Scallops with ginger, garlic and chili

Hello, hello!
This was a lovely dinner. We have been having fun trying new recipes. I hope you all enjoy this one!
You need:

• 20-30 fresh bay scallops
• 1 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp finely chopped ginger
• 6 garlic cloves, finely chopped
• 1-2 tsps of chili sauce
• 1/2 tsp ground cumin
• 1/2 ground coriander
• 1/2 tsp ground tumeric
• 1 tbsp chopped fresh cilantro
• salt

Let's get started..
Step one:
Drain the scallops and let them sit in the colander until you're ready to cook them.

Step two:
Heat up the oil until it is almost at it's smoking point. Put the scallops in the pan. Spread them out evenly. Immediately add the ginger, garlic and chili sauce. Toss the scallops. Don't stir the scallops. You don't want them to give off all their juices and become rubbery.
Toss them again, and add the ground spices. Salt, and add cilantro.

The scallops should only be cooked for 3 to 4 minutes. So make sure everything is prepared in advance to make it go quickly. Serve as soon as they are done cooking. It's nice with rice because there is a lot of juice that is made with the scallops.
Enjoy everyone!

xo

Spicy szechuan pork

Hello everyone! It is 10 right now and I have finally decided that I should post my recipes! I have had quite the day. I actually woke up today at noon! I am totally embarrassed to admit that, and I promise you it doesn't happen often. I must have needed to sleep! Dan walked into the house at noon today and he woke me up. I was like "Why the heck are you home right now, you are supposed to be working!!" and he told me he was home for lunch and it was noon. haha. Anyways, today was a good day. I went out for coffee with a friend from church. I made some delish food and I skyped with my parents. They just bought a laptop and they are learning how to use it. It is really nice to skype with them though. My dad went into the hospital last Wednesday to start his treatments and prepare for his transplant. Seeing as I can't be there with them, it is really good to see their faces.
         We made this Chinese dish a few weeks back when we had a friend over. It twas very good. She liked it so much she went home and made it herself later that week!!

You need:
-4 or 5 pork chops
-1 tbsp vegetable oil
-1-2 tbsps chili sauce(or more :)
-a few tbsps of black beans. You can mash them or put them in a food processor.
-1 green pepper, cut into slices
-1 red pepper, cut into slices
-1 tsp sugar
-1 tsp dark soya sauce
pinch or pepper

Step one:
Bring a pan of water to a boil and add your pork. Cover and simmer on low for 20 minutes. Take out the pork and let it cool. Cut the pork into slices.

Step two:
In a wok (or deep frying pan) heat the oil and the pork slices. Cook and let them shrink a bit. Add the chili sauce, and the black bean paste that you made.

Step three:
Lastly, toss in the sliced peppers. Add  the pepper, sugar, soy sauce and stir fry for a few minutes. Serve warm and ENJOYYYY!

xo

Lemon blueberry muffins

Hello everyone! I'm posting a little late this monday. I suppose I have procrastinated ALL day long. I have about 7 recipes to post. That's alot folks. It would take me a long time to post all of those recipes! So...I shall only post one :) haha or maybe two. The rest of the recipes will have to wait!
      I hope everyone has had a great monday! I did. I slept in...lounged around, went into town with Dan to do errands..went to the gym, made a scrumtious supper(coconut &cashew chicken) and I made fudge. All in all a good day. The only problem with today is that my fudge didn't set properly. Grr. I screwed it up. I hate it when that happens. My friend and I were talking on the phone yesterday and she told me she was making fudge! Well then, I guess I needed to make some fudge too! I hope hers turned out better than mine. It didn't harden, so I know what I did wrong. Anyways, looks like Dan and I have a nice topping for some icecream instead of fudge. haha.
Here is what you need to make lemon blueberry muffins:

• ½ cup plain yogurt
• 1 cup granulated sugar
• 3 large eggs
• pinch salt
• 1 ½ cups all-purpose flour
• 2 tsp baking powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp lemon zest
• 1/2 tsp vanilla extract
• ½ cup oil
• Alot of blueberries. I used a full medium sized container of fresh blueberries. Add as much as you desire.

Step one:
Mix your wet ingredients together in a medium sized bowl.
-yogurt, sugar, eggs. Mix together. Then add the vanilla and lemon zest.

Step two:
Mix the dry ingredients together.
-flour, baking powder, and salt.

Step three:
Add the wet ingredients to the dry. Mix until combined well. Now add the oil and mix well.
Fold in the blueberries.

Step four:

Bake at 350F for 20-25 minutes! Enjoy!
xo

Low-fat blueberry muffins

Oh muffins, how I enjoy you. I found this low-fat recipe and I was excited to try it. They taste great with a little butter(or peanut butter on them. I know I am so strange, but it seriously tastes good!) Also I know the butter thing kinda defeats the purpose of making a LOWFAT recipe but oh well. haha .Let's get started:

• 1 1/2 cups of all purpose flour
• 1 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 tsp allspice
• 1/2 cup of sugar
• 3 egg whites
• 3 tbsp lowfat margarine
• 2/3 cup of 0% plain yogurt
• 1 tsp vanilla extract
• 3/4 cup fresh blueberries

Step one:
Place 12 muffin liners in your muffin pan.
Preheat the oven to 375F

Step two:
 Mix the flour, baking soda, salt, and half of the allspice in a large bowl. Add 6 tbsps of the sugar, and mix together well.

Step three:
In a different bowl, whisk the egg whites together. Add the margarine, yogurt and vanilla. Mix together well. Stir in the blueberries. Add this bowl to the flour mixture. Gently stir because you want the batter a little lumpy.

Step four:
Divide the batter into the 12 muffin liners.

Step five:
Mix the remaining sugar with the remaining allspice. Sprinkle it over the muffins.

Step six:

Bake the muffins for 25 minutes (approx.) They must be a nice golden colour and risen. Cool on a wire rack and eat one nice and warm!

Happy Monday everyone! Be happy that it's almost Tuesday! hahah

ps:
Here is a picture of my love and I. It's foggy because it was SUPA cold. We were in the chalet taking a break from a night of boarding.

xo

Spicy sesame broccoli

I make this recipe quite often actually. It is one of those recipes I can count on and that I know I will always enjoy. Whenever I make a new Chinese recipe, this tends to be what I make to go with it. I decided that today would be the day that I share this recipe with you all. Here's what you need:
*serves 4*

• 2 tbsps oil
• 2 medium heads of broccoli, cut
• 2 tbsps soy sauce (sometimes I add a little extra :)
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp sugar
• 2 tsps grated fresh ginger root ( we freeze our ginger root and grate it from frozen)
• 1 garlic clove, crushed
• 1 tsp or more of chili flakes
• 1 tsp of toasted sesame seeds

Step one:
In a bowl mix together:
-soy sauce, cornstarch, sugar, ginger, garlic and chili.

Step two:
In a frying pan heat up the oil and fry the broccoli on medium heat. About 5 minutes.

Step three:
Pour the soy sauce mixture onto the broccoli. Cook for another few minutes then add the toasted sesame seeds.
Voila. Yummmmmmyyy broccoli!

xo

Garlic and Cilantro Naan

Mmmm...Naan. I love naan. It goes great with so many tasty dishes! I am going to be honest with you...this was my very first time making naan. I know, I know..I always say that I make things from scratch, but I don't. :( I always just end up buying naan. I feel so much better after confessing that. hahahh. Although I always buy naan, I would recommend you make it yourself. It tastes wayyy better. Here is what you need to make yourself some naan! *This recipe makes three*

• 2 1/2 cups of white bread flour
• 1 tsp salt
• 1 tbsp ground coriander
• 1 garlic clove, very finely chopped
• 1 tsp active dry yeast
• 2 tsp honey
• 1/2 cup lukewarm water
• 4 tbsp plain yogurt
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• 2 tbsp chopped cilantro

Step one:
In a large bowl mix together flour, salt, and coriander. Stir in the garlic and yeast.

 Make a well in the center and add the honey, lukewarm water, yogurt and oil. Stir well so that the dough comes together. Knead it with your hands so that you get everything off the sides of the bowl. Take the dough and place it onto a floured counter. Continue to knead it well. Do this until it becomes smooth and elastic.

Step two:

Make your dough into a ball. Brush your bowl with oil and make sure you get oil on all the sides of your ball. Cover with a damp cloth and let it rise for 1-2 hrs. Make sure the dough doubles in size.

Step four:

Preheat the oven to 475F. Prepare your three cookie sheets, and place them in the oven. You need them to be hot. Take your dough and place it on a floured counter top again. Punch the dough down with your fist. I like that part :) Now divide your dough into three equal pieces. Roll them out a little bit then brush both sides with oil. Roll them all into a tear drop shape.

Step five:

 Place the 3 pieces of naan onto the hot cookie sheets. It kinda sizzles one you put the naan on the sheets. Place your chopped cilantro on the naan evenly. Make it look nice and pretty! Place the sheets into the oven for 5 minutes, until puffed up.

Take them out and transfer the naan to a broiler pan (which we didn't have so we just placed the naan onto our shelves in the oven) brush with some more oil and broil for 2 minutes. You need to watch them the whole time because you don't want them to get too dark or burn...they won't taste nice. Serve them nice and warm!

 Enjoy!
xo

Asparagus, pine nut and tomato salad

Here is the salad of the week! Like I said before, I am trying out new salads! This one was a good side dish.
Here's what you need:

• a big bowl full of mixed salad greens, enough to serve 4
• 2 tomatoes, cut into nice slices
• 2 tbsps of roasted pine nuts
• a package of asparagus
• salt and pepper

Step one:
Fill up your serving bowl with your lettuce.

Step two:
Cut your asparagus into bite size pieces. Put them into a frying pan and cover with water. Boil them. Once they are done, remove the water and spray the pan with oil. Add a little bit of salt and pepper and fry them up nicely.

Step three:

Place your pine nuts in a small frying pan and toast them a little bit. You can the pine nuts in the picture above. Pine nuts are expensive...so enjoy them. haha

Step four: Dressing

Mix together 1 tsp on lemon juice, 1 tbsp olive oil, 1 tsp of whole grain mustard, 2 tbsps balsamic vinegar with some salt and pepper. Voila.

Step five:

Add the pine nuts, asparagus and tomatoes to your mixed greens. Pour your dressing over top and you have yourself a salad!

xoxo -Britt

Stir-fried tomatoes and herbs on crispy fish

Hello everyone! It is the start of another new week! Yay. I hope every ones Monday has been a good one so far. I have taken the day pretty easy. Coffee, comfy clothes, a good book and baking. It was a super cold weekend here! Like -25 and one night it was -30 something. Um..no thank you. I hope this week it warms up a tad.
      
            Dan and I decided to make 3 new recipes every week in 2012. It's one of our resolutions. It is always fun to try new foods! Sometimes you love it, and sometimes you really don't! This recipe was definitely a LOVE! I don't mean to brag..but this fish is restaurant worthy. :) Here's what you will need to make this yourself:

-1 cup all purpose flour
-6 tilapia fillets
-4 tbsps oil
-3 garlic cloves, chopped fine
-4 ripe tomatoes, quartered
-1 tbsp fish sauce
-1 tbsp dried dill weed
-handful of chopped cilantro
-12 fresh basil leaves
-salt and pepper
Serve it with jasmine rice. :)

Step one:
Take your flour and put it in a large ziploc bag. Add some salt and pepper generously. Now add your tilapia, and make sure it is all covered in the flour.

Step two:
Heat up 2 tbsps of your oil in a frying pan and then add your fish. Fry your fish on high for 5 to 7 minutes. (Make sure it is fully cooked) Add more oil when it's necessary.

Step three:
As the fish is cooking, start your tomatoes in another frying pan. Heat up 1 tbsp of oil over high heat. Add the garlic and fry for a few minutes until the garlic is golden brown. Add your tomatoes and the fish sauce. I know it is stinky...but I promise this tastes good! Add the dill, basil and cilantro. Cook for about 10 minutes on medium heat. Add some salt and peppa for taste.

Serve your fish warm with the tomatoes and herbs on top!

Enjoy!
J'éspere que tout le monde passe une super belle soirée avec vos familles et vos amis!
xo

Mexican chili beef salad

Like I said last week, be expecting to see a lot more salads on here! This is kind of a salad, more of a stir fry though. I ate mine over a bed of lettuce, and Dan ate his with rice. Whatever it is, it was really good. OH heck yes it was. Here is what you need to make this for yourself, right now:
-1 lb lean sirloin or top round steak
-2 cloves of garlic, crushed
-1 1/2 tsps chili powder
-1/2 tsp salt
-1 tsp ground coriander
-1 ripe avocado, peeled and chopped into chunks
-2 tbsps olive oil
-one can of red kidney beans, drained
-a container of cherry tomatoes, halved
-handful fresh cilantro, chopped

Step one:
-Slice your steak into strips.
-Place the garlic, salt, chili powder, and ground coriander in a bowl. Mix it up well and then add your steak. Make sure they are all coated nicely. :)

Step two:
-Heat the oil in a large pan and add the beef. Fry it up for about 5 minutes.

Step three:
-Add the kidney beans, tomatoes and avocado. Cook until they are all heated through.

Add in the fresh cilantro and it's all done. SO goooooooooood. I don't lie.

So before I am done blogging for the week I wanted to share about our home! As most of my friends and family know Dan and I live on a military base in Quebec. We have done our best to make the house homey..but it is just still so military looking. Basically everything is white. The walls, the light fixtures, the entire bathroom and kitchen are all WHITE! We know that we will be moving in a little over a year so we kept saying nah we won't paint. In a military house you have to paint everything back to white when you move. Well...I gave in and we decided to paint yesterday! Dan and I had so much fun painting together. It's so crazy...painting our first home together. We ordered pizza, laughed alot and made a great day of it. We painted until 10 last night! So here are a few pics of us painting.

 I hope everyone had a good day back to work today! I'm back to work at the end of the week and french school will start soon too. Back to reality :)
Happy Monday.
Xo