A Fresh Start

September is a good month for me - and not just because it's my birthday month. September for me always invokes a sense of new beginnings, hope, and excitement - for a new school year, new season, and chance to settle into routine after summer's inevitable roller coaster. It's when mornings slowly become fresh and crisp again, the summer heat and muggy air dissipates, and I can start pulling out my scarves and layers for fall.

This September I'm planning on living out my fresh start in a number of different ways. I know realistically I probably won't be able to keep all of these things up, but I've decided to just go for it and take the risk of putting all my ideas out there, so here goes! (who knows, maybe I'll hold myself more accountable this way and end up doing more!?)

1. Follow the 30 meals in 30 days plan from Canadian Living (www.canadianliving.com/30meals30days) I'm aiming to take the guesswork out of meal choosing and planning, and challenging us to prepare and eat a few meals out of the comfort zone!

2. Start a 10week running plan with the goal of running a 5km race by the end. Okay, so I've technically already started this in the summer, but it's through work and it's awesome so far - not to mention I get some accountability to keep going in my desire to exercise more. Check it out here: www.teamworldvision.ca

3. Apply to go back to school. Gulp. Yes, I'm going to actually look it up and actually apply and then hopefully take a class in the fall, if I can. I've put it off for a good 2.6 years now, and it's about time I get back on finishing those CHRP courses. Look out college, hear I come!

4. Blog more. Being a good HR Rep, I'm even going to create a SMART goal for this one. I want to blog minimum once per week, for the 4 months of Sept-Dec. Doesn't have to be particular or focused, but just thoughts, put to 'paper', once every 7 days. Not necessarily even about me (not looking to become narcissistic here) but just about what's happening en la casa de merinos - for the record books, ya know?

5. Memorize Bible verses while brushing my teeth. Kind of a specific goal, but one I want to do none the less. I'll start easier, maybe revisiting previously memorized verses I don't totally recall now (thinking Psalm 8, Philippians 2 and "New Normal" verses to start). But I know I can grow a lot more in this discipline, and reading Proverbs has reminded me so much of the need to "Bind them on your hearts always";"Get wisdom, get understanding" and more.

Do you have any September beginnings waiting to be started?
Ready. Set.... GO.

r.

These are my confessions

I am a freak. I remember 1 line from a song I may have heard only a handful of times in my life and it's the first thing that pops into my head when I start to write a blog post. I can mimic-sing it, but can't tell you the name of the song, who sings it, the year it came out or anything other than that 1 line of song. Freak I tell you! (at least my husband is laughing!)

So back to why this post is titled what it is. I confess that I don't have a soup recipe for you today. Yes, that's right - soup week is actually 4 days of soup and 1 facepalm of a post. At least I waited till Friday right? (Or is that worse?)

Part of the reason why I don't have a soup recipe for you is because I cannot find the online recipe for broccoli soup that I based a broccoli spinach "cream" soup on I made a while back. I also can't remember what I did - nor did I write it down (that's where the facepalm comes in). And add to the fact that it's Friday, I'm fairly certain I am getting a cold, and it's hubby's birthday on Sunday (and I still have to get him a card!), it just didn't happen today.

To make it up to you though, here are some pictures of the last few days (think of it like a "Manic Monday but on Friday" post!)

Sushi con Mamá y Papá

My first time cooking a mini hen!

Zebra stripes, on a skirt, that feels like pjs (it's amazing).

what Sandy brought us.

Pretty colours from cooking dinner.

Very yummy half of dinner (we had soup too).

Thanks for reading!!!

r.

 

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Creamy dreamy coconut...soup?

So Thursday is unofficial soup day en la casa Merino. Mostly because we don't go home on Thursdays, so dinner is in the cafeteria at my work (so romantic...*gufaw*). We have small group in West Mississauga on Thursdays, and it would make no sense to go home and then pass by work to go to small group, so we eat at work! And since soup is one of the easiest meals to heat up, and it goes oh so well with toast (my work has both toaster and microwave) it ends being my default for supper on Thursdays.

*disclaimer: we don't always eat at work on Thursdays. We do go out on occasion, but that adds up quickly every week (not to mention it's not much of a date night) so soup it is!

This soup recipe is actually what we had for dinner today! I made it on the weekend and knew I wanted to have it Thursday. It is quite different, and while I'm itching to make some tweaks, I think I will definitely make it again (plus, hubby likes it)!

The best thing: it's made in a slow cooker!!!

Thai Pumpkin Coconut Soup (Canadian Living, Nov 2012)

What You'll Need

• 8 cups peeled and cubed pie pumpkin or winter squash
  
• 1 red onion, chopped chunky
  
• 2 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  
• 3 cloves garlic, chopped
  
• 1 small red chili pepper, diced tiny
  
• 1 can (15oz) coconut milk
  
• 3 cups vegetable broth (or substitute 1 cup water and 2 cups broth)
  
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
  
• 1/2 cup chopped fresh cilantro
  
• 2 tbsp lime juice (about 1 lime worth)
  
• 1 tbsp packed brown sugar

What to Do

1. Combine first five chopped ingredients into slow cooker. Pour coconut milk, vegetable broth and fish sauce over top. Stir once to mix liquids.
   
2. Cover and cook on low for 5-8 hours. I cooked mine for 6 (I have a fairly small size slow cooker) and it was perfect. I'm thinking you're going for quite soft pumpkin pieces, but not to the point where they are disintegrating - have them keep their shape a little to have the fiber thickness.
   
3. Puree soup until smooth. The recipe says to use an immersion blender. I only have a stand up one, so I used that but found that some of those slippery onion pieces got free of the blade, so an immersion blender might be better.
   
4. Add cilantro (which I actually chose not to do...but I think I wish I had), lime juice and brown sugar. Stir together to disolve sugar, and serve hot, or freeze for up to 3-5 months!

Notes: I ended straining out some of my liquid from the soup because I found it was too watery. Now this is because I only got about 4 1/2 - 5 cups of pumpkin out of my pie pumpkin, so I needed less liquid, but I chose to cook it all and then strain it out. This also let me make the soup the consistency that I wanted - i prefer a bit more thick soup, so I strained a good 15-18oz out into a mason jar to save for something later! (not sure what yet...). If you get all 8 cups of pumpkin, you'll probably need all the liquid! But you may want to strain out the chunks to blend and then re-add the coconut broth when you're done blending, to get a smoother texture.

Happy 'cooking'!
r.

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Wishing to be under the Tuscan sun

Today's soup recipe is called Tuscan Bean Soup.

Don't ask me what makes it Tuscan - I just know that it's hearty and good and filling! It also goes well with a crusty piece of bread on the side. And makes me think of Under the Tuscan Sun and wanting to go to Italy and eat and cook and eat some more!

I made this for a girlfriend who's having a baby. I figured that a soup packed full of high-iron veggies was just the ticket...and it's helps that it's a wonderfully freezer-friendly soup! You just need some time for the soup to develop flavour when you cook it.

This soup also gets better with age - kinda like babies, who I think are always more fun when they start to recognize stuff and react. Case in point, check out this video that my co-worker showed me of a baby reacting to dog and cat sounds! My dog-loving hubby would approve!

But back to soup. Or I should say - the recipe for this soup!

Tuscan Bean Soup (The Kitchen Bible)

What You'll Need

• 2 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 onion, diced fairly small
• 2 carrots, peeled and sliced
• 1 leek, pale green and white parts, washed and sliced
• 1 garlic clove, diced
• 3-4 cups chicken or vegetable broth
• 1 28oz can of diced tomataoes (I like to get the kind with italian seasoning for this recipe, but you can just get the plain)
• 1 tbsp of tomato paste
• 1 15oz can of white kidney (cannellini) bean, drained and rinsed
• extra large handful of spinach (2/3 of a bundle), you can use fresh or frozen, roughly chopped
• salt & pepper
• fresh parmesan to serve (optional)

What to Do

1. Heat the oil in a large pot on the stove. Add leek (rinse the dirt out first), onions and carrot, and cook until softened and glistening. Add garlic and cook 1 minute more. Add the broth, tomatoes with the juice from the can, and tomato paste.
2. Mash half the beans with a fork in the bowl. Add them to the pot and bring to a high boil. Reduce to simmer for approximately 30 mins.
3. After 30 mins, add spinach and remaining bean whole. Simmer for another 30 mins.
4. When 30 mins is up, you can cool in containers to freeze (for 3 months) or fridge (for up to 5 days). Or eat right away with parmesan grated on top!

Happy eat and reheating for eating!

r.

 

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Shrimps...!

So...you survived Hurricane Sandy. Me too! I'll be honest I decided somewhere between yesterday and today that I didn't want to waste time worrying about the storm, and so I convinced myself it was mostly hype. It helped that we didn't get too affected (didn't lose power or have to go out after work - correction: we chose not to go out after work, but hey we had a choice! - or get a lot a rain). I think half of the scare was simply the wind. Incredibly glad I don't live in New Jersey or New York though!

Today's recipe is another easy and much loved soup of mine. This soup is my go-to soup if I need to make something quick and/or I have a feeling that a cold is coming on! It is also from Chatelaine; although honestly I rarely buy this magazine (Canadian Living usually has more recipes per magazine and my mom usually has a subscription so I don't have to buy it!) I think I simply struck gold with Chatelaine March 2007!

But seriously, the best thing about this soup is it takes about 15 mins to make - from start to finish. 15 mins for chopping + cooking going straight into eating!

Ginger Scented Shrimp & Mushroom Soup (Chatelaine magazine, March 2007)

What You'll Need

• 1 carton (about 2 cups) sliced mushrooms (assorted varities are okay, but keep them small - no portobellos!)
• 1 tbsp of olive oil
• 1 thumb sized (from your knuckle to your tip of finger) piece of ginger, peeled and diced
• 2 or 3 cups chicken broth (you can substitute 1 cup of chickenbroth for 1 1/2 cups water, as this cuts down on the brothy flavour and lets the ginger come out more)
• 2-3 tbsp white vinegar
• 1 tbsp of soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp of white sugar
• 1/2 tbsp of chili-garlic sauce (if you like it milder, add less; for more heat, add more!)
• 320 g pack of frozen peeled uncooked shrimp
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 green onion in diced small circles
• 1 can of sliced bamboo shoots, drained (optional)

What to Do

1. Slice mushrooms, ginger, green onion. Warm oil in large pot on medium heat. Add mushrooms and stir for 2-3 minutes until they are dark and have shrunk considerably. Prep shrimp (ie. unpeel them!) if necessary.
2. Add broth (and water if necessary) and ginger to pot and turn up heat to bring to boil. As pot is heating, add vinegar, soy sauce, sugar, and chili-garlic sauce. Stir, and then cover and boil for 2-3 minutes on high.
3. Add shrimp to pot and stir, lowering heat to simmer. Cook until shrimp are pink, about 3 mins. Turn off heat and add sesame oil, green onion, and if using, bamboo shoots. Stir and taste. Add more chili-garlic sauce if you want more zing. More soy sauce will downplay the chili-garlic.
4. Serve! (if you want to make to freeze, leave the shrimp out until you want to eat it. Then defrost, add shrimp and reheat to cook shrimp!)

*Once again, short on the pics. But I promise tomorrow's post will have the real deal!

chau,
r.

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Fall for Soups

I don't know about you, but I happen to love autumn as a season. The colours of the leaves, the smell in the mornings of crispness, apples, pumpkins, hot chocolate, and soup. Autumn, without fail, gets me excited to make soups.

Over the years I've tried my fair share of soup recipes; let's just say that living in canada + being cold all the time + experiencing Raynaud's phenomenon + good memories of growing up with soup and buns on sundays (all you dutch folk know what i'm talking about) = soup as comfort food. I love soups; and I do not discriminate between kinds of soups either - I'll try pretty much about any kind of soup (except pea soup...*shiver).

Now with soup being a comfort food, I'm definitely more into a hearty soup; something that's gonna fill you and make your belly full of goodness and warmth. We're talking about soups that equal meals!

This past week I've been a busy makin' soups! So I've decided this dedicate this week to sharing a couple of my old favourite soup recipes and a few new ones.

Today's recipe is:
Smoky Roasted Potato Chowder (Chatelaine magazine, March 2007)

Now contrary to what the name of the soup is, this is not a chowder soup. It's from a Chatelaine magazine I ended up with a couple of years ago, and subsequently seem to have lost during my last move. Thanks to the internet however, this soup lives on. I don't use the recipe anymore, but it's nice to remember where it came from!



I made this soup for my in-laws last Saturday. They are in the midst of major renovations, and with it being a rainy fall so far, I figured who couldn't do with a nice warm bowl of soup! This soup is always one of the first soups i make every fall. It's nice and thick and creamy without the calories of cream! This year I was short on potatoes so I substituted a few sweet potatoes. It made the soup a bit more watery than I like, but taste was still pretty much the same. I always triple the amount of paprika, but you don't have to...it really depends on your taste!




What You'll Need

• 10 baby red potatoes (or you can substitute 4-5 medium size yukon gold potatoes. You won't necessarily get the same dark red colour, but the taste is still quite comparable. I wouldn't use white potatoes though - they are too dry)
• 2-3 garlic cloves (use 3 if you like garlic. I've made this completely without garlic - I'm not the hugest fan of garlic - but it's nice with 2 cloves peeled and cut in 3 slices each to spread out in the roasting pan for added flavour)
• 1 small-medium red onion, chopped chunky
• 1 lg red pepper, chopped into chunky pieces
• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 tbsp dried oregano
• 1/4 tsp smoked paprika or 1/2 tsp regular paprika (again, I usually spread the amount of 2 tsp of regular paprika on my veggies - a lot more than the original reciepe calls for! - but add what you think based on your like of paprika. If you're not sure, leave it at the original recipe level, and you can always add more)
• sprinkles of salt & pepper
• 2 cups of chicken broth (you can also dilute a bouillion cube into 2 cups of hot water)
• 1 more tsp of paprika (or to taste)

What to Do

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees C. Slice potatoes into thick oval slices and add to roasting pan along with red pepper and red onion. Drizzle olive oil over it and sprinkle with oregano & paprika. Mix everything well with your hands. Place in oven to roast for 40-45 mins.
2. Once the vegetables are done, take them out of the oven, and carefully transfer to a large pot on the stovetop. Pour broth over them, and add about 1 cup of water (or until they are just covered by the liquid). Add salt and pepper. Bring to a boil, then lower to simmer for 10-12 minutes.
3. Carefully transfer 1/2 soup to a blender or food processor and puree until smooth. Place pureed soup in a clean pan. Repeat with remainder. Once complete, add additional tsp of paprika (or you can taste the soup and add what you like). Also add more salt/pepper if you prefer.
4. Serve with garnish of cilantro, or parmesan cheese as the original recipe suggests. Lick the bowl clean! You can also freeze the soup for 3-4 months.

*I forgot to take pictures (because of course your first inclination while cooking is to stop and take a picture of what you're doing!) so this is the best I can give you for the moment. I will improve!

chau!
r.

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An Original

It's been a little long...but we've had a busy month. Thanksgiving (hosted at our house = first time!) and Performance Appraisal season at work has meant a bit of a crazy couple of weeks.

But I'm back now - with an original recipe. Like I actually made it up (I KNOW).

There's nothing like having a very quickly emptying fridge (because I've valiantly decided to do everything I can to not waste food) and a good and hungry stomach (and hubby). What do you do with onions, zucchini, apples and cheese? Make pizza!

 

Apple Zucchini Pizza with Caramelized Onions

First off, I apologize if this doesn't make a whole lot of sense; I've never written a recipe before.

What You'll Need

- pizza dough

- your favourite tomato pizza sauce

- 2 yellow onions, halved and then sliced thinly

- 1 small zucchini

- mozzerella cheese

- parmesan cheese (I really seriously recommend the real stuff; that stuff you buy in a plastic container that stinks is NOT real cheese)

- 1 small Macintosh apple, cut into half slices

- 1 tbsp olive oil

- sprinkle of salt

What to Do

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F (or what your dough recipe calls for)

2. Pour olive oil in a large frying pan on low-medium heat; add sliced onions to pan and stir slowly. To caramelize onions, leave on stove and stir occasionally. Add salt when the onions get shiny. Keep on until onions are nicely browned, about 20-25 mins. Turn off burner and allow onions to slightly cool.

3. While onions are cooking, shred zucchini, squeeze out as much water as you can with your hands and place in strainer to drain; Shred 3/4 of the mozzerella cheese (about 1 cup). Shred remaining mozzerella (1/4 cup) and parmesan cheese into another bowl together.

4. To assemble pizza, spread tomato sauce on dough; sprinkle with 1 cup mozzerella; spread shredded zucchini over cheese, followed by onions and then place apple pieces like they're pepperoni pieces over the top. Sprinkle with mozzerella and parmesan mixture and place in oven for 15 minutes (or 10 if dough is prebaked)

5. Eat!

Bon appetit!

r.

 

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Manic Monday (after a birthday)

Monday can be a bit of a rough day after a three day birthday weekend...but yet it comes. And then you become blessed by the simplest of things.

Singing!

fun with markers (yes, I'm still a kid at heart)

hair long enough to make the smallest of ponytails!!!

sweet potato and kale pizza (recipes for pizzas coming)

and here's a teaser of what the weekend involved...

best b-day present = cirque de soleil

oh yes :)

amor,

r.

 

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Just another manic monday

As the title of this post suggests, I am not a monday person. But I am a person who likes 80's bands that I only know the song lyrics to, and if asked, has to look them up.


I also like knitting, cooking, and long walks on the beach (okay, but seriously who doesn't like being on the beach for a long time?)

In part because I'm not a Monday person, and also because I like having regular things to do, here is the first Manic Monday photo album (that is, a bunch of pictures to make this monday even better!).

first dinner from the new cookbook!

smoothie with a secret ingredient...or two.

himym reruns... :)

new skirt!!!

r.

ps. It's the Bangles...in case you were wondering.

 

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tacos!

Somewhere in the midst of our summer here in TO I became obsessed with tacos.

Now you have to know that my understanding of the word tacos is not (I repeat not) this:

Don't get me wrong - Old El Paso is trying their best to north-americanize the taco for the enjoyment of all the masses and while I appreciate the valiancy of their efforts, I cannot stomach their version of tacos. Just can't. Couple this with the fact that my hubby spent 3 years of his childhood living in Mexico, and I have a much better understanding of the traditional Mexican style taco (and that there is not one universal taco, but rather a variety of styles, flavours, and fillings all dependant on where you are and who's cooking). And most importantly, every good taco has a soft warm tortilla wrapping up the goodness you chose to put inside.

Obsessed with tacos, I even made my girlfriends go and eat at a taco food truck during our recent trip to NYC. In all fairness, it was not too far from the place we were staying (and recommended by our library travel book) and they know me well enough to not mess with me when I start talking passionately about something like tacos.

Now unfortunately my pictures of our incredible fish tacos and beef taco were deleted by my stupidity with the camera (another story for another day), but we did manage to get a picture of the outside of the truck later in the trip. We (I speak for all 3 of us) recommend - no, insist - you try them if you're ever in Queens, NYC (30th ave & 33rd street).

The King of Taco: they have everything you'd need in a taco - and the option to add/subtract as  you so desire!

In keeping with the taco obsession, the minute I saw this recipe on farm + house + table, I knew I had to try it. There were too many things in the title for me not to try and make it - not to mention tacos! Many thanks for these wonderful ladies for a very yummy and husband approved easy friday night dinner!

Shrimp Tacos with Apple Cucumber Salsa

You'll need:

• 250g (approx 30-40 individual) uncooked shrimp, peeled & deveined
• breadcrumbs, or unsalted crackers crushed up to resemble breadcrumbs
• salt & pepper to taste
• grapeseed oil (or other non-flavourful oil good for frying)
• corn tortillas
• an apple, diced (I like royal gala as they hold up well)
• 1/2 cucumber, diced
• 1/4 red onion, minced
• 1-3 jalapenos, minced (depending on your preference for heat, pick your # and remember to remove seeds and membranes for less heat)
• cilantro leaves, chopped
• 1 lime
• 1 Tbsp. apple cider vinegar
• 1 tsp of brown sugar
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1-3 tsp chipotle sauce (add tsp depending on your preference of heat)
• 1 avocado

To make (serves 2 people = 3 stuffed tacos each)
 1. Mix apple, cucumber, red onion, jalapeno(s), cilantro together in a bowl. Add juice of lime, apple cider vinegar, and brown sugar to the bowl and stir it all together. Add more vinegar or juice of lime if you want it more cured. Set aside.
 2. Add sour cream with chipotle sauce in separate bowl. Keep in fridge until assembly.
 3. Heat grapeseed oil in small skillet/frying pan. On a clean plate spread breadcrumbs/mashed up crackers and add salt and pepper to taste. Coat 1/2 shrimp in the mix until they are good and covered and then place gently in hot oil. The shrimp will sizzle, so make sure you're wearing an apron! If the oil is jumping out of the pan at you, turn down the burner a little. Cook quickly (you may have to turn them once) until just pink with slightly browned flecks of mashed cracker/breadcrumbs. Transfer to paper towel to cool. Repeat with second half of shrimp.
 4. Mash avocado in a bowl with the bit of juice from the lime. (I like to do this right before assembly time, so the avocado won't oxidize while I'm cooking the shrimp)

To assemble - warm your tortillas in another frying pan as you are assembling (wait until they bubble up a little - that means it's good and warm, but not toasted...unless you prefer that. Don't forget to flip them!). Place some of the mashed avocado down the centre of the tortilla, add 5-6 shrimps on top. Spoon the salsa on top of the shrimp, and then, as you curl the tortilla up, add a bit of the chipotle sour cream on top! Repeat with the remaining tortillas, warming the next one as you assemble. Serve immediately.

And that's it! Easy to make, but even easier to eat.

Enjoy!
r.

Holy Toledo!

on Tuesday I ordered the cookbook that the cute video I posted was about (if you haven't seen it, you should).

on Thursday, that cookbook arrived at my doorstep before dinner.

and while I normally don't praise giant money grabbing corporations...Amazon for the WIN!

Now excuse me while I go try not to drool over the latest merino cookbook family addition...

:)
r.