Baked Cheese Sticks

So lastnight we were going to this crazy olympic party downtown. Everybody was all like "Oh Ashleigh, you HAVE to bring some of your totally delicious appetizers!! Have to. The party just won't be the same without your AMAZING food talent!!". I knew right away I had to make my signature appy dish....

Alright, I wasn't actually invited to any party... And this was the first time I've made these.
And I was at home.
Alone.

These particular cheese sticks would have been good on top of some mixed greens with a balsamic vinegar dressing. But next time I would use actual bread crumbs. I thought Panko would be so light, but it wasn't.
And sharing is caring.
I wouldn't eat the whole pan to myself.
Or spray aerosol whipped cream straight into my mouth for dessert.
Over and over again.

BEFORE BAKING AFTER BAKING

Mozza Cheese
Flour
Egg
Parsley
Panko Bread Crumbs
Garlic
Salt

-Prepare a bowl of flour. Mix egg with parsley. Mix bread crumbs with garlic powder and salt.
-Dip mozza in flour, then egg, then bread. Let rest to help bread coating adhere.
-Then coat again-flour, egg, bread. Lay on baking sheet. Chill in freezer for a few minutes before baking at 350 for 10 minutes.
-Broil for a few if you have browning issues like I did.

It's OK tho. Today after work I'll make some barley tea.

Barley Tea (Mugicha)

I should have named my blog The Barley Blog... or Bearly Barley... or Barley and Me. You know why? Cuz I love Barley. It's so nutritious and versatile. Maybe I should name my baby Barley... Just kidding baby.

The Japanese believe that barley tea helps to extract impurities from the blood. The Chinese sometimes pair barley tea with heavy meals to aid digestion. It has also been used to treat nausea. And with all the different types of barley, the possibilities are endless. Just endless.

The following tea recipe is especially popular in Japan, Korea, and China. It has a very nutty, warming flavor and may take some getting used to. If you appreciate tea and all the health benefits that go with it, then you should love this. Some people make this tea so strong that it almost tastes like coffee. Crazy kids....

-2/3 cup pearl barley(Pearl barley is the most common form of barley for human consumption, unlike the hulled barley which is more nutritious and used in my Beef Barley soup)
-8 cups water

Preheat oven to 350. Spread the barley over a large baking tray and cook in preheated oven for 10-15 minutes or until the barley is toasted and aromatic.

Transfer the barley to a large saucepan. Add the water and bring to the boil over high heat. Reduce heat to medium and simmer, partially covered, for 30 minutes or until the barley is very tender. Strain the tea into a large heatproof jug or teapot. Discard the barley. Set aside for 10 minutes to cool slightly before serving. (I just spoon the liquid out with a ladle straight into cups and let it sit)

Not sure if this would be acceptable to a barley tea connoisseur, but I add a little honey to my cup and it's delicious.

Source:Taste.com
Photos:Shawn Campbell

Beef Barley Soup

The rockstar is still ill. So he says. I personally think he just wants more soup ;)

Did you know that the intake of barley is likely to help maintain your overall health in the long term? Barley is also considered a whole grain and is rich in protein, vitamins, minerals and amino acids essential for our health! It's so exciting!! And tasty....It absorbs all the delicious flavours that surround it and provides a pleasant chewy texture to the soup.



-1 T. vegetable oil
-1 clove minced garlic
-1/2 a pound to 1 pound of stew beef(Cut into smaller pieces)
-1/2 cup chopped celery
-1 whole onion-chopped

Cook beef in pot, add and saute celery, onion, garlic salt and pepper.

-1 Litre Vegetable stock (Low-sodium if you can)
-1 Litre of Beef Stock (Low-Sodium if available)
I used vegetable and beef cuz I couldn't decide which would taste better, but you could probably just use one type.
-1/2 Cup hulled Barley
-2 whole chopped carrots
-1/2 cup chopped green beans
-1/4 cup peas

Once beef is cooked, add stocks, barley, carrots and beans(This will need to simmer for 1/2 hour or longer in order for the barley to cook properly. Pearl barley takes less time to cook but is not nearly as healthy). About 5 minutes before done, add peas.

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Super Vegetable Chicken Soup

SOMEBODY had too much party this weekend and it obviously wasn't me. So Monday rolls around and somebody is totally run down and comes home from work with a cold. The following soup was created in an effort to heal his inner rockstar.
To do so, I've added a few dashes of cayenne pepper (see health benefits here) and poured the fragrant elixir over a bed of fresh spinach. He couldn't even taste the cayenne and I don't think he even noticed the spinach. He said it was the best soup he's EVER had. Whoa I said.

-4 Cups Chicken broth (Which you might have left over in the freezer from the Chicken Pot Pockets you made about a month ago)
-3 Carrots (Chopped)
-3 Celery stocks (Chopped)
-1 Whole onion (Chopped)
-1 1/2 cups shredded chicken
-1 Clove of Garlic (Minced)
-1 head of spinach
-3 sprigs fresh thyme
-3 sprigs fresh Parsley
-A couple dashes of cayenne pepper
-1 1/2 t. Salt
-Pepper to taste
-Egg noodles (Optional)

Simmer stock, add chicken, herbs and spices. Simmer for 1/2 hour. Add all veggies except for spinach. Bring to a boil. Serve when veggies are still a little crisp. Pour over a bed of fresh spinach.

Valentines Day Ravioli

Spinach, Leek, Garlic and Ricotta inside heart shaped wonton wrappers.

1 Package wonton wrappers
1 Bunch of fresh spinach
1/4 Cup finely chopped leek
1/4 Cup ricotta cheese
3 Finely chopped garlic cloves
Salt and pepper to taste
1 Egg
Dash of cream or milk

-Lightly steam whole head of spinach. Wring it out. Chop it up.
-Add leek, garlic, ricotta salt and pepper.
-In a separate bowl beat egg with a dash of cream or milk.
-Lay down one wonton wrapper.
-Place 1/2 t. of filling in center.
-Brush 4 edges with egg mixture.
-Lay onother wrapper on top, push out air.
-Cut with cookie cutter. (I used hearts because of the occassion, but found it left too much noodle on the ravioli piece-Next time I'll use a circle)
-Make sure edges are sealed.
-Lay in a bed of flour until ready to boil.
-Boil for 5 minutes or until they float to the top. Strain.
Toss them in your favorite sauce.

I tossed mine in a creamy pesto sauce (Butter, flour, cream and pesto) Very good, very rich.
I served this dish with sundried tomato basil turkey sausage.
He loved it (Said it could very well be my signature dish!! That is depending on the final tally of the question on my side bar.... Is it once a year? Or weekly? The suspense is driving me crazy!!) and then he brought me these.

Beautiful, wondrous pieces of love joy. And we all lived happily ever after.


Photos:Shawn Campbell

Super Soft and Supple Pita Bread

Yes, I said supple. I know it's creepy. Well I'm creepy, but the bread is not. The bread is super soft and supple.
It's delicious, warm, crispy, soft and perfect for my Proscuitto Chicken Ceasar Sandwich.
I can't wait to make a bunch of crazy dips in my food processor as a present for this bread. I'll dedicate them to this bread.

-Place 2 cups all-purpose flour in a bowl and stir in 1 1/4 cups boiling water.
-Stir until smooth, Cover and let sit 1/2 an hour.(Mine didn't really get "smooth"...but it started to stick together like a dough would stick together)-In a separate bowl combine 1/4 cup potato flour(Or flakes or buds)and 1 cup all-purpose flour with 1 1/4 t. salt, 2 T. vegetable oil, and 1 t. instant yeast.
-Add to the cooled flour/water mixture. Stir together. Will seem dry at first, but will eventually start to come together.
-Knead for several minutes(I did it by hand but you can use an electric mixer or bread machine). The dough will remain soft and somewhat sticky.(Mine wasn't sticky)-Put the dough into a greased container, let rise, covered for 1 hour or longer.
-Divide the dough into 8 pieces, form into balls. Cover for 15-30 minutes.
-Flatten each piece into circle. About 5 inch diameter. Then roll them out to about 7 inch diameter.
-Heat a skillet over medium heat. NO OIL. Dry fry till brown underneath-about 1 minute. The bread will puff a bit. Turn over, and cook till the other side is brown. About 1 minute.
-If big bubbles develop, prick with a skewer. Flatten with the pressure of a flipper.
-As the breads come off the skillet-stack them on top of eachother to keep soft and moist. You can use them for dipping in hummous or make sandwiches or wait until they cool and bag them in plastic.
Source:King Arthur Flour

Photos:Shawn Campbell

Proscuitto Chicken Ceasar Pita

I find proscuitto much easier than bacon to deal with. The salty crispiness gives great texture and it compliments the spice of the garlic in the ceasar dressing really well.

-Bake chicken breast in 375 oven. 5 minutes before ready to take out-lay proscuitto pieces on top of chicken to bake until crispy. When done let cool slightly before slicing into longer pieces.
-Toss chicken and proscuitto pieces into freshly ceasar coated romaine lettuce.
-Place into Super Soft and Supple Pita Bread and top with Parmesan Cheese.

Photos:Shawn Campbell