Archive for February, 2019

Feb 25

Baked zucchini fries with pesto yoghurt dipping sauce

Ingredients

The Sauce

  • 1/2 cup nonfat plain Greek yogurt
  • 3 tbsp basil pesto
  • 1/8 tsp salt

 

Directions

The Fries:

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F. Line a large baking sheet with foil and set a cooling rack on top of the baking sheet. Coat the cooling rack with cooking spray.
  2. Cut the zucchini into 3-inch long and ¼-inch thick pieces.
  3. Spoon the flour into a medium bowl. Whisk the egg in a separate bowl. In a third bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, paprika, salt and pepper.
  4. Working with several zucchini pieces at a time, dredge the zucchini in the flour, shaking off the excess. Dip the zucchini in the egg, then place it in the bread crumb mixture, covering completely.
  5. Transfer the coated zucchini pieces to the prepared rack, in a single layer. Repeat with remaining zucchini pieces.
  6. Light coat the zucchini with the cooking spray.
  7. Bake in the oven until the zucchini is tender and the breading is browned and crisp, about 15 minutes.
  8. Serve immediately with the dipping sauce.

The Sauce:

  1. In a small bowl, stir together the yogurt, pesto sand salt.

https://www.cookincanuck.com/baked-zucchini-fries-with-pesto-yogurt-dipping-sauce-recipe/

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Posted in Dips/Sauces, Snack, Starter, Vegetarian

Feb 25

Crispy Asian Chicken Tenders

SERVES 4

Ingredients

  •  1 1/2 pounds chicken tenderloins — or boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 3/4-inch strips (about 16 strips total)
  •  1/4 cup milk — or buttermilk
  •  3 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
  •  2 tablespoons honey
  •  1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  •  1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  •  3 cloves garlic — minced
  •  1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
  •  1 tablespoon Sriracha — chili paste (sambal oelek), or hot sauce of choice
  •  2 cups  whole wheat panko bread crumbs  — if you can’t find whole wheat, swap regular panko
  •  2 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil
  •  Chopped green onions — optional for serving

Instructions

    1. Place a large ziptop bag inside of a baking dish so that it is upright with the opening at the top. Add the chicken strips.  In a large measuring cup or small bowl, whisk together the milk, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and hot sauce until combined. Carefully pour the liquid into the bag, then seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Turn the bag so that the chicken is well coated, then let marinate at room temperature for 30 minutes or place in the refrigerator overnight.
    2. When ready to bake: Preheat oven to 350 degrees F. Line a rimmed baking sheet with foil, then place an ovenproof wire rack on top of it. Coat the rack with nonstick spray.
    3. Place the panko in a large, shallow dish (a 9×13-inch pan works well). Drizzle the oil over the top, then toss to moisten.
    4. Arrange the ingredients in a line from left to right as follows: marinated chicken, panko breadcrumbs, baking sheet. Working with a few pieces of chicken at a time, with your left hand, remove the chicken from the marinade and shake off any excess (this is the “wet” hand). Place the chicken in the dish with the panko. With your right hand (the “dry” hand), pat the chicken on all sides with the breadcrumbs, pressing them on lightly so that the chicken is well coated. Still with your dry hand, place the chicken on the baking sheet, leaving a little space between each tender. Repeat for remaining tenders.
    5. Bake the chicken until golden brown and the juices run clear, 15 to 20 minutes. Be sure the chicken reaches a temperature of 165 degrees F. The time may be longer if your chicken pieces are larger and shorter if they are thinner.

Recipe Notes

  • This recipe is best enjoyed the day it is made, though you can store leftovers in the refrigerator for up to 2 days. Rewarm in a skillet lightly coated with oil or enjoy at room temperature over a salad.

https://www.wellplated.com/crispy-asian-chicken-tenders/

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Posted in Chicken, Chinese

Feb 25

Healthy Chicken Stir Fry

SERVES 4

INGREDIENTS

For the Marinade

  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 1 tablespoon honey
  • 1 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
  • 1 pound chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces

For the Stir Fry

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil, divided
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 3 large carrots, peeled and julienned
  • 1 large red bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 large yellow bell pepper, julienned
  • 1 cup snow peas, sliced into 1” pieces
  • 8 ounces button mushrooms, sliced thinly
  • 2 cups frozen broccoli, defrosted
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot powder
  • 4 cups cooked brown rice
  • Sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds, for serving

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. In a medium-sized bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, lemon juice, honey, sesame oil, rice wine vinegar, and red pepper flakes. Add in the chicken, and then toss to coat. Let marinate in the fridge while you chop your veggies.
  2. When you have all your veggies ready to go, heat a large wok over high heat. Add one tablespoon of the olive oil.
  3. Drain the chicken from the marinade, reserving the marinade. Add the chicken to the wok and cook until the chicken is cooked through, about five minutes. Remove the chicken to a plate.
  4. Pour the remaining olive oil into the wok, and then add in the garlic. Cook for a minute or until fragrant. Add in the carrots, bell peppers, snow peas, and mushrooms. Cook until bright in color and just crisp cooked, about three minutes.
  5. Add in the broccoli and cooked chicken. Reduce heat to low.
  6. Whisk the cornstarch into the reserved marinade, and then pour into the wok. Bring to a simmer and cook until thick, about five minutes. Serve on top of brown rice, topped with green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

Healthy Chicken Stir Fry

 

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Posted in Chicken, Chinese

Feb 25

Mars Bar Cake

INGREDIENTS
Ganache
600g dark chocolate
300ml thickened/whipping cream
Caramel Ganache
250ml thickened cream
100g unsalted butter
660g) white sugar
250ml water
2 tbs glucose syrup (or corn syrup)
1 teaspoon sea salt flakes
Frosting
2 batches Swiss meringue buttercream frosting
Cake
100g cocoa powder
350g all-purpose flour
1 tsp salt
1 tsp bicarbonate of soda
450g caster sugar
350g unsalted butter, softened
4 large eggs, at room temperature
350ml milk
Extra stuff
60 mini mars bar chocolate bars (yes, I did actually use this many lol)
caramel sauce
mini choc chips
STEPS
Ganache
Add chocolate and cream into a large microwave safe bowl. Microwave for 20 seconds at a time, mixing each time until smooth. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside to set.
Alternatively you may melt it using a double boiler. Fill a medium sized pot with 1/3 of the way with water. Bring to a boil. Place bowl with chocolate and cream over the top and gently mix until mixture is completely melted and smooth. To soften the ganache to spreading or piping consistency microwave for 10 seconds at a time, mixing each time with a large spatula until it reaches the right consistency.
Caramel Ganache
Place the sugar, glucose syrup and water in a large saucepan over low heat. Bring to a boil and cook for 10–12 minutes, without stirring until it becomes a deep caramel colour.
Remove from the heat and add the salt, cream and butter and whisk to combine. Allow to cool completely before using. Guys be super careful when you add the butter and cream to the hot caramel. I’d recommend melting the butter and I’d also recommend heating the cream to avoid splattering.
Frosting
To prepare frosting add a spatula full of the ganache to the caramel ganache and mix until really well combined. Then add the rest of the frosting and mix to combine. You’ll need to freshly whip it up before using :0)
Cake
Please note: the cake recipe will need to be doubled to achieve the cake in the video. I halved it in the video because most people don’t have mixing bowls big enough in their kitchens to make the entire recipe in one go :0) Let’s get stuck into the recipe!
Preheat a fan-forced oven to 160C (320F) or 180C (356F) for a conventional oven. Spray an 8” cake tin with oil spray and line the bottom with baking paper.
In the bowl of a stand mixer fitted with the paddle attachment, add the flour, bicarb soda, caster sugar and salt. Turn mixer on low speed and allow it to mix for a couple minutes to help everything combine well (alternatively you may do this by sifting the ingredients together). Add the softened butter and mix until it resembles a fine sand like texture.
Add the milk and eggs into the bowl with the dry ingredients and mix on medium speed until no dry ingredients are visible. Scrape down the bowl and mix for another 20 seconds.
Fill three 8” cake tins with batter.
Bake for 30 min or until a toothpick inserted comes out clean. Allow the tins to cool for 2 min and then carefully flip the cake tins over on to a cooling wrack to cool completely before using.
Using a large serrated knife, carefully trim the top off each layer of cake to make even and flat layers. Try to aim to get them all the same height. An easy way to do this is to find the lowest height of the cake, place a skewer or toothpick next to that point and mark it. As you go around each side of the cake cutting it, use the marked skewer to make sure each cut is at the same height.
To prepare crumb coat, add a dab of frosting onto an 8” cake board or serving plate. Add first cake layer. Guys make sure the chocolate cake is chilled when you put it all together to avoid the cake from collapsing.. Use a small offset to add a layer of frosting and smoothen out and layer the frosting on each layer before adding mars bar chocolates into the frosting. Add the next layer of cake and repeat with all the layers until you get to the top. Add more frosting around the outside to fill the grooves between each layer. This should just be a neat thin layer of frosting which is aimed at trapping any cake crumbs so that random bits of cake crumbs don’t show up on the outside of the cake. Chill for 2 hours or overnight
Add a layer of softened ganache using a small offset spatula or piping bag. Use a cake scraper to smoothen out the ganache around the sides. Then smoothen out the top using the cake scraper. Chill.
To finish the cake add mini choc chips down the bottom of the cake. Drizzle with caramel sauce. Fit the end of a piping bag with a Wilton 8B tip and frost swirls of frosting on top. Drizzle the swirls with caramel and top with mars bars.

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Posted in Dessert

Feb 25

Chocolate Fondant

MAKES 2

 

60g unsalted butter, plus extra to grease
1 tbsp cocoa powder
60g dark chocolate
1 egg plus 1 egg yolk
60g caster sugar
1 tbsp plain flour

 

1 Prepare the moulds

If you plan to bake and eat the puddings immediately, heat the oven to 200C (180C fan)/390F/gas 6 and heat a baking tray on the middle shelf.

Grease the insides of two small ramekins or pudding moulds with butter, put the cocoa in one, and turn and tip to coat the insides, holding it over the other ramekin to catch any powder. Tip the rest of the cocoa into the second ramekin and repeat.

2 Break up the chocolate

3 Ready a bain-marie

Find a heatproof bowl that sits in one of your saucepans without touching the bottom, and fill the pan with just enough boiling water to cover the base of the pan – make sure it doesn’t touch the bowl itself, or the chocolate will overheat and split. Put the pan on a medium heat, and put the chocolate and butter in the bowl on top.

 

4 Melt the butter and chocolate

5 Make the batter

Put the egg and egg yolk in a large bowl with the sugar and a pinch of salt. Vigorously whisk by hand or with electric beaters, until the mixture is pale yellow and voluminous. Very gently fold in the melted chocolate mixture with a large metal spoon, taking care not to knock too much air out of the batter. Repeat with the flour.

6 Fill the moulds and cook

Divide the batter between the two moulds, leaving a little room at the top for them to rise. If you’d like to eat them immediately, put them on the hot baking tray in the oven for 12 minutes, until the tops are set and the cake mix is just starting to come away from the sides of the moulds.

 

7 Rest, then plate

Leave to rest for 30 seconds, then loosen with a palette or butter knife and turn out on to plates if you’re feeling confident, or serve in the moulds if you’d prefer to play it safe. (If you’re really out to impress, I’d recommend trying out this recipe in advance, to check the exact timings in your oven, because they’re likely to vary slightly from mine.)

8 Alternatively, save until later

Although the cooked puddings should be eaten immediately, if you’d like to get ahead, you can chill the raw mixture in its moulds, or even freeze it – in which case, cook for 14 minutes from cold or 16 from frozen: again, timings will depend on the exact temperature of your oven, so you might want to make double and cook a test pudding in advance.

 

9 The finishing flourish

Serve hot with ice-cream, cold single cream or creme fraiche. For extra brownie points, make your own accompaniment by mixing 100ml creme fraiche with a teaspoon of icing sugar and the zest of half an orange; or a teaspoon each of vanilla extract and runny honey; or a pinch of cinnamon, nutmeg and chilli powder and a teaspoon of runny honey.

https://www.theguardian.com/food/2019/feb/13/how-to-make-chocolate-fondant

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Posted in Dessert

Feb 25

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

SERVES 6

Ingredients
  • 6-10 chicken thighs, skin on
  • 1 cup brown sugar
  • 3/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1 tsp lemon juice
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 2 tbsp minced garlic
Instructions

    1. Combine the brown sugar and soy sauce in a large measuring cup or bowl, I like to use a large 4 cup glass measuring cup because it pours so lovely when I am done. Mix until the brown sugar dissolves as much as possible.

    2. Whisk in the lemon juice, ginger and the garlic.

    3. Place your chicken pieces of choice into a large lidded container, skin side down. Pour the marinade over the chicken, and refrigerate it overnight.

    4. To cook the chicken the next day, preheat your oven to 350 °F.

    5. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil or parchment paper ( you will thank me later when you aren’t scrubbing burnt sugar off!) and place the chicken on top. You can drizzle some marinade over the top at this point.

    6. Bake in the oven until the chicken pieces reach the right temperature ( 165 °F for chicken breasts and 185 ° for chicken thighs, see my cooking chicken info in this post) and right before removing, take a spoon and baste with the juices. Let the chicken cook for another 3-4 minutes and then remove.

       

Baked Teriyaki Chicken

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Posted in Chicken, Chinese

Feb 25

Death By Chocolate N’ice Cream

MAKES 2
INGREDIENTS
3 ripe bananas
1/4 c. cocoa powder
2 tbsp. maple syrup
1 tbsp. water
pinch of kosher salt
1/4 c. semi-sweet mini chocolate chips

DIRECTIONS

  1. Slice bananas and place flat into a Ziploc bag. Freeze until solid, 2 hours or overnight.
  2. In a food processor, add frozen banana slices, cocoa powder, maple syrup, water, and salt. Puree until smooth and creamy, about 3 minutes. Add chocolate chips and pulse until just incorporated.
  3. Transfer mixture to a loaf pan. Freeze until firm, another hour.

https://www.delish.com/cooking/recipe-ideas/recipes/a53153/death-by-chocolate-nice-cream-recipe/

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Posted in Dessert

Feb 25

Herb Rubbed Chicken

Uno Chicago Grill Copycat Recipe

Serves 6

1/2 cup olive oil
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 tablespoon rosemary
1 1/2 teaspoons basil/oregano
1 teaspoon pepper, cracked
1 teaspoon salt
6 boneless, skinless chicken breasts

Mix everything together except the chicken. Rinse chicken and dry. Rub all surfaces of the chicken herb mixture.

To Grill: Place chicken on grill over medium coals. Grill uncovered for 20-30 minutes until no longer pink. Turn after the first 15 minutes.

To Bake: Bake at 375 degrees for 45 to 55 minutes or until no longer pink. Do not turn.

 

http://italianchainrestaurantrecipes.blogspot.com/2013/12/herb-rubbed-chicken.html

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Posted in Chicken, Main

Feb 25

Brown Rice Casserole: vegan and gluten-free

Ingredients

  • 4 cups cooked brown rice
  • 2 cups raw broccoli, chopped
  • 1 cup tomatoes, chopped
  • 1/2 cup raw carrot, finely diced
  • 1 cup unsweetened non-dairy milk
  • 1/4 cup nutritional yeast
  • 2 tablespoons tahini
  • 1 teaspoon smoked paprika
  • 1 teaspoon onion granules
  • 1 teaspoon sea salt

Preparation

  1. Preheat oven to 350°F.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add the cooked rice, broccoli, tomatoes, and carrots, and stir until everything is nice and mixed up.
  3. In a smaller separate bowl, add the non-dairy milk, tahini, paprika, onion granules, and sea salt, and whisk until everything is combined.
  4. Add the liquid mixture to the rice mixture and stir.
  5. Add a tiny amount of olive or coconut oil to a paper towel and grease an 8×8 inch baking pan, wiping off any excess oil.
  6. Add the rice mixture to the pan, cover with foil and bake for 25 minutes. After 25 minutes, take the foil off the baking dish, turn the heat up to 400°F and bake for an additional 10 minutes.

Total Calories: 1116 | Total Carbs: 209 g | Total Fat: 19 g | Total Protein: 37 g | Total Sodium: 2478 g | Total Sugar: 8 g

https://www.onegreenplanet.org/vegan-recipe/brown-rice-casserole/

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Posted in Main, Vegan

Feb 25

Spinach, sweet potato & lentil dhal

SERVES 4

Ingredients

  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1 red onion, finely chopped
  • 1 garlic clove, crushed
  • thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and finely chopped
  • 1 red chilli, finely chopped
  • 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric
  • 1 ½ tsp ground cumin
  • 2 sweet potatoes, (about 400g/14oz), cut into even chunks
  • 250g red split lentils
  • 600ml vegetable stock
  • 80g bag of spinach
  • 4 spring onions, sliced on the diagonal, to serve
  • ½ small pack of Thai basil, leaves torn, to serve

Method

  1. Heat 1 tbsp sesame oil in a wide-based panwith a tight-fitting lid.
  2. Add 1 finely chopped red onion and cook over a low heat for 10 mins, stirring occasionally, until softened.
  3. Add 1 crushed garlic clove, a finely chopped thumb-sized piece of ginger and 1 finely chopped red chilli, cook for 1 min, then add 1 ½ tsp ground turmeric and 1 ½ tsp ground cumin and cook for 1 min more.
  4. Turn up the heat to medium, add 2 sweet potatoes, cut into even chunks, and stir everything together so the potato is coated in the spice mixture.
  5. Tip in 250g red split lentils, 600ml vegetable stock and some seasoning.
  6. Bring the liquid to the boil, then reduce the heat, cover and cook for 20 mins until the lentils are tender and the potato is just holding its shape.
  7. Taste and adjust the seasoning, then gently stir in the 80g spinach. Once wilted, top with the 4 diagonally sliced spring onions and ½ small pack torn basil leaves to serve.
  8. Alternatively, allow to cool completely, then divide between airtight containers and store in the fridge for a healthy lunchbox.

https://www.bbcgoodfood.com/recipes/spinach-sweet-potato-lentil-dhal

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Posted in Indian, Main, Vegan

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