September 25th: fish, potatoes, tomatoes

Delicious meal from October 2012's Chatelaine: roasted fish and creamy dill sauce plus taters and tomaters (their title, not mine!). So good, I'm thinking of making it again next week. Recipes, with some modifications by me:


Fish

4 skinless fish fillets, such as tilapia, halibut or snapper, no thicker than 1/2 inch, about 450 g
1/2 tsp salt
12 thin slices of lemon
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup sour cream
2 tbsp chopped fresh dill

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Arrange fish on parchment and sprinkle with salt. Season with pepper. Top each fillet with lemon slices.

Roast in centre of oven until a knife tip inserted into the thickest part of fish and held for 10 sec comes out warm, 10 to 20 min.

Stir mayo with sour cream and dill in a small bowl. Serve with fish.

Serves 4.


Potatoes, Tomatoes

24 mini potatoes, quartered
3 cups cherry tomatoes, about 2 pints
2 tbsps olive oil
1 tsp salt
4+ garlic cloves, thinly sliced

Preheat oven to 450°F. Line a large baking sheet with parchment. Toss potatoes and tomatoes with oil and salt on prepared sheet. Season with pepper. Roast in centre of oven until potatoes are almost fork-tender, 25 to 30 minutes. Scatter garlic over mixture, then return to oven. Continue roasting until potatoes are dark golden around the edges, about 10 more minutes.

Serves 4.

If you actually follow that part about adding the garlic just before the end, you might end up not with burnt garlic. I didn't listen and did get burnt garlic.

August 17th: s'mores popcorn balls

Yes, this is a real thing! This is like taking a rice krispie square, popcorn, and a s'more and mashing them all up together. In other words: awesome. When I was home in NS in July, I took photographs of many recipes from Mom's cookbooks, and tonight I decided to make this one, from Best Recipes Ever (2):

S'mores Popcorn Balls

10 cups (2.4 L) popped popcorn (about 1/2 cup unpopped)
2 cups (500 mL) pieces (1/2-inch/1 cm) graham crackers, (about 15 crackers)
6 cups (1.5 L) mini marshmallows (you'll need a 400 g bag), divided
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter
1 tsp (5 mL) vanilla

Topping:
2 oz (57 g) bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped

In large greased roasting pan, toss together popcorn, graham crackers and 1 cup of the marshmallows. Set aside.

In large saucepan, melt remaining marshmallows with butter over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until smooth. Remove from heat. Stir in vanilla. Immediately pour over popcorn mixture; stir with greased spatula to coat.

Let cool enough to handle. With greased hands, form by 3/4 cup into balls. Place on waxed paper–lined tray; let cool.

Topping: In heatproof bowl over saucepan of hot (not boiling) water, melt chocolate. [Or just use the microwave, that's what I did. ;)] Using fork, drizzle all over popcorn balls; refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes.

Turn balls over and drizzle with remaining chocolate; refrigerate until set, about 10 minutes. (Make-ahead: Wrap individually in plastic wrap and store for up to 24 hours.)

Makes about 10.

Notice I didn't take the time to drizzle the chocolate nicely from the tines of a fork.
I scraped it out of the bowl with a spatula.

Neither of my kids was able to finish their popcorn ball.
Next time, I might make them smaller.

July 19th: Cinnamon chicken bulgar pilaf

Another winner from olive magazine! I didn't really expect to like this one, but it was awesome! Again, Sadie cleaned her plate! Who would have guessed bulgar would be such a hit?

Cinnamon chicken bulgar pilaf

cinnamon, 1/4 tsp
ground cumin, a large pinch
chicken thighs, 4 small
olive oil
onion, 1 small, finely chopped
garlic, 1 clove, crushed
bulgar wheat, 90 g (1/2 cup)
chicken stock, 2 cups*
spinach, 100 g, chopped (4 cups)
butter
toasted chopped almonds, 2 tbsp

Rub the spices and some seasoning into the chicken thighs and brown all over in a little olive oil. Cover and cook through.

Meanwhile, fry the onion in a little oil until softened, add the garlic and fry for a minute, then add the bulgar and stock and bring to a simmer. Cook for 12-15 minutes, until the stock has been absorbed. Add the spinach and stir until wilted, 1-2 minutes. Fluff the pilaff, dot with butter** and sprinkle with the almonds. Serve with the chicken and any juices.

Serves 2.

*The original recipe called for 150 mL (2/3 cup) of chicken stock. In my large frying pan, this liquid quickly dried up before the time was up. I ended up adding more and more stock, till I used about 2 cups total, and there was some left in the pan. I'm not sure how soft bulgar wheat is supposed to get (it was fairly chewy), but I found lots of liquid made it better.
**Oo ya, don't skip this step! Butter makes all the difference in the flavour!

July 18th: Family Steak and Vegetable Platter

From Foodland Ontario calendar, recipe for month of July. SADIE ATE EVERY SCRAP OF FOOD ON HER PLATE. Including potatoes. And tomatoes. I will make this recipe every single day from now on...

Family Steak and Vegetable Platter

1 lb (500 g) boneless Ontario Beef Top Sirloin or other grilling steak, 1-inch (2.5 cm) thick
1 lb (500 g) small Ontario Potatoes, scrubbed
8 oz (250 g) Ontario Green Beans, trimmed
2 Ontario Tomatoes, any colour, cut into wedges
2 Ontario Green Onions, thinly sliced
4 cups (1 L) torn mixed Ontario Salad greens

Dressing:
1/4 cup (50 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) balsamic vinegar
2 cloves Ontario Garlic, pressed
1 tbsp (15 mL) chopped fresh Ontario Thyme
2 tsp (10 mL) Dijon mustard
1 tsp (5 mL) Ontario liquid Honey
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each coarse salt and ground pepper

Dressing: In small bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, garlic, 2 tsp (10 mL) of the thyme, mustard, honey, salt and pepper. Remove 2 tsp (10 mL) and brush one side of the steak with half. Place steak, dressing side down on greased grill over medium-high heat. Brush with remaining half of removed dressing; close lid and grill, turning once, until medium-rare, about 8 minutes, or until desired doneness. Transfer to cutting board and let stand for 10 minutes before thinly slicing across the grain.

Meanwhile, in large pot of lightly salted water, bring potatoes to boil; cook until just tender, about 10 minutes. Add green beans; cook for 5 minutes or until beans are tender. Drain vegetables and run under cold water; drain well.

Cut potatoes into quarters or halves (depending on size); arrange in section on large platter. Fill rest of platter with sections of beef, beans, tomatoes, onions and lettuce. Sprinkle with remaining dressing and with thyme; toss gently to coat.


Serves 4.

I skipped the platter presentation and did individual plates. I added watercress and radish to our plates, and for our dressing, I used Liquid Gold's Honey Ginger White Balsamic Vinegar. Delicious!

July 17th: Peppered pork schnitzel with watercress salad

Oh, hello there, Blogosphere, miss me much? Let's not get all fussy about April, May or June, alright? What's done is done. Ah, July...

Just returned from vacation, and I'm happy to be flexing my cooking muscles in my own kitchen again. Greg declared tonight's meal the best one he's had in two weeks. I'm happy my cooking is better than Pizza Pizza and My Favourite Chinese Food.

In June, I flew twice to Nova Scotia, without my children in tow. Since I had time, I treated myself to two food magazines, one each from the YOW and YHZ airports. Tonight's meal comes from olive magazine, a British food magazine I was previously unfamiliar with. Now I have a pile of recipes I want to make, all involving weighed ingredients and Celsius oven temperatures. I converted for your ease. :)

Peppered pork schnitzel with watercress salad

dried breadcrumbs, 75 g (about 1 cup)
ground black pepper, 1 tsp
salt, to taste
egg, 1 large, beaten
flour for dusting
fast fry pork chops, 4 small or 2 large, about 300 g in total
oil (grapeseed or other high heat handling oil, plus olive for salad)
watercress, 2 handfuls
red onion, 1/2 small, finely sliced
cherry tomatoes, 10, halved
radishes, 2, sliced thin
lemon, 1, half juiced, half in wedges
mayonnaise, to serve (optional)

Mix the breadcrumbs, pepper and a good pinch of salt together and spread over a plate. Put the egg on another plate. Dust the pork in a little flour then dip in egg and coat in the seasoned breadcrumbs.

Heat 2-3 tbsp oil in a non-stick pan. Add the schnitzel and fry on each side for 2-3 minutes until crisp and golden.

While the pork is cooking, put the watercress, onion, tomatoes and radishes in bowl and dress with lemon juice, olive oil and season. Toss together, then serve with the pork, some lemon wedges and a dollop of mayo, if you like.

Serves 2.

Notice how the ingredient name comes before the measurement? It also doesn't tell you how high to heat the pan, or how exactly to dress the salad, like they expect you just to know. Those crafty Brits, making my brain work harder, or maybe just expecting me not to need my hand held.

This recipe is simple, simple, and it was pretty good. I just noticed now it calls for a lot of pepper (thus the title, doh!); I didn't use the amount called for, I just ground some over the breadcrumbs. The radishes were my own addition, when I found them in my crisper still looking good from whenever I bought them weeks (months?) ago. Do you see how much oil this recipe requires for frying the pork? Now that is an amount I can appreciate, non of this North American weight watching 1 tsp bullshit. (Sorry, Dad.)

To accompany, I made oven-roasted mini potatoes, a staple in our household, even though I am the only potato lover (what is wrong with these people?!). Take some baby potatoes, halve the big ones, toss them all with a couple of good lugs of olive oil, loads of salt and pepper, and roast at 425°F for about 30 minutes. For the last 5 minutes, throw in some diced garlic (lots, if you're a Sellers!). Delish.

March 23rd: Quinoa Tabbouleh & Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

I can't believe I waited a month to write about my baby turning 2! This awesome kid is so much fun to have around and completes our family so perfectly; I can barely remember what it was like before we had her. In the time leading up to and since her birthday, she has become more independent and communicative; I enjoy her company each and every day.

Sadie Birthday Baby

For Sadie's birthday dinner, we had a big family party, with members from both sides of the family in attendance for the first time in my children's lifetime! At Greg's request, I laid out a healthy spread, which included roasted broccoli and cauliflower, roasted pork tenderloin, and a quinoa tabbouleh salad, the last of which I pulled off epicurious:


Quinoa Tabbouleh

1 cup quinoa, rinsed well
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more
2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil
Freshly ground black pepper
1 large English hothouse cucumber or 2 Persian cucumbers, cut into 1/4" pieces
1 pint cherry tomatoes, halved
2/3 cup chopped flat-leaf parsley
1/2 cup chopped fresh mint
2 scallions, thinly sliced

Bring quinoa, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1 1/4 cups water to a boil in a medium saucepan over high heat. Reduce heat to medium-low, cover, and simmer until quinoa is tender, about 10 minutes. Remove from heat and let stand, covered, for 5 minutes. Fluff with a fork, then let cool.

Meanwhile, whisk lemon juice and garlic in a small bowl. Gradually whisk in olive oil. Season dressing to taste with salt and pepper.

Transfer cooled quinoa to a large bowl; mix in 1/4 cup dressing. DO AHEAD: Can be made 1 day ahead. Cover remaining dressing and quinoa separately; chill.

Add cucumber, tomatoes, herbs, and scallions to bowl with quinoa; toss to coat. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Drizzle remaining dressing over.

Makes 6 servings.

Going from memory, I think I altered the recipe a bit, increasing the lemon and reducing the oil, and reducing both the parsley and mint by a bit. I didn't keep notes, so this is guesswork. I do remember the salad was well-received and we enjoyed it.

For dessert, I used my Martha Stewart's Cupcakes cookbook and made:

Peanut Butter-Filled Chocolate Cupcakes

2/3 cup all-purpose flour

1/2 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 cup unsalted butter, cut into small pieces

4 ounces semisweet chocolate chips*

2 ounces unsweetened chocolate chips*

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3 large eggs

2 tsp vanilla

Peanut Butter Filling (recipe follows)

Preheat oven to 325°F. Line a standard muffin tin with paper liners. Whisk together flour, baking powder, and salt. Put butter and chocolates in a heatproof bowl set over (not in) a pan of simmering water; stir until melted. Remove from heat, and let cool slightly.

Whisk granulated sugar into cooled chocolate mixture. Add eggs, and whisk until mixture is smooth. Stir in vanilla. Add flour mixture; stir until well incorporated.

Spoon 2 tablespoons chocolate batter into each lined cup, followed by 1 tablespoon peanut butter filling. Repeat with another tablespoon of batter, and top with 1 teaspoon filling. Swirl top of cupcake batter and filling with a wooden skewer or toothpick.

Bake, rotating tin halfway through, until a cake tester inserted in centres comes out with only a few moist crumbs attached, about 40 minutes. Transfer tin to a wire rack to cool completely before removing cupcakes. Cupcakes can be stored up to 3 days at room temperature in airtight containers.

Makes 12.

*The original called for chocolate, chopped. I always use chips. The chopping is done!

Peanut Butter Filling

4 tbsp unsalted butter, melted

1/2 cup icing sugar, sifted

3/4 cup smooth peanut butter

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp vanilla

Stir together all ingredients until smooth. Use immediately.

Makes enough for 12 cupcakes

Thanks to Olivia bringing it to my attention just in time, I remembered one of our guests had a peanut allergy, so I subbed Wow Butter in for the peanut butter. The cupcakes were good, but I suspect with real peanut butter, they would be a truly wow experience.

That's March complete. Now for April. Eep.

March 16th: Hearty Pasta & Bean Soup

After many days of eating this soup, I decided to toss the recipe, but if you're feeding a crowd and could use it up quickly, it was pretty good. From March 2014's Chatelaine: Hearty Pasta & Bean Soup.

Hearty Pasta & Bean Soup

3 tbsp extra virgin olive oil*
1 onion, finely chopped
1 1/3 cups finely diced pancetta, (about 150 g) [I used bacon]
2 red potatoes, diced
2 900-mL cartons no-salt chicken broth
1/2 tsp salt
2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary
1 1/2 cups macaroni
540-mL can romano or borlotti beans, drained and rinsed
1/3 cup grated parmesan
2 tbsp finely chopped parsley
4 slices Italian bread, toasted
1 garlic clove, cut in half

HEAT a large pot over medium. Add 1 tbsp oil, then onion and pancetta. Cook until onion is soft, about 3 min. Add potatoes, broth, salt and rosemary. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low and simmer, covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 min.

ADD pasta and continue cooking until pasta is tender, about 8 min. Stir in beans. Ladle soup into bowls and top with parmesan and parsley. Drizzle with 1 tbsp oil. Serve with toasted bread rubbed with garlic and drizzled with remaining 1 tbsp oil.

*I used regular olive oil for the frying, and extra virgin for the drizzling at the end.

March 13th: All-Purpose Baking Mix and Chicken Pot Pie

I have blogged previously about my all-time favourite chicken pot pie recipe, which is to die for. Death bed food, right there. For a weeknight supper though, a bit time consuming. This one is a bit simpler. Still a bit of time involved, but not too bad, and the results are pretty tasty. From March 2014's Chatelaine: All-Purpose Baking Mix and Chicken Pot Pie.

First step is to whip up some all-purpose baking mix, which you can keep on hand for a month after making. I see now I should throw out my supply, as I haven't used it in the last month, although Chatelaine has various suggested ways to use it, including pancakes, biscuits and cookies.

All-Purpose Baking Mix

3 cups all-purpose flour (OR 1 1/2 cups each all-purpose and whole wheat flours)
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tbsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt

WHISK all ingredients together in medium bowl until combined. Use right away or store in an airtight container in a cool dry place up to 1 month.

Makes 3 cups.

Chicken Pot Pie

HEAT a large ovenproof frying pan over medium-high. Add 1 tbsp butter, then 2 carrots, cut into 1/4-in. coins; 1 cup chopped red onion; and a 227-g pkg cremini mushrooms, quartered.

COOK until mushrooms are tender, 3 to 4 min. Stir in 2 tbsp butter, then 2 tbsp all-purpose flour. Cook, stirring constantly for 30 sec. Add 1/2 cup white wine and continue cooking, 2 to 3 min. Stir in 2 cups chicken broth, then 1 rotisserie chicken, shredded. Cook until thickened. Stir in 1 tbsp chopped dill.

MIX 2 1/2 cups All-Purpose Baking Mix with 1/2 cup cold butter, cubed, and 1 cup milk in a bowl until mixture comes together. Scrape onto a floured surface and roll out to 11 in. wide and 1/4 in. thick. Use a 3-in. cookie cutter to cut 8 rounds of dough, re-rolling scraps as needed. Place rounds over chicken mixture. Brush tops with 1 beaten egg.

BAKE at 425F until golden, 15 to 20 min.

My cookie cutter must be smaller than 3 inches,
as I cut out 12 rounds, enough to fill the pan,
but I could have kept going.

Life imitating art.

We all liked this recipe. In future, I might try doubling the liquids (wine and chicken broth), as it was a bit dry the first night, and very dry the next day. It was also very meaty, probably not necessary to pick that rotisserie chicken clean.

March 12th: Baked Beans

This is a slightly cheater post, as I blogged about these beans three years ago, but I didn't include the recipe that time, so I will this time. This was the absolute perfect March Break apres ski meal. I tossed every thing in the slow cooker before Greg, O and I hit the slopes, then supper was ready and waiting when we got home. Lovely. It was also perfect timing, as they've been eating baked beans and molasses in The Long Winter, which O and I have been slogging through. She was excited to try them, but didn't like them any more this time than she did when she was 3. Alas. From March 2011's Chatelaine: Classic Baked Beans.

Classic Baked Beans

1 onion, finely chopped
4 slices bacon, chopped
1/2 cup fancy molasses
1/2 cup ketchup
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp hot red-chili flakes
2 cups dry navy beans, rinsed
341 mL bottle beer

Stir onion with bacon, molasses, ketchup, Dijon, salt and chili flakes in slow-cooker insert. Stir in beans, beer and 3 cups of water until combined. Cover and cook on low until beans are tender, about 10 hours. Serve with baguette slices topped with grated cheese and broiled. Beans will keep well, refrigerated, up to a week.


Makes 6 servings.

March 10th: Moroccan Lentil Stew

Oopsy. Tad bit behind. Keeping this short and sweet. I wasn't going to make this recipe but Greg saw it and thought it looked good, so I made it and good thing: it was delicious! It tastes a lot like chili, but vegetarian and likely healthier. Yum yum. From March 2014's Chatelaine: Moroccan Lentil Stew.

Moroccan Lentil Stew

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high. Add 2 tsp canola oil, then 1 finely chopped medium onion. Cook, stirring often, until onion is soft, about 3 min. Add 2 tbsp curry paste,* 1 cup rinsed red lentils and 3 cups water. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until lentils are tender and have absorbed all the liquid, about 30 min.

Add a 796-mL can whole tomatoes to lentils along with 1/2 tsp salt. Gently boil, uncovered, until stew reduces slightly, 5 to 10 min. Garnish with 1/4 cup each toasted slivered almonds and chopped fresh parsley. Serve with a fresh baguette.

Serves 4.


*The recipe called for Madras curry paste. I found this in the grocery store, and noting it had several chili peppers indicating a level of spiciness I figured my girls wouldn't go in for, I instead used the mild Indian curry paste I had in the fridge at home.

March 6th: Chicken & Bok Choy with Crunchy Shallots

I was super pleased with this recipe tonight: it was delicious, and both my girls ate bok choy without complaint, and Olivia almost said she liked it. I love bok choy and would make it MUCH more often if others agreed. Post-supper, I was out of the house tonight and when I came home, the whole house still smelled of fish sauce. Maybe not so good. From March 2014's Chatelaine: Chicken & Bok Choy with Crunchy Shallots.

Chicken & Bok Choy with Crunchy Shallots

Cover 125 g fine rice-vermicelli noodles with boiling water in a large bowl. Let stand, stirring frequently, until tender, 5 to 7 min. Drain. Return to bowl.

Dice 2 skinless, boneless chicken breasts. Combine with 3 tbsp brown sugar, 2 tbsp light soy sauce, 1 tbsp fish sauce and 1 tsp hot chili-garlic sauce in a medium bowl. Stir to coat. Heat a very large non-stick pan over medium-high. Add 2 tsp canola oil, then chicken, reserving marinade. Cook until chicken is no longer pink, 2 to 3 min. Move chicken to sides of pan and add 10 baby bok choy, halved lengthwise. Cook, stirring often, until tender-crisp, 2 to 3 min. Transfer chicken and bok choy to a platter.

Add noodles to pan along with reserved marinade. Cook until heated through, at least 2 min. Divide among 4 plates. Top with chicken and bok choy and any liquid. Sprinkle 1/3 cup fried shallots over the plates and serve with a wedge of lime.


Makes 4 servings.

A couple notes: the recipe called for 10 baby bok choy, halved. I find they come in such varying sizes, you have to play this one by ear. I bought 8 (shout out to Farm Boy, who sells them in bulk!) and probably could have bought less, but I do love bok choy and I'll eat them all myself. I split them into leaves, then sliced up the bigger leaves. I fried them in two batches, for 6 minutes each. That almost doubled the overall cook time. Plan accordingly!

The recipe called for packaged fried shallots. I couldn't find these, nor do I imagine they are very good for you, so I made my own: I diced up shallots and lightly fried them in olive oil, then sprinkled panko crumbs on top and fried a few minutes more, then salted and peppered. Delicious.

March 3rd: Chunky Clam Chowder

I always think of a chowder as being a cream- or milk-based soup, but this clam "chowder" is a tomato- or clamato-based soup. While being a clam soup, it is also vegetable rich, and tasty. Turns out, this is a "Manhattan-style" chowder as opposed to "Boston-style." Mystery solved. It was quite yummy, or so thought Sadie and I, who ate the lion's share. Greg and Olivia were a bit more iffy about the whole thing. I recommend it, and might sneak it into my "try again" pile when fussy fussters aren't watching. From March 2014's Chatelaine: Chunky Clam Chowder.

Chunky Clam Chowder

Heat a large saucepan over medium-high. Add 6 finely chopped bacon slices. Cook, stirring often, until bacon is crisp, about 5 min. Remove bacon, leaving fat in saucepan. Add 2 peeled, chopped carrots, 1 chopped celery stalk, 1 peeled, finely chopped yellow potato, 1/2 chopped onion, 2 minced garlic cloves and 2 tbsp tomato paste. Cook until onion is tender, 3 to 5 min. Add 2 1/2 cups Clamato, 1 cup water and 2 thyme sprigs. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, uncovered, until vegetables are tender, about 30 min.

Stir in 142-g can baby clams. Garnish with reserved bacon and 1/4 cup chopped parsley. Add a dash of Tabasco.

Makes 4 servings.

The only thing I changed here was to double the amount of bacon called for, as I thought it made all the difference with the flavour. Don't leave out the Tabasco! It also brings it all home.

Served with a baguette on the side.

Still have a bit of Clamato left over. Looks like somebody will be drinking birthday Caesars.

March 2nd: fish tacos

I swear, I forget the Oscars every year. You would think I would remember, because they are always the same week as my birthday, and occasionally fall on my birthday, if my birthday happens to be on a Sunday. I hate when that happens. I do not want to spend my birthday night glued to the TV. I suppose I could opt out of watching the Oscars, but somehow I never do.

That's my excuse for not blogging about Sunday night supper. Glued to the TV. Putting the kids to bed, I missed Jared Leto's speech, the only one I would have wanted to see (swoon), and I missed Pharrell Williams singing, the only song I would have like to have seen. Then I went to bed before the final three big awards were awarded. Clearly, I should not have bothered. I should have just blogged.


Alas. Sunday night I made fish tacos. I believe I've made fish tacos once before, but didn't blog about it at the time: one of my non-blogging moments. I think that time I made a recipe from November 2012's Chatelaine: Roadside fish tacos. This time, I used one from March 2014's Chatelaine: Tropical fish tacos. Going entirely from memory, I recommend the former recipe over the latter. But I'll talk about the latter here, as I can't guarantee my comments on the former.

Tropical Fish Tacos

Stir 1/2 cup sour cream with 2 tsp lime zest and sriracha sauce to taste (1 1/2 tsp for us) in a small bowl. Combine 1 cup finely shredded red cabbage with 1/4 cup finely sliced red onion and 2 tbsp lime juice in a medium bowl. Set both aside.

Pat 400 g cod fillets dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with 1/2 tsp salt. Season with fresh pepper. Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add 2 tbsp canola oil, then fish. Cook until browned, 2 to 3 min per side. Remove from heat. Cut fillets in bite-sized pieces.

Assemble tacos by filling 8 warmed flour tortillas with cabbage slaw, fish, sour cream mixture, 2 cups chopped fresh pineapple and 1/4 cup cilantro leaves.


Makes 4 servings.


I've altered the original recipe slightly, as I found it didn't have enough sauce or pineapple, and had too much slaw. This recipe was good but we didn't love love it, so we'll toss it. I'll have to try that other recipe sometime again.

assembly line

assembled

February 20th: fish chowder

This recipe I made a year or so ago, around (one of) the time I wasn't blogging. I made it again tonight, with a few alterations, and it was delicious. I loved it; Olivia didn't love it but did eat it; Sadie may or may not have liked it, but she ate it, which is all that matters. Greg was not home to provide an opinion. The original came from February 2013's Chatelaine: Smoked-Trout Chowder, but I have changed it a bit to my own taste. Yum yum.

Fish Chowder

2 tbsp unsalted butter
2 celery stalks, chopped
2 medium carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
3 medium Yukon Gold potatoes, cut into 1/2 inch cubes
1/4 cup dry white wine
3 cups chicken broth
1 1/2 cups 2% milk
1 tsp herbes de Provence
1/2 cup 35% cream
1 cup corn kernels
200 g skinless, boneless fish (any kind), diced
2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Melt butter in a large pot over medium. Add celery, carrots and onion. Sprinkle with flour and salt. Cook, stirring frequently, until carrots start to soften, about 5 min.

Add potatoes, wine, broth, milk and herbes de Provence. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, partially covered, until potatoes are tender, about 15 min.

Stir in cream, corn, and fish. Continue simmering for 2 min. Ladle into bowls and top with parsley just before serving.

Makes 6 servings.

February 13th: Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

Greg was super looking forward to this recipe, and both he and Sadie loved it. Of course they did; it was spicy! Olivia and I weren't big fans, so I had to break the news to Greg that I wouldn't be making it again. Oh, the disappointment. From February 2014's Chatelaine: Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons. The original recipe called white bread for the croutons; I picked up a loaf of fresh sourdough on Monday, which was sufficiently dried by Thursday that it made perfect little grilled cheese croutons that held together in the soup, softening up without becoming mushy. I recommend that.

Tomato Soup with Grilled Cheese Croutons

2 tbsp unsalted butter
1 large onion, chopped
1 large garlic clove, minced
2 small carrots, peeled and chopped
2 small celery stalks, chopped
1 small red pepper, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste
1 tbsp lime juice
1/2 tsp granulated sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
freshly ground black pepper
3 cups low-sodium chicken broth
796-mL can whole tomatoes
2 tbsp unsalted butter, at room temperature
4 slices day-old sourdough bread
several slices cheddar cheese, enough to cover bread

Melt 2 tbsp butter in a large saucepan over medium. Add onion and garlic. Cook until onion is soft, 4 to 5 min. Add carrots, celery, pepper, tomato paste, lime juice, sugar, salt and cayenne. Season with fresh pepper. Cook until vegetables begin to soften, stirring occasionally, 4 to 5 min. Add broth and tomatoes with juices. Break up tomatoes a bit with sharp knife or wooden spoon. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to low. Simmer until vegetables are tender, 20 min.

Puree in 2 batches in a blender until smooth.* Return to clean saucepan set over low to keep warm.

Spread 2 tbsp butter on both sides of each bread slice.** Heat a large frying pan over medium and lay 2 slices in pan. Top each with sliced cheese, then remaining bread. Cook, flipping halfway, until cheese is melted and bread is golden, 4 min. Remove from pan and let cool slightly. Cut into 1/2-in. cubes.

Ladle soup into bowls and top with grilled cheese croutons.


Makes 6 servings.***

*I puree my soup with the lid on but the centre of the lid out. I cover the hole with a folded up dish towel. This allows the steam to escape so the top of your blender doesn't go flying off.
**Oops! I missed this, and only buttered the outside of my bread. I wonder what difference it makes?
***Original says 10 servings. I say not.

February 12th: Sweet & Spicy Faux-Fried Chicken, Sesame Carrot Coins, Oven-Roasted Tomatoes

I was really looking forward to this recipe, and it lived up to my expectations! From February 2014's Chatelaine: Sweet & Spicy Faux-Fried Chicken. In the magazine, they pair the recipe with waffles, but we don't have a waffle maker, and I forgot to buy vegetables for the side, so I worked with what I had in the house, and re-made last week's Sesame Carrot Coins as well as one of my go-to recipes from Canadian Living, Oven-Roasted Grape Tomatoes. I usually make the tomatoes to accompany steak, but they went well with this chicken. The whole meal had some spice to it, and Sadie ate it up. I think I have finally figured out the trick with this kid: she likes spicy food! Whoever would have guessed? Too bad Olivia doesn't, or we would be set. Ah well. Kids must keep me on my toes. To the recipes!

Sweet & Spicy Faux-Fried Chicken

2 cups cornflakes
1/2 tsp Italian seasoning
1 egg yolk
3 tbsp honey, divided
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
2 large skinless, boneless chicken breasts (about 500 g)
1/4 tsp salt
1 tbsp water
1/8 tsp cayenne


Preheat oven to 350°F. Line a baking sheet with foil.

Crush cornflakes with your hands in a medium bowl until finely crumbled. Stir in Italian seasoning. Whisk egg yolk with 1 tbsp honey and Dijon in another medium bowl.

Cut each chicken breast in half crosswise and pat dry with paper towels. Sprinkle with salt. Coat each piece with egg mixture, then press into cornflake mixture to completely cover. Lay chicken on prepared sheet.

Bake in centre of oven until golden-brown, about 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, combine water with cayenne in a small saucepan and bring to a boil. Remove from heat and stir in remaining 2 tbsp honey. Drizzle cooked chicken with cayenne honey.

Makes 4 servings.

Sesame Carrot Coins

Stir 1 tbsp each rice vinegar and tamari (or soy sauce) with 1 tsp each brown sugar and sriracha sauce in a medium bowl. Set aside.

Heat a medium non-stick frying pan over medium. Add 1 tbsp canola oil, then 6 thinly sliced carrots along with sauce mixture. Cook carrots until tender-crisp, about 5 min. Drizzle with 2 tsp dark sesame oil and stir in 4 sliced green onions.

Makes 4 servings.

Oven-Roasted Grape Tomatoes

4 cups (1 L) grape tomatoes (or halved cherry tomatoes)
2 tbsp (30 mL) olive oil
2 cloves garlic, sliced
1/2 tsp (2 mL) dried oregano
1/4 tsp (1 mL) salt
1 pinch hot pepper flakes (optional)

In 13- x 9-inch (3 L) glass baking dish, toss together tomatoes, oil, garlic, oregano, salt, and hot pepper flakes (if using).

Roast in 400°F (200°C) oven, stirring occasionally, until shrivelled, about 25 minutes.

Makes 4 servings.

February 11th: butternut squash gnocchi, play dough

This is the second time I've cooked this meal, and the third time I've eaten it. My friend Janice made this for us at our Christmas cookie exchange in December and it was good and easy, so I made it for us awhile back. At that time, Olivia didn't like it, and Sadie ate a goodly portion. Tonight, Olivia ate a bit more than last time, and Sadie hardly ate a bite. Who knows?

This one comes from Michael Smith; I found a copy online that called for making your own gnocchi, but I used store-bought, the fresh kind.

Sadie Sous-Chef

Goat Cheese Gnocchi with Sage Butternut Squash Sauce


50 ml (1/4 cup) unsalted butter
2 onions, minced
4 garlic cloves, minced
1 medium butternut squash, peeled, seeded and cut in 1-cm (1/2-inch) cubes
250 ml (1 cup) water
2 ml (1/2 tsp) salt
Lots of freshly ground pepper
Leaves from 1 bunch fresh sage, thinly sliced (or 1 tbsp/15 ml dried sage)
1 pkg prepared fresh gnocchi, 500 g (1 lb)soft goat cheese, to taste
toasted nuts, such as pecans (optional)


In a large skillet, melt butter over medium-high heat. Add onions and garlic; sauté until textures soften and flavours brighten, 5 minutes or so. Toss in butternut squash, water, salt and pepper. Gently stir together, combining flavours. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a slow, steady simmer, cover tightly and continue cooking, stirring occasionally, until squash is soft and delicious, another 15 minutes or so. Mash sauce lightly with a potato masher, but don’t turn it into a paste.

Meanwhile, cook gnocchi according to package directions, timing it to be ready when the sauce is (good luck!). As soon as sauce and gnocchi are ready, add sage and gnocchi to sauce and stir, stir, stir.

Serve topped with goat cheese and nuts, to taste.

Makes 4 servings.

The only drawback to this meal is that it is heavy; I felt a little ill after eating a probably slightly larger portion than required. Likely should have made a salad on the side.


Alas, I had to make play dough for school. Remember last year? Beautiful sky blue play dough? This year it looks like I'm sending a human liver to school. Olivia and I discussed orange, but oopsy, we ran out of yellow food colouring early on, so I used up all the red, thinking maybe it would end up an orangey-pink after being mixed with all the white flour and salt. Nope. Liver red. Yum yum.