Pancakes for Breakfast

I'm on holidays and every day feels like the weekend. Waking up at noon is a luxury I'll soon miss. And with waking up at noon and having no responsibilities this leaves me with a lot of time to make weekend style breakfasts.  So here is a new recipe I tried for basic pancakes. They were light, fluffy and delish! And I added blueberries to the mix, making them even more tasty.

Simple Pancakes
Adapted from WeightWatcher's complete cookbook
Serves 2-3 people

1 cup flour
1/4 Splenda
1 tsp baking powder1 1/3 cups skim or 1% milk
1/4 cup of egg whites or 2 egg whites
1 tsp canola oil
Blueberries, raspberries, chocolate chips (optional)
Syrup

Combine the flour, Splenda and baking powder in a small mixing bowl. In a larger bowl whisk together the egg whites, milk and oil. Add half the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients and stir. Add the remaining dry ingredients and whisk until combined. If you want to make berry or chocolate chip pancakes add them to the batter. Spray a non-stick skillet with cooking spray and pour the desired amount of pancake batter onto the preheated pan. The pancakes should be cooked for about 1 minute on each side. This recipe made 8 pretty big pancakes.

re: Stacks

Perfect Wednesday morning

Home for the Holidays - Ginger Crackle Cookies

Along with the fudge, shortbread cookies, apple pie and large quantities of chocolates that my mom has available during the holidays, I thought I would try to make a new cookie recipe courtesy of my good friend Amanda (why do I do this to myself?). These cookies are easy to make and are full of holiday flavour (cinnamon, molasses and cloves)!!

Ginger Crackle Cookies

Ingredients
3/4 cup butter or margarine
1 cup white sugar + extra to coat the cookies
1 egg
1/4 molasses
2 cups + 2 tbsp flour
2 tsp baking soda
2 tsp ginger (if you aren't a huge fan of ginger you can use 1 tsp)
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp cloves (can substitue all spice)

Preheat oven to 350F. In a mixing bowl stir together the butter and sugar. Add the egg end mix until well combined. Add the molasses and stir. In a separate bowl combine the dry ingredients in stir well. Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingredients 1/3 at a time. Once the dough is well mixed roll the dough into balls (about i inch in diameter). Roll the balls in a dish of white sugar and place on a cookie sheet (about 8 cookies should fit on a standard cookie sheet. Make sure to leave lots of room for them to expand). Bake the cookies for 12 - 14 mins. When they come out they should be golden brown and still a little soft. If you prefer a crispy cookie bake for an extra 2 minutes. Enjoy them while they last!

* If you want to make these cookies a little more special you can melt white or milk chocolate and dip half the cookie in the chocolate mixture then place in the fridge to harden.

Winter Salad and Hot Cocoa Cookies

Today was probably the coldest day of the winter so far, which was quite a contrast to the 25+ degree weather I just experienced for the last week while in Mexico. You might be wondering why I'm not making something Mexican themed but honestly I need a few avocado free days before tackling a guac recipe.

This salad is perfect for a cold winter day and the hot cocoa cookies do more than warm you up.

Baked Squash Salad

Adapted from http://kirantarun.com/food/2011/12/16/warm-acorn-squash-salad/
Serves 2

Ingredients
1 small acorn squash
1 endive
3 small clementines
1 small Macintosh apple
1/3 cup dried cranberries
3 cups baby spinach
1 tbsp brown sugar
2 tsp olive oil
1 tbsp honey
1 lemon
1 tsp cinnamon

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and scoop out the pulp with a spoon. Flip the squash flat side down and slice into 1 cm thick slices. Arrange the slices on a cooking sheet sprayed with cooking spray and sprinkle with brown sugar. Bake for 20 mins on each side.

For the dressing combine the honey, lemon juice, cinnamon and cranberries in a bowl and stir until combined. Set aside.

For the salad chop the endive into bite size pieces, peel the clementines and slice the apple. Arrange the spinach in a bowl and layer the endive and fruit on top. Top with the warm squash and the dressing. To make serving the salad easier I arranged half the ingredients into two bowls and served the salad as individual portions. A nice addition would be goat cheese or roasted cashews for a little more protein. Enjoy!

Sprinkle acorn squash with brown sugar 

Perfectly golden acorn squash

Fresh apples and clementines

Sliced endive

Cranberry cinnamon dressing

Layered warm squash salad

Now for desert!

These hot cocoa cookies are a combination of the Joy of Cooking's chocolate chip cookie recipe and the mouth watering recipe from http://www.pipandebby.com/pip-ebby/2011/11/14/hot-cocoa-cookies.html

Hot Cocoa Cookies

Makes 16 cookies

Ingredients
Dry Ingredients:
1 cup + 2 tbsp flour
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp sea salt
1/4 cup cocoa powder

Wet Ingredients:
1 cup butter
1/2 cup sugar
1/2 brown sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 large egg

16 large marshmallows
4 cubes semi-sweet baker's chocolate

Combine the dry ingredients in a glass bowl and mix well. In a separate bowl combine the butter and sugar and mix until combined. Add the egg and vanilla and stir. Once all the wet ingredients are combined stir in the dry ingredients 1/3 at a time. Roll the dough into 16 balls and place on a cookie sheet. Press the cookies down and bake for 8 minutes. Meanwhile, cut the bakers chocolate into 16 pieces and press them into the marshmallows. Once the cookies have baked for 8 minutes remove the tray from the oven and place the marshmallows on top of the cookie, with the chocolate piece covered. Return the cookie tray to the oven for 2 more minutes. Remove the cookies and allow them to cool slightly before serving. I dare you to eat only one!

Tobey loves cookies!

Mexican Style Bean Salad

My mom is coming into town today and after the 4 hour drive from Shawville I'm sure she'll be hungry. I've decided to make one of her favorite meals, a mexican style bean salad. This salad is great in the summer or winter and can be eaten as a meal on its own or as a side. It would go great with burgers or a sandwich. So here it is...

Ingredients

1 can black beans, washed

1 can corn kernels, drained

1/2 medium red onion, diced

1/2 red pepper, diced

1 green onion, sliced

1 tbsp chopped fresh mint

1 tbsp cumin

1 tsp cayenne pepper

1 tbsp chilli powder

3 tbsp white wine or white balsamic vinegar

1 tsp olive oil

This recipe is so simple and easy, and only takes about 10 minutes to prepare. Combine all ingredients in a glass mixing bowl and stir. Let chill in the fridge for an hour so the beans can absorb the spices (optional). Makes about 4 servings. 

 

Stuffed Acorn Squash

I had an acorn squash in my pantry and needed a new way to eat it. Yes, the smother in butter and brown sugar technique is delicious, but I needed something healthier, with protein and flavor! So here is my stuffed squash recipe.

Ingredients
Butternut squash
1/2 cup quinoa, uncooked
4 slices of chicken bacon
1/3 cup dried cranberries
2 portobello mushrooms, sliced
Cooking spray
1 tsp butter or margarine
1/2 large red onion, sliced
1/2 large white onion, sliced
1 tbsp fresh rosemary, diced
2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
Juice of one lemon
Salt and pepper
60 grams goat cheese

Preheat oven to 400C. Cut the squash in half lengthwise and place on a cooking sheet. Bake for 45 minutes or until a fork pierces the flesh without any effort.

In a frying pan fry the chicken bacon about 3 minutes on each side. Meanwhile, in two separate pans fry the mushrooms and onions, first spraying the pans with cooking spray. Caramelize the onions by adding 1 tsp margarine or butter and one tbsp brown sugar. The mushrooms and onions should take about 5 minutes. Chop the bacon and add it, the mushrooms and the onions to a large mixing bowl. Cook the quinoa according to package instructions and add to the mixing bowl. Stir in the cranberries, lemon juice, olive oil, vinegar, rosemary and season with salt and pepper to taste. Stir all the ingredients together and stuff the squash once it is cooked. Place the stuffed squash back in the oven for 5 minutes to heat. Top each half with 30 grams of goat cheese and serve.

I really liked this dish but according to Katie "it tastes like it should be fattening!"

Chicken bacon

Butternut squash

Quinoa stuffing

Purple Cabbage Side Salad

So sticking to the new diet (aka lifestyle change...) can be a little challenging but luckily vegetables are a free for all. So here is a recipe for a sweet side salad that goes great with a sandwich for lunch or with dinner. And its quick and easy to make!

Ingredients
1/2 purple cabbage, chopped
1 onion, sliced
1/3 cup raisins
2 large carrots, grated
1 tsp olive oil
2 tbsp low fat mayo
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tbsp honey

In a large pot saute the onions in the olive oil for about 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook covered for about 5 minutes until the cabbage is slightly softened. Remove from heat and place in the fridge until cooled. Add the mayo, vinegar, carrots, honey, raisins and stir until combined. Keep refrigerated until ready to serve.

Pumpkin Soup

Its that time of year again...fall (we have a love hate relationship; love the pretty colors and that I get to wear sweaters and scarves, hate the wind and rain blowing in my face and turning my umbrella inside out). Tonight I had Tiiu over for dinner and had to come up with an idea for what to serve that little princess-sexy-beast friend of mine. Pumpkin soup seemed fitting considering the windy weather outside. (Not to tease, but I served the soup with grilled squid and a marinated portobello mushroom topped with caramelized onions and sharp cheddar). So here is the recipe for the soup (so simple and quite amazing). On a side note, the recipe is from my travels to Vietnam...

Pumpkin Soup

Ingredients
1 medium sized pumpkin
1 cup skim or 1% milk
1 tsp brown sugar
1 tbsp concentrated soup stock (I used vegetable)
Kosher salt and pepper to taste

Dealing with the pumpkin is the hardest part. I cut around the stem and removed the top, scooped out the pulp and seeds and then cut the pumpkin in half. I finished cleaning the inside and then sliced the pumpkin and peeled it. This took me forever and I'm sure there must be an easier way. I think cutting the pumpkin in half and baking it for an hour, then scooping out the flesh and using it in the soup would also work and may be less energy consuming.

Anyway, once I got that bad boy sliced and peeled I diced it into think pieces and added it to a soup pot.

Regarldess of how you get the pumpkin ready, once its in the pot add enough water to cover the pumpkin and cook it on high heat for about 20 minutes. Once most of the water has evaporated check to see if the pumpkin is cooked. If not, add another cup and finished cooking the pumpkin. Once the it is cooked add the milk (add more if you want the soup to be less creamy and thick). Add the condensed stock and sugar, and season with generous amounts of salt and pepper. Puree with a hand blender until it is creamy and smooth. Serve as an appetizer or add croutons and cheese and have it as a main.

Also, you can roast the seeds which are a great addition to salads. Simply toss them in a tsp of olive oil and sprinkle with salt, then bake them at 400C for 3-4 minutes. Take them out, flip them and bake for a few more minutes until golden.

Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls

I just cannot get enough of the Asian food Katie and I learned how to make while we were away. Vietnamese fresh spring rolls are probably one of my favorite things to eat. And they aren't that hard to make, once you figure out where to get rice paper (turns out its actually found in most grocery stores in the Asian food isle). So here is an authentic recipe for Vietnamese spring rolls with a sweet and sour dipping sauce.


Vietnamese Fresh Spring Rolls with Sweet and Sour Dipping Sauce
Serves 2

Ingredients
For the spring rolls:
2 large carrots
1 cucumber
4 rice papers, large size
12 mint leaves
2 tbsp dried onion flakes
1/2 cup fresh baby spinach leaves or green lettuce leaves
8 large shrimp, cooked (or 12 small shrimp)
1 tbsp rice wine vinegar
1 tbsp brown sugar

For the dipping sauce:
1 clove crushed garlic
1/4 red chili, diced (or a small spoonful of chili paste, depending on how spicy you want the sauce to be)
Juice from 1/2 a lime
1 tsp rice wine vinegar

With a cheese grater grate the carrots. Peel the cucumber and grate it until you reach the seeds. Keep turning the cucumber until it is fully grated with only the core remaining. Discard the core. In a bowl combine the grated carrot and cucumber, vinegar and sugar and stir. Set aside.

For the dipping sauce, in a small bowl combine the vinegar, sugar, garlic, lime juice and chilies and stir. Set aside to serve with the spring rolls.

Take one rice paper and wet it under very cold running water. Lay the rice paper on a flat surface and wait about 1 minute until it is fully soft. Meanwhile, take the carrot/cucumber mixture in your hands and squeeze out all the excess liquid. Put the mixture in a separate bowl once all the liquid has been squeezed out. Take about 1/4 of the mixture and arrange it at one end of the rice paper, leaving about 1 inch from the edge on all sides (see pictures). Arrange 3 mint leaves and 1/4 of the spinach or lettuce on top of the cucumber and carrots. Sprinkle with dried onion flakes. Roll the rice paper over once. Fold over each side (again, see pics) and place 2-3 shrimp on top of the roll and. Now keep rolling the rice paper until the roll is finished.  Repeat with the other 3 rice papers until all the rolls are finished. Serve 2 per person with the sweet and sour dipping sauce.

Variations:
Instead of shrimp you can also use crab or fried pork. Sometimes I add cooked vermicelli rice noodles which make the rolls more filling. You can put almost anything you want inside the rolls, so get creative!

You can find rice papers in most grocery stores in the Asian food isle

Grate cucumber until you get to the seeds

Sweet and sour dipping sauce

Add the carrot, mint, dried onion and spinach leaves

Roll the rice paper over once

Fold over both sides

Add 2 or 3 shrimp

Continue to roll until the end of the rice paper

Serve with sweet and sour dipping sauce

Roasted Tomato and Macaroni Soup

Sometimes the best addition to a meal is a delicious soup. It also helps that left overs taste even better and make the best lunches. Here is my recipe for Roasted Tomato and Macaroni Soup...

Ingredients
8 Roma tomatoes, cut in half lengthwise
1/2 large or one small cooking onion, sliced
2 tbsp fresh rosemary
8 cloves garlic, peeled
2 cups vegetable broth
1/2 cup uncooked pasta
Cheese for topping
Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 400ºC. On a baking sheet lined with with aluminum foil arrange the tomatoes, garlic and sliced onion, season with kosher salt and cracked black pepper and bake for 30 minutes. Add the vegetables and the rosemary to a food processor (or blender if you don't have one) and puree until smooth. In a cooking pot bring the stock to a boil and add the pureed mixture. Add the macaroni and cook for 8-10 minutes. If there is a lot of caramelization from the veggies still on the pan, pour a little water onto the pan and stir, then add this juice to the soup. Serve the soup with cheese sprinkled on top and enjoy!

Fresh Roma tomatoes

Roasted Veggies

Add some strong cheddar to make this soup even better!

This soup goes great along side fish or a sandwich for dinner and with a piece of crusty bread for lunch!