November » 2011 » Living Lou

Japanese Spiced Salmon

Time is hard to come by these days. It seems like we’re always running from one thing to the next. Constantly in motion, trying to cram everything we can into 24 hours. At least that’s where I am right now.

With the end of the semester just a week and a half away, I’m deep in essays, midway through the editing process of video assignments and trying to prepare myself to study for finals. To be honest, the end of November and beginning of December is definitely not the most wonderful time of the year. It is completely draining. There is a light at the end of the tunnel though, and that comes on December 9th when I have an entire month off before classes resume. That means that it’s time to go crazy with holiday baking. What’s everyone planning on baking this year? I have some yummy new recipes up my sleeve and of course I’ll be making some of my favourite old classics like Ginger Molasses Cookies and Chocolate Snow Caps.

I also have a fun announcement! I was picked as one of four blogs as Jamie Oliver’s Food Revolution Blogs of the Month for the month of November 2011! As a big fan of his Food Revolution, and someone who focuses on healthy eating and living, I’m so excited and honored to have been chosen!

Speaking of being healthy, we all know that salmon is one of the healthiest proteins out there. It’s easy and quick to cook and so satisfying. If you know me, you know that I’m not usually one who buys pre-made spice mixes, especially if you can just make them at home. However, as with most rules, especially French grammar rules, there are a couple of exceptions. Those exceptions include a Japanese 7-spice blend and Chinese 5-spice blend. I don’t use the individual spices enough on their own to warrant having an entire jar or bag of each, so having a pre-made mix is ideal. These mixes can be found in most grocery stores and they add great flavor to your dishes.

Japanese Spiced Salmon (serves 5-7)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

2 lbs salmon fillets
3 tsp soya sauce
3 tsp orange juice
3/4 tsp ginger
2 1/2 tsp Japanese 7 spice powder (For Canadians, I like President’s Choice Shichimi Togarashi 7-spice Blend)
1/2 tsp mustard powder
salt and pepper to taste

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

Place salmon on a lightly greased baking dish skin side down.

Whisk all remaining ingredients together and brush on top of the salmon fillets.

Bake for 20-25 minutes.

Super easy and delicious – Japanese Spiced Salmon is definitely another salmon dish to add to your repertoire!

- Lou

Cinnamon Swirl Muffins

After those Whole Wheat Pumpkin Muffins a couple of weeks ago I knew that I had fallen in love with muffins again. And you know what this means, they are going to be getting baked in the Living Lou kitchen a lot more often. So when I was assigned the wonderful blog Busy-at-Home for this month’s Secret Recipe Club I was on the hunt for muffins.

Glenda, who is the face behind Busy-at-Home is such an inspiring person. I was so happy to be assigned her blog which is filled with recipes, such as these No Bake Peanut Butter Bars (which I have already made!) She also has great reviews and lots of fun giveaways. What I found the coolest about Glenda is how passionate she is about homeschooling. You may not know this about me, but I’m passionate about many things, so to see someone who is as equally passionate about something she believes in is so inspiring! What it boils down to folks, is that Glenda is a pretty amazing person and I just reading her About page brings a smile to my face.

These Cinnamon Swirl Muffins come out of her Cinnamon Roll Cake I took her delicious sounding cake recipe and adapted it into a Living Lou favourite – the muffin! These muffins are sweet and make a nice snack, not the healthiest, but made with whole wheat flour.

Cinnamon Swirl Muffins (makes 6-8)

Ingredients

1 1/2 cups whole wheat flour
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp cloves
1/2 tsp baking powder
1/2 cup packed brown sugar
1/3 cup milk
1 egg
1 1/2 tsp vanilla
1/3 cup unsweetened apple sauce

Cinnamon Swirl

1/4 cup butter, melted
1/4 cup sugar
1 tbsp whole wheat flour
1 tbsp cinnamon

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and line a muffin tin with paper liners.

In a large bowl whisk together whole wheat flour, salt, cloves, baking powder and sugar.

In a separate bowl, whisk together the milk, egg, vanilla and apple sauce.

Add the wet ingredients to the dry ingredients, gently mixing. Do not over-mix! Scoop batter into muffin tin.

Meanwhile, in another bowl, combine meltedbutter, sugar, whole wheat flour and cinnamon. Spoon a little over a teaspoon of the cinnamon swirl onto the top of each muffin. Create the swirl using a knife, by drawing it through the batter.

Bake in the oven for 20 minutes or until fully cooked.

Hope you’re having a great Monday!

- Lou

Coconut Topped Brownies

Hi world! Want to know a secret? I’m a little in over my head at the moment, but as a college student, I mean, who isn’t? Want to know another secret? Today, I’ve eaten more chocolate chips than anything else. I don’t think my nutrition teacher would be very please with me. Oh well, my mind is happy and soothed.

You know something that is not a secret? My love for brownies. Seriously, I love them. If brownies were an animal, they would definitely be my spirit animal. Does anyone else remember that spirit animal phase from The O.C? AKA, the time when Summer went to Brown, slightly lost her mind, and then when Seth visits he discovers that his spirit animal is an Otter. This phase of The OC is also remembered, not too fondly, as the steep, downhill, turn for the worst ending of a one time fabulous show. Why am I talking about spirit animals?

Back to brownies, now these are some delicious brownies, perfectly fudgey and topped with coconut which caramelizes in the oven – hello heaven! While I do love to share healthy recipes, sometimes, all you need is a good brownie, or three. If you’re in the mood for some healthy talk, check out my most recent posts on The Kit, but if you’re having a day where brownies are required, please make these.

Coconut Topped Brownies (makes 15)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

4 oz semisweet chocolate
2 tbsp butter
2 eggs
1/2 cup apple sauce
2 tsp vanilla extract
1 cup granulated sugar
1 cup all purpose flour
1/3 cup cocoa powder
1 tsp baking powder

Topping

3/4 cup unsweetened coconut
2 1/2 tbsp melted butter
1/2 cup chopped walnuts
3 tbsp brown sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 and line a 9×13 inch pan with parchment paper.

Melt chocolate and butter in a bowl over a pot of simmering water. Set aside and allow to cool.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, whisk together applesauce, eggs and vanilla.

In a large bowl, whisk sugar, flour, cocoa powder and baking powder together. Stir in the liquid ingredients. Finally mix in the cooled, melted chocolate. Pour batter into the lined pan.

Prepare the topping by mixing the coconut, melted butter, chopped walnuts and brown sugar together. Evenly spoon on top of brownies.

Bake in the oven for 25-30 minutes. Lastly, place the brownies for 1-2 minutes under the broiler, or until topping is caramelized.

Please enjoy these brownies, I’m going to find out what my real spirit animal is.

- Lou

Slow Cooker Chili with Sweet Potatoes

The days are getting shorter, the grass is covered by leaves and frost sparkles in the sunlight in the early mornings – winter is definitely on its way. There aren’t many things that I like about winter. There’s just something about leaving in the morning when it’s still dark out and then getting home as the sun is setting that is pretty depressing. I don’t like the cold, and I may be one of the few Canadians who hates the snow; to sum it all up, winter and Lou just don’t really go together. Also, talking in third person and Lou don’t really go well together either. (Note to self: no more third person.)

I’m going to try and keep the negativity to a minimum here because Living Lou is a positive space, and there are a few things that I love about winter. One of those is inevitably Christmas and the other is comfort food; soups, stews, baked pasta, oatmeal, I could go on and on! If you were hanging around Living Lou last year you’ll remember the chili I shared that is one of mine and my Dad’s favourites. Today I’m sharing a new and easy chili, all it requires is a quick saute and preparation of the ingredients and then you can just dump it all in the slow cooker turn it on, and come home to a heart warming, flavorful chili after work.

Slow Cooker Chili with Sweet Potatoes (serves 4-6)
Recipe by Lou

Ingredients

1 tbsp olive oil
1 onion, chopped
4 cloves garlic, crushed
1 lbs hot italien sausage meat
1 1/2 lbs ground turkey
1 tbsp chili powder
1 1/2 tbsp grill seasoning
1 1/2 tbsp cumin
1 tbsp coriander
1/2 tbsp chipotle chile powder
1/2 tbsp smoked paprika
1 1/2 cups crushed tomatoes
1 3/4 cup beef stock
1/2 tsp whole pepper corns
1 1/4 cup chopped, raw, sweet potatoes

Directions

In a large pan, heat olive oil over medium heat. Add onion and saute for 3-4 minutes, add garlic and cook for a minute. Add sausage meat and ground turkey, cook until fully cooked. Drain off 1/2 cup of fat, then add chili powder, grill seasoning, cumin, coriander, chipotle chile powder and smoked paprika. Stir until fragrant.

Dump the contents of the pan into slow cooker, cover with crushed tomatoes and beef stock. Stir in pepper corns and sweet potatoes. Cook in slow cooker over low heat for 6 hours.

Is chili one of your favourites during the cold months?

- Lou