Isolation Recipes and Thoughts

Keeping a running list here of recipes I’ve been making in isolation and how I’m thinking about the ingredients I have on hand! 

Sweets:

I have a limited amount of butter, no milk, and 1 dozen eggs so I’ve been thinking a lot about which baked goods to put all my eggs in (LITERALLY). Here are my choices to date. 

• I made these Tahini Billionaire Bars from Bon Appetit last night. If you don’t have tahini you could swap in a different nut butter in its place. Honestly, the crust alone is worth it. I cut them up into smaller squares and wrapped them in packets of four for my freezer (parchment paper, then tin foil). TBD on how my freezer approach goes but a whole batch is too much for one person.

  • Saved my 2 egg whites leftover from this recipe. Will likely use as a binder for granola later this week.

• Working on typing up my Nanny’s Banana Bread recipe, will post here later this week! I sliced up the bread and froze the slices individually so that I can heat it up in the oven whenever I want a toasty banana bread treat! Top with butter and flaky sea salt

Lunches:

• Tuna melts have been getting me through. I recommend going beyond mayo and cheese and try different flavours: lots of lemon juice, capers, diced crunchy vegetables (red pepper, snap peas, carrots), pickles, grainy mustard, dijon mustard, sun-dried tomato - the world is your oyster/tuna!

• I haven’t embarked on this yet but before isolation, I did buy 4 sweet potatoes in anticipation this day would come. Once I work through my fresh produce I think I’ll start making loaded sweet potatoes for lunches. One of my fav inspos is The First Mess Sweet Potato Fries with Miso Gravy - sometimes I do this as a topped sweet potato rather than fries. 

  • Other things I’ve been thinking about with my sweet potatoes: pierogis and gnocchi. TBD if I act on any of these thoughts.

Snacks:

• I’ve been making Molly Yeh’s Scallion Pancakes ever since her cookbook came out a few years ago. I saw that Bon Appetit posted a recipe this week but their dough requires a 1 hour rest, whereas Molly’s only requires 20 mins. If you don’t have sesame oil you can always use a neutral oil like vegetable or canola. I do hoisin and sriracha as a dipping sauce.

• ORANGES - I am very grateful for Fresh City Farms, who is keeping me out of the grocery stores and safe in my apartment. It is a beautiful thing that it is citrus season right now. Check with your local farmer’s markets and CSA baskets - many are still delivering.

Dinners:

Not much to add here because I had a Goodfood Delivery this week to work through. BUT here are recipes I have planned out for next week:

• THE STEW: this is my favourite pantry meal any time of the year and quarantine is no exception. It’s so simple, so flavourful, and so easy. 

  • Side note: I predict as I update this list it will become 50% Alison Roman recipes.

• I have some broccoli and leeks (and weirdly a container of heavy cream) in my fridge that need to be used up, so I’m thinking about making this Alison Roman Spicy Baked Pasta next week. 

  • Side note: AR count to 2. 

• I also have a cabbage that I’ve been using a FaceTime phone prop this last week. Might make these Stuffed Cabbage Leaves to use that up. But also thinking of holding onto my cabbage since it lasts for a long time. I’ll report back.

I haven’t had to tap into my freezer or lentil/bean reserves much yet, but I have many thoughts to share when I do! Stay safe and stay healthy - xoxo Kaleigh

Tangy Tomato Chutney

Brunch has become a staple for me on weekends since moving to Toronto. Most of the time I elect to make brunch at home, but when I go out, my place of choice is The Corner Place down by the St. Lawerence Market. With a strong aversion to waiting in lines, my friend and I have made a bit of a ritual out of going to this hidden gem and enjoying their menu that highlights fresh ingredients from the market across the street. Their St. Lawerence Benny is my regular order; featuring a tangy, sweet and savoury tomato chutney, smoked cheddar and creamy hollandaise.

This recipe is my attempt at recreating the flavours of my brunch-out favourite. Highly recommend serving on English muffins, with some nice old cheddar, bacon and soft poached eggs. This would also make a great condiment on sandwiches or your next cheese board.

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Tangy Tomato Chutney

40 minutes

If making for brunch, I get the chutney started before anything else. The longer you cook the chutney on a lower heat, the deeper the flavour will be. I get to step 2, and then I’ll initiate the other elements of my brunch (bacon, eggs, etc).

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced (or 3-4 small ones)

2 large tomatoes (or 3-4 medium), diced (yields about 2 cups of diced tomato)

½ tsp - 1 tsp of red pepper flakes

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

Salt n pepper

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, red onion and minced garlic over medium-low heat. Continue to cook until onions are translucent and buttery, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add diced tomato to the saucepan, and continue to cook on medium until tomatoes break down and become stew-like, darkening in colour. This will take some time - about 20-25 minutes.

3. Add red pepper flakes and vinegar, increasing the heat to medium-high to boil off the vinegar. Your eyes may sting a little during this step - vinegar can be strong! Takes 3-5 minutes.

4. Finally, add in maple syrup and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until the syrup is well integrated.

5. Taste and adjust your seasoning with salt and pepper.

6. Serve warm or room temperature, or put into the fridge for future use.

Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken

Sundays back home typically involve a large family meal. Growing up my grandmother would come over and later in my life after my brother had moved out, he’d be back home for Sunday supper. There was usually a roast of some type but the ritual, more than anything, was our family coming together over a shared meal before the week began again. Since living in Toronto I’ve tried to keep this ritual alive. Sundays are typically a slower day for me, so even if it’s just roasting a chicken for myself, it feels nice to keep up the tradition. This is my go-to roast chicken recipe because it doesn’t require a ton of ingredients and the flavour is easily malleable for leftovers. Throughout the week I cut it up for salads, heat it up with chilli powder and lime for tacos, and glaze the drumsticks with honey and sriracha for weekday dinners with rice and steamed broccoli. 

Another Sunday tradition of mine is going to my local farmer's markets. I can’t recommend enough buying your chicken from the market or a local butcher. Although it will be more expensive than the grocery store, the quality of the meat is so much higher. Plus a roast chicken will give you so many servings (not to mention the soup potential!) that on a per-serving basis, it’s quite economical.

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Lemon Garlic Roast Chicken

Time: 2 hours

NOTES:

The key to this recipe is to put most of the flavour UNDER the skin of the chicken. Don’t be afraid to get your hands a little messy! You can buy food-safe plastic gloves if you are uncomfortable touching raw meat.

You may also feel like this is a lot of salt. It is actually a modest suggestion for how much salt should really go on a bone-in whole chicken. The salt will ensure a moist, flavourful chicken with crispy skin.

Ingredients:

4-5lb whole chicken, ideally locally/organic

Rub:

• Zest of 1 lemon

• 1 - 1.5 tbsp kosher salt

• 1 tbsp dried oregano

• 4 cloves of garlic, finely minced

• 2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

• Fresh cracked black pepper

Other:

• 1 onion, peeled and cut into quarters

• Zested lemon cut in half

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 375F and ensure the rack is in the centre of the oven.

2. In a small bowl combine the lemon zest, kosher salt, dried oregano, garlic, olive oil and pepper - stirring to create a coarse paste.

3. Prepare a roasting pan or 9x13 pan - add onion quarters to the corners.

4. Pat your chicken dry and place into the pan breast up. Using your pointer finger and your middle finger, lift the skin on each chicken breast away from the breast meat. 

5. Take ⅓ of your paste and push under the skin on one chicken breast, trying to spread evenly under the skin. Repeat for the other breast.

6. Rub the remaining ⅓ of your paste over the skin of the chicken, being sure to get the wings and drumsticks.

7. Place one ½ the lemon inside the chicken, ensure it isn’t fully blocking the air from entering the chicken. Place the other ½ lemon in the pan.

8. Cook for 20 mins per pound, between 1 hour and 20 mins and 1 hour and 40 mins depending on the size of the chicken. I recommend rotating the chicken halfway through as the back of your oven is hotter than the front.

9. Chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 165F in the thickest part of the thigh meat.

10. Let your chicken rest for 15 minutes before serving.

11. The juice at the bottom of the pan makes a delicious serving sauce. Put it into a mason jar in the fridge to separate the fat, skim off, and heat as a jus.

Pumpkin Chia Seed Snacking Bread

This bread was developed out of my love for pumpkin flavoured sweets but with the aspiration of avoiding the sugar crash of traditional baked goods. My mom is a wizard of making homemade muffins and tweaking them to be a bit more wholesome (reducing butter and refined sugars, adding in seeds and nuts). I wouldn’t go as far to say this is a “healthy” bread but it definitely has a bit more oomph to it to keep you going throughout the day, rather than a quick sugar rush. Delicious as a snack or as a sweet treat with tea. 

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Pumpkin Chia Seed Snacking Bread

15 mins active work, 60 mins baking

Recipe updated September 21, 2020 - changed the baking powder, baking soda and almond flour measurements and increased the oven heat to help the bread rise and create a less dense texture!

Ingredients

1 1/4 cups of pumpkin puree (canned)

⅓ cup maple syrup

1 egg

¼ cup of coconut oil, melted

1 tsp vanilla extract

1 cup all-purpose flour 

½ cup almond flour

⅓ cup chia seeds

¾ tsp baking powder

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp kosher salt

½ tsp cinnamon

¼ tsp ground nutmeg

Optional topping:

1 tbsp of sugar (preferably raw sugar or turbinado sugar - larger granules)

2 tbsp of pepitas (or other nut/seed - pecans, sliced almonds, sunflower seeds etc)

Method:

1. Preheat oven to 425F. Prepare a loaf pan with a parchment paper “hammock” - the paper should line the bottom and the long sides.

2. In a large bowl, whisk together all of the wet ingredients (pumpkin puree, maple syrup, egg, coconut oil, vanilla)

3. In a medium bowl, combine the dry ingredients and whisk to get rid of the clumps of almond flour (AP flour, almond flour, chia seeds, baking powder, baking soda, salt, cinnamon and nutmeg)

4. Pour the dry ingredients into the large bowl with the wet ingredients and gently fold in until fully incorporated. You don't want to overmix but you also want to ensure there are no dry patches of flour.

5. Pour into prepared loaf pan. You made need to spread it around to ensure it is even in the pan.

6. Sprinkle the top of the batter with your seed of choice, and sugar if desired.

7. Bake for 5 mins at 425F and then lower the heat to 375F. Bake for 55 mins. The loaf should be fragrant, and a cake tester comes out clean. You shouldn’t feel much resistance when you push the cake tester in and pull it out. If you feel resistance, leave it in for 5-10 more mins.

8. Cool on a rack for 30-60 mins until fully cooled.

9. Best served the day of but can be stored on the counter for 2-3 days or in the fridge for up to 4- 5 days. Tastes delicious toasted the next day!

Warm Potato Salad with Leek and Bacon

I developed this recipe a few years ago when trying to think of a mayo alternative for potato salad. I have a few friends who do not like mayo based foods, and my paranoid #foodsafety makes me weary of white sauces in the summer. I wanted something that would taste delicious warm or room temperature without fear of illness. I had been playing around with mustard, apple cider vinegar and maple syrup for other salads and roasted vegetables, and thought the combination with bacon and leeks would make for a flavourful side. The result is zingy, savoury and hearty - the perfect sidekick to any BBQ this summer.

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Warm Potato Salad with Leek and Bacon

30 mins total

Ingredients:

Dressing:

2 tbsp grainy mustard

½ cup apple cider vinegar

1 tbsp maple syrup

¼ tsp of kosher salt

¼ cup extra virgin olive oil

Salad:

2 bags of baby potatoes (3 lbs total)

2 leeks, white parts sliced (yields roughly 2 ½ cups sliced)

8-12 strips of bacon, preferably from a market or local butcher

¼ cup fresh parsley, roughly chopped

Salt and pepper to taste

The prep (you can do these three steps at the same time - mostly inactive cooking):

1. Rinse the potatoes and place in a large pot and cover with water. Bring to a simmer and boil until potatoes are fork tender (about 15 minutes). Once cooked through, drain and set aside.

2. Bake the bacon: this is my favourite way to cook bacon. Less mess and a more even cook. Preheat oven to 350F and place bacon onto a parchment paper lined cookie sheet in a single layer. Bake until the bacon is cooked and crisp - about 20 minutes. Remove from cookie sheet and place on paper towels. The bacon will crisp up more as it cools. Once cooled, chop into bite sized pieces and set aside.

3. In a large bowl whisk together the grainy mustard, apple cider vinegar, maple syrup and kosher salt. Slowly pour in the oil while whisking until the vinaigrette is emulsified. Take ¼ cup of the vinaigrette out and set aside in a small bowl or mason jar.

The assembly:

1. In a medium sized frying pan, add any bacon fat that pooled onto your cookie sheet while it baked. If there isn’t much, add about 1 tbsp of olive oil. Heat to medium. Add in your sliced leeks and cook gently until translucent and tender, about 10 minutes.

2. Add your leeks into the large bowl with 3/4 of your vinaigrette and allow them to soak while you cut your potatoes small bite sized pieces (½ inch). Add to the leek/vinaigrette mixture, along with your chopped bacon. Toss.

3. Taste - does it need salt? If it doesn’t taste yummy and addictive yet, you likely need to season it more. Remember that potatoes are inherently bland and need a lot of help. I usually end up adding about ½ tsp more kosher salt during the final taste and season.

4. Serve warm or chill until ready to serve.

5. If chilling before serving, use your reserved vinaigrette right before serving - the potatoes will likely have soaked up most of the sauce. Top with chopped fresh parsley.