Coconut Eggs

I'm experimenting with less wheat in our diet these days. For the most part, it's going well... except breakfast. Eggs are the one thing I'm not crazy about and that leaves me with yogurt, fruit and toasted almonds every morning. In an effort to find some variety, I've been on the hunt for new breakfast options. While browsing through my friend's Make It Paleo cookbook, I came across a recipe for breakfast that was so unusual I had to try it. The verdict? I loved it. Jeff didn't. If you like coconut, it might be worth a try. 

From the Make It Paleo cookbook

2 eggs

1/4 cup of coconut

Preheat oven to 350°F.Separate egg whites and yolks, placing yolks in an individual small mixing bowls. Beat egg whites until they are very stiff. Fold in the shredded coconut. Shape the egg whites into nests on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Gently spoon the yolks into the center of the nests. Bake for 10 minutes, until the nests set, the yolks are cooked through and the peaks begin to lightly brown. Sprinkle lightly with sea salt and enjoy!

Sitting Chicken

Have you ever made chicken this way? We had a family potluck on the weekend and it was my first time having Beer Butt Chicken (or in our case, cranberry juice in Pepsi cans Chicken). Some issues with the barbeque forced the our meat chef to roast them in the oven but they were still absolutely delicious. I'm going to have to try this myself sometime.

Birthday Gift

What birthday gift do you give a good friend who is the self-proclaimed King of Carbohydrates? A crown (presented on a velvet pillow) of course. 

My view last Wednesday...

... included these. A member of our care group (who's nuts about Lego) was celebrating an important 4th birthday and it was my turn to bring something sweet to celebrate the milestone. I admit- it's not the best icing job in the world but I think it was still a success.

And my view yesterday? More care group baking! Another fine member of our care group turned 3 this week. As the son of an avid fisherman, I thought fish cupcakes were in order.

The care group that eats dessert together, sticks together. That's just how it works. 

Happiness is...

... assembling a triple batch of Shepherd's Pies and having the right amount of mashed potato.

If you want an excellent recipe for Shepherd's Pie, try this one. It's delicious.

House Dressing

Several years ago, I found a basic oil and vinegar salad dressing recipe that has just stuck for us - it's become our house dressing. It's fantastic on any green salad, pasta salad (as pictured), or as a marinade on chicken. Simple and delicious- two requirements in my kitchen these days.

adapted from All Recipes and Simply Recipes

1/3 cup olive oil
1/4 cup red wine vinegar
2 cloves garlic, minced

1Tablespoon chopped fresh chives or green onions (~ 2 green onions)

1/4 cup chopped fresh parsley 

2 teaspoons Dijon-style mustard

1-2 teaspoons sugar

1/4 teaspoon salt 

1/8 teaspoon pepper

1 Tablespoon parmesan or 2 Tablespoons crumbled feta 

Mix ingredients together in a container with a tightly fitting lid. Shake very well and let sit for at least half and hour before serving. In my experience, it keeps well up to two weeks in the refrigerator (and probably longer, if you can keep from eating it!).

To make this a cream dressing, add a tablespoon of mayonnaise. I usually add another half teaspoon of sugar but taste it for yourself and add sugar according to your preference.

Pucker Up

When it comes to dessert, I'm not a big chocolate fan (unlike my spouse). I'm nuts about citrus- and these classic bars are one of my favourites. Don't skimp on the real lemon juice because it makes an amazing (and wonderfully tart) difference.

adapted from All Recipes

1 cup butter or margarine, softened to room temperature
1/3 cup white sugar
2 cups all-purpose flour

4 eggs

1 1/4 cups white sugar
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
2 lemons, zested and juiced

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Blend together softened butter, 2 cups flour and 1/3 cup sugar. Press into the bottom of an ungreased 9x13 inch glass baking pan. Bake for 15 to 20 minutes in the preheated oven, or until firm and golden. 

While the base is baking, whisk together the remaining 1 1/4 cups sugar and 1/4 cup flour. Mix in the eggs and lemon juice and beat until light and frothy. Stir in the lemon zest. When the base is finished baking, pour this lemon filling over the hot crust and return to the oven. Bake for an additional 20 minutes. Once baked, cool and serve at room temperature with a dusting of icing sugar. 

Quick Shrimp Pasta

We all have days where we've got no inspiration (or no ingredients) for what to cook for dinner. In our house, those are the days we have omelettes, sandwiches or bowls of cereal for dinner. Or this pasta. By keeping a bag of frozen, peeled shrimp in the freezer, I almost always have all the ingredients for this dish on hand. It's quick, easy, delicious and one of Jeff's favourite meals.

Adapted from All Recipes

4 servings of angel hair pasta (a large fist full)

1 Tbsp of olive oil

2 tomatoes, chopped

1 teaspoon of dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon of dried basil

3 cloves of garlic, minced

1/4 cup of white wine
1/2 pound of shrimp (frozen, precooked shrimp works fine)

3 oz of feta, crumbled

2 Tbsp fresh parsley, chopped

Bring a large pot of lightly salted water to a boil. While water heats, heat olive oil in a separate skillet and add tomatoes, oregano and basil. Cook over medium heat until tomatoes begin to soften. Add garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Add white wine and reduce heat to simmer. 

While sauce simmers, cook pasta for 3-5 minutes until al dente. Drain, reserving 1/2 cup of cooking liquid. Once pasta is cooked, add shrimp to tomato sauce and cook until it is just pink (taking care not to overcook). Add parsley, feta and pasta; toss to serve. If you desire a "saucier" sauce, add the reserved pasta water a few tablespoons at a time, tossing after each addition. Serve immediately!

Chicken Stock

For years, I read countless recipe books and blog posts raving about homemade chicken stock. I tried making stock a number of times but always ended up with bland dishwater that needed to be fortified with bouillon powder to be edible. So I gave up... until I found a recipe that changed everything. I used to avoid making soup at all costs (because mine always seemed painfully bland) but this stock has changed that, too. The secret? Roasting the poultry bones before throwing them in the soup pot. It seems like an unnecessary step but I promise you, it makes a world of difference.

adapted from Mennonite Girls Can Cook 

1 chicken or turkey carcass
12-16 cups water (more for the turkey, less for the chicken)
2 tsp salt
4 pepper corns
4 whole garlic cloves
1 unpeeled onion, chopped
2 scrubbed, unpeeled chopped carrots

2 stalks chopped celery
1/2 cup fresh parsley, unchopped

1-2 bay leaves

a few sprigs of thyme, if you have them

In a large roasting pan, spread out the remains of the poultry carcass (I had stuffed this chicken with parsley and lemon so threw that in as well). Here, I used the same pan I used for roasting potatoes. I didn't wash it so the leftover crumbly bits could be added to the stock! Roast the bones at 425 degrees; 45 minutes for chicken and 60 minutes for turkey. When they are done, they will look significantly browner.

 Before & After Roasting

When the bones are roasted, add them to a large stock pot with the remaining ingredients. It will look like a horrible mess of peels, skins and very dark chicken bits! Bring to a boil then reduce heat to low and simmer for 4 hours. Remove from heat, cool slightly, and strain. 

NOTE: this original recipe calls for 2 cubes of chicken boullion to be added to the broth. I skip this and add more flavouring to taste, if needed, when I later use the stock. Depending on what soup I am making, a bit of extra seasoning (poultry seasoning, thyme, garlic, salt and pepper) usually does the trick. 

Better than Fried Oven-Baked Chicken

Jeff loves oven baked chicken that mimics fried chicken- chicken that is super crispy, perfectly salted with juicy meat inside. It took me a while but I've finally perfected oven baked chicken. It only takes 4 little tricks to achieve this wonderful treat. First, be sure the chicken is pat dry top and bottom. If it's wet, it will steam in the oven (and steamed chicken skin is anything but crisp!). Second, do not use any butter or oil (except a super light spray of oil on a cooking sheet to prevent sticking). And third, use high heat. And fourth, use bone-in chicken thighs. And that's it!

8 bone-in chicken thighs with skin
1 teaspoon of coarse sea salt
fresh ground black pepper
1 stalk or rosemary, chopped, OR 1/2 teaspoon of dried thyme

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Wash and thoroughly pat dry the chicken. Then dry it some more (!). Place it on an open baking sheet and sprinkle with pepper to taste. Sprinkle salt and herbs over the thighs and place in the oven. Bake ~ 45 minutes, checking during the last 10 minutes to ensure the skin does not burn. To ensure it is done, pierce the chicken with a sharp knife- the skin will be very crispy and juices from the meat inside will run clear. Serve immediately. 

Classic Marinara

I always have marinara sauce in my freezer, frozen in 2-cup containers. On nights when I have no inspiration to cook (which happens often!), it is an instant supper added to pasta and meatballs. It's also wonderful to have on hand for any dish that calls for tomato sauce. We use it for eggplant or chicken Parmesan  chili, stuffed peppers, lasagna, minestrone, baked ziti and so on. I make this recipe in triple batches in my stock pot every few months. The trick? To avoid dried basil. An Italian friend once spit out my marinara because it had dried basil in it. After regaining her composure, she gently informed me that every Italian she knew put fresh basil (or no basil) in their marinara. You know what? She was right. It makes all the difference.

1-2 Tablespoons of olive oil
half a large onion, chopped
2 quarts of canned tomatoes (or 2 - 14.5 oz cans of crushed tomatoes)
1 - 6 oz can of tomato paste
2 gloves of garlic, crushed and finely chopped
1/4 cup of chopped fresh parsley
1 Tablespoon of chopped fresh oregano (or 1 teaspoon of dried)
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
1  sprig of fresh rosemary, finely chopped
1 Tablespoon of sugar
1 teaspoon of salt
1/4 teaspoon of pepper
1/2 cup of white wine

In a large pot or Dutch oven, heat olive oil over medium high heat. Add onions and saute until translucent - do not let them brown. Add the tomatoes, tomato paste, garlic, herbs, sugar, salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes.  Add the wine and stir well. At this point, I use my immersion blender to blend the sauce but if you prefer it chunky, leave it as is. The marinara keeps well in the freezer for up to 6 months. Add a handful of chopped fresh basil to the sauce whenever you serve it, if you prefer. Enjoy!

The Perfect Brownie

Jeff loves chocolate. REALLY loves chocolate. He eats a little bit every day and attributes this to his perpetually sunny disposition. Brownies are difficult, however, because Jeff is also allergic to milk. It took me a while but I finally tweaked the perfect chewy, moist, chocolatey brownie made entirely of cocoa powder (no milk chocolate chips here). When Jeff is around, these brownies certainly don't stick around long. 

1/2 cup margarine (or butter), melted

1 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/3 cup unsweetened, sifted cocoa powder
1/2 cup flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon baking powder

Frosting:
3 tablespoons margarine, softened
3 tablespoons unsweetened, sifted cocoa powder

1 tablespoon honey
1/2 teaspoon vanilla extract
enough icing sugar to make a thick frosting

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C). Melt margarine and mix sugar in very well. Add beaten eggs and vanilla, and mix well. Sift in cocoa,  flour, salt, and baking powder. Spread batter into greased 8 inch pan and bake for 25 to 30 minutes. The top should look set and fairly dry, although the inside will still be moist. Be careful not overcook.

Combine frosting ingredients and mix very well. Spread frosting over brownies while they are still warm, then cool completely. Slice and enjoy!

Comfort Food

T'is the season of soups, stews and things simmered in the crock pot. It was my turn to cook for our care group this week and I made a Cheese and Corn Chowder I've not made in many years... and it was delicious.

adapted from the More with Less Cookbook
serves 4-6

2 1/2 cups frozen corn
boiling water
1 teaspoon of sugar
6 slices of bacon, diced
1 yellow onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
1 red or yellow pepper, diced
2 cups of chicken or vegetable broth
2 cups of carrots, diced
1 cup of celery, diced
2 cups of leftover mashed potatoes OR diced raw potatoes
1 bay leaf
1 teaspoon of salt
1/2 teaspoon of pepper
1/4 cup of fresh parsley, chopped (or 1 Tablespoon of dried)
2 cups milk **
1 cup grated sharp cheddar or pepper jack cheese **

Place the frozen corn in a blender and pour in enough hot water so that the water level comes almost up to the corn. Pulse so that the corn breaks up but is not entirely pureed. Add sugar and set aside.

In a soup pot or dutch oven, brown bacon until crisp. Remove bacon and set aside, leaving rendered bacon fat in the pot. Add onions and cook over medium high heat (in bacon fat) until translucent. Add garlic and peppers and stir for 2 minutes. Add chicken broth, carrots, celery, potatoes, bay leaf, salt and pepper. Simmer 10 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Add corn mixture and cook 5 minutes more. Stir in parsley, then add milk and cheese and cook at a lower heat for 5 minutes, making sure the milk does not boil. Add bacon and serve.

** To make this soup dairy free, I simply replace the milk and cheese with soy milk and soy cheese.

Gobble gobble...sizzle

I once ate deep fried turkey. It sounds disgusting but I assure you it is the most delicious, full-flavoured and moist turkey I have ever eaten. Every time I tell the story, people ask how to go about deep frying a turkey. Here are great step by step instructions from Bon Apetit. If you try it, let me know how it goes!

My view Yesterday...

...included lots of turkey stock. The homemade kind (this recipe, which roasts the turkey bones for an hour before boiling them, makes the most amazing stock).

And the Winner is...

I first had quinoa (pronounced KEEN-wah) a few years ago at a work potluck. I think it's become more mainstream since then, and we have slowly introduced it into our diet in rotation with our regular rice, couscous or barley side dishes. I love grain salads in summer, and the first time we made this Jeff and I both knew we had an absolute hit. I've made this for four batches of company this summer, and the rave reviews keep coming. It was, therefore, pretty easy to name this recipe our salad of Summer 2012.

adapted from Sweet Sugar Bean blog

serves 6-8 as a side dish

1 small** butternut squash, peeled, seeds removed and cut into 1/2 chunks
~ 2 tsp. olive oil
salt and pepper
2 Tbsp. brown sugar
1 cup quinoa, rinsed very well
1 3/4 cups water or chicken broth
1 cup pecans or almonds, chopped and toasted
1/2 cup dried cranberries
2 green onions chopped
handful of fresh basil, chopped
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
juice and zest of 1 lemon (to make 2 Tbsp)
2 Tbsp. maple syrup
salt and pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 *F. Peel and chop the sqaush, then toss it into a shallow casserole. Add olive oil and a generous sprinkling of salt and pepper; mix well so each piece of squash is coated. Roast for 20 minutes; remove from oven and sprinkle with brown sugar. Return to oven for another 10 minutes or until squash is cooked through. Remove from oven and set aside to cool. **If the squash is large, I cube the whole thing and freeze half.

To cook quinoa, rinse it very well, drain it, and place it in a saucepan with water/chicken broth. Bring to a boil, reduce heat to low, cover and cook for 15 minutes. Remove from heat, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool.

In a large bowl, combine cooled cooked quinoa and roasted squash (along with syrup created by the brown sugar) along with the nuts, cranberries, and chopped green onions. In a small bowl, whisk together the olive oil, lemon juice and zest, basil and maple syrup. Pour over salad and mix well to combine. Season with salt and pepper, and serve at room temperature, or cold. This salad keeps very well in the fridge for a few days- if it's not gobbled up before then.

I hope you enjoyed our five favourite salads of Summer 2012 . Have a great long weekend!

It's all Greek to me

When I asked Jeff for his favourite new salad of the summer, he reminded me of one that I make every few weeks. I can't believe I forgot about ελληνική σαλάτα (pronounced ellinikí saláta, which means Greek Salad) as it consistently remains near the top of our list of favourites. It's very simple, fresh and easy and delicious- that makes it a total winner for me, and one we had to include in our countdown.

From the Greek Grandma of my friend Noula and Better Homes & Gardens, August 1997 issue
serves ~4 as a side salad

2-3 large tomatoes
1 cucumber
1 cup (or can) of Kalamata Olives
1 small block of feta cheese.
as much red onion as you like
2 Tbsp. lemon juice
2 Tbsp. olive oil
1 tsp. dried oregano (or 2 tsp. fresh)
1/8 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. pepper

Chop the tomatoes, cucumber, red onion and feta cheese into 1 inch cubes and combine in a serving bowl (I dice the onions smaller because I'm not a big fan of red onion). Add the salt, pepper and oregano; drizzle with lemon juice and olive oil and stir well to combine. I usually leave it sit at room temperature for an hour before serving, but you can serve immediately as well. 

New take on coleslaw

Coleslaw is not the first thing that comes to mind when I'm thinking about making a salad. Jeff and I both like traditional coleslaw... but we don't seem to go out of our way for it. Until now. This "new" coleslaw, with mango and another fantastic dressing, is becoming a regular repeat around here. While this comes in at #3 on our list of new favourite summer salads, I expect that we'll see it often through the winter as well.

photo courtesy of Sweet Sugar Bean

Adapted from Plenty, by Yotam Ottolenghi
serves 6 as a side salad

2 Tbsp. lime juice (~1 lime)
zest of 1 lime
4 Tbsp. maple syrup
1 Tbsp. sesame oil
2 tsp. soy sauce
1 tsp. sriracha sauce or chili garlic sauce
3 Tbsp. vegetable, olive or grape seed oil
salt to taste
1/2 head red cabbage, finely shredded
7 leaves of Napa cabbage, finely shredded
1 mango, cut into thin strips
1/2 red pepper, diced
1/4 cup fresh mint, shredded
1/2 cups fresh cilantro, shredded
1/2 cups fresh basil, shredded
1  Tbsp.  diced jalapeno (optional)
1/2 cup roasted peanuts, roughly chopped

Combine the lime juice, lime zest, maple syrup, sesame oil, soy sauce, sriracha, vegetable oil and salt in a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake it like the dickens. In a large bowl, combine the salad ingredients. Add the dressing and toss well. Adjust seasonings and garnish with roasted peanuts.

* I often use leftover dressing to make Summery Beef Fajitas

Peachy keen

We LOVE peaches, and there is no better time to eat them than in August when they are fresh off the tree. We're lucky here on the Island to get a great supply of super fresh Okanagan peaches, and this salad with it's out of this world dressing has become a new favourite.

Adapted from A Farm Girl's Dabbles blog
Dressing yield: 3/4 cup

Dressing: Puree the following ingredients in a blender. If it is too thick, thin out with a few tablespoons of milk. I usually make this dressing a few hours before serving and store the leftovers for up to two weeks in the fridge.

1 large ripe peach, peeled, pit removed, and diced
2 Tbsp. extra virgin olive oil
2  Tbsp. honey

zest of one lime
2 Tbsp. freshly squeezed lime juice (~ 1 lime)

1/4 tsp. cumin
1/8 tsp. cinnamon
1/2 tsp. salt
1/8 tsp. freshly ground black pepper

Salad: This dressing is excellent on a mixture of torn fresh salad greens, diced red onion, crumbled feta or goat cheese, toasted almonds and grilled (as in the photo above) or fresh peaches. 

Summer countdown

We have eaten a lot of salad over the past two months. Summer on Vancouver Island is typically short, in between spring and fall rains. This year, summer was a six week heat wave; while we greatly enjoyed the sun and 30+ degree temperatures, there were more than a few nights when a cold supper was our preference. I repeated a number of our favourite salads (like the  Grain, Bean & Mango Salad,  Asian Cabbage Salad  and Tomato Salad  already featured here), but also challenged myself to try a few new recipes. Some weren't so great, and some have already been repeated several times.

To celebrate this final week of summer, this week on the blog I'm going to count down our five favourite new salads from 2012.

adapted from Karen Barnaby

serves 4 as a side salad

1 Tbsp shredded coconut

1 Tbsp boiling water

1 English cucumber, finely chopped

juice and zest of 1 lime

1/8 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp sugar

1 Tbsp olive oil

1/4 cup peanuts, toasted and roughly chopped

In a small bowl, combine coconut and boiling water. Mix and set aside to cool (the coconut will absorb the water and takes ~30 minutes to cool). While this cools, chop cucumber and add lime juice and zest, pepper flakes, salt, sugar and olive oil. 

Just before serving, mix in the coconut and peanuts. Enjoy!