Hitting the streets tonight with this recipe. Keep your eyes open!!
September Squash Soup
Cut one butternut squash in half and remove the seeds with a spoon. Drizzle with olive oil and season with salt, pepper, and cumin. Place face down on a baking sheet and bake at 350˚F until soft when pierced with a fork, about 20 minutes. Set aside to cool.
In a large stockpot on medium high heat, with a bit of oil, sauté finely chopped onions, garlic, ginger and chili pepper. Season with salt, pepper and a teaspoon of curry powder. Next, add finely chopped carrots and celery. Cook this for five minutes, or until vegetables soften up a bit. Scoop out the squash from the skin and add to the vegetables, cooking for about one minute. Add 4 cups of stock (chicken or vegetable), bring to a boil and then reduce heat to medium low and simmer for twenty minutes.
Blend soup with a hand-held mixer, blender or food processor until smooth.
Return to stockpot, adjust seasonings to suit your fancy and stir in chopped flat-leaf parsley.
Voila, perfect squash soup!
Try it, love it, learn it and share it.
Sunday, September 19, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Friday Night Snack ( Golden Delicious Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies)
This peanut butter cookie recipe is dangerous. They turn out with just the right crunch to chew ratio, golden brown delicious and you won't be able to stop yourself from becoming an uncontrollable cookie eater.
I'm just warning you.
Golden Delicious Peanut Butter Crunch Cookies:
Sift together 1 1/4 cups all purpose flour, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 teaspoon baking powder.
In a separate bowl, beat together 1/2 cup butter, 1/2 granulated sugar, and 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed, and 1/2 cup crunchy peanut butter, until it's smooth, fluffy and pale in colour. Mix one egg with 1/2 teaspoon vanilla with a fork and then add to the peanut butter sugar mixture.
Add the dry into the wet ingredients and stir to combine.
Roll into small (one teaspoon) balls with the palms of your hands and place on a greased cookie sheet. Use a fork to make lines on the top of the cookies if you feel like being fancy. Bake at 375˚ for 10 minutes.
You won't regret the decision to make these cookies...Made my Friday night a whole lot sweeter.
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
The Morning Bird
Roasted a chicken this morning while it was still morning crisp outside...
My apartment smelled like heaven.
I brined the chicken last night (covered it in a stockpot with about 1/2 cup salt dissolved in enough water to cover the bird) which is something I've never tried before. Let me tell you - it paid off. This might have been the juiciest bird I've ever roasted.
Roasting a chicken is easy:
I poured the brine off, patted it dry, rubbed it down with butter, under the skin and all over, and then generously seasoned the bird with salt and pepper. I drizzled it with olive oil, put it in one of my stainless steel pans and into an oven at 400˚. I cooked it for about half an hour and then turned the heat down to 350˚. I took it out when it was golden crispy, and the juices ran clear when pierced with a knife in the thigh, about two hours.
I ripped the meat hot off the bird, crispy and juicy and perfect. One of my favourite things in the world is ripping hot chicken off the bone, straight out of the oven, when the skin burns your tongue but it's too good to stop!!
Sorry to my vegetarian friends. I felt like an animal writing that, but it's best I'm honest with all of you. I love roasting chickens for that reason the most.
I ate it with refried beans, a tomato salad, with cilantro, lime juice, garlic, olive oil and salt, with crusty french bread on the side.
It was super. Really, really super.
I got challenged to a chicken cook off today by my friend Christine. Location and time to be determined. After this chicken...I'm feeling pretty confident.
Saturday, September 11, 2010
The creamiest, most delicious, breakfast rice.
I got a care package in the mail yesterday from my sweet mom, and it had all the ingredients plus this recipe for sweet, breakfast rice. I made it this morning and was blown away at how delicious, satisfying and lovely this meal was!
Put 1 cup of organic sweet brown rice (do not compromise on the rice - it must be sweet rice, not white, but brown and organic - Lundberg) in enough water to cover generously overnight in the fridge. You can skip this step if you forget but the rice will take a little longer to cook.
In the morning, drain the rice and put in a pot with a heavy bottom and add about 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, and turn down to low but softly bubbling. Cover with a lid and cook for about 45 minutes to one hour.
You can stir this rice as you don't want it to stick to the bottom of the pot but not for the first half hour. If you notice the rice getting dry you can add more water. Towards the end of the cooking time, you can add some raisins, dried cranberries, cherries or chopped dates.
The rice will start to get very creamy. When it is done turn the heat off and let it sit for about 5 minutes. You can add more water at this stage to keep it the consistency you like.
Put in a bowl over sliced bananas and strawberries, top with some chopped, roasted hazelnuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts, a bit of maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar and some soy, rice or dairy milk.
Chew slowly. If you have leftovers and want to reheat, just add more water. You can also put the whole thing - rice, dried fruit, nuts, milk, in the fridge for rice pudding. Make sure there is enough liquid - the rice soaks it up.
Serves 4.
It was INCREDIBLE! I mmmmmm'ed my way through the whole bowl.
Put 1 cup of organic sweet brown rice (do not compromise on the rice - it must be sweet rice, not white, but brown and organic - Lundberg) in enough water to cover generously overnight in the fridge. You can skip this step if you forget but the rice will take a little longer to cook.
In the morning, drain the rice and put in a pot with a heavy bottom and add about 2 1/2 cups water. Bring to a boil, and turn down to low but softly bubbling. Cover with a lid and cook for about 45 minutes to one hour.
You can stir this rice as you don't want it to stick to the bottom of the pot but not for the first half hour. If you notice the rice getting dry you can add more water. Towards the end of the cooking time, you can add some raisins, dried cranberries, cherries or chopped dates.
The rice will start to get very creamy. When it is done turn the heat off and let it sit for about 5 minutes. You can add more water at this stage to keep it the consistency you like.
Put in a bowl over sliced bananas and strawberries, top with some chopped, roasted hazelnuts, almonds, pecans or walnuts, a bit of maple syrup, honey, or agave nectar and some soy, rice or dairy milk.
Chew slowly. If you have leftovers and want to reheat, just add more water. You can also put the whole thing - rice, dried fruit, nuts, milk, in the fridge for rice pudding. Make sure there is enough liquid - the rice soaks it up.
Serves 4.
It was INCREDIBLE! I mmmmmm'ed my way through the whole bowl.
Thursday, September 9, 2010
Thursday Night Burgers and Slaw
I got inspired to make nice, juicy, fat hamburgers tonight. Jamie Oliver's recipe in his cook book Jamie's Dinners is fabulous, and I more or less followed his lead. He is, after all, an expert.
I took two pounds of extra lean ground beef and mixed in with my hands one minced yellow onion, 4 minced cloves of garlic, a good lug of olive oil, a whisked egg, one cup of bread crumbs (I just used the butt end of a loaf of bread and whizzed it in my magic bullet) (store bought ones are fine too) a big spoonful of dijon mustard, a pinch of cumin and a generous seasoning of salt and pepper. After everything was combined, I shaped them into six burgers and put them in the fridge for about half an hour.
While the meat was chilling, I finely sliced up red cabbage, radishes, carrots and green onions. I mixed them in a bowl and then made a tasty dressing that my dear friend Kimi taught me how to make:
It's all done by taste, so play around with it and find out what ratios of what work best for your palette. In a jar with a lid, combine some tahini, miso, grated garlic and ginger, olive oil, apple cider vinegar, lemon juice and a bit of warm water. Shake it up until smooth and creamy, adjusting to taste.
Pour this over the slaw and mix until coated evenly.
Take the burgers out of the fridge and cook them however you'd like. If I had a barbeque, I would grill them up on that, but they would be lovely fried in a pan with a little oil until cooked through, about 8-10 minutes, depending on how thick they are. Drape a few slices of cheese over the burgers in the last few minutes of cooking so it melts all nice and lovely.
Serve on crusty kaiser rolls, ciabata buns or brioche, with lots of mayo, mustard and ketchup, big, juicy slices of ripe tomato and crunchy lettuce, perfect slaw on the side!
A glass of cold, bubbly gingerale goes quite nicely with this meal..
Sunday, September 5, 2010
Sunday afternoon treats
I woke up with banana bread and peanut butter cookies on my mind. So, I made a hybrid.
I used the old recipe from my eldest sister's first boyfriend's grandmother for perfect banana bread. It's a family classic and something that all of us hold dear. I have memories of peaking under a tea towel in my Mother's kitchen at the perfect golden loaves, resting until they were cool enough to eat, the whole house filled with the warm aroma of baked bananas and the sweetness of bread.
Here it is:
1/2 cup butter mixed with 1 cup sugar (I like half golden brown and half white) until smooth and fluffy. Add two eggs and 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter and mix until ultra smooth. Add 3-4 mashed, ripe bananas and completely mix in.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 3/4 c all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt, in that order.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until all the flour is combined.
Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 325˚ for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Wait about 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven to cut it, or your slices won't be lovely and sharp and crisp.
I like it with a nice pad of butter smeared on it and a hot cup of orange pekoe tea. That's my kind of Sunday treat.
I used the old recipe from my eldest sister's first boyfriend's grandmother for perfect banana bread. It's a family classic and something that all of us hold dear. I have memories of peaking under a tea towel in my Mother's kitchen at the perfect golden loaves, resting until they were cool enough to eat, the whole house filled with the warm aroma of baked bananas and the sweetness of bread.
Here it is:
1/2 cup butter mixed with 1 cup sugar (I like half golden brown and half white) until smooth and fluffy. Add two eggs and 1/4 cup crunchy peanut butter and mix until ultra smooth. Add 3-4 mashed, ripe bananas and completely mix in.
In a separate bowl, mix 1 3/4 c all purpose flour, 1 tsp baking powder, 1 tsp baking soda and 1/2 tsp salt, in that order.
Mix the dry ingredients into the wet and stir until all the flour is combined.
Pour into a greased loaf pan and bake at 325˚ for 55 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean.
Wait about 15 minutes after you take it out of the oven to cut it, or your slices won't be lovely and sharp and crisp.
I like it with a nice pad of butter smeared on it and a hot cup of orange pekoe tea. That's my kind of Sunday treat.
Today tasted nice
I ate beautiful things today: Things that made me 'mmmmmm' out loud.
For breakfast I made fancy oatmeal. The oatmeal itself was basic: 1/3 c quick oats, 2/3 c water, a pinch of salt and a couple shakes of cinnamon, bring to a boil, reduce and stir for 2 minutes. The fancy happened when I sliced up a banana and fried it in a bit of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. I spooned those piping hot bananas into a deep bowl and topped them with the steaming hot oatmeal. Then I poured over some warm milk, chopped roasted almonds and brown sugar.
It pretty much tasted exactly how Saturday mornings should taste.
Then tonight I got creative with my left overs. I roasted a beautiful chicken the other night and I still had a bunch of the nice meat left over, so I decided to make shredded chicken tacos with refried beans and guacamole.
I chopped up a white onion, three cloves of garlic, half a jalepeño pepper, and a large tomato, all into a fine dice. I heated up a saucepan on medium heat, added a bit of oil when the pot was hot and added the onions, garlic and peppers, seasoning with salt and pepper. After a couple minutes when the onions had softened, I added a generous pinch of ground cumin and the tomatoes. I cooked that for another couple minutes and then added a can of pinto beans, including the liquid. I brought the mixture to a boil, reduced the heat and cooked for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Then I mashed the beans up with a fork until almost smooth, leaving a bit of texture in them.
For the chicken, I sliced some onions, peppers and mushrooms, and minced up a clove of garlic and a small red chili. I added the onions to a hot, oiled pan and cooked until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Next came the mushrooms and some salt and a minute later the peppers. Then I added a chopped tomato and about a cup of shredded, cooked chicken. I seasoned it with cumin, chili powder, and a bit of pepper. I sauteed this chicken combination for about 10 minutes, until the chicken was crunchy and golden.
Quick guacamole with ripe, smashed avocado, crushed garlic, lime juice and salt.
I made one hard and one soft, layering the beans, then the chicken and then the guacamole, topped with a crisp cilantro garnish.
One word: yum.
Actually, two words: Try it!
For breakfast I made fancy oatmeal. The oatmeal itself was basic: 1/3 c quick oats, 2/3 c water, a pinch of salt and a couple shakes of cinnamon, bring to a boil, reduce and stir for 2 minutes. The fancy happened when I sliced up a banana and fried it in a bit of butter, brown sugar, and cinnamon. I spooned those piping hot bananas into a deep bowl and topped them with the steaming hot oatmeal. Then I poured over some warm milk, chopped roasted almonds and brown sugar.
It pretty much tasted exactly how Saturday mornings should taste.
Then tonight I got creative with my left overs. I roasted a beautiful chicken the other night and I still had a bunch of the nice meat left over, so I decided to make shredded chicken tacos with refried beans and guacamole.
I chopped up a white onion, three cloves of garlic, half a jalepeño pepper, and a large tomato, all into a fine dice. I heated up a saucepan on medium heat, added a bit of oil when the pot was hot and added the onions, garlic and peppers, seasoning with salt and pepper. After a couple minutes when the onions had softened, I added a generous pinch of ground cumin and the tomatoes. I cooked that for another couple minutes and then added a can of pinto beans, including the liquid. I brought the mixture to a boil, reduced the heat and cooked for about 10 minutes, stirring often. Then I mashed the beans up with a fork until almost smooth, leaving a bit of texture in them.
For the chicken, I sliced some onions, peppers and mushrooms, and minced up a clove of garlic and a small red chili. I added the onions to a hot, oiled pan and cooked until soft and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Next came the mushrooms and some salt and a minute later the peppers. Then I added a chopped tomato and about a cup of shredded, cooked chicken. I seasoned it with cumin, chili powder, and a bit of pepper. I sauteed this chicken combination for about 10 minutes, until the chicken was crunchy and golden.
Quick guacamole with ripe, smashed avocado, crushed garlic, lime juice and salt.
I made one hard and one soft, layering the beans, then the chicken and then the guacamole, topped with a crisp cilantro garnish.
One word: yum.
Actually, two words: Try it!
Friday, September 3, 2010
Have you eaten a peach lately?
It's almost the end of the summer, and I hope all of you are indulging in the last of the juicy peach crop. The peaches are so round and ripe and swollen at this time of year that it is guarenteed to result in juice running down your chin and arms if you pick the right rosey coloured stonefruit.
I just had one. Biting into it for the first time gave me goosebumps.
Do it, go get a peach. Slice it down the middle and pick the pit out. Step your body away from your hand and bite in. Slurp accordingly.
<3
I just had one. Biting into it for the first time gave me goosebumps.
Do it, go get a peach. Slice it down the middle and pick the pit out. Step your body away from your hand and bite in. Slurp accordingly.
<3
Guerilla recipe posting number 2: success
I hit the streets with a recipe for spectacular stir fry tonight. I started at city hall and posted my way down Cambie street, sharing the love of tasty noodle bowls with the world around me.Look for posters coming to your neighbourhood soon! Try this one out - tell me what you think of it!
Mix fresh chilies, soy sauce, fish sauce, minced onion, garlic and ginger, canola oil, sugar, salt, basil leaves and a bit of cornstarch together in a bowl.
Heat a wok or large pan on high; add some oil to the pan and then the sauce paste. Fry for 30 seconds.
Add thinly sliced chicken, pork, beef or tofu. Fry 3 minutes until partially cooked.
Add sliced mushrooms, fry until soft. Add sliced green onions and savoy cabbage. Fry one minute. Add baby bok choy, separated and sliced. Cook one minute.
Add fresh torn basil leaves and stir to coat with sauce.
Serve it up on top of rice noodles splashed with rice vinegar and sesame oil. Top with a squeeze of lime juice, crunchy bean sprouts and fresh cilantro.
Tuck in and enjoy a feast.
Mix fresh chilies, soy sauce, fish sauce, minced onion, garlic and ginger, canola oil, sugar, salt, basil leaves and a bit of cornstarch together in a bowl.
Heat a wok or large pan on high; add some oil to the pan and then the sauce paste. Fry for 30 seconds.
Add thinly sliced chicken, pork, beef or tofu. Fry 3 minutes until partially cooked.
Add sliced mushrooms, fry until soft. Add sliced green onions and savoy cabbage. Fry one minute. Add baby bok choy, separated and sliced. Cook one minute.
Add fresh torn basil leaves and stir to coat with sauce.
Serve it up on top of rice noodles splashed with rice vinegar and sesame oil. Top with a squeeze of lime juice, crunchy bean sprouts and fresh cilantro.
Tuck in and enjoy a feast.
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