Shanghai Stirfry

Shanghai noodles is one of my favorite dishes to order at our local Peking restaurant.  This dish kind of made itself, and I was quite pleased with the outcome.  I made this with tofu, but if you have another type of protein on hand, it can be incorporated.  Any vegetable would work, and I used edamame, crimini mushrooms and green beans.  

Shanghai Noodles

1 T vegetable oil

1 package firm tofu

1 c green beans

1 c frozen edamame beans

10 crimini mushrooms, chopped

1 package noodles 

Sauce:

3/4 c chicken (or vegetable) broth

2 T cornstarch

2 T rice wine vinegar

2 T soy sauce

1 tsp sesame oil

1 tsp minced ginger

1 clove garlic, minced

1/2 tsp chinese hot sauce 

toasted sesame seeds 

In hot skillet or wok with 1 T vegetable oil, sear the tofu on both sides until golden brown.  Remove the tofu from the skillet and add the vegetables, cooking for 2 min.

Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine all sauce ingredients.  Once incorporated, add to the vegetables in the skillet and stir until thick.  Add the tofu.  If the mixture is too thick, add more stock to thin out.  Sprinkle with toasted sesame seeds.

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe) Calories (kcal) 263.9 Fat (g) 11.2 Protein (g) 12.1 Carbohydrate (g) 33.9 Sugar (g) 8.3 Fibre (g) 4.7

Terri's Apple Strudel

My friend recently gave birth to a beautiful baby boy, and while trying to think of what to bring a postnatal mother, it dawned on me that nothing is more comforting than baked apples.  I then  remembered that when my sister-in-law gave birth to her second child in Australia, and I was there visiting, her mother made these simple and delicious apple strudels for everyone to snack on.  Well, the plate would get cleaned up right away and we ended up making a batch of these almost daily!  Since then, I have made these every-so-often for a potluck, or a comforting treat, and I am brought back to the fond memories of slicing apples in a hot Australian kitchen with Nana Terri, while my 4 year old niece (at the time) snatched lemon-soaked apples from the bowl.  Sadly, Terri passed away 5 years ago, but her delicious and comforting treats always bring a smile to everyone's faces and happy memories of her to me.

Terri's Apple Strudel

 Serves 24

1 box frozen phyllo pastry, thawed

16-20 small-medium apples *

juice of 2 lemons

1/2 c white sugar

2 tsp cinnmon

1/2 tsp ground ginger (optional)

breadcrumbs
1 c butter, melted


Peel and cut the apples into approximately 1/2" pieces.  Place in a large bowl filled half full with cold water and juice of the lemons (this prevents the apples from browning).


In a smaller bowl, mix the sugar with the cinnamon and ginger (if using).

On a large, clean workspace, remove the pastry from the box and gently unfold it from it's wrapping.  As phyllo pastry dried out very quickly, always cover it with a lightly damp tea towel.  Remove one sheet of pastry from the pile and place on the clean countertop, ensuring you always cover the pile of pastry with the damp towel.  Using a pastry brush, brush melted butter over half of the rectangle of pastry, folding the unbuttered half overtop.  

Brush that with butter, and at the bottom, closest to you, and approximately 1" from the edge, place about 2 Tablespoons of the apples on the pastry.  Sprinkle with about 1 teaspoon of the sugar/cinnamon mixture, and sprinkle 1 teaspoon of the breadcrumb mixture (this is used to soak up the juices so the pastry is not "wet").  

Gently pull the pastry sides over the apples, and brush with butter.  

Roll the pastry over the apples, until it looks like a tight little spring roll.  

Brush the top with butter and sprinkle with a little cinnamon/sugar.  

Place on a parchment lined, or greased baking sheet.  Continue this process with the remaining phyllo and apples.  Bake 375F oven for 20-30 min, until the pastry is golden brown.


If the phyllo tears, not to worry, as you can add another piece.  It's a very forgiving pastry!


* Any fruit such as pears and peaches can be added to these, but because the pastry is so thin, it is not a good idea to add a jam-like substance such as a cherry or blueberry pie filling.  That would work better in the thicker puff pastry.

Salmon With Corn and Rice Edamame

Super simple meal tonight as a fitting end to a very busy week.  I picked up some fresh salmon from my fish monger, steamed some rice while adding frozen edamame, and cooked up some corn.  I find it amazing how delicious such a simple and quick meal can taste.  The best part is that my 1 year old loves fish, so I am trying to incorporate it into meals as much as possible.

Baked Salmon 

Preheat oven to 350F.  Line a baking pan with tinfoil and spray with cooking spray.  Place the salmon fillets on the sheet and flavor as you prefer.  Some suggestions are:

• Sprinkle with salt and pepper and add minced garlic, and sliced fresh lemons
• Sprinkle with lemon pepper seasoning, add chopped fresh dill and sliced lemons
• Baste with a favorite glaze such as Thai red pepper sauce, apricot jam, or BBQ sauce

 The rule of thumb is to bake the salmon until it is opaque in the middle (about 10-12 min), or 10 min per inch of thickness.

Chicken Spinach Mushroom Artichoke Penne in a Lemon Cream Sauce

This was a quick dinner to make tonight.  I went very light on the lemon cream sauce.  You can add any vegetable you like, and even cutup skinless, boneless chicken breast.  I just happened to use what was on hand.  The pasta was Catelli Smart Pasta, which has a higher fibre content, but a good whole wheat pasta would work nicely in this.

Chicken Spinach Mushroom Artichoke Penne in a Lemon Cream Sauce

Serves 6

1 pound high fibre or whole wheat penne

1 pound ground chicken

1/4 tsp dried red pepper flakes
1 garlic clove, crushed

4 T butter

1/4 c flour

1/2 c skim milk

1 c reduced sodium chicken or vegetable stock

juice and zest of 1 lemon

1 package frozen, cutup spinach

20 cremini mushrooms, sliced

1 can artichoke hearts in water

6 sundried tomatoes, sliced

*chopped, fresh parsley (optional)

*freshly grated parmesan cheese (optional)

 

In a large pot of boiling water, add the penne and cook until al dente (about 10 min).  

 

Meanwhile, in a skillet, cook the chicken, adding the red pepper flakes and garlic, until chicken is no longer pink.  Drain all fat from chicken.  Wipe skillet clean of all fat.  

In same skillet, melt butter, and add flour, cooking it for about a minute on med-high heat.  Pour in the chicken stock and milk until it thickens.  Add the lemon zest and juice.  Add the chicken, spinach, mushrooms, artichoke hearts and sundried tomatoes to the cream sauce.  Mix in the pasta, adding the pasta water if the sauce is too thick.

You can add chopped fresh parsley and freshly grated parmesan cheese on top.

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	526.8
Fat (g)	15.3
Protein (g)	27.8
Carbohydrate (g)	77.9
Sugar (g)	3.9
Fibre (g)	11.9

 

Granola Bars

I have always tried to make granola bars, but many of the recipes are so extensive, containing ingredients that are not common, that I end up just buying them at the store.  Now, I have found a healthier version which can be altered to whatever dietary restrictions you may encounter.  Normally, this recipe calls for wheat germ, but I had ground flax seed in my fridge to use as a substitute.  It also calls for almonds, but since my husband is allergic to nuts, I omitted that.  As well, I had leftover dried tropical fruit from my son's birthday party, but any dried fruit will work well.  I halved the sugar content, and I think it can be omitted altogether as the honey, coconut and dried fruits add enough sweetness.

Granola Bars
(Adapted From The Barefoot Contessa)

Makes 40 small squares

2 c old-fashioned oatmeal

1 c shredded coconut, loosely packed

*1 c sliced almonds (not included in mine, but can use sunflower seeds, pumpkin seeds, or any other nut)

1/2 c ground flax seed *recipe normally calls for wheat germ

3 T unsalted butter

2/3 c honey

1/8 c light brown sugar *recipe normally calls for 1/4 c, but I halved it

1 1/2 tsp vanilla extract

1/4 tsp salt

1 1/2 c chopped dried fruit (can use dried dates, cranberries, apricots, mango, papaya, pineapple, etc)

On a baking sheet, combine oats and coconut (and nuts if using), and cook in a 350F oven until lightly toasted (about 10 min).  Pour into a large bowl and add the flax.  reduce the oven temperature to 300F.

 

Meanwhile, in a saucepan, combine butter, honey, brown sugar, vanilla and salt.  Bring to a boil over medium heat and stir for a minute.  Pour over the oat mixture and add in the chopped dried fruit, mixing well.

 Pour into a greased baking sheet, and press into the pan with wet fingers.  Bake in oven for 25-30 min, until golden brown.  Let cool 2-3 hours and slice.

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	88
Fat (g)	2.3
Protein (g)	1.4
Carbohydrate (g)	16.8
Sugar (g)	11
Fibre (g)	1.5

 

Tilapia With Lemon and Capers Over Quinoa Edamame and Sweet Potatos

This was a phenomenal dish I made for Friday night dinner.  It was so quick and easy to make.  I used frozen tilapia fillets, but any nice white fish would work.  The capers add a nice saltiness to the lemon butter, but if you do not like capers, they can be omitted.

I have mentioned quinoa in a previous post, and it's versatile uses.  It is common to locate in a grocer's organic bulk foods section, and I have recently noticed that wholesale stores now sell it.  Here, it is used as a pilaf, but any whole grain or brown rice would work well.  Edamame is also easy to find in the frozen vegetable section of your local grocer, in the shell, or just the beans.  It is a nice accompaniment to the quinoa, or used just as a quick, healthy side dish on its own.

Tilapia With Lemon and Capers
Serves 6

6 frozen tilapia fillets, thawed

juice and zest of 1 lemon

4 T butter

3 sprigs fresh thyme

lemon pepper seasoning

1 jar capers, drained

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter.  Add the lemon juice and zest.  Sprinkle the fillets with lemon pepper seasoning and position in the skillet with the butter lemon sauce. Sprinkle the fish with thyme and capers and cook for 5-8 minutes, depending on the thickness of the fillets.  To check for doneness, cut into the fish with a fork.  If it flakes, the fish is cooked. 

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	135.5
Protein (g)	4.7
Fat (g)	9.5
Carbohydrate (g)	8.3
Sugar (g)	1
Fibre (g)	0.8

Quinoa Salad With Edamame

Serves 6

1 c dried quinoa

2 c water

2 c frozen edamame, removed from shell

In a saucepan, combine the quinoa and water over high heat.  Once it comes to a boil, add the edamame and cover with a lid and simmer for 15 minutes, until the quinoa has absorbed all the water.

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	257
Fat (g)	8.1
Protein (g)	16
Carbohydrate (g)	32.9
Sugar (g)	0
Fibre (g)	6.1

Baked Sweet Potato

Serves 6

6 small sweet potatoes

2 tsp cinnamon

1/4 c butter or margarine

Heat oven to 400 F.  Poke holes with a fork or knife into each sweet potato and wrap in tinfoil.  Cook for 45 min, or until soft.  Remove the flesh from the skin and place in a large bowl.  Mash with a fork.  Add cinnamon and butter.

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	240.3
Fat (g)	8.3
Protein (g)	2.3
Carbohydrate (g)	40.3
Sugar (g)	0.7
Fibre (g)	6

Saskatoon Spelt Muffins

Spelt is not a common grain that I use to bake with.  Probably because it's not commonly found.  It is a very healthy alternative to flour, containing less gluten and higher protein.  You can locate it at a health food store, and even some big supermarket chains carry it in their organic bulk section, which is where I located mine.  

These muffins are not overly sweet, and are delicious and very nutritious.  You can add any frozen or fresh fruit that you have.  I just happened to have saskatoons in my freezer, but blueberries, raspberries, bananas or even chocolate chips would work well.  When rhubarb is up in the spring, I will try that with some fresh strawberries.

This recipe has been adapted from Basic Spelt by Janet Feirin who owns a fabulous Spelt Bakery in Vancouver. If you are ever in that great city, check out her bakery for a yummy bite of baked goods, or buy her cookbook which contains delicious and easy recipes using spelt.

Saskatoon Muffins

Makes 1 dozen muffins

1 3/4 c spelt flour

1/3 c sugar

2 tsp baking powder

1 egg, beaten

3/4 c milk (I used skim)

1/4 canola oil

zest of 1 lemon or orange (optional)

1 tsp cinnamon (optional)

1 c fresh or frozen saskatoons (or any fruit you have on hand)

In a bowl, mix the flour, baking powder and sugar.  In another bowl, combine the eggs, milk and oil and add to the flour mixture.  Stir just until combined.  Fold in the zest, cinnamon (if using) and fruit.  Bake in a lightly greased muffin tin 375 F for about 20 min, or until golden brown on top and a toothpick inserted in a muffin comes out clean.

Irish Stew

What is better to celebrate St. Patrick's Day than with a hearty bowl of Irish Stew, Irish soda bread, and Irish beer? 

I make my Irish stew with lamb, ensuring the fat is trimmed off.  If you do not have lamb available, you can certainly use beef.  I do make my own stocks because it is so easy, cheap, and I control the salt.  They also freeze well.  Lamb stock is easy to make if you have a bone leftover from a leg that has been roasted.  The recipe uses the same fundamentals as a beef stock.  Once I roast a bone-in lamb, I will make stock and share the basic premise behind it.  Until then, enjoy St Patty's Day!

Irish Stew

Serves 6

1 boneless leg of lamb

4 c lamb or beef stock

4 sprigs fresh rosemary

4 sprigs fresh thyme

3 bay leaves

1/2 tsp salt

1/2 tsp pepper

2 T tomato paste

3 cloves garlic, whole

6 potatoes, peeled and chopped

4 carrots, peeled and chopped

1 large sweet potato, peeled and chopped

1 c peas 

Trim fat off lamb and cut into 1" cubes, or bite sized pieces.  Place in crockpot.*  Pour stock overtop, and add rosemary, thyme, garlic, bay, salt and pepper and tomato paste.  Mix together, cover with lid and turn on low heat for 6-8 hours.

Approximately an hour and a half before serving, add potatoes, carrots and sweet potato.  Add peas at the last minute.

Ladle into bowls and serve with Irish soda bread.

* If you do not have a crockpot, you can brown the lamb in oil in a large pot, adding the stock and herbs, garlic and paste.  Place in the oven on 300 degrees F to slow cook, and follow the rest of the recipe.

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	560.8
Fat (g)	18.6
Protein (g)	38.9
Carbohydrate (g)	58.9
Sugar (g)	6.1
Fibre (g)	7.1

Chicken Salad

This recipe has been my "go to" chicken salad recipe for well over a decade.  I have never had one disparaging comment about it, and it has been served at bridal and baby showers, tea parties and even for casual, quick dinners.

What makes it so good is the yogurt, which adds a nice, light tang, instead of the heaviness of mayonnaise.  The pimentos are a necessity as they add a terrific flavor.  

The rest of the ingredients are fresh, and enable the chicken salad to be served over a bed of lettuce, a lovely wholegrain bread, or even siljans (highly addictive and very attractive looking!).  I have used leftover chicken from a Sunday roast, or a rotisserie I bought from the grocer.  Either way, it is healthy and delicious!

Chicken Salad

Serves 4 sandwiches

1/3 c diced celery
1/4 c finely chopped green onions
3 T mayonnaise
3 T fresh, chopped parsley
1/2 c plain yogurt
1 T lemon juice
1/4 tsp salt
1/2 tsp pepper
1/2 tsp dried basil
1 2 oz jar diced pimentos
1 3/4 c chopped, roasted chicken

Combine all ingredients in a bowl.  Cover with plastic wrap and chill.  Serve on a bed of lettuce, or on whole grain bread.

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	395.1
Fat (g)	8.3
Protein (g)	70
Carbohydrate (g)	5.7
Sugar (g)	0.5
Fibre (g)	0.8

Cranberry Lemon Coconut Squares

Lemon and coconut is a natural combination, however, adding something equally as tart, like cranberries, is deceivingly delicious!  These treats are not exceedingly healthy, but they are homemade, so added sugar can be adjusted, and I can pronounce every ingredient that was included.

These were made for a pregnant friend of mine, who used to pick one up most mornings at her local coffee shop.  Must cheaper this way, and it hits the spot for pregnancy cravings.  Plus they freeze really well.

Cranberry Lemon Coconut Squares

2 c all purpose flour

1/4 c sugar

1/4 tsp salt

3/4 c unsalted butter, cubed and softened

Filling:

2 T all purpose flour

1 tsp baking powder

1/4 tsp salt

3 eggs

1 3/4 c sugar

1/3 c lemon juice (about 1 lemon)

2 c fresh or frozen cranberries

2 c unsweetened, shredded coconut

In large bowl whisk together flour, sugar and salt.  Cut in butter with 2 knives or a pastry cutter until crumbly and it comes together.  Press into a 13x9 " parchment lined cake pan and bake at 350 F until light golden brown (about 20 min).

Meanwhile, for the filling, whisk the flour, baking powder and salt in a bowl and set aside.  In a large bowl, whisk the eggs, sugar and lemon juice.  Whisk in the flour mixture.  Stir in the cranberries and coconut.  Pour over the cooked cookie base.  Reduce the heat to 325 F and bake until golden and filling is set (about 45 min).  Let cool in pan on a rack and cut into squares.

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	260.7
Fat (g)	12
Protein (g)	2.2
Carbohydrate (g)	37.5
Sugar (g)	25.8
Fibre (g)	1.3

Quinoa Pilaf

Quinoa (keen-wah) is a super grain which has the highest source of protein in the vegetable kingdom.  It is gluten-free and has a low glycemic index, and provides all the essential amino acids.  It has become more readily available in the local grocery store, where you can buy it in the bulk section.  I have recently found that major box stores are also starting to sell this healthy product.

I treat quinoa like rice, as it has the same 1:2 ratios.  So, 1 cup of quinoa in 2 cups of water or broth.  Once the water is absorbed, quinoa fluffs up into these gorgeous little balls of nutrients.  Soft on the outside, and a slight, nutty crunch when you bite into it.  You can add any vegetable or herb to it, along with meat if you like.  I have even cooked it in lemon juice and water in the mornings, adding cinnamon and apples for a delicious, healthy breakfast.  This pilaf is an excellent side dish to take to a potluck or BBQ, and the flavors blend overnight to create a delicious and healthy lunch.

Quinoa Pilaf

Serves 6

1 c quinoa
2 c water (or chicken or vegetable stock)
1 lemon, cut up
1 cucumber
1/2 pint cherry or grape tomatoes
1 cup parsley, chopped
1 red (or orange or yellow) pepper, chopped into bite-sized pieces
10 black kalamata olives, pitted
1/3 c feta cheese

In saucepan, add quinoa to water or stock and add the cut up lemon.  Bring to a boil, reduce heat and simmer covered 15-20 min, until the liquid is absorbed.  Stir or fluff with a fork and remove the lemon slices.

Meanwhile, cut up cucumber, tomatoes, parsley, red pepper and black olives into bite sized pieces.  Stir into the cooked quinoa.  Sprinkle with feta cheese and parsley. 

Nutrients per Serving (per one serving of recipe)

Calories (kcal)	204.2
Fat (g)	5.8
Protein (g)	8.6
Carbohydrate (g)	32.5
Sugar (g)	4.4
Fibre (g)	5.4