Tasty Tangents

Food, life and other morsels

March 28, 2010
by admin
Comments Off on Leftover do-over

Leftover do-over

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Mashed Potato Pancakes

I’m beginning to think that getting creative with leftovers is one of my favourite things to do.

After some successful Friday night pork fajitas made from leftovers, I decided that Mashed Potato Pancakes would be a great way to start a lazy Sunday. I found some great recipes from epicurious.com and mrbreakfast.com, and used them to come up with my own.

Mashed Potato Pancakes

Ingredients:

3 cups mashed potatoes
2 large eggs, lightly beaten
6 tbsp all-purpose flour
2 tbsp sliced green onions
Salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil for frying

Directions:

Mix potatoes and eggs until combined. Add flour and mix well. Add onions, salt and pepper and stir to combine. Drop by heaping tablespoon into frying pan on medium heat with thin layer of hot – not smoking – vegetable oil. Flatten with back of spoon. Flip once lightly browned. Serve with sour cream and/or applesauce.

Enjoy! And for those beginning celebrations tomorrow, Happy Passover.

March 24, 2010
by admin
Comments Off on Is it hopeless?

Is it hopeless?

As a food lover who also has to pay attention to my weight, a new study is awfully discouraging.

It says that older women must get at least an hour of moderate activity every day to maintain their weight.

I don’t think I’m quite in that age category yet, but since I already struggle with trying to eat healthy, and finding the time to exercise every day, I’m wondering if it’s time to just throw in the towel.

I won’t, I promise, but it is really making me re-evaluate that way I spend my time, and what and how much I eat.

I’m constantly looking for new and healthy recipes, but I also have a damning sweet tooth, or maybe I should say a chocolate tooth.

So what I’m wondering is, does anyone have a strategy to keep from overeating that has worked? Or ideas for recipe substitutions? I know about applesauce instead of butter, baking instead of frying, etc., but I bet there’s lots of other great ones out there, so let me know!

March 17, 2010
by admin
Comments Off on Recall, recall, recall

Recall, recall, recall

So lately the recalls seem to be coming in fast and furious, potato chips, spices, cured meats, you name it, and it’s probably on some list or another.

And often, it’s one product, like a flavouring or additive, that ends up in so many different products and contaminates everything.

I don’t know about you, but I’m a little scared that something called ‘hydrolyzed vegetable protein’ or HVP can be in my potato chips and peanuts (and I’m none the wiser that it all comes from the same place).

I guess it really just reinforces the idea of trying to know where your food comes from.

I have a couple of Michael Pollan books on my shelf to read, and I really like his philosophies. They include things like not eating food that has ingredients a kid can’t pronounce and not eating things your grandparents wouldn’t even recognize as food.

It seems simple, until you go to the grocery store.

Anyway, to keep on top of the ever growing list of recalls, check out the Canadian Food Inspection Agency. And check back often!

February 22, 2010
by admin
Comments Off on Mini Sugar Donut Muffins

Mini Sugar Donut Muffins

Mini Sugar Donut Muffins

Mini Sugar Donut Muffins

I was completely intrigued when I stumbled on this recipe, through foodgawker.com, thinking it would be a fantastic alternative to the deep fried delicacy you’d usually pick up at the corner coffee shop.

If you’ve ever had sugar or cinnamon-sugar donuts fresh from a truck at the local fair or at an amusement park, then you understand the appeal of the sugar donut. Heck, even the worst grocery store mini donut coated in powdered sugar can hit the spot sometimes.

But these ones are way better.

I followed the recipe exactly, except that I used mini muffin trays and ended up with 50 fantastic Timbit-like sugar-coated delights. Originally from the blog Baking Bites, you could easily add cinnamon to the sugar coating for the other variety.

Ingredients:

3/4 cup sugar
1 egg
1 1/2 cups all purpose flour
2 tsp baking power
1/4 tsp salt
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg (optional)
1/4 cup vegetable oil
3/4 cup milk
1 tsp vanilla extract

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350F. Lightly grease two minis muffin tins with cooking spray.

In a large bowl, beat together sugar and egg until light in color.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together flour, baking powder, salt and nutmeg. Pour the dry ingredients into the egg mixture and stir to combine.

Add vegetable oil, milk and vanilla extract.

Fill each muffin cup 3/4 full, dividing batter evenly. Fill any empty tins 1/2 full with water.

Bake for 11-15 minutes, until a toothpick inserted into the center comes out clean.

For the sugar frosting: While muffins are baking, melt 2 tbsp butter and pour remaining sugar into a small bowl. When muffins are done, lightly brush the top of each with some melted butter, remove from the pan and roll in sugar.

Cool on a wire rack.

February 19, 2010
by admin
Comments Off on One week for $100

One week for $100

If you haven’t already, check out my friend Ashlie’s blog. For the past week she’s been trying out a meal planner from Rachael Ray’s magazine, which promises 7 dinners for about $100 worth of groceries.

She has documented the whole thing on her blog, with mouthwatering pictures to go along with it.

I have to say I am impressed, and it is giving me new motivation to tackle some of the recipes in the Rachael Ray cookbook I got as a gift a little while back.

Unfortunately, it will have to wait until Olympic madness is all over, and I go back to working normal hours, five days a week.

On the plus side, I’ll be so tired of cafeteria food by then that a decent homecooked meal will feel like a wonderful luxury.