Fajitas and Queso on TODAY

Yesterday morning I woke up bright and early and made chicken fajitas and queso dip on the Today Show.  The recipes were based on some dishes from one of my favorite childhood restaurants, Chili's!  Today I woke up bright and early to write this blog post.  Ok that's a lie, my daughters woke me up bright and early... at 1:30 and 4:30 and 5:00 and 5:30.  You know how it goes, right?  PLEASE TELL ME YOU KNOW HOW IT GOES.  Sometimes people ask me, is it hard to wake up so early for the show and I say no, no, no, no, no.  I get to drink my coffee in peace.  Someone blow dries my hair, and I get to wear eyeliner that doesn't make me look like a cat (I've never been able to do my own makeup properly).  It's the mornings when I wake up, milk bottle, vitamins, breakfast, pack lunch, pack snack, get clothes, stop fighting, brush your teeth, wipe the nutella off your face, brush your hair WE'RE GOING TO MISS THE BUS... those are the hard mornings.  Sooooo that said, I better go!      

You can find the recipes and video from yesterday here.  

Stay tuned for some delicious pasta later today!

Steelhead trout on Brown Butter Greens on CBC's Weekend Morning Show

I'll be presenting the following recipes on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod, tomorrow morning after the 8:30 news.

We have lovely Steelhead Trout, from Watersong Farms, in Warren Manitoba.  It is available fresh each Friday at Gimli Fish.  They produce gorgeous Steelhead trout that looks and tastes like buttery salmon.  

The Spinach, for today's recipe, came from Fertile Farm, Manitoba and their wonderful produce is available at the St. Norbert's Farmer's Market. 

Pecan Crusted Steelhead Trout on Brown Butter Greens

1 fillet Steelhead Trout
1/2 cup pecans, finely chopped
1 heaping tablespoon pesto or 2 tbs chopped fresh herbs and garlic
1 egg
salt and pepper
drizzle olive oil

Place fillet on a baking sheet that has been lined with parchment paper or aluminum foil, for easy clean up.  Mix topping ingredients together and spread over fillet.  Bake at 350�F for 10-15 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillet.

Serve immediately over Brown Butter greens.  We enjoyed this with a baked sweet potato as well.

Brown Butter Greens

2 bunches Swiss Chard or Spinach, washed and cut chiffonade style
1-2 cloves garlic, sliced
1-2 chilies, finely chopped
1/4 tsp hot smoked paprika
1-2 tbs butter
pinch ground nutmeg
salt and pepper, to taste
1- 2 shallots, sliced

Heat large and deep pan to medium heat and brown the butter without burning. One trick, once the butter is brown, is to add a bit of olive oil.  Add the remaining ingredients and saut� until softened and cooked through. 

To plate, place greens on plate and the Pecan Crusted Steelhead Trout resting on top.  Serve with sweet potato, or your favourite side dish, such as quinoa, rice, etc.

Enjoy!

Gooey Chocolate Chip Sandwich Bars

Are you mad at me??  I've been bad at blogging lately :(

In my defense, it's been a particularly busy week over here and some exciting things have been happening oooooonnnnlllyyyyy, I can't tell you yet.  Ugh, you're mad at me again!!

But hey!  I made you something!  Something with A LOT of chocolate, and it's ooey, and gooey, and it's half brownie, half fudge, half cookie.  I realize three halves don't make a whole, but just go with it.  These bars are delicious, easy to make, yummy to look at, and you forgive me, right?

I'll be on the Today Show Monday (in the 9am hour), and back to blogging regularly next week, I swear.  In the meantime, I just signed up for Snapchat and DOES ANYONE UNDERSTAND IT?!

Recipe here.

pre-baked...

post-baked...

April 7th - World Health Day!

Diabetes Awareness - April 7, 2016!



Today is World Health Day and the focus is on Diabetes. Did you know that there are an estimated 11 million people who are living with diabetes or pre-diabetes in Canada? There are over 420 million people in the world who have diabetes and that number is projected to double within the next 20 years...



This year, the World Health Organization's theme is diabetes. It is a disease that impacts millions of people globally.

Diabetes is a disease where the body cannot produce insulin or use the insulin it produces to control sugar. Every three minutes, a Canadian is diagnosed with this disease.



Disease Prevention



The WHO is looking to highlight beating diabetes through:

• Healthy eating


• Exercise, and 


• Avoiding excessive weight gain.

We support this as we believe that everyone should have access  to local nutritious foods that they can prepare for themselves at home. Which is why we have local workshops focused on healthy eating or preparing nutritious foods.



Gardening is exercise - both mentally and physically. You are moving, digging, dragging and in some cases lifting (or carting) heavy soil. It is also great to get outside (patio container gardens count too) and connect with mother nature. At Burnaby Food First, we promote community gardens as well as learning to grow your own veggies in containers through our workshops as well.



By cooking and preparing your own food as well as gardening, you are avoiding excessive weight gain. Eating healthier and gardening helps to create a healthier environment. Through gardening, you also benefit from homegrown foods!



So, today let's help beat diabetes - either by cooking nutritious food at home or getting outside in your gardens (in your backyard, on your balcony, within your community or through sharing backyards)!

Warm Lentil Salad with Butter-Crumbed Eggs | #SpringPantryPurge

I have a tendency to hoard but a desire to live minimally.

I have a nostalgia for things, which I come by naturally. My dad was a first generation child of immigrants, growing up in a family who had left everything behind. I think that probably makes you hang onto things a little tighter. When my parents were young and child-free, they travelled around the American southwest, living in a tiny travel-trailer in small towns along the way. That forces you to live minimally. Then when I was born, they settled on a 5 acre property, with lots of room for stuff. When I was growing up, we didn�t have a ton of money, which I also think makes people hang onto things. And we never moved. My entire childhood. So we just kept saving stuff and filling up our space. And overtime, we grew very attached and sentimental about our things. My mom still has all of my childhood toys. So, getting rid of things is hard for me. But I feel so much better in a clutter free environment. I truly feel like clearing the clutter in my house helps clear the clutter in my mind. So, I�m trying.

I�m in major spring cleaning mode, and like everyone and their mother and sister (and my mother and sister), I�ve started using the KonMari method to help me get rid of things. A few months ago I did a huge closet purge, only keeping items that sparked joy. OMG it was HARD. I definitely need to do another full closet purge. For me it�s a process� I get a little more ruthless each time. Having cut-throat friends or family members join the purge helps. 

Evan and I also cleaned out our garage, and our pantry and food cupboards. So, Phoebe�s invitation to participate in a virtual blogger #SpringPantryPurge couldn�t have come at a better time. When I got her email, I had just unearthed, from the depths of my cupboards, a bag and two jars of lentils as well as three unopened packages of panko. If, like me, you hoard lentils and breadcrumbs, this is a perfect spring cleaning pantry purge recipe. It uses up some dried goods in your pantry, but it�s light, fresh, and springy, while still being warm and comforting�perfect for ushering in the new season.

The eggs are based on the butter-crumbed eggs from Prune, the restaurant and cookbook. Evan and I had brunch at Prune the first time went to NYC four years ago (after I had read Gabrielle Hamilton�s memoir), and I still think that dish�stewed chickpeas with butter-crumbed eggs and flatbread with olive butter�was the best brunch dish I�ve ever had. I bought Prune, the cookbook, the moment it came out, and lucky for me, that dish is there!

In my dish, warm lentils, bacon, and briny cured olives get tossed with a mustardy vinaigrette, spooned over fresh greens, and topped with crispy, buttery, breadcrumb coated, runny-yolked eggs. So long lentil stash, hello lunch! 

Warm Lentil Salad with Butter Crumbed Eggs

Serves 2-4

Salad

1 cup small green lentils

2.5 cups water

� teaspoon salt

� pound bacon, diced or cut into lardons

Arugula

� cup cured black olives, pitted and roughly chopped

Mustard vinaigrette (below)

Butter crumbed eggs (below)

First, make the lentils. Add lentils, water, and salt to a pot, and bring to a boil. Cover, then reduce heat to low, and simmer for 30-40 minutes, until lentils are tender, but not mush. Drain any excess water. Taste, and add a bit more salt if needed.

Cook the bacon, and drain on a paper towel.

To assemble, add a pile of lentils to plate, top with arugula, bacon, olives, dressing, and 1-2 butter crumbed eggs. 

Dressing

3 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons grainy brown mustard

1 tablespoon honey

1 tablespoon lemon juice

1 tablespoon finely diced shallot

Salt & fresh cracked black pepper

Whisk ingredients together

Butter crumbed eggs

6 eggs (4 for poaching, 2 for the breading)

1 cup panko

Salt & pepper

4 tablespoons butter

Poach 4 of the eggs until whites are set and solid, and yolk is still runny. Using a slotted spoon, gently place each egg into an ice bath to stop cooking, then move to a paper towel to dry. Let eggs dry completely (patting gently if necessary, being careful to not break yolks).

Beat the 2 remaining eggs in a dish, and in a separate dish, add panko with a pinch of salt and pepper. Gently coat each poached egg in beaten eggs, then in panko until totally coated. Set aside.

Heat butter in a heavy-bottomed skillet over medium high. Fry each coated egg in butter, a minute or two on each side, until nicely browned and crunchy. Top with a little bit of flaked sea salt.

***

Wait, there�s more! Check out the other #SpringPantryPurge recipes, and visit Phoebe�s site, Feed me Phoebe, to learn about donating to Feed America!

Feast + West | Honey Chipotle Roasted Chickpeas
Clean Food Dirty City | Lentil Rice Bowl with Shaved Cauliflower Salad
Crepes of Wrath | Garlic Noodles
Appeasing a Food Geek | Wine Wednesday + a Kale and Tomato Galette
Feed Me Phoebe | Maple Pecan Gluten-Free Banana Bread
Domesticate ME! | Chicken and Wheat Berry Salad with Shaved Brussels Sprouts and Arugul
Arthur Street Kitchen | Kale Kimchi
Pamela Salzman | Drunken Beans
The Mom 100 | Banana Bread with Chocolate and Crystallized Ginger
Snixy Kitchen | Kale Salad with Toasted Nuts, Seeds, & Buckwheat
The Speckled Palate | Curried Veggie Rice Bowls
The Naptime Chef | Basil Polenta with Pine Nuts and Feta

Bolthouse Farms

I recently partnered up with Bolthouse Farms and attended an event where they premiered a line of new beverages.  The ingredients are fresh and honest and the flavors unique and exciting, such as Mango Pineapple Colada and Banana Honey Almond Butter (my personal favorite).  They sent me a bunch to try and challenged me to come up with four recipes featuring their smoothies, shakes and juices, and they are posted below!  It was so much fun to think outside the box (or bottle - puns are sort of my thing), and I'm really happy with each creation.  My family was my main source of inspiration, particularly my middle child who desperately needs more fruits and vegetables in her life, and I am NOT above sneaking nutrition into her diet in a covert manner.      

First up, these muffins that are a great snack or breakfast on-the-go.  When I tasted the combo of banana, honey and almond butter, I immediately wanted to bake with it.  Adding the shake to the muffins keep them moist, and adding ripe bananas and almond butter make them burst with that perfect flavor combination.  My toddler LOVED these, and I was happy knowing she was getting some extra protein in her diet!     

Banana Honey Almond Butter Muffins

Yields: 12 muffins

2 cups all-purpose flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 cup granulated sugar

1/4 cup brown sugar

1 cup Bolthouse Farms Banana Honey Almond Butter Protein Shake

1/4 cup almond butter

1 large egg

1 teaspoon vanilla

2 ripe bananas, peeled and mashed

Turbinado sugar (cane sugar) for sprinkling (optional)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Whisk first 5 ingredients in a bowl, set aside.  In a separate bowl, whisk together both sugars with protein shake.  Stir in almond butter, egg, vanilla and mashed bananas.  Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients and stir until just combined.  Place into paper-lined muffin tins, about 3/4 of the way full, sprinkle a little cane sugar on top of each muffin, and bake for 18-20 minutes, until an inserted toothpick comes out clean.  

Next, after sipping this sweet and tart Raspberry Blood Orange juice, I thought it would be great as a vinaigrette for salads (and I may or may not have poured some with vodka while I whisked away).  It's particularly delicious over peppery arugula, and would also make a great glaze for chicken or fish.

Raspberry Blood Orange Vinaigrette

Yields: approx 2 cups

1/2 cup Bolthouse Farms Raspberry Blood Orange Juice

1 small shallot, roughly chopped

2 teaspoons dijon mustard

1 teaspoon honey

3/4 cup olive oil

1/4 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

Place all ingredients in a blender or food processor and pulse until smooth.  Taste, and add more salt and pepper if necessary.  Pour over salad or save in a mason jar in the fridge for up to 3 days.

Smoothie bowls have always intimidated me.  They look like masterpieces on Instagram, and too pretty to eat.  But after creating my own bowl, I was pleasantly surprised how easy and quickly it came together.  I added avocado for texture and creaminess, but the options are endless (banana, yogurt, leafy greens, etc).  And don't get me started on the toppings! 

Green Goodness Smoothie Crunch Bowl

Yields: 1 bowl

1 15 oz. Bolthouse Farms Green Goodness Smoothie

1/2 avocado

1/2 cup ice

Suggested Toppings:

Raspberries

Blueberries

Sliced bananas

Shredded raw coconut

Granola

Drizzle of honey

Combine Green Goodness Smoothie in a blender with avocado and ice and puree until smooth.  Pour into bowl, top with desired toppings and drizzle with honey.  

Finally, this cake.  This cake, that I want to make love to.  After one sip of the Mocha Cappuccino beverage, I knew I wanted to make something rich and decadent.  It tasted like such a treat, and I knew it would translate well as a dessert.  While this cake is creamy and indulgent... it's also light and would be a great thing to serve as the weather starts to get warmer! 

Mocha Cappuccino Smoothie Ice Cream Cake

Yields: 1 cake

35 chocolate wafer cookies, divided

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1.5 quarts coffee chip ice cream 

1 cup Bolthouse Farms Mocha Cappuccino Smoothie Beverage

1 cup ice

1 cup whipped cream

Chocolate chips or shavings for topping (optional)

Place 25 cookies in a food processor (or blender) and pulse until crumbs are formed.  Add butter and pulse until combined.  Place mixture in the bottom of a 9-inch cake pan (with approx. 3 inch sides) that is lined with parchment paper, and press with your fingers until crust coats the bottom of the pan.  Freeze for 10 minutes.  During this time, remove ice cream to soften and pulse remaining 10 crackers in the food processor, then set aside.  After the 10 minutes, remove pan from freezer and add ice cream.  Smooth with a spatula to create an even layer, then add cookie crumble on top, and place back in freezer for 10 minutes.  During that time, place ice and coffee beverage in a blender and pulse until a smoothie is formed.  Remove to a bowl, and fold in whipped cream.  Place on top of cake and smooth with a spatula.  Sprinkle chocolate chips or shavings on top, and freeze for 30 minutes or until ready to eat. 

Invincible Coffee: The Next Evolution of Joe

Warning -- Satire -- old April Fools post!

You've heard of Bulletproof Coffee, that mixture of coffee and butter that keeps you lean and supercharges your mental focus.

The problem with Bulletproof Coffee is that the butter forms a greasy oil slick on top of your coffee. Yuck! Is there any way to rescue Bulletproof Coffee?

Enter Invincible Coffee, the next evolution of Joe.

Read more �