A fabulous start to the day

If you haven't had steel-cut oats before, you have to try them!  The cooking time is longer than regular large flake and instant oats, but it's totally worth it.  Of course I don't make steel-cut oats when I'm scrambling in the morning, trying to get out the door in time.  Instead, I make a large batch on a Sunday afternoon, cool it and store it in an airtight container in the fridge, and there you have it, breakfast for the week.  Genius!

The best part of making steel-cut oats, is that there are endless possibilities to add flavour and personality.  I make mine with half milk half water and as the oats cook, they become thick and creamy.  I add raisins, and just before serving, chopped pecans.

Here's a basic recipe to get you started and feel free to add fruit, nuts, seeds and warm spices like cinnamon, ginger, and cloves. 

Steel-cut oats


Ingredients

1 cup steel-cut oats
2 cups water
2 cups of milk
1 pinch of salt

How I make this

Bring the water and milk to a boil in a heavy medium-size saucepan.  Careful! When this starts to boil, it can make a mess really quickly if you're not paying attention.

Add the oats and salt and lower the heat to low to bring it to a gentle simmer.  Cook for about 40 minutes stirring occasionally.

Add toppings and serve warm or cool and store in an airtight contain in the fridge.

Here's to no more excuses for skipping breakfast!

I'm curious, what do you put in your steel-cut oats?

Photography by: Melissa LeBlanc

Cold and rainy outside | Warm and sunny inside

Well summer is long gone and the fall has set in.  The days are getting shorter, there's a crisp chill in the air, the colours of the leaves are stunningly bright and the rain has begun.  It's funny because I always tell people that my favorite season is summer, but the more I think about it, when it comes to cooking a good meal, there's no better time than the fall.  There's nothing quite like eating a piping hot bowl of home-made soup with a hunk of crusty bread and a good cheese.

Don't get me wrong, even though I enjoy all the goodness of fall cooking, I do enjoy a warm get-away when the winter gets long... or even when winter hasn't yet begun, which was the case last year.  It was almost a year ago when the warm and sunny destination was Mexico for my friends Sheila and Shawn's beach wedding in beautiful Puerto Vallarta.  The week was packed with meeting friends and family of the bride and groom, early morning yoga on the beach (I don't even do yoga when I'm at home!), yummy cocktails on the sandy beach, and of course... food, food, food!  Needless to say, it was a memorable week and since a trip to Mexico is not in the cards in the near future, when I make this next recipe, it's almost like I'm there... almost!

Enjoy and happy anniversary Sheila and Shawn. 

Chicken Tortilla Soup

Ingredients
Makes 6 - 8 servings

2 whole boneless, skinless chicken breast (or leftover cooked chicken)
2 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 1/2 tsp cumin
1 tsp chili powder
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp salt
1 cup diced onion
1/4 cup diced green bell pepper
1/4 cup diced red bell pepper
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 can (14 oz) diced tomatoes
1 tbsp chopped canned green chilis
4 cups low-sodium chicken broth
3 tbsp tomato paste
4 cups hot water
2-15 oz cans black beans, drained and rinsed
3 tbsp cornmeal
5 whole corn tortillas, cut into uniform strips

Options for garnishes: sour cream, diced avocado, diced red onion, salsa, grated Monterey jack cheese, cilantro.

Directions

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.  Mix cumin, chili pepper, garlic powder, and salt.  Drizzle 1 tbsp olive oil on chicken breast, then sprinkle a small amount of spice mix on both sides.  Set aside the rest of the spice mix.  Place chicken breasts on a baking sheet.  Bake for 20 - 25 minutes, or until chicken is done.  Use two forks to shred chicken.  Set aside.

Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a pot over medium high heat. Add onions, red pepper, green pepper, and minced garlic. Stir and begin cooking, then add the rest of the spice mix. Stir to combine, then add shredded chicken and stir.

Pour in tomatoes, chicken broth, tomato paste, water, and black beans. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, uncovered.

Mix cornmeal with a small amount of water. Pour into the soup, then simmer for an additional 30 minutes. Check seasonings, adding more if needed---add more chili powder if it needs more spice, and be sure not to under salt. Turn off heat and allow to sit for 15 to 20 minutes before serving. Five minutes before serving, gently stir in tortilla strips.

Ladle into bowls, then top with sour cream, diced red onion, diced avocado, pico de gallo, and grated cheese, if you have it! (The garnishes really make the soup delicious.)

Recipe adapted from The Pioneer Woman

Photography by: Melissa LeBlanc

Cauliflower 3 ways

Wow how time flies! It has been 3 months since my last post!  People have been asking me when I will post my next recipe so 3 months away means 3 recipes today... well sort of.

I was at the market a few weeks ago on a sunny Saturday morning.  Just at the entrance of the market there was a stand with a mountain of fresh, local cauliflower.  I don't know about you, but I love cauliflower.  I think that most people aren't quite sure what to do with it other than serve it raw along side other veggies as part of a plate of crudités with dip.  Well, I hope to inspire you today with a few fresh ideas.

Recipe #1: Roasted Cauliflower

 

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower, chopped into bite-size florets
2 tbsp olive oil
salt and pepper
fresh thyme (optional)

Preheat oven to 400 degrees.  Toss the cauliflower florets gently with olive oil.  Sprinkle with salt and pepper and place on a baking sheet in a single layer.  Roast in the oven for 25 - 30 minutes.

All on it's own, this is an excellent side dish!  Give it a try, if you think you don't like cauliflower, I bet you'll change your mind.

Recipe #2: Mung Bean Curry with Cauliflower

 

One of my favorite cuisines is definitely Indian food, and one of my favorite cook books is Vij's at Home.  The famous Indian fusion restaurant VIJ's is just 3 blocks from my apartment, but the recipes in his book are really simple to make, and unbelievably delicious.  They are so good that I have no problem making a big pot of curry on the stove on a hot summer day.... Which is exactly what I did in August.  I did tweak the recipe to include the cauliflower, however, and I happened to have some leftover chick peas in the fridge so I threw those in as well.  The end product?  Awesome :)

Ingredients:

1 cup mung beans
1 head of cauliflower, roasted (recipe above)
1 can chick peas, drained and rinsed
1/4 cup cooking oil
1 tbsp cumin seeds
3 tbsp chopped garlic (9 cloves)
1 28oz can pureed tomatoes
2 tbsp chopped ginger
2 tbsp ground coriander
1 tsp turmeric
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tbsp crushed cayenne pepper
4 cups water
1 can coconut milk
1/2 cup chopped cilantro and good handful of fresh spinach leaves

Wash and drain mung beans and set aside

Heat oil in a medium pot on medium-high.  Add cumin seeds and allow them to sizzle for 45 seconds, or until they are darker brown.  Add garlic and saute for 3 - 4 minutes, until brown but not burned.  Stir in tomatoes, then ginger, and other spices.  Stir and saute for 5 more minutes.  Add water and mung beans, bring to a boil then reduce the heat to low, cover and cook for 30 minutes, stirring once or twice.  Taste beans to make sure they are cooked.

Stir in coconut milk, cauliflower, and chick peas, and increase the heat to medium-high.  Bring to a boil and turn off the heat.  Stir in cilantro and serve over brown rice.

Recipe #3: Silky Cauliflower Soup with Parmesan Crisps

 

I traveled to Montreal a couple of weeks ago, and the night before I left, I noticed that I still had a few veggies in the fridge that needed to be eaten before leaving, including a cauliflower.  This next recipe doesn't take more than 20 minutes, and is in my repertoire of my go-to soups.  I made this soup, divided it into single serving containers, and placed them in the freezer. 

Ingredients:

1 head of cauliflower
2 tbsp olive oil
1 small onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups chicken broth
1/2 cup finely grated fresh parmesan cheese
Salt and freshly ground black pepper

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Remove the leaves and thick core from the cauliflower, coarsely chop, and reserve. Heat the olive oil in a large saucepan or soup pot over medium heat and add the onion and garlic. Cook until softened, but not browned, about 5 minutes. Add the cauliflower and broth and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to a simmer, cover, and cook until the cauliflower is very soft and falling apart, about 15 minutes. Remove from heat and, using a hand held immersion blender, puree the soup, or puree in small batches in a blender* and return it to the pot.

Meanwhile, line a baking sheet with aluminum foil. Spread the shredded cheese over the foil in 1 even thin layer. Bake about 10 minutes until golden brown and crisps. Remove from oven and let cool 5 minutes. Break sheet of crisp cheese into large pieces and garnish each soup bowl with a couple shards and a pinch of fresh chives.

This recipe was sourced from: The Food Network

Photography by: Melissa LeBlanc