Pecan & Banana Pancakes with Cinnamon and Vanilla

So when I met Nathan back in 2004 in Australia, he would always make amazing banana pancakes for me. This was a year before the song came out by Jack Johnson called Banana Pancakes. The song talks about making banana pancakes when it raining outside and pretending that it's the weekend. This is very appropriate since we are having the coldest, rainiest June (nicknamed Junuary) in Vancouver in years! Feel free to play in the background while reading this post - click here. We also got to experience amazing Indonesian banana pancakes on our trip to Bali last year. They are much thinner over there, more like what we call crepes. Here is a photo of the ones we had in Bali at the cafe next to our apartment in Legian.

I decided to take the recipe a little further and add some special ingredients to make these pancakes more unique and delicious. I had some pecans laying around and I always have cinnamon and pure vanilla on hand for baking. They turned out amazing! 

• 1 cup flour
• 1 tablespoon white sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/4 teaspoon salt
• 1 egg, beaten
• 1 teaspoon pure vanilla
• 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon
• 1 cup milk
• 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
• 2 ripe bananas, mashed (I saved one of them to go on top)
• 1 cup of crushed pecans (I also saved some for the top)

1. Combine flour, white sugar, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. In a separate bowl, mix together egg, milk, vanilla, vegetable oil and bananas.
2. Stir flour mixture into banana mixture; batter will be slightly lumpy.
3. Heat a lightly oiled griddle or frying pan over medium high heat. Pour or scoop the batter onto the griddle, using approximately 1/4 cup for each pancake. Cook until pancakes are golden brown on both sides; serve hot.

Click here to original recipe that I adapted

Roasted Butternut Squash & Kale Lasagna

So I'm not usually one to eat vegetarian meals on regular occasions. In fact, I can't remember a lot of meals (lunch/dinner) where I didn't include meat or fish of some kind. Last week, we watched the documentary Forks Over Knives which talks about eating plant-based meals to increase health benefits. There are definitely a bunch of different things to consider but we going to make an effort to eat more veggies and less meat at some of our meals. I came across some fun recipes for veggie lasagna's on Pinterest and decided to give one a try.


I found this recipe for Butternut Squash and Kale lasagna and thought I would try it but with a few changes. We had recently had a great Zucchini Lasagna in Tofino with some friends and wanted to add that into it too. What ended up happening was a bunch of veggies thrown in with the squash, kale and yummy ricotta. This made us enough to eat for a week! (although we are only two people so it doesn't take much). Enjoy!

• Ingredients

• 4 tablespoons olive oil, divided

• 1 medium red onion, peeled and sliced

• 3 peeled garlic cloves (1 minced, 2 left whole)

• 2 cans (14 oz. each) crushed tomatoes

• 1 teaspoon dried oregano

• About 1 tsp. each salt and freshly ground black pepper, divided

• 6 cups (about 2 lbs.) butternut squash, peeled and cut into 1/2-in. cubes

• 1/2 tsp. dried thyme

• 1 pound Lacinato kale (often sold as dinosaur or Tuscan kale)

• 9 whole-wheat lasagna noodles (I used about 12)

• 1 container (15 oz.) part-skim-milk ricotta cheese
• 1/8 teaspoon ground nutmeg
• 2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese, divided

• 
  

Preparation:


1. Preheat oven to 400°. Heat 2 tbsp. olive oil in a 2- to 3-qt. pot over medium heat. Add onion and minced garlic; cook, stirring occasionally, until onion is soft and translucent, 5 minutes. Add tomatoes, oregano, and 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper. Reduce heat and simmer until thick and flavors are combined, about 30 minutes. Set aside.


2. While sauce is cooking, in a 12- by 15-in. baking pan, sprinkle squash with thyme, remaining olive oil, and salt and pepper to taste. Add garlic cloves and toss squash mixture to coat with oil. Bake until soft, 10 to 15 minutes. Meanwhile, bring 3 qts. salted water to a boil in a large pot.



3. Reduce oven temperature to 350°. Transfer squash and garlic to a food processor and purée until smooth.(I just mashed with a fork and it turned out ok!)


4. Tear kale leaves from center ribs and discard ribs. Boil leaves until soft, 5 to 8 minutes. Drain; let cool. Squeeze out as much water as possible and chop finely. (I steamed kale leaves instead of boiling)


5. In the same pot, bring another 3 qts. salted water to a boil. Add noodles and cook until tender to the bite, about 10 minutes. Drain; rinse with cold water.


6. In a bowl, mix ricotta, nutmeg, 1 cup mozzarella, and remaining 1/2 tsp. each salt and pepper.


7. Coat the bottom of a 9- by 13-in. pan with 1/3 of tomato sauce (about 1 1/2 cups). Lay 3 noodles in a single layer over sauce. Top noodles with squash, spreading evenly. Sprinkle 1/2 of kale evenly over squash. Arrange 3 more noodles on kale and top with ricotta, spreading evenly. Top with remaining kale and noodles. Cover noodles with remaining tomato sauce and sprinkle with remaining 1 cup mozzarella. (I added a layer of zucchini and it was really yummy!)


8. Bake lasagna until juices are bubbling and cheese is melted, about 30 minutes. Let stand 10 minutes before slicing.


Here is the original link from My Recipes

Pina Colada Muffins

So last year this time, Nathan and I were sitting on the beach in Bali sipping Pina Colada's, eating fresh fish and bronzing in the sun. Now,  a year later, we are living in beautiful Vancouver... but not on vacation. We have had a fortunate winter with tons of snow at Whistler and the opportunity to snowboard on some unbelievable powder days. But... nothing beats vacation in Bali. So I decided to make some muffins that brought us back to those memories.

   

I had fresh pineapple in the house and I always seem to have coconut on hand. I found this recipe for Pineapple Coconut Muffins online and decided to adjust it a bit and give it a try. They turned out better than I thought they would! We even took a few the next day on our hike to the top of Mt Seymour in North Vancouver as a snack after reaching the peak! Later that afternoon we went to Jericho Beach by our house to do some reading and relaxing and gobbled down a few more of these treats.

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups flour
1 teaspoon baking soda
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup brown sugar
1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons shredded coconut
3 egg whites
3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted
2/3 cup sour cream (I used low fat Greek Vanilla Yogurt)
1 cup pineapple, diced into small pieces
2 teaspoons dark rum (I used white rum - but i'm sure Malibu Rum would be good too!)
1 teaspoon Vanilla

Directions
1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees F. Spray muffin tin with cooking spray.
2. In a medium bowl, combine the flour, baking soda, salt, 6 tablespoons of the sugar, and 1/4 cup of the coconut. 3. In another bowl, whisk the sour cream, butter, egg whites, run and vanilla together until smooth. Stir in the diced pineapple. 4. Stir the dry ingredients into the sour cream mixture and stir with a spoon until just combined, do not overmix.5. Spoon the batter into the prepared muffin pan, filling each cup to about 3/4 of the way full. 6. In a small bowl, combine the remaining 2 tablespoons of the coconut and 2 tablespoons of the brown sugar. Sprinkle over the muffin batter.7. Bake until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, about 20-25 minutes. Cool on a wire rack.

Cookie Monster Cupcakes

I was invited to a 3 year olds birthday party this week. I wanted to bring a treat for the kids that would be something fun and something they hadn't seen before. I had seen these Cookie Monster Cupcakes online before and always thought they were super cute.

I decided to go the extra step and make homemade cookies as well. (the cookie monster is supposed to look like he is eating the cookie - not everyone got that one, haha). I used the recipe from my last cookies but used chocolate chips instead of the Nutella, bacon and pecans. The trick is to make the cookies really small and flat so they fit in the mouth (I had to cut them off).

1. I used a simple vanilla cupcake recipe and added blue food colouring at the end. You need to get the blue food colouring gel from a baking shop (or Michaels).

2. When the cupcake had cooled down, I cut a slit in the top and added in the half cookie and make it stick with some icing (Nathan's idea)

3. Then I frosted it with blue frosting (used store bought cream cheese frosting and added the blue food colouring gel)

4.  I then took blue coconut (dyed blue with the gel also) and sprinkled it all over.

5. Then for the eyes... I wanted to use the big white choc chips but we couldn't find them nearby. So I just used the white icing and tried to make an eye. I don't like how they turned out but better than nothing. Then I  used a chocolate chip for the middle of the eye. Cookie Monster usually has googly eyes, so try to make them looking googly. (is that a word??).

Vanilla Cupcake Recipe:

• 2 cups flour
• 1 cup sugar
• 2 teaspoons baking powder
• 1/2 teaspoon salt
• 1/2 cup butter, softened
• 1/2 cup milk
• 2 eggs
• 1 teaspoon vanilla

1. In large bowl, whisk together flour, sugar, baking powder and salt. Using electric mixer on low speed, mix in butter, milk, eggs and vanilla; beat on high speed until smooth, about 2 minutes.
2. Spoon into 12 paper-lined or greased muffin cups, filling about three-quarters full. Bake in centre of 375°F (190°C) oven until cake tester inserted in centre comes out clean, about 18 minutes. Transfer to rack; let cool completely. (Make-ahead: Store in airtight container for up to 1 day or freeze for up to 2 weeks.) Variation: Chocolate Cupcakes - Reduce flour to 1 cup and baking powder to 1/2 tsp. Add 1/2 cup cocoa powder and 1 tsp baking soda to dry ingredients. Sift before adding butter and wet ingredients.

Here is a link to one with better eyes and frosting as fur... http://completedeelite.blogspot.ca/2009/03/who-stole-cookies-from-cookie-rack-who.html

Nutella, Pecan and Candied Bacon Cookies

Well, this is it. All the things you love wrapped up in one cookie. Nutella is one of those things that I can't get enough of. I have been eating it since I was little and still can't stop. I found it challenging to actually get the Nutella into the cookie dough... but then I found a special trick! All you need to do is freeze little bits of Nutella on a cookie sheet before you make the cookies. Voila! Nutella chocolate chips.

I was going to just use normal bacon pieces in the cookies, but then my friend Ethan (tastesbetterwithfriends.com) suggested I make candied bacon. Wow, it tasted amazing... thanks for the tip!

Ingredients:
1 cup butter (softened)
1 cup white sugar
1 cup brown sugar
2 eggs
2 tsp vanilla
3 cups four
1 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
2 cups Nutella chips
1 package of bacon
1 cup pecans

1. Drop small amounts of Nutella onto baking sheet and freeze for a few hours
2. Preheat oven to 325F. Cover each piece of bacon with brown sugar. Lay bacon on baking sheet in oven and bake for approx 20 minutes or until it is cooked through. Set aside to cool.
3. Preheat over to 350F
4. Cream together the butter, white sugar, brown sugar until smooth.
5. Beat in the eggs one at a time and then stir in the vanilla
6. Dissolve baking soda into hot water
7. Add to batter along with a dash of salt
8. Stir in flour, bacon and pecans (keep some out to add on top of each cookie if desired)
9. Stir in Nutella at end as it will melt quickly
10. Drop in large spoonfuls onto ungreased cookie sheet and bake for 10 minutes or until lightly browned.

How To Bake Rainbow Cupcakes

After moving from Toronto to Vancouver last May, I am only able to make the trip back home once or twice a year. When I made my first trip back last summer, I decided to have a baking fun day with my 4 nieces and make rainbow cupcakes. I had made a rainbow cake in the past and it was a big hit with my new friends in Vancouver (now I'm officially the 'rainbow cake girl').

Since I was baking with 4 extremely impatient little ladies, I decided to use the good old pre-mixed cake batter. It works out well when you are working with kids and want to speed up the process. You can use any plain white/vanilla cake mix for this recipe. (I used 2 boxes) Or you can always use make the batter from scratch. For the cake I made, I used a coconut cake recipe and then topped it with a cream cheese coconut icing... so good!

Make sure you get the food colouring 'gels'. They are the only ones that give this vibrant colour. They can be found at Michaels Craft Store in Canada. Not sure about the US... 

The girls each had their own colour to mix up and pour into the muffin trays.

We made them like a real rainbow and went: purple, blue, green, yellow, orange and red.

Things got a little hard to manage at some points... "No Anna! Not the blue icing!"

Very careful! 

Messy, messy, messy, but fun!

When the cupcakes went in the oven, the girls pulled up chairs to watch them bake. SO cute.

Enjoying the finished cupcakes! I used whipped cream on top which was a good short term icing. For longer lasting cupcakes, use a nice vanilla icing on each one.

Happy Niece... (or "Stop taking our pictures Auntie Kate")

World's Best Broccoli Salad

I have to admit that I have stolen this recipe from my favorite little lunch cafe in Whistler, BC. It is the best spot in Whistler to get homemade sandwiches, salad, burgers, baked goods, you name it. It's called Ingrids and I highly recommend trying it out. I absolutely love their veggie burgers, turkey burgers and salads. I once had this amazing broccoli salad and couldn't stop thinking about it for days. 

I flew back to Toronto (where I lived at the time) and was still thinking about it. I called them one day and begged for the recipe. They were nice enough to give me a rough outline of what was in it. I tried it and turned out really well! Here is the recipe, feel free to add in anything else!

Ingredients:

- Broccoli

- Red Grapes

- Pecans

- Green Onions

- Butter

- Garlic

- Mayo 

- Vinegar

- Sugar

- Salt/Pepper

1. Cut up broccoli, green onions and grapes

2. Saute pecans in a hot skillet with butter and garlic

3. Mix sauce in a small bowl: Mayo, vinegar, sugar, salt/pepper

4. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl and chill in fridge until ready to serve

This salad can be made with lots of dressing or very little. I tried it in the above photos with very little dressing. The ingredients are fresh and tasty that it doesn't need much dressing.

Enjoy!

Spaghetti Squash with Chicken Meatballs

There is nothing better than a big bowl of spaghetti and meatballs... but this comes close. It's a great substitute if you want to eat a yummy meal with less carbs and fat. As you can see, I'm a little obsessed with spaghetti squash - it works so well with almost any meal. The trick is to bake it the exact right amount, any longer and it will be a little mushy when prepared. It is hard to know the right amount of time, since all ovens vary in heat. I would just test it out every 10 min after 30 min to make sure it isn't getting overdone. Let me know how it goes!


Homemade Chicken Meatballs
Ground Chicken or Turkey
Bread crumbs
Egg
Italian seasoning
Pre heat oven to 350. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl. Roll into bite sized balls and lay out on baking sheet. Bake in the oven on 350 until they are cooked through.

Homemade Tomato Sauce
Onions
Fresh Garlic
Bacon
Can of chopped tomatoes
Can of tomato paste
Carrots or other cut up veggies
Italian Seasoning
Saute onions and garlic in pan until browned. Mix in chopped up bacon (or any other veggies) and saute until cooked through. The bacon is Nathan's idea for extra flavour - leave out if you want to save the calories, but it does taste damn good :) Add in can of chopped tomatoes and tomato paste until desired consistency. Add in Italian Seasoning mix or fresh herbs. Add in meatballs and simmer until the rest of the meal is ready.

Flip over so they are face down when baking

Spaghetti Squash
Bake in oven for 15-20 minutes. Remove from oven and cut off both ends and then cut in half lengthwise. Remove all seeds and extra squash from middle. Place on baking tray face down for another 20-40 minutes depending on size of squash. Remove and test a piece with fork. Squash should easily peel off like spaghetti (hence the name!!!).

Coconut Cauliflower (Fake) Rice

We have been experimenting with different vegetables that can be substituted for rice, pasta, etc. Last night we decided to have curry for dinner but wanted to try something other than rice. I came across a few recipes and decided to adjust them slightly and it worked out really well. Since we were having Thai Curry, I added coconut to the pan about halfway though and in worked out perfectly since the coconut lightly toasted  as it was cooking. 

The original recipe called for the cauliflower to be cut up in a food processor. Since we don't have one of these, Nathan did it by hand and it worked just fine. If you are making this as a meal and not a side dish, you could add any chopped up veggies that you like. I might try one with carrots, zucchini, garlic, chili, etc.... I'll let you know if that happens.

Ingredients:

2 tablespoons olive oil

1 small onion, diced

1 head cauliflower, chopped finely

1/4 cup coconut

salt/pepper to taste

1. In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium heat

2. Saute onion over medium heat for 10 minutes, until lightly browned 

3. Add cauliflower to skillet, stirring often to prevent burning

4. Add coconut if desired after about 10 minutes

5. Add salt/pepper to taste

Original recipe can be found here:  http://www.elanaspantry.com/cauliflower-rice/ 

Butternut Squash, Caramelized Onion, Apple and Bacon Mac & Cheese

Who doesn't love good old Mac and Cheese???

My hips!

Here is a recipe that give you the comfort food you are craving but with most of the calories cut out. I first saw this on Pinterest and it led me to this blog: Pinch of Yum. I thought it looked delicious and was really intrigued at how squash would taste mixed in with the cheese.

Butternut Squash fun... 

The original recipe called for a can of butternut squash puree. Since the store didn't have any, we decided to roast the squash and puree it ourselves for a better taste. This turned out really well. I highly recommend roasting your own squash if you want to try something a little bit more fresh.

The result is really amazing. The apple and caramelized onion are delicious in the pasta and the tiny bit of bacon on top really give it a nice crunch. When I make it again, I might leave the onions till the end and put on top with the bacon. The squash mixed in really well and tasted great with the cheesy sauce. It was still a very heavy meal - but sometimes that is needed on a winter day!

Ingredients

1/2 box of whole grain elbow macaroni

1 butternut squash (see picture above, ha)

1/4 cup + 2 tablespoons evaporated milk

1/4 cup chicken broth

1 oz low fat cream cheese

1 teaspoon chopped garlic

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pepper

1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese

1 tablespoon butter

1/2 cup onions

1 large apple

4 tablespoons crumbled bacon

Instructions:

1. Microwave squash for 5-7 minutes to soften it up. Cut in half and remove the seeds. Place on sheet in over with salt/pepper. Bake for 45 minutes or until soft. Puree in food processor when it has cooled with a little garlic.

2. Heat butter in a skillet over low hear. When melted, add onions and let caramelize for at least 30 minutes for the best flavour. Keep on low/low-medium.

3.  Cook pasta according to directions. Drain and return to pan over low heat. Add butternut squash, chicken broth, garlic, milk and cream cheese. When combined, add in salt and pepper.

4. Add apples to pasta. Stir to combine and add a tablespoon more broth or milk if needed.

5.  Just before serving, mix in cheese and stir until melted. Top each serving with 1 tablespoon bacon and onions. Add hot sauce if desired!

Orange & Rosemary Roast Chicken

I decided to try my first roast chicken this week. I knew that you could just pop a chicken in the oven with some salt and pepper and it would turn out pretty well. But what's the fun in that! I found this recipe on my Epicurious iPhone App and thought it sounded amazing. I changed it up a little bit and the final product was sooo tasty. Definitely going to make this one again!

Ingredients:
5 green onions
6 tablespoons (3/4 stick) butter, room temperature (or less if you want to save on calories)
4 teaspoons minced fresh rosemary
1 tablespoon grated orange peel
1 7-pound whole roasting chicken
1 medium onion, chopped
2 medium carrots, peeled, chopped
2 medium sweet potatoes
2 medium potatoes
3/4 cup dry white wine
1 1/2 cups canned low-salt chicken broth

1. Position rack in center of oven; preheat to 400°F. Mince 1 shallot; mix with butter, rosemary and peel in small bowl. Season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
2. Pat chicken dry. Using fingers, loosen skin from chicken breasts, legs and thighs. Spread half of rosemary-orange butter under chicken skin. Tie chicken legs together to hold shape. Spread remaining butter over chicken. Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper.
3. Place rack in large roasting pan. Add the onion, carrots and potatoes. Chop 2 green onions; add to pan. Place chicken, breast side up, on rack in pan. Roast chicken until meat thermometer inserted into innermost part of thigh registers 180°F., stirring vegetables in pan occasionally, about 1 hour 40 minutes. 
4. Transfer chicken to platter. Tent with foil while making sauce (do not clean pan).
5. Place same roasting pan over medium-high heat. Add wine to pan; simmer until most of wine evaporates, scraping up any browned bits, about 5 minutes. Add broth. Simmer until sauce is reduced to 1 1/2 cups, stirring often, about 6 minutes. Strain into 2-cup glass measuring cup; discard solids. Spoon fat from top of sauce. Season to taste with salt and pepper. Serve chicken with pan sauce and an orange slice to garnish.


Original recipe: http://www.epicurious.com/recipes/food/views/Roast-Chicken-with-Rosemary-Orange-Butter-100978

Pork & Pineapple Red Curry in a Pineapple Bowl!

We have been really into making curry lately and I have been learning a lot about how to make a good curry. I have been informed that Yellow Curry is best for fish, Green Curry is best for Chicken and Red Curry is best for Pork or Beef. Is this correct? We decided to make this Pork and Pineapple Curry and use the Pineapple as a bowl! It worked out quite nicely and looks pretty too. Hope you enjoy!

Curry Ingredients:

2 tablespoons red curry paste

2 green chillies

1 tablespoon palm sugar

1 can of light coconut cream

1 teaspoon fish sauce

500 g of pork

1 red pepper

1 cup of green beans

1 fresh pineapple

2 carrots

Garnish:

Coriander

Coconut

1. Cut the pineapple so that there is a good space for the curry to be served in (set aside the cut up pineapple for use in the curry)

2. Heat wok or frying pan to med heat. Add the curry paste and an equal amount of the cream from the top of the coconut milk can and fry for 5 mins or until fragrant

3. Add pork and chopped chilies and cook through

4. Add coconut milk for desired amount of sauce, fish sauce, palm sugar and vegetables

5. Cook until veggies and pork are cooked through

Sweet Potato Mash and a Jerk

Tonight we made Jamaican Jerk chicken with sweet potato mash and grilled brussels sprouts. I had this sweet potato mash for Thanksgiving this year and absolutely loved it. And since we get a very mild winter in Vancouver, it is easy to use the barbecue all year round. The spicy chicken and winter vegetables made for a great January meal.

My brother Steve, who is a great cook, taught me how to make these brussel sprouts a few years ago. Since then, I make them all the time. With that added quick sear, it is delicious!

Chicken Marinade:
1/2 cup Soy Sauce
1/4 cup Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Honey
1 Clove of Garlic
1 Tbsp Brown Sugar
Hot Sauce to taste
Jamaican Jerk Spice
Marinade the chicken for 1-2 hours with the above ingredients. Grill on the barbecue while coating with leftover marinade a few times. Add more Jamaican Jerk Spice directly on chicken while on barbecue.

Ingredients for Sweet Potato Mash:
2-3 Sweet Potatoes
2 Tbsp Honey
2 Tbsp Lime Juice
1 Tbsp Butter
1 Tbsp 1% Milk
Salt/Pepper to taste
Peel potatoes and cut into bite sized chunks. Microwave in water for about 5-7 minutes. Drizzle with lime and honey and bake on cookie sheet in the oven on 350 for about 30 minutes or until soft. Place soft potatoes in a sauce pan and add remaining ingredients. Heat on low until smooth.

Ingredients for Brussels Sprouts:

10-20 Brussels Sprouts
Olive Oil
Salt/Pepper to taste
Boil Brussels Sprouts in a pot for 5-7 min until mostly cooked through. Strain and let cool for 5 min. Slice in half all the sprouts in half. Heat pan on med and drizzle with olive oil. When pan is hot, add sprouts (flat side down) to pan to sear. Let each one sear for approx 2 min or until golden brown. Remove and place on plate. Add salt and pepper to taste.