One-Pot Pasta + Black Bean Brownies

Let's talk about friends for a second.  There are so many different kinds... the friends you've had since you were little, the ones that you don't see much but when you do can pick up right where you left off, the mom friends that just GET IT, and the ones you meet later in life but you instantly feel like you've known them forever.  One is silver and the other gold, or something like that.  Anyway, I have only known Savannah Guthrie for a couple of years, but it seems like much longer.  She just GETS it, and is a pretty amazing human being as well.  Just look at how I'm cuddled next to her in the photo below, completely ignoring my husband...   

It's always fun cooking with her (AND Carson) - if you missed the One-Pot Mexican Pasta and the Black Bean Brownies I made yesterday morning, you can find the recipes here and here.

Photos by Nathan Congleton

Creamy Tortilla Soup

*UPDATE: Details about Tortillas below...

You guys, I have a problem.  I have had one particular thing on my to-do list for, oh, probably seven months now.  Maybe longer, but I don't want to admit that.  And by the way, it's not the only thing on there.  I can't seem to knock off "dry clean wedding dress" or "DENTIST!!" either.  But this one really bothers me and yes, even more than preserving my memories or my teeth.  My camera is dead and I don't have a charger!!!!  I have been using my iPhone for every, single blog photo for... I don't know how long.  All I need to do is re-order a charger.  How hard can that be??  WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME?!  Don't answer that at all.  Anyway, I guess I'm telling you now so that you cut me some slack (either that or light a fire under my ass).  I mean, look at that photo up there!  It's not bad for an iPhone, but do you think I could have cleaned up the background a little?  No, because I am the type of person that can't knock things off her to-do list.   

  Ok, want to hear a little about this soup before I sign off?  It was delicious.  My 7 year-old and I made it together, with no real plan or recipe, and it turned out so yummy.  It's only creamy because you blend the veggies at the end, well, that and the teeeeensy bit of butter.  Otherwise it's bright and refreshing and a great end-of-summer meal.     

Creamy Tortilla Soup

Serves 6-8

Printable Recipe

2 Tbsp olive oil

1 red bell pepper, diced

1 green bell pepper, diced

1 white onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

1/2 tsp cumin

1/2 tsp chili powder

1/2 tsp garlic powder

3 Tbsp tomato paste

4 cups chicken stock

2 cups water

Salt and pepper to taste

2 Tbsp butter

2 cups shredded roasted chicken (already cooked)

Optional toppings: queso fresco, avocado, cilantro, jalape�o

In a large pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.  Add bell peppers and onion, and season with salt and pepper.  Let cook for 5-7 minutes, stirring briefly.  Add garlic, and cook for another couple of minutes.  Add cumin, chili powder and garlic powder, and cook for another 5 minutes.  Season to taste with salt and pepper.  Stir in tomato paste until vegetables are coated, and saut� for another couple of minutes.  Add chicken stock and water and bring to a boil.  Lower heat, and let simmer for 10-15 minutes.  Again, season to taste with salt and pepper.  Turn off heat, and with an immersion blender*, puree soup until it reaches your desired consistency (I like mine slightly chunky still).  Stir in butter and chicken, and turn heat back to low, cooking until butter melts and chicken warms.  Serve hot with optional toppings.

*If you do not have an immersion blender, you may ladle soup into a blender, returning it to the pot once blended.  You also do not have to blend the soup at all if you prefer a chunkier tortilla soup.

*Many of you helped me realize I didn't mention anything about the tortillas.  Doh!!  I like to crisp mine up and then add them to the soup while serving.  Below is how I do it, but it's pretty easy to change up (i.e. you may use flour tortillas or different spices).  

Crunchy Tortilla Strips

Makes 2 cups

Printable Recipe

6 small corn tortillas

1 Tbsp olive oil

Chili powder

Garlic Salt

Salt and pepper

Preheat oven to 350.  Slice tortillas into small strips and place in bowl.  Add olive oil and desired amount of spices.  Toss until combined.  Place on baking sheet and cook (shaking the pan a few times to prevent from burning) until golden and crispy, 15-20 minutes.

Apples for CBC Weekend Morning Show!

This morning on CBC's Weekend Morning Show with host Terry MacLeod, I made the following dishes using wonderful local apples from Wiens Farm, Piccola Cucina shells, and other local ingredients.

Fruit Platz
1 1/4 c. flour
3/4 tsp. baking powder
1/2 tsp. salt
1 tsp. sugar
1/2 c.butter (Notre Dame Dairies)
1 egg yolk (Nature's farm), beaten with
2 tbsp. milk (or a little more)

Sift flour, baking powder, salt and sugar together. Cream butter, add sited ingredients and blend. Combine egg yolk and milk, add to butter mixture and mix. Press into a greased 11" x 7" pa. Press 3 cp apple wedges, 3/4" thick (any fruit you like) I use about 5 apples, sliced and pressed in.

Combine:

3/4 c. sugar, 1/2 c. flour, 1/4 to 1/2 tsp. cinnamon (opt.) about 1/4 c. butter (or less) to make a crumb topping. Can sprinkle with almond slices (opt.) Sprinkle crumbs over fruit. Bake at 375 degrees F. oven for 50 minutes or until apples are done. Serve warm with ice cream, whipped cream, or plain. Good cold, also.

For rhubarb I sprinkle a bit more sugar & a bit of mixed in flour because of the tartness and juice.

Market Apple Pie

1 Piccola Cucina shell (sweetened or unsweetened, available often at St. Norbert�s Farmer�s Market but also at Co-op stores and Vita Health)
5 tart apples, cored and cut into wedges
1/4 cup flour
1/2 cup sugar
pinch salt
cinnamon, to taste
1 tbs butter, crumbled
Optional:  1 tbs Ras El Hanout Or 1/2 tsp Thyme

Bake Pie crust according to the directions.  Mix apples and remaining ingredients together and place in baked pie shell.  Bake for 30 (+/- at 350�F)

Enjoy!

Rapunzel Cake

I am all birthday caked out.  My daughter Etta turned 4 on Monday, and she's only been anticipating her birthday since, oh I don't know, a few minutes after turning 3??  And, by the way, she's pretty convinced she'll turn 5 next week.  She is NOT understanding my explanation of a year!  I started out all patient and kind with my words, and now I'm so exhausted that I just say, "Etta!  A year is a long, long, long, long, long, long, long, long time.  You will feel like you are 4 forever.  And p.s. Christmas is far away too."  (Even though OMG no it's not.)  As a kid, I always thought it was so weird that my mom didn't seem to care about her birthdays BUT NOW I GET IT.  

Alright, birthday pessimism aside, I really did enjoy making her Rapunzel cake!  I had never worked with fondant before and I was terrified.  However, I found by using lots of powdered sugar to help roll it out and keeping what I wasn't using covered with a damp towel, it was pretty easy to use!  Of course, I have not mastered making it look smooth (I also don't have any fondant tools), but for this cake I was lucky because I was scoring the sides anyway to make it look like a tower.  I used white fondant and then sprayed the cake with this Silver Color Mist.  I used colorful fondant and a little fondant mold for the flowers, vines and birds.  Then, I used a tube of yellow frosting for her hair.  

One thing I would have done differently - more buttercream inside!  No one really likes to EAT fondant, and I found when I cut the cake the fondant took the buttercream with it.  I would have sliced each layer and slathered buttercream inside to ensure each bite had enough.

Finally, I followed this recipe for the cake.

Have great weekends!

Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo

Is anyone else excitedly pulling out their slow cooker in anticipation of fall?!  I am, however I pull it out all year long (best tool for when it's hot and humid outside).  The other day I was obsessing over crockpot recipes when I found this one and decided to make it right away.  The best part?  I had all the ingredients!  Because more than half of them are canned... easiest thing ever.  Also, most delicious thing ever.  We served it as a side at a BBQ but it would also be perfect for the main dish with a salad or green veggie.  And my two-year-old ate it!  Success!

Ok, back to giving myself M&M's for going pee pee in the potty in an attempt to get that two-year-old interested...  

Slow Cooker Enchilada Orzo

Recipe adapted from here

Serves 6-8

Printable Recipe

1 15 oz. can fire roasted tomatoes

2 15 oz. can mild enchilada sauce

1 4.5 oz. can green chiles, drained

1 15 oz. can black beans, drained and rinsed

1 15 oz. can corn kernels, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup vegetable broth, or more as needed

4 oz. cream cheese, cut into cubes

1 heaping cup shredded Mexican cheese

2 cups uncooked orzo

Salt and pepper to taste

Optional toppings: cilantro, avocado, jalape�os, green onions

Place tomatoes, enchilada sauce, chiles, black beans, corn, vegetable broth, cream cheese and shredded cheese in the slow cooker and stir to combine.  Cover, and cook on high for 3 hours.  Add orzo and cook for another 30 minutes.  Add more vegetable broth if necessary.  Season to taste with salt and pepper and serve with optional toppings.

Healthy Weeknight Meals Workshop

Burnaby Food First is pleased to announce a new workshop!



Healthy Weeknight Meals

Wednesday, September 14, 2016

6:30 pm to 8:30 pm

Brentwood Community Resource Centre (2055 Rosser Avenue / Burnaby - map) 



Join holistic nutritionist Meghan Cooke to learn about affordable, fast, and healthy recipes for weeknight meals! Children are welcome.



To register, please contact Meghan at (604) 209-2404 or by email.



Register as soon as possible, as there are limited seats available. Parking is limited; please consider taking transit, biking, or walking.

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Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a volunteer?



Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on board! For more information, send us an email.

Whole Foods Market & You: Helping the Environment and Burnaby Food First

Every time you shop at Whole Foods Market in Burnaby until the end of September, you have an opportunity to support Burnaby Food First. All you have to do is bring your own shopping bag, and then tell the cashier you'd like to donate the cost of a bag to Burnaby Food First.

Whole Foods Market partners with schools and non-profits through their Bag Refund Donation Program to help raise money for important community causes. At the register, customers have the option to receive the bag refund as cash back off their receipt or to donate it to one of three designated organizations each fiscal quarter.



The donations we receive between July 4 and September 25, 2016 will contribute to Burnaby Food First projects. Every little bit helps!



To receive updates on our projects and upcoming community workshops, check back often or subscribe to our email list.

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Enjoy Burnaby Food First workshops? Want to get involved as a volunteer?



Check out all the great ways you can get involved. All are welcome, and we'd love to have you on board! For more information, send us an email.