back to breakfast

one of my favourite breakfast treats which i have been dying to share is your basic oatmeal pancake. i know your thinking, this one is going to be full of batter and sugar, delicious, but far from nutritious...but think again. the oatmeal pancake is the perfect solution to a filling and fulfilling healthy breakfast, it will kick any of your sweet cravings by providing a delectable substitute.

you will need:
one packet of oatmeal
egg whites
cinnamon 

optional:
berries, greek yogurt, lemon zest and almonds
banana and peanut butter
any other combo you can think of!

bring a medium greased frying pan to medium heat, and sprinkle the packet of oatmeal evenly around the pan. shake your egg whites and slowly and evenly pour them around the oatmeal, tilting the pan to ensure that all the oats are evenly coated. leave the pan on the heat until a solid base starts to form, when you see this sprinkle some sweet cinnamon! with the pan still on the stove-top, put your oven onto broil high, and place the pan in the oven with the door slightly ajar. once the top of the pancake has cooked (no more clear egg whites) remove the pan from the oven and carefully run a spatula around the edges for a perfect removal! once the pancake is on your plate, you can flavour it up however you like. my favourites are peanut butter and banana, or as shown below, heated berries with greek yogurt, almonds and lemon zest! delicious!

microwave apple pie!

this one is real simple. grab an apple, cut it up in to small cubes, and place in a bowl. sprinkle cinnamon, honey and maple syrup and after a stir, stick it in the microwave for 1-2 minutes (until the apples have softened). while in the microwave, crunch up some granola cereal with some nuts and chocolate chips to sprinkle on top of the apple mixture. the warmth of the apple will melt the chocolate and contrast the crispy cereal! delish! if you have an vanilla ice cream lying around, it always makes the perfect side kick!

the internet is magic

clearly i have a deep interest in the culinary world. when i have the pleasure of filling some spare time, i love to indulge in new recipes and master new creations. with this in mind, bread has always been on the top of my mastery list. to master a skill, you first must practice, then learn and build on experience. well i have made challah and sticky buns, but never focaccia which was what i promised to produce for dinner. this is where the magic of the internet comes in, with some simple searches i gathered a general knowledge on the art of focaccia making, deciding on the perfect recipe to accompany the soup i was preparing. to my surprise, mastering focaccia - not so hard. with the right ingredients at hand, enough time and of course my internet crash course my herb and cheese bread went down a sure treat!

it is always fun to explore the boundaries of your interest online. it may inspire you to actually take on a challenge that you've put on the back burner. find your internet crash course, and get cooking.

using my own imagination

so today i was inspired with all of my food knowledge to see if it was possible for me to make my own recipe for cookies. i like to believe that i am capable of making up delicious recipes when cooking - but baking is a very different feat. when it comes to baking, measurements must be exact, it is more of a science than an explosion of creativity. without any professional training and true understanding of measurement ratios, i decided to use my familiarity with baking cookies to support my recipe...here we go!

1 stick of butter
1/2 cup granulated sugar
2 tablespoons of honey
     mix them together in a bowl until you have a pale paste

2 eggs
1 teaspoon vanilla
    whip eggs into the butter and sugar mixture, add vanilla and stir!

1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1/2 cup rolled instant oats
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
pinch of salt
1/4 cup dark chocolate chips
1/4 cup of white chocolate chips
1/4 dried cranberries
    mix in all the dry ingredients into the wet ingredients just until the batter comes together, then stir in     the chocolate and cranberries


heat your oven to 350 and pop the cookies in (place the batter in rounds on a baking sheet). let them bake for 12 minutes, or until they are golden brown!
my cookies did not come out as nice round circles, but instead i realized i created my own cookie cake! yum yum! i'll keep working on it, but no matter how they look they were still mighty delicious!

november = quick fixes

apparently november has a new orientation, as well as the eleventh month of the year, tottering between fall and winter, this thirty day month is also known as a month full of quick fix meals. third year is moving fast and furiously and with that i have piles of continuos work. as a result of this phenomenon, i still eat well and healthy, but i have to get creative with what's left in my kitchen.
today i found:
mushrooms
spinach
bean sprouts
onions
frozen chicken breast
naan bread
shredded cheese
tomatoes
wow what to make with this....vegetable stir fry and cheesy garlic bread. now, i know i say that i only found eight ingredients, and it takes a bit more flavouring to make stir fry and garlic bread...this is where your kitchen etiquette and training should come in. fresh vegetables, fruit, dairy and meats come and go, but grains (pasta, quinoa, rice, cereal, bread), seasoning (salt, pepper, basil, chili powder, cinnamon, garlic etc.) condiments (olive oil, balsamic, soya, teriyaki, honey, maple syrup, ketchup, mustard - you get the picture) should always be in your cupboard - you can not expect to make anything without the basics necessities of a kitchen. now that basic lessons to cooking is over, back to the action.
making the stir fry: pour oil in a pan on medium - high heat, sauté onion and garlic, add mushrooms, then spinach and bean sprouts. season with salt and pepper, chili powder and flavour with a little soya, a splash of teriyaki and a touch of honey. once all of the vegetables are soft, toss in your cooked chicken and ensure it absorbs the liquid and heats all the way through. pour it into a bowl and enjoy!
making the cheesy garlic bread: preheat the oven to 350, in a separate bowl mix some olive oil with crushed garlic, salt and pepper, coat the naan bread with the garlic oil. rinse and chop your tomatoes and place them on the naan and then sprinkle with cheese. put it in the oven for about 5-7 minutes and it will soon become the perfect side to any meal!

quick fix desserts

i would somewhat self-proclaim myself the queen of quick fixes. whether it is a delicious breakfast, a slow brunch or a delicious dinner - i like to work with what i have lying around. it challenges me to use my imagination to make something really good. with a phone that isn't too smart, i do not have the ability to quickly scan recipes, closes restaurants or prepare a grocery list...to be honest i lack the understanding and knowledge of what a Galaxy, iPhone or Android can actually do. therefore i kick it old school with my own search engine.
i was done my work for the night and decided i wanted a sweet treat to eat while i enjoyed one of my shows.
i found:
1 banana 
chocolate chips
peanut butter
cereal
all great ingredients...mismatching to some, but tasty crumble to me!
i mixed some crunched up Kashi Toasted Cinnamon cereal with some Cracklin' Oat Bran cereal (the best cereal known to man, unfortunately it is unavailable in Canada - side note: what's with that?!?!), and a little maple syrup and pressed it into a small pyrex container. set my oven to 350, spread peanut butter over the cereal then sliced bananas, then a drizzle more of maple syrup, tossed on some chocolate chips and into the oven. i let it heat and form for about 10 - 15 minutes, taking it out when the cereal had formed a base and the bananas were caramelized. it was divine, the perfect compliment to my couch time!

sharing some online inspiration

HAPPY "belated" HALLOWEEN! as my present to you post this wonderfully sweet and scary holiday is a plethora of food pictures and knowledge! i know i talk a lot about finding great recipes and inspiration online, so it is only fair to share my favourite archives of food genius so ya'll can indulge too! i hope these inspire your creativity and desire for good tastes!
without further adieu here are the blogs that inspire my ideal of good food:

1) foodgawker

2) food porn daily

3) feast your eyes

4) baked from a box

5) food network (i know it's not a blog...but i love it so much!)

now stop drooling and start cooking!