Baking and Cooking With Caroline

1 Year in Thailand

2011-05-02T16:09:00.000-07:00

Hi! This entry is not food related. If any of my loyal followers are not aware, I am teaching in Thailand for a year. I don't plan to bake or cook anything! If you're interested in my year away, check out http://carolineteachinginthailand.blogspot.com
I'm sure I'll talk about food somewhat frequently.

Passport to Prana

2011-04-08T20:30:00.000-07:00

This post will stray from my usual banter about food. Instead, I will discuss exercise!

I am by no means a yoga fanatic. I spent a good chunk of my childhood at "Bodyworks" intently watching my mom instruct aerobics classes. So now, I usually measure the quality of my workouts by the amount of sweat on my face, and the burn in my thighs. Yet, when my friend Sagan informed me of the "Passport to Prana" yoga pass, I was keen to give it a try. I had tried yoga many times before, but never consistently. This is why the "Passport" (which is just the card pictured above) was appealing. It was $20, and it gave me a one-class access pass to nine different yoga studios in Winnipeg.

I have not tried all nine yet, but one highlight for me was a class at "Peg City Yoga". I went to a "yoga for runners" class, which I thought would be a slow-paced stretch class for us inflexible runners. However, it turned out to be a fast-paced, higher intensity class for runners, who are supposed to be physically fit! I wound up with sweat on my face and a burn in my thighs. So, I was wrong to think of yoga as a slow, relaxation-only type of sport. And, I think that's the beauty of using a pass like this one; you get to experiment with different kinds of classes.

The Passport is completely worth it, price-wise, since it averages out to about $2 per yoga class. Most drop-in fees are $10-15! And, if you're looking to join a yoga studio, it's a good way to scope out the different studios in town and pick a favourite.

Here's the Passport to Prana website. Have fun!

Mex-I-Can!

2011-04-08T20:07:00.001-07:00

I stole the name Mex-I-Can from a restaurant in Hamilton. I'm not sure what exactly was on their menu, but what's on mine, you ask? Mexican pizza! I've combined my love for Italian with my love for Mexican, and I've come up with a giant, delectable main course meal.

Mexican Pizza

For the dough:

4 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 tsp yeast
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups water
1/4 cup olive oil

1. Mix the 3 cups of white flour, and all of the whole wheat flour, cheese and yeast together in a large bowl. Add water and oil, and stir until mixture forms a dough. Knead several times until the dough is elastic. Gradually add in the remaining flour.
2. Place dough into a greased bowl, and cover with a dish cloth for about 30 minutes.
3. Divide the dough into two. Take one piece and store it in your freezer for a rainy day.

Now you're ready to make the pizza!

dough
salsa (1/2 cup?)
1 can mixed beans with chili spices
1/2 cup corn niblets
1/2 cup diced red and green bell pepper
cilantro (optional)
1/2 cup grated jalapeno cheese

Roll out one half of the dough you made earlier. It will make for a big pizza, so use a huge rectangular pan. Instead of sauce, use salsa. Drain the beans and spread them over the salsa. Next,sprinkle the corn and bell peppers. Spread cilantro and cheese. I imagine this pizza would also taste fantastic with avacado slices on it. Bake the pizza for about 15 minutes in a 450 degree oven for around 15-20 minutes.

It's tasty.

Lasagna on the Menu

2011-03-04T17:36:00.000-08:00

It turns out that layered foods aren't necessarily difficult to make. I always thought lasagna was finicky and annoying, so I avoided making it. But on Tuesday I had a killer craving for it. I ran to the grocery store at 4pm, I was home by 4:30, and to my surprise, the lasagna was in the oven by 5:15. This is how the magic happened:

Veggie Lasagna

12 lasagna noodles
1 onion, chopped
1 cup mushrooms, chopped
1 red pepper, seeded and chopped
2 cloves garlic
1 package (a small one) frozen spinach, thawed and drained
1 500ml container ricotta
1 egg, beaten
2 cans pasta sauce (I used ones with a kick. Makes life more interesting)
1/2 cup parmesan cheese

1. Boil water in a large saucepan and add lasagna noodles. They take about 10 minutes to cook. Put them aside.
2. In the meantime, heat up a skillet with a touch of oil on it. Add the onion, mushrooms and pepper. Soften the veggies, and then add the garlic. Once it is fragrant, add one can of pasta sauce. Mix it all up and heat it through.
3. While the sauce is heating, in a medium mixing bowl, combine the ricotta cheese, spinach, 1/4 cup parmesan and the beaten egg. Set aside.
4. Grease a large casserole dish, and then pour the veggie mixture to make the bottom layer of the lasagna. Next, layer 4 noodles on top. Above that, plop one half of the ricotta mixture on the noodles and spread evenly. Then layer 4 more noodles. Above that, pour 2/3 of the other can of pasta sauce on top. Layer 4 more noodles, and then spread the last bit of the ricotta mixture on top, and above that (without layering more noodles) pour on the last 1/3 can of sauce. As a final touch, sprinkle on the remaining bit of parmesan cheese.
5. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 45 minutes or until the mixture is bubbly around the sides.

Banana Cake with Cream Cheese Icing

2011-02-28T18:57:00.000-08:00

My friend Brock and I have been celebrating our birthdays together for the last 3 years. His birthday is the day before mine, so it's nice to acknowledge my own birthday, while avoiding being the centre of attention by deflecting it to Brock. This year we had dinner with a bunch of friends. I offered to bring the cake because I was craving my mom's banana cake. I asked her for the recipe and she sent me this link.

The only advice she gave me was to bake it at 300 degrees rather than 275, and bake it for about 1 hour 20 minutes.

In my cake I used 2 eggs instead of 1, and I needed about 5 over-ripe bananas. Oh - I also used 95% fat free cream cheese. I know it's cake and you're not supposed to care about that stuff, but it didn't taste any different to use the fat free kind, so don't be a hater.

Happy Birthday!

Shepherd's Pie (with beans, not beef)

2011-02-10T04:52:00.000-08:00

My step-dad often made Shepherd's Pie for Sunday dinners while I was growing up. But, since I didn't eat a whole lot of meat, he would always reserve a bowl of mashed potatoes for me, and I'd eat that instead of the filling of the pie. On Tuesday evening I was inspired by the cold weather to make a stick-to-your-gut kind of dinner. So, this is what I came up with.

4 potatoes (peeled and chopped)
1/3 cup milk
2 Tbsp butter
1 can 6-bean blend (or a can of kidney beans would be good, too)drained and rinsed.
1 cup corn niblets (can be canned or frozen)
1 cup peas
1 onion, chopped
1 can reduced-salt condensed mushroom soup (this is the heart of the recipe)
1/4 cup ketchup
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/4 cup bread crumbs
pinch of each: pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary, sage

1) Grease a large casserole dish or a 9x13" glass pan. Bring a large saucepan of water to a boil. Add potatoes, and allow 15 minutes to soften.
2) Meanwhile, heat olive oil in a large skillet, and add chopped onions. Once they have softened, add the pepper, basil, oregano, rosemary and sage. Next, add peas, corn, beans, mushroom soup and ketchup. Stir around until everything is aromatic and creamy. Remove from heat and pour into prepared casserole dish.
3) Now is a good time to preheat your oven. 350.
4) Drain off water from potatoes, and add butter and milk. Start mashing! If you'd like, you can add a pinch of salt. Once they're good and mashed, dollop them over top of your bean mixture. Once it's evenly spread, make divits (about 8) in the top, and put a smidgen of butter in each one (so it melts in the oven and turns brown). Lastly, sprinkle breadcrumbs over top.
5) Bake for about 30 minutes, or until bubbly up the side and golden brown on top.

Raisin Biscuits

2011-01-02T13:59:00.000-08:00

One of my goals for this year is to avoid buying lunches at school. Although there are now some really healthy options at U of W, buying lunch everyday is expensive. Typically, for lunch I like to eat a muffin and some fruit. Today, I made raisin biscuits to help me stick to my goal of not buying lunch at school. For one week, at least.

Raisin Biscuits

2 cups flour
3 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch of salt
1/2 cup sugar

Combine the above ingredients in a large bowl. Then cut in:

1/2 cup margarine, Earth Balance or butter

When mixture is crumbly, add:

1 Tbsp vanilla (use good quality, real vanilla extract)
3/4 cup soured milk (just add a tsp vinegar to the milk and set it aside for 1 minute)

In the bowl, fold the dough over itself until it is no longer sticky. Lastly, fold in:

1/2 cup raisins

On a greased pan, divide the dough into 10 blobs. Flatten them a little bit, and then bake them for 12-15 minutes in a 450 degree oven. Check them half way through, because you may need to move the oven rack toward the top of the oven if the bottoms are too brown.

Once they come out of the oven, make sure you eat one right away. They're so flaky and sweet and delicious. Happy biscuit making!

3 Bean Bake

2010-12-31T08:58:00.000-08:00

Josh's mom, Linda, had us over for supper on Christmas Eve. She is vegetarian, and she knows that we also prefer not to eat meat. Thus, she made "3 Bean Bake" and served it over pasta. It was so yummy, so I asked for the recipe and made it the other night. I made a few tweaks to the spices, but it's mostly the same recipe.

3 Bean Bake
14oz can baked beans
14oz can lima beans
14oz can kidney beans
1/2 cup corn niblets
1 large onion, chopped
1 large green pepper, chopped
1 tsp garlic
2 Tbsp olive oil
1 Tbsp soya sauce
1 tsp ground (or grated) ginger
2 tsp chili powder

1. Strain and rinse the kidney and lima beans. Combine in a 2L baking dish, along with the baked beans and corn.
2. In a skillet, sautee the onion, green pepper in oil until softened. Add garlic, and sautee for another minute. Then, add soya sauce, ginger and chili powder and sautee for another minute or until fragrant. Pour mixture over beans.
3. Bake in a 325 degree oven, covered, for 30 minutes. Then, remove cover and bake for another 30 minutes.

Serve over pasta or rice or a grain of your choice.

Auntie Moe's "Magic Cookie Bars"

2010-12-23T10:07:00.000-08:00

My aunt and cousins bring over a plate full of homemade Christmas treats every Christmas Eve. They usually make haystack cookies, confetti squares, clodhoppers, shortbread, nanimo bars, and my personal favourite, "magic cookie bars". I made them for my work Christmas party a few weeks ago, and they're really easy and fast. And delicious, to boot.

Magic Cookie Bars

1/2 cup margarine or butter
1 1/2 cups graham crumbs (use Honey Maid)
1 can Eagle Brand sweetened condensed milk (can be light version)
1 cup chocolate chips
1 cup flaked coconut
1 cup nuts or m&m's (optional)

Grease a 9x13" pan. Melt butter in the microwave, and pour into pan. Sprinkle graham crumbs over butter, mix together and press firmly into pan. Pour Eagle Brand over crumbs (works best if milk is warm). Sprinkle with chocolate chips, then coconut and m&m's or nuts. Press down firmly again. Bake in a 350 degree oven for about 25 minutes.

Merry Christmas!

Candy Cane Shortbread

2010-12-23T09:52:00.000-08:00

I only did a little bit of baking this Christmas. Normally I bake many different things, but in the interest of health, this year I held off. I had a candy cane in the cupboard, so I decided to grind it up in my Magic Bullet and add it to my shortbread dough. I thought this was an original idea until I mentioned to a friend of mine that I had made candy cane shortbread and she replied "Oh! I LOVE candy cane shortbread!" So, I guess I can't take credit for this one.

Candy Cane Shortbread
1 cup unsalted butter, softened
1/2 cup icing sugar
2 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups (or slightly less) white flour
1/4 tsp sea salt
1 large candy cane, finely ground (around 1/3 cup)

1. In a bowl, mix butter until it is light and fluffy. Add sugar and beat until smooth. Stir in vanilla, and add salt. Next, add flour, bit by bit. Lastly, add ground candy cane. Divide dough into two flat discs. Wrap them in plastic and chill for half an hour.
2. On a lightly floured surface, roll out dough to desired thickness (I prefer plump little shortbreads). Cut out shapes with cookie cutters.
3. Place onto cookies sheets. Bake for about 15 minutes in a 300 degree oven, or until cookies are firm and the bottoms are golden brown.

Almondelicious Cookies

2010-12-17T14:23:00.000-08:00

Holy moly! I promised to bake a batch of cookies for a friend of mine, and I realized as I was preparing the wet ingredients that I only had one egg (the recipe called for two), and a touch of butter (the recipe called for 1 cup). So, I improvised. And, lo and behold, I wound up with something magnificent. Yep. This one might top penicillin as "best accidental discovery."

Almond Butter-Chocolate Chip Cookies
1/2 cup margarine or butter
1/2 cup almond butter
1 cup brown sugar
1/3 cup graulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 over-ripe mashed banana
1 tbsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups flour
1 cup chocolate chips

1. In a medium bowl, beat butter, almond butter and sugar together. Add sugar, baking soda and salt. Beat in egg, banana, vanilla. Then, stir in the flour, 1/2 cup at a time. Lastly, mix in the chocolate chips.
2. Drop dough by rounded teaspoons onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake in a 375 oven for around 9 minutes.

Enjoy :)

Confession.

2010-11-27T18:00:00.000-08:00

These muffins were quite tasty. I simply took a regular muffin recipe from "Better Homes and Gardens" and added carrots and raisins. So, I don't even have a recipe to accompany this beautiful picture. Honestly, I've hardly baked a thing since September. I attempted a pumpkin pie on Thanksgiving, which I thought was delicious until I tried someone else's the very next night. Put mine to shame. I also made carrots au gratin, but I just got the recipe from allrecipes.com. Thus, the few times I've cooked or baked, I haven't been creative. Here's hoping the Christmas holidays will restore some original thought.

Applesauce Banana Bread

2010-09-17T15:06:00.000-07:00

Josh's mom gave us a pile of apples from the apple trees in her backyard. Although they were so sweet and juicy to eat off the tree, there was no way we could consume all of them before they would go bad. Instead, we were proactive and chopped them up and froze them. With 4 cups of frozen apples I made applesauce by simply heating up chopped apples in a pot over the stove, and once they were mushy, I used my immersion blender to create unsweetened applesauce. I don't really like applesauce on its own, so I made banana bread and replaced the butter with applesauce (I wouldn't normally do this, but I was totally out of butter). The bread was so good - moist and flavourful. I may never need butter for banana bread again!

Applesauce Banana Bread

1 1/2 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
pinch nutmeg
2 eggs, beaten
2 medium over-ripe bananas
1 1/2 cups applesauce
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup chocolate chips

1) First, grease and flour a 9x5x3 inch loaf pan. Then, in a large bowl, combine all of the dry ingredients and mix well.
2) Next, in a separate bowl, combine all of the wet ingredients. Add the wet mixture to the dry, and stir until just combined. Add chocoalte chips.
3) Bake in a 350 degree oven for about one hour, or until a knife (or in my case, a chop stick) inserted in the centre comes out clean.

French Toast Casserole

2010-09-16T20:01:00.000-07:00

Wow! It's been quite some time since I last posted a recipe. I developed a (temporary) hatred for cooking after so many failed attempts. And then, even if it turned out ok, I just didn't really want to eat it. Food always tastes better when someone else makes it. I hope so, at least. Otherwise, Josh has been eating some pretty bad food.

Anyway, we decided to host a breakfast potluck to celebrate our new dining room table. And apartment. Pressure was on me to create something edible. So I made a French Toast Casserole. I got the original recipe from allrecipes.com, but I modified a few things. They called it the "casserole of dreams." And it was. It really was.

French Toast Casserole

1 cup brown sugar
1 tsp cinnamon
3 apples (Don't bother peeling. Just cut them up)
1/2 cup raisins
1/3 cup melted butter or margarine
1 loaf day-old French bread, cut into 1" slices
6 eggs
1 1/2 cup milk
1 T vanilla
cinnamon

1) Grease a 9 x 13" baking pan, or large corning ware. In a large bowl, combine sugar, cinnammon, and melted butter. Add and coat apples and raisins. Spread evenly onto the bottom of greased baking pan.
2) Next, place the slices of French Bread on top of the apple mixture. Using mixing bowl, whisk eggs, milk and vanilla. pour evenly over the bread until everything is quite saturated. Place in the fridge, covered, overnight (or for as much time as you can spare).
3) In the morning, bake casserole in a 375 degree oven for 40 minutes covered. Then, bake for 5 or 10 more minutes uncovered.

Your friends will be thoroughly satisfied.

Roasted Vegetable Pizza on Naan

2010-08-10T17:44:00.000-07:00

Roasted Vegetable Pizza on Naan
4 naan breads
1 eggplant, cut into large coin slices
1 red or green pepper
1/2 yellow onion, cut into rings
olive oil
salt
pepper
1/2 cup tomato sauce
mozzarella cheese (as much as you'd like)

1) In a large pan, place the sliced eggplant, pepper, and onion. Drizzle with olive oil, and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Place in a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes, turning veggies once, half-way through.
2) Once veggies are out of the oven turn the temperature down to 375, then prepare your naan pizzas by spooning some tomato sauce on each pizza, evenly divide the roasted vegetables between the 4 pizzas, and top with mozza. Bake for about 10 to 12 minutes.

Chickpea Mushroom Veggie Burgers

2010-08-10T17:23:00.001-07:00

I keep posting veggie burger recipes because they're so easy to make and delicious to eat. Today I arrived home at 6 p.m., ravenous. I was able to prepare and cook these burgers within 30 minutes. They were tasty on a multigrain bun with tomato, granular mustard and some roasted veggies I had left over in the frige from a few days ago.

Chickpea Mushroom Veggie Burgers

1 can chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 cup fresh mushrooms, chopped (or you can use a can of mushrooms)
1/2 yellow onion, finely chopped
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese
1/4 cup ketchup
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp oregano

1) Using a food processor or a "Magic Bullet" blend the chickpeas. Then in a medium mixing bowl combine the chickpeas, mushrooms, onion, bread crumbs, cheddar cheese, cumin, oregano and ketchup. When evenly mixed, add the beaten egg.
2) Shape your sticky mixture into 6 patties and place onto a greased baking sheet. Bake in a 375 degree oven for 8 to 10 minutes per side.

Breaded Tofu Sandwiches

2010-07-08T14:08:00.001-07:00

Last weekend on our way home from camping in Riding Mountain National Park, we stopped at a highway produce stand called "The Little Red Barn." Along with buying a huge bunch of fresh, local asparagus, we bought a 500ml jar of corn relish. We weren't really sure what to put the relish on, so I made breaded tofu sandwiches. The flavour of the breaded tofu was mild, so it didn't overpower the taste of the delicious relish.

Breaded Tofu Sandwiches

1 block firm tofu
1/2 cup breadcrumbs
1/2 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp tarragon
pinch of dried rosemary
1 Tbsp sunflower oil
8 slices whole wheat bread
bunch of lettuce
slices of onion
slices of tomato
1/2 cup corn relish (or a relish/spread of your choice)

1) On a small plate combine the breadcrumbs, salt, pepper, oregano, tarragon, and rosemary. Then, cut the firm tofu into 1/2" thick slices. Dip the pieces of tofu in the breadcrumb mixture and make sure they are well-coated.
2) Next, heat the oil on a large frying pan on medium heat, and place the tofu slices into the heated pan. Brown the tofu slices (about 5 min/side).
3) Assemble sandwiches by spreading a heaping spoonful of relish on one side of each sandwich. On the other side place tofu, tomato, onion and lettuce. Put two and two together, and there you have it.

Marinated Tofu Sandwiches

2010-07-08T13:58:00.000-07:00

I sometimes eat the marinated tofu sandwiches from Organic Planet. I don't love the marinade they use, though. So, I've developed my own version.

Marinated Tofu Sandwiches

For the Marinade:
1/4 cup balsamic vinegar
3 Tbsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp ginger
1 clove garlic, minced
pinch chili flakes
1 tsp olive oil
1/2 tsp dried rosemary

The remainder of the ingredients:
1/2 block firm tofu
8 slices bread (whole wheat tastes best)
4 Tbsp vegan mayo
bunch of lettuce
1 tomato, sliced

1) Combine the ingredients for the marinade and place into a large, flat container. Slice the tofu into thin pieces and place in the marinade. Allow it to soak for at least 1 hour (I left mine in the fridge over night).
2) When the tofu is prepared, assemble 4 sandwiches by spreading 1 Tbsp mayo on one slice of bread from each sandwich, then divide the tofu between the 4 sandwiches. Next add a few slices of tomato, and top with a generous amount of lettuce. Close the sandwiches and then serve yourself and 3 friends.

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

2010-07-07T18:46:00.000-07:00

The other day I bought an eggplant. To be honest, eggplant kind of freaks me out. It's big, purple, and it has a meaty texture when it's cooked. But I was determined to use the odd vegetable as best I could. How about in a sandwich?

Roasted Vegetable Sandwich

1 eggplant
1 red pepper
a few rings of onion
olive oil
salt, pepper and oregano
1 tomato
4 slices of mozzarella cheese
2 tbsp vegan mayo
4 slices multigrain bread (for two sandwiches)

1) Slice the eggplant lengthwise (with the stem chopped off, of course), then slice it into long strips. Once you've cut it all, cut the strips in half. Then, slice the red pepper into strips as well. Place the eggplant, pepper and onion on a baking sheet. Drizzle the veggies with olive oil (don't go crazy here), and sprinkle with salt, pepper and oregano. Bake at 400 degrees for around 25 minutes, turning once.
2) Once your veggies are baked to perfection, toast the multigrain bread either in the toaster or the oven. Then, place the mozza on two slices of the bread, and the mayo on the other two. Place a few slices of tomato on the size with the cheese, and then divide up the roasted veggies between the two. Place the bread with mayo on top of the other side, and you will have your sandwiches. Slice them in half and good luck trying not to eat them too fast.

Mexican Spice

2010-07-03T10:48:00.000-07:00

My mom loves Mexico. And I don't mean she enjoys the "mojitos on a random resort" Mexico. For the last several years she's been going to Mexico for a month at a time to take Spanish courses. While she's there, she rents out a little apartment, stays downtown, and eats real Mexican food. Next weekend she's decided to have a Mexican dinner party where she'll serve up some of her favourite dishes. I offered to make her some Mexican Spice cookies for dessert. They're cocoa cookies with a serious kick of cayenne pepper. Somehow, the flavour combo works really well. The dough will be kept in the freezer until she's ready to use it.

Mexican Spice Cookies

1/3 cup butter
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar

Beat these ingredients together. If you have a trusty Kitchen Aid mixer, consider yourself lucky.

Next, add:

1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
a generous pinch of both black pepper and cayenne pepper
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 cup white flour
1/2 cup cocoa powder

When all ingredients are combined, roll dough into a log and wrap it in wax paper, then refrigerate for at least 45 minutes. After it has cooled, slice cookies thinly and place them onto an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake at 350 for about 9 minutes. Dough will keep in the freezer, so you can simply bake cookies as you need them.

Gluten-Free Muffins

2010-07-02T15:48:00.000-07:00

These muffins taste great, even if you don't have gluten sensitivities. You can include any additions you'd like to make them interesting. If you choose to include banana or pumpkin, make sure you reduce the amount of milk you use in the recipe.

Gluten-Free Muffins
3 cups G.F. flour (1 brown rice flour, 1 white rice flour, 1 quinoa)
3 tsp baking Powder
½ tsp baking Soda
pinch salt
¾ cup sugar
2 eggs, beaten
½ cup canola oil
1 cup (plus more if you need it) skim milk
1 cup muffin additions (blueberries, chocolate chips, etc)

1. In a large mixing bowl combine flour, b.p., b.s., and salt. Then, in another bowl combine sugar, eggs, canola oil and milk.
2. Add dry ingredients to wet, and FOLD together until just combined. Then, add your muffin additions.
3. Pour muffin batter into greased muffin tins. Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes or until a knife inserted in the centre comes out clean.

*This is a fairly large muffin recipe and will likely yield 12 or more small muffins.

Ginger Cookies, Version Two.

2010-06-28T21:19:00.000-07:00

My friend from work kept pestering me to bake him some cookies. So, I pulled out my Better Homes and Gardens cookbook, and flipped through the sweets section. I settled on ginger cookies (which was prophetic, maybe, because the next day I had the stomach flu, and ginger is supposed to be good for your stomach. Although, I'm not sure if ginger cookies are good for a stomach flu. Probably not). I adapted the original recipe a little bit, and took these cookies into work for all of my coworkers to enjoy. And enjoy they did. At least, that's what they said.

Ginger Cookies

2 1/4 cups flour
2 tsp ground ginger
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
pinch of salt
3/4 cup sunflower oil
1 cup raw sugar
1 egg
1/4 cup molasses
3/4 cup sugar

1) In a medium bowl stir together flour, ginger, baking soda, cinnamon, cloves and salt. Set aside. Then, beat oil and sugar together until totally combined. Then add the egg and molasses. Next, add the flour mixture, bit by bit.
2) Shape dough into 1-inch balls, and roll in the 3/4 cup sugar. Place 1.5 inches apart on an ungreased cookie sheet. Bake for about 8 or 9 minutes in a 350 degree oven.

Broccoli and Sprout Salad

2010-06-11T15:51:00.000-07:00

With the adjectives I use to describe this broccoli and sprout salad, I sound a bit like Giada De Laurentis from the Food Network. It's crunchy (both hard and soft), sweet, yet savoury, and, (you guess it, Susie), it's creamy. Now say that last sentence slow and seductively, and you'll have Giada. Recently I was at a "welcome home" party for a friend, and someone made a scrumptious broccoli salad with a hint of curry in it. So, I did the same with mine, and I also added a few other gems. I omitted the bacon that's usually in broccoli salad and replaced it with toasted hazelnuts. Or, "filiberts," if you prefer.

Broccoli and Sprout Salad

the florets from 2 heads of broccoli
1 cup bean sprouts (I found a large container at Organic Planet for $3)
1/4 cup raisins
a few tablespoons chopped chives
1/3 cup hazelnuts, chopped and toasted

Combine these ingredients in a large bowl and then in a smaller bowl mix:

1/4 cup vegan mayo (you can use regular mayo, of course but the kind I use is tastier and much less fattening than regular mayo)
3 T white vinegar
1 T sugar
1 t granular mustard(my mother's secret weapon in her cooking, quickly becoming mine, too)
1 t curry powder
1/4 tsp of each salt and black pepper

Once mixed well, pour over top of broccoli mixture. Refrigerate for at least several hours before serving so that the flavours have time to combine and be delicious.

Quiche. Crust and All.

2010-06-08T05:05:00.000-07:00

I have a pie plate that hardly ever gets used. I don't often bake pies (never, actually), so I was excited to find an alternative use for the thing. Quiche. I used a nine inche pie plate and the crust recipe said "serves 8", but it ended up serving more like 10. Here's what I did:

Quiche

For the Crust (adapted from Better Homes and Gardens):

3/4 cup white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
pinch salt
1/3 cup Earth Balance (or butter or shortening)
1/4 cup, plus maybe a little more cold water

1) In a medium bowl, stir together flour and salt. Then, cut in Earth Balance or butter until the pices are pea size.
2) Next, sprinkle the water over top, bit by bit, until you are able to form the pastry into a ball.
3) On a floured surface, flatten pastry slightly, and then roll it out with a rolling pin from the centre until the pastry is 12 inches in diameter.
4) Wrap pastry around the rolling pin, and unroll into a 9 inch pie plate. Make the edges pretty by pinching and crimping the remaining pastry. You may make the pastry in advance and refrigerate overnight, covered.

For the egg mixture:

5 eggs, beaten (try organic, free-run, vita eggs, if possible)
1 cup grated sharp cheddar cheese
1 cup skim milk
2 cups mushrooms, chopped
8 fiddle heads (majorly optional, these things are impossible to find!)
1 little yellow onion, chopped
1/4 tsp salt
1/8 tsp black pepper

1) Preheat oven to 450 degrees. Line pastry crust with a square of foil, so that only the edges are exposed. Bake in the oven for 8 minutes, then remove foil and bake for another 5 minutes until pastry is dry and set. Then, reduce the oven temp to 325 degrees.
2) Meanwhile, sautee the fiddle heads, mushrooms and yellow onion in 1 tsp oil until softened.
3) In a medium bowl, stir together eggs, milk, and spices.
4) In the hot pastry, sprinkle the cheese, then add the sauteed veggies (except for the fiddle heads), then add the egg mixture, and lastly, place the 8 fiddle heads on top.
5) Bake in the oven for about 45 minutes or until a knife in the centre comes out clean. Let the quiche sit for 10 minutes before serving.

Falafel!

2010-06-07T19:46:00.000-07:00

It's been so long since I've posted any recipes. Mostly because I haven't had time to make anything. I was going to wait until the completion of my spring classes until blogging again, but my sister called me tonight, urging me to post, because she'd been checking for updates every single day. Wow - top follower award there, Susie. During this busy month or two, I did squeeze in few batches of muffins, a quiche, and tonight, I made falafel. The falafel was inspired by my neighbour, Vanessa, who gave us some of her homemade tzatziki. I thought falafel balls would be the best way to compliment the tzatziki. And, I was right.

Falafel

For the balls:
2 cups cooked chickpeas (I made them from dry beans, so probably about 1 cup of dried beans equals 2 cups)
1 small onion
2 cloves garlic
1 oz cheddar cheese
1/4 cup ground walnuts
1/2 cup bread crumbs
water (about 1/2 cup)
1 egg, beaten
1/2 tsp basil
1/2 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1/4 tsp turmeric
salt (to taste)
1 T vegetable oil (for frying in the pan)

In a food processor, pulse chickpeas, onion, garlic, cheddar, walnuts, spices and bread crumbs until finely ground. Then, add the egg and water. Add more water if the mixture is not sticky. Once the consistency is right, roll into little, flat ovals and place on the frying pan, in oil, over medium heat. Once the falafel is fragrant, and golden brown on one side (about 2 minutes), flip over to the other. This recipe will make about 12-14 falafel balls.

To serve: place on a tortilla shell or pita bread with tzatziki (which can be found at the grocery store if you don't want to make it yourself) spread in the middle, and two or three falafel balls in the centre. Roll it up and enjoy.

Sorry to keep you waiting...

2010-05-19T16:26:00.000-07:00

It's been a really busy month. I have avoided baking and cooking for the most part, except for what I make at work. But come June, I will post some new and exciting recipes, so stay tuned!

Products and Stores that I Recommend

2010-04-29T09:58:00.000-07:00

The following is a list of my favourite food products and stores, and I will continue to add to it. Bread, flour, pasta, cereal, fruit, vegetables, milk, eggs and cheese are my staple foods, and these are the places where I choose to buy them. If you’re in Winnipeg, I encourage you to take a walk or bike ride to the city centre to check out these stores and eat these nourishing foods! By doing so, you’ll be supporting local businesses, and local farmers. You’ll also increase the demand for organic food. Your body and the earth will thank you.

Nature’s Farm Pasta – Delicious pasta from Steinbach, Manitoba. The bag it comes in is compostable, too. http://www.naturesfarm.ca/index.html

Vita Eggs, Organic and Free Run – From Steinbach, Manitoba. And honestly, they taste better than the regular variety. Available at local, organic food stores, as well as Food Fare, and other large food retailers.

Earth Balance Natural Buttery Spread, Original or Whipped - This is pretty cool stuff. It's simply a butter-flavoured spread that comes in a tub, much like margarine, but it's organic, soy-based, and all natural. You can use it on toast, in baking or cooking, or anything else that you would use butter for. It has about the same fat and calorie content as margarine. It can be found at Eat It, Organic Planet, Caufields and many other stores. It's definitely not local, though. It's shipped all the way from New Jersey. But, it tastes great, and doesn't cost an arm and a leg (it's around $5 per 369g tub).

Organic Meadow Milk, Cheese, Yogurt and Butter – Originally an Ontario-based company, Organic Meadow has since expanded into Manitoba. So, when you buy your dairy, it actually comes from right here in Manitoba. Organic Meadow cows are grass fed, hormone-free, and treated humanely. They sell very high quality products that are well worth the extra dollar or two. http://www.organicmeadow.com/default.sz

Tall Grass Prairie Bread, Flour, (and other goodies) – Tall Grass has an inspiring philosophy that will make almost anyone want to switch to eating whole grain, organic, and local bread: http://www.tallgrassbakery.ca/philosophy.html This is where I buy the whole wheat and white flour that I use in my baking. I highly recommend buying your flour at Tall Grass. Along with being freshly milled, it is delicious and it will make your baking taste heavenly.

Nature’s Path Breakfast Cereal – Nature’s Path is a Canadian company based out of Richmond, British Columbia. Yum. I love all varieties of this cereal. It’s not very sweet, and it doesn’t have any funky ingredients that are impossible to pronounce. It is low in fat, and it tastes great with organic milk, or soy milk. It comes in packages that range from 750 to 907grams, and they all cost under $10 at Eat It and Caufield’s Organic Market. http://www.naturespath.com

Eat It.ca – A lot of my produce comes from Eat It. They also carry Organic Meadow products for cheaper than many other grocers, and it’s big enough that there is lots of choice in what you buy. It’s conveniently located on Wall Street, just off Portage Avenue. http://www.eatit.ca/default.asp

Organic Planet Worker Co-op – Located on Westminster, OP is where I shop when I’m too lazy to walk the extra fifteen minutes to get to Eat It. OP also has a wide variety of produce, but there is not as much selection of other products. And although they carry Organic Meadow dairy, it’s a bit more expensive than Eat It. OP has a wide variety of vegan and gluten free products as well. They have a little coffee shop where they sell fair trade, locally roasted coffee, and freshly baked muffins. All in all, it’s a great shopping experience, and a pleasure to have just a block away. http://www.organicplanet.coop

Caufield’s Organic Market – Attached to Humboldt’s Legacy, also located on Westminster, just steps away from Organic Planet, this small market carries a variety of goods including some fresh produce, organic meat, several varieties of organic dairy (including Organic Meadow at a comparable price to Eat It), dried beans, snack foods and other household products. They majorly discount their milk prices when they are close to expiration. Sometimes, they even give it away for free. I’ve never had spoiled milk from buying it close to expiration!

Mexican Rice

2010-04-16T16:39:00.000-07:00

I just got back from a vacation to California with my family. As you know, there are many Mexicans living in California, and as a result, lots of Mexican food. I ate nachos and guacamole every single day I was away! Oh man, it was great. Aside from eat a pound of mini-eggs and run 17 miles with my mom (not in that order), another thing I did in California was read an inspiring book called "Born to Run" by Christopher McDougall. It's about a tribe in Northern Mexico called the Tarahumara, known for their ability to run insanely far distances in incredibly fast times. Because of my love for Mexican food, and my love of running, I arrived home feeling inspired to cook some Mexican cuisine. And run.

Mexican Rice

1/2 a yellow onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup tomato juice
1 3/4 cups water
1 cup brown rice, uncooked
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tsp cumin

Sautee the onion and garlic in the oil in a medium saucepan, over medium heat. Add chilli and cumin. When fragrant, add the uncooked brown rice, and allow the oil and spices to coat it. Next, add the tomato juice, then the water. Increase heat to high, and bring to a boil. As soon as the mixture boils, cover and decrease heat to low. Keep covered for about 30 minutes, until rice is soft. Before serving, add the fresh cilantro. Tastes best if you serve it with sauteed mushrooms and peppers, with a dollop of salsa on top.

Soft and Simple. Banana Oat Muffins (with Peanut Butter Chips)

2010-04-16T16:07:00.000-07:00

The last few times I made muffins at home, I tried to do too much. 1) I thought the more ingredients I threw in, the tastier. 2) I thought if I replaced all the fat in the muffin with applesauce, the healthier. Both my assumptions were incorrect. I've learned that using less ingredients to flavour a muffin usually makes for a better one, and I've also learned that a little bit of oil is ok - usually when there is no fat in a muffin, you feel the urge to smother it with butter to make it taste less like a puck, making it less healthy than the original. I made these muffins recently, and they were fab.

Banana Oat Muffins (with Peanut Butter Chips)

2 bananas, over-ripe and mashed
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/4 cup honey
1 egg (preferably an organic, free-run vita egg!, beaten)
1 tsp vanilla
2/3 cup granulated sugar
1 cup rolled oats
1 cup flour
1 1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
1/4 cup chopped walnuts (optional)
1/2 cup peanut butter chips

1) In a mixing bowl, combine bananas, milk, oil, honey, egg, vanilla and sugar.
2) Add rolled oats to the wet ingredients. Allow them soak while you do step 3.
3) In a separate mixing bowl, combine flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.
4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet ingridients, and fold until just combined. Fold in walnuts and peanut butter chips.
5) Drop batter into greased muffin tin (should have about 10 or 12 muffins). Bake at 350 degrees for about 20 minutes, or until a knite inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Corn Bread... To Accompany Your Chili.

2010-04-01T19:26:00.000-07:00

Corn bread is delicious. I never used to like it as a youngster, but I also didn't like anything other than wild rice and cereal (not in the same meal). Now, my love for corn bread is stronger than ever, so perhaps I'm making up for all those lost years. It tastes really great with beans, like the beans in chili!

Corn Bread

1 cup flour
3/4 cup cornmeal
3 T sugar
2 1/2 t baking powder
pinch salt
1 t chili powder
2 eggs, beaten
1 cup milk
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup grated cheese (jalapeno havarti would be great, but any cheese will do)
1/2 cup corn niblets

1) In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, baking powder, salt and chili powder. Then, add cheese so it is coated in flour mixture.
2) In a slightly smaller bowl, combine milk, eggs, and vegetable oil. Add these ingredients to the dry mixture. Add the corn niblets.
3) Pour batter into a greased 9x1.5 inch round baking pan or an 8 or 9 inch square one. Bake for 20 minutes at 400 degrees.

Chili. Caroline Style.

2010-04-01T19:10:00.000-07:00

There are many variations on this delicious, nutritious, hearty dish. This is usually how I choose to make mine:

Caroline's Vegetarian Chili

1 T vegetable oil
1 onion, chopped
1 large carrot, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
1/2 cup chopped mushrooms
1 clove garlic, minced

In a large saucepan over medium heat, sautee above in the oil. Start with the onion, carrot and celery, and once they've softened, add pepper, mushrooms, and garlic last. Stir often. Then add:

1 T chili powder
1 t cumin
1/2 t cayenne
1 t oregano

Once spices are fragrant, add:

1 28 oz can crushed tomatoes
1 14 oz can kidney beans
1 14 oz can black beans
1/2 c corn, frozen or canned

Bring chili to a boil, and then simmer on low heat for 20 minutes before serving. Serve with a sprinkling of mozzarella cheese. Or not, if you're vegan, duh.

You'll notice the chili pictured above is accompanied by corn bread. If your mouth is watering, and you're not a vegan, see the recipe entitled "Corn Bread."

Pumpkin Ranger Cookies

2010-03-30T12:09:00.001-07:00

While I'm on the cookie subject, this is a recipe I made a while back when I was going through my pumpkin craze (which has since subsided, fyi). They won the approval of a really great baker - Josh's grandma, Aileen. She even went for seconds.

Pumpkin Ranger Cookies (adapted from Ranger Cookie recipe from Better Homes and Gardens)

1/2 cup pumpkin puree (other fruit/veggie puree would work as well, just take a walk down the babyfood aisle if you want ideas. Prune, carrot, for example).
1/2 cup granulated sugar
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/4 tsp baking soda
1 egg
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup white flour
1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats
3/4 cup coconut
1 cup raisins

1) Beat pumpkin and sugar together with an electric mixer, if you have one. Add baking powder, baking soda, and beat again. Add egg and vanilla and mix until combined. Add flour, mix well. Then, add oats. Lastly, add the raisins and coconut.

2) Drop by tablespoon full onto a greased cookie sheet. Bake for 8 to 10 minutes at 375 degrees.

In Celebration of Mladen's Birth

2010-03-30T11:34:00.000-07:00

There are few people who are as effusive about my baking as my friend Mladen. Two years ago I baked him a big batch of imperial cookies for his birthday and he still talks about how much he enjoyed them. So this year I was actually anxious about what I would make for him. Cake? Too hard to transport. Cupcakes? Nah. Cookies? Yes. But what kind?

Cocoa Peanut Butter Chip Cookies (adapted from the Chocolate Chip Cookie recipe in Better Homes and Gardens)

1/2 cup butter
1/4 cup canola oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup granulated sugar
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1 egg
1 over-ripe banana, mashed
1 tsp vanilla
2 cups flour
1/4 cup cocoa powder
1 12oz package of peanut butter chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts and hazelnuts (optional)

1) Beat butter, oil, and sugar in a mixing bowl with an electric mixer on medium speed until smooth. Beat in baking soda and salt. Then, beat in egg, banana. Add cocoa powder, then flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
2) By hand, add peanut butter chips and nuts.
3) Drop dough by tablespoon full onto an ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 8 to 9 minutes at 375 degrees.

*Please note that these are cookies for a birthday...they're not supposed to be uber healthy! Sometimes you've just gotta indulge!

Handsome, isn't he? Smart, too.

Happy 24th Birthday Mladen!!!

Pizza Pizza! Read All About It!!

2010-03-20T15:26:00.000-07:00

Pizza. Everyone knows how to make pizza, right? Right. But does everyone know how to make a delicious, gourmet-looking and tasting pizza? No. So listen up, kids! If you want to impress your parents (like I did last night), your significant other, your boss (?), your friends or anyone else in your life, have I got a pizza for you!

For the dough:

1 1/2 cups white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 TBSP yeast
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 cup warm water
2 TBSP olive oil

1) combine yeast and water in a bowl, and set aside while you prepare other ingredients.
2) combine the oil, salt, spices and the whole wheat flour in a large bowl.
3) add the yeast mixture, and stir until flour is dissolved.
4) then, gradually add the remainder of flour, 1/2 cup at a time.
5) on a lightly floured surface, knead dough until it is smooth and elastic.
6) set aside, covered with a tea towel, while you chop and prepare veggies for the pizza.

I made two doughs (one with a little less whole wheat), and after they had risen a while, they looked like a bum.

Rolling out the bum. er... dough.

For the pizza:

1/2 cup tomato sauce
1/2 bag spinach
1/2 cup red onion, chopped
1/2 cup red pepper, chopped
3/4 cup jalapeno havarti cheese, grated
1/4 cup cashews, chopped

7) place spinach in a pot of boiling water until it has reduced to about 1/2 cup of your original half bag. Drain it and squeeze it out really well.
8) roll out the dough (this recipe can make two small thin crust pizzas, or one big thick crust), and place onto a greased pizza pan with cornmeal sprinkled onto the greased pan (unless you are allergic to corn, *ahem*).
9) Spread the sauce, spinach, red pepper and onion, then spread the grated cheese. Lastly, sprinkle the chopped cashews.
10) Bake at 425 degrees for about 13-15 minutes.

And there you have it, Spinach Cashew Pizza! I also made bread sticks with a bit of extra dough. I brushed them with olive oil and sprinkled them with sea salt, and baked them at 375 degrees for about 10 minutes.

Pumpkin Apple Butter

2010-03-10T15:02:00.000-08:00

I'm really obsessed with adding pumpkin puree to stuff these days. It goes great in baked goods, soups, and just about anything else, really. I have a container of pumpkin in the freezer, and I just use a little bit whenever I'm making something. This time, I made apple butter. Inspiration? I had friends over for a brunch potluck, and someone brought "apple scallops". I loved the spices and the apple combined, so once again, I put my slow-cooker to work overnight. I'm not exactly sure what the difference between apple butter, apple sauce, or apple scallops is, but "butter" sounds the most appitizing, I think.

Pumpkin Apple Butter

10 small apples (I used ambrosia) finely chopped
1 c water
1 c sugar
1/2 c pumpkin puree
2 tsp cinnamon
dash of each: cloves, ginger and nutmeg

Combine everything in the slow-cooker and set to low for 10 hours. Stir occasionally, and mash with a fork when the apples are soft enough. Once you are finished, divide into containers, keep one in the fridge, and freeze the other two. Apple butter is great on toast, ice cream, mixed in with plain yogurt, or used in baking.

I know what you're thinking (at least...this is what Josh thought), "this stuff looks like poo!" but I assure you, it tastes much, much better.

Pumpkin Banana Granola

2010-03-09T20:37:00.000-08:00

Today I was reading my friend Sagan's wonderful blog and she mentioned that when she makes granola, she replaces much of the sugar and oil with a mashed banana. Perfect timing - I had just finished off my last batch of homemade granola, and I also had some over-ripe bananas in the freezer. When I looked in the freezer for my bananas, I also came across a container of frozen pumpkin puree. Hmmm...are you thinking what I was thinking?

Pumpkin Banana Granola

2 c (organic) rolled oats (big ones)
3/4 c (organic) whole wheat flour
2 T flax seed meal
1/2 c unsweetened coconut

Mix the above in a large bowl, and make a well in the centre

1 over-ripe banana, mashed
1/3 c pumpkin puree
1/4 c milk
1/4 c brown sugar
1 T vanilla

Mix together in a separate bowl, and then add to the large bowl. Stir until dry ingredients are moistened, and then spread out on a large, greased, baking sheet. Bake for for about 40 to 45 minutes at 300 degrees, stirring every 10 minutes or so. Add raisins or other dried fruit, and/or nuts in the last 10 minutes of baking time.

It turned out extremely well. I had a little bite, but I can't wait to eat more of it in my yogurt tomorrow morning!

Cohn Chowdah (er...Corn Chowder)

2010-03-09T20:21:00.000-08:00

I made corn chowder last night. I tossed everything in the slow cooker, set it to low, and fell soundly asleep. But, in the middle of the night I was woken up by the incredible smell eminating from my kitchen. I resisted the urge to get up for a midnight snack (Josh probably wouldn't have appreciated onion breath), but I had a bowl of this delectable soup for lunch. And dinner.

Corn Cowder

3 c frozen corn niblets
1/2 large onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped
1 yam, peeled and chopped
1/2 c mushrooms, chopped
1 1/2 c cream (gasp! I know, horrible. But I had some left over in the fridge, so I thought I'd use it in the soup. I recommend using milk instead, if it's any consolation).
4 c water or broth
1/2 tsp salt

Slow-Cooker Directions:

1) Combine everything except for the cream in the slow-cooker. Cook on low for 9.5 hours. Add cream in the last 30 minutes of cooking time.

Stove-top Directions:

1) In a large saucepan, stir-fry all of the veggies (including sweet potato) in 1 T oil until almost softened.
2) Add water or broth and salt. Simmer over medium heat until veggies are completely softened.
3) Add cream or milk 10 minutes before serving.

Ok, so, it doesn't look like this most appetizing dish, but honestly, it's really good!

Hearty Tomato Soup

2010-03-08T13:32:00.000-08:00

Although this recipe is a little high in sodium, it's healthy other than that. And, with a 1/2 tsp of cayenne, it's also got a kick. I made a big recipe, and it lasted for several tasty meals.

Hearty Tomato Soup

2 large carrots, sliced in coins
1 jar of marinara sauce
1 can kidney beans
4 cups vegetable broth
2 cups water
1/2 cup either rice, barley, lentils, or a mixture of all of them
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp chilli powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

Combine all the above in your slow cooker, and set to low for 8-10 hours. Tastes best when served with a slice of fresh bread.

Red and Green Lentil Salad

2010-02-26T17:10:00.000-08:00

I have this obsession with making sure I use food before it goes bad (or in some cases, finding something to make with it even after it has gone bad). Today, I found half a red pepper, half a green pepper, and half an onion in my fridge, starting to get soft. Uh oh! I made a delicious lentil salad from the veggies, and now they should stay crisp in the salad for a few more days. Phew, OCD crisis averted.

Red and Green Lentil Salad

Side note before you begin: Use dried lentils. There is no salt added, and they taste better when you cook em'. Plus, they're like one zillionth of the price of canned lentils. If you'd like to know more about cooking with dried beans, refer to this website: http://www.chezbettay.com/pages/basics1/basics_beans1.html ...It explains everything very well.

2 c cooked red lentils
1 c cooked green lentils
1/2 onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped into small pieces
1/2 red pepper, chopped into small pieces
1/2 c green peas (throw them in with the lentils in the last few minutes of cooking time)
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp lemon juice
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1 tbsp honey
1 tsp granular mustard
salt and pepper

Tastes great on its own, or on crackers (preferably homemade!)

P.S. I must credit my mom with the dressing that I use on all of my salads, and many of my pasta dishes. What would we do without granular mustard, honey, oil and vingear??

My Birthday Indulgences

2010-02-23T19:51:00.000-08:00

Josh made me dinner on my birthday. Pesto on penne. It was superb.

But then, things got a little crazy.

Vegan Muffins

2010-02-23T08:49:00.000-08:00

I make these muffins quite frequently at work. They're liked by most (including the non-vegans).

Vegan Muffins

2 c flour (can be 1 c whole wheat, 1 c white)
1 T baking powder
1/4 t salt
1 t cinnamon and/or nutmeg
1/4 c oil
1 c sugar
1/2 c applesauce or 2 mashed bananas
1 t vanilla
1/2 c soy milk
+ 1 c of anything (blueberries, carrot and raisin, nuts, dried fruit, vegan chocolate chips etc.)

1) Combine dry ingredients in one bowl, and wet in another.
2) Add wet ingredients to dry, and fold together.
3) Add the 2 cups of anything.
4) Grease 12 muffin cups and divide batter amongst them.
5) Bake for about 20 minutes at 375 degrees.

Spaghetti and Bean Balls

2010-02-23T08:37:00.000-08:00

My dad gave me a crock pot for my birthday last weekend. Since meatballs are a common crock pot favourite, I thought I would invent a vegetarian version:

Spaghetti and Bean Balls

For the Bean Balls:

1 can black beans
1/4 c finely chopped onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 c bread crumbs (or more if necessary)
Italian spices
1 egg

1) Mash the black beans with a fork or potato masher, then add all other ingredients, with the egg added last. Combine well.
2) Roll into small balls, and drop into crock pot with spaghetti sauce.

For the Spaghetti Sauce:

You can use a can or jar of your favourite sauce, or:
1 large can crushed tomatoes
1 small can tomato paste
1/2 c water
1/2 c each red and green pepper
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 c mushrooms chopped

1) combine the above ingredients and stir. Add bean balls, and make sure they get covered by sauce.
2) Close crock pot lid and cook on high for 4 hours or low for 6-8 hours.

Enjoy spaghetti sauce and bean balls over Manitoba made spaghetti. Delicious.

Moroccan Curry...a.k.a...Heaven in Your Mouth.

2010-02-18T08:27:00.000-08:00

I was looking on allrecipes.com for a vegetable curry recipe, and I came across a top rated recipe for "Marrakesh Vegetable Curry." I changed the recipe quite extensively based on the ingredients I already had at home, and it turned out amazingly well. Here's the original: http://allrecipes.com/Recipe/Marrakesh-Vegetable-Curry/Detail.aspx ... But honestly, I'd recommend the one I made instead.

Moroccan Curry

1 sweet potato, peeled and cubed
1 regular potato, peeled and cubed
2 carrots, peeled and chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
1/2 onion
2 cloves garlic
1/2" piece of ginger, peeled and minced
6 T olive oil
1 can garbanzo beans
1/4 sliced almonds
1/4 raisins
3/4 c plain yogurt
3/4 c apple juice
1 t curry powder
1 t turmeric
1 t garam masala
1 t cinnamon
dash cayenne
salt

1) In a large saucepan, stir-fry potato, sweet potato, carrots, and celery for 5 minutes in 3 T olive oil (you can cover with a lid to ensure they are softening). Then add onion, garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for another 5 to 10 minutes, until veggies are softer.
2) In a small sacuepan, heat remaining oil over medium heat and to that add the spices. Stir until aromatic, and then add the plain yogurt.
3) Add spice mixture to vegetable mixture, and also add the rasins, almonds and apple juice. Cover and simmer for about 20 minutes.

Tofu and Guacamole Sandwiches

2010-02-17T11:44:00.000-08:00

To celebrate Louis Riel Day, Josh and I went out to our friend Dave's cottage at Victoria Beach. I offered to bring groceries to make supper for all of us. But then I remembered: Dave is a vegan! Crap! What can I make that is simple and does not require many groceries? Here's what I invented:

Tofu and Guacamole Sandwiches

4 ciabatta or foccia buns, toasted
1 block of extra firm tofu
oil for sauteeing
3 avacados
1 c salsa
breadcrumbs mixed with your favourite spices (chilli, italian, anything).

1) Spread breadcrumbs and spices onto a place
2) Cut tofu lengthwise into 4 "steaks" and dip each piece into the breadcrumbs
3) Place on frying pan over medium heat, and brown on both sides (a few minutes each side).
4) Meanwhile, to make guacamole pit avacados and mash into a bowl with the salsa.
5) Once tofu is ready, place one "steak" onto toasted bun, and top it off with guacamole.

Lean, Mean, Beta-Carotene (in a soup)

2010-02-17T11:28:00.000-08:00

Josh's friend, Eric, visited us yesterday evening. He had his wisdom teeth out on Friday, so I promised him a dinner of soft food. We didn't want him to have to excuse himself every few minutes to rinse his sockets, so I decided soup was on the menu.

Curried Butternut Squash Soup

1 butternut squash, cut in half and cooked in the microwave for 8 minutes, and then flesh removed
2 large carrots, chopped
1/2 large onion
3 cloves garlic
2 stalks celery
1 T vegetable oil
2 c plain yogurt (mine was homemade, but that's another entry entirely, you can use store bought)
2 c water
salt, pepper, curry, garam masala, cumin, ginger (a few dashes of each)
1/4 c brown sugar
Mozzarella Cheese (for sprinkling on top)

1) In a large saucepan, stirfry carrot, celery, onion and garlic with oil over medium heat until softened.
2) Add butternut squash, plain yogurt, water, spices and sugar.
3) Stir together until heated through
4) Blend soup with food processor or immersion blender.
5) Serve in large bowls with a generous sprinkling of grated mozza cheese.

Mac n' Cheese. With a Lentil Twist.

2010-02-11T10:50:00.000-08:00

Josh eats a lot of food for a 175 lb, 6'4" man. Well- maybe I'm just not used to living with a 20-something male. If I didn't make large quantities of food, we would probably be living on an all rice and bean diet. And besides, if I cook, Josh does the dishes. Works for me! I made an old favourite recently, but I added a few new and interesting things.

Caroline's Mac n' Cheese

3 cups cooked elbow macaroni
1 cup cooked red lentils (you can just throw these in with your macaroni as its boiling)
1 can beans in tomato sauce
3/4 c grated mozza cheese
3/4 c grated marble cheese
3 T grated parmesan cheese
1 T butter
1 T flour
1 c skim milk
1 t granular mustard
pepper
bread crumbs

1) In a medium sacuepan over medium heat, combine butter and flour. Once melted, gruadually add skim milk. Continue stirring until sauce has thickened. Add grated mozza and marble. Then add mustard and pepper. Stir until it has a thick consistency. Remove from heat.
2) Add sauce to cooked macaroni and lentils. Add beans as well.
3) Pour mixture into a large, greased cassarole dish. Sprinkle bread crumbs and parmesan cheese over top.
4) Bake at 350 degrees for 20-25 minutes, or until bubbling on the sides.

Fruits and Roots

2010-02-11T08:42:00.001-08:00

I've developed an interest in preserves. Throughout my childhood, I spent many summers on the East Coast of Canada, picking raspberries and making huge quantities of jam. Although the process was easy enough, it was basically a three person job. But last week I had an apple on my counter that was too soft to eat, and half a bag of blueberrries in my freezer that I had purchased for a failed attempt at vareniki-making, and I thought the combination of the two would make for a tasty jam. Most jam recipes call for large amounts of fruit, but I only had two cups of berries, and two mason jars. Also, I didn't want to go through the entire canning process - I just wanted to eat the jam right away! So, I modified the standard jam recipe and here is what I came up with:

Apple Blueberry Jam

1 gala apple, beyond its prime, peeled and cut into little cubes
2 cups blueberries
1 3/4 cups sugar
1/2 pouch pectin
2 jars, preferably mason

1. In a large saucepan, over medium heat combine apple, berries and pectin.
2. Bring to a boil. Add sugar.
3. Return to a boil, and bring to a hard boil for one minute (a hard boil is one in which your stirring does not reduce the bubbles).
4. Remove from heat, skim the top if it has formed a skin on it, and ladle into warm, sterilized jars.
5. Wipe the rims, twist on lids (but not too hard), and allow to cool for 12 hours or so. Make sure you don't touch the jars, as this interrups the pectin hard at work.
6. Even though you haven't pressure canned these jars, they'll probably seal anyway. But, if they don't (you can tell if they've sealed by checking if the lid has popped down), just put them in the fridge after they've cooled, and they should last a while.

The following week at work, I had a piece of sourdough toast with "Apricot Sunrise Jam" on it from "Grass Roots" owned by Tall Grass Prairie at the Forks. I thought I had died and gone to heaven! I read the ingredients on the label (dried apricots, pumpkin, ginger, lemon juice, certo) and immediately went home to invent my own version. I had half a cup of dried apricots the in cupboard, so I cut them into small pieces and soaked them in a pot of water for 24 hours. I also made Josh buy me a can of pumpkin on his way home from school. Here's the actual recipe:

Apricot Pumpkin and Ginger Spread

1/2 c dried apricots, chopped, and soaked in water for 24 hours (you will end up with about 2 cups after this process).
1 c canned pumpkin, or if you feel ambitious, you can cook your own pumpkin.
1/2 c water
Juice from half a lemon
1 tsp ginger
1 tsp cinnamon
2 c sugar
1/2 pouch pectin
2 jars, sterilized

Start by combining all ingredients except for sugar, bring to a boil, add pectin, bring back to a boil, and follow the instructions above, because they are the same!

Crackers - for those of us on a tight budget

2010-02-07T11:33:00.000-08:00

We make sandwiches and toast at the cafe where I work. Every morning, we get fresh loaves of multigrain and sour dough bread delivered to our door from Tall Grass Prairie. Since we can't sell the ends (or, as I like to call them, the "bums") of the loaves, and hardly anyone ever eats them, I take them home and freeze em'. When we have company over, I thaw out the bread bums and cut them into small, triscut size squares. I arrange them on a baking sheet and give them a light sprinkling of vegetable oil, and then I sprinkle them with salt, and dried oregano, basil and rosemary. I bake them in a hot oven (about 400) for just a few minutes. I flip them part way through, and then bake them for another few minutes. They're really crispy when ready, and great served with hummus, baba ganoush, or a dip of your choice. Cheap and delish.

The Hummus Among Us

2010-02-07T11:25:00.000-08:00

To avoid studying last Friday, I made hummus. I quite enjoy store-bought hummus too, but it always has a ton of oil added, not to mention the fact that it comes in a plastic container. And you can only reuse so many of those containers before your tupperware drawer is too full. This was my version of hummus:

Hummus
1 can chickpeas
2 cloves garlic
1/4 to 1/3 c natural peanut butter
1/4 cup sunflower or safflower oil
sprinking of salt
dash of paprika

Blend it all together and voila.

Quinoa & Red Lentil Veggie Burgers

2010-01-01T20:32:00.000-08:00

I made another type of veggie burger the other day. This recipe yields 12 burgers that fare just fine in the freezer. To warm them up, I put them in the toaster, and then once they pop, I microwave them for a minute. I "decorate" the bun with whatever is in the fridge. This time it was hummus, a pickle and a slice of New Bothwell marble cheese. Mmmm. And, they're extrodinarily healthy, too.

Quinoa and Red Lentil Veggie Burgers

2 cups cooked quinoa
1 cup cooked red lentils
Set aside in large bowl, and place in fridge until cool enough to handle.

1 large carrot, chopped finely
1 small yellow onion, chopped
5 or 6 buttom mushrooms, chopped
1 Tbsp grated fresh ginger
2 cloves garlic
Sautee in 1 Tbsp vegetable oil until carrots are fairly soft. Make sure not to add the garlic until the very end (garlic burns easily). Add the vegetables to the lentils and quinoa.

3Tbsp ground flax seed
1/2 cup bread crumbs
1 egg, beaten
curry, cayenne, salt and pepper (as much as you like)
Add to mixture, and stir. If burgers seem too runny, add more bread crumbs.

Form into 12 burgers and bake for 20 minutes (10 minutes per side) at 375 degrees on greased pan or parchment paper.

Cavena whaaat?

2009-12-30T10:43:00.000-08:00

Cavena Nuda = Naked Oats. For Christmas this year my mom gave me a large container of this new grain called "Cavena Nuda". The label calls it "rice of the prairies," because it's grown in Arborg, Manitoba and it certainly has a rice look and a wildrice texture. Wedge Farms, where the grain is grown, claims that the oats are "naturally hull-free, resulting in less processing and a reduced carbon footprint" (http://www.wedgefarms.com/).

Josh and I were invited to a potluck so we decided to make a dish with this grain, and advertise it a little bit. Josh ended up making the entire thing while I was at work, and after high praise from everyone at the potluck, I wish I could've taken credit.

Coconut Milk Curry and Cavena Nuda:

Prepare the grain:
2 cups of dried Cavena Nuda
3 cups of water
Bring ingredients to a boil together in a saucepan, and reduce heat and simmer for 40 minutes. Allow it to rest for 10 minutes before using.

For the sauce:
1 can of coconut milk
1/3 cup natural peanut butter
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tsp curry paste (or more if you like)
dash of chilli powder
dash of cayenne pepper
In a saucepan over low heat combine the above ingredients. Set aside.

The veggies:
1 large potato, cubed
1/2 an onion, chopped
1/2 green pepper, chopped
1 clove garlic
1Tbsp vegetable oil
Stir fry the above veggies until poatoes are softened. Add mixture to pot of Cavena Nuda, and then pour sauce over mixture. Enjoy.

So Long, Farewell! (for a little while)

2009-09-07T15:53:00.001-07:00

I'll be away until the middle of December. I'm going to China, Kyrgyzstan, Kazakhstan, Uzbekistan then Germany and Czech Rebuplic. I doubt I'll have much of a chance to update my recipe blog. But, when I return, I'll have been inspired by new things, and perhaps they will affect my recipe ideas.

Goodbye for now!

Check out our travel blog: http://joshandcarolinebackpacking.blogspot.com

Veggie Burgers - Numero Dos

2009-09-07T15:34:00.000-07:00

These are some of my lovely friends. They're always enthusiastic when it comes to food (as you can see), and they're very supportive of my cooking/baking experiments. One evening I made two types of veggie burgers for everyone to try. My friend, Ben, says he really likes making the one recipe that I've listed already, so maybe he'll give this one a try, too.

Veggie Burgers - Recipe #2

About 5 mini or 1 larger potato boiled drained and mashed
1 can pinto beans, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup pumpkin seeds
1 clove garlic, minced
1/2 a white onion
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup bread crumbs (or more if mixture is too wet)
generous sprinkling of curry powder
a bit of cumin

Mix and mash the above ingredients in one bowl. Then in a separate bowl, whisk the egg, and add it to the above mixture. Form into patties (about 8), and then bake for 8 minutes a side at 375 or until toasty on each side.

Taste best if you serve them on a sesame seed bun with curried mayo (mayo mixed with curry powder).

Morning-of-the-Wedding Biscuits

2009-09-03T16:30:00.000-07:00

These biscuits are made with dried cranberries and orange zest, and they taste heavenly with a touch of strawberry jam. I obtained this recipe from my favourite cookbook, a 2006 edition of Better Homes and Gardens; a book that has a recipe for every occasion, and it even gives you little cooking and baking lessons at the beginning of each chapter. I baked these lovely biscuits for the wedding party of my sister's wedding on the morning of the big day. On a normal day, I would have used whole wheat flour instead of white, and I may have thrown in some flax seeds for good measure. But, because it was important to feel sleek and ungassy in our fancy dresses, other than the dried fruit, very little fibre was included. Change the recipe as you wish.

Cranberry-Orange Biscuits (from Better Homes and Gardens)

2 cups flour
1 tbsp sugar
2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp finely shredded orange peel
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 cup shortening (I used margarine)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1 6-oz container yogurt (I used some Activia, and then added some extra soy milk to make it 6 oz)
1 tbsp milk
1 recipe orange glaze

1) preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a bowl, stir together flour, sugar, baking powder, orange peel, salt, and baking soda. Cut in shortening (or margarine) until mixture is crumbly. Add dried fruit, and mix. Make a well in the centre of the flour mixture and add yogurt and milk all at once. Using a fork, stir until moistened.
2) Turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead dough by folding and gently pressing it for 10 to 12 kneads or until it's about smooth. Pat or lightly roll dough until 1/2 inch thick. Cut with a floured biscuit cutter (or in my case, a knife works too).
3) Place the 11 circles (or rectangles) on an ungreased baking sheet. Place them close enough to each other that they are touching, and that way they'll be softer when you pull them apart after they're baked. Bake them for around 10 minutes. After they've cooled, drizzle orange glaze over top of them.

Orange Glaze

3/4 cup powdered sugar
1 tsp finely shredded orange peel
3-4 tsp orange juice (to reach glaze consistency)

Two Types of Cookies, Made in a Jiffy!

2009-08-07T18:02:00.000-07:00

My friends are always effusive about my baking. So, since I'm going to see them tonight, I baked two different kinds of cookies from the same base. One has blueberries, and the other has chocolate chips and figs. You could make one or the other, or both at the same time if you divide the dough in two before you add the goods. Dee-lish!

Blueberry OR Chocolate Chip Fig Cookies

1/2 cup sunflower oil

1 cup brown sugar

2 eggs, beaten

1 tsp vanilla

3/4 tsp baking soda

2 cups flour

Milk, if mix is too dry

1/2 cup chopped figs, and 1/2 cup chocolate chips

1 cup blueberries (and maybe some ground flax seed would be a good addition to these. I didn't add any, but I bet it would add texture, and fibre to boot!)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, grease baking sheets

2) Mix together wet ingredients, and then one by one, add the baking soda, salt, and lastly the flour. If mix is too dry, add a touch of milk.

3) If you are baking chocolate chip fig, add those ingredients. If you are baking blueberry cookies, fold the blueberries in very gently.

4) Drop by teaspoon full onto prepared baking sheet. Bake for about 10 minutes, but keep a close watch that they don't burn.

*The blueberry cookies will turn out a little more cakey in texture than the others. Also, some of the blueberries will explode while you bake them, but then they come out looking all the more colourful.

House Warming Granola Bars

2009-08-03T08:46:00.000-07:00

Yum! Finally, after many failed attempts, I developed a delicious granola bar recipe. They are moist and sweet, and easy to adapt to align with your wants. Some of my friends moved into a new house yesterday, so I took some of these granola bars over as a house warming treat... although, I kept most of them for myself. My friends and I really liked them, so I am quite sure that you will, too.

Caroline's Granola Bars

1/2 cup oil
1 tsp vanilla
1 egg
3 overripe bananas, mashed
2 tbsp honey
2/3 cup sugar
1 cup flour
3 cups rolled oats
1 +1/2 cup rice krispies (or, in my case, the knock-off version of them)
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon
dash of nutmeg
3/4 cup of a mixture of crasins, raisins and chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350, and grease a 9x9" pan.
2) Mix together all of the wet ingredients, along with the sugar.
3) Add flour, rolled oats, rice krispies, salt, baking powder, cinnamon and nutmeg. Fold the ingredients together until mixed well.
4) Fold in the crasins, raisins and chocolate chips.
5) Pour mixture into prepared pan and bake for about 30 minutes, or until the edges start to look a crisp, golden brown colour.

Banana Cupcakes

2009-07-27T15:29:00.000-07:00

I made these cupcakes for my sister's wedding shower. I got the original recipe from allrecipes.com, but I changed several things. Everyone enjoyed them, and I suggest you try them, too!

Banana Cupcakes
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1+1/2 cup sugar
2 eggs
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup buttermilk
2 cups flour
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 recipe for cream cheese icing (light cream cheese, vanilla and icing sugar)

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin
2) Mix wet ingredients
3) Mix dry ingredients, and add the wet to the dry. Fold together the ingredients
4) Divide the batter into 12 large or 18 small prepared muffin cups
5) Bake for about 20-25 minutes.
6) Ice the cupcakes with cream cheese frosting once they have completely cooled.

Cocoa Banana Cupcakes
(I made a variation of the same recipe for my boyfriend's birthday a week later. They also turned out really well)
1/2 cup sunflower oil
1 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup white sugar
1 tsp vanilla
1 cup mashed banana
1/4 cup buttermilk
1+1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cocoa
1 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 recipe cream cheese icing

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and prepare a muffin tin or two
2) Mix together the wet ingredients, then in a separate bowl, mix together the dry.
3) Add the wet ingredients to the dry.
4) Divide batter between 12 to 18 muffin cups
5) Bake for 20-25 minutes
6) Cool completely and then cover the tops with cream cheese icing

Vanilla, Banana and Maple Porridge

2009-07-08T04:55:00.000-07:00

I used to eat this porridge on Sunday afternoons, after I had completed my long run for the week. It's really sweet, so it's a great breakfast or lunch food for those of us with a sweet-tooth.

1 cup rolled oats
1 and 1/2 cups milk
pinch of salt
1 tbsp brown sugar
3 tbsp maple syrup
1 tbsp good quality vanilla extract
1 banana, thinly sliced

Simmer, but don't boil, the milk. Throw in the oats, and stir them to combine and then soften (10 minutes, aprox). Add the remaining ingredients, and stir again. Bring the mixture to a simmer, and cook for another 10 minutes, stirring often. The banana should almost disappear. Serve up into a bowl (serves 2 in total), pour yourself a cup of coffee, and read the newspaper. And there you have a delicious and relaxing morning or afternoon.

Welcome Home! Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies

2009-07-05T12:00:00.000-07:00

My friend, Devin, has been in Montreal for just over a month. She's coming home tomorrow, and since she might need a detox from all the poutine she says she's consumed, I made her some healthy(ish) cookies. They just came out of the oven and they taste really great.

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Cookies (for Devin)

1+1/4 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup rolled oats

1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/4 cup honey

1 large over-ripe banana

1/3 cup natural peanut butter

1/4 cup soured milk (milk with a 1/4 tsp of vinegar in it, left alone for a few minutes so it can get lumpy)

1 tsp vanilla extract

1/3 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees and grease a cookie sheet

2) Stir together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl

3) Stir together all of the wet ingredients

4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry, and once all is moistened, stir in the chocolate chips

5) Drop by tablespoons onto cookie sheet

6) Bake for 10 -12 minutes

Yields 12 large cookies, or 24 little ones

Vegan Cocoa Almond Cookies

2009-07-03T17:06:00.000-07:00

It's fun to invent vegan recipes. These cookies are really tasty. They have a soft, almost cupcake texture, and are jam-packed with chocolately flavour. Try em'.

Vegan Cocoa Almond Cookies

1/4 cup sunflower oil
1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup soy milk or water

1 tsp pure vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp baking soda

1/2 cup whole wheat flour

1/2 cup white flour

1/3 cup cocoa

1/2 cup finely chopped almonds (not quite ground, but finer than slivered)

16 whole almonds for the tops of the cookies

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease a cookie sheet

2) Mix together the wet ingredients

3) Mix together the dry ingredients in a separate bowl

4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet mixture and stir. If mixture is too dry, add another tablespoon or two to the mixture.

5) Drop by rounded teaspoons full onto the cookie sheet. You should make about 16 cookies.

6) Place a whole almond onto each cookie.

7) Bake for 10 minutes.

Quinoa Salad

2009-07-02T15:29:00.000-07:00

I'll admit it - I know all the Food Network personalities. They don't know me, of course, but if I could spend a day with one of them, it would be Ina Garten from "Barefoot Contessa." The most visually stimulating t.v. show, however, is "Fresh" with Anna Olson. This salad recipe was originally Anna's (see? I'm on a first-name basis), but I've changed it quite a bit. It has a nice light flavour.

Quinoa Salad

1 cup quinoa, uncooked (Interesting tidbit: quinoa is the only grain that is a complete protein, so eat lots of it vegetarians)

3 large tomatoes, diced

3 green onions, chopped

1 small can of corn niblets, or fresh ones if it's that time of year.

1 clove garlic, minced

A handful of fresh basil, chopped

2 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

salt and pepper

Rinse quinoa and add to a large pot of water. Boil for about 10 minutes. Strain, and rise to cool. Mix together the remaining ingredients, together with the quinoa in a large bowl. Chill until ready to serve.

Banana Bread: simple and delicious

2009-07-02T15:05:00.000-07:00

During my high school years, I brought a slice of banana bread for lunch every single day. Although the recipe was originally my Auntie Lianne's, my mom changed it a little each time she baked it. My favourite ingredient combination goes a little something like this:

Banana Bread

1+1/2 cup white flour
1 cup whole wheat flour
1 cup sugar (can be either brown or white, or you can use less sugar all together)
3+1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 to 3/4 cup strawberry (or other flavour) yogurt
3 tbsp sunflower oil
1 egg
1 cup banana
1 tbsp vanilla extract
*Options: You can add a handful of walnuts or chocolate chips, but it tastes pretty great as is.

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees, and grease and flour one 9x5x3-inch loaf pan.
2) Combine dry ingredients in a large bowl.
3) Combine wet ingredients in a large bowl.
4) Add wet ingredients all at once to the dry, and stir just until moistened (batter should be lumpy). If you stir too much, your banana bread will sink in the middle!
5) Pour batter into prepared loaf pan, and bake for 55-60 minutes. Check if it's done by inserting a wooden toothpick into the centre, and if it comes out clean, it's ready to come out of the oven.

"Yogatta Do This" Susie's Granola

2009-07-02T14:10:00.000-07:00

My sister, Susie, moved away for University last fall. She sent me a little jar of granola, along with the recipe, all the way from her new apartment one province away. Baking is the best way to make a house feel and smell like a home. Eating a bowl of cereal with some homemade granola sprinkled on top helps, too. I've made a couple changes to the recipe, and you can too!

Susie's Granola

3 cups rolled oats

1 cup whole wheat flour

1/4 cup brown sugar

1/2 cup unsweetened coconut

1/4 cup ground flax seeds

1+1/2 tsp cinnamon

1/2 tsp ginger

1/4 cup sunflower oil

1/4 cup honey

1/4 cup soy milk (use a little more if mixture seems too dry before putting it in the oven)

1+1/2 cups dried fruits and nuts (my favourites are dried apricots chopped, pitted dates chopped, raisins, chopped walnuts and sliced almonds)

1) Preheat oven to 325 degrees, prepare a baking sheet.

2) Mix together all of the dry ingredients in a large bowl, and make a well in the centre.

3) In a small bowl, combine the oil, honey and milk. Do not add the fruit and nuts yet!

4) Add the wet ingredients to the dry, stir until moistened.

5) Bake for about 30 minutes or until golden brown, stirring in the pan every 10 minutes. Add the fruit and nuts in the last increment of baking time.

* The granola will not be hard and crunchy until it is completely cooled.

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

2009-07-01T19:25:00.000-07:00

I was a vegetarian for about 5 years, and although I occasionally eat meat these days, I favour cooking without it. A few months ago I created this veggie burger recipe, and it turned out quite well. My boyfriend says they taste better than the famous veggie burgers at Cousins Delicatessen down the street. I'm not so sure about that, but they're certainly healthier!

Chickpea Veggie Burgers

1 cup brown rice, cooked

1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed

1 clove garlic, minced

1/4 cup sunflower seeds

A few green onions, chopped finely

1/2 cup green peas

1/2 cup bread crumbs

1 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp cayenne

1 egg

1) Preheat oven to 375 degrees. Prepare baking sheet.

2) Combine all ingredients except for the egg into a large bowl. Mash with a potato masher as well as you can, but some lumps are ok. Texture is good!

3) Add the egg, and mix again. If mixture seems too moist, add more bread crumbs.

4) Shape into about 6 patties.

5) Bake for 8 minutes on each side. Serve warm on a whole wheat bun from Tall Grass Prairie, with a little bit of ketchup and/or mustard, a slice of marble cheese, a slice of tomato, and voila!

*Note: the picture above is of a burger menu from the "White Trash Cafe" in Berlin.

Ginger Spice (and something nice) Cookies

2009-07-01T10:57:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I made these cookies to take to a party. They are chewy, spicy, delicious, relatively healthy. And, you can share them with your vegan friends. Two people asked me for the recipe, and I'm quite certain they weren't just flattering me. Here it is:

Ginger Spice Cookies

1/4 cup sunflower oil (can reduce to 2tbsp)

1/2 cup sugar

1/4 cup molasses

2 over-ripe bananas, mashed

1 + 1/4 cup all-purpose flour

1/3 cup whole wheat flour

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp cinnamon

1 tsp ginger

dash of nutmeg

raw sugar

1) Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Prepare baking sheet by greasing, or cutting out parchment paper.

2) Combine first four ingredients in large mixing bowl.

3) Combine flour, baking soda, and spices in another bowl.

4) Add the dry ingredients to the wet, and mix well, but not too well.

5) If dough seems too wet to handle, put it in the fridge for a few minutes. Then, use a table spoon to measure out dough, and use your hands to roll into a ball, and then roll in the raw sugar.

6) Place cookies on prepared cookie sheets, and bake for about 10 minutes. Keep an eye on them, the bottoms will burn easily because of the raw sugar on them.

Yields 20-24 cookies.