Day Number Two

Welcome to day number two of my 30 day blog challenge.  Lucky for you my supper was a success and is definitely worth making again.  I would like to thank instagrammer, fitmencook for the vegetable inspiration.  Tonight's supper was spicy honey mustard chicken drumsticks with a sweet potato hash.  As always if you would like to see pictures of the process follow my instagram, stringbeanela.

Spicy Honey Mustard Drumsticks

1/2 C Honey Mustard Sauce
1 - 1 1/2 tsp Crushed Red Chilies
Dash of turmeric and cayenne pepper
4 Chicken Drumsticks

Mix the chilies, turmeric and cayenne pepper into the honey mustard sauce and separate the sauce into two containers, one that is used for raw chicken and the other that is used for cooked chicken.  Spread the sauce from on of the bowls over the drumsticks and put the drumsticks onto the bbq to cook.  Once cooked brush the drumsticks with sauce from the other bowl (the one for cooked chicken only).  If you don't like saucy drumsticks you can skip this step.

Sweet Potato Hash

1/2 a Red Onion Diced
1 Sweet Potato Diced
1 Purple Sweet Potato Diced
2-3 Broccoli Crowns Chopped
Chopped Cilantro
Pepper
Beef Stock
Cumin
2 Tbsp Coconut oil or 1 Tbsp Olive oil

Put the oil in a pan and heat it up a bit, then add in your red onion and cook it until it starts to look softened.  Add the diced purple sweet potato and put a lid on the pan, cook it until it starts to turn tender.  Put the diced sweet potato into the pan, put the lid back on and allow it to cook until it turns tender.  Finally add in the broccoli crowns for about the last 3-5 minutes, I like my broccoli crisp which is why I save it until the end, if you like yours more cooked I would recommend putting it in when you add the sweet potato to the pan.  Once everything is all cooked season with pepper, beef stock (I know it sounds weird but it adds really good flavour to hash) and cumin.  Top with chopped cilantro and enjoy :).  All in all it takes about 20 minutes for the vegetables to cook from start to finish.

30 Day Challenge

To start my promise off right I am posting my supper tonight along with all the suppers I make for the next 30 days.  Tonight's supper was a healthy margherita pizza drizzled with a balsamic reduction.

Margherita Pizza

1 Rye Crispbread
Handful of chopped basil
Grated mozzarella cheese
Tomato Sauce
1 Garlic clove
1/4-1/3 C balsamic vinegar

Recipe:
The rye crispbread I used was round (about as big as a small pizza) and the brand was Leksands.  For those of you who might not want this or don't know where to find it I have also made this on rice cakes and small plain ryvita or wasa as well as gluten free pizza crust or there is also the option of following the recipe but using a traditional pizza crust.  Out of all of the versions of healthy pizzas (sans wheat flour) I've made this type of crust is by far my favourite.  I have found this rye crispbread at Save on Foods and Superstore for those of you who are Canadians this may help.  Onto the recipe, I took my one garlic clove and cut it in half then rubbed both of the halves cut side down on the crust.  Following that I spread approximately a quarter cup of tomato sauce all over the crust, then topped it with the grated mozzarella cheese approximately 3/4 cup.  (I left the amounts of sauce and cheese up to you since everyone likes different amounts so put on however little or much you want these amounts are just how much I like on my pizza)  Sprinkle the chopped basil over the top and bake in a 350 degree oven for approximately 10 minutes until the cheese is melted and golden then remove from the oven and drizzle with the balsamic reduction. 

Balsamic Reduction
How to make the balsamic reduction, put between 1/4-1/3 cup balsamic vinegar in a pot and put it on medium heat then let it bubble away til it has just begun to thicken then take it off the heat.  Make sure to watch the balsamic as it reduces so that it doesn't reduce too much and burn.  The balsamic only takes between 3-5 minutes to reduce so make sure to watch it.  I always make the balsamic reduction while the pizza is cooking.  Also if you are new to reduction I would recommend keeping the heat a bit lower (medium low) and use a larger amount since it allows more leeway but once it starts reducing it will reduce quickly so the best thing to do is to keep an eye on it.  Once you've mastered the balsamic reduction you will find yourself putting it on everything since it is sweeter than balsamic vinegar and I find it a very universal flavour.  If reducing vinegar seems too daunting to you you can either buy it reduced from the store or just omit it completely from the recipe.  Either way you make this pizza it will be amazing since homemade is always better than store bought.  If you have any questions feel free to ask and don't forget to check out my instagram, stringbeanela to see a picture of the pizza.

A Late Start to the New Year

Hello...  I know it has been awhile, at this point I can't even apologize for not posting anything recently.  How about we wipe the slate clean and start over fresh?  I figured out why I had such a hard time putting up posts before, it's because it would take me so long to get the pictures onto my computer that I was no longer excited about the recipe.  I recently made an investment to rid myself of my archaic dinosaur of a phone and purchase a phone that shall we say brought me up to speed with the rest of the world... Anyway with this phone I have decided that the pictures of my food will go up on instagram so that I don't have to fiddle with importing them and all that jazz and I will just post the recipes on the blog.  Et Voila I have solved all my problems since I won't get complaints from the peanut gallery that there is no pictures and I will still be excited enough about the recipe to want to post it. At this point if you're wondering what my instagram is so that you can see the pictures it is, stringbeanela.  I will get the pictures up onto the blog as well it just probably won't all happen in one evening.  Again I apologize and hopefully this time everyone can get as excited as me about food. :)

Balistic for Bagels

I was sitting, waiting, wishing
You believed in superstition
Then maybe you'd see the signs

This part of the song has been replaying in my head tonight as I have been waiting to hear what I am supposed to be doing.  So I thought what better time then now to give a new recipe to you.  I'm awfully sorry if I make no sense tonight I have a really bad headache so I'm hoping to make it through the post without screwing something up.  Anyways bagels are what have been tickling my fancy lately...  I have been meaning to make them ever since the weather cooled off from the summer so that I could actually rise the dough with the oven and not kill everyone with the heat coming off the oven.  Alas I find myself still with no bagels made so I thought if I centered my post around them I might persuade myself to make them this weekend

Homemade Bagels


1 tbsp active dry yeast

1 tbsp sugar


1 3/4 cups water, warm (100-110F)


4 cups bread flour (not all purpose)


1 tbsp salt


1 egg, for egg wash

Preparation:

In a large bowl (or the bowl of a stand mixer) combine yeast, sugar and water. Let stand for 5 minutes, then stir in flour and salt. Mix dough thoroughly until it comes together in a large ball, pulling away from the sides of the bowl. Add an additional tablespoon of flour or water, if needed.
If kneading by hand, turn dough out onto a lightly floured surface and knead until very smooth and elastic, about 10 minutes. If using a stand mixer, knead dough with the dough hook until elastic, about 8 minutes on a low speed. Place dough in a lightly greased bowl, cover with plastic wrap and let rise for 1 hour, or until doubled in size.

Bring a large pot of water to a gentle boil and preheat the oven to 400F.

When dough has risen, turn the dough out onto a very lightly floured surface and divide into 12 equal pieces (first quarters, then thirds). Shape each piece into a tight ball as illustrated below, pinching the corners together at the bottom of the piece of dough. When all the balls are shaped, let the dough rest for 30 minutes covered with a clean dish towel.

Once dough balls have rested, the bagel shape can be formed. Using your fingers, poke a hole through the center of each dough ball. Stretch out the dough into a ring with your fingers and be sure to make the hole a little larger than you want the finished bagel to have, as it will shrink slightly while the bagel is expanding during the baking process. Let bagels rest for about 10 minutes.

Working four at a time, drop the bagels carefully into the boiling water. Boil for 2 minutes on the first side, then flip and boil for an additional minute. Using a slotted spoon or strainer, transfer bagels to a clean towel to drain for a moment, then place on a parchment-lined baking sheet. Repeat process with remaining bagels.
 Brush boiled bagels with lightly beaten egg (a pastry or bbq brush is a good tool for this) and bake for 20-24 minutes, until golden brown. 
Cool completely on a wire rack.

 Enjoy :)

Foodie much?

Tonight I don't have a recipe for you, although I do have a ton to put up shortly I just have been too busy to do so.  I thought though my blog could use some fresh blood pumping through its veins.  I was checking my email this evening when I realized how much of a food nerd I am...  When you are on the mailing list of a store that sends out the fall collection of henkles cookware, you know that you have made it to those ranks...   Have no fear though since it is fun to be included in such an elite group.  Where something as simple as a beautifully crafted knife can get your heart pumping.  Getting the henkles fall catalogue for me was as exciting as a fashionista getting her monthly copy of vogue.  Anyways enough about my rant if you want to go check out the beauty that I just beheld the link is below;
http://content.yudu.com/A1u17c/FallGourmetGuideEngl/

Have a wonderful night or day wherever your timezone may land you and please come back soon and I will hopefully have something new to tantalize your eyes with :)

Enjoying Endless Summer

What's so great about a nice long Indian summer?  The fact that you can enjoy the summer foods for just a little bit longer.  My absolute favourite summer meal... Pasta salad.  The simplest meal that tastes even better the next day.  I have had many pasta salads in my time but I always come back to my sisters take on it.  Her secret to success?  Pickle juice.  That's it that's all just plain and simple pickle juice mixed into ranch dressing.  First you make your pasta we prefer bow ties (farfalle) or shells (conchiglie) so that they have lots of texture and edges to trap the dressing and smaller pieces of vegetables.  Then we put a whole bunch of cut up vegetables in a bowl, make sure they are cut smaller so there's no complaints from the peanut gallery.  Usually our list includes but is not exclusive to grated carrots, cucumber, onions, pickles (the most important part), tomatoes if you're eating it all the same day otherwise they get watery for the next day, snap peas and anything else that looks delicious in your fridge or may be going bad soon.  Then put the cooked, drained, rinsed pasta in the bowl and mix in your dressing of ranch with pickle juice over top.  The dressing is about the consistency of homemade coleslaw dressing for the right proportion.  This is about halfway between the the consistency of the dressing and water somewhere in there.  Place it in the fridge to chill.  Then the best part! Eating it.  If I am going to eat this salad the next day I always make a little bit extra dressing so i pour some over it right before I eat it and it is ahmazhing!

                             -My most recent pasta baby-

I'm Thankful for Pumpkin

Every year never fail at Christmas and Thanksgiving you can be guaranteed this pie will accompany our spread.  It may possibly be the easiest pie you will ever make requiring nothing more than a blender and a pie plate to make it.  If you are weird like me and don't like crust you get the added bonus of a pie that is crustless.  For all those bakers out there can you guess yet what recipe I am referring to?  Yes it is the Bisquick Impossible Pumpkin Pie recipe.  Now that I've talked it up so much I hope it lives up to expectation.

Bisquick Impossible Pumpkin Pie

Ingredients:

3/4 C          Granulated Sugar

1/2 C          Bisquick

1 (13oz)  Can  Evaporated Milk

2              Eggs

1 (16oz) Can   Pumpkin

1/2 tsp        Nutmeg

1 tsp          Cinnamon

2 tsp          Vanilla

1/4 tsp        Cloves

1/4 tsp        Ginger

2 Tbsp         Butter

Preparation:

Heat oven to 350 degrees Fahrenheit.  Combine all ingredients in blender and blend for one minute until smooth.  If you don't have  blender combine all the ingredients and beat with a hand mixer for two minutes until smooth.  Pour into a greased 9-inch pie pan.  Bake for 50-55 minutes until a knife inserted in the middle comes out clean.

*if you don't have nutmeg, cinnamon, cloves and ginger you can replace it with pumpkin pie spice.