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So as you may have noticed, I changed the layout of the site. I just wanted to spruce it up. But is it too bold? Hard to read? Please leave a comment with how you prefer the site! 

Chinese Tofu & Vegetable Stirfry

     Every now and then, I do something that the darling husband used to consider cruel & unusual punishment. No, I don't make him watch 90210 reruns with me (okay, maybe I try to, but he refuses). I make something with tofu. But now, he actually really enjoys it. The thing with tofu is that it will take on the flavour of whatever sauce is used - so if you use a flavourful sauce, thats what the tofu will taste like.
      This Chinese tofu & vegetable stir-fry recipe is perfect for all of the tofu skeptics out there, because you can't even tell its tofu. The sauce is moderately spicy, and perfectly sweet. And best of all? Its healthy.  Serve it with brown rice and you have a complete meal.

       

Ingredients:

2 tbsp chilli sauce

¼ cup brown sugar

1 tbsp hoisin sauce 

2 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 cup vegetable, chicken or beef broth

1 clove garlic, minced

1 tsp ginger root, minced

2 tbsp corn starch

4 cups assorted vegetables

2 tbsp vegetable, chicken or beef broth

1 cup firm tofu, cubed & dried

2 tbsp vegetable or cooking oil

4 cups cooked rice

Directions:

1)   Combine first 8 ingredients in a bowl & whisk well

2)   In a large wok over medium heat, cook tofu & 1tbsp oil for about 6-7 minutes, until tofu is lightly browned. Remove tofu from pan.

3)   Add another 1 tbsp oil to pan along with vegetables & remaining 2 tbsp broth and sauté for about 5 minutes, until vegetables are cooked but still crispy.

4)   Add tofu back to pan along with sauce and cook for about 2-3 minutes, until heated through and sauce has thickened.

5)   Serve over bed of steamed rice.

Serves 4.

Source: Adapted from Rose Reisman "The Art of Living Well" cookbook.

Winner: Worlds Best Chocolate Chip Cookie!!

       Well folks, the moment has arrived!! It has been a tough competition, but we have a winner for the worlds best chocolate-chip cookie recipe. I received 10 entries....I almost had to join a gym to finish the contest!
       Kristen N (Krisdi78 on the Nest) sent the recipe for the famous "Neiman-Marcus" cookies - there is an old wive's tale floating around that this recipe cost $250! A quick google search showed the rumour to be false, but wherever they came from, they are truly the BEST chocolate chip cookie in the world.
       I made some of the cookies with nuts, and some without - they were tasty either way. I also threw some white chocolate-chips into some of the cookies, which I highly recommend.  They are slightly more time-consuming than some cookies since you have to blend the oatmeal & chop some of the chocolate, but it is well worth the extra few minutes. Thank you so much to Kristen for sharing, and congrats on the win!
        I'm going to make a separate page tab with all of the recipes submitted, because they were all really, really good. So keep an eye for that in the coming weeks.

NEIMAN-MARCUS COOKIES (Recipe may be halved)

5 cups blended oatmeal

4 cups flour
2 cups butter

2 cups brown sugar
2 cups sugar

4 eggs

2 tsp. Vanilla

1 tsp. Salt

2 tsp. Baking powder
2 tsp. Baking Soda
1 8 oz. Hershey Bar (grated)24 oz. Chocolate chips
3 cups chopped nuts (your choice)

Measure oatmeal, and blend in a blender to a fine powder. Cream the
butter and both sugars. Add eggs and vanilla, mix together with
flour, oatmeal, salt, baking powder, and soda . Add chocolate chips,Hershey bar, and nuts. Roll into balls, and place two inches apart on
a cookie Sheet. Bake for 10 minutes at 375 degrees.
Makes 112 cookies.


Enjoy the cookies, they really are good.

Runner up: Oatmeal Chocolate-Chip Cookies

The world's best chocolate chip cookie contest was SO much fun!! My husband and classmates loved all of the experimenting and baking....we had 10 recipes submitted!!

This recipe was sent to me from a fellow blogger named Alyssa in Florida, who found my blog from the website 20SomethingBloggers. It is a great website for - you guessed it! - 20-29 year-old bloggers. I first heard about the website at an event called Ignite Waterloo.

• It was a very close call, but this is the runner up, 2nd place :) I will post the grand-prize winner tomorrow!! The grand prize winner gets to do a guest blog on the website and of course gets bragging rights forever :) Alyssa got the recipe from an old Betty Crocker cookbook, and I have seen it on the website AllRecipes - it truly is a classic oatmeal chocolate-chip cookie.

• Ingredients:
• 1 cup butter, softened
• 1 cup white sugar
• 1 cup packed brown sugar
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 cups all-purpose flour
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 2 cups old-fashioned oats
• 2 cups semisweet chocolate chips

• Directions:

1. In a large mixing bowl, cream the butter, sugar and brown sugar. Beat in eggs and vanilla. Combine the flour, baking soda, baking powder and salt; add to creamed mixture. Stir in oats and chocolate chips.
2. Drop by rounded tablespoonfuls onto ungreased baking sheets. Bake at 350 degrees F for 11-13 minutes. Cool on wire racks.

Corn, Black Bean & Tomato Soup

I love, love, love homemade soup. Its so fresh & flavourful compared to canned soup. This recipe here is very Mexican-inspired and is perfect served topped with sour cream & parsley.

Ingredients:

1 cup chopped onion

1 small chopped green pepper

1 small can corn kernels, drained (about 1 cup)

1 cup black beans, rinsed & drained

1 1/2 cups diced tomatoes (about 3 plum tomatoes)

2 cloves garlic, minced

5 cups low-sodium vegetable or chicken stock

2 tbsp basmati rice

2 tbsp medium spice chili paste

1 tbsp ketchup

dash of salt and pepper
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes

2 tbsp vegetable oil

1 tbsp flour or cornstarch (if desired)

1 tbsp cilantro or parsley

Directions:

1) Spray a saucepan with cooking oil (Pam), add the vegetable oil and place over medium heat. Cook the onion, green pepper, corn, and garlic for 6-8 minutes.

2) Add the vegetable stock, black beans, rice, chili paste, ketchup, salt & pepper, red pepper flakes. Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes.

3) Add tomatoes and stir well. If soup seems too runny, stir in 1 tbsp corn starch mixed with water and cook another 3-4 minutes.

4) Garnish with sour cream & cilantro.

Healthier Tuna Pasta Salad

        I have always loved tuna pasta salad. Its a great picnic food, a nice light lunch, and if done right, relatively healthy. With bathing suit season just around the corner, this recipe is a perfect adaptation of tuna pasta salad - it has about 1/3 less calories than a regular recipe but without compromising the flavour.

Ingredients:
4-5 cups cooked rotini pasta
2 stalks celery, diced
2 dill pickles, sliced
1/4 cup red onion, diced
1 tin tuna, drained
1 tsp fresh dill weed
1/4 tsp fresh ground pepper
2/3 cup light mayo
2 tbsp skim milk
1 tbsp dill juice from pickle jar


Directions:
1. In a small bowl, whisk milk, mayo, dill juice, dill weed & pepper. 
2. Combine rest of ingredients, then mix with mayo mixture. Let sit in fridge for 1 hour prior to serving.
3. Add more milk/mayo mixture as needed.


Serves 4


  

Chicken Parmesan

     Have you ever eaten a meal in a restaurant only to feel like you have been cheated? This happens to me every single time I order a pasta dish somewhere, because I know that I can make it better, and for 1/3 of the price. My sister taught me how to make this Chicken Parmesan, which would rival the best Italian restaurant's dish.  Plus, you can control the calorie count and the cost :) It is great served with the classic bruschetta & simple summer salad on this blog.

Ingredients:

4 chicken breasts, pounded to 1/2" thick

1 box whole-wheat fettucine noodles

1-2 large cans Classico Garlic & Onion sauce (depends how much sauce you like)

1 egg

1 tbsp milk

1 cup Italian bread crumbs

1/2 cup Parmesan cheese + 1 tbsp for sprinkling

1 tsp basil

1 tsp oregano

1 tsp parsley

1/2 tsp rosemary

salt & pepper to taste

Mozzerella cheese, grated (about 1/2 cup)

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 F

2. Place tbsp oil into saucepan and put onto medium-high heat. At the same time, fill a large pot with water and place on stove on high heat.

3. Whisk egg + 1 tbsp milk in a shallow dish 

4. Combine bread crumbs, parmesan cheese, parsley, basil, oregano, rosemary, salt & pepper in a medium-sized bowl.

4. Dip each chicken breast in egg mixture, then into bread crumb mixture to coat well. 

5. Brown chicken breast, coated, in frying pan for about 4 minutes per side. Be careful not to burn. You may find it helpful to add another 1 tbsp oil about halfway through.

6. Put pasta sauce into 8x8 cooking dish and place chicken breasts on top. Bake in oven for 15 minutes, then sprinkle mozzarella cheese onto each. Bake for another 6 minutes, until cheese has melted & chicken is fully cooked.

7. Meanwhile, cook fettucine noodles in pot of boiling, salted water. If you place the noodles into the pot     10 minutes before the chicken is cooked, the timing will be perfect.

8. Drain noodles, and top with sauce & 1 chicken breast. Sprinkle with parmesan & parsley for garnish. Serves 4.

  

Avocado & Black Bean Brownies

       OH.MY.GOD. The most exciting thing to a foodie has happened. My life might never be the same again.I have found a dessert that is both succulent & healthy. One might say this dessert is "deceptively delicious." And I can take absolutely no credit for it.
       One of my favourite cooking blogs is Branny Boils Over. She is hilarious, witty, and most importantly, the recipes are phenomenal. And when she posted the avocado & black bean brownies, I almost lost all respect for her. What self-proclaimed foodie would destroy the goodness that is brownies by taking away the flour & butter and replacing it with black beans and avocado? Well folks, I stand humbled. I made the brownies. I peered in the oven every few minutes. I agonized and waited an entire day, like she says, to eat them. And then I just about died with happiness. 
    The calorie content is about 1/3 of a regular brownie. There is enough fiber to make an All-Bran bar quiver. And it tastes - like a fudgey, chocolatey brownie. If you don't believe me, thats perfectly fine. Because I don't want there to suddenly be a shortage of black beans at the grocery store.
     So friends, make the brownies. Wait a day. And then enjoy :)

Ingredients:
1 (19 ounce) can black beans, rinsed and drained
3/4 cup egg whites ( I just used regular eggs)

1/4 cup agave syrup or honey
1 small ripe avocado
6 tbsp cocoa powder
pinch of salt
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
6 tbsp white sugar (75gm)
2 teaspoons instant espresso (I omitted)

Fresh raspberries or strawberries for serving


Directions:

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line an 8×8″ pan with parchment paper.

Combine black beans, egg whites, agave syrup, and avocado in food processor. Blend for a few minutes, until completely smooth. Add remaining ingredients and continue blending until fully combined. 


Spread into parchment-lined baking dish. Bake for 30-33 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the brownies comes out clean.  These are best if you let them sit overnight & serve with fresh fruit & a drizzle of chocolate sauce.

Source: Adapted from Branny Boils Over, who adapted her recipe from Cara's Cravings. I strongly encourage you to check out both of their websites!

St Jacobs Farmers Market

                   For four years, I went to school about 5 minutes from one of the best farmers markets in the country. It was amazing - you could get fresh anything every Tuesday, Thursday and Saturday.

      So last Saturday I begged the husband to go back for the day. He agreed to come if I promised not to stop at every.single.stand. So off we went - me with the excitement of a kid in a candy store, and the husband, well - he agreed to come.

       It was everything I remembered, and more! There were mennonites with their buggies full of fresh bread & apple pie, and the German vendors with sausage and pickled eggs. I picked up some red pepper jelly and the husband bought enough pepperettes to last a year (or the car ride home, in his case). We also bought - and I'm not sure why - 5 lbs of strawberries, 3 lbs of blackberries and a few pints of raspberries. All of the fruit came to eight dollars. $8. However you put it, it was dirt cheap.

       So if anyone has some good fruit recipes, send them my way, please. I leave you with a few photos of the craziness that is the St.Jacobs Farmer's Market. 

Cajun Fish Fillet

      When I first met my husband, he swore up & down that he absolutely hated fish. It didn't matter the kind, he refused to try it. It didn't make sense, because he is most adventurous when it comes to everything else food-related. So I decided that the issue wasn't the fish itself, but perhaps that he had just never had fish that was cooked well.


      Lo & behold, it turns out that the husband DOES like fish. It just has to be a good recipe. This cajun fish is perfect for anybody who "doesn't like fish" - because its so flavourful that the "fishiness" is removed. He actually said its one of his most favourite foods! I served this fish with brown rice & steamed asparagus, which complimented the spiciness of the fish perfectly. 

Ingredients:
1 1/2 pounds sole or another whitefish
1/2 cup potato flakes
1 tbsp flour
1 tsp cajun seasoning
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp cayenne pepper
1 egg
lemon wedges to serve


Directions: 
1. Preheat indoor griddle. Spray with Pam or use a few tbsp of butter to grease pan.
1. In a pie plate (or similar-sized pan), combine potato flakes, flour, cajun seasoning, chili powder & cayenne pepper.
2. In a separate bowl, whisk egg.
3. Dip each piece of fish in egg, then into potato flake mixture to coat.
4. Cook on grill for 4 minutes per side, until fish is flaky but not overcooked. You may find it helpful to dot grill with butter during cooking to keep batter moist & prevent it from burning. Serve with lemon wedges.


Serves 3-4.

Chocolate Chip Cookie Contest Update!!

         I want to thank everyone who sent me recipes for the chocolate chip cookie recipe contest. I have been happily baking away for the past week, and I am almost done making the recipes!! There are some fabulous cookies that have come out of the contest!! I hope to announce the winner next weekend, so stay tuned :)

Classic French Toast

    I love breakfast. It is my favourite meal of the day, and in addition to coffee, the only reason to get out of bed in the morning. I love nothing more than lying in bed with the sun rising, deciding what to make when I finally get up.
    This morning, however, I didn't have to decide. I had a perfect loaf of french crusty bread waiting so that I could make french toast. You see the secret to french toast has little to do with the eggs, or milk or vanilla. It has everything to do with the bread. I prefer a good homemade loaf, but a store-bought loaf of crusty bread from the bakery will work perfectly. With the french toast I had maple syrup fresh from the mennonites at the St.Jacobs, & fresh strawberries from the market. Happy eating!

          


Ingredients:
4-6 slices of thick white bread
3 eggs
2 tbsp milk
1 tsp pure vanilla
1 tsp cinnamon
icing sugar
fresh strawberries
maple syrup


Directions:
Combine egg, milk, vanilla & cinnamon. Dip each slice of bread & saturate well. Place on pre-heated grill (350F, or medium in a frying pan) and cook for 3-4 minutes per side. Remove & dust with icing sugar & cinnamon. Serve with maple syrup & fresh berries.

Spicy French Fries

So I have good news & bad news. The good news? My first attempt at spicy french fries was extremely successful - they were delicious. The bad news? They were so good that we ate them all immediately and I didn't get to take any photos. So you will just have to trust me that these french fries are amazing! I served him them homemade garlic aioli.

Garlic Aioli:

Ingredients:

1/3 cup light mayonnaise

1 1/2 tbsp lemon juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

Directions: Mix ingredients well & let sit in fridge for 30 minutes prior to serving.

Spicy French Fries

Ingredients:

5 medium potatoes, peeled & cut into thin strips about 1/4" thick (I used Russet)

3 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp chili sauce

1 tbsp lime juice

2 cloves garlic, minced

1 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 tsp red pepper flakes

salt & pepper to taste

Directions:

1. Place cut potatoes into bowl of cold water for 10 minutes. Drain & rinse well.

2. In large bowl, mix remainder of ingredients. Add sliced potatoes and toss to coat.

3. Line a large baking sheet with tin foil & spray with cooking oil. Place potatoes in single layer onto baking pan.

4. Bake at 375 F for 15 minutes, then flip and bake for another 15 minutes. Thin-cut potatoes should be crispy on the outside & soft on the inside. If you prefer, bake for additional 15 minutes for extra crispy potatoes. Serve with garlic aioli and enjoy immediately!

classic bruschetta

I recently ran a poll asking people to name their favourite type of food. The overwhelming majority picked Italian. So in honour of those who love Italian, here is a classic bruschetta recipe. It is heart-healthy and makes the perfect start to a feast from Italy.

Ingredients:

4 plum tomatoes, seeded & diced

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tsp basil, preferably fresh

2 cloves minced garlic

crumbled feta or goats cheese

1 small baguette

Directions: Combine tomatoes, olive oil, basil & garlic in a small bowl. Slice baguette cross-wise to form slices about 1/3" thick. Place 1 tbsp of bruschetta mix onto each slice, and top with crumbled cheese of your choice. Broil on top shelf of oven for about 2-3 minutes, watching very carefully so that it doesn't burn.

Summer Spinach Salad

I despise winter the way that most people despite Mondays. I can deal with Monday as its just one day of the week. Winter is every day of the week for 6 months a year. Or 11 months, if you lived in Ontario last year. It lasts forever. So to deal with it, I pretend its actually summer. If its above minus 10 and not a blizzard, its BBQ weather in our household. It is also summer salad weather if there are mandarin oranges at the grocery store.

This salad recipe is simple but it jazzes up what might otherwise be an ordinary starter. And it makes winter go by just a little bit faster.

Salad Ingredients:

6 cups baby spinach

2-3 mandarin oranges, peeled & segmented

1/4 cup fresh blueberries

1/2 cup fresh sliced strawberries

1/8 cup slivered almonds

crumbled feta or goats cheese (optional)

1 small apple, sliced (optional)

Vinaigrette:

3 tbsp olive oil

2 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/3 cup orange juice

1 tbsp honey

1/2 tsp white sugar (optional)

Combine vinaigrette ingredients in small bowl & whisk well. Pour over salad. & toss.

Serve immediately. Serves 4.

Sirloin Steak with Mushroom Baked Rice & Steamed Broccoli

Every once in a while, I feel like I should cook something nice for the darling husband. Don't get me wrong - I do ALL the cooking for safety's sake, but the meals are usually what I feel like having. I simply don't get the women who always say to their spouses: "Hunny, what would you like for dinner?" In our household, the non-cook (husband!) eats what he is served.

But, like I mentioned, I occasionally feel like doing something nice, by asking what DH would like. There are really only two answers he gives: steak or tacos. So tonight's dinner is a feast: sirloin steak served with mushroom baked rice & steamed broccoli. Enjoy!

Sirloin Steak:

Marinade:

1/4 cup soy sauce

1/8 cup balsamic vinegar

1/4 cup worchestershire sauce

2 cloves garlic, minced

dash of pepper

Directions: Whisk all ingredients and pour over steak. Let marinade 6 hours, or overnight. Remove from marinade and place on pre-heated grill. Barbeque for 6 minutes per side for medium-rare steaks or until preferred doneness is reached.

Mushroom Baked Rice:

Ingredients:

1 cup brown rice

2 cups water

1 small can sliced mushrooms, lightly drained

1 large carrot, peeled & chopped

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 package Lipton onion soup mix (dry)

Directions: Mix all ingredients in a lightly greased 3-qt casserole dish. Bake in preheated oven at 350 F for 1 hour, until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. Let sit 5 minutes before serving.

Steamed Broccoli:

1 head broccoli

1 tbsp olive oil

salt & pepper

Directions: Place broccoli in saucepan steamer above 1 inch of water. Steam approximately 5 minutes, until broccoli is tender but still slightly crisp. Toss with olive oil, salt & pepper. Serve immediately.