Super Simple Salsa Salad Dressing

Super Simple Salsa Salad Dressing

The grocery store has started selling broccoli slaw mix, which is pre-washed, thinly cut broccoli, carrots, and other such vegetables mixed together. It’s very good, and convenient, but I was at a bit of a loss for what to use for dressing. I grabbed a bottle of salsa ranch, and that was pretty good, but it felt lacking. So I tried making my own.

Ingredients:
One container of sour cream (I used low-fat)
One container of fresh chunky salsa (I used medium, it’s up to you. You could also use homemade salsa)
1 tsp. each of cumin, ground coriander seed, and cayenne pepper

That’s it! I mix them all in a bowl, and it works really well. The spices add a lot of flavour, since salsa alone leaves it kind of flat.

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Chocolate Coconut Ice Cream

Some of my close friends are lactose-intolerant, and they also happen to have a fondness for coconut. And so, I went searching for an easy way to make ice-cream for the summer that we could enjoy. After looking over a few recipes online, I decide on this. I’ve made it twice before, and it turns out really well.

This recipe uses an ice cream maker, so keep that in mind.

Ingredients:
1/2 cup dairy free chocolate chips (or regular if you aren’t worried about the lactose)
1 15-ounce can of coconut milk
1/3 cup granulated sugar
3 tablespoons of cocoa powder

How long it has to churn for will very depending on what machine you have. For me, it was half an hour to get a good thick consistency, making a double batch because I have a relatively large machine.

This is what the ice cream will look like when you finish stirring it:

And this is what it looks like when it has gone through the machine and is finished:

Family Recipe for Nuts and Bolts

Family Recipe for Nuts and Bolts

Tasked with making a snack for new-student day, I didn’t have to think very hard about what I wanted to make. For as long as I can remember, we’ve been making nuts and bolts. A simple blend of salts and cereals, it’s a staple around holidays.

Ingredients:
3 cups of Cheerios (off brand is fine)
3 cups of Shreddies
1 cup of stick pretzels
1/2 tablespoon of onion salt
1/2 tablespoon of garlic salt
1/2 tablespoon of celery salt
1/2 tablespoon of paprika
1 tablespoon of Worcestershire sauce
1 tablespoon of sugar
1/2 cup of butter or margarine
I chose to exclude peanuts so that it could be enjoyed by people with allergies. If you want to add them, sub them for the pretzels or up the salts and butter a little and add 1 cup

Melt the butter, and then add all of the salts, the paprika,the Worcestershire sauce, and the sugar.
On a baking sheet or a roasting pan, mix the cereal and pretzels.
Pour the butter mixture over it, stirring constantly.
Put it in the oven at 200⁰F, stirring every 15 minutes for a total of 1 hour.
If making a double batch (I recommend the roasting pan for this), add an extra 15 minutes. You can tell it is done when the Cheerios are starting to get lightly golden, everything is crispy, and there is very little residual butter on the bottom of the pan. Enjoy!

Baked Brie

Baked Brie


Ingredients (for one):
-Stick of butter
-Package of phyllo pastry (you will only need half-about eight sheets)
-A brie wheel
-Brown sugar
-Toppings of your choice ex. ground cranberries, almonds


To start, melt your butter, and (optionally) cut the outer mold off of your cheese wheel.

With a pastry brush, coat the inside of your pan lightly with butter, and lay the first sheet of phyllo. Butter this sheet, then put on the next sheet, alternating between horizontal and vertical. You can choose how many layers you would like, but I recommend around eight.


When finished, place the cheese on top of the phyllo in the center. Crumble a couple tablespoons of brown sugar over it, until it is thoroughly coated, and then sprinkle on any other toppings.


Layer by layer, butter inbetween, fold over the sheets of phyllo so that the cheese is completely covered. When finished, thoroughly coat the outside in butter.

Bake at 200⁰ F for twenty minutes, rotating it halfway through. It is advisable to keep the pie tin on a baking sheet to make this easier, especially if you are making more than one at a time.

When it is golden brown and the cheese is soft enough to be easily spreadable, it is finished.

Enjoy!

Cutting and Peeling an Apple

Cutting and Peeling an Apple

apple
For Foods we were tasked with cutting and peeling an apple with a paring knife. I was pretty scared because last time I cut an apple did this it didn’t end very well but it went a lot better this time! The process is split into three time lapse videos because my phone ran out of storage space. I might try to edit them together later, but they mostly split up the process. The first is mostly cutting, with a little peeling. The next one is all peeling, and in the third I try something a little different to help and it comes out a lot cleaner. The apple was really bruised and the entire thing went less than ideal, but I think for my second try at cutting and first at peeling I don’t think it went too bad.

Cutting
Peeling
Peeling #2

 

How to Cook Rice

How to Cook Rice

Ingredients:
Rice of your choosing (not minute rice)
Water
Butter (optional)
Any seasonings you want to add

Cookware:
Wooden spoon
Pot & tight lid
Butter knife (optional)
Measuring cup

First off, you need to decide how many people you need to feed and how large a portion size you want. For a family of four, I use about 250 ml of rice. The ratio of rice is 2:1 (twice the amount of water to rice). Take your water, rice, and any seasoning you want (I add butter as well) and then boil it on high.
startboiling

When the pot comes to a boil, stir it, cover it, and then reduce the heat to between medium and low. Set a timer for ten minutes. This is a good time to start on other things you need to do.
boil

When the rice is finished, you should notice little round valleys in it. Those are a good sign! Don’t worry if you can still see moisture, because the next step is to let it sit covered for five minutes to absorb the water. I take it off the burner for this, but you could turn it down to warm if it seems a little extra watery.
letsit

After that, check to make sure it doesn’t need longer. It’s hard to see the difference, but if you tilt the pot you can see the reflection of the light off moisture better and also notice if it drips.
done

If it’s all good, it’s ready to be served!
bowl

I like to put Spanish rice in tacos.
tacos

How to Baste an Egg

How to Baste an Egg

Method: Frying pan

Ingredients:
Vegetable oil or substitute
Egg
Water

Equipment:
Frying pan
Serving spatula (turner)

First, grease a frying pan. It doesn’t need to be entirely greased, only half or so, large enough for the egg. Put it on medium high.
7

Check that the oil is hot by splashing a little a little water in. If it spits, it’s ready! Break an egg into the pan, and turn it down to medium.
8

When the whites are cooked but there is still a clear film on the yolk, splash in a small amount of water-around 20 ml or less, and cover for two minutes or so. When the top of the yolk is covered in white film and brown edges are just forming, it’s done!
11

How to Poach an Egg

How to Poach an Egg

Method: Poaching cup

Ingredients:
Egg
Butter or substitute
Water

Cookware:
Frying pan
Poaching cup
Fork
Plate (optional)
Knife (optional)

First, take a small frying pan with high sides and put in less than half an inch of water in, and put it on high to boil. Then, grease the insides of a poaching cup.
6

Once that is done, break an egg into the cup.
5

When the water is boiling, place the cup in the pan and cover it. Turn it to medium and set a timer for seven minutes.
4

When the timer goes off, remove the cup from the pan. With a fork, hold the egg in the cup and tilt it slightly. If the liquid runs clear and there is no white in it, it is ready. Drain excess water, and then slide the fork around the inner edge of the cup.
3

Flip onto a plate and enjoy!

unnamed

Ideally, you want the yolk to run, but you can cook it more if you like.
unnamed