Started blog. Made lots of food. Reviewed recipes for try again-worthiness. Here's the line-up of good recipes:
September 1st: perfect roast chicken
September 3rd: lime-marinated steak with zucchini
September 4th: miso soup and salad rolls
Pickles (especially asparagus)
September 6th: almond butter cookies and oven-roasted tomato sauce
September 9th: Caesars, and ... potentially ... wings
September 10th: mushrooms
September 11th: banana pancakes, roasted beets, chocolate chip cookies
September 12th: salmon fettuccine and oatmeal-raisin cookies
September 13th: grilled steak and potatoes, carrots
September 14th: chicken + sweet potatoes, zucchini + goat cheese + pine nuts
September 15th: curried burgers, peach salsa, smashed potatoes
September 18th: tartar sauce
September 19th: potato cake and roasted vegetable salad
September 20th: orange-balsamic salmon, balsamic tomato salad, chocolate cake
September 23rd: coconut-curry (peanut!) sauce
September 26th: plum chutney, Mexican chicken soup, applesauce
September 27th: pork chops with leeks in mustard sauce
September 28th: chicken & noodles
September 29th: chicken pot pie
Jeepers, that's a lot of try agains or keepers. I might as well plan September 2011's menu now, based on the above! But no, right now I am looking ahead to October 2010: lots of soups, pizzas and pastas on the menu. Mm mm. :)
September 30, 2010
September 30th: Spinach and Cheese Pasta
Verdict:
Toss: pasta and greens
Tonight's meal was a quick and easy vegetarian dish from September 2010's Today's Parent: Pasta with Fresh Greens. It was just okay. The leftovers were saved for tomorrow, but the recipe goes to the recycling. Ah well.
Toss: pasta and greens
Tonight's meal was a quick and easy vegetarian dish from September 2010's Today's Parent: Pasta with Fresh Greens. It was just okay. The leftovers were saved for tomorrow, but the recipe goes to the recycling. Ah well.
September 29, 2010
September 29th: chicken pot pie
Verdict:
Try Again: chicken pot pie
A few years ago, there was a chicken pot pie recipe in the Ottawa Citizen which came from a local restaurant. I tried it once, we all fell in love with it, and now I make it a few times a year. The filling is made by poaching bone-in chicken in water, then using the same water to cook vegetables, then the same water again (by now, a lovely broth) to make the roux. The crowning touch is the puff pastry crust. It is rich, filling, delicious.
Thus, when the February 2010 Chatelaine had a recipe for a puff pastry-topped chicken pot pie, my first thought was to pass it over entirely. We already have an amazing keeper recipe; why try something new? But something new is what I do. Eventually, the recipe (which I pulled out of the magazine even though I didn't think I would make it) wore me down, and tonight I committed and finally made it: Tuscan-style chicken pot pie. (There is also a video you can watch.)
(Side note here and now: unless you are crazy like me, do not attempt to make any pot pie on a weeknight. This is a time-consuming project, even with a cheater crust.)
I had a few doubts about some of the ingredients the recipe called for (namely, fennel bulb and artichoke hearts). Sure enough, those are not for me. The rest of the filling was good though, with a tasty roux. Oh, and huge: this pot pie yields 6 hearty servings. Yay for lunch tomorrow--for all of us! I was most intrigued by the crust, which calls for cutting half a frozen puff pastry in half, rolling out both halves, and then sandwiching them with a Parmesan-rosemary layer. With rosemary still thriving in my garden, how could I pass this by? I'm undecided on the crust so far--much denser than a normal puff pastry. Olivia loved it, requesting, "more pancake."
Greg gave it the thumbs down (in comparison to our already keeper recipe). I, however, plan to keep it, tweak it, and see if I can improve it. For starters, I'll likely use chicken thighs next time rather than breasts, as I find darker meat tastier in this sort of a dish, and it holds up better to extended cooking. I'll sub in a few other veggies for the above-mentioned rejections, and we'll see how version two turns out!
(For those who don't know how I operate, version two may not take place for months or years to come. It most likely will happen eventually though, as I am a sucker for puff pastry. No more than once a month! It's dreadfully unhealthy stuff. So good.)
Try Again: chicken pot pie
A few years ago, there was a chicken pot pie recipe in the Ottawa Citizen which came from a local restaurant. I tried it once, we all fell in love with it, and now I make it a few times a year. The filling is made by poaching bone-in chicken in water, then using the same water to cook vegetables, then the same water again (by now, a lovely broth) to make the roux. The crowning touch is the puff pastry crust. It is rich, filling, delicious.
Thus, when the February 2010 Chatelaine had a recipe for a puff pastry-topped chicken pot pie, my first thought was to pass it over entirely. We already have an amazing keeper recipe; why try something new? But something new is what I do. Eventually, the recipe (which I pulled out of the magazine even though I didn't think I would make it) wore me down, and tonight I committed and finally made it: Tuscan-style chicken pot pie. (There is also a video you can watch.)
(Side note here and now: unless you are crazy like me, do not attempt to make any pot pie on a weeknight. This is a time-consuming project, even with a cheater crust.)
I had a few doubts about some of the ingredients the recipe called for (namely, fennel bulb and artichoke hearts). Sure enough, those are not for me. The rest of the filling was good though, with a tasty roux. Oh, and huge: this pot pie yields 6 hearty servings. Yay for lunch tomorrow--for all of us! I was most intrigued by the crust, which calls for cutting half a frozen puff pastry in half, rolling out both halves, and then sandwiching them with a Parmesan-rosemary layer. With rosemary still thriving in my garden, how could I pass this by? I'm undecided on the crust so far--much denser than a normal puff pastry. Olivia loved it, requesting, "more pancake."
Greg gave it the thumbs down (in comparison to our already keeper recipe). I, however, plan to keep it, tweak it, and see if I can improve it. For starters, I'll likely use chicken thighs next time rather than breasts, as I find darker meat tastier in this sort of a dish, and it holds up better to extended cooking. I'll sub in a few other veggies for the above-mentioned rejections, and we'll see how version two turns out!
(For those who don't know how I operate, version two may not take place for months or years to come. It most likely will happen eventually though, as I am a sucker for puff pastry. No more than once a month! It's dreadfully unhealthy stuff. So good.)
September 28, 2010
September 28th: creamy chicken and noodles
Verdict:
Try Again: chicken & noodles
Soooooo yummy. From a real cream ad (which are almost always winners in my books): Chicken & Noodle Skillet Supper. An unimaginative name for a truly delicious, one-pot meal. I did make a few changes, using fresh vegetables in place of frozen, and a combination of whipping cream and 2% milk in place of half-and-half. For future tries, I will replace the dried basil, which I don't like, with thyme or oregano, or both. Fresh basil would be a nice addition too, but sometimes on weeknights it is easier to go with dried herbs, no? With a classy bagged salad on the side, we were good to go. All three of us loved this meal.
Try Again: chicken & noodles
Soooooo yummy. From a real cream ad (which are almost always winners in my books): Chicken & Noodle Skillet Supper. An unimaginative name for a truly delicious, one-pot meal. I did make a few changes, using fresh vegetables in place of frozen, and a combination of whipping cream and 2% milk in place of half-and-half. For future tries, I will replace the dried basil, which I don't like, with thyme or oregano, or both. Fresh basil would be a nice addition too, but sometimes on weeknights it is easier to go with dried herbs, no? With a classy bagged salad on the side, we were good to go. All three of us loved this meal.
September 27, 2010
September 27th: Swiss Chard & Pork Chops
Verdict:
Try Again: pork chops with leeks in mustard
Toss: honeyed swiss chard with plums
Tonight's meal was inspired by leeks leftover from September 19th's supper (vegetable saute). I went searching on Epicurious for a leek recipe and came up with this: Pork Chops with Leeks in Mustard Sauce. This recipe is going in the try again binder, with a few notes to reduce the amounts of salt and Dijon mustard, both of which were overpowering. I should note, I had intended to do the whole rub the meat with herbs and let sit overnight thing, but I completely forgot, so the herbs were rubbed on minutes before the chops went in the pan. No biggie.
With the meat we had Yukon Gold potatoes and, from September 2010's Chatelaine: Honeyed swiss chard with plums. I liked this and was debating trying it again, but Greg gave it a thumbs down and so I'm letting it go.
I should note, tonight's supper was made up of two recipes I had intended to try--separately--on the weekend, and I do not recommend cooking these on a weeknight. It took me a good hour to pull everything together, with a fair amount of slicing and dicing along the way. Lucky for me, Olivia was in a super good mood and patiently awaited her supper, entertaining me along the way with her imaginary trips to the grocery store with 15 bears in tow. And putting babies to bed, of course. It's not a good day if you haven't tucked many babies into bed.
Try Again: pork chops with leeks in mustard
Toss: honeyed swiss chard with plums
Tonight's meal was inspired by leeks leftover from September 19th's supper (vegetable saute). I went searching on Epicurious for a leek recipe and came up with this: Pork Chops with Leeks in Mustard Sauce. This recipe is going in the try again binder, with a few notes to reduce the amounts of salt and Dijon mustard, both of which were overpowering. I should note, I had intended to do the whole rub the meat with herbs and let sit overnight thing, but I completely forgot, so the herbs were rubbed on minutes before the chops went in the pan. No biggie.
With the meat we had Yukon Gold potatoes and, from September 2010's Chatelaine: Honeyed swiss chard with plums. I liked this and was debating trying it again, but Greg gave it a thumbs down and so I'm letting it go.
I should note, tonight's supper was made up of two recipes I had intended to try--separately--on the weekend, and I do not recommend cooking these on a weeknight. It took me a good hour to pull everything together, with a fair amount of slicing and dicing along the way. Lucky for me, Olivia was in a super good mood and patiently awaited her supper, entertaining me along the way with her imaginary trips to the grocery store with 15 bears in tow. And putting babies to bed, of course. It's not a good day if you haven't tucked many babies into bed.
September 26, 2010
September 26th: chutney, soup and applesauce
Verdict:
Keeper: applesauce
Try Agains: chutney, soup
It is so fall in the food in my house these days. I love changing food focus based on the seasons, and I am happy to be living in a four-season country.
Yesterday I cooked a chutney, which is so ridiculously easy, I am never buying chutney again. This was from September 2010's Chatelaine: Roasted Plum Chutney. I made two substitutions: I didn't have port, so I used sherry cooking wine, and I didn't have whole star anise, so I put in five whole cloves.* This was very, very easy. Minimal prep, a bit of cooking time, and absolutely delicious. Olivia and I had this for lunch with a local apple, local apple cider, a baguette and a selection of artisanal cheeses. Alright, that last bit isn't true: we had three different cheeses, probably mass-manufactured, and purchased at the Superstore. I hang my head. And, truth be told, O wouldn't taste the chutney. She might have liked it if she weren't being a stubborn 2 year old.
*These were hard to locate in the cooked chutney when I wanted to remove them.
That was yesterday. Today for supper, I made a try again soup from last year, and it is a try again, again, because I missed my note from last year to up the spice by including some jalapeno seeds. I will add some stars to my note so when I next make it, I will remember to make it spicier. From September 2009's Chatelaine: Mexican-style chicken soup. I would recommend, unless you are feeding troops, to halve the recipe. Half the recipe makes a lot. I used way less chicken than it called for, and that was fine.
Finally, after supper, Olivia and I made applesauce! We visited our local fruit farm yesterday and picked up some Empire apples for eating (see photos above) and MacIntoshes for cooking. We made two applesauces, one sweetened and one unsweetened. Poor O doesn't know about the possibility of putting sugar in applesauce yet. She helped me by (a) eating apple slices as I peeled and chopped and (b) putting the apples in the two pots. This is a recipe I've had kicking around for a million years, and I love it. This time I used brown sugar instead of white, which I think I will continue to do.
Applesauce
4 apples
1/4 cup water
optional additions to make sweetened applesauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
Peel, core and quarter apples. Place in pot and add water, and additional ingredients if so desired. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover and lower heat to simmer until desired softness (approx. 10 minutes). Stir occasionally, breaking up bigger chunks if you like thinner applesauce. Mash with potato masher if you want it really fine. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.**
**Going on memory, I think the sweetened applesauce needs to be reheated prior to eating, as the butter gets hard. You could also leave the butter out entirely.
Didn't take a picture of the applesauce. It looks like applesauce. You can probably imagine it. :) (Actually, with the brown sugar, the sweetened applesauce was quite dark.)
Keeper: applesauce
Try Agains: chutney, soup
It is so fall in the food in my house these days. I love changing food focus based on the seasons, and I am happy to be living in a four-season country.
Yesterday I cooked a chutney, which is so ridiculously easy, I am never buying chutney again. This was from September 2010's Chatelaine: Roasted Plum Chutney. I made two substitutions: I didn't have port, so I used sherry cooking wine, and I didn't have whole star anise, so I put in five whole cloves.* This was very, very easy. Minimal prep, a bit of cooking time, and absolutely delicious. Olivia and I had this for lunch with a local apple, local apple cider, a baguette and a selection of artisanal cheeses. Alright, that last bit isn't true: we had three different cheeses, probably mass-manufactured, and purchased at the Superstore. I hang my head. And, truth be told, O wouldn't taste the chutney. She might have liked it if she weren't being a stubborn 2 year old.
*These were hard to locate in the cooked chutney when I wanted to remove them.
That was yesterday. Today for supper, I made a try again soup from last year, and it is a try again, again, because I missed my note from last year to up the spice by including some jalapeno seeds. I will add some stars to my note so when I next make it, I will remember to make it spicier. From September 2009's Chatelaine: Mexican-style chicken soup. I would recommend, unless you are feeding troops, to halve the recipe. Half the recipe makes a lot. I used way less chicken than it called for, and that was fine.
Finally, after supper, Olivia and I made applesauce! We visited our local fruit farm yesterday and picked up some Empire apples for eating (see photos above) and MacIntoshes for cooking. We made two applesauces, one sweetened and one unsweetened. Poor O doesn't know about the possibility of putting sugar in applesauce yet. She helped me by (a) eating apple slices as I peeled and chopped and (b) putting the apples in the two pots. This is a recipe I've had kicking around for a million years, and I love it. This time I used brown sugar instead of white, which I think I will continue to do.
Applesauce
4 apples
1/4 cup water
optional additions to make sweetened applesauce:
1/4 cup sugar
1/4 tsp cinnamon
1 tbsp butter
Peel, core and quarter apples. Place in pot and add water, and additional ingredients if so desired. Bring to a boil over high heat, cover and lower heat to simmer until desired softness (approx. 10 minutes). Stir occasionally, breaking up bigger chunks if you like thinner applesauce. Mash with potato masher if you want it really fine. Serve warm, at room temperature, or cold.**
**Going on memory, I think the sweetened applesauce needs to be reheated prior to eating, as the butter gets hard. You could also leave the butter out entirely.
Didn't take a picture of the applesauce. It looks like applesauce. You can probably imagine it. :) (Actually, with the brown sugar, the sweetened applesauce was quite dark.)
September 23, 2010
September 23rd: Vegetable Sauté and Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce
Verdict:
Try Again: Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce
Toss: Vegetable Sauté
I had intended tonight to be a vegetarian night, but my leftover tofu from salad rolls night (September 4th) was no longer good. Who knew tofu doesn't keep forever once it has been opened?
I ended up cooking chicken instead. The coconut curry sauce on the chicken was A-MAZ-ING! The recipe says it goes well with tofu, steak, or chicken, and I saved the leftovers to use again because I wanted to drink it out of the pot, it was so good. I pulled this recipe out of the Ottawa Citizen in July, and it is adapted from a book called Campfire Cuisine. The recipe is below.
Grilled Tofu/Steak/Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 servings*
1 can (14 oz) unsweetened light coconut milk
1/4 cup (60 mL) smooth peanut butter
2 tbsps (25 mL) brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) curry powder
1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 mL) salt, divided
1/4 - 1/2 tsp (1-2 mL) hot red chili flakes (to taste)
juice of 1 lime
2 lbs (900 g) tofu (firm or super firm), steak or chicken
olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Mix coconut milk, peanut butter, brown sugar, curry, coriander, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of the salt, hot red chili flakes and lime juice in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil then lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
Slice tofu lengthwise into 3/4-inch thick slices; lightly coat each side with olive oil. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and black pepper. Grill until warmed through, about 3 minutes per side. If using steak or chicken, grill to desired doneness.** Place the tofu or meat on plates; top with curry sauce and green onions.
*Or less, if you load the sauce on your plate as I did
**Having an empty propane tank, I cut my chicken into pieces and fried it
To accompany the delish chicken, I made a Vegetable Sauté from July 2001's Yoga Journal. This was a good, filling scran of veggies, and while I enjoyed it, I found it to be on the plain side, and I wasn't blown away by it, which is the criterion for trying a recipe again. I'm tossing it. The best part of this dish was that Olivia and I discovered we love lima beans. Again, who knew? What a night for discoveries!
Try Again: Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce
Toss: Vegetable Sauté
I had intended tonight to be a vegetarian night, but my leftover tofu from salad rolls night (September 4th) was no longer good. Who knew tofu doesn't keep forever once it has been opened?
I ended up cooking chicken instead. The coconut curry sauce on the chicken was A-MAZ-ING! The recipe says it goes well with tofu, steak, or chicken, and I saved the leftovers to use again because I wanted to drink it out of the pot, it was so good. I pulled this recipe out of the Ottawa Citizen in July, and it is adapted from a book called Campfire Cuisine. The recipe is below.
Grilled Tofu/Steak/Chicken with Coconut Curry Sauce
Prep: 15 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Makes: 8 servings*
1 can (14 oz) unsweetened light coconut milk
1/4 cup (60 mL) smooth peanut butter
2 tbsps (25 mL) brown sugar
1 tbsp (15 mL) curry powder
1 tsp (5 mL) ground coriander
1 tsp (5 mL) salt, divided
1/4 - 1/2 tsp (1-2 mL) hot red chili flakes (to taste)
juice of 1 lime
2 lbs (900 g) tofu (firm or super firm), steak or chicken
olive oil
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
4 green onions, thinly sliced
Mix coconut milk, peanut butter, brown sugar, curry, coriander, 1/2 tsp (2 mL) of the salt, hot red chili flakes and lime juice in a medium saucepan. Heat to a boil then lower heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce thickens, about 10 minutes.
Slice tofu lengthwise into 3/4-inch thick slices; lightly coat each side with olive oil. Season with remaining 1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt and black pepper. Grill until warmed through, about 3 minutes per side. If using steak or chicken, grill to desired doneness.** Place the tofu or meat on plates; top with curry sauce and green onions.
*Or less, if you load the sauce on your plate as I did
**Having an empty propane tank, I cut my chicken into pieces and fried it
To accompany the delish chicken, I made a Vegetable Sauté from July 2001's Yoga Journal. This was a good, filling scran of veggies, and while I enjoyed it, I found it to be on the plain side, and I wasn't blown away by it, which is the criterion for trying a recipe again. I'm tossing it. The best part of this dish was that Olivia and I discovered we love lima beans. Again, who knew? What a night for discoveries!
September 21, 2010
September 21st: Pizza Penne & Gingery Broccoli and Cauliflower
Verdict:
Toss: pasta & veggies (all)
Today is the last day of summer. Sigh... And it felt like it. This morning, walking to catch the bus at 7:10 a.m., my choice of open-toed shoes seemed silly and I wondered whether I might end up with frostbite. By 4:00 this afternoon, though, they seemed like just the right choice for the lovely warm, sunny afternoon.
I'll keep this short, as the recipes tonight were duds. From September 2010's Today's Parent: Pizza Penne. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Gingery Broccoli and Cauliflower. I should note here that Greg and Olivia liked the pasta, which is quite plain. Olivia's vote only sort of counts right now, and Greg agreed he didn't love it, which is the criterion required to receive a "try again" status is our house. Greg and I liked the veggies, O didn't, and the recipe wasn't so fabulous I'm dying to try it again. So they both receive a recommended "don't bother."
In the last week, I have received the October 2010 Chatelaine and Today's Parent in the mail, and begun planning the meals for next month. Bring on fall cooking: soups and pizzas! If you've been reading the magazines and have a recipe you are thinking sounds good, let me know, and I can tell you when I will be making it and then we can compare notes or I can give you the lowdown. Bring on autumn. :)
Toss: pasta & veggies (all)
Today is the last day of summer. Sigh... And it felt like it. This morning, walking to catch the bus at 7:10 a.m., my choice of open-toed shoes seemed silly and I wondered whether I might end up with frostbite. By 4:00 this afternoon, though, they seemed like just the right choice for the lovely warm, sunny afternoon.
I'll keep this short, as the recipes tonight were duds. From September 2010's Today's Parent: Pizza Penne. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Gingery Broccoli and Cauliflower. I should note here that Greg and Olivia liked the pasta, which is quite plain. Olivia's vote only sort of counts right now, and Greg agreed he didn't love it, which is the criterion required to receive a "try again" status is our house. Greg and I liked the veggies, O didn't, and the recipe wasn't so fabulous I'm dying to try it again. So they both receive a recommended "don't bother."
In the last week, I have received the October 2010 Chatelaine and Today's Parent in the mail, and begun planning the meals for next month. Bring on fall cooking: soups and pizzas! If you've been reading the magazines and have a recipe you are thinking sounds good, let me know, and I can tell you when I will be making it and then we can compare notes or I can give you the lowdown. Bring on autumn. :)
September 20, 2010
September 20th: balsamic vinegar everything followed by chocolate heaven
Verdict:
Keepers: salmon, tomatoes, cake (everything!)
Tonight I tried out Yin Yoga for the first time. That was an experience and a half. After an hour and a half of that, I managed to drive home, stop for gas, take in the garbage bins and eat supper, all before I woke up, which was thanks to the chocolate and coffee delight that was cake for dessert. But more on the cake later.
Greg made supper: two delicious balsamic vinegar-filled dishes. From the Heart and Stroke Foundation website: Salmon with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette. This recipe is no longer available online (my copy was printed in 2003). Greg loves this one; I might like it if the salmon were not overdone every time we make the recipe. That may be because I leave it to Greg to cook and he doesn't obsessively watch the fish to get it just so. Here's the recipe:
Salmon with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
4 salmon fillets (about 4 oz/125 g each), skin removed
pinch each: salt, freshly ground black pepper
3 tsp (15 mL) butter or soft margarine*, divided
3/4 cup (175 mL) orange juice
1/4 cup (50 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) minced onion
2 tsp (10 mL) each: coarsely chopped fresh parsley, basil, mint
Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC). Season salmon with salt and pepper. In a large, non-stick skillet, melt 2 tsp (10 mL) of the butter over medium-high heat. Place salmon in pan and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly browned. Transfer salmon to an oven-proof dish and roast for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through. Wipe out skillet and stir in orange juice, balsamic vinegar and onion. Boil 2 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) butter until melted. Stir in fresh herbs. Season to taste with pepper. Spoon over salmon and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Nutritional information per serving (*based on using Becel margarine)
Calories: 226
Protein: 22.9 g
Fat: 10.1 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Dietary cholesterol: 62 mg
Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
Dietary fibre: 0.3 g
Sodium: 148 mg
Potassium: 657 mg
Side dish of the night, from September 2006's Chatelaine: Minted summer tomatoes. Already a keeper, a no-cook, simple dish, which I see now is supposed to have goat cheese on top and my serving definitely didn't! That would have made it so much better. Served up with a whole wheat baguette, supper was complete!
For dessert, from Epicurious: Double Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting. The cake recipe was recommended to me by Patricia in 2005 and this is the first time I've made it. I skipped the suggested frosting recipe and used my own personal favourite chocolate frosting recipe. This cake is heavenly. Seriously delicious. Worth noting: the recipe calls for using "fine quality" chocolate. I used Baker's squares and instant coffee and it turned out just fine. I didn't even chop the chocolate. I don't have the patience for such baking details. Here is my frosting recipe:
Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
16 oz icing sugar
Combine butter, buttermilk and cocoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add vanilla and icing sugar and blend until smooth. Easier to spread when warm, but possible to spread when cooled.
A good night.
Keepers: salmon, tomatoes, cake (everything!)
Tonight I tried out Yin Yoga for the first time. That was an experience and a half. After an hour and a half of that, I managed to drive home, stop for gas, take in the garbage bins and eat supper, all before I woke up, which was thanks to the chocolate and coffee delight that was cake for dessert. But more on the cake later.
Greg made supper: two delicious balsamic vinegar-filled dishes. From the Heart and Stroke Foundation website: Salmon with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette. This recipe is no longer available online (my copy was printed in 2003). Greg loves this one; I might like it if the salmon were not overdone every time we make the recipe. That may be because I leave it to Greg to cook and he doesn't obsessively watch the fish to get it just so. Here's the recipe:
Salmon with Orange Balsamic Vinaigrette
4 salmon fillets (about 4 oz/125 g each), skin removed
pinch each: salt, freshly ground black pepper
3 tsp (15 mL) butter or soft margarine*, divided
3/4 cup (175 mL) orange juice
1/4 cup (50 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 tbsp (30 mL) minced onion
2 tsp (10 mL) each: coarsely chopped fresh parsley, basil, mint
Preheat oven to 450ºF (230ºC). Season salmon with salt and pepper. In a large, non-stick skillet, melt 2 tsp (10 mL) of the butter over medium-high heat. Place salmon in pan and cook for about 2 to 3 minutes per side until lightly browned. Transfer salmon to an oven-proof dish and roast for 5 to 7 minutes or until cooked through. Wipe out skillet and stir in orange juice, balsamic vinegar and onion. Boil 2 minutes or until sauce has thickened slightly. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 1 tsp (5 mL) butter until melted. Stir in fresh herbs. Season to taste with pepper. Spoon over salmon and serve immediately.
Makes 4 servings
Nutritional information per serving (*based on using Becel margarine)
Calories: 226
Protein: 22.9 g
Fat: 10.1 g
Saturated fat: 1.5 g
Dietary cholesterol: 62 mg
Carbohydrates: 9.5 g
Dietary fibre: 0.3 g
Sodium: 148 mg
Potassium: 657 mg
Side dish of the night, from September 2006's Chatelaine: Minted summer tomatoes. Already a keeper, a no-cook, simple dish, which I see now is supposed to have goat cheese on top and my serving definitely didn't! That would have made it so much better. Served up with a whole wheat baguette, supper was complete!
For dessert, from Epicurious: Double Chocolate Layer Cake with Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting. The cake recipe was recommended to me by Patricia in 2005 and this is the first time I've made it. I skipped the suggested frosting recipe and used my own personal favourite chocolate frosting recipe. This cake is heavenly. Seriously delicious. Worth noting: the recipe calls for using "fine quality" chocolate. I used Baker's squares and instant coffee and it turned out just fine. I didn't even chop the chocolate. I don't have the patience for such baking details. Here is my frosting recipe:
Chocolate Buttermilk Frosting
6 tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup buttermilk
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1/2 tsp vanilla
16 oz icing sugar
Combine butter, buttermilk and cocoa in a medium saucepan; bring to a boil. Turn off heat, add vanilla and icing sugar and blend until smooth. Easier to spread when warm, but possible to spread when cooled.
A good night.
September 19, 2010
September 19th: brunch & supper
Brunch
Verdict:
Try Again: Tomato Soldiers, Boiled Eggs, Potato Cake
I made such a spread today for Sunday Brunch that I figured it was worth a post. No reason brunch food couldn't be made for supper. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Perfect Soft-Boiled Eggs with Tomato Soldiers and Upside-Down Potato Cake. This was all delicious. We had the meal accompanied by smoked salmon and sour cream and I loved every bit of it. The eggs & toast probably don't require a recipe, but whatevs. I cooked my eggs to medium. The potato cake was delicious but took an hour to cook, so beware. Also, I thought my Paderno frying pan with a plastic handle was oven-safe, and maybe it is, just at lower temperatures. The handle blew up in the oven, but luckily I only ended up with one piece of burnt plastic in my mouth when I ate the food. Oops.
For Patricia:
Supper
Verdict:
Try Again: Roasted Vegetables
Toss: Mac & Cheese
Two recipes for supper: from September 2010's Chatelaine: Almost Instant Mac & Cheese. It was silly of me to make this, since we already have a fabulous mac & cheese recipe, but I'm a sucker for trying something new. This is an easy recipe, and was good, but not as good as our keeper recipe, so I'm tossing it.
To accompany it, from Cooking with Canada's Best, via the GoodLife Fitness website: Seasonal Vegetable Salad. I'm not sure why it's called "salad," as this was a roasted vegetable mélange, but it was delicious and I will definitely be trying it again - although next time, without the celeriac! Of the four herbs listed in the recipe, I used two: chives and parsley. We all agreed this was great, and, although the cooking time is lengthy (longer than the 30 minutes called for!), it was relatively easy. For some reason, the link is not working for me; if this continues to be a problem, I will type the recipe out, because it is worth trying.
Verdict:
Try Again: Tomato Soldiers, Boiled Eggs, Potato Cake
I made such a spread today for Sunday Brunch that I figured it was worth a post. No reason brunch food couldn't be made for supper. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Perfect Soft-Boiled Eggs with Tomato Soldiers and Upside-Down Potato Cake. This was all delicious. We had the meal accompanied by smoked salmon and sour cream and I loved every bit of it. The eggs & toast probably don't require a recipe, but whatevs. I cooked my eggs to medium. The potato cake was delicious but took an hour to cook, so beware. Also, I thought my Paderno frying pan with a plastic handle was oven-safe, and maybe it is, just at lower temperatures. The handle blew up in the oven, but luckily I only ended up with one piece of burnt plastic in my mouth when I ate the food. Oops.
For Patricia:
Supper
Verdict:
Try Again: Roasted Vegetables
Toss: Mac & Cheese
Two recipes for supper: from September 2010's Chatelaine: Almost Instant Mac & Cheese. It was silly of me to make this, since we already have a fabulous mac & cheese recipe, but I'm a sucker for trying something new. This is an easy recipe, and was good, but not as good as our keeper recipe, so I'm tossing it.
To accompany it, from Cooking with Canada's Best, via the GoodLife Fitness website: Seasonal Vegetable Salad. I'm not sure why it's called "salad," as this was a roasted vegetable mélange, but it was delicious and I will definitely be trying it again - although next time, without the celeriac! Of the four herbs listed in the recipe, I used two: chives and parsley. We all agreed this was great, and, although the cooking time is lengthy (longer than the 30 minutes called for!), it was relatively easy. For some reason, the link is not working for me; if this continues to be a problem, I will type the recipe out, because it is worth trying.
September 18th: tomato tarts, onions au gratin, beet greens, pan-fried haddock and tartar sauce
Verdict:
Keeper: Tartar Sauce
Toss: Tomato Tarts, Onions au Gratin
Saturday night calls for fun and sometimes complicated recipes to try out. Tonight was a mishmash.
From the Ottawa Citizen (date unknown, as I cut the top off, but a it was a few weeks back): Tomato, Pesto and Goat Cheese Tarts. I don't have a recipe link for this one, and I'm tossing the recipe, so won't type it out.
From Holiday 2009's LCBO Food & Drink magazine: Onion Gratin with Fresh Thyme (though I didn't have fresh thyme). This was good, but not fantastic, and requires long cooking time. Tossed the recipe.
To accompany the above-tested recipes, I steamed beet greens (delish) and pan-fried haddock, which I battered lightly: flour, egg, panko crumbs. To go with the fish, I made my favourite, already a keeper, Light Tartar Sauce, from November 2004's Chatelaine. I make it without capers, and if only a certain man in the house would stop eating all the pickles, maybe someday I could actually include a pickle in the dip, but alas, it is often pickle-less, and was so on Saturday.
Keeper: Tartar Sauce
Toss: Tomato Tarts, Onions au Gratin
Saturday night calls for fun and sometimes complicated recipes to try out. Tonight was a mishmash.
From the Ottawa Citizen (date unknown, as I cut the top off, but a it was a few weeks back): Tomato, Pesto and Goat Cheese Tarts. I don't have a recipe link for this one, and I'm tossing the recipe, so won't type it out.
From Holiday 2009's LCBO Food & Drink magazine: Onion Gratin with Fresh Thyme (though I didn't have fresh thyme). This was good, but not fantastic, and requires long cooking time. Tossed the recipe.
To accompany the above-tested recipes, I steamed beet greens (delish) and pan-fried haddock, which I battered lightly: flour, egg, panko crumbs. To go with the fish, I made my favourite, already a keeper, Light Tartar Sauce, from November 2004's Chatelaine. I make it without capers, and if only a certain man in the house would stop eating all the pickles, maybe someday I could actually include a pickle in the dip, but alas, it is often pickle-less, and was so on Saturday.
September 15, 2010
September 15th: Curried burgers with peach salsa and olive-oil smashed potatoes
I write this at 10:15 p.m., with Olivia in bed beside me, wide awake and playing with the camera. Sometimes, that's just how it goes.
Tonight's supper was a second try of a recipe that impressed us last year; from September 2009's Chatelaine: Curried burgers with peach salsa. I made them last year using ground pork; Greg made them today using ground beef. In both cases they were surprisingly good. I'm generally not a burger fan, in part because I don't like buns, and also because burgers tend to be boring. This recipe solves both problems: lots of flavour, and I skip the bun.
The recipe also provides a vegetarian version.
With the burgers tonight, Greg made, from September 2010's Chatelaine: Smashed potatoes with olive oil and salt (no parsley). All of which was delicious when I yet again returned home from the gym, this time after six days in a row of teaching. Thank goodness for tomorrow's day off.
Tomorrow! Which reminds me, there will likely be no post tomorrow, as I'm going out for supper with friends. OUT! FOR SUPPER! WITH FRIENDS! Such a rare occurrence, it merits shouting.
Tonight's supper was a second try of a recipe that impressed us last year; from September 2009's Chatelaine: Curried burgers with peach salsa. I made them last year using ground pork; Greg made them today using ground beef. In both cases they were surprisingly good. I'm generally not a burger fan, in part because I don't like buns, and also because burgers tend to be boring. This recipe solves both problems: lots of flavour, and I skip the bun.
The recipe also provides a vegetarian version.
With the burgers tonight, Greg made, from September 2010's Chatelaine: Smashed potatoes with olive oil and salt (no parsley). All of which was delicious when I yet again returned home from the gym, this time after six days in a row of teaching. Thank goodness for tomorrow's day off.
Tomorrow! Which reminds me, there will likely be no post tomorrow, as I'm going out for supper with friends. OUT! FOR SUPPER! WITH FRIENDS! Such a rare occurrence, it merits shouting.
September 14, 2010
September 14th: Cinnamon chicken with sweet potato and zucchini with goat's cheese and pine nuts
No rest for the weary. Literally. Tonight was going to be my night off, but I got a call for an emergency sub at the gym. Oh, the things I do for my friends. Day five of six in a row of teaching BodyFlow, and oh yes, I attended my lunch time yoga class today. The question is, will I attend tomorrow? Weather-dependent; tomorrow's yoga is on the lawn of Parliament Hill. This would all be fine, fine, fine, if I did not also have to work 8 hour days. And sleep? I must find time for some.
Tonight's class was a later one, so I had time to do most of the work for supper, and Greg was left to finish it, plate it, and photograph it. Tonight's supper was delicious, or so I thought when I ate it at 9:00 p.m., in a hungry state. Since I have finally convinced Greg to love goat's cheese as I do, it turns out that it is the secret to get him to enjoy zucchini, which I love. In fact, tonight's meal consisted of five of my favourite foods.
I took liberties with tonight's recipes. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Cinnamon Chicken with Sweet Potato. The original recipe called for butternut squash; I subbed in sweet potato. O and I could eat sweet potatoes til the cows come home, but G doesn't agree, so next time, for his sake, I will throw in some toasted pecans and top with brown sugar.
From Epicurious: Zucchini with goat's cheese and pine nuts. This one I altered heavily. I sliced the zucchini in rounds and pan-fried, then topped with the dressing, to which I added sugar and Dijon. I actually forgot to include the salt; oops. I didn't bother with the basil, and I topped with goat's cheese instead of Parmesan. So it was really nothing like the original recipe, but it was amazing! I singed my tongue eating a few rounds of zucchini hot out of the frying pan before I zipped off to the gym.
As a side note, the zucchini recipe called for eating raw zucchini, which I've never done. I keep reading about raw food diets and they almost always talk about eating zucchini "ribbons." So I may try it yet. Pan-fried zucchini is just oh so good though.
Night.
Tonight's class was a later one, so I had time to do most of the work for supper, and Greg was left to finish it, plate it, and photograph it. Tonight's supper was delicious, or so I thought when I ate it at 9:00 p.m., in a hungry state. Since I have finally convinced Greg to love goat's cheese as I do, it turns out that it is the secret to get him to enjoy zucchini, which I love. In fact, tonight's meal consisted of five of my favourite foods.
I took liberties with tonight's recipes. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Cinnamon Chicken with Sweet Potato. The original recipe called for butternut squash; I subbed in sweet potato. O and I could eat sweet potatoes til the cows come home, but G doesn't agree, so next time, for his sake, I will throw in some toasted pecans and top with brown sugar.
From Epicurious: Zucchini with goat's cheese and pine nuts. This one I altered heavily. I sliced the zucchini in rounds and pan-fried, then topped with the dressing, to which I added sugar and Dijon. I actually forgot to include the salt; oops. I didn't bother with the basil, and I topped with goat's cheese instead of Parmesan. So it was really nothing like the original recipe, but it was amazing! I singed my tongue eating a few rounds of zucchini hot out of the frying pan before I zipped off to the gym.
As a side note, the zucchini recipe called for eating raw zucchini, which I've never done. I keep reading about raw food diets and they almost always talk about eating zucchini "ribbons." So I may try it yet. Pan-fried zucchini is just oh so good though.
Night.
September 13, 2010
September 13th: Grilled steak and potatoes with buttered carrots
For the past seven months, I've been teaching three BodyFlow classes a week, plus an occasional sub. This fall I have just one class every other week. I sent an email to an instructor or two to let them know I am available for subbing, and I find myself this week teaching five classes, which is about the maximum my abs and legs can take. I know other instructors do more, but not this bod. Today was my fourth day in a row of teaching and I came home from the gym famished, which is the best way to arrive home when your husband is cooking for you.
Tonight, from September 2010's Chatelaine: Grilled steak and foil-wrapped potatoes (with rosemary from our garden!) with Buttered carrots. Yum all around. Easy to make too, or so I was told.
One of the ladies at the gym brought me cookies, so that was my dessert. Okay, I actually ate them in the car while driving home, so it was a pre-supper dessert. :) Then a lie-down with Liv with rain and thunder outside, very cosy. And now, bed.
Tonight, from September 2010's Chatelaine: Grilled steak and foil-wrapped potatoes (with rosemary from our garden!) with Buttered carrots. Yum all around. Easy to make too, or so I was told.
One of the ladies at the gym brought me cookies, so that was my dessert. Okay, I actually ate them in the car while driving home, so it was a pre-supper dessert. :) Then a lie-down with Liv with rain and thunder outside, very cosy. And now, bed.
September 12, 2010
September 12th: Creamy Salmon Fettuccine & Spinach Salad
One of the few foods I don't like much is pasta. I am outnumbered in my household by people who love pasta however, so we end up eating it once or twice a week. I usually try to make it early in the week so we can send leftovers to daycare for lunch for Olivia. Tonight was a new one from September 2010's Today's Parent: So Creamy Salmon Fettuccine. I thought this one was just okay, but it is going in the try again folder because the rest of my family loved it.
Accompanying the pasta, we had a strawberry and spinach salad with orange poppy seed dressing. This recipe came from cleaneatingmag.com and we agreed the recipe was just okay, so this one goes into the recycling.
To finish off the night (and prep for the week ahead), I made cookies from March 2002's Today's Parent: Big Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I came across this recipe on the Today's Parent website, as part of their "Lunch Box Tool," which, if you are looking for lunch ideas, I recommend. I subbed 1/4 cup chocolate chips in place of raisins. The cookies are, just as the name implies, big, chewy, soft, and delicious. Try again folder.
And now, to listen to "The Big Lie Down" on the The Strombo Show and hopefully fall asleep.
Accompanying the pasta, we had a strawberry and spinach salad with orange poppy seed dressing. This recipe came from cleaneatingmag.com and we agreed the recipe was just okay, so this one goes into the recycling.
To finish off the night (and prep for the week ahead), I made cookies from March 2002's Today's Parent: Big Chewy Oatmeal Raisin Cookies. I came across this recipe on the Today's Parent website, as part of their "Lunch Box Tool," which, if you are looking for lunch ideas, I recommend. I subbed 1/4 cup chocolate chips in place of raisins. The cookies are, just as the name implies, big, chewy, soft, and delicious. Try again folder.
And now, to listen to "The Big Lie Down" on the The Strombo Show and hopefully fall asleep.
September 11, 2010
September 11th: pancakes, ribs, beets, cookies - it must be Saturday!
Early morning rush. You know the type. Need to get the kid somewhere early, awake, fed, dressed and with hair brushed. Oh, and you need to be all those things too. Well, I don't know about these mornings. My workday mornings are all about me getting me ready while G&O snooze til all hours. Yes, I can get myself out the door with relative ease, but ask me to get O ready too? Oh dear.
Olivia started gymnastics this morning. Every Saturday, 8:30 a.m., from now til Christmas. And I am on my own since Greg runs Saturday mornings with the Running Room. On the plus side, if there is one thing I am good at, it is meal forethought. So back in August, I cooked up a big batch of pancakes, froze the leftovers, and now O's meal-in-the-car-on-the-way-to-gymnastics is one Banana Oatmeal Pancake warmed up in the toaster. She loves it and it is the only pancake recipe I have that is both delicious and relatively healthy. This one has been in our keeper book for awhile, and comes from a 2008 Holiday Chatelaine. (Sorry, no picture.)
Tonight's dinner came from September 2010's Today's Parent: Oven-Braised Short Ribs with Cinnamon and Molasses and from September 2010's Chatelaine: Roasted Beets and their Greens. The ribs I am not recommending, as the sweet potatoes did not cook, although I cut them to the size suggested, and cooked them as directed, and then longer. When my kid is waiting til 7:00 p.m. to eat supper, we both want the sweet potatoes done NOW, not in another ten minutes' time. So, gone. The beets were fantastic. I made a discovery a few years ago, which is: I LOVE BEETS. Not pickled beets, which is where I had gone wrong for 28 years. Fresh beets, roasted, topped with a balsamic vinegar-olive oil dressing are amazing! My favourite beets recipe comes from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry, but I can't find it online, and I'm sorry but I'm tired and don't feel like typing it out tonight. For a back up plan, try this recipe from Chatelaine; it was good! Even better, Olivia likes beets too, which makes it 2-1 for wanting beets in the house. Yay!
I had promised O we could make cookies today, but we ditched that plan and went to watch G play baseball instead. Tonight I had to make the cookies on my own, as the butter I had put out to soften was melting in the heat of my kitchen since I had my oven on for hours roasting ribs and beets. From September 2009's Chatelaine: The ultimate chocolate-chip cookie. I made it with one cup chocolate chips and one cup walnuts and now that I've eaten five and feel slightly ill I can tell you they are delish and will be going in the keeper book. Yay for keepers!
But the real highlight of my day was that O and I spent the whole day together, had some awesome bonding time, she was an amazingly polite and well-behaved 2 year old and I didn't lose my patience even once. Yay for both of us. Now, bed, zzzzz.....
Olivia started gymnastics this morning. Every Saturday, 8:30 a.m., from now til Christmas. And I am on my own since Greg runs Saturday mornings with the Running Room. On the plus side, if there is one thing I am good at, it is meal forethought. So back in August, I cooked up a big batch of pancakes, froze the leftovers, and now O's meal-in-the-car-on-the-way-to-gymnastics is one Banana Oatmeal Pancake warmed up in the toaster. She loves it and it is the only pancake recipe I have that is both delicious and relatively healthy. This one has been in our keeper book for awhile, and comes from a 2008 Holiday Chatelaine. (Sorry, no picture.)
Tonight's dinner came from September 2010's Today's Parent: Oven-Braised Short Ribs with Cinnamon and Molasses and from September 2010's Chatelaine: Roasted Beets and their Greens. The ribs I am not recommending, as the sweet potatoes did not cook, although I cut them to the size suggested, and cooked them as directed, and then longer. When my kid is waiting til 7:00 p.m. to eat supper, we both want the sweet potatoes done NOW, not in another ten minutes' time. So, gone. The beets were fantastic. I made a discovery a few years ago, which is: I LOVE BEETS. Not pickled beets, which is where I had gone wrong for 28 years. Fresh beets, roasted, topped with a balsamic vinegar-olive oil dressing are amazing! My favourite beets recipe comes from Eat, Shrink and Be Merry, but I can't find it online, and I'm sorry but I'm tired and don't feel like typing it out tonight. For a back up plan, try this recipe from Chatelaine; it was good! Even better, Olivia likes beets too, which makes it 2-1 for wanting beets in the house. Yay!
I had promised O we could make cookies today, but we ditched that plan and went to watch G play baseball instead. Tonight I had to make the cookies on my own, as the butter I had put out to soften was melting in the heat of my kitchen since I had my oven on for hours roasting ribs and beets. From September 2009's Chatelaine: The ultimate chocolate-chip cookie. I made it with one cup chocolate chips and one cup walnuts and now that I've eaten five and feel slightly ill I can tell you they are delish and will be going in the keeper book. Yay for keepers!
But the real highlight of my day was that O and I spent the whole day together, had some awesome bonding time, she was an amazingly polite and well-behaved 2 year old and I didn't lose my patience even once. Yay for both of us. Now, bed, zzzzz.....
September 10, 2010
September 10th: Packet-Baked Mushrooms with Thyme and BBQ Chicken
I think this recipe should have been called Champignons en papillote, but who am I to tell Chatelaine what to do? I think it was actually in Today's Parent that I read you should give food fancy names to make kids think they're eating something cool or exotic. Here it is, from September 2010's Chatelaine: Packet-Baked Mushrooms with Thyme. I LOVE LOVE LOVE mushrooms and goat's cheese, together, on their own, whatever. Delish. In future, when I make this recipe again, I will add some fresh ground pepper to the thyme, and ditch the toast; it didn't do anything for me.
The BBQ Chicken Rub recipe came from a website I discovered awhile ago called Feed The Sink. The rub was actually meant for pork tenderloin. I made the spice mix in August, had it on some pork chops, and used up the leftover mix tonight on boneless skinless chicken breasts. We decided it was just okay and tossed the recipe.
I had planned to have a BBQ peach side dish, but the peaches I picked up at the grocery store today are hard as rocks. Ah well.
The BBQ Chicken Rub recipe came from a website I discovered awhile ago called Feed The Sink. The rub was actually meant for pork tenderloin. I made the spice mix in August, had it on some pork chops, and used up the leftover mix tonight on boneless skinless chicken breasts. We decided it was just okay and tossed the recipe.
I had planned to have a BBQ peach side dish, but the peaches I picked up at the grocery store today are hard as rocks. Ah well.
September 9, 2010
September 9th: Caesars, Japanese noodle salad & wings
TGIT! After a three-day week, I needed some down time tonight. No, really. Break out the Caesars! Okay, do you really need a recipe for Caesars? Well, I've never actually made them, so I found it handy. From September 2010's Chatelaine: Classic spicy caesar. Shouldn't Caesar be capitalized? I don't know.* I went light on the vodka, heavy on the spice, and threw in some of my spicy asparagus and dilled green beans from September 5th. Yummy. A definite make again. Here they are, plus Olivia drinking her virigin Caesar. She didn't love it, but she did eat the lemon and the pickled veggies.
*According to Wikipedia, yes.
Next up, Japanese noodle salad. Also from Chatelaine, though the recipe is not online. Cook rice noodles, rinse till cold. Combine with shredded carrot and cucumber and sliced green onion. Top with dressing, a combination of white miso paste, lime juice, garlic and honey.
Very good. A light accompaniment to the grand finale: wings!
From September 2010's Chatelaine: Blue cheese chicken wings. Greg and I love wings. Greg has one stipulation when we make wings: no blue cheese! He can't even stand the smell when I dip mine in blue cheese dressing. Not that that stops me. So he was not keen on this recipe, which calls for dipping the raw wings in blue cheese dressing prior to deep frying. I persevered. He was pleasantly surprised. Somehow, the wings didn't have much flavour. (?) I don't own a deep fryer (nor do I want one!) and we usually do wings in the oven, so this was an experiment. I'm a little terrified of deep frying on the stove top, ever since Devin's house burned down when we were 12, but no such accidents tonight. Deep frying provides a moister, plumper wing than baking. Also, the cooking time is MUCH shorter. Felt a little dirty though, deep frying. Yum. Not sure if we'll try this one again or not.
Comments! Feedback! I've been getting some! Yay! Thanks for the support. Apparently Grandma wasn't sure why anyone would care what I'm cooking for supper (a thought I've had myself) but a few of you out there are interested, so I'll continue on. Fun for me anyway. :)
*According to Wikipedia, yes.
Next up, Japanese noodle salad. Also from Chatelaine, though the recipe is not online. Cook rice noodles, rinse till cold. Combine with shredded carrot and cucumber and sliced green onion. Top with dressing, a combination of white miso paste, lime juice, garlic and honey.
Very good. A light accompaniment to the grand finale: wings!
From September 2010's Chatelaine: Blue cheese chicken wings. Greg and I love wings. Greg has one stipulation when we make wings: no blue cheese! He can't even stand the smell when I dip mine in blue cheese dressing. Not that that stops me. So he was not keen on this recipe, which calls for dipping the raw wings in blue cheese dressing prior to deep frying. I persevered. He was pleasantly surprised. Somehow, the wings didn't have much flavour. (?) I don't own a deep fryer (nor do I want one!) and we usually do wings in the oven, so this was an experiment. I'm a little terrified of deep frying on the stove top, ever since Devin's house burned down when we were 12, but no such accidents tonight. Deep frying provides a moister, plumper wing than baking. Also, the cooking time is MUCH shorter. Felt a little dirty though, deep frying. Yum. Not sure if we'll try this one again or not.
Comments! Feedback! I've been getting some! Yay! Thanks for the support. Apparently Grandma wasn't sure why anyone would care what I'm cooking for supper (a thought I've had myself) but a few of you out there are interested, so I'll continue on. Fun for me anyway. :)
September 8, 2010
September 8th: BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches
First, some follow up. The carrot pickles were good, but I should have halved them lengthwise. Note for next time. I finally finished the tomato sauce today - I needed to buy basil and blend the whole deal up. But really, it's an easy recipe! And now I have five jars in my freezer--or I would, if I hadn't used up all my jars making pickles.
Last night, after staying up late to post, I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., but forgot to click the little button over that makes the alarm actually go off. I woke up at 7:51 a.m., 21 minutes after I should have been at work. Oh dear. Must speed things up in the evening ... BUT HOW?
Tonight I taught my last class at the South Orleans GoodLife. Long story, but I gave up my classes for the fall. I'll still be teaching though. Several ladies had words of kindness for me, so I came home in a good mood to the supper Greg had prepared, from September 2010's Today's Parent: BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. I had intended to make this for lunch on the weekend and hadn't found time, so since we already had the ingredients, I gave Greg the choice of making this or, from the same magazine, Pasta with Fresh Greens. It's just as well he chose the one he did, as I needed all the basil that would have been used in the pasta for my pasta sauce which is now in the freezer. Now, what to do with the spinach and brie I bought for the pasta recipe? Anyway, the sandwich was good. Not outstanding, probably won't bother keeping the recipe, but would have made a good lunch and was certainly an easy supper, which Greg especially appreciates on Wednesdays, as he is running with the Running Room on Wednesdays. He's such a good husband, he even took five pictures of my sandwich for me!
Last night, after staying up late to post, I set my alarm for 5:30 a.m., but forgot to click the little button over that makes the alarm actually go off. I woke up at 7:51 a.m., 21 minutes after I should have been at work. Oh dear. Must speed things up in the evening ... BUT HOW?
Tonight I taught my last class at the South Orleans GoodLife. Long story, but I gave up my classes for the fall. I'll still be teaching though. Several ladies had words of kindness for me, so I came home in a good mood to the supper Greg had prepared, from September 2010's Today's Parent: BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches. I had intended to make this for lunch on the weekend and hadn't found time, so since we already had the ingredients, I gave Greg the choice of making this or, from the same magazine, Pasta with Fresh Greens. It's just as well he chose the one he did, as I needed all the basil that would have been used in the pasta for my pasta sauce which is now in the freezer. Now, what to do with the spinach and brie I bought for the pasta recipe? Anyway, the sandwich was good. Not outstanding, probably won't bother keeping the recipe, but would have made a good lunch and was certainly an easy supper, which Greg especially appreciates on Wednesdays, as he is running with the Running Room on Wednesdays. He's such a good husband, he even took five pictures of my sandwich for me!
September 7, 2010
September 7th: Sweet and sour stir-fry
I try not to do this often, but sometimes can't help myself. I laid down with Olivia around 8 and ended up sleeping for two hours, which was wonderful, but didn't save me from the work I should have been doing during that time. Which is why I am here typing a post when my alarm will be going off in six hours. I think it might be a cycle. Who assigned me this new project? Oh yeah, me. Need to keep myself busy. Now, on to supper.
I don't know why I bother. I don't like stir fry. But I made it anyway; from September 2010's Today's Parent: Sweet and sour stir-fry. It was just okay. To the recycling bin with you, recipe. (Okay, not quite yet, because on the same page we have the as-yet-untested--perhaps tomorrow?--recipe: BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.) Both of these are vegetarian-able.
I don't know why I bother. I don't like stir fry. But I made it anyway; from September 2010's Today's Parent: Sweet and sour stir-fry. It was just okay. To the recycling bin with you, recipe. (Okay, not quite yet, because on the same page we have the as-yet-untested--perhaps tomorrow?--recipe: BBQ Grilled Cheese Sandwiches.) Both of these are vegetarian-able.
September 6, 2010
September 6th: Ham steaks, home fries and more
Olivia and I made peanut butter cookies today from September 2010's Chatelaine: Almond-butter cookies. The recipe calls for almond butter but says any nut butter (I used peanut butter) or, if you are avoiding nuts, soy or pea butter, can be used. These cookies were delicious! There is also a video online: cookie video. I tried a few variations: I made some plain, some with peanuts, and some with chocolate chips. All were great.
For supper we had home fries, ham steak with peaches, and corn on the cob. My home fries recipe comes from Looneyspoons, which I've just read is out of print. Basically, cut potatoes into wedges, toss with olive oil and Cajun spice, then roast at 400°F for 45 minutes, turning once. The ham steak idea came from September 2010's Chatelaine, but they have not posted it online. Top a ham steak with a sliced peach or two and dollop marmelade or apricot jam on top. I used apricot jam with some ground ginger. Marmelade would probably be better, but I didn't feel like digging through the 30 jars* in my fridge to see if I have any. Warm the whole deal up at 350°F for 10-20 minutes. I'm not a big ham fan, and Greg doesn't usually like fruit with meat, but we both thought this was pretty good.
*I should really count them sometime. It's probably more.
Tonight I started making a homemade tomato sauce, which is not quite finished yet. This is a favourite from September 2006's Chatelaine: Oven-roasted tomato sauce. I have a few tomato sauces I love, but this one may be the easiest. Simple, healthy and delicious.
For supper we had home fries, ham steak with peaches, and corn on the cob. My home fries recipe comes from Looneyspoons, which I've just read is out of print. Basically, cut potatoes into wedges, toss with olive oil and Cajun spice, then roast at 400°F for 45 minutes, turning once. The ham steak idea came from September 2010's Chatelaine, but they have not posted it online. Top a ham steak with a sliced peach or two and dollop marmelade or apricot jam on top. I used apricot jam with some ground ginger. Marmelade would probably be better, but I didn't feel like digging through the 30 jars* in my fridge to see if I have any. Warm the whole deal up at 350°F for 10-20 minutes. I'm not a big ham fan, and Greg doesn't usually like fruit with meat, but we both thought this was pretty good.
*I should really count them sometime. It's probably more.
Tonight I started making a homemade tomato sauce, which is not quite finished yet. This is a favourite from September 2006's Chatelaine: Oven-roasted tomato sauce. I have a few tomato sauces I love, but this one may be the easiest. Simple, healthy and delicious.
September 5, 2010
Pickles
This is not a supper post.
I made four types of pickles today. Good fun. The recipes were all from Chatelaine's September 2010 edition. Only one recipe is available online: Cucumber-fennel pickles. There is also a video on how to make these pickles: pickle video. My only quibble with the video: drying the cucumbers on paper towel. A dish towel is more environmentally friendly!
The other three types of pickles I made are below. They're supposed to sit in the fridge overnight before being eaten, but of course I had to sample. I didn't actually try the carrots, but the other three were delicious and definitely worth trying again.
Moroccan Carrots
Boil peeled thin carrots in salted water for 3 min. Drain. Plunge into ice water until cold. Pat dry and pack into jars. Heat 1 1/2 cups white vinegar, 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup sugar, until sugar dissolves. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and pour into jars.
Spicy Asparagus*
Boil trimmed asparagus in salted water for 1 min. Drain. Plunge into ice water until cold. Pat dry and pack into jars. Heat 1 1/2 cups white vinegar with 1 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Add 1 tsp chili flakes and pour into jars.
Dilled Green Beans
Boil 500 g trimmed green beans in salted water for 4 min. Drain. Plunge into ice water until cold. Pat dry and pack into jars with sprigs of fresh dill. Heat 1 1/2 cups white vinegar with 1 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Pour into jars.
*Felt some guilt buying asparagus this time of year. Really these should be made in May. Just sayin.
I made four types of pickles today. Good fun. The recipes were all from Chatelaine's September 2010 edition. Only one recipe is available online: Cucumber-fennel pickles. There is also a video on how to make these pickles: pickle video. My only quibble with the video: drying the cucumbers on paper towel. A dish towel is more environmentally friendly!
The other three types of pickles I made are below. They're supposed to sit in the fridge overnight before being eaten, but of course I had to sample. I didn't actually try the carrots, but the other three were delicious and definitely worth trying again.
Moroccan Carrots
Boil peeled thin carrots in salted water for 3 min. Drain. Plunge into ice water until cold. Pat dry and pack into jars. Heat 1 1/2 cups white vinegar, 1/2 cup honey and 1/2 cup sugar, until sugar dissolves. Add 1 tsp cumin seeds and pour into jars.
Spicy Asparagus*
Boil trimmed asparagus in salted water for 1 min. Drain. Plunge into ice water until cold. Pat dry and pack into jars. Heat 1 1/2 cups white vinegar with 1 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Add 1 tsp chili flakes and pour into jars.
Dilled Green Beans
Boil 500 g trimmed green beans in salted water for 4 min. Drain. Plunge into ice water until cold. Pat dry and pack into jars with sprigs of fresh dill. Heat 1 1/2 cups white vinegar with 1 cup sugar until sugar dissolves. Pour into jars.
*Felt some guilt buying asparagus this time of year. Really these should be made in May. Just sayin.
September 4, 2010
September 4th: Miso Soup & Salad Rolls
After an afternoon spent at the Perth Fair and eating carnie food, it was definitely a night for detox. G&O are spending the night at the in-laws. Being on my own, I went for simple, fast, veggie food from September 2010's Chatelaine: Miso Soup & Miso-maple tofu rolls.
The Miso Soup recipe isn't online. It's pretty simple:
boil 1 cup water
reduce to simmer; whisk in 1 tbsp white miso paste
remove from heat; stir in slivered green onion and silken tofu
Makes 1 serving.
Both were great. High points for ease of prep. I didn't have ripe avocado for the salad rolls, so threw in some green onion and cucumber in its place. Dipped them in some sketchy peanut sauce I found in the fridge that had an expiration date of 2008. Not sick yet.
Finished my single girl night by watching The Time Traveller's Wife. Teaching an early class tomorrow so needing beauty rest. :)
The Miso Soup recipe isn't online. It's pretty simple:
boil 1 cup water
reduce to simmer; whisk in 1 tbsp white miso paste
remove from heat; stir in slivered green onion and silken tofu
Makes 1 serving.
Both were great. High points for ease of prep. I didn't have ripe avocado for the salad rolls, so threw in some green onion and cucumber in its place. Dipped them in some sketchy peanut sauce I found in the fridge that had an expiration date of 2008. Not sick yet.
Finished my single girl night by watching The Time Traveller's Wife. Teaching an early class tomorrow so needing beauty rest. :)
September 3, 2010
September 3rd: Lime-Marinated Steak with Zucchini
Friday night!
Greg is a realtor and works impossible-to-predict hours. Today, O and I were on our own for supper again. After a chilly swim and a warm shower, I threw this supper together while talking on the phone to Rachel, and I didn't make any mistakes. It gets high points for both taste and easy preparation. Tonight's meal was from September 2010's Today's Parent (noticing a trend?!): Lime-Marinated Steak with Zucchini.
It tastes strongly of fresh lime juice and raw garlic, both of which I love, but you may want to proceed to caution! The zucchini flavoured with nutmeg was surprisingly good. With some corn on the cob on the side, we were good to go. Loving the local veggies this time of year.
When Greg ate his portion hours later, we agreed: this recipe goes in the "try again" binder. Yum!
Greg is a realtor and works impossible-to-predict hours. Today, O and I were on our own for supper again. After a chilly swim and a warm shower, I threw this supper together while talking on the phone to Rachel, and I didn't make any mistakes. It gets high points for both taste and easy preparation. Tonight's meal was from September 2010's Today's Parent (noticing a trend?!): Lime-Marinated Steak with Zucchini.
It tastes strongly of fresh lime juice and raw garlic, both of which I love, but you may want to proceed to caution! The zucchini flavoured with nutmeg was surprisingly good. With some corn on the cob on the side, we were good to go. Loving the local veggies this time of year.
When Greg ate his portion hours later, we agreed: this recipe goes in the "try again" binder. Yum!
September 2nd: Foil-Baked Salmon with Spinach
Thursday, Thursday. I work a four-day work week, and Thursday is my Friday. TGIT. I do love a Thursday. Thursdays that start a long weekend are even better. Thursdays Greg plays baseball and sometimes football, and unless it is only one late game, O and I are often on our own for supper. Such was the case this week.
September 2010's Today's Parent had two recipes under the header, "Tempting your toddler -- and everyone else." Well, that was too good a promise to go untested. I plan to do Oven-Braised Short Ribs with Cinnamon and Molasses on September 11th; today's recipe was Foil-Baked Salmon with Spinach.
This was an easy meal--the prep part that took the longest was shredding the carrots--but it was a long time in the oven--40 min--so not necessarily a weeknight option for most. I forgot to pick up green onions, so I substituted Spanish onion and that was good. I forgot until the end to make the recommended accompaniment of rice or orzo so I quickly boiled up some teeny alphabet pasta and we were good to go.
I thought it was delish. O did eat it, but only after clearing the pasta-with-cheese off her plate first. She's an experimentative kid (she doesn't have much of a choice) but she's still a kid and likes plain food.
I won't be keeping the recipe though. It was good; it was healthy; it was filling; but it wasn't AMAZING, so: gone.
I also made a Fresh Peach Salsa (substituting a nectarine for the peach, and using Paul Newman dressing rather than Kraft) from Kraft Canada as a side dish. I do not recommend this. It went in the compost at the end of the day.
Bring on the long weekend!
September 2010's Today's Parent had two recipes under the header, "Tempting your toddler -- and everyone else." Well, that was too good a promise to go untested. I plan to do Oven-Braised Short Ribs with Cinnamon and Molasses on September 11th; today's recipe was Foil-Baked Salmon with Spinach.
This was an easy meal--the prep part that took the longest was shredding the carrots--but it was a long time in the oven--40 min--so not necessarily a weeknight option for most. I forgot to pick up green onions, so I substituted Spanish onion and that was good. I forgot until the end to make the recommended accompaniment of rice or orzo so I quickly boiled up some teeny alphabet pasta and we were good to go.
I thought it was delish. O did eat it, but only after clearing the pasta-with-cheese off her plate first. She's an experimentative kid (she doesn't have much of a choice) but she's still a kid and likes plain food.
I won't be keeping the recipe though. It was good; it was healthy; it was filling; but it wasn't AMAZING, so: gone.
I also made a Fresh Peach Salsa (substituting a nectarine for the peach, and using Paul Newman dressing rather than Kraft) from Kraft Canada as a side dish. I do not recommend this. It went in the compost at the end of the day.
Bring on the long weekend!
September 2, 2010
September 1st: Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette
I was hoping to figure out some kind of calendar app so I could type out my meal plan for the month. I haven't found anything to help me - maybe it's not possible.
In the meantime - last night! Wednesday night is Greg's night to cook. I go straight from work to the gym where I teach BodyFlow. By the time I get home, supper is usually done and quite often Greg and Olivia have already finished eating, except when O is in a slow poke mood.
Greg goes along with my fanatical meal planning and makes whatever I set out (most of the time!) with one caveat: it must be easy. This week was an easy, no cook meal requiring minimum prep: from September 2010's Today's Parent: Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.
This recipe will not knock your socks off. It could be improved with the addition of onions, peppers, cucumber, and my all-time favourite--goat's cheese--rather than feta. However, if you ever buy rotisserie chicken "meal deals" at the grocery store, you might want to try this out as a healthier option. As an afterthought, I would recommend adding a baguette to the side.
Verdict: recipe gone to the recycling.
If you decide to make it, you can easily use a store-bought pre-cooked chicken. If you have time and want to control the salt level of your food, try making the chicken yourself. For this recipe I cooked a chicken the night before, using one of two all-time favourite roast chicken recipes, this one from May 2008's Chatelaine: Perfect Roast Chicken. It is unbelievable to me that they don't have this recipe online, but they don't, so I've typed it out for you below.
If you've never cooked a whole chicken, this is a fabulous recipe to start with. The only times I've ever screwed it up were when (a) my chicken was still partially frozen when I put it in the oven and (b) I didn't realize my oven sucks and I need to crank up the heat and then keep an eye on the food. With a decent oven and a fresh chicken, you really can't go wrong. Have fun!
Perfect Roast Chicken
1 large lemon
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1.75 kg whole chicken
pinches of coarse salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place rack in shallow-sided roasting pan.* Lightly spray with oil and set aside.
Cut lemon into 4 wedges. Coarsely chop garlic. Remove neck and giblets from body cavity of chicken. Set aside and use for gravy, if you like.** Sprinkle garlic and salt over the inside of cavity. Stuff in lemon wedges.
Place chicken breast-side up on rack in roasting pan. Rub butter over skin. Sprinkle all over with salt. Tuck wings underneath bird.
Roast, uncovered, in centre of preheated oven, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 170°F (77°C) and leg moves easily, about 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 45 min.
Remove cooked chicken to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes before carving (to allow juices to redistribute).
*If you don't have a rack, I really don't think it matters. Ditto roasting pan.
**I've never done this. Someday I must remember to do so.
In the meantime - last night! Wednesday night is Greg's night to cook. I go straight from work to the gym where I teach BodyFlow. By the time I get home, supper is usually done and quite often Greg and Olivia have already finished eating, except when O is in a slow poke mood.
Greg goes along with my fanatical meal planning and makes whatever I set out (most of the time!) with one caveat: it must be easy. This week was an easy, no cook meal requiring minimum prep: from September 2010's Today's Parent: Chicken Salad with Lemon Vinaigrette.
This recipe will not knock your socks off. It could be improved with the addition of onions, peppers, cucumber, and my all-time favourite--goat's cheese--rather than feta. However, if you ever buy rotisserie chicken "meal deals" at the grocery store, you might want to try this out as a healthier option. As an afterthought, I would recommend adding a baguette to the side.
Verdict: recipe gone to the recycling.
If you decide to make it, you can easily use a store-bought pre-cooked chicken. If you have time and want to control the salt level of your food, try making the chicken yourself. For this recipe I cooked a chicken the night before, using one of two all-time favourite roast chicken recipes, this one from May 2008's Chatelaine: Perfect Roast Chicken. It is unbelievable to me that they don't have this recipe online, but they don't, so I've typed it out for you below.
If you've never cooked a whole chicken, this is a fabulous recipe to start with. The only times I've ever screwed it up were when (a) my chicken was still partially frozen when I put it in the oven and (b) I didn't realize my oven sucks and I need to crank up the heat and then keep an eye on the food. With a decent oven and a fresh chicken, you really can't go wrong. Have fun!
Perfect Roast Chicken
1 large lemon
4 cloves garlic, peeled
1.75 kg whole chicken
pinches of coarse salt
2 tbsp (30 mL) butter, at room temperature
Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Place rack in shallow-sided roasting pan.* Lightly spray with oil and set aside.
Cut lemon into 4 wedges. Coarsely chop garlic. Remove neck and giblets from body cavity of chicken. Set aside and use for gravy, if you like.** Sprinkle garlic and salt over the inside of cavity. Stuff in lemon wedges.
Place chicken breast-side up on rack in roasting pan. Rub butter over skin. Sprinkle all over with salt. Tuck wings underneath bird.
Roast, uncovered, in centre of preheated oven, until a thermometer inserted into thickest part of thigh reads 170°F (77°C) and leg moves easily, about 1 hr 15 min to 1 hr 45 min.
Remove cooked chicken to a cutting board. Loosely cover with foil and let stand 10 minutes before carving (to allow juices to redistribute).
*If you don't have a rack, I really don't think it matters. Ditto roasting pan.
**I've never done this. Someday I must remember to do so.
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