Life Love Mom

Tag: Recipes

  • DIY Poke Bowls

    DIY Poke Bowls

    Recently, J announced she wanted to follow a pescatarian diet. This meant no meat or chicken, only fish and plant-based protein. This wasn’t a huge change for us, as I rarely cook red meat at home to begin with. But that said, I wanted to find different ways to incorporate fish into her diet. You may notice a theme in all the recipes I share – mix and match. I find these recipes do the best in our house since everyone’s tastes are different. Instead of trying (and failing) to make one dish that satisfies everyone, allowing people to choose their own toppings and mix-ins has been huge. This way I don’t feel like I am running a kitchen, and there is less complaining about the meal. Win-win in my humble opinion.

    If you are not familiar with poke bowls, you are missing out. Truly. These bowls, which originated from Hawaii, are typically prepared with a rice bottom, raw fish, vegetables, and an amazing sauce. I use cooked fish only, as J isn’t a fan of raw. But if I was to make this for Hubby and me, I would definitely add some sushi-grade tuna. I will share below what I put out, and some other suggestions for you to include. Feel free to omit or add anything that appeals to you or you have laying around your fridge.

    A note about the rice. I use Korean short-grain rice because that is what I have in my house. Years ago, my Korean mother-in-law taught me how to make rice with a rice cooker. It involves rinsing the grains to remove some of the starch, and using enough water to come up to your knuckle. Truly though, any type of rice would do. If you don’t have a fantastic mother-in-law proficient in rice making as I do, I would suggest following the instructions on the package you buy.

    An ingredient preview

    Recipe rundown:

    • Cooked rice (approx 1/4 cup per person)
    • Sauce
      • 2 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
      • 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
      • 1 tbsp sesame oil
      • 1 tbsp lime juice
      • 1 tbsp honey
      • dash of sesame seeds
    • Protein
      • I love using PC salmon burgers in this recipe. I oven bake them or fry in my cast iron skillet and then cut them up
      • Cooked shrimp
      • Immitation Crab
    • Toppings
      • Avocado
      • Edamame (I use the pre-shelled frozen ones!)
      • Shredded carrots
      • Cucumbers (I marinate mine in a bit of rice vinegar and salt)
      • Seaweed Salad
      • Dried seaweed
    • Spicy mayonaise (we use a store bought mayo but you can always mix some regular mayonaise with siracchia to taste)

    In case you are reading this and thinking “there is no way my kids would eat that”… let me tell you – J eats all of it with the exception of the spicy mayonnaise. N, on the other hand, only eats rice, dried seaweed and his weight in edamame. So please don’t feel bad if your bowls don’t look like these. Do what works for YOU! Have any other topping suggestions?? I’d love to hear them!

    This is life. Love, Mom.

  • Fri-ta-tta, Fri-tah-tta

    Fri-ta-tta, Fri-tah-tta

    I *may* have mentioned once or twice that breakfast for dinner is a go-to in my house. We love eggs, since they work so well for fast, easy suppers, and will be eaten by both picky N and pescatarian J. Frittatas are the best dish for throwing in whatever you have in the fridge and getting rid of the odds and ends. It’s also a great way to get veggies into children who think you are not a parent but a line-cook.

    My best tip is to invest in a cast-iron skillet. They are not as pricy as you may think. Here is a non-affiliate list of options from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/s?k=cast+iron+skillets&crid=20L868YPHXYO9&sprefix=cast+iron%2Caps%2C191&ref=nb_sb_ss_ts-doa-p_2_9 The cast iron makes the stove-to-oven action super easy. It also makes the egg super crispy (aks super delicious) on the edges. There is one simple thing you have to remember about cast iron. Under NO circumstances do you use soap to wash it. To clean, you can boil some water in the bottom of the pan or use salt as an abrasive to get the bits off the bottom. Then coat with oil before you put it away and it will be ready for the next time!

    So back to the egg-cellent recipe…. Here is the frittata base (mix the following all together):

    • 6 eggs
    • 1/4 cup milk
    • 1 garlic clove (or 1/2 tsp minced garlic)
    • 1/4 tsp salt (less if using a very salty cheese or meat)

    The best part, as always, is what you can mix in. In the photo on the left I have cherry tomatoes, brie, and zaatar seasoning. Not sure what to put inside? Here are some combinations ideas:

    • spinach and fontina cheese
    • bacon and cheddar cheese
    • peppers and onions
    • broccoli and white cheddar
    • sausage and peppers
    • salami
    • chicken and goat cheese
    • tomatoes and basil
    • mixed cheese
    • caramelized onions and swiss cheese

    Simply put your mix-ins at the bottom of the pan (minus any cheese) and cook them slightly. This is especially important for vegetables that hold a lot of water, such as spinach and broccoli. Otherwise, the eggs won’t set properly. Make sure there is enough oil in the pan so the eggs won’t stick, and pour the egg/milk mixture on top. Ensure the ingredients are all over the pan instead of in just one place. Top with the cheese. Bake at 400º for about 15-20 minutes. If you find the cheese is burning you can always lightly cover the pan with some tinfoil for part of the cooking time.

    Pictured right: Spinach, mushroom and an Italian 4-cheese blend

    I would love to know what you would put into your frittata! Share your combinations here for all to enjoy.

    This is life. Love, Mom.

  • Sweet and Savoury Waffles

    Sweet and Savoury Waffles

    I don’t know about you, but breakfast for dinner is a huge deal in our house. I’ll be honest, it’s my second favourite meal after brunch. Breakfast for dinner is a super-easy way to get all the food groups into my kiddos quickly and easily. It usually involves some kind of egg (scrambled, fried, or omelette style) and waffles. Keep reading for some of my favourite mom-hacks and flavour combinations. Now, I am not here to preach to you about no sugar, all-natural, gluten-free food. In our house, we believe in everything in moderation. If you are a mom who makes everything from scratch that is all-natural and without any preservatives or sugar, give me your address and I’ll send you your medal. That is not who I am.

    Waffles are not an everyday meal, but we do enjoy them. So when I make the kids waffles, I use pancake mix. My preference is the mix where you add an egg and milk, but I don’t always find it that convenient because you need to make a set amount. These days, we are loving the Krusteaz mix from Costco (or found here https://amzn.to/2V1y5WK).

    MOM HACK #1: I do try to make the waffles a bit healthier by adding a teaspoon of ground flax and/or chia. These ingredients help bump up the fibre and omegas without messing with the taste. Don’t forget to keep both of those items in your fridge for maximum freshness.

    MOM HACK #2: This is a great place to throw in some fruit for your picky eaters. Frozen blueberries work perfectly here.

    I won’t include a specific recipe here, because the best thing to do is to play around with the flavour combinations. Simply make the waffles according to the instructions on your box, and throw in some extras. Just make sure to grease your waffle iron well, especially if you are using cheese. My kids love savoury waffles, too! Here are some things we are loving these days:

    • Mini chocolate chips (a couple tablespoons only, a little goes a long way)
    • Pomegranate seeds and slivered almonds
    • Cinnamon and vanilla
    • Frozen blueberries or raspberries
    • Shredded mozzarella cheese and garlic powder
    • Everything seasoning (you won’t regret this one, trust me!)
    • Shredded cheddar cheese and pickled jalapenos

    MOM HACK #3: If you own a waffle iron like mine, the plates do not come off, which makes it super fun to clean. When I am done cooking, turn the iron back on and put a wet paper towel inside for a few seconds. Make sure the paper towel is pretty wet but not dripping, and do NOT walk away from the iron. The wet towel will create some steam and help lift the sticky bits off the griddle (or in my case, the top of the castle), making it easier to clean.

    As with other recipes, I love trying new food combinations. J is a super foodie, and loves to come up with her own, too. If you make this recipe, please feel free to tag me on Instagram, or comment here with your favourite flavours for us to try!

    And don’t forget – waffle mix, like everything else in life, is OKAY in moderation!

    This is life. Love, Mom.