Archive for June, 2009

What to make with a block of frozen peas…

Published June 29, 2009 Dinner , Recipe , Spice , Yum! Leave a Comment
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I had returned home from buying a few groceries and I was putting away some frozen juice while thinking of what to make for dinner. My eyes landed on a small lump in the back of the freezer. It was a block of frozen peas in a bag the size of a grapefruit. I’ve kept the peas with the intention of doing something with them but they just kept inching further and further toward the back of the freezer. Tonight was the night that little bag of peas would leave the frigid world of my freezer.

I quickly began to think of ways to cook them besides boiling them. I also discovered a package of mushrooms that needed to be used up fast. So what could I make with frozen peas and some mushrooms?

Peas and mushroom biryani with tandoori chicken breast!

Yeah, sometimes it only takes a block of iced peas to get me inspired.

I was able to find recipes I had scribbled down on some scraps of paper so, unfortunately, I don’t know where I obtained the recipes.

Recipe for peas and mushrooms biryani:

1 cup basmati rice

1/2 cup peas

1/2 cup mushrooms, quartered and sliced

bay leaf

3 green cardamom pods

4 cloves

1″ cinnamon stick

1 tsp grated ginger

1 tsp cumin seeds

3 green chilies chopped (I used pickled jalapeño peppers…need to replace that jar soon…)

1 tsp cumin powder

1 tsp coriander seeds, crushed

Butter, I used about a tablespoon

Oil, I used about one teaspoon

Pepper

Directions:

Heat some butter and oil in a pot and add the cumin seeds, bay leaf, cinnamon, cloves, cardamom and ginger. Things are going to start popping so when that happens add the chilies and fry for about a minute or two. Add some fresh ground pepper, cumin powder, coriander seed and fry for 2-3 minutes on low. Add mushrooms, peas, rice and 2 cups of water. Cover and let it cook until it’s ready. I wasn’t timing it so I don’t know how long that took.

Green chilies, bay leaf, grated ginger, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and cumin seeds

Green chilies, bay leaf, grated ginger, cloves, cardamom, cinnamon and cumin seeds


Recipe for tandoori chicken:

3 green chilies, chopped (again, pickled jalapeño peppers)

3 tbsp onion paste (I didn’t know what onion paste was so I just grated an onion until I had the required amount)

1/2 tsp garlic paste (same deal only I used my garlic press to get the “paste”)

1 tsp turmeric

1 tsp chili powder

1 tsp coriander

1 tsp cumin

1/4 tsp cinnamon

Directions:

Mix all ingredients with a bit of oil in a bowl. Normally, you’re supposed to make this with chicken parts but I had just bought two chicken breast and I wanted to use those. You’re also supposed to coat the chicken parts with the mixture and let it sit for 6 hours. I rubbed the mixture on the chicken and only let it sit for about 10 minutes. Jay was hungry…so was I. I placed the chicken in the oven and let it cook for about 30 or 40 minutes at 410F. Again, I wasn’t timing it so I don’t know how long it took to cook. It just “looked” ready.

One word of caution; both the rice and chicken are very hot and spicy, so go easy on the chilies if you can’t handle the heat. Also, if you’re rubbing the tandoori mixture on chicken, it might be a good idea to use gloves as now my nails are stained yellow from the turmeric. That’ll look attractive at my friend’s wedding on Sunday!

When everything was ready I was bathed in a wonderful aroma of spices. I could taste the cinnamon and the cardamom in the biryani and the turmeric and cinnamon in the chicken. Oh so good!

Jay sat down to eat and I stared at him expectantly.

“You know that when you do that I’m forced to say your food is amazing,” he said.

“Yeah, I know, that’s why I do it,” I joked.

He became very serious and said, “Wow, this really is amazing…Wow”

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Grilled Cheese and Avocado Sandwich

Published June 26, 2009 Dinner , Must repeat , Vegetarian , Yum! Leave a Comment
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Maybe it’s because it’s summer. Maybe it’s my Latin American background. Maybe I was a tortilla chip in a past life. Whatever reason, in the last week or so I have been gorging on avocados and hot sauce…a lot. As I mentioned in previous posts, I made avocado pasta, with Frank’s Redhot sauce, and one of my favourite salads is avocado salad. I’m sure it’s obvious I’m in love with these two hot, summery, tropical foods.

So, it’s no surprise that last night I made this:

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A grilled cheese and avocado sandwich…with Frank’s Redhot sauce of course!

There are no words to describe how much I enjoyed this simple meal. No words. Jay demanded another.

Stormy Green Pasta

Published June 25, 2009 Fitness review , Lunch , Vegetarian , Yum! 1 Comment
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It’s been a bit of a crazy day today in terms of weather. It was almost unbearably hot and sunny this morning and by 10AM I was nearly soaked in sweat and praying for 11 o’clock to roll around so I could go for a dip in the pool. At 10:45 I decided to change into my bikini and I applied a generous amount of sunblock to my skin. I was all set to go and I happily bounded out of the apartment, into the elevator, down the hall and out the door to the sight of rain pouring down on the pavement.

With my head hung low I shuffled back inside, up the elevator and into the stuffy apartment.

I hadn’t exercised in a few days and that was the main reason I wanted to go for a swim…and of course because it was humidly hot. Since I couldn’t swim I decided to do a workout video. I chose Beach Body’s 20 minute Turbo Jam workout and after 15 minutes I really was soaked in sweat, I was out of breath and ready to collapse. The workout doesn’t feel very intense but it does leave you out of breath. At least in my case it did. Definitely worth doing again just to get my heart pumping.

Since it was (and still is) gloomy outside and I used up all my energy on a 15 minute workout, I felt lazy and very hungry. The cure for this was my new favourite comfort food; avocado and pasta!

I boiled pasta and frozen veggies together in a pot while I mashed an avocado with lime juice, cumin and hot sauce. Once the pasta and veggies were cooked, I mixed in the avocado paste and in 10 minutes I had prepared a healthy, satisfying and delicious meal. Perfect for stormy days like today.

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Cheap & Easy Vegetarian For Daddy Day

Published June 22, 2009 Dinner , Must repeat , Vegetarian Leave a Comment
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For Father’s Day my family came over to hang out and eat a quick, simple dinner. Both my parents were exhausted so they couldn’t stay very long.  Normally we spend a few hours playing board games but this time we ate dinner and sat on the balcony drinking beers for a bit before my parents and youngest sister left. We also took turns speaking on the phone with my middle sister in Ottawa. My sister in Ottawa is not the cooking type, per se, but she does make attempts to prepare some sort of nutritious meal for herself. When asked what I cooked up for Father’s Day dinner she was pleased to discover it was incredibly easy to make, not to mention uber yummy.

The idea for this meal comes from a vegetarian cookbook I found at my mom’s place a few months ago. It’s called Cheap & Easy: Vegetarian Cooking on a Budget by Rose Elliot. I checked out the pasta section (titled Fasta Pasta) listing all sorts of pasta additions and the one that drew my attention was Pasta with Avocado. Until last night I had never thought to add avocado to any cooked food item, let alone spaghetti noodles. I knew I had to try this since avocados are one of my favourite vegetable…or fruit, I’m still not sure what it is.

One of my favourite salads is avocado salad. Basically you dice a couple of avocados, a couple of hard boiled eggs and mix it all up with diced onions, tomatoes, green peppers and a generous portion of freshly squeezed lime juice. Whenever I think of eating avocado this salad is usually what I have in mind when thinking of how to eat the avocado. Besides guacamole of course. Or a substitute for mayo on a sandwich…Mmm…avocado and turkey sandwich…

So, as I began to boil the water for the pasta noodles I thought, “Why not combine my favourite salad with the noodles?” The only difference being that I sautéed the onion, tomatoes and green peppers in lime juice and ground cumin.

While that was cooking I skewered mushrooms and cubes of tofu I had marinated very briefly in Frank’s Redhot sauce and I broiled them for about ten minutes. I know now for future reference that I should marinate tofu overnight if I want the flavours to be fully absorbed.

Once the noodles were ready I mixed in the avocados and sautéed veggies along with more lime juice until all the noodles were well coated.

Result? It was SO good! As the book says, the buttery texture of the avocado complimented the pasta and the sautéed vegetables brought everything together nicely. Everyone really liked it and now my sister in Ottawa is excited to try this quick and easy dish.

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Potato Pizza

Published June 20, 2009 Dinner , Unhealthy , Yum! Leave a Comment
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We just finished eating a ridiculously unhealthy and oily, yet sinfully satisfying and scrumptious “pizza.”

Essentially, all I really did was fry up two coarsely grated potatoes and shaped them into a pancake. Once it was fried I topped that with diced canned tomatoes, mushrooms, pepperoni, onions and mozzarella. I was afraid the bits of potato would stick to the pan so I poured the oil into the pan like it was a deep fryer. I think next time I make this I will go easy on the oil.

I baked this at 450F for 10 minutes and…voila! I’ve gained back those five pounds I lost last week!

Potato Pizza

Spicy Chicken Noodle Stir Fry

Published June 20, 2009 Dinner , Spice Leave a Comment
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As we all know, I am obsessed with Frank’s Redhot sauce. I keep talking about it so much I think I should become a spokesperson for that product!

So for last night’s dinner all I wanted was to use that ingredient in whatever dish I made. I settled on making a simple chicken marinade of crushed garlic (about 3 or 4 cloves), the juice of two limes and about a quarter cup of Frank’s Redhot sauce. I cut the chicken breast into bite size pieces and left them to soak in the marinade for about three hours.

I know in my current diet I’m not supposed to eat oily foods but I think it’s safe to say I’m no longer sticking to the diet 100%. At my last bridesmaid dress fitting I was shocked to see that my dress was very loose. With only two weeks until my friend’s wedding it’s probably not a good idea to continue with this rapid weightloss. So last night I used peanut oil to fry up the chicken a bit and sesame seed oil to stir fry the vegetables. Sesame seed oil gives food such a great flavour. I used Thai rice noodles and while everything else was being cooked, I let them soak in cold water. Once the chicken was cooked through I transferred it, along with the cooked marinade juices, to the pan with the stir fried vegetables (I used the No Name frozen veggies, “Oriental Mix”) along with fresh bean sprouts, chunks of onion and green pepper. I added a bit of diced canned tomatoes and rice wine vinegar before mixing in the noodles. I made sure to coat the noodles and blend them well with everything else until it was all nice and hot. Normally I’m not a fan of crushed peanuts on Thai food but for some reason last night I wished I had peanuts to top the noodles. I settled for a squeeze of lime juice.

The taste was amazing! The chicken was so nicely spiced and I love how I could taste the sesame seed oil in the noodles. Definitely have to make this one again.

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The Spice Project

Published June 19, 2009 Projects , Spice Leave a Comment

I was in a Spring cleaning mood today and I decided to go through all my shoes. I know it’s a bit late for Spring cleaning but I tend to be a late bloomer in many things. After putting five pairs of shoes (out of about 30) into the donation bin, I felt inspired and I made up my mind to tackle the pile of spices in our kitchen cabinet. Since moving in together over two years ago, Jay and I just sort of threw all our spices together and we’ve let our collection grow and grow and now it’s one giant mess. We have a handful of spices in jars but we buy most of our spices in baggies with the intention of finding a spice rack with jars. That has yet to happen. Anyway, when I emptied the space where all the spices had been, I found all sorts of powder on the surface of the shelf; yellow, orange, green, brown. Five different scents assaulted my sense of smell and I began to sneeze. My nose is still tingling.

I placed the spices back in the cabinet, after taking inventory, and I think we have over 30 spice packets, jars, baggies, whatnot. Now, armed with this information my next assignment is to find a big enough spice rack to fit everything in. Fun!



Tuna Cheese Melt

Published June 18, 2009 Leftovers , Lunch Leave a Comment
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It’s a gloomy, rainy day today, perfect for lounging in pjs and eating comforting comfort food. It was lunch time and I didn’t feel like making a full meal for myself. I was feeling a bit lazy and I ALMOST caved in to a salty, carb-filled packet of instant noodles. But I managed to contain myself and I brought out the left over rice and vegetables from last night along with a can of tuna and some egg whites. I mixed it all up with a few squirts of Sriracha sauce and I topped it with a slice of Kraft cheese (hey! it’s better than a packet of noodles!) and I threw it in the oven for 20 minutes at 350F.

Result: Delicious comfort food :)


Yes, you can tell I was already shovelling food in my mouth when I remembered I had to take a picture.

Can’t Get Enough of Frank

Published June 18, 2009 Info Leave a Comment

I think I’ve developed an addiction to Frank’s Redhot sauce. Last night, as I devoured my skewered shrimp, basted with crushed garlic and Frank’s Redhot sauce, I momentarily thought that maybe I would get an ulcer from eating too much hot sauce. Apparently this is not true. According to my research, eating hot peppers or hot sauce or just spicy food in general is very good for you. Here are some hot sauce and chile pepper facts. Of course, if you suffer from irritable bowel syndrome it’s probably best to lay off the spice since chili peppers are believed to act as laxatives. Always use in moderation.

Again, this morning I added a few drops of hot sauce to my egg whites (it just tastes so good!) and I did notice that I didn’t feel as hungry as other times. As the article says, Capsaicin (the substance that gives peppers their kick) improves digestion and suppresses hunger. Normally when I have breakfast I wolf down the egg whites and then cram pineapple chunks in my mouth because I feel like I’m starving. But yesterday morning and today I actually didn’t want to eat my pineapple chunks because my stomach felt satisfied after eating the egg whites. Last night’s dinner had the same effect. I was not able to finish my spicy rice and vegetables and I struggled to finish my shrimp near the end of the meal. Could it be because of the spice?

“He who controls the Spice, controls the universe!” Dune, anyone?

Mmm…delicious shrimp served over a bed of basmati rice with mixed vegetables. I spiced the rice with pickled jalapeño peppers, cloves, grated ginger and cracked cardamom seeds.


Indian and Thai

Published June 17, 2009 Recipe , Restaurant Review 1 Comment

My family and I had dinner at Indian Flavour buffet a few nights ago. I’ve been to this restaurant twice now and each time I’ve been there the place has been empty except for two or three other people. This is a bit surprising as the food, in my opinion, is quite delicious and full of flavour. Maybe the look of the restaurant isn’t very appealing, not as clean or nice looking as, say, Babur on Queen Street but we’re here to eat food, not judge the decor. And I haven’t felt sick after eating here so that’s a definite positive, right? The restaurant is located at Bay and Dundas and at $13 per person for dinner buffet, I think it’s worth visiting again.

The beer they serve there is my kind of beer; refreshing, bubbly and a little mild. Cobra beer:



I loaded my plate with tons of meat: tandoori chicken, goat curry and butter chicken.



Since then, I’ve had a craving for more Indian food so last night I pulled out my new vegetarian cookbook I purchased at Winners. I love that I can find cookbooks for less than $10 at Winners. It makes me very happy.
Anyway, there is a recipe in this book for vegetable and coconut curry and I was very glad to discover I had all the ingredients, including a can of coconut milk. I always keep a chunk of ginger in the freezer because I never know when a recipe might call for fresh-ish ginger. I also keep a jar of pickled jalapeño peppers since I don’t often buy fresh peppers. The recipe asks for fresh green chilies but my pickled peppers did the job. Mm! So spicy!
As soon as I added the the coconut milk to the pot, it dawned on me that this was in fact a Thai dish. It smelled a lot like green curry, which I absolutely adore. Jay and I both enjoyed it immensely, though this is one dish where I wish I could have added salt. And Jay, the carnivore, said it would taste even awesomer (is that a word?) with shrimp or some sort of meat. I agreed. But, for all you vegetarians out there, this dish is awesome. Next time I make this I’m adding shrimp to it.

Recipe for Vegetable and Coconut Curry

1 onion, coarsely chopped
3 garlic cloves, sliced
1 inch piece fresh ginger, thinly sliced
2 fresh green chilies
1 tbsp vegetable oil (I used peanut oil)
1 tsp ground turmeric
1 tsp ground coriander
1 tsp ground cumin
2lb mixed vegetables such as: cauliflower, zucchini, potatoes, carrots and green beans cut into chunks
1 cup coconut cream or milk
salt and pepper
freshly cooked rice, to serve

Put the onion, garlic, ginger and chilies in food processor and process until smooth. Heat the oil in a pot over medium low heat and add the onion mixture, stir constantly for about 5 minutes. Add the spices and stir frequently for 3-4 minutes. Add the vegetables and stir well to coat them in the spices. Add the coconut cream or milk, cover and let it simmer for 30-40 minutes until vegetables are tender. Serve with rice.




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