Apple-icious

Sorry the other "Apple" groupies.... no, this post is not about the new iPad. No, I did not camp out for 4 nights to be first in line for it. This apple adventure was way less time consuming, a lot more fun, a whole lot cheaper and you can eat it. Homemade apple rings/chips have been on my foodie "to do" list for some time. Why I have not gotten round to this recipe I don't know and cannot come up with a reasonable excuse. Does something with one ingredient even constitute a recipe? Anyway, I tried making these from a sole survivor apple that had been languishing in the crisper for probably a few days too long but was still useable in some way...I was 75% certain. Now was as good a time as any to attempt the baked apple rings.
You need a good 2 hour window of time to make these as they bake low and slow. I'd like to try making a batch with several different apples next time and do a taste test. I *think* this apple was an Ambrosia but who knows. I sliced it various thicknesses with some paper thin and some a little thicker.
I laid them on a baking sheet lined with parchment paper and put them in the 275F pre-heated oven for 90 mins.
They turned out okay for the first try. The thin ones were borderline burnt but very crispy but my favourites were the ones that were still a bit soft and chewy. They were the ones that were 2-3 mm in thickness when slicing. The best tasting one was 2nd from the right in the middle row.
I'm wondering if sprinkling them with cinnamon and nutmeg would be good and if some kind of liquid glaze would help too, although they were a great snack sans sprinkles. Guess I'm going to have to plan an apple-a-thon and find out.

West, South, North, Eats

Yes another extended hiatus on the blog, and no the slow cooker post that I promised is not ready yet. The reason? What I made was delicious, I just don't recall exactly what I put in there so until I find my scrappy gravy splattered notes, the post will be on long term loan from the food library in my head.
Why the hiatus? Vacation, the best reason not to be blogging and the best reason to eat, drink and be lazy excessively without judgment. The trip was 10 days long and well deserved. PB and I have moved across the country, both started new jobs and moved house 3 times in the past 6 months. I have had no vacation since April 2011 and that was a family visit to the UK. Well needed and enjoyed but not quite the same as lying by the pool with BBQ's every night and lunches at the golf course patio. We left Nova Scotia in the middle of a snowstorm at 5am in the morning and flew to Vancouver, not a short trip all in all, with 2 flights and a 4 hour time change to absorb. After some fab friend catch up time and a pedicure from the lovely Ms D, it was beddy byes by 8pm. The next day was spent re-connecting with friends, co-workers and family before jetting off to Phoenix, Arizona for 6 days. Foodie highlights from the west coast included a pot luck with my former co-workers who generously provided an amazing spread including sushi from my favorite sushi place (Genji), home made chicken curry (C-A! I need the recipe!) and my very own chocolate bundt cake with mint choc icing that was allergy free courtesy of Maple Maniac (Hugsies MM!).
Travelling to Arizona was quick and painless, despite being charged for all checked luggage by the american airline, and soon we were in the desert amongst the cacti and scorpions. We settled in to the house quickly and found our spots by the pool. We cooked at home about half of the time and ate out the rest. Of course I had been pining for a visit to Trader Joes, one of my favourite US stores. They have a fab range of natural foods and great prices. I was in heaven and did at least 5 laps of the store seeing new things every time around. For example, a box of 30 Emergen-c sachets is $8.50 vs $18.99 here. I stocked up. Big time. They, along with all the other grocery stores in the US sell wine and beer. And to top that, it's way cheaper than home and a much wider selection including my favourite wine from Erath winery in Oregon. Shockingly, beer made in Nova Scotia and exported and shipped to Phoenix is cheaper than the cost of buying at home. True story.
BBQ meals were simple and delicious, PB's legendary bruschetta, peppercorn steak and plain ol grilled chicken. Delish. The best meal out was Saporo sushi. They have sushi happy hour, what a great idea! Not only do you get cheap drinks but you get almost a full menu of sushi and appies to choose from too. We squeaked in 5 mins before happy hour (click here to see the menu) ended and filled the table with mouth watering items such as tootsie rolls (a yummy crab roll), sashimi, spicy tuna rolls, lobster gyoza and tuna tartare.
And then it was all over, we jammed our suitcases with wine, snacks, banana chips and toasted sesame oil from Trader Joes (it was $2.50 a bottle!) and 4 boxes of emergen-c, and hoped the luggage handler gods would be on our side. A long 2 leg flight home via New Jersey and we were back in NS at 2am in the morning ready to sleep, detox and lose the 5lb holiday food, beer, wine and pool lounging bloat we both gained.
Happy to say both PB and I have recovered from our holiday food overload (but it was all so good!) and back to our usual balanced diet. Tonight I planned to cook a new meal, in part inspired by a cook book I received from the Condiment Queen for my recent 21st (HA!) birthday. It's called "Power Foods" and is a mixture of a mini food encyclopaedia and a recipe book. Lots of things caught my eye, so many fresh flavours, bright colours and tempting foods.
I saw a recipe for a black bean salsa with chicken but I was craving fish so bought cod instead and then added a few more ingredients to the salsa. The other component of the meal was from a different recipe, one for salmon, served with a cilantro sauce. The bright green sauce jumped off the page and it was a perfect match for the cod and the black bean and avocado salsa.
For both the sauce and the salsa, you don't need to be exact with ingredients. The only ones I would add a bit at a time would be the lime juice and salt. Add a bit and taste. Over liming and salting is hard to correct unless you want to make 10 x the portions of salsa.

Black Bean, Avocado and Mango Salsa
1/2 can black beans, rinsed and drained
1/2-1 mango diced
1 avocado, diced
juice of 1-2 limes
6-8 cherry tomatoes, halved or quartered
1/2 red onion, finely diced
1-1/2 jalapeno pepper, diced
1 tablespoon Ex. virgin Olive Oil
salt and pepper to taste

Mix all the ingredients together and let sit while you prepare the cilantro sauce.

Cilantro Sauce
2inch piece ginger, grated
2 garlic cloves, crushed
1-2 shallots, diced
juice of 2 limes
bunch of cilantro, roughly chopped
2 tbsp neutral tasting oil such as canola
1 tsp brown sugar ( I used Sucanet)
salt and pepper

Blend all ingredients together in food processor until smoothish. I say smooth-ish because my large food processor was really too big for the quantity so there were some flecks of cilantro but I thought it added to the texture and presentation.

Pan Seared Cod
2 fresh thick cod fillets, about 150g each
1/2 cup spelt or wheat flour
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp cumin
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
2 tbsp canola oil
1 tbsp butter
salt and pepper

Mix all dry ingredients together to make a herbed flour dredging mix.
Put oil and butter in frying pan and heat to med high.
Dredge fish in flour mix and place in pan.
Cook fish about 3 mins per side until just cooked through and coating is slightly crisped.

PB and I use this dredging method when we make pan fried chicken and fish. There is no egg wash so it's not a heavy batter. In fact, when you eat it, it's not even like it's coated, it just helps crisp up the edges. Just be careful not to burn the flour as you cook.

Serve the fish over or under the cilantro sauce with the salsa on the side. You'll see from the pic at the start of the post how bright the sauce is, almost fluorescent. It was a big taste bud hit and will be a staple on the regular dinner menu rotation. This would also make a great summer entertaining dish. I think the sauce would work well if added to the salsa or as a lighter dressing for fish taco's in place of guacamole. But who doesn't love guacamole? So have both!

P.S. yes the plate is chipped in the photo.....but I think it adds character to the dish

low and slow

new slow cooker post coming soon...it'll be worth it but it'll take time... just like a slow cooker feast!

"Heart-y" Roast

Guess what?? This post does not involve chicken!
Yes there has been an abundance of chicken lately, and while I have still been eating it a lot, in a variety of forms I must add, no new recipes have been put forth.
This past Saturday though, PB and I had an early Valentines day celebration as both of us were working Sun, Mon and Tuesday evenings so our opportunity to celebrate on the day itself was non-existant. We had decided to get each other a card and small gift each and to cook a meal together. Incidentally, we got each other the same card...no big deal, that's they way we roll!
PB has a knack for one pot wonders and a lot of experience with roasts, as when he was working up North a lot, this was one of his perennial menu items so he honed his technique significantly. We went to the grocery store that afternoon and looked for a nice cut of beef but didn't see a suitable one so we asked at the meat counter and picked up a thick 2lb joint of sirloin tip. The plan was to roast it with chunky cut veggies, simple one pot style with tonnes of flavor. Don't get me wrong, this recipe is tres simple but it's delicious and sophisticated and worthy of entertaining, which we will do next time we make it. You can use any veggies you like. We had on hand potatoes, carrots, onion and red pepper. Sweet potatoes and parsnips would also work well. We did a couple of key things that, IMO, made this roast a success:
1) PB's knowledge of meat cooking time, without the use of a thermometer
2) Parboiling the potatoes and then mixing them with the other raw veggies to create a potato coating of sorts
3) The shallot/garlic "paste" we made as a crust to the joint.
4) Salt. Lots.
5) Love. Lots. (cheesy, I know)

So without further ado, here is the recipe in full (that we created):

"Mucho Impressivo" easy roast beef
approx 2lb sirloin tip roast ( try to get a fat one, not a flat one)
combination of roasting veg
2 shallots, finely diced
4 garlic cloves, crushed
1 tsp dried rosemary
couple of handfuls of mushrooms, sliced
olive oil, unspecified drizzle amount
butter
salt
pepper
more salt

Put oven on to heat to 400F.
Cut potatoes into chunky chunks (Yes that is the best way to describe it) and par boil until just softening.
While they are parboiling, cut up other veggies....chunky.
Rub olive oil over the joint, season, and then rub the shallot and garlic all over it.
Sprinkle rosemary on top and rub the coating in more.
Place roast in pan.
Place chopped veggies in a large bowl and drizzle in olive oil and then season generously. Stir 'em up.
Add potatoes to bowl of veggies and stir it all up so the outer layer of potato gets on everything.
pour out veggies to surround the beef. Looks good, doesn't it? Looks like this doesn't it?

Roast at 400F for 45 mins if you like your roast rare in the middle like we do.
After 45 mins, remove beef and place on cutting board, covered in foil to rest for 10 mins.
Pan fry sliced mushrooms in a bit of butter and oil and season to taste.
Turn oven up to 450F and let veggies cook for 10 minutes more until ready to serve. slice beef and put mushrooms over the top, or to the side. Whatever you want to do.

If you followed these instructions, this is what you should have right about now:

Oh I forgot to mention, you don't really need gravy. The juices from the meat and the richness in the vegetables is flavour enough. However, if you have some red wine handy, you could de-glaze the veggie pan and mix in the meat juices and you'd probably have a divine jus to top it all off.
So remember, easy recipe, BIG respect from guests. Just don't let on how easy it was.

Super simple supper

Last night, PB and pondered over what to have for dinner. We don't run a chock a block fridge and pantry and besides seasonings and canned tomatoes and beans, we basically buy our groceries each week based on our specific meal plan and then it's gone. The only organic waste we have is that of peelings or inedible components such as avocado pits( lots of these), chicken bones and brocoli stalks. We have zero food wastage as we usually plan very well and we are both good in the kitchen so can improvise well with very little. Last night was one of those nights. We had protein in the form of chicken breasts which we had recently stocked up on at Sobeys BOGO event. Pretty good deal and we buy about 20 chicken breasts and then portion them up into freezer bags, 2 per bag, so we can use them as needed. But that was as far as the plan had gone. I scoured the fridge door and cupboards for inspiration and decided to make stuffed chicken breast with pesto. Super simps, fast and really tasty. We had carrots and peas on the side which we simply steam, and that is the usual side dish for most meals, or we use broccoli... gotta get those greens.
I pounded out the chicken breast with my *new* meat mallet I bought earlier and then put a tablespoon of red pesto in the middle, topped with torn basil leaves and then rolled them up.
I heated olive oil in a frying pan and seared the rolled breasts on each side until browned, about 30-60 seconds per side. I didn't have any picks or string to tie them with so I started browning them on the seam side down to try and seal it but when I turned them, the seal looked weak so I just held the breasts with the tongs as I browned the other side.
I then squeezed a random lone lemon half over them and baked them in the oven at 375F for about 25 mins, which turned out to be a little too long, 2o mins would probably have sufficed.
When done, I drizzled the juices from the pan over the chicken and voila...dinner is served.
I used red pesto but you could easily do this with green pesto and on another day, I would like to make my own pesto. I also imagine the addition of goats cheese to the filling would be amazing.
Here is the summary of the recipe:

Pesto stuffed chicken
2 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp red or green pesto
few basils leaves, torn
juice of half a lemon
salt and pepper for seasoning

Heat oven to 375F.
Flatten chicken to approx 1/2 inch thick.
Place pesto in middle, with basil and roll up chicken (secure with pick or string if possible)
Sear chicken rolls in pan over med-high heat.
Place in baking dish, pour over lemon juice and bake in oven for 20 mins or until cooked through.

Save the bananas!

As part of my plan to reduce my sugar intake, bananas have been sidelined and set aside for times when I am in dire physical need of carb replacement such as at the end of a half marathon or triathlon. Since I haven't done either a half marathon or triathlon in at least 2 years, bananas have not been that commonplace. However, they are in the house and PB eats one every couple of days. Don't get me wrong I LOVE bananas and I LOVE baking. So you can surely put love and love together and get Banana Bread. I have found an excellent recipe for banana bread that is totally vegan and tastes amazing. All testers of said bread have been in agreement of its taste, texture and yummi-ness so it's time to post the recipe. I've made it probably close to 10 times in the past few months and though I am very tempted to eat the whole loaf, I usually take some into work or put half in the freezer for a later date. If freezing, I slice it first and then wrap well. If you have ripe bananas, but no time to make banana bread, just throw them in the freezer until you have time. They will go black but don't worry about it. Due to the frequency of making this recipe, I have determined the following things:
1) the more banana you use the better
2) I like a few chunks in there of partially mashed banana
3) frozen bananas go totally black but are perfect on the inside for banana bread
4)you must buy bananas in advance (usually at least a week) if you want them to be overripe enough for a good banana bread.
5)licking the batter from the bowl is still the best part of the baking process. This is one time where you don't want a really efficient spatula because that will remove all trace of batter leaving none for you to clean up.
6) Never leave freshly cooked banana bread un-attended. It WILL be compromised as demonstrated here:


The recipe is from what I have come to refer to as my vegan bible (For any newbie readers, I'm not vegan but I am allergic to eggs so I do a lot of vegan baking), "The Everyday Vegan". It's called Maple Banana Loaf and I like it because it doesn't contain any soy (if you use a non soy milk alternative), any hard to get ingredients and it's relatively healthy as far as cakes go.

Maple Banana Loaf
1 & 3/4 cups whole wheat flour
2 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1 tsp cinammon
pinch of sea salt (go very carefully here, too much will taste very strong)
1/2 tsp fresh nutmeg ( I used dried nutmeg spice-works just fine)
1 cup very ripe banana, mashed ( I usually add about 1 & 1/4 cups, approx 3 med bananas)
1/2 cup pure maple syrup
1/2 cup soy milk, ( I use rice or almond milk and I find 1/3 cup is enough)
1 tsp pure vanilla extract
1 tbsp canola oil
1 tsp Sugar or sucanut to sprinkle on top of batter ( this is not in the recipe but I find it adds a key element and really makes the recipe)

Preheat oven to 350F.
In large bowl, combine dry ingredients, sifting in baking powder and baking soda. Mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine mashed bananas with maple syrup, milk and vanilla. Mix well and add to dry mixture.
Stir through and add canola oil just as batter comes together (do not over mix).
Pour into lightly oiled loaf pan. (Sprinkle sugar on top if you wish!) and bake for 45-50 mins until golden brown and a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean.

Do you Sesame?

I have designated Toasted sesame oil one of my kitchen staples/essentials. It's an ingredient that can turn basic steamed veggies into an aromatic, taste bud explosion and for that reason, it's my current, and potentially life-long, obsession. However, there is one major flaw in this simple set up...where to get sesame oil. Now you can get it at most grocery stores, but I am looking for toasted sesame oil, not the regular oil. This week I used up the last of my remaining toasted sesame oil and was disappointed to not find it at any of the grocery stores I went to. So I resigned to being without it for a while and committed to find a reliable source. On an unrelated mission, Pb and I headed out to the Hydrostone in Halifax (click here for more info) looking for home decor inspiration. The Hydrostone market is a block wide row of cool little stores including a bakery, a cafe, a bistro and an oil and vinegar store. Bingo. The store is called "Liquid Gold Tasting Bar and all things olive" and is a foodie mecca and a half. An array of vessels with "do it yourself" sample taps caused extreme excitement which was compounded by the soft white bread cubes we could use for said sampling. Blueberry balsamic, cinnamon pear balsamic, Tuscan herb olive oil, the list goes on.....and included roasted (aka toasted) sesame oil. With some assistance from the staff due to a tap malfunction, we were presented with small sample. we were instructed to smell it. KAPOW!!! wowsers, incredible aroma.....this is the mother of all sesame oils. I tasted some but knew they had me at roasted. We bought a small bottle along with some aged balsamic vinegar and tuscan herb olive oil.
When we got home, we tore into some crusty bread and soaked it in the classic oil and vinegar dip.....we devoured it, partly due to the wonderful taste and partly due to the fact we had not yet had lunch and it was 4pm, AND we had been to the gym on our way home.
Next on the sample/snack list was the Sesame oil. I mixed with some canola oil, some tamari sauce and drizzled over a ripe avocado with Mary's crackers on the side. So simple, so yummy, so perfect.

We will be back repeatedly to the oil and vinegar store to add to our collection very soon, I highly recommend it either for buying or just sampling and soaking up the experience. And to all my foodie friends reading this, please try to act surprised when I give you your next birthday gift.