Zucchini Pizzas

Originally published on August 18, 2014

Looking back on when I made these zucchini pizzas (which was just a couple of days ago) I’m so conflicted. I mean, they were good – really, really good. But I was so hoping that by slathering slices of zucchini with spaghetti sauce and cheese, my older daughter Paige – who hates zucchini – would love them. I mean, she loves cheese pizza, and you can slather spaghetti sauce on just about anything and kids will love it, right? Well, I hate to tell you, that wasn’t the case this time. She still hates zucchini and when I asked how she was enjoying this particular lunch, she said “A little bit,” which is kid speak for “I hate it. Please never make it again.” (Well, in my house anyway.) But I loved them, and my other daughter, Maddie loved them. I don’t know if I’ll make them again, simply because I don’t believe in making different things for different people and Paige really does despise zucchini. If I don’t, it’ll be a shame because they’re so incredibly easy to make and use only five ingredients (including your salt and pepper!)

Ingredients:

1 zucchini, sliced into 1/2″ inch circles
3/4 – 1 cup pizza or spaghetti sauce 
1/2 cup – 1 cup mozzarella cheese
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Place zucchini slices into a colander and sprinkle with salt. This will draw the water out so the zucchinis don’t go soggy in the oven, but don’t be too liberal with the salt, as you won’t be rinsing it off. Just sprinkle the zucchini, toss, give another small sprinkle, and then toss again. Let the slices sit in the colander for 15 – 20 minutes to get some of the water out of them.

2.) While zucchinis are being salted, preheat the oven to 400 degrees Fahrenheit and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper.

3.) When zucchinis are salted and ready, place them on the baking sheet and lightly sprinkle with pepper. Place about one tablespoon of spaghetti sauce onto each zucchini slice. The amount you use on each slice will vary depending on how large your zucchinis are, but try to completely cover the tops of each. Then sprinkle generously with the mozzarella cheese.

4.) Place baking sheet in the oven and cook zucchinis for 5 – 10 minutes, just until both the zucchinis and sauce are hot and the cheese is melted.

5.) Serve and enjoy!

Salsa

Originally published on August 20, 2014

Today is Wednesday, and that means that yesterday was Taco Tuesday in our house. Usually I just make Pico de Gallo as a topping, but now that I’ve been working in a restaurant for the past several weeks, I’ve been able to see  how really, really good salsa is made. And even more, I’ve been able to see that it’s okay to use canned tomatoes for it. I always wrote canned tomatoes off if they were being eaten raw, just because they’re so soupy and not very fresh. But I have to tell you, that’s exactly what you want in your salsa. Or, it’s what I want, anyway. I don’t like my salsa to be very chunky, but rather a smoother concoction that can be easily scooped up. And that’s exactly what you get when you use canned tomatoes. This is a pretty close adaptation to that salsa recipe I’m always making when I’m at the restaurant, but I did change a few things up from it. (Not because their salsa isn’t good, only because I don’t want to give away all their secrets.) And no, sorry. This time I can’t tell you what I did differently. I can just tell you that it’s really, really good.

Ingredients:

1 can diced tomatoes, with some of the juices
1/2 green pepper, chopped in a small dice
1/2 onion, finely diced
3 cloves garlic, minced 
2 tablespoons pickled jalapenos, diced
1/2 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon ground coriander 
1/4 cup fresh parsley, chopped
Juice of 1 lemon
Juice of 1 lime
Salt 

Directions:

1.) Place a colander over a large bowl and empty can of tomatoes into it. Allow the tomatoes to sit for about 15 minutes, scraping down the sides occasionally. This allows as much water to drain as possible so that your salsa isn’t too wet. When tomatoes are finished draining, place them on a cutting board and roughly chop them to break them down even further.

2.) Place the drained tomatoes into a large bowl and add all other ingredients. Stir to combine all ingredients very well and then cover and place in the fridge for an hour or so to allow all flavours to marry.

3.) Serve and enjoy!

Taco Casserole

Originally published on August 22, 2014

I’ve talked a lot about Taco Night in our house, and even about how we always have a ton of leftovers. Who doesn’t after Taco Night? I mean, you always want to make sure that you have enough beef and toppings for everyone to stuff until they’re stuffed, but what are you supposed to do with that already-cooked beef, a handful of diced tomato, and maybe a bit of cheese? Throw it all together and make a casserole out of it! It not only makes for a tasty way to use up your leftovers, but it also gives you a super easy weeknight meal that takes just minutes to get into the oven.

Ingredients:

1/2 pound – 1 pound, cooked and seasoned
3 cups cooked Spanish rice 
2 cups tomatoes, diced 
2 cups salsa 
5 hard taco shells, broken up
2 1/2 cups Cheddar cheese, grated 
1 1/2 cups shredded lettuce, for serving
Sour cream, for serving

Directions:

1.) Preheat the oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Add beef, Spanish rice, tomatoes, and salsa to a large bowl. Mix thoroughly to combine all ingredients.

3.) Place the beef and rice mixture into a 9″ x 13″ casserole dish and top with grated Cheddar cheese. Put the entire casserole dish into the oven and bake for 30 – 45 minutes, until cheese is hot and bubbling.

4.) When casserole is finished cooking, remove it from the oven and sprinkle broken hard taco shells completely over the top of the casserole.

5.) Cut portions out of the casserole and place on individual serving plates. Top with shredded lettuce and a dollop of sour cream, if using.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Lemon Zucchini Bread

Originally published on August 23, 2014

I’ve made zucchini bread many times before. It usually comes out much like banana bread, dense and dark, and maybe a smidgen more nutritious than the banana variety. But when my mom sent me this lemon zucchini bread, I knew I had to try it out. Man, what a difference it is! This comes out of your oven moist and light, and oh so much lemon taste! It’s truly delicious and the glaze makes it much more of a dessert than the snack or breakfast food my regular zucchini bread is. And while the recipe at Lilluna.com gave me a good start, I will say (modestly) that mine is better. The cook time on the original just wasn’t right and they also don’t actually tell you how to make the glaze. Granted, it’s not rocket science, but it’s still a recipe. I also adapted the recipe to be made in a stand mixer because ya know, any chance to use my stand mixer. If you don’t have one yet, just mix wet and dry ingredients separately and then combine the two just before bake time.

Ingredients:

For the bread:

2 cups cake flour
1/2 teaspoon salt 
2 teaspoons baking powder
2 eggs 
1/2 cup canola oil
1 1/3 cups sugar 
Juice of 2 lemons
1/2 cup buttermilk
Zest of 1 lemon
1 cup grated zucchini

For the glaze:

1 cup icing sugar
2 tablespoons lemon juice
1 tablespoon milk

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit and grease a 9″ x 5″ loaf pan.

2.) Place eggs into the bowl of a stand mixer with the paddle attachment attached and beat well. Add oil and sugar and continue beating until well blended. Then add lemon juice, buttermilk, and lemon zest and mix until all ingredients are fully incorporated. Add the zucchini and mix well.

3.) In a medium-sized bowl combine flour, salt and baking powder and mix very well. Add this mixture to the wet mixture in the bowl of the stand mixer and combine everything very well.

4.) Pour mixture into prepared loaf pan and place in the preheated oven. Bake for about 1 hour – 1 hour, 10 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

5.) While the loaf is baking combine icing sugar, lemon juice and milk. Stir together to completely incorporate everything together until a silky glaze forms. If the mixture is too tight, add one more teaspoon of milk.

6.) When loaf comes out of the oven, allow to cool in the loaf pan for about 10 – 15 minutes. Then, gently turn it out of the loaf pan onto a plate. Slowly drizzle the glaze over top, allowing it to run down the sides. Then allow the loaf to cool completely, and allow the glaze to set up completely before slicing and serving.

7.) Serve and enjoy!

Strawberry Pie

Originally published on August 25, 2014

I’ve been baking a lot this summer. I don’t really know why that is, as I’ve always considered myself someone who loves to cook – that is, fry, saute, roast meat and vegetables and barbecue – but has always been a bit of a klutz when it comes to baking. But this year, it’s been going okay for me, leading me to do more and more of it. The problem is, my dear husband doesn’t like too much of what I bake. He’s not big on zucchini bread at all, and even when I made strawberry rhubarb pie he snubbed his nose at it and asked if I could make just a plain strawberry pie the next time the urge to bake rushed over me. It didn’t happen until we celebrated an anniversary in August, and it was a hit! In fact, the best dessert I’ve ever made, he said. I think part of what made it so good was the pie crust I used.

I don’t know what happened with this pie crust. I used the same ingredients I usually do, and even used the food processor like I’ve been doing the last few times I made it. But when I made this one using The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook, it just turned out…better. I don’t know why. Maybe the humidity was just right that day, or maybe the Spirit of Martha was with me when I made it. Either way, it helped bring the entire pie together in a beautiful way and made it even more phenomenal.

Ingredients:

For the pie crust:

2 1/2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
1 teaspoon salt 
1 teaspoon sugar 
1 cup chilled, unsalted butter, cut into pieces 
1/4 cup to 1/2 cup ice water 
1 egg yolk
1 tablespoon heavy cream 

For the filling:

5 cups strawberries, hulled and quartered
1/4 cup cornstarch 
2/3 to 3/4 cup sugar, according to sweetness of strawberries
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1 tablespoon lemon juice
Whipped cream, optional

Directions:

1.) Place the flour, sugar, and salt in the bowl of a food processor, and process for a few seconds to combine. Add the butter pieces to the flour mixture and process until the mixture resembles coarse meal, about 10 seconds. Add the ice water in a slow, steady stream, through the feed tube with the machine running, just until the dough holds together. Do not process for more than 30 seconds.

2.) Turn the dough out onto a work surface. Divide into 2 equal pieces and place on 2 separate sheets of plastic wrap. Flatten and form two disks. Wrap and refrigerate at least 1 hour before using (you’ll only need 1 disk for this recipe, so you can freeze the other for up to a month to use later.)

3.) Roll out pie dough to fit pie dish. Gently press dough down into the dish so that it lines the bottom and sides of the dish. Then use a knife or a pair of kitchen scissors to trim dough to within 1/2″ border of the edge of the dish. Fold edges of the dough underneath itself, creating a thicker, 1/4″ border that rests on the lip of the dish. Then, crimp edges.

4.) Heat oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. Place a baking sheet on the middle rack of the oven. Pierce the bottom of the pie crust with a fork to prevent air pockets or bubbles forming while baking. Line the crust with two sheets of aluminum foil, being sure to push the foil against the edges of the crust. Then, fill foil with dried rice, dried beans, or pie weights. Refrigerate for 30 minutes or freeze for 10 minutes, or until firm to the touch.

5.) Place pie crust onto preheated baking sheet and reduce oven temperature to 400 degrees Fahrenheit. Bake 20 to 30 minutes or until the crust is golden.

6.) Make egg wash by mixing egg yolk and cream in a small bowl. Then, remove ice, beans, or pie weights and foil from pie crust. Brush bottom and sides of crust with egg wash. Bake until egg wash is dry and shiny, 3 to 5 minutes. Cool crust completely before filling.

7.) Add 2 cups of strawberries to a small saucepan and mash until they are slightly chunky. Add sugar, corn starch, vanilla extract, lemon juice, and salt. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and cook, stirring occasionally, until sugar dissolves and glaze has thickened; 3 to 5 minutes. Cool completely.

8.) Combine remaining 3 cups of strawberries with cooled strawberry glaze. Stir until strawberries are well coated. Spoon strawberry filling into cooled pie crust.

9.) Refrigerate at least 2 hours before cutting to allow filling to set. Just before serving, top with whipped cream, if using.

10.) Serve and enjoy!

Cake Flour Substitute

Originally published on August 27, 2014

Walk down the “baking” section of any grocery store and you will quickly become dazed and confused just looking at all the different types of flours that are on the shelves. There’s of course, all-purpose, but there’s also bread flour, cake flour, whole wheat flour, and if you go one step further, chick pea flour, almond flour, quinoa flour, and a host of others. And it seems, the more you cook and bake, the more you need to have at least several different types of flour in your pantry. And if you’re a real stickler about following recipes word for word, you can quickly eat up a large portion of your grocery budget if you buy them all. That’s why today, I’m here to tell you about one flour that has an easy substitute – cake flour.

Cake flour is used for more than just cakes. It’s also used in many tart and pie recipes, and any other recipe that calls for a lighter flour than all-purpose. But if you want to cut back on the plethora of flours in your cupboard, you can, just by using all-purpose with a bit of cornstarch in the mix.

I thought I already had this substitute in the page “Common Kitchen Substitutions” page that’s on the site. But when I went back to check, I was surprised that the only cake flour substitution was “1 cup all-purpose flour minus 2 tablespoons.” That’s true, up to a point. When using all-purpose as a substitute for cake flour, you do need to measure out 1 cup of all-purpose and then remove two tablespoons and put them back in your flour jar. But, you need to replace those 2 tablespoons of flour with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch. I don’t know how this works, but some type of science happens once the heat hits that mixture and it makes the flour mix lighter and fluffier than all-purpose alone would. And it really does work! I used this substitute when I made my Lemon Zucchini Bread, and it was the moistest, lightest dessert bread I’ve ever made.

So there ya go, your new cake flour substitute that will work, and that will give you all the flour you need while buying less of it. Now if you’ll excuse me, there’s a page on my site that needs fixing…..

How to Make Your Own Garlic Powder

Originally published on August 30, 2014

The other day I wanted to try a new chicken wing recipe my mother had sent me. Reading through it while checking all my cupboards to make sure I had all the ingredients, I was disheartened by the fact that I had no garlic powder, an important ingredient I needed for the rub they’d soak up for a few hours before being tossed on the grill. Not wanting to give up on the entire idea altogether, I did remember that I had about five bulbs of garlic sitting in another cupboard. And then the idea struck! Make your own garlic powder! I don’t have a dehydrator, but I am not to be stopped when I get an idea in my head (especially if I’m in the kitchen when it strikes) and so onward I went – on a mission to make my very own garlic powder using fresh garlic. I only used one head of garlic (after all, I didn’t reallyknow how this little experiment was going to turn out,) and that, I was hoping, would give me the amount of garlic powder I would need for  my recipe. It did; it yields about 3 – 4 tablespoons. If you want more though, just use more garlic. I promise you, this really works!

Ingredients:

1 head of garlic    $0.33

Directions:

1.) Preheat your oven to its lowest setting (mine was 170 degrees Fahrenheit.) Peel and slice the garlic very thinly. Make sure that you get them all to about even thickness so that they can all dry evenly and you won’t have some very dry pieces and others that are still moist and soft in the middle when they’re done cooking.

2.) Place all the slices in a single layer on a baking sheet. (My one head fit onto one baking sheet, but of course use more than one if you  need to. The single layer is VERY important here, as the garlic will not dry out if it’s covered by other pieces of garlic.)

3.) Place the baking sheet in the oven and slowly cook and dry them out for about 2 hours (for one head,) checking on them every 30 minutes or so. You will know when they’re ready to be taken out of the oven when they are extremely dry and brittle. It’s okay if the edges turn slightly brown during this process but for the most part, they should remain white.

4.) When garlic is finished drying, remove from the oven and place into a blender or food processor. While my processor usually wins out, I chose the blender this time as the bowl of the processor is simply too big and I wondered if it would be able to get at all the garlic inside. If I do it again using more heads of garlic, I’ll likely use the processor. Process or blend until the garlic is completely broken down into a powder – and watch your face when you take that lid off; there’s a lot of dust! Remove any large bits that did not break down and/or are still moist.

5.) Use and enjoy!

Marinated Bocconcini

Originally published on September 1, 2014

I fell in love with bocconcini cheese many moons ago, when I was still a teenager working in a restaurant kitchen in my hometown. Bocconcini is really just fresh mozzarella and you’ll find that it comes in a shape that falls somewhere between an oval and a square (unless you buy the really tiny pearl bocconcini, when it then – fittingly – takes on the shape of a pearl.) The term “bocconicini” means “little bites” in Italian, and while it’s delicious all on its own, marinating them like this provides an extra oomph to any dish you’re adding them to, and can also be a great stand-alone appetizer when entertaining.

Ingredients:

5 – 8 bocconcini, cut in half (you can do more or less depending on how many you need)
2 tablespoons fresh rosemary, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh basil, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped
2 tablespoons fresh parsley, chopped
1/4 cup olive oil
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar 
Salt
Pepper 

Directions:

1.) After chopping the herbs, leave them on the cutting board and add salt and pepper. (You can transfer them to a bowl or plate if you wish, but I find you lose less herbs if you don’t move them.) Mix the herb mixture thoroughly and then roll the bocconcini halves, one by one, in it, being sure to thoroughly coat all sides. Place bocconcini in a container that can be closed with an airtight lid, but leave it open for now.

2.) Place the balsamic vinegar in a bowl and, while quickly whisking, slowly add the olive oil. When dressing is mixed and slightly thickened, pour over the bocconcini in the container. Do not shake or roll the bocconcini in the dressing, just let it sit. The cheese will absorb some of the dressing, and moving them too much in the liquid can cause them to lose a lot of the herb mixture.

3.) Place the lid of the container on tight and leave the bocconcini in the fridge for two hours to absorb all the flavours.

4.) Serve and enjoy!

Cream of Mushroom Soup

Originally published on September 5, 2014

Cream of mushroom soup can be more than just a great meal (and this one is truly great!), it can also be stored in your freezer along with your stock and used as an ingredient in any dish that calls for it. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve turned away a recipe because it calls for pre-made ingredients such as cream of mushroom soup. No, I can stop doing that and so can you, when you make your very own and still have everything made completely from scratch. But before you go filling your freezer, make sure you at least have a bowl or two of this creamy soup – it’s delicious!

Ingredients:

3 cups sliced mushrooms, plus 1 cup
1 onion, finely diced 
2 stalks celery, finely diced 
4 cloves garlic, minced 
2 – 3 tablespoons fresh thyme, chopped 
2 tablespoons butter
2 tablespoons olive oil, plus 1 tablespoon 
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 
4 – 5 cups chicken stock or vegetable stock 
1 cup heavy cream 
1/2 cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped
Salt 
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Place 1 tablespoon of olive oil and 2 tablespoons of butter in a large pot and set over medium heat. When it has melted and the foam has subsided add the celery, onion, garlic, and 3 cups of mushrooms. Stir to completely coat everything in the fat and then cook for about 10 minutes, until everything has softened and mushrooms are just starting to brown. (With this many mushrooms, I found it impossible to get them all to brown – let alone brown evenly, so just wait until some start to brown and then move on with the rest of the soup.) Stir the pot regularly to ensure that all vegetables are as evenly cooked as possible, then add thyme, salt, and pepper.

2.) Sprinkle all-purpose flour over all the vegetables, stir to completely coat, and allow the flour to cook out for about 2 or 3 minutes. Then add the stock, stirring constantly. Turn heat to medium-high and let the soup come up to a boil. Then lower heat to a simmer and allow all ingredients to cook together for about 20 minutes. Taste regularly, and adjust seasoning as necessary.

3.) While the soup is simmering, pour two tablespoons of olive oil in a separate skillet and place over medium heat. When hot add the remaining cup of sliced mushrooms and stir to coat them entirely in the fat. Cook for about 5 – 7 minutes, until they are really carmalized (you should be able to get them quite a bit darker as there aren’t that many of them in this pot.) When mushrooms are nicely browned, remove them from the heat, salt them, and set aside.

4.) When soup has finished simmering, turn heat down to low, add the cream, and stir to fully incorporate it. Keep soup on the heat as long as it takes to completely warm the whole thing through, about 3 or 5 minutes. Taste, and adjust seasoning if necessary.

5.) When ready to serve, remove soup pot from the heat and ladle into bowls. Garnish with the carmalized mushrooms and the chopped parsley.

6.) Serve and enjoy!

Stuffed Swiss Chard

Originally published on September 6, 2014

Typically when I buy Swiss chard, I cut the tough stems off, chop it all up, and throw it into a skillet with some olive oil, salt, and pepper. When I saw it staring up at me from my shopping cart this week though, I wanted to do something different with it. I mulled it over on the way home and decided that I’d do something  a bit like cabbage rolls, but maybe something simpler, and perhaps even make it a vegetarian option. These are what I came up with.

Ingredients:

1 bunch of Swiss chard, leaves removed, washed, and dried thoroughly 
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 cups fresh spinach leaves 
1/2 onion, finely diced 
4 cloves garlic, minced
Juice of 1/2 lemon 
2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
Salt
Pepper

Directions:

1.) Preheat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.

2.) Heat one tablespoon of olive oil over medium heat. When hot add onion and garlic and saute until onion is soft and translucent, about 5 minutes. Then add spinach and cook for another two minutes, just until the leaves have completely wilted. Remove from heat, transfer everything to a bowl and season with salt and pepper. Allow to cool, and then add ricotta cheese. Mix the entire mixture so that all ingredients are fully combined. (I tell you, this mixture is so good I had to stop myself from eating it all up with a spoon.)

3.) One by one, lay the Swiss chard leaves out flat and cut out most of the tough rib that travels up the centre of the leaf. You will be left with a big slit in your leaf. Take the smaller side and lay it so that it lines the other side, bridging the gap that was left when you cut out the rib. Then take a tablespoonful of the ricotta mixture and lay it at the narrowest end. Roll the ricotta mixture up into the leave, tucking the sides in and allowing them to be folded along the way. When finished one roll, place it in a square casserole dish for baking and repeat with the other leaves of Swiss chard.

4.) When all Swiss chard has been rolled, use the remaining tablespoon of olive oil to brush the leaves gently (you only need to do this on the side that’s facing up, as those are the only leaves that will turn crispy if you don’t.) Squeeze the lemon juice over all of the leaves (to help them stay green and give a bit of “zing” in your bite at the same time,) and season with salt.

5.) Place the Swiss chard into the oven and bake lightly for 10 minutes, just long enough to get the cheese kind of “gooey” and to slightly warm the entire thing through.

6.) Serve and enjoy!