January 28th: Garlic and Lemon Roasted Chicken and Veggies

I've made similar recipes in the past, but have never made this one before. With lemon, garlic and olive oil making up the base of the flavour, it was delicious. From the GoodLife Fitness blog.

Garlic and Lemon Roasted Chicken and Veggies

6 tablespoons olive oil
2 lemons: 1 thinly sliced and 1 juiced
8 cloves of garlic, minced
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1 1/2 pound green beans
8 small-medium red potatoes, cut into large chunks
4 chicken breasts, with bones and skin

Preheat oven to 450°F. Coat a large baking dish with 1 tablespoon of the olive oil. Arrange the lemon slices in a single layer in the bottom of the dish.

In a large bowl, combine the remaining oil, lemon juice, garlic, salt, and pepper; add the green beans and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, remove the green beans and arrange them on top of the lemon slices. Add the potatoes to the same olive oil mixture and toss to coat. Using a slotted spoon or tongs, arrange the potatoes on top of the green beans. Place the chicken in the same bowl with the olive oil mixture and coat thoroughly. Place the chicken, skin-side up, in the dish. Pour any of the remaining olive oil mixture over the chicken.


Roast for 45 minutes. Stir once, if desired, partway through cooking time. Let chicken rest 5 minutes before serving.

Makes 4 servings.

Greg found the green beans a little strongly flavoured with lemon. I suppose you could put the lemon slices on top of the chicken instead of under the beans. Then the chicken would be strongly lemon flavoured. What's wrong with lemon?!

January 27th: Spicy Peanut, Tofu and Spinach Stir-Fry

I wrote about this meal a few years ago, but as with many of my older posts, the recipe link no longer works, so I'll include it here again; this one comes from January 2010's Chatelaine:

Spicy Peanut, Tofu and Spinach Stir-Fry

1/2 cup (125 mL) orange juice
1/3 cup (75 mL) all-natural peanut butter
1/3 cup (75 mL) teriyaki sauce
1 1/2 tbsp (20 mL) hot chili-garlic sauce OR 1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) sriracha sauce
350-g pkg President's Choice teriyaki-flavoured tofu*
1 red pepper
6-oz (170-g) bag baby spinach

In a small bowl, whisk juice with peanut butter, teriyaki and chili-garlic sauce until mixed. Set aside. Slice tofu and red pepper into thin strips. If using teriyaki-flavoured tofu, add leftover teriyaki sauce in package to sauce mixture.

Lightly coat a large frying pan with oil and set over medium-high heat. When hot, add tofu and pepper. Gently stir-fry until tofu is hot and pepper is tender, 3 to 5 min. Don’t worry if tofu breaks a bit. Stir in sauce and spinach. Remove from heat and stir until spinach is just wilted. Serve over cooked couscous, boiled quinoa or steamed rice.**

Makes 4 servings.

*Can also used plain tofu, firm or extra-firm
**I made President's Choice bulgur quinoa blend for the side dish. This has become one of my favourite sides and I often make it in place of rice or quinoa.

Unlike my picture from a few years ago, I now slice up the tofu and pepper in smaller strips than the original recipe calls for. I like it this way better.

January 23rd: Panko-Crusted Tilapia

Tonight's supper was a riff on another fish recipe previously blogged about. I picked up a big tray of tilapia at the grocery store yesterday with no idea what I would do with it; it's simply been too long since we ate fish and I knew I could figure something out. I modified a recipe from November 2011's Chatelaine to work with ingredients I had on hand. It was good!

Panko-Crusted Tilapia

1 tbsp grapeseed oil
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 eggs
1 cup panko crumbs
2 tbsp finely chopped dill
1/2 tsp salt
454 g tilapia fillets (2-3)


Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat.

Pour flour into ziplock bag. Whisk eggs in pie plate. Combine panko crumbs, dill and salt in another dish.


Cut fish into 2 pieces each. Shake each piece first in flour, then dip in eggs, then in panko mixture. Place on platter and repeat with each piece.

Set all pieces in hot pan and fry until golden, approximately 2-5 minutes per side.

Serve with lemon wedges, tartar sauce, and dill pickles.

Serves 4.

We had ours with sweet potato fries and coleslaw.

January 21st: chili, no-knead bread

When we were home over Christmas, I had a wonderful reunion with my lifelong friends I barely ever see anymore, Devin and Gregory. It's funny how some people just feel right in your life. We got together at Devin and Rebecca's house, and Rebecca made us chili. I'm picky when it comes to chili (maybe a few other things too), so I took a small bowl, ate it, then went back for a bigger bowl. Turns out Rebecca is a great cook and between her amazing chili and her Michael Smith Chef at Home-esque pantry, I believe we may in fact be kindred spirits.

Rebecca's chili had stewing beef in it rather than ground beef, and I knew as I was eating it, I would have to give such a go at home. I did so last night, to some success. I think Rebecca's might have been better than mine, but I'm not sure what I could change. I started with a base I've made before, from January 2010's Chatelaine: Smoky white-bean chili, then doubled the ingredients and adapted it for a longer cook time. Mine went like this:

Stewing Beef Chili

2 lbs (1 kg) stewing beef
6-8 garlic cloves, minced
2 tbsp (30 mL) chili powder
2 tbsp (30 mL) dried oregano leaves
6 chipotle peppers, in abodo sauce
2 x 28-oz (796-mL) can whole tomatoes, preferably without added salt
2 red peppers
2 onions
2 x 19-oz (540-mL) can white kidney or navy beans, drained and rinsed
2 tbsp (30 mL) tomato paste

Lightly coat a large pot with vegetable oil and set over medium-high heat. Add half the meat and sear, then remove from pan. Repeat with remaining meat. Return all meat to pot and add garlic, chili powder and oregano. Stir well. Finely chop chipotles and add to pot, along with tomatoes. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for several hours (3-5).

One hour before serving, chop pepper and onion and stir into pot, along with beans. Cook until vegetables are tender. Serve with grated sharp cheddar and sour cream.

Makes 8 servings.


I used the 6 chipotle peppers, but the chili was on the spicy side and Olivia wasn't digging the heat, so I recommend cutting back for spice sensitivities. Michael Smith told me years ago (via TV) that when cooking with canned tomatoes, I should only ever use whole tomatoes, so I do. I used dried beans, quick-soaked the Mark Bittman way, but they were still a little underdone after a couple hours bubbling away in the chili. Guess I should have pre-cooked them, or used the canned variety called for.

I served the chili with no-knead bread:

No-Knead Bread


3 cups (430g) flour
¼ teaspoon (1g) yeast
1¼ teaspoon (8g) salt
1½ cups (345g or 12oz) water
olive oil (for coating)
extra flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal (for dusting)


Mix the dry ingredients in a medium bowl. Add water and incorporate by hand or with a wooden spoon or spatula for 30 seconds to 1 minute. Lightly coat the inside of a second medium bowl with olive oil and place the dough in the bowl. Cover the bowl with plastic wrap and let the dough rest 12 hours at room temperature (approx. 65-72°F).

Remove the dough from the bowl and fold once or twice. Let the dough rest 15 minutes in the bowl or on the work surface. Next, shape the dough into ball. Generously coat a cotton towel with flour, wheat bran, or cornmeal; place the dough seam side down on the towel and dust with flour. Cover the dough with a cotton towel and let rise 1-2 hours at room temperature, until more than doubled in size.

Preheat oven to 450-500°F. Place 6 to 8 quart pot in the oven at least 30 minutes prior to baking to preheat. Once the dough has more than doubled in volume, remove the pot from the oven and place the dough in the pot seam side up. Cover with lid and bake 30 minutes Then remove the lid and bake 15-30 minutes uncovered, until the loaf is nicely browned.

Makes 1 loaf.


I used 2 cups all-purpose flour and 1 cup whole wheat. The type of yeast isn't indicated, but I used quick rise. I used lukewarm water.

January 20th: Underwater Cake

Technically, I made this cake on January 18th and we ate it on January 19th, but its purpose was to celebrate Olivia's birthday on January 20th, so I'm going with that. And I'm still two days late posting about it. You've all already seen my Facebook and/or Twitter posts about it, so I'll get to the nitty gritty:

Back at some point in late 2009, when Olivia wasn't yet two, and certainly wasn't eating cake (oh, that I could say the same for Sadie...), I pulled a number of cake decorating ideas out of a Today's Parent magazine and stuck them in my recipe collection for some day. The first one I made in 2012, for her fourth birthday:

It was supposed to look like a bear's face, and it certainly wasn't as good as the one in the magazine, but it was my first-ever attempt at making a decorated cake, the three year olds attending the party were impressed, and of course, more important than anything else, it tasted fabulous.

Last year, for her fifth birthday, I made her chirp cake.

This year, I returned to the Today's Parent magazine for inspiration. They had three decoration ideas for flat cakes (my favourite!): Princess Castle, A Day at the Zoo, and Edible Aquarium. I let Olivia choose the one she wanted, and to my surprise, she chose Edible Aquarium over Princess Castle. She decided to call it the "underwater cake," so that's what it has become. We made the cake base together on Saturday, and she wanted to help decorate it, but it was still warm at bedtime, so we made the blue icing together and she went to bed and later, I iced and decorated it myself. It had to be done Saturday night, because her birthday party was 10:00 a.m. Sunday morning, and we are not early risers. FATAL MISTAKE. I should have planned ahead so that she could help me decorate, because if I had perhaps she wouldn't have been SO BLOODY CRITICAL. I was excited to show it to her Sunday morning and she was all, "I think these were straight up in the picture. You forgot white rocks. Well, it wasn't quite like this blah blah blah blah blah..." Hurt my feelings. :(

Anyway, she got over it. Partly because Greg tore a strip off her. And here's the end result:

Both the bear cake and the underwater cake had the same base, my favourite chocolate cake recipe, from Epicurious. Here's my version:

Chocolate Cake

3 ounces fine-quality semisweet chocolate chips (I used Ghiradelli)
1 1/2 cups hot brewed coffee (I used instant)3 cups sugar2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour1 1/2 cups unsweetened cocoa powder (not Dutch process)2 teaspoons baking soda3/4 teaspoon baking powder1 1/4 teaspoons salt3 large eggs3/4 cup vegetable oil1 1/2 cups well-shaken buttermilk3/4 teaspoon vanilla

Preheat oven to 300°F and grease 2 10-inch round cake pans. Line bottoms with rounds of parchment paper.

Combine chocolate and hot coffee in a medium bowl. Let mixture stand, stirring occasionally, until chocolate is melted and mixture is smooth. Set aside.

Into a large bowl sift together sugar, flour, cocoa powder, baking soda, baking powder, and salt. Set aside.

In another large bowl with an electric mixer, beat eggs until thickened slightly and lemon-coloured (about 3 minutes with a stand mixer or 5 minutes with a hand-held mixer). Slowly add oil, buttermilk, vanilla, and melted chocolate mixture to eggs, beating until combined well. Add sugar mixture and beat on medium speed until just combined well. Divide batter between pans and bake in middle of oven until a tester inserted in center comes out clean, 1 hour to 1 hour and 10 minutes.
Cool layers completely in pans on racks. Run a thin knife around edges of pans and invert layers onto racks. Carefully remove parchment paper and cool layers completely. Cake layers may be made 1 day ahead and kept, wrapped well in plastic wrap, at room temperature.


I adapted an icing recipe from The Joy of Cooking:

Icing

1/2 cup butter, room temperature
1 tsp vanilla
1 lb icing sugar
5 to 6 tablespoons milk or cream

Beat butter until smooth and creamy. Beat in vanilla. Alternately beat in icing sugar and milk, adding milk a few tablespoons at a time until desired consistency reached.

I beat in blue food colouring until Olivia and I liked the colour. We made several trips: to the grocery store, Candy Mountain, and Bulk Barn to find all the best fishy toppings: graham crumbs for sand, "edible sparkles" (for effect?), Jelly Belly beans for rocks, fruit roll ups, twisted, for seaweed, candy strings for coral, fish, shark, whale, plus gummies for an octopus.

January 14th: Mini Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins, Salmon Cakes

Two good recipes today. First up, from the 2013 Milk Calendar: Mini Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins. This one all the children liked, which was a relief. And, for supper, from January 2014's Chatelaine: Wild Salmon & Spicy Lime Cakes. This recipe called for Indian lime pickle, which would have added the referenced spice to the fishcakes. I couldn't find this in the two grocery stores I checked, so I used dill pickles I found in the back of my fridge. The fishcakes were on the bland side, and I likely won't make them again, but both my girls ate them, not with relish, but they did eat them, so it's a sort of win. I served the fishcakes with Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Mayo. I linked a recipe to this in February 2012, but I'll type out the recipe here for easy reference.

Mini Zucchini Chocolate Chip Muffins

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) whole wheat flour
1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
2 tsp (10 mL) baking powder
2 tsp (10 mL) ground cinnamon
1 tsp (5 mL) ground ginger
1/2 tsp (2 mL) baking soda
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1 egg
1 cup (250 mL) milk
2/3 cup (150 mL) liquid honey
1/4 cup (60 mL) melted butter
2 tbsp (30 mL) freshly squeezed orange or lemon juice
1 cup (250 mL) shredded zucchini (about 1 small)
1/2 cup (125 mL) miniature semisweet chocolate chips

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter nonstick miniature muffin pans or line with paper liners.

In a large bowl, whisk together whole wheat and all-purpose flour, baking powder, cinnamon, ginger, baking soda and salt. In another bowl, whisk together egg, milk, honey, butter and orange juice until blended. Pour over dry ingredients and sprinkle with zucchini and chocolate chips; stir just until moistened.

Spoon into prepared muffin pans, filling 24 deep cups or 36 shallow cups. Bake, in batches as necessary, for 15 to 18 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes 24-36 mini muffins.

Wild Salmon & Spicy Lime Cakes

1 potato, peeled
213-g can salmon, drained
2 eggs, lightly beaten
1/4 cup finely chopped red onion
2 tbsp finely chopped Indian lime pickle
1 cup panko bread crumbs
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1/4 cup plain yogurt
2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Boil potato in a small pot of water until tender, 15 minutes. Drain and mash well in a medium bowl. Add salmon (including bones and skin) to potato and mash with a fork. Stir in eggs, onion and lime pickle. Season with salt and fresh pepper. Form into 6 patties (mixture will be moist).* Pour panko into a deep dish. Coat patties with panko.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add oil, then salmon cakes. Reduce heat to medium. Cook until golden, 2 to 3 minutes per side.

Stir yogurt with cilantro in a small bowl.** Serve with salmon cakes.

Makes 3 servings, 2 cakes each.

*The patty mixture is very moist. I stuck it in the fridge while I prepped the fries, then made the patties. They were still tricky to keep together.
**I actually didn't make the dip as called for. I made my usual homemade tartar sauce:

Tartar Sauce

In a small bowl, stir together 1/3 cup each sour cream or plain yogurt and mayonnaise with 1/4 cup (50 mL) chopped dill pickles, 1 tbsp (15 mL) green pickled relish, 1 thinly sliced green onion and a pinch of cayenne. Optional: add 1 tsp (5 mL) finely chopped capers.

Sweet Potato Fries with Curry Mayonnaise

4 sweet potatoes (2 1/2 lb/1.25 kg)
2 egg whites
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cumin
1 tsp (5 mL) ground paprika
1/2 tsp (2 mL) salt
1/2 tsp (2 mL) pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) mayonnaise
1 tsp (5 mL) lime juice
1/4 tsp (1 mL) curry paste

Peel potatoes and trim ends. Cut lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) thick slices; cut eat lengthwise into 1/2-inch (1 cm) wide strips.

In a large bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Whisk in oil, cumin, paprika, salt and pepper. Add potatoes, tossing to coat. Spread on a large parchment paper-lined rimmed baking sheet.

Bake in 425°F (220°C) oven for 30 to 35 minutes, until tender and edges are browned and crisp.

Curry Mayonnaise: Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together mayonnaise, lime juice and curry paste; serve with potatoes.

Makes 4-6 servings.

January 12th: Garlicky Pan-Fried Steaks, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, Cherry Tomato Salad

This is our third time eating this meal, and it is a fan favourite in our household. These days, finding a meal that all four of us will enjoy is particularly challenging, but this one succeeds and so it has become a keeper. From November 2013's Chatelaine: Garlicky Pan-Fried Steaks, Roasted Cauliflower Salad, and Cherry Tomato Salad. For tonight's meal, I added sautéed baby spinach, since we had some wilting in the fridge. The head of cauliflower I had picked up was on the small side, and we all wished I had bought two. Seriously, all four of us mourned the end of the cauliflower. How amazing is that? Roasted cauliflower is awesome all the time, and this mayonnaise-based dressing takes it to the next level. So good. The Cherry Tomato Salad says it serves 4, but I double it to feed my 4, so I've doubled it below. To the recipes! I've listed them in the order you'll want to attack them, from longest to shortest prep and cooking times.

Roasted Cauliflower Salad

Preheat oven to 400°F. Toss a medium cauliflower, cut into bite-sized pieces, with 3 tbsp olive oil and 1/8 tsp salt on a large baking sheet. Season with freshly ground black pepper. Spread cauliflower in a single layer (it's okay if the pieces touch).

Bake in centre of oven until edges are golden, flipping halfway through, about 30 minutes.

Stir 2 tbsp mayonnaise with 1 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 1 tsp grainy mustard and 1/2 tsp honey in a small bowl. Drizzle over roasted cauliflower, then sprinkle with 2 tbsp chopped parsley.

Serves 5. (NOT TRUE! Double the recipe to please 5 people.)

Garlicky Pan-Fried Steaks

Stir 6 minced garlic cloves with 3 tbsp white balsamic vinegar, 1/2 tsp cayenne and 1/2 tsp salt. Rub on both sides of 3 strip loin steaks, about 1/2 inch thick.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium-high. Add 2 tsp canola oil, then steaks. Reduce heat to medium. Cook 3 to 4 minutes per side for medium-rare. Transfer steaks to plates and let rest, covered, 5 minutes. Cut into 1/2-inch slices. Drizzle any pan juices over steaks.

Serves 5.

(For us, I use half the rub on 1 strip loin, which we split 4ish ways. I recommend getting the pan juices out of the pan ASAP or else they stick and you can't do the drizzling.)

Cherry Tomato Salad

Whisk 1 tbsp extra virgin olive oil with 4 tsp white wine vinegar, 1/2 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp red hot chili flakes in a medium bowl. Toss with 2 cups halved cherry tomatoes.

Serves 4.

(I gave my girls plain halved tomatoes, in case they found the salad spicy. Sadie kicked up a massive fuss over the tomatoes, didn't want to go near them, eventually had one forced in her mouth, came around to the flavour and ate them all, then demanded more. We gave her some from the salad and she didn't complain about the heat, so.)

January 9th: Pork Adobo + Cabbage

I'll keep this one short. The recipe was good, but I won't be making it again. From January 2014's Chatelaine: Pork Adobo with Cabbage

Instructions

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over high. Add 2 tbsp canola oil, then half of 2 pork tenderloins, cut into bite-size chunks. Cook until pork is dark golden on all sides, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a medium bowl. Repeat with remaining pork.

Add 2 minced garlic cloves, 2 bay leaves, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup apple cider vinegar, 1/4 cup low-sodium tamari or soy sauce and 4 tsp brown sugar to pan. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to medium-low. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until sauce is slightly thickened, about 3 minutes. Remove and discard bay leaves. Add pork and cook until cooked through, about 2 more minutes. Stir in 2 green onions, sliced diagonally, then transfer mixture to a bowl or platter.

Return pan to stovetop over high. Add 1 tbsp canola oil, 2 minced garlic cloves, 8 cups sliced napa cabbage and 1/4 tsp salt.

Cook, stirring often, until tender-crisp, about 2 minutes. Serve alongside Pork Adobo, with jasmine rice if desired.

Serves 4.

January 8th: Avocado Toast, Chicken Pot Pie Soup + Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Last year, early summer, I was googling how to roast a pepper, a seemingly simple task that I always manage to botch. My searching brought me to The Wednesday Chef, and I fell in love. With the website, with the chef, the whole thing. Check it out. She's a beautiful person, a great writer, and has some really good food on her blog. If you'd like to know how to roast a pepper, click here; her instructions are spot on. After mastering that task, I also spent time trying out a recipe here and there, including one for Avocado Toast, which became my go-to breakfast and lunch of Summer 2013. Feeling a little nostalgic and very hungry today, I made one up for lunch and mm mm good. It hit the spot. Feel free to pop over to The Wednesday Chef for Luisa's instructions on how to perfect avocado toast. I've played around with it, and my favourite way is simply 1 piece of toast, with tonnes of mayo, topped with one avocado mashed with lemon, salt, pepper and sriracha. When that's not quite enough, I make a second.

For supper, I returned to last year's other favourite discovery, Skinnytaste. It's been freezing and I mean freezing cold in Ottawa recently. -30°C pretty normal. My car slid on ice and I rear ended a moving truck today, but that's another story... So it seems my timing was impeccable in choosing warm soup and biscuits for a chilly day. I modified two recipes from Skinnytaste: Chicken Pot Pie Soup and Garlic Cheddar Biscuits. They were both yummy and enjoyed by the whole family!

Chicken Pot Pie Soup

Ingredients

2 cups chicken broth, divided
4 cups milk
2 stalks celery, diced
2 medium carrots, diced
1 medium onion, diced
227 g sliced mushrooms (white, cremini, portobello)
freshly ground black pepper, to taste
pinch dried thyme
2 medium potatoes, diced
handful green beans, diced
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup frozen peas or corn, or both
salt, to taste

Directions

Combine 1 1/2 cups chicken broth with milk in a large saucepan and set over medium. Allow it to come slowly to a simmer. Meanwhile, prep all vegetables and chicken. When liquid is hot, add celery, carrot, onion, mushrooms, pepper, and thyme. Partially cover and simmer for about 10 minutes. Add potatoes, green beans, and chicken, cover again and simmer another 10 minutes. Combine the remaining 1/2 cup chicken broth with flour and whisk thoroughly. Slowly add to soup, stirring constantly. Add peas and cook soup another 5 minutes. Add salt to taste and serve.

Makes 6 servings.

Garlic Cheddar Biscuits

Ingredients

2 cups flour
4 tsps baking powder
1 tbsp sugar
pinch salt
2-4 cloves garlic, divided, minced
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup shredded sharp Cheddar cheese
1 egg
2/3 cup milk
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Preheat oven to 400°F. Whisk together flour, baking powder, sugar, salt and half the minced garlic. Cut in unsalted butter, then stir in cheese. Whisk egg into milk, then add mixture to dry ingredients. Stir until it just comes together. Turn out on floured surface and knead about 20 times. Roll out to 1/2-1 inch. Cut with biscuit cutter. Bake for 10 minutes.

Meanwhile, melt butter in skillet over low heat. Add remaining minced garlic and sauté about 1 minute. Remove from heat and stir in parsley. Remove biscuits from oven and drizzle garlic butter over them. Return to oven for 5 minutes.

Makes approximately 9 biscuits.

January 7th: Cranberry Muffins, Pork Za'atar

Otherwise known as, "Don't try to potty train your child and cook at the same time."

Sadie will be two in March. I would never have considered potty training her yet, if she weren't pulling at her diaper and saying "pee" in a most distressed manner since sometime last November. Santa obliged and brought her a potty, which she loves, and since this week is the return to school and schedules, this is the week to really give it a go, I thought. The potty is set up in the kitchen, well away from carpets, and we've been letting Sadie go bottomless to see what happens. This morning I decided to make muffins. Sadie was a gem, running around mostly naked, entertaining herself, sitting on her potty and reading her potty book and then, bam!, peeing in the potty and making it sing. The potty sings when you pee in it. Or when you cover the two sensors in the bottom with your hand, as Sadie has also discovered. The morning went so smoothly, I thought to give it a go again tonight. Big Mistake.

Sadie hasn't been napping recently. Not sure what is up with that. She seems to think she gets two hours of playtime in her crib in the afternoons. Today was one of those days. Then she dissed my muffins. So by the time I was making supper (Greg and Olivia were gone to piano lessons), Sadie was tired, hungry and driving me up the wall. Why I let her go bottomless I'll never know. In the 45 minutes G&O were gone, I toasted pine nuts, dissected one grapefruit, mixed together spices, and cleaned up 6 pees: 2 in the potty and 4 on the floor. Supper was late, Sadie and I were both cranky and for what?! Sigh. We'll try again tomorrow.

[This is where I'm tempted to post an oh-so-cute picture of Sadie on her potty online for the world to see, but I will resist temptation.]

Onto the food! From the 2013 Milk Calendar:

Cranberry Crumble Muffins

1/3 cup (75 mL) quick cooking oats
1/4 cup (60 mL) packed brown sugar
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1 tbsp (15 mL) butter, melted

1 1/2 cups (375 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) whole wheat flour
2 tsps (10 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) ground cinnamon
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each, baking soda and salt
3/4 cup (175 mL) packed brown sugar
1 egg
1 1/4 cups (300 mL) milk
1/4 cup (60 mL) plain yogurt (not fat free)
1/4 cup (60 mL) butter, melted
2 cups (500 mL) fresh or frozen cranberries

Preheat oven to 375°F (190°C). Butter a 12-cup muffin pan or line with paper liners.

Crumble: In a small bowl, combine oats, sugar, cinnamon and butter; set aside.

In a large bowl, combine all-purpose and whole wheat flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda and salt.

In a medium bowl, whisk together sugar, egg, milk, yogurt and butter until blended. Pour over dry ingredients and sprinkle with cranberries; stir just until moistened.

Spoon into prepared muffin pan; sprinkle tops with crumble. Bake for about 25 minutes or until tops are firm to the touch. Let cool in pan for 5 minutes. Transfer to rack to cool completely.

Makes 12 muffins

I thought these muffins were delicious. I love cranberries, and sour things generally, and these muffins weren't horribly sweet and cake-like as some muffins are. Good texture too, firm but moist. I would definitely make them again. Sadie wouldn't even try them. Olivia ate half of one and said she didn't like it. Grace ate one and asked for another. Taye ate half of one and left the room. Greg is trying to avoid grains, he says his biggest pitfall, and if he eats one he'll eat three so he's not eating any. More for me, I guess. And Grace. And Olivia's lunch, whether she wants one or not.

For Supper! From January 2014 Chatelaine:

Za'atar Pork with Grapefruit Salad

Instructions

Preheat broiler. Arrange 4 boneless pork chops on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Combine 1 tbsp za'atar with 1 tbsp sesame seeds and 1/2 tsp salt. Sprinkle over pork chops. Broil in top third of oven 3-5 minutes.

Remove segments from 2 pink grapefruits, reserving juice separately. Toss 4 cups packed baby spinach with grapefruit segments and 1/4 cup each coarsely chopped parsley and toasted pine nuts in a large bowl.

Whisk 3 tbsp reserved grapefruit juice with 1/4 cup olive oil, 2 tbsp water, 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar and 1/2 tsp honey in a medium bowl. Drizzle salad with dressing just before serving.

Several notes: the original recipe called for 8 lamb chops; I'm not a big lamb fan and have a ton of pork chops in my freezer so subbed those in. We all four of us liked the pork. Success! The recipe said to broil the meat on parchment, which I did. I don't think parchment is supposed to be used for broiling and mine certainly burnt. Also, at 5 minutes under the pre-heated broiler, our chops were over cooked, so I've reduced the cooking time above from the original. None of us liked the grapefruit salad. I even hesitated to type it out here. We do like grapefruits, and I love toasted pine nuts like they are the best thing in the world, but this salad sucked. Will not be tried again. Za'atar: I've been reading about this for the past few years and noticed they sell it at Loblaws now, so thought this would be a good chance to give it a go. According to Chatelaine  "This earthy Middle Eastern spice blend is the flavour of the year. Make your own by mixing 3 tbsp thyme with 3 tbsp sesame seeds, 2 tsp sumac or lemon zest, and 1/2 tsp kosher salt." It was yummy stuff.

January 6th: Gourmet Grilled Cheese & Spinach Salad

This year, Monday night is dance night for Olivia and our busiest night of the week. She does two dance classes: 45 minutes of tap, 1 hour of ballet, with a 1 hour break in between. That's after a full day of school. Eep. Luckily, she is enjoying both. I try to plan simple meals for Monday nights that can be pulled together quickly in between chauffeuring Miss O around. Greg thinks my definition of simple meals might not be the same as others'.

Turns out tonight I could have done a more complicated meal, as Miss O has been running a fever for a few days and didn't go to school or dance today. However, I am not one to stray off my schedule, so I made our meal as planned, from January 2013's Chatelaine:

Gourmet Grilled Cheese & Spinach Salad

Instructions

Spread 1 tsp honey on a slice of multi-grain bread. Top with 1/4 cup grated aged Cheddar, thinly sliced red onion and thinly sliced apple. Top with another 1/4 cup grated Cheddar, then sandwich with another bread slice. Brush top and bottom with 1 tbsp melted butter. Repeat, making 4 sandwiches in total.

Heat a large non-stick frying pan over medium. Arrange sandwiches in pan. Cook, flipping halfway through, until bread is golden brown and cheese is melted, 6 minutes.

Divide 4 cups baby spinach amongst 4 bowls. Top with 1/2 cup coarsely chopped toasted hazelnuts and 1 apple, thinly sliced. Whisk 1/4 cup apple cider vinegar with 4 tsps each canola oil and honey. Drizzle over individual servings of salad.

Serves 4.

The original recipe called for parsley where I have used spinach. I wasn't sure my family would go for a parsley salad, and besides, I had to buy spinach for another meal for this week, so subbed it in. I also increased the vinaigrette amounts.

The sandwiches were okay but not repeatable. The salads were better but that recipe will be tossed also. Ah well.

January 5th: Sloppy Joes & Slaw

I have been planning meals a month in advance for almost 10 years. I started in 2004, stuck in hospital, mooning over a pretty food spread in Chatelaine and waxing poetic about the food I could be cooking and eating if not knocking on death's door, etc. With some ebbs and flows over the years, ebbs especially in the immediate post-baby timeframes, I have more or less been an avid meal planner ever since. In that 10-year timeframe, I have always used my Milk Calendar as my planning tool. Alas.

Normally I have two Milk Calendars delivered to my door in the fall: one with my Chatelaine subscription, and one with my Ottawa Citizen subscription. Well, either I missed them this past fall, or they weren't sent; I don't know which. What to do? I have switched allegiances. I don't remember where it came from, but I found a Foodland Ontario calendar kicking about my kitchen, so yesterday I made use of it and planned out my meals for January, with a few blanks here and there. Always best to allow for contingencies.

For tonight's meal, I put the Foodland Ontario recipe for January to use:

Turkey Joe with Kaleidoscope Slaw

Ingredients

Joes

2 tsp (10 mL) canola oil

1 lb (500 g) extra-lean ground turkey or chicken

2 cups (500 mL) diced sweet potato

1 onion, chopped

19 oz (540 mL) stewed tomatoes

1/4 cup (50 mL) barbecue sauce

1/2 cup (125 mL) shredded Cheddar cheese

4 onion buns or whole wheat Kaiser buns, toasted

Slaw

1 1/2 tbsp (37 mL) canola oil

2 tbsp (25 mL) cider vinegar

1 tbsp (15 mL) maple syrup

1 1/2 tsp (7 mL) Dijon mustard

1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper

2 cups (500 mL) each shredded green and red cabbage

1 cup (250 mL) grated carrot

Preparation

In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Add turkey, sweet potato and onion; cook, breaking up meat with wooden spoon, for 5 minutes or until browned.

Stir in tomatoes; bring to boil. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, stirring occasionally, for  7 minutes or until sweet potatoes are tender-crisp and half of the liquid has evaporated.

Stir in barbecue sauce; simmer for 1 minute or until heated through. Remove from heat. Stir in half of the cheese. Spoon turkey mixture over buns; sprinkle with remaining cheese. Serve Kaleidoscope Slaw on the side.

Kaleidoscope Slaw: In serving bowl, whisk together oil, vinegar, maple syrup, mustard, salt and pepper. Add green and red cabbage and carrot; toss to coat. Set aside.

Tips: Omit the buns and serve the turkey mixture over baked potatoes. If the stewed tomatoes are large, crush with a fork. Kick up the heat and add hot sauce or use a spicy barbecue sauce.

I served the sloppy joes with baked potatoes, as suggested. Mine were a bit on the runny side because I used a can of whole tomatoes, which is larger than the can of stewed tomatoes called for. We ate it like chill, with cheese, sour cream and green onions on top. It was yummy; I likely won't make it again. The slaw was pretty and good but unlikely to happen again either.

January 4th: Pork and Mushroom Alfredo

This is a cheater post, as I'm repeating a recipe from 2011: Mushroom Alfredo. The teeny difference is that this time I added meat. I have a bunch of pork chops in the freezer and have been looking for ways to use them up. I thought this would work well, and it did. Chicken and shrimp would also be good, I think. And since I haven't gotten around to blogging in 7 months, I'm easing in...

Pork & Mushroom Alfredo

350 g fresh fettuccine

1 tbsp each unsalted butter and olive oil
1 lb boneless pork chops, chopped*

1 lb assorted mushrooms, sliced

4 garlic cloves, finely chopped

¾ cup half and half (10%) cream

6 tbsps unsalted butter

½ cup grated Parmesan cheese, plus more for topping

salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste

Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook fettuccine according to package directions, approximately 5 minutes. Reserve ½ cup cooking water, then drain pasta.

Meanwhile, heat butter and olive oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Once hot, add pork and mushrooms and cook, stirring frequently, until starting to brown, about 4 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another minute. Add cream and butter and heat through, simmering gently. Stir in ¼ cup reserved cooking water, cooked pasta, and Parmesan cheese. Thin with more water if necessary.

Serve and season to taste with salt and freshly ground black pepper. Top with more Parmesan cheese if desired.

Makes 4 servings.

*Can substitute 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, or 1 lb raw peeled deveined large shrimp. If using shrimp, add to pan at same time as garlic.

Served with (gasp) store-bought pre-packaged Caesar salad. I never.