Caprese Garlic Bread

This is a nice way to jazz up a side of garlic bread from your family or guests.  I didn't have any fresh mozzarella around so I just used grazed mozzarella.  The fresh would obviously be more delicious but it wasn't in my budget since it was just the garlic bread.  I just used premade garlic bread from the store for this since I was in a hurry and it was on sale.  I usually make my own garlic bread.  I like to put lemon zest and parsley in with my garlic, salt and butter (or try roasted garlic for a nice mellow flavour).

Source: http://www.twopeasandtheirpod.com/caprese-garlic-bread/

Ingredients:

homemade or store bought garlic bread
(I used 1 1/2 tomatoes for half a french loaf)
handful of basil
fresh or grated mozzarella
balsamic vinegar

Directions:

Pour 1/2-3/4c of balsamic vinegar into a small saucepan and put on medium heat to simmer and reduce by half- this is your balsamic drizzle.

Take your prepared (buttered) bread and place the fresh mozzarella on top or sprinkle the grated cheese.  Bake for 10-15 minutes until bread is toasted and cheese is melted (I just used 350-the original recipe calls for 400...do whatever you feel comfortable with while toasted bread/melting cheese in your oven).  Take the bread out of the oven and place slices of tomato on top.  Sprinkle chopped basil and drizzle reduced, thick balsamic over top. Slice and enjoy!

Cowboy Cookies

Oats.  Coconut.  Chocolate.  Need more? My source for this recipe is THIS site- you can find a nice little story about Laura Bush using these cookies to help win the presidency for her husband (sort of..not really).  I halved the recipe and still got 3 dozen cookies.  Here is the full recipe- if you only do half, use one big egg or 2 small eggs or the weird thing I did, where I used one medium egg and tried to let only half of the second one fall in the bowl...

Ingredients:

3 cups flour

1 tbsp baking powder

1 tbsp baking soda

1 tbsp cinnamon

1 tsp salt

1 1/2 cups butter, at room temperature

1 1/2 cups sugar

1 1/2 cups brown sugar

3 eggs

1 tbsp vanilla

3 cups semisweet chocolate chips

3 cups old-fashioned rolled oats

2 cups sweetened coconut flakes

2 cups chopped pecans (optional - I omit)

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350ºF.

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour, baking powder, baking soda, cinnamon, and salt. Set aside.

In a second bowl, beat the butter on medium speed until smooth. Add the sugar and brown sugar and beat for another 2 minutes. Add the eggs one at a time, beating well after each addition. Mix in the vanilla. 

Stir in the flour mixture, blending until just combined. Add the chips, oats, coconut, and pecans and stir until fully incorporated.

Drop by rounded tablespoon onto an ungreased baking sheet, making sure to allow plenty of room between cookies. Bake for 10 minutes- they will seem underdone- let them cool completely on the sheet before removing to a rack or plate.  This is how you achieve that wonderful soft, chewy cookie texture while keeping crisp edges.

Then hide them.  Because you will eat them all!

Roasted Cauliflower and White Cheddar Soup

I don't often have "this is amazing" experiences with cauliflower.  But this soup tonight provided that for me.  It is divine.  Roasting the cauliflower first gives the soup an incredible depth of flavour and colour.

Source: http://www.closetcooking.com/2012/02/roasted-cauliflower-and-aged-white.html

Serves 3 adults- anymore and you need to double it.

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
oil
1 medium onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced/grated
1 tsp thyme, chopped
3 cups vegetable or chicken broth
1 1/2 cups sharp white cheddar, shredded
1 cup milk or cream (I used whole milk)
salt and pepper to taste
cayenne (optional)

Directions:

Chop up your head of cauliflower and toss with a couple tablespoons of oil and a sprinkle of salt and pepper.  Roast at 400 degrees for 30 minutes, tossing halfway through. 

Saute your onion and garlic over medium-low heat in a big soup pot in a little oil or butter.  Add your thyme and cook for another minute.  Then add your broth and roasted cauliflower (you will need more broth if your head of cauliflower was really big- because your cauliflower was just roasted your broth doesn't need to completely cover them).  Boil, covered, for 20 minutes.  Turn off your heat and blend your soup with an immersion hand bender (or in batches in a regular blender). 

Stir in your shredded cheese and cream.  Add more salt and pepper if needed.  I added 1/3 tsp of cayenne at this point for a tiny little note of heat.  Turn heat back on and heat till desired temperature (don't boil again).

We had our soup with a baguette and garlic butter.  I had some left over cream in my fridge so I whipped it up into some fresh butter.  So delicious.  Just whip your butter with your hand blender till it passes the "whipped cream" stage and you see liquid separate from it.  Drain the liquid and whip salt and a clove of minced garlic into the remaining fat.  Serve along with your bread.  I defrosted a cheddar/jalapeno baguette I had in my freezer that I bought on sale at the store last week.  But fresh bread with this fresh butter and divine soup would have pushed it over the edge!

Sea Salt Caramel Brownies

Cole was craving brownies last night and picked these for me to make.  It was my friend's birthday yesterday as well, so part of the pan went off to her (because she is my friend AND because I didn't want to eat a whole pan of these brownies).  Use whatever brownie recipe you'd like and whatever caramel sauce you'd like.  Great way to jazz up any brownie recipe (or box mix).

Note: The caramel sauce I used was super easy- kind of a fake out sauce.  I figured this was a good time to not worry about it because it was being drizzled on brownies.  Use whatever recipe you'd like- caramel is essentially butter, sugar and cream.

Note: Use a 9x13 pan or cooking time goes up a lot and it's hard to get the chewy brownie consistency desired because they are too thick.

Source of brownie recipe: http://joannagoddard.blogspot.ca/2012/11/the-best-salted-caramel-brownies-youll.html
Source of caramel recipe: http://www.foodnetwork.com/recipes/ree-drummond/easy-caramel-sauce-recipe/index.html

Ingredients:

Brownies:
1 cup butter
4 squares of dark chocolate (28 grams per square)
2 cups sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla extract
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 tsp. salt
1/4-1/2 cup caramel sauce
1/2 tsp coarse sea salt

Caramel:
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup cream (half and half or whipping)
2 tbsp butter
pinch of salt
1/2 tbsp vanilla


Directions:

For the caramel, add everything but the vanilla to a small saucepan and stir on medium heat.  Once you see little bubbles, keep stirring for 5-7 minutes, then add vanilla and stir another minute.  Pour into a container and refrigerate to cool down.  It will keep thickening once it's cooled.

For brownies, in a medium saucepan melt butter and chocolate.  Take off heat and beat in sugar.  Then beat in each egg separately, incorporating really well.  Add vanilla.  Beat in salt and flour.  Pour into a greased and floured 9x13 pan and drizzle top with caramel.  Swirl with toothpick and then sprinkle with coarse salt.  Bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes, until a toothpick comes out clean.  You can drizzle some more caramel and salt on top while they are still warm if you want.  Then let them cool before cutting into them.

Chow Mein

Great recipe for a night where you want to use up the extra veggies and meat in your house.  Very versatile- use what you like.  Great as a vegetarian dish as well.  This is the combination of ingredients I used but just use it as a guide.

Ingredients:

Stir Fry:
chicken (I had 3 leftover chicken thighs that I cooked in salt, pepper, red pepper flakes and soy sauce and then chopped into bite sized pieces)
1 cup shredded cabbage
1 cup shredded carrots
1 red pepper, thinly sliced
1 onion, thinly sliced
1 cup chicken or veggie broth
1 bag chow mein noodles (I used the dry ones- they were on sale)
green onion, thinly sliced
bean sprouts

Sauce:
3 tbsp hoisin sauce
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tsp hot sauce (I used sriracha)
3 tbsp water mixed with a couple tsp of cornstarch
3 cloves garlic, minced or grated
2-3 tsp of freshly grated ginger


Directions:

Mix sauce ingredients and leave in a bowl.

Stir fry your veggies in a hot wok with some oil.  Reserve the green onion and bean sprouts, otherwise they will get overcooked.  Once your onion is translucent, add the broth and noodles.  I partially covered the wok to let the steam cook the dry noodles through while occasionally tossing everything together.

Add in cooked chicken, green onion, bean sprouts and prepared sauce.  Toss for a few minutes then serve. 

Baked Garlic Cilantro Fries

A great way to enjoy a craving for fries- flavourful, crispy- BAKED!

Note: best way to get crispy baked fries is to soak cut fries in icy salt water before baking (blot dry before baking)

Ingredients:

6 yukon gold or red potatoes or 3 russet potatoes
2 tbsp oil
1 tsp garlic powder
1/2-3/4 tsp salt
pinch of pepper
1/4 cup chopped cilantro


Directions:

Cut potatoes (skin on) in fries.  Use salt water bath if desired (you should!)- then dry. Toss with oil and seasonings.  Place on a rack on top of a baking sheet or else on a greased baking sheet.  Bake at 425 for 20-30 minutes.  If you are using a rack, there's no need to flip the fries.  If you are using a greased sheet, check every 7-10 minutes to toss to make sure they are baking evenly and not sticking.  When they are done, toss with cilantro and any extra salt if you think they need it.

Makes 3 servings

Chili-Cinnamon Rubbed Pork Loin with Fresh Apple Salsa

I got the recipe from THIS site.  It's my first I've tried of hers, but it looks like she's got some good stuff.  I think the rub needed some more salt.  I loved the salsa! Try to rub your pork loin the day before.

Ingredients:

Pork Loin:
3 tbsp oil
4 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
2 tbsp chili powder
1 tbsp ground cinnamon
3 tsp salt
2 lbs pork tenderloin

Salsa:
2 medium/large apples, diced
1/2 cup red pepper, diced
1/4 cup red onion, finely diced
1/4 cup cilantro, chopped
2 limes, juiced
honey, salt and pepper to taste


Directions:Pork Loin: Whisk together spices and oil then rub your pork loin.  Cover with plastic wrap and put in fridge for hopefully a day but if you just have a few hours, that's fine, too.  Make sure to take meat out a good hour before cooking to let it come up to room temperature.

Sear loin on all sides in a hot (medium-high) pan with some oil.  This means you leave it on one side for a few minutes to get dark (remember because your rub is dark your meat may look burnt but just be careful and go by the smell)- do that for all sides.  Then put in oven safe dish (or leave in pan if it's oven safe) and roast at 350 until your thermometer reads 150 degrees.  Then let your meat rest on a cutting board with tinfoil over it for a good 10 minutes.  Super moist, delicious pork!

Salsa: combine all ingredients and taste to adjust seasoning.  Refrigerate till ready to serve or take out a little before hand so it's not so cold.  I read in the comments of the original recipe that it is also good warmed up, so it melds into a kind of apple sauce. 

Left overs are great the next day for however you want to use them.  We had the dinner twice and the pork was still moist.  I also used some leftovers for a breakfast burrito.

Pumpkin Mousse

Last year for Thanksgiving I made a Pumpkin Cheesecake; this year for Thanksgiving I made Pumpkin Mousse Parfait from THIS site. I felt like it was too heavy- too much like cheesecake, not enough like mousse so my recipe proposes a change.  But its got great flavour.

Note: The original recipe calls for a 15 oz can of pumpkin, calculated to mL it was 443, which was just slightly more than one can had here in Nanaimo.  So you can either just do slightly less (the small can had 398 mL) or you can open a big can and use like 2/3 of it.  Depends on if you want extra pumpkin for something later.

Ingredients:

one can pumpkin
1 package cream cheese, room temperature
2 cups icing/confectioner's sugar
1 tbsp vanilla
1 1/2 tsp ground ginger
1 1/2 tsp ground cinnamon
1/8 tsp ground allspice
1/8 tsp ground nutmeg
pinch of salt
2 cups heavy cream
ground gingersnap cookies (crumbs)
sweetened whipped cream, for serving (whip cream with sugar and cinnamon)


Directions:

Spread the pumpkin on a cookie sheet and bake at 350 for 10 minutes to help dry it out.  Once it has cooled, beat with cream cheese and sugar.  Then beat in spices and vanilla.  In a separate bowl, whip cream till stiff peaks.  Fold cream in three batches into pumpkin cream cheese mixture. 

To make parfaits: layer pumpkin, sweetened whipped cream and gingersnap crumbs in glasses.  Top with gingersnap cookie.  Voila.

Soft Pretzels with a Cheesy Mustard Dipping Sauce

The recipe for the salt pretzels comes from my bread machine cook book.  If you don't have a bread maker just google a good soft pretzel recipe that you can make on your own.  I'm loving my bread maker all over again these days.  So easy- no mess, no stress, lots of fun things to do with it.

Ingredients:

Pretzels:
1 1/4 cup warm water
1 1/4 tsp salt
2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp shortening
3 1/2 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp bread machine yeast

Topping:
1 egg
1 tbsp water
coarse kosher salt

Sauce:
1 tbsp butter
1 tbsp flour
1 1/2 tsp dijon mustard
1 cup milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
pinch of salt

Directions:

Pretzels:
Add the pretzel ingredients to your bread maker in the order that they are listed.  Set to Dough cycle. After the dough is ready, take it out of the bread machine, place on a lightly floured surface and cover with a big bowl.  Let rest for 15 minutes.  Preheat oven to 350.  Once dough has rested, divide into 12 pieces and roll each one into a rope.  Shape into whatever pretzel shape you please.  Mix the egg and water together and brush over formed pretzels.  Sprinkle coarse kosher salt all over.  Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Sauce:
Melt butter in small sauce pan over medium heat.  Whisk in flour then mustard then milk till it starts to thicken.  Add in shredded cheese.  Add salt to taste. 

Chipotle Chicken Taco Salad

Great, full flavoured taco salad but super light on the calories!

Source: http://nutmegnotebook.com/2011/06/chipotle-chicken-taco-salad-2/

Note: If you've never bought canned chipotle peppers before, they are usually found in the Mexican/Taco section in a small can and it will actually say Chipotle Peppers in Adobo Sauce on the front.  You usually only use 1 or 2 in a recipe so to avoid waste, blend up the rest into a puree and store in a labelled ziplock bag in freezer and cut off a piece to thaw out next time you need some.  If you're someone who loves chipotle flavours, instead of freezing it just mix the remaining puree with sour cream or greek yogurt mixed with a little salt, lime juice and cumin and use as a chipotle sauce on whatever you want!

Ingredients:

Dressing:
1/3 cup cilantro
2/3 cup light sour cream
1 tbsp chipotle chile, canned in adobo sauce (1 chili for mild/medium, 2 chilis for spicy)
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
juice of 1 lime
1/2 tsp salt

Salad:
4 cups chopped romaine lettuce
2 cups chopped chicken
1 cup cherry tomatoes, halved OR 2-3 chopped roma tomatoes
1 avocado, chopped
1/3 cup thinly sliced red onion or green onion (I don't like the harshness of raw red onion)
1 (15-oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained (or pinto or kidney if you prefer)
1 can whole-kernel corn, rinsed and drained


Directions:

For dressing: Put all ingredients in a food processor/magic bullet/blender and blend together.  If you don't have any of those, mince the chipotle really well and chop the cilantro and then just whisk everything together.

For salad: Put all ingredients in a bowl and toss with dressing.  Serve immediately.

Old Fashioned Oatmeal Cake with Coconut-Brown Sugar Topping

Lovely, simple cake for after dinner when you feel like a little dessert.  I was able to successfully cut the recipe in half and pour into a small round cake pan.  Original recipe (as shown below) will fill a longer, rectangular dish/pan.

Ingredients:

Cake:
1 cup quick-oats
1 cup butter
1 1/4 cup boiling water
1 cup brown sugar
1 cup white sugar
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp baking soda
1 1/2 cups flour
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla

Icing:
5 tbsp butter
3/4 cup brown sugar
1 cup coconut
1/2 cup walnuts (optional)

Directions:

Cake:
Mix oats, butter and water together in large mixing bowl and put towel over top.  Let sit for 20 minutes.  Then rest of cake ingredients and mix well (I used my electric hand beaters).  Pour in greased pan and bake at 350 for 30-40 minutes (if recipe is cut in half, 20 mins). 

Icing:
Mix ingredients together in sauce pan over medium heat stirring often.  Bring to boil for a couple minutes (stirring stirring stirring so not to let the bottom burn).  If it's hard to see the "boiling" like it was for me, just let it cook long enough to incorporate and get hot.  Don't let the coconut burn.

Spread icing/topping on cake as soon as it's done baking so it melts into cake.  Serve warm.  Though I may have had a piece for breakfast at room temperature the next day and enjoyed it as well ;)

UPDATE: one time we topped the whole thing with skor bits.  Enough said.

Crunchy Cashew Thai Quinoa Salad with Ginger Peanut Dressing

This recipe has been trending on Pinterest and Facebook.  There's a reason: it's freakin DELICIOUS! I'm not sure if this is the original creator of the recipe but I got it from here.  My version of the recipe excludes the red onion and includes the edamame.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup uncooked quinoa
1-2 cups shredded red cabbage, depending on how much you like
1 red pepper, diced
1 cup shredded carrots
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
1/4 cup diced green onions
1/2 cup roasted, chopped cashews (or peanuts if you want)
1 cup edamame (I get mine in the frozen section, steam 1 cup, add a pinch of salt and add to salad)
fresh lime for a REQUIRED garnish (the extra tang of lime squeezed over it is a must!)

Dressing:
1/4 cup peanut butter
2 tsp freshly grated ginger
3 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp honey (use agave for vegan option)
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
2 tsp oil (the original recipe calls for 1 tsp of this to be sesame- I hate sesame so I don't, you are welcome to, though)


Directions:

Cook quinoa according to your package.  Remove from heat, fluff with fork; place in large bowl and set aside to cool.

Make dressing: mix all ingredients together.  If you want your peanut butter to incorporate easier (especially if you're using all natural from the refrigerator kind), microwave it first with the honey and then add all the other ingredients.  Use water to thin if necessary.  Add to quinoa.

Fold red pepper, onion, cabbage, carrots and cilantro into dressed quinoa.  Garnish with cashews/peanuts.  Serve chilled or at room temperature with lime wedges.  Remember, they elevate the salad's taste- they're not just to look pretty.

Big hit with men and women!  Great recipe to try if you're trying to get your man to eat more quinoa or veggies.

Dark Chocolate Mousse

Recipe courtesy of Bobby Flay.  The only change I made was to add vanilla.  It's a good, basic, simple recipe that you could make your own with a little skill and creativity.  I haven't gone beyond the basics of this recipe but I imagine if you swapped out different extracts you create some lovely combo flavours like chocolate-mint, chocolate-orange, etc.

Note: If you are making this during a non summer or hot month, be sure to keep your chocolate warm.  The first time I made this was a hot day so it didn't matter that my chocolate sat on the counter after it had melted because it remained warm.  The next time I made it, it was much cooler and letting my chocolate sit on the counter while I prepared the egg whites and cream was a colossal mistake because the chocolate cooled too much and seized when I tried to incorporate the cream and whites.  I had to throw it out and start again.  Keep your chocolate on the double boiler once it's done melting. Just turn off the heat.  The residual heat will keep it warm enough.  Chocolate can be tricky!

Ingredients:

149 grams bittersweet or dark baker's chocolate, coarsely chopped (Divide the total grams on the outside of your package by the amount of squares on the inside to help you figure out how many you need for 149.  As close as possible is fine.)
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups cold heavy (whipping) cream
3 large egg whites
2 tbsp white sugar
Sweetened whipped cream, for garnish, optional
Shaved chocolate, for garnish, optional

Directions:

Place chocolate in a large bowl nestled in a pot of simmering water or in a double boiler. Be sure to not let any water get into the chocolate or it could seize.  Stir chocolate until melted. Turn off the heat but keep it where it is. Mix in vanilla.

example of bowl set in pot for homemade double boiler

Beat the cream over ice until it forms soft peaks. Set aside and hold at room temperature. With a mixer, whip egg to soft peaks. Gradually add the sugar and continue whipping until firm.

Remove the bowl from the pot of water and using a whisk, fold in the egg whites all at once. When the whites are almost completely incorporated, fold in the whipped cream (for the part I used a spatula). Cover the mousse and refrigerate for approximately 1 hour or until set. Serve in goblets topped with more whipped cream and shaved chocolate, if desired.

Makes 4 full dessert sized portions or 8 sample/party sized portions (like seen above)

Apple Strudel Muffins

One morning I was in a baking mood- I made granola and a couple different kinds of muffins all before the kids took a nap.  Unfortunately, my baking powder was dead and I didn't realize this and I proceeded to go through all the effort of making these Apple Strudel muffins.  It wasn't until the timer on the oven went off and I opened the door that I saw my sunken oozy mess.  I knew instantly my baking powder was the culprit.  I tested it out by mixing baking powder with hot water and when one little bubble formed and nothing else, my suspicions were confirmed.  Just to see if my baking soda was also failing me, I mixed that with vinegar but got a lovely bubbly reaction.  Off my husband went to the store to pick up some more baking powder and the Buttermilk Oatmeal muffins that were also on my baking to do list were saved.  The sunken gooey apple strudel mess was delicious and addicting and had disappeared by the end of the day.

A week or two later I made them again for a baby shower.  They rose just fine this time; however, the dense sunken mess was actually more delicious than the properly risen muffins.  But if your baking powder is fresh, you will never discover this, so proceed.

Great Autumn Baking Recipe!  Makes 12 muffins

Ingredients:

Muffins:
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/4 tsp nutmeg
1/2 cup butter, melted
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
1 1/4 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups apple (1 cup shredded, 1/2 cup chopped- approx 3 apples)

Strudel:
2/3 cup brown sugar
2 tbsp flour
1/4 tsp cinnamon
3 tbsp butter
2-3 tbsp oats


Directions:

Combine shredded and chopped apples with 1/2 of the brown sugar in a bowl and set aside to allow sugars to leech out the juices (this is a good thing- keep the juices!)

In a bowl, combine flour, baking powder+soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg.  In another mixing bowl, combine melted butter, remaining sugar, eggs and vanilla.  Whisk or use your electric mixer to mix well.  Add your dry ingredients to the wet mixture, mixing with a wooden spoon until just combined.  Add in apple/sugar mixture (and the juices at the bottom of the bowl) and combine gently.  Don't over mix your muffins. 

In another bowl, combine the strudel ingredients except for the oats and mix with a pastry cutter to create a crumble.  Divide in half and add oats to one. 

Fill your greased or paper-cup-lined muffin tin with a heaped teaspoon of the muffin mix, add the non-oat strudel topping and then add another heaped teaspoon of muffin mix on top.  Top with oat strudel topping.

Bake for 20 minutes at 375 or until a toothpick comes out clean. Let your muffins sit a few minutes before removing them from the pan.

Gluten Free Soft Peanut Butter Cookie

I have a gluten free friend and whenever I host anything I'm always very aware that my baking is not gluten free.  I always try to have enough gluten free options to include everyone but I feel at a disadvantage when it comes to baking.  These cookies are for all of you out there like me, who need occasionally to bake something gluten free but don't have gluten free flours in your pantry.  This is a flourless recipe.  One you wouldn't even know is gluten free.  Thanks to my mom, I now have something to make in a pinch when I need something gluten free. 

Makes 20-24 cookies

Ingredients:

1 cup creamy peanut butter
1 cup brown sugar (or 1/2 cup of both brown and white)
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup butterscotch or peanut butter chips

Directions:

Cream together first four ingredients then stir in chips.

Roll 20-24 balls and flatten with fork.

Bake in a preheated oven at 350 degrees for 9 minutes.  They should look under baked.  Let cool ON cookie sheet for 5 minutes before removing to plate.

Creamy Broccoli Cheddar Soup

This is the soup I made before going in for my C-section with my second baby.  I had had one previous C-section and knew the horrors of the hospital liquid diet.  I wanted to prepare this time around so I didn't die of starvation and blandness.  This soup is chock-full of vegetables and flavour.  Very comforting whether you've just had surgery or not.  Serve along side my cheese biscuits (although not if you're on a liquid diet ;).  Thankfully, my nurse allowed my husband to bring in my soup (which I had made sure to puree properly as to qualify as "liquid") and I lived on this soup for a couple of days.  Even after they put me on regular food, I still continued to supplement my meals with this soup because one cannot live on hospital food alone!

Source: http://www.thecomfortofcooking.com/2011/12/creamy-broccoli-cheddar-soup.html

Ingredients:

1 tablespoon butter
1/2 medium chopped onion
1/4 cup butter
1/4 cup flour
2 1/2 cups whole milk
4 cups chicken stock
1 lb. (16 oz.) fresh or frozen broccoli florets
1 cup grated carrot
Kosher salt and freshly grated pepper, to taste
1/4 teaspoon grated nutmeg
1- 1 1/2 cups grated sharp cheddar cheese (depending on how cheesy you want it)

Directions:

Melt 1 tbsp butter in a large pot over medium-high heat, and sauté onion until soft, about 3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup butter and flour, whisking for 3-5 minutes to create a roux. Whisk while adding the milk and chicken stock. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Stir in the broccoli florets and grated carrot. Add salt, pepper and nutmeg. Simmer over low heat for 30-35 minutes.

Remove soup from heat and pulse with an immersion blender until smooth. Or, puree the soup in batches in a food processor until smooth, adding mixture back to the pot.

Return pot to low heat and stir in cheddar cheese. Simmer for 10 minutes, and serve.

Chicken, Bacon & Avocado Chopped Salad

Source: http://www.gimmesomeoven.com/chicken-bacon-avocado-chopped-salad/

Cooking is a talent of mine.  Photography is not.  This is unfortunate since I'm writing a blog about food.  We eat with our eyes first.  This salad is delicious.  My husband has never been so thrilled about eating salad before.  The picture from the source is much prettier than mine- so go there if you want to be inspired to make it.  I love blue cheese- Cole does not.  We have made this twice: once with brie and once with blue cheese.  I thought the brie was better even though I'm a blue cheese lover.  Brie was much more subtle and didn't take the salad over. 

Ingredients:

2 cooked, cubed chicken breasts or 3-4 thighs
salt and pepper
1 tbsp oil
8 cups chopped romaine
8 slices bacon, cooked and diced
1/4 cup crumbled brie or blue cheese
2 avocados, pitted and diced
2 roma tomatoes, diced
1/4 cup garlic vinaigrette (see recipe below)
1/4 cup chopped green onion

Garlic Vinaigrette
1/2 cup apple cider vinegar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp dijon mustard
salt and pepper
1 tbsp dried italian seasonings
1 1/2 cups oil (your favourite for salad dressings)

Note: If you're not wanting left over dressing hanging around and just want to make enough for the salad, make a 1/3 of the recipe for the vinaigrette.  Always make sure to add dressing slowly while you toss your salad to avoid over dressing it. 

Directions:

Season chicken breasts on both sides with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat and add chicken. Cook for 3 minutes per side, or until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink inside. (Cooking time will vary depending on the thickness of the chicken.) Remove chicken and let rest for at least 10 minutes. Dice chicken into small pieces.

Add the diced chicken, lettuce, bacon, cheese, avocados and tomatoes to a large bowl, and toss until combined. Drizzle or toss with garlic vinaigrette and serve immediately.

Serves 4 entree salad portions.

Pulled Pork and Coleslaw

We have wanted to try making proper pulled pork for a while and this summer we did it twice.  We used our charcoal grill and slow cooker, but you could also use your oven or if you're awesome enough...smoker!  Recipe courtesy of the great Emeril Lagasse.  Love his bold flavours- worked great in our house.  It's spicy.  Too spicy for most kids, ours was fine but she's weirdly fine with spicy food.  Just cut down/out the cayenne and red pepper flakes if you want it mild.  Also, the longer you marinate the pork, the more pronounced the flavours will be- including the spice level.

Note: For a family of four, 2 lbs of pork butt is sufficient.  So use that as a guide.

Ingredients:

1 boneless pork butt, about 4 lbs
3 tbsp dark brown sugar
2 tbsp Essence, recipe follows
1 tbsp salt
1 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp paprika
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp cayenne ****only if you're good with spicy food
Wet Mop Basting Sauce, recipe follows
Barbecue Sauce (we just used our favourite bottle, if you go to the site you can find Emeril's)
8 buns
Kicked Up Cole Slaw, recipe follows
(the site also has a recipe for fried pickles to add to the sandwich)

Wet Mop Basting Sauce:
1 cup white vinegar
1 cup apple cider vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp red pepper flakes ****only if you want it spicy
1 tbsp pepper
1 tbsp salt

Essence (Emeril's Creole Seasoning):

2 1/2 tablespoons paprika
2 tablespoons salt
2 tablespoons garlic powder
1 tablespoon black pepper
1 tablespoon onion powder
1 tablespoon cayenne pepper
1 tablespoon dried leaf oregano
1 tablespoon dried thyme
(great for blackened cajun chicken and shrimp and whatever else you want to cajun up! love this stuff)

Kicked Up Cole Slaw:

3/4 cup mayonnaise
1/4 cup Dijon mustard
1/4 cup packed light brown sugar
3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar
2 tablespoons buttermilk
4 teaspoons celery seeds
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/8 teaspoon cayenne
3 cups shredded green cabbage (about 1/2 head cabbage)
3 cups shredded red cabbage (about 1/2 head cabbage)
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1/2 cup thinly sliced green onion
1/4 cup minced fresh parsley

(alternatively, buy premade coleslaw packages and just make the dressing)
In a bowl, combine dressing ingredients (mayo to cayenne); whisk. Combine veggies and toss with dressing.

Directions:

Place the pork in a baking dish.  In a bowl, combine the sugar, Essence, salt, cumin, paprika, pepper and cayenne.  Rub the seasoning evenly over the pork to coat.  Cover with plastic and refrigerate at least 4 hours or overnight (the first time we did it I only was able to refrigerate for a couple hours- still yummy). 

Combine ingredients for wet mop basting sauce.  Refrigerate overnight or as long as you are able.

Preheat oven or smoke to 225 or if you're like us, prepare the coals in your grill.  Prepare wood chips to smoke if you like. 

{If you are unfamiliar with the process, google and youtube are helpful to read/watch before attempting the charcoal grill version}

Oven: Bring the pork to room temperature and place in a roasting pan, fat side up. Slow cook in the oven, basting with the wet mop basting sauce every 45 minutes, until tender and the internal temperature reaches 160 degrees F. (The cooking should take about 6 to 7 hours.) Remove from the oven and let rest for 20 to 30 minutes.

Grill: Push coals to one side to create indirect heat for the pork.  Let pork carmelize and gain a "crust"- this will take about an hour.  Baste once or twice in that hour.  Once the pork reaches an internal temperature of around 130 wrap it up in tinfoil to slow the cooking process.  You want it to take as long as possible to break down all the fat and be left with pullable pork (195 degrees).  A charcoal grill is really hard to keep at a low heat and both times we made this, our pork cooked too fast.  The grill gets hot and it's hard to turn down unlike a gas/propane grill.  If your pork reaches 195 and isn't pulling easily, throw it into the slow cooker with the drippings and let it cook down until it does.  The reason we used the grill before the slow cooker is we wanted the smoky flavour and the nice crust on the outside. Continue to baste throughout the whole cooking process- just open the tinfoil.

With a knife and fork or two forks, pull the meat apart into small slices or chunks. Toss with the barbecue sauce, to taste, and divide among the buns. Top with the coleslaw.

pork butt rubbed the night before

smoking chip soaking

coals heating up; drip pan

wood chips on the coals

pork- indirect heat (not directly over heat)

smoke-lovely smoke

neighbours thought our house was on fire...for real

crust

wet mop basting sauce

basting

wrapped up

up to temp

drip pan added to pork- don't waste that good stuff

pulled pork- no sauce

Both days we did this were super crazy so I didn't remember to actually take a picture of the pork in the sauce in the bun with the slaw.

Greek Meatballs and Toasted Orzo

This recipe is slightly altered from the one I watched on the Rachael Ray Show.  The meatball recipe is a great one to double and freeze.  Super flavourful and a different spin on your standard meatball and pasta night.

For a video tutorial:
http://www.rachaelrayshow.com/recipe/12901_Greek_Meatballs_and_Toasted_Orzo/index.html

Ingredients:

4 cups chicken stock
2 slices white bread, crusts trimmed
Milk, to soak bread
1 pound ground beef OR lamb
1 egg
salt and pepper
1 tsp dry oregano or marjoram
1/8 cup mint, finely chopped
1/2 cup parsley, divided in half
3 tbsp grated onion
2 large cloves garlic, grated or finely chopped
2 tsp lemon zest
1/2-1 box chopped frozen spinach, defrosted
3 tbsp butter
1 1/2 cups orzo pasta
juice of 1lemon
1 cup feta, crumbled

Directions:

Warm stock in a medium saucepan and preheat oven to 400.  In a small bowl, soak bread in milk.

Place meat in a mixing bowl and add egg.  Wring out excess milk from bread and crumble into meat bowl.  Season meat with salt, pepper, oregano or marjoram, mint, 1/4 cup parsley, the onion, garlic, lemon zest and spinach (start with half the box and add more if you want it).  In a pan cook a small bit of the meatball mixture and taste it.  If it needs more seasoning, like salt, add it now.  You can't redo the seasoning after they've all been rolled and cooked.  Roll 20 meatballs and arrange them on a nonstick or parchment/tinfoil lined baking sheet.  Bake about 15-18 minutes until cooked through and browned.

While the meatballs are in the oven, melt butter in saucepan over medium to medium-high heat and add pasta.  Brown until nutty and fragrant, and deep golden in colour.  Stir in a few ladles of warm stock and allow it to almost cook away before adding more, like preparing risotto.  Keep adding stock a little at a time until it's all incorporated and pasta is al dente.  Stir in lemon juice and feta cheese.

Serve orzo in shallow bowls topped with meatballs.

Granola

We can't keep this stuff in the house long enough! So delicious.  I love mine with yogurt.  Cole has his with almond milk.  Great base for your own creation.

makes 7 cups

Ingredients:

4 cups old fashioned oats
1 1/2 cups chopped or slivered almonds
1/4 cup brown sugar (I'm sure coconut sugar would work really well here)
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/3 cup vegetable oil
1/3 cup honey
1 tsp vanilla
1 1/2 cups craisins
1 cup shredded coconut

Directions:

Preheat oven to 300

In a bowl, mix the oats, almonds, brown sugar, salt, and cinnamon.  In a saucepan on the stove, or in a bowl in the microwave, warm the oil and honey then add the vanilla.

Carefully pour the liquid over the oat mixture.  Stir gently with a wooden spoon.  Spread granola on a big baking sheet

Bake 40 minutes, stirring carefully every 10 minutes.  Let cool then stir in craisins and coconut.  Store in airtight container or ziplock bag.  Store at room temp for 1 week (if it lasts that long...)

Note: if you use coconut, be careful not to add it till the end or at the very least, 5-10 minutes before the end.  It will burn and give your granola a slightly bitter taste if it toasts longer than a few minutes...however, in our house it still disappeared just as fast. 

this batch didn't have coconut in it- I have since started adding
it in and it is delicious

Perfect Autumn Quinoa Salad

I was imporovising a gluten free side to dinner for a friend the other night and what I came up with turned out possibly more delicious than the dinner. 

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa
1/2 regular onion, diced
1 gala (or similar) apple, diced
handful of chopped green onion
1/2-1 cup nuts (I've tried hazelnuts and almonds in this salad)
handful of craisins
1/4 cup crumbled feta
1/4 cup chopped parsley
1 large lemon
oil

Directions:

In a small pot, boil 1 3/4 cup water with 1 tsp salt then add quinoa, stir, cover with lid and reduce heat to low.  In 15 minutes lift lid, fluff quinoa and cool down to room temp.

In a pan, saute your diced half of an onion with a little salt and pepper and oil until translucent.  Let cool.

In a dry pan on the stove or on a cookie sheet in the oven, toast your nuts.

In a large salad bowl, add cooled quinoa and onion, chopped apple, chopped green onion, toasted nuts, crumbled feta, chopped parsley, handful of craisins and squeeze lemon over everything, add a drizzle of oil and toss.  Taste and add more salt/pepper to taste. 

Homemade Refried Black Beans (Slow Cooker Prep)

I love refried beans...especially black.  I hate cooking dried beans the old fashioned way in a pot.  Enter slow cooker.  Now I make these all the time and freeze them for lunch and dinner.  My whole family loves them.  My husband (who is a self proclaimed refried bean hater) repeatedly steals bites from my bowl and spreads a heavy layer on his burritos.  Turns out, he hates canned refried beans.  These are clearly NOT canned beans!

Find the prep for cooking dried black beans in the slow cooker HERE. I add some time to the cooking when I am only using them for refried beans because I find a slightly overcooked bean lends itself to being blended easier.  I do 5 hrs on high or 8 hrs of low (often overnight). 

Blend your beans with cooking liquid (doesn't matter how much, it will be cooked out) and put in pan on medium-medium/high heat.  Add salt, chili powder and whatever else you think you'd like your beans to taste like.  You can taste and adjust along the way.  Cook down till you get the consistency you like. 

You know what else I love about these beans? The "fried" part isn't real.  There's no fat!

Jalapeno Cheddar Popovers

During the fall and winter months, I am often making homemade soups.  I love finding new recipes to accomany them.  These jalapeno cheddar popovers are easy, and a lovely addition to any soup night.

Ingredients:
3 eggs
1 cup flour
1 cup whole milk
1 cup shredded sharp cheddar
1/4 cup diced jalapeno
1/2 tsp salt

Directions:
Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Liberally brush muffin tin with oil and place in oven to get really hot.  Whisk all ingredients together and pour in prepared muffin tin 2/3 full.  Bake 20-25 minutes until tops are risen, firm and golden brown.

Healthy Avocado Salad Dressing

I love that this recipe means that my salad dressing counts as a serving of vegetables.  How often is salad dressing THIS guilt free? Great  for when avocadoes are in abundance.  Would be good on tacos as well.

Ingredients:
1 ripe avocado, peeled and cored
3/4 cup water
2 tbsp sour cream or yogurt
1 tsp lime zest
3-4 tbsp lime juice (fresh)
1/2 tsp cumin
1/4-1/2 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
cayenne for the spicy lovers
2 green onions, chopped
1 clove garlic

Directions:
chop up avocado and add to blender
add rest of ingredients
blend till smooth
taste, readjust seasoning and water