(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.

Quinoa Pizza Bites

A coworker brought these in one day and I was hooked. She's actually a vegetarian so she adjusted this recipe to be a little more southwestern. She used black beans, cumin and some other spices. This recipe can really be adapted to any type of flavour - as long as the eggs and quinoa are used, the fillers can be totally adjusted.

The original recipe (which I followed pretty closely) can be found here.

* Please note - I'm going to write out the ingredients you'll need based on using the whole box of quinoa. I followed the recipe at first (which called for 2 cups of cooked quinoa) and had a tiny bit left that didn't fit in my muffin tin. I had probably about 1 1/2 cups of quinoa left and decided to just use the rest of it up. The only ingredients that have kind of critical amounts are the eggs and quinoa; I didn't measure the other stuff.

What you'll need:
1 box of quinoa, cooked
3 eggs
1 cup chopped onion
1 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
1 1/2 cup chopped pepperoni
4 cloves of garlic, minced (I used a garlic presser for these)
1 1/2 tsp paprika
1 1/2 tsp oregano
3/4 cup chopped fresh basil
1 1/2 tsp seasoning salt
pizza sauce for dipping

What to do:
1. Follow the directions on the box to make the quinoa. Set aside and let cool.

2. Mix all the other ingredients in a bowl.

3. Add the quinoa and mix.

4. Press into a mini muffin tin. Mine was non-stick so I didn't need cooking spray but if your muffin tin is a bit older, make sure to give it a good spray.

5. Bake for 15-20 minutes at 350 degrees.

Yummy!

Moroccan Chicken and Bulk Barn

Hi blog readers! I'm so sorry I've been so absent lately! With the new job and the new place, blogging has seemed to fall to the bottom of the pile. I'm finding it awesome being in our own place but I am surprised how unmotivated I am (sometimes) to cook. As you all know, I love to cook but it's hard when you don't have a family to cook for. And since Jean's at work most weeknights, I find it hard to make a big meal for just me.

I've still been taking lots of pictures though of the meals I do make so I have some in my back pocket that I just need to post.

One tip for this meal (and others), especially when you live on your own or just with two people is to buy your ingredients at Bulk Barn. This one calls for dates, dried apricots and a whole bunch of random spices and I don't know about you but if it were me, I'd spend a bunch of money on a bag and then it would sit in my pantry forever and never get eaten.

Trust me, this recipe sounds weird but it was insanely delicious, especially if you're into the whole sweet and salty thing (we are SUPER into the sweet and salty balance in food).

I served this dish with couscous.


This recipe is from Chef Michael Smith's show on the Food Network.

What you will need:

For the spice mix (called Ras-el-Hanout):
1 tbsp caraway seeds
1 tbsp cumin seeds
1 tbsp cardamom pods
3 tbsps cinnamon
pinch of cayenne pepper

For the dish (Tagine):
1 pkg chicken thighs
8 cloves of garlic
1/2 cup olive oil
1 cup dried apricots
1 cup dates, pitted (they'll likely come pitted if you get them at Bulk Barn)
3 onions, sliced
3 tbsps almond butter (got this from Bulk Barn too)
pinch of saffron threads
1 tsp turmeric
s&p
1/4 cup cilantro leaves.
Box of couscous (to serve over)

For the Ras-el-Hanout Spice Mix:

Grind together in a spice grinder or mortar and pestle, and store in an airtight container. You may also mix the same spices pre-ground.

Put 3 tbsp of ras-el-hanout in a food processor with garlic cloves and olive oil and puree to a smooth paste.

Place chicken thighs in a freezer bag with the paste, mix well and place in the refrigerator to marinate for a minimum of 1 hour.

Place the marinated chicken into a large pot along with dried apricots, dates, onions, almond butter, saffron, turmeric, salt and pepper. 

Pour in enough water to just cover everything, put a tight fitting lid on the pot and place over medium-high heat. Simmer for 2 hours, until the chicken legs are tender and the liquid has thickened. 

At this point, I removed the chicken with a slotted spoon and used a hand blender to make the sauce a bit smoother. Then, I added the chicken back in.

To make the couscous, I just followed the directions on the package and then added currants and cilantro.

It's not the prettiest dish but it was absolutely delicious!

We moved! And Asian Turkey Sliders

I apologize for the lack of blogging lately - I've been busy moving! That's right, my boyfriend and I have both left our respective nests (although he spent a lot of time at my nest). So, we've been busy moving and as a foodie, I'm happy to report, our kitchen is just about fully stocked (with appliances, that is - not food). I spent upwards of $230 at Superstore on the weekend and feel like I barely made a DENT in my food stocking. I didn't even buy any meat!

Anyway, I made these little burgers with an Asian mango slaw a week or two ago and they were fantastic! Unfortunately, we don't have a BBQ outside at our apartment so we'll be home LOTS for summer BBQs (hope that's okay, mom & dad).

This recipe is DEFINITELY a keeper. These little guys were so delicious and so flavourful! I find sometimes my turkey burgers don't turn out as flavourful as I'd like but these little sliders don't make you miss the fatty beef at all. And, I even made a cilantro mayo to go with them.

I apologize if I'm vague with this - I didn't really measure anything, haha! The one tip I can give though is to be generous. I find making burgers hard because you can't taste along the way as the meat is raw. But, I find I have better success if I don't shy away from flavours (as I and many people tend to do).

You will need:
lean ground turkey (I used two pounds as we had probably 6-7 people)
2 egg whites
a bunch of cilantro, chopped
ground ginger
panko bread crumbs
sesame oil
soya sauce
lime juice
slider buns (Compliments from Sobeys are so cute and delicious)
S&P

I would also love to add some siracha to this (Asian hot sauce).

For the slaw:
Mango
coleslaw mix
rice wine vinegar
lime juice/zest
sesame oil
soya sauce

Cilantro mayo:
I just threw some miracle whip, the stems and leftover leaves of the bunch of cilantro (it's all edible) and a squeeze of lime nice into a food processor and whipped it up until it was like a green mayo.

Mix all ingredients except the ground turkey first.

Mix in the ground turkey and form the burgers. I like to put a little dimple in the middle - this helps them to cook evenly.

Then, give to Dad to BBQ.

Find the full recipe for this coleslaw at Skinnytaste.com 

We served this with a potatoes and mushrooms and a watermelon salad that was made with basil and feta :)

And angel food cake (with rainbow sprinkles, of course), strawberries, raspberries and cool whip for dessert. Homemade angel food cake (just using a cake mix) is actually insanely delicious, way better than store-bought and it's not even that bad for you!

And, here's my new kitchen! So, you'll see lots of photos from here from now on, I'm sure!

Award-Winnipeg Orange Rosemary Cupcakes

I'm part of a Facebook/real-life group called Manitoba Food Bloggers. We interact in the group about different restaurants and we share our blogs with one another and well, it's social media at it's best. The group brings together people who may not otherwise know each other and it's created a bit of an online community. Which, I think, is really cool. 

So, once in awhile, the "leader" of the group, Shel Zolkewich (and perhaps others) organizes different activities and events, none of which I've actually been able to go to. So, I was thrilled when I saw the next "activity" was going to be a charity bake sale in support of Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution. Not only that, but there was a competition involved complete with prizes. Thanks to Manitoba Canola Growers for putting on the contest and supplying the prizes!

So, now I had to get my thinking cap on. I figured, since all the participants in the bake sale are foodies, the stakes were going to be pretty high. I had to come up with something a little unexpected. And, since I am super obsessed with the idea of incorporating fresh herbs into sweet treats (or cocktails), I knew I had to do something like this. I kept flip-flopping between basil and rosemary but finally, I decided on Orange Rosemary cupcakes. And let me tell you, they were to die for. I have to say thanks to my friend, Jen Bird for her excellent piping skills. Seriously, I maybe iced one and she did the rest. It's hard! 

Oh, and I should mention, I took second place in the competition put on my Manitoba Canola Growers! So, I think I win two $50 gift cards to restaurants in Winnipeg that use local food. I'm not sure what the restaurants are but I have some guesses! I can't wait to find out! And, since I'm moving out June 1 and I'm going to be poor, the gift cards couldn't have come at a better time!

So, here's the recipe!

Cupcakes

2 1/3

cups all-purpose flour

2

tablespoons grated orange peel

1

teaspoon finely chopped fresh rosemary leaves

2 1/2

teaspoons baking powder

1/2

teaspoon salt

1

cup butter or margarine, softened

1 1/4

cups granulated sugar

3

eggs

1

teaspoon vanilla

2/3

cup milk

Frosting

1/3

cup butter or margarine, softened

2

teaspoons grated orange peel

1/4

cup orange juice

4

cups (1 lb) powdered sugar

3

tablespoons whipping cream

Garnish

Orange peel twists

Finely chopped rosemary

1. Heat oven to 350°F. Place paper baking cup in each of 26 regular-size muffin cups, grease bottoms and sides of muffin cups with shortening and lightly flour, or spray with baking spray with flour.

2. In medium bowl, mix flour, 2 tablespoons orange peel, the chopped rosemary, baking powder and salt; set aside.

3. In large bowl, beat 1 cup margarine with electric mixer on medium speed 30 seconds. Gradually add granulated sugar, about 1/4 cup at a time, beating well after each addition and scraping bowl occasionally. Beat 2 minutes longer. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in vanilla. On low speed, alternately add flour mixture, about one-third at a time, and milk, about half at a time, beating just until blended.

4. Divide batter evenly among muffin cups, filling each with about 3 tablespoons batter or until about two-thirds full.

5. Bake 20 to 25 minutes or until toothpick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool 5 minutes. Remove cupcakes from pans; place on cooling racks. Cool completely, about 30 minutes.

6. In medium bowl, beat 1/3 cup margarine with electric mixer on high speed until creamy. Beat in 2 teaspoons orange peel and the orange juice. On low speed, gradually beat in powdered sugar. Beat in whipping cream, 1 tablespoon at a time, until smooth and spreadable. Frost cupcakes. Garnish with orange peel twists and rosemary.

And, this is what the kitchen looked like before we cleaned up :)