Recipe #36: Black Bean Quesadillas and Guacamole

We've been making these a lot lately, after having been introduced to them by Matt’s sister Erin. She made them one night at the cottage, and even though I didn't think I was a big fan of black beans, they were delicious! They are probably one of my new favourite meals - both for flavour and for how easy they are to make. 

The recipe is pretty simple, and you can really be creative in what you add to the flavoring, which helps keep the filling interesting.  You can vary the cheese, the heat of the salsa, and add in other veggies, so this really is a very versatile recipe. Best part is, make a big batch, make up the quesadillas you need for the night, then freeze the filling for dinner another night. This recipe is for 4 quesadillas (which serves about 2 adults without any other sides), but it doubles quite nicely for larger dinner parties.

And here’s a great little tip that Matt and I just found out about: you can buy fresh flour tortillas for $4/dozen at your local Lonestar Restaurant (if you have one). We’ve been looking for some good fresh tortillas since we left the condo (and left Kensington market behind, too), so this was a great little surprise, especially since there is a Lonestar in the lobby of Matt’s office building. The ones Matt brought home the other night were still hot from the oven! 

I also like to whip up a quick guacamole to eat with the quesadillas, so I’ve included my special recipe for that below, too.

INGREDIENTS

2 tsp vegetable oil

1 chopped onion

1 diced sweet green pepper

1 tbsp chili powder

1/2 tsp ground cumin

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 tsp pepper

1 can (19oz) black beans, drained and rinsed

1 cup salsa

4 large flour tortillas

2 cups shredded Cheddar cheese or cheese of your choice

1/2 cup sour cream, light

1/4 cup diced fresh jalapeño peppers or pickled jalapeño peppers, (optional)

DIRECTIONS

In large non-stick skillet, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, green pepper, chili powder, cumin, salt and pepper until softened, about 8 minutes. Add black beans and salsa; cook, stirring often, until heated through, about 5 minutes. (Make-ahead: Let cool for 30 minutes; refrigerate until chilled. Cover and refrigerate for up to 1 day.)

Evenly spoon bean mixture over half of each tortilla; sprinkle with cheese. Fold uncovered half over top and press lightly. Place on large rimmed baking sheet; bake in 425°F (220°C) oven, turning once, until golden, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve with sour cream, guacamole, and jalapeno peppers (if using).

GUACAMOLE

2 ripe avocados

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

1/4 cup diced red onion

2 cloves diced garlic

salt & pepper to taste

Dash of hot pepper flakes (optional)

DIRECTIONS

Blend all ingredients together until smooth. 

Crafty Find: Gradient Flowers

I just stumbled across this little post and had to share on here. Not only is it something you can do at home (which makes it crafty!), but it is also really beautiful to look at. Arranging them in your home just like in the photo would be a great center piece on your table for any dinner party. You could even match them to your wedding colours if you happen to be planning such an event. 

Of course, I had to find out the instructions behind it (even if the photo is pretty self-explanatory), and found this science blog with an even more fun twist - multi-coloured carnations. This gives you the basics of how the science works, so to get the deeper shades of colour, simply make a more concentrated mixture of dye and water. 

I just might have to try this out at home with some white flowers of my own. 

Recipe #35: Crock Pot Buffalo Chicken Lettuce Wraps

(Original recipe from www.Skinnytaste.com) 

My sister-in-law posted this recipe on Pinterest and it was the perfect suggestion for a Sunday night dinner. The ingredients were easy to find in either my fridge or grocery store, and frankly, anything that makes use of the slow cooker means it’s already a winning dish in my books. This dish is not unlike the Chicken Taco Salad I cooked oh so often (it became our usual Monday night dinner by default somehow); it’s  just served up in a different way. I made a few adjustments, which I’ve included, to show you how easy it is to vary the recipe to your liking.

I will often boil chicken to cook it quickly and to keep it moist, so using the slow cooker was not that much different, except you can turn it on and forget about it! Cooking up a couple of chicken breasts, more than you’ll need for just one dinner, is a great time saver. You can freeze the leftovers for use in another dish - perhaps Chicken Enchiladas.

INGREDIENTS:

For the chicken:

24 oz boneless skinless chicken breast

1 celery stalk

1/2 onion, diced

1 clove garlic

16 oz fat free low sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup hot cayenne pepper sauce (I used Frank's) or bbq sauce

For the wraps:

6 large lettuce leaves, Bibb or Iceberg

1 1/2 cups shredded carrots

Shredded cheese

Salsa

DIRECTIONS:

In a crock pot, combine chicken, onions, celery stalk, garlic and broth (enough to cover your chicken, use water if the can of broth isn't enough). Cover and cook on high 4 hours.

Remove the chicken from pot, reserve 1/2 cup broth and discard the rest. Shred the chicken with two forks, return to the slow cooker with the 1/2 cup broth and the hot sauce or bbq sauce and set to on high for an additional 30 minutes. Makes 3 cups chicken.

To prepare lettuce cups, place 1/2 cup chicken in each leaf, top with 1/4 cup shredded carrots, celery and dressing of your choice. Wrap up and start eating!

Crafty Find: Stop Motion Books

This is a great little clip that I stumbled across a while ago and was recently reminded of it again. It's a stop motion video made at Type, a book store along Queen Street. It took more than 25 people to make and was filmed over four nights after the book store closed.  

City TV and CTV have both featured the video on their websites, and so why not share it with you today? I love the whimsy behind it, and the music is wonderfully cheerful. For those of you who love a good book, surely you'll love seeing them come to life. 

Enjoy! 

Recipe #34: Bruschetta Chicken Bake

Sometimes, I just don’t know what to cook for dinner. Originality can often go out the window when you’re busy or tired, and I’ll often resort to tested and true recipes that I know are quick and easy to make, and take minimal ingredients. That seems to be a key requirement for me these days when I’m looking for a new recipe. Are the ingredients something I already have in the house, or is the shopping list short enough that it’s not going to blow my weekly grocery budget?

While I love cooking magazines and cook books, I find myself turning to the Internet more and more. The magazines are certainly fun to flip through, but often there are only a handful of recipes that actually appeal to me. On the Internet, I just save or print the ones that I know I will make. I’ve mentioned it before, but here it is again: Pinterest. Along with crafts and DIY, it also has a great collection of recipes, and I find the most interesting ones on there.

I came across this one the other day and made it for dinner the same night. I just picked up the ingredients I didn’t already have on hand, and I was ready to cook. I love that everything is done in one pan, you pop it in the oven, and its ready to eat in 30 minutes.

I did make a few adjustments to the original recipe from Kraft, and that was to double the canned tomatoes and pre-cook the chicken by boiling it prior to layering it in the casserole dish. Some of the reviews I read said that their chicken was undercooked, and I didn’t want to take that risk. By boiling the chicken first, it retains all the juices, so it didn’t dry out at all in the oven. The top gets nice and crispy, and the cheese melts for that ooey gooey centre. It was definitely an enjoyable dish.

This recipe was enough for the two of us, plus leftovers for either lunch or dinner the next day.

INGREDIENTS

1 large can of diced tomatoes, undrained

1 pkg. (6 oz.) STOVE TOP Stuffing Mix for Chicken

½ cup water

2 cloves garlic, minced

1-1/2 lb. boneless skinless chicken breasts

1 tsp. dried basil leaves

1 cup Shredded Mozzarella Cheese

DIRECTIONS

HEAT oven to 400ºF.

BOIL chicken breasts for 15 minutes, then cut into bite-sized pieces.

MIX tomatoes, stuffing mix, water and garlic just until stuffing mix is moistened.

LAYER chicken, basil and cheese in 3-qt. casserole or 8x8-inch baking dish.

TOP with stuffing. Bake 30 min.

Fat Friday - Barque Smokehouse

On a lovely Saturday afternoon last summer, Matt and I headed out for a full day of adventures. This mainly included traveling to Roncesvalles to enjoy a much-talked-about BBQ dinner at Barque Smokehouse, followed by an evening with Brian Wilson at Massey Hall. Both of these things were high on our list of ways to enjoy the weekend.

We arrived promptly to make sure that we had plenty of time to enjoy dinner and still make it on time for the show. The place is really cozy and immediately we noticed how family friendly it was, with benches and tables for parents and kids to eat together. The smell of grilling meat and vegetables filled the air, and sunshine filled the room.

The menu has a variety of smoked meats and sides to choose from, but where to begin? We opted for the Barbeque Sampler Platter for two: a choice of three meats and three sides. We chose the beef ribs, the baby back ribs, and the brisket, with sides of smoked asparagus, Cuban Corn, and house made ravioli. 

While we waited for our food to arrive, we enjoyed the complimentary table snacks – spicy Cajun popcorn! It was a very nice and unexpected change from the usual bread or tortilla chips, and totally works with the rest of the menu. I think that bucket of popcorn alone sold us on coming back. But then our food arrived. And we ate our food. And we loved the food. While we have yet to go back (there are just too many new restaurants to try), I would recommend to this to anyone look for some good barbeque meats and vegetables.

We left Barque with full bellies and smiling faces, and the only way to top that dinner was to listen to the peaceful harmonies of Brian Wilson and his band. The show was fantastic. It was one of those concerts where the audience knew every song and often sang along; some even braved dancing in the aisles. It was a concert where the generation gap was obvious from the Hawaiian shirts mixed with the plaid shirts, but that made no difference. Brian Wilson is for everyone. Fingers crossed we’ll get to enjoy a similar concert this summer when the Beach Boys reunite for their tour. 

Crafty Find: Melted Crayon Art

I’ve seen some really creative artwork on the Internet lately, and this one caught my eye. Not only is it colorful and cheerful, but it’s also a great little piece of art work that would be easy for you (or kids) to reproduce at home.  All you need is a box of crayons, a blank canvas, some glue, and your hair dryer. Yup, a hair dryer.  I’ve even got the link to instructions if you want to give it a try.

At first, the ones I came across were pretty straightforward, just arranging the crayons in a rainbow effect and melting them, letting the wax drip down.  But why not mix it up? I’ve since seen others incorporating other images and make the melted wax part of the complete work. How about melting blue crayons for rain? 

No one says you have to mount it with the wax dripping down. Use different shades of green, pop on a few fabric flowers, and you’ve got yourself a little garden scene.

You could also try painting the canvas black and using the lighter shades of the rainbow. Finally those white crayons can come in handy!

And for a more artistic arrangement, complete a set of melted crayons. 

These all look so great, are pretty inexpensive to reproduce, and I think it looks like a lot of fun, don’t you? 

Recipe #33: Blueberry Scones

Scones are the perfect little breakfast or midday snack treat, especially when you top them with a zesty and sweet lemon glaze. While I’m not generally a blueberry person, I have been coming around to them, and finding myself looking for a quick recipe to whip up for this past Easter weekend, this recipe was exactly what I was searching for. I really liked that the sour cream mixed with a few tablespoons of sugar provided the right blend of sour and sweetness.

After picking up the few ingredients I didn’t already have in the house, I mixed up a batch on Saturday morning to enjoy fresh out of the oven. Then, while they were cooking, I melted together the ingredients for the lemon glaze, and let me tell you, you don’t want to omit this part. Drizzling the glaze atop the warm scones and digging in with a fork is my idea of a lovely afternoon snack. Plus, the glaze keeps well, as you might have some left over. And if you run out of scones, I bet this would be nice on pancakes or waffles! I might have to try that this weekend. 

You could substitute the blueberries for any other fresh berry on hand and make an equally enjoyable scone, I’m sure. 

INGREDIENTS

Scones

3 cups all-purpose flour

1 tablespoon baking powder

½ teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

½ cup butter, softened

2 cups light sour cream

¼ teaspoon vanilla extract

1 cup fresh blueberries

Lemon Glaze

3 lemons

2 eggs

1 cup granulated sugar

4 tablespoons butter

DIRECTIONS

Heat oven to 350°F. Mix all the dry ingredients together. Cut in softened butter. Gently fold in the sour cream and vanilla. Fold in blueberries. Do not overwork the dough.

Scoop dough (about 1/3 cup) onto two lightly greased baking sheets. Bake 30 minutes or until golden brown. Cool 5 minutes.

Zest one lemon with a microplane grater. Cut all three lemons in half; juice. In a medium sauce pan over medium heat, whisk together the lemon zest, lemon juice, eggs and sugar. Whisk constantly; do NOT boil. Once the mixture is hot, turn the heat to low and whisk in the butter, 1 tablespoon at a time. Continue cooking on low for 6 minutes until the lemon glaze has thickened. Remove from heat and let cool.

Serve warm scones with lemon glaze. Store any leftover lemon glaze in refrigerator.

Fat Friday - The Bellevue

Here’s a great little restaurant in Kensington Market that not only serves a great dinner (green bean poutine, for example), but also a really tasty brunch. Now, the dinner portion we've only heard reviews from friends who have gone there, but on their recommendation, we went for brunch one Saturday morning and were pleasantly surprised by their offerings.

The menu isn’t huge, but with daily specials, seasonal ingredients, and some creative inspirations, it’s really worth the visit. And, according to their Facebook page, a new menu is in the works, so it might be worth heading back there some time soon. 

On this particular summer day some time last year, peaches were in season, so their daily French toast creation was cinnamon bread with peach syrup and maple whipped cream. I ordered that one up without a second thought, and let me tell you, the aroma was heavenly, the taste even more so.

Matt opted for a different take and chose an item not currently on their menu. It was a braised pork belly served over cornbread with baked beans and a cranberry compote (at least, that’s what I am translating from the photo we took). This was an even more usual choice for him, as he usually likes to test out a new brunch place with the standard scrambled eggs and bacon, but I think the pork belly got the better of him.

While we don’t get to Kensington as often as we’d like these days, when we do venture back, we know there’s a great place to grab brunch. For now, we’ll explore the food in our new neighbourhood. We’ve already tried a handful of places and are looking forward to exploring more and, of course, sharing them all with you.

Crafty Find: All Things Mason Jars

I am hooked on mason jars ever since we had our first canning party last fall (that fun day I’ll share in another post). I, myself, use a large mason jar as a water glass at work; it’s funky and holds a lot of water. And when bringing in soup leftovers for lunch, I’ll put them in the medium sized jars. They are the perfect lunch portion and drip proof in my purse.

But there is so much more you can do with mason jars. If you happen to be browsing Pinterest (and who isn’t these days? If you're not, you do need to request access), a quick search will reveal what creative users across the net are doing with their very own mason jars. I’ve collected just a few of the ideas that I think are most impressive and most likely the ones that I’ll try out on my own. Hopefully they can inspire new ideas as well.

This first one I've even seen in bakeries across the city: instead of cupcakes, why not small cakes or pies in a jar?

And instead of buying yourself a Magic Bullet, why not use the existing blade from your blender and make your own by attaching it to, you guessed it, a mason jar?

Mason jars also make for some clever decoration: use them as candles, even make them into electric lights.

Or use them for more practical jobs, like mini planters or soap dispensers.

Speaking of Pintrest, I know I’m not the only one to blog about something I’ve found on there; several blogs have popped up dedicated specifically to the incredible finds on the site. There really does seem to be something for everyone. I, personally, love browsing the craft and DIY sections to see what inspiration I can gleam. The home décor section is a great way to start day-dreaming about all the things I could do with my new house. And the food and drink section has great ideas for meals and party tips. It’s quite easy to get lost on that site….

Recipe #32: Egg Fajitas

Image Courtesy of Bettycrocker.com

Matt and I still aim to eat less meat during the week, and a great alternative is eggs: high in protein and very filling, and so very versatile. Here is a quick and easy weeknight dinner that includes eggs, fajitas, and most likely whatever you have in your fridge.

Having picked up some fresh tortillas from Kensington (when we still lived in the condo), we created our own version of egg fajitas. We went through a few variations before we finally settled on scrambled eggs with sautéed onions and peppers, topped with fresh salsa and cheese. Sometimes we mix up the cheese, using either grated cheddar or goat cheese. Sometimes we added left over chicken (if on hand), and sometimes we add roasted potatoes (although that does make it really filling and increases the cooking time). It really is up to you and what you have in your fridge. Sausage and bacon would also be nice additions, for those meat lovers. 

Two per person is probably filling enough, but if you happen to have some tortilla chips on hand to dip in the salsa, why not make it a true Mexican-type dinner?

INGREDIENTS (for 2 people)

4 eggs

Splash of milk

1 red bell pepper, or ½ of each a red and green bell pepper, sliced into strips

½ red onion, sliced

Grated/Crumbled cheese (of your choice)

Fresh salsa

4 Tortillas

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Wrap tortillas in tin foil and warm in oven.

Sautee onions and peppers in a small sauce pan until tender, about 3-5 minutes.

At the same time, mix together eggs and milk, and then cook in a separate frying pan, stirring regularly until fluffy.

Assembly: place a spoonful of eggs and a spoonful of the vegetables in the warmed tortilla, top with salsa and cheese, wrap and enjoy. 

A Teddy Bear for Rowan

You probably know by now that I think a great gift for kids are knitted stuffed toys. Ever since I knit my first one, I was hooked, and knowing that the child will not outgrow it (at least in size), and that they will get some enjoyment from playing with it, the knitted toys are still my go-to for birthday gifts.

I’ve already knitted up quite a collection that have since found new homes: a giraffe, a hippo, a frog, an elephant, a penguin, and a small bear. I like to think that these toys have become favorites of the kids I’ve given them to, and I was happily delighted when my good friend Shannon told me her little girl can’t get enough of her pink hippo. So much so, she has requested a second in case the first one gets too much love. And maybe a penguin so the hippo has a friend. Since these are fun to knit, I, of course, am happy to oblige.

But first, let me share with you this teddy bear, which I knit for my friend Christine’s little boy. I knitted this stuffed bear, keeping it neutral in colour and adding a little blue scarf to finish it. I thought it was a cute little gift for a very cute little boy.

The thing I like best about knitting these toys is that you can have a lot of fun choosing the colours. They don’t have to be traditional and they don’t have to be expensive. Often I’ll find I have enough yarn in my stash to finish a project, and then it feels good to both create something and use up extra yarn. But of course, shopping for new yarn is always the most fun, as with any project. I’ll be heading to my yarn stash to see what I can find for the Hippo for Chloe, but if nothing strikes my fancy, I might just have to head to my new local yarn shop. 

Recipe #31: Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

I’m just going to pretend like I didn’t set that goal last year of cooking a new recipe each week and pick up right where I left off (truth be told, I probably did come close to achieving the goal, but fell short in posting about it regularly).

I have to admit that I’m not a huge fan of butternut squash, on its own at least, but when I saw this combination of bacon (makes everything better) and apple, I thought it was definitely worth a try. I only recently saw this recipe again in my files and thought I should make it again soon – it was that tasty! It’s still soup weather, and leftovers are great to bring to work the next day (or two). If you’re looking for a quick weeknight dinner, this one calls for only a few ingredients and cooks up pretty quickly. The sweetness of the apples combines so nicely with the saltiness of the bacon, that this really is a nice dinner treat.

To vary this dish, you could try adding extra ingredients of your own. An onion and garlic added while browning the squash will give it added flavour, maybe even a dash of curry for some heat. You could also substitute beef stock over chicken or vegetable for a deeper flavour. And feel free to double the bacon if you like extra topping.

Butternut Squash Soup with Apple and Bacon

Serves: 6-7

Cook time: 30 minutes

INGREDIENTS

8 slices bacon, cut crosswise into 1/4-inch strips
2-1/2 lb. butternut squash (about 1 medium), peeled, seeded, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (to yield about 6 cups)
1 small Granny Smith or other tart-sweet apple, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch dice (to yield about 1 cup)
1-1/2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh sage leaves
1 tsp. kosher salt
1/2 tsp. freshly ground black pepper
4 cups low-salt chicken or vegetable broth

DIRECTIONS

In a 5-quart or larger stockpot set over medium heat, cook the bacon, stirring occasionally, until crisp and golden, 8 to 10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the bacon to a plate lined with paper towels.

Increase heat to medium high. Add the squash to the pot with the bacon fat and cook until lightly browned, 4 to 6 minutes (resist the urge to stir it too often or it won’t brown). Stir in the apple, sage, salt, and pepper and cook for about 4 minutes (you’ll see more browning occur on the bottom of the pot than on the vegetables). Add the broth, scraping up any browned bits in the pot with a wooden spoon. Bring to a boil over high heat, reduce the heat to maintain a simmer, and cook until the squash and apples are very soft, 6 to 8 minutes. Remove from the heat and let cool somewhat.

Add about half the bacon to the soup and purée, using a stand or immersion blender (you’ll need to work in batches if using a stand blender). Taste and add more salt and pepper if needed. Reheat the soup and garnish each serving with the remaining bacon.

Happy New Year!

What, it’s March? Oh, so I’m only a few months behind on the update. It sure has been a busy start to 2012, though, but I it sure is time that I checked in with an update and a post.

Where to start? Well, Christmas came and went, and good times and good food were had by all. And when we weren’t busy buying and wrapping gifts, we were looking for a new house. And we found one! Well, that’s an understatement. We found a lot that we liked. What I should have said, is we bought one, which was no easy feat. We were out of town when offers were being presented, so we had to stop at a payphone next to the highway in the pouring rain to hear how the home inspection went (good thing we have a home inspector we trust!), and then give our agent the go ahead.  It was a quiet ride the rest of the way as we waited to hear how it went. The anticipated phone call could have gone two ways – we lost it, or we got it. Luckily it was the latter.  

Next, we had to sell the condo, which meant putting a lot of our stuff in storage and staging the small 600 square foot place to appear as big as possible. Thank goodness for Lunch Buddies (thanks Jess, Andrew, Owen, and Darcy)!  Frankly, it worked. Even I was fooled. The place looked amazing, and we were able to let out a huge sigh of relief once we signed the paperwork – our condo was SOLD.

As we started the New Year, things were pretty quiet as we waited for our closing date to approach. We slowly packed up the rest of our stuff from the condo and enjoyed our time living downtown. The new place is in the east end of Toronto, a really neat area of town, and we were getting excited about all the great restaurants and places to eat.

Soon January was over and February was breezing by. The 15^th was only a few days around the corner, and that’s when we’d get the keys to our very own home - a small but very nice 3 bedroom house. We weren’t closing our condo until the 29^th, so that left us some time to get in there and do any updates without having to work around furniture. We wanted to do some painting to in the bedrooms, but the rest was pretty much move-in ready.

In anticipation, we picked colours, bought paint and supplies, and recruited some valuable hands to help – my dad and brother.  Once the 15^th arrived, we got the keys and headed over to take a look around. It sure looked a lot different empty, but that meant it was full of potential. We went back most nights that week with small boxes of stuff from the condo, and I’m sure we are now considered regulars at the Canadian Tire, but things were coming together. That weekend, we cleaned and painted and got everything ready for the rest of our stuff. We weren’t going to be staying in the new place until we moved our bed over, and that was going to happen on the 29^th.

The big move finally came, and with some additional helping hands (thanks Jen, Paul, Chris, and Binu!), we gathered the remaining furniture from the condo and picked up the rest at the storage locker. Having only been there only a week, there are still boxes to be unpacked, but we have a bed to sleep in, a TV to watch and sofa to sit on, and a kitchen to cook and eat in, so it's pretty liveable. Day by day it comes together more and more, and I’m excited to see each box emptied and the items finding their new place.  We’re going to be very happy there, I can already tell, and I’m sure the adventures I’ll have to share will be plenty.