Balance.

Ever since my amazing exchange in Madrid, I have been trying to revert from a life out of balance back into a life with balance.  This has involved a 9-5 job that I love, a true understanding of the importance of fitness on the mind, body and soul, and of course healthy (yet satisfyingly delicious) food.  I have been trying to cook and eat sans unnecessary carbohydrates and I have noticed a major difference in how I feel.  You don’t notice until after you stop eating carbs with every meal that you don’t always need them.  Yes, sometimes a delicious yummy piece of warm fresh bread with olive oil and balsamic, a satisfying plate of pasta, or a big panini sandwich are things in life that should most definitely be enjoyed.  But the key word here is sometimes.  I grew up eating what I considered to be full, balanced meals.  My perspective on this has changed.  Let me give you an example.  A classic meal that my family would have in the summertime was:  salad, steak, and lots of potatoes loaded up with sour cream.  I would often be over-full after these meals.  I can remember many a “Mommy, I’m too full to do the dishes.”  Not that that was a bad thing.  I hated dishes.  Still do.  That will never change.  But what HAS changed is what I now consider to be a “full” meal.  I have come to realize that the potatoes in my family’s classic summertime meal were just a filler.  A filler with empty nutrients.  A nice big steak salad with all the good proteins and fats is plenty enough.  This same logic can be applied to many fillers: white rice, white bread, fries etc.  With this in mind, I have been trying to cook sans filler.  Tonight, for example, I enjoyed a very delicious dinner with my dad.  No fillers.

Lamb Kebabs 

Ingredients
1 or 2 lamb kebabs (pre-skewered if you’re short on time)
Handful of asparagus
Cherry tomatoes
Goat cheese
Arugula
Kalamata olives
Tzaziki
Balsamic vinegar
Olive oil
Salt and pepper

Turn your oven setting to Broil.  Place the kebabs and a handful of cherry tomatoes on a tray lined with aluminum foil.  Transfer to oven (a bbq would be better, but unfortunately I don’t have one at my apartment, which actually makes me very sad).  While these broil, set a pot of water to boil.  After breaking off the bottom parts of your asparagus, place them into the pot.  Once they turn a bright green colour, instantly plunge them into cold water.  I like my asparagus a little more crispy so I always fry them on very low heat after.  Make sure to not over-cook.  Now, place a big handful of arugula on the corner of your plate and top with crumbled goat cheese, a few olives, and the roasted tomatoes.  Drizzle with balsamic vinegar.  Once ready, place the asparagus and kebabs on your plate.  Garnish with a small spoonful of tzaziki sauce.

Bite.
Taste.
Savour.

You should find that even without the filler carbs, you will be satisfyingly full.

Who doesn’t love a good baked brie?

Recently back from studying in Madrid and with the holidays upon us, I have been spending a lot of time cooking for the fam jam.  I have missed having a big kitchen with lots of room to make a big mess.  Thank goodness I have my sous-chef (a.k.a my mom) running around after me cleaning as I move around the kitchen.  The messiest cooks are the best cooks…that’s a thing right?  On Christmas Eve we always go to an afternoon movie.  This year we went to The Hobbit.  For us, it didn’t compare to the magical moment where we saw the first Lord of the Rings on Christmas Eve 11 years ago, but it was still captivating.  As tradition goes, we always enjoy a huge table of appetizers after the movie.  My Mom usually resorts to the frozen appies from Safeway, but this year I put my foot down and made an array of fresh, home-made delights.  My favourite of the lot is the one I am about to share with you.  That first bite was almost life-changing really.

Baked Brie with Red Pepper Jelly, Cranberries, Pistachios

Ingredients
Wheel of Brie Cheese
Frozen Puff Pastry
1 Cup of dried cranberries
1 Cup of peeled pistachios
Red Pepper Jelly

Depending on your size of brie, roll out enough puff pastry so that it will completely envelope the wheel of cheese.  Once it’s rolled out, place the brie in the centre of the pastry and top with cranberries, pistachios, and red pepper jelly. Really, the more the better.  Fold the puff pastry up over the filling and pinch together at the top.  Bake in oven at 350 degrees for 25 minutes or until pastry is golden brown and cheese is bubbling out of the top.  Serve with your favourite crackers.  Easiest, most delicious appetizer!

An attempt at a healthy day

I have a confession to make.  This exchange abroad in Madrid has finally begun to catch up with me.  My lifestyle has changed.  I eat later, I eat more, I drink more, I party more, I stay out later, I sleep less, and sadly…I exercise less.  I am having the time of my life, but I really need to get out of this routine and back into my healthy-ish one.  First things first: eat healthier.  This one I can definitely do because I know how delicious oober healthy meals can be.  The recipe I am about to share with you is simple, tasty, and full of the good kinds of nutrients.  If you are falling into an unhealthy lifestyle like me and need to change (by starting small of course), give this salad a try! I promise you won’t be disappointed.

Strawberry, Avocado, Prawn Salad

Ingredients
Spinach
Arugula
Basil
Pre-cooked peeled Prawns (or fresh)
Strawberries – sliced
Avocado – diced
Cherry Tomatoes – sliced in 2
Almonds
Cranberries
Feta Cheese – crumbled
Garlic
Olive Oil
Pepper
Cayenne Powder
Italian Seasoning
Balsamic Reduction

This recipe should take you 15 minutes maximum, so it’s perfect if you’re in a rush and have somewhere to be!  To start, pour a tbsp of olive oil into a pan over medium heat and crush in a clove or 2 of garlic.  Once heated, add your prawns and sprinkle with cayenne powder, pepper, and italian seasoning.  While this is cooking, start to build the rest of your salad.  Put a generous handful of spinach and then arugula onto your plate.  Top with cherry tomatoes, avocado, strawberries, almonds, cranberries, and a small handful of crumbled feta cheese.  Remember to not over-do it with the feta cheese, because the more you add, the more you will detract from the healthy factor!  Once the prawns are heated through, add to your salad.  Garnish with fresh basil and dress with balsamic reduction.  Enjoy!

Bite.
Taste.
Savour.

The night of the pasta and 3 bottles of wine

It has been a very long time since my last post.  It’s not because I haven’t been cooking, I just haven’t been able to find the time to write.  I’m currently on an exchange in Madrid right now and between all the exploring, traveling, wine drinking, oh and school…I’ve fallen behind.  So, here’s my first post written all the way from Spain!

The other night, my roommate and I had two of our Dutch guy friends over for dinner.  I had promised them a delicious meal, so the pressure was on.  They told me that they were going to be testing my Canadian cooking skills.  The problem is, the kitchen in my apartment is about the size of a hallway closet.  I am not exaggerating.  Everyone laughs their heads off when they first see it.  This has also put a strain on my cooking experiments because well…I don’t have an oven.  I didn’t realize how much I usually use the oven, until I no longer had one.  It’s an extra challenge!  With 2 elements and a baby microwave, I didn’t have as much to work with to impress the boys.  So, I opted for a simple but tasty dish:  Creamy pesto chicken pasta.  It turned out pretty well, but there are a few things that I would have changed to ensure maximum flavour (I’ve made the changes in the recipe below for you guys).  3 bottles of wine later and good company, I would say the night was a success.

Creamy Pesto Chicken Pasta

Ingredients
Penne
2 Chicken Breasts
Olive Oil
Pesto
Cream
Fresh Basil
2 cloves Garlic
Cherry Tomatoes 
Arugula
1 Lemon
Shredded Parmesan Cheese
Salt
Pepper

To start, cut the chicken breast into small bite-sized pieces.  Pour a little bit of olive oil into a frying pan.  Over medium heat, crush the garlic into the pan and once warm, add the chicken.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper.  Cook until the chicken is halfway cooked through. Using your judgement and depending on how much flavour you want, add a few tablespoons of pesto and hand pour the cream into the pan until you have a thick, green mixture.  Cut the lemon in half and squeeze the juice in. Sprinkle a generous handle of parmesan cheese into the sauce.  If you like, add a little more salt and pepper.  Let simmer over low to medium heat while you put your desired amount of penne in a pot to boil.  Once your penne is ready, strain it and stir in a few little spoonfuls of pesto.  Squeeze in some lemon juice as well.  Finally, top each plate with penne, a big spoonful of the chicken (make sure you generously scoop the sauce onto each plate as well), a handful of fresh basil, shredded parmesan cheese, arugula, and lastly, a handful of cherry tomatoes sliced in half.  Enjoy!

Buon Appetito!

A month ago my wonderful brother showed me an interesting recipe for pizza dough. Let’s just say it was something I had never heard of or thought possible.  Dough with the key ingredient being BEER.  Now, don’t get me wrong, I love my beer. I love my lager, I love my ales, I love my dark, I love my white, but I had doubts about this recipe…all the way up until my first bite.  It’s surprisingly soft, surprisingly flavourful, and surprisingly crusty on the outside!  Not bad for a 4-ingredient pizza dough.  With this discovery, I have been making a hell of a lot of pizza.  I find gourmet pizza nights (key word being gourmet) to be the most social, most fun, and most interactive meal.  You can build magical creations together as a family,  with old friends, even new friends.  The magic of the pizza is that it brings people together.

The first time I made this pizza, I made it for my family.  It was very well-received…and let’s just say that I didn’t have to do the dishes that night.  The second time I made this pizza, I intended to make it for my good friend and her family up at their cabin…but somehow word got out that I was making “gourmet” pizza from “scratch”…and before I knew it, I was making pizza for 15.  Everyone kept calling me Chef Shelby that night.  I’m not even going to lie and pretend that I didn’t love every second of it.  So because of this night, I have decided that when I’m rich and famous (or win the lottery) and have my very own beautiful house (which will be perfect for entertaining), I am going to invest in a beautiful outdoor brick pizza oven to accompany my majestic backyard garden patio.  If this happens, I’ll invite all of you over for a pizza. Might take 20 years, so don’t hold your breath…

As much as I love making this pizza, it’s also fun to go out for real italian pizza.  Those little pizzerias are where I find my inner pizza making passion.  The other day I went out for dinner with a new friend of mine and we bonded over olives, wine, and delicious pizza.  The food sparked the conversation and 4 hours later we were still chatting away as if we had known each other for years.  As I have  said before…food brings people together!

I challenge you guys to take these recipes, and make them your own.  Build your own pizza and the memories will follow.

Alright so I’m going to start with the dough.  Ready?

Beer Pizza Crust

3 cups of flour + 1/2 cup for rolling
1 tsp. salt
1 tbsp. baking powder
1 can or bottle of beer 

Heat oven to 350 degrees.  Stir together the flour, the baking powder and the salt.  Slowly add the beer until the dough starts to form together in a soft ball.  Sprinkle a generous amount of flour on a flat surface and knead the dough around 20 times.  If your dough feels too sticky, add more flour.  Depending on how thick you want your crust to be, roll out the dough.  I generally do about 1/4-inch thickness.  Place on a pizza pan and poke a few holes with a fork on the surface. Pre-bake the dough for 10 minutes.  Then, take it out and load it with your toppings (see recipes below for inspiration)!  Pop your creation back into the oven for another 20 minutes or until the dough is golden brown and crispy.

BBQ Chicken Pizza with a kick

Ingredients

2 chicken breast
BBQ Sauce
Pizza sauce
1/2 can beer
1 cup of banana peppers
1 red pepper sliced
1 small white onion
Bunch green onions
A sh*it ton of grated mozza cheese or white cheddar cheese
Tbsp. honey
Sriracha

OH BOY. This pizza is by far one of my favs. Super healthy too (almost saying that with a straight face).  When you’re eating pizza, it’s best just to not think about the calories.  Tastes much better that way.  To start, slice up the chicken breast into little chunks and place in a pan on the stove with a teensy little bit of oil.  Once it starts a cooking, pour in as much BBQ sauce as you want, as well as some beer.  The beer’s already in the dough, so you might as well go all out.  While that’s cooking, get another pan going with the sliced red pepper and onions.  Caramelize those bad boys using the Tbsp. of honey.  Once that’s all cooked, you can start to build your pizza! Make sure you cooked your pizza crust for 10 minutes in the oven prior to this build.  Spread BBQ sauce and pizza sauce over your crust, then top with  all your ingredients.  Pop it back into the oven for another 20ish minutes until golden brown.  Once it’s cooked, garnish with a few fancy drizzles of sriracha.  AND ENJOY (preferably with an ice cold beer surrounded by friends or family).

Greek Mediterranean

Ingredients
Steak or lamb
2 tomatoes diced
1 red pepper
1 small yellow pepper diced
1 cup of pitted kalamata olives
An abundance of crumbled feta cheese
Arugula
1 small red onion chopped
Pizza sauce
dijon
lemon juice
rosemary
pepper

This is a much lighter pizza than the one above, but equally as delicious.  I find that if you serve them together, they make for a great combination of flavour.  Cook the sliced steak or lamb in a pan on the stove flavoured with some dijon, rosemary, pepper, and lemon juice.  I’ll let you figure out on your own how much you need.  Once the pizza crust has been cooked in the oven for 10 minutes, you can take it out and start to load it up with your toppings.  First your pizza sauce, then your meat, then your onion, peppers and tomatoes, then your olives and feta.  Pop in the oven for another 20 minutes until golden and crispy.  Top with fresh arugula.  Grind pepper on top!

BUON APPETITO!

Opa!!!

My bestie was coming over for dinner, but I couldn’t decide what to make. Sometimes there are just too many options for delicious food that I become overwhelmed, my mind goes blank, and I can’t think of anything at all. So, on my walk to work that morning, I decided to break it down into categories. Italian, Mexican, Japanese, Greek…then it hit me. You just can’t go wrong with some good ol’ greek style food. Seeing as traditional greek food is not necessarily the best choice for my wannabe beach bod, I decided to opt for a healthy version. I replaced the rice with quinoa, avoided the potatoes, and steered clear of the pita (as delicious as these two might be). It tasted delicious for a create on the fly kind of meal. I would definitely recommend you give this meal a try. It’s tasty, fun, easy and sure to impress your guests!

Greek Lamb Quinoa

Ingredients
2 Lamb chops
1 cup Quinoa
1 diced Tomato
1/4 diced Red onion
Bunch of Green onion
1 Lemon
1/2 cup Feta Cheese
1/2 cup pitted kalamata olives (slice them into smaller pieces)
2 handfuls Arugula
Tzaziki
Rosemary
Dijon mustard
Greek Seasoning
Pepper

Put the quinoa in a pot to boil.  Once boiled, cover and simmer on low heat for 20 minutes. Meanwhile coat the lamb chops with dijon mustard, rosemary, and pepper.  Grill on the BBQ until cooked as desired.  I like mine slightly pink.  Once the quinoa is fully cooked, squeeze in half of the lemon, mix in a few tablespoons of tzaziki, and sprinkle in a little bit of greek seasoning (the more you sprinkle, the saltier it gets…so be careful). Stir.  Toss in the tomatoes, red onion, green onion, olives,  and feta cheese.  Lay a big spoonful of the greek quinoa onto a bed of arugula, and top with a lamb chop.  Garnish with a generous serving of tzaziki sauce.  I would suggest bringing the tzaziki out onto the table because I find the more the better.  However, you have to be careful because the more tzaziki you use, the less healthy the meal becomes.  There is a possibility that my plate was no longer healthy after I was finished with the tzaziki…

Oh well.

Bite.
Taste.
Savour. 

It’s a Kung Pao Chicken kind of night.

Dayuuuum.  I just ate one tasty dinner.  You’re lucky that I am so kind to share it with you.  This is one recipe you’re going to want to try!  It’s fast and easy too, I promise.  I found the inspiration for this dish from a Chatelaine magazine, but I didn’t really follow their recipe. Instead, I took it and made it my own! And now I will share it with you so that you too can make it your own.  It’s like the Sisterhood of the Travelling Kung Pao Chicken Recipe.

Kung Pao Chicken

Ingredients

3 tbsp soy sauce
3 tbsp dry sherry
1 tbsp minced ginger
2 cloves garlic
2 chicken breasts
2 tsp corn starch
1 tsp granulated sugar
1 tbsp hot chili-garlic sauce
1 tsp vegetable oil
1 large red pepper chopped
Bunch of green onions chopped

4 mushrooms
Bunch of Bok Choy chopper
1/2 cup of cashews
Handful of cilantro
Rice 

Before you begin, get the pot of rice going (however much you want). Cut chicken breast into little bite sized pieces and place in a bowl. Add 1 tbsp of soy, 1 tbsp sherry, the ginger, and the corn starch into the bowl. Set it aside.  In another small bowl, combine remaining soy and sherry with sugar and chili-garlic sauce. Also set aside.  While you let the chicken marinate, chop up the other ingredients.

Now here comes the fun part! (Well it’s fun for me….don’t know much fun it will be for you…)  Over medium heat, in a non-stick frying pan, cook the chicken in the vegetable oil and garlic until white and tender. Add the red pepper and mushrooms and stir until soft. Next add the green onions, the bok choy, and the cashews.  Add the little bowl of remaining sauce and stir until everything is cooked, hot, and ready to go.  Serve over rice and garnish with cilantro.

And voila!!! A quick, easy, delicious meal made in under 20 minutes (if you’re a fast chopper…unlike some people I know *cough cough* lolos).

Bite.
Taste.
Savour.

 

Breakfast Bruschetta

It has been a while since my last post! I felt sad without my blog, but unfortunately I had to suffer through five endless final exams, and then recover from that….and well, recover from that recovery.  Luckily I had delicious food to get me through these recoveries.  Yet again, breakfast was my saviour.  I have recently been busy inventing new dishes and this particular one is now a personal favourite of mine!  It tastes like summer.  Well, in my mind at least.

Breakfast Bruschetta

Ingredients
Baguette
Garlic and Herb Cream Cheese
Pesto
Mozza Cheese (or any kind of cheese really)
Eggs
Tomatoes
Strawberries
Green Onions
Balsamic Vinegar
Pepper
Spinach

This is actually quite simple and very delicious! In a bowl, mix together a diced tomato, a few diced strawberries, a handful of grated cheese, and a handful of chopped green onion. Mix in a teaspoon of pesto and a teaspoon of balsamic vinegar. Grind in a little bit of pepper. Let stand while you prepare the rest!  Make scrambled eggs with 2 eggs and top with cheese.  Slice a piece of your baguette lengthwise in half. Spread a thin layer of garlic and herb cream cheese and pesto on the baguette.  Top with a handful or two of spinach. Next, top with your scrambled eggs. Finally, spoon the bruschetta mixture on top. Pop this wonderful delight into the oven and Broil for a few minutes until crispy and warm.  Meanwhile, make a sunny side egg.  Take the bruschetta out of the oven and “garnish” with the egg. Feel free to top with a few slices of avocado.  And Voila!! You should really give this a try…I promise you that you won’t be disappointed.  

Bite.
Savour.
Smile. 

 

Shelby’s Signature Chicken Burger

Yesterday, the skies were blue and the sun was finally shining.  It felt like the beginnings of summer.  And what does that mean to me? BBQs!!!! In celebration of the glorious sun, I had my bestie Lauren over for some beer and burgers.  These weren’t just any burgers.  These were my specialty gourmet chicken burgers.  Oh yes.  Mind-blowingly delicious.  And equally as messy.  These definitely are not date burgers.  I would not enjoy watching myself struggle through it…not exactly lady-like.  But I say the messier the burger, the better the burger.

Shelby’s Signature Chicken Burger

Ingredients

Whole wheat kaiser buns
Chicken breast
Montreal steak spice
Rosemary
Pepper
Sundried tomatoes
Brie cheese
Sauteed Mushrooms (soya sauce, garlic, worcestire sauce)
Arugula
Tomatoes
Guacamole ( White Onion, Avocado, Cilantro, Lime, Salt, Tomato)
Pesto

Alright, let’s get started. First things first…the chicken.  This is my little secret twist (which I guess is no longer secret as I am now sharing it with you).  Slice the chicken breast down the middle, but not all the way.  Stuff it with a few slices of brie cheese and sundried tomatoes!  Season the outside with lemon juice, montreal steak spice, rosemary and pepper.  Place on the BBQ.  Meanwhile, make the guacamole!  Mash up an avocado and add a diced tomato, a quarter of a medium white onion, half the juice of a lime, a small handful of chopped up cilantro, a dash of salt and some pepper.  Stir until smooth.  Flip your chicken breast.  Meanwhile, sautee your mushrooms over medium heat with some soya sauce, worcestire sauce, and garlic.  Once your chicken is cooked, build your burger! This is the fun part.  Spread some pesto on the bottom half of the bun, and place your stuffed chicken on top.  Next, top with sauteed mushrooms, a few slices of tomato, arugula, and your guacamole! Your burger will be massive.  Prepare yourself.

Open wide.
Bite.
Savour. 

Spaghetti a la Shelbs.

I guess I’ve been too busy lately to make any delicious blog-worthy meals, and consequently I’ve been slow on my posts. Tonight, I made a classic: spaghetti.  It was probably the best spaghetti I’ve made/had in a while.  I added in a few unusual twists and that made all the difference!  My roomies wouldn’t stop going on about how delicious the kitchen smelled.  Spices galore.  Why is spaghetti so delicious? It’s just such a great, comforting meal.  I always feel so happy and satisfied when I’m done eating it.  I’m sure you all have your own secret family recipes that you love…but if you ever want to branch out and try something new with a slight twist, I highly recommend that you try this one!

Spaghetti a la Shelbs

Ingredients
Multigrain spaghettini noodles
Pesto
Lean ground beef
Beer
Garlic
White Onion
Italian Seasoning
Pepper
Rosemary
Spinach
Mushrooms
Diced Tomatoes (canned or fresh)
Jar of Spaghetti Sauce
Cilantro (if you like it)
Parmesan Cheese

I know that some of the above ingredients may seem strange to you…but just trust me here.  To start, cook the ground beef over medium heat.  Add in a few cloves of garlic (about 2) and about a third of a medium sized white onion diced into small pieces. Now, here’s the important part.  Pour in about a third of a can of beer (any kind of beer is okay). Let that simmer nice n’ good for a few minutes.  Meanwhile, sprinkle in some italian seasoning, rosemary, and pepper.  I usually eyeball how much I sprinkle in…maybe about two teaspoons of each?  It’s your call on this one…just trust your gut instinct. That’s what I usually do.  Slice up about 4 mushrooms and toss them into that goodness.  Next, add about half a large can of diced tomatoes (roughly 2 fresh tomatoes).  Now, pour in about half a jar of pasta sauce (it’s not cheating if it makes it taste delicious).  I usually buy an italian sausage garlic one, but just choose one that will satisfy your own taste buds.  This will make your spaghetti taste different than mine, but that’s what makes it unique!  I can never make my spaghetti taste the same twice.  That’s the best part.  Now, toss in a few handfuls of spinach (gotta get some extra veggies in there, especially if you’re too lazy to make a salad like I was).  Let that simmer for at least 10 minutes on low heat.  The longer the more flavourful.  Meanwhile, bring a pot of water to boil and cook your spaghettini as directed by the package (I just like the thinner noodles, but you can use regular spaghetti if you like).  Okay, for the final touch.  Once you drain the noodles, put them back in the pot and mix in a few teaspoons of pesto and a few sprinkles of parmesan cheese and pepper.   Put your noodles on your plate, top with some spaghetti sauce, sprinkle with more parmesan cheese and garnish with cilantro (if you like cilantro that is).  And voila! Spaghetti a la Shelbs!  Once you make it it will become Spaghetti a la ______insert your name here______.

Swirl.
Bite.
Smile.