Bookmarked and a "Recipe"

Jokes on me. It was 2 years ago that Tyler went on a wheat and dairy elimination diet. I complained. Quite a bit. Well, now it's my turn. To clear up my winter eczema, among a couple other more serious concerns I don't care share here, I saw our Naturopath on Friday who suggested I limit dairy and wheat consumption. Yay. Ironic that in my last post I professed my love of bread. I am going to take baby steps here. Dairy first, then maybe wheat (I am trying to limit it though). I feel dairy is more of a problem, but that may just be my subconscious convincing me of that as it is easier for me to forgo dairy. I think. We'll see. I found Spaghetti and Meatballs last night to be only slightly lacking without Parmesan cheese.

Funnily enough, I borrowed a Paleo cookbook from a woman at work earlier this week. I finished leafing through it as I was cooking dinner on Wednesday. And then I went and made a cheese quesedilla. Haha. Now that I am limiting dairy and wheat though, this book/blog will be a good resource for the next while. The recipes on Nom Nom Paleo look fantastic, actually. She uses a lot of bacon. Now that is a concept I can get behind.

I think for the next while though, I will be thinking of life Pre-Cheese and Bread Goodness and Post-Cheese and Bread Goodness. Bookmarks are divided up as such below.

The "recipe". Can a smushed avocado on toast be called a recipe? Not really, hence the quotation marks. More like a delicious suggestion. Inspired by Gwyneth Paltrow's avocado on toast from It's All Good (OMG I just realized I already own a dairy- and gluten-free cookbook!), I've added some tomatoes to make this a lunch. I don't know why I feel this is more lunchy. For breakfast I do the same without tomatoes.

SMUSHED AVOCADO ON TOAST

Serves 1

• 1/3 avocado, peeled
• red pepper flakes
• 1/2 a tomato, chopped
• basil, chopped
• mayonnaise (or Miracle Whip in my case, I don't like real mayo)
• toast
• salt and pepper

Smush up avocado with red pepper flakes in a bowl. Stir in tomato and basil. Spread toast with a thin schmear of mayo. Top with avocado mixture and a sprinkle of salt and pepper. A fried egg on top wouldn't go amiss if you are really hungry. Oo and some bacon.

Pre-Cheese and Bread Goodness
Paprika and Cheese Crackers via Serious Eats
Honey Mustard Pork Tenderloin via Food52 This I can still eat. Yay!
Squash Brownies with Chocolate Swirl Topping via Foodland Ontario
Spinach Brownies via Blender Babes Parker told me this week that he doesn't like spinach in smoothies, only in brownies. Random... Ok kid. Have at 'er.

Post-Cheese and Bread Goodness
Fig Watermelon Salad with Honey-Vanilla Cashews via Nom Nom Paleo. Oh my this looks beautiful and delicious. I can't wait to eat this during the summer.
Caramelized Pear Oven Pancake via Williams Sonoma I made this recipe this morning using almond milk in place of milk. And apples instead of pears since that's what I had. Fantastic! Yes, butter contains some dairy, but let's not go crazy here. I'm allowing it.
Maple Quinoa Granola via Food 52 I think the quinoa will add extra yummy crunch. However, I'll have to find a new way to eat granola- usually I have it on yogurt.

Dip Night

Did you ever have "treat dinners" as a kid? Maybe you called them something else, but hopefully everybody gets to experience this growing up. Maybe it was "breakfast for dinner" or ham and cheese waffles like I read about in Bon Appetit. For us, we had two treat dinners- different at my mom's and my dad's. That, and tons o' presents and holiday meals at Christmas time, is the only plus in the broken home column.

So, at my mom's "treat dinner" (yes, we called it that) was cottage cheese and fruit. See, I come by healthy eating honestly. At my dad's, almost every Friday night we would have homemade pizza. I am declaring Dip Night the new treat dinner in my house.

How did this come about? I was looking through my hundreds of recipes saved on my computer thinking that I should make an effort to start cooking the older ones (i.e. the recipes that have now been transferred to three computers). I have a whole lot of dips saved- great for parties and potlucks, but how many dips can you really eat at once? Three, as it turns out. This post could have been called "An Orgy of Dairy", but lets keep it clean folks. With the dips we had pita chips and tortilla chips.

One Year Ago: nada

Two Years Ago: Gogeres, Pizza, and Best Ever Chocolate Cake

+ 

Stuffed Shells

Buffalo Chicken Dip is as amazing as it sounds. The author on Ezra Pound Cake calls it "pure man-bait" (are you reading this single ladies?). Get the recipe by clicking HERE.

Mediterranean 7-Layer Dip: I threw this one in to be at least a little healthy, and it turned out to be the sleeper hit of the night. Recipe below.

Goat Cheese Spinach and Artichoke Dip: I think I over-cooked this one so it was dry and we didn't eat a lot of it, but I mixed it into filling for chicken manicotti the next day and that was amazing. Get the recipe by clicking HERE

MEDITERRANEAN 7-LAYER DIP

Adapted from Cooking With My Kid

• 1 cup hummus, store bought or homemade (recipe below)
• 3/4 cup arugula pesto (recipe below), or store bought basil pesto (reduce to 1/2 cup)
• 1 cup tzatziki
• 1/2 cup black olives, sliced (optional)
• 2 plum tomatoes, seeded and diced
• 2 green onions, chopped finely
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 2 large pitas, cut into wedges

Heat oven to 400 degrees F. Place pita wedges on a large baking sheet. Bake 5 minutes or until golden on one side. Flip them over and bake until golden a crisp on the other side, about 2 more minutes.

Make hummus if using homemade and transfer to a bowl. Then make pesto- no need to wash food processor if you've scraped the hummus out pretty well. 

Spread hummus in bottom of your serving dish (mine was 11x7). Spread pesto over top, then tzatziki. Sprinkle over olives, if using, then tomatoes, green onions, and feta. Refrigerate if not eating immediately.

PANTRY HUMMUS

Traditional hummus has tahini, a sesame seed paste like peanut butter, but I don't keep that around just to make hummus. It's just as good without. 

• 1 14-oz can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
• 1 clove garlic, peeled
• 3 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 1/2 tsp salt (or more to taste if using no-sodium chickpeas)
• 1/2 tsp black pepper
• water

Place all ingredients but water in a food processor. Process until mostly smooth. Scrape down bowl, add 2 tbsp water, process again until a totally smooth, adding a little more water if necessary.

ARUGULA PESTO

This can also be made with baby spinach, or a combination of both. Great as a pasta sauce, on fish or chicken. 

2 cups arugula or baby spinach, washed and dried
1 clove garlic
1 tbsp lemon juice
1/4 cup fresh basil (stems and leaves together are ok- they'll be pureed)
3 tbsp olive oil
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
water, if needed

Place all ingredients but water in a food processor. Process until smooth, scraping down bowl periodically, adding water a tbsp at a time if needed.

Sriracha Devilled Eggs

Sometimes I make devilled eggs for myself. Is that so crazy? Everyone loves them. They're always the first to go at a party (you know you're getting old when devilled eggs make an appearance at your parties). They even have a lengthy Wikipedia page. Why save them for special occasions? If you're going to eat a hard-boiled egg, take an extra 30 seconds and mix the yolk with some mayo. And while you're at it add some sriracha. 

Sriracha devilled eggs. It's where it's at. Yo.

SRIRACHA DEVILLED EGGS

Serves 1

I really don't think this needs a recipe, but here you go anyway.

• 2 hard-boiled eggs, cut in half and yolks removed
• 1 tsp mayo
• 1/4 sriracha, or more to taste
• pinch salt and pepper

Mix egg yolks, mayo, sriracha, salt in a small bowl. Spoon into egg whites. Sprinkle with a little pepper.

Thanksgiving

Image Bon Appetit

We are hosting Thanksgiving at our house this year for my family on Saturday. This should be interesting, considering Parker doesn't like anybody but Mommy or Daddy to hold him. Despite inquiries from everybody as to whether they can bring anything, I am doing it all myself. Otherwise I'd be sending out an email such as this - The Thanksgiving Letter. Type A personality over here much?

Usually I end up writing a post after the holidays, but then nobody can use the recipes until next year (who's going to make another turkey between Thanksgiving and Christmas? Not I). And the reason I write this blog is to share recipes and ideas that people can use. So, here is what I will be cooking this weekend, along with a secret dish as long as I can find the ingredients for it. More on that later if it comes to fruition.

Anybody else hosting Thanksgiving? What are you cooking?

Images: Foodland Ontario, Bon Appetit, Cityline, Martha Stewart

Pre-Dinner Nibbles:
Cheese, Chorizo, Crostini, White Bean Hummus, Rosemary Fried Almonds

Soup:
Parsnip, Apple and Brie Soup - I tested this recipe last week and it is delicious.



Dinner:
Sage Butter-Roasted Turkey with Cider Gravy - I made this for Christmas a few years ago and it was amazing!
Whole Wheat Stuffing with Bacon, Chestnuts and Parmesan
Italian Roasted Vegetables
Polenta in place of mashed potatoes cause I love it

Dessert:
Chocolate Pumpkin Tart - Tyler wants straight pumpkin pie, but being me I have to jazz it up of course
Lemon Tart

The Plan:
Thursday: Defrost turkey (I bought turkey parts rather than a whole turkey so that I can cook the white and dark meat seperately to ensure it's all cooked perfectly)



Friday: Dry brine turkey, start stuffing, make desserts, cut up vegetables, make secret dish, make soup (all this after grocery shopping and while Tyler is golfing, go figure)

Saturday morning: Cook vegetables, clean house, make almonds and hummus, assemble app platter

Saturday afternoon: Everyone arrives 3-4 pm, put in dark meat at 4:00, white meat at 5:00, 5:30 put in stuffing and secret dish, 6:00 take out turkey and rest, make gravy, polenta, put in vegetables to warm, warm up soup and eat soup

So we'll see how this all goes down, but I feel better having a plan. Wish me luck!

Jalepeno Poppers or Death Boats to Hades

Ok I know this is a food blog, so I'll use a related expression. Couldn't you just eat him he's so cute? He helped hand out candy.

He's a frog, in case you didn't get it. AND I got all the materials for his costume at the dollar store. Again, in case you couldn't tell. I'm sure this is going to be a case of Parker wondering what the hell his parents were thinking ten years from now, but I'm pretty proud of myself.

I made BBQ Jalapeno Poppers (or, on October 31st "Death Boats to Hades") from The Pioneer Woman Cooks for a snack today. I forgot to put the BBQ sauce on them as directed in the recipe, but they were still delicious. Really delicious. I also sliced the bacon into smaller pieces and just laid it on top rather than wrapping it around the whole jalapeno as that seemed like a lot of bacon. I find that the easiest way to remove the seeds and white membranes is to use the tip of a potato peeler as it is just sharp enough (I use this to scrape out squash too). That being said, watch out for the bastard jalapeno. You know the one I mean- there's always a super hot one that slaps you in the face when you least expect it despite your best efforts to remove the all the really spicy bits.

I also carved a pumpkin for the first time in probably fifteen years. It didn't quite live up to the picture in my head. The mouth was supposed to be a spider. So I made the eyes lopsided too so that it looked intentional. I don't think it's bad for a first try, right? I think it's kind of scary. Or at least I freaked myself out a little when I took it into the bathroom with the lights off (cause there's no windows in the bathroom of course... does anybody else do that?). I have a new found love for Halloween. I even clapped my hands and hopped around a little when I was getting out all the Halloween stuff today. Too bad the book that I ordered from Chapters didn't come in time, but next year it is on like donkey kong.

One Year Ago: Creepy Halloween food

Kale Chips

I just opened a savings account for Parker. My 6 week old son now has more money than I do. This is a sad state of affairs... maybe I shouldn't have bought that Martha Stewart Living magazine today. Especially considering I have a pile of 5 magazines waiting to be read because I am a magazine junkie and currently have five subscriptions. But c'mon, it's Martha Stewart!

Moving on, I made kale chips today. I didn't think I'd like them. But I do. In fact, I almost ate them all before I took a photo even though I was typing this post as the kale chips were baking. They taste nutty and salty and are super crispy. They kind of taste like roasted cauliflower, which on a side note, if you haven't made before make it tonight- trust me. This would be a good time to use the sea salt you never use because you think it should be used on special dishes. Or maybe that's just me.

Here are some more kale recipes too.

One Year Ago: Local Food, Minestrone Soup

KALE CHIPS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Wash and dry as much or as little kale as you like. Chop or tear kale into bite sized pieces, discarding the stem.

Place kale on a foil lined baking sheet and drizzle with a little olive oil. Toss kale with oil and lay out in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt.

Bake 10 minutes or until crispy. Do not let the kale brown.

Hiding in Plain Sight + 1 Year!

It has been exactly a year since I started this blog! A year ago I wasn't sure how long I would continue this. I thought I'd just see how it went and I figured I'd lose interest after a while to be honest. I tend to do that with hobbies. I know I haven't been posting much lately- hopefully that will change as this baby thing gets easier.

Lately, however, I have been putting a lot of thought into how I can boost the nutrition in what we are eating. When I do get a chance to make something to eat when Parker goes to sleep, I want it to pack in as much vitamins, fibre, etc as I can without compromising flavor. I mean, if I want to eat mac n' cheese, I don't want some super healthy bastardization of mac n' cheese with tofu and cauliflower instead of noodles or some such nonsense. But I do want something a little healthier- and I hate side salads- so I try to think of some way to boost the nutrition a bit so as to not feel guilty about eating just a bowl of noodles and cheese for lunch. Plus I get a certain satisfaction from saying, "How do you like the mac n' cheese? HA! There's pumpkin in it and you didn't even know it!"

So, this post is about sharing some of the more creative ways I have been upping the nutrients in our meals.  Hopefully I will inspire you to trick your kid, husband, or yourself into eating just a little healthier.

Leafy Greens: For the last few weeks I have bought a tub of baby spinach or arugula to keep in the fridge. Then I find ways to use it throughout the week, mostly by throwing a couple of handfuls into the pan at the end of cooking and letting it wilt. This works great for pasta, rice, etc. and was delicious with a fried egg on toast (pictured at the top). I have even put a small handful of greens into my morning smoothie.

Pureed Pumpkin: I used canned pumpkin left over from making pumpkin pie in all kinds of things. Add a quarter cup to mac n' cheese or Kraft dinner and you won't even know it's there. I also put it into a spread for crostini (pseudo-recipe below).

Beans: White beans are delicious in pasta, or pureed with herbs into a hummus-type spread.

Frozen Vegetables: I would say throw frozen veggies into any number of dishes, except that I hate frozen veggies. I find them watery and gross. So what I do is thaw them, drain off any excess water, and puree them with tomato pasta sauce.


Frozen Peas: I'm sure you've caught on to my love of frozen peas by now- see this post and also this one- but I also put peas in anything that I think needs a boost of veggies.

One Year Ago: Inaugural Post with Caldo Verde recipe

BUTTERNUT SQUASH, ROASTED GARLIC, AND CANNELINI BEAN SPREAD

I haven't listed measurements here for two reasons: I didn't measure as I made this and because it is really a throw together recipe that I came up with because I had all these odds and ends of leftovers in the fridge. 

• cannelini beans (also called white kidney beans)
• roasted squash
• pureed pumpkin
• roasted garlic cloves
• salt and pepper
• red pepper flakes
• splash of lemon juice
• olive oil
• fresh parsley, rosemary, or sage

Puree everything but herbs in a food processor until smooth, scraping down sides as necessary. Add herbs, pulse a few times to chop herbs small and combine into spread. Serve on crostini, crackers, or even use as a sandwich spread.

Spicy Cheese Dip

I made this dip on Sunday for tortilla chips instead of buying that jarred Cheez-Whiz-like nacho dip at the grocery store. My dip was 10 times better, cheaper, and not fake orange (fake orange is always a bad idea). I feel like this dip is akin to the Southern classic Pimento Cheese except that I've never had pimento cheese, therefore I can't say for sure.

This is also the filling for my antijitos that I always bring to pot lucks at work. I tried to bring something else once and I was almost lynched. To make antijitos don't warm up the dip, but spread it into tortillas, roll them up, and slice across into bite-sized pieces. You could also put the dip into an oven safe dish, top it with shredded cheese, and put it in the oven (say, at about 400 degrees F) until bubbly. I wonder if you could add chopped cooked spinach and chopped artichokes and call it Spinach and Artichoke dip... I'll have to try it next time.

I never measure this, so the amounts in this recipe are approximate- a little of one thing or less of another won't affect the overall result.

SPICY CHEESE DIP

• 1 cup shredded sharp cheddar cheese
• 1/4 cup sliced pickled hot peppers
• 1 250 g tub cream cheese
• 1/2 tsp mustard powder

Chop peppers in a food processor. Add cheese and cream cheese, whiz until blended. Put in a microwave safe bowl and microwave for 1 to 2 minutes on high, stirring every 30 seconds, until dip is warm and cheese is melted.

My current food crush

I love these Jalapeno and Cheddar Cornbread Crackers from President's Choice right now. They have even beat out my other food crushes Bobby Flay, Eric Ripert (cute, French and cooks) and the brothers on the current season of Top Chef. Maybe because the crackers are more tangible and available for my instant gratification than celebrity food boys. These are slightly spicy, perfectly crunchy, and a little cheesy. Yum. I may eat too many and be sick of them shortly (like my Hot Pockets weekend), and then it'll be something else. The President's Choice Holiday Insiders Report should be out now which always has new products ripe for crushing on.

What, everybody doesn't have food crushes?

Happy Snacks

I could make a meal of snacks. In fact, I have. My favorite thing is to have some crostini (don't let the food snobs fool you- this is a fancy word for toast) topped with all manner of different things. My current fave toppings are Tomato Bruschetta with Feta and Fresh Pea Spread with Feta. Yum... feta... but I digress. I don't use a recipe for these, so I have just included the ingredients. The key is to taste before topping your bread. I taste and ask myself: is there enough salt? Pepper? Acidity? Is one ingredient overpowering all others? Being a chronic recipe clipper, I find that when I make something without using a recipe is very rewarding. Even if it is just pureed peas on toast.

CROSTINI

Toast slices of a Baguette, French bread or Italian bread until just golden brown. You can drizzle with olive oil before toasting (in a toaster oven or in the oven- probably not a good idea in a toaster), but I usually just make it dry.

TOMATO BRUSCHETTA

• tomato(es), medium dice
• olive oil
• salt
• pepper
• splash of balsamic vinegar
• finely minced garlic (squash it into a paste with the side of your knife even)
• feta cheese, crumbled
• crostini

Mix all ingredients but feta and crostini. Use immediately to top crostini or let rest in fridge up to 2 days. Sprinkle with feta and maybe some fresh black pepper.

FRESH PEA SPREAD WITH FETA

• frozen peas, thawed in a sieve under running water*
• olive oil
• lemon juice
• salt
• pepper
• crostini
• feta, crumbled

Whizz all ingredients but crostini and feta in food processor until almost smooth. Spread on crostini and top with feta, pressing feta a bit so it doesn't fall off and your dog gets it (or is that just me?).
*I know, this is technically not a "fresh" pea spread, but it tastes like it and the name sounds better than Frozen Pea Spread.

Oh-Ma-Gah-Good Granola

I've bookmarked and cut out of tons of recipes for granola. I finally made some and I'm sorry I waited so long. I now crave this stuff. This particular recipe- via Bitchincamero, via the New York Times- is so good. Not too sweet due to the olive oil, perfectly crunchy, just a hint of gingery spice. Oh, and maple syrup is one of my favorite things. The granola smells so delicious while it is baking I dare you not to try some every time you take it out of the oven to stir it around (you know, just to make sure it's cooking ok). I eat it with plain Greek yogurt (Astro Balkan Style Yogurt is a good grocery store option) at work as a snack. Actually, I didn't have time to eat a snack at work today. I'm going to have some right now. Out.

OLIVE OIL GRANOLA
Adapted from Bitchincamero who adapted from the New York Times

• 3 cups rolled oats
• 1 cup roasted, salted sunflower seeds 
• 1 cup pecan halves, roughly chopped
• 1/3 cup olive oil
• 3/4 cup maple syrup
• 1/2 tsp. powdered ginger
• 1 tsp. kosher salt
• 1/2 tsp. cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp. cardamom
• 1 cup dried cranberries
  

Preheat the oven to 300°. Mix all the ingredients, except for the cranberries, in a large bowl.

Spread the oats onto a rimmed cookie sheet and bake for 45 minutes, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Remove from oven when the oats are crisp and golden.

Toss with the cranberries and let cool.

Sunday Deep Dish Pizza

Sundays in our house this time of year (actually, August to February) are for football and cooking. The husband watches about 9 hours of football and I cook, read, and nap during this time. Really, do Sundays get much better?

Yesterday I said I would cook him anything he wanted for Sunday as I had been sick and bitchy all this past week- who knew a canker sore could get so bad it required not one but two prescriptions? He wanted a Canadian deep dish pizza (bacon, pepperoni, mushroom) like at Pizza Hut. I remembered a recipe from America's Test Kitchen's Best of 2007 book that would be perfect. America's Test Kitchen (they do Cook's Illustrated among other magazines) never steers me wrong. They test their recipes to perfection and their books/magazines have a paragraph about the testing process. I may or may not have read their entire 900 page cookbook cover to cover because the testing process is so interesting.

So, the pizza. Don't be afraid of making your own dough! I used to be a yeast-o-phobe, but trust me, it's a simple as mixing and then waiting for it to rise. It really was just like Pizza Hut. Yumm... a crunchy, golden thick crust and browned cheese. Not in the least healthy of course- there's a bunch of oil in the bottom of the pan and you can actually hear the crust frying in the oven plus the cheese and such. But on the plus side the thick crust is filling so I could only eat one slice. For now...

CANADIAN PAN PIZZA
- Slightly adapted from The Best of America's Test Kitchen 2007
- Makes 2 pizzas- serves 4-6

Dough

• 1/2 olive oil, divided
• 3/4 cup milk, warmed to 110 degrees F (lukewarm-too warm and you'll kill the yeast)
• 2 tsp sugar
• 2 1/2 cups all purpose flour
• 1 envelope (2 1/2 tsp) rapid rise yeast
• 1/2 tsp salt

Topping

• 1 1/2 cups tomato sauce
• 1 (3 oz) package sliced pepperoni (I used turkey pepperoni- if you use this you can skip step 4 below)
• 3 slices bacon, cooked in microwave until crispy, crumbled
• 1 cup thinly sliced white mushrooms
• 3 cups mozzarella or provolone cheese, shredded

1. For the dough: Adjust oven rack to lowest position and heat the oven to 200 degrees F. Once the oven is preheated turn it off. Now you have a warm place for the dough to rise. Lightly spray a large bowl with cooking spray. Coat two 9-inch round cake pans with 3 tbsp of oil each.

2. Mix the milk, sugar, 2 tbsp oil, yeast, and salt in the bowl of a standing mixer fitted with a dough hook. Add flour and mix on low speed until dough comes together. Increase speed to medium and knead for 5 minutes or until dough is no longer sticky and it is smooth and shiny. If not using a mixer, mix dough with a wooden spoon, then turn out onto a lightly floured surface and knead about 10 minutes. Shape dough into a ball and place in greased bowl. Cover dough with plastic wrap and place in warmed oven 30 minutes.

3. To Shape and Top the Dough: Divide the dough in half and lightly roll each half into a ball. Working with one ball at a time, roll each into a 9 1/2 inch round and press into oiled pan. Cover with plastic wrap and set in a warm spot (not in the oven) 20 minutes. Meanwhile, heat oven to 400 degrees F.

4. Place half of the pepperoni slices in a single layer on a large microwave safe plate linked with 2 paper towels. Place 2 more paper towels on top and microwave for 30 seconds on high. Discard paper towels and set aside pepperoni. Repeat with remaining pepperoni. This renders a lot of the fat from the pepperoni so that the grease doesn't pool on top of the pizza.

5. Remove the plastic wrap from the dough. Spread approx 2/3 cup of sauce on each round, leaving a 1/2 inch boarder around the edges. Arrange bacon and mushrooms over sauce, sprinkle each pizza with 1 1/2 cups cheese and top with pepperoni (I put the pepperoni underneath the cheese by accident). Bake until cheese is melted and pepperoni is browning around edges- about 20 minutes. Remove pizzas from oven and let them rest in the pan for a couple of minutes before removing and cutting into wedges.