Thukpa-week 1

1 clove garlic

1 tbsp ginger, fresh

1/2 cup cherry tomatoes, fresh

3 cups chicken thighs boneless and skinless

1 tsp (5 mL) olive oil

6 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1/2 cup carrot(s), minced

1/2 red pepper(s), medium, diced

½ orange pepper, medium diced

1/2 cup green beans, diced

1 8oz can of Bamboo shoots

1 cup of green cabbage

1/2 lb (0.3 kg) rice noodles

1 tsp (5 mL) cumin, ground

1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice, fresh

Salt and pepper to taste

1/4 cup (60 mL) cilantro, fresh, minced

1. Rough cut tomatoes, peel ginger, and garlic. Place in food processor till you form a paste.
2. Add to soup pan with the chicken thighs and cook 3 to 4 mins. Add the chicken broth and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and continue to cook.
3. Cut carrots, peppers and green beans add to pan. Add the bamboo shoots and cabbage. Cover the pot and allow vegetable to soften and chicken cook. 20 to 25 mins.
4. Remove the chicken from the pot, allow to cool and shred.
5. Add dry rice noodles and turn off heat and lemon. Leave 10 minutes until softened. Remove noodles from broth so they do not over-cook. Reserve broth.
6. Season with salt and pepper and serve.

 

 

Cinnamon Apple Pie Bread-week 2

⅓ cup light brown sugar (not packed)

1 teaspoon ground cinnamon

⅔ cup white sugar

½ cup salted butter, softened (or use unsalted and add ¼ tsp salt)

2 eggs

1½ teaspoons vanilla extract

1½ cups all-purpose flour

1¾ teaspoons baking powder

½ cup milk

1 apple, peeled and chopped (I used Granny Smith)

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease and flour a 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

Mix brown sugar and cinnamon together in a mixing bowl and set aside.

Beat white sugar and butter together in a bowl using an electric mixer until smooth and creamy. Beat in eggs, 1 at a time, until incorporated; add vanilla extract and stir until incorporated.

Combine flour and baking powder together in another bowl; stir into creamed butter mixture. Mix milk into batter until smooth.

Pour half the batter into the prepared loaf pan. Next, add half the apples and half the brown sugar-cinnamon mixture. Lightly pat/push apple mixture into batter.

Pour the remaining batter over apple layer; top with remaining apples and add more brown sugar/cinnamon mixture.

Lightly pat/push apples into batter; swirl brown sugar mixture through apples using a finger or spoon (I cleaned my hands and used my finger because it was easier).

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted in the center of the loaf comes out clean, 30 to 40 minutes. Mine took about 35.

 

Tip: If you notice it getting too brown on the top, tent a piece of foil on top.

 

 Buffalo Cauliflower Tacos-week 3

olive oil cooking spray

¾ cup flour

1 cup water

½ teaspoon garlic powder, or to taste

salt and ground black pepper to taste

2 heads cauliflower, cut into bite-size pieces

2 tablespoons butter

½ cup hot pepper sauce (such as Frank’s RedHot®)

1 teaspoon honey

Preheat oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Lightly grease a baking sheet with cooking spray.

Mix flour, water, garlic powder, salt, and pepper together in a bowl using a whisk until batter is smooth and somewhat runny. Add cauliflower to batter and mix until cauliflower is coated; spread onto the baking sheet.  Bake in the preheated oven until lightly browned, 20 to 25 minutes.

Melt butter in a saucepan over medium heat. Remove saucepan from heat and stir hot pepper sauce and honey into butter until smooth. Brush hot sauce mixture over each cauliflower piece, repeating brushing until all the hot sauce mixture is used.

Bake in the oven until cauliflower is browned, about 10 minutes. Remove baking sheet from oven and allow the cauliflower to cool 10 to 15 minutes.

Avocado Crema

2 avocados

1 clove garlic

1/4 cup sour cream (yogurt would work, too)

1/4 cup water

1/2 teaspoon salt

squeeze of lemon or lime

Avocado Crema: Mix all ingredients in a food processor or blender until smooth.

Slaw: Cut up cabbage & carrots and toss the slaw with some of the avocado crema until it’s nice and creamy.

Tacos: Fill each tortilla with slaw, cauliflower, a drizzle of avocado crema.

 

Pumpkin Donuts-week 4

2 cups all-purpose flour

2 tsp baking powder

1 tsp salt

3/4 tsp ground cinnamon

1/4 tsp ground nutmeg

1/4 tsp ground ginger

One 15-ounce can pumpkin puree

3/4 cup granulated sugar

3/4 cup packed light-brown sugar

1/3 cup veg oil

3 large eggs

4 tablespoons (1/2 stick) unsalted butter, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

 

Coating

1/3 cup granulated sugar

3 tablespoons unsalted butter, melted

1 tablespoon cinnamon

 

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Butter 18 doughnut wells (3 6-hole pans. In a mixing bowl whisk together flour, baking powder, salt, cinnamon, nutmeg and ginger for 20 seconds, set aside.

In a separate large mixing bowl, whisk together granulated sugar and brown sugar until well combined (break up clumps of brown sugar with fingertips as necessary. You don’t want any clumps).

Add oil, eggs, pumpkin puree, butter and vanilla extract and using an electric hand mixer, blend until mixture is well blended.

Add dry ingredients to pumpkin mixture and mix with electric mixer until well combined. Spoon or pipe batter into doughnut wells, filling each about 3/4 full (a scant 1/4 cup in each).

Bake in the preheated oven until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean, 13 – 16 minutes. Cool doughnuts slightly.

Meanwhile in a large resealable bag shake together 1/3 cup sugar and 1 tablespoon cinnamon until well combined. Add one warm doughnut to bag at a time, seal and shake with sugar mixture to coat.

Place on wire rack to cool completely. Store in an airtight container.

Chicken and Dumplings-week 5

3 tablespoons butter

2 pounds chicken thighs

2 stalks celery, chopped

3 medium carrots, chopped

1 red onion, finely chopped

3 cloves garlic, finely chopped

1 (14 ounce) can vegetable broth

½ teaspoon paprika

½ cup heavy cream

1 (26 ounce) can condensed cream of chicken soup

1 cup water

1 (8.75 ounce) can sweet corn, drained

Ground black pepper to taste

 

In a large skillet over medium-high heat, melt the butter and cook the chicken thighs until the meat is just cooked through. Remove the chicken pieces from the skillet and allow to cool. Using forks, pull meat from the bones and cut into small pieces or shred. Set aside.

Scrape the chicken drippings from the large skillet into a large stock pot or Dutch oven. Cook the celery, carrots, red onion, and garlic over medium heat until the red onions are soft and transparent. Add the vegetable broth, chicken.  Simmer over medium heat for 12 minutes, then stir in paprika, heavy cream, cream of chicken soup, and water. Heat through, stirring regularly, about 5 minutes. Stir in the sweet corn and ground pepper.

Roll each biscuit into quarters and drop into the chicken stew. Reduce heat to medium-low; stir occasionally until dough is cooked though, forming dumplings at the top of the stew, about 10 minutes.

Vegan Biscuits

1 cup all-purpose flour

1 ½ tablespoons white sugar

½ tablespoon baking powder

¼ teaspoon salt

½ cup coconut milk (such as Coconut Dream®)

¼ cup vegan butter (such as Earth Balance®), melted

 

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C). Line a baking pan with parchment paper

Sift flour into a bowl and add sugar, baking powder, and salt. Mix together. Add coconut milk and vegan butter; mix together gently until combined.

Drop batter by heaping tablespoonful’s onto the prepared pan.

Bake in the preheated oven until sides or tops are golden, 10 to 13 minutes. Let sit for 2 minutes before serving.

 

Pumpkin Whoopee Pies-week 6

18 pies

FOR THE COOKIES

2 cups brown sugar

1 cup vegetable oil

2 eggs

1 ½ cups canned pumpkin

3 cups flour

1 teaspoon baking soda

1 teaspoon baking powder

1 teaspoon salt

1 teaspoon pumpkin pie spice

1 tablespoon cinnamon

1 cup chocolate chips

 

FOR THE FILLING

8 oz cream cheese, softened

½ cup butter, softened

1 cup powdered sugar

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Mix the brown sugar and oil. Add eggs and pumpkin, and mix.  Add flour, baking soda, baking powder, salt, pumpkin pie spice, cinnamon, and mix.

Stir in chocolate chips and scoop (or pipe) 2 tbsp at a time onto a baking sheet. Bake at 350 for 10-15 mins.

Meanwhile beat the cream cheese and butter until smooth.  Mix in powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Spread onto half of the cooled cookies, and top with the other cookie.