Chicken Corn Chowder with Bacon and Cheddar

I've always liked corn chowder. There's something about a creamy, hearty, thick soup with bits of bacon and vegetables that is really tasty after a long motorcycle ride. John and I went out today and wound our way along the Sunshine Coast Highway, drinking in views of the ocean in the crisp spring air. Once back home, I whipped this up and we ate it with thick slices of baguette to dip in the sauce. You could fry up a little extra bacon to use as a garnish, but I admit I ate the extra piece. This soup is a great way to use up any leftover chicken or turkey you could have hanging around, as well as home made stock. I didn't have any, so I used pre-made stock and poached a bit of chicken.

Adapted from Spilling the Beans

3 slices bacon, chopped 

1 onion, finely chopped 

1 stalk celery, chopped 

2 Tbsp flour 

1 tsp cumin 

4 cups chicken stock 

1 red skinned potato, diced 

2 cups white beans, rinsed and drained 

12 oz (341 ml) can of corn (or you can use 1 ½ cups of frozen/ fresh corn cut right off some cobs 

1 cup cooked, chopped chicken 

½ cup whipping cream 

1 cup sharp cheddar cheese 

 In a large soup pot, fry up the bacon until crisp. Remove to paper towels and blot. 

 In the same pot using the bacon grease, sauté the onion and celery until tender. Stir in the flour and cumin for about a minute, then add the stock, potato, and beans. Bring to a boil over medium heat and then turn down to medium low and simmer until the potato is tender, about 10-15 minutes. 

Taste your bits of potato to make sure they are as tender as you like. Take the pot off the heat and stir in the cream, bacon, corn, cheese, and chicken. Stir well and put back on the heat to warm through, but don’t let it boil. 

Makes 6 servings

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Strawberry Filled Crepes

If you are looking for something to make for Mother's Day that is easy but also looks elegant and tastes delicious, this is absolutely for you. Crepes are very easy to make, they just take a little practise. You can also buy them already made if you like.  I grew up with a Dad that didn't cook often but he was a master at whipping up a batch of crepes on Saturday evenings, which we would slather with jam or peanut butter, roll, and eat. Sometimes we just sprinkled a little sugar inside!  I like to fill these with fresh strawberries and, instead of whipping cream, thick Greek yogurt.

1 1/3 cups flour
1/4 tsp salt
4 eggs, room temperature
1 1/2 cups milk
2 tbsp butter

In a large bowl, whisk together the flour and salt.  Set aside.  In another bowl, whisk together the eggs, milk, and butter. Whisk the milk mixture into the flour until smooth.  Cover the bowl with plastic film and chill in the fridge for 1 hour.  When you remove the batter from the fridge, strain it through a fine sieve to get rid of any lumpy bits of flour.  You'll notice that there will be a lot of sediment, but don't worry-that's perfectly normal and your crepes will be okay.

Brush an 8-inch skillet, non stick skillet, or crepe pan with butter. Heat over medium until good and hot.  Ladle 1/4 cup of batter into the middle of the skillet, swirling  the pan as you go. Cook until golden brown, then flip and cook the other side for about a minute. Remove to a plate and set aside. Continue with the remaining batter. 

To make ahead: once the crepes have cooled, store on a plate, with waxed paper between each crepe, and the plate wrapped in plastic film. You can also freeze the crepes, with waxed paper between them and wrapped in plastic film (then over wrapped in foil) for about a month.  Thaw before using.

To fill these, you can spread a table spoon of Greek yogurt down the middle, top with strawberries, then drizzle with a bit of honey. Fold over and serve.

Like this recipe?  Check out this savoury version for brunch, stuffed with ham and asparagus, then topped with a light sauce that I wrote up for Yummy Mummy Club.  We absolutely loved this, and it would make a nice dish for a crowd that looks like you did a pile of work when in fact it's really easy and easily prepped in advance.

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Asian Style Hoisin Glazed Meatloaf

This ain't your Momma's meatloaf!  With lots of ginger, spice, and a delicious glaze, you can serve it with coconut fried rice and some steamed bok choy.  The leftovers are incredible made into sandwiches with a pickled veggie topping.  I loved them in my lunch box!  Don't let what seems to be a long list of ingredients put you off, this is a meatloaf that is definitely worth the work. 

Adapted from Bon Appetit

2 cups cubed day old crustless while bread (about 2 slices)

½ cup low salt chicken broth

4 slices of bacon, minced

1 1/3 cups sliced green onions (separate the white and dark green parts)

3 celery stalks, minced (about a cup)

1 four inch piece of fresh ginger, peeled and minced

7 garlic cloves, minced

1 pound of ground beef

1 pound of ground pork

2 large eggs, whisked

3 whole star anise, freshly ground in a spice mill (about 2 tsp ground) or 1 tsp Chinese 5 spice powder

1/2 tsp salt (the bacon and hoisin add salt, but you can add more if you wish)

1 tsp pepper

Glaze:

¾ cup hoisin glaze

½ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

1 one inch piece of ginger, peeled and minced

1 clove garlic, minced

In a small saucepan, stir together the glaze ingredients and bring to a boil over medium heat.  Reduce the heat to low and simmer for 8-10 minutes until it thickens.

Pre-heat the oven to 375 F and brush a loaf pan with vegetable oil, or coat with non stick spray.

Saute the bacon over medium heat until it begins to crisp.  Drain off the fat and add the white parts of the green onions, celery, ginger, and garlic.   Turn the heat down and stir it often so that the ginger and garlic don’t burn.   When everything has softened, take it off the heat and allow to cool for about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a bowl combine the bread cubes and the chicken broth.  The bread should soak up the broth and begin to fall apart.   Add the bacon and vegetable mixture, beef, pork, anise, salt, pepper,  eggs, and 2 tbsp of the hoisin glaze.

Using your hands,  mix everything together until well incorporated.   Scoop the meat mixture into the greased pan, pushing the mixture down to get rid of any air bubbles.  Mound the meat in the middle, cover it with foil,  and place on a baking sheet covered with foil to catch any  liquid overflow.  Bake for 30 minutes.

After the 30 minutes, take off the foil and brush with Hoisin glaze.  Return to the oven and continue to bake for about an hour, until a meat thermometer inserted in the middle reads 165 F.  Brush with more glaze occasionally.

When the meatloaf is finished, remove from the oven, drain off the fat, and allow to sit for about 20 minutes before transferring to a board and slicing. 

Asian Style Hoisin Glazed Meatloaf Sandwiches

One recipe of  Hoisin Glazed Meatloaf, cut into 12 slices

1 cup each matchstick sized pieces of carrot, cucumber, and radish

¾ cup unseasoned rice vinegar

pinch of salt

pinch of sugar

vegetable oil

12 thick slices of ciabatta bread

1 cup chopped fresh cilantro

In a bowl, toss the carrots, cucumber and radish together with the rice vinegar, salt, and sugar.  Set aside and allow to sit for about an hour. 

Using a heavy fry pan, sauté the pieces of meatloaf in a bit of oil until the sides are browned and crispy.  You will have to do this in batches.  Set the pieces aside on a plate.

Toast the bread under your broiler, then brush with hoisin glaze and top with a slice of meatloaf.  Mound the salad over top and sprinkle with coriander.  Serve immediately.

Makes 12

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Book Review: Unjunk Your Junk Food

Sometimes, you just can't shake that craving for junk food. I'm a huge believer that once in awhile, you should just indulge a bit and enjoy, then go back to your usual healthy eating.  Let's be realistic-we can't all be eating quinoa and kale all the time!

If you're going to indulge in junk, you should at least make sure it's the best junk possible, and I don't mean the junk that's most full of the grossest ingredients you can find. Be a bit demanding and get high quality junk food!

Unjunk Your Junk Food is a great resource for this.  Packed with lots of information about undesireable ingredients, what to look for when you are reading labels, trivia, healthy eating tips, best of and worst of in common junk food categories, Unjunk Your Junk Food is an interesting read.  With lots of tidbits spread throughout the pages, it's a handy little resource with all sorts of good information.

The only drawback with this book, (yes-I could only find one) is that the products listed are in the USA. The ingredients may vary from country to country, so not every choice according to Unjunk may be valid for the same products in Canada.  I would, however, find this very handy if we went on a road trip to the USA because now I'd know what treats would be the best choice after all.  Despite this, the other information and trivia still stands and makes for an interesting read.  I've learned a lot about various additives, preservatives and junk in my food in a quick and easy read!

Surprisingly (at least to me), the book includes tips on how to curb your cravings for junk food and choose healthy snacks, shopping seasonally, and how much exercise will burn off those chocolate chip cookies.

Knowledge is power! Unjunk is a good tool to deciphering the code of those food labels.

Disclosure: I wasn't paid to write this review, but I was sent a copy of Unjunk to read. 

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Spring Egg and Asparagus Sandwiches with Bacon and Pickled Onion

Easter is over, and if you spent a lot of time dyeing eggs this weekend, you now have a fridge full of the stinky things just waiting to be eaten.  Don't worry, I have a great sandwich recipe that will help you use them up!

We love good sandwiches for dinner.  Put together with a salad or even on their own, these are really filling and yet easy to put together.  We love asparagus so it's an easy way to work more veggies into your diet, along with fresh baguette and a little bacon.

Adapted from The Kitchn

4 eggs, hard boiled
1 lb of asparagus
4 small baguettes, or 1 large one divided into four sections, each big enough for one sandwich
fresh dill
4 slices of bacon, cooked and crumbled
grainy or dijon mustard
2 tbsp red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup red wine vinegar

In a small bowl, combine the red onion and vinegar, set aside while you prepare the rest of the sandwich.

Heat up a large, heavy skillet over medium heat.  Add a little olive oil and then sear the asparagus, in batches.  You don't need to move it around too much because you want the asparagus to brown a little, but keep searing them until the asparagus is tender crisp (about 3 minutes).  Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Split the baguettes in half and toast under the broiler.  Slather each with your choice of mustard.

On each baguette, lay a handful of asparagus, a sliced hard boiled egg, then bits of the onion, bacon, and fresh dill.  Top with some fresh cracked pepper, a little salt, and enjoy!

Serves 4

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Vanilla Cloverleaf Sweet Rolls

Easter dinner, for me, isn't complete without some kind of sweet, tasty bread to go with it.  Usually I love to have hot cross buns on the table, but this Easter I tried some really tasty vanilla buns.  I'm a sucker for anything vanilla, so these were an obvious choice.  If you don't have a vanilla bean handy, vanilla bean paste is a tasty option.  This recipe is different from most bread recipes I've ever made, but if you follow the directions, you are rewarded with delicious results.  These tend to be best eaten the same day they are made, as they tend to be drier as they sit.   You can also make the dough the night before, then shape and allow them to rise in the morning before baking for Easter dinner.  Look for the bold make ahead hint in the recipe below for instructions.

Adapted from Bon Appetit

2/3 cup whole milk
5 tbsp sugar, divided
1 3/4 tsp active dry yeast
2 large eggs, room temperature
2 3/4 cups flour
1 vanilla bean
1 tsp salt
1/2 cup unsalted butter, room temperature,  cut into 1 inch pieces

Heat the milk on your stove until it's about 110-115 F.  Pour into a 2 cup measuring cup, and stir in 1 tbsp sugar. Sprinkle the yeast over top and allow to sit for about 5 minutes until foamy.  Whisk in the eggs.

Measure out the flour, remaining 4 tbsp sugar and salt into the bowl of your mixture.  With the dough hook attachment, stir it together and then add the milk/egg mixture and scraped vanilla bean seeds with the motor running.  Continuing to run the motor, add the pieces of butter, one at a time, mixing well after each. Mix it on medium high for 1 minute, then on medium for about 5 minutes.

Don't worry that the dough seems really sticky, wet, and unlike bread dough you've seen before. It should be sticky, but not greasy.  If the dough seems greasy, knead it with the machine about another 2-3 minutes longer.

Brush a large bowl with melted butter.  Put the dough in the bowl, and brush the top of the dough with a little more melted butter.  Cover with plastic wrap and place in a draft free area for 1 1/2 hours.

Make ahead: Instead of putting the dough on the counter to rise, put it in the fridge to chill overnight. Pull out in the morning and allow to rise for 2-2 1/2 hours before continuing with the recipe.

Brush a muffin tin with melted unsalted butter.

Punch down the dough on a lightly floured counter.  Divide the dough in half, then each half into six equal pieces.  Taking a piece at a time, break into three equal pieces.  Roll each into a ball and fit the  three balls of dough in each muffin tin.  Continue with the remaining half of the dough.

Cover the buns with a clean tea towel and set in a draft free place to rise for 1 or 1 1/2 hours, until the dough rises about an inch above the top of the pan.  Gently brush each bun with milk and sprinkle each with 1/2 tsp sugar.

Bake at 375 F for 15-18 minutes, until golden brown.  Transfer to a rack and let cook completely.

You can make these ahead and then freeze in an airtight container for up to a month. Thaw, and then reheat by placing on a baking sheet and placing in a 350 F oven for about 5-10 minutes.

Makes 1 dozen.

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Peanut Butter Maple Granola

Some time ago, I tried my hand at making home made granola.  I'm not the kind of person to eat granola for breakfast; rather, I love spooning it over thick Greek yogurt drizzled with honey and topped with fat slices of banana.  My body has had a love hate relationship with nuts the last 10 years, ever since I discovered that I could have Oral Allergy syndrome.  At one time, particular fresh fruits and nuts would make my mouth itch and burn but these days, as my reactions to apples have waned, so have my reactions to nuts.

There really is much rejoicing, because I love almonds, and now it seems I can eat them.

I was inspired to try this granola when I was searching the internet for recipes using maple, since a lovely twitter follower of mine so kindly sent me a jug of the darkest of dark maple syrup from a sugar shack just down the road from her house.  I was (am!) thrilled to pieces to have syrup this decadent and rich to use in baking.  This recipe seemed to call a little from the recesses of the internet, daring me to try it.  Peanut butter and dried fruit add a sweet/salty element that I couldn't ignore, so last weekend I whipped up a batch.

My entire family loves it.  From Kevin, who eats it by the handful to John, who prefers his in a bowl with milk, we've been nibbling on it all week.  I daresay that you need to make this, and that it would make a great gift if you were inclined to give some away. Personally, I think I would have a mutiny on my hands should any leave my house. Feel free to mix it up when it comes to the nuts and/or fruit, using whatever kinds appeal to you.  I love cashews and pecans in my granola, and I think a mixture of them in this would be delicious.  I also used a combination of dried berries, but you could use dried apple and/or apricots if that suited you. Have fun!

Adapted from Dinner with Julie

4 cups old fashioned / large flake oats
1 cup shredded unsweetened coconut
2 cups nuts-I used 1 cup of chopped pecans, 3/4 cup chopped almonds, 1/4 cup sunflower seeds
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 cup creamy peanut butter
1/3 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup maple syrup (dark, if you can find it)
1 cup of dried fruit (I like cranberries, cherries, blueberries)

Pre-heat oven to 325 F.

Stir the peanut butter, brown sugar, and maple syrup together in a medium sauce pan over medium low heat until melted and smooth.

In a large bowl, mix together the oats, coconut, nuts, and salt.  Drizzle over the peanut butter/maple mixture, stirring as you go, until all the oats and nuts are all well coated. Spread out onto a large rimmed baking sheet, and bake for about 30-35 minutes until golden.  If you like your granola clumpy, only stir it once, but if you don't mind that there aren't many clumps, stir it a few times as it bakes.

Let the mixture cool before adding the dried fruit.  

Store in an airtight container, or in large Mason jars, as I do. Makes about six cups.

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Hug-worthy Guacamole

The first time I ever had really great guacamole, I was about 15 years old.  My family was visiting my uncle Bill in California at his almond ranch.  California was far different than I expected-the hot dry weather of Chico, lizards, and the abundance of fruit blew me away.  One day for a snack, Uncle Bob whipped up a batch of guacamole with the sweetest, most delicious avocados I'd ever eaten. I still remember that day-sun kissed from the morning in the pool, I sat wrapped in a towel by the breeze of the air conditioner, watching him in the kitchen.

"There, now THAT is guacamole," he set a bowl in front of me and pushed a bag of chips my way.  I think I likely ate half the bowl.

Since then, I've been to California multiple times, and I always sigh with happiness when we roll over the pass by Mount Shasta and into Redding.  Of all the states we have visited, California is one of my favorites-the people, the scenery, and of course the food, never fail to make an impression.  Last summer while I traveled with the girls to Blogher in San Diego, we picked up guacamole kits in Trader Joes and there I'd be, late at night, whipping up guacamole in our hotel room.  We ate every last bite.  It wasn't quite my Uncle Bill's, but it was still delicious.

This afternoon, looking for something to nosh on, I wanted a bit of summer and reached for the avocados.  Kevin came bounding into the kitchen, took one look at what I was doing, and threw his arms around me in wild abandon.

"I LOVE you.  I LOVE guacamole."

On rainy cool days when I'm dreaming of hot sunny places and California, I feel that way too.

2 large avocados
1/4 cup red onion, finely chopped
1/4 cup seeded and diced tomato
2 limes
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced (optional)
3 Tbsp finely chopped cilantro (optional)
salt and pepper to taste

Mash up the avocados with a fork.  I like to have it a little chunky, so I do this roughly and don't worry too much about getting it smooth.  Stir in the other ingredients, before zesting 1 of the limes into the bowl, then cutting the limes in 1/2 and squeezing the juice over top.  Mix everything together well.

Serve with tortilla chips.

Makes about 1 1/2 cups

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