mexican week - version 2

last days in pvr

we recently returned from a fabulous 2 weeks in puerto vallarta - so this week was mexican-inspired. with snow falling outside, couldn't seem farther away...
breakfast
yoghurt
fruit
banana muffins

snacks
rice cake nachos - just rice cakes topped with salsa, and a bit of cheese
pico de gallo
black bean dip

meals
- red peppers stuffed with chili and rice - pre cooked the peppers at 350 for 15 min to soften them up then stuffed with chili and rice and topped with a bit of cheese
- fish and salad - simple - pan fried haddock in garlic and chicken broth
- arepas with shrimp and beans - used masa harina to make the arepas
- rice and bean casserole - there was enough of the leftover shrimp and bean mix to make into a casserole with 2 cups of cooked rice
- mexican rice with fish (subbed fish for shrimp/chorizo)


i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

arepas with shrimp and beans

i made arepas with masa harina and pressed them until they were like a pancake's thickness.

then for the topping
1 can white kidney beans drained, rinsed and pureed
1 c salad shrimp (just a bit over - 280g - 9oz
1 can tomato sauce
1 tbsp each of minced garlic, cumin and mexican chili spice
2tbsp taco seasoning mix
.5c water
.5c cilantro loose leaf


- just put all of the ingredients in the wok and blended and heated over medium heat until ready.

this was tasty and easy. we liked it enough to use the leftovers in a quick casserole ( basically just added rice and a bit of cheese, and a few quesadillas for the boys.

banana muffins - gluten free

should have taken another picture - lol

gluten free and more on the muffin side...
1c fat free sour cream
3 mashed bananas
2 eggs
3/4c demerara sugar
dash of cinnamon
2 tbsp unsweetened cocoa
1.5tsp baking soda
1/4c butter melted
4c flour (sorghum/rice flour mix


bake at 325 - 20 to 30min depending on your oven

these are decent but not overly sweet - another 1/4c sugar and banana would have made these much sweeter, but i like them a little less sweet especially since i have an almost 4yr old and 17mth old munching on these as well

black bean dip

ok
so i am trying to be better with my snacking
ban the doritos
make some lighter, healthier and more nutrition-rich dips
i've been feeling sluggish, and still have the demands of nursing a toddler wearing on my poor ol' body

so in an effort to clean it up...black bean dip (snacking on it with cucumber slices and rice cakes right now

1 can drained/rinsed black beans (mine said 19oz - 598ml
1/2c salsa (only had mild on hand so had to add some spice
1/2c fat free sour cream
2 tbsp lime juice
1 tbsp cumin
1 - 1.5 tsp mexican chili powder
1 tsp garlic powder
1 cup loose cilantro
1 spring onion chopped
- took the hand blender and blended it down

yum - yes, very descriptive. i love love love cilantro, so i love having it fill up the flavour of this. could use a bit less
love black beans too - so versatile (have "hid" them in brownies and other treats to make them more nutritious

tasty enough to be ok with my ban on doritos and ketchup chips...but addictive in its own way too.

today on the deck

was supposed to be hard at work online today for my travel writing job

but then...i got distracted...mid february and snow melting
the incessant dripping sounds of snow melting
the beaming sun firmly reminding me of this one day only this month sensation
so
i surrendered
blended up some frozen strawberries, bananas, agave nectar, lime juice, water...and cheap mexican rum (whose only place is in a girly drink)
and this was the state of my work affairs...

...and just taking in the view of the snow-covered river and hills from my little part of the world...

gluten free muffin base

so i think i have my muffin mix down pat at this point. you can change up the ingredients but i've had a half dozen perfect batches in a row so seems like that makes for a solid recipe

remember, i am no baker, i never professed to be, so what may be simple to other cooks is a triumph for me.

my gluten free muffin base

3.5c of flour - i use equal amounts of sorghum and rice flour
1.5tsp baking powder
1tsp baking soda
1tsp vanilla extract
dash of cinnamon
1/3c butter or margarine (both work - have tried) melted
1 egg
2/3c demerara sugar - more if no other sweet ingredients (i use bananas and berries a lot so 2/3 has become the standard)
3tbsp coconut milk, a bit more if not using fruit

i use a mixer for all - i don't have a specific order all the time but i do usually do wet ingredients, then sugar, then add the rest.

325 oven for about 20min

makes 12-15 muffins when adding other ingredients like apples (or applesauce but then cut out coconut milk), strawberries, raspberries, blueberries, or my fave 2.5-3 really ripe bananas all mashed up.

if you can tolerate oats, i found i can also sub out .5c flour for oats instead.

mmm - made some muffins tonight with 2.5 ripe mashed bananas and 1/4 c blueberries that i mashed up too

chinatown finds - treats and treat wannabe-s

it's always a bit of a culinary adventure, just a few steps out my front door...
living in chinatown, with little italy just a few city blocks away, i am spoiled for choice.
...but living as gluten-free as possible the gift is chinatown
each discovery is like a little gift of heartburn free, bloat free, tastes.

i go to little italy for proscuitto and olives
divine coffee
decadent gelato
and to stare into the semolina-laced temptations - pasta...abundant
the wheat-dreamy breads
the pizza - luring as the aromas are set loose as the pie is scooped out of a dry, hot pizza oven
sigh

but then there is chinatown
with the foreign script
and the rice dreams
and i can shop and venture out of my comfort zone
and test myself and learn and create every week

and in terms of a few treats...
recent discoveries...

cookies from the top of the post

another tour of asia week (well... mostly)

gluten free banana bread muffins

i love travelling through asia. there are many places i love. rich experiences. but if i had to choose my top 3 places in asia...well, that's easy for me...

1. chiang mai - northern thailand - i studied here, i travelled here, i learned enough basics to buy things and count and order off a menu and say please and thank you.  kop kuhn ka, chiang mai - far in distance, but near in thoughts.
2. hong kong - love hong kong. love the dirt and the smells and the chaos and the tai chi and the ferry rides and kowloon and lantau island and the gold coast. so much love can only be expressed in a run-on sentence, and there is so much substance to the place...more than i can write in that same long sentence.
3. yangshuo, china. so relaxed, such an expected rest stop in a country that is challenging to travel - from west peace (xi'an) to a 30hr train ride to yangshuo, surrounded by karst hills - my peace.

and now food, photos and recipes...

featured snack - banana bread muffins - gluten free (but could be made with regular flour
1.5c demerara sugar (or brown sugar
6tbsp butter
--- cream these
1 egg
3 mashed bananas
dash of cinnamon
1c sour cream (i used fat free
1 tsp vanilla extract
dash of salt
1.5tsp baking soda
1c rice flour
1.25c sorghum flour
3/4c oats (optional
---all of these mixed until fairly smooth
---300 oven for about 45min
makes about 18 muffins
(i added a few dark chocolate chips on top of each to make it look more treat like for the boys
---seriously yum and lots of great flavour and texture especially considering it is gluten free.


breakfast
omelette- cheese
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
cantaloupe
blackberries
blueberries
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads

suppers

coconut/tomato curry chicken with rice - i did this in the slow cooker this time, and didn't change a thing and it turned out great.

• chicken nuggets with peanut sauce in lettuce (for the boys
• non asian - butternut squash soup and gluten free bread from the market
 



some asian herbs - grass like blade on right is culantro



• squid, green peppers, and baby bok choy with rice noodles in black bean sauce
  1/4c water / black bean sauce / squeeze of hoisin sauce / 2 tbsp rice vinegar / 2/3 lb squid / 3c baby bok choy / 1 green pepper chopped / 2 spring onions chopped / 1tsp minced garlic / 2 tbsp turbinado sugar / 1c bean sprouts / 3tbsp chopped culantro (vietnamese looks like a thick blade of grass - can use a bit more cilantro instead
  - quickly whip up in the wok or a pan
  - quick, easy and tasty - reheats pretty well for squid
• chili and rice

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

2010/2011 week

i did take christmas week off from meal planning - well sort of.
it was a short week at home
a long drive to my parents
and quick visits - too quick
so little time for some of the most important people in my life...sigh

also, the week got a bit complicated
the tummy bug turned the home part into an all soup kind of week
little down, much up
good times

so this past week was clearly an improvement. used up the last of the freezer stash from 2010, and threw together a few recipes to round out the week.

happy new year! a photo reflection of 1/1/11 to come.

now onto pics and recipes...

new year's eve snacks
champagne and snacks including potatoes done 2 ways

breakfast
cereal with soy/rice milk
yoghurt and fruit
eggs with pesto, salsa and cheese

snacks/lunch
cherries
canteloupe
rice cakes with hummus
apples
bananas
pears
gluten free crackers with hummus
veggies and dip
sour cream and onion chips
frozen yoghurt with kit kat pieces

suppers
- chili over rice - mashed down a bit for the boys - i think we are finally done with the freezer stash on this one
- leftover tomato coconut curry
- fish in phyllo with pico de gallo topping (i went without the phyllo for me gluten free - made a rub out of mexican chili spice, garlic powder, cumin and turmeric)
- potatoes in spaghetti sauce
- pizza quesadillas - i had spaghetti sauce and rice pasta
- butternut squash soup with gluten free biscuits

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

potatoes done 2 ways

i had a few potatoes and a hankering for some snack-y food for the midnight hour. this is how 2 recipes were born...

4 mid sized white potatoes (baked, cut in half and scooped out)
1 tbsp chopped jalapenos (i like spicy - could omit)
1/4 c sour cream
1tsp taco mix
a few tbsp of shredded nacho mix cheese

- i sprayed the potato skins with a bit of oil and baked them again for about 15min in a 350 toaster oven
- mashed the potatoes with the sour cream and taco mix - actually ended up using a mixer

- used about 2/3 of the mix for recipe one
- added cheese and jalapenos to bottom of potato shells, then mashed mix, then cheese and jalapeno on top
- 350 again for about 15min
...these were tasty and easy to eat

for the second recipe no jalapenos and 1 tbsp of parmesan cheese instead of shredded
- i used the rest of the mix, blended with parmesan and fried them like little pancakes

- yum!

...and the midnight snacks...

lemon chicken

i have a recipe for katie couric's lemon chicken cut out of an old issue of good housekeeping.
on it's own, it's an okay recipe but i find it a bit bland. i use it as a base, but change the recipe a lot. i forgot too that it calls for wayyyyy too much liquid so less is more - or do like i did and wait for it to reduce.
the results are good though

the recipe as i alter it...
2lbs of chicken breast cut into strips about 1 inch thick
3tbsp butter and about the same of olive oil
1/4c potato starch (or other heavier gluten free flour
3c chicken broth (should cut this down in half next time
1/2c lemon juice
4tbsp corn starch
3tbsp turbinado (sugar)
1tbsp garlic powder
sriracha sauce to taste

dredge chicken in flour and in wok with the butter and olive oil until cooked (i do it in two batches)
remove chicken
add all the other ingredients in wok, including leftover flour from dredging and whisk that and the cornstarch
put chicken back in with all of the liquid and simmer on low until sauce reduces and thickens

serve over rice.

this is pretty good and a bit more of an asian twist. it's not sugary sweet like takeout, more mellow, but in the past i have made it more takeout-ish by jacking up the sugar, more cornstarch and adding soy sauce and a bit of rice vinegar. decent. not stellar but good, especially over a fragrant rice like jasmine.

for the boys - latest rice hit combo

not the most clearly written title for a simple rice recipe. but sometimes simple recipes are best!

and the photo was a bit sad so thought it could do with being dressed up...

this was a huge success with the 3.5yr old and the 1yr old.
i know i have written in the past of hiding veggies in food and rice is proving to be an easy way to do it.

so for the recipe
i prepped 1c worth of jasmine rice in beef broth
with 1 jar of pureed carrots/peas as in the pic
1/2 tsp minced garlic

and the boys both had a huge bowlful - the 3.5yr old's constant comment - "delicious' between shovelling in mouthfuls of rice.

the thing is, this is the only way we use jarred baby food - the 1yr old has always eaten some form of the food we do, so i buy jars solely for the purpose of adding veggies to recipes for the boys.
easy easy easy
loving simplicity

cold weather food week

was a bit of a busy week - am just home from a weekend of doing a fantastic course so am posting like mad to get my weekly menu up. this one was kind of a take on comfort food - a few items with a twist - an asian style fish stew and a shepherd's pie done a bit differently.

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast

omelette- pesto cheese
hard boiled eggs and toast
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
breakfast muffins/cakes

snacks/lunch

breakfast muffins/cakes

watermelon
rice cakes
apples
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads

suppers

thai/vietnamese - inspired fish stew
almost shepherd's pie with salad
bbq chicken and sweet potatoes
chili over rice
from the freezer - spaghetti sauce and rice pasta
takeout pizza - donair, bacon and tomato for the guys, salad and leftovers for me
leftovers and salad

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

breakfast muffins/cakes

i am not a huge fan of using tapioca flour as my main gluten free flour but that's what i had and bad me i didn't put it after beer on my grocery list...so a nice, tasty, fat-filled frosting made up for that (just a little goes a long way)

3 bananas mashed, 1 egg, 1c tapioca flour, 1/2c bobs gluten free mix, 1 tsp baking powder, 1/4c water, 1/2tsp cinnamon, 1c turbinado sugar, 1tbsp butter - all mixed in a bowl and a 350 oven about 20min.

similar ingredients to above just used a chopped apple instead, added 4tbsp of my homemade caramel sauce and a bit more water.

homemade icing to cut the taste of tapioca flour (it's really starchy but the only gluten free flour i had other than a tiny bit of bob's mix) so - 1/4c shortening, 2tbsp homemade caramel sauce, 1.5c icing sugar, 1tsp vanilla, 3tbsp table cream all whipped up...yum!

almost shepherd's pie...

...i say almost because i didn't have all of the traditional ingredients on hand, so i made do. here we go...

ingredients
3 sweet potatoes mashed
1 can french yellow string beans
1 can condensed cream of mushroom soup
1 tbsp minced garlic (because i like garlic
1 onion coarsely chopped
1.25lb lean ground beef

- i browned the beef, added the onions in when the beef was browned until they softened, then drained the fat
- i mashed the sweet potatoes with 1/4 of the mushroom soup and 1/3 of the tbsp of minced garlic
- i mixed all of the other ingredients together

--- then in a greased casserole dish i pushed a thin layer of the sweet potato mix on the bottom, then all of the other ingredients mix, then topped with the rest of the sweet potato mix
350 oven for about 30 min

--- that easy. my 3yr old liked the meat/veg mix, the 1yr old liked the whole thing. this was made really as low in fat as possible but it tasted really hearty - i am making this creation again - definitely a cooler weather dish

thai/vietnamese inspired fish stew

oh i just wanted some soup today. i paid for having a bit of delicious pizza from our fave pizza place and was crampy and had hearburn for hours after (i know this when i indulge but it is really that good). so soup seemed like a perfect cure...and it was.

i think i have mentioned i live in chinatown and often end up trying lots of new ingredients. so i knew i had fish in the freezer and coconut milk in the cupboards and some vietnamese pho bouillon cubes kicking around - good start...here's what i decided to use (and had on hand)...

400g (just under a lb, a lb is 454g) mahi mahi from frozen
3 vietnamese pho bouillon cubes
1 can coconut milk
dash all spice
1tsp frozen chopped lemongrass
1c frozen corn kernels
1/2c chopped green onion
1/2c chopped cilantro
6-7c water
1/8 package thai rice vermicelli noodles

optional to add to individual bowls - chili garlic

bouillon cubes and water first and stir once in a while until dissolved
add everything except the noodles and cilantro
simmer until mahi mahi is cooked and break apart into small pieces in the pot
add noodles - simmer 5 minutes
add cilantro - simmer 2 more minutes
then serve

this is where i add the chili garlic sauce (it's super spicy but i love spicy asian soups) - i tried it without and was great less spicy.

hilarious - my 3.5yr old was given a piece of leftover takeout pizza and asked to have the soup instead. soup trumps pizza...pretty amazing.

a few family faves and kid-friendly recipes week

the past week just flew by
i've taken on the task of finally editing some of my family photos - from january onwards (yes, i did fall desperately behind on this one), so given the nostalgia of looking at photos from the newborn stage, i relied on some family favourites and wanted to post some of my go-to recipes/simple modifications for the boys
now...
my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- pesto cheese
hard boiled eggs and toast
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad

kid-friendly recipes - breakfast and snack ideas
snacks/lunch
a lot of cantaloupe and watermelon
apples
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads
sorbet

kid - friendly meals

suppers
easy oven chicken and sweet potatoes
pad thai noodles
bbq chicken and sweet potatoes
from the freezer - slow cooker tostada lasagna 
from the freezer - chili over rice
from the freezer - spaghetti sauce and rice pasta

i'm in the unusual position of needing to use up some of the extra meals i have in the freezer - a freezer full of meals - never thought THAT would be an issue!
i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.

a lot of beef week

the nachos with leftover brisket, pico de gallo and leftover chili listed below

it ended up being a beefy week - wasn't feeling super creative so i used up what i had. and i had a roast and lots of ground beef - so all but one supper had beef - that is a first. am definitely going with chicken and fish next week ;)

my list of dishes with recipes and pics in the links...

breakfast
omelette- pesto and cheese
yoghurt and fruit
fruit salad
rotate

snacks/lunch
cantaloupe
pears
bananas
coconut rice crackers
veggies and dip
leftovers - lots and lots of leftovers
salads
apple slices with caramel sauce
maltesers ice cream
kale chips
sushi lunch for my birthday

suppers

• burgers and salad
•  slow cooker chili
• baked brie with apple slices and salad
• slow cooked texas style brisket - i pretty much stuck to the recipe and made

1. brisket tacos with pico de gallo,
2. then had brisket in a salad,
3. and finally nachos with leftover chili, brisket and pico de gallo

i share my weekly meal plans at orgjunkie.com - you can find hundreds of meal plans on menu planning mondays there...helped me get back into meal planning.