Cooking with Alison

Posts Tagged ‘recipes’

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My Detox Diet Challenge and Recipes – Day 7

In Random on May 7, 2011 at am

I have now completed the first week of my month long detox challenge.  (See the Day 1 post here.  See the Day 15 post here.  See the final post here.)  That means I have not had any dairy, gluten, refined sugar, soy, caffeine or alcohol.  I know it’s only been a week, but I’m surprised by how mild, how manageable, and how infrequent my cravings have been.  I mostly craved sugar in the first few days, but that’s probably because it rained all week and I wasn’t allowed caffeine. In fact, I feel less hungry during the day and am consequently, consuming fewer calories.  I do, however, miss the convenience of 1. not having to think about my food, and 2.  being able to snack on anything that’s available when I’m hungry. With any dietary restriction, meals and snacks need to be planned ahead of time.  That means that both grocery shopping and cooking need to be done at least a day in advance.

Update:  Late night, Day 6, I cheated.  😦  I had planned to avoid restaurants for the month of May, but I ended up in a bar with friends when the night’s plans suddenly changed on me.  I had a beer and about 2/3 of a pound of wings.  The next morning, I was challenged with all sorts of food cravings that I was luckily able to resist.

So far, I’m very happy that I took on this detox challenge.  (See below for the health benefits that I’ve seen so far.)  My dog is even happier about my detox diet, because I feel safe sharing my homemade almond milk and gluten-free waffles and bread with him.

The Foods I’ve Been Eating and Their Recipes

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Candied Tamarind

In Asian Desserts on May 5, 2011 at pm

I’ve used tamarind paste for southeast Asian and Indian cooking.  (See more info on cooking with tamarind here.)  I like its unique, tart taste and, although I try periodically, it is too strong and too sour [for my taste] to eat raw.  So when I discovered candied whole tamarind (sold as “sweet and sour tamarind”), I was very eager to try it.  I love the naturalness of this chewy, not-so-sweet candy, because it only contains 3 ingredients:  tamarind fruit, sugar, and salt.  It’s perfect for people with a lot of food allergies or restrictions.  The acquired taste of the tamarind is subdued in this candy, so it’s a great way to introduce someone to this fruit.  Just be sure not to bite into the rock hard seeds.  Luckily, they are large and easy to spot in this pod-like fruit.  Note that the candied whole tamarind (shell removed) is not the same thing as the more commonly available, chewy balls of tamarind candy that are made with tamarind juice, sugar, and water.  I prefer candied whole tamarind because it is lower in sugar content and processed more naturally.  Unfortunately, it seems to be impossible to find fresh tamarind where I live.  So for now, I’ll resort to buying the store bought candy.

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Favourite Soft and Chewy Sugar Cookies (2 Variations)

In Cookies on April 27, 2011 at pm

I love the texture of these cookies; they’re soft and chewy without being heavy or dense.  They’re the perfect spring or summer cookie; bring them to a picnic, tea party, bbq, or the beach.  I have posted 2 versions of this cookie.  The first one is plain with the option to add a hint of lemon.  This simple sugar cookie is perfect for when you need something in a pinch, because you [probably] already have all of the ingredients on hand.  The second variation (my preference) is a lime and coconut sugar cookie that has a lovely subtle flavour.  Try experimenting with other combinations like orange and cardamom!

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Stuffed Peppers Recipe (For Using Turkey and Stuffing Leftovers)

In Sides and Sauces on April 21, 2011 at am

Whenever I make turkey and stuffing, I deliberately reserve some so that I can make these stuffed peppers.  They are simple, easy to make, relatively healthy, and delicious.  This is an excellent way to use up left overs because the turkey and stuffing get transformed into something completely different.  When my housemate introduced me to this dish, I couldn’t even tell that it had stuffing in it.  Ed and my whole family loved them when I made them over the Christmas holidays, 2010.  The original recipe also suggests using tomatoes or zucchini.  In my opinion, tomatoes are too soft for this dish (the stuffed tomato is in the middle of the photos above).

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Roast Brined Turkey Recipe

In Poultry on April 18, 2011 at am

I brined a turkey for the first time for Christmas dinner, 2010.  Brining a turkey infuses the meat with flavour and moisture.  You can flavour the brine with any herbs and spices that you like.  Although frozen turkeys (that have been thawed out) can be used, I prefer to brine fresh turkeys.

I had originally planned on spending my holidays in flannel pyjamas drinking canned mushroom soup and eating cranberry sauce out of the can.  In bed.  But my favourite people, Ed and Krystal, inspired me to host Christmas.  So I invited the family for a few days and made them two [slightly healthier] traditional holiday feasts.  I’m really glad I did, because the food turned out wonderfully and with my surprise (my “new” dog – a first for our family), it turned out to be the best Christmas ever.

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How to Make Chinese Rice Wine

In Drinks, How-To, Other Asian Foods on April 14, 2011 at am

Cooking with Alison’s Grandma (Part 1 of 4)

We had a family reunion in NYC to celebrate my grandma’s 80th birthday in March, 2011.  While I was there, I asked her to show me how she makes some of the family’s favourite dishes.  This is how she makes Chinese rice wine.  It is surprisingly easy to make!

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Chinese Steamed Pork Belly with Muy Choi

In Meat and Eggs on March 30, 2011 at am

I remember the first time I tried this dish.  It was at Magic Wok Restaurant in Markham, ON and my family liked it so much that for a long time after that, we ordered two of them every time we went.  The sauce and muy choi are a combination of salty, sour, and sweet flavours that are delicious on plain white rice.  The meat is tender from a multi-step cooking process.  But the best part is the rind.  The fat gets broken down into a soft and slightly gummy texture.  Since most of the fat has been boiled and steamed out of the rind, you get all of the deliciousness without the grease.  If you make this a day in advance, you can remove even more fat after it chills through in the refrigerator.

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Favourite Butter Chicken Recipe

In Indian on March 19, 2011 at am

Depending on the region of India, the restaurant, and the cook, the ingredients used in “butter chicken” curry vary significantly.  This is my recipe for what I believe to be traditional butter chicken (a mild, tomato-based curry).  I researched countless recipes and tested several before creating this one.  Personally, I love it and when I made this for Krystal and Ed, they repeatedly told me how delicious it is.  So I think you’ll like it too, even if it’s not how your local restaurant makes it.  I highly recommend using the dried fenugreek leaves, because they make a huge difference in this simple dish.

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How to for Indian Spices

In How-To, Indian on March 14, 2011 at am

Indian food uses a lot of different spices and is rich in flavour.  It can be made to be very healthy and there are many great vegetarian and vegan options (with a few minor substitutions).  I enjoy Indian food, but I have always felt that Indian restaurants were overcharging for their food.  My suspicions were confirmed when I started making Indian food at home;  it turns out that many of the popular Indian dishes are ridiculously easy and cost effective to make!  If only I could afford the money and space for a tandoor oven…

If you’ve never cooked Indian food before, don’t be intimidated by the long lists of ingredients, because once you’ve picked up a few spices, the cooking part is easy.  Most of their meat dishes involve slow cooking, but I have created some fast-cook recipes that still taste authentic and won’t take hours to make.  Another great thing about cooking Indian food is that most dishes freeze well, so you can make one large batch of curry at a fraction of the restaurant price, and freeze the leftovers for future meals.

Check out my recipes for Indian food!  You can find them under the Recipe Index, under the Indian category.

Below, I have listed a few simple tips for using Indian spices that will hopefully encourage some of you to try making this cuisine at home.  Please share your tips by posting a comment!

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Delicate Cornmeal Cookies

In Cookies on March 9, 2011 at am

These cookies are delicate, light, and beautiful.  The cornmeal lends a wonderful crisp and crunchy texture.  I like to think that using a bit of cornmeal makes them healthier too.  😉  If you use craisins (see photos below), these would be perfect for the holidays (ie. for entertaining, gifts, cookie exchanges).  I love these cookies and everyone that tried them loved them too.

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Teriyaki Chicken with Bean Sprout Medley (and a teriyaki sauce recipe)

In Meat and Eggs, Sides and Sauces on March 6, 2011 at am

Teriyaki sauce ranges from thick to thin and salty to sweet depending on where you’re getting it from.  This is my favourite teriyaki sauce recipe.  Adjust the consistency and flavouring to your taste.  Serve this with miso soup (recipe here) and Japanese restaurant style salad with miso dressing (recipe here).

Photos above:  Teriyaki sauce used as a marinade (left) and used as a sauce poured over cooked chicken (right).

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Garlic Bread Recipe

In Breads on March 2, 2011 at am

Ed and I love garlic bread.  We ate an entire French baguette (and a stick of butter) in one afternoon the last time I made this.  The simplest (and my favourite) way to make this is to start by making homemade garlic and herb butter.  You can then bake the butter and bread or simply spread the garlic and herb butter onto warm slices of fresh bread (I got that idea from my friend Erin).  You could also make a garlic cheese bread by adding some shredded cheese prior to baking (you will need to increase the baking time by a few minutes).

You could also use this compound (flavoured) butter on grilled steak, or baked or mashed potatoes, etc.

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