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Gluten-free, low sugar apple muffins (that actually taste good)

Gluten-free, low sugar apple muffins (that actually taste good)

My Dad is not supposed to have sugar or gluten so it’s been challenging finding baked treats he can have that don’t taste terrible. This adaption of Confessions of a Fit Foodie’s Healthy Apple Muffins fit the bill. I used organic Pristine apples (tart cooking 

Miso Pasta with Mushrooms

Miso Pasta with Mushrooms

This sauce is the bomb and you can add whatever you like for veg. I used seafood mushrooms but any kind of mushroom you like will do. Adapted from Easy Miso Pasta and the New York Times version Five-Ingredient Miso Pasta. 16 oz of pasta 

Carrot Raisin Salad

Carrot Raisin Salad

Fantastic and flavourful, this salad is a feast for the eyes and the taste buds. It’s from Feasting At Home’s, Carrot Raisin Salad. The recipe provides different options but this is what we did and it was delicious.

Ingredients

  • 4-5 cups carrots, grated
  • Zest of 1 lime and 1/2 and orange
  • 1 large garlic clove, smashed and finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, peeled and finely minced (a good trick is to peel the ginger, cut it across the grain into rounds about 1/8′ think, cover with parchment paper and give it a good bash with a kitchen mallet. This breaks up any fibres and makes it much easier to chop it up fine).
  • 1/3 cup gold raisins
  • 1/2 cup toasted cashews ( or almonds)
  • 3 green onions, white and green parts sliced fine
  • 1/2 cup cilantro, chopped
  • 1/4 cup olive oil
  • 3 tablespoons fresh lime juice
  • 2 tablespoons, maple syrup
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt and pepper to taste
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground turmeric
  • 1 teaspoon yellow curry powder
  • 1/8 teaspoon cayenne

Method

This couldn’t be easier, put all the ingredients in a bowl and toss well. Let stand at least 15 minutes before serving.

Serves 4-6

Will keep in the fridge for a couple days if there are any leftovers.

Thai Red Rice with Onions and Pecans

Thai Red Rice with Onions and Pecans

This is a recipe based on What to Cook Today’s Thai Red Rice recipe. It’s even better the second day (if there are any left overs) Ingredients 1 cup whole-grain red rice 2 cups water or broth for unsoaked rice OR 1 ½ cups water/broth 

Roasted Garlic and Tomato Soup

Roasted Garlic and Tomato Soup

This roasted garlic and tomato soup is easy and delicious. I stated off looking at Plant You’s Roasted Garlic Tomato Soup and just used what I had on hand (listed below). A little peeling and chopping, roasting time in the oven and some help from 

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

Roasted Cauliflower Soup

My version of roasted cauliflower soup is adapted from the NYT recipe for Roasted Cauliflower and Garlic Soup. This could not be easier to make and it was absolutely delicious! You can make this vegan by using vegetable stock or water instead of chicken stock and replacing the cheddar with something else you like.

Indgredients

  • Large head of cauliflower, cut into 1-inch florets
  • 1 large onion, peeled and quartered
  • 1 full head garlic, top cut off to reveal the cloves
  • ¼ c. olive oil
  • 6 cups chicken or vegetable stock
  • Salt and pepper
  • 1-2 tsp Elote (street corn seasoning). You can DIY your Elote with this recipe from Fork in the Kitchen: DIY 5-Minute Elote Seasoning.
  • Grated old or sharp cheddar for garnish – about 1/2 cup. Shaved Parmesan would also work well.

Method

  1. Preheat the oven to 425 F.
  2. In a large bowl, toss the cauliflower florets and quartered onion with the olive oil, place the veg on a baking pan lined with baker’s parchment, and season generously with salt, pepper and Elote seasoning.
  3. Cut top ¼ inch off the head of garlic to expose the top of the cloves, place on foil, cut side up. Sprinkle with salt and drizzle lightly with oil. Wrap the garlic in the foil and place on the sheet pan with the cauliflower and onion.
  4. Roast until the cauliflower is browned and tender and the onion and garlic are soft and fragrant, 30 to 35 minutes.
  5. Meanwhile, in a large pot, bring 6 cups of chicken or vegetable stock to a simmer over medium (you can use water with a tsp of salt in a pinch).
  6. Reserve about 1 cup of the roasted cauliflower for the topping if you like (I didn’t bother), then add to the pot, including any browned bits on the sheet pan.
  7. Squeeze the roasted garlic cloves from their skins into the pot. Cover and simmer until the cauliflower is very soft, 7 to 10 minutes.
  8. Take the pot off the heat and let it cool 5- 10 minutes before using an immersion blender to purée the soup until smooth. If you don’t have an immersion blender work in small batches using a regular blender or food processor but make sure the soup is cooled a bit more.
  9. If the soup is too thick, add water to taste. If thin, simmer, uncovered, for 5 to 10 minutes to reduce slightly. The soup will also thicken as it cools.
  10. Season to taste with salt and more Elote if you like it.
  11. Serve the soup topped with grated cheddar cheese, a drizzle of olive oil and fresh ground black pepper.

Serves 4-6 people

Ode to Oden

Ode to Oden

My son’s partner made us Oden for New Year’s Day dinner and it was fabulous. I forgot to get her recipe recorded – they were pretty busy getting ready to go to Spain (lucky ducks)…so this recipe is based on Just One Cookbooks’ recipe for 

Jeremy’s Jook (Chicken Congee)

Jeremy’s Jook (Chicken Congee)

The kids’ Grandad Frank made congee whenever he was feeling under the weather. It was always delicious and the epitome of comfort food. I always use to make it in a rice cooker but we were at my folks’ place and they don’t have one. 

Pollo Guisado Dominicano et Moro de habichuelas (savory chicken stew with Dominican rice and red beans)

Pollo Guisado Dominicano et Moro de habichuelas (savory chicken stew with Dominican rice and red beans)

My son Jeremy made this wonderful braised chicken stew based on this recipe https://www.dominicancooking.com/pollo-guisado with a few variations noted. It was delicious and even better the second day (although there was not much left over!).

While I’m at it I want to give a shout out to the lovely folks at Rapidito Latin Market here in Kingston, Ontario. They are my “Go to” for Latino ingredients like the sofrito, canela sugar, cubanela peppers, sazon and adobe seasoning in these recipe. Need a specific type of chili pepper?…they’ve got you covered

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs of chicken drumsticks, bone in, skin on.
  • Juice of 1 lime
  • ½ teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1 small red onions halved and sliced in half moons
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 tablespoon grated garlic, about 4 cloves
  • 1 pouch of sofrito – approx 5-6 tablespoons
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 teaspoon canela sugar (white sure will do in a pinch).
  • 2 cup water
  • 2 green bell, or cubanela (cubanelle) peppers
  • 1 can diced tomatoes with the juice
  • 1 bunch fresh cilantro
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh black pepper
  • Fresh Cilantro and lime for garnish.

Method

Read this for a detailed “how to”: https://www.dominicancooking.com/pollo-guisado

Make sure you let the sugar caramelize over medium-high heat to start. You’ll need a cooking oil with a high smoke point like peanut or corn oil (NOT olive oil) and let the drum sticks get quite brown before you add the rest of the ingredients.

  1. Place the drumsticks in a bowl with a lid and season with lime juice.
  2. Add the oregano, onion, celery, salt, and garlic. Cover and marinate for 30 minutes.
  3. In a heavy bottomed pot heat the oil over medium heat, add sugar, and wait until it browns.
  4. Add the chicken (reserve the marinade for use in a later step) and cook until the meat is well browned.
  5. Add 2 tablespoons of water. Cover and simmer over medium heat for 15 minutes, stirring and adding water as it becomes necessary to prevent it from burning.
  6. Add the vegetables from the marinate as well as cubanelle pepper and the sofrito. Cover, and simmer until the vegetables are cooked through, adding water by the tablespoon and stirring as it becomes necessary.
  7. Add the tomatoes with their juice, and simmer over low to produce a light sauce. The vegetables will be very soft, the sauce is a bit thick, and the chicken fall-off-the-bone tender.
  8. Add fresh cilantro and season to taste with salt and pepper.

Rice and Beans

For the rice: https://mydominicankitchen.com/rice-beans-moro-de-habichuelas/#wprm-recipe-container-6396

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 small red onion, cubed
  • half of a green and/or red bell pepper, cubed, Jeremy used the other half of the cubanella pepper from the stew.
  • 2 cloves of garlic, minced
  •  tablespoon fresh cilantro, chopped
  • 2 tablespoons tomato sauce
  • 2 cubes of chicken bouillon (caldo de pollo) – we used Maggi
  • 1 pack of sazon (culantro y achiote)
  • 1 teaspoon dried oregano
  • 1/2 teaspoon adobo seasoning
  • 1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 can red or pinto beans, with liquid
  • 3 cups water
  • 3 cups long grain rice (arroz)
  • saffron, optional…we didn’t have any but the dish was still great!

Instructions

  • In a large cast iron pot, heat oil over medium heat.
  • Saute onion, pepper, garlic, cilantro, tomato sauce, chicken bouillon cubes, sazon, oregano, adobo and black pepper for about 2-3 minutes until vegetables begin to release their aroma.
  • Add the beans with their liquid and water.
  • When the water begins to boil, add the rice, stirring occasionally to avoid from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
  • Once the rice has soaked up all the water and begins to dry up, lower the heat to low. Cover and let cook for 25 minutes. Then, stir the rice carefully and cover for an additional 5 minutes.
  • Serve warm.
Allyson’s Pan Fried Gyoza (Two Ways)

Allyson’s Pan Fried Gyoza (Two Ways)

This holiday season my son’s girl friend taught us how to make gyoza. They were easily the best gyoza I’ve ever had. While the wrapping does take time, the recipe makes loads that you can freeze for those nights you want a quick dinner (you