Artichoke Chicken Bake

I swear the squirrels in our neighbourhood have learned how to cross the roads, they actually slow down and stop when a car approaches.  They often turn and go back the other way!

The English Kitchen recently posted this easy recipe and I had to try it. It was absolutely delicious, no doubt because it calls for 3/4 c low fat mayonnaise and 3/4 c parmesan cheese.  The chicken was so tender. The marinated artichokes certainly add something to the dish. I used skinless chicken breasts with the bones in, so added an extra 15 minutes to the baking time.

I made some bowtie pasta to go with the dish.  Once the chicken was done,  I decided to remove the bones, cut the chicken into pieces and mixed the pasta in, to make it a one pot meal as pictured:

Tomato, Cheese and Chickpea Salad

I received this great recipe from Your Healthy Weight, I haven't tried it yet, but it looks simple and delicious to put together:

Tomato, Cheese and Chickpea Salad

4 serving(s)

Ingredients

2 cups (500 ml) cherry tomatoes, halved


1 cup (250 ml) each yellow and orange bell peppers , diced


3 1/2 oz (100 g) each Mozzarella and Feta, diced


2 cups (500 ml) canned chickpeas, drained


2 shallots, finely chopped


1/4 cup (60 ml) chopped fresh basil


1/4 cup (60 ml) fresh lemon juice


2 tbsp (30 ml) olive oil


Salt and Pepper

Preparation

Place cherry tomatoes, peppers, cheeses, chickpeas, shallots and basil in a salad bowl. Whisk together lemon juice and olive oil. Mix gently into salad. Season to taste.

Easy Cornbread

My son K got his G2 driver's licence yesterday! This means he can drive on his own now with few restrictions. We are so happy for him but this brings new worries of course! A 16 year old boy on the roads with all that adrenaline...hmm. We will have to phase this in.

Easy Cornbread

Marie at The English Kitchen recently posted her  ex Mother-in-law's Cornbread recipe and it sounded so simple I decided to try it!  My family loves cornbread muffins so I thought they would like this.

It turned out great and you could really taste the cornmeal.  Here's Marie's recipe with just the cup measurements.  And I line my pans with parchment paper instead of greasing and flouring it.

Makes one 9 inch round or square pan,
or 12 small muffins


7/8 cup of  flour
 sugar (1/4 cup)
4 tsp baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup cornmeal
1  egg, beaten
 milk (1 cup)
 vegetable oil (1/4 cup)

Preheat the oven to 350F. Line a 9 inch round or square baking tin with parchment paper. (Or 12 small muffin cups). Set aside.

Measure the flour, sugar, baking powder, salt and corn meal into a bowl. Beat together the egg, milk and vegetable oil. Add all at once to the dry ingredients and mix quickly just to combine. Pour into the prepared pan(s). Bake in the preheated oven for 20 to 25 minutes, until well risen and lightly browned on top and a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean. Serve warm, cut into wedges or squares.

Chocolate Beet Cake

The other day, I noticed that Betsy of My Five Men had a post on Beet Cake. It was intriguing and I went searching for a similar recipe that used cocoa powder instead of chocolate as cocoa powder has no fat. I found this recipe and tried it. It was delicious and you don't taste the beet, it just tastes like chocolate cake. K loved it and he would never knowingly eat beets!  It was quick and easy to make, I would recommend trying it.


Chocolate Beet Cake (from About.com Southern Food)

Cook Time: 30 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
1 1/2 teaspoons soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups sugar
1/2 cup cocoa powder
3 large eggs, beaten
1 cup plus 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, Canola or corn oil
1 1/2 cups grated cooked beets (I used a 14 oz can of beets, NOT the pickled kind and grated in the blender)
2 teaspoons vanilla
powdered sugar, optional

Preparation:
Preheat oven to 350°.

Combine flour, soda, salt, sugar and cocoa in a bowl; set aside. In a mixing bowl, combine the eggs and oil. Beat in vanilla and continue beating until well blended. Slowly beat in dry ingredients until well mixed; stir in beets. Pour into a greased and floured 9x13-inch baking pan. Bake at 350° for 25 to 35 minutes, or until cake bounces back when touched lightly with finger.

Cool in pan on a rack. Frost cooled cake or dust with powdered sugar.

Quinoa Recipe

I located a box of Quinoa at the grocery store:

Then I found a great recipe to try it out with.  It's called 'Hearty Quinoa and Bean Soup' from Chatelaine. I forgot to get spinach for the recipe, so here is what mine looked like:

It was absolutely delicious, and I can't wait to try quinoa in another way.  Don't forget to wash it first, before using it as it says on the box.  I didn't remember, but everything turned out ok.

Tiffany Jewellery

I've been 'collecting' Tiffany jewellery (photos), lol, just for a visual treat. What do you think?








I found this recipe for Barbecued Garlic Ribs and it looks worth trying. It uses pork side ribs and you can also bake it in 30 to 40 minutes.

Crème Brûlée with Crab, Avocado and Havarti

I got this dream of a recipe from Dairy Goodness (Dairy Farmers of Canada). Well, it looks like a dream to eat, I don't know if I'll ever get around to making it, but maybe you will:

3/4 cup (180 mL) whipping 35 % cream
1/4 cup (60 mL) milk
2 egg yolks
1-1/2 tbsp (22 mL) flour
1/2 cup (125 mL) diced Canadian Havarti
Ground Cayenne or Espelette pepper, to taste
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
1 ripe avocado, diced
2/3 cup (160 mL) crabmeat, well drained
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1-1/2 tbsp (22 mL) sugar



Preheat broiler.

In a saucepan over low heat, heat cream and milk until steam starts to form.

Meanwhile, beat egg yolks for 2 minutes then beat in flour. Pour a little warm cream into egg yolk mixture, whisking constantly. Pour mixture into saucepan and cook over low heat, stirring with a wooden spoon, until mixture thickens. Add cheese and stir until melted. Add Cayenne and salt and pepper generously.

Evenly divide avocado and crabmeat among 4 medium-sized 3-1/2 inches (9 cm) ramekins and sprinkle with lemon juice. Pour cheese mixture on top; sprinkle with sugar.

To caramelize, broil for about 4 minutes. Serve hot or warm.


News

I love this video, it's a pleasure to watch:

Woman lives large in what may be New York’s smallest apartment

Spinach and Leek Soup

This is my very own recipe, I don't think you'll find it anywhere else! After I made a leek and potato soup, I was left with the top (dark green) half of 3 leeks and didn't want to waste it. I also had half of a 16 ounce pack of baby spinach leaves. Then I was watching the FoodTV channel and a chef was making vegetable soup. I was inspired and used the same principle with different vegetables and herbs. The measurements may not be exact, but you'll get the idea.


1 stalk of celery, chopped
1 onion chopped
1 carrot chopped
top (dark green half) of 3 leeks (or you could use one whole leek) cleaned and chopped
8 oz package of spinach leaves (I used baby spinach leaves)
450 ml low sodium chicken broth
1 cup of water
1 sprig of fresh thyme
2 tbs canola oil (or whatever oil you have on hand)
1/2 tsp black pepper

Saute onions, carrots, celery, leeks in oil for a few minutes until they start to sweat. Add spinach, thyme, pepper, broth and water. Cover and simmer for about 15 minutes. Blend the soup in the blender (you may need to do this in 3 batches). Add salt to taste. I didn't feel it needed any extra salt. I hope you'll like it as much as I did!

News

Bright light, bigger city “I really have no idea how it happened,” he says on the phone from New York where he’s just finished a rehearsal. “I didn’t have the slightest intention of studying theatre as a kid. I never thought it was my thing.”

Fish and Vegetable Yogurt Chowder

I got this recipe from The Heart and Stroke Foundation and just put it on my list to try:

Fish and vegetable yogurt chowder
Makes 4 servings
The fresh vibrancy of plain yogurt adds great freshness to this traditionally heavy soup. Lively colours of vegetables and flavours will make you think of springtime dinners and long for more fish on the table with generous chunks of salmon in each bite.
Preparation Time: 15 minutesCook Time: 18 to 20 minutesYield: 2 L (8 cups)
Ingredients
10 mL (2 tsp) canola oil
2 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 stalk celery, thinly sliced
15 mL (1 tbsp) each chopped fresh thyme and dill or 5 mL (1 tsp) each dried thyme leaves and dill weed
2 mL (1/2 tsp) celery or fennel seed, crushed
1 L (4 cups) no salt homemade chicken stock or sodium reduced chicken broth
3 skinless salmon fillets, about 454 g/1 lb total
250 mL (1 cup) low fat yogurt
25 mL (2 tbsp) all purpose flour
Directions
In a soup pot heat oil over medium heat and cook carrots, onion, celery, thyme, dill and celery seed for about 8 minutes or until starting to brown. Add stock and stir to combine. Bring to a gently boil and add salmon into pot. Cook, stirring gently for about 10 minutes or until salmon flakes when tested with a fork. Break salmon apart slightly into chunks and reduce heat to medium low.
Whisk together yogurt and flour and stir into soup until creamy and heated through.
Nutrition information per serving (500 mL /2 cups)
Calories: 338
Protein: 32 g
Total fat: 16 g
Saturated fat: 3 g
Cholesterol: 67 mg
Carbohydrate: 16 g
Fibre: 2 g
Sugars: 6 g
Sodium: 187 mg
Potassium: 1,164 mg
Recipe developed by Emily Richards, PH Ec. ©The Heart and Stroke Foundation 2011.
Posted: February 2011

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Some Healthy New Recipes

I found some healthy new recipes to try:

Garlicky Baked Crispy Chicken

Caesar-ish Salad

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Droste Fudge Brownies

K asked me to make some brownies on the weekend, and I found this simple recipe on the internet for Droste fudge brownies. They were chewy, moist and quick to make! I will be sure to whip them up again, just about anytime I have unsalted butter on hand. It's just a matter of adding 6 or 7 ingredients to a bowl, mix for one minute and bake.


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Polar bear swam for 9 days straight looking for ice

Looking at ‘food porn’ and imagining eating helps you eat less: Study
The article says:
'Morewedge believes that using visualization — imagining eating potato chips for a period before eating your first chip — could reduce the amount you eventually eat. But he warns that distractions, such as television or a second snack option would likely impair the process.'

Pumpkin Bread

I made this pumpkin bread using a recipe I found at 'My Journey to Mindfulness'. It's like a spice bun, really delicious and simple to make.

Then because I had extra cranberries, I followed the recipe on the bag and made my own cranberry sauce for the first time instead of buying it out of a can. Do you know how easy it is?

3 cups fresh or frozen cranberries
1 cup sugar
1 cup water

Rinse cranberries
In a saucepan, mix sugar and water
Boil for 5 mins
Add cranberries and boil gently until skins pop (about 5 mins)
Remove from heat. Serve warm or refrigerate. Makes about 2 1/2 cups

And I realized why I love cranberry sauce to begin with...all that sugar!

I still had some leftover cranberries so I froze them to make smoothies at some point.

Pork Spare Ribs

On the weekend, I baked some pork spare ribs and they were successful(tender). Here is (roughly)how I did it:

3 - 3.5 lbs pork spare ribs
honey garlic barbecue sauce for slathering
a splash of dark soy sauce
a splash of teriyaki sauce

Pre-heat oven 350 F

Line baking tray with foil, then lay a sheet of parchment paper on top of that.
Cut ribs into 4 inch portions and place on top of parchment paper in one layer. Rub all the ingredients onto the meat. Bake 30 minutes, then cover the meat loosely with aluminum foil. Lower the heat to 300F and bake 30 minutes longer at 300F.

Tomato Sauce and Pizza Margherita

Smitten Kitchen recently posted a fresh tomato sauce recipe. I was inspired by its delicious simplicity. Of course, being a lazy sort, I tried her recipe with a can of plum tomatoes and it was good enough for us. She had an even simpler option for playing around as 'little as possible'. And here is my take on it:


1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp black pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1/2 tsp onion powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
a splash of olive oil


I simmered all the ingredients for about 30 minutes and used a potato masher to break the tomatoes up as they cooked (as recommended by Smitten). I added 1/2 cup of water at half time as it seemed to need it.

I had some pre-made thin pizza crust from the grocery store. So I smothered it with some of my sauce, added thin slices of low-fat havarti cheese (about 1/2 cup), sprinkled some dried basil on top and baked for at 425F for about 5 minutes. I have a hot oven, some people may need to bake at 450F. That would be Pizza Margherita, my favourite!


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Mango in Motion

Here is a quick healthy recipe I found from
the 'Your Healthy Weight' website.

'A very nutritious drink ready in less than 5 minutes!'


2 serving(s)

Ingredients

1 cup (250 ml) cold milk

2 tbsp (30 ml) frozen mango-orange 100% juice concentrate

1/2 cup (125 ml) vanilla yogurt

Preparation

Add all ingredients to a tall glass. Stir until the juice concentrate dissolves. That’s it!

Option: replace the vanilla yogurt with fruit yogurt and the mango-orange with any of your other favourite frozen 100% juice concentrates. Yum!


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Sony 3D TV demo

L and I were at the mall yesterday and tried out the new Sony 3D TV's on display in Centre Court. The 3D glasses cost $150 and the TV's cost about $4500 (Canadian dollars). They come with a 3D transmitter that sits on top of the TV monitor. 3D looks REALLY good, the polar bears looked so real swimming around on the TV screen. Then the attendant switched to a world cup soccer match. It was so realistic, and even if you turn the 3D feature off to rest your eyes, the picture is still incredibly clear.

Here's a recipe I received from Life Made Delicious - General Mills Canada. It's on my list to try.



Asparagus And Swiss Bake

Succulent asparagus and savoury Swiss cheese pair up in an easy and tasty egg bake.
Prep Time: 15 Mins | Total Time: 55 Mins | Makes: 12

Ingredients:

2 cups (500 mL) cut (1-inch/2.5 cm) asparagus spears
1/2 cup (125 mL) chopped red pepper
1/2 cup (125 mL) sliced green onion
2 cups (500 mL) shredded Swiss cheese
3/4 cup (175 mL) BISQUICK* mix
11/2 cups (375 mL) milk
1 tsp (5 mL) lemon-pepper seasoning salt
3 eggs

Method:

* Heat oven to 350°F (180°C). Spray 8-inch (20 cm) square baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. In medium saucepan, heat 1-inch (2.5 cm) water to boiling. Add asparagus; cook uncovered 2 minutes. Drain thoroughly.
* In baking dish, mix asparagus, red pepper and onions. Sprinkle with 1 1/2 cups (375 mL) of the cheese. In medium bowl, stir the remaining ingredients until blended; pour into baking dish.
* Bake uncovered 30 to 35 minutes, sprinkling with remaining 1/2 cup (125 mL) cheese for last 5 minutes of baking, until knife inserted between centre and edge comes out clean.


For this recipe you'll need Bisquick* Variety Baking Mix
Bisquick* Variety Baking Mix
Tip
Kitchen Tip: If you don't have fresh asparagus on hand, use frozen asparagus cuts, thawed and drained. Don't cook the asparagus in boiling water; just add it to the casserole.


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Lighthearted Caesar salad and Everyday Vinaigrette

I got this one from a Heart and Stroke foundation newsletter:

Lighthearted Caesar salad

Lighthearted Caesar saladMakes 5 servings

Here’s a version of this very popular salad with less oil than usual and without the egg — without sacrificing flavour.

Ingredients

* 2 slices bread (preferably whole wheat)
* 1 large clove garlic, halved
* 1 large head romaine lettuce
* 50 mL (3 tbsp) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Dressing

* 25 mL (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice
* 25 mL (2 tbsp) olive oil
* 15 mL (1 tbsp) water
* 15 mL (1 tbsp) freshly grated Parmesan cheese
* 5 mL (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
* 5 mL (1 tsp) Worcestershire sauce
* 1 anchovy fillet, minced, (or 5 mL/1 tsp anchovy paste)
* 0.5 mL or less (1⁄8 tsp or less) salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. Toast bread until browned and crisp.
2. Rub cut side of garlic over both sides of bread.
3. Cut bread into cubes.
4. Mince garlic to use in dressing.
5. In small bowl, combine garlic, lemon juice, oil, water, Parmesan, mustard, Worcestershire, anchovy, and salt and pepper; whisk to mix well.
6. Just before serving, tear romaine into small pieces and place in salad bowl.
7. Pour dressing over and toss to mix. Add croutons and cheese; toss again. Serve immediately.

Make ahead:

Wash lettuce; dry in salad spinner or between paper towels or tea towels. Wrap in paper towels or tea towels and place in a plastic bag; refrigerate for up to 1 day. Prepare dressing up to 1 day in advance. Store, covered, in the refrigerator; whisk again just before using. Prepare croutons up to 1 day in advance; store in airtight container.

Nutrition information per serving

* Calories: 119
* Protein: 5 g
* Total fat: 8 g
* 5 g protein, 8 g total fat,
* 2 g saturated fat: 2 g
* Cholesterol: 5 mg
* Carbohydrate: 9 g
* Fibre: 3 g
* Sodium: 272 mg
* Potassium: 350 mg

From Anne Lindsay’s Lighthearted at Home ©2010.

How about this one:

Everyday vinaigrette (five variations)

Everyday vinaigretteMakes 90 mL (6 tbsp)

Ingredients

* 25 mL (2 tbsp) olive or canola oil
* 25 mL (2 tbsp) fresh lemon juice, rice vinegar, apple cider vinegar or balsamic vinegar
* 25 mL (2 tbsp) water
* 1 small clove garlic, minced
* 5 mL (1 tsp) Dijon mustard
* Pinch each salt and freshly ground pepper

Directions

1. In small measuring cup or bowl, or jar with screw top, combine oil, lemon juice, water, garlic, mustard, salt and pepper
2. Mix well.

Variations

Add one of the following to the dressing:

* 5 mL (1 tsp) sesame oil
* 1 mL (1∕4 tsp) ground cumin
* 15 mL (1 tbsp) freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Herb Dressing
Add 25 mL (2 tbsp) chopped fresh herbs (basil, dill or parsley or a combination).

Poppy Seed Dressing
Omit mustard and garlic. Add 15 mL (1 tbsp) poppy seeds and 5 mL (1 tsp) granulated sugar.

Ginger-Garlic Dressing
Use 15 mL (1 tbsp) each of canola oil and sesame oil; add 5 mL (1 tsp) finely minced gingerroot. Omit mustard. Note: This vinaigrette has half the fat of a traditional vinaigrette. However, if you are wanting a really low-fat dressing, add 2 to 3 tbsp (25 to 50 mL) water to this Vinaigrette.

Nutrition information per serving
(15 mL/1 tbsp)

* Calories: 43 calories
* Protein: 0 g
* Total fat: 5 g
* Saturated fat: 1 g
* Cholesterol: 0 mg
* Carbohydrate: 1 g
* Fibre: 0 g
* Sodium: 21 mg
* Potassium: 9 mg

From Anne Lindsay’s Lighthearted at Home ©2010.

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Australian scientists develop the perfect prawn

A recipe and some nice videos

My Kitchen Snippets posted this recipe for Baked Jam Filled donuts and I hope we can try this soon, it looks sooo delicious.

This video is called '32 songs in 8 minutes', it's cute.

Here's another nice video called 'Michael Jackson Medley'.

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Generosity influences health and happiness

Egg Salad

I woke up yesterday morning and glanced at the morning paper. The front page had a photo of a burning police cruiser and I was shocked to hear how violent a G20 protest march had become. It's a shame and disgrace to our city. See the news story below for more details. Apparently if you search youtube for 'Toronto G20 protests', you'll see tons of videos by amateurs on the scene, social media taking over from the journalists, risking their safety at the same time. It's a new phenomena.

I had planned to post this happy recipe, so here it is, anyway. It's for a quick, summery egg salad meal that we recently enjoyed:

6 chopped hard boiled eggs
1 stalk of chopped celery
2 tbs light mayonnaise
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/2 tsp dried basil
salt and pepper

Mix all ingredients in a bowl and serve between slices of whole wheat bread.

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Massive G20 Protest Turns Violent - good video here too

Roller coasters fun, but could damage your ears

Baked Nachos

L and I made this quick dish the other day and it didn't last long!

Baked Nachos

Large 16 oz bag of unsalted Tortilla chips
1 large tomato, diced
2 green onions, chopped
2 cups shredded cheese
light sour cream and salsa sauce on the side (optional).

preheat oven to 350F

On a large baking tray, spread half the tortilla chips. Sprinkle half the cheese, green onions and tomatoes. Spread remaining tortilla chips on top. Sprinkle the rest of the green onions, cheese and tomatoes. Bake for approximately 10 minutes. (If you don't have a large baking tray, you could just spread the tortilla chips in 3 layers instead.)

Serve with light sour cream and salsa sauce.