SPRING IS FINALLY HERE!
And this Easter weekend to celebrate my boyfriend and I went on a food adventure: a BBQ in the park.
I found this Crispy Cheddar Chicken recipe one day when I was online, and decided that Jamie and I HAD to try it the next time he came to visit. And then we ran into a complication, we wouldn't be able to cook it in an oven, because we were going to be in a park!
Yeah, I kind of started freaking out around this time.. But it's ok, because we figured it out. And it tasted delicious. We just put everything in a roasting pan, and poured the sauce overtop of it. True it wasn't the same crispy deliciousness that it could have been, but it sure did taste good! We were both satisfied (and surprised!) with how well it turned out. (Keep scrolling, the picture of the chicken is coming...)
While we were waiting for the chicken to cook, we ate a delicious dark chocolate orange, and some fruit.
Here is the handsome man himself making sure that the charcoal BBQ was ready for the chicken to start cooking. I have to admit, by this point I was nervous, I've never really BBQ'd before...and NEVER with charcoal!
It's it lovely? Here is the chicken sitting nice and pretty while it cooks. We decided to have baked cheesy potatoes with it too. TIP: partially cook your potatoes in the microwave before you stick them in the coals, it's really speeds up the time, and still tastes like BBQ baked potatoes!
Our beautiful potatoes...we decided to eat them before the chicken...we were getting hungry by this point, even with all the fruit and chocolate.
THE CHICKEN! It was really, really good! I'd really like to try it in the oven sometime, the way the instructions tell you too, because this wasn't crispy chicken, it was more like a BBQ chicken "bake," and it was really good...
We ended our meal with some classic salt & vinegar potato chips (you can never have too many potatoes) and a couple of card games.
What have you done to celebrate the return of spring? :)
Sunday, 31 March 2013
Friday, 8 March 2013
Experiment: Honey-Garlic, Lemon and Rosemary Chicken
A couple of days ago I posted a short post about the herb rosemary. When I first started looking at stuff about rosemary, I wasn't planning on mentioning it, until I had my first mug of rosemary tea, and then I knew I had to share it.
Well, I have something else to share. An experiment! I had some chicken to cook, and I wanted to try marinading the meat in rosemary. My next thought was to add lemon juice and ginger, but we didn't have any good fresh ginger/I forgot we had ginger powder.
My next thought was of Honey-Garlic, but wait! would that work with rosemary? There was only one way to try, and my parents let me use them as guinea pigs (they're great like that).
A few years ago I was told the "perfect ratio" of oil to acidic for a marinade. Unfortunately I've forgotten what it is, but it hasn't stopped me yet! I tend to have a higher concentration of acidic (like lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar) then oil, but my mom is the opposite and no matter who cooks the meat tastes good. So until I am told that perfect ratio again, I'd say it's up to you, and your taste buds!
Back to the chicken.
My ingredients ended up something like this:
2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 fresh cloves of garlic
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
2-ish teaspoons of rosemary sticks
2 chicken breasts cut bite-sized pieces
I mixed everything, and let it sit soaking for a few hours while I did random chores/school.
My chicken dinner is shown bellow pre-devouring, sitting on a bed of barley, with green beans on the side.
A delicious experiment. Remember to think outside the box, try new foods, and never forget to experiment with flavours. :)
Well, I have something else to share. An experiment! I had some chicken to cook, and I wanted to try marinading the meat in rosemary. My next thought was to add lemon juice and ginger, but we didn't have any good fresh ginger/I forgot we had ginger powder.
My next thought was of Honey-Garlic, but wait! would that work with rosemary? There was only one way to try, and my parents let me use them as guinea pigs (they're great like that).
A few years ago I was told the "perfect ratio" of oil to acidic for a marinade. Unfortunately I've forgotten what it is, but it hasn't stopped me yet! I tend to have a higher concentration of acidic (like lemon juice, lime juice, or vinegar) then oil, but my mom is the opposite and no matter who cooks the meat tastes good. So until I am told that perfect ratio again, I'd say it's up to you, and your taste buds!
Back to the chicken.
My ingredients ended up something like this:
2-3 tablespoons of lemon juice
2 fresh cloves of garlic
1-2 tablespoons of olive oil
2-ish teaspoons of rosemary sticks
2 chicken breasts cut bite-sized pieces
I mixed everything, and let it sit soaking for a few hours while I did random chores/school.
My chicken dinner is shown bellow pre-devouring, sitting on a bed of barley, with green beans on the side.
A delicious experiment. Remember to think outside the box, try new foods, and never forget to experiment with flavours. :)
YoYo's
I don't know about you, but YoYo's is one of my FAVOURITE places to eat. In fact I went there for "lunch" with two of my classmates. You see we have a tradition, to go to YoYo's after our last midterm, and today was the wonderful day that we got to go eat and that lovely nectar of the gods! (ok, I don't believe in multiple gods, I just like the expression, and I've always had a thing for Greek mythology!)
Are you ready to see the beautiful buckets of bliss that we devoured? Look no further!
Now, I don't usually hold to the whole "No Fat" nonsense (I love fat!), but the thing I like..no ADORE about frozen yogurt, is that you don't feel sickly sweet after you're done eating it. Ice cream is great, but YoYo's is better.
Oh, and the one with the waffle cone, closest to you..that's mine. :)
P.S. Never heard of YoYo's? Not sure what I'm talking about? Wonder no longer! Here's the link: http://yoyosyogurtcafe.com/, you can thank me later ;)
Are you ready to see the beautiful buckets of bliss that we devoured? Look no further!
Now, I don't usually hold to the whole "No Fat" nonsense (I love fat!), but the thing I like..no ADORE about frozen yogurt, is that you don't feel sickly sweet after you're done eating it. Ice cream is great, but YoYo's is better.
Oh, and the one with the waffle cone, closest to you..that's mine. :)
P.S. Never heard of YoYo's? Not sure what I'm talking about? Wonder no longer! Here's the link: http://yoyosyogurtcafe.com/, you can thank me later ;)
Tuesday, 5 March 2013
Rosemary
I have been learning quite a bit about rosemary today, and most of it has been related to hair or skin products, not food.
Basically what I learned is that it is an ancient herb, loved by the Romans, Egyptians and many people today!
It is a common herb in food, and as I type this I am drinking a rosemary tea (1 tsp. of rosemary + boiling water steeped for 5-ish minutes = a yummy rosemary tea!). It's my first time trying it, and I love it. When I was younger I used to hate the dried sticks of rosemary in my food, and that always turned me off from it. The problem is, I love the flavour! So for now this is my solution, rosemary tea.
I'm afraid I don't have a lot of time to talk about rosemary, but here is one of the great sites I was looking at today, it mainly focused on the beauty side of the herb:
enjoy! :)
Wednesday, 13 February 2013
Scrambled Eggs, Sausages & Hash Browns
Today was supposed to be a waffle wednesday. But it didn't happen.
Ok, ok, I'm a little bitter about it not happening, but I have to admit that I had pretty fantastic meal anyways: scrambled eggs, sausages and hash browns.
You can tell I was feeling sorry for myself...because I ate all five of those lovely sausages!
The meal was easy to make, the sausages were re-heated, and the hash browns were just grated pre-cooked potatoes fried with salt, butter and garlic powder. The scrambled eggs were the crowning glory.
Simple to Spectacular will always be a well loved book of mine, because it was where I found this fantastic recipe:
5 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients in a fry pan a cook at medium-high heat whisking constantly, but not whipping the eggs. If the eggs stick to the bottom of the pan, take the pan off of the heat, whisk until the eggs "unstick" and then replace on the heat.
The eggs will clump like curds as they cook, and when they have a consistency like oatmeal you will know that they are done (8-10 minutes cooking time). DO NOT OVERCOOK!
Seriously the best scrambled egg recipe. Thanks Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman :)
Ok, ok, I'm a little bitter about it not happening, but I have to admit that I had pretty fantastic meal anyways: scrambled eggs, sausages and hash browns.
You can tell I was feeling sorry for myself...because I ate all five of those lovely sausages!
The meal was easy to make, the sausages were re-heated, and the hash browns were just grated pre-cooked potatoes fried with salt, butter and garlic powder. The scrambled eggs were the crowning glory.
Simple to Spectacular will always be a well loved book of mine, because it was where I found this fantastic recipe:
5 eggs
1 1/2 tablespoons of butter
salt and pepper to taste
Mix all of the ingredients in a fry pan a cook at medium-high heat whisking constantly, but not whipping the eggs. If the eggs stick to the bottom of the pan, take the pan off of the heat, whisk until the eggs "unstick" and then replace on the heat.
The eggs will clump like curds as they cook, and when they have a consistency like oatmeal you will know that they are done (8-10 minutes cooking time). DO NOT OVERCOOK!
Seriously the best scrambled egg recipe. Thanks Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman :)
Thursday, 7 February 2013
Blackberry & Pear Pie
You read that right folks, blackberry and pear pie! It's FANTASTIC! (in case you were wondering) And when my hopes were dashed for a blackberry and apple pie, pear seemed like the next best option.
Here we go:
4 large, ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and thinly slice
1 1/2 cups fresh, or frozen blackberries, sliced in half
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice sugar (or granulated white sugar)
1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 pie crusts, pre-made
And finally, the finished pie! ...yeah it tasted as good as it looks. :)
Here we go:
4 large, ripe Bartlett pears, peeled and thinly slice
1 1/2 cups fresh, or frozen blackberries, sliced in half
1 cup organic evaporated cane juice sugar (or granulated white sugar)
1 teaspoon of fresh lemon zest
1 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon ground cloves
1/2 teaspoon salt
4 tablespoons of butter
3 tablespoons of all-purpose flour
2 pie crusts, pre-made
We ran into our first problem when we couldn't find a bowl big enough...solution? A POT!
So, once we had enough room to mix everything together, we continued on with the preparations..
..we added some lemon zest!
..and finished putting together all of the ingredients. Yeah, the flour wasn't fully stirred into the mix when the photo was taken. It will look better further down, I promise!
Here is the top pie crust getting rolled out..
...and here is how it looks on the pie! See, I told you the mixture looks better once it's all mixed in!
And finally, the finished pie! ...yeah it tasted as good as it looks. :)
A big thanks to Eliza Domestica for this recipe Her blog was were I got this recipe from, Google is great like that. Check out the link bellow:
Wednesday, 6 February 2013
Chocolate Chip Cookies
It's February, how the time does fly...
This past Sunday (Feb 3 super bowl Sunday, the day the Baltimore Ravens kicked butt!), five friends and I decided to bake, watch a movie and hang out before watching the game. We baked chocolate chip cookies, ate pie, and watched The Sound of Music (LOVE Julie Andrews!).
The recipe we used was that original recipe that this blog was partially named after: Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book.
In a bowl combine:
2/3 c. butter, margerine, or vegetable oil1/2 c. white sugar1/2 c. packed brown sugar1 egg1 tsp vanilla
In a second bowl combine:
1 1/2 c. flour1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1/2 chopped nuts (optional)1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
(for a softer rounder cookie add 1/4 c. more of flour)
Combine the two bowls. (Pre)Heat oven to 375' and drop dough about 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 min or until delicately browned.
Makes 4-5 dozen 2" delicious cookies. :)
This past Sunday (Feb 3 super bowl Sunday, the day the Baltimore Ravens kicked butt!), five friends and I decided to bake, watch a movie and hang out before watching the game. We baked chocolate chip cookies, ate pie, and watched The Sound of Music (LOVE Julie Andrews!).
The recipe we used was that original recipe that this blog was partially named after: Chocolate Chip Cookies, from Betty Crocker's Cooky Book.
In a bowl combine:
2/3 c. butter, margerine, or vegetable oil1/2 c. white sugar1/2 c. packed brown sugar1 egg1 tsp vanilla
In a second bowl combine:
1 1/2 c. flour1/2 tsp baking soda1/2 tsp salt1/2 chopped nuts (optional)1 c. semi-sweet chocolate chips
(for a softer rounder cookie add 1/4 c. more of flour)
Combine the two bowls. (Pre)Heat oven to 375' and drop dough about 2" apart on an ungreased cookie sheet.
Bake 8-10 min or until delicately browned.
Makes 4-5 dozen 2" delicious cookies. :)
Tuesday, 29 January 2013
Chicken Tortilla Wraps
I have my boyfriend's mother to thank for introducing me to this quick, easy and delicious recipe!
I was informed that it is considered "camping food" in their family, and I look forward to eating it out of doors one day, but until then I will just have to "suffer" with eating it cooked indoors (I'll let you know if it really is suffering after try it camping sometime).
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Tortillas
canned chicken (or turkey)
mayonnaise (or whatever your family has that is like mayonnaise)
cheese
fry pan (if it's non-stick, then you wont need butter, if it isn't, you will!)
heat source (like a stove, or campfire)
First of all don't be freaked out by the lack of measurements, because I've never used them. THIS IS CAMP COOKING! You cook to taste.
Oh and my boyfriend and I have differing opinions as to when you add the cheese, so I'll list both and you can choose which way you want to do it. Or do both for extra cheesy-ness, maybe try two different kinds of cheese.
Ok here we go:
1. Mix the canned meat with the mayonnaise *THIS IS WHERE I ADD THE CHEESE, TO THE MIXTURE* and make a row of the mixture in the middle of the tortilla. *THIS IS WHERE MY BOYFRIEND SPRINKLES THE CHEESE ON TOP* Fold the tortillas in 'half' over the meat/cheese, and roll it.
2. Put all of the tortillas into a fry pan (see comment above if you don't know if you need to butter the pan or not), and cook on low-medium heat, flipping at least once. When the tortillas turn golden brown, and the cheese has melted it's ready to eat!
In case you're wondering what the red stuff is, it's red pepper. Feel free to add stuff to the recipe, like I said before, it's 'camp cooking.' So you're supposed to make it the way you want to eat it! :)
I was informed that it is considered "camping food" in their family, and I look forward to eating it out of doors one day, but until then I will just have to "suffer" with eating it cooked indoors (I'll let you know if it really is suffering after try it camping sometime).
WHAT YOU WILL NEED:
Tortillas
canned chicken (or turkey)
mayonnaise (or whatever your family has that is like mayonnaise)
cheese
fry pan (if it's non-stick, then you wont need butter, if it isn't, you will!)
heat source (like a stove, or campfire)
First of all don't be freaked out by the lack of measurements, because I've never used them. THIS IS CAMP COOKING! You cook to taste.
Oh and my boyfriend and I have differing opinions as to when you add the cheese, so I'll list both and you can choose which way you want to do it. Or do both for extra cheesy-ness, maybe try two different kinds of cheese.
Ok here we go:
1. Mix the canned meat with the mayonnaise *THIS IS WHERE I ADD THE CHEESE, TO THE MIXTURE* and make a row of the mixture in the middle of the tortilla. *THIS IS WHERE MY BOYFRIEND SPRINKLES THE CHEESE ON TOP* Fold the tortillas in 'half' over the meat/cheese, and roll it.
2. Put all of the tortillas into a fry pan (see comment above if you don't know if you need to butter the pan or not), and cook on low-medium heat, flipping at least once. When the tortillas turn golden brown, and the cheese has melted it's ready to eat!
In case you're wondering what the red stuff is, it's red pepper. Feel free to add stuff to the recipe, like I said before, it's 'camp cooking.' So you're supposed to make it the way you want to eat it! :)
Sunday, 27 January 2013
Rooibos
Red tea. Rooibos. African tea. It has a few different names.
This is what Wikipedia has to say about it:
Rooibos (Anglicized pronunciation: pron.: /ĖrÉÉŖbÉs/ roy-bos; Afrikaans pronunciation: [rÉĖibÉs], "red bush"; scientific name Aspalathus linearis) is a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa's fynbos.
Rooibos is grown only in a small area in the region of the Western Cape province of South Africa.[1] Generally, the leaves are oxidized, a process often, inaccurately, referred to as fermentation by analogy with tea processing terminology. This process produces the distinctive reddish-brown colour of rooibos and enhances the flavour. Unoxidized "green" rooibos is also produced, but the more demanding production process for green rooibos (similar to the method by which green tea is produced) makes it more expensive than traditional rooibos. It carries a malty and slightly grassy flavour somewhat different from its red counterpart.
In South Africa, it is common to prepare rooibos tea in the same manner as black tea and add milk and sugar to taste. Other methods include a slice of lemon and using honey instead of sugar to sweeten.
I think Rooibos is one of my favourite kinds of tea. Personally I find it delicious to drink "black." But my mom enjoys it with milk, and black.
Oh! Wanna know the best thing about Rooibos? It's caffeine free :)
Like Black and Green tea, Rooibos has many different flavours. Some of my favourites are:
-> Blueberry Rooibos
-> Red Earl Grey
-> Provence Rooibos
-> Winter Palace Marzipan
This is what Wikipedia has to say about it:
Rooibos (Anglicized pronunciation: pron.: /ĖrÉÉŖbÉs/ roy-bos; Afrikaans pronunciation: [rÉĖibÉs], "red bush"; scientific name Aspalathus linearis) is a broom-like member of the legume family of plants growing in South Africa's fynbos.
Rooibos is grown only in a small area in the region of the Western Cape province of South Africa.[1] Generally, the leaves are oxidized, a process often, inaccurately, referred to as fermentation by analogy with tea processing terminology. This process produces the distinctive reddish-brown colour of rooibos and enhances the flavour. Unoxidized "green" rooibos is also produced, but the more demanding production process for green rooibos (similar to the method by which green tea is produced) makes it more expensive than traditional rooibos. It carries a malty and slightly grassy flavour somewhat different from its red counterpart.
In South Africa, it is common to prepare rooibos tea in the same manner as black tea and add milk and sugar to taste. Other methods include a slice of lemon and using honey instead of sugar to sweeten.
I think Rooibos is one of my favourite kinds of tea. Personally I find it delicious to drink "black." But my mom enjoys it with milk, and black.
Oh! Wanna know the best thing about Rooibos? It's caffeine free :)
Like Black and Green tea, Rooibos has many different flavours. Some of my favourites are:
-> Blueberry Rooibos
-> Red Earl Grey
-> Provence Rooibos
-> Winter Palace Marzipan
Friday, 25 January 2013
Pizza: Tortilla Crust (Again)
I had Tortilla Crust pizza for lunch at school today, and I thought it would be nice to take photos as I went so that I remember how easy and delicious it was. And to entice you to make some of your own!
STEP ONE: lay out the tortillas on a baking pan
STEP TWO: make the garlic butter
STEP THREE: top the tortillas with garlic butter, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese
STEP FOUR: bake, at 350'f -ish, until the tortillas get golden brown around the edges. 5-10 minutes I think
STEP FIVE: eat :)
STEP ONE: lay out the tortillas on a baking pan
STEP TWO: make the garlic butter
STEP THREE: top the tortillas with garlic butter, pepperoni, and mozzarella cheese
STEP FOUR: bake, at 350'f -ish, until the tortillas get golden brown around the edges. 5-10 minutes I think
STEP FIVE: eat :)
Thursday, 24 January 2013
Pizza: Tortilla Crust
I was hungry, and I had about about 40 min to eat and get ready for work. I had already been at school for 6+ hours, and had spent some time at home relaxing, but it was time to kick things back into gear.
Did I mention that I wanted pizza?
So I tried something that I had been mulling over in my mind for a while. A tortilla crust pizza.
My mom used to make garlic "chips" out of tortillas. She took some garlic, some butter, and spread it all of the tortilla. She would bake it in the oven, and serve it. It tasked delicious. So I tried it with a twist. I topped it with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. I think it took me 20-25 min to make and eat it. :)
Did I mention that I wanted pizza?
So I tried something that I had been mulling over in my mind for a while. A tortilla crust pizza.
My mom used to make garlic "chips" out of tortillas. She took some garlic, some butter, and spread it all of the tortilla. She would bake it in the oven, and serve it. It tasked delicious. So I tried it with a twist. I topped it with pepperoni and mozzarella cheese. I think it took me 20-25 min to make and eat it. :)
Tuesday, 22 January 2013
Salad for Life: Green Leaf
I used to hate salad with a passion. And then I grew up.
I 'grew up' in an unusual way though. I was spending some time with a friend and her family; we had gone to superstore for our lunches and were hanging out at a park when the topic of salad came up. My friend was eating one, she liked salad. I was not eating one, and I told her plainly that I did NOT like salad! She paused, looked at me, tilted her head and thought for a moment. She then said what would change my view of salad forever: "Weird, you look like a salad person."
My mind was blown.
A salad person? Some people looked like they liked salad? More importantly, I looked like I liked salad?! I was confused. I didn't like, wouldn't like, salad! But her comment stayed in the back of my mind, and reminded me it was there at the sneakiest of times, and dared me to try different salads. And you know what? I now love salad. I don't know what on earth was wrong with me when I was younger, and I am very thankful to my friend for showing me the error of my ways!
That all being said, I like interesting salads. Salads with different kinds of lettuce, and fruits and vegetables in them. I like how it is practically impossible to go wrong with salad. You don't have to cook anything (unless you top it with meat), and you can have seasonal salads, with whatever fruit and vegatables you can find. My basic salad recipe would probably be this:
SERVES ONE:
1-2 leafs of lettuce (any kind)
1/4 c. cut cucumber
1/8 c. cut tomato (or a handfull of cherry/grape tomatoes)
1/4 fruit (apples, strawberries, grapes, pears, peaches, rasins, whatever you feel like eating!)
1/8 c. cut peppers or celery
a handful of chopped walnuts (or any other nut)
1/8-1/4 c. cooked meat
optional: a handful of grated cheese
Do you have any favourite green leaf salads? :)
I 'grew up' in an unusual way though. I was spending some time with a friend and her family; we had gone to superstore for our lunches and were hanging out at a park when the topic of salad came up. My friend was eating one, she liked salad. I was not eating one, and I told her plainly that I did NOT like salad! She paused, looked at me, tilted her head and thought for a moment. She then said what would change my view of salad forever: "Weird, you look like a salad person."
My mind was blown.
A salad person? Some people looked like they liked salad? More importantly, I looked like I liked salad?! I was confused. I didn't like, wouldn't like, salad! But her comment stayed in the back of my mind, and reminded me it was there at the sneakiest of times, and dared me to try different salads. And you know what? I now love salad. I don't know what on earth was wrong with me when I was younger, and I am very thankful to my friend for showing me the error of my ways!
That all being said, I like interesting salads. Salads with different kinds of lettuce, and fruits and vegetables in them. I like how it is practically impossible to go wrong with salad. You don't have to cook anything (unless you top it with meat), and you can have seasonal salads, with whatever fruit and vegatables you can find. My basic salad recipe would probably be this:
SERVES ONE:
1-2 leafs of lettuce (any kind)
1/4 c. cut cucumber
1/8 c. cut tomato (or a handfull of cherry/grape tomatoes)
1/4 fruit (apples, strawberries, grapes, pears, peaches, rasins, whatever you feel like eating!)
1/8 c. cut peppers or celery
a handful of chopped walnuts (or any other nut)
1/8-1/4 c. cooked meat
optional: a handful of grated cheese
Do you have any favourite green leaf salads? :)
Friday, 18 January 2013
Pizza: Garlic & Parsley Crust
Eating pizza and watching a movie has to be one of my favourite family times. Tonight we watched Wall-e and ate pizza with garlic & parsley crust, topped with pepperoni, cherry tomatoes (and some olives for mom), and sprinkled with mozzarella and parmesan cheese.
It tasted good.
Here's what the garlic & parsley crust looked like. All I did was add a clove of garlic and 1/2 tsp - 1 tsp of parsley, to the recipe bellow:
COMBINE IN A LARGE BOWL:
1 c. all-purpose flour
2 1/4 tsp. undissolved pizza yeast (I used a brand called Fleischmann's, you can get it in grocery stores and I've seen it in bulk food stores)
1 1/2 tsp. sugar
3/4 tsp. salt
ADD:
2/3 c. very warm water
3 Tbl. oil (I use olive, the recipe doesn't specify what kind though)
MIX WELL! And I mean it, you want to mix the dough until it is smooth and elastic like. It should start to clump together before you go on to the next step!
ADD:
Enough flour to make it into a soft dough about 3/4 - 1 1/4 c.
KNEAD, about 4 minutes. Either in the bowl or on the table. I like to knead it in the bowl, because I make less of a mess, until the next step that is!
You have options here, you can either press it onto the pan you want to bake it on, or you can roll it out. I haven't tried pressing it out, but my mom did once, and she said it took a while.
Spread with pizza sauce (or garlic butter...like I did in 'pizza perfect'), and top with your style of toppings.
Bake at 425'F on the lowest oven rack for 9-15 min. (the recipe says 12-15, but I find that mine is usually done in 9 or 10)
EAT! :)
Wednesday, 16 January 2013
Lunch-To-Go: Chicken Burger Bagel
Last night as I was getting ready for bed and thinking about school for today I realized that I still had to pack a lunch, and I didn't have a lot of options. I ended up talking to a friend on the phone (yes, a real phone conversation, not texting!), and explaining my dilemma/possible solution:
Say hello to the chicken burger bagel sandwich!
This kind of thing happens when I don't plan my lunches far enough in advance. But the good news is it tasted good!
Chicken Burger-Bagel:
1 chicken burger, pre-cooked
1 bagel
lettuce (and/or other veggies you prefer)
mayonnaise (and/or other dressings that you like)
Put all of the ingredients together just like you would a normal sandwich, and eat.
It's amazing what strange meals you eat when the 'normal' ingredients are all eaten up. I still have to make my dinner for tomorrow...and my staples of eggs, bananas, and cucumbers don't exist in my house right now. So I'll have to be creative again. It should be fun. :)
What crazy things have you had to put together for a lunch?
Say hello to the chicken burger bagel sandwich!
This kind of thing happens when I don't plan my lunches far enough in advance. But the good news is it tasted good!
Chicken Burger-Bagel:
1 chicken burger, pre-cooked
1 bagel
lettuce (and/or other veggies you prefer)
mayonnaise (and/or other dressings that you like)
Put all of the ingredients together just like you would a normal sandwich, and eat.
It's amazing what strange meals you eat when the 'normal' ingredients are all eaten up. I still have to make my dinner for tomorrow...and my staples of eggs, bananas, and cucumbers don't exist in my house right now. So I'll have to be creative again. It should be fun. :)
What crazy things have you had to put together for a lunch?
Monday, 14 January 2013
Blooming Tea: Peach Momotaro
This Christmas my boyfriend gave me a unique and delicious gift, a double walled glass tea travel mug with blooming tea. Yes, tea that blooms. It's so much fun to watch, and absolutely delicious to drink. I got two flavours, A strawberry white tea, and a peach white tea. The pictures bellow are the peach tea: peach momotaro.
Here is the tea ball. It's a little smaller then a ping pong ball, and looks quite uninteresting. See what happens when I add some boiling water..
It floats!
And then it starts to expand...
...and expand..
..and expand...
..and then it's done, and you have a lovely hot mug of tea with a flower in it. I almost forgot, it does one more thing...
It eventually sinks to the bottom. This particular flower makes me think of the plants in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where the Grindylows live, in the black lake. I can assure you, it tastes MUCH better than lake water :)
Here is the tea ball. It's a little smaller then a ping pong ball, and looks quite uninteresting. See what happens when I add some boiling water..
It floats!
And then it starts to expand...
...and expand..
..and expand...
..and then it's done, and you have a lovely hot mug of tea with a flower in it. I almost forgot, it does one more thing...
It eventually sinks to the bottom. This particular flower makes me think of the plants in Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire, where the Grindylows live, in the black lake. I can assure you, it tastes MUCH better than lake water :)
Saturday, 12 January 2013
Raspberry 4 Lucie
This morning my family and I went to Cora's for breakfast, and I fell in love with the restaurant all over again. As the title indicates I had a 'Raspberry 4 Lucie,' which is listed on the menu as being a: 'crepe filled with raspberries and cream cheese with raspberry coulis, honey and English cream, Cora style.'
It was soo good.
My only regret? I forgot to take a picture. BUT! You can always go to their website and see not only what I had for breakfast, but every other delicious item that they have on their menu!
http://www.chezcora.com/home
WARNING: I do not recommend looking at this website if you are hungry. It includes many pictures of delicious looking food.
It was soo good.
My only regret? I forgot to take a picture. BUT! You can always go to their website and see not only what I had for breakfast, but every other delicious item that they have on their menu!
http://www.chezcora.com/home
WARNING: I do not recommend looking at this website if you are hungry. It includes many pictures of delicious looking food.
Friday, 11 January 2013
Breakfast: Baked Oatmeal
Baked Oatmeal
1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. sugar (brown or white)
1/2 c. - 1 c. milk or water
2 Tbl - 1/4 c. melted butter or vegtable oil
1 - 2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract
Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased 9x13" dish. Bake @ 350 F for 20-25 min. *If you are using a glass dish, reduce heat by 25 degrees*
This is a standard baked oatmeal recipe. In fact it's a recipe that my family has used for a few years, and we got from friends who had been using it for years. All in all it is a well-used and much-loved recipe, and you really can't go wrong with it. The reason you have options on how much you can put in of the milk/water, oil/butter or eggs, is so that you can choose how much fat, protein and dairy you want in your diet.
This was my breakfast this morning. It is Oatmeal-Raisin-Cookie Baked Oatmeal, and the recipe was invented by my wonderful mother:
1 1/2 c. quick cooking oats
1/2 c. brown sugar
1/2 c. - 3/4 c. water
2 - 3 Tbl olive (vegetable) oil
2 eggs
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
1 tsp vanilla extract *If you use real vanilla extract, use 1/2 tsp*
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 c. - 3/4 c. raisins
Combine all ingredients and pour into a greased 9x13" dish. Bake @ 350 F for 20-25 min. *If you are using a glass dish, reduce heat by 25 degrees*
Do you have any favourite baked oatmeal recipes or flavour combinations? :)
You Know People Love You When They Give You Chocolate
I love chocolate, and I don't know about you, but I have a chocolate stash. I also have a boyfriend who loves giving me chocolate, so I'm never in need. I would like to share a few of the dark chocolate chocolate bars that I enjoy:
I know what you might be thinking. "CHILI?!? Who in their right mind would put CHILIS in their chocolate!?! NO ONE!" Well let me tell you, some people do, and some people (like myself) absolutely LOVE it! My old boss told me about this chocolate, and I've been in her debt ever since.
Try it, I dare you!
Sea Salt chocolate, it's so intriguing to think about. And if it wasn't for the head chef at my old school, I would have never tried it. Well, I might have just taken longer to try it..
Ok, the Green Earl Grey chocolate was a gift from my parents. I'd never heard of The Tea Room (or their chocolate) before, and my mom got it for me because she knows that I like green tea, and I LOVE earl grey. (tea...such a wonderful thing to drink.. so much variety! I should do a few posts on tea.. expect to see them in the future!)
This chocolate was very smooth with a strong bergamot flavour. Which in case you didn't know is a main ingredient in earl grey. If you did know, congrats! I've been in the 'know' for only a few weeks myself.
And last but not least, the chocolate orange. I really like my chocolate oranges. I like oranges in general, and a chocolate one...how can you go wrong?!
Since I'm talking about chocolate, I should also my favourite book about chocolate: The Chocolate Connoisseur by: Chloe Doutre-Roussel. It is a book about a woman's (Chloe's) life long love of chocolate. From her upbringing with only Nutella to eat, up until her job with one of the leading department stores in England, as the manager of chocolate.
You should read it.
I know what you might be thinking. "CHILI?!? Who in their right mind would put CHILIS in their chocolate!?! NO ONE!" Well let me tell you, some people do, and some people (like myself) absolutely LOVE it! My old boss told me about this chocolate, and I've been in her debt ever since.
Try it, I dare you!
Sea Salt chocolate, it's so intriguing to think about. And if it wasn't for the head chef at my old school, I would have never tried it. Well, I might have just taken longer to try it..
Ok, the Green Earl Grey chocolate was a gift from my parents. I'd never heard of The Tea Room (or their chocolate) before, and my mom got it for me because she knows that I like green tea, and I LOVE earl grey. (tea...such a wonderful thing to drink.. so much variety! I should do a few posts on tea.. expect to see them in the future!)
This chocolate was very smooth with a strong bergamot flavour. Which in case you didn't know is a main ingredient in earl grey. If you did know, congrats! I've been in the 'know' for only a few weeks myself.
And last but not least, the chocolate orange. I really like my chocolate oranges. I like oranges in general, and a chocolate one...how can you go wrong?!
Since I'm talking about chocolate, I should also my favourite book about chocolate: The Chocolate Connoisseur by: Chloe Doutre-Roussel. It is a book about a woman's (Chloe's) life long love of chocolate. From her upbringing with only Nutella to eat, up until her job with one of the leading department stores in England, as the manager of chocolate.
You should read it.
Thursday, 10 January 2013
Spaetzle: Part 1
SPAETZLE: small dumplings of a type made in southern Germany and Alsace, consisting of seasoned dough poached in boiling water.
ORIGIN from German dialect SpƤtzle, literally ‘little sparrows.’
In my last post I mentioned making speatzle. I also called it noodles, because that's what a cookbook had told me they were. When I made them though, they tasted like dumplings, so I like the definition I got from my dictionary (above) better. It just makes more sense. And now I feel like I can begin my journey into the realms of speatzle. You're welcome to join me!
Monday, January 7, 2013:
What you are about to see is the leftovers from my first meal of speatzle. I combined the cooked speatzle with pre-cooked ground beef and oven roasted carrots:
I found the recipe I used made a lot of these little dumplings. BUT I didn't follow the recipe exactly. The dough seemed to be too dry and I ended up adding a little too much water. I then added more flour to try and even it out. It worked I guess, I've never had these kind of noodles before, so I don't exactly know what the consistency of the dough is supposed to be, or what the end result is supposed to taste like.
Here is the recipe I started off with:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup water
a pinch of salt
1. I combined all of the ingredients, beat well (everything stuck to my electric mixer), and got a pot of water boiling.
2. I had no columbine or speatzle strainer with 1/4 in.-ish holes, so I attempted to push the dough through a grater (backwards), but by this point I had added too much water and the dough was too sticky. I added the extra flour and ended up dropping the dough off of two spoons into the boiling water out of pure frustration! After a couple of minutes/when the pasta floated to the top (sometimes it needed help, because it had gotten stuck on the bottom...but if it wasn't ready it just sunk back down and floated up when it was ready), I transferred the speatzle to a bowl of cold (the book recommended ice cold) water. And then drained it and set it aside.
3. Once all of the speatzle was cooked I took a fry pan, put some oil in it, and re-heated the dumplings, meat and roasted carrots together, and added a few spices.
Voila!
Does anyone have any tips, tricks, or ideas? Any family or favourite recipes that they know and love? I figure practice makes perfect applies to speatzle just as much as it did with pizza, and feedback will be welcome :)
(p.s. recipe from Simple to Spectacular by: Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman)
ORIGIN from German dialect SpƤtzle, literally ‘little sparrows.’
In my last post I mentioned making speatzle. I also called it noodles, because that's what a cookbook had told me they were. When I made them though, they tasted like dumplings, so I like the definition I got from my dictionary (above) better. It just makes more sense. And now I feel like I can begin my journey into the realms of speatzle. You're welcome to join me!
Monday, January 7, 2013:
What you are about to see is the leftovers from my first meal of speatzle. I combined the cooked speatzle with pre-cooked ground beef and oven roasted carrots:
I found the recipe I used made a lot of these little dumplings. BUT I didn't follow the recipe exactly. The dough seemed to be too dry and I ended up adding a little too much water. I then added more flour to try and even it out. It worked I guess, I've never had these kind of noodles before, so I don't exactly know what the consistency of the dough is supposed to be, or what the end result is supposed to taste like.
Here is the recipe I started off with:
2 cups flour
1/2 cup milk
4 tablespoons olive oil
1/4 cup water
a pinch of salt
1. I combined all of the ingredients, beat well (everything stuck to my electric mixer), and got a pot of water boiling.
2. I had no columbine or speatzle strainer with 1/4 in.-ish holes, so I attempted to push the dough through a grater (backwards), but by this point I had added too much water and the dough was too sticky. I added the extra flour and ended up dropping the dough off of two spoons into the boiling water out of pure frustration! After a couple of minutes/when the pasta floated to the top (sometimes it needed help, because it had gotten stuck on the bottom...but if it wasn't ready it just sunk back down and floated up when it was ready), I transferred the speatzle to a bowl of cold (the book recommended ice cold) water. And then drained it and set it aside.
3. Once all of the speatzle was cooked I took a fry pan, put some oil in it, and re-heated the dumplings, meat and roasted carrots together, and added a few spices.
Voila!
Does anyone have any tips, tricks, or ideas? Any family or favourite recipes that they know and love? I figure practice makes perfect applies to speatzle just as much as it did with pizza, and feedback will be welcome :)
(p.s. recipe from Simple to Spectacular by: Jean-Georges Vongerichten & Mark Bittman)
The Girl Can't Cook
When I was younger, cookbooks were just something in the kitchen. My mom had a lot of them and they had their shelf under the microwave, you could almost get lost in the chaos. Actually we did loose stuff in/behind it from time to time, but we always found it again! Don't get me wrong, we used the cookbooks, in fact we used two them to make pancakes and chocolate chip cookies! But back to the shelf. My mom had two main cookbooks Better Home and Gardens New Cook Book and Betty Crocker's Cooky Book. (I'll let you figure out which one held the pancake recipe, and which one contained the chocolate chip recipe..) Those were the cookbooks of my childhood, until one day I won a cookbook and Makin' Muffins, by Susan Devins, was proudly placed on the shelf! It's a tiny book, and guess what, it's about tiny cooking! Mini muffins to be precise, and my newly won cookbook also came with a cute mini muffin tin. I soon became a mini (or two-bite!) muffin convert.
A few years went by, and one day as my mother and I were walking through the mall, I saw it. A pale lime green book with a lady in high heels carrying her shopping bag and purse, with bold pink letters that said The Girl Can't Cook: 275 fabulous no-fail recipes a girl can't be without.
Hook. Line. Sinker.
I was a goner. And when the "Look mommy, look! Doesn't this look like a good book to buy?!" didn't work (on a mother who adores books no less!), I used the old stand-by: my own money (that's right kids, it works!). This my friends is when the amazing world of cookbooks and all its wonders was introduced to me by a wonderful woman named Cinda Chavich. The author of my new cookbook.
Chavich's style is so open; reading it was like being told how to cook by your best girlfriend, and the language made SENSE!
A few more years have gone by, and I have found some more good cookbooks, though Chavich's is still my favourite. One of my favourite things to do when I'm at a library or bookstore is to go to the cooking section, and just browse. I found this book at my college library earlier this week:
I like how it is set up to take a basic recipe, and give you at least 4 different ways of preparing it to new levels of "sophistication" as they say. So far I have only beed adventurous enough to try 'Spaetzle with Butter.' (I butcher the name every time I try to pronounce it!) What is Spaetzle you ask? It is "noodles made easy." aka noodles that don't need a pasta maker, so long as you don't mind if your pasta is funny different shapes. Congratulations if you knew what spaetzle was, I didn't until I read the side bar explanation. But I'll tell you about my spaetzle adventures another day :)
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