Thursday 30 May 2013

Mini "Corndogs"

Growing up I used to love eating corndogs. It wasn't a regular food in our home, but an occasional treat we were allowed to indulge on (or I would buy when out with my friends ;) ) There was just something about that processed corn bread surrounding that processed wiener on a stick that made me crave more! Greasy, drippy, rich….and deadly to be sure.

Well, my love of corndogs, while abated as I have a greater understanding of the harms of processed foods, lingers still, intensified when at a fair and that sweet, hot, greasy aroma floats upon wings of delight to my waiting nostrils. I pass by, although, somewhat reluctantly I'll admit.

Thus is was quite exciting when I came across this recipe for "healthified corndogs". I couldn't wait to try it out and I gladly say they turned awesome. No grease, chemicals, no deep fried, but delicious non-the-less. My entire family enjoyed these morsels and they will definitely be making a re-appearance in our home again.

I found the recipe on one my favourite healthy foodie blogs, Maria's Nutritional and Delicious Journal and you can see the original post here.

Enjoy!

MINI CORNDOGS
(gluten-free, dairy-free, corn-free, sugar-free, soy-free)



Ingredients:

4 Tbsp coconut flour
4 Tbsp organic beef or veggie broth (I used veggie) (4 Tbsp = 1/4 cup)
1/2 tsp unflavoured gelatin
2 eggs
Hormone and antibiotic free, grassfed hot dogs

I tripled this recipe and it made 23 mini corndogs, so this recipe should make approx 8 mini corndogs.


Directions:

-Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a mini muffin pan.

- In a medium size bowl, heat the broth and mix in the gelatin to dissolve.



- Add in the coconut flour and eggs. Let sit for a minute to thicken up.



- Spoon about 1 Tbsp of breading in each muffin tin.



- Place a 1 inch piece of hot dog into the dough.



- Bake for 15 minutes or until golden brown. (Mine baked for closer to 20 min)



-Enjoy



Option: Wrap the batter around the hotdog with your hands. Add coconut oil to a skillet on high, once the skillet is hot, place the corndog in the oil and roll around until all sides are cooked. The above recipe will make 2 corndogs. I will be trying this in the near future :D

Happy Eating!



Saturday 18 May 2013

Simple Calamari

I just love seafood. Pretty much any seafood really, although pass on the breading and deep frying for me :) In Medicine Hat, one rarely has the chance to enjoy fresh cuisine from below the waves, so when we can get away to somewhere that offers such fare, I jump at the chance. But, sometimes I do love to enjoy ocean delights from the comfort of my home. This can be daunting as seafood can be a tricky food to prepare properly. Squid is not an exception. If over-cooked it becomes rubbery and elastic-like. When done just right, however, it's a savoury delicacy in the mouth.

We were given a bag of raw squid rings (calamari) to cook up, and my husband and I thought, why not! Let's give it a go. We both enjoy calamari immensely and as most places serve it breaded, I haven't been able to tantalize the taste buds with any in a long time.

I did some research and discovered that squid is actually quite simple to prepare as it literally takes only seconds to cook. As we come into Summer, when one avoids turning on the oven at any expense, this is just the treat to prepare, to go along with your BBQ or fresh salad (or on top of your salad!).

If you love seafood as much as I do, I recommend trying this out! You'll be pleased with the results :D

SIMPLE CALAMARI




Ingredients

1 bag raw, frozen, sustainable squid rings
Sea Salt
Extra Virgin Olive Oil (about 1 Tbsp)
Favourite Flavoured Salt
Seasonings of Choice

Directions

- Thaw out your squid rings by placing them in the fridge overnight or leaving them in the sink for the day till your ready to prepare them.

- Fill a dutch oven pot (or the largest pot you have) with fresh water and add a generous portion of sea salt to it. You want the water to be salts. Bring the salty water to a boil.

- Using a small metal, mesh strainer, filled with thawed squid rings, flash cook the rings in the boiling water for about 45 seconds (Be sure all the rings are below the surface of the water).

- Toss into a separate bowl and cover while you flash cook the rest of the squid. We had to do 3-4 batches to cook it all in our strainer.

- Toss the cooked calamari with a bit of Extra Virgin Olive Oil. Sprinkle your favourite, flavoured salt on top and toss again to coat well.

- Dish up and sprinkle your favourite seasoning of choice on top. I used Epicures Herb and Garlic mix.

- Serve hot and enjoy!




Tuesday 7 May 2013

Foods That Are Neither Vegetarian or Vegan

In the ever rising and increasingly popular turn to vegetarianism and veganism in our culture, it may surprise you to know that there are some foods out there that, though they may seem safe for consumption by those who have this lifestyles, yet are filled with hidden animal by-product ingredients.

For those that are unaware of the difference between a vegetarian and vegan, here's a quick overview (though not completely thorough in the least). A vegetarian does not eat meat, though there are some who may still periodically dine on fish, but as a general rule, anything that was a living, breathing being is not on the menu for supper. A vegan takes this a step further. Not only does a vegan not eat meat, they also do not eat or drink anything that is derived or comes from animals of any kind. This means no dairy, no eggs, etc.

Thus, it may come as a surprise that some food and beverages out there are not as "animal" free as you would expect. These items below are a favourite of many out there (myself included), thus I thought I would shed some light on these food items, drinks and treats that do not fit into the vegetarian or vegan lifestyle, even though it would seem at first glance that they would or should and I'm sure there are many a vegetarian and vegan out there who may have indeed enjoyed one or more of these items.

I found the following information on Huffington Post (thanks to my hubby who's always on the look-out for interesting reads) You can read the original article here if you like. Or, you can just read on!


Kraft Singles Cheese:

WHAT'S IN IT? Animal Enzymes

"According to Kraft's website, enzymes used to make Kraft Singles slices and the powdered cheese for Macaroni and Cheese, are both "sourced from both microbial fermentations and animal sources" such as cow, sheep, and goat."


Guiness (and other beers)

WHAT'S IN IT? Dried fish bladder

"As in-depth report says Guinness beer may have used isinglass (an ingredient made from dried fish bladder) during their brewing process."


Nerds (and other red candies)

WHAT'S IN IT? Insects

"Carmine, made from beetles and other insects, is a common type of food colouring. This ingredient is usually found in red coloured candies and strawberry-and-grape flavoured Nerds. And just last year, coffee-giant Starbucks told consumers their Strawberries & Creme Frappuccinos and strawberry-flavoured smoothies all contained cochineal extract - red food colouring made from crushed cochineal beetles."


McDonald's Smoothie

WHAT'S IN IT? Gelatin is made from the protein of animal by-product such as skin, tendons, ligaments and bones.

"If you're a vegetarian or vegan, you probably already know to avoid marshmallows, some jams, jellies and gelatin desserts like JELL-O. But some candies like Peeps, gummy bears and even McDonald's Real Fruit Smoothies also contain gelatin."




Refined White Sugar

WHAT'S IN IT? Bone char

"Some companies use bone char during the processing of refined white sugar. However, not all types of refined sugar contains bone char. PETA notes that bone char can also be found in some brown sugars, and they've even included a list of manufactures who are completely vegan."


Parmesan

WHAT'S IN IT? Rennet - enzymes made from the stomachs of unweaned animals such as calves.

"If you love freshly grated Parmesan cheese with your pasta or risotto, (I'm) sorry to deliver the bad news: This type of cheese is almost always made with rennet. Some writers even argue why vegetarian recipes continue to include this cheese as a vegetarian ingredient. Other hard cheese and gorgonzola may also be culprits."




Omega-3 Enriched Food and Drinks

WHAT'S IN IT? Fish oil

"Most Omega-3 enriched drinks or food such as margarine, olive oil and bread, may contain fish rather than plant sources of Omega-3 fatty acids. This Tropicana juice contains tilapia, sardines and anchovy."


Wines

WHAT'S IN IT? Gelatin made from pig and cow hooves

"Vegans, you may want to skip out on this one. Many wines and even beers use gelatin as a finishing agent."


Taco Bell Cheese Quesadilla

WHAT'S IN IT? Eggs

"This is obviously a no-no for vegans, but any vegetarian who eats dairy, but not eggs, should be wary of some breads and tortillas, such as the ones made for this cheesy fast-food dish."

And there you have it. Some foods to watch out for if you haven't been already. If you are neither vegan nor vegetarian, then eat away and enjoy with relish :)

Now go and enjoy the beautiful weather that is upon us, as Spring has sprung right over us and turned into Summer in one fell swoop, at least that's the case here in Southern Alberta.

Till next time...