the kitchen nerd...monthly

Pork Belly Cabbage

2014-04-14T18:02:00.001-03:00

I have to tell you, I'm really digging cabbage these days.Yes, the humble, lowly ground vegetable that is generally the butt of many a joke about either the elderly or farts. Sometimes both. However, cabbage is so much more than the overboiled, limp staple you remember at large family gatherings. Cabbage is not only fairly inexpensive, but is filled with vitamins K, C and a whole lot of them fancy antioxidant-thingies. More importantly, cabbage can provide a lot of good bulk to a meal to fill you up without resorting to more calorie dense foods. But, can it taste good?

Yes it can! In fact, to get the benefits out of cabbage, cook it with the mindset that less is more. Cooking the cabbage for long periods not only makes it completely unappealing, but reduces the cancer fighting benefits that are present in cruciferous vegetables, including broccoli and cauliflower. With this in mind, a quick saute is perfect for achieving a tender-crisp texture that can bring out the sweetness of the cabbage. Combined with some classic flavouring, cabbage could become a staple in your house just like it has in mine. Here`s a simple, inexpensive and delicious meal that combines another cheap staple, sliced pork belly, along with apple, onion and a bit of celery. The result is a homey, classic pairing that is easy to whip up and easy on your wallet:

Pork Belly Cabbage:

1 small head of green cabbage, sliced into strips

250g sliced pork belly, diced (this is not cured bacon - just the pork)

1 large diced apple

2 stalks celery sliced

1 large onion, sliced

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

1 clove garlic, minced

salt & pepper to taste

In a large pan, brown the pork belly on medium-low heat for about 5-10 minutes. You want to do this fairly slow so that the fat (oh yes...the delicious pork fat!) has a chance to render while the meat stays soft. Cooking this on too high of a heat will toughen the pork belly.

Once browned, add the cabbage, apple, onion, garlic, celery and toss throughout the pork so that the vegetables become coated in the fat. Turn the heat down to medium, and add the apple cider vinegar. Continue to toss and stir fry until the the liquid has reduced, and the cabbage has reached either the tender crisp stage, or is soft to your liking. You can also put a lid over the pan for a few minutes to steam the cabbage to soften it. You want to stir fry at least for 15 minutes in order to allow the flavours to marry. This is where the simplicity of this dish wows - apples, pork and cabbage are divine as a combination . No wonder they are found in so many cuisines!

More cabbage facts:

- Digestive: cabbage juice has been shown to have a role in helping to heal ulcers and the digestive tract

- Cholesterol - Cabbage helps to lower LDL - or the 'bad cholesterol'

- Cancer Protection - Like its cousins, broccoli and cauliflower, cabbage has antioxidants to fight cancer

- Anti-inflammatory - All types of cabbage contain polyphenols that help to reduce inflammation

Enjoy!

Serving Size 297 g

Amount Per Serving

Calories

180

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

2.8g

Saturated Fat

0.9g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

55mg

18%

Sodium

73mg

Potassium

653mg

19%

Total Carbohydrates

16.7g

Dietary Fiber

5.0g

20%

Sugars

10.1g

Protein

21.5g

Vitamin A 3%	•	Vitamin C 89%
Calcium 6%	•	Iron 10%

Nutrition Grade A

'Lara' Balls

2014-03-31T15:20:00.000-03:00

Oh, treats that are healthy with 'sinful' tastes -

How do I love thee?

Let me count the ways...

Firstly, this post is dedicated to my discovery of how easy it is to make Larabars at home. If you have never had a Larabar, they are one of those hippie-style energy bars that contain very few ingredients - ones you can pronounce. Yes, they're vegan, gluten, grain and dairy free, but they actually taste pretty good. I've been buying them as a great snack to have on hand, particularly when I want an energy boost or something a little sweet. Though they have no added sugar, the key ingredient is dates - which provides the structure and the delicious sweetness.

Secondly, Larabars are not cheap. Though I buy mine at Costco, most are sold individually for over $2.00 per bar. I tend to rationalize this cost as a 'health supplement', since there is a lot of fiber in each bar, courtesy of the dates. (You can only go so far with this - dates do have a lot of sugar, so eating more than one at a time is going to cause sugar spikes!) After my last purchase, I decided to seek out how easy it is to make your own....which leads me to...

Thirdly, homemade Larabars are everywhere and I just didn't know it. One quick 'google' led me to a series of Pinterest pins, blog posts and Instagrams all showing off the culinary brilliance of those more industrious than me - at least as far as homemade Larabars are concerned. So, I did what I normally do - reviewed them all and compiled what I liked into the ~~mess~~ recipe you see here before you. I'm pretty pleased - no - super psyched, actually - as these Lara Balls have not stood any chance in my house of remaining uneaten. They are far tastier than the store bought kind, and have a decadence that makes you believe they are off the limits. In ball form, you can have a few, and feel like you are cheating on some kind of regimen. Since these only take five minutes to make, you may end up making more than one batch...

Here's two different flavours to keep you returning for more:

Chocolate Brownie Lara Balls (about 12)

- 1/2 cup pitted dates

- 2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa powder

- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

- 1/4 cup semi-sweet chocolate chips

Whiz these ingredients in a food processor until the mix starts to come together. If necessary, add a few drops of water to make things 'goop' together. Roll into balls - this amount should make about a dozen. You can also make this into bars if you like! These are so chocolately with a fudgey texture - no one will know they are just dates!

Carrot Cake Lara Balls (about 12)

- 1/2 cup pitted dates

- 1/4 cup shredded carrot

- 1/3 cup chopped walnuts

- 1 tbsp coconut oil (if desired - drops of water would work as well)

- 1 tbsp dried pineapple pieces

- 1 tsp crystallized ginger

- 1 tsp pumpkin pie spice (or use cinnamon, nutmeg, etc)

Whiz 'em until the mixture comes together, and eat them well before anyone else discovers them. These are so much like carrot cake that I'm considering covering them with cream cheese icing. It certainly has provided a great alternative for those of us who no longer eat wheat.

Here's the nutrition info for a serving, which is two balls:

Chocolate Lara Balls

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Serving

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 63

Calories from Fat 16

Total Fat 1.8g3%

Saturated Fat 0.6g3%

Sodium 2mg0%

Potassium 120mg3%

Carbohydrates 12.8g4%

Dietary Fiber 2.2g9%

Sugars 8.6g

Protein 1.1g

Vitamin A 0% · Vitamin C 0%

Calcium 1% · Iron 4%

This is definitely not enough!

Carrot Cake Lara Balls

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Serving

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 80

Calories from Fat 30

Total Fat 3.3g5%

Saturated Fat 2.3g12%

Sodium 5mg0%

Potassium 110mg3%

Carbohydrates 13.5g5%

Dietary Fiber 1.6g6%

Sugars 8.8g

Protein 0.6g

Vitamin A 1% · Vitamin C 1%

Calcium 1% · Iron 2%

Enjoy!

The Snack Box

2014-03-23T16:11:00.001-03:00

This week, I'm going to share a little something that has made my life way easier during the week. It's not particularly unique or clever, but has helped keep us choose healthy foods when we are feeling lazy, which is a lot of the time. It's The Snack Box.

I'm not really the pinterest-iest of people, but I do like efficiency. Making lunches is simpler when you have a lot of pre-packaged items to throw in a bag. It occurred to me that we could save money and time by packaging up our own snacks, thus ensuring they are as healthy as they are convenient. And so began my new Sunday tradition of assembling the snack box.

What's in it, you say? All kinds of stuff like the following week's bounty:

- 1/3 cup servings of pecans
- 1/4 cup sliced strawberry and raspberry
- 1 cup servings of carrot, sugar snap peas, and pepper sticks
- 1/2 cup Greek yogurt servings with strawberries
- 30g cheddar cheese portions
- 1/2 cup servings of apple sauce
- ham slice/cheese roll ups with jalapeño havarti, marble cheddar, and provolone

That's just the beginning of endless options. Your imagination is the limit.

For 45 minutes of effort, we'll have easy access to fast food from the comfort of the fridge. I'm also seeing less food waste, as we are eating it well before it spoils. The little gems in the snack box also serve as a great fallback for nights when cooking isn't in the cards. Guilt free gems that is!

What ideas would work for your own snack box?

Posted via Blogaway

Cauliflower Pizza Crust

2014-03-02T15:20:00.000-04:00

Those who know me also know I've adopted a paleo-style diet to manage the chaos in my gut. The great news is that eliminating grains and sugar has also eliminated the awful acid reflux and digestive problems that had been causing the chaos. The bad news is that it has also eliminated some of my favourite foods made with grains and sugar, like pizza. (Cue sad emotional piano solo...)

Alright, it's really not that bad. With the gift of the internet and some creative adventure, there are ways to try and make up for lost tastes, even if they are not exact. Pizza crust is just one of those things that serves as a perfect vehicle for the delivery of toppings. I like thin crusts with a bit of crispiness, and some cheese baked on the edges. So, when I heard about the miracle of cauliflower pizza crust, I had to try it out. Cauliflower is a popular substitute for grain carbs; you can whip it like potatoes, or grind it into 'rice'. It can take on a lot of flavour, and if you manipulate it just right, it can mimic the texture of what you're trying to replace it with. Making a dough with it is a challenge, though, because it's full of water. After reviewing a number of trials, tribulations and successful outcomes, I worked on my own recipe and came up with a crust that works!

Here's what you do...

1. Pulse the raw cauliflower, with the stem removed, in a food processor. You want the cauliflower to look like the size of rice grains.

2. Heat the cauliflower in the microwave for about a minute on high or until the cauliflower is hot. Let it cool enough so you can handle it.

3. Grab a clean cloth dishtowel, or cheesecloth, and put the warmed cauliflower in it - wrap the towel around it, and keep twisting. You are now squeezing as much water out of the cauliflower as you can. Squeeze, squeeze and keep squeezing the ever-loving sh*t right out of it. Your hands should be sore and protesting - keep on until you just can't anymore. Then squeeze a bit more.

4. Place the cauliflower in a bowl, along with an egg, 1/2 cup of shredded parmesan cheese, 1 clove of minced garlic, and 1/2 tsp of salt. I also added some chopped rosemary and basil to up the flavour of the crust.

5. Mix all the ingredients by hand, and form into a ball. Roll out the dough into a flat pizza crust shape, place on a parchment-lined sheet pan, and bake in a pre-heated oven at 400F for about 10-12 minutes, or until browned.

At this point, you have a crust! Now, you can top it however you like, and bake it in the oven for an additional 12 minutes. You may want to adjust the oven time according to how crunchy you want the crust to be.

Overall, this is a unique and healthy approach to making a pizza crust. It's not going to replace a wheat crust, but as an alternative, it really offers delicious flavour and a good base for all the ingredients you love on a traditional pizza. I'd suggest making more than one - it will go fast!

Mason Jar Lattes

2014-02-23T11:12:00.001-04:00

I like the occasional latte. My favorite is straight up coffee with milk, and also chai tea when I'm feeling cozy. The essence of a great latte is the blending of warm milk with the tea or coffee, topped off by a lovely peak of creamy foam. My very first job was slinging coffee at The Second Cup, a Canadian coffee chain. These days, I would have had a fancier title such as barista, but the job was the same. I had to learn how to make espressos, lattes and sumptuous cappuccinos by perfecting the foaming technique.

In a café, you use a professional rig that not only steam brews your espressos, but has an attachment that allows you to heat the milk while creating the soft, pillowy foam to crown the top of the beverage. It takes a bit of practice, but for some reason, we always found beginners made the best foam. It is this airy topping that brings folks out to coffee shops to spend at least five dollars or more on something they cannot easily make at home without spending hundreds to do so.

Until now.

You see, I've stumbled across an ingenious way to make café quality milk foam right at home - with a mason jar and a microwave. Sounds kinda ghetto, doesn't it? Well, once you try this technique, you will be laughing at all those Starbucks hipsters desperately waiting in line like chumps. You'll have the secret that baristas around the world would never...eh, whatever. Here’s the directions:

Take a clean, half pint mason jar, and fill it quarter way with milk. This works best with 2% or whole milk, but not cream - the cream doesn't produce as much foam. Put the top on tightly, and shake vigorously for 30 seconds. There should be enough 'bubbles' to reach the halfway point of the jar.

Remove the lid, place the jar in the microwave, and heat on high for 30 seconds or so, depending on your microwave. This warms the milk and stabilizes the foam. Pour the milk into hot tea or coffee that has been flavored and sweetened the way you like. Gently spoon the foam over top. Sprinkle with cinnamon or chocolate, if you desire.

Chai Tea Latte

1 cup hot chai tea, well steeped
1 tsp raw honey (or other sweetener, optional)
A few drops of vanilla extract
Warm milk and foam

Pour the honey and vanilla into the tea, stirring gently. Gradually add the milk, and stir until blended. Spoon the foam over top, and sprinkle cinnamon to serve.

Posted via Blogaway

Steak Worth Making a Flap About

2013-10-06T13:26:00.000-03:00

I love steak. I restrain myself from eating it all the time partly because too much of anything is probably not a good idea, but mainly because it costs just too damn much. If it were more affordable, I'd probably eat more than conventional wisdom advises. But really, is conventional wisdom all it's cracked up to be? We've been advised that red meat is the cause of all that ails us for the last 50 years or so, especially if it contains any visible * gasp * fat. Never mind that since then we've replaced fats with weird chemicals and metric tonnes of sugar, we do understand that eating beef is bad. I just don't buy it.

I buy nicely marbled beef whenever I can because that's where the flavour is. The fat in the meat provides all sorts of interesting benefits as well. To begin with, beef fat is only 50% saturated. The other 50% is made up of monosaturated fat, the kind found in olive oil, which conventional wisdom would have us drinking in vats, it's so good for us. If you buy grass fed beef, all the better for this sort of thing, if you are worried about it. Beef also contains a dense assortment of nutrients like iron, zinc and the B vitamins, which are difficult to gain from plant sources or supplements. Compared to chicken and fish, you get nearly double to quadruple your nutrition bang for your buck as well.

But enough of justifying why I would eat it more if I found an affordable source...Now to celebrate finding a wonderfully inexpensive cut of beef...Flap meat!

Yeah, I know that sounds ridiculously unappetizing, but if you come across this at your local grocery store (or butcher if you're one of them fancy-pants foodies) buy it. (Especially before all the fancy-pants foodies do, which will gentrify the cut, and drive the price up like a condo in the North End.) The flap steak is also known as the 'bottom sirloin flap meat', and I've seen it listed at Sobey's with this description. At www.canadabeef.ca, they describe the cut as similar to other sirloin cuts in flavour, and I would concur. It's great for grilling, stir frying, making a steak sandwich, and even for roasting. Here's what I did to make this a fantastic dinner in no time flap...I mean flat:

1 lb of bottom sirloin flap meat...marinated in:
1/4 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup maple syrup
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tbsp red wine vinegar

I let this marinade for about 30 minutes. In the meantime, I made these Chipotle Cumin Sweet Potato Fries as a side:

Add caption

- 2 medium sweet potatoes, skin on, cut into sticks...tossed in:
- 2 tbsp grapeseed oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder
- 1 tsp seasoning salt
- 1 tbsp chipotle chili powder
- 1 tbsp cumin

Preheat the oven to 425F, and lay all the fries in one layer on a greased baking sheet. Cook for 30 minutes, turning halfway through.

While all this is going on, heat a skillet to medium high heat, and add 1 tbsp of coconut oil. (If no coconut oil, use something with a high smoking point to avoid burning the oil.) Cook the steaks 3-5 minutes per side depending on the thickness of the steak and desired doneness. Mine took about 4 per side for a medium-well result.

To complement the flavours in the steak and fries, serve on a bed of lettuce with salsa verde and guacamole.

Unflappably tasty and good fer ya!

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Serving - Steak Only

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 251

Calories from Fat 104

Total Fat 11.6g18%

Saturated Fat 5.5g28%

Cholesterol 70mg23%

Sodium 979mg41%

Carbohydrates 14.6g5%

Dietary Fiber 0.1g0%

Sugars 12.2g

Protein 23.0g

Calcium 2% · Iron 18%

Lemon Garlic Butter Haddock over Vegetable Noodles

2013-09-14T19:14:00.000-03:00

One of the hard parts of giving up wheat and grains is what to do about pasta dishes. There's a bunch of great sauces out there that I love to throw on top of any kind of pasta. For me, it's really all about the sauce, and the noodle is simply a vehicle to get it in my belly in a slightly less direct way, like spooning it in. So, I was intrigued by the technique of making noodles out of vegetables. Rather than buy a pricey spiral machine, I shelled out eight bucks for a julienne peeler. I was amazed at the simplicity and effectiveness of using it, especially since it fits into my philosophy of using the simplest gadget for the job.

Not only was I impressed that vegetables could make a great noodle replacement, but so were the domestic product testers, who lapped up all the bites on their plates. The texture of both the zucchini and the sweet potato added enough bite to satisfy the need for a noodle, and added some additional flavour to the dish as well. They also paired well with haddock, cooked in a sumptuous lemon garlic butter sauce. Here's how to make it:

You need: (Serves 2)
One medium zucchini
One medium sweet potato
2 cloves of garlic, minced
Juice of a lemon
1/4 tsp sea salt
2 tbsp butter
Fresh Italian parsley
Shredded parmesan cheese to taste
salt & pepper to taste
2 haddock fillets

Making noodles!

Salting the Noodles

Clean and peel the zucchini and the sweet potato. Using a julienne peeler, cut the vegetables into noodles, and place in a sieve. Add the salt to the noodles and mix throughout. Let this sit for several minutes to allow the salt to draw some of the moisture out of the vegetables.

In a non stick pan, heat the butter on medium-low, and add the garlic once melted. Cook for a minute, then add the lemon juice. Turn to low, and add the haddock. Cook 3 minutes per side, or until the haddock becomes opaque. Meanwhile, place the noodles in a microwave safe dish, an cook for 2-3 minutes, or until tender. Use some paper towel to gently pat the noodles to remove excess moisture.

Place the noodles on a plate, add the fish over the top, and spoon the lemon garlic butter sauce over top. Dress with the parsley, parmesan cheese, and salt & pepper to taste. Oh. man. That's right some good!

...However, the best part is how light this dish is, despite how filling. Get a look at the Nutrition details for one serving:

Nutrition Facts

Serving Size 1 Serving

Per Serving% Daily Value*

Calories 352

Calories from Fat 114

Total Fat 12.7g20%

Saturated Fat 7.5g38%

Cholesterol 141mg47%

Sodium 256mg11%

Carbohydrates 17.8g6%

Dietary Fiber 4.0g16%

Sugars 6.7g

Protein 39.9g

Vitamin A 239% · Vitamin C 63%

Calcium 11% · Iron 18%

I'm sold!

Homemade Protein Shakes

2013-09-08T15:51:00.000-03:00

So, you're looking to boost your protein intake. Maybe you are building muscle, or getting additional activity. Perhaps you are looking to manage your weight, and want to increase your protein intake to fend off carb attacks. Regardless, protein shakes are very popular, if expensive. A lot of people purchase protein powder from drugstores or fitness outlets to mix up a morning meal or post workout replenishment.There's also the diet companies selling weight loss solutions on a cup. If you've noticed the price, it can put a serious dent in your wallet. In addition to the expense, there's also a slew of additives that you may not want in your drink. If you are not lactose intolerant, you may want to try this version, which uses skim milk powder to boost the protein content. Milk contains two key protein sources that are the base of most commercial protein powders: whey and casein. By boosting your shake with skim milk powder, not only do you amp up your protein, but you'll boost your calcium intake to boot!

What You Need:

Ingredients: (Makes 1 serving)
150 grams Vanilla Greek Yogurt
1 cup Unsweetened almond milk or skim milk (milk will add more sugar, but will boost the protein)
25 grams Skimmed Milk Powder
150 grams Frozen Mixed Fruit

Throw that into a blender until smooth...Also smooth is the Nutrition Info:

Serving Size

1 serving (566.3 g)

Amount Per Serving

Calories

285

Calories from Fat

% Daily Value*

Total Fat

2.8g

Saturated Fat

0.0g

Trans Fat

0.0g

Cholesterol

4mg

Sodium

235mg

10%

Total Carbohydrates

42.0g

14%

Dietary Fiber

4.2g

17%

Sugars

20.0g

Protein

23.0g

Vitamin A 20%	•	Vitamin C 130%
Calcium 90%	•	Iron 6%

* Based on a 2000 calorie diet

Now how's that for a healthy shake? You can change it up by adding different types of fruit, using chocolate milk, or even coconut milk. Enjoy!

Yum!

Easy Chicken Chili Verde Nachos

2012-05-06T13:14:00.000-03:00

So, I thought that since yesterday was Cinco de Mayo, it would be a great time to make nachos. But, let's face it - I'll use any excuse to make nachos. Having people over? Nachos. Got a raise at work? Nachos. Put in a hard, long week? Nachos. It's a beautiful day? You get the picture. I even have my calendar marked for International Day of the Nacho on October 21st.

Yes, there is indeed an International Day of the Nacho. It was designated in 1975 to honour the death of Ignacio "Nacho" Anaya, none other than the inventor of the nacho. (This story just gets more interesting, doesn't it?) Nacho, as Ignacio was called, was a maitre d' in a restaurant called the Victory Club in Piedras Negras, Mexico. It turns out he invented the dish in 1943 when a gaggle of the wives of nearby US soldiers happened to stop by at closing time looking for a bite to eat. Ol' Nacho said he'd make them something with whatever he had in the kitchen. That 'something' happened to be corn tortillas he'd cut into triangles, smothered in cheddar cheese, heated, and topped with sliced jalapenos. They asked him, "what do you call this dish?" to which he replied, "Nachos especiales". (I almost envision a movie-like, dramatic, backlit pronouncement) The rest is history. I know this sounds totally made up, but it's true. Wikipedia told me so.

Well, that's enough background; nachos need to be made. Since we were celebrating Mexico, and since I had chicken thighs in the fridge that need to be used, I topped these crunchy delights with a simplified version of Chicken Chili Verde. What I also love about nachos is that you can top them in just about anything, and turn a snack into a meal. Here's how to make it:

Heat the oil on medium high, and add the onions and red pepper. Cook until translucent, and add the chicken. Brown the chicken, and add the spice mix, lime and garlic. Cook until chicken is done, and turn to low to simmer. Add the secret ingredient, 200 ml of green salsa verde - made with tomatillos. Let this simmer.

In addition to the standard accompaniments like salsa and sour cream, I made an easy guacamole. (Yes, with one of the many avocados I still have in my fridge.) It's pretty straightforward: Mash an avocado with 1 clove of crushed garlic, juice of half a lime, 1/4 teaspoon of salt, and if you like, a teaspoon of chopped cilantro.

Yep, what makes this simplified is the use of jarred chili verde salsa rather than making my own. I love making things from scratch, but I really didn't have any tomatillos, or a place to get them, or the two hours to do it right. So for those reasons, and because I think it's just as good, jarred salsa was the way to go. And no, I also didn't make my own tortilla chips.

As a tip, don't add the chicken chili verde until after the nachos are baked. Otherwise, the nachos become soggy. You can just spoon it over top after you them out of the oven. I baked mine for 10 minutes on 400F, covered in shredded jalapeno cheddar cheese. Ole mi amigos!

Right Some Good Avocado Chocolate Pudding

2012-04-29T18:54:00.001-03:00

Sounds certifiably insane, doesn't it? I guarantee, you will be crazy with dessert euphoria when you make this and experience how fantastic it is. You're probably wondering how I came to think of this in the first place. I did not invent it, but I'm quite glad someone out there did.

You see, it started this weekend when I realized that I had six avocados in my refrigerator. Now, I'm not in one of those sunny climes where these creamy fruits just fall off the trees. No, I pay extra money for these little suckers because I really love homemade guacamole. Somehow, I went overboard on the 4 for $5 special, not realizing I already had two. With six in hand, I set out to find other ways of using avocados...and then I saw it.

We ate the result too quickly.

So, here's my artist's rendering...

I saw several of them really; there was quite a list of online recipes that turn avocados into chocolate pudding. My favourite just happened to be the one that required the least ingredients and preparation. Of course, lazy won out. That didn't mean disappointment, however.

...I know. They could be better.

Take 1.5 Avocados

Add 4 tbsp of honey

and 5 tbsp of unsweetened cocoa powder

and mash that blessed mess until it's a thick, creamy pudding. You may choose to use a food processor and puree it, but I just used a fork. Talk about simple preparation, then voila - some of the best chocolate pudding you'll ever enjoy. It's very rich and quite thick, but I love it that way. You could thin it with a bit of milk, if you prefer. The avocado is not noticeable at all.

I know, you are thinking 'I don't know...', and probably screwing up your face just like my husband did when I described it. However, his words were, "Wow, that's amazing. I was not prepared to like it at all." Our chocolate pudding connoisseur responded with "mmm, yummy", and later on with, "I'm full." That was unexpected, but understandable. This pudding is jammed with good fat and fibre, so eating a small serving is very satisfying. In fact, a serving will cost you about 199 calories, but it's filled with vitamins and minerals.

Pudding that's good fer ya? That's right some good.

Low GI Banana Energy Bars...Gluten Free!

2012-04-24T18:47:00.000-03:00

So, I have been trying to manage my hypoglycemia for some time, and not only is sugar a serious culprit that spurs on the roller-coaster of lows, but highly refined carbohydrates are as well. Breads, most cereals, crackers, pancakes...the list of foods that I try to avoid is massive. It also makes me connect the dots into the obesity epidemic in North America. Most prepared foods are filled with refined grains and added sugars. It takes a lot of willpower and determination to ease them out, especially since you continually spike and crash, then repeat the refined carb cycle.

But, fear not because you can still satisfy that sweet tooth. Not all is lost, particularly when you use real, wholesome ingredients and a little ingenuity. This recipe for energy bars isn't sugar free, but it's got enough healthy fats and protein to lower the glycemic index and give you a sustained, satisfying feeling of contentment. No highs - no lows! For those of you that are gluten sensitive, as long as you use gluten free oats, you can also enjoy these healthy treats.

Recipe:

1 1/2 cups quick oats
1/4 cup brown sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp salt
2 large mashed bananas
1/4 cup natural peanut butter
1/4 cup sliced almonds
1 large egg
1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup dark 70% chocolate chips

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350F. Mix the dry ingredients together in a bowl. In a separate bowl, beat the egg, add the milk, vanilla and mix well. Incorporate the wet mixture into the dry ingredients until well mixed. Then, add the peanut butter, mashed banana, almonds and chocolate chips. Pour batter into an 8x8 pan, and bake for 20 minutes on 350F. Cool, and cut into 16 bars.

Here's some nutrition info for these super easy-peasy to make energy bars:

Calories - 123 (if you omit the chocolate, you'll have a 100 calorie bar. But, it's chocolate!)
Carbohydrates - 16 g
Fat - 5.3 g
Protein - 3.8 g

You can easily change the add ins to whatever suits your fancy. These bars have a cake-like texture, and the bananas add both moisture and flavour. They are really friggin' delicious! I'm not just saying this to appease my want for these bars to be good; when your 6 year old requests one, you know it's a keeper.

Dinner on the Titanic - What the Third Class Ate

2012-04-15T19:20:00.000-03:00

April 14th marked the 100th anniversary of the tragic sinking of the RMS Titanic. Living in Halifax, the Titanic has always had a strong connection here, as the city was the closest port to the disaster in the frigid North Atlantic. Halifax played a key role in communications as well as the recovery of 300 bodies; 170 of those poor souls are buried here, within three local cemeteries. It has always been a big attraction for tourists, but particularly in light of the anniversary, it's certainly a big deal this weekend.

One of the local attractions this week was a dinner based on the White Star Line's menu for the Titanic. You can see the original Titanic menu for April 14th, 1912, right here: http://www.webtitanic.net/framemenu.html#G. If ever there was a place where you could see the class differences on the ship, it was the menu. If you traveled first class, your dinner choices would have included oysters, salmon, foie gras, beef sirloin, ice cream and eclairs - true decadence. Those in second class also had lovely courses, including baked haddock, curried chicken, and roast turkey. Perhaps not as exclusive, but nothing to pooh-pooh at either. At the very least, their dinner was served in courses. Lastly, there was a sparse menu for those at the very bottom of the ship - figuratively, and literally - the third class passengers. There were no specific courses, and their menu was such:

Vegetable Soup
Roasted Pork with Sage and Pearl Onions
Green Peas
Boiled Potatoes
Plum Pudding with Sweet Sauce
Cabin Biscuits
Oranges

Had I been a passenger at that time, I most certainly would have been in this category, given my Irish-Canadian heritage. Therefore, I dedicate this week's post to the third class passengers of the Titanic, and will make a dinner in their honour:

Along with these economical dishes, we had boiled potatoes. Was it lacking, despite being the bill of fare for those in steerage? Not one bit. The biscuits and soup were a big hit for the six year old passenger, and the cook's mate had a hard time imagining this was peasant food.

Grilled Cheese Greatness

2012-04-09T19:02:00.002-03:00

I freakin' love grilled cheese sandwiches. But really, who doesn't? It's probably one of the first sandwiches you ate as a child, save for perhaps peanut butter and jelly. I remember making my very first grilled cheese; carefully smearing margarine on the outsides of fresh and spongy white bread, laying a slice in a warm frying pan, while gently removing a bright orange square of processed Kraft (or in our case, the discount store brand) cheese over top, then crowning the glory with the second piece of buttered bread, and allowing the bottom to crisp into golden crunchy deliciousness. All the while keeping an eye on the critical flipping moment to make sure there was a nice crust and not just melted 'sog'.

On lazy nights, I still make this but use spongy whole wheat bread and real butter. Admittedly, there is still room in my fridge for processed single slice cheese including the discount brand...much to my six year old's delight. That said, one of the joys of cooking as an adult is to experiment with our favourites, which for me, includes many versions of the venerable grilled cheese. I thought I would share this ridiculously fantastic sandwich that we ate for Easter breakfast. I wish I could tell you it had a deep, meaningful connection to Easter but, alas, it's just a sandwich...a simple and tasty one at that!

Bread: I found this beauty at my local grocer -- a rosemary potato country loaf. It is as good as it sounds and slices easily into smaller bite sizes.

Butter: The real deal, unsalted. 'Nuff said.

Cheese: Oh yeah, baby. Smoked applewood cheddar. lf the moon is made out of cheese, I hope it's this stuff right here.

Turn the pan on medium high, and don't disturb the bread until the cheese starts to melt. Once these babies are golden on both sides, you'll know what to do...just like when you were a kid.

Four Hour Lasagna

2012-04-01T16:12:00.001-03:00

Yes, you need a qualification in crazy to make this, or an undying love of fresh pasta. Maybe both. Regardless, it's definitely the kind of dish you make when you want to impress someone.
Take a deep breath, get a glass of wine, and get ready to romance your kitchen:

Sauce
1 14 oz. can flavoured tomatoes
1 28 oz. can diced tomatoes
2 Roma tomatoes, diced
1 small onion, minced
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 tbsp basalmic vinegar
.25 cup chicken stock
8 basil leaves
Heat oil to medium high and brown the onions and tomato. Add the garlic and cook down until soft. Add vinegar and stock, and cook until reduced. Add canned tomatoes and gently crush, reducing heat to low. Tear basil leaves into sauce and simmer until you are ready to assemble.

Meat Filling
1 lb ground beef
1 large carrot, diced
1 stalk celery, diced
1 onion, diced
1 clove garlic, diced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp Italian seasoning
ln a medium high skillet, heat oil and add carrots and celery. After a couple minutes, add onion and garlic - cook until soft. Next, brown the beef until no longer pink, add seasoning and turn to low. Set aside.

Fresh Pasta Sheets
1 cup flour
1 large egg
3 tablespoons water
Make a well in the flour and crack the egg into it. With a fork, incorporate the flour, working to make a dough. Add water as needed, until dough is together but not sticky. Form into a ball, and let rest for 30 minutes. Roll dough into pasta sheets and let dry for 20 minutes.
This is a good time to clean up the mess. But,have some wine first. It helps.

Assembly
ln addition to the sauce, meat mix and pasta, you will need:
250 g fresh mozarella, sliced
.25 cup ricotta cheese
10 basil leaves
salt & pepper to taste
Preheat oven to 350F, and in a 8x10 baking dish, cover the bottom with a layer of sauce. Add a layer of pasta, then meat mix, ricotta and basil, then repeat. Place the mozzarella on the top layer, cover with foil, and bake for 45 minutes removing the foil for the last 15 minutes. Let the lasagna rest for 10 minutes before serving. Enjoy!

Homemade Flour Tortillas

2010-10-31T19:34:00.000-03:00

There's nothing that truly propels me toward the 'real food' movement than finding things in my fridge that should be spoiled, but are still perfectly preserved. As I was culling the beasts that have taken over the recesses of the refrigerator, I noted a single flour tortilla in a package whose expiry date indicated 'August 7th'. Now, I'm not a math genius by any stretch of one's imagination, but I can calculate that this edible item should be displaying some kind of decomposition. As you can guess, it looked exactly the same as the day it was purchased. Oh. Dear. Gawd. Talk about a Halloween nightmare.

Then, I made the mistake of reading the ingredient list:

Enriched bleached flour (wheat flour, niacin, iron, thiamin mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid), water, partially hydrogenated vegetable oil (soybean, cottonseed) with mono- and diglycerides, glycerin, corn syrup solids, salt, baking powder (baking soda, corn starch, sodium aluminum sulfate, calcium sulfate, monocalcium phosphate), potassium sorbate and calcium propionate (preservative), monoglycerides, fumaric acid, L-cysteine hydrochloride.

I used to live in the bliss of commercially prepared tortilla ignorance, but after seeing a bread product remain perfectly pliable and mold-free for nearly three months, I decided it was time to make my own. So, I did.

The great news is, flour tortillas are ridiculously easy to make. Ridiculous! Not only that, you'll save all your potassium sorbate, calcium propionate, fumaric acid and L-cysteine hydrochloride because this recipe has none:

2 cups flour

1 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

1/4 cup butter

3/4 cup hot water

I love recipes I can remember. After mixing the dry ingredients, I cut the butter into the mix, then added the water. After kneading the dough for about 5 minutes, I rolled them into small balls, then let the balls rest for 20 minutes.

I recommend dividing the dough into eight balls. Initially, I was going to make 16 smaller ones, but realized they'd be too small for anything but dolls. Or leprechauns. (It's known fact that leprechauns love tortillas.) Once rested, all you need to do is roll out the balls until they are paper thin, then place them in a medium-high heat non-stick or cast iron pan for a few minutes each side. You'll know it's time to turn them when bubbles start to form, and the surface begins to brown. I didn't use any oil, and the result was amazing.

These tortillas have a wonderful, flaky texture in addition to an authentic taste. Although there is a small investment of time to make them, you could make several batches and freeze them. These certainly won't keep for months in your refrigerator, and you can taste why.

Leftover-Palooza

2010-10-22T09:29:00.002-03:00

Argh. It's been too long since my last post, but like many of you, I've been busy! As a wife and mom who also works full time, life is a constant battle for balance. It can be so tempting to rely on convenience and ease, pulling out frozen prepared meals or dinner in a box to make life a little simpler. Although it appears that 'convenience foods' save us time, I've learned that this isn't always the case.

For all the time it takes to reheat and microwave an assembly of packets, you can assemble something great with leftovers. Some of the best dishes ever created were devised as ways to use up wholesome ingredients that are a shame to waste. Wasted food makes me cry, and the fact that 27% of food in North American households ends up in the trash sends me bawling. Not only do we eat too much crap food, we throw an awful lot away.

I believe it's time we celebrated leftovers! Cooking a roast chicken is great, but making chicken enchiladas the next day is even better. Pork roast? Yes, it's good, but what I really want is the pulled pork sandwich for lunch. Some of my fondest memories of our family's traditional corned beef and cabbage dinners was not the big production, but the corned beef hash Mom would make the next day. Oh so good!

As busy as I was this week, I did manage to create a comforting favourite after a hectic workday, that took me 20 minutes to finish. On the weekend, we popped into the new location of the farmer's market here in Halifax (which is also one of the oldest in North America, established in 1750) to take advantage of the gorgeous local bounty. We got our hands on some phenomenal grass fed beef, dutch gouda cheese, handmade herbed foccacia bread, and an array of local organic vegetables. After a lazy Sunday dinner, I had a beautiful piece of leftover steak, which allowed me to make this:

This is what I'm calling a 'Hot Steak Sandwich'. It reminds me of one of my favourite comfort foods - the hot hamburger sandwich. Like in the picture, a hot (meat of your choice) sandwich is made by using leftover meat, piling it over toasted bread, and smothering it in gravy. It's usually served with leftover vegetables, most often mashed potatoes. For Monday's dinner, I toasted the leftover focaccia in the oven with some shredded cheese. (If any of the gouda had been left over, it may have made its way on the sandwich.)

I sliced the steak and tossed it in a pan with chopped onion. From the beef juices leftover from Sunday's feast, I made a gravy.

Finally, I used some peas to add to the mix, and heated this through. Once the bread was toasted, the beef mix just needed to be spooned over top. That's it...in 20 minutes flat. So quick, and so freakin' tasty - why torture the family with 'microwave roast in a bag'?

My favourite aspect of using leftovers is the all the creativity you can roll in. There's no pressure to be authentic, no standard of excellence to compare yourself to. It's a challenge to be efficient and resourceful. What are your favourite leftovers? Tell us what ingredients make you long for the next day.

Lower GI Pumpkin Muffins

2010-10-09T17:23:00.000-03:00

I love fall in eastern Canada. It is my favourite season filled with brisk cool air, bountiful crops, and a plethora of bright leaves displaying their finest across the forest. I remember hearing from one of my readers (Denise, I'm looking at you!) who expressed envy at countries who get to experience the turning of seasons. Although in the midst of winter's deep freeze I tend to envy the tropics, it's the arrival of fall that makes me so grateful for the equinox. This weekend is Canadian Thanksgiving, so a lot of my thanks goes to Mother Nature.

When fall arrives, my thoughts turn immediately to pumpkins. For most folks, this means jack o' lanterns, toasted seeds or pie, but for me, it's the excitement of pumpkin muffins. I was first introduced to a pumpkin muffin in a wonderful coffee shop near my office that has local fair trade brew. The muffins were handmade by a local baker who used fair trade, organic ingredients. I liked them for the cinnamon crumble on the top. They stopped selling this morning delight a few years ago, and I've been on the quest for the best pumpkin muffin ever since. The richness and moisture of a quality pumpkin muffin is a moment of breakfast joy. (Or lunch, brunch, dinner, snack, midnight forage, etc...)

There are a number of great pumpkin muffin recipes out there, and I've perfected a few. However, my new challenge is to create a lower GI version of this harvest treat that will satisfy my spice cravings but still remain edible. I've assembled a recipe to try and lower the GI value (glycemic index) and make this a healthy breakfast item rather than a sugar surge covered in crumble. It's not an exact science, but by changing up a few ingredients, we can shift the sugar spike to a slow release.

Here's the recipe:

Lower GI Pumpkin Muffins

1/4 cup brown sugar
1/2 cup honey
1/4 cup grapeseed oil
2 eggs
1 cup pumpkin puree
1 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cups whole wheat flour
3/4 teaspoon baking powder
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon allspice
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground nutmeg
1/2 cup semisweet 70% cocoa chocolate chips
1/2 cup chopped walnuts

Mix the sugar, flours, baking powder, baking soda, spices and salt together and sift. Combine the honey, oil, and eggs, and stir into the dry ingredients. Add in the pureed pumpkin, the walnuts and chocolate chips. Divide the batter into 12 muffin cups, and bake at 375F for 20-25 minutes, or until a toothpick comes out clean.

OK. I know you're thinking - 'this is a 250 calorie muffin - are you nuts?!' Maybe so. There is a higher fat ratio from the nuts and chocolate, which helps to lower the impact of the sugars and starches. In return for spending these calories, you get a a decent little breakfast filled with antioxidants, vitamin A, magnesium, iron and 4 grams of protein! You have to get your calories from somewhere, so if you make them really count, you don't need to feel guilty. Considering that these hearty suckers will keep you going farther for longer, you can feel good about eating 'em. You'll be less likely to get into the office doughnuts, and that is a definite nutrition bonus.

To achieve this balance, I substituted honey for white sugar. Honey is sweeter than table sugar, and the body digests it more slowly. Because it's a liquid, I reduced some of the other liquid to keep the moisture ratio in tact. If you use honey in place of sugar, you can do a one for one ratio up to a full cup. Because honey browns foods much faster, I reduced the oven temperature slightly to ensure it didn't brown too quickly. I also added 1/2 cup of whole wheat flour in place of white. The added whole grains also temper the rapid digestion of sugars. The nuts and chocolate also add more fat, flavour, and a host of nutrients. Stick with 70% cocoa chocolate and you can indulge in antioxidants.

But really, what you want to know is how it tastes. I have to be honest - I think it puts the coffeehouse muffins to shame! There is no better way to celebrate the turning of the bountiful harvest season than hot coffee (fair trade, of course) and this sweet, spicy and moist breakfast muffin. Happy Canadian Thanksgiving!

Corn Sugar?

2010-09-30T13:26:00.000-03:00

The term ‘corn sugar’ has a quaint, somewhat old fashioned ring to it. It sounds a lot less industrial than ‘high fructose corn syrup’, which is what the Corn Refiner’s Association would like us to think. About two weeks ago, the CRA submitted a petition to the United States FDA, to officially change the name from HFCS to corn sugar. The goal, as stated on their website, is to ‘eliminate the confusion’. From this, I assume they believe we are confused about the source of HFCS, despite the fact the term ‘corn’ was already in the title.

So, why are the Corn Refiners rebranding? Well, food manufacturers are swapping out HFCS for old fashioned sugar. Some of this is due to consumer pressure, as HFCS has had a lot of bad press lately, particularly from studies suggesting that the way we metabolize HFCS is different than table sugar, and promotes faster weight gain. The debate rages on, as chemically, HFCS and table sugar are both similar in structure. The Corn Refiners are capitalizing on this, and so to cement in our minds that there is no difference between the sweeteners, a new name is born.

However, it’s not just consumer pressure that’s driving the switch to sugar. The production of ethanol from corn sources is driving up the price, making HFCS about equal in cost to sugar. With little financial incentive for manufacturers to use HFCS, the switch to sugar provides a marketing tool to label their products “made with sugar”. With two battlefronts to wage through, the CRA certainly has to step up their game to win an image war.

If there is one thing I agree with the CRA on, it’s the following statement from their press release:

“The last thing we want is for Americans to think that avoiding high fructose corn syrup is the answer,” said Registered Dietitian Carolyn O’Neil. “All added sugars should be consumed in moderation – corn sugar, table sugar, honey and fruit juice concentrates. These sugars contain an equal number of calories that must be burned off– or the body will convert them to fat.”

They are absolutely correct. The reality is, as smug as we can feel about demonizing HFCS as the culprit for the obesity epidemic, we eat too much of the sweet stuff period. It’s interesting to look at the overall picture and realize that whether you buy products with HFCS or not, it’s not the substance that matters, but the quantity we consume. If we are going to make any headway in changing the obesity trajectory we are on, we’ve got to ask ourselves why so much of what we buy is so sweet. More often than not, it’s because the food item is so poor on its own, its being masked as edible by sweeteners.

So, if few products contained added sweeteners, would we care about HFCS vs. sugar? Probably not.

Memories of Wiener Schnitzel

2010-09-19T16:56:00.001-03:00

This week certainly has been an interesting one for me as far as food goes, as I've been voraciously reading many of the entries for Project Food Blog. I'm surrounded by a smörgåsbord of people who love food, learning tons about their motivations and food heritage. Many of the stories I read were dedicated to family. When you think about it, food and family are synonymous as we spend more time engaged in eating with our families than just about any other activity. Especially my family.

This inspiration has helped me craft this week's post, dedicated to warm family memories of wiener schnitzel. I suppose I could tell you all about our German heritage, including a rich tradition of culinary excellence that has carefully passed this guarded recipe down through the generations. But, that would be a lie. The actual story of my love for wiener schnitzel can be credited to my Mom, and not because it was ever prepared.

Mom has a great sense of humour. Like many amateur comedians, she likes to try on impressions and accents. Her approach is always to spring it on you when you're not expecting it - like when I would call her at work and ask "what's for supper?" I know I fell over the day she answered in a heavily exaggerated German accent, "SOUR-KROOWT vand VEEENAH SHHNITZEL!" Then, promptly hung up the phone. (We like phone jokes in our family...prank calls, pretending to be an answering machine, etc..) Even though we never did eat this dish, wiener schnitzel was forever a running joke, and permanently imprinted in my brain.

Years later, I found myself traveling around Europe, with a stop none other than in Germany. I was on an organized tour, which included several authentic meals. You can only begin to imagine my complete and utter excitement when I heard we were having sauerkraut and wiener schnitzel. Oh.My.Gawd. It was no joke. I thoroughly enjoyed the lightly breaded and fried pork cutlet, seasoned with thyme and paprika, dressed in a lemon sauce. The mild sauerkraut was made with purple cabbage, seasoned with apple and raisins. After the meal and a few liters of fine German draught, I called my mother. It was the most expensive 5 minutes of laughter I can say I've had.

Since then, I have made this fine dish a few times. Here's how to make outstanding wiener schnitzel that can be served with just about anything you wish. For my version, I made roasted herb potatoes, and a matchstick vegetable salad.

Weiner Schnitzel (makes 4)

4 pork cutlets pounded to 1/2 inch thickness
1/4 cup flour
1 beaten egg
3/4 cup bread crumbs
1 tbsp chopped thyme
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp paprika
salt and pepper
1/2 cup olive oil
4 tbsp butter
1/4 cup white wine
1/4 cup chicken stock
juice of 1/2 lemon
chopped capers

Mix the breadcrumbs, thyme, paprika, garlic powder, salt & pepper. Dredge the cutlets in flour, then coat with beaten egg, and cover with the breadcrumb mix. In a medium-high heat pan, bring the olive oil and butter to bubbling, then slip the pork cutlets in. Fry on each side for 2-3 minutes, or until golden. Set aside to rest. Deglaze the pan with the wine and chicken stock, scraping all the brown bits, and turn heat to low. Add lemon juice and capers, and stir until the sauce thickens. Serve the sauce over the schnitzel.

Dankeschön!

Why You Need a Nerd in Your Kitchen

2010-09-14T17:59:00.000-03:00

All this thinking is making me hungry...

I started my blogging journey in December 2009. I had an idea, a laptop, and an itchy finger. I knew I wanted to share some of the crazy thoughts that stew in my brain, but what exactly? Then, my stomach rumbled and I knew.

The appeal of food blogging is universal. As humans, we eat several times a day. We make constant decisions about this very act, not only for ourselves, but often for the people we love. Food defines us beyond mere survival more than we care to realize. We are surrounded by food and food issues in most aspects of daily living. Like a mirror, our cultural traditions are reflected back at us at the potlucks we attend. We grapple with the politics of food by making hard choices in the grocery aisle, or reading about food recalls in the headlines. We revel in food science as we discover new antioxidants and find risks in industrial food systems. We trace our history through recipes and ingredients that have traveled the same migratory and immigration patterns as our ancestors, leaving us an edible legacy. And, we find pleasure in food, relishing sweet moments of time that nourish the mind, body and soul. With such depth and richness to connect me to a wide audience, I felt the stomach was the natural place to write from the heart.

So, the blogging began. To my epicurean delight, the journey became the destination. In the process of figuring out what I was doing in the blogosphere, I found more than an outlet for words; I found so much to learn. Could anything be better for a nerd? Though I am a learning consultant by day, blogging has become a virtual classroom where I can discover, be inspired, and share. My learning philosophy is fairly simple; we are all experts, and by sharing, we build greater knowledge. Being a nerd in the kitchen is all about learning and sharing: a great recipe, a technique, a cool gadget, a food philosophy, a controversy, a story...A nerd's scope is endless.

Writing a great blog is not about being an expert. It's a place to connect with your readers in a way that makes them want to drop by for another visit. What keeps me returning to my favourite bloggers is a personality that emanates beyond the text, pictures and recipes. I feel like I'm dropping in on a friend, having a warm cup of coffee and some great conversation. Why would a kitchen nerd be a great food blogger? Well, nerds are humble, awkward, and perhaps a bit clumsy, but always intrigued by the questions the kitchen poses. This intrigue comes with the duty to experiment and document the answers.

As a writer, I am also obsessed with taking these grand, random and sometimes disjointed thoughts and processing them into something perfectly digestible. This is the art of blogging - conveying complex ideas in a simple way, so that you can have a great conversation with your readers.

As your Kitchen Nerd, I eat - therefore, I write and share.

New Look and Project Food Blog

2010-09-06T18:33:00.000-03:00

As you can see, I've made some changes to Kitchen Nerd central. I'm preparing for Project Food Blog, a contest sponsored by Foodbuzz, the site featured in the ads. If you can imagine a food blog version of American Idol, you'll have a good idea of what I'm in for. The contest begins on September 12, requiring the 1700+ entrants to submit blog posts based on predefined challenges. Each week, contestants will be whittled down, until a winner takes $10,000 in prize money and earns a special website sponsored by Foodbuzz.

Although winning would be a lot of fun, I've discovered that this is a prime opportunity to meet other food bloggers and develop my skills. As part of this development, I wanted to redevelop the site to reflect a more personal theme. I hope you like the new look, and will keep coming back!

In the coming weeks, you'll see my submissions to Project Food Blog. To find out more, click on the Project Food Blog widget on the right hand side of the site. If you like what you see, you can help me move through the challenges by visiting my site, and voting on the Project Food Blog contest site.

Thanks for checking it out!

Nutraloaf? WTF!

2010-09-03T15:54:00.000-03:00

Last post, I mentioned the popular internet acronym 'FTW'. Today, I bring you an anagram: 'WTF'. This one should be easy to guess. It stands for, 'What the F---'. Believe me, this post certainly fits the sentiment.

I read online a great deal, and much of my time is spent perusing reddit.com. Reddit is a social news site, where users can post links of interest, and these posts are voted up and down by the Reddit community of users. Almost anything you can imagine can be found on reddit, including pictures of kittens, political opinions, food sculptures made out of bacon, and as I discovered the other day, an abomination called 'Nutraloaf'. In a fascinating article in chicagomag.com, food critic Jeff Ruby describes his experience with it.

Nutraloaf is on the menu at a number of U.S. prisons. It has a special status, as the loaf is not served to just anyone, but to misbehaving inmates. That's right, it is served as a punishment. In the old days, prisoners were punished with solitary confinement, but Nutraloaf is apparently more effective as a deterrent in the modern prison industrial complex. According to Jeff, inmates at Cook County prison are known to beg, 'Anything but Nutraloaf!'. Hunger strikes have been waged in protest, and some former inmates are launching lawsuits due to the loaf, stating its use as 'cruel and unusual punishment'.

So, what could possibly be in this disciplinary loaf that makes it so awful? On the surface, it's ingredients don't seem that bad:

Image courtesy of zimbio.com

2 oz Ground Beef
Browned and drained
4 oz Canned, Chopped Spinach
4 oz Canned Carrots, Diced
4 oz Vegetarian Beans
4 oz Applesauce
1 oz Tomato Paste
1/2 cup Potato Flakes
1 cup Bread Crumbs
2 oz Dry Milk Powder
1 tsp Garlic Powder or Flakes

There is also a vegan version that bumps up the beans in place of the beef. Like any meatloaf, the ingredients are mixed, spread into a pan, and baked. Overall, this seems pretty easy and nutritious - and it is. A person's daily requirement of calories and nutrients are there. So, what's the problem? The taste. There is none.

This is the engineering brilliance of Nutraloaf - it doesn't taste bad or good. It's designed to be "taste neutral". Like nothing. A flavourless, dense brick of nothing. Yup, that sounds like torture to me. I know it's meant for 'bad prisoners', but there is something dark and Orwellian about serving food that is meant to deny the experience of eating. I can see how it makes a great punishment, but does it cross a line into cruelty?

In the article, Jeff Ruby describes eating it: "The mushy, disturbingly uniform innards recalled the thick, pulpy aftermath of something you dissected in biology class...I ate two-thirds and gave up, longing for any hint of flavor, even a bad one. That night, my stomach’s rebellion against the loaf was anything but neutral." Delectable. Prison politics aside, what disturbs me more is that some believe this loaf is a great idea for starving populations, or even school cafeterias. I'm reminded of a patent from the early 20th century for a pill that was supposed to provide all the nutrients ever needed, relieving people from the 'chore' of eating. The idea failed miserably, because the inventor overlooked a critical factor - people enjoy eating. It's hard-wired into our brains to make sure we do it. To eat without pleasure, I believe, is to deny our humanity.

Cake Class Update - FTW!

2010-08-25T22:37:00.000-03:00

In case you are not hip to the internet nerd scene, FTW stands for 'for the win'! I use this term to share with you the final project from my misadventures in cake decoration - all done with buttercream, actually made with butter. Since I had so much success with leaves, I really went with this theme, and I must say, am happy with the end result.

I'm pleased with the ribbon roses, but honestly, leaves are way more fun. I think I have an excuse to make a leaf cake in honour of the start of hockey season. (Yeah, I'm a Toronto Maple Leafs fan...as difficult as this is to admit sometimes.) Truthfully, this experience has taught me some great tips:

- Remove the top layer of the cake (evenly) before icing it. The crust of the cake develops moisture, making it tough for the icing layer to adhere. You really don't want all that work to slide off, do you?

- Apply the first layer of cake icing with a piping bag, not a knife. This will prevent crumbs from making their way all over the top. Once this layer is no longer tacky, smooth out the icing by placing parchment paper over the top, then use a knife to smooth. Oh, how many cakes did I ruin with hot water before learning this!

- Less is more in your piping bag. For really great control, don't fill up the bag - you have to squeeze harder, and it's more difficult to be precise. Also, the longer icing sits in your hand, the more melty it becomes. (Yes, I am officially deeming 'melty' as a new word -- just sent a text to the Oxford English Dictionary folks.)

- Technique is important, but you can ruin a great technique with fear of failure. I saw this first hand with a few students. The desire to be perfect really hampered their ability to let go and create. I mean, it's a cake! You'd think we were trying to disarm a room full of explosives with the apprehension they had. I almost yelled 'Squeeze it! Yeah!!! Squeeeeze iiiiiiittt!'. I probably should have since they only had 1/4 of the cake finished after two hours.

- Shortening is not a good substitute for butter. Not even for icing. Yeah, I know that it keeps the icing looking pristine and white, but I can't advocate eating something insects don't even want to be a part of. Although I was told that butter would not hold up to make roses, my icing stayed firm all night, while most of the versions made with shortening began to soften. I think the liquid ratio is more important. No, I take that back - edibility is way more important.

And that's my final report on cake class. By the way, the cake is named 'Boss' because it's the closest I'll ever come to being one. (A cake boss that is!)

Cake Boss Fail

2010-08-21T10:37:00.000-03:00

Let me just say this -- I wasn't expecting to become Buddy Valastro, or one of those cute DC Cupcakes gals. I was hoping not to be the recipient of pity stares and the 'look' that says, 'oh, I'm glad that's not me!' But, on class number two of my 'Basics of Cake Decoration' course, this happened:

Taken with my camera phone.

I even got 'the look' from the instructor. Yes, my cake broke in half before I could even scoop the butter cream into my featherweight piping bag. (If you can actually call it butter cream. The version they want us to use is made with vegetable shortening.) Nonetheless, I'm determined, so I look the instructor straight in the eye and say, 'I'll make something fantastic with this - just you wait!'. She didn't look convinced.

But really, it's a frickin' cake class, not brain surgery. I took the 4 week course with my friend and faithful reader, Libbyloulou, thinking it would be a nice way for us to spend some time together, learning something fun. So, I must say I'm incredibly surprised at the dedication and intensity of the other classmates. These are serious cake ladies, armed with the $400.00 Wilton Professional Decorating Kit. I'm not sure if this is what it's actually called, but I'm calling it 'The Mofo'. I was slightly intimidated looking down at my piddly beginner's kit, its half-dozen tips haplessly scattered across the cardboard box, sadly taunting me with 'couldn't you at least buy us a case?' Mofo indeed.

Isn't it all about learning technique? Substance over style? Well, if my cake is any indication, I've got some work ahead of me. I felt like the kid who turned in a 'volcano' science project at the last possible hour, dragging in a pile of papier mache that resembles more lump than mountain. This feeling was confirmed when one of the students hauled out a multi-directional cake stand, and gently placed a perfectly baked, leveled and flawless looking chocolate torte on top. She brought dulce de leche to use as filling; I brought a Hunt's snack pack.

So, what can you do? Well, you can't give up the research, even in the face of challenge. So, I glued the sorry mess back together with "butter cream", and took in the instruction. Truthfully, I was pleased that I finally learned how to properly ice a cake, make rosettes, shells, and my favourite, leaves. I may never own The Mofo, but I think I have the beginnings of some decorative skill. Here's how the sad little cake turned out:

And, here's a bit of leaf handiwork:

All things considered, I think I have a steady hand, a creative eye, and yes -- an annoying determination to get things right. Next week is the final class; we're learning how to make 'ribbon roses'. I will bring in a cake that is properly iced, level, and unbroken. I am thinking of veering from the formula though, and will make my butter cream with butter. (Just don't tell the instructor.)

Local Berry Crisp

2010-08-12T19:39:00.004-03:00

Summertime…and the living is easy. It certainly is when ripe, luscious berries burst onto the scene. Nature’s version of fast food is a delight to pick and eat. I’m eagerly waiting for the blackberry bushes in my backyard to erupt in their dark purple splendour. In the meantime, I’ve raided the strawberries and wild blueberries that are abundant this time of year.

In my neighbourhood, it’s not only the people who enjoy this organic fast-food ‘drive-thru’ but the animals who share the land with us. We discovered this last week when we freaked out thinking our car had been covered in purple paint. Fortunately, this was not the case; the birds had also found the blueberries. Unfortunately, I was told the difference after trying to scrape off the offending substance with my hands. Yuck.

Enough yuck – this recipe is a celebration in praise of the local berry. It’s also an homage to my Mom, who can always be counted on to make one heck of a fruit crisp. My version is another low sugar experiment that features low GI berries, and yet, remains as tasty --well, almost as tasty -- as Mom’s. I love that fruit crisps don’t require much beyond your pantry to make, deservedly leaving the fruit as the star.

Starring in this crisp are strawberries from Nova Scotia’s Annapolis Valley, and I can’t begin to explain how amazing they are. The imports we receive from California just cannot compare in sweetness and texture – our local berries rock! The co-star, the wild blueberry, is a thing of beauty; it oozes a sumptuous dark purple juice you just don’t see with high-bush berries. Baked together, they were a moment of heaven. However, you can achieve this kind of stardom with the local berries you have – it’s really not the location that counts so much as the ‘local’.

So, here’s how to reach stardom with your own fruits:

Ingredients:

- 2 cups wild blueberries
- 2 cups sliced strawberries
- 2 tablespoons whole wheat flour
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 apple, chopped into cubes
- 1 teaspoon cinnamon
- 1 cup rolled oats
- 1/4 cup chopped cashews (or any nuts you like)
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1/4 cup butter

This is pretty easy to assemble. Throw (gently) the berries in a baking dish. Mix the flour, 3 tbsp of sugar and 1/2 teaspoon of cinnamon and sprinkle over the top of the berries. Then, rub the oats, butter, brown sugar, nuts and the rest of the cinnamon together until it's a crumbly texture, and sprinkle over top.
Bake at 350F for 30 minutes. Eat this right away – the warmth really makes the fruit sing! You can add some whipped cream or a scoop of vanilla as the supporting act, if you like. Make sure you don't leave this in a place where birds may find it. Just sayin'.