Watch out Martha.

When I was in grade 8 we had to take a Shop/Home Ec class. Sewing was briefly touched on in Home Ec; we made pillows. I really wasn't in love with sewing back then. Much preferred using the saws and sanders in shop to make one hell of a basket.

Fast forward to high school. One year I had to be excused from Phys-Ed because I was having issues with my knees. To my chagrin the only other class available was a Cosmetology/Sewing class. I was not the girl to be willingly signing up for the cosmo and sewing class credit. It. was. awful. I had absolutely no interest in being in either class and showed up begrudgingly ever. single. day.


15 years or so later - damn I'm getting old - I remember jack from cosmo class. But I do remember the very basics from sewing class. And over the years those basics have helped me shorten/hem my own pants and make basic repairs. This past Christmas I was a little overzealous and decided to make a ruffled tree skirt I saw on Pinterest. The instructions looked easy enough. I finished the skirt a week before Christmas. It took a lot of frustrated hours, and lots of cursing.  Sorry for the crappy iPhone pic, but here it is in all it's frustratingly beautiful glory...



This project made me wish I had paid better attention in sewing class. Hind sight is 20/20 and such a cruel bitch.

And here I am, now 33 years old, and wanting know how to sew. Really sew. Not my bastardized version. So I've willingly signed up for a Home Ec Sewing and E-Course.  I bet 17 year old me would be very shocked by this and have some choice words for 33 year old me.

I completed my first project - a gift bag. I had some left over fabric from my tree skirt so I decided to make a Christmas gift bag.  Check out my handy work (and try not to be jealous of those corners).



Next up is napkins, not one, but two ways. I know. I'm excited too. :)

Julia Child is always right.

So we had a three day reprieve from sickness before C came down with croup.  Seeing my child gasping for air, choking, coughing, and crying all at once is the most terrifying experience I've had as a parent. Thankfully the four day steroid treatment helped tremendously. And we made it through without any toddler roid-rage. She's 100% now. Whew. 

Oh and I didn't post last week  because I thought I was going to have my gallbladder removed. Weeeee!  I had intense upper abdominal pain for three days but thankfully my gallbladder was not the culprit. So now I'm on a temporary bland diet, cut out acidic food and beverages (no coffee..le sigh) and I'm on meds until my stomach heals. Thankfully I have a back log of photos. I don't think anyone would want to see pictures of the gruel I'm currently eating...steamed vegetables anyone? nom. nom.

So the good news is we're all finally healthy. The even better and actually, what I consider FANTASTIC news, is that I made MAYONNAISE yesterday. Yes! Finally, I. MADE. MAYO.

Why is this such a big deal? It's because I have tried no less then six times to make mayonnaise. And every. damn. time. it splits. Most people would have just given up. But, I'm a special kind of crazy. I took not being able to make mayo personally. I've never not been able to make something in my kitchen. So I couldn't let the mayo thing go. After the last attempt, I went online and read everything I could find about making mayo. I watched a couple YouTube videos. And all that did was further piss me the eff off because by all counts, I was doing everything right!

Then it dawned on me. What would Julia Child do? I don't know why this didn't occur to me sooner. I think my obsession was clouding my mind. Of course Julia would have a method/recipe! Duh!  And does she ever. She has not one, but four pages dedicated to making mayonnaise.

So yesterday I took out two eggs and brought them to room temperature. Two eggs because I was convinced my first batch would split, and I wanted an second attempt.  I followed her method and my god, I nailed it on the first batch! I tried again with my second egg and sweet mother I nailed it again! Turns out I could make mayonnaise all along, I just needed the correct method. And oh does it taste so good. I'm never buying store mayonnaise again.

Blender Mayonnaise
Adapted from Joy of Cooking



Ingredients


1 large egg, at room temperature
1 tsp dry mustard
1 tsp salt
1 1/4 cup light tasting olive oil
3 tsp Apple Cider Vinegar (or lemon juice)


Method

1. Put egg, mustard, salt and 1/4 olive oil in blender. Cover and blend on high until combined.
2. With the blender still running, slowly add 1/2 cup olive oil (think thinnest drizzle).
3.  Then slowly add vinegar.
4. Again, slowly add the remaining 1/2 cup olive oil and blend until thick and creamy.
   
   Notes: I lowered my blender speed before starting step 2. I was nervous from my previous attempts, but Julia keeps it on high for the whole process. Also, you may need to stop and start the blender to scape down the sides. I didn't (again, afraid to stop because I was scarred from previous attempts).

Sinus Infection. Eggs. New cook book.

Two weeks ago I started feeling sick and quickly came down with an awful head cold. I passed it onto my daughter (I'm a good Mom like that). So last Friday I took her to see her Pediatrician because I suspected she had an ear infection. After looking for Elmo in her ear and not finding him, her Pediatrician turned to me and said "She looks fine. But you sound awful. Have you seen your Doctor?" I had not. I thought I was starting to get better. Apparently, I was kidding myself.

I went to our walk-in clinic that evening. The receptionist told me I had to wear a mask because I was coughing. I told the receptionist "Had I known it was going to be a masquerade, I would have dressed up." She didn't find that as amusing as I did...



The Nurse Practitioner that examined me gave me the best news ever; I had a sinus infection! No sarcasm here. I was happy. This is my [crazy] train of thought... a sinus infection means I'd be prescribed an antibiotic which means I'd be feeling better in a couple of days. Opposed to feeling like a bag o' shit for another week or more if it was just a cold! My night got even better when she prescribed the Z-pack. I've taken it before, so I KNEW I'd be feeling a lot better the very next day. Yesterday I took my last antibiotic and I feel pretty much 100%. Happy days are here again.

Eggs also make me happy (I know, nice segue). The American Egg Board says that eggs are incredible and edible. I have to agree. I eat them for breakfast every. single. day. I guess you could say I'm a fan.

What's not to like? They taste frickin' awesome. Each large egg provides 6 grams of all natural and high quality protein. They are a natural source of Choline.  Provide 41 IU of Vitamin D. Yes, they have 185 mg of cholesterol. But there is a lot of research/data out there that shows an egg a day will not make a significant impact on your health. Especially if you're eating low cholesterol foods to begin with. Still don't believe me? Health Canada and the Canadian Heart and Stroke Foundation both include eggs as part of a heart healthy diet. Canadian's do not lie. So don't fear the egg.

I normally make a spinach or kale omelet for breakfast (2 eggs + 1/4 cup egg whites). I recently got a new cook book that I am love with. It's called The Paleo Recipe Book by Sébastien Noël. The book includes a recipe for a Cinnamon and apple omelet that I love. It had too much healthy fat in it for my liking, so I made some reductions. It turned out awesome!




Cinnamon and apple omelet
Adapted from The Paleo Recipe Book
   
Ingredients

2 eggs + 1/4 egg whites (I like All-White brand)
1 apple, thinly sliced
2 tbsp coconut milk (best if canned and chilled)*
2 tsp cooking fat (I used coconut oil)
1 tsp cinnamon

Method

1. In a large bowl whisk the eggs and egg whites with 1 tbsp coconut milk.
   
2. Heat a non-stick frying pan over medium heat, add 1 tsp of the cooking fat to the pan. When the pan is ready add the apple slices, sprinkle with cinnamon and  sauté until they are tender. Put the apple slices aside until later.
    
3. Add the reminaing cooking fat to the pan. Add the egg mixture. To make it fluffy, use your spatula and stir the eggs gently while it cooks. This lets the uncooked egg run underneath and you get a fluffier omelet. Fluffy = nummy.
    
4. Flip the omelet over when it's almost cooked. Add half of the apples. Fold the omelet in half. Serve it on a plate topped with the remaining apples and coconut milk.

*In place of the coconut milk in the omelet you can use milk or heavy cream. For the topping you could whip some of the heavy cream. I wouldn't advise making it super sweet if you do this.

Eating a little differently.

Last week I mentioned the Paleo diet/Whole 30 and promised to talk more about it "next week." Well I'm a keeper of promises and it's next week. So here we go!

Late last year I was getting VERY frustrated with my progress to be a fitter and healthier me. I had hit a wall (figuratively!) and I began getting very frustrated. I was working out HARD and I thought I was eating healthy. But my scale wasn't moving and my clothes weren't getting looser. Nothing was changing except for my frustration level.

Then my friend Susan started sharing her experience and success with Whole 30. I was intrigued and inspired. I read more about it and started slowly (read: baby steps) adjusting my eating habits in the Whole 30 direction. I finally started seeing some changes. So I decided to go full boar and I started my first Whole 30 on January 6, 2012.  When I completed it I was surprised by the results. I had HUGE successes mentally and physically. No more cravings for sugars. No more emotional eating. Discovered a will power I didn't know existed. Lost over 10" off my body. Lost over 7 pounds. Gained a shit ton (isn't that the technical term?) of muscle mass. Increased endurance and performance during my work outs. I was sleeping better. I started having more energy. I simply felt BETTER.

So what is this "Whole 30" you speak of?

First, let me explain what the Paleolithic diet is. It isn't a "diet" like a meal replacements, or some crazy ass lemonade cleanse. It's really more of a lifestyle change with the added benefit of losing weight (if there is weight to be lost). The thought is that our optimum health can be reached by eating like our ancestors did during the Paleolithic era (eating lean meat, fish, vegetables, root vegetables, fruits, and nuts). It excludes processed foods, grains, legumes, dairy, refined sugars, and some people cut out salt. There is a lot of debate over the premise of the diet (mimicking our ancestors, etc.) but I'm not getting into that. I'm just summarizing the basics.

Now, Whole 30 is something a little different. It's similar to Paleo but it's more strict.  It's a 30 day program designed by the nice folks at Whole 9. They explain it best as a "short-term nutritional reset, designed to help you restore a healthy metabolism, heal your digestive tract, calm systemic inflammation and put an end to unhealthy cravings, habits, and relationships with food." Basically, during the 30 days you do not consume under any circumstances: added sugar of any kind, alcohol, grains, legumes, dairy, white potatoes, processed foods, and certain types of oil.  The idea is that all of the aforementioned food is inflammatory to our systems. So by removing it, you allow your body to heal and start working properly again. Plus, all the added benefits of putting an end to cravings, bad habits, etc. Sounds like voodoo, I know! But it just works.

Since I ended my Whole 30 in February I've been trying to stick to a Paleo/Whole 30 lifestyle. I've been trying to keep my ratio to about 80% on, 20% off. Lately, I feel like I've been more 60/50. Not really where I want to be in order to reach my goals. That's why on April 1st I'm starting my next Whole 30. And no this is not a bad April Fool's joke. har har.

And that, ladies and gents, is why majority of the food/recipes posted on this website will follow the paleo, and or, Whole 30 guidelines. Whew, sorry if that was long!

Now onto food!

One thing I've had a hard time finding is a decent Stuffed Bell Peppers recipe. I've tried a couple and they were all lacking one way, or the other, and were just...gross. So I created my own. Here it is.

Sausage and Spinach Stuffed Bell Peppers 

Ingredients

1-2 tbsp Coconut oil
1.5 lbs Italian Sausage (removed from casings)
4 (or more) Bell Peppers, tops removed, seeds and membrane removed
10 oz Baby Spinach (or chopped Kale)
1 medium Onion, diced
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup bell pepper, diced (use the tops)
1 egg
1 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
*2 tbsp Tomato Paste

Method

1. Preheat oven to 350F.
   
2. Heat coconut oil in a large skillet over medium heat.
3. Add onions and sauté until translucent. Add garlic and sauté for 30 secs then add the diced bell peppers and spinach. Sauté mixture until spinach is wilted. Let mixture slightly cool.
4. In a large bowl combine sausage, egg, and spinach mixture.
5. Stuff the peppers!
6. Place peppers in a casserole dish and bake in the oven 45-60 mins (until cooked through and peppers have softened).

 *This is an after thought. I felt the stuffing could have used a little more flavour and moisture. So next time I will try adding the tomato paste and see if it improves things.
 

Don't call it a come back. I've been here for years.

I'm Canadian. And if there is one thing we are known for it's being polite. So let me apologize for neglecting my blog for almost...sweet mother! Has it really been almost THREE (3) YEARS?! I sincerely apologize for my laziness and neglect. I'm back and I promise to do better. And by better, I do not mean one post per year (because that is better then my current record).

If you don't know me personally, you're probably wondering what the hell happened. Well short version is I got back from Vegas and found out I was pregnant. I then suffered through the next 7 months. Don't get me wrong, I enjoyed being pregnant. But during those 7 months I had some issues that made either eating totally unappealing and cooking totally painful and unpleasant. Can't really have a food blog if you're not eating anything good and don't really feel like cooking! How boring would that have been? Then January 2010 my daughter, we'll call her C, was born. And I've spent all the time since then doting on her and using my camera to document her growing up.

It wasn't until recently that I really started to miss food photography. I've also embarked on a new cooking...adventure. So I figured maybe now was a good time as any to resurrect my blog.

So here I am.

I'll go into this more in my next post. But majority of the recipes I'm going to be posting follow the Paleo diet guidelines, or the Whole 30 guidelines. When applicable, I'll make substitution suggestions for items that are not likely to be in a non-paleo eating house hold. Don't want to exclude anyone from enjoying some good, healthy food!

And this post wouldn't be complete without a recipe... :)

Cottage Flower Pie



This is the first Whole 30/Paleo recipe I made. It was delicious! It's from the website The Clothes Make the Girl. <-- Follow that link to the recipe and many other great recipes by Melissa.

As for substitutions... Feel free to use Olive Oil in place of Coconut Oil (or buy some and give it a try! I LOVE it). Coconut Aminos is a soy/gluten/dairy free seasoning sauce. Looks and tastes similar to soy sauce. The point of the Coconut Aminos (in my opinion) is to add savoriness to the dish. So you can sub in low sodium Soy Sauce, or Worcestershire sauce in this recipe. Enjoy!

Vegas Uncork'd

Vegas Uncork'd is an annual food event held in...you guessed it, Las Vegas. It was held this year (it's 3rd year) from May 7th through 10th. There were a ton of activities going on including Masters' Series/Gala dinners, culinary workshops (like making pasta, sushi, pastries, etc.), wine immersion seminars, culinary competitions, an interactive luncheon, black jack tourney, and the list goes on... I wanted to take part in quite a few activities. Unfortunately, 90% of the activities that interested me were sold out by the time we decided to book our trip. Do not feel sorry for me. This was a lesson learned on why we should stop being procrastinators! The one activity I did get to participate in was the Ultimate All-Star Interactive Luncheon. And it was awesome.

The interactive luncheon was held at the gorgeous Wynn Resort. This event was a lot of fun. Each table had a chef assigned to assist/direct the table in preparing each course. Our Chef was Joseph Leibowitz from Alex. Here is a not so great and out of focus photo of Joseph and I.


The lunch consisted of 5 courses and 5 expertly paired wines. Each course was created by a different acclaimed Wynn or Encore Chef. Each Chef presented how to prepare the course at the head of the room. At the same time, Chef Joseph assisted our brave table mates prepare the various courses. I REALLY wanted to cook the 2nd from last course, but another woman at the table beat me to it. My only excuse for losing the opportunity is that the delicious food and wine had dulled my cat like reflexes dramatically. The last course was prepared by Frederic Robert, Executive Pastry Chef, Wynn/Encore.

So here is the menu... You'll want a napkin close by to catch the drool.

Chilled Lobster with Spring Vegetable Crudites and Lemon Vinaigrette
Terlano, Sauvignon Blanc, Quarz, Alto Adige, Italy 2007


Sauteed Sea Scallops with Porcini Mushrooms
Planeta Cometa, Sicilia, Italy 2007


Spring Gnocchi with Peas and Prosciutto
Vincent Girardin, Rully, Vieilles Vignes, Burgundy, France 2006


Marinated Squab Breast, Caramelized Japanese Eggplant
Couscous with Fresh Mint and Pistachios
M. Chapoutier, Chateauneuf-du-Pape, La Bernardine, Rhone, France 2005


Strawberry Vacherin
Crispy Chocolate Dome
Domaines Schlumberger, Gewurztraminer, Vendanges Tardives, Cuvee Christine, Alsace, France 2000



Each course was bursting with flavour and absolutely delicious. I wish I could have had 2nds (3rds even) of everything. The wine was also wonderful. The pairings really showed how the flavour profiles of both food and wine are enhanced when properly paired together. It also made me wish I had a Master Sommelier on staff! Speaking of which... each table had it's own Master Sommelier. I unfortunately did not catch the name of ours. Here is another, poorly taken photo (have I mentioned that I regret taking my point & shoot with me to the event instead of my DSLR?).


One of my lunch companions was Shaena Engle, from The Divine Dish. Shaena is, among other things, a free lance food and travel writer. I really enjoyed speaking with her about her travels and the different restaurants she has dined at. Shaena is the person who recommended eating at Dos Cominos! I owe her big time for that recommendation. Everyone else at our table was also really friendly, outgoing, and just great dinning companions. I think that helped make the event so much fun.

Vegas Uncork'd has already set the dates for 2010 - May 6th through 9th. I'll be keeping an eye on the event schedule. I really REALLY hope I can go again next year. And this time, not procrastinate and be able to participate in more than one activity/event!

Now, as previously promised... Here are one of the recipes from the luncheon. I've made this twice since returning from Vegas. It is awesome. So print it off, run to the store, and make it for your friends and family this weekend. They'll love you for it!

Spring Gnocchi with Peas and Prosciutto
Recipe by Marc Poidevin, Switch

Ingredients

Gnocchi:

2 cups semolina flour
2 tbsp fine sea salt
3 tbsp warm water
2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1 egg

Sauce:

1/4 cup diced fresh prosciutto
1/4 cup diced leeks
1/2 cup fresh spring peas, shucked
1/2 cup fresh pea shoots
1/2 cup chicken or vegetable stock
1 tbsp butter
3 tbsp grated Parmesan cheese
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Gnocchi:

Mix the flour, salt, olive oil, egg and water until thoroughly mixed. Let the dough rest for 30 minutes. Roll the dough into a small strip (like a play dough snake); then cut into small pieces about the size of a quarter. Mold the small pieces on the back of a fork. Refrigerate the gnocchi on a lined sheet pan for an hour before cooking. Cook the gnocchi 20 minutes in salted water. Toss with a little olive oil and allow to cool down on a sheet pan.

Sauce:

Blanch the peas very quickly in salt water and reserve. Cook the prosciutto very slowly until brown and then add leeks, peas and pea shoots. Add the chicken (or vegetable stock) and butter. Once butter is combined, add the warm gnocchi. Stir in Parmesan cheese and serve.

Las Vegas = Delicious food

Dan and I were excited to go to Vegas. He was excited because he likes to gamble. I was excited because I love food and nearly every website I visited touted Vegas as a "Culinary Destination." Fodor's 2009 Guide to Las Vegas dedicates quite a few pages to listing all the eateries at the various hotels, plus eateries off the strip. I think I had originally tabbed 20 places I wanted to eat at. Unfortunately, it would have been impossible to eat at all of them, so I had to narrow it down. And since I'm indecisive, it that was a tough exercise for me!

Our first drool inducing meal was at B&B Ristorante which is located at the Venetian. We really liked the comfortable and intimate atmosphere of B&B. Everything on the menu sounded delicious, so it was hard to decide what to order. To make life easy, they did offer two different tasting menus. But we decided to chose our own courses instead. I chose Calamari Seppie Fritti as my appetizer, Goat Cheese Tortellini for my first course, and the Whole Grilled Branzino as my second course. Every bite of every course was heavenly. I cleaned my plates. And I was so full at the end I couldn't even consider dessert. If I had room, I would have had the Blueberry Crostata though!

The next memorable eatery was Dos Caminos at the Palazzo. This was not one of the restaurants on our "to eat at list." Earlier in the day, at my interactive luncheon, a woman at my table highly recommended we check out Dos Caminos. And you know how much I love Mexican, so how could I not check it out? This was probably one of my favourite meals. We saw Blue Man Group, and then went to Dos Caminos. I was frickin' starving by the time we arrived. I practically inhaled their guacamole and fresh chips. The guacamole was fantastic! I don't know if it's because the avocados were fresher, or what. But it was the best guacamole I've EVER had. We also had a delicious assortment of salsas that varied in heat. I was having a hard time deciding what to get as everything sounded awesome (do you see a common theme here?). But then I saw it...the Conchita Pibil...slow roasted suckling pig, with sauteed plantains, habanero pickled onions, and achiote sauce. This photo was taken with my point & shoot and doesn't quite do it justice...


The pork was so tender it fell apart at the slightest pressure from my fork. The flavour was unbelievable. Words cannot describe how good it was. Hell, I'm drooling right now thinking about it!

One of our last meals was at Burger Bar which is located at Mandalay Bay. Basically, you make your own burger at this place. You chose the type of roll, the meat (3 different beefs, lamb, turkey, and vegetarian), then you chose your toppings from the garden, the grill, the ocean, the dairy, the farm, etc. Some of the more expensive options were Kobe Beef, Black Truffles, and pan-seared foie gras. Here's my burger...


I went with a more traditional burger consisting of ciabatta bread, Hereford Beef burger, topped with blue cheese, bacon, and sauteed oyster mushrooms. For my side, I got the sweet potato fries. I'm sucker for Sweet Potato fries and these were hands down the best I've had. The burgers were monstrous, cooked perfectly (I wanted mine medium), and absolutely delicious. I left wishing we had a local Burger Bar. I guess 5 Guys will have to do.

The last memorable place, I didn't have an actual meal at, but a snack. It was Jean-Phillipe Chocolates and Patisserie at the Bellagio. The shop features a free standing, floor-to-ceiling chocolate fountain. It's apparently the largest chocolate fountain in the world. You can see a photo of it if you go the above link. Unfortunately, it is enclosed by glass. I really wanted to stick my head in and drink! The shop had fresh made crepes, your normal baked goods like muffins, scones, plus fresh made gelato, and the most beautiful pastries I've ever seen. They were like little edible works of art.




Napoleon Cake (3rd photo, dessert on left) is one my favourite desserts, so when I saw it on the shelf, I knew it had to be in my belly. The pastry cream was light and was pefectly sweet, the puff pastry was flaky, and tender. It was perfect.

We enjoyed eating at quite a few other places, but these were our favourites. I went to Vegas for the food, and I was not disappointed. Next post I'll tell you about the Vegas Uncork'd Interactive Luncheon I attended.

A day late and a dollar short?

I can't believe it. I haven't posted any new content in 31 days. Thirty-one whole days! Forgive me. I have been meaning to post for weeks now, but could never find the time. I know, it's a lousy excuse. But at least I'm being honest. I could have lied and said I had the Swine Flu for the last 3 weeks... Anyways, starting today, I am making it a point to find the time. It's actually easy, all I have to do is not watch 2 hours of TV each and every night (Damn you Tivo! You make it too easy). I apologize for the lack of new content. It won't happen again.

Part of the reason I haven't posted recently is we recently spent 6 nights in Las Vegas. We arrived in Vegas on May 6th a little before noon and headed to New York New York. Check in was a bit of a fiasco. Apparently, Orbitz booked us not one, not two, but three hotel rooms and then canceled ALL of them. Of course, we had no idea this happened. So it was nice surprise when we tried to check in and were informed that we did not have a reservation. This is not the surprise you want when you've been awake since 4:00am EST and just completed an 8 hour flight! We called Orbitz 'Customer Service' and became increasingly frustrated with the situation. Thankfully the hotel manager also called Orbitz and managed to get everything fixed for us.


The rest of our time in Vegas was awesome. The weather was great; sunny with a high of 97*F with 0% humidity. I never realized just how much I disliked humidity until this trip. We gambled (won some, lost some) and I discovered a love for Blazing 777s slot machines! We also saw two shows, Blue Man Group, and Penn & Teller. Both were great! We also took in the free "shows" the hotels offer, like the Pirate Ship battle at Treasure Island, and the Bellagio Fountains.


We also took a day trip to the Grand Canyon. We were picked up from our hotel and driven to a small airport. From there we took a 30 minute flight to the West rim which is located on the Hualapi Indian reservation. It was a clear day, so the view from the sky and ground was absolutely breathtaking! You could see forever...it was awe-inspiring. I think I took over 200 pictures in the 4 hours we were there. I just couldn't get over how beautiful it was.


The Hualapi Tribe had displays of different types of housing set up, as well as members on site to answer questions about the tribe and the Grand Canyon.


A family was also present to share some of their tribes different dances and songs.


The Grand Canyon's splendour is breathtaking. Photographs cannot do it's beauty justice. If you've never visited, I suggest you make time to at some point. You won't be disappointed.

Our visit to the Grand Canyon was a highlight of our trip. But it wasn't the only one. We dined at and ate a lot of amazing food. I also had the opportunity to check out a Vegas Uncork'd event. But I'll get into that tomorrow... Oh, and I promise to include a recipe too!

Tsoureki.

My husband and I have had the unique pleasure of celebrating certain holidays twice since we merged households. Yes, that's right...double holidays. And yes, it is as awesome as it sounds.

We recently celebrated Easter twice. This year the Christian Easter fell on April 12th and the Eastern Orthodox Easter was on the 19th. I grew up celebrating the Eastern Orthodox Easter, so to keep my families traditions alive, we celebrate both. I know, we have it really tough...

Easter was always one of my favourite holidays when I was growing up. And this wasn't because of all the chocolate. It was because this was the one time of year my mother would make Tsoureki, or Greek Easter bread.


Tsoureki is a sweet bread that is similar to brioche. It's what my family always eats for breakfast on Easter Sunday. I always helped my mother make tsoureki on Holy Saturday. The dough is left to rise at least twice, so it is an all day event!

This year my mother couldn't visit me for Easter. So I decided I would attempt to make Tsoureki for the first time alone. I'll be honest, I was a little freaked out! I always watched while my mother did 90% of the work. It was always my job to fetch items for her, grease the baking pans, and to apply the egg wash. Plus, as you know from a previous post, I am not a baker.

In order to make the bread I needed my mother's recipe. Unfortunately, it was in Ontario with her and it is written in Greek. I had asked her to translate it and have my brother email it to me. But she kept forgetting to do the translation. On Holy Thursday she offered to translate it over the phone. This seemed like a bad idea to me. I am not a patient person, plus I imagined I would end up with a piece of paper filled with gibberish and I'd be back to square one. So I did the next best thing and went online and tried to find a recipe that "sounded right." I found two, read them to my mother, and she selected the recipe.

On Holy Saturday I dragged myself out of bed at 6 a.m. and began activating the yeast. The yeast takes one hour to proof, so I set an alarm and went back to bed (I was tired!). Last year we had issues with the yeast. So I was relieved when I woke up and found the yeast bubbling away and gassing up the place.


I then began mixing all the ingredients to make the dough. The dough has to be kneaded until it is smooth and no longer sticks to your hands, or about 10 minutes.


The dough is then placed in a large bowl, covered with a towel, and left to rise for about two hours. After it is risen, the dough is punched down, removed from the bowl and separated into 6 balls. Each ball is cut into thirds. Each strip is rolled until it is about 12 - 15 inches long (imagine playdough snakes) and then braided. The braided dough can then be placed into a loaf pan, or curled into a circle and placed in a round pan. At this point you can choose to push a dyed egg(s) between the braids. My family never did this, so I skipped this step. The bread is then covered and left to rise for another two hours, or until doubled in size.


The risen bread is then brushed with an egg wash. At this point you can sprinkle the bread with seasame seeds or almonds (I passed on this step). The bread is then baked at 360*F for about 30 - 40 mins, or until the bread is golden brown. And this is where I made my rookie mistake(s)...

First of all, for some reason, I thought it would be okay to bake all 6 loaves at the same time. Unfortunately, the loaves on the top rack began to brown rather quickly. So after about 15 minutes, I had to rearrange the loaves. After another 10 minutes the bread was was VERY brown. Had I left the bread in 5 more minutes it would have burned! And man, would I have been pissed off.

The good news is the bread tasted awesome. It didn't taste exactly like my mother's, but it was close enough. We enjoyed it on Easter Sunday with a hard boiled egg. It was delicious.

Keep it simple stupid.

In a few weeks I will be celebrating my 30th birthday. For a lot of people (especially females) turning 30 is a sad, almost irritating, passage in life. They count their regrets and suffer in stoic silence. I'm happy to say that I am not one of these people. I know that on May 5th I will not feel any different then I did on May 4th. My hair is not going to go from brown to grey overnight. And I'm not going to suddenly wake up with age spots and wrinkles. I'm going to be the same Tacha I was the night before. Except for one small thing...I'm going to try and keep things simple.

Remember when we were kids? Life was simple. It was easy. And it was fun. Then we grew up. Now we have jobs and responsibilities - we get caught up in the daily grind and worry about things that do not matter. We let little things annoy us, and let our frustration build until we're Bill Foster just trying to get home to our little girls birthday party....

I digress. I think there should be a balance. So I'm going to try and strike that balance. And I think the key is keeping it simple. Not everything in life has to be overdone, filled with complicated steps, layers and processes. Complicated does not always equal excellence.

Some of my favourite recipes are quite easy to throw together. They do not utilize expensive kitchen gadgets, difficult/precise techniques, or exotic spices, and hard to find ingredients. They're made with ingredients that compliment each other. So when you taste it, you taste each ingredient alone and collectively. They're just simple. Here is an example of what I'm talking about...

Propper Blokes' Sausage Fusilli
Adapted from Cook with Jamie


Ingredients

2 heaping tsps fennel seeds
2 tsp red pepper flakes
olive oil
1 lb 6 oz quality sausage
1 tblsp dried oregano
4 oz white wine
zest and juice of 1 lemon
1 lb 2 oz fusilli or penne pasta
salt and freshly ground pepper to taste
2 tbsp butter
4 oz freshly grated Parmesan cheese + extra for serving
small bunch of fresh flat-leaf parsley, chopped

Directions

Smash the fennel seeds and red pepper flakes with a pestle and mortar (or bash it between some plastic wrap with rolling pin) until coarsely crushed. Put this aside.

Heat a splash of olive oil in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium-high heat. Squeeze the meat out of the skins and into the pan, breaking it up with the back of a spoon. Fry the sausagemeat for a few minutes until it starts to brown and the fat has rendered slightly, then crush it once more so it looks like coarse mince.

Add the fennel seed and red pepper mixture, turn heat down to medium, and cook for about 10 minutes until the meat is crisp, and golden brown and slightly caramelized.

Stir in the oregano. Add the white wine and scrape up all the tasty bits. Allow the wine to reduce by half. Add the lemon zest and juice. Turn the heat down to low while you cook the pasta according to the package instructions.

When the pasta has cooked to al dente, drain and reserve some of the pasta water. Toss the pasta into the skillet with the sausagemeat. Give it a quick stir, then add the butter, Parmesan cheese, parsley and a few spoonfuls of the reserve pasta water. Taste and check for seasoning. Serve immediately with extra grated Parmesan cheese sprinkled on top.

Cooking for two

Cooking for two can sometimes be tough. Especially when you do not want to eat the same meal for dinner 3 or 4 nights in a row. Since I personally prefer to only eat left overs once, I tend to stick to recipes with 4 servings. I occasionally halve recipes, but not all recipes halve gracefully. And unfortunately, you sometimes do not know this until afterward. Also, if you're as crazy as me, you sometimes forget to cut the recipe in half and make the full recipe. And well, now you're stuck with left overs for the next 3 nights. Joy.

It's for all these reasons I get excited (yes, excited) when I come across a recipe that is for two. 2 (two) delicious servings. It's perfect. There is no halving, no remembering to halve, and no disappointment when the meal is prepared and you know it doesn't taste or look half as good as it would had you made the full recipe. Plus, a lot of two servings recipes are quick and easy.

One of my favourite two serving recipes is Tomato and Parmesan Strata. This recipes isn't awesome just because it is two servings and delicious. It's also quick, easy to prepare, and most people have all of these ingredients on hand.

Tomato and Parmesan Strata
Adapted from Cooking Light


Ingredients

2 slices whole wheat bread, cut into 1-inch cubes
Cooking spray
1/2 cup chopped onion
2 cups baby spinach leaves
1 garlic clove, minced
1/2 teaspoon chopped fresh thyme
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon black pepper
3 large egg whites
1 large egg
1 cup chopped seeded plum tomato (about 2 medium)
2 tablespoons grated fresh Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 375°.

Place bread cubes in a 1 1/2-quart baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Heat a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add onion to pan; sauté 3 minutes or until tender. Add spinach and garlic; sauté 2 minutes or until spinach wilts. Remove from heat.

Combine thyme, salt, black pepper, egg whites, and egg in a medium bowl; stir with a whisk. Stir in the spinach mixture and tomato. Pour egg mixture over bread cubes in baking dish; sprinkle with cheese.

Bake at 375° for 20 minutes or until set; let stand 5 minutes.

Chicken Tamale Casserole

Awhile ago I watched an episode of No Reservations where Tony travels to Mexico. I watched this episode and I drooled. Tony and his friends ate authentic taco after taco. Quesadillas, where the tortillas are made fresh and by hand. They also had the most fabulous breakfast and ate foods I've never heard of that looked so delicious. I wanted to taste and smell everything Tony was eating. It made me wish I had smell-o-vision.

I went to bed that night and had Mexcian cuisine dancing through my head. I awoke to be confronted by the strongest and most unsatiable craving I've ever had. I wanted Mexican food. I wanted it bad. Unfortunately, it took nearly two very very long weeks to get my fix. Finally, we went to Los Tapatios and feasted. And it was everything I had hoped it would be.

Here is a recipe, that while it is not authentic, it captures a lot of the delicous flavours of Mexican cuisine. Plus, it's healthier for those of us watching what we eat.

Chicken Tamale Casserole
Adapated from Cooking Light


Ingredients

1 cup (4 ounces) preshredded 4-cheese Mexican blend cheese, divided
1/3 cup fat-free milk
1/4 cup egg substitute
1 tsp ground cumin
1/8 tsp ground red pepper
1 (14 ¾ oz) can cream-style corn
1 (8 ½ oz) box corn muffin mix (such as Jiffy)
1 (4 oz) can chopped green chiles, drained
Cooking spray
1 (10 oz) can red enchilada sauce (such as Old El Paso)
2 cups shredded cooked chicken breast
1/2 cup fat-free sour cream

Preparation

Preheat oven to 400°.

Combine 1/4 cup cheese and next 7 ingredients (through chiles) in a large bowl, stirring just until moist. Pour mixture into a 13 x 9–inch baking dish coated with cooking spray.

Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until set. Pierce entire surface liberally with a fork; pour enchilada sauce over top. Top with chicken; sprinkle with remaining 3/4 cup cheese. Bake at 400° for 15 minutes or until cheese melts. Remove from oven; let stand 5 minutes. Cut into 8 pieces; top each serving with 1 tablespoon sour cream(optional).

In memoriam.

My Dad passed away nine years ago today. It was unequivocally the saddest and most trying day of my life. My Dad was the strongest, bravest, and proudest man I have ever known. So when he became ill, I refused to believe he would not pull through. When he passed it was very difficult for me to believe he was really gone. It's been nearly a decade since he passed, and I still can't believe it...

This morning I decided I would make a dinner in honour of him. A few posts ago I described a polenta my Dad used to make. Like I said before, if I had to choose a last supper, this would be it. It's polenta mixed with bacon and feta cheese. Sometimes Dad would add onion and parmesan to the mix. That is how I made it tonight. It was delicious. And just like my Dad used to make. I think if he were to taste it, he'd be proud.

Tomislav's polenta with bacon and feta cheese


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups coarse ground corn meal
1/2 lb slab bacon
1 small onion, finely chopped
2 1/2 cups chicken broth
2 1/2 cups water
1/2 cup heavy cream (optional)
2 handfuls of crumbled feta
1 handful of grated parmesan cheese

Preparation

Preheat oven to 350*F.

Heat a 10" cast iron skillet over medium heat. While skillet and oven heat, cut bacon into small cubes and finely chop onion. Add bacon to skillet and stir occasionally.

While bacon cooks pour 1 1/2 cups of water and 1 1/2 cups of chicken broth into a medium pot. Bring to a boil over high heat. Add polenta and remaining water and broth to a bowl. Stir to combine and set aside.

When the chicken broth and water comes to a boil, add the onion to the skillet and lower heat to medium-low. Stir occasionally. Then slowly add the polenta mixture to the pot and cook over low heat, stirring constantly, for about 15 minutes. When bacon is caramelized and onion is translucent, strain fat and set aside.

Remove pot from heat. Add bacon mixture to polenta, stirring until combined. Pour half of this mixture into the skillet. Sprinkle with a handful of feta cheese. Pour remaining polenta bacon mixture into skillet. Top with remaining feta cheese and parmesan. Pour heavy cream over top (optional).


Bake in oven for 40 - 45 minutes, until polenta is golden brown. Remove from oven and let cool for 10 - 15 minutes before serving.

I say Spring. You say... Fish?

Spring. The ugly duckling of seasons has arrived. Sure, the days are longer. But once you get passed that, this part of the season is pretty crappy. It's the time of year when everything is muddy and covered in a layer of dirt. Everything is brown and unappealing. It's still cold enough that you have to wear a warm jacket and snow is still a possibility. I prefer Spring once it's shed it's ugly exterior and the plants/trees finally come out of dormancy. Until that happens, I still feel like hibernating and eating comforting food.

It is also the Lenten season, so we've been eating a lot of fish. We haven't tried the Wegman's Friday fish fry. To be honest, I'm not patient enough! In the same time I'd waste standing in the insanely long line, I could have battered and fried my own fish. Plus, fish is healthy for you. Why waste that by battering and frying it? I find it also masks the flavour of the fish, not enhance it. So we've been mixing it up with different fish and cooking methods.

Grilled Tilapia with Smoked Paprika and Parmesan Polenta
Adapted from Cooking Light


Ingredients

Polenta:
4 cups fat-free milk
1 cup quick-cooking polenta
1/4 tsp salt
1 1/2 oz grated Parmesan cheese

Fish:
1 1/2 tblsp olive oil
1 tsp smoked paprika
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 (6-ounce) tilapia fillets
Cooking spray

Preparation

Polenta:
Bring milk to a boil in a medium saucepan; gradually add polenta, stirring constantly with a whisk. Reduce heat, and cook 5 minutes or until thick, stirring constantly; stir in 1/4 teaspoon salt. Remove from heat. Stir in cheese; cover and keep warm.

Fish:
Heat a large grill (I used a regular frying pan) pan over medium-high heat. Combine oil, paprika, garlic powder, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and pepper in a bowl, stirring well. Rub fish evenly with oil mixture. Coat pan with cooking spray. Add fish to pan; cook 4 minutes on each side or until fish flakes easily when tested with a fork.

I'm not a baker.

Last weekend we went to Ontario, Canada, to visit my family. Saturday was my nephews third birthday party. My sister-in-law loves to bake. At Christmas she always bakes a slew of different cookies and treats. For birthdays she always makes extremely tasty cakes. This year my nephew's party was pirate themed so his cakes were pirate ships!


I wish I could be this adventurous with baking. I attempted to make a guitar shaped cake for my husband's birthday. My plan was to make a decadent chocolate cake, cover it with vanilla butter cream, and then a chocolate ganache. Unfortunately, my plan was foiled when the cake would not release from the pan and fell apart. This happened despite following the pans instructions - Thank you Wilton! The cake itself was delicious. So I made a delicious chocolate trifle instead.

My baking skills have been improving. This past summer I mastered making pies from scratch. My favourites were Blackberry Apple and Blueberry. Prior to becoming pie savvy, the only baked good I could make with consistent good results was banana bread. My banana bread never comes out too dry, or too moist. It's always perfect. And it should be, since I've been making it for as long as I can remember!

Banana Bread
Adapted from The Joy of Cooking


Ingredients

1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 tsps baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
2/3 cup sugar
6 tblsps butter, softened
3/4 tsp lemon zest
2 large eggs, beaten
1 1/4 cups ripe bananas (2 - 3), mashed

Preparation

All ingredients should be at room temperature. Preheat oven to 350*F. Grease 8.5 X 4.5 loaf pan.

In a small bowl whisk flour, baking powder, and salt together. Add the sugar, butter, and lemon zest to the bowl of your mixer. Beat on medium speed until creamy. Add the eggs and bananas until incorporated. Then add the dry ingredients in about 3 parts, beating until smooth after each addition.


Pour batter into greased loaf pan. Bake for about 1 hour, or until a toothpick inserted in the certain comes out clean. Cool slightly, then remove from loaf pan. Cool completely before slicing.

Long over due.

I apologize for not posting anything in over a week. The past two weeks were very busy and left me exhausted. Exhaustion is like kryptonite to my immune system. So I wasn't surprised last Friday when I started to feel a cold coming on. I thought I could fight it off with shear will and Zicam. But on Saturday we had a bunch of friends over to celebrate my husband's 32nd birthday. I discovered that an evening of alcohol, greasy food, Rock Band, and Big Lebowski at 1 o'clock in the morning, does not encourage a weakend immune system to fight off an invading cold. Instead, it causes your immune system to lift up the castle gates and wave a white flag. So now I'm sick and feel like my face may explode momentarily. I bet imagery like that is really making you crave the next recipe...

Chicken and Mushrooms in a Garlic Wine Sauce
Adapted from Cooking Light

Ingredients

4 oz uncooked medium egg noodles
1 lbs skinless, boneless chicken breast halves
2 tblsp all-purpose flour, divided
1/2 tsp salt, divided
1/4 tsp black pepper, divided
2 tblsp olive oil, divided
1 tblsp bottled minced garlic
1/2 tsp dried tarragon
8 oz sliced mushrooms
1/2 cup dry white wine
1/2 cup fat-free, less-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Preparation

Cook noodles according to package directions. Drain and keep warm.

Cut chicken into 1-inch pieces. Place chicken breast halves in a shallow dish. Combine 1 tablespoon flour, 1/4 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper, stirring well with a whisk. Sprinkle flour mixture over chicken; toss to coat.

Heat 1 tablespoon oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken to pan; sauté 4 minutes or until browned.

Remove chicken from pan. Add remaining 1 tablespoon oil to pan. Add garlic, tarragon, and mushrooms to pan; sauté for 3 minutes or until liquid evaporates and mushrooms darken.

Add white wine to pan; cook 1 minute. Stir in remaining 1 tablespoon flour; cook 1 minute, stirring constantly. Stir in broth, remaining 1/4 teaspoon salt, and remaining 1/8 teaspoon pepper; cook 1 minute or until slightly thick, stirring frequently.

Return chicken to the pan. Cover and simmer 2 minutes. Uncover; cook 1 minute or until chicken is done. Stir in noodles; cook 1 minute or until thoroughly heated. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon cheese.

Chocolate cubed

My husband and I never go out to dinner for Valentine's Day. I'll be honest, I hate people and he hates crowds. Restaurants are flooded with people on Valentine's Day. The wait for a table is ridiculous. You're lucky if you can even get a reservation. To quote news anchors on inauguration day, the restaurants become a sea of humanity. Not exactly what we'd describe as a good time. So we stay home, and I cook something "special." Special meaning the meal is something I normally wouldn't make during the week, and all dietary concerns are forgotten.

This year I had a hard time deciding what to make for dessert. Then I watched an episode of Barefoot Contessa where Ina made a chocolate gelato. I watched Ina prepare the gelato and I drooled. I had to make it for our Valentine's Day dinner.

The recipe calls for not one, not two, but three types of chocolate; bittersweet, unsweetened cocoa powder, and Baci chocolates. And the deliciousness doesn't stop there, it also calls for Kahlua - my favourite liquer. The gelato is decadent, creamy, and down right delicious. I'm drooling a little thinking about...

Deeply Chocolate Gelato
Courtesy of Ina Garten


Ingredients

2 1/4 cups whole milk
1/3 cup heavy cream
3/4 cup sugar, divided
1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
2 ounces bittersweet chocolate, finely chopped
4 large egg yolks
2 tbsp Kahlua
2 tsp pure vanilla extract
Large pinch kosher salt
8 Baci chocolates, roughly chopped, optional

Preparation

Heat the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar in a 2-quart saucepan, until the sugar dissolves and the milk starts to simmer. Add the cocoa powder and chocolate and whisk until smooth. Pour into a heat-proof measuring cup.

Place the egg yolks and the remaining 1/4 cup sugar in the bowl of an electric mixer fitted with the paddle attachment and beat on high speed for 3 to 5 minutes, until light yellow and very thick. With the mixer on low speed, slowly pour the hot chocolate mixture into the egg mixture. Pour the egg and chocolate mixture back into the 2-quart saucepan and cook over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, until thickened. A candy thermometer will register about 180 degrees F. Don't allow the mixture to boil!

Pour the mixture through a sieve into a bowl and stir in the coffee liqueur, vanilla, and salt. Place a piece of plastic wrap directly on top of the custard and chill completely.

Pour the custard into the bowl of an ice cream maker and process according to the manufacturer's directions. Stir in the roughly chopped chocolate, if using, and freeze in covered containers. Allow the gelato to thaw slightly before serving.