Here’s a recipe I’ve been meaning to share with you for a while.

My father (an enthusiastic cook and major influence on my culinary interests) introduced me to skillet cornbread from a recipe he tore from the pages of Gourmet magazine. It was one of his favourites, and whenever I visited him, he always had a few slices in the freezer from a recent batch. Since learning his recipe, I’ve tried numerous variations and finally settled on a my own definitive version. I love the grainy texture of this corn bread, the hint of sweetness and the chewy, buttery exterior. This quick bread makes a perfect breakfast snack, drizzled with maple syrup or honey. It’s also an ideal side for Mexican scrambled eggs, avocado salsa or spicy beans.

The “sizzle” step gives the preparation an extra flourish that’ll make you look like a master chef, even if you’re just an ordinary girl trying to make your boyfriend happy on a Sunday morning.

Sizzling Skillet Corn Bread

Ingredients

1 cup yellow cornmeal
1 cup all purpose flour (whole wheat is fine, or half & half, which I also do)
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
3 tablespoons canola oil
2 tablespoons icing sugar (you can add more to adjust sweetness or try 1/4 honey)
1 1/4 cup buttermilk
1 egg
2 tablespoons butter*

Directions

Preheat oven to 425 F

In a large bowl combing corn meal, flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

In a small bowl, combine the oil, sugar, buttermilk and egg, beating the ingredients until they are thoroughly mixed. Add the buttermilk mixture to the cornmeal mixture, stirring until just combined.

In a skillet, melt the butter, tipping the skillet to coat the sides. Add the cornmeal mixture to the pan– you’ll hear it sizzle — then put it immediately into the oven.

Bake for 20 minutes or until toothpick is inserted and comes out clean.

(May it your own: For a more exotic savoury flare, you can always add grated cheese on top and toss in some jalepenos, or for a sweet breakfast treat, amp up the sugar.)

*Note: You can omit the sizzle part, if you are trying to avoid fat from butter, and believe me, this bread is terrific without it. In fact, my Dad’s original recipe omitted this step. I just like the texture it gives to the crust.

I’d been avoiding them for a while, the two sad little tins of sardines left in my pantry by a previous houseguest. Sure, I’d glanced at a few articles celebrating the yumminess of sardines, even pondered a very convincing sandwich recipe from a food blogger I respect, but I was still fearful. There was a block, a phobia, a firmly ingrained distaste. To me, sardines were Depression-Era food for bachelors in crumpled jackets and faded fedoras living in sad little apartments with fold-away beds and mean-looking landladies always chasing them for rent. Sardines were something you fed stray cats or people you didn’t like. Sardines weren’t for me. Even the brand name on the package, “Millionaire’s Club Sardines,” made me suspicious. (Talk about a hard sell.)

Then today, a friend sent me a link for “The Eleven Best Foods You Aren’t Eating” and there they were again, taunting me with their nutritional merits. Some very smart doctor called them, “healthfood in a can.” They’re high in omega-3’s, contain virtually no mercury and are loaded with calcium. Sardines also contain iron, magnesium, phosphorus, potassium, zinc, copper and manganese as well as all those important B vitamins we keep hearing about. Basically, you’d have to be a moron not to eat sardines.

What was wrong with me? How could I keep avoiding something that was clearly so good for me, especially when I had two tins sitting in my pantry ready to go? It’s like not wearing a lifejacket in a speeding motorboat, or refusing to fasten your seatbelt. I was being stupid. That’s all.

With the FC away in France visiting his famille, tonight was the perfect night for me to face my sardine fears head on, eating alone (so no one would have to watch me gag.)

I scanned the net and chose a Sicilian-Style Sardine Pasta recipe from Rachel Ray. Removing the centre bone from the small slippery filets was the worst part, and the resulting pile of mush did not look very appetizing. But I persisted, repeating my new sardine mantra (“healthfood in a can, healthfood in a can…”)

When the recipe was done and a forkful of sardine pasta finally reached my virgin mouth, it was a decisive moment. The sardines were… delicious.

As I write this blog entry, a mere two hours after my sardine breakthrough, I swear I can actually feel the sardines swimming through my bloodstream, blasting toxins with a spray of Omega 3 gunfire. I’m energized, alert, and maybe it’s just my imagination, but I think my skin is glowing. Sardines are now officially my new staple and I plan on getting some sardine goodness into my body at least once a week from now on. I might even join The Millionaire’s Club.

Sicillian-Style Spaghetti With Sardines

The sardines pair well with the garlic and chilli and a surprisingly gentle fish flavour permeates the spaghetti beautifully. You don’t need any sauce. I particularly love the taste and texture of the sauteed breadcrumbs with parsley. A solid feel-good weeknight dish.

Adapted from Rachel Ray.

Ingredients

whole wheat pasta (two servings) cooked per directions
1 tin of sardines, drained, boned and chopped
1 piece of toasted bread, torn/crumpled, or four tablespoons of breadcrumbs
2 tablespoon of chopped parsley
A pinch of dried chilli flakes
3 cloves garlic
2 teaspoons olive oil
1 green onion, chopped
8 cherry tomatoes, halved
salt to taste

Directions

To a large skillet preheated over medium heat, add 1 teaspoon extra-virgin olive oil and the chopped garlic. Sautee for a minute. Add the bread crumbs, or crumpled toast. Stir several minutes. Add parsley and a pinch of salt. Transfer bread crumbs to a dish and reserve.

Return skillet to heat and add another teaspoon of extra-virgin olive oil. Add green onion, sardines and red pepper flakes to the pan and saute over medium heat 2 or 3 minutes. Add hot, cooked pasta to the skillet and toss with sardines. Add bread crumbs to the pot and toss thoroughly to combine and evenly distribute the mixture. Garnish with cherry tomatoes.

Serves two.

“Love needs a vacuum.” That’s what my friend Christin said when we were talking about relationships. If you let go of someone who’s not good for you– even if it means being lonely and depressed for a while — soon a new love interest will appear. It’s about creating space in your life to discover new things. I wondered, would “the vacuum theory” apply to food and beverages too? You see, I’d recently decided to give up my two morning cups of coffee. It felt like the right time. My relationship with coffee had recently become troubled and confused, mostly because I could never make any sense of the conflicting health information. Was it good for me or bad? The uncertainty was stressing me out . Like a love affair gone sour, I had to end it once and for all.

The first few days without caffeine were fuzzy at best. I just wanted to lie down and nap at the first plotting problem that crossed my path. But lo and behold, after a few days a new love interest entered my life: Herbal Tea. Sure, it’s always been there, lurking in the sidelines, there for me when I had an upset stomach or didn’t want a coffee too late in the day. Herbal tea was that nice guy “friend” you call when you’re feeling blue or have nothing else to do, supportive and sweet, but not the thrill you’re chasing. But now, with dark and brooding coffee banished from my life, herbal tea has a chance to shine and I find myself falling for its delicate and surprising charms.

Each day, I look forward to steeping up one of the new teas I picked up recently in Toronto at Tealish. I like to dress them up with frothed milk and/or grated chocolate. The other morning I made a Mint Tea Latte while my visiting houseguest Eilidh had coffee and I swear I could see her eying my cup lustily. Suddenly, my nice guy “friend” was hot.

Though I still crave an afternoon tryst with a sexy shot of espresso, and I may stray once in a while, right now, herbal tea’s my new morning love.

Here’s my new favourite morning pick me ups.

Morning Mint Latte

Fresh and lively, sipping on this perky elixir wakes up your taste buds. You just feel so clean and fresh and ready for anything, including kissing your sweetie good-bye as he heads out to work. No more icky coffee breath.

Directions: Steep 1 teaspoon of mint tea in 3/4 cup of water for four minutes. Heat and froth 1/3 cup of 1% milk (I use my Ikea frother.) Garnish with grated or powdered chocolate.

Almond Rooiboccino

This beverage has a natural sweetness that makes it seem like dessert.

Directions: Steep 1 teaspoon of Sweetie Pie Tea (or any almond rooibos) with 3/4 cup of hot water in a short glass. Add 1/3 cup of hot frothy 1% milk (I use my Ikea frother.)

One teaspoon of tea steeped for four minutes makes the perfect cup. Don't overbrew. The mint tends to get sour. Keep it light and fresh.

Froth your milk with a handy Ikea frother. Just be sure to tilt your pan sideways as you froth, with the head immersed before you turn on the frother. The milk tends to spray, especially when you're frothing small quantities.

Despite their bad rap, brussels sprouts, when you really think about them, see
them, say the name out loud, are exotic. They speak of foreign places (Brussels)
and look like a French term of endearment (un petit chou.)  For me, brussels
sprouts are the frumpy girl in the office with the big glasses and buttoned-up
cardie who, when you look a little closer, is really a princess in disguise just
waiting for someone to plant one on her at which point she’ll instantly bust out
of her shell and start dancing on the photocopier.

After reading aninteresting article on brussels sprouts, I’ve started
buying them again and I’m in love.  I’ve been slicing them (that’s the secret!!)
and sauteing them with zucchini, garlic, yellow pepper and diced carrots then
throwing them on a bed of spinach with a sprinkle of cooked red quinoa and a
drizzle of balsamic vinaigrette. They’re crunchy, delicious, healthy and pretty
to look at.  How did my warm salads live without them?

I think this brussels sprout recipe sounds good too, as well as this. I’m also
going to create a sexy appetizer, skewering them with cheese and a thin slice of
fried chorizo. (Wouldn’t it be fun circulating a cocktail party with an hors d’
oeuvres plate saying, “anyone want try a Brussels sprout?”)

What other Ugly Betty vegetable can I fall in love with?

Cooking for cock doesn’t just mean cooking for a boy, it means eating well and staying trim even during those times when there’s no decent guy in sight. Too often food is a substitute for love.  Even worse, if you’re pigging out on ice cream and cake every time you feel lonely and unloved, you can easily fall into a vicious cycle, ie, the more you eat, the fatter you get and the more likely no one is going to want to shag you. (Sorry to be blunt, but it’s true.) That’s why nutritious low fat and low sugar desserts are a single girl’s best friend.

This pumpkin custard recipe gives you all the yumminess of pumpkin pie without the buttery crust. Substitute whipped cream for low fat whipped ricotta and you can get a hit of pumpkin pie flavour without the pumpkin stomach to go with it. Individual ramekins keep the portions under control (you eat only one, two if you’re really feeling needy.) This custard carried me through a couple of lonely winters. During this time, my dateless Friday night ritual included working out to a dance dvd, making a healthy meal, and treating myself to a pumpkin custard with a little Law and Order on the side.  I actually enjoyed those nights, like a secret pleasure, and always woke up the next day feeling upbeat and energized (vs bloated and depressed.)

This custard is nutritious enough for breakfast too. Even better, since cooking is fun and creative, whipping up this dessert will make you feel life is still worth living even if Prince Charming is taking a little too long to show up.

So let’s call this one a “recipe for self-love.”

Low Fat Pumpkin Custard

Ingredients

2 egg whites and one egg lightly beaten
2 cups pumpkin puree (I make my own, cutting and seeding the pumpkin, roasting in a pan for 40 minutes or until tender, then scooping out and mashing until smoothish- ie, a little texture is okay)
3/4 cups brown sugar
1/2 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cinnamon
1/2 teaspoon fresh ground nutmeg (or ground, but I’m now hooked on grinding it myself)
1 14 ounce can of evaporated skim milk

For the whipped ricotta (one serving only)
1 tablespoon low fat ricotta
1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/2 teaspoon sugar

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees.

In a large bowl combine ingredients until they are well mixed. Pour mixture into individual ramekins (little ovenproof ceramic or glass bowls) and bake for 30 minutes or until a toothpick comes out clean. (Wetter is okay too, since it’s not a pie and you’ll be eating with a spoon anyway. I also find the custard hardens when cooled so no need to panic over the firmness.)

Let cool and serve with whipped ricotta. (When dining alone, I make the ricotta per serving so I don’t have extra to binge on.)

For the whipped ricotta: whip the one tablespoon of ricotta with the sugar and vanilla extract. Spoon onto custard and LOVE YOURSELF because you are being a very good girl!

The FC prepares the pumpkin for roasting. He needs low fat treats too since he recently quit smoking (four weeks and counting!) and now snarfs down chocolate bars at every turn.

Even though the FC took a while to show up in my life, at least I was in top form when he did.

Save the seeds for roasting. They make another great snack.

The pumpkin goes into the oven for roasting.

I want to be good. I want to exercise more. Drink less wine. Eat less meat. That’s why I came up with this healthy low fat-ish vegetarian shepherd’s pie. This recipe combines one of my favourite lentil dishes with low fat mashed potatoes for a tasty treat. I made it last night for a poker party at my friend Georgia’s. I lost ten bucks, but at least this dish was a winner.

Vegetarian Shepherd’s Pie

(The lentil base is adapted from a recipe I found in Jane Brody’s “Good Food Gourmet,” a terrific cookbook filled with yummy and inspiring low fat recipes.)

Ingredients

For the Lentil Stew

2 cups brown lentils

2 teaspoons olive oil

1 cup plain tomato sauce (like Hunt’s, simple not spiced)

4 green onions, chopped with white and green parts

1 large yellow pepper (or green or red) chopped

1 stalk celery chopped

4 cloves garlic

2 tablespoons chilli powder

1 tablespoon cumin

1 tablespoon plus 1 teaspoon molasses

1 tablespoon red wine or cider vinegar

For the mashed potatoes

8-10 medium gold potatoes
4 big tablespoons plain yogurt (I used Liberty, 2.5 percent, which was incredibly tasty, no fattening butter or sour cream required!)
2-3 tablespoons chopped fresh parsley
1/2 cup grated cheddar cheese (just for a little colour and extra flavour on top)

Directions

Bring the lentils to a boil in six cups of water.  Simmer on medium low, covered, for about 25 minutes. (Don’t overcook lentils.)

In 2 teaspoons of olive oil, sautee onions, peppers and celery with the spices until tender, about four to five minutes. Add garlic. Saute a minute.  Add tomato sauce, molasses and vinegar. Stir.  Add cooked lentils. Stir to combine. (If lentils seems to dry or for a “saucier” sauce, add water or a bit more tomato sauce– 1/2 cup more.)

For mashed potatoes,  rinse and peel the potatoes. (I used ten small-ish ones.) Bring them to a boil in a large pot of water and  cook until tender/soft (about a half an hour.)  Mash with three tablespoon plain yogurt (I used 2.5 percent milk fat for a richer taste, but you can go lower.) Salt and pepper to taste.

In rectangular baking dish, layer the beans on the bottom evenly. Spoon mashed potatoes on top evenly.  Texture and fluff with a fork.   Bake for 20 minutes at 375 degrees. Remove from oven and add grated cheese and parsley. Heat for another five minutes until cheese melts.  Let sit five-ten minutes and serve.  (Leftovers make for a healthy lunch the next day.)

Red and luscious, beets are a seductive vegetable. Get too close, they stain your mouth, your tongue, your fingers.  They’re a sordid love affair you can’t hide.  And what’s with the unearthly colour? It should be on a bedroom wall or a shade of lipgloss called “beetrayal.”  Put beets in a rissotto and your arborio rice instantly becomes a naughty slut, a threat to virtue and true love (like your boyfriend’s single co-worker with the full lips and penchant for working late.)

Finally: here’s the beet rissotto I made last week with the French Cock and friends. (Tip: Some beet risotto recipes call for pureeing the beets, but I prefer having chunks of beet in mine, and the colouring effect is just as intense.) This recipe is adapted from Gourmet.com.

Beet Rissotto

Ingredients

3 medium beets (1 1/2 lb with greens), trimmed, leaving 1 inch of stems attached (Tip: roast extra beets for leftovers and to make my Beet Endive Salad.)
3 1/2 cups reduced-sodium chicken broth (28 fl oz) (I always use organic stock now, try to buy it on sale, the taste difference is worth it.)
3-4 cups water
1 small onion, finely chopped (I used shallots)
2 tablespoons olive oil
2 cups Arborio rice (14 oz)
1/2 cup dry white wine
1 teaspoon salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1/2 teaspoon grated fresh nutmeg (my addition, I love fresh nutmeg)
1 oz finely grated Parmigiano-Reggiano (1/2 cup) 

Directions

Put oven rack in middle position and preheat oven to 425°F. Tightly wrap beets in a double layer of foil and roast on a baking sheet until very tender, 1 1/4 to 1 1/2 hours. Cool to warm in foil package, about 20 minutes.

When beets are cool enough to handle, peel them, discarding stems and root ends, then cut into 1/2-inch cubes

While beets are cooling, bring broth and water to a bare simmer in a 2- to 3-quart saucepan. Keep at a bare simmer, covered.

Cook onion in oil in a wide 4- to 6-quart heavy pot over moderate heat, stirring occasionally, until softened, about 3 minutes. Add rice and cook, stirring constantly, 1 minute.

Add wine and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until absorbed, about 1 minute. Stir in 1/2 cup broth and simmer briskly, stirring constantly, until broth is absorbed. Continue simmering and adding broth, about 1/2 cup at a time, stirring constantly and letting each addition be absorbed before adding the next, until rice is just tender and creamy-looking,  22-30 minutes. (The original recipe calls for less cooking time, but I prefer my texture sticky and the rice not too hard. I stir often as well… )

In the last few minutes, stir in beets, salt, and pepper (mixture will turn bright pink) and cook, stirring, until heated through. Thin as necessary with some of leftover broth, then stir in cheese and remove from heat.  Serve with extra cheese and grated nutmeg on top.

= 

Beeting it out. It feels good!

Throw some asparagus on top for an extra hit of virtue.

Joey, Peter, Gigi, me and the FC: A close-knit family no lusty beet can tear asunder.

I made a beet risotto last week (more on that topic another day) and had leftover roast beets demanding an encore. I ended up improvising a sexy little salad that the FC liked so much he licked the platter clean (so did I.)  

What I like about this salad is that it’s so composed and pretty, with the endive leaves layed out in petals around the beets, a hint of decadence in the blue cheese (but not too much) and the inviting deep ruby red centre. Simple yet impressive, it’s the perfect cooking for cock appetizer. I recommend this for a fancy Friday night dinner for you and your favourite rooster.

Beet and Endive Salad
2 endives
, washed, stem cut and leaves plucked.
4-5 small roasted beets* peeled and sliced

2 tablespoons crumbled blue cheese


For the dressing:
2 tablespoon olive oil
1 teaspoon dijon mustard
2 tablespoons balsmamic
salt and pepper

Fan endives on a plate. Place sliced beets in the middle (don’t move them around too much or the red juice of the beets will spread, messing up your presentation) Sprinkle crumbled blue cheese on top. Mix dressing in a bowl and drizzle a tablespoon (more or less to taste) over both beets and endive leaves.

I put the FC in charge of the dressing (he’s expanding his repertoire beyond crepes and peanut butter sandwiches). He made his dressing with more oil then I would have but my inner culinary control freak stayed quiet (a lesson I learned in When Cock Turns Cook.)  And I’m very glad I did. His simple dressing easily picked up the sweet red juices from the beets (essentially becoming  another element of the dressing.)  I’m not kidding when I say we both licked the plates clean.

 (*Tip: Because it’s time consuming, I recommend roasting up a big batch of beets and using them all week in risottos, salads, borscht, whatever your “beeting heart” desires! To roast beets, pre-heat oven to 425 degrees. Meanwhile, wash and trim beet stems. Double wrap in aluminum foil and bake for around 45 minutes to an hour, depending on beet size. )

I can’t believe it! Margo, my make-up artist friend and boy magnet from NYC, finally sent me a recipe! She’s currently living with her hot American boyfriend (Greg, a clothing boutique owner) in a cottage they rented in upstate New York from a former porn star. (It’s true.)  I can’t wait to pay a visit and see what else she’s cooking up there. This is one of her latest green concoctions, beautifully photographed. Thanks Margo.  Montreal misses you.

The Greenest Thing Going 

Margo didn’t provide any specific directions and quantities, but I think we get the idea. With salads, it’s okay to be loose and flowing.

Ingredients

spinach arugula avocado minced fresh herbs mixed with olive oil rock sea salt fresh pepper  

Marc taste-tests Catherine on my front balcony.

My friend Marc is flirting with a promising little dish named “Catherine” who’s ingredients include Masters Student In Philosophy, amateur pianist and… vegetarian. (Marc is a carnivore.)

After connecting at a party (where they talked about food) Catherine emailed Marc some of her favourite vegetarian recipes. Marc tried one, loved it, and scheduled a first date.

When I heard about this, I knew it was a “cooking for cock” story. Why? For one, I just love the fact that Catherine flirted with Marc by sending him a recipe she loved — a sample of her in a way.

Curious I decided to try one of Catherine’s vegetarian recipes. She sent Marc four (it takes four seasons, and four recipes, to know a woman) but I chose Catherine’s Flirtatious Couscous Salad because it’s summery and cool. And if this salad is any indication of Catherine’s dating potential,  I think I’m in love.  

That's Marc's hand, stirring Catherine's couscous.

Flirty Fruity Couscous Salad

Easy to prepare,  cheap, light, low in fat,  the Morroccan seasoning and fruity yumminess give this salad a sexy, exotic kick. Perfect for a romantic picnic or summer barbeque. I paired it with grilled lamp chops one night, and a curry veal sausage another time. Also yummy on its own, for lunch, dinner or picnics.

Ingredients:

2 cups Good Stock (I used organic chicken stock since I’m not vegetarian)

3/4 teaspoon cinnamon

1/2 teaspoon ground ginger

1/2 teaspoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon turmeric

1 cup couscous

1 medium carrot, cut into 1/4 inch dice (or smaller)

1 small red onion, cut into 1/4 inch dice (or smaller) (because I don’t love raw onion, I used 1/4 cup  only)

1 small red bell pepper, cut into 1/4 inch dice (or smaller)

1 small cucumber or zucchini, cut into 1/4 inch dice

1 small Granny Smith apple, cut into 1/4 inch dice (or smaller)

1/3 cup currants or raisins (I used dried cranberries, from Quebec.)

1-2 cups canned chick peas, rinsed and drained (I used 1/1/2)

1/4 cup fresh lemon juice

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper

Directions:

In a heavy medium saucepan, whisk together the stock, cinnamon, ginger, cumin, and turmeric. Add the couscous in a slow steady stream, stirring constantly, and continue to boil, stirring, for 1 minute. Cover the pot tightly, remove from the heat and let stand for 15 minutes.

Fluff the couscous grains with a fork, transfer to a large mixing bowl and let cool. Then fluff again, rubbing with your fingers to break up any lumps.

Add the carrot, bell pepper, cucumber, onion, apple, currants and chick peas and toss.

In a small jar with a lid, shake the remaining 1/2 tablespoon olive oil with the lemon juice, salt and pepper until well mixed. Pour over the salad and toss well. Cover and refrigerate for several hours or up to 3 days. Season with additional salt, pepper and lemon juice to taste before serving.