Day #26 Gift > Back to Basics: Thirteen Minute Fish & Rice

Thanks to everyone who emailed to tell me about their favourite holiday foods. For Suzi, it’s cinnamon rolls, for Beth it’s gingerbread houses, for Kristina it’s homemade tamales.  I couldn’t have arranged for a better range of answers, could I?  Bruce also emailed that he liked creamed peas and carrots (and he sent along a recipe I’m going to try).  Amber likes homemade fudge, and Lauri’s got a thing for shrimp.

My favourite holiday food is stuffing.  I only make it once a year, for Christmas dinner, and it’s an un-healthy mixture of butter, soft bread, onions, celery, mushrooms and the killer ingredient — ground savoury (it’s like sage, or poultry seasoning). I bake it in a pan with a light lid made out of tinfoil, so that it partly steams and partly gets crunchy corners.  Best mixed into chicken salad sandwiches the next day, with cranberries and mayo.

Now.  Back to the gifts. Don’t forget to post your comments below.

Today’s gift:

In keeping with my 29 days of gifts, today’s gift is a simple trick for a healthy dinner for Fish and Rice.

In January I’m launching a Back-to-Basics class that covers all those things we (maybe) learned in Home Economics in high school, but have since forgotten…

And one of those topics is timing — like how to get the meal on the table so that it’s all ready at the same time — without running around with your head flying off from stress.

So tonight I’m going to share with you my favourite “perfectly timed” 13 minute dinner.

And I’ll give you the trick right up front:  basmati rice cooked on the stovetop and a filet of fish baked in the oven both take exactly 13 minutes to cook.  Add in a bit of time for soaking the rice, and you’ve got dinner in 25 minutes.

Thirteen Minute Fish & Rice
Serves 4, easily doubled or reduced

INGREDIENTS:

1/2 cup basmati rice (125 mL)
3/4 cup chicken broth (or water) (190 mL)
4 filets of fish
orange marmalade
clove of garlic
grainy mustard
green veggie

METHOD:

Preheat oven to 350F.

Soak 1/2 cup basmati rice in cool water. Not all rice needs to soak first, basmati does.  Let it soak 5-10 minutes, and up to 25 minutes if you’ve got extra time, but it’s not required.

Drain rice. Plop drained rice into a small pot with a tight fitting lid. Using the same measuring cup you used to measure the rice, add 1.5 measures of chicken broth, veggie broth, or water to the rice in the pot.  If you used 1/2 cup of rice, then you’ll need 3/4 cup of liquid.

Do not start cooking the rice yet.

Line a pan with tinfoil, and place your fish filets on the foil, skin side down. (I love trout or salmon, but other dense white fish would work too).

Mix together a couple tablespoons of orange marmalade with a half clove of garlic and a teaspoon of grainy mustard.  Smear over the fish.

Put the rice on high heat and bring it to a hard boil with the lid off.  AS SOON AS it starts to boil hard, immediately reduce the heat to minimum, and put the top on the pot. Stick the fish in the oven.

Set your timer for 13 minutes.

That’s it

You can add in another pot for a veggie too, like broccoli or brussels sprouts or green beens. Cook them in a 1/2 inch of water, bring to a boil at the same time as the rice, also reduce to minimum and put the lid on. Cook for the same 13 minutes.  If you want asparagus, it cooks faster so start it later, maybe half-way through.

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More to come in January’s Back to Basics course including quiche, chicken broth from scratch, how to store lettuce, and apple crisp with cinnamon ice cream.  If you’d like to be on the list to get more information, you can sign up here > http://www.OneRoastVegetable.com/backtobasics.htm

All best,
Shelley

Day #20 Gift > Shortbread Video

Today’s gift to you is a video.  I know you all LOVE the videos.  Well, this one ties in nicely with some previous posts.

Remember when I was at Day #2 of this 29 days of giving thing, that was the day I gave you my recipe for Easy Bar Shortbreads.  I make them every year, only at Christmas time, and they’re easy and very yummy.

Right away, Veggie Club member Suzi tried the recipe, and then she emailed me: “I made your short bread bars for my work Christmas party… and they were a BIG hit.”

On Day #13 I had a preview lesson for the Back-to-Basics class that’s coming up in January.  The little lesson was all about the RIGHT way to measure flour, and there are loads of comments on the blog about that one, thanks!

So today, to tie it all together, I’ve got a video of me making the shortbreads that includes demonstrating the flour measuring part.

I’d be happy if you were to forward this email to anyone you know who might benefit from it, and encourage them to sign up at www.OneRoastVegetable.com to also follow along with the Back-to-Basics lessons (and other great veggie ideas).

Ready to start cooking? Don’t forget to leave a comment below

All best,
Shelley

Day #15 Gift > 2 hour reunion phone call

Tonight I’m holding a 2-hour free ‘reunion’ call for all past graduates of the 6-week Kill Kitchen Klutter Klass. We’re going to use our time to catch up on what’s going on in everyone’s life, and also to tidy up our houses a bit – just in time for the madness of decorations, gifts, and the overwhelming amounts of food!

As well, if you’re a member of The Veggie Club, then registration has begun for the Whole House Klutter Klass (that starts in January). Registration for everyone else begins after Christmas. If you’re a member and you’d like to sign up now, just head over to Our Fresh Market, click on the link “Register for Workshops” and go from there

http://www.OneRoastVegetable.com/market.html

All best,
Shelley

Day #13 Gift > Back-to-Basics: How to measure flour

In mid-January I’m going to be launching a new part of the site called “Back to Basics.” It’s a 14-week class all about learning those bits you’ve never really mastered — how to store celery, how to whip cream, cook fish properly, hard boil an egg, make gravy, make muffins … all those bits and pieces that would make life SO much easier. Meal planning anyone?

OK, so to get you started, here’s a preview lesson just in time for Christmas short breads.

Be sure to post your comments below and let me know what you think about this lesson, and what TOPICS you’d like the new class to ABSOLUTELY include.

Today’s Back-to-Basics lesson is how to measure dry ingredients (like flour).

HERE’S HOW:

Lightly spoon the dry ingredient (such as flour, corn starch or white sugar) into the measuring cup (a). Fill it so there’s extra on top (b). Using the flat side of a knife, gently scrape off the excess (c). You will now have a flat, level surface (d).

This method of measuring dry ingredients we’ll call spoon+level. If you dig your measuring cup into a bag of flour to scoop it out, and then level it off, you will have much too much flour (dig+level).

All best & happy Sunday,

me

Day #11 Gift > Little Garlic Potatoes

Well, the Duran Duran concert on Tuesday night was pretty amazing, it was held at a small venue (only 2200 people). My sister Joanne’s fight was delayed by 4 hours because of snow and freezing rain at our end, so André came home from work early, went down and got in line at 5:00 pm, and waited there in the concert hall holding seats for us, waiting for us to arrive (which we finally did at 8:45 pm). Lucky he was there so early with his coat draped across three seats, because it was jam packed when Jo and I finally arrived and standing-room-only… Yes, we missed the opening act, but were just in time for the real fun.

Jo took some amazing videos, over an hour in total, and here’s one >

Today’s gift:

Last week, I was asked for my recipe for Little Garlic Potatoes, so here goes:

10 tiny small red potatoes, left whole, or 6 medium potatoes quartered
4 cloves garlic (unpeeled)
2 tablespoons butter (not margarine) (30 mL)

Wash, trim and cut potatoes in half (if medium), or in quarters (if large), or leave hole if tiny, and put in a pot with butter and garlic cloves. Bring to a boil, and then cover and reduce heat to low, shaking the pot every so often to turn the potatoes over. Cook 20-25 minutes or until potatoes are brown on some of their sides and are soft when poked.

Roast chicken with green beans, and little garlic potatoes

Yes, but what would you like next for a gift? Another recipe (which one)? A teleclass? Would you like a Q&A call with me, a free t-shirt, what should my gift for tomorrow be?

All best,
Shelley

Day #5 Gift > Veggie Audio Bytes CD

Hello from Day 5 of my 29 days of giving.

After I posted yesterday’s story about buying lunch for a woman in a restaurant, my father sent me this email:

“Sometimes I wonder whether you are aware that you may be re-living early childhood experiences.

Once upon a time, very long ago, we (you, me and other siblings…) were in a restaurant. You were perhaps 8 years old.

Next to us was a woman with a couple of small kids…my most dominant memory was of an audible, even pathetic discussion between her and them over what she could afford… they would suggest something and she would desperately try to redirect them, to something less expensive. Eventually they settled upon their choices and it was clear that she was very stressed about the potential total cost, which she was frantically trying to add up in her head.

I leaned over to you and asked whether we should offer to help and you (quite properly) said no because it would “make her feel bad.” I then proposed that we discreetly and anonymously pay her bill at the cash register when we were leaving and never say another word. You were so excited that you could hardly eat your food and I became worried that you were going to blow the whole thing because you kept looking over at them with this big smile on your face… more than once, I had to persuade you to stay focused on our table.

We managed to finish our meal without further incident (if we don’t count the inevitable ring of food on the floor surrounding two high-chairs, occupied by [your younger sisters] Karen and Christy).

We paid our bill and then we paid theirs too and off we went…”

Funny, I don’t remember this story at all, but I don’t doubt it’s true.  It’s just the kind of thing my father would have done (I think he’s over-emphasizing my role in the process).

Today’s gift…

Over the past few months, we’ve had some amazing teleclasses.  Did you miss any of them?  Well, I’ve put together Volume 1 of Veggie Audio Bytes on a CD that you can play in your computer and listen to anytime you like. Or upload the MP3 files to your iPod or other player.

Here are the audio teleclasses included on Volume 1 of Veggie Audio Bytes:

INTERVIEW 1 – Meal Planning and Motivation, presented by yours truly.  You’ll get access to this teleclass I gave that breaks down meal planning into a really easy, step-by-step process (1 hour audio + PDF meal planning charts) ($35.50).

INTERVIEW 2 – Cooking In The Dark: How to eat well in an emergency, with our expert Chef Anne-marie.  She talked in depth about her emergency food kit, how to make your own, and she answered questions from the callers. If you live in earthquake  or tornado country, or suffer from frequent power outages, this call is for you. (1 hour audio; $35.50)

INTERVIEW 3 – What you need to know about staging your home… Even if you’re not planning to sell or move anytime soon!, with Staging Expert and Realtor Ginger Pugliese from www.SignatureStagingandRedesign.com. She answered tons of listeners’ questions, including how can you give your kitchen a face lift for just a few hundred bucks. (1 hour audio; $35.50)

INTERVIEW 4 – What’s the best way to lose weight?, with Nancy Saunders, registered dietitian. Nancy’s approach to losing weight is all about awareness and behavioural change, and on our special call, she talked about how to get through the weekends with all the kid events, birthday parties, and “celebrations”, and how to get your family supporting your new healthy life. (1 hour audio; $35.50)

INTERVIEW 5 – What are your kids eating? Do you need help getting them to eat better?, with Chef Jill Houk from www.CenteredChef.com. Jill tells us how can we get more nutrition into our kids when their idea of a vegetable is a potato – and a deep-fried one at that.  And wait till you hear what she says about veggies and wearing a car seat… (1 hour audio; $35.50)

The CD with all 5 hours of interviews/teleclasses, valued at $177.50, is now on sale starting today for only $19.95 + shipping. ADD TO CART

Today’s gift is I’m giving copies of this new CD away for FREE to the first four people who email me their name and mailing address.

All best,
Shelley

Last video > Even if you can’t boil water…

Hi there, it’s late (well it’s after 9:30 and I’ve been up for a while).

I’ve just finished uploading the last video for our upcoming cooking class on November 22nd. Even if you can’t boil water, this is the class for you. Did your mother teach you how to cook, hand down all those family traditions?

Mine didn’t.

By the time my mom was 25 years old she had 4 kids (and one of them was me, remember), so she was all about efficiency and not much about teaching or patience.

So I had to learn to cook at school, and by much trial and error.

If you’d like to have someone standing beside you, who can say “do it like this, yeah, that’s great, you’re a genius”, then now’s the time to register.

The class will remain open for registration until Wednesday noon at the latest, but of course since there’s only 3 spots, I expect the class to be fully sold out later midnight tonight.

I don’t much like teaching the same class twice, so if you were hoping to learn how to make some healthy, (very) low cost meals for your family … then you need to register for the class now.

Oh yeah, the video is here:

REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED.

All best & happy Monday,
me : )

PS/ Did somebody say ‘wine’?

What you’re gonna cook (and a tip about lemons)

I’ve got video #2 ready for you

In this new video, I share with you the 4 healthy meals you’re going to learn to cook … and every one of them is $2/serving or less. And there’s pie. What would a cooking class be without pie?

And of course, so that you don’t go away empty-handed, I share with you a little hint about what I do with lemons when they’re on sale…

REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED.

All best,
Shelley

PS/ to see Video #3 (Even if you can’t boil water), go here > http://theveggieclub.wordpress.com/2008/11/10/cant-boil-water/

I have a confession to make…

I have a confession to make. And I’ve made a video to tell you about it.

I originally made this special video for my QUEBEC subscribers ONLY, because they’re the ones most likely to come to my private, in-person cooking class (the next one is November 22nd), taught right here in the fully-equipped One Roast Vegetable test kitchen in Montreal.

But now I’m thinking that it’s OK to share this video with everyone, even if you don’t live nearby. You might just love the cup-a-soup recipe I’ve tucked into this video …

REGISTRATION FOR THIS CLASS IS NOW CLOSED.

All best and happy veggies,
me

(aka Shelley)

Shelley MacDonald Beaulieu, BA, BEd, MFA
Owner & Head Tomato

Let’s Get Cooking > Virtual Cooking Class #1

How about if we make Vegetarian Chili together? OK, it’s really called “I’m not ready to be a Vegetarian Yet” Vegetarian Chili and it goes well with the other recipe we’re going to be making: Smoky-Corny-Cornbread.

“I’m not ready to be Vegetarain Yet” Vegetarian Chili,
topped with a bit of grated smoky cheddar cheese

It’s yummy AND it’s a great deal, because for only $14.95 you can have all this …

1. You get the illustrated recipes for both the chili and the corn bread (pages of full colour, step-by-step instructions).
2. Then you’ll get a video of me making these two items that you can watch in advance.
3. You will also get a grocery list 3 days before, complete with alternate ingredients to suit
   your tastes.
4. THEN we meet on the phone on Saturday, June 28th @ 9 am Pacific / 12 noon Eastern, and we cook together.
   Yes, you might hear a pan clanking or the water running, but we’ll all be there – and I will walk you through both recipes, step by step, answering questions and cheering you on! Total time will be 1.5 hrs give or take.
5. As a special bonus, you get ONE MONTH F’REE membership at “The Veggie Club,” our private membership site. This one month trial is f’ree when you sign up for the cooking class. You can check out the other fabulous illustrated recipes, the archived expert articles, and lots more cool stuff. Your membership to The Veggie Club will continue after the one month trial for $8.95/month, but of course you can cancel at any time.

This recipe for Not-Quite-Vegetarian Chili keeps well, can be reheated later in the day for dinner, or you can divide it up and freeze it. The Smoky-Corny-Cornbread can be made in a muffin tin and individual ones can be frozen.

So even if you aren’t going to eat it right after we cook, you’ll still want to make sure you register for the “Let’s Get Cooking” Virtual Cooking Class. You’ll get the illustrated recipe, the video, the shopping list, and when the class is over you’ll get a link to download the audio from the phone call.

>> If you’re not a member of The Veggie Club, you can register for this cooking class here <<

If you are a member, the price is only $5, and you can register:

To register for this cooking class by following these steps:

1. Member’s login here > http://oneroastvegetable.com/members/member.php
2. On the RIGHT side of the screen, it says Add/Renew Subscription.
3. From the Membership Type list, choose: “Let’s Get Cooking” Virtual Cooking Class #1 ($5.00)
4. Then click on the “Order” button

All best,

Shelley MacDonald Beaulieu
Owner & Head Tomato