simple potato salad

While my mom and I were out last week, we were reminiscing about a comment that was made about a year ago.

The comment was something along the lines of my mom not thinking about what words were coming-out of her mouth.

Like when she referred to a beautiful sunset by saying "the moon sure looks pretty."

Ummmmm.....

The comment we were laughing about was when we were out one evening and my mom ordered a wine spritzer. Judge all you want, but apparently they making a comeback. Usually when you get served a white wine spritzer, you get a glass with ice and wine, with a small carafe of club soda to add to it.  My mom gets her drink, pours in her club soda and adds a lime, takes a sip. She makes a face. Like a pucker face.

"Whew, that's strong. I think it's a double."

Wait, what?

"No mom, I think you just need to add more club soda. I'm pretty certain there's no such thing as a double wine spritzer. Pretty sure that's just a full glass of wine."

"Oh." And the she laughs.

So while you are enjoying this simple potato salad on a warm summers eve, try having a wine spritzer, a double if you please. Which is just basically ice and wine.

Simple potato salad
[ slightly adapted from the Kitchn ]

2 lbs russet potatoes, scrubbed, peeled and cubed into 2-inch chunks
3/4 cup mayonnaise
1 1/4 teaspoons dry mustard
1 teaspoon prepared yellow mustard
1/2 cup finely chopped celery
1/4 cup chopped green onions
salt & pepper to taste
finely chopped chives for garnish

In a large pot, add the potatoes and cover with cold water. Place pot on stove top and bring to a boil. Boil the potatoes for 20 - 30 minutes, or until potatoes are fork tender. Drain potatoes and add back to pot. Add to the pot mayonnaise, dry mustard, yellow mustard, celery, and green onion. Mash slightly with a potato masher, leaving quite a lot of chunks. If you like a smoother potato salad, mash more. Continue mixing by folding the ingredients with a rubber spatula. Season with salt and pepper, transfer to a large bowl and refrigerate for at least an hour before serving. Serve topped with chives, if desired.

"hamburger" soup

It's supposed to be summer.

It was supposed to start a few weeks ago.

Here in Vancouver, it's STILL RAINING.

To be clear, it rains close to 8 months a year here. Vancouver doesn't get a ton of snow, only on the mountains. It's not the snow barren, igloo palace one might think.

We've had maybe a few days of sunshine, the rest, rain.

Rain, rain, and more rain. I'm swimming in rain over here.

My strawberries are waterlogged. I'm waterlogged.

I made soup. I should not be making soup in June.

I should be eating salad and watermelon, wearing shorts, and working on my tan.

Not drinking tea, baking cookies, and wearing socks.

Anyways, I made hamburger soup, but without the hamburger. I made it with ground turkey. You can also make it with your favourite fake meat product, I like Yves ground round. If you are going to use fake meat, just add it towards the end of cooking.

"Hamburger" soup
[from Jen's mom]

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 pound ground turkey
1 onion, finely chopped
4 carrots, peeled and chopped
3 celery ribs, chopped
1/2 teaspoon dried thyme
1 bay leaf
1 28oz can whole tomatoes
2 cups water
3 cups vegetable broth
1 can tomato soup
8 tablespoons barley


Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat. Add the ground turkey, onion, carrots, and celery, cook until turkey is no longer pink and the onions are translucent, about 10 - 15 minutes. Add the thyme and bay leaf, continue cooking for 1 minute.  Add can whole tomatoes, water, broth, and tomato soup, stir to combine thoroughly. Turn heat to high and bring to a boil. Once boiling, add the barley and turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 45 minutes, or until barley is tender. Season with salt and pepper to taste.

turkey burgers

After 40 straight minutes of Avery crying in her room, exhaustion finally took over and she fell asleep.

I turn to the husband and say, "Let's go downstairs and watch  movies we have on the PVR."

"Nah, let's just go to bed."

"It's 8 o'clock. Isn't that a little early?"

"No, we're parents now. Totally acceptable."

Pausing to think of a response to make him not sound correct I reply, "So what was  our excuse before?"

"We were lazy."

True facts.

By 8:35 pm, we were both in bed. And I have to say, it was glorious.

Of course we didn't sleep through the night, turn down the ridiculous. But it did feel nice to get that head start of sleep.

But before our early night, we enjoyed a warm weather favourite, turkey burgers. It was a balmy 21 degrees C yesterday (that's 69 F for my American friends), so the husband  cleaned up the barbecue and I made burgers.

I don't eat red meat and I encourage the husband not to, so we always have ground turkey in the house as a replacement. I loosely use my mom's recipe for homemade burgers, I just add a whole head of roasted garlic.

The garlic is very prevalent in the burgers, but not so much that it's unenjoyable. But if you are not a garlic fan, first off I'm sorry, second this is not for you.

Turkey burgers
Makes 4 patties.


1 lb lean ground turkey, preferably a 85/15 split
1 head roasted garlic
1 large egg
3 tablespoons fine bread crumbs
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon pepper
dash of worcestershire sauce


In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients and mix with hands until thoroughly combined. Using a spoon would work too, but your hand are much more fun.

Shape mixture into 4 equal sized patties. Place a on hot grill, about 375 - 400 degrees. Cook for 5 minutes, then flip.  Continue cooking for another 5 minutes or until juices run clear and the inside is no longer pink.

Serve on freshly baked kaiser rolls with your favourite toppings. Mine are mustard, pan fried mushrooms, pickles, lettuce and tomato.

twice baked potatoes

We're down to the wire folks.

We take possession of our new house in four days. We're not moving in four days, we have to paint first, but things are getting crazy around here.

Things I've learned while packing;

- Cats love boxes.

- Cats HATE tape guns.

- Nesting and packing go quite well together.

- Don't let your pregnant wife pack the boxes with books.

- Husbands think you only need to pack 3 days before you move.

- This infuriates their A type wives.

- You can accumulate a lot of stuff into a small space.

- Especially when you haven't moved in 5 years, gotten married and are about to have a baby.

- One can accumulate a lot of kitchen items. Giant gingerbread man pan anyone? Soup tureen? Angel food cake slicer?

Even though we're enthralled in packing, we still need to eat. I've tried not to buy a whole bunch of food, simply for the reason I don't want to move it. So I've been making dinner from staples and what's left in the fridge.

Russet potatoes + crispy bacon + cheddar cheese = dinner.

Twice baked potatoes. So simple, so delicious, yet I never make them at home. Why? I have no idea. It always seems like something you eat when you go out to a steakhouse, not something to whip up on a Sunday night. You could even pre-make the potatoes, freeze them and then pop them out for the second baking when the need comes.

The filings are infinitely adaptable, cheese, meat, onions, broccoli, you name it, stuff it.

Twice baked potatoes


3 russet potatoes, scrubbed clean
4 slices bacon, cooked until crispy
1 tablespoon cream cheese
1 tablespoon unsalted butter
3/4 cup shredded cheddar cheese, divided
salt & pepper to taste


Wrap potatoes tightly in foil, bake at 350 for an hour.

Remove from oven, unwrap from foil and let cool for 15 minutes, leave oven on. Meanwhile, chop the bacon slices into small pieces, add to a medium-sized bowl along with 1/2 cup cheddar cheese, cream cheese and the butter. Set aside.

Using a sharp knife, make a lengthwise cut to remove the top 1/4 of each potato. Using a small spoon, gently remove the cooked potato insides and place into the bowl with the cheese and bacon. Make sure not to go all the way into the bottom or sides of the potato, leave about a 1/2-inch of potato along with the skin. It should make a hollow potato boat.  Repeat with each cooked potato.

Place the hollowed out potatoes into a baking dish. Stir and mash together the potato insides along with the cheese and butter until you have a nice, smooth texture. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Spoon the filling back into the hollowed potatoes, packing it down as you go. It will seem like there is more filling than will fit, it's okay to mound it over the top of the potato, just make sure to pack the filling firmly. Top with the remaining 1/4 cup of cheddar cheese.

Bake for 20 minutes, or until cheese is melted and bubbling.

cream of tomato soup

The husband calls me a baking snob. Granted, I know not everyone has the patience for baking that I do, but I don't think I'm a snob.

I think it's because I have a few non-negotiables when it comes to baking and cooking.

- If the recipe involves cake mix, I ain't going near it. I loathe cake mix, with a passion. I know some people like it, they like the simplicity of it, but I'm sorry, everyone should know how to make a cake.

- Don't even get me started with the "skinny" cake recipes. Cake mix + diet pop is not baking.

- I will never use margarine as a butter substitute. Same goes with apple sauce.

- Artificial vanilla is not the same as vanilla extract.

- Always make a recipe once, exactly as written. Subsequent times, it's okay to make changes.

- Cool whip is not real food. Neither is Splenda.

Sure, maybe it sounds unreasonable to some, but to me, these "rules" are what I believe in.

I like whole foods. Like this soup. Who doesn't love cream of tomato soup on a cold day ? I always used the canned stuff, but when I came across this recipe. I needed to make it.

It doesn't use any crazy ingredients, I think the hardest part was blending the soup. Creamy, warm, perfectly spiced with basil, the perfect accompaniment with a grilled cheese.

Cream of tomato soup
[ from the kitchn ]

2 tablespoons unsalted butter
1 small onion, chopped
1 celery stalk, chopped
1 1/2 teaspoons dried basil
pinch of ground cloves
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
One 15 oz can diced tomatoes in puree
pinch of baking soda
2 cups chicken stock, vegetable stock, or water
1 cup milk, or up to 1/2 cup more as needed
tomato paste, if needed


In a large saucepan over medium heat, melt the butter. Add the onion and celery, cook for a few minutes, until veggies are soft. Add the dried basil and cloves, cook until fragrant, about 2 minutes, then add the flour. Stir the flour well, cooking for another 2 minutes. Add the tomatoes, baking soda, and stock.

Bring mixture to a boil and then turn down to a simmer. Simmer for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally. Remove soup from heat and puree using a stick blender, or in batches in a traditional blender. Once pureed to your liking, return to the heat and stir in the milk. Add more milk if the soup seems too thick, and add tomato paste if it needs more tomato flavour.

Season to taste with salt and pepper.

chicken pot pie

Dear April 2012 Jen,

How's it going? It's November 2011 Jen checking in to see what's going on. Wondering if you're getting any sleep, probably not. Silly question.

Wondering if you've had time to make croissants? Probably not. Silly question.

You're probably kicking ass at motherhood right now. For real. Our baby is probably so freaking adorable it makes people turn to stone when they look at her. You're probably making a delicious dinner right now, with the baby peacefully sleeping.

OR you're running around like a crazy woman, haven't washed your hair in 2 weeks, the babe is screaming, and you haven't cooked for DAYS.

Either way, I'm proud of you and I can't wait to be you.

Current me is sometimes lazy, but then sometimes goes on cooking benders where I'll make cookies, chai, calzones, and chicken pot pie in a day. But most times, I'm tired, large, and oddly, full yet hungry all at once.

It's kinda weird, but you already know this because you are in the future.

Love,

You, 6 months ago.

Chicken pot pie

[ adapted from Sweetfineday ]

1 sheet puff pastry, thawed but kept cold in the fridge
2 tablespoons butter
1/2 cup diced onion
1/3 cup diced celery
1/3 cup diced carrots
2 teaspoons finely chopped rosemary or 1 teaspoon dried rosemary
1/2 teaspoon dried sage
2 tablespoons flour
2 cups chicken stock
1 lb cooked chicken, in bite-sized pieces
1/2 cup potato, in 1/4-inch cubes
1/2 cup green peas, frozen or fresh
salt & pepper to taste

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

In a medium saucepan over medium-high heat, melt butter, add onion, celery, and carrots. Cook for several minutes or until onions become translucent. Add the rosemary, sage, sage and flour, stirring constantly and cooking for a few minutes, just to get the flour taste out. Add the stock, stirring well, then add the potato cubes, peas, and chicken. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for about 5 minutes, or until mixture has started to thicken. Season with salt and pepper, remove from heat.

Pour filling into a deep baking dish, or spoon into individual baking pans.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to be just enough to fit over your baking dish. Top the baking dish with the puff pastry, it will probably hang down a little bit, don't worry it will puff back up. Make sure the dough is secure onto the edges of the dish, it will puff up and come loose during baking.

Bake for 25 minutes, or until filling is steaming and the puff pastry is golden brown. Let stand for a few minutes before serving.

calzones

Another day of liquid sunshine in Vancouver, another day for comfort food.

When I told a girlfriend of mine I was making calzones, she said "oh that's a good idea, with the baby coming"

Er, sure. I never thought they would last, but that'd be a good reason too.

I just wanted to eat a pocket full of pizza goodness.

A calzone is basically a double crusted pizza. More dough, which I never will complain about.

The recipe I give will make 6, enough for dinner and leftovers to freeze. To reheat, just pop one in a 350 degree oven for about 15 minutes, or until heated through.

Calzones


1 batch pizza dough, homemade or store bought
1 cup pizza sauce, I cheat and use jarred pasta sauce
2 cups shredded mozzarella
fillings of your choice, I used pepperoni cut into quarters and chopped yellow peppers


Preheat oven to 450 degrees.

On a lightly floured surface, cut your pizza dough into 6 equal pieces. Roll each piece out into a 4 - 5-inch circle.

Cover one half of the circle with pizza sauce, leaving a 1/2-inch border, top with fillings and cheese. Don't put too much in, remember you have to close these at some point.

Take other half of circle and cover the toppings, pinch to seal.

Roll the dough edges closed, either by rolling a tiny section at a time over, or roll the entire thing and press with a fork. Transfer sealed calzones to a baking sheet. Sprinkle a little extra cheese on top, just to be fancy.

Bake for 15 - 20 minutes or until crust is golden brown. Transfer to a wire rack and let cool for 5 minutes before serving. If freezing leftovers, let cool completely before wrapping tightly in plastic wrap. Can be stored for 1 month in the freezer.

hasselback potatoes

Hangry ~  A state of anger and irritability resulting from being hungry.


 Or the every day life of a pregnant woman.

I try to snack as much as possible to prevent myself from turning into the incredible, pregnant, hulk, but when a pregnant woman gets a craving. Watch out.

Mine was potatoes. Roasted potatoes.

Earlier in the week, I had some leftover roasted yukon golds for lunch and that's what started it. I ate my lunch and instantly wanted more.

Right freaking now.

I needed crispy, buttery, salty, garlicky, potatoes. Before I go into a green-inducing rage.

Thank you hasselback potatoes, which is a fancy word for fancy cut potatoes with garlic, butter, and olive  oil.


Hasselback potatoes
[ from Joy the Baker ]

4 large yukon gold potatoes
4 garlic cloves
4 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons olive oil
kosher salt

Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Wash potatoes thoroughly, making sure to scrub the skin. Thinly slice the garlic, set aside.

Slice a thin layer off the bottom of the potatoes, just enough to have them sit without any wobble. Thinly slice the potatoes, but not all the way through, leaving enough on the bottom to still hold the potatoes fairly tight together. Slide garlic slices in between the potato slices, you might need to jam them in, it's okay.

Transfer potatoes to a baking dish, sprinkle each potato generously with salt. Top each potato with one tablespoon of butter and drizzle with olive oil.

Bake for 1 hour, until potatoes are crispy on the outside and soft on the inside. Every 15 minutes during baking, baste the potatoes with the butter/oil mixture, this will ensure a crispy potato.

cheesy corn bake

Fall is about comfort food.

Things that are creamy, warm, gooey, things made into pies. During this time of year, I'm all about things baked in casserole dishes, covered in cheese.

Step in cheesy corn bake.

I came across this recipe back in the height of fresh corn season, but never got around to making it. I regret that. Alot.

When I did finally get around to making it, my god.

It's like macaroni and cheese, but take out the macaroni and put in corn. It can be thrown together with things you probably already have in your pantry, fridge, and freezer, in under 15 minutes. Then bake that delicious blend of cheeses, peppers, and corn for 35 minutes until the top is crunchy and the casserole is bubbling with cheesy, creamy goodness.

I enjoy it tongue burning hot, but the husband ate it the next day cold and liked it even better.

Cheesy corn bake
[ from the kitchn ]

1 green bell pepper, diced
2 tablespoons unsalted butter
3 tablespoons flour
1 cup milk
1 cup grated cheddar cheese
1 oz cream cheese
1 teaspoon salt
pinch of cayenne pepper
4 cups corn, fresh or frozen (if you are using frozen corn, be sure to steam and drain it before using)

Preheat oven to 375 degrees.

Saute the diced pepper in about a teaspoon of olive oil, over medium-high heat for about 3 minutes. Remove from heat, set aside.

In a large saucepan, melt the butter over medium heat. Once the butter is completely melted, whisk in the flour, making sure to combine thoroughly. Continue cooking for about 3 minutes over medium heat until roux starts to turn colour and all the flour has been cooked out. Add milk, stirring constantly until mixture becomes very thick. Remove from heat, add cheddar cheese and cream cheese, stir until smooth. Season with salt and cayenne pepper.

In a large bowl, add corn and diced pepper. Pour the cheese sauce over top and toss well to coat every kernel. Transfer mixture into a casserole dish.

Bake for 35 minutes, or until hot and bubbly. Let stand for about 5 minutes before serving.

spicy veggie chili

I've been off meat lately. I never really ate a lot of it previously, mostly just chicken, but lately I'm just finding that I don't even need or want it at all.

Unfortunately in my current state, everyone and their dog has an opinion about what I should be putting into my body. For example, last week a lady came up to me and told me that I need more iron so I needed to go to butcher and get a small, beef tenderloin and have that at least once a week. I told her, red meat and I don't get along, at all and I'd rather not. She insisted that I just needed just a small piece and not to worry, I wouldn't get ill. Mmmm hmm, I don't want to take the chance, thankyouverymuch.

The husband insists that I don't go for sushi with our family because of cross-contamination with the raw fishes. but he insists that a glass of wine should be okay.

I'm already sick of people's opinions about what I should and should not do, and I have months left.

You don't need meat for protein. Ever heard of beans? The magical fruit? One of the best sources of protein on the planet, seriously, ask any vegan.

The easiest and most common way of getting your fill of beans is chili. Everyone knows how to make chili. Some people love spicy chili. I am one of those people.

For those who might miss meat, the bulgur wheat provides a real nutty flavour, with a texture of meat. Even my beef/bacon/pork/chicken loving husband ate it with pleasure.

Spicy veggie chili
[ from Epicurious ]

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 onion, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cored, seeded and chopped
2 carrots, peeled and thinly sliced
2 large jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced *
1 28oz can crushed tomatoes, with juice
3 cups water
2 15oz cans black beans, rinsed and drained
2 15oz cans kidney beans, rinsed and drained
1/2 cup bulgur
2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
5 garlic cloves, minced
2 tablespoons chili powder
1 1/2 teaspoons ground cumin
1 1/2 teaspoons ground coriander
1/2 teaspoon ground cinnamon

In a large pot over medium-high heat, heat the olive oil. Add the onion, pepper, carrot, and jalapeno, saute until onion is translucent, about 5 minutes. Add the tomatoes, water, black beans, kidney beans, bulgur, vinegar, garlic, and spices. Stir to combine, bring to a boil, then reduce to medium heat and simmer for 30 minutes, stirring frequently. Bulgur should be tender. Ladle into bowls and serve.

baked potato soup

Earlier in the week, went for dinner, with some ladies and their babies.  Some of those ladies and I, went to a movie.

Crazy stupid love. You seen it?

There is only one thing that stands out in my mind from that movie.

Ryan Gosling's abs.

Holy mother of freaking jesus, that is amazing. I love the husband dearly with all of my heart, but that ladies (and gents) is, a work of art. God bless Canada.

I needed to share, let's continue with food now.....

Baked potato soup. Easy, quick, delicious, low fat, comforting, husband friendly, loaded with cheese bacon and onions.

I made mine with a handful of ingredients I had at home, nothing weird or out of the ordinary. I used nugget potatoes, but you'd be fine using a red-skinned potato or a russet potato.

Baked potato soup
[ loosely adapted from Cooking Light via Handle the heat]

10 small to medium-sized nugget potatoes, scrubbed clean
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
3 tablespoons flour
2 cups non-fat milk, divided
1 1/4 cups warm water
salt & pepper to taste

Accompaniments:


4 slices bacon, cooked and chopped
shredded cheddar cheese
sliced green onions

 Place potatoes on several layers of paper towel and microwave, on high, for 10 minutes or until the are tender when pierced with a fork. Note: if you use larger potatoes, pierce them with a fork before microwaving and adjust time accordingly.

Once potatoes are cooked, cut into quarters and let cool. Meanwhile, heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium heat, add onions and garlic and cook until onion is translucent, about 5 - 7 minutes. Stir together the flour and 1/2 cup of milk, until the flour has dissolved into the milk. Add milk/flour mix to the pan, along with the remaining milk and water. Bring to a boil, stirring frequently. Once boiling cook for one minute, turn heat down to low. Add the potatoes and mash them with a fork or a potato masher. Pull out any excess skins, I personally like the skins in the soup, but feel free to take them out. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

Ladle into bowls and top with bacon, cheese and green onions.

Serve with Ryan Gosling's abs crusty bread to your loving husband.

grilled pizza

I'm eating a fistful of carrots right now. Along with crackers and cheese. And water.

I'm a single lady for the next couple of days, the husband is away for work. Which means, I don't really eat "real" meals. 

It's not like I'm not eating anything, but nothing really of substance. Just snack stuff. 

I might get hangry later, so I might eat a salad. Or popcorn.

I'm thinking the latter.

a baker's dozen ~ 3 ingredient tomato sauce + homemade pasta

Today was one of those days.

I spend hours wasting my time with clients who make up the "best" excuses on why they have not paid their bill.

Oh, you just made up your own payment plan? Fantastic.

You ignored the email I sent you back in June? Wonderful.

You think I'm getting meaner from my crazy hormones? Probably, but it would make it better if you paid your bill.

Collecting payments is the worst job on the planet. I hate it. Hate is a strong word, but I really hate it. 


Everyone has those days. Whether it be on the eve of a full moon or like me today, at the end of Ramadan.  When you have one of those days, it's called craposis. It's a scientific term.

bacon, lettuce, avocado + tomato (aka the BLAT)

I'm kind of in a baking/cooking funk.

I think everyone, at some point in time gets into one. I've bookmarked tons of recipes, bought delicious, local ingredients, like strawberries. but instead of making a pie, I just eat them. By the bucketful.

I have a theory that my funk has come just as summer has started in Vancouver. After the crappiest June ever, we finally have gotten some heat and sunshine. I just want to sit on patios, drinking lemonade, soaking in the sun, warming my skin, soothing my soul with warmth.

The problem is I need to eat at some point. The husband doesn't think it's acceptable to eat strawberries and lemonade for dinner.

Sigh....

So, other than grilled burgers, we've been eating alot of sandwiches. Especially bacon, lettuce, avocado and tomato sandwiches. Otherwise known as a "BLAT". The husband loves it because he thinks bacon should be it's own food group and I like it cause it's easy.

Since everyone knows how to make a sandwich (or we'd like to hope so), I won't give a formal recipe, just a run through of what to do. And go.

Pan fry 4 slices of bacon until crispy. Hide from fat husband fingers.

Take a loaf of your favourite organic bread or buns, the more creative name the better. Slice 4 slices.

Slice a juicy, red tomato into slices. I like lots of tomato, so I cut lots. Also cut open an avocado, if you're making 2 sandwiches, you should only need one, and cut into slices.

Spread some mayo on one slice of the husbands bread, none on mine, then place the avocado slices on the opposing slice of bread, top with tomato slices, a slice of provolone cheese, leaves of romaine lettuce and 2 slices of bacon.

Secure the sandwich with toothpicks and slice in half. Serve with your favourite rice and adzuki bean chips and lots of lemonade.