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How to Make Homemade Corndogs

I love how when you ask people about some of their favourite memories, they often revolve around food. Whether it is dinners with their families, dishes they used to cook in the kitchen with someone, or even stories about travel and adventure which ultimately always end up in a story about where they ended up eating.

Food is also great at making people reminisce. Something as simple as a taste or a smell can bring you back to a special place in time. Next time you’re chatting with someone you don’t know that well, ask them about some of their favourite foods- I guarantee it will not only help you get to know them better, but it will help you connect with them in a much more meaningful way.

I have many of these memories from my childhood- and one in specific revolves around the recipe I’m sharing with you today. Every year until I moved out practically my family and I would go to the CNE (Canadian National Exhibition) together. We didn’t have too many traditions as a family, but this was always one of them.

What became one of the things I would look forward to was getting a Coke in a collectors cup (they would have exclusive reusable cups often in weird shapes or with fun straws) and getting a corndog! There were plenty of vendors that sold corndogs around the fairgrounds, but there was one that made them the best (in my opinion). They were the best mix of sweet, savoury, with just a bit of heat. They came in two sizes, regular (normal hotdog) and jumbo (a footlong hotdog). The batter was a great thickness, balancing out the thick juicy hotdog that was inside.

Remembering that corndog the other day, and having just picked up more cornmeal, I thought, “Why not corndogs?” So I started my corndog creation journey. This took me a few tries to get to where I loved it and I am happy I kept trying because these are a real crowd pleaser now! In fact, I’m making them for my parents next weekend for my birthday.

Make sure to let these cool a bit before eating. They won’t be too hot to eat, but I find the flavour comes out best once they’ve had a chance to sit.

Ingredients:

10 Regular Hotdogs, or 6-8 Jumbo dogs

1 1/4 Cup All Purpose Flour

1 Cup Cornmeal

3 1/2 Tbsp Granulated Sugar

1 1/4 Tsp Kosher Salt

1/2 Tsp Baking Soda

1/2 Tsp Ground Black Pepper

1/2 Tsp Cayenne Pepper

1/4 Tsp Smoked Paprika

1 Cup Buttermilk

2 Extra Large Eggs

Vegetable Oil for frying

Instructions:

Using a paper towel, ensure the hotdogs are completely dry and then skewer with wooden sticks. Set aside.

In a large bowl, combine flour, cornmeal, sugar, salt, baking soda, black and cayenne pepper, and paprika. Whisk together.

In a smaller bowl, whisk together the buttermilk and egg until smooth and then pour into the bowl with the dry ingredients. Mix ingredients until just mixed. Let sit.

In a deep dish pot filled halfway up (3-4″) with oil, heat on medium until temperature reaches 375.

Dip the hotdogs into the batter and coat evenly. (Pro tip: coat my hands with flour and grab the hotdog first. The flour helps the batter stick). Ensure there are no holes in the batter. Add the coated hotdogs to the oil in batches of 3. Cook until golden brown (about 3-5 minutes).

Remove hotdogs from oil with tongs and let dry on paper towel. Sprinkle with flaky sea salt as soon as removed from oil.

Repeat this process until the oil gets back to 375F each time.

Serve with mustard or ketchup. Fresh dill goes very well with this batter too!

I hope you love these! I know I sure did. If you make them, tag me on Instagram at @JackDHarding

How to Eat Less Meat This Summer

This post has been sponsored by Loblaws. Although they have provided me financial compensation and products, my opinions and words are all my own. I am in partnership with Loblaws and will be bringing blog posts and recipes throughout the rest of the year, and all partnered posts will be marked as sponsored.

Apart from the time I decided to be vegetarian for a few weeks in my early teens (honestly it didn’t last long and if I remember correctly, ended with me getting chicken nuggets and justifying that they weren’t real meat), I have never really thought about cutting meat out of my diet. Restricting foods in my diet has never worked well for me (you always want what you cannot have, right?) so I have made a serious effort to be mindful of the foods I eat and to keep everything in moderation. This month as part of the #FoodLoversUnite campaign, I’m excited to share some of my journey and some of my stories with you as a way of starting a conversation around food and healthy living. What I love about the #FoodLoversUnite campaign is that it speaks to the fact that everyone is a food lover regardless of what you like to eat or how you like to eat it. Just as important in my eyes is emphasizing the fact there are no right or wrong foods, especially as it relates to overall health and wellness, and that there is a time and place for everything in your diet within reason. 

I’ve spoken in the past briefly about weight loss, but it has always been an area of contention for me. Throughout my late teens and early twenties, my weight has fluctuated up and down much to my chagrin. It is only in the last 2 years that I have found a lifestyle that has not only been healthy for me but has led to sustained, slow, long-term weight loss. In addition to eating a (mostly) balanced diet, I also dedicate 3-4 days a week to the gym for bodybuilding and overall strength training. 

While I cannot say that this will work for everyone, I don’t think anyone should be trying to say there is a blanket approach that can work for everyone. That is why it is important to do what works for you and don’t be afraid to adjust that as you go. 

This is why I was excited to meet with a registered dietitian from Loblaws last week. Loblaws offered me the option to spend some time with Karley, the in-store registered dietitian at the Maple Leaf Gardens location to go over some of my eating habits, take a general overview of my health and wellness, and make some recommendations on ways I can help add some more options to meal time! Loblaws has a network of over 70 dietitians across Canada to help you achieve your health and wellness goals in a way that works best for you and your body. Through personalized consultations and store tours, the in-store dietitians help customers reach and maintain their healthy weight and manage their digestive concerns. To learn more or book an appointment, visit bookadietitian.ca. 

I’ll be honest, while I knew there was always someone available to talk about food, I had no idea it was a dietitian, and after learning of the breadth and depth of the services offered, it made me realize how valuable it can be to have that service, especially in a place where I buy my food and spend a lot of time each week.

I met with Karley Fallaise, RD and from the very beginning, she was extremely welcoming and made me feel relaxed. [I feel like I must include this because I am AWFUL with doctors, nurses or healthcare professionals. I get extremely nervous, so someone who can make me feel a bit more relaxed from the beginning means a much more positive experience]. We went through some of the basics about me (height, weight, age, general health, medications, etc.) before moving onto lifestyle and food questions. 

It was great to think about things like my general stress level on a regular basis, how I feel, and what I eat. As we went through my daily food habits, she was able to offer some quick and easy suggestions of ways to include new and exciting grocery items to help provide me with some diversity. As someone who can often fall into a routine when it comes to eating (I have the same breakfast every day and tend to revert to one of a few different dinners) having her provide me with some ideas was excellent.

My favourite part of the entire experience was having Karley walk me through the aisles, showing me some of the items we talked about (so many different beans and grains), and even teaching me a few different ways to prepare foods I was already eating regularly (like spaghetti squash). Even though I have shopped at my local Loblaws for years, I was still able to learn and find new items in the store in aisles I may not have normally visited. Now I have bacon maple tempeh in my fridge as a result, and it is DELICIOUS.

One of my goals when meeting with the dietitian was to find ways to incorporate more plant-based protein in my diet and find different snack ideas. Luckily, after a quick walk through the store and some suggestions, I was well on my way. My first grocery shop following the appointment had me walking the aisles with a new and improved cart and inspiration for the kitchen.

I’m going to share a few recipes with you today, inspired by my appointment and showcasing some of the things I learned from Karley.

The first recipe is something I can’t get enough of: tzatziki. I wanted to take advantage of the locally grown cucumbers and to create something that was light and refreshing for summer, it has quickly become the base for many snacks and meals! In fact, it is going to be the basis of several the following recipes. It has also become a great way for me to add some heft to snack time. Whether it is using it as a dip, or as a sauce base, tzatziki allows me to get a protein-rich snack with healthy veggies and a great serving of healthy fats.

Ingredients: 

  • 2 cups grated cucumber (about 1 large/full-size cucumber)
  • 1 2/3 cups plain Greek yoghurt (opt for the full fat here)
  • 1.5 tablespoons extra-virgin olive oil 
  • 2.5 tablespoons chopped fresh dill 
  • 1 tablespoon lemon juice
  • 2 medium clove garlic, pressed or minced
  • ½ teaspoon fine sea salt

Instructions:

  • One handful at a time, squeeze the grated cucumber in your hands above the sink to remove the moisture. Transfer to a serving bowl and repeat with the remaining cucumber.
  • Add the yoghurt, olive oil, herbs, lemon juice, garlic, and salt to the bowl, and stir to blend. Let sit for 5-10 minutes before tasting as you want the flavours to mix together. You may need to add some more herbs or salt depending on the flavour of the produce you had. 
  • Serve immediately or cover and keep in the fridge for 3-5 days.

Now that you’ve got the tzatziki, you have so many different meals and snacks you can make! My favourite (and one of my favourite things I have made this year) is the tzatziki pizza with freshly grated parmesan, bacon maple tempeh and shredded snap peas. Looking for some interesting plant-based proteins, Karley suggested tempeh. Since I’m not a huge fan of tofu (texture, not taste) tempeh was a great option for me. A plant-based protein,  it is very healthy for you. It is high in protein, low in fat, and low in sugar and sodium. It makes for a great protein option. Looking for ways to include this in my diet, I’ve added it as the bacon to my breakfast sandwich and have even started using it in my partner’s lunches. The best was though has been as a topping on my pizza. Inspired by a lot of the beautiful white pizzas I have been seeing on Instagram lately, I thought this would be a chance to put a health-conscious version of one out there. 

Ingredients:

  • 1 Ready Made Pizza Dough (I opted for a PC Thin Crust Pizza Flatbread)
  • 2 shallots, thinly sliced 
  • 1/3 cup tzatziki 
  • 1 cup shredded snap peas 
  • 1/4 cup parmesan cheese shredded 
  • 1/4 cup crumbled tempeh (I opted for the PC Blue Menu Bacon Maple Tempeh)
  • Pinch of black pepper 
  • Freshly chopped chives to serve

Instructions: 

  • Preheat oven to 450F.
  • Scoop tzatziki directly onto the crust, spreading with the back of a spoon to evenly distribute.
  • In alternating rows, place snap peas and shallots (This will give you clean lines and make for a delicious pizza when you cut into slices).
  • Work from the outside in, place the tempeh in little piles all over the pizza. You want to make sure that each piece will have a nice balance of all the ingredients, so be mindful where you’re placing).
  • Sprinkle parmesan evenly over the pizza and add a pinch of black pepper before baking.
  • Bake for 5-7 minutes or until the crust is golden brown.
  • Remove from oven and let cool for 5 minutes before serving, and sprinkle with chives before eating

Now I know I mentioned I was looking for great snack options in addition to meal options. Snacks are important for me, and if I’m being honest, a place that can make or break a day of healthy eating. So, ensuring I had healthy snack options at home that were also tasty was important. I’m a big fan of crunch in my snacks. Cookies, crackers, chips- anything that is crispy, or I can bite into for crunch is the perfect snack in my mind. Karley was great at offering different suggestions for snacks that could fit that build, and I decided to take a lot of those suggestions and turn them into the ultimate snack tray! Using all of the fantastic summer produce that is available at Loblaws (locally grown cucumbers, peppers, herbs and greens) I was thrilled to put this together because it meant snack time could not only be healthy, but a bit of an event (perfect for weeknight get-togethers or even Netflix on the couch).

Ingredients

  • 3-4 leaves Boston Lettuce (Loblaws had SO many varieties, all Ontario grown)
  • ½ Cup Flavoured Tempeh (I opted for PC Blue Menu Maple Bacon)
  • 10-12 Mini Sweet Peppers (Look for Ontario grown)
  • 2-3 Cups PC Mini Cucumbers, whole
  • 1 Cup Tzatziki 
  • 2 Tbsp fresh chives, chopped finely 

Instructions:

Arrange on a board or tray, placing tempeh into the Boston lettuce leaves as a wrap. Cut the peppers in half and stuff with the tzatziki, topping with fresh chives. Arrange cucumbers, add the bowl of tzatziki and serve!

If you’re looking for another way to serve up those beautiful fresh greens and enjoy the beautiful crunch of Ontario summer vegetables, I’m using something I had never bought before, and came suggested by Karley. Utilizing the rice paper, you can buy in the rice aisle, these sheets are amazing. Soak for 5 seconds in warm water and lay flat and you now have essentially a spring roll wrapper, but for cold items! 

Ingredients:

  • 8 Rice paper wraps (you’ll find these in the dry ingredient aisle usually with the international rices)
  • ½ large cucumber, julienned 
  • 1 red pepper, julienned 
  • 1 yellow pepper, julienned
  • 4 asparagus stalks, julienned
  • Black or white sesame seeds, to sprinkle on top 

Instructions:

  • Follow the instructions on your rice paper to get them ready for wrapping (typically, soak in hot water for 5 seconds and immediately lay on a flat surface.
  • Place a mixture of the julienned vegetables in the bottom centre of the circle.
  • Fold in the sides of the circle to meet in the middle of the vegetables.
  • Roll from the bottom of the circle to the top, being careful to create a seal.
  • Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve with a dip or eat on their own!

I hope you’ve been able to take some of these suggestions and ideas and be inspired to include them in your day to day life. There is so much fantastic produce this time of year in Ontario (and Canada as a whole) that it makes it easy to snack and feast on all the amazing fruits and vegetables that Canada has to offer, no matter your food preferences!

Cooking with Asparagus

This post has been sponsored by Loblaws. Although they have provided me financial compensation and products, my opinion and words are all my own. I am in partnership with Loblaws and will be bringing blog posts and recipes throughout the rest of the year, and all partnered posts will be marked as sponsored.

Food is one of my favourite things. It is something you can talk about, watch on TV, read in books, learn about in school, and most importantly, bond over. Growing up food was not something I was passionate about, nor something I really cared about (other than to eat). It wasn’t until my late teens and early twenties when I was on my own that I started to not only appreciate food – the flavours, the smells, the work that goes into it – but see first-hand how it can be a fantastic way to learn more about those around you, connect with people you thought you had little in common, and share experiences you may never have had otherwise.

Over the last few years, I have immersed myself in food. I have countless (no seriously, countless- see picture below) cookbooks which I have read front to back like they are novels as well as a growing collection of food-based history and literature (everything from the history of the apple in North America to books on food fights and culture wars all which revolve around an ingredient or a dish). I have also had the chance to experience numerous food-based experiences from fine dining tasting menus, to trips and vacations all which start around a conversation of “What food should we eat when we’re away.”

So when Loblaws came to me with the opportunity to share stories and recipes revolving around #FoodLoversUnite I couldn’t have been more excited. Loblaws was already my grocery store I’ve shopped at for years, so it was a nice way to combine my love of a place I spend a lot of time in, and their vision that food can bring everyone together. As part of my partnership with Loblaws, I’ll be sharing a number of recipes that involve different ingredients or themes. The first is that no matter what your food preference, we’re all food lovers. The ingredient I was chosen to feature was asparagus. What I love about getting asparagus is the fact that it is in season. It tastes so much better and I love knowing that it is coming from Canadian farmers. At my Loblaws (Maple Leaf Gardens if you ever want to visit it) during peak growing season (June-August) more than 50% of produce is coming from Canadian farmers (and this isn’t just my Loblaws, that is Loblaws across Canada). Loblaws works with over 450 Canadian farmers and continues to grow that which makes shopping Canadian and supporting our own farmers that much easier. If you have the chance, I encourage you to try in-season produce at Loblaws, especially when you see it is from Canadian growers, you’ll be impressed by the quality and taste!

Grilled asparagus on a plate

Asparagus was one of the first vegetables I remember liking as a child and one that I keep in my fridge almost all year round! Whether it’s quickly blanched and served super crisp, or oven-roasted to a beautiful toasty finish, for me, you can’t go wrong with asparagus. According to a poll done by Correlated, in general, 72% of people like asparagus. While that may seem like a lot, that also means that nearly 30% of people don’t! One of that 30% of people also happens to be one of my best friends Maleah. So with her in mind (and on her way over for dinner this week) I wanted to make something that asparagus could be the star of (for me) but could also be replaced and still be delicious for Maleah. I settled on Corncakes!

For myself, I made Asparagus, Bacon and Feta Corncakes. These are such a delicious spring and summer treat. They’re not super complex, and don’t take a long time to make so even the most kitchen shy person can make these with success! You can easily swap out the asparagus in this recipe for fresh peas, corn, scallions or leeks and still have a scrumptious dish. For Maleah, I swapped out the asparagus for leeks because they’re one of her favourite vegetables. I simply divided the batter into 2 once it was combined and mixed in the asparagus and leeks separately meaning we’d both got exactly what we wanted!

Ingredients:

1 Cup+ 2 Tbsp Grilled Asparagus, grilled or charred, diced (or substitute with 1 cup fresh peas or 1 cup fresh corn or 1 cup shredded leeks)

2.5 tbsp olive oil

6 slices bacon, baked, chopped

1 cup finely ground cornmeal (the higher quality the better)

1/2 cup+1 Tbsp all-purpose flour

1-1/2 tsp baking powder

3/4 tsp salt

1/2 tsp garlic powder

1/4 tsp cayenne pepper

1/2 cup feta cheese, crumbled (pat dry before crumbling)

1 cup whole milk

1 extra large egg

2 Green Onion, finely chopped

Neutral Oil for frying (canola, sunflower, etc…)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 400F.

Clean your asparagus, cut the hard woody ends off and drizzle with your olive oil. Sprinkle with salt and pepper.

Preheat your grill or pan to medium heat. Add asparagus, and cook until slightly blackened and cooked- 3-4 minutes on each side. Once cooked, remove from heat and let cool. Cut into 1″ pieces after, reserving the tips.

With your oven heated, cook your bacon on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper for 15-20 minutes (you want the bacon crispy, but not so much so that it breaks into too many small pieces when cutting). Remove and let cool before dicing the bacon. Reserve the bacon drippings from the pan.

In a large bowl, combine the cornmeal, flour, baking powder, salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

In a medium bowl, whisk the milk and egg together. Once thoroughly combined add the feta, half the bacon crumbles, 2 tbsp of the reserved bacon drippings, both green onions and To it, add the crumbled feta, half of the diced bacon, 2 tablespoons of the bacon drippings, the green onion, and the diced asparagus (keeping aside the tips mentioned before).

Add the wet ingredients to the dry, mixing well- you want to avoid clumps as they’ll leave floury pockets that aren’t enjoyable.

Heat a large frying pan to medium-high heat. Add leftover bacon drippings into the pan and enough oil so that the bottom of the pan is thinly covered.

Using an ice-cream scoop, scoop mixture directly into the hot pan.

Cook each side until golden and firm. This should take 2-3 minutes depending on your pan. Keep a close eye on them as they can burn easily. As they’re finished, place them on a paper towel to absorb the oil (if you don’t they’ll get soggy- also, don’t stack them on top of each other as they dry).

Serve with sour cream, the leftover bacon crumble and the asparagus tips!

Asparagus and feta cheese corncake on a plate with sour-cream and bacon.

If fried foods aren’t your favourite, or if you’re simply looking for something a little more satiating (you have to eat a lot of corn cakes to make it count as a meal in my opinion) then I’ve included a couple of other recipes that could help round out a great breakfast, brunch, lunch or dinner!

Now, if your childhood was anything like mine then one of your first baked goods memories was likely of either cookies or bread- probably banana bread or some sort of similar loaf (my mom would always make this great zucchini bread before I even knew that I enjoyed zucchini). Loaves and bread quickly became some of the first things I ever attempted to bake and something I continue to go back to again and again. (I’ve got a beautiful cinnamon swirl loaf I’ll share at some point). So when thinking of ways to make foods where an ingredient could be replaced my mind immediately went to a bread.

It took me a few tries to get this right (my first version was way too dry, and the second was too oily and there was an after taste I didn’t love) and that got me to here. I took elements from a couple of other types of breads (an olive oil bread for the texture and consistency) as well as from cakey bread (like the cinnamon swirl loaf I mentioned above) and was pleased with the outcome. No need for yeast, butter, or even to really prep your ingredients (other than the asparagus) before baking. You can also easily substitute the asparagus in this recipe with leeks, green onions, or even shaved white onions lightly sautéed. So without making you read more, I’ll get to the point- this is a recipe for a Cheesy Asparagus, Sundried Tomato and Black Olive Bread.

Ingredients:

1/2 Cup Olive Oil (plus 2 tbsp reserved)

1/2 lb of fresh asparagus, woody ends removed, cut into four parts

1 1/3 Cup self rising cake flour

1.5 Tbsp Herbs de Provence

3 XL eggs, beaten

1/2 Cup 3.5% Milk

15 Pitted Olives (black or green)

2/3 Cup Sun-dried Tomatoes (roughly chopped)

1 Cup Finely Grated Beaufort Cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 375F.

Line the inside of a loaf pan with parchment paper, set aside.

Pan fry the asparagus on high heat in the reserved olive oil until lightly browned. Remove from heat, pat dry, salt, set aside.

In a large bowl, combine the flour and herbs de provence by whisking. Once combined, make a well in the middle and add eggs, milk and oil while stirring constantly, bringing the flour into the middle. Mix for about a minute until you have a smooth batter.

Save a few asparagus tips and olives, place aside. Using the rest of the asparagus, olives and 2/3 of the cheese, add to the batter until combined.

Pour batter into loaf pan, and top with remaining asparagus, olives and top with cheese.

Bake for 40 minutes or until golden brown and crispy on top, and seemingly firm. Once cooked, remove from oven and let cool in loaf pan for 10 minutes before removing onto a wire rack.

Slice and enjoy!

So far we’ve had some great snacks and sides, but haven’t had a chance to feed a crowd with a meal item. We’ve had two fairly cakey and heavy items, but what about when you’re looking for something a bit lighter?

Well, I wanted to combine two of my favourite things in order to help the asparagus shine, but also allow for any other ingredients used in place of the asparagus to shine. What are those favourite things? Puff pastry and goat cheese!

I bake to calm down and relax after a long day. There is nothing more cathartic than being able to get set up in the kitchen, put my music on, and shortly thereafter come out of the kitchen with cookies or cakes or flaky treats. I’ll often make my own puff pastry ahead of time to use for different treats, but in fairness, I don’t think it’s necessary for this recipe. I used store-bought puff pastry and it turned out GREAT.

But what turned out great? Well, the final recipe is my Asparagus and Goat Cheese Tart!

Ingredients:

1lb Asparagus (or substitute with 1lb shaved leeks) cut into 1/5ths

1/2lb defrosted puff pastry

1/2lb herbed goat cheese

1 XL egg yolk mixed with 1tsp water

1 large shallot, finely chopped

6 slices of bacon (or substitute finely chopped salami)

Instructions:

Preheat oven to 450F.

With your oven heated, cook your bacon on a sheet pan covered with parchment paper for 12-15 minutes (you want the bacon crispy, but not so much so that it breaks into too many small pieces when cutting). Remove and let cool before dicing the bacon. Reserve 1tbsp of the bacon grease.

In a pan, heat bacon grease over medium high heat, and cook shallots for 1 minute, add the asparagus, and cook for another minute. Remove from heat and add the diced bacon to the asparagus and shallot mix.

On a lightly floured surface, roll out the puff pastry to a rectangle roughly 11x 14″. Move the puff pastry onto a parchment lined baking sheet.

Lightly press the goat cheese into the puff pastry, leaving a 1″ border around the edge. Then add the asparagus, shallot and bacon mix. Season generously with pepper and lightly salt (the bacon will have the salt).

Brush the edges with the water and egg yolk mix to allow the edges to brown while baking.

Bake for 20-25 minutes. Let cool and serve!

Let me know if you make any of these recipes and be sure to tag me at @JackDHarding on Instagram! You can also DM me anytime with questions or tips on these recipes or any other on my site and I’ll happily help you out.

How to Make Cornmeal Muffins

Cornmeal muffins! These are so easy to make- and so delicious.
Why people don’t think of cornmeal muffins I don’t know- but they’re wonderful.
They’re one of those few recipes that don’t require a million ingredients, and don’t take half a day to make. They’re simple, delicious, and great for you!
Here is my recipe for easy to make, easy to eat, jalapeño cornmeal muffins.

Ingredients:

1 Cup Cornmeal
1 Cup All Purpose Flour
1/3 Cup White Sugar
2 Tsp Baking Powder
1/2 Tsp Salt
1 Egg
1/3 Cup Canola Oil
1 Cup Milk

Instructions

In a glass bowl, combine dry ingredients and mix well.
In a separate bowl, combine beaten egg, and wet ingredients.
Pour wet ingredients into dry slowly, and mix gently.
Pour into whatever tin, muffin tin, cake pan, etc… that you like.
Bake at 400 for 15-17 minutes.
Let cool and enjoy!

Note: You can add things like chives, jalapeños, honey, etc.. to make these even better!

Let me know if you make these, and as always, tag me @JackDHarding and let me know how they turned out!

Chocolate Chewy Vegan Bites

A few weeks ago a friend was asking me what kind of healthy “cheat” snacks I could make that were vegan. I thought about this- I mean, you could go with a potato based anything, and a lot of candies and junk foods are vegan, but I wanted something that could be easily made at home and be picked at for a few days. I tried out a few variations of these bites and are thrilled to say these are the winners! My chocolate chewy vegan bites!

Ingredients

1 Cup Cooked White Quinoa
¼ cup unsweetened cocoa powder
¼ cup agave nectar (or maple syrup)
¼ cup naturally sweetened peanut butter (with cane or coconut sugar)
1 tablespoon chia seeds
½  teaspoon pure vanilla extract
Pinch of fine grain sea salt
¼ cup unsweetened coconut flakes (divided into 2)

Instructions

  1. Line a small baking sheet or any flat surface with wax or parchment paper.
  2. Add all ingredients to a medium sized mixing bowl. Stir well to combine.
  3. Scoop tiny bite-sized spoonfuls onto the baking sheet (about 12 total). With the remaining coconut, sprinkle over the bites. Place baking sheet into the freezer and allow to set for 3 hours until bites are fully hardened.
  4. Enjoy straight out of the freezer. The fudgy bites will start to soften at room temperature after about 7-10 minutes.

How to Make Devilled Eggs

I have a weird relationship with eggs. I am not sure about you, but I often think of myself as a ‘textural’ eater. Often times texture is just as important as taste to me. Something could be delicious, but if it is too slimy, mushy, or has the wrong kind of jiggle, I can’t bring myself to let it touch my lips let alone eat it.  Depending on how eggs are cooked, they can have that ‘wrong’ kind of jiggle. They can also be the ‘wrong’ type of runny for me. Devilled eggs are one of those foods I’m conflicted about. Depending on the mood I’m in, I love the texture of a hardboiled egg. Sometimes I really do NOT. I rarely make these for myself, but when I do, I practically eat the filling out of the bowl before I pipe it into the eggs.

So why do I make these? My dad loves them and they’re something my mom hates to make. After countless attempts at making these, I feel like I have finally gotten them ~perfect~ and am excited to share my recipe. (You know they’re good when a tray of 12 devilled eggs (6 whole eggs!) disappears within minutes of being put out.

Ingredients:
6 Large Eggs
3 Tbsp Mayonnaise
2 Tsp Yellow Mustard
Fresh Chives
Salt
Pepper
Hot Paprika

Instructions:

  1. Hard-boil the eggs. In a medium-large sauce pan, place the eggs in and cover with enough water to cover them by 1.5-2″ (water should be cool). Put the pan onto high heat and bring to a rapid boil. Remove from heat, cover, and let stand for 10 minutes.  Put the eggs into a colander and run under cold water (I find you get a much better consistency egg than when you dump them in an ice bath).
  2. One at a time, peel the shell off of the eggs. Tap the bottom and top of the egg on your counter, and roll under your hand to loosen the membrane and peeling will be a breeze.
  3. Cut the eggs in half starting at the tip and working your way to the bottom.
  4. Remove the yolks. This should be pretty easy. Gently push the around the yolk and it should pop right out.
  5. In a bowl with the egg yolks, add your mayonnaise, salt, pepper, and mustard and mash until smooth.
  6. Using a spoon, gently fill the eggs with the filling. Some people use a piping bag but I much prefer the more rustic look that you get this way.
  7. Sprinkle finished eggs with chives and hot paprika and serve!

Do you love devilled eggs? Have tips and tricks on how you make yours? Feel free to leave them in the comments below, and if you make these, tag me on Instagram at @JackDHarding.

Creamy Mushroom and Prosciutto Pizza

I have always been a fan of “different” pizzas. When I would order from a pizza shop it would never be a regular “Normal cheese, normal sauce” kind of ordeal. It was always “Light cheese, extra sauce,  toppings, additional sauce on top” or “No cheese, thick sauce, toppings that will sit well in the sauce” order. It must have driven the local chain pizza store insane. (Before you start thinking my taste is awful, I do enjoy a great Italian pizza, and will never make substitutions to ones I order at restaurants. This is simply me being picky about the basically cardboard pizzas you order for $6.99 on a Wednesday night when it’s cold and you don’t want to go outside).

Because of this pickiness with my pizzas, it usually meant I don’t make them myself. Everyone has that one meal or item they don’t make because it’s not worth it to them. Some of my friends only buy their curry out because it’s too much effort at home. Some friends only buy the rotisserie chickens because it’s so much cheaper than buy a raw whole chicken and making it yourself. For me- it’s pizza. That was until I was inspired by the creamy mushroom pizza in Martha Stewart’s Appetizers book. I realized that making pizza didn’t have to be that hard (especially if you cheat like I did and buy ready made dough). I have made some changes to the original recipe, making it more to my liking. Let me know what you think!

Ingredients:

3Tbsp unsalted butter
1/3 cup finely chopped shallots
1 to 1-1/2lb mixed mushrooms (depending on how much mushrooms you want)
1/2 cup pinot grigio
3/4 cup heavy cream (35%)
Pizza dough (store bought)
2 Tbsp olive oil
3 Tbsp fresh tarragon leaves
Prosciutto (for serving)

Instructions:

  1. Preheat oven to 500F with rack in lowest position and a baking sheet (with rim) upside down in the oven.
  2. Melt butter in large pan over medium heat and add shallots cooking until they’re softened (about 3 minutes).
  3. Add mushrooms,salt, pepper, and cook for about 5 minutes or until softened.
  4. Add wine, bring to a boil and cook until evaporated. Add cream and cook until mostly absorbed (about 5 minutes)
  5. Stretch your dough into an oval (about 6″ wide by 18″ long) and place on parchment paper. Brush your dough with 1tbsp olive oil and add the mushroom mixture (leave about a 1/2″ border)
  6. Place your pizzas onto the baking sheet and bake until golden brown and crisp (about 12-14 minutes).
  7. Remove from oven, sprinkle with tarragon and prosciutto and serve!

I hope you enjoyed this- if you did take a picture of your creation and share it with me at @JackDHarding on Instagram!

Yellow Pukka Curry Recipe

For whatever reason, curries were something I never attempted to make. Whether it because they’re a cheaper option when going out, or because I was a little intimidated by how much goes into them (probably this one) I never thought “Oh let me make curry for dinner.” That changed when I was trying to think of a nice dinner to make for a Sunday night, and went “I haven’t had curry in ages, why don’t I try it?” Now this recipe isn’t for the light of heart in that it takes a while to make, and if you’re not patient, it can be frustrating to make (there will be a lot of standing and mixing and stirring, and a fair bit of moving parts. That being said, this was a delightful recipe and made for a great dinner. (This recipe is an adaptation of Jamie Oliver’s Recipe found here). 

Ingredients

  • Two large yellow onions, chopped
  • 6 cloves of garlic
  • 10cm (about 3 inches) garlic chopped
  • 2 yellow peppers, chopped roughly
  • 1 Oxo Chicken stock cube
  • 3  red chilis
  • 1/2 bunch of coriander (more or less depending on how you like it)
  • 1 1/2 tsp liquid honey, warm
  • 1 heaping tsp turmeric
  • 2 heaping teaspoons curry powder
  • 8 chicken drum sticks (skin on or off, I prefer with no skin)
  • olive oil
  • 1 can of chickpeas (drained)
  • 1 heaping tsp of tomato paste
  • 3 cups basmati rice

Instructions

  1. Peel and chop the onions, garlic and ginger and remove the seeds from the peppers.
  2. Put 1 onion, 1  yellow pepper, the garlic and ginger into a food processor. Crumble in the stock cube and add the chilli (I keep the seeds to make it a bit hotter), the coriander, honey and spices. Now use the pulse setting on your processor until it resembles a paste (you’re going to be adding this to your chicken and adding water later, so don’t worry about it being really fine).
  3. Place a large cast iron skillet (30cm or larger) on medium-high heat and fry the chicken drumsticks (pull the skin off first if you’re like me, otherwise keep it on) with the olive oil for 10-15 minutes. It should be golden brown (and crispy if skin is on). Once cooked, remove and put aside. Keep the skillet on the heat.
  4. Chop up the other onion and pepper (I prefer the onion finely chopped, while keeping the pepper a bit bigger) and add to the pan to cook for a few minutes (about 4-5 minutes). Add the paste you made earlier, and cook for another 5 minutes.
  5. Add in 4 cups of boiling water (500ml). Now add the drained chickpeas and tomato paste, as well as some black pepper. You’re going to want to stir well, so everything gets mixed nicely.
  6. Add the chicken you removed back to the skillet. You likely won’t have a lid for the skillet, so use a piece of aluminum foil to cover. You’ll want to reduce heat and simmer for 45-50 minutes. The sauce should get thick and darker.
  7. When you only have 15-20 minutes left before the sauce is done, cook your rice (in 5 cups of boiling water). Cook for about 15 minutes (a little less if your rice absorbs quickly).
  8. Serve the curry in the skillet in the middle of your table, and place over the rice on your plate!

Date Square Recipe

Ingredients:

1 1/2 cups rolled oats
1 1/2 cups sifted pastry flour
1/4 teaspoon salt
3/4 teaspoon baking soda
1 cup packed brown sugar
3/4 cup butter, softened
3/4 pound pitted dates, diced
1 cup water
1/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon lemon juice

 

  1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F (175 degrees C).
  2. In a large bowl, combine oats, pastry flour, salt, 1 cup brown sugar, and baking soda. Mix in the butter until crumbly. Press half of the mixture into the bottom of a 9 inch square baking pan.
  3. In a small saucepan over medium heat, combine the dates, water, and 1/3 cup brown sugar. Bring to a boil, and cook until thickened. Stir in lemon juice, and remove from heat. Spread the filling over the base, and pat the remaining crumb mixture on top.
  4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes in preheated oven, or until top is lightly toasted. Cool before cutting into squares.

Recipe: Gluten Free Peanut Butter Cookies

Ingredients:
1 cup peanut butter
1 cup sugar
1 egg, beaten
1 tsp baking soda

Directions

  1. Preheat oven to 350F and grease cookie sheets.
  2. Beat together peanut butter and sugar in a large bowl with an electric mixer until smooth.
  3. Add beaten egg and baking soda to peanut butter mixture and beat until well combined.
  4. Roll 1 teaspoon of dough into a ball and place on cookie sheet.
  5. Place dough balls one inch apart on cookie sheet and flatten with fork making a cross pattern.
  6. Bake until puffed and a golden pale, about 10 minutes.
  7. Cool cookies on baking sheet about 2 minutes and then transfer with spatula to rack to cool.
  8. May be kept in airtight container at room temperature for 5 days.
  9. Makes about 2 dozen cookies.