Recipes, Reviews, & Foodie Jobs « Kell's Kitchen

Que Soba, Soba

May 18th, 2011 by Kelly

Ugh, it was approaching pick-up time from school yesterday and I was hungry and thinking about dinner. I was out and about with a friend in Chinatown and racking my brain for ideas. I asked what she was making and decided on the spot to copy her. She’s pretty handy in the kitchen, so I knew I was not being led down the wrong path…

She confessed that she was using a recipe that she got from here. (I love when people share a recipe with you instead of coming off all chef-like and superior!) So into the grocery store we went.

I love Asian cuisine, as does the rest of my brood. Anything with noodles to slurp is generally a hit around this house. We also have varying meat/veggie preferences here, so serving a big bowl of dressed noodles, with toppings on the side, a la family-style is also a big hit.

I had eaten but never cooked soba noodles (known as buckwheat noodles for the uninitiated), so I was a bit apprehensive. She cautioned about overcooking them and stressed the need for cold water and proper draining to ensure they did not become sticky. Since this is a dish best served chilled (or at least room temperature), over-cooking the noodles is a no-no.

I had some steak to grill and a quick marinade of soya sauce, sesame oil and garlic seasoned it perfectly. Seared, thinly sliced beef, baby bok choy, julienned carrots and sugar snap peas rounded this dish out nicely.

A couple of notes on the dressing for the noodles…

We are trying to curb salt in this house, so I did not add it to the water for the noodles. Also, since the beef was marinaded in soya sauce, I reduced it to about 3 tsps in the dressing.

The verdict? Some liked it, others did not. A house rule of 3 tries convinced two of them that it was worth the effort. One detractor went to bed a little hungry, but that’s another post altogether!

Posted in Health, Kids, Recipes, Tested & Tasted | No Responses »

Whoops, there it is!

May 4th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

I was too tired to cook in my own kitchen the other night, so off we went to one of our favourite neighbourhood haunts. My husband and I enjoyed a nice cold beer, and chatted about our day as the kids were occupied colouring and playing tic-tac-toe on the paper placemat provided by the restaurant.

We were eagerly awaiting our meal when my 11 year old word search fiend happened upon a naughty word on his placemat…Can you find it too??

We all had a good chuckle and the server, who overheard, apologized profusely. We let her know that it was no big deal and that it kept them busy looking for more words until their mouth-watering chicken and ribs arrived

P.S. I have NO idea where he learned that word!

Posted in Comedy, General, Kids | No Responses »

Sodium Slow-Down…

April 4th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

The lentil soup recipe was requested by my brother-in-law who wants to cut down on his sodium intake. And, really, most of us consume WAY TOO MUCH as it is, so we can all benefit from a little less now and again. Omitting meats, salted butter, canned lentils and using sodium-reduced stock go a long way to keeping a lid on the salt in this delicious soup. Stock can be made at home too. The lentil soup has a beefed-up taste, but is 100% vegetarian.

Ingredients:

4 Cups Sodium-Reduced Vegetable Stock
1 Large Onion
2 Cloves Garlic
1 Carrot
2 Stalks Celery
2 Tablespoons Olive Oil
2 Cups Green Lentils (dried)
2 Sprigs Thyme (1 tsp dried)
1 Bay Leaf
Pepper to taste
Pinch of Sage

In a large saucepan, saute onions, carrots and celery in oil until softened, 5 minutes. Crush and add garlic. Add thyme, bay leaf, sage, and pepper. Rinse and add lentils. Pour in stock and blend thoroughly. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to medium-low. Cover and simmer for 15 minutes. Add 1 cup of hot water, simmer again for 20 minutes. **Add another cup to thin out soup, or keep it thick like a stew.

Serve with salad and whole wheat bun.

Sodium Reduced Vegetarian Lentil Soup

Since he likes his food spicy – I add dried chili pepper flakes and fresh ground pepper with the herbs. Kicks things up a notch and he doesn’t even miss the salt!

Posted in Health, Recipes, Tested & Tasted, Vegetarian Recipes | No Responses »

Why I Do What I Do…

February 9th, 2011 by Kelly Serjeantson

I was scanning Twitter today and I came across a post by @SimplyFood( http://tinyurl.com/6fekqsr )asking to submit a picture of someone who inspires you to cook.

I thought of some chefs I have read about or seen on tv. Then I thought about the only reason I cook – my family. If I wasn’t married I would eat out every night. I would be out there tasting and exploring and enjoying all that my little town of Ottawa has to offer. If I didn’t have children, I wouldn’t care if I ate Ramen Noodles 3 nights in a row or if Rice Krispies was on the menu – AGAIN.

But, alas, I do have a family. A pretty terrific one at that. We are a varied lot – some pseudo-vegetarian, all who enjoy a perfectly cooked steak, some texture intolerant, another who won’t “do” salads, one who eats peanut butter every day. We watch our sugar and salt intake, keep an eye on the colour of our plate (1/2 red, green, yellow or orange, 1/4 meat/protein, 1/4 carb-stuff), we don’t do meat 5 nights out of seven and we all love ice cream!!

While I was raised on canned vegetables and standard fare of meat & potatoes, my repertoire has expanded and been influenced by people I have met and places I have been. I enjoy all forms of cuisine now. I am trying to impart that sense of adventure, pleasure and taste to my children. My husband introduced me to many new things, mussels (ick) and oysters (LOVE!), butter (this girl was a margarine-baby all the way), and whole grain bread. We have passed these on to our children who mostly eat them up!

So when I think of who inspires me – I don’t have to look too far. My family, who depend on me to feed them everyday, pushes me to think about what I eat, what I buy and how it all goes together. Who or what inspires you?

My job is to feed them, their job is to clean up!

Posted in General, Kids, Opinion, Uncategorized | 2 Responses »

Look Ma – no meat! Or How My Daughter Got Me To Eat Better

November 8th, 2010 by Kelly Serjeantson

Well, what do you know? My carnivorous, steak-loving, bacon eating 9yr old has decided that she will become a vegetarian! Now what do I do???

I think that this may be a phase and I love my kid, so I am indulging this request for now. I have spoken to her doctor who gave us the okay and have set out to find delicious, nutritious meat-free recipes and meal ideas. I have a pretty good repertoire of quick, easy meals that I can make that most of the family will eat – but, guess what? They all contain some form of animal protein. I have three kids who are growing and constantly hungry. I worried that a non-animal protein diet would not be satisfying enough and that they would be eating ALOT of peanut butter and eggs to make up for it. Fortunately, fish was still on the menu – apparently not a ‘meat’ according to my girl. And, since everyone liked virtually any kind of seafood, I was in luck. Don’t get me started on the fears and concerns about sustainable seafood and mercury…I try not to think about it!

When her father went off meat and dairy for dietary and health reasons, I largely ignored him when considering WFD. I made sure to buy him things that he could eat; veggie cheese, veggie dogs and veggie anything else they make. I would make our dinner, then he would come home and fend for himself. I have three kids, a dog and I AM BUSY DAMN IT! It’s hard enough to consider the various food preferences and “I don’t like’s” of the kids, let alone whip up healthy vegetarian meals for a 40 yr old man who can now eat NOTHING!

So now that one of my darlings has jumped on the bandwagon, I figure we may as well all hop on. I make a concerted effort (my husband may disagree somewhat) to put at least one meal on the table each night that satisfies everyone. I have reached out to vegetarian friends and family, spoken to chefs (okay, well just the one that I know) and been all over the internet in search of yummy meals that fit our current non-meat-eating status.

I have adapted some favourite meals such as Shepherd’s Pie, tacos, and have tried new ones…some worked, some failed miserably. We have all come to appreciate quinoa, the super grain. We eat more vegetables than ever before. And (don’t tell anyone) I actually feel pretty good without a daily dose or two of meat. Don’t get me wrong – I have eaten meat – sorry but Thanksgiving without turkey? No way! Even the little miss had a nibble of dark meat…

I will continue to support my girl and my husband (finally) in their choices to not eat meat. My other two? They don’t seem to miss it one bit. Instead of “Oh, not meatloaf again“, now I hear “Didn’t we just have quinoa 2 days ago?” Some things never change…

Posted in General, Health, Kids, Recipes, Vegetarian Recipes | One Response »

Top 10 Worst Foods

January 16th, 2010 by Kelly Serjeantson

I came across a really good overview on YouTube counting down Nutrition by Natalie’s Top 10 Worst Food. There shouldn’t be any surprises. However, I think we all need a good reminder once in a while.

Also, if you are feeling rundown, depressed, and overall, lacking drive, Natalie may be right. Maybe it’s the food that you are eating – not mention the future health problems you might develop.

That said, I was a little surprised to see catfish. I hope you find the video as informative as I did.

Posted in Health | No Responses »

Little Gordon – Part 2

December 9th, 2009 by Kelly Serjeantson

I previously featured the first Little Gordon Ramsay video on my blog. Well, as I had mentioned before, there is three videos in the series. My favourite is still the first video, but the second one is still pretty funny. Anyways, you be the judge.

BTW: I love the kid who plays Little Ramsay. I wouldn’t be surprised if you see the kid in TV or movies.

Posted in Comedy | No Responses »

Top 10 Weird Foods

December 5th, 2009 by Kelly Serjeantson

Hákarl (Fermented/Rotten Shark) – Iceland
Made from basking shark, it has a ammonia smell and fishy taste, similar to Jewish deli whitefish or very strong cheese. Normally basking shark meat is poisonous when fresh. However, it’s made edible during the curing process.
Read more
Rocky Mountain Oysters -USA/Canada
Also known as prairie oysters or cowboy caviar, rocky mountain oysters are fried buffalo or bull testicles.
Read more
1000-year-old eggs or Pidan – China
Made by preserving duck eggs in a mixture of clay, ash, salt, lime, and rice hull for several months. The yolk becomes a dark green and egg whites become a brown transparent jelly. 1000-year-old eggs smell of sulphur and ammonia. Yum.
Read more
Fried Grasshoppers – China
Grasshoppers are fried and served on skewers in Chinese food markets.
Read more
Fugu (Pufferfish) – Japan
Featured in a Simpson’s episode, Fugu is pufferfish and is lethally poisonous if prepared incorrectly.
Read more
Surströmming – Sweden
Fermented Baltic herring that is canned while it’s still fermenting. The cans often bulge due to the fermentation process and can explode.
Read more
Live Octopus – Korea
Live octopus is sliced up and the legs are eaten while they are still moving. The tentacles often stick to chopsticks and even to the diner’s mouth, which makes the octopus difficult to eat.
Read more
Bird’s Nest Soup – China
Bird’s nest soup is a delicacy made from swift bird’s nest. A swift is a bird that lives in a cave and it makes its bird nest from saliva.
Read more
Balut – Philippines
Balut is a fertilized duck or chicken egg with a nearly-developed embryo inside that is boiled and eaten in the shell.
Read more
Casu Marzu – Italy
Casu marzu means “rotten cheese” in Sardinian. The cheese is riddled with insect larvae and the larvae can jump if they are disturbed.
Read more

Posted in Weird Foods | No Responses »

The end of quality chocolate?

November 22nd, 2009 by Kelly Serjeantson

I just finished reading an op-ed in the New York Times by Arthur Lubow fretting about the proposed takeover of British candymaker Cadbury.

For those who aren’t aware, both Kraft and Hershey are in the running for Cadbury. Cadbury, founded in 1824, has a long history of quality and is an institution in Great Britain.

Now, with profits and shareholders perhaps being put before quality, chocolate lovers everywhere could be souring on this takeover.

Arthur Lubow fears seem to be well founded. In 1997, the Scharffen Berger company was founded on the premise to deliver high quality chocolate to consumers.

According to Lubow, when revenues hit $10 million in 2005, Hershey made an offer to purchase the company with the promise not to change the quality of the brand.

Soon Lubow, a avid fan of Scharffen Berger chocolate bars, started to notice a change in the quality.

The texture was chalky. The cherry notes had vanished. It was becoming just another mediocre American chocolate.

Now it seems Hershey/Ferrero deal may go ahead with Cadbury leaning towards Hershey over Kraft.

Cadbury, which was once the chocolate of choice of Queen Victoria, may be just another footnote in history.

God save our chocolate.

Posted in News, Opinion | No Responses »

Goal Scorer’s Spaghetti

November 17th, 2009 by Kelly Serjeantson

Goal Scorer’s Spaghetti is perfect dish for anyone about to play the big game. Goal Scorer’s Spaghetti is meatless, but has plenty of protein, lots of carbs, and is very healthy and won’t weigh you down. If you need energy, this is the meal for you.

It might not be as tasty as a spaghetti with a good meat sauce, but it still has plenty of taste and texture and it’s very quick to prepare.

340g of Yves Veggie Ground Round
1 Can of Primo Tomato Sauce
1 Small Cooking Onion
Pepper to taste
4 Diced Mushrooms
1 Garlic Clove
400g of Whole Wheat Spaghetti
1 Tablespoon of Olive Oil

In a cast iron pan add a bit of olive oil and saute finely diced onion and garlic clove. Add mushrooms and saute. Add veggie ground round into the cast iron pan and season with pepper. Add the tomato sauce and stir and simmer. Boil the spaghetti, drain, and then add the sauce and serve.

Posted in Recipes, Tested & Tasted, Vegetarian Recipes | No Responses »

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