New Beginnings

The new year has arrived, and with it, hopefully some new beginnings.  I have decided what I'm hoping for, other than a fresh slate, but I think I like it that way.  This way, if something doesn't come to pass, I won't disappointed, and whatever goes well, will just be an added bonus.  

Out this way 2009 arrived with a bang.  Lucky us, we were hit with a blizzard.  Not just some flurries, or even a decent amount of snow.  No, there was snow, and there was wind.  Lots of wind.  Near hurricane force wind.  Amazingly enough, I didn't lose power!  I did however, huddle inside, drinking lots of lovely tea, and reading a book.  Sadly, I have already forgotten what book it was, but I know it was good.

Back to the new beginnings.  I have a simple and delicious one right here, a satisfying bowl of popped amaranth.  In my case I used blueberries as an add in, and almond milk as the liquid, but use whatever you have on hand, or prefer.  Any milk or milk substitute would be fine, and any berry or cup up fruit would be fantastic.  With this leading the day, how can you not be hopeful for new beginnings?

Popped Amaranth Cereal

1/4 cup amaranth

handful of berries or fruit

milk or substitute for serving

Bring a large empty sauce pan to heat over medium-high.  Pour in amaranth and stir constantly.  After a while it will begin to pop, much like popcorn.  Don't stop stirring!

Once most of the amaranth has popped remove from heat, and pour into bowl.  Top with fruit and milk/milk sub.  Serve and eat as you would any other bowl of Cereal.  Yummy!!

Leeks and Potatoes

After a long week, I am finally beating that cold that hit me Monday.  Why I tend to get sick at the Holiday's is a complete mystery, but with very few exceptions, every time I get really sick, it's Christmas.  Needless to say, I was not doing quite as much in the kitchen as I would have liked.  Thank goodness I wasn't hosting a Dinner!

Finally, yesterday afternoon, I finally felt well enough to make something, to stand in my tiny little kitchen and create something.  Nothing to crazy mind you.  

Just before the darn cold arrived, I had found several yummy looking items in the produce section of our local Planet Organic, and decided that it was time to put it to good use.  Originally I was crazy enough to pull out leeks, potatoes, cabbage, kale, carrots, onions, mushrooms, garlic and green peppers to throw together a simple meal with few flavors.  Yes, I quickly saw the problem with the few flavors versus my multitude of goodies.  Therefore I decided to pick on item, and then choose a few things to go with it.  The Leeks were calling my name, and from there the potatoes and garlic were a given.  I dug around in my fridge for a moment to locate my homemade chicken stock, and a little bit of heavy cream.  As I was putting everything else way, I was hit by a last minute need to keep out an onion.  From this my new favorite soup (yes, a soup that I actually adore!) was born.

Potato and Leek Soup

If you want more servings, just increase this recipe as need be.  I think it would double, triple, or even sextuple (X6) very well!

1/2 small onion, chopped

1 leek, sliced

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 Tbsp butter

1 Tbsp olive oil

1 1/2 cup chicken stock, or other mild flavored stock

3 medium potatoes, diced small *I used Yukon Gold

1/2 cup heavy cream

salt and pepper to taste

In large sauce pot, heat butter and olive oil.  Saute onion, garlic and leeks until fragrant, and golden.  

Add chicken stock, and potatoes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Simmer until potatoes are soft.  Mash lightly, leaving most, and stir in cream.  Heat through, and serve.

Simple, yet amazingly delicious, and all that garlic actually isn't over powering!  Of course, if you don't like garlic, leave it out!

Chicken Noodle Soup

The world must be coming to an end, I'm putting up more than one post in a day.  Heck, that's more than I manage to put up most weeks!  What is the reason for this madness?  A good chunk of Nova Scotia is currently powerless, including my place of work.  Earliest ETA for power restoration, 11:30 tonight, and where I work is one of the lucky places.  Other area's are looking at an ETA of 11:30 TOMORROW night.  Yep, that's right, they're going powerless for two days.  This is what happens when Winter decides to rear her very ugly head, and blow in with hurricane strength winds, snow, and freezing rain.  Tree's have been downed, the landscape is white, and most of all, it's still way to windy out there for much to be happening at the airport.  I'm glad I'm not trying to travel today.  

The good thing here is, I have the day to myself.  The last time this happened, feels like a lifetime ago.  Really, it was just over a week ago, but today it's literally just me and my cats.  My roommate is at his parents, or fiance's, or somewhere.  Not too sure where, and me, I'm all alone in my apartment :)  It's a nice change.  The downside, apparently my body chose today to come down with a bit of a cold.  Here's to hoping that having a restful day will mean that when I get up to head in for an absolutely crazy day at work tomorrow, I'm all better.  Wishful thinking?  Perhaps, but it won't stop me.

So while I wish I was baking and concocting some elaborate meal, I've been vegetating on the couch watching Martha Stewart and snuggling with my kitties.  Though I did stand in the kitchen long enough to whip up a delicious and simple chicken noodle soup.  Within half an hour I had a big bowl of steaming, nutrient stuffed soup sitting in front of me, making my nose run from the warmth.  Now if that doesn't conjure images of sexiness, I don't know what does!  As long as you have stock, pasta and greens (which you could leave out very easily if you either don't have or really don't like), and enough energy to stand for 30 minutes, you too can enjoy some soup.  And on a day like today, even if I wasn't sick, I think I'd have been enjoying a big bowl anyway.

Express Chicken Noodle Soup

3/4 cup rice macaroni, uncooked

2 cups chicken stock, homemade or store-bought

2-3 cups sliced greens of your choice

Cook macaroni in salted-like-the-sea water until nearly al dente.  Drain.

Return to pot with stock and greens.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer until pasta are cooked to desired tenderness.

Spoon into a big bowl, and and enjoy the healing properties that can only come from chicken noodle soup.

Veggie Quinoa

One of my favorite discoveries from just before going gluten free is quinoa - as an example of it's versatility, don't forget about my Quinoa Muffins. Let me tell you, I'm thrilled that it's one of those foods I didn't have to say good bye to. A little nutty, and with a wonderful bite, it makes a brilliant rice alternative. High in protein and fibre, I just feel healthy and well cared for when I eat it.

When I have a long day, I know I'm going to want something filling, hearty and healthy to eat. And if I'm needing to bring both lunch and supper with me, I really don't want to spend too much extra time preparing it all. Quinoa is the perfect food for this reason. And really, through in some great flavors, a few veggies, and you've got a great meal with very little effort.

Veggie Quinoa

In your rice cooker place 1 scoop of quinoa, and add recommend amount of water. If you don't have a rice cooker, use approx 3/4 cup to a cup of quinoa with an equivalent volume of water.

To quinoa add:

1 diced carrot

1 scoop frozen peas

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 sun dried tomatoes, chopped

basil to taste

pinch of salt and pepper

Turn on rice cooker and let it work it's magic. Alternatively, bring to boil on stove, reduce to a simmer and cook until water is absorbed and quinoa is cooked.

If desired, drizzle a little olive oil when done, and serve or package for lunch.

Sauteed Kale

A while back I finally got up the guts to try Kale. I've always had a hard time with the greens, and other than spinach had yet to find one I liked. But thanks to this post by Gluten Free Girl, and the many glowing comments, I took the plunge. I can now say that Kale is my favorite of the greens. I have been eating crazy amounts of it, and plan to add it to my little patio garden next year. I love it with mashed potatoes and parsnip. So much that I went through a full bag of parsnips this way. Considering I live alone, that's quite the feat. But, as great as Kale tastes with those root vegetables, I wanted something different.

I ended up choosing to sautee it, which really isn't all that different...everyone seems to enjoy it this way. But really, I can't be creative all the time. But wow, it was delicious. Dead easy too. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did. I added my favorite flavor of all time, garlic, and some bacon fat for depth and meatiness. If you're vegetarian, or just don't like bacon, I think a lemon infused oil would make a great base, or any nutty oil...just make sure it can hold up to high heat before using it.

The garlic slices became crispy and flavorful, almost like little garlic chips mixed in. The bacon fat added flavor without overpowering the kale or garlic. As a result the Kale was still the star of the show, but it had to fantastically talented sidekicks.

With American Thanksgiving coming up - Thursday I believe, correct me if I'm wrong - I thought someone might want to try a slightly different side. I hope you enjoy it as much as I have been!

Sauteed Kale
(serves one)

1/3 bunch of organic kale *Any type of kale with do, but I used Lacinato
1 clove garlic, thinly sliced
1 tsp bacon fat

Stack kale leaves, and slice widthwise into 1 cm thick slices.

Heat fat over medium high.

Add kale and sautee for a minute or two. Until color is bright great and slices are more flexible.

Add garlic slices and continue to sautee about 4-5 minutes until everything is cooked and garlic is starting to turn golden.

Liquid Pie

Last month I took a day trip down to the Valley and while I was there I picked up a pie pumpkin (also called a sugar pumpkin).  The thought process behind this purchase was something like this, "I've never bought a cooking pumpkin before...what does one do with one of these?  Hum, maybe I should get one to make homemade pie.   Yes, I like pie, this is a good idea."  Hence, I came home with a pie pumpkin.  

As I've already mentioned, I didn't even make pumpkin pie for Thanksgiving this year.  Nope, I went crazy and made Butternut Squash Pie.  So, I came home from work today, and realized that my poor pumpkin was STILL sitting on my table.  Everything else from that trip had been long eaten, and well, it just looked lonely and neglected.  Time to finally do something.

What did I do?  I roasted it.  After peeling the darn thing, which may have involved several curse words, and a trip to the store for a new veggie peeler because the one in my kitchen was so dull that it wouldn't take of the peel!  Oh, but the time it was peeled I was ready to throw it out the window and watch it smash to the ground 6 stories below.  I didn't.  I persevered.  Next step, cutting it in half.  This was easy, things are looking up!  Next, removing the seeds and guts.  Not so easy.  More curse words, dropped spoons, and scared cats.  I'm not a quiet complainer, and the older one seems to think he's in trouble if I so much as raise my voice at ANYTHING.  Well, I eventually even succeeded at that.  So, I chopped up my pumpkin and roasted it at 450 F for about 40 min.

Now, what does one lady do with all that pumpkin?  I still haven't' figured out what one does with pumpkin besides make pie.  And I sure as heck wasn't sitting down to make a pie after all that drama.  So finally, I had a thought - shocker, me of all people, having a thought...hehe - and I whipped out my blender.  The rest, as they say, is history.  

Pumpkin Pie Smoothie

1 cup roasted pumpkin

1 1/2 cups vanilla almond milk

1 Tbsp organic cane sugar

1 Tbsp molasses

1 tsp pumpkin pie spice

Blend all ingredients together until smooth.  Pour into 2 glasses and serve.

As always adjust spices and sweetness to your own personal liking.

Lemonade

I always feel sad at the passing off Summer.  And while I know that it officially ended almost a month ago now, Nova Scotia is known for it's lovely warm Fall.  Heck, they are normally better than the actual Summer was!  As a result, up until very recently I was still pretending that we were in the full throws of Summer.

However, today when I headed out, I not only grabbed my vest - which I sometimes need DURING the Summer months, but also a pair of gloves.  I suppose this means that even out here we are truly and well into the Autumnal months.  

So, while the trees turn many vibrant colors, and my cats stop wanting to play on the deck, in my apartment I'm going to continue to pretend it's Summer.  How?  By dreaming of hot days at town fairs, and sipping cool, fresh Lemonade!

Fresh Town Fair Style Lemonade

1 glass (~12 oz.) water

2 Tbsp lemon juice

2 Tbsp organic cane sugar *

ice cubes

Combine all ingredients in a martini shaker.  Shake until well combined and chilled.  Pour into glass, sip, and imagine those lovely Summer days.

* this makes a sweet lemonade.  If you are partial to a tart lemonade, decrease sugar to 1 Tbsp.  You could also try switching this with various sweeteners.  Find a taste that you like best.

Chocolate Cake in a Mug

Besides my co-worker, is there a woman out there who does not on occasion crave something with chocolate?  Heck, once in a blue moon, even I want something.  Every now and then I find myself craving a moist chocolate cake.  That being said, I don't want a whole cake, that's just far too much for me.  And while I could make cupcakes and freeze them for my next craving, that's just asking for trouble.  If there is food, I will eat it, and the weight will creep back on.  Something that I, for one, do not want to have happen.

After a nice little Internet search for cake in a mug, and what seemed like 5 million recipes based off of cake mix, I found one on Ali's Home of the Lazy Dog.  Not only did I switch the flour, but I made a few other changes.  My favorite change by far, was the use of lemon olive oil.  Wow, the added flavor and the way it plays on your tongue...I think it's drool worthy.  Also, I like a less sweet chocolate, so using some agave and maple syrup in place of the sugar worked like a charm for me.  

Now, there is only one problem - this is almost as convenient as having chocolate cupcakes in the freezer, and not so sweet.  I'm afraid I'm going to want this a little too often!

Chocolate Cake in a Mug

3 Tbsp GF Flour

1 Tbsp cocoa powder

1/8 tsp baking powder

1 Tbsp agave syrup

1 Tbsp maple syrup (use the real stuff, it's got more depth of flavor)

1 tsp lemon olive oil

1 1/2 Tbsp vanilla hemp milk

1/2 tsp vanilla

Mix all ingredients in a mug.  Microwave for 1 1/2 minutes.  Frost if desired, but tastes delish as is.  Eat.  Repeat as needed.

Gourmet Garden Herbs

Like most lovers of food, I adore herbs. I herbs fresh from the garden or farmers market but most of them seem not to have any. Therefore when my local grocery store had a BOGO event on, I went crazy for these little wonders....refrigerated herbs in a tube by Gourmet Garden. Of course I only bought a few varieties, they have several more (10 to be exact).



Now I know that something from a tube is not as good as something fresh. I know it will have more stuff in it than just the herb. But all in all, I think they're pretty good. And no where on the ingredient list did I see something with a good chance of glutening me...sweet! I have been putting these babies to work for me. Tonight they made a piece of Tilapia palatable to me. Fish, I hate it, but must learn to eat it. This goes fantastically with lightly fried zucchini, steamed broccoli and baked fingerling potatoes. And makes a very simple and quick to prepare meal.

Herbed Tilapia

(For 1, increase as necessary for additional people)

1 fillet tilapia

1 Tbsp peanut oil

1.5 tsp garlic

1.5 tsp chili

1-2 tsp champagne vinegar

Whisk together oil, garlic, chili and vinegar in bowl. Coat Tilapia with this mixture.

Fry tilapia in a small amount of Olive Oil until opaque and firm, flipping once.

Serve with veggies of your choosing and enjoy :)