Life Changing Loaf of Bread

I really like this bread. I especially like it toasted for breakfast topped it with an egg, whether it's boiled, scrambled or poached. Or with some sliced avocado, sprinkled with salt. But I have to say my favourite is just a shmear of butter and a drizzle of honey, then dipping it my latte. I know weird. But I'm a dipper.

Everything about this recipe screams healthy! Just look at the list of some of the ingredients and a few of their benefits.
Sunflower seeds. Great source of vitamin E, B complex vitamins, folic acid and many essential minerals.
Flax seeds. Great source of fibre.
Hazelnuts and almonds. Rich in dietary fiber, folate, vitamin E and a complete source of energy.
Chia seeds. Rich in fiber, omega fatty acids, calcium and protein.
Psyllium husks. A great source of dietary fibre.

I found this recipe on Pinterest over a year ago and I have been making it ever since. It's from a website called My New Roots by Sarah Britton. She calls it life changing for a few reasons:
1- Easy clean up. She mixes everything in the loaf pan. (I use a bowl to mix the ingredients. I don't mind washing one bowl)
2- No kneading. Just dump everything, stir, wait a couple of hours and bake.
3- You can substitute ingredients with what you have or like.
4- No rising agent.
5- And this really IS a healthy bread!

When I make a loaf of this bread, I slice the whole thing and freeze half of it. Slicing it before freezing it just makes it easier to remove from the freezer one slice at a time if you want.

The recipe calls for a flexible silicon loaf pan but I have read that others used a regular loaf pan, and it turned out fine. But if you want one,(they're pretty cool) I found mine at Fortino's, my local grocery store.

Life Changing Loaf of Bread

1 cup sunflower seeds
1/2 cup flax seeds (I used ground)
1/2 cup hazelnuts or almonds
1 1/2 cups rolled oats
2 tablespoons chia seeds
3 tablespoons psyllium husk powder
1 teaspoon fine sea salt
1 tablespoon maple syrup
3 tablespoons melted coconut oil
1 1/2 cups water

Combine all dry ingredients in a bowl and mix well. Whisk maple syrup, oil and water together and add to dry ingredients. Mix very well until everything is soaked and becomes thick. Put it into a flexible silicon loaf pan and smooth out the top with the back of a spoon. Let it sit out on the counter for at least 2 hours, or all day or overnight. You know the dough is ready to bake if you pull it away from the sides of the pan and it retains its shape
Preheat the oven to 350F. Put the pan in the middle of the oven for 20 minutes. Remove the bread from the pan and place directly on the rack for another 30-40 minutes. The bread is done when you tap it and it sounds hollow.
Store bread in a sealed container for up to 5 days. Freezes well but slice before freezing.

m xo

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

I didn't grow up with brussels sprouts but now I love them raw in salads and making different variations of them. I alter them a bit each time by adding a different vegetable and/or changing the cheese and oil. I like the vegetables sliced really thin and have tried to do this with a knife but I can never slice them thin enough. So I use a mandolin.  Just be really careful when using one and don't get distracted as I have been known to do and sliced my finger tips many times.

I find the longer this salad sits, the better it is.

Shaved Brussels Sprout Salad

1 lb. brussels sprouts
2-3 celery stalks
1/2 cup marcona almonds, chopped
Shaved parmesan cheese
Juice of 1 lemon
4 tablespoons walnut oil
Salt and pepper, to taste

Remove the outer leaves of the brussels sprouts and slice thinly along with the celery using a mandolin or a knife. Toss with the other ingredients and let sit for at least an hour before serving.

m xo

Chicken Chili

I looked out the window the other night and noticed the sun shining…then I looked at the clock…then I looked out again. It was 7:30 and still daylight! Wow, I can't tell you how happy that made me feel. I finally started to see the light (no pun intended) at the end of the tunnel. It's amazing how a little sunshine can make you feel. This winter in particular. It has been so loooong. I'm sure we are sick of hearing ourselves complain about it. I know I am.

Today was a beautiful sunny day…sunny but cold, so I wanted to make something warming and comforting. Chili hits the spot for me. The heat from the spices and peppers takes the edge off a cold night.

I used leftover roasted chicken from last nights dinner, but if I hadn't had leftovers, I would have baked off some chicken breasts and thighs.

I like using poblano peppers for this recipe when I can find them. Poblanos are a mild chili pepper originating from Puebla, Mexico. They have a nice smokey flavour. They can have a little kick sometimes, which is nice for people that don't like it too spicy. They tend to have a tougher skin than most peppers so thats why I roasted and peeled them.

 I usually do this on the grill outdoors, but again, too cold, so I just placed the whole peppers directly on my gas stove flame. Use tongs to rotate and flip the peppers. You want to keep your eyes on them. When they are completely charred and blistered, place them in a sealed plastic bag or bowl covered with plastic wrap to trap the steam inside. Let them sit for 15 minutes. Then peel and seed the peppers. You can use this method with any pepper.


Chicken Chili

Leftover roasted chicken, chopped
3 tablespoons olive oil
1 large onion, chopped
2-3 cloves garlic, chopped
3 poblano peppers, roasted. peeled and chopped
1 jalapeño pepper, minced
1 teaspoon ground cumin
2 teaspoons chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1 teaspoon salt
19 oz. can white kidney beans, rinsed and drained
3 cups chicken stock or water
1/2 cup chopped cilantro
lime wedges (optional)

Heat olive oil in a large pot over medium-high heat. Add the onion, garlic, poblano peppers, jalapeño, cumin, chili powder, oregano and salt. Sauté until the vegetables are soft and fragrant. Add the chicken, kidney beans and chicken stock or water and turn up the heat a little. Bring to a boil and lower heat. Cover with a lid and simmer for 30 minutes. Stir in the chopped cilantro and serve each bowl with a wedge of lime.

m xo

Not Your Traditional Salsa Verde

I say this not your traditional Italian salsa verde because I didn't use a bit of parsley. Why you ask? Because I didn't have any. But I did have cilantro, mint and a bit of dill. So why not make salsa verde? But if you wanted to make a more traditional version, just use all parsley.

One of my pet peeves is having to buy fresh herbs in the winter time when I need them for a specific recipe. It's not even so much the cost (although, that does piss me off a bit) as it is that I always end up throwing away a lot of it because it doesn't always end up being used. How many recipes can I make with dill in a week? Or basil? Or cilantro? You get the picture.

I have to say this week, it all worked out and I didn't waste anything because I decided to make this salsa verde for the roasted chicken that we had for lunch on Sunday.

Salsa verde is essentially a green sauce that uses parsley as the main ingredient along with capers, garlic, anchovies and mustard. It is traditionally served with bollito mist. (boiled meat). You can use it for steamed or boiled vegetables, potatoes, roasted or grilled meats or boiled eggs. You can even marinate with it. Anything, really.

I used a mortar and pestle to mash the garlic, anchovies and capers and then added the herbs that I chopped by hand. But you can definitely blend everything in a food processor and then stir in the herbs, mustard and olive oil.

Salsa Verde

1-2 cloves of garlic
2 anchiove filets
1 tablespoon capers
1 cup (packed) combination of fresh herbs, i.e., cilantro, mint, dill, parsley
1 tablespoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons red wine vinegar
1/3 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Finely chop the herbs. Using a mortar and pestle or a food processor, mash or blend the garlic, anchovies and capers. Stir in the herbs, mustard, vinegar and olive oil until blended. Season with salt and pepper. Can be made ahead of time. If longer than a could of hours, chill and bring to room temperature before serving.

m xo

Irish Soda Bread

I could tell you that I wanted to make this Irish soda bread for St. Patrick's day and that wouldn't be a total lie. But the real reason I wanted to make this is because I wanted to show off my pretty measuring that I found in NYC this weekend at Anthropologie.
When I saw it, I had to have it. How could I not want to make something that needed a liquid measuring cup?

This is a traditional soda bread that I adapted a little by adding raw sunflower seeds and rosemary. I used dry rosemary because I didn't have fresh on hand but I wouldn't recommend it. The dry had no flavour what-so ever. I would have been better off with maybe anise seeds. They definitely have a lot of flavour. Next time for sure.

If you don't have buttermilk, just make your own as I did by adding a tablespoon of white vinegar to 1 1/2 cups of milk and letting it sit for 30 minutes. Voila! Buttermilk. 

This is a really great recipe to have on hand if you want to serve fresh, warm bread but don't have the time that usual bread recipes require because of the yeast. You will literally have this made in an hour. 

This bread is baked in a cast iron skillet to form a nice, crunchy crust.

Irish Soda Bread

3 cups flour

1 cup cake flour

1 1/2 teaspoons baking soda

1 1/2 teaspoons cream of tartar

1 1/2 teaspoons salt

2 tablespoons sugar

2 tablespoons unsalted butter, softened

1/2 cup raw sunflower seeds

1 tablespoon rosemary, chopped (preferably fresh)

1 1/2 cups buttermilk

Preheat oven to 400F.

Place the flours, baking soda, cream of tartar, salt, sugar, sunflower seeds and rosemary in a large mixing bowl. Add the butter and work it in with a fork until completely incorporated. Make a well in the centre and add the buttermilk and mix until combined with a fork. Place the dough on a floured surface and knead until it comes together. Form into a round disk and place in a cast iron skillet. Score a deep cross on top and place in the oven. Bake for 45 minutes. Let it cool for at least 30 minutes before slicing. Serve warm or at room temperature.

Happy St. Patrick's Day

m xo

Almost Salad Nicoise

I had it in my mind this morning that I wanted to make salad nicoise for lunch today. It must be this cold weather that we are experiencing and seems to be going on forever. I wanted to be transported to the south of France for a brief moment even though I've never been but can just imagine! Anything to get me through this winter.

I say this is an ALMOST salad nicoise because I didn't have the namesake of this dish, the nicoise olives.  I could have easily substituted kalamata olives I'm sure, but to be honest, I forgot. The salad was equally delicious without them. But please include them if you have!

Salad nicoise is essentially a composed salad made with green beans, potatoes, eggs and tuna tossed with a vinaigrette. You can either use canned tuna( I use Italian tuna in olive oil) or fresh grilled tuna which would be amazing!!

I left my  heart of romaine lettuce leaves whole because they looked so pretty, even if it was just me eating. Presentation is everything! Lol. But you can definitely tear them into bite size pieces. I used purple baby potatoes but any baby potato will do.

I think this makes a lovely lunch, especially with girlfriends and a bottle(or 2) of white wine.

Salad Nicoise

Vinaigrette
(this makes plenty of dressing, you will definitely have leftover)

1/4 cup red wine vinegar
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, grated with a microplane or minced
1 teaspoon anchovy paste
1/2 cup olive oil
salt and pepper, to taste

Whisk all ingredients together and set aside until you are ready to assemble the salad.

5-6 baby new potatoes
a handful of green beans, ends trimmed
a handful of cherry tomatoes, halved
1 hard boiled egg, peeled, halved or quartered
80g Italian tuna in olive oil
5-6 leaves of heart of romaine
1 tablespoon capers

Start by steaming or boiling your potatoes until tender. Set aside. Do the same with the green beans. You want the potatoes and the beans to be warm when you toss with the vinaigrette so they will absorb more flavour.
To assemble the salad, place the romaine leaves on a platter first and then arrange the potatoes, green beans, tomatoes, tuna, egg and capers attractively on top. Drizzle with the vinaigrette and serve immediately.

bon appétit
m xo

Surprise! Chicken Skewers

This recipe simply came about because I found these cute little bamboo skewers in my cupboard that I completely forgot about. I tend to buy things based on what I MAY need. It's a running joke with my family. My thinking is, what if I decided to throw a cocktail party at the last minute and didn't have any bamboo skewers? Well that would be terrible! This way, I'm always prepared. The only problem with that is, I usually forget what I bought and if I do remember, I forget where I put it!

These chicken skewers were tasty not only because of the marinade but also because of the gremolata that I threw on after they came off the grill. Gremolata is typically what you would serve with osso bucco and it consists of parsley, lemon zest and garlic. I basically wanted to mimic the flavours of the marinade. It makes any dish taste fresh and vibrant. It's also really good on roasted potatoes.

BTW, I made these on my stove top cast iron grill. There was no way I was going to stand outside in this polar vortex!

A tip if you are using wooden/bamboo skewers. Soak them in water before threading on the chicken. I forgot and they caught on fire…a little bit. No biggie. I had it under control. Ha!

These would also be amazing to pass around as hors d'oeuvres if you only skewered 1-2 pieces of chicken.

Chicken Skewers

6 boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 4 pieces
zest and juice of a lemon
1 clove of garlic, minced or grated with a microplane
1 teaspoon herb de provence
1 tablespoon parsley, chopped
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 teaspoon salt
10-12 skewers, wooden or metal

Combine all ingredients together in a bowl and refrigerate for 30 minutes to an hour.

In the meantime, soak your wooden skewers in water and preheat outdoor bbq or indoor grill.
Thread 3-4 pieces on each skewer. At this point you can refrigerate for a few hours or overnight if you wanted to do ahead of time.


When your grill is hot, cook them for 5-6 minutes on each side or until cooked. Sprinkle with the gremolata and serve.

Gremolata

1/2 cup of parsley
zest of a lemon
1 clove of garlic

Place the parsley on a cutting board and chop. Mince the garlic over it with a microplane grater, add the zest and run your knife over it to combine everything. Set aside.

m xo