Zucchini & Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

I love quesadillas but always find my homemade attempts have led to inconsistent filling and structural issues (read: the filling falls out when I flip them). Inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s method, this veggie filling has the cheese folded in, which allows it all to stick together and create more even quesadillas. The cooked down zucchini makes these taste almost cheesier than they are because it takes on a jammy texture. Super filling with all that veg, but you would hardly know it’s there!

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Zucchini & Grilled Chicken Quesadillas

Makes 4 quesadillas, This recipe is inspired by Smitten Kitchen’s Zucchini Quesadillas

Ingredients/Method:

Chicken marinade:

• 2 chicken breasts

• 1/2 tsp ancho chilli powder (or any chilli powder)

• 1/2 tsp ground cumin

• 1/2 tsp smoked paprika

• 1/2 tsp garlic powder

• 1/2 tsp kosher salt

• 1.5 tbsp olive oil

Let the chicken marinate for 30 mins at room temp (or in the fridge for 30 mins - 4 hours). Grill on bbq until internal temp reaches 165F.

Quesadilla filling:

• 1/2 white onion, thinly sliced

• 1 red pepper, thinly sliced

• 2 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise and thinly sliced

• 1 clove garlic minced

• 1/2 cup - 3/4 cup shredded cheese (cheddar or havarti would work)

• Olive oil

• Salt n pepper

Sautée onions with olive oil over medium heat until soft. Add in garlic and red pepper, continue to cook until peppers are softened. Add in zucchini and 1/2 tsp kosher salt. Continue to cook 5-7 minutes over medium until zucchini is translucent and jammy. Remove from heat and fold in shredded cheese. Taste and adjust seasoning if needed.

To assemble, scoop 1/4 of veggie/cheese mixture onto flour tortilla (I used whole wheat!). Add sliced chicken. Top with another flour tortilla. 

Bring a clean non-stick pan to medium heat, with a little bit of oil. Cook one side of the quesadilla until crispy, about 3 minutes. Flip with confidence! Cook the other side until crispy. Remove from pan and keep warm in the oven on a cookie sheet while you repeat with the others.

Serve with sour cream, salsa and top with shredded lettuce with lime juice and a pinch of salt!

Isolation Easter Dinner for 1!

Earlier this week I posted on Instagram about my plans for my Easter dinner for 1. Here is my rough schedule of activities and how I think through a dinner with multiple components aka how to prep it all!

Day before prep:

• Roast beets

• Make vinaigrette/marinade for beets

• Make pea condiment

Other things you could do the day before if you have the fridge space:

• Slice potatoes for scalloped potatoes and store them in the fridge covered in water

• Make pie crust dough and store in the fridge

Roast beets:

• Preheat oven to 425

• Wash beets and dry

• Trim off any odd bits or the ends if they look extra dirty

• Wrap each beet in tin foil with a little olive oil

• Place on a cookie sheet and roast under a cake tester inserts easily (time depends on the size of the beets - for small it could be 20-30 mins, for larger beets it could take an hour)

• Allow to cool completely before peeling

Pea condiment:

Inspired by this article: Bon Appetit Basically: Pea Pesto

• Steam 2 cups of frozen peas until bright green and tender, remove from heat and cool

• Place in a food processor with 2 garlic cloves, zest of 1 lemon, 3 tsp of apple cider vinegar, 2 tbsp olive oil, ½ tsp red pepper flakes, salt and pepper, and process on high until smooth. If you have any soft herbs like mint or parsley they would go great in here.

• Taste and adjust

• Store in a container in the fridge

Beet salad vinaigrette/marinade:

• ⅓ cup apple cider vinegar

• 1.5 tbsp honey

• ¼ cup olive oil

• Salt and pepper

• Shake in a mason jar until emulsified!

Once the beets are cool, peel and slice into ¾ cm slices. Put into a container and pour over half of the vinaigrette to store overnight so that the beets marinate. Store the remaining vinaigrette in the fridge.

Day of:

Morning:

• Prep white buns (I am going to halve this recipe: Fraiche Living Perfect White Buns

• Make pie (I am going to make a variation of this: Bon Appetit Lemon Meringue Pie, but will use different citrus fruits because I don’t have enough lemon. I’ll freeze the second pie crust for future use)

Afternoon:

Prepare and cook the lamb (I always start with the meat first to ensure there’s time for it to cook, and it can always rest while everything else cooks):

Lamb prep: take lamb out of fridge, season generously with salt and pepper and let it sit at room temperature for about 1 hour so it loses its chill

• Make crust for lamb

  • I’m going to do a riff on the crust from this recipe: Food & Wine Parmesan and Herb Crusted Beef Tenderloin

  • Instead of parmesan I think I will add lemon zest

• Assemble lamb:

  • I’m then going to rub dijon mustard over the lamb to give something for the crust to stick to. I will then apply the crust, drizzle some olive oil over it and roast it at 325 until I reach 140F internal temp for medium lamb. From my research it looks like it will take 1.5 hours or so for my 3lb lamb

  • Will let it rest at room temp before slicing

Scalloped Potato prep:

• While the lamb is roasting I’ll prep the scalloped potatoes. I am choosing to not make mine with cheese because I don’t think it will go with the lamb. I’m just going to do a simple milk, onion, butter combo. On the stove I’ll heat 2 cups of milk with 2 tbsp of butter, a bay leaf and some thyme. Heat on low, being careful to not scorch or curdle the milk. Season well with salt and pepper.

• Meanwhile I’ll slice my potatoes thinly, along with 1 white onion. I just have 2 potatoes. I’ll layer the potatoes and onions in a baking dish and pour over the milk mixture.

• Once the lamb is out of the oven, I’ll bake the scallop potatoes (covered) at 325F until fork tender (30-45 mins). I’ll take the tinfoil off for the last few mins and turn it onto broil to get a little colour on top. 

Roasted veg prep:

• While the scalloped potatoes are in, I’ll prep the roasted veg. I have cabbage, some brussel sprouts, turnip and swiss chard stems. I’ll chop everything up and spread it evenly onto a lined baking sheet. I will then drizzle olive oil and mix the veg with 2 tbsp of grainy mustard so everything is evenly coated. Season with salt and pepper. Roast at 400 until everything is tender and starting to deepen in colour. Once the veg is out of the oven I’ll drizzle some honey and add a squeeze of lemon juice.

Bake white buns - always leave these for last so they’re fresh out of the oven! When they come out of the oven you can add everything back in the oven to reheat.

Assemble salad:

• Layer the beets on the bottom of the plate

• Add orange segments

• Crumble goat cheese

• Sprinkle on some toasted nuts (pecans, walnuts, almonds, whatever you have)

• Top with greens if you have any, tossed in the remaining vinaigrette (arugula, mixed greens, pea shoots work!)

EDIT: It all worked out! Pictures added!

Nanny's Banana Bread

There are a million banana bread recipes on the internet. It’s hard to know which one to follow; which one will give the best result? All I can say is, in my eyes, this is the best banana bread out there because… it’s my Nanny’s recipe. This is the banana bread I ate my whole childhood - dark in colour and rich in flavour. I’ve tweaked it slightly to reduce the sugar and use whole grain flour (optional). But otherwise, it’s pretty much exactly how my darling grandmother made it.

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Nanny’s Banana Bread

NOTE: This bread will keep on the counter for 2-3 days if you top with a banana slice like pictured. Without the banana on top, 4-5 days. It also freezes very well - recommend slicing and putting parchment paper between each slice. Reheat individual slices at 350F until toasty!

ingredients

4 small or 3 large bananas, very ripe and browned (+ one additional for topping if you’d like)

½ cup unsalted butter, melted

½ cup white sugar

2 eggs

1 cup all-purpose flour

¾ cup whole grain flour (or you can do all AP if you do not have WG)

1 tsp baking soda

1 tsp baking powder

¾ tsp kosher salt

method:

1. Preheat oven to 350F. Prepare a loaf pan by greasing with butter or cooking spray and lining with a parchment paper “hammock” (parchment paper covers bottom and sides length wise).

2. In a large bowl, mash your ripened bananas. Add in melted butter, sugar and eggs, mixing until well combined.

3. In a medium bowl, whisk together dry ingredients.

4. Pour dry ingredients into the wet ingredient bowl and fold in, being careful to not overmix. No flour should be visible, but clumps are ok!

5. Pour into your prepared loaf pan. If you have an extra banana, slice in half lengthwise and place on top of the batter.

6. Bake for 60-75 mins, until deeply browned and a cake tester comes out clean. Allow to cool completely before slicing.

Isolation Recipes and Thoughts

Keeping a running list here of recipes I’ve been making in isolation and how I’m thinking about the ingredients I have on hand! 

Sweets:

I have a limited amount of butter, no milk, and 1 dozen eggs so I’ve been thinking a lot about which baked goods to put all my eggs in (LITERALLY). Here are my choices to date. 

• I made these Tahini Billionaire Bars from Bon Appetit last night. If you don’t have tahini you could swap in a different nut butter in its place. Honestly, the crust alone is worth it. I cut them up into smaller squares and wrapped them in packets of four for my freezer (parchment paper, then tin foil). TBD on how my freezer approach goes but a whole batch is too much for one person.

  • Saved my 2 egg whites leftover from this recipe. Will likely use as a binder for granola later this week.

• Working on typing up my Nanny’s Banana Bread recipe, will post here later this week! I sliced up the bread and froze the slices individually so that I can heat it up in the oven whenever I want a toasty banana bread treat! Top with butter and flaky sea salt

Lunches:

• Tuna melts have been getting me through. I recommend going beyond mayo and cheese and try different flavours: lots of lemon juice, capers, diced crunchy vegetables (red pepper, snap peas, carrots), pickles, grainy mustard, dijon mustard, sun-dried tomato - the world is your oyster/tuna!

• I haven’t embarked on this yet but before isolation, I did buy 4 sweet potatoes in anticipation this day would come. Once I work through my fresh produce I think I’ll start making loaded sweet potatoes for lunches. One of my fav inspos is The First Mess Sweet Potato Fries with Miso Gravy - sometimes I do this as a topped sweet potato rather than fries. 

  • Other things I’ve been thinking about with my sweet potatoes: pierogis and gnocchi. TBD if I act on any of these thoughts.

Snacks:

• I’ve been making Molly Yeh’s Scallion Pancakes ever since her cookbook came out a few years ago. I saw that Bon Appetit posted a recipe this week but their dough requires a 1 hour rest, whereas Molly’s only requires 20 mins. If you don’t have sesame oil you can always use a neutral oil like vegetable or canola. I do hoisin and sriracha as a dipping sauce.

• ORANGES - I am very grateful for Fresh City Farms, who is keeping me out of the grocery stores and safe in my apartment. It is a beautiful thing that it is citrus season right now. Check with your local farmer’s markets and CSA baskets - many are still delivering.

Dinners:

Not much to add here because I had a Goodfood Delivery this week to work through. BUT here are recipes I have planned out for next week:

• THE STEW: this is my favourite pantry meal any time of the year and quarantine is no exception. It’s so simple, so flavourful, and so easy. 

  • Side note: I predict as I update this list it will become 50% Alison Roman recipes.

• I have some broccoli and leeks (and weirdly a container of heavy cream) in my fridge that need to be used up, so I’m thinking about making this Alison Roman Spicy Baked Pasta next week. 

  • Side note: AR count to 2. 

• I also have a cabbage that I’ve been using a FaceTime phone prop this last week. Might make these Stuffed Cabbage Leaves to use that up. But also thinking of holding onto my cabbage since it lasts for a long time. I’ll report back.

I haven’t had to tap into my freezer or lentil/bean reserves much yet, but I have many thoughts to share when I do! Stay safe and stay healthy - xoxo Kaleigh

Tangy Tomato Chutney

Brunch has become a staple for me on weekends since moving to Toronto. Most of the time I elect to make brunch at home, but when I go out, my place of choice is The Corner Place down by the St. Lawerence Market. With a strong aversion to waiting in lines, my friend and I have made a bit of a ritual out of going to this hidden gem and enjoying their menu that highlights fresh ingredients from the market across the street. Their St. Lawerence Benny is my regular order; featuring a tangy, sweet and savoury tomato chutney, smoked cheddar and creamy hollandaise.

This recipe is my attempt at recreating the flavours of my brunch-out favourite. Highly recommend serving on English muffins, with some nice old cheddar, bacon and soft poached eggs. This would also make a great condiment on sandwiches or your next cheese board.

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Tangy Tomato Chutney

40 minutes

If making for brunch, I get the chutney started before anything else. The longer you cook the chutney on a lower heat, the deeper the flavour will be. I get to step 2, and then I’ll initiate the other elements of my brunch (bacon, eggs, etc).

Ingredients

2 tbsp extra virgin olive oil

1 red onion, thinly sliced

2 large garlic cloves, minced (or 3-4 small ones)

2 large tomatoes (or 3-4 medium), diced (yields about 2 cups of diced tomato)

½ tsp - 1 tsp of red pepper flakes

2 tbsp red wine vinegar

2 tbsp maple syrup

Salt n pepper

Method

1. In a medium saucepan, heat olive oil, red onion and minced garlic over medium-low heat. Continue to cook until onions are translucent and buttery, about 7 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.

2. Add diced tomato to the saucepan, and continue to cook on medium until tomatoes break down and become stew-like, darkening in colour. This will take some time - about 20-25 minutes.

3. Add red pepper flakes and vinegar, increasing the heat to medium-high to boil off the vinegar. Your eyes may sting a little during this step - vinegar can be strong! Takes 3-5 minutes.

4. Finally, add in maple syrup and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until the syrup is well integrated.

5. Taste and adjust your seasoning with salt and pepper.

6. Serve warm or room temperature, or put into the fridge for future use.