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Candied Carrots and Tortilla Chips

I’m posting two recipes today, just because I want to, or, because I haven’t posted anything for the past couple days. Whatever, it doesn’t really matter.

The first is for Candied Carrots. I had this at a little restaurant in Durham (the town, not the region that copied the name; but that’s another story). The restaurant is long since closed, but was good none the less. It offered a good range of what I would call ethnic foods not normally found in the local restaurants, and for a reasonable price. I like this recipe because it features my favourite spice (garlic) and offers an alternative to butter on the vegetables. I don’t have an issue with butter; I never use margarine or vegetable oils and prefer not to have to deal with heart disease when I’m 40 (which margarine and vegetable oils have been linked to). It also features honey; while honey is a sweetener, it is a healthy alternative to refined sugars. If you want to know just how good honey actually is for you, just let me know and I’ll get the details from my brother.

The second recipe is something I use for a snack. I like corn chips, but sometimes I prefer to have a snack that isn’t nearly as greasy. I’ve only found the corn flour part of it in Fortinos, and even then it only had Spanish and French writing. I’ve added the whole wheat flour myself because I have a hard time getting the dough to the right consistency for rolling it out.

Candied Carrots

• Ÿ 2-3 cups carrots
• Ÿ 2-3 tbs honey
• Ÿ 1 clove garlic, crushed and minced

In a small bowl, combine honey and garlic. Microwave for about 5 seconds, stir and set aside to season. Steam or boil carrots to desired tenderness, drain. Drizzle honey mixture overtop, toss and serve.

Variation: Try replacing the honey with maple syrup (the real stuff, not the “Table Syrup” from the grocery store.

Tortilla Chips

• Ÿ ½ cup corn flour
• Ÿ whole wheat flour
• Ÿ 1 tbs olive oil
• Ÿ cold water

Mix together corn flour and olive oil. Sprinkle in cold water and add some whole wheat flour to get desired consistency. The dough should be dry, but hold to a ball when squeezed. Roll out dough on a floured surface until it is as thin as you want your chip to be. If the dough is falling apart, add a bit more liquid. If it is too sticky, add a bit more flour.

Fry chip in a dry pan (no oil) until both sides are browned. Place in warm oven (about 250 degrees) until the rest of the chips are fried. This will crisp the chips up a bit more.

Variation 1: To make a tortilla or flat bread, don’t roll the dough quite as thin. Your tortilla will be softer. Be careful no to overcook, and place the finished wraps on a plate covered with a clean tea towel rather than in the warm oven.

Variation 2: Try adding different spices, sundried tomatoes, or cheese to the dough for a different flavour.

Ranch Potato Casserole

Ok, so this doesn't really qualify anywhere on the healthy scale, but it's just really good either hot or cold. I originally found it in a magazine but since lost the recipe, so this is kindof how I remember it. You could probably find it on the web somewhere.

Ranch potato casserole

• Red potatoes; up to 8
• ½ cup Sour cream
• ½ cup ranch salad dressing
• ¼ cup Bacon bits or cooked & crumbled bacon
• 2 tb Minced parsley
• 1 cup cheddar cheese; shredded
• ½ cup Shredded cheddar cheese
• ¼ cup Melted butter
• 2 cups Lightly crushed corn flakes

Cook potatoes until tender. Quarter (leave skins on) and set aside. Combine sour cream, dressing, bacon, parsley, and 1 cup cheese. Place potatoes on greased 9 x 13 inch baking dish. Pour sour cream mixture over potatoes and gently toss. Top with 1/2 cup of cheese. Combine corn flakes and butter. Sprinkle over casserole. Bake at 350 degrees for 40-45 minutes.

I usually use my own bacon bits from real bacon, but it's up to you. To make this a bit healthier, I've stirred in 1/4 cup bran (looks like really fine sawdust) for some extra fibre.

Free CD

Ok, I know this was silly, but I accidentally bought a CD I already have. It's a really good CD, so if anyone wants it they can have it (but I'm not paying for shipping).

Seasoned Oils and Vinegars

I’ve posted in the past two days recipes using seasoned oils and vinegars. You can buy these in most grocery stores or specialty gift stores, but they’re usually expensive. So, if you can wait, why not make your own? I try to have a couple different flavours in stock and generally prefer my own stuff over bought varieties.

The beauty of making your own is that you’re only limited by your imagination and what you have on hand. I’ve used lemon balm, chillies, tarragon, and rosemary before, but I find I like the basil and oregano ones the best.

Therefore, I bring you a few of my current favourites. For a quick and tasty salad dressing, sparingly drizzle a bit of both over your salad, season with salt & pepper to taste and toss.

Oregano Olive Oil

• 1 bottle olive oil
• 5 sprigs fresh oregano (or 3 tbs dried)
• 2 or 3 cloves garlic, peeled.

Pour approx. ¼ cup olive oil and set aside (to make room for spices). Add oregano and garlic. Top up bottle with reserved oil. Let season for 1 month before use.

Garlic Vinegar

• 3 cloves garlic
• 500 ml vinegar

Place garlic and vinegar in sealable jar and let season for 1 month before use. The garlic may change colour (mine turned blue). Don’t worry, it’s normal

Ok, so neither of these seem complicated or profound, but then again you probably hadn’t though of doing this, right? Just a note about food safety: please make sure you thoroughly wash the fresh spices and preparation area (I usually sterilize my counter top with mild bleach solution). Neither of these things are cooked, so beware of bacteria. They should keep for a long time (especially the vinegar), but if the oil starts to smell sour/skunky, you should probably throw it out.

Tuna Burgers

Fish is an excellent source of protein and good fats, when it’s not battered and deep fried. I really enjoy a good fish and chips (I even have a few recommendations of places to go), but it’s not really a healthy choice.

However, good fish can be expensive, except for canned tuna. I try to stay away from processed food, and canned meat just seems wrong. Nevertheless, I do like tuna. I try to buy tuna that is packed in water, not oil, and reduced sodium (salt) varieties. Salt has been added to food for a long time to preserve it, but with our ready access to a wide variety of fresh food, it’s really not necessary.

So, for a quick and easy way for eating tuna, I bring you Tuna Burgers. It’s an interesting alternative to a classic, and provides a powerful punch of good fats, protein, fibre, and flavour.

Tuna Burgers

• 1 can tuna, rinsed and flaked
• ½ cup minced onion
• ½ cup minced celery (optional)
• 1 or 2 eggs
• ½ cup oatmeal
• 2 tbs bran (optional)
• 1 clove crushed garlic
• basil and oregano (to taste, preferably fresh)
• ground black pepper
• salt (if necessary)

Mix all ingredients together and season to taste. Let stand for 5 minutes (to soften the oatmeal). The mixture will be a bit goopy (use less egg if desired). Heat 1 tbs olive oil in non-stick skillet. When oil is hot, drop burger mixture into pan and flatten into rounds. When browned, flip and brown the other side. Serve on its own or with a whole wheat bun topped with lettuce and tomatoes.

Variation:
Instead of making patties, scramble fry the mixture like you would loose ground beef or scrambled eggs. Serve on a bed of Romain lettuce topped with some cesar’s dressing or oil & vinegar.

I rinse the tuna to remove the excess salt. With the spices I don’t really find I need it, but do what you like.

I haven’t found a way to transfer this to the grill yet, but you could try forming the patties and then freezing them before putting them on the grill.

Good luck, and happy eating!

Basil Pesto

I like food. I like to cook. I like to eat. This is most likely the reason I started university overweight @ 200lbs+. However, I have made efforts to eat more healthy (or “clean”). This has led me to experiment with cooking. While not always healthy, I have taken some of my favourite foods and tried to make them somewhat better for me (although it’s not always possible, and sometimes just plain wrong too).

So, in my journey, I though I’d share some of the things I’ve tried with you, both good and bad. I’ll even post the recipes, giving credit where I can (which isn’t always possible because I like to cook “out of my head.”)

And so, first on the list:

Basil Pesto

• Approx. 1 cup fresh basil leaves
• 2 cloves garlic
• salt & pepper to taste
• olive oil
• 2 cups cooked whole wheat pasta
• optional additions
• pine nuts/almonds
• oregano
• parsley
• parmesan cheese

Place all ingredients in food processor (or blender) and chop thoroughly, adding just enough olive oil to turn mixture into a thick place. Stir into warm pasta. Good on it’s own, or as a side dish to lemon grilled chicken or a grilled steak.

Variation 1:

• cool and toss in a couple tablespoons of garlic vinegar (or any other complementary seasoned vinegar) for a nice salad. Try adding green onions, chives, green peppers or a chopped tomato

Variation 2:

• Chop two fresh tomatoes and toss with pesto and a tablespoon of garlic vinegar. Makes a nice summer tomato salad. Serve with some grilled chicken or a pork chop.

My New Fan

I have a new fan for my office to keep me somewhat cooler. Maybe this will stop my office from becoming an oven and me becoming a pile of goo.

Euginia Falls

Here's a couple pics from a stop on our hike a week ago:

I'm tired

I'm tired. I don't know why. It could be a touch of the flu, the fact that my office is poorly air conditioned, or whatever. But I haven't had the energy to do anything. My workout is suffering (I've only done two this week), I have complete lack of motivation to do anything extra at work, and when I get home at night all I want to do is sit down. I'm not even hungry. This really sucks.