Vacation Book Club

19 May

I know this blog is mostly geared towards my adventures in the kitchen (while omitting the failures of course). Now that I’m on vacation, I am definitely cooking and baking a lot more and I’m also doing another one of my fave hobbies…reading!

I have always been a crazy reader. I loved spending time as a kid in the library and in book stores – I accepted my nerdiness then, and I relish in it now. This pic is a classic example of my reading ways – my friends were partying on the beach in Mykonos, and I can’t put a book down.

I have gotten so engrossed in a few good books these past few weeks – finishing books in a day because I just can’t put the book down (and I don’t have to either!).

Here are the few books I’ve read this past ~~month~~ week:

1) Reconstructing Amelia

This is a book that I just couldn’t put down. The story is fast paced and slightly mysterious as it is about a mother’s journey into her teenage daughter’s life after she apparently committed suicide. Amelia’s real life and death are unraveled as the novel progresses as is her mother’s grief and desire to know the truth.

2) House Girl

I am a big historical fiction fan – and this novel was great. On on hand it is a story of a slave girl in the USA in the 19th century who wants to run away while on the other it is about a young lawyer in NYC who is working on a reparations claim that is attempting to use this slaves story. I always find that a novel that has a great story that can teach me something about the past (in this case slavery) is usually a great read.

3) The Best of Us

When you think of vacation reads, this book is what you think of. It is about 4 adult couples who are vacationing in Jamaica, and how the couples deal with each other and their friends during this trip…while drinking a lot. It’s not smutty like some other easy vacation reads, but it’s definitely a fun book to get through.

I also just stocked my kindle up with 3 more reads for next week! If you have any suggestions of some good books for me (I really read anything), let me know!

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Categories Personal
Author Jennie

Chickpea Soup

16 May

Soup in spring/summer time is always a weird territory. I always crave gazpacho on a hot summer night, but there are also the cool days of spring that sometimes call for a hot bowl of soup too. When I found a few recipes for chickpea soup, I knew it would be a perfect spring soup.

But let me be honest here.

This soup totally freaked me out. I wasn’t sure exactly what it would taste like! I was expected it to be a hot bowl of hummus, and seeing as how I love hummus, that wasn’t such a bad thought. But this soup really doesn’t taste like hummus (I know – how devastating!) The chickpea flavor isn’t overpowering since the garlic, leek and carrots do shine through. And of course, there’s a nice kick to the soup with the added cayenne pepper. Really this soup is a wonderful springtime soup that I will definitely make again.

Chickpea Soup

Ingredients:

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil
1/2 medium onion
2 carrots, diced
1 leek, chopped
3 gloves of garlic, diced
1 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 tsp cumin
2 tsp mustard powder
3 can chickpeas – drained and rinsed
6 cups vegetable (or chicken) broth
Juice of 1 lemon
1 tsp sesame oil
ground cayenne to taste (add as much or as little as you want)

garnish:

finely chopped tomato, cucumber and mint

Directions:

In a large soup pot, heat olive oil over medium heat.
Add the onion, leek and carrots. Sauté for 8-10 minutes, or until the onions are translucent.
Then add the cumin, garlic, mustard powder, salt and pepper and continue to sauté for another 2 minutes.
Stir in chickpeas and broth. Bring to a Boil, and simmer covered for 20 minutes.
Remove from heat and using blender or hand immersion blender (my fave), purée to desired consistency.
Stir in lemon juice, sesame oil, freshly ground pepper and cayenne pepper.
Garnish and serve (and you can add an extra dash of cayenne too before serving on the individual bowls)

Adapted from Canadian Living – The vegetarian Collection

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Categories Recipes, Soup
Author Jennie

Black bean and Chickpea salad

9 May

It’s BBQ season here in Montreal. We have had 2 weeks of the most gorgeous vacation weather – sunshine, warmth and no humidity. Thank goodness for that, since my bangs don’t survive in a humid or rainy climate (they are quite temperamental!)

Seeing as how I am now on holiday, anytime someone says “we’re having a BBQ” I jump at the occasion to go! Obviously I don’t want to show up empty handed, so when it’s on short notice you gotta make do with what you got! This bean salad is one of those recipes that you throw in what you have in your fridge, but it looks great and tastes yummy too! I brought this over, along with jerk chicken and a mango salsa to a friends BBQ the other night and it was really well received (the host even took the leftovers for lunch the next day!)

Blackbean and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients:

1 can (19 oz/540 mL) black beans, drained and rinsed
1 can (19 oz/540 mL) chickpeas, drained and rinsed
2 green onions, sliced (white and green parts)
2 tomatoes, chopped (or 1 cup cherry tomatoes, slices in half)
2 bell peppers, variety of colors – chopped
1 avocado, peeled, pitted and cubed
1 tsp grated lime rind
1/4 cup (50 mL) lime juice
1/4 cup (50 mL) vegetable oil
1 jalapeno pepper, seeded and minced
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp each salt and pepper

Directions:

In large bowl, toss together black beans, chickpeas, onions, tomatoes, peppers and avocado.
In small bowl, whisk together lime rind and juice, oil, jalapeno pepper, garlic, salt and pepper.
Pour over bean mixture and toss to coat.

Adapted from Canadian Living

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Categories Recipes, Vegetarian
Author Jennie

Spiciest of Them All Bloody Ceasar

5 May

Well, the time has finally come, I have completed medical school! It didn’t really hit me that I am DONE with medical school until a recent conversation with someone I haven’t seen in a while. While catching up, I was asked “So what are you up to these days? You’re, like, a chef or something, right?” Without even thinking, my response was 1) to burst out laughing and 2) “No actually, I’m a doctor!”

First, the fact that I’m more known for my cooking and blogging than my medical skills is hilarious! And, IM A DOCTOR. So weird.

Now that I’m off on vacation, I have a lot of free time for my hobbies that took a backseat these past few years. I’m playing tennis, cooking, practicing my photography and generally relaxing. For some, relaxing also entails a glass of wine. My alcoholic drink of choice is a bloody ceasar. I would say I’m a ceasar connoisseur. For most it is a simple brunch drink, but for me it is the ONLY drink. I order it everywhere I go, and I always ask for it “extra spicy”, with an exaggerated ridiculous wink of course. My boyfriend thinks I’m crazy- he may right, I’m crazy for spicy bloody ceasars!

Spiciest Bloody Ceasar

Makes 2 drinks

Ingredients:

For the drink

16 oz. clamato juice
4 oz. vodka
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
Juice of one lemon
2 tbsp olive juice
1 tbsp horseradish
A couple dashes of hot sauce – use more or less to adjust spiciness
Freshly ground pepper

+/- garnish: stalk of celery, olives, gherkin pickles, lemon slices

Directions:

Combine all the ingredients—minus the vodka—in a pitcher. Taste and adjust seasoning to preference.
Run a lemon along the rims of each glass. Then dip each rim in a dish filled with ground pepper.
Fill glasses with ice, pour 2 oz of vodka in each, and finish with the clamato mix. Garnish and enjoy!

Slightly adapted from A Cup Of Jo

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Categories Drinks, Recipes
Author Jennie

Meatball Sliders

17 Mar

If you’ve been following my blog you can likely tell that I’m very big on asian fusion cooking. As much as I love it, I decided that I wanted to venture outside of my comfort zone and start cooking some different meals. It all started with italian themed food which led to me this fantastic meatball slider recipe.

It all started because I was home with not much in the fridge, but lots of cheese! So I decided to make homemade pizza, yahoo! Homemade pizza dough was actually one of the first dishes I posted on this blog over 1 year ago and I used the same recipe.

It was a hit! It was so good that the next night I decided to continue my Italian path into meatball sliders. I have to say – these were incredibly easy to make, SO good, and still good the next day!

I doubled the recipe that I had, and it made 15 meatballs – and you only need one per slider! I ate alot of meatball sliders…alot.

Meatball Sliders

Makes 7-8 sliders

Ingredients:

1 lb extra-lean ground turkey
1/4 cup panko
1/4 cup grated Parmesan
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1/2 tsp oregano
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp pepper
1 large egg
2 TSBP chopped fresh parsley leaves
1 cup marinara sauce, store-bought or homemade
1/2 cup shredded mozzarella
8 slider buns (I used mini onion rolls), toasted, for serving
Basil leaves, for serving

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375 degrees F and line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Set aside.
In a large bowl, combine ground turkey, panko, parmesan, garlic powder, oregano, red pepper flakes, salt & peppers, egg and parsley. Using a wooden spoon, stir until well combined. Roll the mixture into 2-inch meatballs, forming about 8 meatballs.
Place meatballs onto prepared baking sheet and bake for 15 minutes, or until all sides are browned and meatballs are cooked through. Remove from oven.
Preheat oven to broil.
Assemble the slider: place 1 meatball and a spoonful of marinara on the bottom of each bun. Top with mozzarella and place into oven and bake until cheese has melted, about 1-2 minutes.
Top with 1-2 basil leaves and cover with the slider tops.
Serve immediately and enjoy!

Barely adapted from one of my favorite food blogs Damn Delicious

Such a fun and easy dish!!! Hope you like it!

- Jennie