Tortilla Chips

Originally published on June 26, 2014

You might think that making tortilla chips is pretty straightforward; I know I did. Slather them with some oil, cut them into triangles, and then throw them into a hot oven. Right? Right? Someone tell me I’m right. Actually, I wasn’t right. And the first time I tried to make tortilla chips this way, I was disappointed when I pulled them out of the oven and found hard little bits of I-don’t-even-know-what. Instead, take the time to prep them a little bit, let them take a swim in lots of oil, and there will be no disappointment on your menu.

Ingredients:

1 pack of flour tortillas, or 12 homemade tortillas 
3 or 4 cups of vegetable oil (or canola, or peanut), plus more for brushing
Salt 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 200 degrees Fahrenheit. When warm, add tortillas directly on the rack and leave in for about 10 minutes. The intention here is not to cook them, only to dry them out.

2.) In a large Dutch oven on the stove, warm 3 or 4 cups of vegetable oil on the stove to about 375 degrees Fahrenheit. While oil is heating, cut the dried-out tortillas into triangles. The easiest way is to pile all the tortillas on top of each other and then slicing them in half. Place one of the piles on top of another, and then cut all of the tortillas in half again. If needed, make several piles (because they might be getting too tall to cut all at once,) and cut each pile in half.

3.) When oil on the stove is hot, add tortilla triangles in batches into the oil. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, until the tortillas are slightly puffed and golden brown and then add another batch. Remove from oil, drain on paper towel, and season with salt immediately.

4.) When all tortilla chips are finished cooking, serve with pico de gallo, guacamole, or your favourite dip, and enjoy!

Quinoa Salad

Originally published on June 28, 2014

Quinoa confuses me. Firstly, yes, when I first saw it on store shelves, I was one of those that contorted my mouth into all kinds of different shapes trying to pronounce it exactly as it’s spelled. When I learned that it was pronounced KEEN-wah, I thought I was all set. Until I read the back of the box and found out it had carbs in it. What?!?!? Had everyone lied to me?

All I had heard about was how quinoa was a ‘perfect protein,’ a ‘pure protein’ that had no carbs whatsoever – that it was actually a seed, yet tasted and acted like a grain. A perfect solution for those trying to cut down on their carb intake. At first I figured it must have been the add-ins that were in the box. It was the type that had quinoa and garlic, some veggies I believe, and a whole spattering of other ingredients. But then I purchased a package of regular ol’ quinoa. No seasoning, no other ingredients, nuthin. I must be on the right track now, right? I flipped the package over, and to my dismay, saw that this regular quinoa had 72 mg of carbs per every 100g serving. That seems like a lot, doesn’t it?

So what’s going on? I don’t know. And if you’re in the same boat as me, I’m afraid I don’t have any answers for you. I have a feeling that with so many experts turning towards it and promoting it as one of the best things you can do for your health, it probably is better than eating a stack of potatoes or a huge pile of rice. But I’m not sure. I mean, in the 90s all we heard about was how butter and other monounsaturated fats were bad for us, and today we know differently.

I do know that quinoa still tastes really good – and that this quinoa salad is one of my favourite ways to eat it. Here’s a tip when you’re using this grain/protein, no matter how you’re preparing it: soak it in cold water for about 10 minutes, place it in a fine mesh colander, and then give it a good rinse. That will get rid of some of the coating that’s on there that can make it taste a little soapy or bitter. And if you have any idea what the real deal is with quinoa, please leave a comment below.

Ingredients:

1 cup uncooked quinoa, soaked and rinsed
1 1/2 cups water 
Salt 
1 cup cherry tomatoes (I used tri-colour tomatoes, but of course just red is fine if that’s all you can find), quartered
2 green onions, chopped
1 stalk celery, diced 
3 or 4 radishes, diced 
3 tablespoons basil, chopped 
3 tablespoons parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons dill, chopped 
2 or 3 tablespoons of olive oil (a couple of good glugs) 
Zest and juice of 1 lemon
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place uncooked quinoa in a medium-sized pot. Add water and salt, cover, and bring to a boil. Once boiling, turn heat to low and let simmer for about 20 minutes, until all of the water has been absorbed and the quinoa is nice and fluffy. Fluff with a fork, transfer to a bowl, and place in fridge to let cool for 30 – 45 minutes.

2.) Remove the bowl of quinoa from the fridge and add: cherry tomatoes, green onions, celery stalk, radishes, basil, parsley, dill, and lemon zest. Pour in olive oil and give everything a good toss to thoroughly combine all the ingredients. Sprinkle with salt and pepper, toss again, and taste. Adjust seasoning if necessary.

3.) Serve, or keep in fridge if making ahead, and enjoy!

Stuffed Garlic Bread

Originally published on June 29, 2014

Along with potato skins and Buffalo wings, when my husband used to have poker nights, I always had this stuffed garlic bread on the menu – even though it was always all gone by the time I had a chance to sit and maybe swipe a slice for myself. Sadly, we’ve moved away from his poker buddies, but this garlic bread continues to be a regular at our dinner table. If you’re going to be making your own bread (and I strongly suggest that you do,) form it into a log, baguette-style, instead of the traditional loaf shape. It’ll be easier to stuff and get waaaaay down to the bottom of the slices.

Ingredients:

1 loaf of Italian, French, or homemade bread 
1/2 cup butter
6 garlic cloves (more if you like it especially garlicky) 
1/2 cup fresh parsley, chopped 
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, finely grated
Salt 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Slice the bread just as you would as if you were serving it, but make sure you don’t cut all the way through. You want to slice a good couple of inches, but ensure that the whole loaf is still intact.

2.) Combine the butter, garlic, parsley, and a bit of salt to make a compound butter.

3.) Stuff the compound butter into the slices you’ve mad in the bread. I like to start with a little down each slice, and then add more at the end just to ensure each slice gets some of the butter. This will get really messy, and some butter will likely slop over the top of the bread – that’s okay! In fact, once the butter is fully melted, it’ll make the bread even more scrumptious.

4.) Wrap the entire loaf in foil and then place in oven. Cook for about 10 minutes, until the butter has fully melted and has just started baking right into the bread.

5.) Remove the loaf from the oven, unwrap, and finish the cuts in each slice so you have individual pieces of bread.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Easy-Mix White Bread

Originally published on July 3, 2014

The other day, my Internet went down. I considered it disaster until I went to go make my usual Sourdough Bread and realized that I couldn’t come to the site to get the recipe. Then it turned catastrophic. I was about to have a go at it and just try to make it from memory (after all, I’ve made it enough times, I’m sure it would have been fine,) but my eye then landed on the Better Homes and Gardens book All-Time Favorite Bread Recipes that was sitting on my shelf, the one my mother-in-law gave me. Figuring that it was the perfect time to try something new, I grabbed the book and started assembling my ingredients. And ya know what? The bread turned out nicer than any other bread I’ve ever made. From here on out, this is my go-to bread recipe. Hear that, World Wide Web? I don’t need you! (I’m just kidding, I didn’t mean it. Please don’t ever leave me again.)

Ingredients:

5 to 6 cups all-purpose flour
1 package active dry yeast (1 tablespoon) 
2 1/4 cups milk 
2 tablespoons sugar 
1 tablespoon shortening
2 teaspoons salt
1 egg 

Directions:

1.) In a large mixer bowl (you can use a food processor like I did if you don’t have a stand mixer,) combine 2 1/2 cups of flour and the yeast.

2.) In a saucepan, heat milk, sugar, shortening, and salt until it’s just above body temperature, about 115 degrees to 120 degrees Fahrenheit. My test is always just sticking my finger right in there. If I can hold it for a few seconds, but no longer than that, I know it’s done. Stir the mixture constantly and wait until the shortening has almost melted.

3.) Add the milk mixture to the flour and beat at low speed for 1 1/2 minutes, scraping the sides of the bowl. Then beat at high speed for 3 minutes.

4.) Stir in as much of the remaining flour as you can with a spoon. (You won’t be able to stir it all in, but reserve the flour you have left for the next step.)

5.) Empty the bowl onto a lightly floured surface and knead in enough of the remaining dough that you have a relatively stiff dough that is smooth and elastic. It should take about 6 – 8 minutes. Shape into a ball.

6.) Lightly grease a bowl with oil and then place the ball of dough inside, turning it once to thoroughly grease the entire surface. Cover, and allow to rise in a warm place until it doubles in size, about 1 1/4 hours.

7.) Lightly punch dough down and turn out onto a lightly floured surface.

8.) Divide dough in half. Cover, and let rest for 10 minutes. Lightly grease two 8″ x 4″ x 2″ loaf pans (or shape them into baguettes and grease two baking trays like I did for the stuffed garlic bread. Place in pans or on trays. Cover, and let rise in a warm place 45 – 60 minutes, until they have again doubled in size.

9.) Beat egg lightly with a tablespoon of water. Brush over loaves.

10.) Preheat oven to 375 degrees Fahrenheit. When hot, add bread and bake for about 45 minutes, until they are browned and completely cooked through. You’ll be able to tell they are done when you can lightly tap on them and hear a hollow sound. If the bread starts to become too brown before it’s finished cooking, you can cover it loosely with aluminum foil.

11.) Remove pans from oven when they’re done baking, carefully remove the loaves, and transfer them to wire racks to cool.

12.) Serve and enjoy!

Crunchy Corn Flour Waffles

Originally published on July 6, 2014

Yesterday I talked about how, after a very long wait, I finally made polenta and it didn’t nearly fulfill my high expectations. Well, it’s a good thing you can do a lot more with corn flour than just make that. Of course cornbread entered my mind, but since it was morning and I was staring at this package of yellow flour, I decided I’d try to use it to make waffles. I thought, because the corn flour I have is quite coarse, that it would make them even crunchier and crispier, and something that my waffles have just not yet ever turned out to be. Turns out, I was right. Remember when you’re using corn flour for waffles that you still have to use a bit of all-purpose, just to give them a bit of body and help them hold up better. Then you’ll have that perfect waffle – perfectly golden brown on the outside, and soft and chewy on the inside.

1 3/4 cups buttermilk (I almost always use the common substitution of the same amount of milk, with 1 tablespoon of vinegar) 
2 eggs
5 tablespoons vegetable oil, plus more for brushing the iron with 
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour 
1 cup corn flour or cornmeal 
2 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons baking powder 
1 teaspoon baking soda 
1 teaspoon salt 

Directions:

1.) In a large mixing bowl whisk together the buttermilk (or substitute,) eggs, and oil.

2.) In a separate bowl, mix together the dry ingredients.

3.) Pour the dry ingredients into the wet, and mix thoroughly to fully combine.

4.) Brush the interior surface area of the waffle iron with a bit of vegetable oil so the waffles do not stick. Then turn on, close, and wait for the iron to preheat. (You want to do this after the waffle mixture has been mixed to allow it to sit and thicken for a few minutes.)

5.) When the iron is hot, pour the batter onto the waffle iron in 1/3 cup servings. Close the iron, wait for each waffle to cook, about 3 – 5 minutes (or whenever your waffle iron tells you it’s ready,) then remove to a plate before adding more batter. Continue until all waffles have been made.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Peanut Butter

Originally published on July 8, 2014

Did you ever think you could make peanut butter that was better than what you bought at the store? Or perhaps even more so, did you ever think there was a need to make peanut butter at home? I never did, until one day when I made my summer rolls and needed my Thai peanut sauce to go with them. Everything was going swimmingly until I opened my cupboards to find that we had run out of peanut butter. Luckily, we did have a huge bin of peanuts that I could pretty easily turn into a luscious butter.

You can make this recipe even easier on yourself by buying roasted peanuts. I never do, only because I never know what I’m going to use them for. If you do, skip the part about roasting them in your oven (although I will tell you that the butter is even better when it’s freshly made, and still a little warm from those peanuts that were in the oven.)

Ingredients:

3 cups unsalted peanuts
2 tablespoons olive or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon honey
Salt 

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Place peanuts in a large bowl and add some salt, and the oil. Shake, toss, or mix with a wooden spoon to ensure all peanuts are coated in the oil and salt. Place onto a baking sheet and place sheet in the oven.

3.) Roast the peanuts for 30 – 35 minutes, making sure you turn them once. When they are done roasting, take them out and allow them to cool slightly (just so you can handle them.)

4.) Place the peanuts in a food processor, along with the honey. Blend or process them for a few minutes, until smooth. Taste, then add salt or more honey if necessary.

5.) Serve and enjoy, or place in the fridge for later use.

Perfect Lamb Loin Chops

Originally published on July 10, 2014

Welcome, welcome, welcome to my very first post on lamb! Can you believe it?!? This blog has been kickin’ around for five years and I’m just now getting my first post up about lamb! I’m so excited about it, although there is a very good reason why it’s taken me this long – lamb is expensive! But if you too are watching your wallet and you want to make some tasty lamb for yourself, there’s a way it can be done. It’s one of the most useful things in recent history that my mother has taught me.

If you want to get around the expensive price tag of lamb, opt for lamb loin chops instead of lamb rib chops. Rib chops are those that are cut right from a rack of lamb, the ones with that come with their long bones Frenched (meat and fat trimmed back from them) and look a bit like a meat lollipop. Loin chops on the other hand, are cut further away from the rib, closer to the leg of the lamb, and (as you can see from the pic above) look a bit like tiny T-bone steaks. The bonus with the loin chop is, not only are they cheaper than the rib chops, but you also get more meat and less fat with them, so they make for a pretty hearty dinner. Just like the rib chops though, be sure not to cook loin chops for too long or else they’ll become tough and chewy and lose some of their robust earthy flavour. Just a minute or two a side – in a screaming hot pan or grill – will do.

Ingredients:

6 lamb loin chops 
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped 
3 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus one tablespoon for the pan or grill 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place rosemary, garlic, 2 tablespoons olive oil, and salt and pepper on a plate or in a shallow casserole dish. Stir to combine. One by one, place loin chops into the mixture, turn to coat, and then set aside. Repeat with remaining chops. Once all the chops are finished, you can marinate them for up to an hour (or even longer in the fridge.) I didn’t plan ahead that long, so I just let them sit on the counter for a few minutes while I pulled the rest of my dinner together.

2.) When ready to cook the lamb, place a skillet or indoor grill pan over medium-high heat (of course, you could do this on an outdoor grill as well.) Add a tablespoon of oil, or oil the grates, and wait for the pan to heat. Add the lamb chops and cook for just over one minute to two minutes on one side. Flip, and cook for one minute on the other side.

3.) Turn heat off, remove lamb chops to a plate or cutting board, and tent with foil to keep warm while resting them for a few minutes.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Bruschetta

Originally published on July 11, 2014

Bruschetta is one of those things that is a favourite of most. What’s not to love about grilled bread, dripping with olive oil and tomatoes, with some fresh herbs sprinkled in? And while bruschetta really is a simple enough dish to pull together, there are a few things to remember if you want it to take you to that next level of heaven. That is, if you want actual bruschetta and not just a bunch of bread with tomatoes on it.

The most important thing to remember when you’re going for the authentic is to oil the bread and rub garlic on it immediately after toasting. In Tuscany, the word “bruschetta” actually translates into ‘oiled slice’ so as long as you’ve got that part down, whatever you choose to do with the toppings is your business. But remember to rub the garlic on and to never, ever mince it into the tomatoes. That raw garlic is likely to be too strong for most, and rubbing it on allows the garlic to melt into the bread. It’s also the way the Tuscans do it.

Ingredients:

1 baguette, cut into 1″-thick slices 
1 pint cherry tomatoes(you can use just red, or tri-coloured if you want extra aesthetic effect,) sliced in half 
1 teaspoon balsamic vinegar 
3 cloves garlic, peeled and halved lengthwise 
1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, rolled up together and then cut across (chiffonade) 
3 tablespoons olive oil, plus 2 tablespoons 
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place halved tomatoes, balsamic vinegar, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, and a generous pinch of salt and pepper in a bowl. Mix to allow all the ingredients to come together, and then let sit out on the counter while you prepare the baguette. This will give the topping ingredients a few minutes to really blend and marry together. It also releases some of the juice of the tomatoes, making the bruschetta even juicier, messier, and yummier.

2.) While the topping is come together, place a skillet over medium-high heat on the stove and add 3 tablespoons of olive oil to it. Place bread in and toast on one side for 2 – 3 minutes. Flip, and allow the other side to toast for the same amount of time. Remove from skillet, and place in more bread if you need to do it in batches.

3.) As soon as the bread comes out of the skillet, rub it with one of the halved garlic cloves on both sides. Continue doing this until all of the bread has been rubbed with garlic.

4.) Once all of the bread has been toasted, start piling the tomato topping onto it. As each slice of the baguette has had topping added to it, arrange it on a plate for serving. Once each slice of bruschetta is loaded with toppings and on the plate, sprinkle Parmesan cheese over each.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Parisian Scrambled Eggs

Originally published on July 12, 2014

Right now I’m reading My Life in France, by Julia Child. It’s a wonderfully funny and interesting book, and is somewhat familiar to me since it’s what the movie Julie and Julia is based on, and I’ve seen that about a kabillion times. In the book, Julia speaks about a Chef Bugnard that was immensely helpful to her during her time at Cordon Bleu, and she speaks at great length about the time he showed her how to make scrambled eggs. Before I read that chapter, I thought everyone made scrambled eggs the same way. Throw the eggs into a bowl with some cream or milk, beat it all into submission, and then pour into a hot hot pan before again, beating it all and scrambling the whole mess up. Turns out, that’s the way Julia was doing it, and she was wrong. We all were.

No, according to Chef Bugnard, you have to beat the eggs only slightly before turning them into the pan, and for heaven’s sake, don’t add anything else to them just yet! Let them sit in a pan over low heat for a few minutes without touching them, and then add the milk or cream and start turning them over. The result?  Something that is much looser, much lighter, and much more custardy than the scrambled eggs we’re all used to. And to tell you the truth? While I think it’s worthwhile for everyone to try this method so they can determine for themselves whether or not they like it, I think I’ll leave this one to the Parisians.

Ingredients:

6 eggs, very lightly beaten
2 tablespoons butter 
2 tablespoons milk or cream 
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Place a skillet over medium-low heat. When hot, add the butter and when the butter has melted, add the eggs. Allow the eggs to sit in the pan for 3 minutes, and then slowly start loosening them up and scrambling them within the pan. After you’ve turned the eggs once, let them sit for one minute so the uncooked portions can cook some, and then turn them again before letting the eggs sit for another minute. Continue doing this until the eggs have almost set in the pan, but are still quite loose.

2.) Add milk or cream and lightly mix it into the eggs. Let the eggs sit for another minute, just until the liquid has been absorbed, and then remove the entire mixture from the heat.

3.) Season with salt and pepper, sprinkle with the fresh parsley and mix to combine the seasonings.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Perfect Scrambled Eggs

Originally published on July 13, 2014

Because I turned my nose up at the idea of Parisian scrambled eggs yesterday, I thought it only fair to bring you my version of perfect scrambled eggs today. These are small little mounds of eggs that are light and fluffy and, even have a little bit of onion in them (because I love an extra little bite in my scramble.) I also find that the sour cream gives these eggs even more lift than regular cream or milk, and a little bit of zip too. They’re not like custard at all (because if I want custard, I’ll make custard) but instead, are just perfect scrambled eggs.

6 eggs
2 tablespoons sour cream 
1 green onion, sliced 
3 tablespoons butter 
Salt 
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) Lightly beat the eggs together with the sour cream and set aside.

2.) Melt the butter in a skillet over medium-high heat. When melted, add egg mixture and allow it to sit for just one minute (or even less), until the bottom is set. Scrape the egg with a spatula in order to scramble, and then add green onion slices. Mix and scramble again and then take off heat so that the egg does not over-cook. Season with salt and pepper once it’s off the heat, as seasoning sooner can make the eggs rubbery.

3.) Serve and enjoy!