguette or piece bread that is a few days old and a bit stale
1 can of whole tomatoes, no salt added
1 onion, diced
1/2 of a zucchini, chopped
1 clove of garlic
Handful of chopped fresh basil
1/2 cup of chicken or vegetable stock
1 cup of water
1 tbsp freshly grated parmesan cheese
1 slice of mozzarella to garnish

1. Sautee the onions and garlic for a few minutes. Add the zucchini.
2. Add the canned tomatoes and mash down with a potato masher.
3. Add the stock, fresh basil and parmesan cheese. Add the water.
4. Let the soup simmer for about 40 minutes. Add more water to get your desired soup consistency.
5. Add the bread and let cook for another 10 minutes.
6. Serve with some fresh basil and mozzarella on top.

This soup was actually a lot heavier than I thought (although a hearty tomato soup with bread does sound pretty heavy!) But the bread just melts in your mouth and the tomato, basil and mozzarella, as always, all work beautifully together. Next time I might add some crunchy bits of bread on top to contrast with the melted bread, as it can be quite a lot of "mushiness." If you're a soggy bread fan like me, then you will love this Italian classic.

Rainbow Cake

2011-06-16T15:14:00.000-07:00

I made a rainbow cake for Mike's Birthday recently and I have never been prouder of one of my cake creations. I kept seeing rainbow cakes on a few blogs and just googling "rainbow cake" gives you a million posts of instructions on how to make this striking cake, so I thought I was up to the challenge. I always feel adventurous when it comes to a cake for a special someone's birthday.

All you need is two boxes of white cake mix, two batches of buttercream icing and a lot of food colouring. I usually make my own icing using the Wilton recipe. Divide the 2 boxes of batter into six portions and pour into bowls or tupperwares.

Colour each bowl with your desired colours: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red. I just used a four-pack of basic primary food colouring and I was able to make all six colours; however, as you can see, the purple and orange didn't turn out as strong as the others. You will probably end up with food colouring everywhere like this:

Bake each portion separately according to the instructions on the box. This may take some time if you only have one 9-inch pan like I do. A good trick to making sure cake doesn't stick to the pan is to coat the pan in shortening first, then dust with flour and shake off the excess and pour in the batter. The cake will come out clean with hardly any crumbs. When you take the baked cakes out, don't be alarmed if the colours don't look as strong on the outside or if the top browned and the colour looks faded. The colours will be at their strongest on the inside when you cut into the cake.

Two boxes of cake mix doesn't seem like a lot, but six layers of cake makes a massive cake. Stack each layer and spread buttercream in the middle of each, then pipe a circle of buttercream around the edge of each layer, so they stick together.

Then ice the entire cake. It may take quite a bit of icing to cover up the rainbow outside layers, but just keep at it. I decorated the top of the cake with rainbow sprinkles to add some more colour to the outside. The best part is cutting into the first slice and seeing the rainbow layers. It's really neat and the guests loved it.

My birthday was a few weeks later and Mike made me a rainbow cheesecake, which was also neat. He made a basic strawberry cheesecake, and then swirled rainbow food colouring into the batter.

Daring Cooks June Challenge: Healthy potato salad

2011-06-15T16:04:00.000-07:00

This month's Daring Cooks challenge was to create a healthy version of potato salad. Not a difficult recipe, but can be difficult to create an original version that's healthy.

I have fond memories of scooping big hunks of potato salad and coleslaw out of those ready made buckets and plopping it next to a big, juicy burger in the summertime when I was younger. I am sad that we can't have a barbecue at our apartment, otherwise I would be eating burgers and salads all summer. I don't think I've ever made potato salad from scratch before, so it was good to find a version that isn't just a bucket full of mayonnaise.

"Jami Sorrento was our June Daring Cooks hostess and she chose to challenge us to celebrate the humble spud by making a delicious and healthy potato salad. The Daring Cooks Potato Salad Challenge was sponsored by the nice people at the United States Potato Board, who awarded prizes to the top 3 most creative and healthy potato salads. A medium-size (5.3 ounce) potato has 110 calories, no fat, no cholesterol, no sodium and includes nearly half your daily value of vitamin C and has more potassium than a banana!"

The version I created was based on the Daring Cooks' version of "creamy yoghurt and dill potato salad."

I would normally not peel the potatoes and add a few more greens, but I had to make it to fit my current diet. Even though the original recipe called for just yoghurt, I did add a little bit of mayo for that "original" potato salad taste.

Recipe (makes about 2 cups, ingredients don't have to be exact):

Ingredients:

3 medium sized potatoes, peeled and cubed

1/2 cup plain yoghurt

2 tbsp light mayonnaise

2 tbsp dill

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1 tbsp paprika

Handful of fresh parsley

Squeeze of fresh lemon juice

Salt and pepper

Peel and cube potatoes and boil in salted water for about 20 minutes. Let cool for a few minutes and season with salt and pepper. Add remaining ingredients.

The yoghurt and potatoes were a great side to some spicy, crispy tandoori chicken.

Lentil and kale soup

2011-03-22T13:42:00.000-07:00

This is the easiest, tastiest and the best lentil soup recipe ever. Trust me, I have made this quite a few times now and it never fails me. It's packed full of nutritious vegetables and lentils and makes a hearty vegetarian meal.

Lentil and Kale Soup: Adapted from Chatelaine's Lentil, Kale and Sausage Soup.

Ingredients:
1 cup red lentils, soaked and drained
1 leek (the recipe said to only use the white parts, but I used the whole thing anyway)
1 carrot, peeled and chopped
1 onion, diced
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp minced garlic
4 cups water
1/2 of a small can of tomato paste
A handful of kale (stems removed)
Salt and pepper to taste, plus 1 tbsp turmeric, curry powder, cumin and a dash of cayenne pepper sauce

Directions:
1. Heat a large pan over medium heat. Add the olive oil, then the onions and garlic. Cook onion for a few minutes and add the spices.

2. Add the carrot and leek and add a bit more of the spice. Cook for a few minutes.

3. Add the tomato paste to the vegetable mixture. Make sure the vegetables are coated with the paste.

4. Add the water and lentils and cook for about five minutes. Then add the kale. Let the soup simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes until the lentils and kale cook and the whole mixture thickens up.

I recommend serving it with a dollop of cottage cheese or plain yogurt on top. It's a filling soup with lots of vegetables and protein. Definitely one to try if you're planning a post Spring Break detox.

Test driving "vegan-ism"

2011-03-15T18:22:00.000-07:00

I read a lot of food blogs. Fortunately --or unfortunately-- I have FoodGawker and TasteSpotting on my Google Reader, so I'm always sifting through great food pictures, as well as posts from my favourite bloggers.

Among the blogs I read are a few vegan blogs. I've said in previous posts that I'm not vegan, but lately I've been experimenting with the possibility of sometimes eating vegan. I'm indecisive, can you tell? I'm sure there are merits to eating both vegan or "regular," but I just don't see food as something limiting and restricting. I don't want to deprive myself of enjoying food--especially cheese, meat and eggs--because of certain guidelines or rules. I think that as long as I eat my five food groups, three meals a day and make healthy choices I shouldn't have to deprive myself.

Here are two recipes done two ways. One is the regular way I usually make it and the other is the slightly modified vegan method. Here's what I think:

1. Risotto

Here's my regular version of a classic risotto made with butter, wine, chicken broth, parmesan cheese and vegetables, plus some shrimp on top (full recipe):

Alright, admittedly quite a rich meal and probably not the healthiest of options. However, risotto for me is a "sometimes" food and often something I order at restaurants simply for that reason. I don't eat risotto every night.

Here is the "vegan" risotto I tried with a recipe from Ohsheglows, a vegan blog. This version is a Tomato and Barley risotto with a vegan "cheese" sauce. (Risotto recipe)

This was the first time I used nutritional yeast in cooking and I have to admit, it was a little weird. Nutritional yeast is often used in vegan cooking as a substitute for cheese. I use regular yeast when making bread and dough and I don't really like the smell, so the idea of actually eating yeast freaked me out a bit. I also used regular milk, so I suppose the recipe isn't completely vegan.

The "cheese" sauce (recipe) was made by pulsing cashews, milk, garlic, spices and the yeast in a food processor. The risotto included crushed tomatoes, pearl barley, nutritional yeast and milk, plus a bit of the "cheese" sauce. I was actually quite surprised by the taste. It smelled a bit weird, but didn't taste that bad. I loved the use of barley instead of rice; however, the leftovers the next day didn't taste that great heated up in the microwave. I'm still not sure about this recipe.

2. Mac and Cheese

I have been working on perfecting my butternut squash Mac and Cheese recipe for quite some time now. I've tried a few different recipes and methods in the hopes of creating the perfect cheesy mac and cheese with vegetables. The recipe I like uses milk, butter, flour and cheese to make the sauce. Like risotto, mac and cheese is a "sometimes" food for me, although in University, Kraft Dinner was an "always" food.

Obviously not the healthiest choice with tons of cheese and dairy products, but I do put vegetables like butternut squash, spinach and broccoli in it (that has to count for something, right?)

I put broccoli in this version instead of butternut squash. The vegan mac and cheese is basically pasta mixed with the "cheese" sauce from the previous recipe. Instead of cheese and butter, the cashews, nutritional yeast and milk make the creamy sauce (full recipe). I have to say, I really liked this version of mac and cheese. It has the same texture and creaminess, but without the fat of cheese, and it almost looks and tastes the same as regular mac and cheese. I was impressed with this recipe and I will definitely make it again.

In conclusion, I think it's good that I now know some healthier alternatives to my favourite comfort foods. I wasn't completely sold on the risotto and the mac and cheese was pretty good, but it's still not enough to convert me to being a vegan just yet.

Daring Cooks March: Papa Rellena and Ceviche

2011-03-14T06:09:00.000-07:00

This month's Daring Cooks challenge was food from South America, primarily Peru.

Kathlyn from Bake like a Ninja was the Daring Cook's hostess for March. She challenged the Daring Cooks to make two classic Peruvian dishes: Ceviche de Pescado from "Peruvian Cooking: Basic Recipes" by Annik Franco Barreau. And Papas Rellenas adapted from a home recipe by her Spanish teacher, Mayra.
The Daring Cooks is a monthly cooking challenge where bloggers and foodies come together to learn new recipes and challenge themselves.

I made these exact recipes during the second challenge of Project Food Blog 2010 hosted by Foodbuzz. The dish got me from the second round to the third round and I was proud that I challenged myself and made something completely out of my comfort zone. The Papa Rellenas took quite awhile to make and had a lot of steps, but they were worth it in the end. Fried potatoes stuffed with meat? Delicious.

Here is the recipe I used:

Papa Rellenas (with meat filling)
Ingredients:

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped onion

5-8 yellow potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for frying)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp cumin, paprika, cilantro

1 cup ground beef

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth

1 egg

1 cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste

For a photo tutorial of the process, check out my previous post.

I definitely got my hands dirty with this recipe. For the ceviche, I made a shrimp and mango ceviche:

Overall, a filling, but delicious meal. I can't wait to go to Peru and try the real thing.

Also, you may recognize my name on the home page of The Daring Kitchen. I wrote an article for the site on "Eating cheap and healthy on a budget." Check it out.

You say tomato, I say tomato

2011-03-02T20:00:00.000-08:00

I'm a bit of a control freak when it comes to cooking. I'm one of those people who thinks about what they want to make for dinner pretty much all day. I also obsessively read food blogs, recipes and cookbooks, so I'm always excited about new things to try. Mike also loves to cook, but he says he's not as creative when it comes to thinking up what to make. So to compromise, I usually text him before I come home with what I want to make and he starts making it. Then I come home and put on the finishing touches. I know, a little bit controlling, right? Sometimes he just makes the whole dinner and that's awesome as well.

The best part of our arrangement is coming home and smelling fresh tomato sauce cooking away. We stopped buying sauce from a jar awhile back because of the sodium content, so now we make our own sauce with canned tomatoes. I love coming home to a huge plate of pasta and sauce after a long day. I just couldn't live without carbs.

Basic homemade tomato sauce:
Ingredients:
1 can of whole tomatoes (no salt added)
1/2 can of tomato paste
Pinch of sugar, salt, pepper, plus spices to taste (basil. sage, oregano, thyme, paprika, cayenne pepper sauce)
1 diced onion and shallot
1-2 cloves garlic
Splash of red wine
Vegetables: kale, tomato, zucchini

Directions:
Heat a pot with oil, then add diced onions, shallots and garlic and sauté for a few minutes. Pour in the red wine until just covering onions and let the wine boil off for a few minutes. Throw in the kale, tomatoes and veggies and saute for a few minutes. Add the can of tomatoes and spices, then mash the tomatoes into a pulp. Add the half can of tomato paste and stir in. Add pinches of sugar the until tartness of tomatoes corrected (about 2-3 pinches). Set on low heat, stirring occasionally for 50 minutes.

Pasta and tomato sauce is such a basic, but tasty meal that can be dressed up in many ways. For a quick eggplant parmesan, slice up an eggplant and coat the slices in oil, then breadcrumbs and parmesan cheese. Roast the slices in the oven for about 30 minutes. Then top the pasta and sauce with the eggplant:

Or just add various toppings, such as shrimp, feta cheese, pesto or meatballs.

Mini Madness

2011-02-28T17:56:00.000-08:00

I bought a mini-muffin pan the other week and I have been going crazy for all things mini. Mini portions are easier to make and you don't feel as guilty eating a few :) Two mini cheesecakes equals one actual dessert, right?

My favourite mini creation has to be these mini mac and cheeses. I made them as an appetizer for a party and they were a big hit. The thing with mac and cheese is that I always think I'm putting in way too much cheese and milk, but then when I go to eat it, it just doesn't seem cheesy enough. Oh well, at least now that I make my own mac and cheese, I can ignore those boxes of Kraft Dinner hidden at the top of the cupboard.

You don't really need a special recipe to make these. Just make mac and cheese as normal and bake it in a mini-muffin pan, but if you insist...here's the official recipe from Food and Wine Magazine.

I also made mini lemon tarts, butter tarts and strawberry cheesecakes--not in the same day, I swear.

Tofu Alfredo: Inspired by "Village on a Diet"

2011-02-26T08:37:00.000-08:00

I've been watching the CBC show "Village on a Diet" lately and when I first started watching the show I was shocked at how badly the townspeople ate and how unhealthy they were. But now I've become somewhat inspired by their efforts.

If you're not familiar with the show, it follows a town in Northern B.C called Taylor, which is known as one of the unhealthiest towns in Canada. Most of the residents buy food from the gas station, the local McDonald's or the popular pizza shop because there are no other options available. With a population of around 1,400, 60 per cent are overweight or obese. They have been challenged to collectively lose one ton of weight, 2,000 lbs, in three months. Local experts, like trainers, dieticians and doctors have been brought in to help the townspeople overcome their obstacles.

It has just been so inspirational to watch this group of people strive to eat better, exercise more and live healthier. Completely changing your lifestyle, diet, routine and life is difficult, but I think examples like this show that these changes make an amazing impact on someone's life. I know I'm not perfect either and there are some things I could be doing to live healthier, but this show has proven to me that it can be done.

On the last episode one of the characters was looking for new, healthy recipes and stumbled upon "Tofu Alfredo." It's basically a healthier version of Fettucine Alfredo using tofu as the main base for the sauce instead of cream.

I hadn't bought tofu in a long time, so I decided to try it again with this recipe. I bought one pack last week and we have almost gotten through it all. It's delicious in stir fries on and rice with veggies, and good for you. This recipe tastes almost like real Alfredo and I didn't really even taste the tofu that much.

For a vegan option, add soy milk instead of milk and substitute a 1/4 cup of "earthbalance" butter for the cheese.

Tofu Alfredo (inspired by this recipe):

Combine 1/2 package of tofu (medium-firm), 2 cloves of garlic, 3 tbsp parmesan cheese, 1 tbsp fresh basil, 2 tsp olive oil and a 1/2 cup of skim milk into a blender. Blend until smooth. (makes enough sauce for 2 servings)

Cook pasta. Stirfry some veggies of your choice (I used zucchini, tomato and onion) for a few minutes, then add the sauce into the pan to warm. Add the veggie/sauce mixture into the pasta.

(Side note: I made red velvet whoopie pies the other week and the red food colouring got everywhere, which is why our plates are now stained various colours)

Veggie burgers for a rainy/lazy day

2011-02-22T17:20:00.000-08:00

Forgive me bloggers for I have sinned; it's been months since my last food post. I have been busy with a great, new full-time job, so I have been neglecting my blog as of late. I have missed blogging and showing off, I mean writing about, my favourite meals and creations.

At the beginning of the year I started Project 365 (foodie version). Basically I vowed to take a food picture everyday and post it on Flickr. I have been trying to post as many pictures as I can, and it's almost been like my mini blog for awhile, but I have still missed blogging. So, here I go again...

I'm not a vegetarian, vegan, or gluten hater. I like meat, cheese, and eggs too much, but I do like to feel good about the food that goes into my body. Lately, I've been eating a lot of beans, lentils and grains. They're cheap to buy, easy to make and good for you.

I've been searching for a lot of neat recipes using lentils and beans and I came across two delicious veggie burger recipes from one of my favourite food bloggers, Ohsheglows.

Like I said, I'm not a vegetarian or vegan, but these veggie burgers are awesome.

Lentil Walnut Burgers (full recipe):

Just add cooked lentils, toasted walnuts, breadcrumbs, spices, olive oil and an egg into a food processor, then form into patties and bake for 40 minutes in the oven. I used a regular egg instead of the chia/flax seed egg used in the original vegan recipe.

I topped the burger with cottage cheese, sprouts, spinach, tomato and dijon mustard.

Chickpea burgers ("Crispy chickpea bites"): Full recipe

These are great by themselves and in a burger bun or on bread. The recipe is almost the same process as making hummus except you add flour and then coat in breadcrumbs before baking in the oven for 30 minutes. I made them more "burger" than bite-like as in the original recipe.

They almost look like those awful processed chicken burgers. I'm sure some Moms could fool their kids with these healthy burgers.

On the weekend I made a batch of each burger and put them in the freezer. I've been also trying not to buy lunch at work (the Tim Horton's drive-thru is right on my way to work), so one of these veggie burgers on a bun with some spinach and mustard made a great lunch today.

Winner, Winner, Chicken Dinner!

2010-10-24T19:17:00.000-07:00

I love potluck dinners. As I've mentioned before, potlucks are the 20-something's equivalent to a dinner party. You can find out a lot about someone from what they bring to a potluck. Are they laid back (a chips person), sweet and thoughtful (dessert), smart and skillful (complex appetizer) or just plain lazy (timbits)?

Or, are they like Mike? Mike also loves potluck dinners. Let's just say, he gets a little carried away -- in a good way -- when it comes to potlucks. For one potluck, Mike cooked 17 pounds of pork, bought 50 buns and brought pulled pork sandwiches. For a Christmas potluck, Mike cooked an entire turkey, along with stuffing, roasted vegetables and gravy. Surprisingly, there weren't any leftovers from that party. On Friday we were invited to another potluck and Mike made chicken. Not just one chicken though. Two roasted chickens with stuffing, roasted vegetables, gravy, dinner rolls and a pumpkin pie. Luckily for us, there were plenty of leftovers to take home.

The chickens were marinated with basil, sage, rosemary, oregano, thyme, chipotle, paprika, margarine and oil. The stuffing was made with frozen bread crusts (leftover from when I made the "afternoon tea" sandwiches at my dinner party), chopped celery, apple, lemon juice and the same spices used on the chicken. Roast chicken is probably my favourite go-to meal because it's cheap --$8 a chicken or $5 if they're on sale -- easy, and makes about a week's worth of chicken.

The vegetables from the bottom of the pan are always delicious after they've been cooked in the chicken juice. Mike used potatoes, carrots, celery, onions and drizzled them with a little olive oil before putting the chickens on top.

The dinner rolls were a recipe from Mike's Mom. I hope she doesn't mind if I share the secret :) He used a standard pizza dough recipe (flour, water, oil, yeast) and rolled three balls for each roll:

Then he formed the three balls together and put them in a muffin tin:

And baked them for about 20 minutes:

They look neat and they taste great too.

For dessert, he made a quick and easy pumpkin pie with a ready-made pie crust, canned pumpkin, evaporated milk and spices (full recipe to come):

The potluck was a lot of fun and everyone enjoyed Mike's abundance of contributions. Only one of the chickens was eaten at the dinner, so we brought the other one home for leftovers. On Saturday, we made hot chicken sandwiches for dinner.

Is there anything better than chicken and bread soaked in gravy? I think not. I am a gravy fiend, so I love when food is literally swimming in gravy. Even after a potluck and hot chicken sandwiches, there was still a ton of chicken left. I plan on making chicken salad sandwiches for lunch, chicken curry and chicken stock with the leftover bones and carcass.

When I said chicken made a cheap and versatile meal, I wasn't kidding around.

Daring Cook's Challenge: Grape Leaves

2010-10-16T18:51:00.000-07:00

Onto yet another challenge. This is my first post as part of the Daring Cook's club. The Daring Kitchen is a site where food bloggers are challenged each month with a different dish. It's basically a way for foodies to learn how to cook better and more interesting dishes. There is also a Daring Baker's club for dessert enthusiasts.

This month's challenge was hosted by Lori of Lipsmacking Goodness. She challenged the group to make "Stuffed Grape Leaves." The stuffed leaves are eaten in many cultures --like Greek and Middle Eastern-- with many varieties of fillings. For the challenge, there was a meat and vegetarian option for the filling, so I tried both.

Here is her recipe:

Grape Leaves Stuffed with Ground Meat and Rice (more info here)
Yield: 6 to 8 servings
Ingredients for hashu/filling:
1 pound (455 gm) ground (minced) beef
1/3 cup (80 ml) (2 1/3 oz) (65 gm) short grain rice
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) all spice
2 tablespoons (30 ml) vegetable oil
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (6 gm) cinnamon
1 teaspoon (5 ml) (3 gm) kosher (coarse) salt **if using regular table salt only use ½ tsp.**
¼ teaspoon (1¼ ml) (1½ gm) white pepper
1 onion, chopped **optional**
1 cup (5½ oz) (150 gm) pine nuts **optional**

I was worried that I wouldn't be able to find grape leaves, but I found jars of them at my local grocery store. First, soak the rice for about 30 minutes. The rice and meat don't have to be cooked beforehand because they will cook inside of the leaves.

While you're soaking the rice, soak the leaves in boiling water for 20 minutes. Only do this step if you are using leaves that have been soaked in brine. Then, drain the hot water and change the water a few times using cold water. This process rids the leaves of the brine and salt from pickling.

For the meat filling, use the recipe above. For the vegetable filling, substitute the meat with tomatoes and add a little more rice.

Place the leaf on a clean surface with the veins facing up.

Add about 2 tbsp of filling. Start rolling the leaf from the bottom and fold in the edges, like a small cigar.

Add 2 tbsp of olive oil to a pot. Carefully put the stuffed grape leaves in the pot and let them cook in the oil for 5-8 minutes until the leaves start to sweat. Add a little bit of water (to just above the leaves) and lemon juice. Put a pot lid or plate on top of the leaves to make sure they don't unravel.

For a dipping sauce, I made a simple tzatziki sauce using plain yogurt, dill, cucumber, basil and lemon juice. I really enjoyed this recipe, but I found the leaves from the jar were a little salty. I don't know where I would find fresh grape leaves in my area, so maybe next time I will use cabbage as a substitute. I really enjoyed my first Daring Cook's challenge and I look forward to many more. For more info on the Daring Kitchen, check out the site.

Challenge #4: Gnocchi Step-by-Step (oh, baby)

2010-10-09T20:33:00.000-07:00

I am still in shock that I made to Challenge #4 and the top 100 in Project Food Blog 2010! This contest has been inspiring, and has reinforced my passion for food writing. Thank you FoodBuzz, judges, bloggers, family and friends for believing in me. I might be a food blogger newbie, but I can still compete with the big kids!

Now, onto Challenge #4: "Sure, you can take a pretty picture. But your task here is to go above and beyond and use photography to create a step-by-step, instructional photo tutorial. It could be anything from how to bone a chicken to how to make your favorite recipe, but your photos need to guide the reader through the steps."

For this challenge I decided to make pasta from scratch. I was inspired by Delia Smith and her amazing books, “How to Cook” volumes 1 and 2, which were a gift from my Mom. The books have great photo tutorials and cover cooking basics like eggs, pastry, meat and potatoes. She keeps it simple and basic, which is a blessing in disguise for any new cook. I decided to try her “Gnocchi with Sage, Butter and Parmesan.”

(A peek inside volume 1)

Why did I choose this recipe? I will let Delia tell you herself: “Once again it’s the Italians who are so clever at inventing such simple things out of what seems to be fairly ordinary ingredients but then become something quite outstanding” (How to Cook, Volume 1, pg. 190). Potatoes, flour, eggs and butter; it can’t be anymore simple than that, right?

Whenever I think of making pasta, I think of those amazing Italian “nonnas” who vigorously knead and roll pasta for hours in their kitchens in Italy. I try to imagine what it would be like to have an Italian grandmother: “Laurrra,” she’d say, rolling her r’s, “I will teach you how to make pasta, but first, do I not feed you enough?” I think back to my trip to Italy and how I ate everything on my plate because the food was so delicious; a big no-no in Italian culture. Apparently, if you eat everything on your plate it means there wasn’t enough food. I just couldn’t help myself. The antipasta, pasta, meat, seafood, gelato, and pizza were just too delicious.

I remember our last lunch in Rome. Mike and I just wanted a light, refreshing lunch before heading off. We found this quiet café in a winding, narrow street near the Coliseum and ordered some bruschetta to start. For the entree, I ordered a seafood salad and Mike ordered a small plate of pasta. Beside us, were two businessmen on their lunch break. They also started with the bruschetta, then pasta, then a fish course (a whole fish), a bottle of wine, and finally, some espresso. After that, they reluctantly shuffled back to work. I sat there -- slightly embarrassed with my little salad-- totally in awe of the way Italians truly savour their food.

With making pasta, my imaginary Italian grandmother would first probably tell me to take off my rings: “Laura, this is serious business. Rings come off.” Pasta making, at least in this experience, was messy. My hands were covered in flour and egg mush, my shirt was covered in flour spots and I had to stop myself from obsessively licking my fingers and washing my hands during cooking, like I usually do. I learned that the process is also long. By the time the pasta was rolled, cut and cooked, I had consumed a few essential snacks in between.

Delia Smith's Gnocchi with Sage, Butter and Parmesan (recipe also available online)

Ingredients:

2 medium sized potatoes

3 1/2 oz plain flour, sifted, plus more for rolling

1 large egg, lightly beaten

Salt and pepper

For the sauce:

8 fresh sage leaves

2 oz butter

1 clove garlic, peeled and crushed

3-4 tbsp parmesan cheese (for serving)

Place the potatoes, with skins on, in a pot of salted, boiling water. Simmer for 20-25 minutes until the potatoes are tender:

Drain the potatoes and pare off the skins using a knife or potato peeler:

Place the potatoes in a bowl and whisk on a slow speed using an electric hand mixer. Break up the potatoes and whisk until light and fluffy:

Let the potatoes cool down. Then add the sifted flour and half of the beaten egg:

Bring the mixture together using a fork. Then, knead the mixture with your hands until it becomes a soft dough:

Transfer the dough to a floured surface:

Divide the dough into quarters:

Roll each quarter into long, sausage shapes approximately a 1/2 inch in diameter:

Cut the sausage shapes, on a diagonal, into 1 inch pieces:

Place the pieces on a floured plate. Cover and refrigerate the gnocchi for at least 30 minutes:

Press a fork down onto the gnocchi to form a ridge and lightly form them into crescent shapes:

Bring a large shallow pan of water to a simmer (3.5 litres of water or less depending on the pan):

Drop the gnocchi into the simmering water and cook for three minutes. The gnocchi should rise to the top of the water when they are ready:

Scoop the gnocchi out with a slotted spoon onto a warmed serving plate:

For the sauce, melt the butter and garlic in a pan until the garlic starts to brown. Add the sage leaves and cook for 30 seconds:

After all of this, you will have perfect gnocchi:

I'm just kidding. That picture is Delia's rendition. THIS picture is mine:

The pasta wasn’t that hard to make. The only difficulty came in making the sauce. I love Delia, but pure butter, melted, then poured onto pasta is insane. Of course, I can eat butter in numerous desserts and pastries, but the sauce made the dish an oily, greasy plate of butter with a side of pasta. After the first batch, I literally lay on the floor in overdramatic discomfort, yelling, “I ate too much butter!”

The next night, with the second batch of gnocchi, I cooked the garlic and sage in a little bit of margarine, then drizzled a bit of olive oil and parmesan cheese on top of the pasta. The pasta wasn’t drenched in sauce and I found I could actually enjoy the dish without worrying how my arteries would react. Nonna would probably say, “Nonsense, butter makes you tough. You’re a growing girl.”

In case you were wondering, I WAS that child who constantly made up imaginary people and friends. I also never had an Italian grandmother (obviously), but I will always have a place in my heart for Italy.

If you liked this post, then please vote. I have some cool ideas for the next few rounds, so let's get this "food fight" started! Check out my profile and vote here (your Italian Nonna will thank you).

Beef Moussaka

2010-10-06T11:17:00.000-07:00

For the last Project Food Blog challenge (classic cuisine from another culture) I asked a few friends for their ideas on what to make. One of my Greek friends suggested Moussaka.

The first time I had Moussaka was in Greece. On my trip last summer, I probably sampled most of the cuisine Greece has to offer, like gyros, spanakopita, tzatziki, souvlaki, baklava, stuffed grape leaves and even ouzo. I also gained about 10 pounds sampling all this cuisine. But on the last day of the trip, in Athens, I realized that I went the whole week without trying Moussaka.

(my first and only taste of real Grecian Moussaka)

I have always had an indifferent relationship with eggplant, or "aubergine." I don't really like it, but I don't really hate it either. The sliminess kind of bothers me too. So when I went to order Moussaka, I figured the eggplant would be masked so well in layers of lamb, potato and béchamel sauce that I wouldn't even notice it. Well, I did notice the eggplant, but I also noticed the delicious creaminess of the sauce, the hearty potatoes, the savoury lamb, and somehow the eggplant fit nicely in there, almost indifferent: it wasn't too noticeable, but it needed to be there.

I had some leftover eggplant from my dinner party on Sunday, so I decided to recreate my Moussaka experience. A traditional Moussaka has many layers, but I only made one layer of everything because I only had half of an eggplant left. The ingredient sizes will make one layer in a lasagna pan (more than enough for 2 people).

Beef Moussaka
Ingredients:
4-5 potatoes, peeled and sliced
1/2 eggplant, thinly sliced
1 cup of ground beef or lamb
1/2 cup red wine
1/2 onion, peeled and diced
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup of canned tomatoes
1 tbsp tomato paste
1/2 cup olive oil
pinch of ground nutmeg
1 tbsp dried oregano
salt and pepper to season

For the béchamel sauce, I used Delia Smith's recipe from "How to Cook: Volume 1:"
Ingredients:
425 ml milk
1 bay leaf
a few whole black peppercorns (5-10)
1 slice of onion
1 1/2 oz butter
3/4 oz flour
salt and pepper

Add the milk, bay leaf, peppercorns and onion (you can also add parsley stalks and powdered mace) to a pot and bring slowly to a simmer for about 5 minutes. Strain the milk and take out the spices. Put the milk in a separate bowl or cup on the side.

Add the butter to the pot and heat until melted. Add the flour, then add the milk a little bit at a time until thick.

While you are making the sauces, place the eggplant and potatoes on a baking sheet and drizzle with some olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes.

For the beef sauce, add onions and garlic to a pan and sauté until golden.

Add the ground beef and cook until brown.

Add the wine, tomatoes and tomato paste and let the sauce thicken over medium heat for about 20 minutes.

To assemble the Moussaka, grease the pan, then add the potatoes, eggplant, beef sauce then béchamel sauce. Bake in the oven for about 40 minutes until the sauce browns on top.

Serve with the remaining red wine ;)

I used this and this recipe. Both of the recipes said to fry the eggplant, but I thought baking would be just as effective. Next time I might try mashing the potatoes, so everything sticks together better. Mine didn't really have distinct layers when I served it, but it tasted amazing. Opa!

Tomorrow is the last day to vote for Challenge #3 of Project Food Blog. Check out my luxury "tea" party and please vote here. Please help me get to the Top 100!

Project Food Blog Challenge #3: Luxury "Tea" party

2010-10-03T17:33:00.000-07:00

"Challenge Prompt: Celebrate! You've made it this far, and the next challenge is to hold a party for your friends and family (at least four guests, you can include yourself in the 4 person count). Whether you're an experienced host or an entertaining newbie, get creative and host a luxurious dinner party where your guests will discover new tastes and exotic flavors."

From the beginning of Project Food Blog, this was the challenge I was most worried about. I am a dinner party "newb." I have never hosted a dinner party in my life. I have never really been to many dinner parties. The extent of my dinner party knowledge comes from watching the British show, “Come Dine with Me.” My parents set the PVR to record every episode of it, so I am more than familiar with the format: guests show up; things are kind of awkward; guests get drunk; guests criticize the food and think they can cook better; host ends up crying over dirty dishes and a bottle of wine.

People my age—early 20-somethings-- don’t really have a lot of dinner parties. People my age know something about potlucks though. I have been to a lot of potlucks. If you host a potluck for 20-somethings, the table will most likely include some variation of Kraft Dinner, chips, cookies and something somebody’s Mom made. So when it came to hosting a dinner party, I was clueless. My first thought was, “will I have enough food?” My second thought was, “how do I host a luxurious dinner party on a young person’s budget?”

(our tea stash)

I decided to draw inspiration for the menu from an everyday “luxurious” treat: tea. We have a designated tea cupboard in our kitchen full of everything like chai, herbal, Darjeeling, black, green, and in many varieties. I decided, instead of pairing wine with each course, I would pair tea with each course or somehow incorporate tea into the dishes. That way, my guests could discover new tastes, teas and traditions.

Our apartment is quite small, so four of us squeezed around our small table that usually fits two comfortably. For the centrepiece, I bought a blossoming tea from David's Tea ($3.50) and put it in a mason jar. I must say, flowering teas make beautiful and cost-effective centrepieces. I purposely bought a blossoming tea called the "Fountain of Youth," (because we're young, get it?) Mike took pictures as the tea was blooming and put them together in this video:

(samosa and sandwich prep)

The other issue about the party was that it fell on Homecoming weekend. As a recent graduate, I still love Homecoming celebrations, so the only day I could hold the party was Sunday. Let's just say, the deadline for this post was tight. But as a writer, I always love the thrill of a looming deadline.

I knew the weekend would be busy, so I prepped most of the food on Friday evening. I made the sandwich fillings, samosas, sauces, chutney and prepped the vegetables for the tempura. On Sunday, I assembled the sandwiches, made the dessert and cooked everything else. I had no idea how to time all of the courses, so I cooked everything right before the party started and kept it warm in the oven. When the guests arrived, I had everything prepped and ready to go, so there wasn't a lull between courses.

Course 1: English "Tea"

As someone with English heritage, I know about tea and I drink copious amounts of the stuff. In England, “afternoon tea” is usually served with scones, clotted cream, jam, cookies or sandwiches. For the first course of my dinner, I served a traditional “English tea” with finger sandwiches, biscuits, cheese and vegetables.

The sandwiches were egg salad and chicken curry salad (chicken, raisins, diced celery, mayo and curry powder). I drew inspiration from these recipes here. The plate also included traditional English biscuits, such as Hovis and Cream crackers, with cheese. I paired this course with a traditional Earl Grey tea.

Course 2: Indian Samosas and dips

Most dinner party experts will say never make something you have never made before at your dinner party. I defied this rule many times over. I had never made anything on my menu before, except for the sandwiches. I had also never cooked more than two meal courses at a time. But this was a challenge, so I once again challenged myself.

The baked samosas were a first for me and were surprisingly simple. I was inspired by fellow Project Food Blog competitor, "Good Food, Good Wine and a Bad Girl" who made Potato Samosas and a trio of dips for the last challenge. I based my dip off of her mint and cilantro chutney and instead of apple chutney, I made mango chutney with raisins. I paired this course with the traditional Indian tea, Masala Chai. One of my guests, who has part Indian heritage, gave me her stamp of approval on the samosas.

Course 3: Japanese tea "soup" with salmon and tempura vegetables

Apparently I shouldn't have worried about not having enough food because by the third course, we were starting to get full. Instead of pairing this course with tea, I decided to incorporate tea into the food. I found a recipe for Japanese green tea "soup," which is basically rice with green tea poured over it with toppings, like green onions, nori and sesame seeds. I used this and this recipe. I added a little piece of salmon cooked with sesame oil and sesame seeds. For the side vegetables, I made tempura eggplant and sweet potato using Panko breadcrumbs, flour and water.

Even when we go for sushi, the tempura always gets to me. I can eat anything else, but as soon as I get to the tempura, I feel instantly full. I should have known this phenomenon would happen at my party. The fried tempura and the rice were probably too much in the carb region for one course. The rice and tea went well together with green onions and a bit of sesame oil. This was the one dish I was hesitant about serving; I wasn't sure how it would taste or how it would go over. By the end of the course, we all sat back in our chairs and sweated slightly from too much food. I promised my guests that there was only one more course left.

Course 4: Dessert and Drinks

For dessert, I tried a new recipe that I instantly fell in love with from Food Network.ca: Chai tea pudding with mango coulis and raspberries. I added milk, cornstarch, honey and the contents of two chai tea bags to a pot and heated until thick. Instead of regular chai tea, I used a special "chocolate chai" tea to make more of a chocolate pudding. The mango coulis included blended mango, orange juice and ginger. I loved the dessert, but the contents of the tea bags made the pudding a little gritty.

For an after-dinner drink, I made Darjeeling Sangria from this recipe. Basically, I brewed Darjeeling tea, then added white grape juice, lemon, raspberries, mint and a splash of Lemoncello.

Overall, I think my first dinner party went well. Even though I had no fine dishware or silverware -- only 4 plates, 4 bowls and limited cutlery-- and my meal was on a budget, I still felt like I pulled off a luxurious dinner party. My guests sampled different cuisines, different teas and everyone had a relaxing time. Thanks to my friends Eryn and Steve for joining us. For next time I will remember that if your guests are having trouble breathing then that probably means you've made too much food.

(The aftermath. Did I also mention that we don't have a dishwasher?)

I am beyond excited to have come this far in the competition! If you liked this post then please vote for me starting tomorrow by clicking on the widget or clicking here.

Thank you so much for bringing me this far and for all of the amazing support from friends, family and the blogging community.

Science Cookies

2010-10-01T10:48:00.000-07:00

Yesterday, Mike defended his Neuroscience thesis, so I made these cookies to celebrate. I love using Food Writer markers because they make me feel like a kid again. I get to play with food and draw on it too! The cookies are shortbread (Happy Baker's recipe) with royal icing. I made lab coats, scrubs, brains, neurons and bandaids.

I'm not really a science person, so I had to research what neurons look like, and anatomically correct brains. My version of a brain is the cookie with brown squiggles. Royal icing can be quite finicky, but I found that piping an outline beforehand and then letting the colour flow dry for a day did the trick.

(my original sketch)

I baked the cookies a few days beforehand to let them cool and to make sure I had enough time to let the icing dry. I didn't have cookie cutters, so I just cut the cookies into shapes before baking. The shortbread was pretty good at keeping its original shape after baking.

However, I did have a reject batch, but it made for great snacking.

Then, I made the royal icing (again, using the Wilton recipe). Mix together 4 cups of icing sugar, 3 tbsp of meringue powder and 6 tbsp of water. Store the icing on top of plastic wrap in a tupperware. The icing dries quickly, so I made sure to cover or refrigerate it when not in use.

I added another 2 tbsp of water to the icing and divided it into colours. The icing was almost like the consistency of condensed milk at this point. I put some in a piping bag with a #2 tip and piped an outline on the cookies.

I let the outlines dry for a few hours. Then, I made the colour flow icing. I added a few more tablespoons of water. For the right consistency, Wilton suggests dropping a small amount of icing into the mixture. If it takes ten seconds to disappear, then it's the correct consistency. I cut a tiny hole in the bottom of a disposable piping bag and used that to fill in the outlines.

I let the icing dry for about a day, so it could be completely dry and smooth for drawing. After they were dry, I drew the designs on with the Food Writer markers and made sure not to press down too hard on the icing. For the brain cookie (in the first picture) I just piped a squiggly design with the #2 tip and buttercream icing.

The cookies were a big hit and Mike's lab group loved them. Only scientists would enjoy eating edible brains :)

If you like science cookies, you should definitely check out the monthly Science Cookie Roundup on Not So Humble Pie.

Also, today I find out if I advance to Round 3 of Project Food Blog. Thank you everyone for all of your amazing comments. If all goes well I will be hosting my first dinner party ever this weekend!

Mozzarella and Pesto Pizza from scratch...

2010-09-29T11:50:00.000-07:00

Our herb garden is almost ready to go south for the winter. By south I mean almost ready to die or hibernate in the freezer. I decided to make pesto with some fresh basil from the garden. I had all of the ingredients except pine nuts, but when I saw them at the store I was shocked. Bulk Barn has them listed for $8.00/100 g and $45/pound! I thought pesto was a fairly common thing to make, but apparently I was greatly misinformed.

I brought my bag up to the cashier and she said, "That's going to be $8.00. Is that alright?" It was as if the cashiers had been trained to calm down the irritated pine nut clientele. I took my little bag of ridiculously expensive nuts home and thought to myself, "This pesto better be damn good."

I used this recipe here. Basically, put basil, olive oil, parmesan cheese, garlic and pine nuts in a blender/food processor and voila, pesto.

(basil)

(blended basil = pesto)

The pesto tasted amazing with the fresh basil and so much better than store bought. Then, I made my pizza dough (yeast, flour, olive oil, rosemary) and let it sit to rise for 1 1/2 hours under a kitchen towel.

(Shhh, it's sleeping)

After I let the dough nap for a little while, I rolled it out into a flat circle. I like my pizza European-style with a thin crust.

Now, here's the tricky part. A good pizza is all about the layering. This isn't one of those times where you just plop everything on. There has to be careful layers of sauce, veggies and cheese. Here's my process:

Layer 1: Spread the pesto over the dough. The pine nuts didn't quite blend, but I didn't really notice them when I was eating the pizza.

Layer 2: Spread the pizza sauce over the pesto. It's alright if the two sauces blend together a bit.

Layer 3: Grate some mozzarella cheese over the sauce.

Layer 4: Add veggies, like zucchini, tomato, onion or anything you'd like.

Layer 5: Grate more mozzarella cheese over the veggies. This is so the veggies will be in between the melted cheese and won't slide around on the sauce.

Layer 6: Drizzle a little bit more sauce and pesto over the top. Season with salt, pepper and a little bit of parmesan cheese.

I loved the colour of the pesto and veggies together and I was quite proud of my creation. But after all that, I managed to accidentally overcook the pizza.

It looks awful, but it still tasted amazing. Fresh pesto is my new favourite thing and I have learned to accept pine nuts into my life.

Project Food Blog: Challenge # 2 (A taste of Peru)

2010-09-26T11:10:00.000-07:00

South America has always fascinated me. From Machu Picchu to the Galapagos Islands, there is so much of the mysterious continent that I want to explore. One of my favourite episodes of “No Reservations” features Anthony Bourdain’s visit to Peru (check out the clip in my previous post). I love the quote at the beginning of the episode: “Don’t tell me what a man says; don’t tell me what a man knows; tell me where he has traveled.”

Bourdain reflects on the purpose of travel in this episode. He asks, does it make us smarter, wiser or more enlightened? I say yes to all of these things. In moments of travel, I have found happiness, excitement, adrenaline, and sometimes panic, but I have always learned so much. I have learned not just about far off lands, but also about myself. I grow with every plane ride I take and every “Departures” sign I pass.

We were thinking about a trip to South America this past summer, but we thought we would hold off for when we had more time. It is not the place to go for a weeklong getaway. South America is an adventure that takes time and patience. Like Bourdain said, there’s no better place to find enlightenment than Peru. For this challenge, I decided to, well, challenge myself. If a trip to South America has to be held off for another year or so, then why not prepare myself for the adventure now?

I decided to try two classic Peruvian dishes. The first one, "Ceviche," is the staple dish of Peru. Ceviche comes in many varieties in North America, but in Peru, the dish consists mainly of raw fish marinated in citrus juice and seasonings. The acidity of the lemon and lime juices “cooks” the fish.

First of all, the selection of fresh fish in our area is rather limited. Secondly, I wasn't sure about the “cooking” process. The juice somehow alters the proteins of the fish giving it that raw, flavourful taste, but sometimes doesn’t rid the fish of all its bacteria. I didn’t want to risk making myself sick, so I decided to make a shrimp and mango ceviche using cooked shrimp.

The second dish is “Papa Rellena” or “stuffed potatoes.” Potatoes originated in Peru around 2000 BC and were the principal food of the Inca Empire. Basically, Peruvians know their potatoes and how to cook them well. Papa Rellena consists of mashed potatoes stuffed with ground meat, spices and various other stuffings.

Papa Rellena (stuffed potatoes)

Ingredients:

1/2 cup raisins

1/2 cup chopped onion

5-8 yellow potatoes

1 tbsp olive oil (plus more for frying)

2 cloves minced garlic

1 tbsp cumin, paprika, cilantro

1 cup ground beef

1/2 cup low-sodium beef broth

1 egg

1 cup flour

Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Cook the potatoes until tender in a pot of boiling, salted water. When the potatoes are cooked, mash them thoroughly, season them with salt and pepper and let them chill in the fridge until cold.

2. Soak raisins in one cup of boiling water for 10 minutes.

3. Saute the onions and garlic in 1 tbsp of the olive oil until golden.

4. Add the seasoning (cumin, paprika, cilantro) to the onions and garlic and cook for a few minutes more.

5. Drain the raisins and add them to the onion mixture. Add the ground beef as well.

6. Add the beef broth and simmer until the liquid has absorbed.

7. Take the potatoes out of the fridge and add the egg and flour. Knead the dough with floured hands until smooth and soft.

8. Place about a 1/2 cup portion (or your desired size) of the potatoes in the palm of your hand and make a well in the centre.

9. Place about 1 tbsp of the filling into the well and fold the potato over so none of the filling shows.

10. Repeat step #9 until all of the potatoes and filling are gone.

11. Fill the pan with about an inch of oil (or 2 depending on the size of the pan). Fry the Papa Rellena until golden brown for about 10 minutes.

Shrimp and Mango Ceviche

Ingredients:

1/3 cup olive oil

6-8 cooked shrimps

1/2 cup chopped red onion

1/2 cup chopped mango

1/2 cup fresh lime juice, plus one lime for garnish

1/3 cup fresh, chopped cilantro

1/2 cup diced cucumber

1 tbsp ketchup

1 tsp hot sauce

Directions:

1. Place the shrimp in a pot with 2 tbsp of lime juice. Bring them to a simmer.

2. Once the shrimp have warmed/defrosted, peel the shells off and place them in a bowl with 1/2 of the remaining lime juice. Chill in the fridge for about an hour.

3. Combine all of the remaining ingredients in a bowl and add the shrimp. Serve with a lime wedge in a small bowl, shot glass or martini glass.

My final thoughts:

Even though the Papa Rellena process was quite tedious, it was well worth the effort. They tasted light and fluffy on the inside and crispy on the outside, which is a perfect combination in my books. I had two on my plate and I could barely finish one. Traditionally, Papa Rellenas are served with a type of salsa, so the tartness of the ceviche contrasted nicely. I can't wait to go to Peru and try the real thing!

For some of the recipes I used, check out this, this, this, and this link.

If you enjoyed this post, then don't forget to vote for me for Round 2 starting tomorrow. Click on the widget to the left or check out my profile.

Prelude to a Project Food Blog post...

2010-09-25T15:25:00.000-07:00

I am so excited that I made it to Round 2 of Project Food Blog 2010! Thank you everyone for voting and supporting me and this little blog of mine :) As I write this, I am in the middle of preparing my dish for Challenge 2: "The Classics."

Challenge Prompt: Ready to tackle a classic dish from another culture? Pick an ethnic classic that is outside your comfort zone or are not as familiar with. You should include how you arrived at this decision in your post. Do your research then try to pull off successfully creating this challenge. Try to keep the dish as authentic as the real deal, and document your experience through a compelling post.

I won't give it away yet (you'll have to check back tomorrow), but here's a little video hint from my food idol, Anthony Bourdain:

Make sure to check out my post and vote for me once again starting Monday. Looking forward to seeing everyone's dishes!

Leek and Onion Risotto with Shrimp

2010-09-23T13:22:00.000-07:00

I used to think risotto was just a fancy restaurant dish that I only ate on special occasions. Now that I've learned to make risotto, it is no longer for special occasions, but rather, whenever I have chicken stock and wine lying around. Any occasion that lets me drink wine while cooking is fine with me.

Here's my spin on a classic risotto dish. I hate mushrooms, so I used leeks and green onions to add some veggies and topped it with a few cooked shrimp. As you've probably noticed, I don't like to use a lot of chicken broth in cooking because of its high salt content, so I usually dilute it with water. The dish still tastes incredibly creamy and delicious without the full serving of broth.

Leek and Green Onion Risotto topped with Shrimp:

Ingredients:
2 cups no-salt added chicken broth
1 1/2 cups water
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 cup chopped green onions
1 cup chopped leeks (washed thoroughly)
3/4 cup arborio rice
1/2 cup dry, white wine
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme
1 tbsp chopped fresh chives
Desired amount of cooked shrimp per dish (I usually use 3)

Directions:

1. Bring the stock and water to a simmer in a pot over medium heat. Reduce the heat to low.

2. Add the olive oil to a pan and sauté the onions and garlic for about 2 minutes. Stir everything with a wooden spoon instead of a spatula. Add the leeks and sauté everything for about 8 minutes.

3. Add the rice to the pan and stir for about 30 seconds. Add the wine and stir for a few minutes until most of the liquid is absorbed.

4. Add 3/4 cup of the hot stock and cook for a few minutes (3-4) until the stock is absorbed. Repeat this step until you have used all of the remaining stock. This should take about 20 minutes.

5. The risotto should start to look and feel thicker and creamier. Add the thyme, butter, cooked shrimp and cheese and cook for about 5 minutes. Season with salt and pepper. To serve, sprinkle the fresh chives on top and additional cheese to taste.

If you've liked this recipe and others, then don't forget to vote for me for Foodbuzz's Project Food Blog 2010. Today is the last day to vote for Round 1 of the challenge. I am crossing my fingers that I make it to the next round!

Check out my Project Food Blog profile here and cast your vote!

Mastering the art of not screwing up...

2010-09-22T11:04:00.000-07:00

This weekend I was adventurous. When I get an idea in my head, I just have to follow through. I got "Mastering the Art of French Cooking" for my birthday and I had only really tried one recipe from the book (leek and potato soup), so I decided to try something more ambitious.

Julia Child's version of leek and potato soup is delicious by the way and incredibly simple to make. Simply add 3 cups of chopped leeks and 3 cups of chopped potatoes to 8 cups of water. Let simmer for about 40 minutes until the vegetables are tender and mash the potatoes a little bit in the water. The soup should be thick and not too watery. If the soup is still watery, let the water boil off for another 20 minutes. Add a tbsp of butter and fresh chives or parsley before serving.

Anyways, on to my endeavour. I decided to make Julia Child's "Cheese Souffle."I just watched the episode of MasterChef where the participants had to make Chocolate Souffle and one of the contestants literally sat in front of the oven to make sure his souffle was rising. The clock was ticking and Gordon Ramsay, with huge veins sticking out his neck, preceded to yell at them, "It's collapsing! It's collapsing! Get it on the table!" To see the intensity for yourself, check out this clip:

Well, I wasn't making Chocolate Souffle in some intense competition and I didn't have Gordon Ramsay breathing down my neck. But souffles are one of the hardest things to make and some cooks take years to perfect them. I melted the butter and flour together, then I poured in boiling milk and whipped everything together. I separated the egg yolks and whites into different bowls, then added the yolks to the milk/butter/flour mixture.

Then I got the part where I had to whip the egg whites and fold them into the mixture. I had never folded egg whites in my life. Plus, Julia Child was sternly telling me to not overfold and "not to be too thorough." Huh? I was a little worried. She describes the process in the book (cut down the top centre of the mixture with a spatula, then draw it towards you and up) but the whole success of my souffle depended on this technique and I had never done it before. I was either going to waste five eggs or put something salvageable in the oven. (This kind of sounds like an episode of MasterChef, doesn't it?)

I did the best job I could and put the souffle in the oven. I didn't even go near the oven while it was cooking because I didn't want to accidentally brush up against the oven door handle and accidentally open the oven (yes, these things actually cross my mind). Then after 30 minutes in the oven, I opened the oven door and this is what appeared:

Hmm, not quite as pretty as this:

(from this blog)

...or this:

(picture from here.)

My souffle decided to be mean and not rise at all. I think it was bitter that I didn't fold the egg whites right the first time or perhaps some yolk got into the whites. I didn't perfect the souffle the first try, but I will keep trying.

After the fact, I found this great video on how to fold egg whites. The souffle did taste amazing though even if it wasn't picture perfect.

The perfect fall soup

2010-09-20T21:45:00.000-07:00

The leaves are starting to fall off of the trees and the beautiful fall colours of red, yellow, brown and orange are cropping up everywhere. The weather is still warm outside, but I am already craving hearty, root vegetable winter soups.

I decided to make a mix between a "butternut squash" and a "ginger and carrot" soup. I adapted my recipe from this and this recipe.

Fall Harvest Soup (Serves 2 people)

Ingredients:
1/2 of one butternut squash
1 sweet potato, chopped and peeled
1 carrot, chopped and peeled
1/2 of one onion, chopped and peeled
1 cup low-sodium chicken broth
1/2 cup coconut milk
3 cups water
1 bay leaf
1 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp chopped ginger
1 tbsp powdered ginger
1 tsp nutmeg
1 tbsp butter or margarine
1 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp plain yogurt
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Chop the butternut squash and place on a baking sheet. Drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Roast in the oven for about 20 minutes until tender. Wait until after the butternut squash has been roasted to peel. The peels will come off easier when cooked.

2. In a large pot, add the water, roasted butternut squash, sweet potato, carrot, bay leaf, coconut milk and broth. Let the soup come to to a boil.

3. Sautee the onions in a pan with the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the chopped garlic and ginger and cook until the onions start to become translucent. Add the onion mixture to the soup. Allow the soup to cook for about 30 minutes and until the vegetables are tender.

4. Remove the bay leaf from the soup. Use a potato masher to mash up the vegetables in the soup.

5. Transfer the soup in batches to a food processor or blender. Blend the soup until it forms a puree consistency.

6. Transfer the pureed soup back to the pot and return to heat. Before serving, add the butter or margarine, powdered ginger, salt and pepper. To serve, swirl a dollop of plain yogurt on top.

Enjoy! Don't forget to vote for me for Project Food Blog 2010 (click on the widget on the left). Voting is open for 2 more days, so get on over to www.foodbuzz.com.

D.I.Y Hummus: Will it blend?

2010-09-18T17:34:00.000-07:00

I'm not a math whiz by any means, but I seem to have figured out this equation:

Tub of pre-made hummus from the grocery store: $5.49
One can of chickpeas: $0.99
2 kg bag of chickpeas: $3.49

I can buy a tub of pre-made hummus (in all its artificial glory) OR I can make one batch of hummus for less than a dollar OR I can make endless batches of hummus for less than $5.00. I'm starting to sound like one of those Mastercard commercials: bag of chickpeas, $3.49; delicious hummus, priceless.

Now that I've started making my own hummus, I just can't go back to store-bought. My homemade version is cheaper, plus I like the fresh taste and freedom of adding what I want. Hummus is incredibly simple and quick to make. Here's my version:

Homemade Hummus:

Ingredients:
2 1/2 cups chickpeas
1 cup water
1/4 cup olive oil
2 tbsp dijon mustard
2 tbsp lemon juice
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1 tbsp of curry powder, cumin, paprika
(These measurements make the amount of hummus seen in the first picture)

Directions:

1. If you are using chickpeas from a bag, soak overnight or for at least 8 hours. If you are using chickpeas from a can, then skip step 1 and 2.

2. Boil the chickpeas for about 10 minutes.

3. Place the chickpeas in a blender. Add the water, olive oil and remaining ingredients.

4. Blend until most of the chickpeas are pureed or until the hummus forms your preferred consistency. Sprinkle paprika on top of the hummus for presentation.

Tip: The water really helps in the blending, but if you find the end consistency is too watery, add breadcrumbs or sesame seeds to thicken up the hummus.

To serve, cup a pita into triangles. Place the pita pieces on a baking sheet on top of foil. Drizzle with olive oil and sprinkle with steak spice. Bake in the oven for 5 minutes until crispy. Place the bowl of hummus in the middle of the pita triangles and enjoy!

Indian food: Part 2

2010-09-16T18:36:00.000-07:00

I have eaten so much rice over the last few days, it isn't even funny. I've been on an Indian food cooking spree this week. I was dying to make the Food Network Cooking Club challenge "No butter chicken" and I loved the recipe (full recipe here)

This was my first time using Garam Masala and the smell and taste was amazing. I literally stuck my head into the spice bag and inhaled the delicious aroma of nutmeg, cardamon and coriander probably a few more times than I should have. The brown sugar, plain yogurt and the Garam masala made the Butter Chicken taste sweet and savoury (and made it a lot healthier than regular butter chicken).

The next night I made "Prawns in Coconut Masala" from another Food Network recipe. It's almost like a "Chicken Tiki Masala," but with more of a tang from the wine vinegar and shrimp.

My favourite recipe of the week was Mulligatawny soup. The other week I tried Mulligatawny soup for the first time at our local market and I knew I had to recreate it at home. Mulligatawny, which means "pepper water," is a curry flavoured, creamy chicken soup. My recipe was adapted from this and this recipe.

Mulligatawny Soup:

Ingredients:
1 carrot, chopped
1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 tomato, seeded and chopped
1/2 of one apple, chopped
2 tbsp chopped garlic
1/4 cup red lentils
1/4 cup uncooked rice
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1 cup coconut milk
2 cups low sodium chicken stock
2 cups water
2 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp ground nutmeg
1 chicken breast, cooked and sliced
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Saute onions, celery, carrots, garlic for about 5 minutes or until onions start to brown.

2. Add flour, nutmeg and curry powder and cook for about 2 minutes. Add the water.

3. Add the remaining ingredients (tomato, apple, coconut milk, lentils, rice, chicken, chicken broth, salt and pepper) and bring to a simmer. Cook for 20 minutes until rice is cooked.

I left the soup in the fridge overnight and the chicken permeated the broth really nicely. I was afraid the sweetness of the coconut milk would be too much, but the curry powder and chicken balanced with it really well. This is a great, hearty soup for one of those chilly fall days.

Cupcake photo shoot

2010-09-15T09:14:00.000-07:00

I need an intervention. Someone needs to pop out of the computer and tell me to "put that butter down!" I told myself I wouldn't bake anything for awhile, but this lemon obsession has become too much. I am ashamed to say that last night I made yet another lemon themed creation: lemon cupcakes.

I made the lemon curd filling again (see previous post here) and piped it into the middle of the cupcake like this. I didn't have the right decorating tip for the Wilton cupcake swirl, which is supposed to look like this, so I improvised and used the 2D tip and then covered the top with sprinkles.

Luckily, I only ate one and the rest were shipped off to Mike's colleagues. I did have the chance, however, to experiment a bit with my photography skills. I played with some different angles and lighting and some of the pictures turned out pretty well. Please let me know if you have any feedback or tips on my photography :)

(The lighting is a little dark on this one, but I kind of like the dramatic feel)

(Mike wanted to try piping, so most of his are on the left. He thought his swirls looked like "cow pies," but I think they look pretty good!)

(mmm, lemon curd filling)

Project Food Blog 2010: Entry #1

2010-09-13T20:24:00.000-07:00

"What is it that you REALLY like to do?" "Eat!" - Julie and Julia

First of all, a quick run down for all of my readers: FoodBuzz is holding a competition called "Project Food Blog 2010." Over 1,000 bloggers have registered to compete for the grand prize of $10,000 and a featured spot on Foodbuzz.com for one year. In the first round, they will be whittling the number of contestants down to 400. Then there are 9 more challenges until 1 person is crowned the next food blog star. The first challenge is to create a post that represents who we are as food bloggers and why we think we're food blogging star material. Voting for the first challenge opens on September 20th, so please check out my profile and enjoy my first entry!

I was going to make a flashy video for my first entry, but I thought I would take the judges advice and “be myself and be present.” I admit, my blog doesn’t have the most followers, the most ads or the coolest web design. This blog started as a little project for me, but now it has become so much more.

Last year, I graduated from journalism school in a terrible economic time. I was struggling with finding my place in the “real world” and finding my niche. With a lot of time on my hands and a lack of creative focus, I turned to food. I started cooking every night, baking, reading food blogs/recipes and challenging myself every day. Food became my saviour. Even with everything else going on in my life, I could be myself and relax in my little piece of heaven called “the kitchen.”

(My curry masterpiece: Mango coconut curry with butternut squash and raisins)

I never really cooked for myself until University. When I started out cooking meals for myself, I was horrendous. My “specialties” included “nacho rice” (white rice topped with ground beef, vegetables and cheese) and a disgusting chicken casserole made with rice, chicken and cream of broccoli soup topped with crushed Ruffles chips. I could “make” meals for myself, but I couldn’t really cook. I decided last year that since I was no longer a student, I didn’t need to eat like a student.

(Cupcake love)

Over the last few years, I have come to really appreciate food. I have come to appreciate that if you follow exact measurements, then baking will come out perfect; that poking and prodding food isn’t always the best way to cook; that some meals take a lot of time and patience; and most importantly, that simple, classic and well-seasoned dishes always reign supreme.

(The first risotto I ever made. I swear!)

I know that great chefs always taste their food while cooking, but for me, the satisfaction comes from watching the lucky recipient of my food try their first bite. I always wait in eager anticipation to watch them try my food before I have a single taste. I beam with pride from their “mmmm”-s and their “oh my god”-s and their “how did you make that?!”-s. I love bringing baked goods to work colleagues and friends and seeing their face light up when presented with a sweet treat.

Throughout University, I worked in various restaurants, but I would consider myself a purely self-taught cook. I have learned various techniques, classic dishes and recipes, but I have also learned that cooking comes with its ups and downs. No one cooks Julia Child’s “beef bourguignon” perfectly the first time or bakes a perfect cake on the first try -- or even the first few tries. A friend of mine got married a few months ago, and I wrote in their guest book, “Marriage is like baking: it takes patience, hard work and strength, but the end result is sweet, satisfying and well worth the effort :).”

(That's me cooking risotto just like Anthony Bourdain)

So why should I be the next Project Food Blog star?

- I want people to learn from blog just as I have learned from other blogs. I look to other food blog’s for inspiration, ideas and challenges and I hope others do the same for mine.

- Besides food, my other passion is writing. My blog has given me a chance to showcase my writing and experiences. I hope people learn a little bit about me, as well as the food I cook.

- That being said, you will never find a spelling mistake on my blog. I cringe when I see them on other blogs. I am a writer, so I take these things rather seriously.

- I have always dreamed of being on a reality TV show! Project Food Blog isn’t quite the same, but I love the concept so much. I am competitive, so I know I have what it takes to complete the challenges with style. I love to be challenged and pushed. In my mind, that’s the only way to learn.

- I challenge myself every month with food blogger competitions like "Hey Hey it's Donna Day," the "Food Network Cooking Club Challenge" and "The Daring Cooks." This blog has also opened amazing doors for me, like my new gig writing for the FoodNetwork.ca community blog. Check out some of my articles here and here.

- My blog is like a great meal; it’s simple, well executed, delicious and not pretentious. I can admit when I make mistakes. Some of my recipes don’t turn out and some of my techniques need work, but I strive to get better and work hard every single day.

- I am a life-long learner. I started this blog to learn how to cook, to share my experiences and to hopefully bring others along the journey. Even when Project Food Blog is over, I will still strive to create the perfect posts, take stunning pictures and develop amazing recipes. Every blog post I write and every photo I take improves upon the last.

Most of all, I feel like I’ve found my calling. I spent so much time worrying about what I want to do with my life. Now I have finally found something I am extremely passionate about. Thank you to the featured publishers, the judges and FoodBuzz for this opportunity.

To all my friends and family out there, you are definitely obligated to vote for me. To everyone else, you can also vote for me if you'd like. I know I can be a foodie superstar!

Cheers!

Indian food

2010-09-13T11:25:00.000-07:00

My Mom always makes curries, dal, butter chicken and various other Indian specialties. With our British heritage, we know a thing or two about Indian food. Although I didn't grow up in the U.K, I did grow up with my Mom's version of some Indian classics. Apparently, the United Kingdom has some of the best ethnic food in the world, so she learned well.

Now I have inherited this love for Indian culture and food. I hope to visit India in the next few years, but for now, I keep a little piece of it in my kitchen with Indian spices and seasonings.

A popular marinade for chicken is Tandoori Masala, most famously used for Tandoori Chicken. "Tandoori" is typically used for dishes that require a "tandoor oven," which is a type of clay oven used in India for cooking and baking.

Tandoori chicken is extremely easy to make, and you don't need a tandoor oven to make it authentic. Simply marinate chicken in a ziplock bag for at least 8 hours in a mix of tandoori masala (I found it at our local Bulk Barn), plain yogurt, lemon juice and garlic.
For exact measurements, refer to this recipe.

Add onions, carrots and celery to a pot and cook for a few minutes. Then, add the chicken with all of the marinade from the ziplock bag and simmer until the chicken is cooked.

Most of India is vegetarian, so they know how to make delicious -- and filling -- vegetable curries and dishes. My favourite Indian vegetarian dishes are Red Lentil dal (see previous post here) and Potato and Spinach curry.

This recipe is a great way to use up leftover veggies. Check out this solid recipe. This recipe for "Sweet potato curry with spinach and chickpeas" also sounds delicious.

This next recipe isn't quite Indian, but uses lentils for a more North American style loaf or casserole. Lentils, originally from India, are a great source of protein for vegetarians.

The loaf includes lentils, vegetables, bread crumbs, tomato paste and cheese and makes a tasty vegetarian meal served with onion gravy and a side salad. Full recipe here.

I am also super excited to make this month's Food Network Canada Cooking Club Challenge "No Butter Chicken." I have been looking for a healthy version of Butter Chicken for awhile now. I love the taste, but I don't like to use a lot of cream in cooking. The Food Network challenge version looks amazing:

No-Butter Chicken - Yield 4

Preparation time: 7 minutes
Cooking time: 20 minutes

Ingredients:

2 to 3 tablespoons grapeseed oil
1 tablespoon chopped ginger
1 cup chopped red onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon cumin seeds
1 teaspoon turmeric
pinch chili pepper flakes
1 tablespoon garam masala
1/2 teaspoon salt
freshly ground pepper
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1/4 cup plain yogurt
1 cup water

Directions:

Put a large skillet over medium-high heat and add oil. When it starts to get hot, add the ginger and onion and cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until onion is soft.
Add the tomato paste, spices and salt and pepper and cook for 2 minutes, turning the heat down to low. Add the chicken and stir well to coat it and cook for 5 to 7 minutes.
Add the brown sugar, yogurt and water, turn heat up to high and cook for 7 to 10 more minutes, till chicken breaks easily when pressed with a fork.

Challenge details here.

For more Indian recipes, check out this great resource ("72 Vegan Indian recipes") here.

A break from baking...

2010-09-12T11:14:00.000-07:00

After all that lemon talk the other day (check out my previous post), I decided to make a lemon cake for a friend's birthday.

I hadn't made or decorated a cake in awhile, so I decided to be ambitious. I made my own version of Ms. Humble's lemon marscapone cream cake.

(this was her cake)

I followed her recipe for the lemon curd filling, but I used my own recipe for buttercream icing instead of her marscapone cheese version. I used the Wilton method's buttercream icing recipe:

Wilton buttercream icing (full recipe here.)

Ingredients:
1/2 cup vegetable shortening
1/2 cup butter
1 tsp vanilla or almond extract
4 cups icing sugar
1 tbsp meringue powder
3 tbsp milk or water

Directions:
Cream shortening, butter and vanilla with hand mixer. Add milk, then sugar and beat at medium speed until light and fluffy. This recipe makes thin consistency icing, which is ideal for spreading over the cake and piping.

(This was my cake!)

I cheated a bit and used lemon cake mix from a box, but the filling and icing were all done from scratch (give me a break, geez). I divided the cake mix in two separate pans. According to Wilton, the best way to ensure the cake doesn't stick is to coat the pan with shortening, then sift some flour around so it sticks to the bottom. The cake pops out beautifully with no crumbs; it works every time.

I piped a circle of icing around the bottom tier and then filled it with the lemon curd. I stuck the top tier on and iced the edges with buttercream. I dolloped the rest of the lemon curd on top and left a few inches of space for the piping.

The daisies were made with royal icing (a whole different story) with a tad bit of lemon curd for the centre of the flower. Check out Wilton's info on royal icing daisies.

The cake was a big hit and it tasted amazing. I was really happy about how everything turned out. Thanks to my fellow cake decorating friend Sarah for helping me with the decorating!

I love baking so much, but I think I'm going to take a short break from it for a little bit. I'm going on a sort of health kick, and all this butter can't be good for the waistline. I will still be cooking a lot obviously. I try and cook healthy meals every night, but the baking is just getting too much. Now that it's just Mike and I living together, there is only really us to eat the baking, which is bad news!

I still have quite the archive of baking photos, so I will be posting them soon.

Also, stay tuned for the beginning of Project Food Blog 2010. My first post for the contest should be up this week! Check out the site for more details.

D.I.Y Sushi

2010-09-08T09:37:00.000-07:00

There is this sushi place in town we love that serves the most amazing "crispy spicy salmon" rolls. I picture heaven as being something like an all-you-can-eat sushi restaurant. There is nothing better than endless amounts of fresh, delicious and somewhat healthy food (except for the tempura).

Although I can't duplicate their famous recipe, I have been getting pretty good at making my own sushi, especially california rolls. They are simple to make, but the finesse comes with the rolling and cutting.

California Rolls

Ingredients:

1 cup sticky rice (cooked with 2 cups water)
1 tbsp. sesame oil
1 package of nori seaweed wraps
1 avocado
1 cucumber
1 package of crab (or imitation crab)

Directions:

Cook the rice in a rice maker or pot. Once the rice has cooked, add the sesame oil and put the rice in the fridge to cool for about 20 minutes. Thinly slice the avocado, cucumber and crab into long pieces.

Place a sheet of nori on the work surface. If you don't have a bamboo mat then you can also use a silicon baking mat. Spread a thin layer of rice across the whole sheet of nori. Place the vegetables and crab in a strip at about 1/3 of the way on the nori.

Roll the nori from the bottom using the mat and make sure both edges are stuck together. The roll should be quite thick.

To slice the roll, use a large chef's knife and slice slowly and carefully. You shouldn't have to smush the roll to cut it. Discard the end pieces of the roll.

Shrimp Sushi

Ingredients:

1 cup sticky rice (cooked with 2 cups water, with 1 tbsp. of sesame oil added after cooking)
1 frozen package of cooked/prepared shrimp

Directions:

Rinse the frozen shrimp and let sit in a bowl of hot water for about 15 minutes.

Roll the cooked sticky rice into a small ball. Make sure the shrimp are defrosted. Make an incision on the inside of the shrimp. Slice along the red tendon. Open up the shrimp with your fingers and place on top of the ball of sticky rice.

For crab sushi, add a piece of crab instead of shrimp to the sticky rice ball.

Serve the sushi with a sauce mix of hoison sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce and chilli powder.

For a great sushi tutorial, check out Jill Bliss' Vegetarian Sushi.