For the Love of Spice

I love spicy food. Not always, mind, but when I get a craving for it – look out! I don’t care for just hot because there is no flavour. There is a difference between spicy and hot. I like spicy food to be flavourful – or as my niece calls it “Tasty.” The flavours have to melt on my tongue mingled with heat and little bit of sting. Now that is spicy food! Ooh la la!

When I get a craving for spicy food, I usually get it in the late afternoon on my way home from work as I am thinking of what to make for dinner if I haven’t made menus for the week. My go to spicy dish is Cajun chicken Caesar salad. It is easy and quick to make and the perfect combo with the Caesar dressing balancing out the heat of the spice on the chicken. I used to use a store bought Cajun spice mix, but I found that it was too salty and I would be downing several glasses of water throughout the evening after dinner. I looked endlessly for a low sodium alternative locally and also during my travels. On a trip to New Orleans twelve years ago I did find a very tasty Cajun spice mix, but alas, it was still a little too salty for my taste.

I was mentioning it to my mother one day and she said, “Why don’t you just make your own Cajun spice mix?” Hmmm. Why not? A light bulb went off and I was in the kitchen experimenting with different spices in the following weeks and searched the Internet for a low sodium/salt spicy/tasty version. In the end, I found an awesome combo of spices on the Canadian Living website that had very little salt:

1/4 cup paprika

1/4 cup dried parsley

2 tablespoons garlic powder

2 tablespoons dried oregano

2 tablespoons dried thyme

1 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper

You can add other spices or adjust the amounts above depending on what you like. I like to add more cayenne pepper and a little less parsley. Adjust according to your own flavour favourites or taste.

Here are a few pics of making my Cajun chicken Caesar salad for dinner tonight.

**Post Script:** Add the spice mix after you finish cooking your chicken/protein as this will prevent the spices from burning or going bitter when cooked too long.

All the spices before mixing.

Mixed.

Just put the chicken in a hot pan with a little oil.

Chicken cooking just before adding spice.

Romaine prepped and ready.

The final product.

National Banana Bread Day

Today is National Banana Bread Day and in honour of today I made - what else - banana bread.

As mentioned in my previous post, Monsieur Cuisine and I have been on the move and in that move I have gotten rid of a few things to make life simpler and also we had to downsize to move to a place downtown. What I did not realize until today is that I must have gotten rid of my loaf pans. Of course this problem did not surface until I needed said loaf pan to put the dough of the banana bread into. So, I improvised and made the banana bread in a cake tin and it turned out really well. A banana bread cake, if you will. Although I do have to say that I like it in the loaf shape. It is easier to freeze and is not that large so would fit in my now small freezer. Again, I improvised and cut it into quarters and froze it that way. All in all, it made for a tasty, moist and delicious bread to have with my evening tea.

Here are a few images of its progress as it was being made.

About to mix the dry and wet ingredients.

Ready to go into the oven.

Fresh from the oven!

Getting ready to cut into quarters.

Ate this with my tea. Had help from Monsieur Cuisine of course!

Food Memories

I came across a quote today on a great blog called Foodimentary. The quote said: "I strongly believe that culinary love is not about having a French Passport, but about what you feel." Albert Roux. I truly believe this. You do not need a fancy chef education to enjoy or make wonderful food. Be it French, Italian, Spanish, etc.; all you need is love of food and love of the taste of food.

My mother is Latina and all my favourite memories growing up were around a dinner table. Food was the main part of us all coming together to talk. We connected strongly and daily. We didn’t have much, but my mum made sure we had food – good food. She made a lot of it herself and when my Abuelita (that’s grandma to you English speakers) came to stay with us, she spent most of her day in the kitchen cooking up these delicious breakfasts, lunches and dinners. She made porridge taste so good, I never turned it down. And to this day, people are surprised to say I like porridge. It is all in how it is made. And like the quote, I have fond memories and feelings surrounding that time with my Abuelita.

I know I haven’t written in almost a year. I know, I know, it is inexcusable. I promise to try and write more this year. Monsieur Cuisine and I have been on the move (we moved three times in the last half of 2013 *irritated face*) so I have not been able to cook too much with my pots and pans in boxes. Now that we are settled again, I have been in the kitchen a little more and have been tweeting. Check out my twitter handle @Madame_Cuisine. I have also had to make a few dietary changes this last year: no dairy and cut down on gluten. It has been a bit of a challenge to say the least on the first change. I love yoghurt and cheese, so that has been tough. I am not a big bread fan anyway, so that adjustment has not been too hard.

So, here is to 2014. Here is to more writing, more cooking and sharing more with family and friends. And sharing with you of course!

Meatloaf you say?

I am not a fan of meatloaf. Never have been. I find that it just sits like a large lump of wet paper in my stomach after I eat it and then so begins a night of sipping ginger ale and popping antacids. So when I found a lighter recipe on Martha Stewart's website made with turkey, I was intrigued. Especially since one of the ingredients was fontina cheese. Well, anything cheese in general catches my attention. I printed it out and then made it.

For this recipe I used ground chicken breast instead of turkey as the supermarket was out of ground turkey. Next best thing I say if you cannot find the other.

Right! I set about putting the dish together and voila! I was so proud of myself I forgot to take a picture of the finished product! Good grief! Once tasted, it was devoured by Monsieur Cuisine and myself. Here are the pictures I did take though whilst putting it together. 

Browning the mushrooms.

 

Softening the leeks and garlic.

Mixing the sauteed mushrooms, leeks and garlic and then letting it cool.

Adding cheese, bread, egg and sage.

Mixing in Fontina, bread, egg and sage. Next add the meat.

Molded on the pan ready for the oven.

I served it with some steamed carrots and asparagus. It was delicious and it makes great sandwiches the next day for lunch.

So, am I a meatloaf convert? I have to say - with all honesty - no. Why? Well, it is still meatloaf isn't it? Will I make this particular recipe again - yes. And that is an honest answer. Just maybe not in the too near future.

Sharing

Signed the peitition.

Have you?

Baby, it’s finally cold outside!

There is an anonymous quote that says: "Bad weather always looks worse through a window." And yes, I totally agree.

The cold weather is finally upon us after a late start to a wonderfully warm and elongated summer. My poor grass is finally getting the water it craves and my garden is once again turning green and not a nice shade of brown. I welcome this cooler weather and I have to say that this is my favourite time of year and I love pulling out my sweaters and boots for walks in falling leaves and broody skies.

I do not get much snow where I live – if at all – and so when it rains or gets chilly, I turn to making stews, soups and hearty comfort food. My first stew of the season was a chicken stew that I made the other night and it is from a recipe my mum gave me. It’s a quick one and easy to make if you come home from work and do not know what to do with some leftover chicken, or you purchased an already roasted one from the market. This recipe is so simple; you will end up making it a lot through the winter.

And leftovers are even better the next day.

I usually serve this with rustic bread or sometimes garlic bread. If I make dumplings, I don’t do the bread as you do not want to have a carb overload. It’s great for lunches the next day and freezes well. Enjoy!

Here is what you will need:

1 whole roasted chicken, shredded (bones disposed of)

OR

4 – 5 already cooked boneless, skinless chicken breasts, shredded

1 medium onion, chopped

3 garlic cloves, finely chopped (or to taste; I sometimes add a half a bulb)

1 10 ounce package of mixed veggies

1 tsp. dried basil

½ tsp. ground black pepper

1 14 oz. can of chicken stock or bouillon made according to package directions (equalling water amount below)

3 – 4 cups water

¼ cup of flour

1 cup of milk

Dumplings (optional):

2 cups of flour

2 tsp. baking soda

¼ cup of milk

Put in broth, veggies, onion, water, pepper and basil into a large pot. Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer for 10-15 minutes or until veggies are firm, but not frozen.


Combine flour and milk.


Put in chicken and flour mixture. Bring to a boil again for about 5 minutes or until thickened. Serve with rustic bread.


Reduce heat to low if adding dumplings. Mix your flour, baking soda and milk until combined. Drop in tablespoon fulls of mixtures around pot. Cover with lid and simmer for 10 minutes. DO NOT lift the lid during this time. Serve hot.

Onions and basil in.

Mixed veggies, water and stock.

Milk and flour mixutre and chicken in.

Dumplings dropped in and ready to cook.

The finished maserpiece!

Ready to eat!

Less Sodium? Yes Please!

Monsieur Cuisine and I have decided to consume less sodium in our diet. I think this is a good start on the road to eating more healthy.

So, to start, we have decided to make our own tomato sauce. I usually do this anyway, but I do keep a back up bottle of pasta sauce handy just in case I do not have time to make sauce. But I've decided that I will not purchase bottled pasta sauce and make my own from now on.

I roasted some tomatoes today and have turned them into marinara sauce which will then go into the freezer for the next time I need it. I figure that if I do this every week for the next few weeks, I will build up enough of a supply of marinara and pasta sauce that I won't even notice that I don't have a back up bottle of pasta sauce in the cupboard. I have my back up in the freezer instead!

To roast tomatoes, cut into halves or quarters and lay on greased sheet (non-stick spray is best - lessens the calories). Take extra virgin olive oil and drizzle over top of tomatoes. Drizzle, not soak. Sprinkle 1 to 2 tablespoons of coarse sea salt over the pieces and then grind fresh pepper over them. Place on preheated oven of 425F. Roast for 45-50 minutes.

When making your marinara, you can add garlic, onions and mushrooms if you like; I do sometimes. Make sure you soften them in a bit of olive oil and butter. Or, you can just leave the sauce plain. Make sure when transferring the roasted tomatoes to a saucepan, you remove the skins. Don't worry, they'll come off easily. Add fresh or dried oregano and basil with a by leaf or two and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and let the sauce simmer gently for the next two to three hours. Once finished, remove the bay leaves and discard. Either serve with cooked pasta or put in containers and freeze up to four months.

I can use this sauce for not only spaghetti or other pasta, but also for lasagna or stuffed manicotti. Oh the possibilities are endless! I am looking forward to making this every week.

Ready for the oven with coarse extra virgin olive oil, sea salt and pepper.

Fresh out of the oven, steaming and juicy!

Looks delicious!

Softening the onions. Takes about 8 minutes. Don't brown them!

Add mushrooms about halfway through.

Add the garlic after the tomatoes so it doesn't burn and adds its great flavour.

How to wreck boiling water - by Frere Cuisine

My second brother (I have three) called me the other day and asked, "Sister, is it possible to wreck boiling water?" Pause. "Hello?"

After assuring him I was still on the line, I asked him to clarify what he meant by wreck boiling water. He explained he has a new girlfriend and wanted to impress her with his (lack of) culinary skills and so decided to make her - yup, you guessed it - mac and cheese. From a box. While I turned my nose up in disdain whilst simultaneously holding the phone to my ear, and glad he could not see my face, I asked him, "So what happened?" He said he put the water on to boil, with the heat on max and walked away. He got distracted and promptly forgot about it and set off the smoke detector when the water had boiled down and scorched his saucepan. Oh dear.

"Well," I said, "Your first and only mistake was to walk out of the kitchen." He agreed. I asked him what he did for dinner that night and he said that he feigned that his stove was on the fritz and took her out instead. Nice work.

Maybe you can wreck boiling water. I didn't think it was possible. I guess it is true that some children inherit genes from their parents and some don't. Frere Cuisine definitely did not inherit the cooking gene as my mother, my grandmother and great grandmother is, and have been, excellent cooks and I learned from each of them. Obviously, he did not.

In dedication to my brother, here is a picture of inspiration.

In the end, I went to his place, made a bunch of food for him, put it in the freezer and wrote instructions on how to heat up. And yes, the instructions included not to walk out of the kitchen while heating up his dinner. ;)

Greek food is the best!

I love Greek food. It has got to be one of the best cuisines in the world in my books. So, for my husband's work BBQ last weekend, I made indvidual spanakopitas and Greek salad. It was a vegetarian theme, so I think this will fit the bill quite nicely. The only thing that will not be homemade is the phyllo. Too tedious for me on a hot day to spend in the kitchen making phyllo. Store bought will do me just fine. And of course I did not grow the spinach myself.

My mum gave me this recipe and I've used it for years. You will need two packages of chopped frozen spinach that is thawed and drained. Fresh spinach will not do in this recipe as there is too much water and the frozen spinach works quite nicely. You will need dried dill (about 2 tbsp. or to taste) and about a half pound of feta - depending on how much feta you like to put in. I like a lot! Makes it really tasty. You will also need one large onion chopped, and olive oil for the pan and extra for brushing the phyllo with. Sometimes I use butter for brushing the phyllo for extra flavour, but if you are watching calories, use the olive oil. And finallly two large eggs to bind it all together.

First, put your olive oil in the pan at heat it over medium-high heat. Add the chopped onions and saute until soft - about 6-8 minutes. Next, add your thawed and drained spinach and saute for another 6-8 mins until warmed through and mixed well with the onions. Remove from heat, add the dill, mix well and let cool for about 10-15 minutes. Once cooled, add the feta and two eggs and mix well.

During this whole time, make sure your phyllo is thawed and ready use. Lay the phyllo flat on a work surface (a cool surface works well like a marble slab) and take two to three sheets at a time and brush inbetween layers with olive oil or butter. Cut into 5-6 thick strips. Place about 1-2 tablespoons of mix onto phyllo strip and fold into a triangle. Fold either corner up to the opposite side and then again the other way and continue folding until the strip is used and place on a parchment lined baking sheet. Continue until your mix is used up.

Once your baking sheet is full, brush tops of triangles with olive oil or butter and place in a preheated oven at 400F for about 12-15 minutes or until golden brown on edges and tops. Serve immediately with tzatziki. Pair with greek salad, grilled chicken breast and a Riesling or Sauvignon Blanc. Either will pair nicely.

Cheese and wine!

My BFF came over for a visit this last weekend and we had a fabulous time catching up. We decided to stay in and have some girl time and gossip over a delicious cheese plate and imbibe some great 2009 Shiraz from Jacob's Creek winery in Australia along with some water and butter crackers. Before we knew it, it was four hours later, the bottle was empty and the cheese was almost gone. The cracker plate had maybe half a dozen left on it. I did luckily take a picture of the plate before we descended upon it.

It contains a ripe Brie, a smoked Gouda and of course, garlic and herb Boursin - because no cheese plate is complete without this soft garlicy, herby goodness! So delicious paired with the fruit and wine.

My friend and I both come from backgrounds that conversation always centres around food and wine, and even though we had not seen each other for some time, it was like we saw each other only the day before. I so enjoyed my time and it made me realise I need to slow down and enjoy my time a little more. So that means! Da da da! More time in the kitchen! Because that is where I really enjoy being. In the mean time, enjoy the pic!

C is for Cookie

I love cookies and I love making them as much as I love eating them. Tonight I made a big batch of chocolate chip cookies and they are scrum-diddly-umptious! I mixed milk chocolate chips and peanut butter chocolate chips.

The recipe that I use came with my mixer and it only uses butter as the fat. I love it. It makes the most delicious cookies and they come out perfectly every time. I'm eating while I'm typing this and a cool glass of milk will wash them all down afterwards. Here are a few pics of them. Enjoy!

Fresh out of the oven and just perfect.

Mmmmm! These are so good!

Piling up to make room for the rest.

Lasagna - quintessential food any time of year

Tonight I'm making lasagna for dinner. I'm making the sauce from scratch so will be in the kitchen most of the afternoon. To get me through, I'll keep a picture in my head of a petite Italian woman with a flower print apron buzzing around her kitchen making her children's favourite dish and making everything from scratch. While I won't make everything from scratch, I will wear a similar apron and buzz around the kitchen filling the house will the smells of a saucy, cheesy lasagna and accompany it with garlic bread.

My mouth is watering as  I write this. Sauce is cooking away on the stove and I am ready to eat now. So much for my diet! I just should not try anymore....

I'll post pics later of my creation. For now, you'll have to content yourself with wanting to lick this picture of a saucy spoon. Enjoy!

UPDATE!

I've add these new photos of my lasagna and I've made a couple more since! It wa the best lasagna I've ever had. Seriously! If you have the time to make your own sauce, do. It is so worth it.