Urban Suburban Mommy

Category Archives: Delicious Dishes

One Pan Wonderful Meal (30 minutes or less)

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Meet Danielle Reid, Mother of 4 and Urban Suburban Mommy’s food contributor.  She’ll be bringing you wonderful meal ideas that are fast, easy and healthy for the whole family! Here is her first recipe and you’ll love it!

 

This meal is STONEsational for you, crazy busy families.  With a busy schedule and minimal time, this is the perfect recipe for you to incorporate into your Meal Planning schedule.

It’s simple, easy and well balanced.  I use a Stone Sheet pan (a.k.a Large Bar Pan) in my Kitchen, and I’m sure many of you also own one that you “never use”.  WEll pull that guy out!  If you don’t have a Stone Sheet Pan (a.k.a Large Bar Pan), grab your sheet pan of choice.  This meal still works just as well for you too!  If you’re a large family 5 or more, you may want to double this recipe and use 2 Sheet Pans.  I am a Double Sheet Pan person myself.

The best part about this recipe is you can tailor it specifically to your families likes and dislikes… AH-HA!!!!!

What you need: **For one pan (if using 2 pan, remember to double)

  • 2 Large Baking Potatoes
  • 1 Zucchini
  • 1 Red Pepper
  • 1 Onion
  • 1 cup of Mushrooms
  • 2 Garlic Cloves
  • 4 tbsp of Olive Oil
  • 3/4 Panko crumbs
  • 1 tsp of your favorite seasoning/rub i.e. Rosemary, Lemon Pepper, or Bell Pepper
  • 1 tbsp of shredded Parm Cheese
  • 1 egg
  • Salt and Pepper

What You Do:

Pre-set oven to 425°F

  1. Cut potatoes and zucchini into 1/4″ slices
  2. Wedge the Onion and Red Pepper
  3. Mix Potatoes, Zucchini, Onion, Red Pepper, Mushrooms, Olive Oil, Minced Garlic, Salt and Pepper in a large bowl, stir to evenly coat all veggies.
  4. Arrange Veggies around the outside of your pan, leaving the center open
  5. If you have Coating trays, grab them here, or use bowls or plates.  Lightly beat the egg and place in one tray.  Combine the Panko, some salt to taste, Parmesan Cheese, Rosemary (or seasoning of choice) in another bowl.
  6. Dip the Chicken into the Egg Mixture then into the Panko mixture, coat completely and place the chicken in the center of the Pan (the space provided earlier)
  7. Bake at 425°F for 22-25 minutes, or until the Chicken is done (no longer pink in the middle)

Danielle Reid

 

Meal Planning, Meals in Minutes and Independant Consultant for the Pampered Chef

www.facebook.com/daniellespamperedkitchen

Danielle’s Pampered Kitchen..Healthy Meals in Minutes

WEBSITE: www.pamperedchef.biz/daniellereid

Chef Calvo’s superstar Super Bowl tailgate chili

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Know what one of the most searched recipes on the Internet might be?

Yup, chili.

But why search away, when award-winning Chef Adrieanne Calvo has shared hers with us! And with Super Bowl LI this weekend, we’ll make you the superstar of the tailgate party with this one.

 

The not-so-secret ‘secret ingredient’ in this chili recipe is short ribs, and Chef Adrianne’s short rib recipe made Thrillist’s list of the “50 things you need to eat before you die”. They’re not wrong.

“I have always been a huge fan of watching the Super Bowl with my family and friends,” says Chef Adrianne. “This year, I was inspired to create my very own take on chili; something everyone would be dreaming about long after the game. ”

Bringing her short ribs into the chili mix is just one over-the-top meal waiting to happen. Super Bowl LI demands this kind of extraordinary dish! But it’s not just the dish, Chef Adrianne has given us the most mouth-watering tailgate meal: Maximum Flavor Short Rib Chili + Candied Cornbread + Corn Jalapeño Relish + Chili-dusted Onion Rings

Chili – What you need:

– 3 lbs Short Rib (boneless), trimmed of excess fat
– 1 yellow onion, chopped
– 1 green bell pepper, chopped
– 8 garlic cloves, chopped
– 2 tablespoons chili powder
– 2 teaspoons cumin
– 1 teaspoon oregano
– 1/4 cup brown sugar
– 1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper
– 1 can (28oz) diced tomatoes
– 1 can tomato paste
– 1 can (28oz) crushed tomatoes
– 1 cup dark beer
– 2 (16oz) cans Red Kidney Beans
– Kosher salt and pepper to taste

What you do:

Place all ingredients in the slow cooker on the low heat setting. Cover and cook for 6 to 8 hours. Adjust seasoning with salt and pepper.

Candied Cornbread – What you need:

– 1 loaf cornbread, (can be store bought)
– 1 tablespoon butter, melted
– 1 tablespoon honey

What you do:

Preheat oven to 400°F.
Crumble the cornbread into a mixing bowl and toss with butter and honey. Place mixture onto a cookie sheet and bake for 10 to 12 minutes.

Corn Jalapeño Relish – What you need:

– 1 cup Corn kernels
– 1/4 cup red onion, minced
– 1 tablespoon jalapeño, minced and seeded
– 1 tablespoon cilantro, minced
– 1 tablespoon lime juice
– Kosher salt and pepper

What you do:

Mix all ingredients in a bowl.

Chili Dusted Onion Rings – What you need:

– 1 yellow onion, sliced into 1/2 inch thick rings
– Milk for soaking
– 1 tablespoon cornstarch
– 1 teaspoon chili powder
– Kosher salt and pepper

What you do:

Preheat fryer to 400°F.
In a mixing bowl, add milk and soak each individual onion ring for 15 minutes. In another mixing bowl, combine cornstarch, chili powder, salt and pepper. Dip each ring into powder and fry immediately.

To serve up a dish, top each bowl of chili with candied cornbread crumbles, corn jalapeño relish and top it all off with an onion ring and some shredded pepper jack cheese.

Adrianne Calvo is the Executive Chef and owner of Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar, Host of Maximum Flavor Live on NBC’s 6 in the Mix, author of four cookbooks: Maximum Flavor (2005); Chef Adrianne: Driven by Flavor Fueled by Fire (2008); #MaximumFlavorSocial (2014); and Play with Fire (2015), and founder of the Make it Count Foundation. Chef Adrianne’s Vineyard Restaurant and Wine Bar opened in 2007 and offers a varied and rotating menu with something for everyone. Monthly, the restaurant holds its signature event, Dark Dining, where guests are blindfolded for a sensual experience eliminating one sense in order to enhance another, providing maximum flavor.

www.chefadriannes.com 

Chef Adrianne

 

Chef Adrianne Calvo

Interstellar Lasagna from Micaela Cook Karlsen

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A Plant Based Life Cookbook Author Micaela Cook Karlsen shares her delicious and nutritious recipe for lasagna with Urban Suburban Mommy.  Read our full interview with Micaela here.

Interstellar Lasagna

“I finished perfecting this recipe the week that NASA’s Kepler Mission found a new Earth-like planet, 452b, so I named it in honor of the discovery,” she said.

Ingredients:

Layer 1: 1 medium onion, 1 16-ounce package firm tofu (drained), 1 teaspoon garlic powder, 1 ½ teaspoons white miso , 1/3  cup nutritional yeast, 1/3  cup packed fresh basil leaves

Layer 2: 1 medium onion, 1 10-ounce package cremini mushrooms (stems trimmed), ½ cup frozen spinach, ¼ cup pine nuts, 2 teaspoons Italian seasoning, salt to taste

Additional components: 1 10-ounce box whole-grain lasagna noodles  and 3 to 4 cups of your favorite tomato sauce (or try Chef AJ’s Quick Sun-Dried Tomato Marinara)

Toppings:  1 medium tomato, sliced thinly, 2 tablespoons nutritional yeast, Salt to taste

Instructions:

Preheat the oven to 375ºF.

Make layer 1: Place the onion in a food processor, and pulse until it is finely chopped. Add the tofu, garlic powder, miso, and nutritional yeast and blend until everything is evenly mixed. At this point the mixture will be like a dry puree—grainy and not too wet. Add the basil leaves and pulse until the basil is chopped into small bits and evenly distributed in the mixture. Transfer the contents of layer 1 to a medium bowl.

Make layer 2: Place the onion in a food process and pulse until it is finely chopped. Add the mushrooms, spinach, pine nuts, Italian seasoning, and salt and blend until everything is evenly mixed.

Assemble the lasagna: Divide your noodles into three equal piles, to correspond with the three noodle layers in the final dish. Cover the bottom of a 9 x 13–inch glass pan with ¾ cup tomato sauce and ½ cup water. Use a spoon to mix the two and evenly distribute the liquefied sauce. Place one layer of lasagna noodles on top of the sauce-water mixture. Cover the noodles with 1 to 1 ½ cups tomato sauce, using a spoon to evenly distribute it. Add the mixture for Layer 1 to the pan. Cover layer 1 with the second layer of noodles. Add the mixture for Layer 2 to the pan. Cover Layer 2 with the third/top layer of noodles. Cover the noodles with 1 ¼ to 1 ½ cups tomato sauce using a spoon to evenly distribute it.

Add the toppings: Place tomato slices on top of the sauce evenly around the pan. Sprinkle each slice with a bit of salt for added flavor, if desired, then sprinkle the nutritional yeast evenly on top of the tomatoes.

Cover the pan with aluminum foil and bake for 35 minutes, then remove cover and bake an additional 20 to 25 minutes or until the top surface has developed a skin. Serves 6-8.

Micaela Karlsen

MICAELA COOK KARLSEN is a founding employee and former Executive Director of the T. Colin Campbell Center for Nutrition Studies. A contributor to the New York Times bestseller Forks Over Knives and the creator of www.PlantBasedResearch.org, a free online database of research on plant-based nutrition, she holds an MSPH in Human Nutrition from Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health and is a PhD candidate in Nutritional Epidemiology at the Tufts Friedman School of Nutrition Science and Policy. She is the author of A Plant-Based life: Your Complete guide to Great Food, Radiant Health, Boundless Energy, and a Better Body (AMACOM). She lives in Boston.

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/Plant-Based-Research-303384226459892/

Blog:  http://micaelakarlsen.com/blog/

Website:  http://plantbasedresearch.org/

Let them eat lobster

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It’s expensive, it’s a delicacy, it’s butter-laden and indulgent, and you’re probably thinking I’m crazy when I say “Let them eat lobster.”

But hear me out: 15 minutes from start to finish. Yes, dinner ready in 15 minutes!

Plus, lobster is perfect for our 30 days of wellness. Lobster is actually really good for you. Yes, this luxurious indulgence is quite healthy – it’s known to be one of the healthiest sources of protein around (a 6 oz serving has about 30 grams of protein, no carbs and less than 2 grams of fat).

What you need:

– 1-2 pounds of lobster or a few claws and a few tails
– salt
– butter
– garlic

What you do:

Set the oven to broil and put a ramekin half full of butter into the oven to melt. While the oven is heating, place the lobsters or pieces of lobster on a broiling pan. Get out a cracker or sharp knife. If you have tails, slit the shell in half and expose the meat. If you have claws, make slits or cracks in each segment of the shell. I am not going to explain how to kill the lobster – Google it. I panicked and had the fish market kill and prep it for me.

Place all the pieces on the broiler pan

Put cracks or slits into each piece and open the shell

After 5 minutes, take the butter out of the oven now that it’s melted and add some garlic (I used powdered but you can also use fresh, just put it to the garlic press and add it to the butter), and add a bit of salt. Brush all of the lobster meat with the butter and put it into the oven to broil – for about 10 minutes.

Could be 8 minutes for small pieces, or up to 12 or 13 minutes for bigger, thicker pieces. If you have a 4 pound lobster it will be more like 15 or 16 minutes. It’s done when the flesh is opaque white and just ever-so-slightly starting to brown.

Take it out of the oven and serve with the melted butter for dipping.

Done!

So. Good.

Yes, it can be expensive, but it’s not an everyday meal. You need to mix up the dinner routine and you need a treat once in a while. Splurge on lobster. You may find it’s actually not as expensive as you think, depending on how close to the ocean you are and what time of year it is. Frozen tails are also another option.

Funny story – the reason I’m even writing this all started when we went to a steakhouse last week for my husband’s birthday. I ordered lobster. The boys tried it – and loved it. They ate half my dinner. A few nights later my 6 year old asked for lobster for dinner. I said no. His response? He grumbled “That’s preposterous!” as he walked away.

But he didn’t give up asking, so a couple of days later we went to the fish market to buy some.

If we’d gotten there early I could have just asked them to steam the lobster for me, but we were too late. As we tried to select our dinner in the big tank, I realized I… just… couldn’t.

Instead, the guy laughed at me and came out from the back with a tray of 4 claws and 2 tails. At $20, it was a steal.

So go for it, let them eat lobster, and feel good about it.

Veganuary – 2017 cookbook compiles favourite vegan celebrity recipes

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Peter Egan shares his Parmigiana di Melanzane recipe below

Diet is a huge part of wellness. With so many options for eating well, when we came across this new cookbook for the annual Veganuary campaign, we knew we had to share! It’s a compilation of favourite vegan recipes from many celebs, including  Random Green Soup from Ab Fab’s Joanna Lumley; Parmigiana di Melanzane from Downton Abbey’s Peter Egan; Pamela Anderson’s gluten-free pizza; Mayim Bialik’s own Pean Pie Truffles; Joaquin Phoenix’s Tabbouleh; Beyoncé’s guacamole;Jason Mraz creates Chocomole; Moby’s Strawberry Shortcakes; Madonna’s Sticky Toffee Pudding – and many more!

Veganuary is an international campaign encouraging people to try a vegan diet in January. An annual campaign, it has had a huge impact, with more than 23,000 people from across 142 different countries pledging to do January meat-free. The 2017 campaign was launched with the creation of this beautiful e-cookbook featuring the favourite vegan meals of celebrities. It will be sent free of charge to everyone who registers to take part in Veganuary.

While we’re not judging, we have to say, these recipes look gooooood! I don’t think anyone would feel they were missing out on anything with these dishes!

Peter Egan’s Parmagiana di Melanzane

Peter is an incredible actor, a true gentleman and a passionate animal lover. He took part in Veganuary 2016 and has never looked back. He says: ‘I will always support Veganuary, but I won’t have to do it again because… I am now vegan.’

If, like Peter, you’re a fan of rich Mediterranean flavours, then try this beautiful Melanzane.

What you need:

– 2 tbsp olive oil, plus extra for brushing
– 3 cloves garlic, crushed
– 3 sprigs of thyme
– 8 sage leaves, finely chopped
– 4 x 400g cans chopped tomatoes
– 3 tbsp red wine vinegar
– 3 tbsp caster sugar
– 4 large aubergines, sliced lengthways as thinly as possible
– 150g melting vegan cheese, grated – try Violife for Pizza, or VBites Cheezly Edam Style (Melting)
– 85g white breadcrumbs
– 50g pine nuts
– Handful of basil leaves

What you do:

1. Heat the oven to 200C / GM6.

2. Heat the oil in a large pan, add the garlic, thyme and sage, and cook gently for a few minutes. Then add the tomatoes, vinegar and sugar, and gently simmer for 20-25 minutes until it has thickened.

3. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan. Brush the aubergines slices on both sides with olive oil, and fry in batches until each slice is softened and slightly charred.

4. Mix 25g of the grated dairy-free cheese with the breadcrumbs and pine nuts, and set side.

5. Into a large baking dish, add a little of the tomato sauce and spread over the base. On top of this, add a layer or two of aubergines slices. Season.

6. Spoon over more sauce, then layer some cheese and basil leaves, and then another layer of aubergine. Repeat until you end with a layer of tomato sauce, and top with the breadcrumb mixture.

7. Bake for 30-40 minutes until the top is crisp and golden, and the tomato sauce is bubbling away. Rest for 10 minutes, and scatter with torn basil leaves.

Jason Mraz creates Chocomole

If, like singer-songwriter and plant-based foodie Jason Mraz, you love a pud but don’t want the sugar crash that follows, try his favourite chocolate mousse recipe, made with creamy avocados and sweetened with dates and maple syrup. It’s seriously good!

What you need:

– 16 Medjool dates, pitted and coarsely chopped
– 3 ripe avocados
– 1 cup unsweetened almond milk or coconut milk
– 1 cup unsweetened cocoa powder
– 1/4 cup pure maple syrup or agave nectar
– 1 tbsp coconut oil
– 1 tsp vanilla extract Pinch of sea salt

What you do:

1. Soak the dates in hot water for 5 to 10 minutes until soft. Drain.

2. Peel and de-stone the avocados, and blend their flesh with the milk, cocoa, syrup, coconut oil, vanilla extract and salt.

3. Place into ramekins and chill for three hours before serving.

 

As a charity, Veganuary is dedicated to changing public attitudes, while providing all the information and practical support required to make the transition to veganism as easy and enjoyable as possible. It is supportive, non-judgmental and a mine of information.

Veganuary has had an incredible degree of success in a very short time. In its first year, 3,300 people took part; in 2015 that rose to 12,800 and in 2016 to 23,000 people. In 2016, people from 142 countries took part with the top five being: UK, USA, Australia, Canada and South Africa.

Sixty per cent of people who participate in Veganuary say they have remained vegan six months later.

#Veganuary

Tea for everything

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I stopped drinking coffee about 10 years ago. (Urban Mommy Elisa here, I don’t think Michelle would consider giving up caffeine). It was a baaaaaad habit. I was never without a full mug of black coffee all day long. I was super-caffeinated at all times. It was not healthy. One day I gave it up cold turkey.

It sucked.

It was weeks of feeling off, missing coffee, craving a jumpstart, fighting headaches.

You know what I found worked to replace the craving?

But tea wasn’t as easy as “Large black coffee please.” It wasn’t even as easy as “Grande skinny low-foam extra-hot one-sweet two shots of sugar-free vanilla bean latte.”

At first it was “What kind of tea do you have?” Then I learned that if I really didn’t want the unwanted caffeine I would have to ask if it had caffeine. Tea is sneaky like that,  it’s hard to figure out which teas have caffeine.

I finally realized that tea wasn’t just a hot drink to fill my empty coffee mug. I started to enjoy discovering tea because of the flavours, but as I started looking deeper into teas, I discovered some real wellness properties.

Here are my faves:

Licorice tea: I love the flavour of licorice tea, plus this one is great for digestion and acid reflux. I had never experienced acid reflux before being pregnant, but since having these two I’ve discovered the misery of it. Licorice tea really does help.
Note, anise and fennel taste very similar and provide similar properties, but are not the same plant.

Ginger tea: MMMMMM!!!!! I love ginger tea. Not particularly fond of it otherwise, but the tea! You can mix this one with a bunch of other flavours and it gives you a whole new treat in a mug. (Yes, admittedly, I’m a nerd.) They say ginger tea can help fight a cold, it’s probably because it’s an anti-oxidant, it’s got lots of vitamin C, and it helps with congestion. It’s also known for helping with nausea and offers some calming effects. Sometimes I want the strong burn of ginger, sometimes I add lemon, honey, peppermint, matcha or even a bag of apple blossom to the mix. It goes with just about anything, especially if that strong ginger flavour isn’t for you. I will boil raw ginger, but I keep store-bought sachets of ginger tea at the office.

Orange pekoe: I’ve always thought of orange pekoe as ‘tea’ – like the OG of teas. It’s one version of black tea, so it pretty much is. They serve it everywhere and it’s got this nice, mild and unassuming flavour that isn’t offensive to anyone. Of course I buy the decaf version. Anti-oxidants. This one, like most teas, is full of them.

Lemon zinger: I think I see a pattern in my tea drinking – I like strong and sharp flavours. Lemongrass is the base of lemon zinger tea. It’s a traditional after-a-meal tea because it helps with digestion. I just like the flavour. For less zing, there’s also lemon tea, made from dried lemon and often mixed with other herbals for a soothing flavour. Or you can stop laughing at granny’s habit of ordering hot water with lemon – also a digestive, lemon is supposed to help with weight loss. It also gives a good dose of vitamin C and has anti-oxidants that do the body good.

Peppermint tea: I just love mint. I like it fresh from the garden when my husband grows it, but I’m just as happy with prepackaged mint tea bags. It’s refreshing. It’s also soothing too, and is supposed to help with relaxation. This one is also a digestion aid. They say it helps with weight loss too. Really, what ISN’T mint tea good for?

Green tea: This is a super-tea. I like the flavour well enough, and it’s supposed to be so so so good for you. Lots of anti-oxidants, loads of nutrients. It promotes wellness throughout your body – from blood to organs to brain function – I’ve been told drinking green tea can make you smarter. I’ll try anything… Green tea has caffeine in it – much less than coffee, but still… So I go for the decaf version. It doesn’t have as many benefits as whole green tea, but is still better than a diet caffeine-free cola!

Matcha tea: Matcha is like Green tea on steroids. It’s got similar properties but is the super-charged version, because it’s powdered, so you’re actually ingesting the whole plant. It’s the super-tea of super-teas. It boosts the immune system, boosts energy, boosts your mood – and boosts metabolism to aid with weight loss. It’s worth reading up on this one because it has so many healthy and helpful properties. I find it’s a good one to mix with other teas. It goes with almost everything, you just need to find what you like. I mix it with ginger, peppermint and even a plain old orange pekoe. Because it is made from the whole leaf, it has quite a bit of caffeine – about half that of coffee. I have bought decaffeinated matcha but if I’m mixing it in smaller amounts with other flavours I don’t worry about it.

Jasmine tea: I’m not one for floral or fruity teas, but I love jasmine tea. It’s got a soft scent and isn’t distinctly floral-ish like, say rose-hip. I can’t stand rose-hip tea. Hate it. Hate the fancy and oh-so-trendy rooibos tea.  Sorry-not-sorry. But jasmine is a combo of jasmine petals and black tea – or green or white tea, depending on what brand you pick. Black tea has less caffeine than green tea, so there’s that – and yes, there’s decaf which I buy.

So take that coffee!

Though I should admit, after years of avoiding coffee altogether because I couldn’t resist the real stuff, I finally turned to decaf. But most brewed decaf just isn’t as good as a fresh cup of real coffee. Besides, it’s usually burnt or old pot of decaf coffee because it doesn’t sell fast, and that just tastes gross.

Though a fresh grande decaf latte has become one of my dirty little secrets as of late.

Yup… decaf lattes. I really walk on the wild side, don’t I?

*Please note – not all herbal teas are safe during pregnancy. During my pregnancies I had to consult with my doctors regarding which were safe. Since this is about my cutting out the coffee and not health tips for pregnancy I don’t feel comfortable recommending or warning against any of these since it would be best you check yourself if you’re pregnant.

These are not the waffles you are looking for

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I don’t know if I’ve ever shared this about my family (Urban Mommy Elisa here), but we love Star Wars family. My husband is a true Star Wars guy and he’s taught our boys everything he knows. My wedding vows actually included promising him always to break him out of carbonite and always to help him do the Kessel run in under 12 parsecs, among other references, so you might say I’ve been lured over to the dark side.

And so, today, after a very Star Wars Christmas where most presents and all of the wrapping paper revolved around Jedis, Darth Vaders, Tie Fighters, Yodas, Death Stars and Kylo Rens, we heard the gloomy news that Carrie Fisher – better known as Princess Leia – had passed away at the age of 60.

We had just finished brunch that included Rebel Alliance waffles made on the brand new Star Wars waffle maker that we were given from our thoughtful family.

I’ve had so many Star Wars moments, and seeing my husband share his love for Star Wars with the boys has been heartwarming. The passing of Carrie Fisher has saddened us all. It’s funny how something like a movie franchise can have such an impact on your life.

Thanks Ms. Fisher. You showed little girls that they could be heroes too. You proved that we could be warriors, that we could be strong. You got the guy, you got the gun and you got the moves too. Your books, your theatre performances, your career – you achieved a lot of amazing things during your lifetime, and your appearance in The Force Awakens last year was every bit as good as your original movies. We can forgive that kiss – you didn’t know he was your brother at the time, but this #TastyTuesday, which was supposed to be all about the Star Wars Waffles, will instead be about you.

 

That old fashioned fave – The Meringue

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If you know from good, home-made meringue, just the mention of the word meringue is bringing that extra-sweet melt-in-your-mouth crunch and crumble sensation – and your mouth is probably watering.

Meringue can be so simple, or you can dress it up in fancy layers and flavours.

My boys love it plain.

This is actually one of the top choices they ask for whenever there’s a bake sale, school concert sweet table or a pot luck. Because it’s easy, sometimes I whip up a small batch as a treat. And what’s great is that it’s really not terribly hard to make, you can make a dozen or you can just as easily make 50 or more at a time.

single-meringue

What you need:

– 8 egg whites
– 2 cups sugar
– 1 tsp vinegar (white or apple cider)
– 1 tsp of vanilla

You can adjust the size of your batch by keeping the ratio of 1/4 cup of sugar per egg white, so make a small batch or a very large one.

What you do:

Preheat the oven to 250°.

Get your stand mixer out and be prepared to let it go. I couldn’t do this by hand and have no idea how they made these before modern appliances – but they did.

Whip the egg whites on high until they’re fluffy, and form stiff peaks. Don’t stop the mixer, just add the vinegar. The vinegar stabilizes the egg white foam. Add the vanilla too, and then start spooning in tablespoons of sugar, adding it in slowly, blending thoroughly.

Once the sugar has been completely mixed in, keep blending for another few minutes. It will look glossy and gooey, kind of like you might imagine how liquid marshmallow would look.

unbaked-meringues

When it’s thick and stiff, it’s time to bake. You can scoop spoonfuls of it into mounds or you can use a piping bag to pipe out cookies. You can use an ungreased cookie sheet for smaller batches. When making large batches, I line an oven rack with tinfoil and cover the entire surface with meringues. I like to pipe little swirls.

If you want to get just a bit fancy, sprinkle crushed candy cane or shave a bit of chocolate onto them. The flavours should be subtle, just like the light and foamy soft crunch of the meringue. you can even add a few drops of food colouring before you stop blending and make them colourful.

Bake meringues for one hour at 250°, then turn the oven off and leave the cookies in the oven to dry out for another hour or so. They will caramelize and go slightly brown. If you don’t dry them for the extra hour, they’ll have chewy centres, they’re pretty good this way too. But the long drying gives them that signature melt in your mouth crunch.

These are a classic. I’m not sure who can turn one down, but this past week at the bake sale they were gone before my boys could come back and buy seconds. Yes, my boys ate a dozen before I handed them over to the bake sale table and then proceeded to buy two more, and I love them for using their money to buy the treats I make. It’s satisfying.

The kabob

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Kind of exotic, so easy and the boys always fight over the leftovers in my house. Doesn’t that sound like the perfect thing to make?

I love making kabobs. I usually use pork, but sometimes chicken and sometimes beef. Lamb would be good too.

Kabobs are great because of the versatility. You can make them in the oven or on the grill. You can prep them a day ahead, or do them up right when you’re going to cook them. You can use whatever type of meat you have on hand, and use up whatever veggies you’ve got in the fridge that are coming to their end.

skewers

What you need:

– 1 nice sized pork tenderloin OR 3 chicken breasts OR a small sirloin tip roast, cut into irregular hunks, about an 1 to 1.5 inches
– 1/3 cup olive oil
– 2 garlic cloves, diced or crushed
– 1 red onion (white, yellow or Spanish will also do) chunked
– 2-3 peppers, chunked (red or green – or a mix)
– splash of lemon juice
– salt & pepper to taste
– 1 1/2 tbsp oregano (fresh or dried)

Optional veggies: zucchini, mushrooms, eggplant, yam

What you do:

Use 6 to 8 metal skewers or bamboo skewers. If you’re using bamboo, make sure to soak them for 30 minutes so they don’t char.

Cube the meat andcut the veggies so that they’re bite sized but not too narrow – all the chunks of meat and veggies have to be able to be skewered.

Put all ingredients into a bowl. Toss well. You can refrigerate and let the meat marinate or you can skewer them up and get grilling. I like to alternate meat and different veggies on a skewer.

Get the grill heated to medium or heat oven to 350° and place skewers on a roasting rack. In either grill or oven, cook on each of the four sides for 4 to 6 minutes – it will cook faster on the grill, slower in the oven. You want to make sure meat is cooked through and veggies are softened and start to caramelize but don’t burn.

Serve with roasted potatoes or this rice. Tzatziki is also a great side to serve with these, it’s the perfect dip!

The leftovers – make sure you have leftovers! Put it all together in a container and the flavours just meld so beautifully. It’s a whole other amazing dish the next day.

 

Pancakes are happiness

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

I loved when my mom would make us pancakes. It was a rare weekend treat, especially if she’d add some chocolate chips! The boys love them and it’s become a favourite around here when my niece has a sleepover. It’s so cute how she will, at some point in the afternoon or evening, somehow work it into the conversation and make sure I’ll be flipping flapjacks for her in the morning. Sometimes she asks me if we remembered to buy syrup, sometimes she asks if I’d like her help in the morning – once she even promised to do the dishes.

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I make them with love, hoping that my sweeties enjoy them as much as I did when they were made for me.

Pancakes, in my opinion, should be thick and fluffy. Over the years I’ve maxed out my mom’s recipe and found a way to get them to rise to over an inch thick without altering the flavour.

What you need:

– 1 1/2 cups flour
– 3 1/2 tsps baking powder
– 1 tsp salt
– 2 tbsps sugar
– 1 1/4 cup milk
– 1/2 tbsp vinegar or lemon juice
– 1 egg
– 1/4 cup butter, melted

What you do:

Start by souring the milk – you add the vinegar or lemon juice to the milk and set aside. It takes about 5 minutes for the milk to sour. You can use buttermilk or even plain yoghurt in a pinch instead of sour milk.

Put all of the dry ingredients in a bowl and whisk together to mix well.

Add the egg to the soured milk and whisk together.

Melt the butter in the frying pan you’ll be using to cook the pancakes. Make sure the frying pan is well greased on bottom and sides. Get it to the ‘barely melted’ point – over medium heat, not too high. Using a rubber scraper, scrape the butter into the egg/milk mixture and whisk together leaving just enough on the pan so that it’s lightly greased.

Pour liquid into the dry mix. With a spoon mix it all together, but don’t beat it. You want it lumpy. Seriously, lumpy is the secret to great pancake batter. Let the batter sit for a few minutes to let the baking powder do it’s thing. That’s the secret to the fluffy factor.

You can make one big pancake at a time or three to four smaller ones – or 6 to seven “Silver Dollar” pancakes if you like. These are great when you’re feeding a crowd.

Fry pancakes on medium heat. When bubbles start to come through and dry out it’s time to flip them. Don’t burn them but make sure they’re cooked through.

Serve with butter and maple syrup.

This recipe works well when you double it.

Variations, just mix into the batter:

A cup of blueberries – fresh or frozen

A cup of chocolate chips

A banana, sliced thin

A cup of butterscotch chips

An apple, sliced plus 1-2 tsps cinnamon

Enjoy!

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Egg’s Benny with a twist!

Posted on by Posted in Delicious Dishes .

2017 will be the 40th edition of the Milk Calendar. 40 years of great tips and recipes for meals to make, they’re celebrating by having professional food stylist and recipe developer Heather Trim create a few recipes for our dining pleasure.

eggs-benedict-copyThis old fave is going to be a hit when you dish it up – it’s a great way to take brunch to the next level. Indulge yourself or show off for company, this Eggs Benedict with a Twist (featured in the calendar for December 2017) is surprisingly easy, and if you’re going to try to tell me you don’t like hollandaise I’m going to have to assume someone’s pants are on fire.

What you need:

2 tsp (10 mL) butter
4 tsp (20 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) milk
½ cup (125 mL) finely grated Canadian Parmesan
½ tsp (2 mL) mustard powder
¼ tsp (1 mL) each, hot sauce and salt
4 small slices olive, cheese or crusty Italian bread
4 eggs
4 thin slices Black Forest ham
4 slices tomato
1 avocado, peeled and thinly sliced
Chives for garnish (optional)

What you do:

Melt butter in a small saucepan. Whisk in flour. Gradually whisk in milk. Stirring continuously, bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer gently 1 minute. Whisk in Parmesan, mustard powder, hot sauce and salt. Remove from heat; sauce will thicken slightly while preparing remaining ingredients.

Toast bread. Poach eggs in simmering water – about 3 minutes. Fold ham to fit on each slice of bread, followed by a slice of tomato, avocado slices then egg. Drizzle with sauce, then sprinkle with chives (if using).

TIP:

Add about 1 tbsp (15 mL) white vinegar to eggs’ poaching water; this helps eggs to hold their shape. Gently pat eggs dry with paper towel after cooking to prevent bread from becoming soggy.

Variation:

Try fried eggs instead of poached and prosciutto instead of ham

Eggs Benedict with a Twist is a take on eggs Benedict includes the fresh and creamy taste of avocado. Simply serve with a salad.