Bye Bye Gourmet :(

It's a sad sad day in the world of Gourmet. For the past 3 years, I've had the magazine Gourmet delivered to my home. Though the magazine is riddled with big juicy meat recipes, it also has some beautiful recipes that can either be adapted or are meatless to start with. They also have stunning pictures (some of which I am going to frame and put in my kitchen, when I have my own kitchen one day) and educational articles. Heck! I just love anything to do with food. So having a magazine show up at my door once a month makes me happy. I loved catching up on the newest kitchen gadgets. Some were so neat! Really high end stuff wouldn't be found in the average foodie's kitchen. But things like that make me dream... makes me dream of what my kitchen would look like if money wasn't an issue (or if I had a kitchen of my own to start with). Ah well, it was fun while it lasted :) Time to find myself a new magazine that will challenge the foodie in me.

*Photo of most of the 2008 and 2009 magazines, the 2007 magazines are in some box somewhere. I've kept all of them and one day will take the time to put my favorite recipes in my recipe book. The little square of paper is what I received in the mail saying that I will no longer be receiving the Gourmet Magazines, but will receive Bon Apetit instead.

Just say No! to wheat

Actually I can't have wheat until December 23rd. Doctors orders :) I don't mind it. I am taking it as a challenge. Challenge is the right word because after a long day at work, an appointment and then two hours at the gym, I didn't have the energy, nor the patience to make a meatless wheatless dinner. I ripped open a bag of kettle corn and was ready to chow down. But then I thought about it and... well kettle corn isn't an acceptable dinner. I ate enough to give me enough energy to look up a recipe and I decided that I'd make the first one I found. Craving some comfort food, I settled on a Baked Rice, Cheese and Vegetable Casserole. This may be a bit of a pain in the ass if you're hungry and don't want to chop all the veggies (ok, so you just have to chop tomatoes, bell peppers and onions) but I have a slap chopper and though the adverts are really stupid, it's a great tool in the kitchen for when you're feeling lazy! It also feels good to whack something. Actually it felt so good that I ended up pureeing my tomatoes instead of chopping them but ah well :) No, I am not angry or upset at the moment, just got carried away slapchoppin'.
The casserole was delicious! But I'll have to try it again when I am not starved! When I am hungry, anything tastes delicious. Mom, Dad, Steph and Dasha are having it as a side dish with chicken and they just yelled over that 'the rice casserole is very good'. So there, it got the family's stamp of approval. Here's the recipe:

Baked Rice, Cheese and Vegetable Casserole

1/4 cup unsalted butter
1 onion, chopped
1 green pepper, chopped (I used red, we didn't have green, it was still yummy :))
1 1/2 cups frozen corn kernels, thawed (Not planning ahead, I used em frozen, worked just fine)
1 large tomato, the recipe says seeded, I threw em in, chopped
3 cups brown rice
2 cups grated Swiss cheese
3 tbsp cream
1 tsp dried thyme
1/4 cup almond flour (optional)
pepper to taste

Melt butter in heavy large skillet over medium-low heat. Add onion and bell pepper and sauté until tender, about 8 minutes. Add corn and tomato and sauté 3 minutes. Add rice, 1 cup cheese, cream, thyme and almond flour and stir until cheese melts and mixture is heated through. Transfer mixture to 8-cup soufflé dish.

Preheat broiler. Sprinkle remaining 1 cup cheese over rice mixture. Broil until cheese melts, about 2 minutes.

Yuuummmmmm!!!!! :) For desert, I had my first cup of eggnog sprinkled with fresh ground nutmeg. Bliss!

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake

Once a month, the Yoga Journal finds itself in my mail box. A while ago I subscribed to it because I enjoyed the articles in it. I don't actually practice yoga but I like the way of life and I try to incorporate it into mine. In the December issue there was an article about a woman who found peace in baking and spent her Saturday mornings making a bundt cake and giving it out to someone who would appreciate it (whether it would be a friend or stranger). This sparked something in me. It's been a while since I've baked something, never mind baked something for someone else. I've been enjoying all the cooking that I've been doing but my heart and soul belongs to baking.
After a short shift at work today, I walked to Granville island with my coworker and we enjoyed a beautiful afternoon in the sunshine. It's been beautiful and I decided to take advantage of the weather instead of going to the gym. As soon as I got home, I put on my pyjamas and apron* and started playing with sugars, butters and other ingredients that make baking so satisfying. While some people shy away from getting their hands covered in butter to cover the baking pan, I find pleasure in it. I like feeling the butter squish between my fingers as I smother it into the pan. I'm a very tactile baker and would rather use my hands to scoop up flour into measuring cups. There's something so satisfying about the feel of what you're putting into your dish.
Anyways, I ended up making two bundt cakes. One for work and one to be split between home and Heidi's. She'll be the first to receive a bundt cake baked with love :) Without further ado, here's the recipe for my spiced cranberry bundt cake

Spiced Cranberry Bundt Cake

2 cups all purpose flour
3/4 cup almond flour or almond meal (if you have a food processor, just grind almonds into a flour, otherwise you can get it at Capers)
2 1/2 tsp Chinese Five Spice powder
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp baking soda
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground ginger (I used freshly grated ginger)
1 cup unsalted butter, at room temperature
1/2 cup sugar (the recipe calls for 1 cup, I halfed it)
1 cup brown sugar (they called for packed, I left it fluffy and it was well under 1 cup of brown sugar)
3 large eggs
1 cup plain Greek Style Yogurt (the recipe calls for reduced fat... I used the real deal)
1 cup toasted almonds, chopped
1 cup fresh or frozen cranberries (do not thaw)
1/2 cup dried cranberries
1/4 cup pomegranate seeds (I added this in because they're in season and they're so beautiful! I like, therefore I add)

Icing: 2/3 cup icing sugar & approx. 4 tsp orange juice

• Preheat oven to 350. Grease and flour a bundt pan.
• Whisk first 8 ingredients in a medium bowl. Using electric mixer, beat butter in a large bowl until smooth.
• Add both sugars and beat until fluffy, about 3 minutes.
• Add eggs, one at a time, beating for a minute after each addition.
• Beat in vanilla, then Greek style yogurt. Add dry ingredients; beat until just well blended.
• Fold in almonds and all cranberries. Transfer batter to prepared bundt pan.
• Cook until cake tester (aka toothpick) comes out clean, approximately 50 minutes to 70 minutes.
• Cool cake in pan about 10 minutes, then turn out on cooling rack to cool completely.
• For Icing: Sift icing sugar, then add 2 tsp orange juice. Stir until sugar has dissolved. Add more orange juice until mixture reaches consistency of heavy cream. Spoon icing over cake, allowing to drip down sides. Let stand until icing sets, approx 30 minutes.

Apparently the longer this cake stands, the better it'll taste. I haven't actually tried it yet but if it tastes anything like what the house smells like now, I am sure it will be amazing! I'll update this blog post once I've tried a piece (I'll wait until tomorrow because it's almost 11pm and I won't eat before bed).

Update: The bundt cake is really yummy! But next time, I would split (or do 1 1/2 cups to 1/2 cup) the flour half whole wheat and half white... I would even venture with spelt flour or an alternative. I would also be tempted to remove the sugars and add honey (1 cup). Nix the dried cranberries and the pomegranate (pom doesn't add or take anything away from the recipe) and replace it with 2 cups of frozen cranberries. But then again I enjoy the tartness of the cranberries as you bite into it.
Left alone, this cake is still delicious but I like to try a recipe and play with it to make it a little more unique.

*Jenny gave me this awesome apron for my birthday! I love it!!!

25 Days of Christmas Cookies

25 Days of Christmas Cookies. One year I am going to have enough time to do this but until then, I'll click through all the amazing recipes and make my favorite ones!

Now THIS is why I love December! I can bake to my hearts content and no one questions why I am showing up at their place with a batch of cookies, a bundt cake or other delicious goodies.

Honey-Glazed Tofu on Pumpkin Seed Couscous

This was pretty yummy and total prep time is under an hour! Would I make it again? Most likely but it definitely needs some tweaking. Next time I'll have to try less honey and less oil. As a matter of fact, I think I'll just half the sauce, marinate for longer and bake it instead of frying it all. The couscous though was stellar! I really enjoyed the whole wheat couscous instead of the regular kind. Tasted a little more earthy and had a bit more sustenance. Here's the original recipe:

Honey-Glazed Tofu
1 pack extra-firm tofu
2 tsp cracked black pepper
2 tsp dried thyme
1 tsp salt
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup honey

Pumpkin Seed Couscous
2 cups low-sodium vegetable broth
2 medium carrots, chopped (1 cup)
1 cup frozen edamame, thawed
2 tsp olive oil
1 tsp salt
1 1/2 cups whole-wheat couscous (Safeway doesn't carry this but Whole Foods does - though only in the bulk section)
1/2 cup toasted unsalted pumpkin seeds (I roughly chopped them and prefer it that way)

• To make Honey-Glazed Tofu: Place tofu between two plates and set heavy pot on top. Drain 10 minutes, and pat dry. Cut tofu into 3/8-inch-thick slices. Combine pepper, thyme, and salt in small bowl. Coat tofu slices with pepper mixture and set aside.
• To make Pumpkin Seed Couscous: Bring broth, carrots, edamame, olive oil, and salt to a boil in covered saucepan. Remove from heat and stir in couscous. Cover 5 minutes, then fluff with fork.
• Meanwhile, heat vegetable oil and honey in large skillet over medium-high heat until bubbling. Place seasoned tofu in pan, and cook 3 minutes. Turn and cook 3 minutes more, spooning thickening sauce over tofu.
• To serve: Stir pumpkin seeds into couscous. Spoon onto plates and top with Honey-Glazed tofu.

Voila! Just last week I made a lentil loaf and... well it's not really worth posting. I found that the flavors weren't very complex and it was rather boring. It tasted like lentils and chili. Really, I'm not a fan of lentils either so it was kind of a ho hum experience. There's half the loaf that's been sitting in my fridge and I am at a loss for what to do with it. I've carted around lentil loaf lunches for the past couple of days but either get something else to eat because I am just not feelin the lentils or I just don't eat at all. Unfortunately I bought 4kg of lentils from little India so I better find a yummy lentil recipe. Cuz really... what are lentils good for? I think we used to make maracas out of empty toilet paper tubes and lentils when I was in preschool.... so maybe I can donate my lentils to a preschool or something. Damn lentils... even ducks don't eat lentils!

Business Building

I've finally accepted the fact that work is unpredictable. It's been difficult not knowing what my day is going to look like and even more difficult to sit around, ready to work but with little or nothing coming in. Especially now. End of October was alright, beginning of November was good and now it's all messy (I had more clients on Thursday then I did on Saturday and Sunday combined!!! Usually those are my better days). But yesterday a client inspired me to do something about it. A coworker and I had a duet massage* with this couple and they enjoyed their massage so much that they left us a little happy holiday card. That simple gesture made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside which got me thinking... I can probably do something like this for my clients.
Alright, so this is a little bit of an aside. At work we don't have business cards. We have little 10% off cards where we can give those out with our name as the referral agent. But somehow I don't like giving those out. Yes, it's incentive for them to come back but I don't know how I feel about giving discounts to everyone. I guess this stems from some of our professional development classes when we were talking about discounting our rates and the effect that that may have on our business and client expectations.
Someone suggested that I make my own business cards, so some time, earlier this month, I sat down and designed really nice cards but something stumped me. What is my title? Until I am registered, I am a bodyworker. I don't like being a bodyworker. Not because of other bodyworkers but because of the name. Bodyworker. It makes people raise an eyebrow, wink and you and think perverted thoughts. Bodyworker. So I was thinking of alternate titles** but the only thing I came up with was 'almost registered massage therapist'. Even then, that was a stretch and I wasn't going to put that on my business card. Discouraged, I scraped the whole idea.
Yesterday I bit the bullet. I made holiday themed post cards with 'Happy Holidays/Joyeux Noel' written on them. It also has my name, the business name and phone number along with that one word that stumped me last month: Bodyworker. Yep, I did it. It looks pretty darn classy and I am quite stoked about receiving them (they should arrive in the mail in approximately 7 days... I rushed the order because December is... tomorrow). I'm excited. It's a step in the right direction I think.
I chose to make the card bilingual because I've found a new appreciation for being a Frenchie. I work with a woman who's french, from France and it's been really nice to get to talk to her in French. And, just this past week we've had a student come in at work and he'll be working with us for the next three weeks and he's french (from Quebec) too!! Also, Jenny (a fellow frenchie, I've known her since grade 4), Darla and I went to the Backstage Lounge on Granville island for frenchie night. It was fantastic to listen to everyone speak french and to dance to some french music.
So hopefully after all this, I'll end up with more business. But if I don't... well at least it has made me grow as a therapist. And that's always a good thing :)

*Duet massages are when two people get a massage in the same room. Despite the room being VERY small for the therapists, it's usually a different dynamic and is wonderful to work with.

**Massage therapist, registered massage therapist, massage practitioner etc. have all been taken by the College of Massage Therapists (governing body for the registered therapists)

Cooking with Seitan

Awe man! This recipe was delicious! Unfortunately trying to find seitan in Whole Foods was an experience in itself.
I decided to try this recipe because I wanted to find an other meat alternative. I had never heard of seitan (pronounced sEItan... not satan) but I wanted to try it out. But first I had to find it. Now it's not really popular so most people at Whole Foods looked at me a little strange when I asked them where I could find seitan. One guy abandoned me, probably because he thought I was crazy. Finally, a gentleman was able to help me and together we looked high and low for it. We started in the meat alternative section but had trouble finding it. He asked a coworker who said it might be in the frozen section. So we looked there and seitan wasn't in the freezer. Hee hee :) I had a grand time imagining myself looking for the devil in the freezer and meat alternative section. Finally it was in the meat alternative section but it's mixed in with the tofu so it's not very obvious. It's pricier (about $5 for 7.9oz) then tofu but really, that's not that much of an issue, just means I won't be cooking with it every day.
The recipe, Seitan 'meatballs' with winter tomato sauce, is a twist on spaghetti and meatballs. Wanting to stray away from spag, I made the 'meatballs' with steamed kale (still on my kale kick). It had enough sustenance and was very yummy. The 'meatballs' were quite salty. I don't know if this is due to the fact that the only seitan that Whole Foods had at the moment was ginger and garlic flavored and not original (like the recipe calls for). Or perhaps seitan is just a little saltier. Now don't get fooled by it's unappetizing look (it kind of looks like a very sick liver). It smells quite nice (earthy) and the finished product was delicious too!
I'm tempted to rename this recipe because seitan meatballs doesn't quite cut it. I don't like calling it a meatball cuz there's no meat (unless you want to call seitan wheat meat/gluten meat). Calling it Seitan balls doesn't work either. Perhaps Seitan pecan balls... Still. No. Anyways so here's the recipe :)

Seitan Meatless Meatballs

1 (16 oz) package seitan
1/2 cup pecans
1/2 cup whole-wheat bread crumbs
1/4 cup chopped parsley (I used cilantro cuz I grabbed the wrong thing out of the fridge and only realized it once I chopped it all up... it the end it we all agreed that cilantro tastes better then parsley would)
1/4 cup chopped fresh basil (use basil stems as well as leaves)
1/8 tsp dried oregano
3 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp olive oil, divided
1 tsb low-sodium soy sauce (or BRAGGs Liquid Aminos)
1 tsp egg replacer powder (I used 1 egg)

• Preheat oven to 400F. Coat baking sheet with cooking spray.
• Crumble seitan in food processor. Add pecans; pulse to blend.
• Transfer to bowl. Stir in breadcrumbs, herbs, garlic, 1 tbsp. olive oil, and soy sauce.
• Whisk egg replacer with 1/4 cup water until frothy (or just whisk 1 egg, no water); fold into seitan mixture.
• Shape mixture into 18 balls. Place on prepared baking sheet and brush with remaining 2 tbsp oil.
• Bake 20 minutes, turning once, or until crusty and lightly browned.

Some of the balls were a little crumbly so I ended up drizzling the oil on when I was supposed to turn them... I didn't turn them for fear they'd crumble and they turned out just fine :)