Chickpea Wraps

Chickpeas are for hummus...right? I think I tried making it once, until I discovered the hummus from Costco. A double pack even made the trip to Fort McMurray with me...none the worse for wear I might add.

What else would you use chickpeas for? A salad...maybe. Sandwiches...if it was hummus...

In line with the "try to be healthier through the holidays" I thought I would try chickpea wraps.

OK, backup.

A birthday celebration and a need to make vegetarian sandwiches. I know egg, asparagus and cream cheese, and cheese and cherry fit the bill, but they are not exactly low calorie.

So I thought chickpeas. They were delicious. And healthy. And would make a great addition to a holiday party buffet!



Chickpea Wraps

Small tortilla wraps (your choice of flavour)
1 can chickpeas, drained
2 stalks celery, diced
1 small shallot, minced (about 1 Tbsp)
1/2 cup chopped fresh spinach
1 Tbsp lemon juice
1 1/2 tsp dill
salt and pepper to taste


With a pastry blender or potato masher, roughly break up the chickpeas. Add the remaining ingredients and blend well.





Roll up in the small tortillas (about 6 depending on how much filling you use), and slice in half to serve.
(Shelley)

Christmas Season Right Around the Corner

My little Christmas tree is up...a test really to see how it fares with the newest kitty... and we're taking a break from out travels and focusing on a healthier side of the holiday festivities.

Christmas is the one time of year, in our families we all tend to over-indulge. We try not to, but how do you pass up that second piece of mincemeat pie when this in the only time of year that we make it.

Ross suggested that we investigate healthy alternatives that have the flavour and ingredients that are associated with Christmas.

This does not mean that I'm having tofu instead of turkey  for Christmas dinner, but we're trying to find some ideas for serving healthier options at parties or pot lucks. And not feel like you are missing out!

Stay tuned to see what we can come up with. I'm starting today with a veggie wrap...

Chile Inspired Chicken Breast

OK. It's taken me awhile...sorry guys.

Chile is proving to be harder than expected. Does this mean if I have an opportunity to visit this country in person I will starve? Hmmm...probably not.

I've spent some time looking through the menus of the 1500 plus restaurants that I could find online.

I narrowed the search down to a few that said "authentic" Chilean or Peruvian food. And then I found one that looked interesting.

Alaska salmon (in the South Pacific?) served with finely sliced cucumber, and Parmesan cheese. This dish was served with rice cooked in white wine. Yeah...now we are getting somewhere.

The one piece of salmon I had frozen, smelled like the Harbour when thawed, so on to Plan B.

Parmesan Crusted Chicken Breast

Per chicken breast you will need:

1 Tbsp plain Greek yogurt
2 Tbsp finely shredded Parmesan cheese

Add a little olive oil to a frying pan, or use cooking spray. Heat to medium high.








Mix together the cheese and the yogurt, coat one side of the chicken breast.












Pan fry until well browned, just a few minutes. Turn down the heat, and flip the chicken.

Cook about five minutes more to cook all the way through.

The cooking time will vary depending on how thick the chicken breast is.






I usually flatten mine out to reduce the time in the pan. Use a meat thermometer to ensure the chicken is done.












Basmati Rice with Wine and Turmeric

Basmati rice
White wine (I used Chilean since this was the theme)
Water
Turmeric
salt to taste

The ratio is equal parts rice, wine, and water. (1 cup rice, 1 cup wine, 1 cup water).
Boil together the liquids and add the rice and seasonings.

Turn down the heat and simmer until almost all the water is gone.

Turn off heat and let rice sit for about 10 minutes.
(Shelley)

And then there's the Vodka...

I know I'm supposed to be traipsing around Chile, but I would be remiss leaving Russia and not talking about the vodka.

Vodka has always been a favourite of mine when mixing drinks. White Russian, Black Russian, Bloody Caesar, a Screwdriver...in a pinch, have all been consumed in and around the house.

For the past month, I have been sampling different vodka brands, and wonder how anyone could ever drink it straight.

I did have some lime flavoured vodka leftover from the summer, that I had been mixing with club soda. That I could possible drink with just ice if there was nothing else available.



Sorry all you folks that can drink it on ice...and like it! But to me it tasked like something that should be in a sterile unit of a hospital.



But on to mixes! I found a new favourite drink while perusing the pages and pages of ways to mix up your vodka.



It's more of a summer drink, but if you like iced tea...and not the stuff from a can...but the real stuff they serve in restaurants and on front verandas in the deep south...sweetened or unsweetened, you're going to love this!




Shanghai Green Tea

Make a pot of green tea, let steep for a few minutes then remove the bags. Let cool, and then chill.

1 1/2 oz vodka
1 oz fresh lemon juice
1 tsp - 1 Tbsp sugar
1 sprig mint
cold green tea

Fill a tall glass with ice. Gently damage the mint leaves on the stem to allow the mint flavour to permeate the drink.

Add the vodka, lemon juice and the sugar. Stir to dissolve the sugar.

Top with the cold tea.

Garnish with the mint sprig and a lemon wedge.


I think I'm going to have a hard time with Chile. A few of the countries past, I've been able to visit local restaurants and view the menus online.

I'm trying this tactic with Santiago, and the menus are detailed, but for the most part they don't list ingredients...just the name of the dish...

I do know the wine is good....so if all else fails, I may be drinking my way through Chile.

Bienvenida a Chile

I made virtual reservations from Moscow where I was making my virtual Chicken Kiev to Santiago, Chile, where we will start the research for this Spanish country.

Thirty hours of travelling makes me weary just thinking about it.

I might need to virtually stop off at home for a much needed rest!

The Republic of Chile is located between in the Pacific Ocean and the Andes Mountains in South America.

Spain conquered this country from the Incas in the 16th Century, and became independent in 1818.

The cuisine is influenced mostly by what is available; seafood, beef, fruits and vegetables.


Having been conquered by Spain, recipes tend to have a Spanish flair, however other European countries have influenced the cuisine as well. (Germany, Italy, and France)

Chile is one of the world's largest producers of wine, and many of the local recipes include Chilean wine to enhance the flavour.

I can see a taste test in my future!

So let get on with it...Chile!

Chicken Kiev

Rummaging through pages of online Russian cookbooks, one thing is certain, there is a lot of Borscht consumed.

Not really sure I wanted to go that route. I think I would probably like it, but not enough to give it a try.

So on to Chicken Kiev. Both Moscow and the Ukraine claim this dish as their own, so if we do a virtual tour of the Ukraine, I'll have to chose something else, or perhaps change it up a little.

I came across a few recipes for Chicken Kiev, and decided to take ideas from each one of them.

Since the stuffing is a combination of herbs and spices mixed into butter, I didn't want to fry in additional oil.

I used a coating that wouldn't need extra fat, and baked the chicken instead. I must say...it's one of the few recipes that mine looked like the pictures I saw in the cookbooks.

And oh boy, was it ever good!




Chicken Kiev
4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
4 Tbsp butter
1 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp dried dill weed
2 tbsp chopped fresh parsley or
1 tsp dried
24 prepared croutons, crushed fine
2 tbsp Greek Yoghurt







Pound out the chicken breasts as flat as you can get them without putting a hole in them.

Mix the spices and herbs into the butter, and smear a

Tbsp of the butter mixture onto each flattened chicken breast.











Roll up each chicken breast, tucking in the ends and securing with toothpicks.












Coat each rolled breast with the Greek yoghurt, and dip in the crouton crumbs.

Spray a banking pan with a little canola oil, lay the chicken breasts in, and cook at 375F, for 50 minutes...DO NOT PRE-HEAT the oven.

Test for doneness with a meat thermometer.
(Shelley)

O' Give me a Home...Where the Buffalo Roam

I'm just back from Canada's "Great (but not) White North". And not as far north as I could have been.
I spent a week visiting my son and daughter-in-law who work in the oil sands in Northern Alberta.

Where everyone drives a big honkin' pickup truck with a cool whip flag on the back. My son explained these flags are so you don't get squished by a dump truck, dozer or other monster equipment while driving on site.

I only had one opportunity to check out the grocery store, and it was the night I arrived and had other things on my mind besides embarrassing my son and his wife taking pictures of the price of Alberta beef.

I mostly restrained myself and didn't take many food pictures in public places.

My son suggested one night we have barbequed bison sausages.

Not sure what I was expecting, but when I think of sausages, spicy and greasy come to mind.

These were neither. The meat is very lean.

I must say the taste was odd, not unpleasant...just unlike anything I've had before.

I haven't had much "game" meat throughout the years.

I did have reindeer meat recently while travelling in Finland.

I was enjoying it until someone made an unfortunate comment about Dasher...and Dancer...






I was going to bring a couple packages home with me, until I did a little heavy duty shopping at Cabela's (including the six kilos of fudge). I was a little concerned about the weight of my suitcase.
Bison patties can be ordered online from Costco which I may do at some point, and get the sausages the next trip.
(Shelley)

Mushrooms with Sour Cream

This is another Russian recipe I've come across several times.  The version that really caught my attention has the dish baked in the oven with a layer of cheese on top.  What's not to like about that?

Mushrooms with Sour Cream
2 medium Onions (halved then sliced)
2 to 3 tbsp Olive Oil or Canola Oil
2 10 oz packages of Fresh Mushrooms
1 oz package of Dried Mushrooms (optional)
5 or 6 Cloves of Garlic
2 tbsp All Purpose Flour
1 cup of Sour Cream
2 or 3 tbsp Fresh Dill (chopped finely)
1 1/2 cups Grated Mozzarella
1/2 to 3/4 cup Good Flavourful Cheese (I used Manchego, but Cheddar or Asiago would also be good)
1/2 to 3/4 cup Panko Breadcrumbs

• If using dried mushrooms, rehydrate them according to package instructions.  They will have a chewier texture but can add an additional layer of flavour.
• Saute the onions in the oil until slightly softened.
• Add the fresh mushrooms -- if using whole mushrooms, cut them up as desired.  I used presliced button and baby bella types.  Any interesting type of mushroom or combination will work I think.  Just don't use poisonous varieties or magic mushrooms.
•  Let the mushrooms cook for a few minutes until they start to become soft.
• If using dried mushrooms as well, add them to the mix.  I included the liquid in which they were soaked as well.
• If not using the dried mushrooms (or the liquid from them), add about a cup or so of water.
• Crush the garlic and stir it in.
• Let this simmer for about 10 or 15 minutes.
• Gently sprinkle the flour over the mixture and stir it in to thicken.  Let this simmer for a few minutes to give the flour a chance to cook.  Stir often and add additional flour if needed.  The consistency should be that of a thick stew.
• Stir in the sour cream and let simmer for another 10 minutes.
• Add the dill, then pour the mixture into a shallow baking dish or several small baking dishes.
• Combine the two cheeses with the panko and sprinkle a layer over the mushroom mixture.
• Bake at 400 for 20 to 25 minutes.  The top should be golden and almost crusty.

The mushrooms have just been added to the onions.

Ready for the fresh dill

Just out of the oven.

Black Bread for Jeff

My friend Jeff has been talking about the Black Bread he used to get at a German restaurant in Alabama and how good it was, so I'm intrigued and have been researching it.  I've come across several recipes for it including a number for recipes for Russian Black Bread version.  Through experimentation I've learned two things.  Number one, do not use ground coffee to make the bread dark (as some recipes do).  Number two, 'Listen to your mother' -- specifically when she says "I don't think I would put the coffee in that bread".

Russian Black Bread
1 1/3 cups of Lukewarm Water
2 1/4 tsp Yeast
1 tbsp Brown Sugar

2 tbsp Cocoa Powder
1/4 cup Molasses
3 tsp Caraway Seeds
3 tbsp Margarine or Butter
2 tsp Salt

1 1/2 cups Rye Flour
2 to 3 cups Bread Flour

• Dissolve the sugar in the water and then add the yeast.  Set this aside for about 10 to 15 minutes.
• In a small heavy frying pan, melt the butter, molasses and cocoa gently over a very low heat.
• Add the Caraway seed and the salt to the melted mixture.
• Put the rye flour in a large bowl and pour the melted mixture over it, then mix it together.  It will be dry and sticky.
• Pour the yeast mixture into the bowl and stir it in.
• Add about a cup of the bread flour and stir.  It should make the dough become kind of stiff but still sticky.  If the dough isn't very stiff, add more flour -- a half cup at a time -- until the dough is stiff enough to start kneading.
• Spread another cup of bread flour onto a very clean counter top or a large cutting board.  Turn the dough out on top of the flour.
• Knead the flour into the dough until the dough easily forms a heavy ball (see below).
• Form the dough into a ball and place it on a cookie sheet covered in parchment paper.  Cut a cross in the top of the dough.
• Let the dough rise for  about an hour or until it is double in bulk.
• When ready to bake, place it in a cold over and set the temperature to 400F.  
• Optional -- use either an egg wash or a milk wash and sprinkle caraway seeds over the top. 
• After 20 minutes, check on the bread.  It is done if the top is crusty and the bottom sounds hollow when tapped.  If the bread isn't done at this point (it probably won't be), turn down the oven to 350F and check the bread every 5 minutes until it's done.
• Let the loaf cool for at least 15 minutes before slicing it.

 

The dough after kneading is done.

Russian Tea Biscuits

Not what you think...

I made the pies for Thanksgiving dinner...pumpkin...two of them.

But I didn't stop there. Looking for ideas while searching through the pages of Russian cuisine, I found these little cookies everywhere. Obviously very popular, and very traditional.

Much like the shortbread cookies from my mother's side, using icing or powdered sugar,  and so I whipped up a batch.

A few recipes I found, had the cookies rolled out, spread with butter and jam, then rolled up and sliced. I will definitely try those sometime, but with the pies a simpler version seemed much more sensible.



Russian Tea Biscuits

1 cup butter at room temperature
1/2 cup icing sugar
1 tsp vanilla
2 1/4 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup finely chopped nuts (I used walnuts)
1/4 tsp salt
icing sugar

Pre-heat over to 400F.










Mix the butter, 1/2 cup icing sugar, salt, and the vanilla in a large bowl.



Stir in the flour until the dough forms a ball. Knead in the nuts.








Shape into 1 inch balls and place on an ungreased cookie sheet about an inch apart.



Bake 12 to 15 minutes, just until the cookies are starting to brown very lightly.







Remove, roll in icing sugar and cool on a wire rack.

When cool, and just before serving, roll once again in the icing sugar.

I tried using a hand mixer to mix the dough...unfortunately (or fortunately) my mixer is about 150hp...and low sent butter and icing sugar everywhere. I'm still cleaning up that mess. Next time maybe the Kitchen Aid...deeper bowl.
(Shelley)

Cucumber and Radish Salad

One of the things I've been enjoying about my 'travels' with Shelley is surfing for new recipes.  When I come across an interesting recipe, I like to see how many versions of it are out there -- often times, it's quite a few.  If it's something I want to make, I typically use a hybrid of the recipes I find and by reading through the ingredients, I try to imagine how it will taste.  Other considerations include 'what ingredients are readily available' and 'how much time and effort do I want to take'.

This recipe appealed to me at once even though I'm not a fan of dill; it's very flexible and I think could be used for a wide variety of salads.  To keep the fat low, I used fat free sour cream, but I made sure to buy one that was made from only milk and had no other additives.  This dish works best if the dressing is made ahead of time and refrigerated (over-night if possible), with the cukes and radish added just before serving.

Cucumber and Radish Salad

1/2 cup Good Fat Free Sour Cream
2 tbsp Fresh Dill - chopped
3 Green Onions or 1/2 a Small Red Onion
Sea Salt
Fresh Cracked Black Pepper

1 good sized English Cucumber
6 to 8 Radishes

• Combine the sour cream and dill.
• Chop the onion finely and add to the mix.
• Season with salt and pepper then refrigerate
• Slice the cucumber and radish then toss them together in a largish bowl.
• Add the chilled dressing and stir to coat evenly.
• Serve right away.

Russia

Now that I have located Ross in the “lost baggage” after his little sabbatical, we’re ready to hit the trail again. Virtual bags are packed, virtual boarding cards in hand, and first class seats for the overnight flight into the world’s largest country.

Russia and vodka….I have to admit that is foremost in my mind since I know absolutely nothing (nichego) about their food. So you just know we are going to give that the old taste test. Ross has already been rummaging through his pantry looking for that bottle of vodka he knows is in there. I keep mine in plain sight. If I was to store mine in the pantry it would be lost and gone forever.

It seems from what I’ve been reading, Russian cuisine has evolved from what was once considered peasant food. Hearty foods such as potatoes, beets, and grains, just to name a few, and fish and meats were plentiful and still are, in the harsher northern climate. 

And caviar…hard to believe that caviar is a staple! But that will be on my menu in the upcoming days.

So here we go (hate red eye flights) heading deep into the net to discover Russian food.

Blueberry Pancakes

I was being so good all week...and then Friday. It all started from watching too much TV.

I finished up work early, and was watching Fridays episode of The Chew"...they were making pancakes.

I'm not a huge fan of pancakes like Ross, but like them every once and awhile.

Well Friday was it...subliminal messages through the TV..."make pancakes...make pancakes...eat them all". And so I did.

Truth be told...I was craving carbs more than anything.

Blueberry Pancakes

1 cup flour
1/4 cup sugar
1 tsp cream of tarter
1/2 tsp baking soda
pinch salt
2 eggs, beaten
milk - enough to make the consistency of heavy cream
frozen blueberries (about a cup)

Whisk the dry ingredients together in a bowl with a spout.

Add the eggs and about a 1/4 cup of milk (I used skim).

Add more milk to get the right consistency.

Unfortunately I didn't measure. Partly because I never do...and partly because of the tequila.

Do not over mix.




Heat an electric frying pan to 400, and then reduce heat to 325.

If using the stove, heat to medium high.

Spray pan with a little cooking oil, and pour in batter.

Sprinkle blueberries over the top of the pancake.

My frying pan will make four pancakes at a time reasonably sized...I didn't make all of them reasonably sized.








Cook until most of the bubbles have popped, and then flip to the other side.

Pancake is done when it springs back when poked with your finger.











Serve with your choice of toppings. I smothered mine with golden corn syrup. I would have been better off had I left off the syrup, and smothered in strawberries.
(Shelley)

What kind of Squash is it? Really...?

Autumn is my favourite time of the year.

If it would only stay like this until next spring I would be one very happy lady. But unfortunately what comes after autumn can be a nasty few months. Fingers crossed that Mother Nature will be kind to us this year.

I decided while waiting for Ross to re-join the "Blogging", I'd try a few things I've never had before.

I started with squash.

Well yes, I've had squash...but mashed up with turkey dinner and covered in gravy.

And always the same kind...Acorn.


I picked up a nice round yellowish one, not knowing what kind it was.

When I checked my receipt when I got home it said "Butternut".

Pretty sure it wasn't a butternut...but I felt better since the cashier obviously didn't know either!







Decided to cut it in half and roast, and then decide from there how to eat it.

After it was roasted, I was pretty sure I had what they call a Spaghetti squash.

It came out of it's skin in long strings just like spaghetti.









I was making pan fried haddock for supper, so I added some of the roasted squash to the frying pan with a little butter while I was cooking the fish.

Added a little salt over the top, and let it brown.





Now I have to decide how to serve the remainder....any suggestions?
(Shelley)

Apples!

Like fiddleheads in the spring, it's Gravenstein apples in the late summer and early fall.

My favourite kind of apple. Crisp and tart, and only available for a very short time.

I was an unkind cousin and sent Ross a picture. These are his favourite apple too, and I felt guilt wash over me as I hit the send button.

The best way to get these delicious apples is to pick them yourself. I find the ones in the supermarket can sometimes taste like they were picked last week. Well they probably were.

I usually try to get them at a local market, or sometimes make a trip to the Valley especially to buy them.



I'm on my second round now, about a dozen each time, sometimes eating two a day.

Once these apples are finished I lose interest in this fruit pretty quick.

When I do buy apples through the winter it's usually the Granny Smith.

I get the crispy tartness, but not the flavour of the Gravenstein.
(Shelley)

The Toasted Tomato Sandwich

Well the harvest was not too bad on the mini tomato bush.

But alas...it is coming to an end.






Next year, I'll plant more, and will get them going sooner since there will be no roofers to worry about.





I love the little cherry tomatoes. They are great in salads, or just to eat a few right out of the dish.

A little fussy to make a toasted sandwich, but good all the same. Even better with home made French bread!

I have a fresh basil plant, and tore up a couple leaves and sprinkled them over the tomatoes. Not sure why I hadn't thought of this before.

Not only did it taste great...the warm toast brought out the basil aroma. That's all you could smell for the rest of the morning.

Better than an air freshener!
(Shelley)