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 :)

Mishmash of my last days in Calgary

My time in Calgary is quickly coming to an end and I've truly had a great experience here. Aside from missing my boyfriend, friends and family a TON, I have had an amazing time. The family I'm staying with here is awesome; I couldn't have asked for better people to stay with and the baby is just so darn cute.

Ayva, Robsen and I.

I took a trip to Canmore yesterday because I thought it would be sinful to come this close to the mountains and not actually visit them. I had lunch at a place called Communitea Cafe. I had a goat cheese, pesto, portobello panini with a mixed green salad. It was fantastic.

A few things I've learned and will miss about Calgary:

1. You have to go really, really far from Saskatchewan in order to get away from Rider fans (there are tons here, too).

2. You never, ever jay walk in front of the train. Not if there isn't one coming, not if they're at a dead stop. People just don't do it.

3. Freeways/highways/interstates are fantastic. Even when you're in rush hour traffic. Everything's better without lights.

4. Victoria's Secret, Express, H & M, Ikea :( :(

5. When you're in suburbia, you're insanely far from downtown. (I will not miss this)

6. Another thing I won't miss - taking three means of transportation to get to work in the morning: car, train, bus.

7. The Goodlife Zumba class. Omg, it's fantastic. But that's another story for another blog.

8. View of the mountains on a clear day.

9. Country music. All the time.

10. And last but not least, I will miss seeing people wearing cowboy hats at the grocery store, mall, walking down the street, etc. In Winnipeg, people would think it's obnoxious. Here, it's regular.

Anyway, I never got a chance to cook a meal for Courtenay and Kyle but Kyle wanted banana chocolate bread so that's what I made. I used a recipe from one of my favourite blogs, skinnytaste.com. Click here for the recipe.

Pasta la Vista Baby

I'm all settled in in Calgary now and I'm having a great time. I thought since I didn't know anyone here that I'd have a ton of spare time on my hands but between work, the commute to and from work and the gym, I haven't had a lot of spare time. Hence, the lack of blogging recently. So, I apologize for that.

I finished at the gym one day last week (it was right after work so I was starving) and I decided I was going to have pasta. I know, working out and then eating a big dish of pasta - kind of counterproductive right? Well, maybe but I try to eat healthy most of the time so sometimes, indulging in pasta is okay. Especially if it's made with turkey Italian sausage and without a thick, creamy sauce.

I knew I had cherry tomatoes and sausages at home so I stopped at the grocery store for some good extra virgin olive oil, some linguine and some fresh basil (my favourite herb) and I thought I'd throw something together. Here's what I used:

For the portion I made (which lasted me about 3 meals) I used

2 Sweet Italian turkey sausage links
One pint of cherry tomatoes
about a tbsp or so of extra virgin olive oil
about a quarter of the package of the linguine
2 cloves of garlic (not shown)
A package of fresh basil (I really like the stuff)
A diet Coke (for me to drink, not for in the recipe)

The first thing I did was get the water on to boil for the pasta. Remember to salt the water really well and don't be afraid. The pasta won't soak up all the salt. I literally fill up my hand and use about a half a cup of salt in the water.

First, brown the meat in some olive oil until it's just about cooked through in a large pan.

Next, I chopped the tomatoes in half and threw them in the pan to start softening. I also added the chopped garlic to this mix.

Then, all you do is let the mixture cook down until it's pretty soft (make sure to season it as well). Then, add the fresh chopped basil right at the end and the cooked pasta. Serve on a plate with some fresh parmesan cheese shaved over the top.

So yummy.

This was delicious and as long as you keep your portion size under control (which believe me, with pasta, is insanely hard for me) then it's really not that bad for you!

Calgary groceries

It's my third day in Calgary now and I have to admit, boredom is setting in a little. I went to the gym today and I sent my boyfriend's keys overnight shipping via UPS (he left yesterday and forgot his keys in my car). I just watched We Bought a Zoo though and loved it. I also start work tomorrow so by the time the work day is finished and I've gone to the gym, there won't be many hours to fill before bedtime! Oh, and my mom's coming for the weekend because my sister's doing a basketball camp in Lethbridge so I'm really excited for that!

I already know what I'm cooking tonight - just a chicken breast with some brown rice and maybe a spinach salad with blueberries on the side. I think I also have some leftover asparagus from Saturday night.

Jean and I cooked a nice meal on Saturday night for the two of us. We had steak, sweet potato fries (made from scratch, of course), asparagus, roasted garlic clove bread (from Sobeys), and spinach salad.

I'm not planning on cooking this fancy for just myself, we just wanted to cook something nice for the two of us. We also went out to this place called Haru last night and had sushi for our Easter dinner. The sushi was delicious, the service was great and we really liked the atmosphere of the restaurant.

I was hoping my Sobeys gift card my parents so generously gave me before I left would go a little further than it did. I am extremely grateful they donated to my cause but boy did $100 ever go fast (I know, reality check, right?).

Anyway, here's a sampling of what I bought:

• chicken breasts
• proscuitto (because I'm addicted to the stuff. Don't judge)
• baby spinach (for salads)
• a few frozen, microwavable dishes for lunches/dinners when I don't feel like cooking
• Tuscan herb tilapia (so good but kind of pricey - I maybe should have just gone with regular tilapia filets and seasoned them myself)
• yogurt
• blueberries
• blackberries
• raspberries (I'm pretty into berries)
• red grapefruit
• apples
• frozen yogurt (caramel pecan flavour, yum yum)
• red onion (for salads and also for on grilled cheese sandwiches)
• popcorn
• brown minute rice
• cherry tomatoes
• frozen stir-fry vegetables
• pecans (for salads)
• natural peanut butter
• honey
• garlic
• Renee's balsamic dressing
• eggs
• feta cheese
• cheddar cheese slices
• green tea
• pop (Fresca and Diet Coke with Lime)

I also brought some english muffins, processed cheese slices and turkey bacon with me so I can make breakfast sandwiches.

It seems like a lot when I write it all down but I'm hoping I won't have to do much more grocery shopping than this.