Dedicated to my Sissy - Quinoa Turkey Nuggets

I know what you're going to say. I should probably just rename this blog to something like, "Quinoa Diaries" but I just love the stuff. And, it's versatile and healthy so I'm not going to apologize for constantly posting recipes about it. Also, it's not my fault because my bf bought me an entire cookbook dedicated to quinoa! I know, super exciting!

These little nuggets are delicious, good for you and super crunchy. They are fantastic on their own or with your favourite dip! I'm a honey-dill girl myself so I've included how I make mine as well.

I also want to dedicate this blog post to my sissy because I think this would be an amazing recipe for her to make. She plays college basketball in Lethbridge and is new to the whole cooking/taking care of herself thing. It's definitely 4 to 18-year-old friendly (and beyond) and would be awesome nutrition for getting her through a million sidelines (you don't wanna know). AND SHE COMES HOME IN A WEEK! Sorry, just got a little excited there. Anyway, Emily, this one's for you!

This recipe is one I adapted and added my own spin to (would you expect anything else?).

What you'll need:
1/2 cup water
1/4 cup quinoa
1 lb ground turkey (or chicken)
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup panko breadcrumbs
1/2 cup parmesan cheese
1/2 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 egg white

Honey-dill sauce:
1/3 cup Miracle Whip
1/4 cup liquid honey
1 tsp dried or fresh dill (fresh is better but I don't always have it)

*I would also feel free to get creative with the seasonings - you don't necessarily need to use thyme and basil, use anything you want!

1. Bring the water and quinoa to a boil in a small saucepan. Reduce to a simmer, cover and cook for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off and leave the covered saucepan on the burner for an additional 5 minutes. Remove the lid, fluff with a fork and set aside to cool. Preheat the oven to 400 F.

2. Combine the ground meat with the quinoa and salt in a medium bowl.

3. In one bowl, place the egg white and in a separate bowl combine the breadcrumbs, cheese, thyme and basil.

4. Lightly grease a large baking sheet or spray with cooking oil. Create even-sized nuggets by using a tablespoon and forming the meat mixture into flat ovals. Dip the nuggets in egg white and then coat in the breadcrumb mixture and place on the baking sheet.

5. Bake for 10 minutes on the centre oven rack. Remove from the oven, flip the nuggets over and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Combine the ingredients for the honey-dill sauce and mix well!

Mmmm...can't have chicken nuggets without this! (this includes fingers)

I served them with a little cherry tomato, olive & goat cheese salad!

Perfect for Sunday Afternoon: Soft Pretzels

Every so often I have a weird desire to bake bread or a bread-related snack. I just love the way the house smells and it's the perfect activity to entertain myself for an afternoon. It's 3:30, I have to be somewhere at 5 and I haven't touched my hair or makeup. That gives you an idea of what kind of Sunday afternoon it is.

Anyway, the lack of motivation to get myself ready aside, I thought I'd attempt to make soft pretzels. I've made them before but I didn't remember them turning out very well. Anyway, I just found a recipe on Pinterest and I added rosemary to the dough (because I love it and we have a rosemary Christmas tree, which will likely look worse than Charlie Brown's tree by the time Xmas comes around because I will have used it so much). I also did fine without a dough hook as we don't have a stand mixer. If you don't have one, just use your hands to make sure everything's well combined, then knead for a few minutes until it makes a nice, well-combined, non-sticky ball.

A quick tip: If you aren't planning on serving these IMMEDIATELY, throw them in the freezer RIGHT AWAY after they're cooled. I can't stress this enough, people. If you leave these out for even 24 hours, they will lose their fresh-baked appeal and just be lame, non-exciting soft pretzels. When you want to eat one, throw it in the toaster oven or regular oven for about 5-10 minutes @ 350 and they'll be as good as new again!

This is from a blog I found called The Novice Chef.

One thing to note as well is that if you aren't planning on eating all of these the same day, throw them in the freezer as soon as possible after they cool. This will help them stay fresh. When you want to eat one, just pop in the oven for a few minutes and it will be like they were just baked!

What you'll need:
1 1/2 cups warm (110 to 115 degrees F) water
1 tablespoon sugar
2 teaspoons kosher salt
1 package active dry yeast
22 ounces all-purpose flour, approximately 4 1/2 cups
3 tbsp chopped fresh rosemary
2 ounces unsalted butter, melted
Vegetable oil, for pan
10 cups water
2/3 cup baking soda
1 large egg yolk beaten with 1 tablespoon water
Pretzel salt

What to do:

Combine the water, sugar and kosher salt in the bowl of a stand mixer and sprinkle the yeast on top. Allow to sit for 5 minutes or until the mixture begins to foam. Add the flour and butter and, using the dough hook attachment, mix on low speed until well combined. Change to medium speed and knead until the dough is smooth and pulls away from the side of the bowl, approximately 4 to 5 minutes. Remove the dough from the bowl, clean the bowl and then oil it well with vegetable oil. Return the dough to the bowl, cover with plastic wrap and sit in a warm place for approximately 50 to 55 minutes or until the dough has doubled in size.

This is what the yeast looks like when it starts to work. It looks like it foams to the top. If it doesn't do this, your yeast might not be active and you might not end up with delicious, fluffy dough. 

Dough should double in size.

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F. Line 2 half-sheet pans with parchment paper and lightly brush with the vegetable oil. Set aside.

Bring the 10 cups of water and the baking soda to a rolling boil in an 8-quart saucepan or roasting pan.

In the meantime, turn the dough out onto a slightly oiled work surface and divide into 8 equal pieces. Roll out each piece of dough into a 24-inch rope. Make a U-shape with the rope, holding the ends of the rope, cross them over each other and press onto the bottom of the U in order to form the shape of a pretzel. Place onto the parchment-lined half sheet pan.

Place the pretzels into the boiling water, 1 by 1, for 30 seconds. Remove them from the water using a large flat spatula. Return to the half sheet pan, brush the top of each pretzel with the beaten egg yolk and water mixture and sprinkle with the pretzel salt. Bake until dark golden brown in color, approximately 12 to 14 minutes. Transfer to a cooling rack for at least 5 minutes before serving.

Festive Quinoa Salad - Perfect for the Holidays!

I sure hope you guys like quinoa because it sure shows up a lot on my blog! My dad actually isn't a huge fan but I usually just make him eat it anyway. It’s good for you, Dad!

Anyhoo, I made this salad to bring to a potluck on Thanksgiving and it was a hit! I think around Thanksgiving and Christmas both, people have a set menu of traditional food. This is great but I also think it’s fun to sometimes mix it up a little and take some traditional flavours and make them new again! This salad would be a perfect addition to any Christmas dinner and it’s festively nutritious as well! It’s also pretty no-fuss as there’s minimal chopping and you don’t have to worry about it getting soggy like you would another salad. In fact, I would recommend dressing this salad a few hours in advance just so the flavours get a chance to mingle. 

I should also mention that this recipe came from a blog I really like called The Fig Tree - with my own twists, of course!

What you will need:

1 box of quinoa

2 tsp Better than Buillon or chicken stock

1 large apple, chopped into small pieces (I used Granny Smith)

1 cup of pecans, toasted & chopped

1/2 cup dried cranberries (Craisins)

1/2 cup feta cheese

Dressing:

3 tbsp apple cider vinegar

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tsp pure maple syrup

1 tbsp dijon mustard

1/2 tsp cinnamon

S & P

1. Cook quinoa according to package directions. I like to use chicken stock instead of just plain water for a little more flavour in mine but you don't have to do this if you don't want to.

2. Whisk together the ingredients for the dressing.

3. Add the components of the salad together and add dressing. This will help to make sure the apples don't turn brown.

4. Let the quinoa cool to room temp and then toss with the salad ingredients. You are now ready to serve!

 

Guilt-free Shrimp Hot & Sour Soup

I'm not a big soup eater. There, I said it. It's fall and I'm not that into soup. I know millions of people look forward to this time of year so they can eat soup again without feeling weird/too hot? (I'm not a big seasonal eater - eat what you want, when you want. Who cares?) The only soup I'm totally in love with is coconut green curry soup (and now this one!) This soup is really nice and chunky even though it's a broth based soup - hence my claim that it's guilt-free!

But, for some reason I've had this craving/wanted to try a hot & sour soup. I had these brown rice vermicelli noodles in my pantry and I thought I'd try something different. So, I went to the gym after work, came home and changed, went to the grocery store and started in on this soup. And, now it's 9:20 and we just finished eating! Isn't that always the way with an ambitious weekday dinner plan?

I based this recipe on one I found on FoodNetwork.com.

Ingredients

• 1 pkg brown rice vermicelli noodles
• 1 pkg raw shrimp (easy peel - meaning shell on) 400g
• Sprinkle of salt
• Few drops sesame oil
• 2 L chicken stock
• 1 cup sliced mushrooms
• 6 thin slices fresh fresh ginger

• 6 garlic cloves, smashed
• 5 green onions, sliced
• Pinch of red pepper flakes
• 1/4 cup Thai fish sauce
• 3 teaspoons sugar
• 1/4 cup whole fresh cilantro leaves
• 1/4 cup lightly chopped basil 
• 1/3 cups freshly squeezed lime juice
• 2 tsp salt

1. Saute the mushrooms with a small handful of the onions. Set aside.

2. Peel the shrimp and set the shells aside. Sprinkle the sesame oil and a sprinkle of salt to the shrimp and keep in the fridge until you are ready to use.

Just a side note - I think it's worth the 2 or 3 extra dollars you pay to get your shrimp already peeled. Unless you have a pretty small amount (like this) it's a huge pain in the you-know-what. I only got this kind because I actually used the shells for something.

3. Simmer the chicken stock for about 20 minutes with the ginger and garlic.

4. Add the shrimp shells and simmer for another 15 minutes.

5. Meanwhile, juice the limes. I juiced 2.5 limes to get 1/3 cup of juice.

6. Strain the broth and discard the shells, ginger and garlic. Then, basically add all the remaining ingredients to the broth (including the mushrooms you set aside earlier). Let the noodles soften (this takes about 3 minutes) and add the shrimp.

7. The shrimp takes no time at all to cook and once it turns pink, it's done. Then, just scoop the works into a bowl and enjoy!

(Local) Zucchini Pumpkin Mini Muffins

Yesterday we had my relatives from California over for dinner. Given the fact that they are quite the foodies and they live somewhere that always has fresh, local produce available, we thought we would serve them as local a menu as possible. So, I went with my mom and my Nana on Saturday to a Hutterite colony just west of the city. Just an FYI - if you love the St. Norbert farmers market, you will love this place. It has just as much wonderful produce and meat without the high prices and ridiculous crowds.

Anyway, we decided a menu of chicken, meatballs (made by my nana), potatoes, corn on the cob and watermelon basil salad. We had a wonderful time and Jean and I are even thinking of a trip out their way over spring break!

So, we stocked up and bought a ton of veggies for the evening and for ourselves to enjoy. Anyway, the moral of the story is that I ended up with a very large zucchini and thought it might be nice to make some kind of zucchini bread. I also had some pumpkin puree in the freezer and thought, tis the season, why not try a pumpkin zucchini bread?

I based my recipe off this one I found on skinnytaste.com.

• 1 cup all purpose flour
• 1 cup whole wheat flour
• 1/2 cup brown sugar (not packed)
• 1 1/8 tsp baking soda
• 2 1/2 tsp pumpkin pie spice
• 2 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 large egg, beaten
• 2 tbsp melted butter
• 1 cup pumpkin puree (not pumpkin pie filling)
• 1 1/2 cups shredded zucchini (not packed)

1. Preheat oven to 325.

2. Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl. Mix well.

3. Mix all wet ingredients in another bowl. 

4. Combine both the wet and dry ingredients together. I used my hands for this. It was messy but it was the only way to get it mixed really well. 

5. Lightly spray a muffin tin with cooking spray (or use muffin cups). I used a mini muffin tray and it filled it perfectly. Although, the muffins did puff up quite a bit. 

They're not the prettiest but they are quite tasty! The only thing I think I would do is maybe increase the sugar slightly or make a simple cream cheese frosting for the top. They were a tiny bit bland for my taste but if you don't have a huge sweet tooth, they would be perfect! 

Your favourite restaurant appie, lighter at home

I'm finally feeling a bit more inspired to cook these days. I think it's kind of taken us this long to build up a good inventory of sauces, oils, spices and other non-perishables to feel like we have a chance at making something delicious without having to specifically go out and buy every single item in a recipe.

I think Pammy's got her groove back in the kitchen, so to speak. Now, if only a young Taye Diggs would come over so I could cook for him. A girl can dream, right? And, just FYI - I saw that movie recently on TV. I'm really too young to have seen it when it first came out. Just thought you should know.

Anyway, I skipped the gym today and ate an entire box of Kraft Dinner for lunch (it was just one of those days. Don't judge), so I thought I would make something somewhat healthy for dinner. My mom has made lettuce wraps before and I thought I would give them a try myself. My mom sent me this recipe she always uses and I doubled the recipe and added my own spin, of course. I also doubled the recipe as I have a growing man-boy who lives with me and I like to have enough for the next day's lunch. Here's how I made mine:

What you will need:

2 packages of Granny's ground turkey
1 medium onion, minced
S & P
4 large garlic cloves
2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp natural peanut butter
1 tbsp water
5 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp liquid honey
2 tbsp rice vinegar
4 tsp chili garlic sauce (or less if you're sensitive to spice)
6 green onions, chopped
2 227ml cans slice water chestnuts, drained and chopped (these are like mini cans - found in Oriental section of grocery store)
a couple handfuls of Chinese style steam fried noodles
few tbsp peanuts, chopped for garnish
Outer lettuce leaves - I used the hydroponic kind but iceberg works well too

1. Heat a large, non-stick skilled on high. Add turkey, onion, salt and pepper, and cook until turkey is nearly done, stirring often to break up the meat.

2. Add in minced garlic and ginger, and continue cooking until turkey is no longer pink.

3. Meanwhile, combine sesame oil, soy sauce, water, peanut butter, honey, rice vinegar, and chilli garlic sauce in a bow. Microwave for 30 seconds, then stir until smooth. It should look like this:

4. Add to skillet and stir to combine.

5. Add green onion and water chestnuts into the skillet, then cook for 1-2 minutes until the onions are soft and the water chestnuts are heated through.

6. Add the noodles and stir. Cover and let cook on medium low for about 5 minutes or until the noodles  have softened. It's okay if they are still slightly crunchy though.

Let cool a bit and spoon onto lettuce leaves. I spooned mine out when it was still quite hot and it wilted the lettuce leaves a bit. Then, I topped with the chopped peanuts and a spoonful of Thai sweet chilli sauce.