Today is one of those days and for lunch I’ve made a super easy and quick pizza.

Ingredients for one pizza:

Thin pita bread – if you prefer to make dough then go for it but I wanted a pizza “NOW”

Tomato sauce, store-bought or homemade

Buffalo mozzarella, cut into slices

Tomato, sliced

Fresh basil

Spread the tomato sauce over the pita bread and then arrange the basil leaves on top and then the tomato and finally the cheese. Pop it in the oven for a few minutes just until the cheese melts and there you have a gorgeous and tasty lunch.

My mom once showed me how she made her salsa and I’ve since made a few variations of it. The main ingredients, in my opinion, are tomatoes, onions, and hot peppers. After that you’re free to add whatever you’d like, of course making sure that the flavours work well together but don’t be afraid to experiment. My mom adds dark chocolate pieces to her salsa mix.

In this batch of salsa I combined the following in a large jar:

5 tomatoes

1 white onion

2 jalapeno peppers

1 green bell pepper

1 head of garlic

the juice of a lime

a splash of vinegar

salt to taste

approx a tsp of cumin

approx a tsp of sugar

a handful of cilantro

All these ingredients can be blended together if you want a pureed consistency or you can simply dice everything for a more chunky feel. I like to do half pureed and half chunky.

If it’s too runny you can strain some of the liquid out but I would suggest saving that liquid for cooking purposes – it makes for a great meat or chicken tenderizer. It’s a good idea to let the mixture sit for a few days before tasting it as the flavours need time to mesh together. The longer it sits the better it tastes.

The holidays were wonderful and delicious but oh so unforgiving to my figure. One of the most common things people put on their New Years resolutions is to lose weight. I am one of those people and every year I add it to my list of goals but every year I end up putting that goal back on the list because I was unsuccessful. This year I’ve altered that goal. Instead of writing “Lose Weight” at the top of my list I’ve written ”Eat healthier.” It’s realistic, it’s safe, and  I won’t feel pressured and later feel inclined to give up.

To start with my healthier lifestyle, I made this tasty, satisfying, and amazingly nutritious vegetarian stew.

Makes about 6 servings

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, chopped

6oz mushrooms, chopped

1/2 red and green peppers, chopped

2 carrots, minced

14oz canned tomatoes, crushed or diced

4 or 5 pickled peppers, chopped

1 can mixed beans, drained

8oz red kidney beans, drained

1 can green lentils, drained

About 1 cup frozen corn

About 1 cup beer

Generous squeeze of mustard

Cayenne pepper to taste

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cumin

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, celery, and garlic. Once the onion is soft, add the mushrooms, peppers, and carrot. Cook until mushrooms are soft and then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover, and cook on low for about 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook on low for another 20 minutes. Serve with a bit of shredded cheese and cilantro.

]]> http://popsdemilk.com/2010/01/18/bean-and-veggie-stew/feed/ 0 Pops De Milk 206 http://popsdemilk.com/2009/11/07/i-will-call-this-post-delicious/ http://popsdemilk.com/2009/11/07/i-will-call-this-post-delicious/#comments Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:03:31 +0000 Pops De Milk http://popsdemilk.com/?p=523 ]]> Jay and I agree that pizza is one of those things we could never get sick of. When I think of takeout and ordering food I automatically think of pizza. In my mind, there are three constant ingredients – dough, sauce, and cheese. After that, the pizza is an empty canvas begging to be filled with colourful toppings that result in a picture of deliciousness. The pizza I made this week was inspired by a Weight Watchers recipe from the Turnaround Program Cookbook, which consisted of goat cheese, caramelize onions, tomatoes, and black olives but I added a few other toppings. The dough recipe came from Engineer Baker (recipe here).

Pizza, makes 6 servings

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion thinly sliced

Salt

2 tsp butter

8 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 3 1/2 cups) I used about 2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 pound prepared fresh or thawed frozen pizza or bread dough

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

10 black olives, pitted and chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

First start the pizza dough and follow preheating instructions. About a half hour before the dough is ready to be baked, start caramelizing the onion by heating the oil in a skillet/pan, then adding the onions and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the onion is golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same pan melt the butter and add the tomatoes and sugar. Stir frequently until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and simmer about a minute. When the dough is ready, spread the tomato mixture over top along with the onions and the rest of the toppings. On my pizza I added crumbled feta cheese, fire roasted red peppers, and roasted tomatoes. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the goat cheese looks slightly toasted on top.

Now, the thing about Jay’s one pot wonders is that he makes enough to feed a family of eight and not a “family” of two. As a result, we have an obscene amount of leftovers, which means I don’t have to make dinner the following night. Or the night after that.

Yesterday, to make things a tad interesting, instead of rice we ate the leftovers with fresh tortilla chips from La Tortilleria at Bloor and Dufferin. Those chips, by the way, are dangerously addictive. With a dollop of spiced yogurt, this was a winning combination. It was like a curry salsa and chips.

Delicious rice and chicken bake for pre-clubbing dinner on Saturday

Rice and chicken bake with salad.

Birthday cake made for our friend Dev on Saturday.

Birthday cake - I am amazed I was able to make so many layers!

The Delicious Rice and Chicken bake recipe comes from the inner workings of my mother’s mind. Well, the idea comes from her creation that she made when she was in her 20′s. I’ve made a variation of her original recipe, which includes ketchup, ham as well as chicken, mozzarella or cheddar cheese only, and sour cream instead of yogurt.

My version of Delicious Rice and Chicken bake (or arroz rico, as my mother would say):

6 cups cooked rice

2 chicken legs, cooked and shredded

1/4 red bell pepper

10 kalamata olives, chopped

1/2 onion, chopped

1 tomato, sliced

Approx 1/2 cup yogurt

3 or 4 oz feta cheese

3 o 4 oz cheddar cheese

Approx 1/2 tsp oregano

1/4 tsp dried mint

Preheat oven to 350F. Grease a fairly deep baking pan, maybe 9×11. Mix the chicken with the onions, red bell pepper, onion, and olives. Season with the mint and a little more than half of the oregano portion, reserve some oregano to sprinkle on top. Next, make even layers starting with yogurt at the bottom of the pan followed by rice, chicken, tomato slices, cheeses, and repeating until all ingredients have been used up, ending with rice. You can mix up the order of the layers but it’s a good idea to start with yogurt at the bottom so that the rice won’t stick. Finish with a rice layer on top, sprinkle more cheese and oregano and other spices if you want. Cover with foil and bake for 20 minutes. Remove foil and bake another 15 mins or until cheese looks gooey and melty. Yum.

For the cake, I don’t remember where I found the recipe but it was in one of my recipe folders for a long time and I figured it was time to test it out. The cake was so moist and rich and yummy.

Yellow Butter Cake with Filling and Frosting

4 large eggs, room temperature
1/2 cup whole milk, room temperature
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 3/4 cup plain cake flour, sifted after measured
1 1/2 cups sugar
2 tsp baking powder
3/4 tsp salt
2 sticks butter, softened but still cool

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Generously grease two 9 inch round cake pans and cover the pan bottoms with rounds of parchment paper or waxed paper. Grease the parchment rounds and dust with flour, tapping out excess. May also bake in a greased and floured 13×9 inch pan.
Beat the eggs, milk and vanilla with a fork in a small bowl. Measure out 1 cup of this mixture and set aside.
Combine the flour, sugar, baking powder and salt in a large bowl. Stir to blend. Using a fork, cut the butter into the dry mixture, one Tbsp at a time. The butter and flour will begin to clump together and look like small peas. When all butter is combined with the flour, use a mixer to beat the butter and flour for about 30 to 40 seconds. On a low speed, add the 1 cup of the egg mixture that was set aside and beat until incorporated (5-10 seconds). Increase speed to medium-high and beat until light and fluffy, about 1 minute. Add remaining egg mixture in a slow, steady stream, taking about 30 seconds. Scrape the sides and bottom of the bowl. Beat for another 15 seconds until thoroughly combined and the batter looks slightly curdled.
Divide batter equally between the prepared cake pans. Spread to the sides and smooth. Bake at 350 degrees until cake is a light golden color and a toothpick inserted in the center comes out clean. Bake round layers approximately 20 to 25 minutes and 13×9 inch pan 30 to 38 minutes.

Fill with cooked condensed milk (dulce de leche) using these instructions from David Lebovitz.

Frost with chocolate buttercream

2 2/3 c. sifted confectioners’ sugar
1/4 c. cocoa powder
1/4 tsp. salt
1 egg
1/4 c. (1/2 stick) butter, softened
3 tbsp. hot water

Sift confectioners’ sugar, cocoa powder and salt into medium-sized bowl. Add egg, softened butter and hot water. Blend with spoon, then beat with rotary beater or electric beater until smooth. This frosts 1 (8 inch) triple-layer cake.

Now on to Thanksgiving!

Butternut squash soup.

Fall off the bone turkey, tofu and spinach stuffed shells, corn, The Stuffing, and super creamy mashed potatoes made by my little sister, Sue.

Pumpkin pie with whipped cream.

Pumpkin Cheesecake with yogurt topping.

I want to thank my lovely friend, Nervous Chef, for the butternut squash soup recipe, which she raved about and told me I simply had to make it. She was so right. The recipe can be found here from epicurious.

The stuffing turned out amazingly good and the recipe can be found in my previous post.

Prepping the turkey is one of the messiest jobs to do. You definitely need someone to be around to help you wash up every 2 minutes, like your devoted and helpful boyfriend. Thanks Jay!!

For my family’s version of turkey you’ll need the following:

Butter

About 2 cloves garlic, cut into small pieces/slivers

A few cloves

Mustard

1-2 bottles of beer

About 4 or 5 banana leaves, cut roughly into 9×11 inch sized pieces

So, first you start by washing the turkey, inside and out and make sure you remove the bag of giblets and the neck. Next, poke small holes/slits all over the turkey and fill the slits with slivers of garlic and cloves. Once that’s done, rub butter all over the bird, especially around the wing tips. Next, rub mustard over the butter, stuff the turkey with stuffing and place, breast side up, in a roasting pan. Pour a bottle of beer over the turkey and pray that the beer doesn’t wash the mustard off. Sprinkle salt and pepper and then cover the turkey with moistened banana leaves (these add moisture and flavour). Cover and bake at 325F for approx 4 hours (for a 12-14 pound bird). Turn the turkey over every hour and baste with juices, making sure to cover it back up with the banana leaves. After about 2 hours, add the remaining bottle of beer or whenever you think the liquids are drying up. Uncover the turkey and let it brown for about 30 minutes. Let the turkey stand about 15 minutes before carving.

For my dad, the vegetarian, I made stuffed shells from a recipe I found on Post Punk Kitchen. Recipe here.

The corn was probably the easiest thing to make. Fill a pot with water and salt, add the corn and cook on medium heat for about a half hour. Done.

The amazing pumpkin pie and pumpkin cheesecake recipes can be found here and here. The only change I made was the pie shell for the pumpkin pie was store bought and the topping on the cheesecake was yogurt. I have no leftovers of pie or cheesecake – it’s all gone and I’m very sad.

Now that the weekend of cooking is over I feel a sense of accomplishment and a little sadness because it’s over. The sadness is quickly replaced by an eagerness to host a dinner very soon!

Makes 2 Servings:

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 lb fresh cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 lb fresh portobello mushrooms, stems removed and diced

1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 fresh ground pepper

4 tsp fresh lime juice

In a pan, cook onion until soft, about a minute. Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 20 secs then add the mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms have released their liquid and then reabsorbed it, about 5 mins. Stir in the beans, chiles, spices, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened (I’m not sure what they mean by this because I didn’t notice any “thickening”) for about 15 mins. Serve and squeeze some of the lime juice on top. I sprinkled some shredded Havarti cheese.

It was tasty and flavourful…but not as fantastic as I thought it could be. It’s more of a side dish than as a main meal as the book says it should be. It’s very good because it has lots of protein and fibre but if you’re eating a whole bowl of the stuff, it can be a little boring. Needless to say I didn’t eat a full serving and I put the rest away in a container.

Two days later my little sister came over and she was hungry. “You have food at your place right? I’m reeeeeaaaally hungry.” Unfortunately I hadn’t done any groceries yet and I didn’t have much in my fridge except the leftover ragout. I brought out the container and told my sister to try it but she didn’t seem too keen on it, “Hm, smells spicy…do you have anything else?” Sigh.

1/4 of a jar of Classico pasta sauce

3/4 of a can of diced tomatoes

generous splash of heavy cream

1 1/2 servings of leftover Tex-Mex Ragout

Make 2 servings of whatever pasta you like, I used angel hair. Heat the ragout in a pot along with the tomatoes and pasta sauce, stir. Once it’s heated, add the cream and stir until it’s all blended and heated through. Serve over noodles.

So very yummy! I think I’ll be making more pasta sauces like this one.

One pizza was vegetarian – for my dad – with halved cherry tomatoes, green peppers and mushrooms. The other one was loaded with pepperoni. Both were blanketed in a thick, gooey, chewy layer of mozzarella and cheddar cheese. I also loved the crust my sister made because it was so nice and crispy around the edges but soft inside. I was thoroughly impressed!

I give today’s lunch of Green Chile and Corn Fritatta a score of 9 out of 10. It loses one point because after eating my single portion, I wanted another serving. It was so delicious and full of flavour but I guess my stomach isn’t quite ready to eat “healthy” portions. It will have to suffer though, because last night I ate about three strawberry muffins. Terrible. Jay said he also ate three muffins last night, “I couldn’t help myself. They were so chewy and moist and…Mmm.”

Frittata recipe, serves 4

6 large eggs

1/2 cup frozen corn, thawed

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles (I used about 6 pickled jalapeño peppers)

1/4 cup fat-free milk

1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley

2 tsp chopped fresh thyme

1/4 tsp freshly ground pepper

3 dashes hot pepper sauce, or to taste (I did not do this, I figured the peppers were spicy enough and I was right, they were enough.)

8 cherry tomatoes, halved

1 scallion, cut into 1-inch pieces

Whisk together the eggs, corn, chiles, milk, parsley, thyme, ground pepper, and pepper sauce (if using) in a large bowl. Spray a skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. Pour in the egg mixture and top with the tomatoes, cut-side up, and the scallion. Cook, covered, until the eggs are set, about 15 minutes. Cut into 4 wedges.

Per serving (1 wedge): 145 Cal, Weight Watchers points: 3

There was a stall with all types of dried mushrooms and jellies and Jay decided to smell all the dried mushroom sample jars. I wasn’t too impressed and I began to walk away thinking he’d also be done shopping. That was not so. Jay would not budge from that stall until he had asked the vendor how to cook, store and use the mushrooms. He eventually bought a bag of orange-coloured chanterelles, excited at the prospect of making something with them.

“Smell them!” he said. I did and I was surprised by their apricot-y scent. They had a very subtle smell.

Anyway, last night Jay decided he would use the chanterelles to make dinner and forbade me from entering the kitchen. I was only allowed to be in the kitchen long enough grate Parmesan cheese, for the risotto he was making, and to make dough for French bread. I left after placing the dough in the oven to rise I and went to do other stuff. When I went back to the kitchen about 40 minutes later, I was welcomed by a delicious tangy aroma.

The risotto was amazing, lots of Parmesan cheese, carrots, white wine. I bit into a chanterelle and was pleasantly surprised at how much flavour it had absorbed and yet it had kept most of its fruity taste. Why hadn’t I known about chanterelles before!

Later that night, I finished making the bread. A bit too late for dinner but no matter. I have to say it’s probably the best French bread I’ve made to date. I guess I must have followed the directions in the book. This French bread recipe comes from a Company’s Coming book, Bread edition. I “borrowed” the book from my mom.

French Bread, makes two loaves

2 cups All purpose flour

2 tsp Salt

2 8g pkgs Active dry yeast

1 tbsp Sugar

2 cups Warm water

3 cups approx. All purpose flour

Sprinkle of cornmeal

1 Egg white

1 tbsp Water

Stir the first four ingredients in a large bowl. Add warm water, beat on low to moisten. Work in enough of the remaining flour until dough pulls away from sides of the bowl. Turn out onto floured surface and knead 8 to 10 minutes until smooth and elastic. Or use the dough hook on your stand mixer, which is what I did. Thank God for that stand mixer!

Place dough in a greased bowl, cover it and place it in the oven with the light on and door closed for 1 to 1 1/4 hrs until doubled in bulk.

Punch down dough and divide into two equal portions. Roll each portion into a rectangle on floured surface. Roll up from long side, pinch to seal, press ends to taper and place seam side down on greased baking sheet that has been sprinkled with cornmeal. Beat egg white and water together and brush over loaves. Cover and let it stand in the oven with the light on and door closed for about 45 minutes. Make 3 diagonal cuts across each loaf and bake at 375F for 40 to 45 minutes.

Risotto with carrots and chanterelles.

French bread