asian inspiration

a couple nights ago was mexican, last night was asian.  we are eating our way around the world in this house!  actually it's kind of exciting to be learning how to cook some different flavours and have them turn out not half bad.  while i think james still prefers anything with a mexican flare, i was quite taken with last night's dinner and amazed that i made something that tasty!

i was given a pack of short ribs a while ago when a friend moved away and i've never known what to do with them, so they've sat forgotten and lonely in the back of the freezer.  but when i stumbled upon this recipe last week, i knew they'd found their destiny (if they weren't too freezer burnt, which they thankfully weren't).  it's a slow cooker recipe so i got to smell it all day long (and wanted to gnaw my own arm off it smelled so good!) and any harm to the meat by being abandonned in the freezer was undone by 8 hours of cooking.  it was super tender and super tasty.  i served it with stir-fried edamame, which i'll post below.


Asian Slow Cooker Short Ribs - www.nourishingdays.com
prep time: 20 mins  cook time:  8 hours
serves 4-6

3/4 cup low sodium soy sauce or 1/3 regular - i used just over 1/3 cup regular and 1/3 cup water, but probably didn't need the water
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup rice vinegar
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 tbsp grated fresh ginger - i minced it instead
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes
2-3 lbs beef short ribs (about 4-6 ribs)
5 medium carrots, peeled and chopped into 2" pieces
1 medium cabbage, cored and cut into 8ths
1 tbsp sesame oil
4 scallions, thinly sliced - i misread this and used shallots - still getting used to some of these "strange" ingredients!  not to worry, tasted fine.

in a large pan, brown ribs on all sides over medium heat.
in a 4-6 quart slow cooker, combine soy sauce, honey, vinegar, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes.  add the browned ribs and carrots, in a single layer if possible.  top with cabbage.
cook on high for 4-6 hours on low or 7-8 hours on high.  after a few hours of cooking or before serving, stir the cabbage into the juices to distribute the flavour.
before serving, add salt as needed (none needed for us).  remove the bones from the ribs.  serve with a small drizzle of sesame oil and sprinkle with scallions.


mmmmm!  delicious.  the carrots and cabbage really picked up the flavours nicely.  and the meat... sooo good.  i think i will make the leftovers into a soup today - boil the bones for a while with some added veggies and the juices from last night, then chop up the leftovers nice and small and add a bit more seasoning if it needs it.  should make a lovely warm dinner for this blustery day!


this recipe would be great served over rice, but we've kinda had our fill of rice in the last few days, so i decided to make some edamame instead.  we found a big box of frozen edamame a while back at the grocery store and it's made a decent snack on more than one occasion.  i like that i can control how much salt goes onto it, not like ordering it in a sushi restaurant!  but i was flipping through a magazine yesterday and saw a recipe for stir-fried edamame that sounded interesting.  so as soon as i got home i looked it up online and sure enough, the seasonings were very similar to the short ribs and it looked quite easy to prepare.  i changed some ingredients to what we had on hand, but it turned out great!


Stir-Fried Edamame - adapted from Bon Appetite Magazine, Dec. 2008 and www.artoflivingwell.ca
prep time: 10 mins  cook time:  10 mins
serves 4

1 lb frozen edamame - recipe called for shelled but ours weren't.  whatev.
4 tsp low-sodium soy sauce - or regular, if you don't have low sodium
1 1/2 tsp sesame oil
1 tsp honey - recipe called for oyster sauce, of which i have none and no intention to buy for one small recipe.  i added honey because i like honey.  :)
1 clove finely chopped garlic
1" finely chopped fresh ginger
1 small shallot, cut paper thin - i added it because i had it and i'm glad i did!
1/2 tsp red pepper flakes - recipe called for hot sauce but i'm starting to prefer the controllable kick of red pepper flakes
1 tsp sesame seeds

cook the edamame according to directions on package.

in a saucepan, add soy sauce, sesame oil, honey, garlic, ginger, shallots, and red pepper flakes.  stir fry for a couple minutes, until everything is soft.  add the edamame and stir to coat with sauce.  sprinkle sesame seeds over top and serve immediately.


these had a great little kick to them - can't wait to snack on the leftovers later today!

sweet potato and black bean burritos

i recently rediscovered my mcc "simply in season" cookbook and i can't believe i didn't pull it out earlier in the winter!  it gives plenty of healthy recipes for each season, using the ingredients that are naturally bountiful at that time of year.  and since winter is not naturally bountiful in much other than cold or snow, it can be a challenge to eat healthy on a budget through the winter months.  but i've been trying recipes with root vegetables, squash, cabbage, carrots, and apples.  and flipping through the winter section of this cookbook the other day, i wanted to try almost everything i read!

i don't normally go in for anything that sounds mexican... but anything with "sweet potatoes" and "black beans" in the title wins me over right away.  this was a very simple recipe to make - cooking the sweet potatoes took the longest, but once that was done the rest fell together in about 5 minutes.  it's a meatless recipe but certainly not lacking in vitamins or protein.  not to mention it's very budget friendly - the most expensive bit was the sour cream, which you could certainly substitute plain yogurt for or skip all together.  and it was goooood!!  easy to prepare, nutritious, delicious, and not too hard on the wallet - score!  that's what we like to see in this house.


Sweet Potato and Black Bean Burritos - Simply in Season Cookbook, pg. 259
prep time: 10 mins  cook time: 20 mins
serves 4

3 cups sweet potatoes, peeled and diced
1/2 onion, chopped
1 tbsp oil
2 cups cooked black beans (or one can, drained and rinsed well)
1 tsp ground cumin
3/4 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt - i'd leave this out next time
8 flour tortillas

optional toppings:
grated cheddar cheese
lettuce
tomato
avacado
salsa
cilantro
sour cream

saute sweet potato and onion in oil in a large pan until just tender.  add water or apple juice as needed to prevent sticking (i added apple juice and it worked really well - i'll have to remember that trick).  add beans and spices and cook until heated through.  fill up your burritos however you like and enjoy!

you won't believe how delicious your kitchen will smell while this is cooking.  i don't totally love cumin but the cinnamon took over anyways and it smelled delicious.  the sweetness of the potatoes with that bit of cinnamon mixed with the mild beans and fresh veggies - this was a great dinner.  we're both looking forward to devouring the rest for lunch today.

apple chicken stew

yesterday, my dear dedicated husband drove for hours in the slush and the rain to bring home a new (to us) stove.  i wanted to have something yummy and warm ready for him when he got home, so out came the slow cooker.  i came across this recipe in an old cooking magazine from a thrift shop, and it's a gem!  it would make an ideal fall meal, or, the perfect dinner for a rainy day in january and a cold and tired husband.  :)

the only thing i wasn't crazy for in this recipe was the amount of chicken it took, and how much that chicken cost!  i might try this again with turkey leftovers from a holiday, or maybe just with cheaper cuts of chicken, like boneless thighs.  although the chicken breasts sure do taste delicious in there, and just fall apart by the time the stew is done... soooo yummy.


Apple Chicken Stew - Taste of Home's Quick Cooking Magazine, Nov/Dec 2001, pg. 37
prep time: 30 mins  cook time: 4-5 hours
serves 4-6

4 medium potatoes, cubed
4 medium carrots, thickly sliced
1 medium red onion, quartered and sliced
1 celery rib, sliced - i used 2
1-1/2 tsp salt
3/4 tsp dried thyme
1/2 tsp pepper
1/4 to 1/2 tsp caraway seeds
2 lbs (about 900g) boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
2 tbsp olive oil
1 large tart apple, peeled and cubed - i used a big granny smith and didn't peel it
1 1/4 cups apple cider or apple juice - i used juice but i bet cider would be delicious
1 tbsp cider vinegar
1 bay leaf
minced fresh parsley

in a slow cooker, layer potatoes, carrots, onion and celery.  mix salt, thyme, pepper, and caraway seeds together and sprinkle half over the vegetables (i didn't find they "mixed" well - the salt all sat at the bottom and the spices on top.  so next time i'd just sprinkle half of each over the veggies without mixing).

in a skillet, saute chicken in olive oil until just browned.  transfer to slow cooker.  top with chopped apple.

combine apple cider/juice and vinegar and pour over chicken and apple.  sprinkle with remaining spice mixture and top with bay leaf.

cover and cook on high for 4-5 hours or until vegetables are tender and chicken juices run clear.  discard bay leave, give a good stir, and serve with fresh parsley.


faaaaantastic.  this is going to be a new favourite in our house for sure.  it thickened up more than i was expecting.  i couldn't really taste the apple but the caraway seeds really added a nice flavour.  i cooked up a bunch of rice to serve with it because there was a chance of visitors for dinner and i hoped it would stretch it out farther, which it certainly did.  we'll be enjoying leftovers tonight!

warm spinach salad

this is a remix of the spinach and pine nuts from our trout meal the other night.  we couldn't get enough of that stuff!  but what about making it more of a meal on it's own?  it was about half way through preparing the spinach that i realized i basically had all the ingredients for a traditional spinach salad, only it was hot instead of cold.  and i loved it.  :)


Warm Spinach Salad
prep time: 10 mins  cook time: 15mins
serves 2-4

2ish tbsp olive oil
1 jumbo package baby spinach leaves (about 650g)
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 small package button mushrooms, sliced
1-2 cups cooked chick peas, or 1 can drained & rinsed well
1-2 cups cooked rice (optional - husband went for it, i abstained)
1/2 cup grated old cheddar cheese
1-2 hard boiled eggs, sliced
sprinkling of sunflower seeds or whatever nut you are nuts about

heat a bit of olive oil in a large skillet.  add 1/2 the minced garlic.  saute 1/2 the baby spinach until it's wilted but still bright green.  transfer to a bowl and repeat with the rest of the garlic and spinach.

next, adding more oil as needed, saute the mushrooms until cooked through, then transfer them to the spinach bowl.  then add a bit more oil and cook the chickpeas until heated through.  add the spinach and mushrooms, sprinkle with sunflower seeds or nuts, and cook until warmed.

here was where i wondered... if this really is a salad, what's the dressing?  should i add a splash of balsamic vinegar, or something sweet?  i opted not to, assuming the garlic would add enough flavour, which it did.  but if you try this and do add some sort of dressing, please let me know what you tried and how it turned out!

serve over rice (if you want a more filling meal), top with grated cheese and sliced egg.  enjoy!


what a healthy little lunch!  definitely high in protein and calcium, not to mention a good dose of vitamins.  i quite prefer it to cold spinach salads, especially during the winter!

the real food revolution

i have been trying to figure out how to pin down my particular beliefs about what's nutritious and what's not.  i've never been one for fad diets - i tend to think everything in moderation is decent rule.  well, everything that's real food anyways.

so maybe that sums it up right there - real food.  stuff that was alive in the not-too-distant past and has an origin i can track.  or, at the very least, a list of ingredients i can pronounce and picture in my head.  that's why i'm trying to do more cooking at home - at least i know what goes into that food.  nothing extra to make it last longer or look more colourful or taste more addictive.

to know how much real food you and your family are eating, think about where you do the majority of your grocery shopping - are you an inside aisle or an outside aisle shopper?  the inside aisles contain most of the processed foods - canned, bottled, boxed, and frozen foods.  the outside aisles contain most fresh foods - produce, meats, dairy, and baked goods.  i was so excited to go grocery shopping yesterday and realized i only stepped into the inside aisles twice - once for pasta sauce and once for spices.  my shopping lists keep getting fresher.

i'd love to go even further and become a local foodie - grow or buy local produce, find local meat providers, a local dairy, etc.  but... small town, small valley, limited budget, limited options.  though there are some - when james goes hunting, we can end up with enough fresh, untainted meat to last us for a year.  same with fishing.  in the summer, a fruit truck comes to town from the next valley over and we can get some delicious produce.  or we can go berry picking when we travel.  almost anyone can get to a farmers market, which is absolutely the best place to shop (except at ours which sells furniture and pies and almost nothing that came from a farm or garden).  when we look for them, there are opportunities to choose real food over convenience for little or no difference in price.

as a friend put it the other day, "let's face it, we all basically know what we should or should not be eating".  we should be eating real food prepared by our own hands as often as we can.  you don't have to be a certified dietician to know that fruit and vegetables are good for you - eat lots of those.  whole grains are good for you too, so find more ways to eat them.  people have different opinions about meat and dairy, but they aren't too bad if you eat them in moderation, and you do need the nutrition they contain.   limit your sugar, limit your salt, limit your fat.  don't depend on vitamins and supplements to feed your body things you can get at the grocery store.  refined foods are bad.  processed foods are bad.  fast and convenience foods are bad.  eat real food!

squash with cranberry rice stuffing

we made this recipe a while ago and i LOVED it!  i should have posted it over christmas (instead of eating cookies every day) because it's a lovely holiday dish.  my apologies.  it would make a great side dish, but it also makes a decent light lunch.  not to mention it's a great way to cook in season, using the abundance of squash in the stores this time of year.


Squash with Cranberry Rice Stuffing
adapted from:  Sobey's Inspired Magazine, Fall 2010
prep time: 20 mins   cook time: 60 mins

1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp salt, divided
2 tbsp melted butter, divided - or your favourite low fat alternative
2 acorn squash, halved and seeded - save those seeds!  see below.
2 tsp olive oil
1/2 small onion, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/2 cup chopped walnut halves - high in omega-3's!  yum
2 tbsp dried cranberries - kudos if you dried your own, we keep meaning to but haven't yet
1/2 cup long grain and wild rice - we just used brown basmati, the wild rice is a bit too pricey, but would be ooooh so delicious
1 tbsp fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried
fresh ground black pepper to taste
2/3 cup water

preheat the oven to 350.  combine brown sugar, half the salt, and half the butter in a small bowl.  place acorn squash halves cut side up on a baking sheet.  brush the butter and sugar mixture evenly inside squash.  cover with foil and bake for 1 hour or until tender.

heat olive oil in a medium saucepan and saute onion for 2 mins.  stir in garlic, walnuts, cranberries, rice, half the thyme, the rest of the salt, and pepper.  saute for another minute.  add water and bring to a simmer.  cover and cook on low for 20 minutes or until rice is tender.

fill cooked squash halves with cooked rice mixture.  drizzle each half with remaining butter and thyme.  cover with foil and return to oven for 5 mins before serving.

YUMMY!


bonus recipe!

Roasted Squash Seeds

my mom always roasted the pumpkin seeds for us when we were kids and now i always roast my pumpkin or squash seeds.  they take a bit of preparation but i simply can't bare the thought of throwing them away now when i know such a delicious treat is waiting!

separate the seeds from the guts.  rinse the seeds well and then spread them out on a baking sheet and allow them to dry completely (i usually leave them overnight).  once dry, drizzle them with oil, sprinkle with salt, and bake at 350-375 until golden.  stir them at least once and keep an eye on them - if they start popping, they're done.

if you want, get fancy and add some seasonings.  garlic powder, spices, whatever you like.  this time, i added brown sugar and cinnamon and i might never go back!

sausage pasta bake

sometimes you just gotta get something on the table.  nothing fancy, just something to feed us and keep that temptation to order in at bay.  this recipe did the trick for us the other night.  i liked how easy it was to make, not to mention how cost effective.  i also liked that i could tweak a few ingredients to boost the overall nutritional value.  i used my last container of chickpea and veggie pasta sauce, and whole wheat pasta and bread crumbs.  i would have gone for low-fat cheese as well, but we had some old cheddar in the fridge that needed to be used up, so that'll have to wait til next time.  i'm not sure there's any way to make the sausage better for you... but i take comfort in the fact that one serving probably contains about a third of a regular sausage anyways... so it's not too bad.  it was really tasty.  i just might have to try this one out at our next potluck!


Sausage Pasta Bake 
adapted from:  Sobey's Inspired Magazine, Fall 2010
prep time:  10 minutes  cook time: 25 mins
serves 6

1 package of rigatoni, penne, or whatever floats your pasta boat - i always buy whole wheat pasta and am excited to see that it's now no more expensive than regular pasta
3 1/2 cups pasta sauce - i used my own, if you use store bought, try to find something with as many natural ingredients and veggies as possible (if you can't read the ingredient list, put it back on the shelf!)
2 sausages - the recipe called for spicy ones, so by all means, spice it up if you like
1/3 cup fresh basil, or 1 about tbsp dried
1/4 cup fresh parsley, or 1 about tbsp dried
2 tbsp bread crumbs - again, whole wheat if you've got em
1/3 cup cheese - the recipe called for bocconcini - i have no idea what that is.  i used cheddar because we had some, mozzarella would likely be divine.  i grated mine, you could lay it in slices if you like.

preheat the oven to 425.  cook the pasta according to directions until just barely done.  drain well, reserving 1/2 cup pasta water.  pour pasta into an oiled 9x11 baking dish.

in a separate bowl, combine pasta sauce, pasta water, 1/2 basil leaves, and all the parsley (i didn't do the pasta water thing because my sauce was already a little soupy.  let me know if you try it though).  pour evenly over the pasta.

squeeze sausages out of their casings and slice thinly.  scatter over top of pasta.  sprinkle with bread crumbs and cheese and bake for about 15 minutes or until bubbly.  add the rest of the basil leaves, serve and enjoy!

panfried trout with spinach

holy healthy dinner batman!!  i'm not sure my body knows how to handle something this good after all the junk i've been eating lately, but our dinner tonight was too good not to share.

james and i were given two fresh trout yesterday (fresh like they were still swimming yesterday.  yum!) but i didn't really have any idea what to do with it.  so i did a little research and found a recipe that didn't look too difficult and... amazing!  i want to send james out ice fishing just so we can make this again and again!  and someday, when we have a garden and can grow our own spinach, we'll be laughing all the way to the dinner table!  i'm so glad i now know a quick and easy way to cook this yummy fish.


Panfried Trout with Spinach
prep time:  20 mins  cook time: 30 mins
source:  epicurious.com

1 cup yellow cornmeal
4 8oz trout fillets - skin on or off, doesn't matter
3 tbsp olive oil - more if you skip the butter below
1 1/4 lb baby spinach - i used two of the jumbo plastic tubs, about 600g
1/4 cup unsalted butter - you can fry it in olive oil if you prefer.  i might try the butter next time.
1/4 cup pine nuts, toasted
salt and pepper to taste
2 cloves garlic, minced - in reading the comments on the website, this sounded like a great addition.

to toast pine nuts:  preheat oven to 350.  spread the pine nuts in a shallow baking dish and bake for 5-10 minutes, or until lightly browned.

put cornmeal on a large plate.  lightly pat fish with paper towels, season with salt and pepper, then coat both sides with cornmeal.

heat 1 tbsp olive oil in a large skillet over medium heat.  here's where you add the garlic - add about a third and saute to flavour the oil.  saute one third of the spinach, stirring constantly, until slightly wilted but still bright green - about 30 seconds.  transfer cooked spinach to a bowl and continue sauteing spinach in batches until done.  season with salt (or not).


wipe skillet with a paper towel and then heat 2 tbsp butter until melted.  saute two fillets, skin side down first, over medium heat.  turn once and cook until golden brown and just cooked through (fish flakes easily).  repeat with remaining butter and fillets.

divide spinach among plates and top with pine nuts and fish, then drizzle with leftover browned butter from pan.


we cooked up a cup of brown rice as well and served the spinach and fish on top.  it was divine.  easy to make, tasty to eat, pretty to look at, and mind-blowingly healthy.  i had no idea trout was high in omega-3 fatty acids (just like salmon), not to mention iron and protein.  and you can't beat all the calcium, iron, and vitamin c in spinach.  the pine nuts were super tasty too.

finally!  eating well again feels great!

ps: sorry my pictures kinda suck.  the flash died on our camera... 

homemade granola

there has been a definite shortage of healthy eating going on in this house lately.  what with christmas dinners (we've had five turkey dinners...gobble gobble), travel (ugh, healthy travel eating requires a lot of planning), not to mention all the "gifts" of candy and cookies and fudge...  yikes.  the kid's not the only one who has grown in the last month!  delicious eating, yes.  healthy... um no.  absolutely not.  i haven't been able to post one single recipe for the shame.

but it's january AND it's monday, so all things are new again and it's beyond time to get back to eating sensibly.  and that means this morning i'm making granola.  i first tried it a month or so ago and james and i both gobbled it up like it was goin outta style.  i'm not much of a breakfast fan, but this is so good!  and pretty easy to make too.  i haven't done the math to figure out if it's cheaper than buying boxed cereal or granola... but i'm tempted to believe it is at least comparable (we usually go through 2 boxes of cereal a month, which can run around $10-14).  this is certainly a much healthier alternative and i like that i can adjust it to whatever i happen to have on hand (keeping those cupboards cleaned out!).

i can't take any credit for this recipe.  i stole it from a dear friend and supermom of three delightfully rambunctious little boys (so you know it's well kid-tested).  thanks anita!  :)


Homemade Granola
prep time: 10-20 mins  cook time: 30-60 mins (depending on how much you make)
use the recipe as a base - figure out how much you want and adjust it accordingly.  i think i use about 8 cups of oatmeal and it makes enough to satisfy us for a month.

note: you can buy most of these ingredients in the bulk section to save cash.

2 cups rolled oats - anita's tip: quick oats work better than traditional
1 cup nuts - walnuts and almonds are yummy
1/3 cup sesame seeds
1/2 cup pumpkin seeds
1/4 cup oil - not olive - anita uses canola, i loooove coconut oil if i have it, but it's a bit pricey.  
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup raisins
other options:
dried fruit
sunflower seeds
flax seeds
oat bran
wheat germ

mix the oats, nuts & seeds (including oat bran & wheat germ, if using).  add the oil and honey.  pour into a large roasting pan and bake at 300, stirring every 10 mins until your desired 'doneness'.  be careful not to over cook it (unless you like really crunchy granola).

when cool, add raisins and any dried fruit.  we still have some dried blueberries and apricots from the summer that i think i will leave on the table for when we're feeling extra flavourful.  cranberries would be nice.  actually, i bet any fresh fruit would be wonderful too (pomegranate seeds are great).

store in airtight containers.  serve with milk, soy, yogurt, ice cream, fresh fruit, etc... prepare to be delighted every single day until you run out.  :)