Pumpkin Puree
Since yesterday was Halloween, and I decided buying 3 pie pumpkins was a good idea, I spent my time, in between handing out treats, getting my pumpkin puree ready. Funny story about our trick or treaters…. A friend had told us that a street just up from us had 300 kids last year! This is the first year, since our daughter was born, that it wasn’t raining on Halloween. So, I decided to go out and get more candy, just in case. I was prepared for the masses!!! 45 kids came. I guess we like to do things in excess, because now we have lots of pumpkin puree too! I really hope my family embraces the pumpkin flavor! 🙂
Start with mini pumpkins. Those big ol’ Jack O’ Lanterns are too big.
Slice off the tops and then slice them down the center. Scoop out all of the seeds and the pulp. Save those seeds to roast! Once they are cleaned out, quarter them.
Roast at 350 F for about 1 hour. Because I had so many to roast, they were in the oven for 75 minutes. If the skin side is tender to the touch, they are done. The flesh will feel firm, almost like it’s not done, so don’t trust that side to know it’s doneness.
When still warm, the skin will peel off pretty easily. Use a food processor or blender to puree the flesh. My pumpkins were really dry, so I had to add water. I probably added about 5 tablespoons total. You don’t want to add too much, or your puree will be too watery.
Ta da! I reserved 2 cups in the fridge and froze the rest for later use.
Enjoy!
(Source: Adapted from: Homemade Pumpkin Puree)
Kid Friendly Asian Lettuce Wraps
For tonight’s meal, I made Asian lettuce wraps. Nothing crazy-new, but just that little bit different. At first, my daughter was like, no way! But, then she watched my husband and I assemble our wraps, and she wanted to give it a try. She liked it instantly. *** Proud mommy moment ***
Don’t mistake that face for disgust. That’s lettuce crunching action!
We didn’t get home until about 5:30PM tonight. Despite the steps to making these wraps, we were sitting down, eating, by 6:30PM, Not bad, I’d say! But, if you do have time, prepping the chicken in advance would save you some! What I liked the most about these wraps, particularly for kids, was that they weren’t spicy. In fact, the sauce to pour over top of them was a bit sweet. I liked it enough to share the recipe with you. 🙂
Here’s what you need to do….
Asian Lettuce Wraps
Stir Fry Sauce
2 tablespoons honey
1 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
Dipping Sauce
1/4 cup honey
1/2 cup warm water
2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons rice wine vinegar
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon freshly squeezed lemon juice
1/8 teaspoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
Chicken Stir Fry
1 tablespoon canola oil
1 tablespoon sesame oil
6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs
1/2 can, drained, water chestnuts, diced
1/2 cup mushrooms
1/2 cup finely diced yellow onion
2 cloves garlic, minced
Cabbage leaves or Iceberg lettuce leaves
Directions:
Prepare the stir fry sauce in a small bowl and set aside.
To prepare the dipping sauce, add the ingredients, and bring to a simmer on medium heat. Cook for about 5 minutes. Set aside for serving.
For the stir fry, add both oils to a hot skillet, set to medium-high. Add chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 10 minutes. Drain all excess liquid. Pour in the Stir Fry Sauce. Add all other ingredients, except for the lettuce leaves, and let cook for about 5 minutes.
Serve with lettuce leaves. Enjoy!!
(Source: Adapted from Skinny Ms)
Birth Of This Blog
On July 4th, 2014, I lost one of the true loves of my life when my son, David, was born prematurely at 23 weeks. He lived only a day, but impacted me greatly, and still does. In an effort to connect, heal, and find myself again, I have turned to one of my passions…cooking and baking. So, here goes!
Sweet & Sour Meatballs
Last week, I made 5 pounds worth of all-purpose meatballs, so that I could have them at the ready, for quick, but not-tasting-quick, meals! Ree Drummond, aka The Pioneer Woman, is among my faves on the Food Network, and the meatball recipe, as well as this variation on them, is all hers. I’ve altered nothing, except allowing more time than she suggests for the sauce to reduce and thicken up. My almost-4-year-old daughter loved this dish, my husband loved this dish, and I, especially, loved how quickly it all came together! This dish (and these meatballs!) is one to put on the rotation list!!! A definite keeper!!!
Here’s what you need to do:
Sweet & Sour Meatballs
1/2 cup brown sugar, loosely packed
1/2 cup rice wine vinegar
1/4 cup ketchup
1 tablespoon soy sauce
2 1/4 cups pineapple juice
1 tablespoon cornstarch
1 20-25 count bag of Meatballs (frozen is fine)
1 tablespoon of sriracha hot sauce (optional)
1 cup of drained small pineapple chunks
Steamed rice, for serving
1-2 tablespoons sliced green onions, for garnish (optional)
In a large skillet, over medium-high heat, add the first 5 ingredients listed and bring to a boil. Remove about 1/4 cup of the liquid from the skillet and add to that the cornstarch and stir until combined. Add this mixture back into the sauce. Whisk the sauce to remove any lumps. Bring sauce to a simmer. Add sriracha at this time, if desired. Cover and cook, until sauce has thickened, about 15 minutes. Stir in the pineapple chunks. Serve with rice.
Enjoy!
(Source: Ree Drummond’s Sweet and Sour Meatballs)
The Mighty Meatball
I haven’t blogged much lately. After my year on leave after losing my baby boy, I had the summer with my daughter to spend how we wanted. She was out of preschool and I had finally felt like I could enjoy my time with her. On July 4th, 2015, we threw the best memorial birthday bash we possibly could for my angel baby boy, David. He would have been proud. I know his sister was. That day was healing for me. A bright light on what could have been a very dark day.
Since then, I have returned to work as a teacher. Crazy early mornings, long days, short nights, and it’s a good thing. Because of the very little time I have in the evenings, being organized for my week ahead is a must. I came across this meatball recipe from one of my favorite bloggers and Food Network chef, Ree Drummond. The best part about making these meatballs is the variety you get from them: Sweet ‘n Sour Meatballs, BBQ Meatballs, Swedish Meatballs, Spaghetti & Meatballs…. It’s practically endless!
I followed this recipe to a T and, as usual, Ree didn’t disappoint. They’re great! I’m so glad I have them as a go-to in my freezer!!
Here’s what you need to do:
The Mighty Meatball
5 pounds ground beef
1 1/2 cups plain breadcrumbs
1/2 cup milk
1/4 cup heavy cream
1/4 cup chopped fresh flat-leaf parsley
2 tablespoons grainy mustard
1 teaspoon each salt & pepper
1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional)
4 large eggs
2 tablespoons olive oil
Combine all of the ingredients in a bowl, except the olive oil. Using your hands, combine the ingredients until well blended. If you have one handy, use a scoop to help shape each meatball. Otherwise, use a tablespoon. Roll each meatball into uniform balls. Place on parchment paper, and flash freeze for 10-15 minutes prior to cooking, so that they are less likely to fall apart.
To brown, heat a skillet over medium-high heat, with 2 tablespoons of olive oil (that is all you will need to cook the whole batch). Make sure to brown the meatballs in batches, so as not to overcrowd the pan. You don’t want the meatballs to touch. Brown on all sides, about 5-10 minutes. Remove onto a paper towel lined plate to drain off the excess oil.
To freeze, place the cooked and cooled meatballs on a baking sheet, lined with parchment, in a single layer, into the freezer, and allow the meatballs to freeze slightly. Then, transfer into a freezer bag and store. For my family, I only needed 20 per bag, which actually ended up being too many for 3 people. 15 per bag would be plenty for a family of 3. 🙂
Enjoy!
(Source: Ree Drummond’s All-Purpose Meatballs)
Cheesy Sausage Pasta
On such a rainy, cool June day, something warm and comforting seemed, not only appropriate, but necessary!! This is the coldest June I can ever remember! I wish my running were better, because it is definitely a good month for that!! But, running, at least for me, was not happening today. With the forecast calling for ‘buckets of rain’, our basic plan for the day was staying in, keeping cozy, and watching movies!! We did manage to get to the St. Lawrence Market this morning, before the rain started.
The St. Lawrence Market is one of our favorite places to go on a Saturday morning. There are farmers markets in different areas of the city every day in Toronto, but none as big as the St. Lawrence Farmers Market on Saturdays. Our typical Saturday there involves a breakfast sandwich, smoothie and wandering around buying local fruit, veg and meat.
Today, among other things, we bought local sausage from the Tanjo Family Farm, located in Millbank, Ontario. When we were following the Whole 30 program, and were craving sausages, we couldn’t find ANY without added sugar! Until we happened upon the Tanjo Family Farm. They don’t add any sugar to their sausages. They even had the ingredients listed for us to make sure. They were the best tasting sausages EVER! Needless to say, we like these guys. They tend to sell out of their product, so we had get there early to make sure we could get some. Today, we got 6 Italian sausages and a 3 pound pork shoulder! I’m excited about the pork shoulder, and have a recipe in mind! I’ll share that later. 🙂
With all the rain today, going outside to grill sausages just wasn’t going to happen. As I was thinking of what to make for a late lunch, I realized I had everything to make a yummy, warming, pasta! The sausage would work perfectly!! If you have any on hand, feel free to add in some arugula or spinach. Would be a great addition!!!
Here’s what to do:
Cheesy Sausage Pasta
3 Italian sausages, casings removed
1 large shallot, diced
500 ml marinara sauce
1 whole Buffalo mozzarella, cubed
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
Olive oil
Salt & pepper to taste
Shelled pasta (or whatever pasta ya got!)
Boil pasta in salted water until al dente. Set aside. Saute shallots in olive oil, add sausage and about 1/2 teaspoon of salt and some pepper. Stir occasionally, until sausage is cooked through. Add marinara sauce and allow the sauce and the sausage to get to know each other for a bit. Just before adding the pasta, add the mozzarella cheese. It will melt pretty quick! Add pasta, parmesan cheese and season with salt and pepper, if needed.
Enjoy this ooey, gooey goodness!
(Source: Boss Of The Apple Sauce)
Prosciutto Egg Cups
I haven’t made a post in such a long time, I almost don’t know what to do! Almost. My husband, Michael, and I successfully completed the whole 30 program back in May. We did well! I was just talking to a friend today that is doing the Whole 30 and is struggling with food prep for the week, along with juggling work and life. It was definitely the hardest part of following that plan, and I cook a lot! I am also currently on leave from my ‘real’ job as a teacher. Cooking breakfast alone, the way I was cooking breakfasts while on the Whole 30, would’ve been such a struggle, if I had to also worry about getting out the door for work. I probably would’ve had to get up really early, and I don’t do really early very well. Kudos, Katie, you’re doing awesome!
These prosciutto egg cups are so easy and so tasty, they are the perfect brunch item for a large crowd! Granted, wrapping the prosciutto in the muffin cups can be a bit time intensive when you’re doing many, but it’s worth it in the end. Here’s what happened…
BEFORE you line the muffin cups with prosciutto, spray each cup with an olive oil spray. This step will save your life in clean up!
Crack one egg into each cup and season with salt and pepper.
Bake at 375 for 15 minutes and done! They will seem really loose and underdone, but just trust that they are done. Wrap that one around your brain!
Use a flexible spatula to help release the prosciutto from the sides of the pan and it should remove itself easily. If you’re on the Whole 30, or not, serve with a side of roasted sweet potatoes. Yummy!!
Here’s what you need to do:
Prosciutto Egg Cups
Equipment
- Muffin Tin
Ingredients
- Olive oil spray
- 1 slice of prosciutto for each cup you need
- 1 egg for each cup lined with prosciutto
- Salt & pepper
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375 F.
- Spray muffin tin generously with oil.
- Line as many cups as you need with 1 slice of prosciutto for each cup.
- Crack one egg into each cup.
- Season with salt and pepper.
- Bake for 15 minutes.
- Enjoy!!
Notes
Chicken Salad Lettuce Wraps
Chicken salad may seem mundane and boring, but this one is different! It has natural sweetness from the apple and a crunch from the almonds. It’s satisfying and healthy and a keeper of a recipe! When you are following a food plan that eliminates dairy, finding something to eat that is creamy is kind of special! Here’s what happened…
First things first, if you can’t eat sugar, you need to make homemade mayo. If you can, store bought mayonnaise will work just fine here.
Here’s what you need to do..
Chicken Salad
2 boneless skinless chicken breast, cubed and seasoned with salt and pepper
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 shredded carrots
1 diced celery stalk
1 large apple, diced
1/4 cup almonds, chopped
2 to 3 tablespoons homemade mayonnaise, or store bought
1 or 2 scallions, diced
Paprika (optional)
In a non-stick pan, cook chicken in olive oil until cooked through. Allow to cool slightly. Add the carrots, celery, apple and mix together. Add mayonnaise and adjust the amount if you feel it needs more. Just before serving, add in the almonds, scallions and salt and pepper, if necessary. Sprinkle with paprika. Serve with romaine lettuce leaves.
Enjoy!
(Source: adapted from https://goodcheapeats.com/2013/04/chicken-salad-wraps/|)
Homemade Mayonnaise
I’ve made this recipe several times, since starting the Whole 30 program and I think I will make it forever! Who needs mayonnaise with added sugar if you don’t need it?! Having a food processor to facilitate this recipe is a necessity, in my opinion. You could do it by hand and get a serious arm work out. If you do, let me know!
There is raw egg yolk in this recipe, so the longest it will keep is about a week. If you feel uncomfortable using raw eggs, use pasteurized eggs. We buy our eggs from a local farmer, so they are pretty fresh and have worked well for us! I always double this recipe, but you can make a single batch, if that’s all you need.
Here’s what you need to do…
2 egg yolks
4 teaspoons white wine vinegar
4 teaspoons lemon juice
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 1/2 cups light olive oil
In the bowl of a food processor, combine the yolks, vinegar, lemon juice and salt and blend till combined. While the food processor is running, slowly add the oil, allowing the mixture to emulsify. Transfer to a container with an airtight lid and store in your refrigerator for about 7 days.
Enjoy!
(Source: adapted from: https://goodcheapeats.com/2013/04/homemade-mayonnaise/)
Cardamom Sugar Cookies
Having a go-to sugar cookie recipe is about as important as having that little black dress at the ready in your closet. It’s a necessity! I have been making these sugar cookies for years and the cardamom is the not-so-secret ingredient that elevates these from the ‘Oh, a sugar cookie. Nice.’ to the “Mmmm….these taste great! What’s in these?’ The cardamom gives a little je ne sais quoi to the batter. They’re sweet, but not too sweet, with a hint of spice.
In a pinch, you can use a glaze or frosting to quickly decorate your cookies, or if you have the time, use my royal icing recipe, and have a little fun with your decorating!
A friend of mine asked me to help her out with some cookies for a Dr. Seuss themed baby shower. I, of course, knew I would use this sugar cookie recipe and got started on what turned out to be a pretty big project! Here’s what happened…
I was so focused on the decorating of these cookies, that I took very few pictures of the process of making the cookie batter. My bad! It’s easy to make, you just need to give yourself enough time, as it has to set in the fridge for 1 to 2 hours. I have left the discs of batter in the refrigerator overnight as well, and it has been fine. The batter will seem as hard as a rock just out of the fridge, but not to worry, it will soften.
Roll your batter out to a 1/4 inch thickness. For uniformity’s sake, make sure you roll out your batter as evenly as possible or you will have some cookies that cook too quickly and others that don’t cook quickly enough! You can use whatever shape you want to make your cookies. Because of the theme I was following, I did a baby onesie cookie.
These were pretty generous in size, which worked out well, since they were the favors for the baby shower, and since everyone was only getting 1 cookie each, it was important they be substantial. I had to make a lot of cookies! I think I did 4 batches of sugar cookies. I’ve blocked it from my mind.
I’m going to get straight to the recipe of these sugar cookies and then I will share with you how I decorated them!
Cardamom Sugar Cookies
1 cup unsalted butter, room temperature*
3/4 cup granulated sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 teaspoons vanilla extract
2 cups all-purpose flour
3/4 teaspoon cardamom
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon nutmeg
Preheat oven to 325 F.
Combine your flour, cardamom, salt and nutmeg in a separate bowl and set aside. Using a hand or stand mixer, blend your butter and sugar together until combined. Add in your egg and vanilla and mix. Turn your mixer to its lowest setting and add your flour mixture slowly until all of the powdered mixture is combined. Divide batter into two discs, wrap and chill for 1 to 2 hours.
On a lightly floured surface, roll out one disc at a time to a 1/4 inch thickness. Use desired cookie cutter shape and, if necessary, use a spatula to help lift the cookie onto a parchment-lined cookie sheet.
If batter gets so soft that it is sticking to your surface, let it set for a little bit in the fridge.
Bake for 12-15 minutes. Cookies should look only slightly browned on the sides.
*Salted butter also works just fine
Enjoy!
(Source: https://www.foodnetwork.ca/recipe/cardamom-sugar-cookies/4014/)
Okay…now for the fun part! Decorating!! I had to do some research on exactly what I was wanting to do as ‘the cookie’ for these favors. I had hoped to do the Cat in the Hat’s hat as the cookie, but it was impossible to find that shaped cookie cutter, unless I ordered one (which I did, but it came about a week late). So, I decided to go with a ‘Thing 1, Thing 2’ idea and got started.
To begin, I made lots of royal icing. Once I had that ready, I could start adding my color. I knew I needed black, red, blue, and white.
When you are working with royal icing, remember to keep it covered when you aren’t using it or it will begin to harden. I covered my bowls of icing with a damp towel. When I wasn’t using a piping bag that still had icing in it, I put it in a ziplock bag or wrapped it in a damp washcloth.
I went to a local cake decorating store and got these colors. These are gel food colors and I find they work best in giving you the color you hope to achieve. I didn’t end up using the white food coloring because my icing was white enough. I bought it more for intrigue, but didn’t need to use it.
Your color will darken the longer it sits, so it’s really important to keep that in mind, especially if you are trying to achieve a lighter shade. The only colour I needed to be careful with was the blue, as I wanted it to stay in a lighter, baby shade. I, obviously needed the black, well…black! And I needed a deep shade of red.
While I have a set of piping bags of my own, I bought disposable ones, as I knew with such dark colors, it would make a huge mess and I preferred just tossing them away once I was finished, than having to worry about cleaning them.
I started by outlining each cookie with black icing. Once they were set, I started to fill them in. Don’t worry if they aren’t all well piped. Will give your cookies more character!
Before you begin this step, it’s necessary that you thin your icing with some warm water. Only a very little!! You can always add more, but you can’t take away! The idea is, you want to add enough water into your icing, so that if you ran a toothpick through it, the line from the toothpick would fade away. If your icing is too runny, it will spill over the sides of your cookie. Not good.
I used a toothpick to help the icing into the nooks and crannies.
Lots to go!
This cookie is just about done. It needs to set overnight at least, to make sure the icing has completely set.
Then I did them in blue! 30 red and white. 30 blue and white. Yikes!
Using an edible black pen, and only once the cookies were completely set, I wrote ‘Thank you!’ on each cookie.
All packaged and ready to go! Phew!
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