Chickpea, Pesto & Sundried Tomato Salad

Dear budding chefs,

As I mentioned earlier, while growing up and living at home, my mother was never that adventurous in the kitchen- hence why I have never been too picky with food or knowledgable with it.  When I met my friend Beth it was pretty much meant to be- we often found ourselves at the ski chalet not knowing what to have for dinner (jarred beets?), finding ourselves out to dinner at local restaurants way too often (lola rosa?), and often having to resort to local restaurant/ take out places to 'create our own salad' (where essentially you tell the employee what you want in your salad- ie lettuce, avocado, dried cranberries- and they put it in a bowl for you... for $10... pretty ridiculous!).  

Since then we have found ourselves in Toronto where we have dinner at least once a month and try to be 'chefs for the night.'  It sounds silly but believe me, it's a great time-- i will most definitely be sharing some of our top dishes/ recipes with you!  In between our chef nights we like to share discovered recipes with one another and that is where this recipe comes from- this salad is created by Beth. 

Just as I have stated before, simple but delicious is key! 

What you will need:

- a can of chickpeas

- sun-dried tomatoes

- pesto

- salt & pepper

Open the can of chickpeas and drain- keep them out for a little so they dry a bit- then place in a bowl.  Put three table spoons of pesto into the bowl and mix with the chickpeas (make sure all chickpeas are covered- add more pesto if that isn't enough).  Then sprinkle salt and pepper to the bowl!  Then take a handful of sun-dried tomatoes- I couldn't find pre sliced ones so I cut whole sun dried tomato sliced into slivers with scissors.  Mix together and voila! 

Simple and delicious- thank you Beth!

Happy eating,

A

Pizza-za-za

Everyone loves pizza- it is a known fact. true? si!

I for one love pizza but don't enjoy the grease or melted cheddar cheese.
One of my newest favourite things to do is make my own pizza! Whatever toppings I am in the mood for- veggies, super cheesy, or meat lovers- it is very simple, much healthier, and delicious!

First step is get your dough- you can buy pre made pizza dough, make your own, or many authentic italian food shops sell balls of pizza dough!
Second step- what toppings do you want?

This time I wanted something unique, satisfying, and salty and sweet.

What to use:
- fresh dough or grocery bought
- fig jam
- goat cheese (crumbled)
- arugula
- prosciutto

What to do:
Spread the fig jam on the dough, crumble goat cheese, cover in arugula, and place prosciutto on top.

Stick it in the oven for about 30 minutes at 350 degrees and voila!


Happy eating,
A

Hors D' oeuvres: Caprese on a Stick

Good evening budding chefs,

One thing about me, maybe it is because I am my mother's daughter, I love to entertain. love it.
Whether it is for someone's birthday (or mine), have a summer bbq or kegger because it is nice out, to celebrate to celebrate, or simply have friends and or family together- there is always food! From sausages in a blanket, to home made mini quiches, cut up veggies and dip, asparagus wrapped in prosciutto, and homemade salsa and chips- needless to say, whatever the occasion, big or small, there is food.

In January it was my birthday for which I invited my closest friends for some hors d'oeuvres and drinks at my cottage.  For this I made a series of platters- the most popular by far was the 'caprese salad on a stick.'


What you need-
- toothpicks
- tomatoes
- buffalo mozzarella (med size)
- fresh basil
- balsamic glaze

How to create:
- cut the tomatoes and medium size balls of buffalo mozzarella into quarters
- put the quarter of mozzarella on the toothpick (through the middle), tear a piece of basil and pierce it with the toothpick
- then place the quartered tomato on the toothpick (pierce through the middle)
- repeat this and place finished 'sticks' onto a plate or tray
- once complete, drizzle balsamic glaze on the caprese salad sticks!

Voila!

Happy eating,
A

I'm Back!

I am back!

Since my last post I have moved to Toronto, finished my undergraduate degree, started a career in human resources, fallen in love, and improved my cooking and baking skills.
By no means have I become a master chef but with the influence of my life-work balance, my hungry boyfriend, and trial and error, I have become to truly enjoy the kitchen.

I currently live in a tiny 600 sq foot apartment in downtown Toronto, I like to call it "the cave."  My "bedroom" truly resembles a cave, it is just a little nook in the hallway that perfectly fits a double size bed and has no windows- a cave.  While many negatives, what did catch my eye is the kitchen (see picture).  It is small, but perfect for one- it is modern, has counter space, plenty of storage, great lighting, and plenty of outlets!
Since moving here last September I have made some great recipes that I have shared friends and now want to share with you!



Stay tune & Happy eating!
A

sugar&cran cookie coins

Due to my involvement with various clubs at school- one will often find me at common places around campus sitting behind a table of delicious treats... yes, bake sales.  We love them but we hate them.  The love goes to yes, the amazing treats bought for the spare change in your pocket and supporting a cause. However the hate goes to the simple calories consumed, the mess the baker is left with in the kitchen, and the hate the individual(s) behind the table who must stare at them for hour (or longer) long shifts (thus eating several of the baked goods and ending up with no more change).

Anyways, after baking my fair share of various baked goods- from sugar cookies, chocolate chip cookies, rice krispies, skor bars, brownies, and cupcakes- I have found my favorite: sugar cranberry mini cookies- which I call "coins."  On a morning of a bake sale in December, I was watching television and there was a Martha Stewart special on cookies for the holidays- and I was influenced by her "Cranberry Noels (http://www.marthastewart.com/recipe/cranberry-noels)."  While I have made a few alterations, these cookies have become a favorite on campus and with my family (especially during the holidays with all of the little cousins running around!).

For such deliciousness you will need:
two sticks of unsalted sugar, 3/4 of a cup of of confectioners sugar, two cups of all purpose flour, half a tspn of salt, one tsp of vanilla extract, and half a cup (or more) or dried cranberries.
beat all of these together in a bowl and with a wooden spoon (for some reason they taste better with a wooden spoon(?)- I have yet to learn why).  Once one mass, divide it into quarters.  Then with parchment paper- shape each quarter into a log and wrap it in the parchment paper- then let it chill for 30 minutes up to a day.   Once it is chilled and the oven has been preheated to 375 degrees F, using a sharp knife cut the log into 1/4 inch slices and place onto the parchment lined baking sheet.  Then place into the oven for 20-22 minutes.  Note: this recipe makes four dozen sugar& cranberry cookie coins and are highly addictive!

Whether you place these onto a plate for family and friends to enjoy a little snack, or wrap them into little baggies for bake sales (I put four in each little baggy)- they are sure to be a hit!  This recipe is little mess and very simple- thus is something everyone can enjoy!

Happy eating,
A

pork tenderloin with orange-balsamic glaze on a budget

 While a student, my budget is quite strict, and often times than none when I do find that I have spent a bit over budget at apres ski or campus bars watching hockey- it is my groceries (quality) which evidently must endure the price cuts.  In particular, the fruits (obsession), cheeses (second obsession), and meats  (as a raised Estonian I do love meat).  However last night was different.  Last night my roommate and I decided to have a "grown-up" dinner date, and without hesitation I insisted we make a meat dish (why not right? when in rome).

Feeling on the "light side" we picked from Rose Reisman's "The Complete Light Kitchen" and picked her "pork tenderloin with orange-balsamic glaze." With little to compare it to, I must give this plate a ten for taste, ten for satisfaction, ten for simplicity, and ten for presentation.

Given our budget, we purchased one pork tenderloin (i would recommend picking the one with the least amount of blood swimming in the packaging), an orange, apricot jam (we bought the cheapest, no name brand, which was actually very good!), orange juice concentrate (again, we bought the no name brand), garlic, parsley, and a packet of dried apricots (great snack as well!).  And then from what we had at the apartment/ "palace" as we like to call it, we had balsamic vinegar, olive oil, salt, and pepper.   From there we (my roommate and I) placed the tenderloin on a lightly sprayed pan on high heat for about two minutes each side.  We then placed the tenderloin on to the parchment paper lined baking dish and gazed the tenderloin with a quarter of the orange-balsamic glaze (1/4 cup OJ concentrate, 1/4 cup apricot jam, 2 tsp of orange zest, 1 tsp of minced garlic, 1/4 cup of chopped dried apricots (the recipe states to add this when it is all done but we added it in anyways), 1 tbsp of balsamic vinegar, and 1 tbsp of olive oil).  We then placed the tenderloin into the oven set at 425 degrees F for twenty-five minutes and viola.  With five easy steps given by Rose Reisman, and thirty minutes later, our "grown-up" dinner was complete.

To accompany the dish, we boiled some asparagus accompanied with some lemon juice.  While delicious, I don't know if I would say it was the best to go with the orange-balsamic glazed pork tenderloin- next time I think I will make some brown rice or even maybe a few potatoes (if wanting a heavier meal) to further compliment the orange-balsamic glaze.

Happy eating,
A

welcome!

Growing up with a mother who swears on the frozen food aisle, a father who insists on ordering in for Sunday's family dinner, eating off of the Student Meal Plan at university, and living with my wonderful chef of a roommate, I have never been known for or quite fond of The Kitchen (esp due to my lack of knowledge and innovation of cooking, baking, preparing etc).  Fortunately, don't get me wrong, I have been fed very well the past twenty-two years of my life and wouldn't change it for the world- however it is time to learn the basics.   I know what I like and what I dislike, thus in this blog I will keep whatever followers and myself updated and reminded of great dishes that I have made/ attempted to make and hopefully inspire.

A few weeks ago was my birthday, for which in fact I received my first cookbook, yes, three in fact (and all from three different people!).  From Jamie Oliver, to books on how to make fast and light meals, these are a wonderful starting kit to my newest hobby(?).  Despite receiving remarks from family and friends that they would become great coffee table books or collect dust, I have put them to use.  Interestingly, one of the three (given by my ema) is Rose Riesman's newest book- in which it is signed and states "To a budding chef"- thus, my kitchen adventure begins!



I am no Martha, however I do hope to satisfy those who I feed (fingers crossed!).

Happy eating,
A