Food For Thought

Kitchen Divas founder shares recipes

Karin Collins was diagnosed with multiple sclerosis 30 years ago, but that hasn’t stopped her from whipping up recipes to post on her website, kitchendivas.com.

The 56-year-old Toronto resident, who uses a power wheelchair, has always enjoyed cooking and started the site with her husband, Ken Ryan, in 2015. The site features over 2,500 recipes she’s adapted from her grandmothers’ recipes.

“I love being creative. I love feeding people. I’ve always loved feeding people. Now I just have to do it differently,” Collins says. “It’s a lot of fun for me. Because of my disability, I’m unable to have the same kinds of hobbies that a lot of people have. I pour my heart soul into my food, and it’s become my hobby. It’s become something that keeps me busy, gives me something to do, [with] publishing recipes, and it calms my mind.”

She says her favorite food is beef, but her favorite recipe is her meaty zucchini casserole.

“It’s got zucchini crust on the bottom, and then ground meat, whatever ground meat I’ve got around, with the tomato sauce and vegetables,” she says. “It’s a great fridge-cleaner. Then, you put cheese on top and bake it, and it was a way to sneak veggies to my [now-33-year-old] son [Patrick] without him knowing.”

To learn about Collins’ adaptations for cooking, read the January issue of PN.

Here are a few of Collins’ other favorite recipes:

Rotisserie Chicken Soup

kitchendivas.com/rotisserie-chicken-soup

Ingredients

• 1 cup yellow onion, chopped
• 3 medium carrots, chopped
• 2 stalks celery, chopped
• 1 teaspoon avocado oil
• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
• ½ teaspoon black pepper
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 carton (32 ounces) low-sodium chicken broth
• 1 carton (32 ounces) low-sodium vegetable broth
• 1 can (15 ounces) corn, drained
• 1 can (15 ounces) creamed corn
• ⅛ cup fresh parsley, chopped
• 1 teaspoon dried oregano
• ½ teaspoon coarse kosher salt or sea salt
• ½ teaspoon ground black pepper
• ½ teaspoon garlic powder
• 1/7 teaspoon onion powder
• ⅛ teaspoon paprika
• ⅛ teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 3 cups, or 6 ounces, dry egg noodles
• ½- to 1-pound cooked shredded chicken

Instructions

• 1. To a large pot, add the onion, carrots, celery, avocado oil, salt and pepper over medium heat. Stir for 4 minutes or until the onions are translucent.
  2. Add the garlic. Stir for 1 minute.
  3. Add the remainder of the ingredients, excluding the egg noodles and chicken.
  4. Bring to a boil and turn down the heat. Simmer for 10 minutes.
  5. Add the egg noodles and cook for 8 minutes.
  6. Add the chicken. Stir for 5 minutes until the chicken is heated through.
  7. Taste to see if more salt and pepper are needed.

Notes

• Feel free to prepare this rotisserie chicken soup in the Instant Pot or slow cooker.
• Store the soup in individual freezer-safe containers so you can thaw one portion at a time, when needed.
• Don’t add the chicken too early, or it will become overcooked and dry.

Croissant French Toast Bake

kitchendivas.com/croissant-french-toast-recipe

Ingredients

• 8 large croissants, day-old croissants work best
• 6 large eggs
• 1½ cups whole milk
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• ½ cup granulated sugar
• ½ cup light brown sugar
• 2 teaspoons vanilla extract
• 2 teaspoons ground cinnamon
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• Zest of 1 orange

Cream Cheese Drizzle

• 4 oz cream cheese, room temperature
• ½ cup powdered sugar
• ½ cup heavy whipping cream
• Splash vanilla extract

Instructions

• 1. Cut croissants into large bite size pieces and place in a greased 9×13-inch baking dish.
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, heavy whipping cream, granulated sugar, brown sugar, vanilla, cinnamon, salt and orange zest.
  3. Pour the egg mixture evenly over the croissants. Gently press down to help soak the croissants. Cover with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or overnight for best flavor.
  4. Preheat oven to 350°F. Bake uncovered for 40-45 minutes, or until the top is golden and the center is set but slightly soft. If center is still uncooked, place foil over the top to keep from burning.

Cream cheese drizzle

• 1. In a medium bowl, beat the cream cheese with a hand mixer until smooth and fluffy.
  2. Mix in the powdered sugar and vanilla extract. Beat until fully incorporated and smooth.
  3. Slowly pour in the heavy cream while mixing. Continue to beat until the drizzle is smooth, creamy and pourable. Add more cream if a thinner consistency is desired.
  4. Remove casserole from oven. Let rest for 5-10 minutes. Drizzle cream cheese icing over casserole. Dust with cinnamon and serve warm with fresh berries.

Notes

• Cover your French toast croissant bake with aluminum foil if you notice that the top is browning faster than the center is cooking, to prevent burning.
• Try this recipe using regular bread, challah or brioche instead of croissants.
• If possible, soak the croissants overnight for the best results.

White Chocolate Chunk Fudge Cookies

kitchendivas.com/white-chocolate-chips-cocoa-powder-chocolate-cookies

Ingredients

• 1 cup all-purpose flour
• ½ cup sugar
• ½ cup brown sugar, packed
• ½ cup butter, unsalted, room temperature
• 1 large egg
• 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
• 2 tablespoons milk
• ¾ cup cocoa powder, unsweetened
• 1 teaspoon baking soda
• ½ teaspoon salt
• 6 oz. semisweet white chocolate, chopped
• butter or cooking spray

Instructions

1. In a large bowl with a handheld or stand mixer, beat the butter and sugars until smooth.
2. Add in egg, milk and vanilla and continue to combine. Scrape down the sides and bottom of the bowl as needed.
3. Gradually add the flour, cocoa powder, baking soda and salt. The dough will be quite thick and sticky.
4. Add the white chocolate chunks.
5. Cover dough and refrigerate for at least a couple hours, preferably overnight.
6. When ready to bake, preheat your oven to 350°F.
7. Prepare a cookie sheet lightly sprayed with cooking spray.
8. Make discs about ¾-inch high and 1½ inches wide.
9. Place on the cookie sheets and bake for 11-14 minutes. These cookies will look undercooked, especially in the center. They will have started to set around the edges.
10. Allow to cool for at least 5 minutes on the cookie sheet before placing them on wire racks. Enjoy!