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.)