Recipes Category
Monday, July 18th, 2011
Last week, whilst waiting with friends at our place for dinner to arrive, I pulled out some hummus that I had made earlier to snack on. (If you missed the recipe, you can find it here.) Our friends seemed to really like it, and it got me thinking that I had yet to find a really good tsadziki recipe to accompany it. Up until then, my favourite yogurt-cucumber dip could be found made by the “Greek Girls” at the farmer’s market, but none of the recipes I had tried had measured up. Hmm.
Well, during the last few months of de-cluttering and downsizing, I unearthed an old cookbook from the early 80′s entitled “Greek Vegetarian Cooking”. Why not give their recipe a shot? And so… the perfect tsadziki recipe was found. I hope you enjoy it as much as I do. 
Tsadziki
- 2-3 cloves garlic, peeled and crushed
- salt and pepper (to taste)
- 2 tsp olive oil (I used extra virgin)
- 1 tbsp cider vinegar (wine vinegar would work too)
- 1 cup Greek-style yogurt (that’s the really thick stuff)
- 1 cup cucumber, coarsely grated (I used a Long English)
In a bowl combine the salt and pepper (start with 1/2 tsp each and work your way up after you’ve tried the finished product if need be) with the garlic. Smush them all together, really working the grains into the pulp. Add the oil and liquify the pulp. Mix in the vinegar. Add the yogurt and slowly mix until blended. Add the cucumber and mix well. Chill before serving. So easy, but soooo good!
Note: If you can’t find “Greek-style” yogurt, you can always try to make some thicker yogurt yourself – doing the whole straining out the excess liquid from regular, plain yogurt through a cheese-cloth covered sieve in the fridge for hours – but I’ve never had much luck with that. Also, if the cucumber is really fresh (and thus really liquidy), you can always try to absorb some of the liquid with paper towels or strain it through a strainer with a pinch of salt… but for me, this always seems like too much effort for the end result.
Anyhow. I know it’s been a while since I’ve posted, but here’s something to chew on for a bit. Hope your summer is going well, and hope to see you here again soon! =)
Tags: cucumber yogurt dip, Greek, recipe, tsadziki
Posted in Recipes | No Comments »
Monday, April 4th, 2011
Since I got back from California, I’ve been wanting to shake up my diet a bit. Now that I’m no longer restricted in what I can eat (thanks to the successful weaning of Monkeyboy Junior Jr. – woohoo!!!) and no longer needing quite as much protein, I want to get out of my comfort zone a little more often. Last week, I quickly threw together a few summery treats to brighten my week, and I thought I might share them with you (as my other creative endeavours have been somewhat lacking lately)… *sigh*
Basil and Bocconcini Bread
In a small bowl combine the zest of one lemon, some Bocconcini cut into cubes (or shredded mozzarella if that’s what you’ve got), a chopped Roma tomato (with the seeds removed), some freshly chopped basil, a splash of olive oil, and a dash of salt and pepper. Spread on some yummy bread (I used some mini wholegrain bagels) and toast under the broiler – keeping a watchful eye that they don’t burn – until nicely browned and the cheese is slightly melted. Oh, SO good!
Shrimp and Strawberry Salad
Prepare 1/4 C quinoa using stock (veg or chicken) instead of water, as per the directions on the package. Fluff with a fork and let cool. In a large bowl, mix your salad greens (I used some nice butter lettuce), pre-cooked shrimp, chopped strawberries, diced avocado, some crumbled feta (or shredded mozzarella, or something similarly mild), some almond slivers and some quinoa. Add a fruity dressing of your choice (I chose a raspberry vinaigrette), mix well and serve.
Well, it ain’t no Mona Lisa, but it’ll have to do for today.
Tags: basil, bocconcini, bread, recipes, salad, shrimp, strawberry
Posted in Recipes | No Comments »
Tuesday, March 1st, 2011
Angry Bird mittens are in the works, so I shall have to post something else today. The first thing that came to mind was something tasty that I had for lunch… hummus! I used to buy tubs of hummus in the deli section of the grocery, but I always found they were, well… lacking in good flavour? Then I tried using some dried “chick pea mix” that I found – to which I simply added water and seasonings to make a much tastier version. But then I discovered just how easy it is to make hummus from scratch, and there’s been no turning back!
Mmm, Hummus!
- 1 can chick peas (aka garbanzo beans)
- 1 tbsp tahini (sesame seed paste)
- 1-3 garlic cloves
- 1 whole lemon
- 1/4 C olive oil
- salt
- pepper
- ground cumin
- ground coriander
- 1/2 C pine nuts (optional)
Rinse and drain the can of chick peas in a sieve, then place in a food processor with a chopping blade. Spoon in 1 generous tablespoon of tahini. Add peeled garlic cloves to taste (personally, I much prefer the flavour of roasted garlic, which I keep in a little jar of olive oil in the fridge…). Take the lemon and juice it (I use one of those inexpensive orange juice dealies), then zest the rind. Add both the juice and the zest to the food processor. Drizzle in the olive oil. Add the 4 spices to taste (I’d start with 1/2 tsp of each to start and then sample and add more as you go). Pulse to mix. Scrape the edges with a spatula and then process until smooth. If you like a thicker version, serve as is, but if you like a smoother, lighter version, pour in a little bit of water as it is processing until it gets the consistency you prefer… Voila!!! Or not. If you want to try something a little different, roast some pine nuts in a dry pan over medium heat until golden, shaking often so as not to burn. Add half to the hummus and process. Sprinkle the other half over top when you are done. Serve with warm pita, corn chips, or spread in a sandwich. YUM!!! Now, wasn’t that worth it?
Tags: chick pea, garbanzo bean, hummus, recipe
Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »
Wednesday, February 23rd, 2011
On days when I have little to no energy (or have simply run out of time before dinner), I have been known to pick up one of those roast chickens from the grocery store. They are not the tastiest dinners by themselves, but they sure do make tacos or pot pie or a hearty soup in a hurry. Of course, when I do have the time and energy, I would much prefer to roast my own chicken for a meal – and they always turn out juicy, savory, and oh so delicious. Here are the simple “how to”s…
Roast Chicken
- 1 whole roasting chicken (organic/free range if you can muster)
- 1 lemon
- fresh herbs (rosemary, sage, thyme) *you can often pick up a package of “poultry blend” herbs at the grocery
- salt, pepper
- olive oil
Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Place the chicken in an ovenproof casserole dish and pat it dry. Gently separate the skin from the breast meat, making sure that it stays attached at the sides, but open at the end so that you can slip ingredients between the skin and the meat. Sprinkle salt and pepper into these pockets. Put sprigs of your fresh herbs into these pockets. Then, drizzle a little bit of olive oil into these pockets. Next, make 2-3 diagonal cuts into the thickest parts of the drumsticks. Drizzle a little bit more olive oil over the surface of the chicken and rub it all over the skin. Sprinkle salt and pepper all over the skin. Finally, cut the lemon into halves or quarters and stuff them into the cavity of the bird. Bake with herb pockets on top for approximately 1 hour – until internal temperature of breast meat reaches 165 degrees F (the legs have been slashed so that they will be ready when the rest of the bird is done). Enjoy!
Tags: recipe, roast chicken
Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »
Thursday, February 10th, 2011
So, my son came home the other day asking if we could make Valentine’s cookies for his teacher (he has a bit of a crush on her I think). When I reminded him that we weren’t supposed to send shared food to school anymore because of allergies, he promptly informed me that this didn’t apply to the teachers…and that in fact bringing them food was strongly encouraged. And so, with raised eyebrows I agreed – mostly because I could see by his pleading look that this was really important to him.
Of course, when he handed me a written out list of HER allergies (including dairy – i.e. butter – and eggs!!!) my enthusiasm wavered. Is it just me or does this all seem a little ballsy of her? Hmm. Anyhow. I’d already agreed, so I decided that we’d whip up a batch of the “raw” cookies that I “discovered” a Christmas ago when I was invited to a cookie exchange, but couldn’t have dairy or eggs either. I figure we’ll send a couple off to school, and then I can enjoy the rest, so everybody wins. Here’s what they looked like in 2009 – I had made three different kinds (Cocoa Cranberry, Chai Spice, and Basic Pecan-Fig) and yes, they were all very delicious.
I asked my son to choose one to make, and he decided on the Cocoa Cranberry ones. So, I thought for today we’d share the recipe with you. Even if you’re not on a dairy/eggs restricted diet, they are a wonderful (and healthier) little treat and I highly encourage you to try them!
Cocoa Cranberry Cookies
- 3/4 C cashews (unsalted, raw if possible)
- 1 tbsp (heaping) cocoa powder
- 1 C raisins
- 1 tbsp agave syrup (or maple syrup)
- 1/2 C dried cranberries
- 1/2 C dried, shredded coconut
- water as needed
Soak the cashews in water for an hour and drain. Put cashews, raisins, and cocoa powder into a food processor and blend until fine. (I have tried this with Fry’s Cocoa, and it’s not nearly as yummy as if you go to the health food store and get some really nice organic cocoa, like Green & Black’s). Drizzle in the agave syrup (and perhaps some water) until the mixture gets sticky and clumps together. Put it into a bowl and mix in the cranberries by hand. Then, with slightly moistened hands, shape spoon fulls of the mixture into balls, or flatten these into discs, and then cover in the shredded coconut. Makes 10-12 ping-pong-ball-ish sized treats, no cooking required. Store in the refrigerator. Enjoy!
We made the Valentine’s ones a little larger than normal so we could sculpt them into hearts. Or rather, so that *I* could sculpt them, as Monkeyboy Junior was not at all a fan of how sticky the mix was to work with. I’ll package one or two nicely for his teacher (with the ingredients listed) and hope that she enjoys them as much as I do. He’d better be getting some good grades is all I’m sayin’… The other raw cookie recipes are very similar – nuts + sticky dried fruit + seasonings, and if you’re interested in getting the recipe for them, let me know. Mmm. I can hardly wait for dessert.
Tags: allergies, cashews, cocoa, coconut, cookies, cranberry, dairy-free, delicious, egg-free, raisins, raw, recipe
Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »
Friday, December 3rd, 2010
It’s coming on the weekend again, and there’s nothing I like more on a wintery Sunday than to throw a big pot of chili together in the morning, to be enjoyed that evening and for meals here and there throughout the week. I’m not eating beef right now, but I’m sure this recipe would work well with it, or without any meat at all. Again, it’s a very “flexible” kind of creation, so play and have fun and cook to your tastes. Enjoy!
Crock Pot Chili
- 1/2-1 C chopped onion
- 2-4 garlic cloves (chopped or crushed)
- 1-2 tbsp vegetable oil
- about 500 grams (about 1 pound) of ground turkey
- salt + pepper (1/2 – 1 tsp each)
- 1 can chick peas, rinsed
- 1 can beans (black/kidney/mixed), rinsed
- 1 can diced tomatoes
- 1 can tomato sauce
- 1 red/orange/yellow bell pepper, chopped
- 1ish C chopped zucchini
- 1ish C frozen corn
- 3-6 tbsp chili powder
- 1 tbsp dried oregano
- 1 tsp cinnamon
Saute the chopped onion in the oil over medium heat until the onion becomes soft and a bit translucent. Add the garlic and cook 30 seconds more. Push the onion and garlic off to the sides of your pan and add the turkey, salt, and pepper. Brown the turkey – and I mean brown it, don’t just cook it – breaking it up as you go. Put all of this into your crock pot, making sure to scrape in all the browned bits too. Add all of the rest of the ingredients (yes, even the cinnamon – trust me!) and stir to mix. Put the crock pot on high until it starts to boil, then either a) keep it on high for another 3-4 hours, or b) turn it to low and cook for 6-8 hours, depending on your timing. About 15 minutes before serving, give it a taste and add some more spices if you wish (the best is always a combo of simmered, mellow spice and punchy fresh). When it’s time to eat, serve on rice… or with cornbread… or garlic toast. Mmm, good!
Tags: chili, crock pot, flexible creation, recipe
Posted in Recipes | No Comments »
Friday, November 12th, 2010
Over the years, I’ve had the pleasure of meeting people from all walks of life. Some of them (if you’ll pardon the sweeping generalization here – especially the “wealthier” ones) are very good at making use of what they have. This is something that I have really come to admire, especially when faced with the every-day habits our horrendously wasteful throw-away society. Maybe it’s the “save the planet” green girl in me, (or maybe it’s just the thrifty penny-pincher), but I really strive to live by the whole reduce-reuse-recycle motto (failures due to sleepless nights notwithstanding).
Anyhow. Even though my office and basement can get rather, um… chaotic at times, with all the stuff I hang on to “because it might come in handy some day”, I love that I can whip up a costume/prop or come up with a “quick fix” for something broken or begin a completely new art project without ever having to leave the house. Now, before I get completely off track here, the point of all of this is bananas. Yes, that’s right, bananas. This post is supposed to be about my favourite uses for overripe bananas, because chances are you are going to have them from time to time, so let’s get to it.
3. Peel, mash together with two big spoons of peanut butter (or other nut butter), and spread on toast.
2. Peel, halve, bag, and toss into the freezer. When frozen, use one (with berries, juice, almond milk, whatever) to concoct a delicious and nutritiously thick smoothie.
1. Banana bread! Again, I generally use formerly frozen bananas for this. Soooo good, I thought I’d share the recipe.
Banana Bread
- 3 medium bananas, thawed and mashed
- 1 egg
- 1/3 cup white sugar
- 1/3 cup brown sugar
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil or canola oil
- the zest from one lemon (save juice for something else)
- 1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour (or a mix of it and whole wheat)
- 1 1/2 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
- 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon and grated nutmeg, each
- dash of salt
- 1/2 to 1 cup chopped pecans and/or chocolate chips (optional, totals 1 cup max – to your taste)
Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Lightly grease a loaf pan (8″x4″x4″ ish) by putting some oil on a paper towel and coating. Set aside. In one bowl, mix your “wet” ingredients – your mashed bananas, oil, egg, sugars, and lemon peel. In a second bowl, mix your “dry” ingredients – flour, baking powder, baking soda, spices. Make a well in the center. Pour the wet into the dry and fold until just barely combined. Fold in your nuts and/or chips if desired. Pour into the loaf pan and bake for 55 minutes or so. Cool on a wire rack for about 15 minutes, loosen the sides with a knife, and then gently tip it out of the pan. Cool further on the wire rack. I like mine best warm and toasty with melted margarine… mmm.
So. Don’t be afraid to buy more bananas than you think you’ll be able to eat. This amazing source of potassium (as well as a good source of vitamins C and B6, manganese, and dietary fiber) can be used in a multitude of ways even when they are past their “prime”. Oh, dear. Now I’m starting to wonder when I will be “past my prime”, if I’m not already. Hmm. Better go distract myself with some banana bread.
Tags: "green", banana bread, bananas, frozen, loaf, overripe, past their prime, recipe, recycle, reduce, reuse, smoothie, thawed, throw-away society, toast, wasteful
Posted in Musings, Recipes | 2 Comments »
Tuesday, October 26th, 2010
I’ve always been more of an “artistic” cook than a “scientific” one. When it comes to recipes, I favour those which I can adapt to the ingredients I have on hand and my own taste for flavours rather than those which require steadfast rule-following in order to turn out. Naturally, this results in the occasional how-shall-we-say… dud dish? But for the most part, it makes the daily task of making meals way less stressful, and more like an act of creation than of re-creation.
Tonight, I dusted off an old “recipe” that we hadn’t had in a while, one that I named “Chicken Epiphany” on a whim when my friend Leanne asked for me to share it. I remember flipping through a culinary magazine at a doctor’s office years ago and finding a very complicated recipe for an Indian-inspired dish. I memorized the ingredient list and then tried out a much simplified variation of it at home. It was a great success, so I thought I might share it with you here, as once again I am miserably sleep-deprived and it’s either this or nothing for a post today. I’ll try to include some actual measurements for the more “scientific” of you chefs.
Chicken Epiphany – a blend of sweet-salty-spicy served on Basmati.
Chicken Epiphany
- 1-ish tbsp. oil (canola or vegetable or even olive is fine)
- chopped onion or leek (enough for about 1/2 – 1 cup, depending on your taste)
- 2 cloves crushed garlic (or more/less, to your taste)
- 2-3 chicken breasts, chopped into bite-sized cubes
- salt and pepper (~1/2 tsp. each, or to taste)
- 1-ish cup shredded carrot (I use the large holes on my box grater)
- 1-ish cup shredded zucchini (see above)
- 1 cup strong apple cider (add two pkgs. of mix to 1 cup of boiling water OR use 2 cups fresh apple cider, but reduce it – i.e. boil it down – by half ahead of time OR use 2 cups reduced apple juice and add 1/2 tsp. each of ground clove, cinnamon, and ginger OR use 1/2 cup frozen apple juice concentrate + 1/2 cup water + spices… see what I mean about adapting to what you have on hand?)
- 1-ish cup raisins
- 1-ish cup shelled pistachios
- 1 spoon (you choose the size, to your taste) spicy garlic paste – I’ve used both “Kashmiri Masala” and “Tandoori Curry” with success… If you haven’t got anything on hand like this on hand, you’ll have to check out the Indian section of your market
Put some rice on to cook – I like to use Basmati for this, but I’m sure anything you have on hand will work. Mix the garlic paste/curry into the hot apple cider, add the raisins, and set aside. In a big skillet, warm oil over medium heat. Add the chopped onion/leek and saute until softened. Add crushed garlic and cook for half a minute more. Push off to the sides of the pan and add the chicken. Cook until no longer pink inside and starting to turn golden all over. Mix the chicken with the onion/leek and garlic in the pan, and add the salt, pepper, shredded carrot, and shredded zuchini and stir. Mix in the apple cider-curry-raisins and let cook until the liquid is nearly gone, stirring every so often. Mix in the pistachios. Serve over rice.
Voila. Complicated flavours without a complicated recipe. I can hardly wait for left-overs tomorrow!
Tags: apple cider, carrot, chicken, curry, pistachios, raisin, recipe, rice, salty, spicy, spicy garlic paste, sweet, zucchini
Posted in Recipes | No Comments »
Monday, September 6th, 2010
In an effort to avoid labouring too much on Labour Day, I thought I’d post a quick recipe today. My sweet friend Kim brought over some scones last month, and being the truly amazing person that she is, she made them dairy-free so that my refluxy baby wouldn’t be adversely affected by them. Personally, I enjoyed them much more than regular scones, and will likely be using this recipe here on in. I believe that goodness like that absolutely needs to be shared! So, here you go.
Scrumptious Scones
Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Lightly grease a cookie sheet and set aside. In a large mixing bowl combine:
- 2 C flour (all purpose, or a mix of that and whole wheat)
- 3 tsp baking powder
- 2 tsp brown sugar (I used more b/c the orange was really sour)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- the zest from one orange
- optional: 1/2 C sliced almonds and 1/2 C white chocolate chips
You will also need:
- 1/4 C vegetable shortening (I used margarine)
- 1 beaten egg
- the juice from 1 orange + enough water to equal 3/4 C
- 1 C blueberries
Cut-in the fat until it resembles pea-sized chunks. Add the OJ + H2O and beaten egg and stir until just mixed. Fold in the blueberries (and almonds and chips if you are so inclined). Drop large spoonfuls onto the greased cookie sheet (and top with some extra almonds if desired) and bake for 10-12 minutes, until the tops are turning golden brown. Cool on a wire rack before storing.
SOOOO DELICIOUS!!!
Thanks, Kim! You are a kitchen Goddess!!!
Tags: almonds, blueberries, dairy-free, delicious, easy, kitchen Goddess, recipe, scones, scrumptious, white chocolate
Posted in Recipes | 2 Comments »
Thursday, July 29th, 2010
Okay. Yesterday I started refurbishing our garden swing. I had gotten a new roof constructed when, naturally, the baby woke up and my time was up. So today, I aim to finish the job. Here we go, now.
Step 2 – fixing the seat. As I was trying to figure out how to attach a new cover to the seating, I noticed that the current fabric-cushion combo is actually detaching from the frame – it is quite literally coming apart at the seams. So, I had two choices. The easiest was to use a seat from another set. See, we inherited a second swing last summer, but it was missing an important joist and to use it, I would have had to jury rig a new one (plus another way to keep the roof from flipping up in the wind). But the seat was still good – plump detachable cushions and a sturdy frame – so I dug it out and put it on the old frame … with a little effort.
The attaching hooks are different for each swing, so I had to double-hook the inherited seat on the old frame to make it work. The result is that the swing is lower and wobblier. Hmm. Plus, the colours of the metals don’t match. Not the best solution. So, on to plan B – removing the fabric (which has attached cushions) from the old frame, replacing it with just canvas, but adding Velcro tabs so we can use the plump cushions that we inherited on it. Of course, this required a dismantling of the seat frame to get the new fabric back on, but I think it will be worth it in the long run.
Step 3 – recovering the cushions to match the roof. Just a matter of making a few pillowcases, really. Except I’ve just added zippered closures so the covers can be removed and laundered if the need arises, and some Velcro tabs to keep them from slipping. And voila – the refurbished swing is done!
Not only did I save money by not having to buy a replacement swing, but I kept some useful stuff out of the landfill AND made the swing better than it was in the first place. The cushions are comfier and the roof and cushion covers are removable, so I can bring them in for protection when winter comes. It may not have been the most artfully creative project I’ve blogged about, but I’m sure glad I did it. Besides, it will give me a wonderful place to ponder new projects. Like whether or not I should refurbish the other swing and try to sell it. Hmm. Anyhow. Time to enjoy an ice cold glass of sun tea as I swing in some newly made shade.
Awesome Sun Tea I found this old Martha Stewart recipe years ago – nowadays, she’s promoting fancy loose herbal teas, but I like the old way just fine. Fill a clear jug with cold water. Add one tea bag per cup of water, mixing the varieties (I have a 12 cup glass jug, so I put in a dozen different tea bags – mostly herbal, but a few not). Cover and let steep in the sun for about 4-6ish hours. Take inside, add sugar to taste (I put in about 1/2 cup of raw cane sugar) and the juice from a freshly squeezed lemon. Mix well and put in the fridge to cool down. Serve over ice and garnish with mint or lemon slices or whatever. Mmm. Summer in a glass!
Tags: canvas, garden swing, refurbish, removable covers, sun tea recipe, Velcro
Posted in Crafty, Recipes | No Comments »
