What are those green specs?

My daughter came home from school yesterday bragging about how she loves the Sens. Where did this come from? How does she know who the Sens are? From birth we have been brain washing our children that you must be loyal to two sporting teams. 1- the Habs, and 2- Detroit Lions. (FYI, it took my husband 9 years of marriage to finally get me on board with the Lions). Point being how easily can these little minds be influenced by their peers.

This brings me to a request that she made last week. "Mommy, Owen and Gavin's mom make them chocolate chip muffins for a snack". "Inaya you don't like chocolate?" (I know weird, call Maury I need a maternity test). "No mommy, I would like it if you could make me some chocolate chip muffins too." OK.

To me a chocolate chip muffin sounds more like a treat. BUT if you can get some fruit or veggies in there... now we are talking snack.

Here is a great recipe for Chocolate Chip Zucchini Muffins.

You will need:
1 3/4 cups flour (feel free to use a combo regular to whole wheat)
3/4 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp baking powder
1 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp salt
2 large eggs
3/4 cup sugar
1/2 cup vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup finely chopped zucchini ( I used my trusty food processor)
3/4 cup mini chocolate chips (as I explained to Inaya, if you add the mini ones there are actually more pieces of chocolate)
(if you aren't sending these to school you can add about 3/4 cup walnuts)

Whisk the eggs and sugar until smooth, add in the oil and the vanilla until blended. Stir in the dry ingredients. Mix to incorporate.

Stir in the zucchini, chocolate chips and walnuts if your using.

Bake at 350 for about 20-23 minutes for regular muffins, about 15 ish for minis.

The zucchini did not go undetected. I got a "mommy, what are all the green things in here?" after a moment of hesitation trying to figure out if I lie or not I answered "sprinkles!"

Enjoy!

You don't make friends with salad. Or do you?

Any time I serve salad my husband runs around singing "you don't make friends with salad, you don't make friends with salad". To be completely honest it drives me nuts. I know it is one of those things that you love to hate, if I made a salad without that song... well it just wouldn't be a salad.

Speaking of my hubby, I thought I would pass along his favourite salad (asides Caesar which he has been eating all the time lately like some kind of weird pregnancy craving).

It could be eaten as a side, it can be eaten as a meal, you can throw anything in it that is left in the fridge, my kind of salad.

Here is what I threw in;

3/4 cup quinoa, cooked in 1 1/2 c chicken broth

1 can (19 oz) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
a couple of handfuls of cherry tomatoes, cut in 2 
1 English cucumber chopped  
3 green onions, thinly sliced 
1/2 cup chopped walnuts 
1/4 cup chopped fresh mint 
1/3 cup crumbled feta cheese 

Dressing: 
3 tbsp lemon juice 
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil 
2 tsp ground cumin 
3/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

I literately threw all the salad components in a bowl, and mixed up the dressing ingredients in a Tupperware and poured that on top, Served it next to some steak one night, and home made pizza the next!

Enjoy!

Green Chicken and Eggplant Curry

I love Thai food, if I could eat only one food for the rest of my life it would be Thai... that is if there were no more sweets left on earth.  

Here is a super simple, pretty quick, fabulously yummy chicken curry.

You will need:
6 skinless, boneless chicken thighs
1 can (400ml) coconut milk
2 crushed garlic cloves
2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
12 baby egg plants, or one large egg plant
3 green chilies, finely chopped
3 fresh kaffir lime leaves (optional, but they add to the recipe)
salt & pepper
4 tbsp chopped cilantro

First you need to cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Pour the coconut milk into a preheated wok over high heat and bring to a boil.

Add the chicken, garlic, and fish sauce to the wok and return to a boil. Lower the heat and simmer gently for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is just tender.

Remove the chicken from the wok with a slotted spoon, keep warm.

Stir in the curry paste, add eggplants, chilies and lime leaves and simmer for 5 minutes.

Return chicken to the wok and bring to a boil. Season with salt and pepper, then stir in cilantro. transfer to serving plates and garnish with extra lime leaves.

Serve with rice!

Enjoy!

This ain't yo mama's Hummus.

I actually know this isn't my mom's hummus. I don't think had hummus until I was about 18. Pretty sad. Not that my childhood wasn't filled with great food. It was all just pretty standard what I now refer to as "white" food. You know, Roast beef, Mashed Potatoes, Casseroles, Shepard's Pie, and of course Yorkshire pudding.. oh that is my favourite.  That being said I clearly remember going to a Chinese buffet with my family and getting an order of French fries with Cherry sauce... wow how adventurous ;). Truth be told I have come a very long way from my European ancestors in terms of food.

The other day I went to visit with a friend, she also happens to be my mid wife for my latest baby. Anyway she made us lunch, and part of this was this fantastic Edamame hummus type dip. I had to take the recipe, and now I have to share it with you. Now when I think of Edamame, I think of those supper salty pea pods you get at the local Sushi restaurant (I can eat these by the bucket), not some yummy goodness that can be spread or scooped.

Now as usual I will let you know, my kids did NOT eat this. But they are pains in my &*% so who cares, me and my husband loved it, served it with a fresh baguette, some cut up fruit and veggies, and some blue cheese. Yummy lunch!

You will need:

2 Tbsp olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 cup frozen shelled edamame, thawed ( I used Presidents choice)
1 cup frozen petite green peas, thawed
1/3 cup warm water
1/4 cup tahini
3 tbsp olive oil
2 tbsp miso paste ( I omitted this)
1 lemon
1 1/2 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp ground coriander
2 tbsp fresh cilantro, finely minced
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

Start by heating oil and saute-ing the onion and garlic until soft, add the thawed edamame and gentle saute for a couple of minutes.

Transfer mixture to a food processor with thawed peas, warm water, tahini, 3 tbsp olive oil, miso paste, zest of 1/2 lemon, lemon juice, cumin, coriander, and fresh coriander. Puree until smooth.

Give it a try and let me know what you think.