Recipes Worth Bookmarking

Yesterday’s post was so deep I needed to give my poor chemo brain a break for today. So instead, I thought I’d dig into my recipe bookmarks and share some of the FOOD blog posts that have caught my eye recently! Click on the links to see the pictures and recipes of my fellow bloggers. Can’t wait to try these out on my own.

Peanut Butter Bran Muffins – Teenage Taste

Oven Fries – Tracey’s Culinary Adventures

Stuffed Mushroom Phyllo Roll – Oh She Glows (mostly, I just want to make phyllo)

Basil Hummus – Eating For England

Pizza Swirl Bread – How Sweet It Is

Chocolate Chunk Oatmeal Cookie Bread – How Sweet It Is

BBQ Pumpkin Pizza – Running Around Normal

Mmmm Sauce – Peas and Thank You

Grilled Red Pepper Harissa – Eating For England

Peanut Butter Fudge Brownie Trifle – How Sweet It Is (I may save this for Canadian Thanksgiving)

Golden Brioche Loaves – Tea and Scones

And most recent bookmark that I’ve actually cooked – Cheezy Taco Mac from Leftovers 4 Lunch!

A dairy-free version of one of my old favourites – Hamburger Helper. The noodles may have still come from a box, but the flavour sure didn’t!

I made a few changes based on what I had on hand – extra lean ground beef, whole wheat egg noodles and shells, and the addition of green pepper. I also didn’t have any salsa so I subbed in a can of plain tomato sauce, two fresh tomatoes, and half of a very, very hot pepper I got from the farm on Sunday. Served with leftover red cabbage.

The “cheese comes from the addition of nutritional yeast flakes which I lovelovelove both in flavour and nutritional properties. Awesome job with the recipe Leah! I will make this over and over again.

And with that, I am off. I am getting a tube inserted up my arm today and poisons injected in. In other words, a PICC line and chemo. Also getting news on a chest x-ray I had done yesterday. Think shrinking cancer thoughts!!

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Bread Maker

I’ve been baking again.

It can’t be helped. I keep getting all these ideas, and I must put them to the test in my mother’s kitchen.

It’s another rainy day here in New Brunswick. I’m much too sore from my full-body lifting workout to exercise. This kind of weather calls for movie watching, laundry, and now apparently baking.

I gathered up my cast of characters.

The key ingredient here is baking soda.

While having our afternoon scones yesterday (which both Ellie and my Nana have informed me are pronounced “sk-onn” and not “sk-own”), my mother started talking about the soda bread of her childhood.

Apparently soda bread is an incredibly simple loaf to make, something our ancestors lived off of in the barren northern climates.

My mom says Nana used to make soda bread and serve it with cheddar cheese and molasses as an after-school snack. Don’t even get me started on how intrigued I am by the thought of a cheddar cheese and molasses sandwich.

Once again, the seed was planted. I got the idea of baking in my head and I couldn’t shake it. I scoured the internets for the best recipe I could find. I ended up going back to basics. The same simple bread our ancestors made, with the addition of a little whole wheat for good measure.

From The Food Network

Ingredients

• 2 cups whole-wheat flour
• 2 cups all-purpose flour, plus more for dusting
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• 1 teaspoon salt
• 2 1/4 cups buttermilk

Directions

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F. Coat a baking sheet with cooking spray and sprinkle with a little flour.

Whisk whole-wheat flour, all-purpose flour, baking soda and salt in a large bowl. Make a well in the center and pour in buttermilk. Using one hand, stir in full circles (starting in the center of the bowl working toward the outside of the bowl) until all the flour is incorporated. The dough should be soft but not too wet and sticky. When it all comes together, in a matter of seconds, turn it out onto a well-floured surface. Clean dough off your hand.

Pat and roll the dough gently with floury hands, just enough to tidy it up and give it a round shape. Flip over and flatten slightly to about 2 inches. Transfer the loaf to the prepared baking sheet. Mark with a deep cross using a serrated knife and prick each of the four quadrants.

Bake the bread for 20 minutes. Reduce oven temperature to 400° and continue to bake until the loaf is brown on top and sounds hollow when tapped, 30 to 35 minutes more. Transfer the loaf to a wire rack and let cool for about 30 minutes.

Renee wrote a post a while back about how baking makes her happy. It got me thinking about how I myself have fallen in love with baking.

Baking used to intimidate me. At least with cooking, you are always in control. A tweak here, a pinch of something there. It’s fun to throw ingredients together and see what you can create.

But with baking, all you can do is assemble the ingredients the best you can – and then you wait. Praying, wishing, hoping that the preparation you put into it will deem a delicious result.

There is something SO satisfying when you pull your creation out of the oven, smelling, looking and even better, tasting perfect. The happiness that comes from baking a perfect product goes a lot deeper!

And lets be honest with ourselves here. There are few things greater in life than putting a smear of butter on a slice of bread warm out of the oven.

Bliss.

 

I haven’t just been baking bread today!

Pancakes were had to celebrate Pancake Sunday. Dairy-Free (ish) Protein Pancakes to be exact. 

With the addition of sliced almonds, coconut and almond extract to make Almond Coconut Protein Pancakes.

So fluffy. So good.

I also polished off the Meatloaf Pizza for lunch.

Avec une salade.

 

Dressing was laughing cow cheese whisked with buttermilk. Nothing short of amazing.

But I don’t know how this got on my camera.

I don’t eat chocolate. Especially not Belgian dusted truffles. Disgusting. Who’s teeth-marks are those? :P

This afternoon, I made my own version of strawberry shortcake using Homemade Wholegrain Maple Oatmeal Scones.

Except, we didn’t have any strawberries, so I used raspberries.

And I’m not the world’s biggest fan of whipped cream, but I do love yogurt. Stellar snack!

Soon the smell of freshly baked bread was replaced with that of bbq chicken. 

Once again, my mom pulled together a fabulous meal.

A chicken thigh in a sauce of bbq sauce, ketchup, soy sauce and top-secret spices. Paired with roasted parsnip, carrots, sweet potato and potato. This meal was to die for. I think I may just bring my mom to Toronto with me instead of bothering to come back here :P

 

Some links!!

Apparently a lot of reverse photoshopping is done to too-thin models to make them look healthier. You hear so much about editors tucking in little pudges and rolls, that I never considered that some women need to have their bony bodies hidden. This deeply saddens me. Read about it here. One editor blames shrinking designer sample sizes, so magazines have no choice but to hire too-thin models to wear them.

A recent study says that you can burn more fat by skipping breakfast before your morning workout. They claim that without stored carbohydrates to pull on, your body will look for fat to fuel activity. I only have basic training on how these energy systems work, but I do know that the fatty acids in your muscles aren’t the same as the fat that sits around your tummy. Why would you want to risk being in a catabolic state and breaking down your muscles? A better idea is to have at least 100 calories worth of simple carbs (fruit juice, a banana, yogurt, etc) before your morning workout. It will give you tons more energy, and I betcha you’ll burn a lot more calories when you aren’t dragging through your workout hungry and dizzy.

Finally, this is the most awkward exercise I’ve ever seen. Please don’t ever do this. Thank you.

 

Question of the Day: Now that I know all about your favourite kinds of pizza – what’s your favourite kind of bread?? Brown bread over here please :) Or, if flatbreads are included (why not, it’s my question after all!) I luuuurve naan.

Waffled.

*peeks head in*

Hiiiiii. I’m not here to stay, I just couldn’t let a Waffle Wednesday pass without sharing the celebrations!

 
The usual protein waffles recipe:

• 1/2 cup rolled oats
• 1/2 cup cottage cheese
• 1/2 cup egg whites
• 1 tbsp ground flax
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1 tsp maple extract
• cinnamon

Blended with an immersion blender and cooked in the belgian waffle iron.

Dipped in a mix of sugar-free syrup and almond butter. Eaten with my hands of course! I accidentally let one of them overcook and it was wonderfully crunchy. Almost like a big waffle cookie!!

I woke up feeling like I’d been run over by a truck this morning – cold was back with a vengeance! I’m happy I’ve decided to take the rest of the week off exercise. Just what the doctor ordered :)

Archie picture of the day…

 
I wonder what he is thinking? I think he misses my mom, Mark and his doggie-pal Rudy. But I think he is also plotting how to get to that rotisserie chicken that’s in the fridge…

 

Like to click?

World’s best waffle site is right here. Check it out. Do it now. Two words: falafel waffle.

Paige has some good tips on how to get through a tough run.

Janetha posted some great weightlifting how-to videos.

New York Times peeks into the lives of food bloggers

 

Question of the Day: What is your favourite waffle topping? I like mine straight up with butter and syrup. But not quite like this…

 

I’m off to study!! xoxo