Gougères
2018-05-18 03:11:15
Yields 36
Gougères are essentially French cheese puffs. They are made of a dough called pâte à choux but with a considerable amount of cheese mixed into the dough. They are light, airy and cheesy.
Ingredients
- ½ cup whole milk
- ½ cup water
- 8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, cut into 4 pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 5 large eggs at room temperature (this is important for the dough!)
- 1 ½ cup coarsely grated cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Divide oven into thirds by positioning racks on the top and bottom third. Pre-heat to 425F.
- Line 2 baking sheets with parchment paper
- In a heavy-bottomed medium sauce, bring the milk, water, butter and salt to a rapid boil over high heat
- Add the flour all at one time, lower the heat to medium-low. With a wooden spoon, immediately start stirring energetically. The dough will come together forming a light crust on the bottom of the pan. Keep stirring with energy for an additional minute or two to dry the dough slightly. The dough should now be very smooth.
- Turn the dough into a large bowl and let sit for a minute.
- Add eggs - one at a time - beating until each egg is completely incorporated before adding the next one. Don’t worry is the dough separates, it will come together by the time the last egg is added.
- Beat in the Grated Cheese!
- Once the dough is made it should be spooned onto the lined baking sheet immediately. Spoon about 1 tbsp (more for larger puffs) of dough onto the sheet leaving about 2 inches of space between dough mounds.
- Slide the sheets into the oven and immediately reduce the heat to 375F. Bake for 12 minutes, rotate the pans front to back and top to bottom and continue baking for another 12-15 minutes until the Gougères are golden, firm and puffed. Serve warm or transfer to racks to cool.
Notes
- Note on Storage: The best way to store Gougères is to shape the dough into mounds, freeze the raw mounds on baking sheets and once they are solid, packed and stored in an airtight plastic bag or tupperware. To bake: take them straight out of the freezer (do not defrost) and bake according to the original directions (give them a couple more minutes in the oven since they were frozen). Voilà!
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Poached Chicken & Relish Wraps with Dipping Sauce
2018-05-18 02:55:33
Serves 8
Fermented mixed vegetables are a tangy and tasty addition to these rice paper wraps. A fresh idea for lunch at work or to slice for serving as an light appetizer.
Poached chicken
- 4 boneless skinless chicken breasts
- ½ tsp salt
- Aromatics: smashed garlic cloves, 1 inch of ginger, sliced
- 1 cup cooking liquid: apple juice (water, wine, apple juice)
- water (as per directions)
Wraps
- 16 rice paper wrappers (~9 inches in diameter)
- found in the International or Asian food aisle
- 2 cup cooked rice vermicelli noodles
- 3 green onions, sliced
- 2 cups shredded romaine lettuce
Garlic Lime Dipping Sauce
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp water
- 1 tbsp liquid honey
- 1 clove garlic, minced
- pinch of chili flakes for heat
- Juice of 1 lime
Poach chicken
- In a large sauce pot, place the chicken in a single layer. Sprinkle with salt and aromatics.
- On a stove top, Add 1 cup poaching liquid, add enough cool water to cover chicken by ~ 1 inch.
- Bring liquid to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer, cover the pot.
- Allow chicken to cook until 165 deg F. (start to check temperature at ~10 minutes). Remove from liquid, place on cutting board.
- In a large pot of boiling water, cook rice vermicelli.
- While chicken and vermicelli are cooking, prepare lettuce & onion
- Drain and mince in food processor the fermented mixed veg*, pluse until relish like substance.
- Prepare garlic lime dipping sauce. Mix ingredients together in a sauce pan. Heat, Stir in juice of 1 lime. Put in a medium-sized bowl.
- Add ~1 inch of water to a large frying pan, bring water to a boil; keep water hot. This will be for cooking the rice wrappers.
When you have all ingredients ready, start assembling rolls
- Dip 1 rice paper into frying pan of hot water to soften (Work with one at a time). Set on a cutting board.
- In the middle of the rice wrapper, add in vermicelli and small amounts of your prepared vegetables & relish.
- Fold the sides over the filling and roll up tightly. Set aside on a plate and cover with a clean damp towel until ready to serve.
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Garlic Herb Vinaigrette
2018-05-01 12:53:47
Forget store bought salad dressing, it is so easy to make on your own. Traditional vinaigrette is 3:1 ratio of oil: vinegar/acid with sweet and salty flavourings to balance. the taste. This vinaigrette is perfect for your next salad.
Prep Time
5 min
Ingredients
- Juice of half a lemon
- 1 tablespoon (15 ml) vinegar
- 1 teaspoon (5 ml) mustard
- 1 teaspoon oregano or Italian seasoning
- half to 1 clove garlic minced
- salt
- pepper
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) olive oil
Instructions
- Mix the dressing ingredients in a bowl except for the oil.
- Drizzle in the oil slowly while whisking.
- Drizzle on salad with small amounts at a time and mix in salad.
- Cover and store for up to 3-5 days.
Notes
- Substitute other herbs you have on hand to vary the flavour of your dressing.
https://www.poppyinnovations.ca/
Salmon and Avocado Poke Bowl
2018-02-26 01:08:49
Serves 4
Poke is becoming very popular and this dinner in a bowl is quick to prepare without missing out of flavour due to the marinade. Salmon is rich in omega 3 fatty acids and high in protein, vitamins and minerals. The versatility of this dish will make it a crowd pleaser with your family.
Poke
- 1 pound wild salmon, skinned and cut into ¾-inch cubes
- 1 medium ripe avocado, diced
- ¼ cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- ½ cup thinly sliced green onion
- ½ cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 3 Tbsp reduced-sodium tamari (soy sauce)
- 2 tsp toasted (dark) sesame oil
- ½ tsp Sriracha *optional to taste
Brown Rice Salad
- 2 cups cooked short-grain brown rice, warmed
- 2 cups packed spicy greens, such as arugula or watercress
- 2 Tbsp rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
- 1 tsp Chinese-style or Dijon mustard *optional to taste
Instructions
- Cut up all vegetables.
- If desired quickly pan sear the salmon with small amount of oil. Be sure not to over cook, only needs a few minutes each side. Previously frozen salmon is used when serving raw as freezing kills any potential harmful bacteria.
- Gently combine salmon, avocado, onion, green onion, cilantro, tamari, sesame oil and Sriracha (if using) in a medium bowl. Do not overmix as salmon is delicate.
- Combine rice and greens in a large bowl. Whisk vinegar, oil and mustard in a small bowl. Add to the rice salad and mix well.
- Dish up each dish with rice salad on the bottom and top with the salmon avocado mix.
- Alternately you can keep all the ingredients and dressings separate and add them each to the bowl on top of the rice/ lettuce mix.
Adapted from Eating Well
Adapted from Eating Well
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Lemon Posset with Shortbread
2018-02-05 00:51:08
Yields 4
A very "English" dessert, a light pairing with a heavier meat course. Lemon is has been known for its therapeutic properties for generations; they help strengthen the immune system and help cleanse and promote digestion in the stomach.
Prep Time
20 min
Cook Time
20 min
Total Time
40 min
Posset
- 300ml heavy cream
- Zest and juice from 1 1/2 lemons
- 1/3 cup caster sugar
Shortbread
- 1/2 cup unsalted butter, softened
- 1/4 cup sugar
- 1 1/3 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
Instructions
- Place the double cream, lemon zest and sugar in a medium saucepan. Bring up to boil and boil for 3 minutes.
- After 3 minutes, take pan off heat and add the lemon juice. Pour into 4 ramekins or cups. Place in the refrigerator to set for at least 1 hour. Serve chilled with whipped cream and fresh berries.
For the shortbread
- Preheat your oven to 375F.
- Cream the softened butter, sugar and vanilla together until light and fluffy. Fold in the flour and mix into a soft dough.
- Roll out to 1cm thickness on a lightly floured surface. Cut into rounds or shortbread fingers and spread out evenly on two lined baking trays. Chill for 20 minutes in the fridge. Once chilled, bake the shortbread for 15-20 minutes or until a lightly golden. Allow to cool on the tray for 5 minutes.
https://www.poppyinnovations.ca/
7 Veg Tomato Sauce
2017-04-01 17:47:19
Yields 3
Fool Your Food this April Fools Day! Hide extra veggies into your meals and see who notices. Jam-packed with nutritious veg, this has to be one of the easiest ways to get extra veggie portions into our diet, as well as all sorts of brilliant micronutrients.
Cook Time
1 hr
Ingredients
- 2 small onions
- 2 small leeks
- 2 sticks of celery
- 2 carrots
- 2 small zucchini
- 2 red peppers
- ½ a butternut squash (600g)
- 2 cloves of garlic
- olive oil
- 2 teaspoons dried oregano
- 4 x 400 g tins of plum tomatoes
Instructions
- Peel the onions, wash and trim the leeks, celery, carrots and zucchinis, deseed the peppers and squash (there’s no need to peel it), then finely chop it all. Peel the garlic and finely chop by hand.
- Put a super-large pan on a medium heat with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the garlic and oregano, fry for 1 minute, then add all the prepped veg.
- Cook with the lid on for 25 minutes, or until the veg are soft but not coloured, stirring regularly. Pour in the tinned tomatoes, breaking them up with a wooden spoon, then just under half-fill each tin with water, swirl around and pour into the pan.
- Simmer for 25 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced. Leave to cool a little, then blitz with immersion or regular blender until smooth, taste, and season to perfection.
Notes
- Divide up this batch recipe and freeze for future meals on anything from pizza to simple pastas. In other recipes using more than one tin of tomatoes, try swapping out one tin for a tin’s worth of this sauce for an extra nutritional boost.
https://www.poppyinnovations.ca/
Spinach Feta Scones
2016-05-11 20:18:06
Yields 12
A tasty treat that the kids can make themselves for a snack or in their school lunch. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin A which keeps your eyes, skin, and immune system healthy!
Ingredients
- 1/3 cup vegetable oil
- 5 green onions, chopped
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup milk
- 2 cups whole wheat flour
- 2 teaspoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon baking powder
- 1 teaspoon dry crumbled oregano/Italian seasoning
- salt and pepper to taste
- 1 (10 ounce) package frozen chopped spinach, thawed and well drained
- 1 cup feta cheese
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 375°F
- Grease muffin tins.
- Beat eggs until foamy; blend in remaining oil, milk and sautéed onions.
- Add flour, sugar, baking powder, oregano, salt and garlic powder.
- Beat until smooth.
- Stir in spinach, green onions and feta cheese.
- Spoon into 12 greased muffin tins.
- Bake 20 to 25 minutes.
Notes
- Calories (kcal) 191.3
- Fat (g) 10.4
- Saturated Fat (g) 3.1
- Trans Fat (g) 0.0
- Cholesterol (mg) 39.9
- Sodium (mg) 346.8
- Potassium (mg) 206.9
- Carbohydrate (g) 17.9
- Fibre (g) 2.8
- Sugar (g) 2.4
- Protein (g) 7.1
- Vitamin A (RAE) 180.6
- Vitamin C (mg) 3.4
- Calcium (mg) 157.9
- Iron (mg) 1.6
- A versatile recipe to substitute spinach and feta with other ingredients you have on hand. Try fruit or veggies!
https://www.poppyinnovations.ca/
Seared Scallops with Pea Puree and Mint Vinaigrette
2016-03-31 16:14:59
Serves 4
Savor the flavours of spring with this delightful recipe. Not only is it elegant fare but it is packed with nutrients.
Prep Time
30 min
Total Time
30 min
Ingredients
- 6 tsp olive oil, divided
- 2 leeks, trimmed, rinsed and thinly sliced
- 1/4 tsp sea salt, divided
- 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
- 3 cups frozen green peas
- 3/4 cup low-fat milk, plus additional if needed
- 1 lb sea scallops
- 1 tsp fresh lemon juice
- 2 tsp white wine vinegar
- 1 tsp minced fresh mint
- 1/2 tsp raw honey
Instructions
- Heat a skillet on medium-low. Add 1 tsp oil and swirl to coat skillet. Add leeks and 1/8 tsp salt and cook, stirring occasionally, until leeks are softened and just starting to brown. Add thyme, peas and milk. Increase heat to medium and cook, stirring, until peas are heated through, about 5 minutes. Remove mixture from heat.
- Reserve a handful of whole peas (about 1 cup) for garnish. Scrape rest of pea-milk mixture into a blender and purée until smooth, adding a bit more milk to thin, if necessary.
- Heat a large, clean skillet on medium-high. Add 1 tsp oil and swirl to coat pan. Add scallops, leaving a bit of space between each to prevent steaming. Sear scallops for about 3 minutes per side, until golden brown and barely firm to the touch. Transfer scallops to a plate.
- In a small bowl, whisk together remaining 4 tsp oil, lemon juice, vinegar, 1 tsp water, mint, honey and remaining 1/8 tsp salt.
- To serve, spoon 1/2 cup pea purée onto each of 4 plates and sprinkle with some of the reserved whole peas. Top with 4 scallops. Spoon 2 tsp vinaigrette over top of scallops and serve.
Notes
- Green peas offer loads of protein, fiber, vitamin K and C, manganese, and B-vitamins thiamin, folate and B6. Folate promotes healthy red blood cell formation while vitamin B6 helps keep your blood glucose levels within a normal range.
Adapted from Clean Eating Mag
Adapted from Clean Eating Mag
https://www.poppyinnovations.ca/
Whole Wheat Pita Pizzas
2015-06-08 23:01:12
This was our feature recipe for a free kids cooking class as part of Healthy Kids Day 2015. A favorite for many children and parents love the fresh ingredients, reduced fat and bumped up fibre of this pizza recipe.
Ingredients
- 12 Whole wheat small pita breads
- 2 red onions diced
- 1 red, yellow, and green pepper diced
- 3 medium tomatoes diced
- 2.5 cups of shredded partly skim mozzarella cheese
- 2 cups washed spinach
- 1.5 cups of low sodium pizza sauce or tomato sauce
Instructions
- Heat oven to 350o
- Place peppers and tomato in a colander; rinse and scrub vegetables to clean with cool water. Once peppers and tomato are cleaned; place spinach in colander. Rinse spinach with cool water. Dry spinach using a clean tea-towel.
- Using cutting board and knife dice onion, peppers, and tomato. Once done chopping the vegetables place dirty knives beside the sink. Place chopped vegetable into separate bowls.
- Shred cheese onto plate using cheese grater.
- Place whole wheat pita bread on baking sheet.
- Top each pita bread with 1-2 Tbsp sauce and a handful of each of the vegetables. Be creative and make a design. Remember the more color you have on your pizza the more fibre and nutrients your pita pizza will have.
- Top each pita with cheese (~1/4 cup)
- Bake in pre-heated oven for 5-7 minutes or until the cheese starts to melt
- Using oven mitts carefully remove pita pizza from baking sheet to a plate.
- Once the pita pizzas are slightly cooled cut each pita pizza into 4 and enjoy!
Notes
- We chose to make our own pizza sauce using plain tomato sauce with saute onion and a teaspoon each of oregano and thyme for flavour. This reduces a lot of sodium from prepared sauces. A versatile recipe to add or replace vegetables of your choice.
https://www.poppyinnovations.ca/
Eggy Skillet
2015-05-31 02:35:25
Serves 4
A versatile meal for any of the day with endless possibilities of vegetable and meat combinations.
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp canola oil
- 8 eggs - cracked and lightly mixed
- 4 cups diced potatoes
- 1/2 cup small diced onion
- 1/2 cup small diced peppers
- 1 cup fresh spinach chopped, washed and well drained
- 1/2 cup shredded cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Dice potatoes into small cubes and place in a pot with water. Bring to a boil and cook until potatoes are soft (approximately 5 minutes)
- Once potatoes are cooked, drain them and set aside.
- While potatoes are cooking you can start to chop up all the vegetables.
- When the preparation on all the vegetables is done, turn your first fry pan on high heat with 2 tablespoons of canola oil. When the oil is hot add the potatoes. Continue to stir the potatoes to crisp up the outside.
- While the potatoes are cooking turn the second fry pan on also with a small amount of canola oil. Add the onions and sauté for about a minute before adding the peppers.
- Sauté the peppers for another minute until they are soft.
- Add the eggs and let them cook in the pan, don't over mix to allow the eggs to get fluffy. Once the eggs are set you can break them up gently and flip them over.
- Add the spinach and cook until it is just wilted then remove from heat.
- The potatoes should be crispy at this time so turn the stove off and add the shredded cheese
- spreading it evenly on top of the potatoes.
- Dish out the potatoes on serving plate and top with the eggs.
Notes
- Substitution ideas: mushrooms, asparagus, zucchini, tomatoes or chopped cooked meat.
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