Zucchini Cakes

Okay, so here's the deal. I absolutely love zucchini but my kids absolutely hate it. This is a huge problem. They like zucchini bread and will choke down zucchini in stir fries with more than enough complaints. When I found this recipe, I almost didn't try it because I don't enjoy watching my kids suffer while eating dinner. However, at the time I had bowl full of ripe zucchini from the garden that needed immediate consumption. I decided to go for it. It was a hit for my husband and myself and the kids didn't complain. In fact, I think they kind of liked it.

If you're in the same situation with picky eaters or if you just want to try something different, give this recipe a try.

What you'll need

1 large (or 2 medium) zucchini, grated
1 egg
1 cup panko bread crumbs
Salt/pepper to taste
1/2 cup Parmesan cheese, grated (I used kraft cheese this time, but in the future will use freshly grated Parmesan Reggiano...yum)
Chopped oregano and thyme
1 clove of garlic

Make it

Place zucchini in a food processor and grate into small pieces.

Remove excess liquid from freshly grated zucchini by placing them between paper towels and squeezing.
In a large bowl, combine all the ingredients. Mix thoroughly.

Heat a large pan on medium. Heat a teaspoon of coconut oil or butter. Shape spoonfuls of the zucchini batter into 2-inch (diameter) patties. Don't make the patties too thick or they will not cook on the inside. Drop patties onto the hot pan.

Cook each side for about a minute and a half, or until the outside is golden brown.

Finish the cakes off in the oven by placing them on a baking pan and broil for 1-2 minutes.

You can eat them just like this or top them with your choice of sauce. I love sour cream, so we used a small dollop on each patty...yum!

Roasted Duck

As I am writing this post, our Canadian Thanksgiving weekend is coming to an end. Tomorrow we all go back to work and start counting down the weeks until Christmas (well, at least I do). In case you were wondering, there are only 12 weeks until Christmas. Ahhhhh! I have so much to do!

Anyways, today I wanted to share with you something I tried out for the first time ever. Last night, for Thanksgiving, I roasted a duck! I've done turkey and chicken many times and was ready for something different, so when the opportunity presented itself to me to purchase a duck from a local farm, I went for it. I was a little nervous about this venture partly because I was making this meal for a bunch of people (not just my little family) and also because I have heard that duck can be quite greasy and gamy. I really didn't want to mess it up.

I did some research on line and found this great recipe with step by step instructions on how to roast your duck without the greasiness and gaminess. Here is the link...

http://www.thehungrymouse.com/2009/02/11/the-best-way-to-roast-a-duck-hello-crispy-skin/

I am not going to re-write the recipe because I did exactly what the above website tells you to do and the duck turned out great!!! I urge you to try this.

Though I am not typing the recipe here, I have posted pictures of Puddles (yes, our duck had a name) journey to crispiness.

This was after I cut off all excess fat.

The scored duck. I think I cut it a bit too deep, but it turned out just as well.

After one hour in the oven.

After 2 hours in the oven. This is the backside of the bird.

After 3 hours in the oven.

Plated and ready to be eaten. We had much more meat than what is in this picture but we were getting too hungry to spend the time getting ALL the meat off.

Again, I urge you to give this a try. You will be pleasantly surprised by how tasty it is and how easy the process is. Go on, get yourself some duck!

Avocado & Banana Chocolate Pudding

Okay, so I am completely and utterly in love with avocados. In my mind, they go with just about everything. They are great on salads, burgers and sandwiches. They make fantastic guacamole and creamy salad dressing. And now, they make pudding...yes, I said pudding.

 

The best part is how quick and easy this recipe is.

Check this out...

All you need is...

2 ripe avocados

2 bananas

4 tsp. of unsweetened cocoa powder

1 tsp. vanilla

sweetener (optional) - you can use honey, agave nectar or anything you sweeten your food with

What to do...

Cut open the avocados, scoop out all the deliciousness and place it in a food processor.

Add the bananas to the avocados.

Turn on the food processor and mix until it is nice and creamy.

At this point, you could leave it and eat as is.

However, if you love chocolate like I do, continue on with the recipe.

Add the vanilla, cocoa powder and sweetener to the food processor and blend it up until it is evenly distributed. Check the pudding before serving to make sure you have reached a consistency and flavour that you prefer.



You can eat it right away or chill it, covered, in the fridge. I recommend not leaving it in the fridge for too long as a thin skin will start to form on the top.

Now, grab a spoon and dig in!

Almond Milk

Ever wonder how to make your own almond milk? Well, look no further. This is the easiest recipe ever!! All you need are almonds and water.

Most store bought almond milks add sugar, salt, flavouring and preservatives. This recipe will taste a little different because they are without all of those extra ingredients.

Okay, here's what you need to do...

Soak 1 cup of almonds in water overnight.

Make sure you put them in a large bowl and completely cover them with water.

The next day, rinse the almonds with water a few times.

This takes away some of the bitterness that the almonds may have.

Next, put the almonds and about 4 cups of water into a food processor.

Blend them up until the almond pieces are nice and small and the water has turned milky.

To filter the almond pieces out of the milk, I use a hemp sprouting bag, but I'm sure you could use almost anything like cheese cloth or any type of fabric bag.

Place the bag or filtering cloth inside the jar you are planning on storing the milk in.

Pour the milk into the bag. Once the jar has filled up, take the bag out and squeeze the remaining milk out.

You now have fresh, ready to use almond milk.

After the milk has sat in the fridge for a while, the liquid will start to separate, so make sure you give it a little shake before every use.

At this point, you may be wondering what to do with the remaining ground almonds. There are many ways to use these leftovers.

You can dry them and sprinkle them on cereal, yogurt or salads. You could find a cookie recipe that calls for ground almonds. Or, you could make these fantastic crackers as seen in the picture below.

Here's the website to the recipe...

http://www.elanaspantry.com/vegan-almond-pulp-crackers/

Vinyl Bowl

Spring cleaning has begun in our house house this weekend. It's funny how some time off of work + some rainy weather = purging. I love it!

Among our household rejects, I found a pile of old records that were too scratched to play (yes, I own and use a record player). What a waste to just throw them in the garbage. Why not make something fun out of them? How about bowls?

You're going to be surprised as to how simple making a bowl out of an old record is.

First, set the record on an upside down, oven safe bowl. Put the bowl and vinyl in the oven on the lowest temperature possible. I also recommend placing the bowl on a cookie sheet. This merely makes it easier to get the bowl out of the oven when the melting is complete.

Keep an eye on the record as it melts. It only takes a few minutes.

Once the record is drooping onto the bowl, take it out of the oven. Carefully take the record off the bowl using oven mitts. Then, flip the bowl over and put the record inside the bowl.

Place the bowl back into the oven. Wait a minute or two and then try to push the album further down into the bowl until you have transformed the vinyl into a bowl itself.

Once the vinyl is shaped the way you like, take it out and let it cool on the counter, keeping it in the bowl.

Once it is cool, you can use it to hold anything.

Mason Jar Rainbow Cakes

Have you ever made a cake and ended up with a bunch left over that you weren't quite sure what to do with asside from eating it on your own? This is the dilemma that I face whenever I make a cake. This is why I am so excited about the cakes in this post...

Mason Jar Rainbow Cakes!!

First, prepare your favourite cake mix. If you intend to add colours to your mix, pick a white cake. Evenly divide the mix into bowls. The number of bowls you use depends on the amount of colours you decide to use.

Next, add food colouring to your bowls to create different colours. I prefer to use the jell food colouring as I find it creates more vibrant colours compared to liquid food colouring.

Layer the cake mix in mason jars. I filled mine a little too full...try to only fill the jars about half way.

I didn't grease my jars and found they still worked fine, but I have read that you should grease them using a spray before adding the mix.

Bake the cakes on a cookie sheet (in case they overflow) at 350 degrees for approx 35 - 45 minutes. Baking times really depend on the size of the jar and the amount of cake mix in your jars. Just keep an eye on them.

Ice the top of the cake like you would a cupcake and enjoy. Put lids on the leftover jars and put them in the fridge or freezer. I left a jar in the fridge for 2 weeks and it was still great when I ate it.



Chocolate Fudge Peanut Butter Ice Cream

Ever since I purchased an ice cream maker last year, I have been on the hunt for the "perfect" ice cream recipe. I have noticed that many recipes aren't creamy enough or become a chunk of ice once placed in the freezer. This recipe is practically perfect. It is quite rich, but super creamy, chocolatey and peanut buttery. Mmmmm.

What You'll Need

For the Ice Cream

2 cups half-and-half

¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder

½ cup sugar

Pinch of salt

½ cup smooth peanut butter

Fudge (recipe follows)

Peanut Butter Patties (recipe follows)

For the Fudge

½ cup sugar

1/3 cup light corn syrup

½ cup water

6 tablespoons unsweetened cocoa powder

½ teaspoon vanilla

For the Peanut Butter Patties

6 tablespoons of smooth peanut butter

2 tablespoons icing sugar

Make It

Fudge

Whisk together the sugar, corn syrup, water, and cocoa powder in a medium saucepan.

Heat over medium heat, whisking constantly, until the mixture begins to bubble at the edges.

Continue to whisk until it just comes to a low boil.
Cook for 1 minute, whisking frequently.

Remove from the heat, stir in the vanilla, and let cool.

Chill in the refrigerator before using.

Peanut Butter Patties

Mix together the peanut butter and icing sugar in a small bowl.

Line a dinner plate with plastic wrap or parchment paper.

Pinch off small pieces of the peanut butter mixture, and drop them onto the dinner plate.

Once you’ve used all of the mixture, freeze the patties.

Ice Cream

Whisk together the half-and-half, cocoa powder, sugar, and salt in a large saucepan over medium heat.
Heat the mixture, whisking frequently, until it comes to a full, rolling boil (it will start to foam up).
Remove from the heat and whisk in the peanut butter, stirring until thoroughly blended.

Chill mixture thoroughly, then freeze it in your ice cream maker according to the manufacturer’s directions. Fold in the Peanut Butter Patties when it has finished churning.

Just before you remove the ice cream from the machine, spoon some of the Fudge Ripple onto the bottom of the storage container.

As you remove the ice cream from the machine, layer generous spoonfuls of the sauce between layers of ice cream.

Avoid stirring the Fudge, as it will make the ice cream muddy.

Chicken & Dumplings

Does it get any better than homemade chicken & dumplings? I don't think so.

What You'll Need

For the Stew

2 chicken breasts or 3 cups of cubed chicken

I onion, diced

2 large carrots, diced

3 celery stalks, diced

3 medium potatoes, diced

¾ cup flour

4 cups chicken stock

1 cup frozen peas

1 cup frozen corn

1 tsp salt

½ tsp pepper
a few sprinkles of thyme

For the Dumplings
2 cups flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 tsp salt
1 cup milk (I used 2%)
3 Tbsp. butter

Make It

Saute the onions in butter for 5 minutes.

Add the celery and carrots and allow it to sweat for 5 minutes.

Add flour and stir.

Allow the flour to cook for a few minutes.

Add the stock and potatoes and bring to a boil to thicken.

Add salt, pepper and Thyme.

Stir in the chicken, peas and corn.

Once the stew is bubbling and cooked through, you may begin to make the dumplings.

Stir the flour, baking powder, and salt together.

Microwave the milk and butter on high until just warm (do not over-heat), about 1 minute.

Stir the warmed milk mixture into the flour mixture until smooth. 

Drop golf-ball-sized dumplings over the top of the stew, about 1/4 inch apart (you will most likely have about 16-18 dumplings).

Reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the dumplings have doubled in size, 15 to 18 minutes.

Serve.