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.