Spicy Feta

My head is swimming, my nose is running, and there are nails in the back of my throat. 

Ick, ick and ick.

Consequently, I've been using 'The Backyardigans' as babysitters for the last few days.

So unfortunately, the only thing taking residence in my brain is '' We've got the whole wide world in our yard to explore. Now it's time for us to have a snack, meet you next time when your back with your friends the Backyardigans....''

That being said, I'm going to have a snack.

The jalapeños in this are going to burn out my cold and the garlic is going to boost my immunity.

And then I'm going to bed.

Spicy Feta

Slightly adapted from: How Sweet It Is

Makes: about 1½ cups

1 brick of feta cheese (8oz)

2 whole jalapenos

3 tbsp olive oil + 1 tsp

1 small bulb garlic

juice of half a lemon

zest of half a lemon

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Chop the top off the garlic bulb and drizzle it with the teaspoon of olive oil. Wrap it in foil and roast for 25 - 30 minutes or until golden. At the same time, brush the jalapenos with olive oil  and sprinkle with salt and pepper. Roast the in the oven until charred, about 15 - 20 minutes, rotating at least once. Remove both from the oven and let cool.

2. Once jalapenos are cooled, remove the skin, cut in half and discard the seeds and ribs. Finely chop. (Don't touch your eyes!)

3. In a medium bowl, crumble the feta. Add chopped jalapenos, lemon zest and juiced. Squeeze roasted garlic out of bulb and directly into the feta. Add the 3 tbsp of olive oil and mash with a fork. Season with salt and pepper to your liking. The feta will be a bit ''wet'', sort of cross between a dip and spread. Serve with pita chips, bread or spread on a sandwich. Keeps for about 1 week.

Tomato Ricotta Tart

Sometimes when I cook I pretend I'm working in a restaurant being featured on Diners, Drive-Ins and Dives.

I show Guy Fieri how I make my signature dish from scratch.
Of course, I always make a point of telling him that I only use fresh, local ingredients and organic whenever possible. (Liar!!)

During the cooking process, he's constantly stealing bits of cheese and herbs to 'taste test'.

When the finished product comes out of the oven he raves about the complexity of flavors in my dish and then gives me a fist bump and a good work to end the show.

Like the show, my dishes are always delicious and unlike anything else he's ever tried at the one million other restaurants he's been to. (HA!)

Although that last statement is dripping with skepticism (or at least it was when I said it in my head), I do think this tart would meet that criteria.

It kind of reminds me of a quiche but without the eggy texture. It's really perfect for brunch or lunch and is packed with flavor which is a bit surprising given how few ingredients it uses. 

This tart will probably never make it's debut on Triple D.....

But it'll always be a star in my kitchen.

Tomato Ricotta Tart

Makes 1 x 9'' tart

Slightly Adapted from: Martha Stewart (who else?)


2 cups fresh bread crumbs
¼ cup olive oil plus more for brushing
1 cup ricotta cheese
2 eggs
2 tbsp chopped fresh herbs (basil, rosemary etc.)
¼ cup grated parmesan
salt and pepper
1 large tomato

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450 degrees. In a 9-inch springform pan, toss breadcrumbs with olive oil; press evenly into bottom.
2. In a bowl, whisk ricotta with Parmesan, eggs, and herbs; season generously with salt and pepper. Spread over crust; arrange tomatoes on top. Brush with olive oil.
3. Bake until tomatoes are almost dry, 35 to 45 minutes; let cool. Unmold. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Chinese Chicken Salad

Occasionally I emerge from my sugar coma and I'm forced to make something other than cookies for dinner. It usually happens around the time that I'm looking in the fridge and realize I have a bunch of vegetables that are going to be compost if I don't eat them, and soon!

This event occurred yesterday. (Mark it on your calender.)

Sometime between my 12th Reese's Peanut Butter Cup and 27th maple glazed almond I spotted this recipe.

The shock that I had all the ingredients on hand to make this wonderful looking salad propelled me into motion. (Not to mention my secret love affair with chicken salad sans mayo.)

The results were spectacular and well worth setting aside the junk food for.

This salad is bursting with flavor and has lots of great texture and color.

Try it out for you next lunch, supper or picnic! 

Chinese Chicken Salad

Serves 6

Adapted from: A Farm Girl's Dabbles but originally from Barefoot Contessa Parties!

For the salad:

3 large chicken breasts

2 tbsp melted butter

salt and pepper

½ lb sugar snap peas, cut into 1'' pieces

2 sweet bell peppers (red, orange or green), cored and seeded and sliced into 1'' pieces

1 cup coarsely grated carrot

2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds

½ cup raw chow mein noodles

For the dressing:

⅓ cup extra virgin olive oil

⅛ cup apple cider vinegar

¼ cup soy sauce

2 tbsp sesame oil

1 tbsp honey

1 large garlic clove, minced

2 tsp fresh ginger, minced

¼ cup creamy natural peanut butter

½ tsp salt

½ tsp fresh ground pepper

Directions:

1. First, prepare chicken. Preheat oven to 350°F. Brush melted butter all over the chicken and season liberally with salt and pepper. Place on a foil lined sheet pan and roast for 35 - 40 minutes, until chicken is just cooked. Once chicken is completely cooled, use to forks to shred the chicken in bite sized pieces.

2. Combine the shredded chicken, snap peas, bell peppers, carrots and chow mein noodles in a large bowl.

3. Whisk together all the dressing ingredients and pour over the chicken and vegetables. Gently combine. Sprinkle the 2 tbsp of sesame seeds over the salad and season to taste. Serve cold or at room temperature.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

I want to be one of those people that drink sangria on their decks in the evenings.

Preferably a fruity rosé with citrus undertones and a crisp afterbirth (The Office, anyone?)

The sad truth is I'm more of a sit on my couch with a bowl of soup and bread person. 

Light on the soup, heavy on the bread, please.

(Give mama some comfort food and don't skip on the carbs! That's all I'm sayin'.)

This broccoli and cheddar soup is the ultimate comfort food.

I made it yesterday while the heavens opened up and wept all over Revelstoke. 

Or less poetically, while it rained all day.

The aroma of cooked onions and simmering vegetables was heavenly. It only took a few minutes to prepare and I would say it rivals any restaurant soup of the same variety that I've ever had.

Give it go....or be a loser and drink your stupid sangria.

Broccoli Cheddar Soup

Adapted from the Food Network

Makes: 4 servings

6 tbsp butter

1 small onion, diced

¼ cup all purpose flour

2 cups whole milk

3 cup chicken or vegetable stock

2 bay leaves

⅛ tsp nutmeg

salt and pepper to taste

4 cups broccoli florets ( I used the stems too)

1 large carrot, peeled and diced

1½ cups grated sharp white or yellow cheddar plus more to garnish

Directions:

1. Melt the butter in a large Dutch oven or pot over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until tender, about 5 minutes. Whisk in the flour and cook until golden, 3 to 4 minutes, then gradually whisk in the half-and-half until smooth. Add the chicken broth, bay leaves and nutmeg, then season with salt and pepper and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook, uncovered, until thickened, about 20 minutes.

2. Add the broccoli and carrot to the broth mixture and simmer until tender, about 20 minutes. Discard the bay leaves. Puree the soup in batches in a blender until smooth; you'll still have flecks of carrot and broccoli. Return to the pot. (Or puree the soup in the pot with an immersion blender.)

3. Add the cheese to the soup and whisk over medium heat until melted. Add up to 3/4 cup water if the soup is too thick. Ladle into bowls and garnish with cheese.

Easy Cheesy Whole Wheat Crackers

Are you a cracker snacker?
I am.
I'm a cheese and cracker snacker.

I can and will never turn down a hunk of gouda, or cheddar, or gruyere on a nice sturdy cracker.

Sometimes I even smear cheese whiz on my saltines.

If I'm feeling really fancy I slather on the cream cheese.

Please don't judge me.

It's only natural that my love for cheese and crackers has morphed into a cheese cracker. 

I'm not sure how the whole wheat flour made it in these but I'll allow it. 

Only this time though.

(Oh, and that other time, too.)

These make for a nice lazy snack because I don't need to go to all the work of slicing cheese to top the cracker since the cheese is in (and on) the cracker, already.  

Cheese, crackers and lazy... count me in.

Easy Cheesy Whole Wheat Crackers

Makes about 60

Adapted from How Sweet Eats

1¾ cups whole wheat flour (I used spelt)

½ tsp baking soda

¼ tsp salt

¼ cup olive oil

½ cup + 2 tbsp warm water

¼ cup white cheddar, shredded very finely

parmesan, pepper and coarse salt for sprinkling

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400°F. Mix together dry ingredients, add white cheddar, olive oil and ½ cup warm water. Mix until a dough forms; add additional water if needed. 

2. Spray a baking sheet with oil and lightly flour or flour a non stick silicone mat. Put dough on the baking sheet (or silicone mat) and roll out as thinly as you can. Use a pizza cutter to cut squares in the dough (careful if you're using the silicone mat). 

3. Sprinkle the dough with parmesan, freshly ground black pepper and coarse salt. As the squares bake they will separate into crackers. Bake for about 10 minutes or until golden and crispy.

Flatbread

I made this to eat alongside some roasted pumpkin and beet soup.

I should've known that was a bad idea.

I ended up eating all the flatbread and none of the soup.

It was like serving a kid a side of lollipops with a main course of brussel sprouts. 

It's not that the brussel sprouts are bad it's just why would you eat them when you can have lollipops instead?

That's how I feel about this bread. 

It's like candy to me. 

If I could, I would tuck some in my purse to munch on during church or while I'm driving or waiting in a line-up. I'd pull out chunks of this lightly seasoned, soft, chewy bread with it's crunchy bits and people all over would envy me wishing they had flatbread in their bags instead of boring old chocolate bars or granola bars. 

Hmmm....maybe that's not such a bad idea.

Flatbread

Makes 8 - 10'' flatbread

Barely adapted from Good to the Grain

2 ¼ tsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp honey

½ cup amaranth flour (feel free to substitute with all-purpose)

3 cups all purpose flour plus more for kneading

1 tbsp kosher salt

olive oil for brushing

a pinch per flatbread of spices to taste (ex: dried oregano, chili flakes, sesame seeds, rosemary)

Note: I like to use some dried oregano, pepper and a squeeze of lemon for a 'Greek' style bread or some cumin, ground coriander and dried cilantro for a 'Mexican' style.

Directions:

1. Add 1½ cups warm water, yeast and honey to the bowl of an electric stand mixer. Stir together to combine. Let stand for 5 - 10 minutes or until foamy.

2. Add the flour and salt to the yeast mixture and stir to combine. Use the paddle attachment on your mixture to knead for dough for 5 minutes add a small amount of flour if the dough seems too sticky. The dough should stay soft and tacky.

3. Form the dough into a ball and place in an oiled bowl. Cover with a towel and place the bowl in a draft free area until the dough has doubled in size, about 2 hours.

4. Fold the dough over itself, gently deflating it as you form it back into a ball. Arrange the dough so that the smooth side is facing up and cover with a towel. Let the dough rise for 1 1/2 hours more.

5. After the second rise, scrape the dough onto a lightly floured work surface. Divide the dough into 8 equal pieces. Place a 10-inch cast iron skillet over medium heat.

6. Roll each piece of dough into an irregular circle (no bigger than 10-inch) about 1/8'' - 1/4'' thick. Lightly brush one side with olive oil and sprinkle with herbs. Carefully, transfer to the pan and grill, oil side down for 3-4 minutes.

7. While the first side is grilling, brush the other side with oil and dust with more herbs and spices. Flip and cook for another 2 to 3 minutes. Repeat with the remaining pieces of dough, adjusting the heat and cooking time as necessary. Flatbreads are best eaten right away.

Crustless Broccoli and Cheddar Mini Quiche

I honor of St. Paddy's day (yesterday) I thought I better kick out something green for y'all.

It was between this broccoli, some spinach or the green eggs and ham in the back of the fridge.

The broccoli needed to be used up so it won. 

I'm not sure if being eaten is really 'winning' in the life of a vegetable but it's better than being tossed, right?

These are yummy and easy so they're a winner in my book. 

The muffin tin makes them the perfect size for little (and big) mouths. My one year old gobbled them up (probably because of the cheese). The few leftovers we did have I put in the freezer and they taste pretty good reheated.

Try them out for an easy breakfast or lunch.

Crustless Broccoli and Cheddar Mini Quiche

Makes: about 16

Adapted from Martha Stewart

1 pkg (10oz) broccoli florets

6 large eggs

½ cup whole milk

1 tsp dijon mustard

1 tsp freshly ground pepper

¾ cup shredded cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 350°F. Grease 16 holes in a standard muffin tin, set aside. Bring a pot of water to a boil. Add broccoli and cook for 1 minute. Drain well. Blot with paper towels to get out as much water as possible. Once cool enough to handle, coarsely chop.

2. In a large bowl whisk together eggs, milk, mustard and pepper. Stir in broccoli and cheese. Ladle broccoli mixture into muffin cups, dividing evenly. Bake for about 20 minutes or until the center of the quiche no longer jiggles. 

Linked to: Seasonal Sunday's

Cilantro Pesto Egg Salad

I'm not a huge lover of cilantro or egg salad.

Maybe this wasn't my best choice to make for lunch.

The cilantro made me do it.

A half batch of cilantro pesto being made

I had a big bunch of cilantro sitting in the fridge threatening to spoil and this seemed like a good enough way to use it up. 

Let me start my 'review' in saying this recipe didn't convert me to egg salad.

I'm still not fond of the stuff but I'll eat it if I must.

I was, however, pleased with the way the cilantro pesto turned out.

Generally, I find cilantro over powering and a bit of a steal the show herb.

This pesto really mellowed out the flavor.  I think it'd be good tossed with some hot pasta instead of the egg salad. I'm still struggling to think of how else I'd use this Mexican-Italian fusion pesto.

Any ideas out there?

Cilantro Pesto Egg Salad

Adapted from Mess in the Kitchen

Makes about 2 cups for 8 sandwiches  (don't hold me to that)

For the pesto:

70 grams cilantro

2 tbsp pinenuts or walnuts

2 tbsp parmesan cheese

1 small garlic clove, peeled

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil 

salt and pepper to taste

For the egg salad:

6 hard boiled eggs, peeled and roughly chopped

½ cup low fat mayo (is there really such a thing?)

2 sticks of celery, chopped

16 slices crusty brown bread

Directions:

1. To make the pesto: combine all the ingredients (under pesto) in a food processor and process until smooth and creamy looking. Taste and add more salt and pepper depending on your liking.

2. In a medium sized bowl, mix together the chopped eggs, mayo and celery.

3. If desired toast the slices of brown bread. Spread about ¼ cup of egg salad on 8 slices of bread, top with the remaining slices and cut in triangles.

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

I'm not even close to vegan.

I'm a bacon lovin', butter eatin', whip cream slurpin' omnivore.

I can't help it.

I just love that stuff.

But I do still like to mix it up once in awhile.

It's usually at the request of my arteries.

Truthfully, I really do try to prepare vegan or vegetarian meals at least one day a week (usually Meatless Monday's) for some variety.

When vegan recipes taste as good as this soup, I really don't miss the other stuff.

This soup subs cashew cream for the heavy cream that would normally be in the soup. Although it's not as rich and thick as regular cream, the cashew cream works really well to make this into a comfort food.

I know this is a bit weird and different but give it try. 

(Not ready to go vegan? Eat it with a huge slice of cheese toast on the side :) )

Vegan Cream of Mushroom Soup

Serves: 4

Source: Joy the Baker

2 tbsps olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

3 garlic cloves, minced

1 lb (454g) cremini mushrooms, cleaned and sliced

1 tbsp tamari (or soy sauce)

1 tbsp worcestershire sauce

1 tsp coarse ground pepper

3 cups vegetable broth (or 3 cups water plus 1 tbsp homemade bouillon)

salt 

½ cup raw cashews

½ cup water

Directions:

1. In a large pot heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onions and saute until translucent and slightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add garlic, stir and cook for 1 minute more. Add mushrooms, tamari (or soy sauce), and worcestershire and continue cooking until mushrooms or very soft and broken down, about 5 minutes. Add pepper and broth and simmer for about 10 minutes.

2. While soup is simmering, prepare cashew cream. In a blender or food processor, puree cashews and water until smooth. Pour into a small bowl and set aside. 

3. When mushrooms are cooked through add about ⅓ of the soup to the blender and blend on low until smooth. Pour into a clean pot and continue until you've pureed the whole batch of soup. Pour the cashew  cream into the soup and stir until incorporated. If desired, strain through a fine mesh strainer. (I didn't). Serve or freeze for later.

Linked to: Seasonal Sundays

Curried Apple Brie Flatbread

I'm sorry but I just don't like brie.
There are so many wonderful recipes out there for baked brie that I want to like but it doesn't seem to my thing.

I think it's the rind on the cheese that I can't stand. Isn't it some type of mold or something? (Clearly I'm not very savvy when it comes to cheese.) I guess I could cut the rind off but it seems like such a waste of money.... I'm not sure if I've ever mentioned this before but I'm extremely cheap and I hate food waste. 

Hate it. 

If you waste food you're not my friend.

Yeah, I took a few bites outta the bread.

A few weeks ago I forgot about my disdain for brie cheese and was somehow compelled to buy it. 

Weird, I know.

So here's a recipe that, I think, covers the unpleasantness of the cheese rind and transforms the brie into a tasty lunch, appie or snack.

(Don't think you need to stick to making this as a flatbread. This could be made as a pizza, a stuffed pita, a grilled cheese sandwich, or served on naan.)

Curried Apple Brie Flatbread

Serves 4

Adapted from Dinner with Julie

½ cup softened butter

3 tsp mild curry powder

1 flatbread (or naan, pitas, wrap, pizza crust)

6oz Canadian brie, thinly sliced while chilled, discard end pieces containing mostly rind

1 apple, thinly sliced

4 tbsp mango chutney

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450°F. In a small bowl mix together the curry powder and butter. Spread it on the top of flatbread. (Alternatively, you can brush the bread with olive oil and sprinkle on the curry powder.)

2. Arrange the apple slices on the flatbread. Top with the thin slices of brie. Scatter small dollops of the chutney all over. Bake for about 8 minutes or until the cheese is melted and bubbly.

Pumpkin and Roasted Beet Soup

Everywhere I turn I see snotty noses and hear phlegmy coughs.
Is that happening where you are too?

It's an onslaught of germs and viruses out there.
Yucky, icky germs and what can you do about it?

I know what I'm gonna do about it.
I'm loading up on this warm, sippable, vitamin packed soup.
Not only is it good for you, it's just plain tasty.

Rich in zinc and vitamin C, pumpkin gives a major boost to the immune system helping fight off little germ intruders.

That's a fact. 

I know because I read it on the internet.

Germs, meet your match.

Pumpkin and Roasted Beet Soup

Adapted from Dinner with Julie

Serves 6

2 cups pumpkin puree (or any type of squash)

3 - 4 small beets topped trimmed

1 tbsp olive oil

1 medium onion, diced

2 garlic cloves, minced

1½ cups orange juice

4 cups chicken or vegetable stock

salt and pepper

sour cream or yogurt to serve (optional)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Wrap the beets individually in foil. Place the beets directly on the rack; roast for 30 minutes.

2. In a large pot, heat oil over med heat and saute onion for a few minutes, until it starts to soften. Add the garlic and pumpkin puree. When they're cool enough to handle, peel and chop the beets; add to the pot along with the orange juice and stock. Simmer for about half an hour.

3.Puree the soup with an immersion blender and season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve warm with a dollop of sour cream or yogurt.

Linked to: Seasonal Sundays

Roasted Beets w/ feta and dill

My lack of photography skill is really showing here.

These don't look very pretty, do they?

In fact, they don't even look all that edible.

Do me a favor and look past appearance today, please?

I promise you, these are much better than they look.

They're darn delicious.

My sister, a genius by all counts, invented (I think) these lovely roasted beets, or at least a version of these. As I recall, hers looked a lot better than mine.

But again, putting looks aside, this simple side dish is great hot or cold.

We ate this as a side to roast beef (can you say iron overload) and then I ate it again the next day cold, mixed into a green salad.

Healthy and delicious, what more could you want?

Roasted Beets w/ feta and dill

Serves: 6 as a side dish

2 ½ pounds beets, well scrubbed or peeled

2 tbsps olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

2 tsp dried dill

¼ cup crumbled feta

salt and pepper

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 450F. Chop beets into 1-inch cubes and toss with olive oil.

2. Spread the beets out evenly on a rimmed baking sheet. Roast, flipping once for 45-55 minutes or until beets are tender and easily pricked with a fork.

3. Toss hot beets with balsamic vinegar, dill, and feta. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Serve hot or cold.