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Coconut Mango Cookies

These cookies have just the right  crispy-chewyness to please a whole lot of people at one time.  This recipe makes quite a few cookies, so you can either bake them all up at once, or put some of the rolls of dough in the freezer.

You can substitute apricots for the dried mango, and hazelnuts, brazil or macadamia for the almonds.

You do need to plan ahead a bit, as the dough needs to be refrigerated for about an hour before baking.  The toasted almonds also need to cool before you can add them to the batter.

What you need:

3/4 cup butter

1 cup sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 & 1/2 teaspoon baking powder

1/2 teaspoon salt

2 cups shredded sweetened coconut

1/2 cup dried mango or apricot

1/2 cup toasted almonds

What you do:

1.  Toast almonds and allow to cool, then chop them.

2.  Beat room temperature butter with sugar until fluffy and light in colour.  Beat in egg.

3.  Add flour, baking powder and salt, then mix with a wooden spoon, being careful not to over-mix.

4.  Stir in nuts, chopped fruit and coconut.

5.  Form into 4 logs, about 3 cm in diameter, and wrap in plastic wrap.  Place in the fridge for about an hour.  If you are going to freeze for later use, add another layer of protection by putting them into a plastic bag.

6.  Let the logs sit for about 15 minutes, then carefully cut into slices just less than 1 cm thick, with a serrated knife.  It can be a little tricky to make this work neatly, but it helps if you use a sawing motion.  When I ruined a few, I just hand-formed them and made them into “tasters.”  Everybody likes to taste your baking!

7.  Place on ungreased cookie sheets and bake for 8-10 minutes at 350 F or until lightly browned, a little longer if you prefer crispier cookies.  For added decadence, you can sprinkle a tiny bit of sugar onto the top of each cookie before baking.  I used vanilla sugar and the result was amazing!

8.  Store in an airtight container.  They keep well for about a week.

Oven-Baked Coconut Chicken Fingers

This easy recipe is delicious as an appetizer with dipping sauces, or as part of a meal.  You can also use whole chicken breasts, pounding them before coating.

What you need:

2 chicken breasts

1 egg

1 Tablespoon buttermilk or plain yogurt

1/4 cup unsweetened shredded coconut

1 cup bread crumbs

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon freshly ground pepper

What you do:

1.  In a small bowl beat egg slightly with a fork, then mix in buttermilk or yogurt.

2.  In another bowl combine bread crumbs, coconut, salt and pepper.

3.  Cut chicken into strips.

4.  Coat chicken in egg mixture, then cover with bread crumbs.  Place chicken on a baking sheet as you take it out of the bread crumb mixture.

5.  Repeat step 4, this time just lightly dipping in egg mixture, then making sure it is coated in the bread crumb mixture.  Place chicken on a baking sheet, with some space between each piece.

6.  Bake at 350F of 15 minutes, then turn each piece over once and bake for 5 more minutes.  They should be slightly browned.

7.  If you are using this as an appetizer, serve with sweet chilli sauce or honey mustard mayo (see recipe below).  It is great when paired with a pasta dish, such as lemon-basil pasta.

Honey Mustard Mayo:

Mix 1 tablespoon mayonnaise with 1 teaspoon dijon mustard and 1 teaspoon honey.

Wild and Brown Rice, Pepper and Pecan Salad

If you like pecans, whole grains and vitamin C-rich peppers, then you’ll love this hearty salad.  It’s great for a lunch or picnic.

What you need:

3/4 cup brown rice

1/4 cup wild rice

1 each of red, orange and yellow peppers

1/2 cup pecans

1/2 bunch parsley

1- 2 green onions

1/3 cup dried currants

For the dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup apple cider vinegar

2 Tablespoons honey or maple syrup

1 teaspoon tamari

What you do:

1.  Put the rices in a pot with 1 & 1/2 cups of water.  Bring to a boil, then cover and turn heat to low.  Cook for 45 minutes, then take off the heat, leaving the lid on, for 10 minutes.

2.  Toast pecans by heating in a frying pan for 5-8 minutes on medium-low heat.  Be careful!  It’s easy to burn them.

3.  Chop peppers into approximately 2 cm chunks.

4.  Chop parsley and green onion.

5.  Mix oil, vinegar, honey and tamari together, then stir in a large bowl with all the veggies and the currants.

6.  Let the veggies and sauce do their thing while you are waiting for the rice to cook and cool.  Mix the rice in, and you’re good to go!  It’s really nice served with a few slices of avocado.

Great for leftovers!

Oma’s Chicken Soup

There’s a tickle in the back of my throat and I’m doing my best to fight it off, so it’s time to turn to my Oma’s chicken soup for some healing.  At 98 years of age, she’s not making soup anymore, so I’ve gleaned her wisdom, and I’m doing my best to use the basic elements of her recipe.  Oma’s recipes are stored in her memory, not written down, so a recipe from her sounds like “a little of this, a bunch of that.”  Here’s how I make it, based on what my Oma has told me about how she makes her chicken soup:

Put the following into a stock pot:

chicken backs and necks and feet (yes, feet!)

carrot (I used one)

celery (I used one stalk)

onion ( I used one, skin removed)

garlic (I used two cloves, but only because I was running out)

ginger (this is a key ingredient for fighting illness – I used about 1/4 cup or more sliced)

bay leaves (I used two.  I keep them in the freezer because I think they taste better when I  buy them fresh & then freeze them)

star anise (I used two)

peppercorns (I used about 2 teaspoons)

this time I added some parsley stems because I had them on hand, but it’s an experiment

sometimes I add an apple or sun-dried tomatoes, depending on what kind of flavour I want to impart, and what I have on hand

enough water to cover it all up

I never add salt to the broth – I wait until I use it in a soup recipe

When it’s all in the pot:

Now bring to almost a boil, lower the heat and let it simmer for hours – 4-5 if you’ve got the time.

To cool it I place the pot in a sink filled with cold water.

When it has cooled a bit I pour the liquid through a cheesecloth-lined sieve, and store the liquid in canning jars.  Refrigerate it until the stock is cold, then skim off the fat.  (My relatives would have saved this to make soap.  I just throw it away.)

I store some of the broth in canning jars in the freezer, making sure to leave some space for it to expand as it freezes – if you don’t do this you end up with broken jars and wasted broth.

When refrigerated, the best chicken soup broth will become gelatinous – all the chicken stock makers in my family, Oma, Tante Katje, and Mom, say that it’s really good for you.  No reasons why, it’s just “good for you.”

Oma served this with her homemade noodles – something I’ll try after the soup has healed me!

Fattoush – Lebanese Salad

I love to bring this salad to picnics.  While the recipe calls for pomegranate, I also make it without it, as fresh pomegranate isn’t always available.  My local Mediterranean shop carries ground sumac and pomegranate syrup, which is much thicker and more tart than pomegranate juice.

What you need:

1/4 cup fresh spearmint, chopped

1 cup tomatoes, cut into bite sized chunks

1/2 cup cucumber, cut into bite sized chunks

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

1/2 sweet onion, chopped

whole wheat pita bread

For the dressing:

1/4 cup olive oil

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 & 1/2 teaspoons ground sumac

1 tablespoon pomegranate syrup

1 clove garlic, chopped finely

What you do:

1.  Mix the dressing ingredients together in a bowl.

2.  Put all the veggies and herbs into a large bowl.  Pour the dressing over and allow to sit for several hours before serving.

3.  Toast the pita bread in the oven until crispy, then break it into bite sized pieces.

4.  Serve the salad topped with the pita at the last minute so it doesn’t get soggy.

Ground Turkey, Veg & Brown Rice Dish

This is an all-in-one type meal, with lots of veggies, some lean ground turkey, and nutritious brown rice.  It takes a bit longer to cook brown rice, but you can put it on to cook while you prepare the veggies and start cooking them with the turkey.

What you need:

brown rice, 3/4 cup uncooked (I use Lundberg whole grain)

some lean ground turkey (or not, for a veggie option)

one large onion, preferably sweet

red bell pepper

carrot

olive oil

salt and pepper

optional: one can sweet corn, balsamic vinegar

What you do:

1.  Start with the brown rice:  bring rice and 1 & 1/2 cups of water to a boil.  Cover, lower heat and simmer 45 minutes.  After that remove from heat and let sit, with the lid on, for 10 minutes.

2.  While the rice is cooking, get started on the veggies.  This won’t take the whole 55 minutes, so you can do other things for a while, then spend 20 or so minutes on the rest of the recipe.  First slice the onion into strips that are just less than 1cm wide.  In a large frying pan, heat the oil on medium high, then add onions and cook them until they are slightly browned.

3.  Cut peppers into strips similar in size to the onions.  Add to the onions and cook for a few minutes.

4.  Grate the carrot and add to the other veggies.  Cook for 5-10 minutes, until the peppers are soft and the onions are quite brown.

5.  Place the veggies in a bowl, then cook the ground turkey until it’s not pink any more.

6.  Add the cooked rice to the turkey and stir, scraping the bottom of the pan, for several minutes.  Now add the veggies (and optional corn) and cook until they are reheated.  Season with salt and lots of pepper (and add optional balsamic vinegar).

7.  Voila, you’ve got your one-bowl dinner, which is great reheated the next day(s) for leftovers.

I use cast iron frying pans because they are naturally non-stick.  As well, I don’t have to worry about scratching their surface, or the possible health risks that may be associated with Teflon.   To clean them, I make sure I scrape them while they are still hot, then scrub them  later.  I don’t use any soap on them.  From time to time I heat the pan up, then add some canola oil and rub it in with a paper towel.  This helps keep up that natural non-stick coating.

The handle can get hot, so I have a “Banana Handle,” which is made by Fred.

http://www.worldwidefred.com/bananahandle.htm

A New Yummier Healthier Coleslaw

Since cabbage is so good for you, I’ve been looking for new ways to eat it.  Since it’s not one of my favourites, this was a bit of a tough task.  But I modified a coleslaw recipe to make, what I think, is a lighter version of coleslaw that is tasty and great for you!  No mayo in this one!

Here are some of the main reasons to eat more cabbage:

cancer-fighting capabilities

vitamin C

fibre

potassium

low in fat and calories

and many more…

Here’s the recipe:

1/2 small head of cabbage, green or red

3 stalks broccoli, crowns removed

1 stalk celery

2-3 carrots

1/4 cup raw unsalted sunflower seeds

1/3 cup raisins

For the dressing:

3 tablespoons olive or flax oil

3 tablespoons lemon or lime juice

3 tablespoons apple cider vinegar

1/4 teaspoon lemon pepper

What you do:

1.  Chop the cabbage finely.

2.  Peel and then grate the carrots.

3.  Peel and chop the broccoli stalks into disks.

4.  Slice celery thinly.

5.  Mix all dressing ingredients together, then mix it in with the chopped veggies in a large bowl.  Add the raisins and sunflowers.

6.  Let it sit for at least an hour before you eat it so the flavours can mingle.  It keeps well in the fridge, thus making it great for leftovers!

Rhubarb Walnut Cake

Mmmm,  just in time for spring.  You’ve got all that rhubarb coming up in your garden (or the grocery store!), and here’s the perfect recipe to utilize it.  So moist, and the tangy rhubarb contrasts well with the sweet sugary-nutty topping.  Either the people I work with are really really nice, or this cake is amazing – I think it’s both!  Thanks guys!

What you need:

1/2 cup butter

1 & 1/2 cups brown sugar

1 egg

2 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1/2 teaspoon salt

1 cup plain yogurt (not no-fat)

1 &1/2 cups rhubarb, cut into 1 cm chunks

for the topping:

1/2 cup chopped walnuts

1/2 cup white sugar

2 tablespoons butter

1 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon cardamom

What you do:

1.  Preheat oven to 350 F.

2.  Cream butter and brown sugar, then blend in egg.

3.  Sift together flour, baking soda and salt.

4.  Mix one-third of the flour mixture into the butter mixture by hand.

5.  Add half the yogurt and mix until just incorporated.

6.  Mix in one-third more of the flour, then the rest of the yogurt, then the rest of the flour.  Mix until just combined or it will make a tough cake!

7.  Add rhubarb, then pour into a buttered 9 x 13 inch pan, smoothing the top a little.

8.  For the topping: melt the butter, then stir in white sugar, cinnamon, cardamom and walnuts.  Spread this mixture over the top of the cake.

9.  Bake for around 40 minutes, or until a toothpick inserted in the centre comes out clean.

10.  Enjoy!

rhubarb block print

Kamut Salad

This kamut salad is delicious and high in protein.  I cooked the kamut and made the dressing, then just made up half the recipe for dinner, serving the kamut hot with the fresh veggies and chickpeas.  I used the leftovers for lunches by cutting up fresh veggies and mixing them with the dressing and cold kamut and chickpeas.

For the kamut:

3 cups water

1 cup kamut

Bring the water to a boil, then add the kamut.  Reduce the heat, put a lid on it, and let it simmer for 1 & 1/4 hours.  Then take the lid off and let it simmer until the liquid is evaporated, about 10 minutes.

For the dressing:

Juice of 1 lemon or lime

1 tablespoon flax or olive oil

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/2 teaspoon pepper

Mix it all together with the following ingredients:

1 can chickpeas, drained

1-2 cups cherry tomatoes

1 red bell pepper, chopped

1 bunch scallion, sliced thinly

1 cup chopped mini cucumber

1/4 cup parsley, chopped

Enjoy!

Roasted Vegetables and Spaghetti Squash

This delicious recipe is great if you’re looking to increase your vegetable intake.  You could substitute pasta for the squash, but this is quite filling on its own.  If you want a bit of meat you could add a little hot italian sausage.

The sesame seeds are ground so they are easily digested and you can utilize their calcium and iron.

You need:

1 spaghetti squash

For the tomato sauce:

1 small onion, chopped

2-4 cloves, sliced

1 –  796 mL can crushed tomatoes

1/4 cup tomato paste

oregano – 1 teaspoon fresh or 1/2 teaspoon dried

1/4 cup fresh chopped basil – only fresh will do! *

1 tsp brown sugar

salt and pepper to taste

For the roasted vegetables:

1 onion, chopped in large pieces

2 red, orange or yellow peppers, chopped in large pieces

1 head cauliflower, cut into florets

1 zucchini, sliced about 2 cm

3-4 cloves garlic, cut in half

2 tablespoons olive oil

juice of 1 lemon

2 tablespoons FRESH dill*

1/2 cup ground sesame seeds

salt and pepper

What you do:

1.  Start with the sauce.  While this cooks you will have lots of time to do the rest.  Chop onions, cook in a pot with a little olive oil, stirring occasionally for a few minutes.  Add garlic and cook until it has a hint of brown.  Add oregano, tomato paste and crushed tomatoes.  Give this a stir every now and then while you work on the rest of the recipe.

2.  Preheat oven to 425F.

3.  Cut squash in half, scoop out the seeds, and place face down on a baking pan.

4.  Chop veggies and lay out evenly on another baking pan.

5.  Drizzle olive oil over veggies, then pour lemon juice all over them.  Sprinkle  sesame seeds over top.   Season with a little salt and pepper, and top with chopped dill.

6.  Pop the veggies and squash into the oven.  Take the veggies out about half way through and give them a little toss.  They are done when they get a little brown.  The squash is done when you can run a  fork through it and it makes those spaghetti-like strings.

7.  Just before serving, stir the basil, salt and pepper, and brown sugar into the sauce.  Adjust to taste.

8.  To serve, place some spaghetti squash on the plate, top with some sauce, then top with some veggies.  Yum!

*Some herbs taste completely different when they are dried.  Dill and basil are two of those.  When I find some great fresh basil or dill I put them in the freezer.  They are great to use in cooking – frozen basil not really great for using as a garnish or in something uncooked because it doesn’t look fresh any more, but great for sauces. Continue reading Roasted Vegetables and Spaghetti Squash