Hamburger Buns by Ali

I've tried making hamburger buns before, but I wasn't entirely happy with the results. I tried a recipe from Martha Stewart and I found them quite heavy. I also found the flavor of the molasses to be a little strong for my liking. Since then I've been searching for another recipe to try but nothing was grabbing my attention. And now I've found it. I'm not entirely pleased with how I handled the dough but that's my problem and not the recipes. Dough and I are still not the best of friends (see below). We are, however, on much better terms.

Back to the bun recipe. I found this recipe on Annie Eats. She referred to the original recipe on smitten kitchen which was actually adapted from a restaurant in LA and published in the NY Times. Were you able to follow all of that? Doesn't matter really. In the end I decided to follow the recipe posted at Smitten Kitchen. Disclaimer: my buns look nothing like the pictures posted on Annie Eats or Smitten Kitchen. My ego is still trying to recover.



This is a very sticky dough that requires 8 - 10 minutes of kneading. I used my stand mixer with the dough hook attachment. It's really the only reason I attempt any dough that requires kneading. My wrists are not up to the task and I'm not sure my kidlets would let me have that much time to myself. They get a kick out of watching the mixer anyway.



I unceremoniously plopped it in a greased bowl to rise. Note the confiscated figurine in the background.



After letting the dough rise for almost 3 hours, it had finally doubled and was ready to shape, I use the term loosely here, into buns. Such a sticky dough! I didn't use enough flour when handling it which resulted in the blobs above. Please don't be intimidated by the 3 hour rise; it took three hours for the dough to rise in my warm and draft free kitchen because I didn't use the freshest of yeast. My bottle has been in the fridge for ages and is well past it's expiry date. It still works but I have to be patient. And plan things out just a little bit more. Oh well.


My strangely shaped buns after the second rise. Note the well oiled plastic wrap on top. There's no way a tea towel would have worked here. This dough is really really sticky.



And we have the nicely browned buns. I brushed the tops with an egg wash before baking them and, presentation wise, it was worth the effort. I used the leftover scrambled egg in the hamburgers so nothing went to waste.

Phew! Anybody make it to the end? Congratulations! Thanks for sticking with me. Hahaha.

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About the Blogger:

Ali Grimshaw is the author of the blog I Have Bubbles in my Tummy and a stay at home mom with a precocious 3 year old preschooler and an adventurous 18 month old toddler. She loves food and have an addiction to cookbooks that would be grounds for divorce if her husband didn't enjoy the fruits of her obsession so much.

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Food Revolution Friday: Pizza

Are you a fan of cheesy, gooey, delicious pizza like I am? For Food Revolution Friday I shared a whole wheat pizza dough recipe. Topping pizza is another story and what ever you choose to plunk on that dough makes the difference between a good and a great pizza.

What did I use? Instead of pizza sauce, I used some passata in my fridge. It did make the crust a bit soggy. Maybe trying pesto would be an idea.

On this particular pizza I used zucchini, red and yellow sweet bell peppers, mushrooms, and seeded tomatoes. For cheese, I used some mozzarella, freshly grated Parmesan, and crumbled feta. Follow the dough directions to this point, then bake the pizza at 450 F in the bottom of your oven for 10 minutes until the crust is golden brown. When it's finished baking, I often turn the oven onto broil and move the rack higher so that I can broil the top just for a bit to brown it. Make sure you stand right there and watch though, so you don't ruin all your hard work.

What do you like best on your pizza? We're a veggie pizza family, but I'm open to trying new things this summer. Suggestions?

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Quinoa and Barley Salad

This was my first time cooking quinoa. The stuff was actually kind of hard to find here, and wow! So expensive! For a small bag in some places it was about $8, which seemed kind of over the top. I did eventually find a small box of it that seemed more reasonable, so I thought I'd try this recipe since it's a little different from what I usually make.

Hubs refused to try it, but Kevin smacked his lips, took thirds, and asked me to make it again. I served it with seared steak for Kevin, and roasted chicken breast for me and Hubs. The portions might seem small but they are actually kind of filling, so don't worry. If you wanted to add some chopped nuts, like pecans or almonds, it might add a nice crunch.

What is quinoa, anyway? Check out this site for some info.

Adapted from Canadian Living October 2006Salad:
2/3 cup barley
1/2 cup quinoa, rinsed
1/2 cup each finely diced carrot, celery, onion, sweet red pepper, and zucchini
1/2 cup finely diced cucumber
1 tbsp chopped fresh parsley and mint
1 tsp chopped fresh thyme

Dressing:
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil (I found this to be a bit much. I'd reduce it a little)
2 tbsp white wine vinegar
1 tsp grated fresh ginger root
1 tsp dijon mustard
1/4 tsp salt and pepper

First, cook the barley. Bring 1 1/3 cups of water to a boil, adding a pinch of salt. Add the barley, cover, and reduce the heat to low. Cook until tender and all the liquid has been absorbed, for about 30-40 minutes (watch it carefully). I ended up adding more water. Let cool.

In a different pan, bring 1 cup of water and a pinch of salt to a boil, then add the quinoa. Cover and turn down the heat to low and let it simmer for about 15 minutes, or until all the water is absorbed and the quinoa is tender. Allow to cool.

Meanwhile, saute up the celery, onion, red pepper, and zucchini in a little olive oil until just tender crisp. Allow to cool.

In a large bowl, toss together the cooled quinoa, barley, veggies, cucumber, mint, thyme, and parsley. Set aside. In a small bowl, whisk together the oil, vinegar, ginger, mustard, salt and pepper. Pour dressing over the salad and toss to coat.

You can make this ahead and then chill for up to 24 hours! Store in a sealed, airtight container.

Makes 6 servings.

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Veggie Lovers Sandwich

We are very big on veggie sandwiches in this house. I know I've blogged about these a few times before, but this time we used Big 16 Bread by Silver Hills Bakery. I've had Squirrelly bread before, but to be honest it was pretty expensive and so I stopped buying it in favor of our local bakery bread.

Now, I'm a bit torn. We like our local bakery bread, even though it's often too soft to make thick sandwiches like this with. When Hubs saw the bag of Big 16 bread, he grabbed it and read everything printed on the bag; from the ingredients (I can pronounce EVERYTHING) to the nutritional info (almost no sugar!).

In a nutshell, this bread is damn healthy. It's thick and sturdy, and holds up well to all the stuff we shoved in this sandwich. I was thrilled that Silver Hills had sent me a coupon for a free loaf, because it showed me that this bread is really good, and perhaps the best thing for Hubs. We'll be buying some every week.

Onto the sandwiches! The measurements are not exact, but I'll tell you what we did in general.

1 avocado
cream cheese
2 slices of bread per person
2 carrots, peeled and grated
thinly sliced red onion
thinly sliced sweet bell pepper
pea shoots
thinly sliced mushrooms
thinly sliced cucumber

In a bowl, mash the avocado. Squirt a little lime juice over top and mix in salt and pepper to taste. Spread on ONE side of the sandwiches. Spread cream cheese on the other slices of bread. Layer, on the cream cheese side, cucumbers, mushrooms, carrots, peppers, and red onion. On the avocado side, top with pea shoots. Put the sandwiches together. Cut in 1/2 and eat!

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Questions for the Kitchen: Greek Yogurt and Passata

I've been using a lot of ingredients that you might be wondering about. Actually to be honest, for awhile I didn't make a lot of recipes because I didn't know what some of the ingredients were, much less how to find them. Instead I just took a wild guess and substituted things that I thought might work. Funny thing is that when you really have time to poke around in your local grocery store, how suddenly you begin finding things and it's like, ah HA! There you are!

Here are some recent finds:

Greek or 'Greek Style' Yogurt:

A thicker, sour cream-like yogurt. It has much higher calories than regular yogurt, but isn't watery and is good for making curries, tzatziki, etc. I tried this brand. Some foodies say it isn't 'real' Greek yogurt because it has pectin, but it was all I could find so it had to do. I liked the taste and lactose intolerant Jake seemed to tolerate it better than sour cream. In BC, Greek Gods Yogurt bears the 100% Canadian Milk symbol. In the USA, this brand appears to also be very popular.

If you can't find Greek Yogurt, you can get full fat plain yogurt and strain it overnight. Just line a strainer with some cheesecloth, plunk your yogurt in, set it over a bowl or large Pyrex measuring cup, and top with cling film. Chill overnight. All the excess moisture will drip out and you can use the thickened yogurt in your recipe.

Tomato Passata:

Some recipes like this one call for tomato passata. You can substitute tomato sauce (like Hunts). Passata is basically strained tomato concentrate. Some sites have said you can use tomato paste instead, but I find tomato paste to be much thicker and gluey. Passata comes in glass jars and tastes quite good, especially if you find the canned tomatoes have a "tinny" taste to them. I'm sure the leftovers would be great in a spaghetti sauce or however else you would use tomato sauce. I might make pizza sauce with mine.

Looking for a specialty ingredient? Not sure what something is, or where to find it? Let me know and I'll see what I can do!

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Tandoor Style Chicken Kebabs

We've been on a bit of a curry kick in our house lately. Maybe it's my family roots showing through-my great grandparents, from the Crimea area of Russia, were missionaries in India. My grandmother was actually born there. The orphanage that my great grandparents started is apparently still there today, although I've never personally seen it.

This recipe is great-the kebabs are really mild, so if you are not making these for kids you can bump up the heat by adding some minced chili or a pinch of cayenne pepper to the marinade. I can just imagine how delicious they would be on the grill! I served them with warm naan bread, a scoop of Greek yogurt and mango chutney, and fresh cilantro.

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

140 g yogurt (use Greek yogurt. It's thick and works well)
25 ml olive oil
60 ml tomato passata
1/2 thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced
1/2 tsp each garam masala, chili powder, smoked paprika (I used regular), and tumeric
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
10-12 boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 2 cm cubes (I used 2 whole boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1/2 inch cubes)

In a large bowl, mix the yogurt, olive oil, passata, ginger, garam masala, chili powder, paprika, tumeric, and garlic together. Add your chicken and mix until well coated. Cover with plastic wrap and chill for at least 2 hours. I let mine sit all day, so I think that even overnight would be good.

Thread the chicken onto skewers and grill, turning occasionally, for about 15 minutes or until they are cooked through. I cooked mine on a foil lined broiler pan under my broiler set to high, turning and keeping a close eye on them so they didn't burn. I think they took about 10 minutes in the oven.

Makes 4 servings

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Asparagus Soup with Poached Egg on Toast

With a pound of asparagus hanging out in my fridge, I wanted to find something delicious to make so for this week's Food Revolution Friday, I tried this great recipe from Jamie Oliver's website. It's very easy and delicious-at first the idea of a poached egg on toast with the soup seemed a little weird, but the creamy egg mixed with the soup, and the crunchy toast, topped with salty prosciutto (my idea) was just the thing this evening. We loved it!

Adapted from Jamie Oliver

800g asparagus
2 medium white onions, chopped
2 stalks celery, chopped
2 leeks, washed well and chopped
2 liters of vegetable or chicken stock
ciabatta bread
8 eggs
125 g prosciutto
butter

Snap off the woody ends on your asparagus and throw them away. Next, trim the tops of your asparagus and put them aside. Take the stalks and chop them into 1 inch long pieces. Set aside.

Slice up the leeks, then wash them thoroughly because they sometimes get gritty dirt between the layers. Set aside.

In a stock pot, heat up a little olive oil and fry up the onions, celery and leeks until they are soft but not browned, about 10 minutes. Add the chopped asparagus stalks and the broth. Bring to a boil, then turn down the heat and let simmer with a lid on for about 20 minutes.

When the 20 minutes is up, use an immersion blender to blend up your soup so it's nice and smooth. Season carefully with salt and pepper. Then gently bring the heat back up and add the asparagus tops, stirring and letting gently bubble until they are tender crisp. Remove from the heat.

Fry up some bits of prosciutto until crispy and sprinkle over the soup if you wish.

Poach 1 egg per person, and serve with buttered, toasted bread and the poached eggs. It's best in a shallow bowl-my bowls are deep and so the egg practically slid right into the soup.

Serves 8

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Chicken and Asparagus Sandwiches with Proscuitto

Bon Appetit has become one of my new favorite food magazines. I still like Canadian Living, but the recipes in Bon Appetit? Amazing. There's so much variety, such great things to try, that it's like finding a treasure trove of foodie goodness every time I buy one.

This week asparagus was on sale and I bought not one, but TWO pounds of the stuff. So it makes your pee smell funny-it's good for you, right? Might as well eat it while it's available! These sandwiches were delicious. The creamy, tender chicken, crunchy asparagus and salty prosciutto was just divine. For some reason, even though I followed the recipe exactly, we ended up with PILES of filling. Probably too much. Part of me just couldn't resist the towering sandwiches that demanded to be eaten with a knife and fork. Perhaps the bread pieces were supposed to be bigger but nevertheless, they were amazing.

Adapted from Bon Appetit, June 2010

1 lb slender asparagus, with the woody ends snapped off
1/2 cup mayonnaise
1/4 plain Greek style yogurt
1 tbsp fresh lemon juice
1 tbsp Dijon mustard
4 cups bite sized cooked skinless, boneless chicken (leftovers from a bird would be good)
1/2 cup chopped fresh chives
non stick spray
6 thin prosciutto slices
six 1/2 inch thick slices of rye bread, lightly toasted (don't butter them. Just toast)
2 green onions, thinly sliced

In a bowl, mix the mayo, yogurt, lemon juice, dijon and a little salt and pepper together. Set aside.

Cook the asparagus in a pot of boiling water just briefly until they turn bright green and are tender crisp. (about a minute or so) Drain and immediately rinse them under cold water. Chop them into 3/4 inch pieces, keeping the tips whole. Dry them well. (I put them on a pan with some paper towel) Set aside.

In a large bowl, gently mix the mayo/yogurt mixture, chicken, chives, and asparagus pieces together. (you can cover the bowl with cling film and chill for up to 6 hours now, if you need to)

To assemble the sandwiches, toast your rye bread. Allow it to cool. Spray a pan with the non stick spray. Turn the oven on to 375 F and gently arrange your slices of prosciutto on the prepared pan. Bake them until the prosciutto is crispy-about 15 minutes. Allow them to cool.

Heap the chicken filling on the toasted rye bread, then top with a slice of the crispy prosciutto, and sprinkle with green onions.

Dig in!

Makes 6 servings

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Jamie Oliver's Quick Salmon Stir Fry

I've been in the mood for curries lately, and this one fit the bill the other night. It's fast, it's full of flavor, and it's helping me use up that jar of Patak's Tandoori Paste in the fridge!

Seriously though, we loved it; Jake especially. He greedily snarfed down three helpings, then laid claim to the leftovers.

Wow, Jamie. This one is GOOD!

Adapted from Jamie's Food Revolution
1 cup basmati or wild rice
3/4 lb salmon fillet, skin off and bones removed, cut into 1 inch chunks
handful of unsalted shelled peanuts, whirled up in your food processor to small bits
1 clove garlic, minced
thumb sized piece of fresh ginger, minced
1 fresh red chile, seeded and chopped (the seeds make it spicy. I omit them)
small bunch of fresh cilantro, chopped
vegetable oil
1 heaped tablespoon of Patak's tandoori paste
a handful of snow peas
1/2 a 14 oz can of coconut milk
handful of bean sprouts
1 lime

Cook rice according to the package instructions. Meanwhile, put a wok or fry pan on high heat and add some oil to the pan. When it's good and hot, start cooking up your ginger, garlic, and chile. Move it around to keep the garlic from burning. Add the curry paste and continue to stir and cook for another 30 seconds.

Throw in your cubed salmon and stir for about a minute, then pour in your coconut milk and add the snow peas. Cook together for a bit longer until the fish is cooked through, then taste and see if you need to add any seasonings.

To serve, top your rice with some of the salmon stir fry, then sprinkle on the bean sprouts, cilantro, and bits of peanut. Serve with lime wedges to squeeze over top.

Serves 2

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Steak and Mango Wraps

I saw this recipe a long time ago in one of my issues of Everyday Food, and was intrigued at the the thought. Tender beef, paired up with mango? And spinach? Mmm.... interesting. Since we rarely eat beef, this was tagged as a must try, but quickly was pushed aside for something that everyone in the house would eat. This week as I browsed the aisles at the grocery store, I came upon New York Striploin steaks on sale, and suddenly, I remembered this recipe. I snatched them up, brought them home, and gently cooked those babies up.

You all might think I'm a whiz in the kitchen, but I've only JUST figured out how to make a good steak. The rule of thumb, I'm told, is to cook that baby until it has give like the meaty part of your thumb (in your palm). THEN it's medium, and you take it off the heat and allow it to rest.

Adapted From Every Day Food

1 Tbsp dijon mustard
3 Tbsp fresh lime juice (from 2 limes)
1 Tbsp olive oil
1/2 red onion, sliced thinly
1 sweet red bell pepper, cored, seeded, and cut into thin strips
1 mango, peeled and cut into thin strips
4 (10 inch) whole wheat tortillas
4 cups spinach, trimmed, washed and dried
1 lb of cooked beef, very thinly sliced, room temperature (I grilled up some steak and seasoned it with Montreal Steak Spice)

In a bowl, whisk together the mustard, lime juice, olive oil, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Set aside. Toss the onion, red pepper, and mango together and then drizzle the dressing over top. Toss again to evenly coat.

Divide the spinach between the four tortillas. Top with the mango mixture and beef, then roll up.

Makes 4 wraps

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Peanut Butter Pancakes

If you like peanut butter cookies, make sure to check out these pancakes. A bit softer than regular pancakes, they are pretty tasty topped with bananas and maple syrup. If you want to get a little of that salty/sweet thing going on, serve them with sausages and let the rave reviews come in! Jake commented that he thought they would be delicious with chocolate chips for a special occasion.

Click on over for the recipe....

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Shrimp and Arugula Salad

Looking for a tasty summer salad? We really like this one. Tender shrimp, some sweet pieces of orange, bits of red onion and home made croutons made it a really great summer meal. The home made croutons are easy-get some slightly stale focaccia bread and cut it into cubes. Fry gently in butter until golden. Let cool. Croutons!

Adapted from Canadian Living Market Fresh 2008

1 lb medium raw shrimp, peeled and de-veined
1 tbsp olive oil
1 clove minced garlic
1/4 tsp hot pepper flakes (I used 1/2 a hot chili)
3 tbsp fresh minced coriander
4 cups arugula
1 cup croutons
1/4 cup thinly sliced sweet onion
1/2 cup green olives, halved and pitted (I hate olives. These were omitted)
2 oranges

Orange vinaigrette:

2 tbsp orange juice
1/4 cup extra virgin olive oil
2 tbsp sherry vinegar
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

In a small bowl, whisk together the orange juice, zest from one of the oranges, olive oil, sherry vinegar, salt and pepper. Set aside.

Heat up some olive oil in a skillet, then saute the garlic, hot pepper flakes, and shrimp until the shrimp is pink. Add 2 tbsp of the vinaigrette and cook, stirring, until the liquid is almost gone. Toss with some coriander. Set aside until cooled to room temperature.

Peel and thinly slice the oranges. In a large bowl, toss them with the arugula, croutons, and onion. Add the remaining vinaigrette and toss until everything is coated. Divide among 4 plates and then top with the shrimp and olives.

Makes 4 servings

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Southwest Turkey Burgers

I have come to the conclusion that turkey burgers don't photograph well. That baby was cooked, I tell you, and she still looks pink! PINK! I found this recipe while cruising the internets, looking for a burger recipe that Hubs and Jake would eat. Being all inspired like from last Friday when I made buffalo/beef burgers with a friend, I was still in burger mode and these satisfied my craving.

Home made burgers are the best. You can control what is topping them or going in them, and tailor them just to your needs. What's not to like?

Adapted from Rachael Ray

1 lb ground turkey
2 cloves garlic, minced
1/4 red onion, minced
2 tbsp chopped fresh thyme (1 tsp dried leaves)
2 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro, or parsley
1/2 small sweet bell pepper (any color), chopped finely
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (I used 1/4 of a pepper)
several drops of hot sauce (I omitted this)
2 tsp Montreal Steak Spice

In a large bowl, mix together the garlic, onion, thyme, cilantro, bell pepper, jalapeno, hot sauce, and steak spice. Add the turkey and with your hands, moosh it all together until it's blended through. Shape the mixture into 5 patties.

To cook, heat a little olive oil in a pan and fry them up on medium high until they are no longer pink in the middle and cooked through. We served them in whole wheat kaisers with Cheddar cheese, tomato, lettuce, and a bit of mayo. You could try them with some bacon and pepper jack cheese, or omit the bacon and slather on some avocado. Yum!

Makes 4 burgers

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Peppermint Patty Brownie Cupcakes

I found this recipe awhile ago over at The Crepes of Wrath, and was intrigued. Would you believe I had never eaten a York Peppermint Patty? Maybe it's a Canadian thing. I HAVE had Jr. Mints, and I love them. So these just seemed like something I had to try.

These aren't cupcakes per se, but more like brownies baked in muffin cups. They are then twice the size of the normal slice of brownie I would take, and with the addition of a mini peppermint patty nestled in the middle, they are over the top decadent. We ate some of them (I highly recommend you try one fresh out of the oven while still warm, with ice cream) and then I took the remainder to work where the staff devoured them like vultures.

I know. It just makes you drool all over the keyboard, right?

Anyway, these are super easy to make so even those of you who are shy of baking, never fear.

Adapted from The Crepes of Wrath
8 oz bittersweet or semi-sweet chocolate (I used semi-sweet)
1/2 cup unsalted butter
1 cup sugar
3/4 tsp salt
3 large eggs, at room temperature
1/2 cup flour
1/4 cup dutch process cocoa powder (Fry's cocoa in Canada is Dutch Process)
12 mini York Peppermint patties (the fun sized ones work)

Line a muffin tin with paper cups, and turn your oven on to 350 F.

In a saucepan over low heat, melt the chocolate and butter together until smooth, stirring. Whisk in the sugar, and then the eggs, 1 at a time until they are incorporated. The mixture will be glossy and smooth.

In a separate bowl whisk the flour and salt together, then gently stir into the chocolate mixture until just combined. Spoon about 1 tbsp into the bottom of each cup, then top with an unwrapped mini peppermint patty. Spoon another 1 1/2-2 tbsp of batter on top, making sure that it reaches the edges.

Bake at 350 F for about 35 minutes.

These would be amazing served warm with a scoop of ice cream!

Makes 12. Store for up to 3 days in an airtight container.

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Granola Girl

I really don't eat a lot of granola, for various reasons. Firstly, the store bought stuff is packed with fat and sugar, and I don't need or like loads of fat and sugar. Secondly, most store bought granolas are made with almonds.

Almonds, my friends, don't like me. Or I don't like them. Or something like that.

I have Oral Allergy Syndrome, which means that while ingesting almonds will not kill me like a true nut allergy, they make me extremely uncomfortable. Usually it depends on a variety of factors; the time of year, how many I eat, how processed they've been, etc. I find it easiest to just avoid them altogether.

So the beauty of making my own granola is that I control what goes in, and I can eat it. YUM.

The June 2010 issue of Bon Appetit has a great recipe for granola, and it was my first attempt. I used some pecans, dried apricots, dried sour cherries, and then a bunch of leftover President's Choice dried berry mix. It was delicious! My favorite way to eat this has been to sprinkle it on my yogurt, but you could eat it by itself with milk, on your cereal, or as a snack. The best thing is that it's not very sweet, nor does it have a lot of oil. Win, win!

Adapted from Bon Appetit June 2010

3 cups old fashioned oats
1 cup coarsely chopped pecans
1/2 cup unsweetened coconut
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
3/4 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ginger
1/4 tsp salt
1/3 cup honey
2 tbsp vegetable oil
1 cup of assorted dried fruit

Pre-heat your oven to 300 F. In a large bowl, mix together the oats, pecans, coconut, brown sugar, cinnamon, ginger, and salt. Set aside. In a small saucepan on low-ish heat, warm the honey and oil together, stirring, until smooth. Pour over the oat mixture and toss.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment, then spread out the oat mixture onto it. Bake, but stir it around every 10 minutes or so, until it's beautiful golden brown (about 40 minutes total, maybe). Remove the pan from the oven and allow it to cool, then stir in the dried fruit. It lasts about a week, and you can store it in an airtight container. I just put it in a huge mason jar with a good lid, in my cupboard.

Makes about 5 cups

**According to the article you can tweak this all you want, by varying the different kinds of nuts, spices, or fruit. I would like to try using maple syrup instead of honey, with cashews instead of the pecans. I'll let you know how those turn out. In the meantime, this is decidedly my new favorite treat.

**OH! And before I forget, this makes a really super gift if you portion it out into pretty mason jars, then tie a cute ribbon around the top and add a nice tag.

**Edited to add: We have made this twice so far. The maple syrup/cashew version was amazing, and we practically scarfed down the whole batch as fast as we could. I highly recommend it!

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Jamie Oliver's Salmon Tikka with Cucumber Yogurt

Sunday was a long day, and I came home beyond tired. The last thing I felt like doing was cooking, but I dutifully pulled out Jamie's "Food Revolution" and made this salmon tikka. It only took me about 20 minutes, and then we tucked in.

Silence. Eye rolling. Groans in ecstasy. Can I just tell you, this is the most delicious way to eat salmon that I have ever tried? EVER? In my LIFE? So tender, so delicious, so full of flavor that I must make this again. Soon.

Like tomorrow, maybe?

I just might lick the plate next time.

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Chicken Meatballs with Balsamic Tomato Glaze

Somehow we had meatball twice this week; once via a Jamie Oliver recipe, and once via Crepes of Wrath. Honestly, they are two of my very top recipe sources, as everything I make from Sydney just downright delicious.

These great meatballs have lots of cheese and things in them, then are brushed with a mixture of tomato paste, balsamic vinegar and olive oil before they are baked in the oven. I think the only difference with mine was that a) I didn't have dried parsley so I threw in some dried basil and oregano, and b) I used real grated Parmesan instead of the sawdusty stuff. I was a bit curious about how they would turn out, but let's say that they were some of the best chicken meatballs I've ever eaten and make great leftovers. We had them with salad, and nobody talked; they simply ate. I highly recommend you try them!

Click on over for the recipe...

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Lazy Man's Lasagna

Sometimes the best recipes just happen when I am in the mood for something. With the weather more February-ish than summer like, a cheesy baked pasta dish seemed like just the thing. The funny thing is that this is a combination of different recipes all rolled into one!

Now, don't be scared off by the length of this recipe. You can do it in parts-the meatballs can be frozen ahead, and so can the sauce. Just thaw, toss with some cooked pasta, bake, and serve.

The meatballs:
(adapted from Jamie Oliver's Food Revolution)

1 lb lean ground beef
12 cream or plain crackers (like Jacobs), whirled up in the food processer until fine
2 heaped tsp dijon mustard
1 large egg
sea salt and pepper
1 chili, seeded and finely chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 handful coriander, chopped finely

In a large bowl, mix together the crackers, mustard, egg, salt and pepper, chili, garlic, and coriander. Add the beef and with your hands, smoosh it all together until it's well blended. If it feels a bit dry, add about a tablespoon of water.

Line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper and then roll out the mixture into walnut sized balls.

Bake them at for about 30 minutes, or until cooked through. Cool. You can even freeze them at this point, just thaw before you are going to use them again.

The Sauce:
(original recipe by Scattered Mom)

two 28 oz cans of tomatoes (1 whole tomatoes, 1 crushed)
2 ribs of celery, chopped
1 onion, chopped
1 sweet red pepper, chopped
3 garlic cloves, chopped
1/2 cup good wine
3 tbsp tomato paste
1 tsp dried basil
1 tsp dried oregano
1 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp red wine vinegar
1 chili, seeded and chopped

Put a good glug of olive oil in a fry pan and heat it up. Add in your onion, garlic, celery, chili, and red pepper. Cook, stirring, over medium heat until the veggies are softened. Add your oregano, basil, some salt and pepper, then the brown sugar and red wine vinegar. Stir and allow to coat all the veggies before dumping in the tomatoes, wine, and tomato paste. Smoosh up the tomatoes with your spoon. Bring to a boil. Turn the heat down and let it bubble and cook, stirring occasionally, until it has lost that watery look

Let it bubble and cook, stirring occasionally, until it's good and thick and isn't watery. (about 1/2 hour)

The rest:

350 g fresh spinach and cheese filled ravioli
Parmesan Cheese

Mean while, cook a package of spinach and cheese filled ravioli (about 350 g) according to the package directions. Rinse with cool water and drain well. When the sauce is finished cooking, gently mix it with the ravioli and meatballs in a large bowl. Transfer to a 9x13 inch baking dish, and sprinkle the top with some freshly shaved Parmesan cheese.

Bake, uncovered, at 350 F for about 20 minutes or until bubbling.

Serves 4

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Tequila Lime Chicken Breasts

"Mom...you're buying...tequila? Really? For...chicken?!?" The teenager was a bit taken aback by my insistence of buying alcohol for this chicken dish. Marinated with jalapenos, chili powder, orange juice, lime, garlic, and tequila, these chicken breasts are delicious. I cooked them up under my broiler, but they are really meant for the BBQ. Served with some lemon chive potatoes and a salad, they made a summery meal during a rain filled week.

Go to Canadian Living for the recipe...

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