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 :)

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!

One Pot Beef Stew

Snow, snow, snow! After quite a dry winter here on the west coast, I was starting to wonder if we just skipped winter this year. And then a few days ago, the snow started and I woke up to a winter wonderland! And the snow hasn't stopped! There are at least 20 centimeters on our deck and counting and the local mountains are packed with fresh powder.

So yesterday. I decided to take my little one for her first excursion in the snow. We went for a nice long snowshoe and at the end of it, I was famished! (probably had something to do with carrying an extra 16+ pounds on my front!). What did I crave after a day on the mountain? Hearty, soul warming, comfort food of course!

Citrus Chicken and Potato Bake

As the weather gets colder, I am really into recipes that use the oven and heat up the house. Yes, multitasking at its finest! But not only that-- with a newborn baby in the house, I don't have as much time as I used to, so meals that I can prep in less than 15 minutes, stick in the oven, and forget about until the timer goes off are the new "go to" type of meal. And this is one of them.

In a nutshell, all of the ingredients get squished together in a large ziplock bag (or bowl if you like). This can be done at your convenience, when you have a spare minute or two-- for me with a newborn, these moments can be at random times during the day. Once this is done, you can place the bag or bowl in the fridge for up to day until you are ready to bake.  Then, it's bake, forget, then dinner is served! How easy was that? Oh, and did I mention, you can double or triple this recipe if you want to with minimal extra work (and if your oven is big enough).

Easy Puff Pastry Pot Pie

I previously wrote that you can't have a pot pie without top and bottom crust.

And I really do believe that the best pot pies have both crusts. However, I also understand that sometimes, we are pressed for time and can't make our own pastry to line our pies.  The best option in these cases is usually frozen puff pastry. You just thaw it, roll it out over your pie filling, brush it with an egg wash, and put it in the oven. No fuss whatsoever. The down side? No bottom crust, as the puff pastry will be soggy and doughy.

So, sometimes we have to give a little to take a little. Compromise that crust we love so much for the conveniences of frozen pastry. And while I still believe that both crusts are best, I am okay with the compromise once in a while.

Slow Cooked Short Ribs in Maple Stout

Meat on a bone...I don't care what anyone says, but meat cooked and eaten off the bone tastes better. Always. This applies to chicken, pork, beef, you name it. The flavour and moisture of the meat is just far superior.

Having said that, I have this ongoing fascination with short ribs. I see them all the time, and they have been on the "list of things to do" for ages. But, I have never gotten around to cooking them. That is, until now.

We were celebrating my brother in-laws successful completion of a real estate appraisal course. So, I figured, what better time than to cook some tasty meat that this occasion?

I found a recipe for slow cooked short ribs from the Canadian Living test kitchen that used Guinness. When I went to the liquor store, I found large bottles of local maple stout. First of all, you can't say no to supporting local business. Second, the sweetness and flavour of maple just sounded like it would be perfect for the short ribs. So, that's what I bought.

Beef Stew

My husband requested beef stew the other day. So, I went out and bought everything that I needed to make stew.  After a bit of thought, something occurred to me.... the stew that I was thinking of may not have been the stew my husband was thinking of. I mean, usually when he requests something particular, it's a dish that his mom used to make and he wants me to try to recreate. But beef stew? With potatoes, carrots and tomato? Never seen him mom make that! So, I thought I would ask.

And I was right. He was actually thinking of something similar to Blanquette de Veau (French Veal Stew) or some kind of slow cooked meat in a brown sauce and starch on the side.

Oh well. With the ingredients already in the fridge, I decided to go ahead with a traditional (well, by North American standards) beef stew.

Despite the fact that it wasn't what my husband had in mind, he loved it. And so did I! The ultimate comfort food!

White Bean Dip

I have a habit of arriving home from work starving. Regardless of what I eat during the day, arriving at home somehow signals my body that it's time to relax and refuel. Generally, this ravenous state causes me to eat whatever happens to be most easily accessed and needs minimal preparation. Thankfully, I don't keep many munchies lying around the house, but what I usually end up reaching for is crackers and cheese, bread, or some leftovers. And really, that is just to tie me over until dinner.

So, what I've gotten into the habit of doing is cutting up veggies and making a dip. That way, I have a healthy snack ready when I arrive home afterwork. This can also double and a healthy, game day snack (go Canucks go!) or part of a to-go lunch.

By the way, if you aren't feeling the "healthy" vibe, pair this dip with tortilla chips!

Carrot & Pumpkin Soup

Turkey, ham, stuffing, hashbrown casserole, gravy, prime rib, mashed potatoes, repeat. Yes, that sounds like my week. 

Actually, I am lying... I forgot to mention the curried puffs, chorizo fig cups, samosas, cheese sticks, cookies, lemon tarts, cranberry pudding.... the list goes on and on.

It has definitely been a week (or more) of fantastic eating. And eating. And eating some more.  A way to get together with family, hang out, and bond.

But after all this time of overindulging, it's time for something, well, a little lighter. And nothing does this trick like soup. This particular soup is perfect because it is quite filling, but with lots of good stuff. It really is the guilt-free end to a fantastic holiday season.

Mini Carrot & Ginger Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

 

I don't really think that I have a sweet tooth. Yes, I do occasionally crave a piece of dark chocolate or a homemade sweet, but in most cases, I would choose savory over sweet anyday.

The exception to this seems to be carrot cake. For a cake filled with vegetables, carrot cake is pretty delicious and sweet. In fact, I love it so much that I wanted my wedding cake to be carrot cake (over-ruled by Chocolate-Raspberry....).

Carrot cake is deliciously moist, and of course, topping it with sweet, velvety cream cheese icing doesn't hurt!

Mini Carrot & Ginger Cupcakes with Cream Cheese Icing

Makes 60 Mini Cupcakes

For the Cupcakes

2 cups Flour

2 tsp Baking Powder

2 tsp Cinnamon

1 tsp Baking Soda

3/4 tsp Salt

1/2 tsp Ground Nutmeg

3/4 cup Brown Sugar

3/4 cup White Sugar

3 Large Eggs

3/4 cup Vegetable Oil

1 tsp Vanilla

1 tsp Fresh Ginger, grated

2 cups Grated Carrots

1 cup Canned Crushed Pineapple, drained

2/3 cup Chopped Walnuts

For the Icing

1 cup Cream Cheese, room temperature

1/4 cup Butter, room temperature

1/2 tsp Vanilla

2 3/4 cup Icing Sugar

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees. Line mini muffin tins.

In a small bowl, mix together flour, baking powder, cinnamon, baking soda, salt and nutmeg. Set aside.

In a large bowl, beat the white and brown sugar, eggs, oil, vanilla and ginger. Add the flour mixture and stir until just combined. Stir in the carrots, pineapple, and walnuts.

Spoon the mixture into the muffin cups until 2/3 full. Bake for 11-13 minutes until a toothpick inserted into the centre comes out clean. Cool completely on a wire rack.

To make the icing, beat the butter, cream cheese and vanilla in a bowl until completely smooth. Add the icing sugar, half a cup at a time until the icing is smooth. At this point, you can spread onto the cooled cupcakes or you can place in the fridge and cool for 1-2 hours and pipe the icing onto the cupcakes.

Recipes using Juicer Pulp: Apple Carrot Muffins

I have never been a big juice fan. I guess it’s the idea that when you drink juice, you get all the sugar and calories without the benefits of the fiber and other good stuff in the pulp. So, I always thought why not just eat the fruit or vegetable whole?

My reservations about juice were confirmed a few years ago when I got a juicer as a gift. I tried it once, felt that it was a lot of work and a lot of waste, and gave it away to my brother.

I mean, don’t get me wrong. Every once in a while I love to sip a glass of fresh, frothy juice. But I just didn’t see the point getting a juicer and making it a daily routine.

But today, well, I gave in. I got a juicer. And I was so excited about my new gadget that I started to juice everything in sight… apples, carrots, pineapple, oranges, grapefruits. The resulting juice was amazing. Sweet, fresh, foamy. And then I saw the pulp container. It was full! I couldn’t believe that a couple of glasses of juice could result in so much waste! So came my determination to find a way to use this pulp.

And here it is. The first of what will likely be many recipes for juicer pulp. And let me tell you… they were amazing! Cheers to juicing and all the waste that comes with it!

Of course, if you don’t have any pulp left over from juicing, you could just use fresh grated fruit and vegetables and omit the water in the recipe.

Apple Carrot Muffins

Makes 18 muffins

Dry Ingredients

2 cups Whole Wheat Flour

1/2 cup Brown Sugar

1 tsp Salt

2 tsp Cinnamon

1/4 tsp Nutmeg

2 tsp Baking Soda

Wet Ingredients

4 Eggs

1/2 cup Canola Oil

1/4 cup Water

2 tsp Vanilla Extract

1 1/2 cups Apple Pulp

1 cup Carrot Pulp

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Line muffin tins. In a large bowl, mix together dry ingredients. In another bowl, beat eggs. Add oil, water, and vanilla. Add the egg mixture to the dry ingredients, stirring until just combined. Stir in the apple and carrot pulp. Fill muffin tins with mixture (you can fill them to the top as this mixture won’t rise much). Bake for 20 minutes. A toothpick inserted in the centre should come out clean.

It's Soup Season! Ginger Infused Carrot Soup and Potato & Leek Soup

As temperatures drop, it become more and more apparent that soup season has arrived. This is one of my favorite times of the year, because nothing is more comforting than a steaming bowl of soup. Well, except maybe a warm cup of hot cocoa…

Soup is so versatile. You can really make it with whatever veggies you have on hand, as long as you have your aromatics… garlic, onions, bay leaf, carrots, and some stock. You should also really use some celery to make your soup base, but in this part of the world, this vegetable that we take for granted at home, is not readily available.



Here are two soup recipes to start the season off with a bang! Both are healthy and hearty soups for the winter. And, if you are like my husband and like a little cream in your soup, after pureeing, you can add about 1/4 to 1/2 cup of cream!



Ginger Infused Carrot Soup
Makes 6-8 cups

2 tbsp Olive Oil
3 Large Cloves Garlic, chopped
2 Onions, cut into chunks
4 Large Carrots, cut into chunks
1 1/2 tbsp Fresh Ginger, Minced
1 Large Potato, peeled and cut into chunks
1/4 cup White Wine (optional)
1 Bay Leaf
1 Liter Vegetable Stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, onions, carrots, ginger, and potato. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, the bay leaf, and the white wine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add the vegetable stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the carrots and potatoes are soft.

Remove from heat. Remove the bay leaf. Puree the soup using either a hand blender or by pouring the soup in batches into a blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.



Potato & Leek Soup
Makes 6-8 cups

2 tbsp Olive Oil
2 Whole Leeks, cleaned and sliced (some people use only the white part, but I use the whole thing)
2 Large Cloves Garlic, chopped
4 Large Potatoes
1 tsp Dried Thyme
1 Bay leaf
1/4 cup White Wine (optional)
1 Liter Chicken Stock
Salt and Pepper to taste

In a large pot over medium heat, add olive oil, leeks, garlic, potatoes, and thyme. Cook for about 4-5 minutes. Add a pinch of salt and pepper, the bay leaf, and the white wine. Cook for a couple of minutes, stirring. Add the stock, bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer. Simmer for about 20 minutes, until the potatoes are soft.

Remove from heat. Remove the bay leaf. Puree the soup using either a hand blender or by pouring the soup in batches into a blender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.