Contest Entry # 3

If you don't try this... you must be crazy... even if you don't like seafood- watch the video and I give you other suggestions! Thanks to my wonderful hubby for helping with this one!
Happy cooking!

Video entry # 2: Layered Penne Bake

Just wanted to give a shout out to my creative director: Lauren Longbottom. You are an amazing friend:) Thank you for all of your help!

contest video # 1 :):)

So here is one of my videos for THE contest- my dream come true- please post comments!:)

Not your regular pasta dish...

I am very excited to share this recipe with you- We have had a crazy weekend of good food here... Even though I didn't feel well most of the time- the food that I could eat was ridiculous... Ex: Last night for supper I happened to catch an episode of eat street before I started cooking- and saw a burger they called the "I haz a cheezburger" -which is basically two grilled cheese sandwiches with a burger in between- Kev ate it- I couldn't, but it looked amazing!
Today for breakfast we had roasted potatoes, and fried eggs topped with green onions and cheese. Lunch- was Belgian waffles- Kev's favourite... They were great I just cant ever eat waffles- not my thing.
And today for supper, is what I am about to share with you, with lots of pictures:)

Picture 1: These are part of the ingredients you need for this layered take on lasagna. I have a box of whole wheat and whole grain penne pasta cooked. In the bowl there is one spicy sausage and 1/2 pound of ground sirloin browned in olive oil, and seasoned with Italian seasonings, garlic powder, salt, and pepper. The sausage will give you a lot of flavour- and will also be the flavour base for you veggies to come.

The veggies are 1 c of chopped cremini mushrooms, 1/2 of yellow pepper sliced, and 1/2 of a red pepper sliced, 1 medium onion diced, 4 garlic cloves minced. 

After I sauteed my meat- I put it into a bowl lined with paper towel to soak up the extra fat. I used the same pan for my veggies. I started by sauteing my onion for about 3-4 minutes, added garlic for 1- and added the rest of the veggies as well as salt, pepper, and Italian seasonings to taste- until everything was soft and lovely.

Then on to part 2:

You will need: 2 c of shredded part skim mozzarella. 1/2 of fresh Parmesan, 1 can of tomato sauce- no seasonings added, no salt added, 1/2 brick of cream cheese softened.

Then the layering process began:

In a 2.5 L dish I layered about 1/4 c of tomato sauce on the bottom of the dish and 1/3 of my cooked penne. On top I spread out the cooked veggies. Then...

I layered some sauce, more penne, mozzarella, the meat  mixture, and 1/4 of an 8 ounce brick of cream cheese and I sprinkled on a bit more Italian seasonings. 

The final layer is the last of the penne, the rest of the sauce, the other 1/4 c of cream cheese, the rest of the mozzarella, and 1/2 c of Parmesan. 

This picture is a really good tip not just for this recipe but for your kitchen knowledge for the future. Put the dish on an aluminum foil lined baking sheet- this way if anything boils over- you do not have to spend time scrubbing off the burnt mess. 

I baked this dish at 385 for 35 minutes and here is the big reveal...

I know it will be very hard to do- but Liz this is for you- please wait at least 15 minutes before you spoon into this dish!!! Its kind of like lasagna- you want all of the juices that will be running to re absorb into the dish so that you don't get a soupy mess. I know I know, it will take a lot of self control but it's so worth it! :)

I served this with a loaf of M & M's garlic bread- It is my favourite of all time- not the best for you- so we don't eat it often- but when you taste it, you'll know why its my absolute favourite- I always go for homemade, but in this case this is one thing that is better to buy... Did I just say that???

Cooking! As always please let me know how it goes:)

My dream Contest!

So this is exciting- there is a contest going on right now called the Real Women of Philly- you have to submit a recipe using CREAM CHEESE..um HeLLO this is my favourite cheese... and if you win you get $20, 000.00 and to meet Anna Olson- who is someone I always watch!!!
It's like this contest was made for me- I have a post that I just created although I can't publish it for a couple of weeks because that is the one I will be entering for the prize! Ahhhh! Wish me luck!!!

Dijon Chicken or Pork Recipe & Roasted Asparagus

If you need a change from your regular chicken or pork routine- here is something easy for everyone!

Salt and pepper your pork or chicken generously- they both lack flavour- if you want to add garlic powder- or Italian seasoning- that would be great on here as well. In 1 tbsp of hot olive oil- pan fry your meat (on medium heat) until it is golden brown on both sides and you are confident that it is cooked inside. Add about 1/3 c of chicken stock and let this simmer until the stock reduces by half. When that is done add about one to two tablespoons of light cream cheese, and one tablespoon of whole grain Dijon mustard. If you don't have whole grain Dijon- you should get it cause its that good- and if I still haven't convinced you- add 1/2 tbsp of regular Dijon. When the cheese and Dijon melt into your mixture and become thick- you are done! Easy- tasty- and a nice change:)

I served the chicken with cauliflower rice and roasted asparagus. Cut the tough ends off of your asparagus- or if you want to do it one by one... why would you but who knows... hold both ends and bend- it will break naturally from the tough end. Spread the asparagus out on a cookie sheet and drizzle with a bit of olive oil. Season with salt, pepper, and garlic powder. Roast at 375 for 10 minutes- no longer- and you will have perfect asparagus every time! Why not real garlic? It will burn and turn bitter- resulting in bitter asparagus- which is never a good time!

Just for Darcy:)

This is my mother in law's recipe for Ham and Corn Chowder. I made this recipe for our school soup club and it is amazing:)

• 4 slices raw bacon
• 1 large onion
• 3 c diced potatoes
• 3 c water
• 3 tbsp margarine
• 1/4 c flour
• 2 tsp salt
• 2 c diced ham
• 1/4-1/2 tsp pepper
• 2 tbsp parsley
• 2 c milk
• 1 can corn
• paprika to taste

Cook bacon, add onions and saute until your onions are clear- 3-5 minutes. Add potatoes and water- simmer for ten minutes or until your potatoes are tender. While this is cooking you will also be multi tasking and working on your white sauce to thicken the soup. In a large measuring cup- 6 c at least combine: butter and flour- microwave for 2 minutes and whisk. This is to cook the flour so your soup doesn't taste flour-like. Slowly (while whisking) add all of your milk. Microwave the whole mixture in 2 minute increments until you microwave it for ten minutes- or until it is very thick. (At this point add your paprika, salt and pepper, to the white sauce. (This is also an amazing sauce itself over noodles:)) Add to your soup mixture and all the other remaining ingredients. Simmer the soup but DO NOT LET IT BOIL- unless you want a curdled mess- if so then boil away.
Good luck! Enjoy!

It's all about the toppings...

So today at Kev's parents house we had burgers- regular store bought frozen burgers- with store bought buns- but that is where the store bought ends....
What is most important about a burger is what you put on it- and today they were out of this world. I caramelized onions, cooked mushrooms, made my own barbecue sauce, and made home made dressing for the coleslaw and all together it made one amazing burger!

For the full effect I put a bit of everything on my burger as well as some jalapeno cheese, here are some hints for making the filling.

My BBQ sauce:

• 1/3 yellow onion chopped very finely
• 3 cloves garlic crushed
• 1 c of ketchup
• 1/3 c brown sugar
• 1 tbsp soy
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire 
• garlic powder- 1/2 tsp
• 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper
• 1/2 tsp oregano
• 1/2 tsp basil
• 1/2 onion powder
• dash of vinegar
  
  Start with a bit of olive oil in a sauce pan- add your onions and garlic and let this go for about 2 minutes on low/medium heat. Add all ingredients and cook on low. Adjust seasonings/sugar to suit your taste!:)

Caramelized onions:

Good caramelized onions are going to take some time. I started with about 3 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. Important that you use butter to get that brown color, and important to add oil to keep that butter from burning. I chopped 3 large white onions in thin slices, added 2-3 tbsp of sugar, 1/2 tsp salt, 1/2 tsp fresh ground black pepper, 1/2 tsp dry oregano. You let the onions go for on a medium heat- stirring constantly scarping the bottom of the pan where the flavor tends to stick!!! Do not leave these alone because they will burn- but don't stir too much in the beginning in order to let the sugars caramelize the onions- if you disturb it too much it won't happen and instead they will burn. When they are golden brown and falling apart you are done:)- which takes about 20-25 minutes.

Mushrooms:

 We chopped a paper bag 3/4 full of mushrooms and added that to a heated pan with 2 tbsp of butter and 1 tbsp of olive oil. I added salt, pepper, oregano, and a bit of sugar. At first your mushrooms will release some moisture and you will think you added too much butter or olive oil- this is not the case- this just means you have a ways to go to cooking them fully. When they are done they will be golden, and all of the moisture will be gone. To finish them off I added 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar which will evaporate quickly and leave behind a sweet coating on the mushrooms.

Coleslaw:
I adapted a recipe I once saw on Guy Fietti's show: Guy's Big Bite.
For the dressing you will need:

• 1 tbsp of Dijon
• 2 tbsp of sugar
• 2 tbsp vinegar
• 3/4 c mayo
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2-3/4 tsp pepper- fresh ground
  To this I added:
• a bit more sugar
• 1/3 tsp celery seeds
• a touch more vinegar
• 1 1/2 bags of coleslaw
  
  We used grainy Dijon which isn't as strong as a regular ground Dijon - because of that I added a bit more. If I was using regular ground Dijon I wouldn't need any extra. Toss the coleslaw 10- 15 minutes before your going to need it- if you don't the coleslaw doesn't absorb any of that good flavor- if you mix it too early the slaw will let get a lot of moisture and interfere with all of your hard work.

I put jalapeno cheddar, a bit of my BBQ sauce, mushrooms, onions, and coleslaw on top of my burger and it was the best burger I have had in a long time.
Try it out- and let me know how it goes!

My Skinny Chili

So I'm trying something new- this is my skinny chili recipe- full of veggies and healthy things. Instead of writing out the whole thing- watch the video! I can talk you through it - its like an online cooking class (dream!). Bare with me as at the end of the first half the phone rings- it was my mom so I had no choice but to take a break- why i said be back in five minutes.. who really knows. But give it a watch- try out the recipe- and as always- tell me how it goes!!! No editing skills yet folks- this will come with time I'm sure :P

Just as a side note- to finish the chili = in other words= make it look pretty when serving- you can use light sour cream- light cheddar- and green onions. Make every meal appealing to all of your senses and savour every bite- if you do that you will allow your body to feel fuller faster, you will eat less in the end, and feel great!


Dom's Skinny Chili Part 1 from Dom Friesen on Vimeo.



Dom's Skinny Chili Part 2 from Dom Friesen on Vimeo.

Cauliflower Rice- yes you read correctly!

So I was at the dentist yesterday and as usual I got to talking about food- with my hygienist of course... We got to talking about healthy cooking and substituting etc- and she asked me if i had ever had cauliflower rice- She went on to explain that all you need to do is put a head of cauliflower through the food processor- pulsing it until it slightly resembles rice in size. Then you heat a pan with about 1- 2 tbsp of butter- yes butter is natural and in small amounts is good for you- way better than its almost plastic distant cousin margarine, and you pan fry it on medium/low for about five to ten minutes. I made this with creamy Dijon pork sirloin and the cauliflower actually soaked up the sauce just like rice would. Healthy eaters rejoice! An alternative to rice and noodles! And you can feel good about this one too:) Happy Cooking!

(PS- this totally counts as a new ingredient because its something we've all used in a completely different way! The experiment is still going strong!)

Week 5: Also an epic fail

So I have actually been doing my ingredient per week challenge- I just haven't kept it up on here :(
But here's another failure that turned out okay in the end...

I was watching barefoot contessa and she made a chilled cucumber soup, the recipe will follow. Not being such a big fan of cucumbers didn't make this soup a good idea in the first place, but you know me- I will try it anyway! The ingredient this week was GREEK YOGURT. I hear all about it on the cooking shows but not so easy to find- if your trying to lose weight its a good substitute for sour cream-especially on potatoes.
I followed her recipe- and the results were...horrendous- although my friend didn't mind it- but she also loves cucumbers-gotta say not a recipe I would ever try again, but if you love cucumbers search it on google: Chilled cucumber soup with shrimp.

After the terrible results I decided I needed to make it up to my friend and we made smoothies.
I added:

• 1 c of greek yogurt
• 1 c of frozen raspberries
• 3/4 orange juice
• 1 banana
• 1 tbsp agave nectar for sweetness

The frozen raspberries are very nice because unlike ice that would water down your smoothie- they keep it cold and add to the flavor without adding water.
Any fruit substitution would work here- especially mango!

Guacamole my way:

This recipe is especially for Jen from Donwood. this is guacamole my way:

In the food processor- add about 2 tbsp of red onion and 2 garlic cloves. Pulse till finely chopped.
Add 4-5 avocados and pulse together until creamy. To this mixture add anywhere between 1/2- 1 cup of sour cream- depending on how creamy you like your guacamole. Then add the juice of 1 fresh lemon or 2 fresh limes, 2 tsp Worcestershire, 1 tsp of salt, 1/2 tsp pepper, 1 tsp garlic powder, little bit of paprika for colour. Then pulse this altogether and check the seasonings if they suit your taste. Transfer the guacamole into a bowl and then fold in 2 roma tomatoes chopped with- seeds removed. If you like spice- consider adding either cayenne or a dash of hot sauce- I'm not a fan but for those who can handle heat- give it a try!

Done!

If you don't have a food processor- mash the avocados by hand, and finely chop the onion and garlic by hand.

Hints about avocados:

1. Storing avocados: Buy the Haas avocados- they are more expensive but they have a better flavour- when you push on the skin of an avocado you should feel some give and then you know it is ripe. To cut into an avocado properly cut all it in half. To remove the pit safely- rest the half with the pit on your cutting board and firmly wedge your knife into the pit- turn gently and it should pop out. If you aren't ready to use your avocados yet- put them into the fridge and they will keep for about 5-7 days- depending how lucky you are.
2. If you need to ripen your avocados quickly- put them in a paper bag overnight with an apple and banana- the fruits give off a gas that helps along the ripening process- small fact for you! This will take about 2 days.
3. Another fun fact I have never knew: that you can actually freeze pureed avocado: I got this from the California avocado website but here are the directions:
   • Wash, seed and peel the fruit.
   • Puree the flesh, adding one tablespoon of lemon juice for each two pureed avocados. Pack the puree into an air-tight container, leaving 1 inch of head space.
   • Seal and label the containers.
   • Freeze and use within four to five months.
     Great idea if you have too many!



Smarter Fettucini and Lemon Chicken

So I was at a Deluca's cooking lesson the other day with my brother- and learned a new way to cook chicken- and its good!
Here is my version of a Healthy Chicken Fettucini:

• Whole wheat pasta- don't drain and cool- keep it hot and put it in a big bowl- add 2-3 tbsp of cream cheese (garlic and herb to keep it simple), and 2-3 tbsp of chicken stock, salt and pepper to taste. Toss and depending on the consistency you like in your sauce- add more stock or cheese. No need to cook this again because the heat from the noodles will warm your cream cheese and stock. great short cut- and a lot less calories than the full fat cream substitute!
• The other part is to take 1 chicken breast- slit it in half the long way so that you get two thin and even pieces of chicken. Dredge or dip these in flour with a bit of salt and pepper. Have a shallow pan heated with olive oil and when your oil is ready (see the oil tip 2 posts ago!) drop in your chicken. Keep moving the pan around so the chicken doesn't stick- about 3-4 minutes per side- because your chicken is so thin it goes quickly! When it is fully cooked and lightly browned add about 1/4 c each of lemon juice and water. Let this simmer in with the chicken until the sauce thickens. Your chicken is ready! Serve along-side your pasta and done!

Not your regular grilled cheese...

So I randomly put this together the other day when I didn't have a lot of time but was craving something comforting- being the queen of cream cheese- I don't know how I haven't done this before but here it is: My fancy grilled cheese:

In between two buttered pieces of bread I put a layer of cream cheese- a layer of real cheddar cheese, a layer of Parmesan (real not fake- freshly grated) chopped chives and garlic powder. Then i grilled it like I would any other grilled cheese and done! Definitely worth a try this one!

Has it been that long....? You'll forgive me after you read THIS!

The answer is yes... My dedication to this blog and my other one has been pathetic- but no worries I have multiple recipes to share with you today. Life just seems to get in the way sometimes- and with report cards, re doing our kitchen, and trying to stay sane I haven't had time to share my recipes in a while...

Today is another day of parent teachers which means I won't get home until late. Luckily enough I have a fully capable husband who will be home to make supper as long as I give him strict instructions- he unlike myself is a recipe kind of guy- and I thought if I'm already emailing him- I may as well put it up here. Many people have probably been to Joey's - they have an appetizer there called sweet chili chicken- they serve this on some kind of wonton but if you ask for rice- its no extra charge and can double as a meal. I adapted it at home and came up with something very very close, so here it is:

Sweet Chili Chicken (Dom's homemade version)

Make 1 1/2 c of your favourite rice in the rice cooker or on the stove. (For me its the rice cooker- put it in and forget it!)

Depending on how many people you are serving that will tell you how many chicken breasts to cut up per person- its safe to assume one chicken breast per. Cube up your chicken breast into just a bit bigger than bite size chunks.
Set out three plates for your breading station:

1. Your first plate with have 1/2 c of flour (to two chicken breasts- meaning if you have 4 people and 4 chicken breasts use 1 c of flour!), add salt and pepper to taste so your flavoring goes into the first layer
2. Your second plate will have 2 eggs and 1 tbsp milk to 2 chicken breasts (If four double- you get the picture)
3. Your third plate will have panko bread crumbs- you can use regular but panko makes everything better- salt and pepper again to taste. I usually do about 1 c to 2 chicken breasts.

Remember nothing has to be exact- if you like more or less of anything adapt as you please! Take your cubed chicken and go through the breading stations 1-2-3 starting with flour, then egg, then panko. Yes you need the flour in order for the egg to stick, and you need the egg for the panko to stick. I suppose you could just do panko but it wouldn't have that crunch that is really nice in such a fresh dish.

After all of your pieces of chicken are breaded- add them to a shallow pan heated with vegetable oil- if you don't know if your oil is ready for frying try this trick- put the end of a wooden spoon on the middle of your pan- if bubbles immediately start to form around it- you are ready to go- if they take a while just wait until you get there. Fry a few pieces at a time careful not to over crowd the pan- this drops the temperature of the oil and your chicken will soak it all up like a sponge instead of browning quickly like you want. After its browned- transfer it to a baking sheet and put the chicken into the oven at 300 to keep warm until you are done frying. Because its such a low temperature and with frying you sealed in all the juices- you do not have to worry about your chicken drying out.

When all the frying is done- take 1 large or 2 medium cucumbers. Cut your cucumber in half and seed it- I like to do this because the middle of cucumbers just add water to dishes- and salad and no flavor- barefoot contessa trick- take a small spoon and run it down the middle of your cucumber- and done! Then with your de-seeded cucumber cut each half in half again so you have 4 long quarters. Cut these into small cubes and part 2 done.

Then take your cold chopped cucumber and some of your cooked chicken cubes and put them in a large bowl. Add sweet chili sauce- found in the Asian isle at the grocery store. Add however much you want- but you want both the chicken and cucumber to be coated. Toss-Serve over rice and done! Really good mix- cool and hot, spicy and mild. Perfect dish! Tell me how it goes!

Week # 4: epic fail?

So this week- I chose anise- which is very close to what people know a little bit better- fennel- although apparently fennel is the "sweeter anise". Anyways- I have seen Giada (yes she is my hero) use fennel in many of her recipes and one recipe caught my eye- a citrus salad with grapefruit and orange.
How I started is by cutting the oranges and grapefruit. I "segmented" 2 of each of the fruits- which basically means that i cut in between the white membrance of the fruit so that i would have no bitter and tough parts of the fruit. Plus it looks a lot prettier- so of course i went for it. I squeezed the rest of the fruit that was left and put all of the juice into a bowl.
I washed the anise well- and cut off the green tops (you are just supposed to use the white part of this vegetable. I cut the anise very thinly and added it to the fruit.
To the citrus juice that I already had i added the juice of half of a lemon, 2 tablespoons of olive oil, 1 tablespoon of one of my favorite new ingredients agave nectar, a little salt, and a little bit of pepper. That was it!
So I had some very brave taste testers- try out the salad- and the general vote was - no. Of course it put much nicer than that- and I wasn't offended it the least. In the words of my husband "your blog would be boring if everything turned out!" and to be honest- he's right! This was something I would definitely not make again- although I would do it without the fennel- and maybe search for another vegetable to step in.
That was week 4- until week 5- Happy cooking!

Chicken stock from scratch- not from a carton

So today was the day for lemon and chicken soup
I bought stock- but then I thought I have everything to make the stock lets just do it:
So in a pot I put in

• The bones from 1 used roasted chicken I just threw into a ziploc bag and then the freezer instead of the garbage after cutting the chicken off of it
• 2 celery stalks cut in half leaves and all
• 2 medium carrots cut in half
• half a head of garlic, skin and all
• 1/2 onion
• 1 leek
• 5 whole peppercorns
• 1 sprig of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• chicken drippings- from another time that i did not use- so instead I froze it and it came in handy here- about a cup- with the fat skimmed off
• about a tablespoon of Oxo chicken bouillon - if you need it - just to give you a bit more flavor

I threw this all in one big pot- covered it almost to the top with water- and let it simmer for about 3 hours! After I drained out all of the veggies and tossed them- sad but true you cant really use them at this point- I had fresh home made chicken stock and it was way better than the boxed stuff! Plus I didn't add any salt which is good for anyone watching their salt intake- it is crazy how much of that is in our every day foods! This also took barely any effort- definitely worth the time!

Week 3: Eggplant

In all honesty- I have never ever cooked with eggplant- and after trying this recipe I really am wondering why- I've watched many eggplant parmesans be made on the food network- very simple- but specific in order to have a good result- the way you cut your eggplant could potentially make or break the final result- and that was a bit scary to me.
So I will admit- week 3 was a bit more involved than the last two- however I didn't have a recipe to follow and was going off of what I've seen in past cooking shows- and tidbits that I read from recipes i liked- but I didn't like all of the recipe.

I started with two eggplant, cut off the ends, and cut them lengthwise into about 5-6, 1/4 inch pieces. Then- stealing a tip from Giada- I sprinkled the peices with salt and let them sit for 10 minutes- to remove bitterness and excess moisture. After ten minutes I took a paper towel and wiped the moisture that had gathered on top and was ready to start the "breading process". One recipe told me to deep fry the eggplant- and thats really not healthy- so my alternative was to bake them at a high temperature with a bit of breading and heart healthy olive oil. I brushed both sides with olive oil and working quickly- because eggplant is literally like a sponge that soaks up everything you put on it- I dipped this into a breading mixture I made out of- 1 c panko bread crumbs (Japanese style bread crumbs- If you don't have this use regular bread crumbs!), some Italien seasoning, garlic powder (of course), salt, pepper, and some chili flakes- one of my new favorite things.

I know that Panko isn't the healhtiest of choices- however when you actually "bread the eggplant" not a lot stays on because you aren't using the traditional breading liquid- being eggs- which means a lot less of the breading will end up sticking. They do however give great flavor, texture, and crisp up nicely. After all my eggplant peices were breaded, I arranged them on a rack on top of a baking sheet so they could crisp rather than risk steaming them if I just put them directly on the baking sheet minus the rack- at 460 degrees for 15 minutes on one side and about 10 on the other.

While those were baking I was busy making a homemade marinara- PACKED full of veggies. I used any vegetables I had including: 1 medium onion, 1 medium carrot, 1 red pepper, 3 cloves of garlic, 3 sun dried tomatoes, about 1/2 c of frozen mixed veggies, and about a cup of sweet potato I had baked and left over from lunch, basil, parsley, garlic powder, salt, pepper, and some chili flakes again. Use anything you have- you really cant go wrong! To this I added 2- 28 ounce cans of diced tomatoes, warmed it through in a pot- and threw it all into the food processor. What was really nice about this sauce is because I made it so chunky- it almost felt meaty. I don't like using a lot of meat as of late in my recipes- unless it's chicken- so this was an added bonus for me! (This will make a lot of sauce- I just freeze the rest in washed yogurt containers I keep around for moments such as these and freeze them after the sauce is completely cool- ready to go when next time your in a rush!)

Once my sauce was ready and eggplant was cool to the touch I was ready to assemble: I sprayed a 9x13 glass pan really well with cooking spray. Then arranged about 5 pieces of eggplant on the bottom. I topped these with about 1 cup of my chunky and very healthy sauce- and topped that with a special surprise ingredient: 4 ounces (half of a brick) of lite cream cheese. I had mentioned this in an earlier blog- that cream cheese adds such creaminess and loveliness to lasagna's and it did the same but better to this dish as well. Then topped this with 1 c of light mozzarella. I repeated this process again- minus the cream cheese for the top layer. (You could also use ricotta or light ricotta for this as well!)

I put this into a 400 degree oven for about 30 minutes. When it was bubbling and brown on top I pulled it out and let it stand for 10-15 minutes before cutting into it. I know we're all tempted to cut into it and eat right away- but all this work took time- arranging the layers- making it appealing- why ruin it and risk eating a pile of mush, just because of a lack of patience? Trust me and wait- its worth it.

I was a bit nervous at first- but after trying it I was blown away. One thing that is true- is that when you cook a meal you don't enjoy it as much as the people around you. I have heard so many people say the same thing- and this is true for myself about 90 percent of the time. But this meal- I fully enjoyed- and was pleasantly surprised. I didn't miss the lasagna noodles, or ground beef, or even the mound of cheese I used to put on my regular lasagna (so good but so not worth the guilt!)

Give this one a try! You will definitely not regret it! I served this with a mixture of spinach and arugula on the side with a lemon and olive oil dressing.

On another note- due to my healthier choices and resolutions I have made it a huge effort to eat well- this upcoming week will be one of exciting meals- and I thought I would share the menu with you:
Today was eggplant parmesan.
Tomorrow will be lemon and roasted chicken soup.
The other five meals we will be enjoying include: Artichoke chicken with roast potatoes, Korean beef bowl packed with raw veggies and rice, Steak and smashed lemon and parsley potatoes, tilapia (a mild fish)- mango-avocado-and arugula salad, and glazed chicken and apple salad. I occasionally do beef to keep Kev happy but as much as I can I go for chicken and meatless dishes nowadays. Planning this menu- of healthy and exciting new dishes keeps me on track and makes me look forward to cooking supper every day. I'm not tempted to go out to a restaurant or stop by a fast food place- at all.

Wednesday this past week I happened to wake up late- and not have a lunch. Because of a long day and a staff meeting after school I didn't have much choice about what I was eating because I couldn't leave. I ended up eating some food that wasn't my first choice and felt incredibly sick the entire night. My body reacted to the junk- and was basically telling me "I don't like this stuff"- which reminds me- It may taste good but is it really worth it? and to wake up on time- so I'm not stuck in a position like that again. Lesson definitely learned!

Happy cooking! :)

Week # 2: Kale

So for week # 2, I decided to use kale. We've all had it in soups- but how boring is that. A couple of months ago while watching Giada (my female chef hero), she made kale chips. I thought it was really odd but when I passed it in the grocery store- I knew exactly what to do.

Kale is from the cabbage family- which is an umbrella type label for many many kinds of vegetables- including the one that it reminded me most of; broccoli. It is packed full of antioxidants, is a powerful anti inflammatory, and blocks the growth of cancer cells. I'm definitely serving this one at the next party- though that won't be for a while- I need a break! Another interesting fact- boiling this baby- ie: putting it in a soup- removes a lot of the important nutrients you would want to use it for! So steam, bake, grill, stir fry, etc with this- but unless your just looking for a color and texture enhancement in your next soup- it won't do much else for you!

Following Giada's recipe: I cut the hard middle stem of the kale out and cut it into 2-3 inch pieces. I washed, then dried them very well. Into a large bowl, to be drizzled with olive oil- but NOT a lot! Otherwise it will be soggy and you don't need that at all! We want crispy not soggy. About 1 tsp of olive oil- a good pinch of salt and pepper and toss very well. I spread it out evenly on a large baking sheet and baked this at 350 for about 15 to 16 minutes until I could really smell it and the edges were crisp.

I was extremely skeptical but it was delicious! Especially because I also made the lemon mayo Giada recommended. 3-4 tbsp of mayo, with half a lemon juiced, 1/2 a lemon zested, a pinch of salt and pepper- and done! Out of 4 taste testers- all 4 gave it a thumbs up- which means it is definitely worth making again! Week 2: success!

Next movie night- definitely making this one- and I won't have to feel bad about it!

Happy cooking:)

My Granola Recipe

I've been asked by a few people to post my recipe for granola. The great thing about granola is that you can make it using whatever you have- and switch it up every time. I happen to love the most recent batch I made this past week- and quite shockingly I made it my mission to MEASURE and WRITE DOWN the ingredients - something that I don't do often! There are a lot of ingredients in here- if you don't have them - don't worry- it will taste good no matter what- that's the great thing about granola!

I start with 4 cups of oats- not the quick cooking kind- in a big bowl.
To that you will be adding 1/2 a cup of each of these:

• raw pumpkin seeds
• sunflower seeds
• unsweetened coconut
• pecans
• almonds
• walnuts
• peanuts (not every one's favorite in granola- but it happens to be one of mine! As long as you have 2 cups of nuts you can adjust accordingly! This is for you - so throw in whatever you like!!)

Then add 1/4 c each of:

• Wheat bran
• Wheat germ
• flax seed

Because the last three ingredients are very flaky it's really important to add enough liquids  to have the ingredients stick together. I add between 1/3-1/2 c of olive oil, and 3 tablespoons of honey.  Quick tip: In order to not have to clean up really sticky honey out of my tablespoon measure- and to get a more accurate amount of it- I spray my tablespoon measure with cooking oil- or add a bit of olive oil just to coat it - and then measure the honey. It is a lot easier to clean- and I don't waste any of the honey- which is always a good thing to me!

I loveeeeee cinnamon so i happen to add a lot of it- between 1/8 c and 1/4 c actually! Cinnamon is great for eating healthy because apparently it is one of those spices that will make your body feel fuller for longer. Which is good if you have long breaks between meals! Also, according to Eat Shrink and Be Merry- it stimulates digestion and is great for anyone with diabetes! So with cinnamon- the more the merrier!

Then I mix it all together in a large bowl, and spread it out on a big baking sheet that I sprayed with non stick cooking spray. I bake it at 285 for 1 hour, turning it every fifteen minutes so that nothing burns. 

Some of you may be thinking- why make granola at home anyway- I can find it at the grocery store- and yes- you are right. However- they usually put in a lot of junk to make that granola stay good- and taste good- even though it doesn't need it. Stuff like corn syrup, sugar, and bad for you oils. If you can make it at home yourself- and see all that goes into it- why wouldn't you?

It really is not a lot of work and lasts for a long time- even with my husband and I who both eat granola every morning. If you don't eat a lot of it in your home- store it the fridge or freezer and use it slowly- that will give you a bit more time! 

Another hint: I also store all nuts in the freezer. There is nothing worse than nuts that have no flavor!

There it is folks! That's all there is to it! Let me know how it goes:) 

2011- The Mystery Ingredient Challenge

So I haven't kept up with this blog- life likes to get in the way- but I wanted to share what is happening in our home in 2011.
I have decided and committed to living a healthier lifestyle- going to the gym- not making excuses, cooking every meal- supper, lunch, and breakfast- rather than going out- and eating who knows what made with who knows what, and my mystery ingredient challenge- which i will document here.
Each week I want to find 1 new fruit or vegetable in the grocery store and find a healthy and fun way to incorporate it into a meal. I want cooking to be fun- and a de-stresser in my sometimes very full life! I want it to be fun and fresh- and in order to make that happen- I need to do it!
So no more excuses! Here is to 2011- the year that will be different, fun, and healthy!

Week 1: Mystery Ingredient: Endive

Endive looks like a small head of lettuce- but only the really crispy part. It is a bit bitter- and apparently is rich in vitamins and minerals- according to wikipedia. Who knew?
Sometimes people over look endive because they have no idea how to use it- an easy thing would be to chop it up and throw it into  a salad- but that would be boring.
Instead I used it for an appetizer! I washed and dried it really well and separated all of the leaves. For the filling I adapted a recipe I found on Kraft Canada- great website. I cubed 1 small chicken breast and cooked it in a tiny bit of oil in a pan. To that I added salt, pepper, orange zest (1/2 an orange zested- be careful because too much orange zest can easily turn bitter!!!), fresh grated ginger (no fake stuff here!), and garlic. When it all looked brown and yummy I took it off the element and let it cool. In a bowl I combined 1/4 c of half the fat mayonnaise, 1/4 c dried cranberries, 1 tbsp chopped pecans, 1 tbsp green onions, the cooled cubed chicken and just enough fresh squeezed orange juice (from the orange I zested) to thin the mayo and make it go further.

I put a little bit of filling in each of the endive leaves- from one endive I got about 16 usable leaves. And done! A healthy- great tasting appetizer with lots of different textures and flavors! It really is that easy- and I had fun too! Mystery Ingredient 1= done! By making this journey to healthiness fun- it makes it all the more possible! It's easy to sit there and complain that there is nothing to eat- and we're making the same thing all the time- its kind of like working out- we never feel like it, "never have the time to work out", excuse after excuse, but if you just DO IT- then you'll see and get what you want from it.

I am excited about everything and by no means do i think it will be easy- I know some days I'll probably want to do anything but work out or cook every meal after a hard day- but eye on the prize- everyone who I am close with is aware of my goals and support me- most of all I believe I will do it- so read next week to see what happens next!

Cant wait till week 2:)

Random fact for you: Use aromatics- which is what they are called in the cooking world to flavor your food. Rather than frying- bake and grill things using fresh ginger, garlic, lemon, orange, onions, and fresh herbs. Using all of this flavor will awaken your taste buds and make food taste better- rather than boring.
Another great healthy piece of advice- this I heard from a wonderful friend of mine- eat only until you are full- and no more than that! You will be surprised how little food you actually need to be full and happy! Not starving yourself at all- giving your body just what it needs and not more! It actually works! Serving sizes are way too big nowadays and what we think we need is way more than what we do.
A new idea I want to live by not only this year but always: Live to cook, and eat to live.