I've been buying fresh herbs the last couple of months. I really want to know how to use them in food.

I used to leave out the fresh herbs when it was listed in a recipe. But, now I'm trying to include them and I find it adds a freshness to the dish. It complements the recipes and I will try not to leave them out, if I can.

My hubby, the "gardener" in our family, will be starting a herb garden for me. I'm pretty excited about that. He's excited to do the gardening and I'm excited to have the produce! Now there will be no excuse in not using herbs in my food!
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(Just a Note: I'll be without internet for the next week and a half. Catch up with you all in short while! Later!)

Sometimes, you are taught great lessons when you are cooking.

This recipe fired me up for several hours afterward and I now preach words of wisdom to everyone I come in contact with. The lesson is simple but too often ignored:

Put on gloves when dealing with HOT CHILIES!

For the love of god, please put on some gloves! I was left with burning fingers for hours and hours afterward. I couldn't sleep and nothing I could do would take the firing pain away.

I figured I could outsmart the chilies, that I would make sure not to touch the inside of the peppers or it's seeds. Let me tell you, those peppers take no mercy. I have learned my lesson.

After working hard to make the red curry paste and almost crying from the pain, I was slapped with another blow to the ego. I went down the ethnic aisle of my supermarket and lo and behold, a BIG 400 gram tub of red curry paste mocking me. And the price... $1.88.

And we've used it in a recipe already and it's really tasty too.

I shall never ever again attempt to make red curry paste (since I can buy it for cheap). But, I have much respect for those hot chili peppers, for it has punished me and I will never forget the mind-numbing throbbing pains.

Nature is cruel. But oh so delicious.


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red curry with sweet red peppers, snap peas, pumkin and mushrooms
serves 4-6

1 can (14 ounces) unsweetened coconut milk
1-2 Tbsp red curry paste (see below)
1/2 cup vegetable stock
1 tbsp brown sugar
1/2 tsp soy sauce
1/2 tsp salt
1 red sweet pepper, cut into long thin strips
1/2 small pumpkin, peeled, sliced and cut into strips
4 ounces of snap peas
1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
sprinkle of honey-roasted peanuts and chopped cilantro

Spoon out 1/3 of the coconut milk into medium saucepan and bring to gentle boil. Stir until thickened, about 3 minutes.

Stir in curry paste and cook for 3 more minutes. Add remaining coconut milk, vegetable stock, sugar, soy sauce and salt, stir well. Bring to active boil, reduce heat. Add pumpkin and simmer for 15 minutes.

Add red pepper, snap peas, mushrooms and stir gently for a few minutes. Remove from heat and let stand for 2-3 minutes. Serve over rice and sprinkle with peanuts and cilantro.

red curry paste:

makes 1 cup

10 fresh red finger length chilies
1 tbsp coriander seeds
1 tsp cumin seeds
10 black peppercorns
3 stalks lemon grass
1/4 cup coarsely chopped fresh cilantro
1/4 cup shallots
2 tbsp chopped carlic (8-12 cloves)
1 tbsp chopped fresh ginger
1 tsp minced lime peel
1 tsp salt

Using gloves, stem and discard most of the seeds of the chilies. Cut into small pieces. Put into processor or blender.

Toast coriander and cumin seeds for 2 minutes. Grind the seeds with the black pepper.

Prepare lemongrass, discarding any root section below bulb base and top portion, leaving about 6 inches of stalk. Chop and add to blender/processor.

Toss the rest of the ingredients into blender/processor and grind until you reach a smooth puree. Add water if too thick.

Store in airtight jar for 1 month in refrigerator. Caution: very HOT.

Recipes adapted from: Red Curry Paste and Red Curry with Red Sweet Peppers, Snow Peas and Tofu. Real Vegetarian Thai.

I really should make muffins more. I just never think of it. I'd probably make a loaf instead of muffins. I think it's because when I make muffins, I tend to over bake them and they turn out dry, which isn't very fun to eat... no matter how much butter you slather on them!

Muffins are great for a quick breakfast or a snack in the middle of the day. Especially these ones since they contain about 4 g of fiber per muffin. I also find that I'll buy a big batch of banana's and by the end of the week, they are brown and I staring at them wondering how I should use them up.

So, here's a good recipe but don't overbake them like I do :)

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chocolate banana muffins
makes 12 muffins

1 egg
1/4 cup (50 mL) vegetable oil
1 cup (250 mL) buttermilk
1-1/2 tsp (7 mL) vanilla
1/2 cup (125 mL) brown sugar
1 cup (250 mL ) mashed ripe banana, about 2 medium-size bananas

1 cup (250 mL) all-purpose flour
1 cup (250 mL) whole-wheat flour
3/4 cup (175 mL) natural bran
1/4 cup (50 mL) cocoa powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking powder
1 tsp (5 mL) baking soda
3/4 tsp (4 mL) salt

1/4 cup (50 mL) chocolate chips (optional)

Preheat oven to 425F (220C). Grease 12 muffin cups or use paper liners. In a bowl, whisk egg with oil, buttermilk and vanilla. Stir in sugar until dissolved, then banana.

In a large bowl, using a fork, stir flours with bran, cocoa, baking powder and soda, salt and nuts, if using. Make a well in centre of dry ingredients. Pour banana mixture into well and stir just until blended. Do not overmix. Stir in chocolate chips, if using. Spoon mixture into muffin cups. Bake in centre of 425F (220C) oven until a cake tester inserted into a muffin comes out clean, about 14 minutes.

Recipe from: chocolate-banana breakfast muffins, Chatelaine website

For Valentine's, the hubby bought me the above plates to use for my food photography! Fancy shmancy :)

I bought a few bowls a while back but he bought me these to use when I take pictures. I have some neutral beige plates that we use for eating off of but this should make my food pop against the gleaming white!

In addition to getting the above plates for Valentine's Day, I woke up to THIS for breakfast...



mmmmmmm.... crepes filled with rosehip jam, drizzled with nutella sauce and a side scoop of strawberry vanilla ice cream. It doesn't matter what plate you put that on, it looks and tastes de-lish!

My hubby is the crepe maker in the house, if you remember and he makes them quite frequently. Lucky me :)

I have the crepe recipe reposted after the jump...

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crepes

3/4 cups flour
1 teaspoon sugar
Pinch salt
3 eggs, lightly beaten
1 tablespoon melted, unsalted butter*
1 1/2 cups milk

In a bowl, stir together the flour, sugar and salt. Add the eggs and melted butter and stir until smooth. Add the milk and mix well.

Heat a nonstick pan, melt 1 tsp butter over moderate heat. Pour in 2 or 3 tablespoons of batter. Cook the crepe until it is golden brown on the bottom; then flip it, using a spatula. Remove when golden brown on both sides. Continue until all the batter is used up.

*we use margarine most of the time and it turns out just as well, shhhh, don't tell wolfgang :)

wolfgang puck recipe

Happy Valentine's Day!!!

I thought I'd do my part for Valentine's and I made heart-shaped pizzas for the fam. The kidlets enjoyed their ham and pineapple with red peppers pizza (though my youngest picked off his red peppers while exclaiming "yucky" with a scrunched up nose!).



The hubby and I enjoyed mushrooms, red peppers, tomatoes and green onions on pesto sauce pizza. Delicious. (I made the pesto a few days ago, I'll post that on a different day.

I'm submitting this blogpost to A Heart for your Valentine event. Lots of fun and yummy entries in the roundup.

Now, I'm off to search for some chocolate!

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pizza crust
makes one 12 inch pizza pie

1 cups white flour
1/2 cup whole wheat flour
1 envelope instant yeast
1 tsp sugar
1 tsp baking powder
1-1/2 tbsp oil
2/3 cup warm water

Stir first 4 ingredients together. Add oil and warm water. Stir well. Knead 30-40 times onto floured surface or use a food processor/mixer.

Roll and stretch into 12 inch pizza pan.

Bake 400F for 15-18 minutes. Cuts into 8 wedges.

Adapted Recipe from: Pizza Deluxe, Company's Coming Cooking for Two.