Getting back into blogging...

Its been quite some time since I've cooked anything, let alone blog about it! Only retrospectively did I decide to post the recipes from tonight's dinner, so sorry in advance for the absence of photos. I will try not to make this mistake in the future. Tonight I cooked for myself, and no one else. It felt good to decide what I was going to make just for me! I picked up some of my favourite items and here's what I came up with...


Lemon Dill Salmon (for one!)

Ingredients 
1 filet of salmon, skin on
1 lemon (1/2 sliced, the other half in wedges)
1 bunch of fresh dill, chopped
1 bunch fresh chives, chopped
1 tsp olive oil
S&P

Preheat the oven to 400F. Place the salmon filet in an oven safe pan (I prefer glass). Drizzle the olive oil over the filet and sprinkle on the chopped dill and chives. Arrange the lemon slices to cover the remainder of the fish. Season with salt and pepper. Bake at 400F for 20-25 mins depending on the thickness of the fish. To test if its done take a fork and flake a piece of the filet from the centre. It if is juicy and light pink all the way through, its done! Be careful not to overcook, otherwise it will be dry and less tasty. (I prefer my salmon to be slightly undercooked than overcooked. I mean, hey, we eat sashimi don't we?!)

Mock Crab and Hearts of Palm Salad (4 servings)

Ingredients
1 package mock crab meat (pollock)
1 can hearts of palm, sliced
1/2 head broccoli steamed and cooled
10 gherkin pickles, chopped
2 tbsp dijon
2 tbsp olive oil
Juice from 1 lemon
1 tbsp mayo
1 tbsp balsamic
S&P

In a bowl combine the dijon, balsamic, olive oil, S&P, mayo and lemon juice. Whisk together to create the dressing. Add more lemon/balsamic or olive oil as per your taste buds. In a large mixing bowl combine the crab, brocooli, pickles and hearts of palm. Pour the salad dressing over and stir to combine. Serve cold.

Along with these two newbies I created, I had some fresh Greek salad (I use Jamie Oliver's recipe) and fresh broccoli with the extra salad dressing. And now I have enough left overs for lunch for the week. (After eating the same sandwich at the caf everyday for the past month, I live for leftovers!)

Lemon Dill Salmon

French T

I haven't posted in a while, but now that the tough part of clerkship is behind me and I'm heading into my elective I though it was time to get back into action. So here is my recipe for french toast. It is bound to please the sugar lover in you.

French Toast

For 2

6 slices of baguette (cut diagonally, about an inch thick)

2 tbsp butter

1/4 cup milk

1/4 cup maple syrup + more for the toast

1 egg

1 tbsp cinnamon

Preheat a skillet to medium/hot and add the butter to the pan. Warm the butter until fully melted. In a shallow pan whisk together the milk, egg, cinnamon and maple syrup. Dip each slice of bread into the batter and turn to coat each side. Fry the bread on medium heat until crispy and golden and then turn. Each side should take 2-3 minutes. Serve the french toast hot with powdered sugar and extra maple syrup. Your taste buds won't even know what happened to them. 

Thanks to Natty for the inspiration...

Skinny Bitch Daiquiri

All right girls. Summer is here and its time to celebrate the weather and my new home. And that means time for some awesome girly drinks. So here's my recipe for a healthy version of a slushy daiquiri.

Skinny Bitch Daq

Ingredients

5 strawberries
3 slices of watermelon, cubed
2 cups ice
4 shots rum
3 tbsp splenda or sugar substitute
1/2 cup sparkling water
A few sprigs of mint

In a blender combine the rum, ice, strawberries, watermelon and Splenda and blend until liquid. In a glass add the mint and crush with the end of a spatula. Fill the glass 2/3 of the way full with the fruit/rum mixture and top with sparkling water. Add more rum if you wish (and by if you wish I mean clearly this is the only option). Add a few ice cubes and enjoy!

Watermelon strawberry daq. Summer is here.

Burgers for the boys

To keep this short and sweet these will be the best burgers you will ever eat (haha that rhymes).

Ingredients

1/2 kg lean ground beef
1/4 cup BBQ sauce
1 onion, diced
1/2 jar pickled jalapeño peppers, drained and chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 egg
1/2 cup of bread crumbs (you might need a little more)
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
4 awesome buns, not those crap ones from the grocery store that come in a 12 pack. Get something like kaiser or ciabatta.

Toppings to make these burgers even more awesome:

Brie cheese
Caramelized onions
Fried mushrooms
Pickles!!! (obviously)
Sliced tomatoes
Mayo, mustard, ketchup? Maybe even relish if you're a daredevil

Combine all the burger ingredients into a bowl and mix with your hands (yes, your hands will get dirty but trust me its worth it). Once you've mixed everything together add in a little more bread crumbs if you need to so that the mixture is not too wet. Divide the mixture into 4 parts and form into burger patties using your hands. Meanwhile, turn on the BBQ so it gets nice and hot. Cook the burgers for about 3 mins on each side or until cooked through. And a little piece of advice; if you like juicy burgers (who doesn't) don't squish them down while you are cooking them. This is just squeezing all the awesome juices out. Add the cheese right before you take them off the grill and throw the buns on for a few seconds so they get warm and toasty. Now, dress those bad boys and prepare your mouth for a tasty treat.

Woah look at all that good stuff

Burgers for the boys

Thai Bowl

I bought a box of soba noodles after my last trip to Aux Vivres thinking that I would be able to create my own version of their Thai Bowl. Here is my attempt! Its lacking in lemon grass because I didn't have any on hand, but next time I'll be sure to add it in!

Ingredients

Stir Fry
1 package of low fat soba noodles
1 carrot, julienned
1 zucchini, julienned
1/4 red onion, sliced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 thumb sized piece of ginger, grated
1 tsp sesame oil
1/2 cup edamame beans
Toasted sesame seeds for garnish
Coriander for garnish

Saute the zucchini and carrots in the oil in a hot non-stick pan. After 2-3 mins add the onions, ginger and garlic and continue to fry until the onions are soft, about 4 mins (if you have lemon grass add it here). Add in the shrimp and heat until the shrimp are pink throughout. Turn off the heat and set aside. Meanwhile, cook the soba noodles according to package directions. In a microwaveable bowl, microwave the edamame beans until cooked, about 3 mins. Remove the beans from the pods and add them to the stir fry mixture.

Peanut Sauce
2 tbsp reduced fat peanut butter
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
2 tbsp reduced salt soy sauce, more to taste

In a microwaveable bowl, warm the peanut butter until liquid, about 45 seconds. Add the soy sauce and rice wine vinegar and whisk. Add more soy sauce or peanut butter to your liking.

Combine the noodles, sauce and stir fry mixture and stir until all the ingredients are combined. Serve and sprinkle with the toasted sesame seeds and coriander.

Shrimp Tacos with Pico de Gallo

Its been a while since my last post. I've been busy running to the OR every chance I get. Now that I'm doing my family med rotation things have calmed down a bit and its back to the kitchen.


Tortillas
Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon baking powder
1 tablespoon margarine
3/4 cup water

Whisk together the flour, salt and baking powder in a large mixing bowl. Add the margarine and mix in with your fingers until it is well distributed. Add the water and mix with your hands until a ball of dough has formed. You may need to add a little more water to form a solid ball of dough. Kneed the dough for a few mins and then separate into 12 balls. Roll each ball out until a flat tortilla is formed. Fry the tortillas in a dry pan for about 30-45 seconds on each side. Don't worry if the tortilla seems stiff once it is done cooking. As you stack them and keep them warm they soften up.

Shrimp Taco Filling
Ingredients:
1 medium sized onion, diced
2 cloves of garlic, crushed
2 cups peeled shrimp
1 tsp cumin
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp olive oil

In a pan, sauté the onions in the olive oil until soft, about two mins. Add the garlic, shrimp, cumin and red pepper flakes and cook until the shrimp have all turned pink.

Pico de Gallo
Ingredients:

• 2 medium tomatoes, diced
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 1/2 fresh jalapeño pepper, seeded and chopped
• 3 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• 1 avocado, diced
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• Salt and pepper to taste

Cut the tomatoes in half and remove the pulp (otherwise the pico de gallo will be too wet), then chop. Add all of the ingredients to mixing bowl and stir. Serve on top of the tacos. 

**If you aren't ambitious enough to make your own tortillas I'm sure store bought ones will work just fine. Add the shrimp mixture and a few tablespoons of pico de gallo and enjoy!

A summer drink for summer weather

Ohhhhh my god this weather couldn't be more amazing!! The only way to celebrate is by cracking a cold beer or sipping on a delicious cocktail. Since I'm sure you're all capable of popping the cap of a cold one I'll share my latest creation for a tasty berry drink!

Blackberry and Lychee Slush

Ingredients
8 ice cubes
A handful of blackberries
1/3 cup lychee juice
1/3 cup sparkling water (or more if you prefer)
1 shot lychee liqueur
1 shot vodka

In a blender (Magic Bullet works perfectly) add the ice, berries and lychee juice and puree until the ice has become a slush. Poor the slush mixture into your favorite serving glass and add the vodka and lychee liqueur, then stir. Top the glass of with sparkling water and garnish with mint or lemon and lime wedges. Enjoy this one out on the balcony before spring returns!