Light and Crispy Fish & Chips

Frying. It's not something that I do a lot at home. To be honest, because it's messy. And it smells. But it tastes so darn good!

Today I picked up some beautiful fresh fish (snapper) and couldn't resist turning it into fish and chips. And it was amazing! Our daughter of course, who has eaten very little deep fried food, if any, in her lifetime of less than 2 years absolutely adored it, even though fish has been an on and off food for her.

The batter was light and crispy, and the tartar sauce was the perfect tangy accompaniment. Definitely worth the mess and smell in my kitchen!

Stirfried Beef with Zucchini, Ginger and Scallions

I grew up with amazing stirfries that my mom used to make for us all the time. My favourites were beef and brocolli, beef and zucchini and beef and green beans.

Although I also stirfry quite often for my family, I can never get them tasting quite as good as my mom's. That is, until this one. Usually my veggies are overcooked, my meat is a little on the chewier side, or the flavours just aren't the same. But it seems that I finally got one right. I managed to achieve a similar balance of flavours to the stirfries I remember and kept the meat tender and the veggies al dente.

The tricks?

- Starting with good meat, thinly sliced across the grain.

- Cooking everything separately. First browning the meat and removing it from the pan when it is just browned but not necessarily completely cooked. The slices are so thin that between residual cooking once removed from the pan and the additional cooking time once added back to the pan, they cook quickly and completely faster than we think. Then cooking the veggies until just fork tender. Doing these steps allows you to control the cooking time of the two main components, which cook at vastly different rates.

Hopefully this is a sign of great stirfries to come?

Banana Blueberry Muffins (Whole Wheat)

I am always looking for new muffin recipes. Oh, and I am always looking for ways to use up bananas. Seemingly endless amounts of bananas.

You are probably wondering why I have so many bananas. It's not like I grow them in my backyard. I actually buy 2-3 bunches of organic bananas each week and always seem to have some overripe ones left over in the end. Why not buy less bananas you ask? Because my biggest pet peeve is not having ripe bananas around to eat and send to daycare, and we all know that the bananas in the grocery store are usually far from ripe and they ripen at varying speeds. So, I buy lots, using what we need throughout the week, and baking with or freezing the ones that ripen quicker than we can eat them. And this means that I always have bananas in the freezer for smoothies, baking, and popsicle making!

This week in particular, I was confronted with a ton a overripe bananas and a massive harvest of blueberries from our garden. So, off I went in search of a muffin in which I could use both. Of course, for those of you who follow my blog, I also like to make my food child friendly, which means less sugar and whole wheat flour or oats where possible.

And so this muffin came to be :) A banana blueberry whole wheat muffin with a tiny bit of citrus to kick things up. Yum yum!

Creamless Zucchini Soup

As the summer winds down (sigh), we are reminded that this is also the season of amazing squash! With zucchini galore, I have found myself trying to preserve the flavours or summer by turning this bounty of zucchini into soup to enjoy all winter long.

My almost 2 year old daughter just adores soups, and this one is no exception. Using very few ingredients, this soup's flavour really speaks to the season, with the taste of fresh zucchini really shining here. It's easy to make in huge batches, so you can enjoy some now and freeze for later, when your body and soul are craving a little taste of summer!

Ellie's Pineapple Salsa

I was introduced to this amazing salsa about a year ago. My friend Ellie brought it over as a part of a potluck playdate we were having and I haven't been able to get it out of my mind!

I have made it several times since then, usually opting to serve it as a variation of chips and salsa with corn tortilla chips, but have also served it alongside baked white fish fillets and have it on my list to try in fish tacos too.

Whether served to my family or to guests, this salsa has definitely been a crowd pleaser. It is a unique and flavourful alternative to regular chips and salsa or accompaniment to fish or grilled chicken. Regardless of the season, this salsa is guaranteed to please your palate! Thanks Ellie for introducing me to this one :)

Meaty Coconut Kale Soup

Our daughter loves soup. Particularly pureed soups. But today I decided to take a chance on a chunky, meaty soup with chopped kale.

I was fairly certain that she would spit out the kale. Even chopped relatively small, it has a particular texture that doesn't fare well with 18 month old children. The other thing I wasn't sure about was the ground meat in the soup. Our daughter likes meat, but I wasn't sure she would like having to chew a lot while eating the soup. Lastly, the red pepper flakes. Our daughter loves food with good flavour, and I wanted to add enough to bring good depth of flavour without actually making the soup spicy. (If it was just me eating it however, I would have added more).

On the other hand, I knew the chunks of potato would be a hit. And the rich and creamy coconut milk I figured would be a no brainer.

Given all of this though, I really wasn't sure how this soup would be received in our household. So I made the soup, crossed my fingers, and hoped for the best.

Cheesy Sourdough Bread

So at dinner last weekend, my sister started talking about her favorite grocery store sourdough cheese bread and how good it was. However, she said that not every grocery store in the chain seemed to make it the same way and she was often disappointed by the lack of cheese. The best she said, was the one that not only has cheese melted on top of the bread, but also has cheese melted throughout. Yes, that's the most important part about this bread-- lots and lots of cheese.

As she talked about it, I mentioned that I have a sourdough starter in my kitchen and could make her some sourdough cheese bread. And since my sister is about 6 months pregnant, I figured it wasn't really fair to talk about this bread, then no somehow produce her some.

Baked Egg Frittata with Sausage, Feta and Sundried Tomatoes

So I am in love with The Pampered Chef stoneware. This has nothing to do with the fact that I just started as a consultant for The Pampered Chef (www.pamperedchef.biz/heathergiraud) and everything to do with the fact that I LOVE this stoneware for everything! I have no idea why it took me so long to get myself some! Everything that I cook on it turns out awesome--- evenly cooked and browned-- and the more I use it, the better it gets. Plus, I use them for sweet and savory and the stoneware doesn't retain any flavors or smells!

One of my favorite things to cook on my stoneware is an egg frittata. It's perfect for brunch and so easy to make! You just cannot go wrong with this dish. You can modify it to suit your tastes-- remove the feta and add a different type of cheese, add some sauteed onions, remove the sausage and add bacon or ham. It all works. Oh, and did I mention that it sure is impressive when it comes out of the oven :) Yum yum!

Festive Cranberry Orange Cream Cheese Dip

So, as you can see, I have been missing in action for the last few months. Doesn't mean I haven't been cooking, but it means that life has been crazy!

But, here I am, ready to post this fantastic, very festive appetizer. It's festive because of the cranberries so would be a great addition to an Easter, Thanksgiving or Christmas menu, but really, you could serve it all year round :)

It's so easy to make and it just gets better with age, so make it ahead of time and take the stress out of entertaining! The flavours are so fresh, but the ginger, jalepeno, cilantro and citrus juices just give this appetizer extra depth. Oh, and served alongside a block of cream cheese? To die for!

Red Curry Chicken Drumsticks

I don't usually buy drumsticks. I love chicken, but would prefer to buy them whole or if I buy pieces, I prefer the wings or the thighs. That has all changed.

We recently had chicken wings for dinner. As usual, I proceeded to take off some of the meat to give to my 1 year old daughter. This time, however, she was insistent on having a wing too. So, I cut off the drummette and gave it to her. She loved it. So much in fact that she completely cleaned the bone!

Curious to see if this enthusiasm would continue, the next day, I bought a package of chicken drumsticks and made these Red Curry Chicken Drumsticks. I wanted to see if my daughter would like eating off the bone as much as she had the previous day. To my surprise, my daughter happily ate 3 of them! It seems that she likes food with a little kick, and she loves holding the drumstick and eating off of it.

Since that time, I have tried other marinades for drumsticks and I have not been disappointed. My daughter has enjoyed all of them. So I guess I will be buying packs of drumsticks more frequently!

Banana Zucchini Bread

A few things happened today. I wanted to make something yummy and freshly baked to enjoy in the afternoon. I noticed I had an abundance of ripe bananas in the freezer. And I wanted to give my daughter some kind of treat.

So I made banana bread. With zucchini. And way less sugar than usual. But then I messed up and shorted the recipe an entire cup of flour. Yup, a whole cup. And I didn't realize until just now as I was looking at my recipe. I didn't notice because the banana bread was fantastic. Moist and yummy. So good in fact that we (my husband, me and my 1 year old daughter) ate almost the entire loaf!

Oh well. It was pouring rain today, the house smelled like baking and the banana bread was fairly healthy as far as baked goods go. And I got a new and better recipe as a result. A very productive day!

Whole Wheat Chocolate Zucchini Cupcakes with Chocolate Cream Cheese Icing

My daughter just turned one. I can't even believe it. It seems like just yesterday that I was busy cooking up a storm to stock our freezer for her arrival.

This past weekend I found myself trying to make a somewhat healthy but still decadent and crowd pleasing first birthday cupcake.  

In the past year, I haven't given our daughter a whole lot of sugar, salt or processed food. I try my best to make her meals healthy and packed with nutrients while of course making sure that the food is tasty.

Creamy Sockeye Salmon Orechiette

I realize that I have been missing in action for a while. It's not that I haven't been cooking. It's just that between looking after our active 11 month old, the never ending house projects, and of course, enjoying the summer, I haven't had time to sit down and share.  But don't worry. I'm here. And I've got a really good one for you.

This pasta is so quick and easy and uses ingredients that most of us have regularly in our pantries and fridges. As summer comes to an end (sigh....), the days get shorter, and we get back in the hustle and bustle of work, school, daycare etc, quick no-fuss meals are in high demand. And this is one of them. It is also sure to please as it doesn't skim on flavor, and it contains some kid favorites-- pasta, peas and a creamy sauce. Yum yum!

Salmon with Boursin Cheese & Tomatoes en Papiotte

We'd been driving for 3 plus hours south east from Dijon to Thonon-les-Bains to visit friends. Normally this trip would be filled with some good music, sleeping (for me) and talks of future travels and projects. This time, with our 9 month old daughter, it was filled with Nirvana's MTV unplugged album on repeat (it was a surefire way to get her to sleep), and talks of potentially stopping at the next rest stop, what she was going to eat, and diapers. Wow, how times have changed.

So after what seemed like endless driving on the French highways, mediocre rest stops and not much napping on my part, a late lunch and a little rosé in the garden of our friends' home was welcome. And for lunch? A wonderful fillet of salmon baked en papiotte (in a parchment paper pocket) with boursin cheese and tomatoes. It was so delicious and so flavorful. Even our 9 month old daughter loved it!

5 minute Nutella Cake for 2 (or one!)

Today is my husband's birthday. He's been working all day and has no idea what time he will be home. So, instead of preparing an amazing dinner only to have him microwave it later, I thought I would make him a cake.

Only I didn't want to make a huge cake that we would eat a quarter of and toss. I wanted something small that he could enjoy when he gets home from work. Oh, and the other thing is that I don't have time to make him a huge cake. Between diapers and dishes, I wanted to find something simple that I could whip up in a flash.

Healthy, Veggie Packed Muffins for Baby (and mama!)

So, my little one is 8 months old! Wow, time sure does fly. And everyday, she is more and more interested in food and feeding herself. But she's not quite eating what we eat yet. I am still trying to limit the salt and added sugars and make sure she gets her fair share of veggies and whole grains.

The other challenge is that we seem to always be on the run. Which means we always need to bring snacks. So far, I have managed to stay away from pre-packaged snacks, but it's hard because I want something that is easy to make, is readily available when I need it, not too messy, and most of all, healthy. So I started making baby muffins.

Baby muffins are great because you can make a massive batch and freeze them. Whenever you need to take one on the run, pop it into a snack bag and by the time you are ready to eat it, the muffin will be thawed. They are easy for baby to eat because they aren't too slippery and messy, and they are easy for mama to clean when bits get dropped everywhere (which they definitely will!).

There are lots of options of what could be added to these muffins. I have a list of things I want to try like quinoa, pureed peas, apples, lentils, pumpkin.... etc and I promise to share as I make them! But for now, here is the first batch. Oh, and even though there is no fat, sugar or salt, I am sure you will find yourself eating them too!

Chilled Cucumber & Avocado Soup

It's almost that time again!

As the weather heats up, chilled soups make the perfect light meal or starter. They are refreshing, flavorful and so easy to make. Especially because you can make them in advance. If you are entertaining, you can serve chilled soups family style in a large soup tureen with a ladle (already prepared in the fridge) or you can dish the soup into small bowls before your guests even arrive.

This chilled cucumber and avocado soup combines the coolness of the cucumber with the creamy avocado to make an awesome soup summer soup! You will never just think of soup as a winter dish ever again!

Lemon, Poppyseed & Blueberry Yogurt Muffins

Another day, another muffin. After all, who can't use a good muffin recipe? Especially as the days get brighter, the weather gets drier, and we find ourselves on the go and enjoying the great outdoors. Muffins make a great and healthy take along snack.

Although they use a majority of whole wheat flour, these muffins are particularly moist and light, partially due to the use of yogurt. And of course, lemon and blueberries are a winning combination, so you really can't go wrong here. Oh wait, yes you can---- You can make only one batch and see them disappear way to quickly! 

Next time, I am definitely doubling up. This recipe is a sure winner!

Dry Rub BBQ Ribs

The sun is shining, so it must be time to fire up the barbeque! 

Well, even if the sun isn't shining, it is always a good time to barbeque! Especially in our case, since our barbeque is just outside our kitchen door on the covered part of our deck, sheltered from mother nature and really just an extension of our kitchen! Oh, and did I mention our barbeque is natural gas? No need to lug propane tanks back and forth and no fear that the propane will run out just as your dinner is in the middle of cooking. Yep, it doesn't get any easier than that!!!!

So, now that the barbeque is uncovered and clean, the question is... what to make? I figure that you just can't start barbeque season without ribs, dry rubbed and slow cooked until tender? Yum yum!

I usually make a whole jar of dry rub, then put it in a mason jar to use on both chicken and ribs whenever I feel like it.

Whole Wheat Blueberry Oat Muffins

Right now, it's all about the muffins. They are portable and quick, and because of all the flavour options, they never really get boring. They can be made super healthy and could function as a "vessel" for all those veggies you want your children to eat!

Today, whole wheat, oats and blueberries were on the menu. Sometimes I also add nuts to this recipe for some extra crunch.

These muffins freeze beautifully and I often take one straight out of the freezer and into my bag as a snack. It thaws quickly and tastes just as good as the day it was made.