Taco Fiesta Potato Crisps

Winner, winner - NOT chicken dinner!   This VEGAN recipe from the "Oh She Glows" cookbook is AMAZING!!!  I have included a link to the recipe, but it really is worth buying the cookbook to get more recipes.....

I loved the idea of the potato crisps and will incorporate those into other recipes - perfect solution for those guests who are "gluten free".   The cashew sour cream is to die for - I could see myself using this in lots of everyday recipes.   The walnut mixture is delicious - even my husband was surprised when I told him that it was not ground meat but ground up roasted walnuts with perfect spices!  The textures, colours, flavours ALL worked in this recipe.  I can see myself making these over and over.  I can see these suiting a potluck appy party or even a camping trip - YUM!!!  Enjoy!

BONUS:  
1)You can make all the components ahead of time and assemble them minutes before serving them. 
2) These are even good when served cold.
3) Once assembled, they keep well in the fridge for a couple of days.  (I never tried reheating them....)


https://www.copymethat.com/r/3Vh0qrG/taco-fiesta-potato-crisps/

Finished Product

Potatoes ready for roasting

Walnut mixture ready for the mini processor

Walnut Mixture

Carmelized Onion and Apple Stuffing



What a Thanksgiving Feast we all pulled off and we were camping (okay - glamping - we had hook-ups...)!!   One of my contributions was to make the stuffing, so I thought that I would try this recipe as we were cooking the turkey in an oil less turkey fryer.  I also had this recipe in my pile of new recipes to try, so it was perfect!

 

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipe/255771/caramelized-onion-apple-stuffing/

 

 

I carmelized the onions at home, but everything else was done in the trailer at the campground.  From start to finish, this recipe impressed me.   I wish I could insert the smells that this recipe produced.  It was simply an aromatic heaven of onions, sage, thyme, apples - yum!   The only stray that I did make - ok - I made two changes.  One - I added cooked pork sausage to the recipe as that is almost a non - negotiable for me with stuffing and...Two - I used the Sage and Apple Stuffing Seasoning from Epicure as it seemed to fit perfectly with the recipe.  My biggest surprise was how 8 cups of onions seems like a lot until you cook them for almost an hour!  The recipe itself is a bit hands on, but you can do it in stages and bits and pieces ahead of time.  Let me tell you  - it is worth it!  Everyone kept sneaking into the trailer to get small samples and all of the comments were extremely positive.  I can't wait until our next turkey dinner when I can make this recipe again.  It is now my new stuffing recipe.  I hope you try to make it one day - you won't be disappointed!

 

 

 

Veggies, Apples, Sage and Thyme Cooking

(I wish I could blog the scent!!)

 

 



Carmelized Onions and Toasted Bread

(and a small glimpse of the Epicure seasoning!)

 

 

 



Curried Chickpea Salad

A vegetarian friend of mine brought a chickpea salad sandwich to the beach a few summers ago.  I thought that this would be a refreshing change from the usual proteins I use, such as egg, tuna, salmon, chicken, and shrimp to make my protein salad sandwiches/wraps.  I was very excited when I stumbled across this recipe from "Oh She Glows" as the chickpea salad has been in the back of my brain to try to make for a few years.  This recipe seemed even better upon reading it as it has some excellent flavour additions.  Alas, the time came to make it and it was worth the wait!  I was fine just eating it as is without crackers, but crackers are a nice touch.  I think it would be excellent served on cucumber circles, too!  I can see myself making this with my classes or for my own lunches.  The recipe in the cookbook has a nice variation to omit the cilantro, ginger, turmeric, and curry powder and to add in fresh dill and more lemon juice.  It says that is can be frozen for up to a month as well, but this is too delicious to freeze.  I can eat it all in 3-4 days!  Yet - another keeper!!  I hope you try it out!

http://www.oprah.com/food/curried-chickpea-salad-recipe

PS  I also tried making a Vietnamese Chicken Salad, but I can't remember from which magazine I got the recipe.  It is good too - diced chicken with grated carrot, chopped mint, mayo, minced shallots, chili garlic sauce, sugar, grated ginger, fish sauce, lime juice and zest, salt and pepper.  when I find the magazine, I will update this post.   This recipe will tie in nicely to my Foods program when we discuss Fusion Foods as well as designing our own protein salads!  FUN!

Curried Chickpea salad on Crackers

Top View

Rustic Grilled Pizzas

FUN!  FUN!  FUN!  Every time we make this recipe, we are reminded of how much fun it is.  This is great for a family meal or for a group of people.  It is especially perfect for a beautiful afternoon/evening when you want to be out on your deck!   We love that we get to design our own pizzas.  We love the crust, and we especially love the leftovers!  Our next wonder is if we could pull this off camping???  Enjoy!

 

http://www.bcliquorstores.com/recipe/food/rustic-grilled-pizzas



Rolling out the Dough





Various Toppings



The beginning of the process






All done!!

Lemony Basil Chicken Crepes with Curry Sauce

A keeper...a keeper...a keeper!   Alive magazine has come through again!   From start to finish, this recipe impressed me.   I loved how you can make the components ahead of time.  I made the crepes, broccoli and chicken well in advance as well as prepping the garnish and a few items for the sauce.  All I had to do at dinner time was make the sauce and heat up the filling and crepes!  I see many possibilities with this recipe....my grade 9 Foods classes could make this....I will make it for dinner again...I could make it for company....and I could even make this either camping or glamping! 

As far as flavours and textures, this recipe has many dimensions.  The flavours work.  I was worried when making the crepes as I was sampling a few pieces.  I thought the lemon was going to be overwhelming....not so at all...remember...sweet, spicy, sour, salty....they balance each other out.  The textures reminded me of my first Ethiopian restaurant experience in Edmonton, AB. They use a crepe like bread called injera topped with various spicy dishes...no cutlery...one uses the bread to scoop up the filling.  I am thankful for this memory two weeks before I head back to that city where I will scout out that same restaurant.  In the future, I can see making the crepe and the sauce with many filling ideas like:  cottage cheese, paneer, cauliflower, spinach, chick peas, spinach, lentils....anything that goes well with curry...yum!  I do hope you make this recipe.....your taste buds will thank you!


http://www.alive.com/recipe/lemony-basil-chicken-crepes-with-curry-sauce/

Buffet Style Dinner

The Finished Product!

Squash Lentil Soup with Dukkah

Don't let the long list of ingredients scare you!  This soup is worth the measuring!  A little hint if you are feeling overwhelmed is to use frozen diced butternut squash to save some time.  I just brought the soup to a boil after the 10 minute mark with the lentils and cooked the frozen squash with the lentils in the soup...easy peasy!  The bonus is that there is no squash mess to clean up once you roast it. Up to you....you miss out on the roasted flavour, but the soup is still delicious.  I have tried it both ways, and I am not sure which one I will choose next time...The soup freezes really well!  



http://www.alive.com/recipe/squash-lentil-soup-with-dukkah/

Cauliflower Nuggets

I love the idea behind the "Tasty" you tube channel.  Be warned:  it gets addicting to watch the quick videos that show recipes from start to finish in sometimes under 2 minutes!

This recipe was neutral for us.  It was a bit time consuming, and we are on the fence if we would make them again.  They were tasty and great to have leftover in the fridge for a snack.  Give them a try and see what you think! 


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=db8h8VuN388

Cauliflower Nuggets

Smoky Vegetable and Wheat Berry Stew

This recipe is a hit!  As per my usual first time making a recipe, I made a few adjustments.  First, I used farro instead of wheat berries for the simple reason that the bulk store did not have any wheat berries and I had farro at home.  I left out the sage and parsley as I wanted to simply enjoy the smoked paprika flavour.  I was torn about the swiss chard.   My gut wanted to use kale, but I thought I should try the chard as it has been a long time since I have had swiss chard.   I loved the farro...loved the flavours and textures.  I do wonder if kale would be better as the chard seemed to get too soft and that texture stood out compared to the beans and farro.    Kale might also be less interfering as a flavour.   I can see myself making this again and look forward to freezing some to have for lunch in the next few weeks.  Maybe this might be my soup club choice next year.....


http://www.vegetariantimes.com/recipe/smoky-vegetable-and-wheat-berry-stew

 

Smoky Vegetable and Farro Stew



Basic Cornmeal Muffins

These muffins are a crowd favorite!  Many people forget about cornmeal when they make muffins or bread.   The favorite variations from my grade 9 students  are either strawberry jam or a combo of cheese/bacon/green onions.  Remember to cook your bacon first and crumble it into the batter.  A small hint about the cheese:  use a sharp tasting cheese to not lose the flavor of the cheese:  old cheddar, smoked cheese, blue cheese, parmesan, or you think of a few.....Enjoy!

BASIC CORNMEAL MUFFINS

 

Ingredients:

 

125 ml          cornmeal

125 ml          buttermilk or sour milk

 

125 ml          flour

30 ml           granulated sugar

5 ml             baking powder

1.25ml          salt

 

    ½             egg

30 ml           oil

 

 30 ml          chosen variation – cheese, jalepenos, jam, berries, corn, bacon, ham, etc.

 

 

Method:

 

Preheat oven to 400 F.  Line muffin tin with liners.

 

1. Combine cornmeal and buttermilk and let stand for 10 minutes.
2.   In medium bowl, combine dry ingredients 
3.   Lightly beat egg.  Add oil and stir well.  Add to cornmeal mixture. 
4. Add wet ingredients to dry ingredients, stirring just until moistened.  YOU MAY ADD YOUR VARIATION AT THIS STEP OR AT #5. 
5. Spoon batter into muffin tins.  Using a small spoon, make a well in the center of each muffin and fill with 5 ml of each variation.    
6.   Bake for 15-20 minutes.  Let muffins sit for a few minutes before removing them from the pan.

Peri Peri Chicken or Prawns

 

 

This marinade is soooo delicious on either butterflied chicken or prawns.   I learned this recipe from a Mission Hill Winery South African culinary seminar many years ago.  I use it quite often as what else can I do with all the hot peppers my husband has been drying out.....see photo below!

 

 

Here is the recipe for the marinade:

 

Ingredients:

 

1 kg prawns  OR 1 whole chicken  (bigger prawns are better...on skewers to BBQ)

 

 

2 peri peri peppers or red fresno peppers...I have used both fresh and dried of many varieties of hot red peppers

 

4 tbsp.  fresh lemon juice

 

1 tbsp. chopped garlic

 

1 tbsp. paprika

 

1 tsp. salt

 

150 mL  corn oil

 

 

 

Method:

 

 

- Remove stem from peppers.  Add peppers, garlic, lemon juice, paprika and salt into a mortar and grind OR blend in a blender or food processor.

 

- Add oil SLOWLY and mix.

 

 

- Marinate the peeled prawns for 30 minutes OR marinate the whole butterflied chicken overnight!

 

 

- Place prawns on skewers and grill OR grill the chicken as you would a butterflied chicken....low and slow!

 

- YUMMY!!!  Enjoy!

 

 

 

 

PART of our hot pepper collection with a double batch of the sauce!

 

 

 

 

A butterflied chicken freshly marinated!

Chicken Fajitas with Marinated Purple Cabbage

This post is going to be brief, and I don't have a photo as it was too delicious to pause and take one! 
This fajita seasoning is a GREAT substitute for the packaged seasoning in the stores.  I used half the recommened sugar, and it was great!  I think a suitable ratio would be to use this on 3 chicken breasts sliced, 3 peppers sliced, and 1 onion sliced. I recommend three different colours of peppers for something visually appealing.  Once the chicken is cooked and the veggies are added and softened, add your spice mixture.  You will need to add some water to make a sauce as the cornstarch is in the spice mixture to thicken the sauce!   It depends on how much filling you put in each tortilla to really judge how many they make.  Don't forget a dollop of sour cream inside!  For extra flavor and texture, try placing the marinated purple cabbage inside as well - YUM! 




http://allrecipes.com/recipe/232967/fajita-seasoning/












Marinated Purple Cabbage:

½ head of purple cabbage

1 to 2 ratio of fresh lime juice: olive oil

Salt and pepper to taste

 

Slice or chop cabbage.  Massage oil on cabbage to soften.  Add lime juice; and salt and pepper to taste! 

Moroccan Style Eggs with Chorizo, Feta, and Spicy Tomato Sauce

 

I have been seeing a lot of Shakshuka recipes in magazines for March/April this year, so I was reminded of this recipe that I saw while watching the Show of Hearts Variety Telethon way back in February.

 

The aromas that are created while sautéing and simmering this recipe are simply divine.  I made it with four eggs, but really, you could use more eggs as it makes a LOT of sauce.  Personally, I will make this again for a pasta sauce leaving out the eggs.  I was not a fan of the texture of the eggs in the end.  I like baked eggs, but these turn out a bit different due to the sauce.  They are a poached egg cooked in the oven, due to all the liquid, I guess.  We had leftover sauce, so we ended up having it for dinner the next night served with pasta.  It was soooo good! 

 

The website is worth checking out as there are a few other neat recipes as well that were demonstrated on the Variety Show as well.

 

 

http://www.variety.bc.ca/blog/_entry/valentines-day-brunch-recipes 

Sautéed Onions and Chorizo

 

Adding in Red Peppers and Fennel Slices 

The Finished Product

Asiago Tuna Melts on Tomato Spinach Beds

I love tuna melts, so I was very pleased to find this recipe in the Alive magazine.  I did not make the spinach beds, though.  This recipe is VERY easy to make and is great to have in the fridge as leftovers for another snack or meal.  I did find that the lemon juice was a bit overpowering though.  I will make these again and was left with two questions:

1) Would my students eat these as they are a perfect level of difficulty for the grade 8s?  (tomatoes and tuna might be a tough sell)

2) What other nutritious and economical fillings could I stuff the tomatoes with besides the usual breadcrumb/cheese mixtures?

Give these a go...they are great with a side salad or on their own!


http://www.alive.com/recipe/asiago-tuna-melts-on-tomato-spinach-beds/

Ready for the Fridge

The Finished Product

Chipotle Chicken and Vegetable Soup

The September/October 2015 Eating Well magazine issue has a fabulous two page spread on Changeable Chicken Soup.  If you can get your hands on a copy of this issue, it is worth looking at pages 90 and 91 among others!  They offer MANY suggestions for a 5 step process of making chicken soup:  seasonings, broth, vegetables, fiber, flavour boost.   One could easily make hundreds of soup combinations from their ideas.

They provided 5 recipes with one of them being the Chipotle Chicken and Vegetable Soup.  This recipe is a keeper.  Of course, I added more chipotle peppers as we like spicy soup.  I cubed the chicken instead of shredding it, and I used leftover rice pilaf from the previous nights dinner to boost the fibre instead of just plain brown rice (ironically, I had exactly 3 cups leftover!!).  Other than that, I left it as is....oh...and I did use homemade broth.  It made a lot, so I froze half in hope that it does freeze well.   The addition of the lime at the end is FABULOUS and necessary with the heat...oops!

Next plan:  I want to try and make Moroccan Chicken and Sweet Potato Soup,  Pesto Chicken and Cannellini Bean Soup or even get creative and make up my own!!

Check out the eatingwell.com website for MANY soup ideas or other great recipes!   I am so glad that this magazine gets hand delivered to me at my work and that I can access their website...two EXCELLENT resources!

http://www.eatingwell.com/recipes/chipotle_chicken_vegetable_soup.html

Soup's on!

Greek Lemon Roasted Potatoes

 

 

So...I haven't found a new recipe that I have been yearning to try out.  I have had the opportunity to make a recipe that goes waaay back and is all about my favorite things....good friends, potluck THEME dinners,  simple ingredients that result in flavourful food, great conversation, big belly laughs, and memories to last a lifetime!

 

A good friend of mine and lifetime mentor shared this recipe at least 17/18 years ago.  This is a recipe that she developed by combining a few recipes from a few sources (one of my favorite hobbies!).  I make this recipe when I need to bring a dish to a potluck, especially if the theme is GREEK!   One thing about this recipe is that it needs to be doubled to make sure that you will have leftovers!  Don't serve everything you make....stash some aside in your fridge to be sure that you will indeed have some leftover!  

 

Here it is!  Thank you to KB for letting me share this with all of you!

 

8 large potatoes, peeled

1 cup water

1/2 cup lemon juice, freshly squeezed is best!

1/3 cup olive oil

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 tsp. salt...maybe less depending on your taste buds

2 tsp. oregano

1 tsp. pepper

 

 

Preheat oven to 325 F.

 

Cut potatoes into wedges and place in shallow baking dish.  (Note...if  using softer potatoes....I cut them in half...)

 

Pour ingredients over potatoes and stir to coat well.

 

Bake at 325...turn occasionally to keep spuds moist!

 

Bake approx.  2 hours until tender and most of  liquid is absorbed/evaporated.

 

 

The biggest thing for me is to trust this recipe!  It will seem like a LOT of liquid.  It will work out.  Even after 1.5 hours...you might be doubtful....give it at least 2 hours and trust the process.  It will be worth it.  This recipe is simple and DELICIOUS!   I am grateful for every memory/opportunity that this recipe has brought me over the years!   I hope that it yields the same results....simple, amazing, delicious food with the added bonus of getting loved ones together to create some fond memories around a table!  C'est la vie!

 



 

 

 

 

Ready for the oven! 

 

 

Yummy!!!  Ready for Dinner!

All Dressed Kale Chips

Just a short post to highlight one of my favorite sites on how to make perfect kale chips!  This All Dressed recipe is very nice indeed!   I love that these help satisfy the snacking craving while keeping it healthy!  Happy Snacking!

http://ohsheglows.com/2014/03/12/6-tips-for-flawless-kale-chips-all-dressed-kale-chips-recipe/

Kale...ready for the oven

Kale Chips - ready for snacking!

Garam Masala Drumsticks with Aloo Gobi

Ok...this isn't the first time that I have made this recipe, but it is worth sharing!  Homemade "Shake N Bake" with an Indian/coconut twist anyone?

I really like this recipe, and I tend to double it or triple it every time I make it.  This is a GREAT recipe to make for company as well or to have around for leftovers and snacks.  I wonder what it would be like with chicken thighs or breasts?  I love the crispiness of the coating, but I am slightly curious what panko crumbs would be like instead of bread crumbs...maybe too messy for the first coat?  I love how this mimics a healthier fried chicken recipe...baked in the oven but still crispy on the outside and tender on the inside.  I wonder if the chicken drums would be even more tender soaked overnight in buttermilk - similar to many baked chicken recipes I have seen.  I love the flavours of the spices and the coconut, so I would not mess around with that at all - perfection!  Just a note....I tend to only make the drumsticks as I have another recipe that I like for Aloo Gobi.  If you are looking for a one pan dinner, though, I do recommend this entire recipe!

I would love to make this with my grade 9 classes, but the 40 minute bake time is a bit too much for our limited time.  Perhaps, I can recommend it to my high school colleagues or even save this one for the many requests I have had to teach evening cooking classes to either teenagers or adults....

Another great recipe from Canadian Living magazine!  I wonder if I will ever get the chance to collaborate with their test kitchen.....how fun!

Ready for Baking

The Finished Product

http://www.canadianliving.com/food/garam_masala_drumsticks_with_aloo_gobi.php

Impossibly Easy Taco Pie

 

 

This recipe is taking it back to 1970s when apparently Bisquick had this recipe on their boxes.   My husband has been craving this comfort food from his childhood, so we decided to search up a recipe to see if it was close.  We used the first recipe but did not use 4 lbs of meat, so we weren't sure if we should add all the liquid batter or not.  We decided to play it safe and not, but after it was baked, we probably should have just used it all.  We also added in some black beans, corn, jalepenos, and sliced black olives into the meat mixture.   We used lettuce, sour cream, salsa, green onions, and cilantro as garnish after it came out of the oven.

 

We will make this again!  It was VERY tasty, and we are both very curious the difference when we use all of the Bisquick batter that it suggests.  My husband remembers more of a base like a biscuit crust, so it would make sense to have used all the recommended batter.  We followed the cooks.com recipe and maybe should follow the Betty Crocker one next time as it has smaller ratios.

 

This made a lot, so we both had enough for leftovers for lunch the next day.  Another bonus!

 

We are looking forward to making it again as my husband said that it was close to his childhood memory taco pie, so we need to perfect the recipe....or actually follow it, let go,  and trust the process!

 

PS  In case you need to know where to find Bisquick, we found it by the pancake mixes in the grocery store.

 

 



http://www.cooks.com/recipe/yl2rw0fg/impossible-taco-pie.html

 

http://www.bettycrocker.com/recipes/impossibly-easy-taco-pie/cad8267c-2cb0-4dc2-b6e7-9c57a9575430

 

 

Ready for the Oven!

Adding on the cheese, tomatoes, and cilantro

 

Finished Product

Plated with Garnishes

Cornish Game Hens

 

It seemed like a lot of people who I spoke to over the holidays made the switch to Cornish Game Hens for their Christmas Feast instead of a turkey.  I have never eaten or cooked Cornish Game Hens, so I thought I would pick up a couple for a weekend dinner treat.  I searched a few recipes and seasoned mine with the every handy fresh herb Poultry mix of sage, Italian parsley, rosemary, and thyme.  I also used some chicken broth, salt, pepper, and garlic.  I had some leftover wild rice, so I made up a stuffing with onions, celery, shitake mushrooms.  Stuffing the hens was interesting as they are so small.  I roasted them in the oven at 375 F until the thermometer said they were done.  (about an hour and a half).

 

All in all, we weren't overly thrilled with them.  They were good, but we wouldn't make them again.  We felt they were really greasy and would prefer chicken or turkey.   In fact, our favorite Christmas dinner was when we made a stuffed sockeye salmon....maybe I will bring that back next December...

 

 

 

Cornish Game Hens

Black Pepper Noodles

One of our favorite dishes from a local Chinese restaurant is "Beef with Black Pepper Thick Noodles".  A hobby of mine that started with my mom when I was a pre-teen was to taste things multiple times in restaurants, guess what was in it, and try to recreate it at home....all WITHOUT the help of my new friend, Google!

I found this recipe, bought most of the ingredients and was all set to make it, but my husband excitedly took over from me.  I wasn't going to argue.  I took it as a chance to sit back and relax on a late Saturday afternoon!   We used beef instead of seafood and used up some veggies in the house like peppers, broccoli, baby corn...not sure what else to be honest.  I know that we ended up using a bit more black pepper and soy sauce as well as adding a drizzle of sesame oil at the end.

http://blog.seasonwithspice.com/2012/02/seafood-yaki-udon-recipe.html


We had enough noodles for him to make another batch the next day with leftover chicken, so we obviously enjoyed this.  Note to readers...maybe just double the recipe on the first go!

All in all, this was very close to our restaurant fave.  I can see it being made again when I am craving some Chinese noodles.  Maybe we can get adventurous and make a few more of our favorite dishes and have a theme dinner....I have always wanted to try and make Egg Foo Young....stay tuned!