Vegetarian Chili with Corn Bread Muffins

Chili is most definitely not a meal I’ve ever been used to having growing up in my household… Once again, it’s one of those dishes that my mom doesn’t really enjoy thus never bothered making it for us. I guess I’m looking to rebel because I try to make dishes like these just to prove her wrong about what qualifies as a good meal and what doesn’t. I have to say: this chili was actually pretty good and even my brother ate his entire bowl. He didn’t realize there were any vegetables in it I guess… The response I got from my mom for this recipe was very positive so I encourage you to all try this one! She says, and I quote: “This was really good. I would never order it in a restaurant and so long as you never make it again, I enjoyed it.” I have NO IDEA what that means, but in her words, that’s very positive!

Ingredients for the Chili:

1 Tbsp of Vegetable Oil

1 Cup of Chopped Celery

1 Pepper (yellow is always my go-to colour)

1 Yellow Onion (chopped)

2-3 Cloves of Garlic (minced)

1 Can Diced Tomatoes

1 Can of Vegetarian Spicy Chili (I used an organic tofu can from Whole Foods, nobody noticed)

1 Can of Kidney Beans

1 Can of Black Beans

1 Tbsp of Cumin

1 Tbsp of Chili Powder

1 Tsp of Red Pepper Flakes

Green Onion

In a Dutch oven, or beautiful Le Creuset pot, heat the oil on medium high heat. Cook the celery, onion, pepper and garlic for 3 minutes.

Stir in the remaining ingredients. Bring to a boil, and reduce heat. Simmer for an hour. Sprinkle with grated cheese, sliced green onion and sour cream (we didn’t have any!) and enjoy.

Ingredients for the Cornbread:

1 Cup of Flour

1 ½ Cup of Cornmeal

2 Tsp of Baking Powder

½ Tsp of Baking soda

½ Tsp of Salt

1/4 Tsp of Pepper

1 ¼ Cup of Milk

1 Egg

4 Tbsp of Butter (melted)

In a small bowl, combine the dry ingredients. In a larger bowl, whisk the egg, butter and milk. Mix the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients and stir until combined, and dough-like. Fill a greased muffin pan (12 regular sized muffins, 24 minis) ¾ full and bake in a 400-degree oven for 15 minutes. The muffins should be golden on the top. Serve warm (always with butter) as a side for the vegetarian chili.

Bon Appétit!

Bacon-wrapped Meatloaf

I have a confession to make: before tasting this meal, I’d never in my life had meatloaf. I’ve always been curious about the taste and texture, and didn’t really know what I was getting myself into by making it. To be safe, and make sure I loved it, I followed the meatloaf recipe in The Fanny Farmer Cookbook, and added bacon all around it as an extra precaution. It turns out meatloaf is actually really delicious and I really look forward to eating it again! Making this recipe was also the first time I ever used Worcestershire sauce in my cooking. I think I was just afraid of it because of its crazy spelling! The flavours were excellent.

Ingredients:

2 lbs. of lean ground beef

2 cups of breadcrumbs

1 onion, chopped

2 eggs

¼ cup of Mayonnaise

2 tbsp of Worcestershire sauce

1 ½ tsp of Dijon Mustard

1 ½ tsp of Salt

½ tsp of Pepper

¾ cup of Milk

A pack of bacon (you may not need to use the entire pack, and you can also layer slices on top instead of all the way around for a “healthier” alternative!)

Mix all the ingredients in a bowl until well combined. Pre-heat the oven to 350-degrees. Line a loaf pan with strips of bacon, making sure each strip started on alternate sides of the loaf pan edges (so they can be wrapped all the way around). Once the bacon is placed, pat the meat mixture into the loaf pan evenly, and tightly wrap the bacon around the top, tucking it into the opposing edge. Bake for 45 minutes in the 350-degree oven, and then raise the temperature to 400-degrees for 10 minutes to brown the bacon a bit more. Let it cool a few minutes before slicing; serve with mashed potatoes and gravy.

(Side-note: Place the loaf pan on a cookie sheet to avoid having to clean your oven... Bacon makes a mess)

Bon Appétit!

Mexican Quinoa and Black Bean Salad

When I made this super simple salad, I knew I would like it… I knew my sister would like it… and even maybe my dad too but I really didn’t expect my mom or brother to even taste it (they both hate cilantro! I know, tragic) but surprisingly enough, everybody loved this salad. It’s completely different than anything I usually make and everybody wanted second helpings! I strongly recommend it if you like all sorts of Mexican flavours in your dishes. Another great thing about this salad is it can be made ahead of time, and stays delicious for a few days.

Ingredients:

I box of Quinoa (225 g)

1 Can of Corn

1 Can of Black beans (rinsed)

¼ Cup of Green Onions (sliced)

1 Yellow Pepper (chopped)

½ Cup of Cilantro (chopped)

6 Tbsp of Lime Juice

2 Tbsp of Red Wine Vinegar

1/3 Cup of Vegetable Oil

1 Tsp of Cumin

1 Tsp of Salt

1 Tsp of Red Pepper Flakes

A dash of Hot Sauce

1. Cook the quinoa according to instructions on the box (225 grams of Quinoa in 2 ½ cups of boiling salted water, reduce heat and cook 15 minutes, or until all liquid is absorbed).

2. In a large bowl, stir in quinoa, black beans, yellow pepper, corn, green onions, green onion, and the cilantro.

3. In a small glass or bowl, mix the oil, vinegar, lime juice, salt, cumin and red pepper flakes until combined.

4. Stir dressing into the quinoa bowl and serve at room temperature. (If the quinoa is still a bit warm, the salad is delicious). Sprinkle with hot sauce and enjoy.

Bon Appétit!

Fried Rice

When there is nothing left in the fridge but two slices of ham, no cheese, no bread, no pasta... I am forced to turn to rice (always my last resort). My sister asked for it, so I tried my hand at Chinese fried rice. It should not, under any circumstance be considered authentic Chinese Food because I literally emptied the fridge into this dish and used the only sauce I could find. It actually turned out really tasty! So I recommend making my version, because if I ate it, it couldn't have been that terrible as I don't like rice to begin with...

Ingredients

3 cups of cooked rice (leftover rice is perfect)

2 green onions, chopped

2 eggs, lightly beaten

Some leftover veggies (I used chopped yellow peppers)

4 Tbsp of Canola Oil

3 Tbsp of Stir-fry sauce (I didn’t have any soya sauce)

2 deli ham slices

Salt and Pepper

Heat the oil in a wok on medium heat. Add the eggs and green onions and scramble until it is no longer creamy. Stir in the leftover veggies, and ham.

Once the ham and veggies are crispy, stir in the rice and raise the heat a bit Stir until the rice is crispier. Lastly, stir in the stir-fry sauce. Add some salt and according to your taste buds.

Serve immediately and enjoy!

Bon Appétit!

Basil Salmon Dinner

This is possibly the first time I’ve ever actually enjoyed a piece of fish that wasn’t deep fried or raw. I have never been a fish person, but I’m finding with every new fish recipe I try, that those taste buds are changing. This meal was absolutely delicious. I served salmon with some salad and a broccoli-pasta casserole on the side. It seemed to be a hit with the entire family, which is always a plus and NEVER a guarantee!

Ingredients For the Salmon dish:

4 or 5 Salmon Steaks

For the marinade:

3 Tbsp of Olive Oil

3 Tbsp of Lemon Juice

1½ Tbsp of Dijon Mustard

1½ Tsp of Dried Basil

2 Large Cloves of garlic, minced

Salt and pepper

Optional:

1 cup of breadcrumbs seasoned with salt and pepper

In a small bowl, mix together the oil, juice, garlic and mustard. The mixture will surely thicken into a very liquid mayonnaise texture. Stir in the basil, salt and pepper.

Put the salmon in a Ziploc bag with the marinade. Make sure all the steaks are evenly coated on the top and on the bottom. Squeeze as much of the air in the bag as possible and store in the fridge for an hour or so.

Once you are ready to eat, place the breadcrumbs in a shallow dish. Gently coat each steak with the breadcrumbs before placing them in a pan on medium-high heat for 3-4 minutes, until golden on the outside, and flaky on the inside.

Ingredients for the Vinaigrette:

This recipe is a variation of the typical Balsamic dressing we ALWAYS have on hand. I always make it in a glass jam jar, because it’s easier to mix the ingredients together while the lid is screwed on. I'd also like to add that since the ripe old age of twelve, making vinaigrette has been my responsibility in our household because nobody else can quite get it to behave the way I do.

2 Tbsp of Dijon Mustard,

6 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinegar

½ cup of Olive oil

1 Tsp of dried basil

1 clove of garlic, minced.

In a jam jar, mix the balsamic vinegar and the mustard until they form a uniform colour (no more mustard chunks sticking to the sides or underneath). Add the basic and garlic, mix again. If the mixture looks thick, add some more vinegar. I always eyeball the amount I put in… If you plan on filling the jam jar completely, I aim for ¼ balsamic and ¾ oil. Once the basil and garlic has been added and you are pleased with the liquid consistency, add the olive oil in 2 or more parts, viciously shaking the jar between parts to break those fat molecules and thicken the vinaigrette.

The dressing should have a thicker consistency once the oil has been added.

There is no need to refrigerate it if you make it in a glass sealed jar.

The salad it was first used on was a bed of baby spinach with some carrot, cucumber and tomato.

Bon Appetit!