Veggie Pancakes?

When I was staying with John and Chrystal last year, John's mom came to visit. She cooked some really great food. This dish was my attempt to recreate one of her dishes. I didn't even come close but this still tasted pretty good. I will get the real recipe and try again some day but these satisfied my itch for them for now. 

Scrumptious. Salty, savoury, soft and chewy, crispy, and fresh. This dish is a sensory overload.

When this dish was made for me it was done with shrimp.  It was so good but alas, no shrimp in my house at the moment so I went straight up vegetarian.  I'm sure you could put anything in these and they would be tasty but I wanted to keep it kind of simple.  I only used mushrooms, green onions, zucchini and bean sprouts.

Now, this is where I went awry. I could not remember what was in the batter except cornstarch so I basically altered my crepe recipe. One egg, milk, and flour.  I wanted a really loose batter so it would be thin and cook quickly.

Cornstarch gives a really good crisp crunch in batters so it was the star here. I ended up using about two Tbsp because that is what pouffed out of the container and into my bowl. It worked for me.

If I remember correctly these were served with fish sauce and soya sauce. I like heat so I set out chili flakes so I would remember to add them. The fish sauce portion of this dish might have been mixed with something else. I am really not sure. My memory is my weakness.

To test my batter I fried a bit in some hot oil. It was sure crispy. I thought it would do.

Time to get cracking. Add oil to your very hot wok, throw in your veggies. Cook stirring constantly until they start to soften.

Pour your batter right on top. Shake and tilt the wok so all the 'raw' batter from the middle goes to the edges to be cooked. It will form a big crepe looking pancake thing. Very technical.

Now the hard part, flip that whole thing before it burns without it falling apart. Cook the other side for a minute or so, checking often to be sure the bottom is not burning. Partially remove from the heat if your pancake is cooking too quickly.

Turn it out onto a plate and eat immediately. This was really fun to cook because I stopped to eat every one while it was hot. While it is still hot, splash soya sauce, fish sauce, and chilis on top then eat and enjoy. Add more sauce as required.

Because I was eating every pancake as I was cooking it, I experimented a bit to see if I could improve my technique. I tried batter in first and batter on top. Batter on top was definitely best. Plus, the veggies developed more flavour getting to cook a bit on their own first.

John's mom also made this really wicked curry soup and I still need to get the recipe. I love trying new foods, especially when they are this yummy!

What Do You Do With Stale Bread?

I have been keeping myself busy this week making food for this blog and being sure to take lots of pictures. We also have some random stuff gearing up too. I have signed up for the cat foster program with Mississauga Animal Services. We have our home inspection coming up and will probably have a feline guest soon after.  

We have a fish tank. It's empty, but it's getting ready for fish this coming week.

My sourdough turned out tasty.

And my floor garden in the kitchen is green and growing.  It's too cold yet, but I expect these will end up out on the balcony at some point instead of my floor.  We stole their table for the fish tank.

Look at that garlic shoot!  There is some ginger sprouting along side it. Even the celery is getting crazy. The grasshead got a haircut too.

Now back to bread. I have been making a lot of bread. More than we can eat but we still need fresh bread sooooo what to do with the stale ends? Well I have frozen some for making stuffing and I have made bread crumbs and put those in the freezer. I'm running out of room in my freezer. I have composted way too much.  Finally, I found a couple solutions that don't go in the freezer.  I already made croutons that were great.  I'll be making those again.  

I often make breakfast, even during the week, but I rarely make french toast. Chris is usually the one that makes this dish and I have just left it to him, he's good at it. He is still away in Germany until tomorrow so I figured I would give it my own spin.

I was cooking for just Phoenix and myself so I broke two eggs into a shallow pan.  In this case, a pie dish. I added milk, vanilla, and lots of cinnamon.

I sliced my bread a bit thicker than usual and soaked it in the egg mixture on both sides.

Now onto the breakfast grill or frying pan.  Add a bit of butter if you want.  My grill is non-stick and I didn't add anything.

Cook evenly on both sides. Sprinkle with powdered sugar and drizzle with syrup. It's crisp on the outside, moist inside and sweet all over. It's way more delicious than the slightly dry stale bread it started as.

I am also making a recipe that my friend Sarah sent me that is using up more bread! The recipe called for stove top stuffing, which I don't have, so I made some. It's delicious. My kitchen smells so good right now. I'm liking this! What do you do with stale bread??

Amazing Quinoa Burgers

I have been late joining the Quinoa movement.  I don't have special dietary needs, I'm not gluten intolerant, not vegan or vegetarian or likely to be the first to jump on new health trends.  That being said, I have been trying to find recipes that use quinoa because I enjoy it.  This is one recipe that introduced quinoa to me.  My sister discovered this recipe as a meat substitute and as meat eaters Chris and I enjoyed it and didn't even miss the meat.  These are so versatile, they are flavourful and have a hearty texture that make them sturdy enough to act as a meat patty.

Quinoa cooks sort of like rice, sort of like pasta.  You measure the water and quinoa like with rice but you treat it like pasta.  Use double the amount of water as quinoa and you are golden.  

I used one cup of uncooked quinoa for this recipe.

Two cups of water.

1/2 teaspoon of salt.  Bring to a boil, turn it down and simmer until the germ part of the seed separates a bit and becomes visible.

Set aside to cool.  This calls for eggs and we don't want scrambled eggs in our patties.

Next, gather your ingredients, three eggs will do.  The recipe also calls for cottage cheese but I didn't have any.  I was going to substitute cheddar and mozza but decided I didn't want the extra fat.

Grate some carrot.  Alternately, you can add grated zucchini or a mixture of both.  Really anything goes.  Just make them in small enough pieces they will cook quickly within the patty.

Now this is where you have options.  I followed the recipe as it is found here but you can really personalize this.  Because of the eggs you will need something to hold the patties together.  The recipe calls for flour or rolled oats as a gluten-free alternative.  I have only made these with flour, personally.  Also, we love cumin so we are happy to stick to the recipe there as well.

The recipe calls for green onions but, again, I didn't have green onion so I diced up yellow onion.  That the great thing about cooking, it is very flexible.

Throw everything into a bowl and mix.  I used my stand mixer for this because it it easy and I'm lazy.

Plus, why have awesome appliances if you don't use them??

It should be completely blended, pretty loose and moist.  Add cheese at this point if you want.

Oil a baking pan.  The recipe calls for these to be fried but I like to start them in a pan and finish them in the oven.

Get a 1/2 cup scoop or measuring cup for portion control.

I use my electric breakfast grill here.  Scoop out your patties, they will cook in the shape you set them in so they are pretty forgiving.

Now squish them into patties with the back of the spatula.

Brown well on both sides.  Then, onto the prepared baking pan so they will continue cooking in the oven.  Be sure they get a good crust before you try to flip them or they will come apart.

Bake for about 20 minutes at 375F.  They will be moist inside, a bit crunchy around the edges and firm enough to be treated as a regular burger patty.  These can definitely be finished in the pan instead of in the oven but I like not having to watch them too closely.  I served these with a nice fresh salad and some left over ham warmed up.  They were excellent with ketchup.  The next time I make them I will be mixing up the seasoning to try a different taste.

After supper, I was having a serious sugar craving so I mixed up a mug cookie.  I'll be sharing that recipe tomorrow.  So. Damn. Good. Seriously!

My First Stirfry in a Wok, YIKES!

I have had a wok for years and I have never used it.  I have this idea that only certain things should be cooked in a wok.  Things that I don't usually make.  When I do make things like stirfry I end up just grabbing my biggest frying pan and doing it like I usually do.  This time I was determined to use my wok.  I had a bunch of veggies in the fridge that needed using so it was full steam ahead.

I actually did some research online on the best ways to use a wok and get some recipe ideas.  I learned that you should add oil a bit at a time as you add items to the wok and highest heat is best.  So off I went with this knowledge to conquer my wok.

To start: get everything you are going to be using right at hand.  Cooking on high heat means you have zero time to cut anything or mix anything or look for ANYTHING.  Also, have oil on hand as you will be adding a bit every time you add something new to the wok.  I used canola oil because it has a higher smoking point than olive oil.

I chopped up my veggies into thin, bite-sized pieces and had them separated and ready to go.

I beat two eggs in a bowl.

I wanted a sauce but didn't have any ready made sauces so I looked up a recipe here.  I reduced the recipe to make just enough for this meal instead of extra for the fridge like the recipe makes.  The floaty bits are powdered chicken stock.  I don't buy liquid stock usually.

Time to start frying!  Start by heat up the wok on screaming high heat.

Add in some oil, wait until it smokes (which should happen really quickly if your wok is hot enough) then start to add in your veggies.  Longest cooking veggies should go in first.  You cannot do anything else once you start cooking or it will burn so you need to be here stirring it constantly.  I have to say, it is very satisfying to listen to the sizzle as you move it around.

Add in carrots next.  I tried to get these to be thin so I wouldn't end up with crunchy carrots.

Next goes in the broccoli and cauliflower.  As you add each veggie, push everything away from the center, add oil, add veggie.  Turn the cooked ones over the 'new' ones and start stirring.  This prevents the hot ones from burning by cooling them with the 'new' addition and gets them straight into the hottest part.

Last I added in the peppers because they cook really quickly and get soggy fast, no thanks.  After only a few minutes I added in the sauce.

The sauce will start out looking cloudy but will begin to thicken right away.  It will turn glossy and transparent as the cornstarch gets warm.

Once the veggies were getting close to done I moved them all back to my prep bowl and quickly wiped out the wok to get the eggs going.  Add a bit of oil and pour the eggs in.  I used chop sticks to stir them around so they were more like ribbons than clumps.

Add the veggies back in once the eggs are about half setting up.  I wanted the eggs to be soft and silky and to not over cook or have a chance of burning.  Burned eggs will ruin everything.

Last, I added in some rice I had cooking and finished it all off together.  I love having the rice through the sauce.  If that isn't your thing or you want a more traditional presentation serve the rice on the side.  This would also have been excellent with noodles too.

Time to dish up and dive in.  It was so good!

I have to say I really loved the experience of cooking in a wok.  It was fast, easy, and FUN.  When I staying with Chrystal and John, John's mom visited and made these awesome savory pancakes for us with shrimp and bean sprouts.  I really want to try making them and I will be using my wok.  Stay tuned!

Eggs Benedict ~ My Perfected and Favourite Breakfast

Do you associate food with memories?  Celebrate with food?  Comfort with food?  Feel good and make your favourite meal or commiserate a loss with something comforting?  Of course you do! We all do.

Maybe it isn't the healthiest way to pick a meal but whatever your reason, Eggs Benny is all of these things for me.  It is a very rich meal that I don't eat too often but I can whip it up for any reason or none what so ever.  I almost always have everything I need for it.

Due to necessity, I have been making my Eggs Benny with bacon.  I know this is not the "original" version.  To make it properly you should use Canadian back bacon and to be honest it is the best.  Don't let that stop you from experimenting!  The breakfast and lunch restaurant Cora makes several different kinds of Eggs Benny and everyone I have tried was excellent.

While we were in Germany, I learned it was common to serve Hollandaise sauce on asparagus.  This suited me just fine since I will eat that stuff on anything and I love asparagus.  The problem for me was that the version of the sauce you can buy there doesn't taste the same as the kind I prefer.  I tried to make my own from scratch and while it turned out fine but still didn't taste the way I expected.  My first exposure to Hollandaise sauce comes from International and is still my favourite.

It is a very simple, tasty and most of all forgiving sauce to make.  Don't believe all the hype about it being tricky, the packet version is easy.  You can use 1/2 cup margarine or butter, melted, whisk in the packet and water.  Continue to whisk over medium heat until boiling and thickened.  Turn it down  right away to very low and set aside, mixing every so often.  The reason these sauces can be tricky is because too much heat will cause the sauce to "break".  This is when the oil separates from the rest of the sauce making it look greasy and unappealing.  If you have this happen you can fix it usually just by letting it cool down some.  Whisk it when it has cooled a bit and it will come back together.  Alternately, remove from the heat and add cold water a tablespoon at a time and whisk until the sauce returns to it's rich, creamy, lovely self.  Either way, too much heat with "break" your Hollandaise so watch out for that.

Now the other key ingredients are toasted English muffins (this is also great on bagels), easy enough, and poached eggs.  This is actually the hardest part of this dish for me.  I have finally perfected my method and get perfect soft yolk, non-soggy, poached eggs every time now.  I must confess I have made this using fried eggs due to my frustration at imperfect poached eggs and also being too intimidated to try poaching in the first place.  Persistence and practice have paid off and I have found my sweet spot.

First, I get the bacon in the oven.  I like to bake it for 20-30 minutes at 400F.  This really depends on the bacon so you'll need to watch it.  Thinner slices will obviously take less time than thicker slices.  Turkey bacon, ham, or even omit this step if you want to go vegetarian.  I have had grilled asparagus instead of meat or even smoked salmon.  The possibilities are endless but I prefer bacon/back bacon.

Have your wonderful Hollandaise sauce ready and sitting nearby keeping warm.

Get your English muffins in the toaster.  They don't have to be hot when serving as everything that goes on top will be hot, they just need to be nicely toasted.

I love this toaster.  It has made my breakfast preparation much quicker.  I have mentioned before that my family loves breakfast.  We also toast a lot of breads outside breakky too.

For the poached eggs, get a large shallow pot or deep frying pan.  Fill until there is about three inches of water and bring it to a boil.  There needs to be enough water that you can do all or most of the eggs at once without cooling the water too much.  This will mean everyone can eat at the same time.

Splash in about 1/4 cup of vinegar.

The eggs need the most attention and cook the quickest so I have everything else ready before hand.  I have eggs waiting nearby and a bowl.  I break the eggs into the bowl before they go into the water. Otherwise, I have found the time to break the eggs directly into the water was the right amount of time to burn my knuckles with steam.  Use the bowl, hah.

I also have my strainer spoon on standby.  This is by far the best tool for handling and removing the poached eggs.

I drop the cracked eggs, one at a time, into the water.  There are tricks to swirl the water or whatever to keep the whites together.  If you use vinegar, it sets the whites quicker for you.  Also, not having the water boiling too much will be easier on the eggs too.  I use the bowl and take it right to the water and gently tip the egg straight into the water.  The yolk will go to the bottom and the whites will set up around it.  Drop the next egg away from the first to as not to disturb it.  Keep dropping the eggs in gently until they are all in together.  The water can be at a bit of a rolling boil at this point but you want to keep it just below that, if possible, to keep the eggs from getting moved around by large air bubbles.

I have found that these only take a few minutes total to become soft poached eggs.  I gently wiggle the eggs in the water to check if the white is set.  Obviously, too much wiggle means it's pretty raw still.  Go for your preference here.

Don't they look lovely?  I set them out on paper towel while I assemble the dishes because I hate soggy bread.  This let's the water drain out into the paper towel instead of the English muffin.

Now to assemble.  This will serve one person.  Toasted English muffin and one slice of bacon on each half.

Add a poached egg on each one and top with as much sauce as you like.  I love this sauce and can never get enough but this is a 'reasonable' amount of sauce.  This packet of Hollandaise makes 6 servings but I'm usually only feeding three so I freeze the leftover.  Thaw before reheating and you'll be just fine.

This photo is actually making my mouth water.  I could eat this every single day but that just isn't healthy.

What is your favourite breakfast?  Tell me in the comments below.