Pineapple Angel Food Cake

So yet again I have leftovers of something that's going to go bad soon if it doesn't get used up. This time it was almost a full carton of egg whites. What do do?? Make my husbands favorite cake! I found this can of crushed pineapple in the back of the cupboard today too and I thought what could be more summery then a light and fluffy, zesty pineapple angel food cake. My husband was very pleased to say the least as he went back for a second slice. Another bonus to this cake? It's FAT FREE! So don't feel bad about going back for that second or third slice....

A note about making anything with whipped egg white. Make sure that your bowls and mixers are totally grease free and that no yolks get into your egg whites at all! Egg whites don't like fat so clean everything and be careful if you are using eggs that no yolks fall into the whites and your meringue will be perfect.

What you need
1 1/2 cups egg whites (about 10-12 large eggs) at room temperature
1 1/2 cups sugar, divided
1 cup sifted cake flour (yes you can use all purpose but it won't give you as fluffy a texture)
1 tsp cream of tartar
1/4 tsp salt

1 tsp vanilla extract
1/2 tsp almond extract
14 oz can of crushed pineapple

PREHEAT your oven to 325 degrees F.
IN a small bowl whisk 3/4 cups of sugar and the cake flour.
BEAT eggs until light and fluffy then add cream of tartar and salt. Beat until mixed well then begin adding remaining sugar a couple tablespoons at a time until you get soft peaks. Add vanilla and almond extract. (If your egg whites don't get soft peaks add more sugar a little at a time until you do)
SIFT the flour/sugar mixture over egg whites in 6 additions, gently folding in each addition.
STRAIN the juice out of pineapple. Try to get as much out as you can and gently fold into egg white mixture.
POUR batter into an ungreased tube pan. Smooth top and place in the bottom rack of a preheated oven. 
BAKE for about 50 minutes or when top springs back when touched. Let cool upside down on a few cans or a wine bottle for at least 2 hours or until completely cool.

When your cake is almost cool you can make the pineapple glaze. I didn't really measure these ingredients so I apologize if they are not perfect but basically you want to make it thin enough that is coats the cake easily and can drip down the sides but not too thin or it will just fall off into a big puddle or soak in too much. But it's not rocket science so I'm sure you'll be fine.

Pineapple Glaze
MELT 2 Tbsp of butter in the microwave and whisk in 1 cup of icing sugar, 1/4 cup of the reserved pineapple juice, 3 drops of yellow food colouring (because it's fun) and 1/4 tsp of vanilla. I used the seeds of 1/4 of a vanilla bean because I ran out of vanilla extract today and it was delicious! So you can do that if you have vanilla beans. If the icing needs to be thinner add more juice or add more icing sugar if it needs to be thicker.
POUR icing over cake until it runs down the sides.

Grilled Peach and Speck Salad

I was hungry and saw the last peach on the counter. Peaches can be savory too. Have you ever grilled a peach?? Maybe not. Try this one and discover how peaches can be savory and sweet at the same time. There is only a few weeks left of delicious peach recipes so I've been experimenting with all kinds of ways to use them. This one was fun to make.
I bought some speck (aka schinkenspeck) at the deli counter the other day for a different recipe I had intentions of making. I've forgotten what that recipe was now..... but it happened to be a perfect pairing for peaches! It basically tastes like a cross between prosciutto and bacon. You can use prosciutto too or something similar. Super delicious. I made this just for me but it would be easy to scale up to feed more as a fancy appy at your next dinner party.

IF you have a griddle pan (which is what I used) preheat it on medium heat.  You can also use your BBQ.
CUT a peach in half and twist to separate and remove the pit. Cut in half again and drizzle pieces with a little olive oil. Sprinkle with a bit of rosemary and a pinch of salt and pepper. Place cut sides of peach on grill until they are softened and have nice grill marks.
MAKE a simple, creamy vinaigrette for the salad by combining about 1 Tbsp of red wine vinegar, 3 Tbsp of olive oil, 1 Tbsp of Greek yogurt, 1 tsp of dried or fresh tarragon and a pinch of salt and pepper in a small dish. Toss a big handful of pretty salad leaves in the vinaigrette and arrange on a plate.
THINLY slice your speck or prosciutto into thin ribbons and arrange on top of greens with the grilled peaches and sprinkle some crumbled goat cheese or feta cheese on top! NUM!  

Peach and Poppy Seed Pancakes with Strawberry Compote

This is a great way to use up some fruit that you have sitting on the counter or in the back of the fridge. At least that was my intention. Not only are these delicious but they're also a little healthier then your average pancake. Some of the flour is replaced with oats. Which is good for you. So eat up and feel good about it!

Strawberry Compote
Slice up your strawberries (or whatever other kind of fruit you have) into smallish pieces and put in a small saucepan. Add a couple tablespoons of sugar (depending on how many strawberries you have or what kind of fruit) and a splash of orange juice or water. Turn heat to medium low and simmer until thick and saucy and delicious! Taste and add more sugar if needed. Make your pancakes while it's simmering.

Pancakes
1 1/2 cups all-purpose flour
1 cup quick-cooking rolled oats
1 tsp baking powder
1/2 tsp cinnamon (optional)
1/4 tsp salt
2 eggs, slightly beaten
1 3/4 cups milk
6 Tbsp butter, melted
3 Tbsp packed brown sugar
1 Tbsp of poppy seeds
2 peaches, thinly sliced

IN large mixing bowl, stir together flour, oats, baking powder, cinnamon and salt. Make a well in the center and drop in the two eggs, milk, butter, brown sugar and poppy seeds. Quickly whisk everything until just mixed. If batter is too thick you can add some water to it.
PREHEAT a large frying pan or griddle pan to medium-low. brush with butter or oil and when hot add a small ladleful of batter to pan. (I can fit 3 good sized ones on my crepe pan but you can make them any size you want) Press a few peach slices into each pancake and when the underside is nicely browned flip them and after a couple minutes they should be nicely golden brown and ready to eat! 
SERVE with the compote, maple syrup, whipped cream, yogurt or whatever you like!

Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry

This is a quick weeknight meal for when your tired but still want a good supper. You can use shrimp or chicken instead of beef if you want or different vegetables. Just make sure you have everything ready and cut up before you start because stir fry's come together very quick! Serve on its own or over rice or noodles.

What you need
10 to 12 oz (300 to 375 g) strip-loin steak ( I used a flat iron steak)
1 head broccoli
2 portobello mushrooms
2 yellow peppers
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 cup sherry
1 tbsp each brown sugar and cornstarch
2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
3 garlic cloves , minced
1 tsp dark sesame oil

CUT meat into thin bite-sized strips. Slice broccoli florets from stalks. Cut florets into pieces and slice the upper stalks into thin rounds. Cut and discard stem from each mushroom, and thickly slice caps. Slice peppers into thin strips.
IN a small bowl, stir soy with sherry, brown sugar, cornstarch, ginger, garlic and sesame oil until cornstarch is dissolved.
COAT a large frying pan or wok with vegetable oil and set over medium-high heat. Add steak and stir-fry until it changes colour, 2 to 3 min. Add vegetables. Stir the sauce and pour in. Stir-fry until vegetables are tender crisp, 4 to 5 min

Indian Butter Chicken

This was my attempt at trying to recreate the classic butter chicken from my favorite Indian restaurant. I wanted to make it just a little less buttery but still keep that wonderful spicy flavour. I think I succeeded. This was so good I could of eaten the whole lot to myself.
This recipe is full of spices so hopefully you have a well stocked spice cabinet. You probably have most of them already. Garam Masala is a blend of many different spices and they say every Indian mother has her own special recipe for it. You can also buy it at the grocery store. I found a recipe for a great one online and it tastes wonderful in this so I will share it with you too.
You can easily make this vegetarian by replacing the chicken with either tofu or, if you can find it, an Indian cheese called paneer. It has a similar texture to tofu and does not melt.
When I was making this I didn't really follow a strict recipe so sometimes it's hard to write one up. I just kept tasting it until I thought it was perfect for me. If you want to change things up I encourage you to do so. Sometimes you don't always have everything but there are other ingredients that will work just as well. So experiment and don't worry about exact measurements. As long as it is not to thick or thin and the taste is right that's all that matters.

Garam Masala
1 Tbsp ground cumin
1 1/2 tsp ground coriander
1 1/2 tsp ground cardamom (expensive but you really need this one!)
1 1/2 tsp ground pepper
1 tsp ground cinnamon
1/2 tsp ground cloves
1/2 tsp ground nutmeg

COMBINE in a small, empty, clean container and shake until thoroughly mixed

Indian Butter Chicken
2 or 3 free run or organic chicken breast, cut into bite sized chunks
1 Tbsp or so of vegetable oil
1/2 onion, chopped
1 Tbsp butter
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 Tbsp of grated fresh ginger
1 Tbsp garam masala
1 pinch of chili flakes or 1 tsp chili powder
1 bay leaf
3/4 of a 156ml can of tomato paste
1/2 cup plain Greek yogurt
1/3 cup heavy cream*
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
2 tsp of lemon juice
1 heaping tbsp of tahini, or cashew butter
1/4 tsp or so of cayenne pepper (however spicy you like it)
Salt and pepper to taste
chopped fresh cilantro
Rice
Naan bread

Directions
HEAT a large saute pan over medium heat and add the oil. When oil is hot add onion and saute for a few minutes or until onions begin to brown. Add butter, garlic, ginger, garam masala, chili flakes and bay leaf. Saute one minute more. Add Tomato paste and stir until evenly mixed. Turn heat down to med-low and add yogurt, cream, cayenne pepper, lemon juice, tahini or cashew butter and salt and pepper. Stir well and cover with lid.
HEAT a medium frying pan over medium high heat and add a tablespoons or so of oil. Season chicken breast pieces with salt and pepper and a little sprinkle of garam masala. When pan is hot add chicken and cook until it it nicely browned all over. Add to sauce and cover. Cook until chicken is cooked through. About 10 minutes or so.
SERVE over basmati or jasmine rice and garnish with chopped cilantro. Serve with naan bread.
*Add more cream if you like it creamier.

 

The Farside

I LOVE the food at The Farside in Fairmont Hot Springs! They have, in my opinion, the BEST fish and chips in the valley hands down. Tonight I tried the vegetable curry rice bowl with shrimp and it was fantastic as well. Everyone else had wings which also looked and smelled amazing. I left waaaay to full but happy! Which is the important thing really :)