My Turn to Cook

If you haven't noticed, I am more of a baker then a cook. When I am asked to cook; in the beginning I find it fun, but in the end, I find it more of a chore. About two weeks ago my dad went away on vacation and left me and my mum to fend for our selves. He is the cook of the house, and me and my mum decided to alternate nights when it came to making dinner. One night I decided to make a chicken dish. One of my favorite things to do when it comes to making chicken dishes is using whatever vegetables are in the house then letting it all swim in a can of coconut milk.

These are the steps towards the final dish:

Pick out your chosen vegetables. I picked onions, red pepper, zucchini, and tomatoes.

Cut your chicken breast into smaller pieces and saute in a pan of butter until cooked.

While the chicken is sauteing, chop up your vegetables and separate them according to how long they take to cook. (onion and red pepper take longer to cook then tomato and zucchini)

Take the chicken out and set aside. saute the vegetables accordingly. Next add the coconut milk and last but not least the cooked chicken. then season to taste. Let simmer for 20 min to thicken. If it doesn't thicken, add a slurry (corn starch and some of the juices from the pan)

Serve up!! I didn't serve it on anything because me and my mum were too hungry to wait 45 min for brown rice to cook. On the other hand, if there was jasmine rice in the house I would have definitely thrown a pot on.

Overall it was really good but very rich. My baking habits tend to reach into my cooking habits, hence sauteing the chicken in butter and using coconut milk.

Sweet dreams!!

Tyla

Pumpkin Seeds (Don't throw them away!)

Erin said...

It's that time of the year again; Halloween is right around the corner. One of my favourite childhood memories is baking pumpkin seeds with my mom. I always loved when October came around because Halloween was a time when we made costumes, went trick-or-treating and bought pumpkins. Carving the pumpkin was fun, but baking the seeds was the real treat. So, don't throw away your pumpkin seeds. Save them and bake them.

The process I use to prepare the pumpkin seeds takes a couple of days, but I have always had great results with this method. What I do first is wash all the pumpkin guts from the seeds and rinse them thoroughly. Then I fill a bowl with room temperature water and soak the seeds overnight. The next day I lay the seeds out on a clean kitchen towel to dry. I tried to use a paper towel one year and the seeds stuck to the paper. So I ended up re-washing them, which took an extra day of pure patience. After the seeds are completely dry, I coat them with oil and sprinkle them with salt. If you have a sweet tooth, then sprinkle a little sugar and cinnamon instead of using salt--very tasty also. Pre-heat your oven to 350 degrees and place the seeds on a baking sheet. The seeds should take 15 to 20 minutes to cook. Make sure you stir them regularly. As soon as the seeds turn from an off-white to a golden brown colour, remove them from the oven. Let the seeds cool off before enjoying.

Pumpkin seeds are an easy snack and last for months if stored in proper conditions. Place the seeds in a air tight bag and put in a dry place such as a cupboard or a drawer. Pumpkins taste the freshest during the fall when they are in season, but can be bought year around. Pumpkin seeds have a nutty flavour and are a very healthy snack so pairing their flavours with any seasoning you prefer creates the finishing touches to your great snack.

Love Tofu

Mashed, crumbled or diced, tofu is one of my favourite ingredients to use in my cooking. I don't call myself a vegetarian completely because I do eat fish, but don't like to eat meat. I haven't eaten meat since i was 13 years old after I had became really sick after eating a hamburger. So to substitute for texture and flavour I use tofu in many recipes.

I love to make chili with tofu. The tofu that I use for this dish already comes in the form of hamburger crumble. The texture when added to the dish is exactly the same as hamburger meat, I have tricked many people who are "meat lovers" with this dish. There are so many dishes that can use tofu in place of meat, and there are whole cook books dedicated to cooking with it. I love tofu hotdogs, they are so good. I remember when I was told that left over skin and meat bits go into making hotdogs, and I could never look at them the same after that.

Many people say that tofu has no flavour and this is very true. Unflavoured solid tofu cubes tastes very bland. Tofu is not meant to be eaten plain. It's meant to take on the life of whatever dish it is added to. Tofu absorbs flavour like a sponge and can taste like your favourite spice or sauce instantly. Tofu is low in fat and sodium and high in iron and protein, which is why tofu is used as a meat replacement. Another benefit to eating more tofu is that tofu is easier to digest than meat.

Baby Food (New Palate

I have a son who is 6 months old, and I make his baby food at home. I feel safe and reassured knowing what is in my son's food, and by making it myself I can be certain.

Making home made baby food is simple, but does require a few kitchen tools. Baby food needs to be pureed, and the best way to do this is with a blender, electric food processor or a handheld food processor. A strainer is also important, depending what kind of food you are cooking, to take out any hiding pieces. To store my baby food, I use plastic bags when I am storing it in the fridge and ice cube trays when I am freezing it. Ice cube trays are perfect as a portion indicator and saves from having a hundred little bags crowding around your freezer. Note that one ice cube square equals one ounce.

My son loves sweet things like fruit, so I have been mixing fruits with anything I can, even vegetables. His favourite dish is breakfast cereal that I make with apples and bananas. Here is the recipe:

Banana Apple Sunshine Cereal

3/4 tablespoon oats
1/3 cup water
1 small apple, peeled and finely chopped
1/2 small banana, mashed

1) In a pot bring all ingredients to a boil.
2) Turn heat to medium and cover, simmer 5-8 minutes.
3) Take off of the heat and let sit for 10 to 15 minutes before pureeing.

The texture of this recipe is very smooth. This recipe can even be converted into an adult dish by not pureeing the ingredients. There is no need to add sugar. The apple and banana are a natural sweetener, and for an adult you can add nuts or dried fruit to the top of your cereal.

Making your own baby food is much easier than you think and can save money. Making sure you know what is going into your little monster's mouth is the most rewarding part. You can protect their newly developing stomachs while you are providing them the best nutrition possible.