Sausage and Kale Soup

I recently flew my mom out for a week (bless you Airmiles program!) to help me get ready for baby #2. Because of my pelvic girdle pain, I'm often very limited in my movements and can't be on my feet for long periods of time. My mom came to cook, clean, and watch Lily while I tried to organize around her.

Cinderella and her little helper polish the bassinet...

Trouble is, I'm a bit of a control freak in the kitchen (ok, that might be an understatement) and would barely let her cook anything. She did make batch after batch of muffins when I was at work - these will come in very handy when I'm starving in the middle of the night from breastfeeding and need a quick snack to get me through until morning - but her plans of making spaghetti sauce and other meals were squashed.

Despite my mom's intentions to make food for our freezer, I was pleased that I had a chance to do some cooking while she and Lily played. I made a large batch of this soup and couldn't have been happier with the results. I've made it a few times before but this was the best version yet. The original recipe has been adapted slightly from Chatelaine magazine but fear not, this is honestly a quick and easy soup to whip up.  I used my own stock (I know, I know - I promise to post those instructions soon on making stock...) but store-bought stock will work just fine.

Ingredients:
1 large onion
4 cloves garlic
4 large Italian sausages (preferably Spolumbo's)
10 cups chicken broth
2 x 28 oz cans diced tomatoes
2 x 19 oz cans chickpeas, rinsed and drained
1 can tomato paste
1 large bunch of kale, removed from stems and chopped into small pieces
1 tsp red pepper flakes
2 tbsp Hazelwood Chicken Blend (or each parts dried thyme, oregano, parsley)
Salt to taste

Directions:
1. Dice onion and garlic into small pieces.
2. Remove casing from sausage and chop into bite-sized pieces.
3. Coat a large soup pot with olive oil and sauté onions, garlic, and sausage until sausage is no longer pink (about 5-8 mins)
4. Add tomatoes, tomato paste, chickepeas, and enough chicken broth to cover all ingredients (may be more or less than 10 cups). Increase heat to high and bring to a boil.
5. Reduce heat and stir in chopped kale along with seasonings.
6. Cover and simmer for about 10 minutes or until kale is soft.
7. Add salt if necessary and stir well before serving.  Serve in bowls with grainy bread on the side.

Only three weeks to go...

Curried coconut squash soup

'Tis the season for soup. It's cheap and easy to make, especially if you are using your own soup stock (I promise to post instructions soon on how to make stock). It's healthy, nutritious, and warms you up on a cold day.

However, many people (myself included) are hesitant to make soup - thinking that it takes too long or is too complicated. It took me a few years to get over my soup-making anxiety but now I make a pot of soup most weeks during the winter. It stores well in the fridge and can be eaten every day for lunch.

This soup recipe is an amalgamation of various soup recipes that I've tried over the years. Soup recipes should just be considered as guidelines - play around with the ingredients until you get to a soup that works for you and your family.

Ingredients:
2 leeks, chopped into small pieces (only white parts - green parts are thrown away)
3 cloves garlic, diced
1 red pepper, chopped into small pieces
2 tbsp olive oil
1 butternut squash, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
2-3 yams, peeled and cubed into 1 inch pieces
2-4 tbsp curry powder
1 tbsp Hazelwood dried chicken blend (or 1 tsp sage + 1 tsp thyme + 1 tsp marjoram)
8-12 cups chicken stock
1/2 head cauliflower, chopped into small pieces
1/2 - 1 can coconut milk
1 tbsp salt (or to taste)

Directions:
1. Heat olive oil in the bottom of a large soup stock pot.
2. Add leeks, garlic, and red pepper to the pot. Sauté over medium heat until soft (about 5 mins).
3. Add cubed butternut squash and yams to pot. Add spices and mix well. Cook 5-8 minutes or until fragrant.
4. Cover with stock (using less or more stock depending on how thick you like your soup) and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer until vegetables are soft.
5. Remove from heat briefly and using an immersion blender, blend the soup into a consistency of your choice.
6. Put soup back onto the heat and add cauliflower. Simmer for 5 minutes or until fork tender.
7. Add coconut milk and salt. Mix well.
8. Serve with hot buttered biscuits - yum!

These buttermilk biscuits are from the Canadian Living website. I didn't change a thing about the recipe and they were absolutely fabulous! One could probably cut back on the butter as a 1/2 cup of butter seems a bit much but why mess with a good thing?!

Roast chicken vs roast beef - cooking tips and tricks

With the chilly winter season upon (at least here in the Bow Valley), my thoughts turn to Sunday dinners and roasted meats. We ate roast beef every Sunday of my childhood and I'm quite fond of a big Sunday night supper. 

While they may take a few hours to cook, making roast beef or roast chicken isn't complicated and there is no need to be afraid! But, I've figured out a few tips that  should hopefully make things even easier for those who want to try a traditional Sunday night supper.  

Roasting rules:

1. Roast beef always takes longer to cook than you might think. The Joy of Cooking (my mom's cooking bible when we were kids) suggests that roast will take 20 mins per pound to cook to medium-rare. This means that a 3 lb roast should cook within an hour. This is simply not true. I've found that roast almost always takes at least 1 1/2 hours to cook to medium rare - even for the small-sized roasts that we get from our farmer. 

2. Chicken always cooks quicker than you expect. Again, the Joy of Cooking recommends 20-25 minutes per pound for birds up to 6 pounds (when cooking at 350 degrees). This means they are suggesting that a 5 lb chicken would take over 1 1/2 - 2 hrs to cook. In reality, it will probably take between 1- 1 1/2 hrs to cook. 

3. Regardless of size, 5-8 lbs chickens and turkeys all seems to cook within 1 1/2 - 2 hrs. They do not need an extra 20 minutes per pound when they are within this size range. It's weird and I don't know why this is but honest, this is how it works.  

4. Using a meat thermometer is the most accurate way to determine if your roast chicken/beef is cooked properly. Start checking for doneness at the lowest end of the cooking time suggestion. Roast beef is medium-rare at 145 degrees and chicken is done when it reads 180 degrees in the breast.

5. Always let your roast chicken/beef rest on the counter for 10-20 minutes after you remove it from the oven. This allows the juices to redistribute throughout the meat and makes for a more flavourful meal. Plus, this gives you lots of time to make yummy gravy!

Tortilla Pizzas

One of my last posts talked about quick and easy supper options for times when I don't really feel like cooking. Tortilla pizzas fit within that category too, except that they are super yummy and most people have never heard of them (unlike chicken caesar salad).

I first came across this recipe idea a few years ago - the original calls for a double layer of tortilla + cheese but I've since cut that back to a single tortilla per pizza. Try both and see which one you prefer.

Think of this as more of a recipe idea than an actual recipe - as with any pizza, you can top the tortilla with anything that you like. I'm fond of using fresh spinach and feta or Soppressata salami. Use whole wheat or white flour tortillas. Thinly cover tortilla with bottled pizza sauce or open a can of tomato paste and mix it with olive oil and some dried basil/oregano/garlic powder (in a pinch, jarred tomato pasta sauce works just fine too!). Top with meat or veggies of your choice along with a generous amount of cheese. Place two tortilla pizzas on a cookie sheet and bake in a pre-heated 375 degree oven.  Check pizzas after 8-10 minutes - pizzas are done when cheese has bubbled and is golden in places. Let cool for a few minutes before slicing.  Serve with salad or raw vegetables.

P.S. These pizzas bake equally well in the BBQ as they do in the oven.

Dad's first guest post: Gluten-free Banana Bread

When my mom came out to visit earlier this year, I subjected her to our Whole 30 eating experiment. While she survived, she (like us) didn't carry on with the gluten-free diet. However, it seems that it got my dad to ponder his eating habits and he's now trying to eliminate gluten from his diet.

My dad was always an equal contributor in the kitchen when I was growing up. Both my parents did shift work which meant that usually only one of them was home to watch us and subsequently, make us dinner. Besides excelling at meat + potato suppers, my dad's other specialty is pastry crust (a skill that I've yet to develop!). Sadly, his pastry making days might be on hold if he sticks to this gluten-free eating but in the meantime, he's working on his gluten-free baking. Here's one of the first recipe that he's successfully adapted - a recipe that he's proud of and wanted to share with others. Happy baking!

Banana Raisin Bread with Chocolate Chips (Gluten and Dairy Free)

A good first gluten-free treat (that’s also made with soy milk). This was adapted from a regular banana bread recipe so it could be made with regular ingredients. I used Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free All purpose baking flour. I like it because it is a mixture of 5 kinds of flour which makes a loaf more like we are used to with wheat flour. It slices well and is great with tahini or peanut butter and honey. Xanthan Gum is used to help hold all the different flours together. I sprinkle it on top of the dry ingredients and mix it in well.


Dry Ingredients:
2 cups flour Bobs Red Mill Gluten Free
1½ teaspoons Xanthan gum
2 teaspoons baking powder
1 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup sugar or 1/2 cup sugar + 1/4 cup honey

Wet Ingredients:
2 eggs
1/4 cup oil
1/4 cup soy milk
1 teaspoon vanilla
2 or 3 ripe bananas mashed
1/4 cup raisins (optional)
1/3 cup chocolate chips
2 Tablespoons sugar for topping

Directions:
1. Mix dry ingredients in a mixing bowl, using a whisk to combine thoroughly.
2. Using a wooden spoon, mix wet ingredients in another bowl.
3. Combine wet and dry ingredients. Gently stir together.
4. Pour into loaf pan sprayed with Pam or coated with butter or margarine.
5. Sprinkle with 2 tablespoons sugar.
6. Bake at 350 for about an hour and ten minutes, until golden brown.
7. Cool completely before slicing and enjoying with your choice of topping!

Tired, sore, and uninspired

It's been a month since I last posted a recipe. In that post, I talked about all the cooking that I was doing as a result of my pelvic girdle pain and my friend's new baby. Unfortunately, my enthusiasm has since faded while my pain and discomfort has increased. This has led to a lack of inspiration in the kitchen and a few lackluster supers. But, I'm making a few of my go-to, easy-breezy dinners and while they don't really involve recipes, I thought that I'd share the ideas here, just in case some of you were looking for something quick to make for dinner tonight!

1. Beef tacos - Use one pound of ground beef and a can of black beans with a store bought taco kit . Serve with tomatoes, avocado and green onions. Your choice of hard or soft shells (or try crumbling a hard taco shell into a soft burrito and melting cheese on top prior to adding your beef/beans - yum!)

2. Sloppy joes - Use one pound of ground chicken and a can of Sloppy Joe mix. Serve with squishy buns and top with cheddar cheese and fresh tomatoes. Throw a few cucumber slices on the side for a veggie hit.

3. Chicken Caesar salad - Buy a hot rotisserie chicken from the grocery store along with a package of chopped romaine lettuce (or chop your own lettuce). Mix with a caesar salad dressing of your choice and toss with cheese (whatever you have on hand). Make garlic buns (1 tsbp butter per bun plus a sprinkle of garlic powder - broil until crispy) or cook up a loaf of premade garlic bread.

4. Perogies and sausage - Buy some Italian sausages and frozen perogies from the grocery store. Fry up the sausages while you cook the perogies according to directions. If you like, saute some diced onions in your sausage grease. Top perogies with onions and shredded cheddar. Serve with sour cream.

5. Frozen pizza - stock up when they are on sale and pull them out of the freezer as you need to. Cheaper than ordering pizza but not nearly as good. Fills the void though!

Banana Chocolate Chip Muffins

Some parts of this recent pregnancy have been hard on me. I gave up downhill mountain biking for the summer and have sworn off cold beers on the patio until after the wee one arrives. And while these first two items are decidedly first-world problems, my other issue is more of an actual concern.

Since about the 17th week of pregnancy, I've been unable to walk without pain and can't stand on one leg without severe discomfort. I had a similar issue when I was pregnant with Lily but it didn't start until well into my third trimester. Unfortunately, pelvic girdle pain (or SPD, as it is also sometimes called) is a common re-occurrence in second (and subsequent) pregnancies, so I wasn't totally surprised when I developed symptoms this time around. There is not much that I can do about the SPD and while I know that things will improve after I give birth, it is fairly frustrating to be so limited in my movements - at this point, I can't walk longer than about 20 minutes at a time (even at a very slow pace) and I can't participate in many of the physical activities that I normally like to do.

Because I need to find a silver lining in this situation, I've yet again turned to cooking to take my mind off my frustrations. A good friend of mine recently gave birth to her first child and I've been inspired to stock her fridge and freezer with goodies that will fill her (and her husband's) belly while they adjust to parenthood.

Muffins are one of my go-to gifts for new parents. I remember how challenging it was to find time to eat after I gave birth to Lily and muffins became a saviour food for me. I try to make a batch whenever a friend has a baby - baby clothes make great gifts but food is always well received!

I photocopied this recipe many years ago from some un-named cookbook. These muffins are high in fibre, low in fat, and amazingly delicious! They are simple to make and have always turned out well. I wish that I could remember the name of the cookbook so I could give credit where credit is due but I can't. Please just know that this is not an original recipe of mine.

Dry Ingredients:
1 cup whole wheat flour
3/4 cup wheat bran
3/4 cup ground flaxseed
1/4 cup chocolate chips
1 tbsp baking powder
1 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinnamon

Wet Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups mashed bananas (approx 4-5 really ripe ones)
3/4 cup dark brown sugar
3/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg

Directions:
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Line a muffin pan with paper cup liners
3. In a large bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients using a fork or wire whisk
4. In a medium bowl, beat together all the wet ingredients. The mashed banana needs to be really well mixed in.
5. Pour the wet ingredients into the dry ingredients and mix until just combined.
6. Spoon into muffin cups and bake for 18-20 minutes (or until done)

makes 12

The fruits of our labour

We drove through Salmon Arm a few weekends ago on our way home from Sunpeaks and as I previously mentioned, we stopped at DeMille's Farm Market. We've been stopping at Demille's for a few years now - they have a fabulous little petting zoo for Lily and they offer good prices on their #2 (read: not perfect) fruits and vegetables. Buying #2 produce is a great way to buy large quantities of fruits and vegetables in order to can and preserve them for winter.  For example: I bought 50 lbs of tomatoes for $20 and 20 lbs of peaches for $8 - sure, both were a little bruised and battered but the cost-savings was well worth it!

Canning and preserving might seem a little old-fashioned but it is really nice to have jars of homemade salsa and canned peaches throughout the winter. I'm not going to lie - canning is a fair amount of work! It is not hard to do but it is time-consuming. It's best done with girlfriends and a few glasses of wine but since I'm knocked up (as was one of my canning partners), we settled for lots of yummy snacks while we made salsa, peaches, and mango chutney. 

I have no idea where this salsa recipe is originally from but my friend Julie passed it along to me a few years ago. I've pretty much followed the recipe as outlined although I only added as many peppers as I had on hand (more red/orange/yellow peppers and less hot peppers). I'm a huge fan of corn and black bean salsa so we added a can of each, right at the end of the cooking time. 

A few tips:

1. Wear gloves when chopping the hot peppers! I have learned from past mistakes and am now exceedingly careful about not rubbing my eyes after chopping hot peppers. However, I thought that I could get away without rubber gloves and wow, was I wrong!!! My chopping hand was on FIRE for the rest of the night and no amount of Google-researched solutions worked to take that pain away. 

2. If this is your first time canning, see if you have any friends or family who can help you out. Scott's cousin Kelly helped me a few years ago when I first learned to can - her tips made a big difference! If you have no-one to assist you, check out the Bernardin Home Canning website for a how-to guide.  

I've never posted a scanned recipe into this blog so I'm not sure if this will work. I think that you should be able to click on the recipe image to make it larger or to print it off.


Notes to self from September 2013:
1. Using 60 lbs of tomatoes, use 10 cans each of corn and black beans.
2. Used 12 jalapeño peppers, 3 Habenero peppers, 4 hot red peppers, and 4 hot yellow peppers (approx) but this wasn't hot enough. Also used approx. 60 sweet peppers of assorted colours. Consider using 30 hot peppers?! Total pounds of peppers was 23 pounds.
3. Used organic tomatoes from Farm Box. Total cost per 500 ml jar was approx. $2.50

Cheddar Zucchini Fritters

I started making this recipe last summer and have been in love with it ever since!  I had subscribed to a CSA veggie basket and found myself with more zucchinis than I knew what to do with. I love chocolate zucchini cake as much as the next person but I wanted to do something different with my bounty.  I played around with this recipe a little to enhance the flavour as I found the original to be a bit bland. Dial back the spices if you like milder flavours.  Julie from the 'Dinner with Julie' website was recently looking for recipe ideas for excess zucchinis and she came up with a zucchini fritter variation that included feta (yum!) - trying this version is next on my list.

These fritters make an excellent side dish for a summer or fall supper - be generous with the sauce, you won't regret it. There are always plenty of zucchinis at local farm markets this time of year but they are also found year-round at the supermarket. If you want to make them on a hot summer day but do not want to use your oven, know that you can use a cookie sheet to bake them on your BBQ (bottom photo).

Cheddar Zucchini Fritters - adapted from Chatelaine.com

Ingredients:
2 small (or 1 large) zucchini 
1/4 cup (50 mL) cornstarch
11/2 cups (375 mL) grated cheddar, preferably old
2 green onions, thinly sliced
1 egg white

1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

1/4 tsp paprika

1/4 tsp dry mustard

salt and pepper to taste

1/3 cup Mayo
2 tsp dijon mustard
1 tsp horseradish
1/2 tsp vinegar
pinch sugar

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400F (200C). 
2. Coarsely grate the unpeeled zucchinis. Spread out over paper towels. Top with more paper towel and cover with heavy pot or dutch oven. Let sit for 10-20 minutes, changing the paper towel once during that time.
3. Turn grated zucchini into a large bowl. Sprinkle with cornstarch and toss to mix. 
4. Add cheese, onions, and spices. Stir to mix. 
5. In a small bowl, whisk egg white, then stir into zucchini mixture along with generous pinches of salt and pepper. 
6. Line a baking sheet with parchment. Scoop about ¼ cup (50 mL) mixture onto baking sheet, then gently press down. Repeat with remaining mixture.
7. Bake in centre of preheated oven until fritters start to firm up and are golden on the bottom, about 15 min. Turn fritters carefully; they will be soft at this stage. Continue to bake until set and a deep golden on both sides, about 8 more min. Remove from oven and let stand a couple of minutes to firm up before serving.
8. Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix mayo, mustard, horseradish, and vinegar. If necessary, add small pinch of sugar to temper the tanginess of the sauce.
9. Serve fritters with a dollop of sauce.

Pork and Chicken Orders - Bow Valley

There is info from Farm Box about ordering pork and chicken for the winter: 

This is it! Our last order of Chicken and Pork for the season!
Time to fill your freezers for winter!

Please place your order from the Farm Box Website by NEXT TUESDAY SEPT. 18th!
Pick Up will be from Canmore on Oct. 12th.

Holistically raised Pork from Fisher Farms near Didsbury is available in individual packages this time around, so you can pick and choose your sausages, chops, ham and bacon.  Supplies are limited, so place your orders early!

To Order Follow this link:
farmbox.ca/whats-in-a-box/#pork

Prairie Roots Organic Chicken from Sunworks Farm is a truly superior product that comes with a long list of certifications, including Organic, Free-Range, Humane, and Local Sustainable. Visit the Sunworks Farm website, or watch this Independent Video for more information on farm operations, and guiding principles.

To Order follow this link:
http://farmbox.ca/whats-in-a-box/#chicken


You will receive a confirmation from us when you place your order and payment is can be made upon pick up. 
Pick up will be on Friday October 12th - please be prompt..No stragglers! (We will be out of town on our annual farm tour following this order)

See you at the Market!

Chrystel & Avni

Farm Box  
'thriving locally'

online at: farmbox.ca ... join the conversation!

Caprese Salad

Scott's friend Rich was in Italy recently (I guess that Rich is considered my friend now too since I've known him for as long as I've known Scott - he was there when Scott and I met for our first "date", way back in 1993 - but I digress) and brought us back a fabulous bottle of olive oil.

I've talked a lot on this blog about 'good' olive oil vs 'regular' olive oil - this is decidedly a good bottle of olive oil. It's green in colour and bursting with flavour. An olive oil like this is best used in a dish where the flavour of the oil shines along with the other ingredients. Luckily (given that it's the end of summer and tomatoes are at their peak), caprese salad is one of those dishes.

Scott and I first discovered caprese salad on our own trip to Italy a few years ago.  It's incredibly simple to make but is always a crowd pleaser. As I mentioned above, it is best to make this salad when tomatoes are at their prime. Bocconcini cheese can be found in all major supermarkets, usually near the deli.  It's a soft mozzarella cheese that was traditionally made from milk from water buffalo. Commercial bocconcini is made with cow's milk and is much more reasonably priced that traditional bocconcini.

I recently bought locally-made bocconcini from Lina's Italian Market and to be honest, I wasn't all that impressed with it and wouldn't spend the extra money again. One day, however, I will spring for the real water buffalo bocconcini - just to see if I can taste the difference - but at almost $7 per ball, it's a bit pricey for me right now!

Ingredients:
3 large tomatoes, thickly sliced
3-5 large bocconcini balls, thickly sliced
10 leaves fresh basil, finely chopped
Good quality extra-virgin olive oil, for drizzling
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Layer alternating slices of tomatoes and mozzarella on a plate or serving dish.
2. Generously drizzle with olive oil.
3. Season with salt and pepper to taste (this salad loves salt!)
4. Top with chopped basil. If you are so inclined, add a little more olive oil.
5. Serve at room temperature with a crusty bread and a nice glass of red wine

The little things in life

I really love a good cup of coffee in the morning. We bought a Starbucks espresso machine many years ago - I worked for Starbucks while I was studying to be a social worker at U of C and I used the last of my student loan money to buy a machine when it was on sale at Christmas time. This was one of the best financial decisions that I've ever made (which should surely tell you something about the state of my financial affairs...)

We use our machine on a daily basis and I savour every sip of my morning caffeinated beverage (I switched to decaf for the first trimester of this pregnancy but have very quickly made my way back to one fully caffeinated Americano per day). We primarily use Oso Negro beans which I buy on the monthly 20% discount day at Nutters. I recently was given a half pound of ground espresso straight from Italy - fabulously smooth and mellow! I will search it out when I next go to Lina's Italian Market (a blog post for another day).

All this chatter about coffee and espresso machines was prompted by my recent purchase of Blackwell table cream at Demille's Farm Market in Salmon Arm (yet another post for another day - I really need to catch up after a summer of blog slacking!). I've bought this cream before but hadn't paid as much attention to it as I did this morning.  Simply put, it's the best cream that I've ever used in my coffee! It's only 10% milk fat but the flavour is fabulously rich. We stopped using sugar in our coffee after our Whole 30 experiment and while I have no regrets about that, I feel that this cream adds a little something special back into our coffee.

I have no idea whether Blackwell cream can be bought in the Bow Valley or Calgary but look for it at your local specialty food stores (or, stop in at Demille's when you are next passing through Salmon Arm - one of my next blog posts will hopefully give you more than one reason to stop!)

Pasta and Herbs

 

My husband and I have been together for about 18 years.  We first dated in high school, then broke up for a year (for a bunch of silly reasons), and got back together when we both happened to move to Alberta around the same time. 

In all that time, Scott was well known for his lack of cooking skills.  He ate copious amounts of KD, macaroni and tomato juice, and natchos with cheese. Luckily for him (as I am often apt to remind him!), I was more than happy to do the cooking for both of us and have made the vast majority of suppers over the past 18 years. 

The one exception to this is Scott's recipe for Pasta and Herbs. A few years ago, he decided that he wanted to learn to cook a new recipe.  He scoured my cookbooks and arrived at this dish.  He's been making it ever since and has adapted it as his own.  I have no idea where the recipe came from so I can't post a link to the original. It's quite an easy dish to make but is SO flavourful! We usually save this dish for potlucks or dinners with friends as it is pretty rich (read: not low fat)

The amount of olive oil in this recipe is a tiny bit shocking and I'm always a little horrified when I watch Scott pour the oil into the pan.  If I was making this dish, I'd stick closer to 1/2 cup but this isn't my recipe so I'll go with what Scott has written down.  Regardless, just be sure to use the very best olive oil that you can find! 

Ingredients:

454 gram package of broad noodles (try to find an Italian brand if possible)

4-6 cloves minced garlic

1/2 - 1 cup olive oil

2 tbsp Tomato Sauce Blend (Hazelwood Herb Farm*)

1 tsp red pepper flakes

1 tsp salt

1 large bunch fresh parsley, chopped

1 large bunch fresh basil, chopped

1 tomato, diced - optional

1 avocado, diced - optional 

1/2 cup crumbled feta - optional

Directions:

1. Prep your basil, garlic, and parsley. Set aside. 

2. In a small bowl, mix the dried herbs, red pepper flakes, and salt. Set aside. *If you do not have access to Hazelwood Herb Farm herbs, use 2 tsp dried basil + 2 tsp dried oregano + 1 tsp dried parsley + 1 tsp dried marjoram.* 

3. Cook pasta according to directions on package. Drain and set aside with small amount of pasta water kept in the pot. 

4. While the pasta is cooking, heat 1/4 - 1/2 cup olive oil in a mid-sized skillet over medium heat.  Once the oil has warmed, saute the garlic for approximately 2 minutes, stirring frequently.  

5. Add fresh herbs and stir into garlic/olive oil mixture. Saute for 2 more minutes before adding dried herbs. Stir frequently and saute for another 3-5 minutes. Add more olive oil if you'd like. 

6. Once the mixture has cooked down, take it off the heat and add the herb mixture to hot pasta. Toss to coat the pasta with the herb mixture. 

8. Pour into large pasta serving bowl. 

9. Top with diced tomato, avocado and crumbled feta (optional). Further season with salt and fresh ground pepper. 

Enjoy with a fabulous glass of red wine and some yummy garlic bread!

The price of Peanut Butter

It seems that peanut butter has risen dramatically in price.  I have no idea why but it's an important staple in my family's cupboard and I certainly don't want to overpay.  You used to be able to buy the 1kg tub of peanut butter for $6.99, on sale.  Now, you will be hard pressed to find it on offer for $8.99. I'm not sure what the regular price is but peanut butter does go on sale frequently and is well worth waiting for.
   

                              

                

P.S. I was listening to CBC yesterday and they had a show about peanut butter.  Turns out that there was a terrible drought last year in the peanut crop area of the US and as such, prices went up.  Rumour has it that the crop is good this year so perhaps the price will come back down?

Deals at Sobey's

Sobey's has a few good deals in this week's flyer:

900 g blocks of Black Diamond Cheese - $8.99 (very good deal! Limit 2 and only Fri/Sat/Sun)
$10 off $50 Itune card (another great deal!)
Family-sized boxes of cereal - $4.99 and $5.99
1 kg Kraft Peanut Butter - $8.99

These deals should apply to Canmore and Calgary stores

'Like a' Virgin Mojito

I was recently in Montana, hanging out with family and visiting with friends in Whitefish.  At the time of our visit, Jill (one of the best female downhillers' that I've ever had the pleasure of riding with) was about 9 1/2 months pregnant and very excited about her daughter's upcoming arrival.  

It was hot and we were both seeking a refreshing but non-alcoholic beverage as I am pregnant as well.  Jill introduced me to the virgin mojito and I was immediately hooked!    I was lucky enough to find some fresh mint at a farm market when I was on the second week of my holidays and I've since become a little bit obsessed with this drink.  

The non-alocholic version of the mojito isn't quite as satisfying as a regular mojito but it still tastes fresh and sparkly. I'm no expert on cocktail making so I thought that I'd need a muddler to make the drink.  A quick Google search told me that I did not need a special tool - rather, I could just use the end of a wooden spoon.  Muddled mint only takes a few presses of your wooden spoon as you don't want your mint to release bitter oil, just the nice flavour extracts.  

Play around with the flavours in this drink - add more mint if you like, reduce or increase the sugar, or throw in an extra slice of lemon.  Pregnant or not, this is one drink that should be in regular rotation on your summer beverage list.  

Ingredients:

4-6 pieces of fresh mint

1 tsp brown sugar

1 slice lemon

Club soda or carbonated water

Ice

Directions:

1. Place the mint and sugar in a tall beverage glass.  Gently press the mint and sugar together in the glass, using the end of a wooden spoon or a muddler.  

2. Add club soda or carbonated water to the glass and mix together.  

3. Add ice and squeeze the lemon slice into the drink.

4. Enjoy on a sunny patio (overlooking your favourite lake or body of water, if possible)

My mom - ahead of the curve

We didn't have a ton of money when I was a kid.  So, things like real maple syrup weren't common in our house.  Trouble is, my mom was against artificial sweetners and refused to buy things like 'Aunt Jemima' syrup...enter, honey and butter!  (because, despite our limited finances, we always had butter at home)

I am quite fond of honey and butter but rarely make it these days (although it is fabulous on pancakes!) I can't recall many of my friends using honey and butter when we were kids although apparently, it was quite popular at one time.  Looks like it is also starting to make a comeback.  As always, what's old is new again...

Pancakes

It's probably not a coincidence that the first recipe I ever memorized was my mom's recipe for pancakes.  After all, my first word as a baby was "pankies".  This, according to my mom, was my word for pancakes - a favorite food of mine since I was a wee babe.  My mom has always called her recipe "French Pancakes" and although I have no idea what it is that makes them 'French', I do think that this pancake recipe is pretty darn good.  

I've known how to make pancakes for about as long as I can remember - mostly because the measurements in this recipe are easy to memorize.  Making pancakes from scratch only takes about 10 minutes and is well worth the effort.  Some of my best food memories as a child come from the nights when my dad was at work and my mom made us pancakes for supper - yum!

Ingredients:

1 cup milk

2 eggs
1/2 tbsp sugar
1 tbsp oil
1 cup flour
1 tsp baking powder

Directions:

1. In a large bowl, add milk, sugar, and oil. Using a small bowl, separate your eggs into whites and yolks. The egg whites go into the small bowl and the yolks go into the large bowl. Mix the egg yolks, milk, sugar, and oil together with a spoon.

2. Beat your egg whites with a rotary or electric beater.  Your egg whites should be beaten until they form gentle peaks, about 2-4 minutes.

3. Sift your flour and baking powder into the large bowl.  Whisk together until the flour is just mixed in.  

4. Gently fold your egg whites into the pancake batter.  

5. Brush a hot griddle with a small amount of oil.  Cook your pancakes on one side until bubbles start forming in the batter.  Flip and cook the other side until golden brown.  

5. Serve with butter and lots of maple syrup!

Serves 2-4 people (depending on how many pancakes you can eat)

Corn and Black Bean Quinoa Salad

BBQ'd meat and salad is my favourite summer supper.  The meat is easy to cook and the salad only takes a short time to prepare. Some of my favourite summer salads are grainy ones such as this quinoa salad.  

This salad is a modification of a few different recipes that I've made over the past two years and I'm super happy with how this turned out.  Quinoa salads are very easy to play around with - I'd strongly encourage you to come up with your own variations based on this recipe.  

Ingredients:

Salad
1/2 can (398 ml) black beans, rinsed
1/8 cup finely chopped red onion
1 diced tomato
1 1/2 cups cooked quinoa (cooked according to package)
1/2 cup cooked corn (about 1/2 cob)
1-2 tbsp fresh parsley, chopped
1 diced avocado
1/4 cup (or more to taste) crumbled feta (optional)

Dressing
3 tbsp olive oil
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1/2 tbsp balsamic vinegar
1/2 tbsp lemon juice
1 garlic clove, minced
Dash of each (less than 1/8 tsp) - red chili flakes, cumin, cayenne
Salt and pepper to taste

1. In a small bowl, combine all dressing ingredients and whisk together until well blended.  Set aside.

2. In a medium bowl, mix the black beans, chopped onion, tomato, corn, and parsley.  Add the cooked quinoa, cover with dressing, and stir together.  Gently mix in the avocado and feta.

3. Serve at room temperature.

Summer holidays

Sorry for the long delay between postings.  We've been on summer holidays - camping in Montana and visiting family/friends on the West Coast.  I've got a few posts written up in my head and hope to get them online soon!  I'll be back in the Rockies in a few days...once I've caught up on laundry, I'll be back online.  Hope that everyone is enjoying this sunny summer that we've had so far.

Failure

I took this photo on the weekend - a lovely looking pair of Pecan Rhubarb loaves that were fresh out of the oven. The crust looked great and the inside was cooked perfectly. Trouble is, the loaves themselves were a total failure. I played around with the original recipe too much which left the loaves crumbly and falling apart. 

Unbeknownst to me, the rhubarb was going bad and turned both mushy and woody once cooked. I hate wasting food so I have frozen individual slices and will pick out the rhubarb before eating the loaf but I'm disappointed nonetheless. Such is home cooking though. Sometimes things turn out great, and sometimes, you are back to the recipe book to find something that works better for the future.

New Paleo Smoothie Recipe?

I'm somewhat fascinated by my blog stats (how egocentric!).  My blog is most commonly found when people are searching for 'paleo breakfast smoothie'.  I've only posted one smoothie recipe and while I do love it, I feel like I should come up with another one.

Anyone have something specific that they'd like to see in their smoothie?

Super quick carmel sauce

As did many a good Ladysmith gal, I spent much of my teenage years working at Dairy Queen.  I perfected the ice cream cone twirl and learned to make Buster Bars by the dozens.  I developed a fondness for Ultimate Burgers (such a shame that they've since changed the recipe) and a love of Pecan Cluster Blizzards.  I rarely go to Dairy Queen now as I find it a bit pricey but my love of Blizzards continues to this day.

It's mostly because of this Blizzard obsession that I've come up with this recipe.  I'm probably breaking some sort of food rule with it...I don't know if there is a proper way to make a carmel/butterscotch sauce but this is one that works for me.  It's quick and contains far fewer ingredients than jarred carmel sauce from the grocery store.  The amounts are approximate - I don't think that you can't go wrong with a little more or less of any one ingredient.

Ingredients:
2 tbsp butter
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 glug (2 tsp?) golden corn syrup
1-2 tbsp cream

Directions:
1. Over low-medium heat, melt the butter.  Add the brown sugar and mix thoroughly with a wooden spoon.
2.  Add the golden corn syrup and stir together with a whisk for about 2-3 minutes.
3. Take the mixture off the heat and slowly add the cream in quarters.  Whisk after each cream addition and put back onto heat for 30 seconds before adding more cream.
4. Add cream to your desired consistency.
5. Take off heat and allow to cool slightly before serving over ice cream or a treat of your choice.  Enjoy!

Pesto

Despite the fact that I love to cook, there are quite a few things that I'm hesitant to tackle in the kitchen. I don't make bread, I shy away from decorating cakes, and I've never made pasta from scratch (two of those things could soon be off my list though as I did just get a fabulous new Kitchenaid Mixer for my birthday!).

Canning was one of my long-time fears but I've since managed to overcome that hurdle (yes, it's time consuming but not as bad as you'd think and very worth the effort). Making homemade pesto was previously on my no-go list but I decided to take the plunge a few weeks ago and whipped up a batch in my blender. Surprise, surprise, it honestly was not very hard.

The inspiration for making pesto came from two lovely basil plants that I purchased while in the Okanagan in April. A health food store in Vernon had them on sale for 2/$5. Basil is one of my favourite herbs and I had previously been successful at growing basil inside our condo when we lived in Squamish. However, it had been years since I've attempted to grow it again and those beautiful basil plants seemed like a much easier way to go. I've since transplanted the basil to bigger pots and they are doing well. I've used the basil to make caprese rice salad (recipe to come soon), bocconcini/tomato balls, and this batch of pesto. I expect to be able to make a few more batches before the plant growth slows down for the winter.

There are many basil plants for sale this time of the year at farmer's markets, nurseries, and your local grocery/hardware/big box store.  Do yourself a favour - buy a few, set them in a sunny spot in your house, and get ready to enjoy fresh basil all summer long.  

Ingredients:

2 cups firmly packed fresh basil

2 - 4 cloves garlic, crushed

1/2 cup very good quality olive oil

3 tbsp pine nuts

1/2 - 1 cup fresh grated parmesan cheese

Directions:

1. This step is optional but I thought that it added nicely to the flavour.  Warm a cast-iron frying pan over medium heat.  Add your pine nuts to the pan and stir frequently.  Keep a very close eye on the pine nuts! - take them off the heat as soon as they begin to get toasted.  Set aside.   

2. Place the basil and crushed garlic into your blender.  Add olive oil in a slow, steady stream while your blender is set to a low speed.  Blend until smooth.

3. Add toasted pine nuts and blend on low for about 10 seconds.  

4. Stir in parmesan cheese.  

Notes:
1. I used pre-grated parmesan from Safeway (more like powdered parmesan than grated). This wasn't the best choice, despite the fact that it was a decent brand. Next time, I would buy a wedge of parmesan cheese from Costco and use that to grate into the pesto. And, if I haven't said so already, Costco really does have some of the best prices around on cheese.
2. I stored my pesto in a glass canning jar for about two weeks in the fridge. You can also freeze the pesto into ice cube trays and then transferred to a freezer bag.
3. Pesto does oxidize when exposed to air. Some sites recommend covering the top of the pesto with plastic wrap, even when it's in a sealed jar. I simply left mine as is and then stirred the oxidized portion back into the rest of the pesto. It didn't seem to make any difference in flavour.
4. My main hesitation around making pesto was my concern that it couldn't be made properly in the blender (previous attempts at making hummus in the blender didn't go all that well). I thought that a food processor was mandatory. While a food processor may be easier to use than a blender when making pesto, using a blender was perfectly acceptable. I promise.

Pesto Pasta Salad

I'm getting a little ahead of myself by posting this recipe as I first intended to tell you all about the batch of pesto that I made a few weeks back.  But, I used the last of the pesto up tonight in a great new pasta salad recipe and I'm super keen to share it.  I promise to post the pesto recipe soon but in the meantime, grab a jar of your favourite pesto from your local grocery store and make up a batch of this salad.  You won't be disappointed (I hope!)

Ingredients:
1 cup orzo pasta
1 diced tomato
1 - 2 tbsp pesto, jarred or homemade
2 tsp olive oil
4 diced artichoke hearts (from a jar)
1/3 cup crumbled feta
Salt and pepper to taste

Directions:
1. Cook orzo according to directions on package.  Once ready, drain and pour into salad bowl.
2. Mix warm pasta with olive oil and pesto.  Toss gently to coat.
3. Add tomatoes, artichoke hearts, feta, and salt/pepper.  Stir to mix ingredients together.
4. Serve at room temperature.

This salad went very well with some cooked chicken on the side (or mixed in - your choice). I think that you could try adding diced red onions or olives for a nice bit of tang.  Play around with a few other ingredients and let me know what combinations you come up with.  

Cooking with cast-iron

I think that a few of you have noticed that I love to use my cast-iron frying pans.  Here's a great post from one of my favourite bloggers about how to care for your cast-iron.  Now, go buy a nice cast-iron frying pan and enjoy some fabulous cooking!

Sunworks Organic Chicken in Canmore

I have signed up for the Farm Box program in Canmore and am getting emails about other local food options.  I received this email yesterday and am posting it in case others are interested.  There are a few companies who deliver chicken to Canmore (and Calgary too) but I don't believe that any of those companies are certified organic.  To be fair, I'll post info about those other companies soon.

Farm Box is pleased to offer a variety of products from Prairie Roots Organic Chicken this season!

Available by pre-order, visit our website to view the list of products, and place your order online.  The first order will be delivered at the end of July.  Order by July 3rd!

Prairie Roots Organic Chicken comes from Sunworks Farm near Edmonton.  

As true stewards of the land, Ron and Sheila Hamilton believe passionately in the principles of organic and holistic agriculture, and the importance of ethical treatment of animals.  Their truly superior product comes with a long list of certifications, including Organic, Free-Range, Humane, and Local Sustainable.  They are committed to closing the loops in their agricultural systems, including producing value-added products from what would otherwise be waste, as well as operating an elaborate on-site composting system that turns waste into resource for their farm.

Visit the Sunworks Farm website, or watch this Independent Video for more information on farm operations, and guiding principles.

Lisa's deals of the week

Only Safeway has good deals this week.  See below:

Bakestone brothers bagels - 2/$5 
Organic strawberries - $2.99 (they were tasty last week)
Hmmm, hummus - 2/$7
Boneless, skinless chick breast club pack - $4.99/lb
Kraft peanut butter - BOGO; you can mix and match natural, with crunchy, with extra smooth...
Long english cukes - .99 each
Tomatoes on vine - .99/lb
Batteries - BOGO (batteries are cheaper at Costco but this is still a good deal)
Sponge Papertowels - $4.99 
Spend $100 friday, sat, or sun, and use your coupon to get 100 bonus air miles.

Lisa's Grocery Deals of the Week

LCW was totally on the ball this week and promptly emailed me (and some others) with the deals of the week at Safeway and Sobey's.  Both Lisa and I are firmly of the opinion that Sobey's is more expensive than Safeway but as you can see below, there are some very good deals to be had there this week.  I already stopped in to pick up two blocks of cheese, two packages of perogies, and two pizzas.  Love stocking up my freezer!

Sobey's:
Black diamond cheese - $8.99 for 907g - a very good deal!  (Limit 2 but you can always just go back through the till to buy more)
Pork tenderloin - BOGO (buy one get one free).  Only available Fri (June 8th) - Sun (June 10th)
Dr. Oetker Pizza - BOGO
Bolthouse matchstick carrots - BOGO
Sugar snap peas - BOGO
Organic baby spinach- $3.99 ('tis strawberry spinach salad season)
Flatz flatbreads (crackers) - BOGO
Snack'n go hummus and cracker packs- BOGO
Crispy minis (who doesn't love the lime and sea salt ones?!) - BOGO
Balance rice crackers- BOGO
Cheemo perogies - BOGO
Christie's crackers - $1.99

Boursin Cheese - BOGO (this makes it cheaper than buying it at Costco)

Philly Chip Dips - BOGO

General Mills Kids' Cereals - BOGO (not sure which cereals this includes)

5 x 200ml Apple Juice - $1.99

Safeway:
Itunes card- $40 for a $50 card
Kicking horse coffee - $12.99
Cracker barrel cheese - $7.99 (if you buy 2. smaller than black diamond, so not as good a deal. but if you're only going to Safeway, it's a pretty good deal)
Jumbo Kellogg cereal - 6.99
Long English cucumber - .99
 
Happy shopping!

*Some of the comments are Lisa's.  Some are mine.  A few shopping tips are mine but most of these great shopping tips are hers*