Welcome to 2010! Wow, what a year it’s been and what a year it will be. To me, the familiarity surrounding the year 2010 comes from the constant droning on on local news channels about the upcoming 2010 Vancouver Olympics. I am neither for or against the Olympics, merely a neutral observer. I do like to watch some events, but I can’t say the Olympics excite me as much as some people. Perhaps if I could have afforded the $1,700.00 tickets to a semi-final hockey game or something along those lines, I might be a little more excited. Having the Olympics in your backyard can be a blessing and a curse, for me it will neither. I will be one of many millions of people watching it on the boob tube, only wishing I could be there. Vancouver is going to be a gong show, and is (from what I hear) almost 99.9% sold out for accommodations. No one from Vancouver Island, without a ticket, in their right mind, will be traveling across the Georgia Straight to catch a glimpse, though my husband may say otherwise. In any case, for me and many British Columbians, this is our year in the spotlight!
I hope the year to come, for everyone of you, will be full of excitement, wealth, merriment, happiness and fulfillment. May you get all you ask for and more! Cheers!
I’m wringing in the New Year with a light, healthy and very delicious dish. The best part about this meal is it brings back those memories of the season with it’s almost whimsical opening of the present. You sit down in front of your plate, and what do you see? I package just for you, with nothing but good things inside. Many things can be cooked en papillote (which, literally translated, means “in greased paper”) and will usually turn out wonderfully steamed versions of your favourite dish with very little effort on your part. A lot of people have started to use aluminum foil, these days. I’m guessing the reason would be that most people have aluminum foil, compared to parchment paper, and aluminum foil is made in to a packet much easier. I much prefer the effect of the paper over aluminum, but I think I’m a bit of a purest when it comes to classic French cooking techniques.
Many flavours work well in this dish, so don’t be afraid to try it any way you like it. Italian, Japanese, Greek, Moroccan, Mexican, you name it, all these flavours will work!
White Fish en Papillote
2 Large pieces firm fleshed white fish (Basa, Halibut, Snapper, etc)
2 Large squares of parchment
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 stalk of lemongrass, roughly chopped
1/4-1/2 bunch of cilantro
2 Tbsp sesame oil
1 tsp fish sauce
1 Tbsp low sodium soy sauce
12 grape tomatoes, halved
2 green onions, sliced
1. Preheat oven to 400°F.
2. In a small bowl, mix the lemongrass, garlic, cilantro, sesame oil, fish sauce and soy sauce.
3. On parchment paper, place fish skin side down (if using halibut).
4. Sprinkle green onion and tomatoes over fish.
5. Pour sauce equally over fish and form packet with parchment, sealing at all sides.
6. Place on baking sheet and bake in preheated oven for 10-12 minutes (more if you are using thick pieces of halibut).
7. To serve, place packets on plates and have guests rip open themselves. Fun and delicious!
Served with a side of in-season cruciferous vegetables, makes this a nice light, healthy dinner. I like to smother them in butter though. Enjoy and happy New Year!
I’m usually not one to eat a ton of food out of season. In fact, it makes me feel guilty just thinking about it. It’s the dregs of winter when I start to wish I lived somewhere like California. Somewhere there is always something fresh and in season and locally produced and available. Sure, we have some things growing around here, mostly from 100 miles or more away, or stored since fall (like apples). I have to say about 85% of the produce being sold in the grocery store during Jan-March around here, is imported. Again, yes, some of it is technically local, coming from inside the province. Most though, is coming from Mexico, the US and South America. I try very hard not to buy anything from South America. I have nothing against South America, just that it’s an awfully far away place to be importing fresh fruits and vegetables from.
Since being pregnant, I’ve had major cravings for fresh, chunky salads loaded with vegetables and feta cheese. I think my husband can only take so much though. Last night I decided to beef up a vegetarian salad with a little soba noodle love. Soba noodles are those found in most Japanese restaurants and made from Buckwheat. They are absolutely delicious and very filling when added to a salad, such as this.
So if you will forgive me for creating a dish that is almost entirely out of season, then you too can enjoy this flavourful and filling salad!
On a completely different note, tonight is New Year’s Eve. I hope everyone’s year has been as full of fulfillment and joy as mine. There are always those surprises, big and small, hiding around every corner that bring happiness to our lives. I hope the coming year brings just as much to you as it has to me these past twelve months. May tonight be full of family, friends, great times and fabulous food. Raise a glass for me folks, as I’ll be out cold by 10 pm, guaranteed! Happy New Year!
On a totally different, unrelated note, this is my 100th post! Yay for me and what a way to ring in the new year!
Soba Noodle Salad
Small handful of soba noodles
1 Tbsp Sesame oil
romaine lettuce
tomatoes, diced
orange pepper, diced
half a bunch of cilantro, minced
1/3 cup scallions, chopped fine
1/2 an avocado, cubed
3 or 4 crimini mushrooms, sliced
1. Cook the soba noodles according to package directions.
2. Strain, run cold water over, strain again and place in a bowl. Toss with sesame oil and place in refrigerator until needed.
3. Tear romaine and place on plates, top with cold noodles.
4. Top noodles with remaining vegetables and cilantro.
5. Pour dressing over and serve!
Spicy Sesame Dressing
1/4 tsp ground ginger or 1″ or fresh, minced
1 clove garlic, minced very fine
2 Tbsp Sesame oil
3 Tbsp Rice Vinegar
1 1/2 Tbsp low sodium Soy Sauce
1 Tbsp sugar
1 tsp fish sauce
1/2 – 1 tsp Thai chili sauce
2-3 Tbsp Olive Oil
1. In a small pestle and mortar or small bowl, mash the garlic, ginger or ginger powder and then add the sesame oil very slowly.
2. Next, add the vinegar and soy sauce, whisking as you go.
3. Add in the sugar, allowing it to dissolve.
4. Season to taste with the fish sauce and chili sauce.
5. Add enough olive oil at the end to make the dressing less potent.
6. Serve over soba noodle salad.
Well, the holidays are almost over. A few more days, one more big get together/party and we’re all going to be going back to normal. This giant tree taking my living room will be a sad new addition to our burn pile out back, the decorations will be stored away for next year, all that glitters will be gone. I can’t wait. Once Christmas is over, I tend to be tired of looking at all the decorum. I want it gone and out of my sight. I love Christmas more than anyone I know, but I just like to keep it special, that one time of year that comes along and brightens every day for 6 weeks.
Speaking of back to normal, food has become my focus once more. I’ve made this naan recipe once before, served with a healthy bowlful of garlicky hummus, but this time we served it up with some butter chicken. I’d like to say that I made butter chicken from scratch, cooking all day, the smells of India filling my kitchen. Alas, I did not. I know, you’re shocked aren’t you? I just so happened to have a package of butter chicken seasoning (as in just add milk and tomato sauce) in the pantry. It’s been sitting there for ages, and I hate to waste! It was one of those spur of the moment purchases on a sample day at the grocery store. So enamored were we with the sales woman, that we picked up a package and actually bought it. This is rare. Usually, when I see sample people at the grocery store (my favourite is Costco!) is to grab a sample and head on my way. I don’t stop to heal their spiel, nor do I pretend to be interested. I’m sure they know that most people just want the free food. I know I’m not alone here, and I’m not ashamed to admit it.
Make these Naan any time you want to make some dip and need something warm and delicious to dip in it. You know how I feel about dipping things…
Garlic Naan Bread
(recipe is easily doubled)
1 3/4 cup all purpose flour (or half and half whole wheat and all purpose)
1/2 tsp salt
1 1/2 tsp active dry yeast
1/4 cup warm skim milk
1/2 cup plain yogurt
1/2 tsp sugar
1 tsp garlic powder or 1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 tsp cumin
butter or ghee
1. Dissolve sugar in milk and add yeast. Stir to combine and allow to rest for 5-10 minutes.
2. In a large bowl, blend flour, salt, and seasonings.
3. Pour in the milk and yogurt and stir with a spoon until you are unable to do so. Continue by kneading until all flour is incorporated and dough is soft and elastic.
4. Form into a ball, return to bowl and cover with a damp towel for 2-3 hours (or until doubled).
5. When ready, pull dough into 5-10 pieces (depending on if you doubled the recipe).
6. Roll out to 1/8″ thickness.
7. In hot skillet, melt butter or ghee.
8. Brush naan with water and place in pan. When large bubbles begin to form, brush with water and flip over.
9. You can also bake your naan: Turn oven to 400°F, line a baking tray in aluminum foil, brush dough with butter, ghee or olive oil, bake until dough begins to bubble and brown. Flip over and allow to finish.
10. Naan is versatile and can be served with many dishes. Some examples are curries, butter chicken, hummus, tzatziki, any dips you would dip bread into really as well as doubling as a delicious pizza crust.
Ah, the holidays are almost over. I hate this time of year. All the hoopla, parties, festive attitudes and joy are gone again for another year. There are only a few days left of the year and the decorations will all come down soon. The tree will be gone, the candy canes bagged, the santas and reindeer and snowmen, packed away for next time. I do love getting back to normal life, but at the same time, I love seeing my little boy’s face light up at every turn of the car. “Bright Lights!” has been our mantra when driving for the last 6 weeks, and I think by next year, it will all be different. I can only hope he won’t be obsessed with the “getting” side of the holidays. As much as a parent can try to bend their offspring in a certain direction, it takes a village.
One of this family’s traditions is to have a fancy, but somewhat healthy, dinner the day before Christmas. We like to leave some overindulgence for the following days feast, you know? So this year, we picked crab. Dungeness crab, a local inhabitant, is available year round and tastes great anytime. We don’t often treat ourselves though, as they are quite expensive. This year though, we decided we deserved it, just this once.
I’m not going to lie though. As you will see below, there are many ways to end the life of your cute little crustacean. I did not do any of them. Instead, I watched as the seafood lady at the grocery store ripped off their little shell and smashed them against a sink to get out the insides. Shudder. Though I probably could have done it myself, and spared all of us the scene in the grocery store that day, I just don’t like to kill things. So, if you can get these little beauties yourself and don’t want to do the deed, maybe ask your grocer if they can do it for you.
Dungeness Crab
2 Whole Dungeness crab
1 large pot
8 cups water
1. There are many ways to end the life of your crab. You could:
a) Stab it near the eyes, in the middle with the point of a large, sharp knife. This method might be a bit tricky if this is your first time trying.
b) Do what my Mom always did, and throw them in the pot of boiling water alive. They die fairly quickly.
c) When I worked in restaurants, most chefs would break them in half. Slamming them into the divider between the large, steel sinks. Dead. Instantly.
d) Remove the carapace and rip out all the guts as fast as you can.
Whichever method you choose, these little guys are all going to end up the same way.
2. Boil the crab for 7-8 minutes per pound, remove from the water immediately and immerse into an ice bath for at least 5 minutes to stop the cooking process.
3. If they are still whole, you will now have to remove the carapace and take out the lungs and innards. If you do this under running water, it does make it a bit easier.
4. When all the insides are removed, you can crack the crabs in half and store in the refrigerator until they are needed.
5. To serve, have dipping sauce available, such as: garlic butter, cocktail sauce, hollandaise sauce, tartar sauce, etc.
Asian Coleslaw
1/4 – 1/2 head of red cabbage, thinly sliced
1/4 – 1/2 head of green cabbage, thinly sliced
1 carrot, peeled and grated
1 bunch cilantro, minced
3/4 cup 1/2 fat Hellman’s mayonnaise
2 Tbsp sugar
1 1/2 Tbsp rice vinegar
juice of 1/2 a lemon
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp Dijon
pepper, to taste
3/4 tsp fish sauce
1/4 tsp onion powder
1/4 tsp crushed celery seeds
1. In a large bowl, mix all ingredients thoroughly except the cabbage, carrot and cilantro.
2. Allow dressing to stand for 15-20 minutes and add in vegetables.
3. Serve along side Dungeness crab.
Merry Christmas Eve everybody! Today, I hope your spending lots of time with family and friends, drinking way too much egg nog or Tom & Jerrys by the fire and gorging yourself on overly indulgent chocolates and cookies. It’s all a great warm up to tomorrow’s big feast! But hey, maybe you do all that today anyway. When all that imbibing and over indulging catches up to you, rest assured that this recipe will be waiting for you when you return to some semblance of normalcy.
These chicken strips are tasty, healthy and super easy. Also, they have conquered the unconquerable when it comes to feeding a toddler. My son will absolutely not touch meat, and yet he happily nibbled on one of these last night while madly dipping it into some plum sauce. Then he drank all the plum sauce and threw the strip on the floor, but he ate almost half! I call that a success in my books.
I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season and makes it through with nary a care in the world, except for which gift to give out next. I hope you’ll join me back here soon, but if I’m gone for a few days, just know I can’t roll myself off the couch just yet. Or maybe I’ll just be sick of making food by then. Happy Holidays everyone! And thanks so much for reading, I truly appreciate each and every one of you.
Chicken Strips
1 lb chicken fillets
1/2 cup buttermilk
salt & pepper
1/2 tsp paprika
1 cup corn flakes, crushed into fine crumbs
1 cup panko bread crumbs
salt & pepper
1. In a small bowl, mix buttermilk, salt, pepper and paprika. Add in fillets and marinate for at least 30 minutes.
2. Preheat oven to 375°F.
3. Mix corn flakes and panko (try crushing them together a bit in a mortar or in a plastic bag with your palm to make flakes smaller) together on a plate, season with salt & pepper (and any other herbs or spices you may want).
4. Place one or two pieces of chicken at a time on plate, thoroughly coating each piece in crumbs.
5. For best results, bake on a greased metal cooling rack set atop a baking sheet. This allows the hot air to crisp all sides of the strips, instead of just one side. If you cannot get this set up, simply spray a baking sheet with baking spray and place strips on sheet directly.
6. Bake for 8-10 minutes or until thoroughly cooked.
7. Serve alongside a nice salad for a light, yet filling dinner…but don’t forget the dip (You all know how much a like to dip things)!
Honey Mustard Dip
1/3 cup low fat Hellman’s Mayo
1-2 Tbsp liquid honey (depending on taste)
2 heaping Tbsp Dijon mustard
1. Mix all ingredients in a bowl.
2. Serve in individual ramekins alongside chicken strips.
This makes a fair amount of strips, so any family of four could manage this recipe quite easily. Just don’t forget to make enough dip, I hate when it runs out too soon.
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Hi! I'm Elizabeth. I like fitness, bad ass tattoos, food, bacon, chocolate, taking lots of silly pictures and my spawn. Check out my FAQ for all the usual Qs or send me an e-mail and tell me all about your cat and your Aunt Sally's amazing apple pie. |
