All posts by Sonte

Clean Chop Suey – No Fish Sauce here!

Oh, sometimes I just crave Chinese Food. I have long since learned that I can’t eat the stuff in the restaurants due to a long list food insensitivities. Good thing I can cook up my own version of the stuff in my own clean kitchen! I used to own an electric wok but that has long since vacated my appliance storage cupboard; I now just use a large, deep skillet on the stove top.

Clean Chop Suey
Clean Chop Suey

1 Tablespoon Olive Oil
1 Onion, sliced
2 cloves Garlic, mashed
1 teaspoon Ginger Root, grated
2 stalks Celery, thinly sliced on the diagonal
3 Garden Fresh Carrots, scrubbed, thinly sliced on the diagonal
2 stalks Broccoli, cut into reasonable sized chunks
1/2 head of Cauliflower, cut into reasonable sized chunks
1 teaspoon Sesame Oil
1 Tablespoon Soy Sauce
1 McCormick’s Vegetable Stock Cube
1 can (796ml) Bean Sprouts, drained –  can use Fresh Sprouts
1 can (227ml) Sliced Water Chestnuts, drained
1 Tablespoon Water
1 1/2 teaspoon Corn Starch

Cashews or Peanuts, to garnish

In large, deep sided skillet, heat oil over med -high heat.
Add onion and cook for about 3 minutes, stirring frequently.
Add garlic, cook and stir frequently for another minute.
Increase heat to High, add ginger root, celery and carrots; stir frequently.
Add broccoli and cauliflower; stir and cook for a minute.
Drizzle sesame oil and soy sauce over all, stir well and continue cooking.
Add vegetable stock cube, bean sprouts and water chestnuts – mash stock cube onto bottom of pan; cook and stir constantly for a few minutes.
Quickly combine the Tablespoon of cold water and the cornstarch in a small bowl; add to skillet and stir continually until liquid thickens and goes clear.

Sprinkle with blanched, unsalted cashews or peanuts.

Serves 6

Key to cooking Chop Suey is to have all the ingredients prepared and ready to hit the pan!
Key to cooking Chop Suey is to have all the ingredients prepared and ready to hit the pan!

 

 

 

 

Peanut Butter Dog Biscuits

My husband bought a whack of dog treats last week as our puppy, Samwise had his first night of training lessons. Samwise is like a garbage bin and will eat just about anything!  However, Bear, his 3 year old brother, turned his nose up at all three packets of treats. We can’t have one dog getting treats and not the other so I headed to the kitchen to make Bear his own special treats…of course he is a good dog and he DOES share with his lil brother.
I do have another favourite recipe that I use but I felt a need for change; googled peanut butter dog treats and came up with this recipe from Crazycrumb.com . I liked this recipe a bit better than my old one because the dough is easier to handle and the biscuits don’t crumble so much when you break them into bite size pieces.

dog biscuits
Our dogs love Peanut Butter! These Peanut Butter Biscuits are perfect for them

1 Egg, beaten
1/2 cup Peanut Butter
2 Tablespoons Bacon Fat
1 cup Mozzarella Cheese
2 cups Flour
3/4 cup Water

Preheat oven to 325F.
Line two baking trays with parchment paper.

In mixing bowl, combine egg, peanut butter, bacon fat, water,  and mozza cheese.
Stir in flour, a little at a time and continue stirring until a soft dough forms – you may have to use your hands to aid this process.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface and gather into a ball; knead a few times until smooth and uniform.
Roll out to 1/4″ thickness and use cookie cutter to cut into shapes.
Gather scraps and gently knead into a ball, flatten into a disc and re roll the dough, cut more biscuits. Try not to use too much flour on your work surface.
Place biscuits on prepared baking trays and bake for 30 – 35 minutes, until golden brown.
Remove from oven and transfer to wire rack to cool completely.

Yield:  About 3 dozen biscuits

 

 

Cheater Pizza

Whenever Rising Crust Four Cheese Pizzas are on sale I grab a few and keep them in the freezer for the nights we are craving Take Out Pizza. Sometimes it is Delmonte Pizzas, sometimes Western Family – I don’t see much of a difference. I have also tried the new thin crust ones and they are fabulous!  I add my own fresh ingredients to jazz it up!

Better than Take Out Pizza
Better than Take Out Pizza

Frozen Four Cheese Pizza
Fresh Spinach, a few handfuls
1 Tomato, seeded and diced
1/4 cup Green Pepper, diced
6 Mushrooms, sliced
1/2 cup fresh Mozzarella Cheese, Feta Cheese or a sprinkle of Fresh Parmesan
1 1/2 teaspoons dried Basil

Heat oven to 425F  with Pizza stone in the oven.

Remove pizza from packaging.
Layer on sliced mushrooms, spinach, green pepper, tomato fresh cheese and dried basil.
Using a Pizza Paddle (or the cardboard disc the pizza came on) slide pizza onto heated pizza stone (or directly onto oven rack)
Bake for 20 – 25 minutes.

Slice and serve!

Scrambled “Eggs” – Tofu

A snowy morning here and felt the need for a hot breakfast that was NOT Oatmeal.
I had half a package of dessert tofu in the fridge and a whole lot of kale…

kale, tofu
Scrambled Tofu with Kale

1/2 package (about 150g)  Sunrise Soft Tofu , drained
1 1/2 teaspoons Butter
3/4 teaspoon Olive Oil and Parmesan Salad Dressing
1/4 teaspoon Tumeric
6 stalks Kale,  spine removed – tear Kale into bite size pieces
Salt and Pepper, to taste

Heat skillet over medium high heat.
Add butter and salad dressing to melt slightly.
Toss in drained tofu and scramble for about 1 minute.
Add turmeric and continue scrambling for another minute or two, until evenly coloured and some of the moisture has been cooked off.
Add kale leaves, cook, stirring frequently, until the kale is wilted.
Season with salt and pepper.
Serve immediately with a few wedges of fresh tomato.

The tofu brand I purchase
The tofu brand I purchase

Scrumptious Dinner Rolls

These are simply the BEST, quick and easy yeast rolls you will ever make. And make them you will, and often, because they are that easy and that incredibly yummy!
Admittedly, I already had a tried-and-true recipe for quick dinner rolls but when these popped up in my Facebook feed I simply had to try them. I have had favourable results with a lot of Kitchen Meets Girl recipes and figured this recipe for 30-Minute Dinner Rolls would be no different.  I was right. I love being right, especially when it comes to food!

The Best Dinner Rolls you will ever have
The Best Dinner Rolls you will ever have

1 cup + 2 Tablespoons Warm Water
1/3 cup Vegetable Oil
2 Tablespoons Active Dry Yeast
3 Tablespoons Sugar
1 teaspoon Salt
1 Egg, at room temperature
3 1/2 cups Flour

Preheat oven to 400F.
Lightly spray a 9X13″ pan with vegetable oil spray.

In mixing bowl combine warm water, oil, yeast and sugar.
Allow to rest for 15 minutes.
Using the dough hook, stir in 2 cups of the flour, salt, egg into the yeast mixture.
Add remaining 1 1/2 cups of flour slowly, about 1/2 cup at a time, mixing well after each addition.
On low speed, knead for about 5 minutes.
Turn out onto lightly floured surface, gather into a ball and knead a few times, until smooth and elastic.
Shape dough into 12 evenly shaped balls and place in prepared pan; cover with a clean tea towel and let rest for 10 minutes.
Bake in preheated 400F oven for  about 10 – 12 minutes, or just until the tops are golden brown.
Remove from oven and turn out onto wire rack to cool slightly before serving.

Yield: 12 Dinner Rolls

Oh, and BTW, they are absolutely incredible with Vegemite!

Best Ever Dinner Rolls with Vegemite - Yum!
Best Ever Dinner Rolls with Vegemite – Yum!