My Beef With Chicken

I've got beef with chicken.

Not only do I detest handling raw chicken, I don't enjoy cooking it, cleaning up after I cook it and I actually don't really enjoy eating it all that much.

Chicken is a staple food for us meat eaters and I realize that it is an excellent source of lean protein.  I do eat chicken and I try really hard to enjoy it, but when I cook it on my own I usually stop at two bites. Why you ask? Because I am a crazy person. I am so crazy paranoid of salmonella poisoning that I always overcook my chicken to the point where it is as dry as the Sahara Desert and the only person who will actually eat it is my loving boyfriend.  I'm pretty sure he only eats it out of fear that I will think he hates my cooking and won't cook for him anymore.  But he does eat it, and for that I am thankful.

Seeing as working out and trying to build muscle goes hand and hand with consuming pounds of protein, I have made a real attempt to eat more chicken.  My solution is not to cook it, but rather to purchase pre-made grilled chicken breasts and incorporate them into all my recipes. Salads, fajitas, wraps etc...these pre-made, prepackaged and not at all dry chicken breasts have become a staple in my refrigerator.

I know, all you foodies are gasping at the horror of pre-cooked chicken in air tight packaging that has an expiration date of months from now.  I know how gross that sounds.  But, I have to say that President's Choice brand Blue Menu pre-cooked chicken is actually pretty good.  The only draw back to using this super fast, salmonella free alternative to cooking chicken on your own is that it is a little high in sodium.

So, I am going to try to make amends and put my beef with chicken behind me.  As I finish off at my old job (today!) and have a few days off before I start my new job, I plan to cook a fabulous chicken dinner...with real, fresh chicken.

I will keep you posted...

Sunday Soup: Mmmmushroom

This past week was a busy one.  And...some great news came out of it- I got a new job! It's a great opportunity and I will be working at a digital advertising agency here in Toronto working as an Account Coordinator for a major food company!  It really is the perfect fit.

So, last week was filled with sorting out the details of my new job, quitting my old job and planning the final details of my best friend's stagette which took place this past weekend. It was such a fun weekend and resulted in a major hangover...well worth it though.

When I got home from the stagette weekend yesterday all I wanted to do was curl up into a ball on the couch and go to sleep.  But, I knew that if I didn't go grocery shopping or cook some food I would end up eating out all week.  Since Saturday night I consumed pizza, chocolate, candy, chips, poutine, mac 'n cheese and grilled cheese (no, this is not a joke), I figured I best hit up the grocery store to avoid eating out this week and making unhealthy choices. If I skip the store on Sunday, my whole week is essentially a binge-worthy write off.

It took everything in me to get my act together to cook something last night. But I did it and it turned out delicious.  There is this mushroom soup that I love from a restaurant called Oliver and Bonacini . The soup has no cream and no butter and is absolutely delicious.  On the ride home from Niagara (where the stagette was), my friend told me about a great mushroom soup that she makes.  So, I decided that I would try to make one myself.  It's the first time I have tackled a mushroom soup and I must say, I did a really good job.

I followed no recipe, so please excuse my lack of accuracy when it comes to measuring out the ingredients.  I also didn't take a picture because the soup looks like grey sludge.  But, considering it is Halloween, I probably should have.  It would have been quite appropriate for this holiday.

Mmmmushroom Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 bunch of leeks chopped
• 1 onion chopped
• 1 package of white mushroom chopped
• 2 portobello mushrooms chopped
•  1 package of chef's mix mushrooms (it's a package of a variety of mushrooms, so basically you can use any type you like)
• 3 tbs olive oil
• salt and pepper
• about 6 cups of chicken or vegetable broth (I usually use chicken for all my soup recipes)

Directions:
Saute leeks at the bottom of a large pot until soft.  Add onion and continue to saute until the onions are translucent.  Add mushrooms and continue to saute until all the vegetables are soft.  Add salt and pepper to taste.  Add chicken broth and simmer for about 30 minutes.  Remove from heat and blend in a food processor or use an immersion blender.  Serve hot and enjoy!

Sunday Soup: Red Lentil

I apologize for last week's lack of posting.  Between home renovations, my engagement party and birthday celebrations, I hardly had time to sleep let alone cook! Not that I am complaining- my week was filled with decadent desserts, eating out and more junk food than should be consumed by anyone ever.

That being said, it's time to re-start my attempt at healthy living. Yesterday was the first time in two weeks that I saw the inside of a grocery store and now my fridge is stocked with healthy options (I still have a stockpile of desserts on my kitchen counter. Luckily, I have overdosed on sugar and am completely uninterested in eating the butter tarts, cupcakes and cookies that would normally taunt me).

Last night I dusted off my pots and pans (renovations leave dust EVERYWHERE) and I made a delicious lentil soup.  Earlier last week I went for Middle Eastern food with some friends and had an amazing butter and cream-free lentil soup.  That dinner served as my inspiration for this week's Sunday Soup:

Middle Eastern Inspired Lentil Soup

Ingredients:

• 1 pound of red lentils
• 6-7 cups of chicken stock
• 1 large onion
• 1 tbs minced garlic
• 1 tbs ground cumin
• 1/2-1 tsp cayenne pepper
• 2 tbs olive oil
• 1/2 cup of lemon juice
• 1/2 cup of chopped cilantro
• salt and pepper to taste

Directions:

In a large pot bring lentils and 6 cups of chicken stock to a boil.  Turn down heat, cover and let simmer for about 20 minutes or until lentils are soft.  While the lentils are simmering, saute onions and garlic in a pan with olive oil until the onions are translucent.  Once the lentils are soft, pour in onion mixture, add cumin and cayenne pepper and salt and pepper to taste.  Simmer for another 10 minutes.  Blend well with an immersion blender (the soup is pretty thick, so I added another cup of stock at this point to thin it out a bit).  Add lemon juice and garnish with cilantro. Serve with warm naan bread and enjoy!

Tryptophan Coma

Since Fall is my favourite season, it only seems fitting that the season's only(non-religious) holiday is one of my favourites as well.

As a kid, I never celebrated Thanksgiving.  I grew up in a kosher home so gravy was a foreign concept and using butter and cream in mashed potatoes was against the rules.  One year, in an attempt to satisfy my love of turkey day, my mom made a Thanksgiving-style dinner.  The turkey was good ( a little dry because when you are kosher you can't baste your turkey in butter), we had au jus instead of gravy and the mashed potatoes were made with margarine (I cringe).  My mom certainly didn't serve brussel sprouts with crispy bacon either.  All in all, I would deem my one childhood Thanksgiving dinner a complete failure (sorry mom, I know you tried).

In my adult life, much to my parent's dismay, I have abandoned kosher and taken up the annual ritual of  celebrating Thanksgiving- the proper way. Sometimes, if I am lucky, I get two Thanksgiving dinners but I am certainly happy with one.  This year's did not fall short of fantastic; seasonably warm weather, great friends, good wine (lots of it) and delicious food. By the time the tryptophan took effect I had already rolled my way home (with left over mashed potatoes in hand) and fell into a fast food coma.

Hope you all had a very happy Thanksgiving!

You Don't Make Friends With Salad

I have never understood the salad appeal.  It seems that everyone who is trying to lose weight or eat healthy believes that salad is the answer. Is it really though?

Currently, I know someone on the "flat belly diet".  While I think all fad diets are bullshit, I was curious about this one.  I looked up foods to avoid, and guess what was on the list: bulky raw veggies, peppers, onions, carrots, broccoli and cauliflower.  Seems to me that these are pretty important salad ingredients, yet if you want a flatter stomach, you should steer clear of these belly bloaters. Finally, a diet that isn't all about salads.

Personally, I am not a fan of salad. Yes, I know, it's a great way to get the recommended daily vegetable intake, but I find them boring and bland.  Anyone who has ever made a salad for me knows that I put a few pieces of lettuce on my plate and then load up on the salad fillers: tomatoes, avocados (a salad must), mushrooms, nuts, berries....pretty much all the things that make the salad actually taste good.  Yes, I am a selfish salad eater; I bogart all the good stuff.   Other than adding crunch, what purpose does lettuce serve anyway?

Of course I do eat salads, but it's only due to the fact that they are jam packed with nutrients and vitamins.  I make a salad to accompany most dinners, but I ensure they are bulky and have interesting ingredients.  Among my favourites: chicken, hearts of palm, cooked corn, peas, cashews, sauteed veggies, pomegranate seeds, hard boiled egg and cheese (obviously).

One of my favourite ways to add some excitement to an otherwise boring leafy green salad is to saute mushrooms and pour balsamic vinegar into the pan when the mushrooms are nearly finished.  This serves the purpose of adding warm ingredients to the salad (which makes it way more appealing for me) and it also acts as the salad dressing.

How do you make your salads exciting? Please share some recipes. Who knows, you might inspire me to become a salad lover.

Sunday Soup: Roasted Tomato Arrabiata

In case the drop in temperature and changing leaves didn't tell you...It's Fall.  Fall is my very favourite season for many reasons.  I love the crisp air, the rich colours, sweater weather and most importantly fall foods! (I also LOVE Thanksgiving, but I'm sure I will address that in a later post.)

For me, fall is the begining of comfort food season.  This season typically lasts through till Spring and is usually the time when I pack on a few extra pounds...you know, to keep me warm.  This year, I am going to try to make healthy foods that are just as comforting.  I'm hoping my new cashmere sweater will keep me warm instead of those few extra pounds.

Fall harvest brings with it great fresh local produce that inspires yummy and warm dishes. Last year throughout the fall and winter I would make a soup or stew on Sunday nights to last throughout the week. I will keep this tradition this season as much as possible and share with you my various soup and stew recipes.

Last night I tried something new and didn't really follow a recipe.  I had never made a roasted tomato soup before and I think this one turned out quite well.  It's definitely got a kick to it, which is why I named it after my favourite pasta dish. I hope you like it!

Roasted Tomato Arrabiata Soup

Ingredients:

• 3 lbs (approx) of vine tomatoes.  You could also use roma tomatoes.
• 3 cloves of garlic
• 1 small white onion diced
• EVOO
• salt and pepper
• 1/4 tsp. thyme
• 1/4-1/3 tsp crushed chili peppers
• 4 cups chicken or vegetable broth (or more if needed)  

Directions:

Roast tomatoes and garlic in the oven at 400 degrees for about an hour.  I cut the tomatoes in half put them on a lined baking sheet cut side up and sprinkled them with salt, pepper and olive oil.  You can roast the garlic at the same time by putting the cloves in a foil pocket and placing them on the baking sheet along with the tomatoes. While the tomatoes are roasting, saute onion in one tbsp. of olive oil at the bottom of a large pot.  Once the tomatoes and garlic are ready, add them to the pot along with all the roasting juices.  Add the thyme and chili peppers and 1 cup of broth.  Use an immersion blender to blend everything together.  Add the remaining stock and simmer for about 20 minutes. Feel free to add extra seasoning to taste.  Serve with some fresh basil and enjoy!  

Sleepy Time Foods

*Yawn*

Every sentence I have spoken today has been interrupted by a yawn.  In fact, the word yawn makes me yawn and I am yawning right now as I type this.  I have not had a good night's sleep in weeks and am starting to think I'm becoming an insomniac.

I'm not sure if it's the weather change or the bright street lamp that shines through the tiny crack in my bedroom blinds like a laser beam pointing right at my sleeping face.  Either way, I just can't seem to get a restful sleep.

I have tried everything.  Sleepy Time Tea, forcing myself to get into bed earlier and I've even given up coffee and all other caffeinated beverages. Nothing is working.

Today I decided to consult the internet for solutions to my sleepless nights.  I found this link that highlights 10 foods to help with sleep.

Seeing as bananas, almonds and oatmeal are among the list of sleep aids, I figured I'd share a great recipe for healthy banana oatmeal almond muffins. They are great for breakfast and now I would recommend eating them as a bedtime snack. I have aptly renamed the recipe:

Sleepy Time Muffins

Ingredients:

• 3 ripe mashed bananas
• 1/3 cup of almond butter
• 1 egg white
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 1/2 cups of oat flour (put 1 1/2 cups of old fashioned oats in the food processor)
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/2 tsp baking soda
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1 tbs sugar

Directions:
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Mix together all wet ingredients in a bowl (bananas, almond butter, egg, vanilla).  In a separate bowl, mix together all the dry ingredients.  Stir the dry mixture into the wet mixture.  Pour into muffin tins lined with muffin cups and place in the oven for 18-20 minutes.  Let cool (but only a little because apparently warm foods and beverage help you sleep!) ENJOY!