Taco taco taco taco time

I just love me some tacos :). In this month's issue of Food and Drink there is a tasty recipe for avocado and tomato relish. They top this on a burger, but since I was craving tacos, thought this would go well.


Tacos have to be THE best dinner idea for a split menu. All the fixings are the same, only different fillings. I'm normally a hard shell kinda gal, but tried the soft shells tonight.

• 1 onion finely chopped
• 2 garlic cloves, minced
• 2 Tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 package of ground soy ( I love the PC version over Yves)
• 1 1/4 lbs of ground chicken or ground beef
• 1 can of mexican red beans, black beans or whatever beans you like
• 1/2 cup of corn kernels (optional)

Prepare the seasoning in separate bowls (one goes for the meat dish, the other for the veggie dish). This is also great if you want to control the heat/spicyness.

• 1 Tbsp of chili powder
• 1/2 Tbsp of cayenne pepper
• 1 Tbsp of oregano
• 1 Tbsp of cumin
• 1/2 Tbsp of coriander
• 1/2 Tbsp of salt

1. Get yourself 2 large fry pans, one for the veggie, one for the meat.
2. In each pan, heat up 1 Tbsp of oil over medium heat
3. In veggie pan, add half of chopped onion and one minced garlic clove. Cook until soft (5 minutes)
4. Add soy veggie beef and continue cooking over low heat. Add half the can of beans.
5. In meat pan, add chicken/beef and cook until done. Take out meat and drain out any fat. In empty pan, add 1 Tbsp of oil and cook other half of onion and 1 minced garlic clove for 5 minutes on medium heat. Return meat to pan and add remaining beans.
6. At this point, you should have 2 pans, one filled with soymeat/beans, the other with real meat/beans :)
7. Add seasonings to each pan and 1/4 cup of water. Continue simmering on medium low heat. At this point you can add the 1/4 cup of corn to each pan.
8. For relish: Combine avocado, tomato, lime juice, chopped coriander, salt and pepper and mix well. The flavours will blend much better if everything is at room temperature.
   

This is my vegetarian taco. I smeared on some low fat sour cream, cheddar cheese, lettuce, my veggie filling and topped with the relish. Deeelish!

Pad Thai Wannabe

I can never get enough of Thai food; and my absolute favorite dish is Pad Thai. Now some places do it cheaply and instead of using authentic ingredients, will toss in (YUCK!) ketchup. Now I'm not claiming this is an EXACT replica, but it comes pretty close.
Making this as a split dishes requires 3 pots and pans (which is as low as I could make it)

Tangy Thai Peanut Sauce
In a magic bullet (yipee) or a food processor, combine the following and blend well.

• 1 garlic clove roughly chopped
• 1 Tbsp of roughly chopped ginger
• 1/3 cup of Cashew butter or Peanut butter
• 2 Tbsp of Soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp of Rice Vinegar
• 1 Tbsp of lime juice
• 1 Tbsp of sambal (or chili sauce)
• 1 tsp of honey
• zest of one orange
• 1/4 cup of chopped coriander
  

Next, chop up all your veggies. I used whatever I could find in the fridge: Broccoli, Napa cabbage, snow peas, Chinese greens, celery and carrots. For the last two, I chopped them into matchsticks so they would mimic the noodle shape.

With the vegetables, I chopped up 1 Tbsp of ginger and garlic.

Pad Thai Wannabe

• 6-8 cups of chopped vegetables
• 1 Tbsp of ginger and garlic
• 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
• a couple of handfuls of linguine, or fettucini noodles (or if you want, egg noodles or rice noodles)
• 1 chicken breast (seasoned with salt, pepper and bit of olive oil)
• 1 meatless chicken breast (President's Choice)

1. Bring water to boil in a large pot. Season with salt and add noodles. Cook for 10 minute
2. Meanwhile, in a large frying pan, skillet or grill pan, cook meatless chicken (from frozen) for 5 minutes per side. Set aside on plate when done and slice into strips
3. In the same pan, cook Chicken on both sides until done (6-8 minutes per side). Set aside on another plate when done and slice into strips
4. In a wok or large skillet, heat up 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add ginger/garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add vegetables and cook until just tender (around 4 minutes). Remove veggies to a bowl.
5. If pasta is done, drain and reserve about 4 cups of pasta water
6. At this point, you have a large pot, a wok and a skillet. Use the skillet you cooked the chicken in for the "meat" dish and the wok for the vegetarian version (yeah, no cleanup!)
7. To pot/skillet, bring back chicken and add half of the Tangy Thai Peanut Sauce. It will be quite thick, so add 1 1/2 cups of pasta water. Add in half of pasta and veggies.
8. Blend until coated, added more pasta water if necessary.
9. Garnish with freshly chopped coriander and some crushed peanuts

ETA: This was soooooo good. I'm patting myself on the back. I'm glad I made extra mmmm leftovers.

Roasting Butternut Squash goes a long way

I'm hoping that with some guidance from some great photographers, my blog foodie pics will resemble the food porn pics I've coveted in the past. Now, back to the food :)

If you happen to have a couple of free hours on a Sunday afternoon, I suggest roasted a couple of butternut squashes. By slicing a couple of squashes (you can leave the skin on), adding some olive oil, salt and pepper, you will be justly rewarded with some sinfully sweet vegetables.

Roast on a aluminium foil coated cookie sheet at 400C for 80 minutes. They can last at least 4-5 days in the fridge, but guaranteed you will be tended to use them all up before then.

Roasted Butternut Squash Risotto

Once you get the hang of risotto, I guarantee you will want to make this again and again. Here are few tips

1. Strong Arms. Making 1 cup of risotto isn't so bad. Making 3 cups (enough to serve 6-8 people), you'll need a very strong arm, or a relief pitcher
2. Make sure to really coat your rice with the butter/oil. This will give it a nice creamy and nutty taste later on
3. Stir stir stir on a medium low heat. You know it's time to add more stock, when you can make little canals inside your pot as you stir.

• 1 Tbsp of olive oil and butter
• 1 garlic clove minced
• 1 shallot minced (or 1/4 cup of onion)
• 1 cup of white wine
• 5 cups of vegetable stock
• 1 cup of Arborio Rice
• half of roasted butternut squash
• 1/2 cup of freshly grated parmesan or asiago cheese

1. In one saucepan, gently heat up stock
2. In another large saucepan, melt butter and heat oil over medium heat
3. Add garlic and shallot. Cook for 1 minute
4. Add risotto, toss to coat and cook 1 minute
5. Add white wine and continue stirring until almost all the moisture is gone
6. Ladle one cup of stock at a time. Allow to absorb until adding next ladle
7. Remove squash from skin and add to risotto. Stir in cheese
8. Serve hot
   

I served this risotto with a Meatless Chicken breast from PC for me (husband got the real thing). I wanted to try the Meatless Chicken on its own (no sauce or added flavours. IT does have its charm, but could use a little something. When I asked my husband to take a bite, he agreed that it was the equivalent to boiled chicken.

I also had some yummy sauted watercress. If you can, get the real stuff, not the hydroponic flavourless crap they now seem to have everywhere.For the watercress, I sauted some garlic and ginger in oil in a skillet, added the rinsed watercress and cooked until just wilted.

My favorite split menu dish: Beef Stew

This was one of our favorite and first split meals that my husband and I made. This is one that I can help him chop up the veggies and then sit back and watch while he does the rest. EASY :)
It doesn't warrent an ingredient list or even instructions, but I can provide some tips.

1. To make life easier for my kitchen novice husband, we use a Club House packet of Beef Stew and basically follow the instructions.
2. While he is browning his beef in one dutch oven, I'll chop up onions, carrots, celerey and potatoes and split them equally into two bowls (one for me, one for him)
3. In my dutch oven, he will brown my veggie meatballs (I love the Oh Naturel from Schneiders)
4. At this point, you just follow the instructions on the package. I really don't know what else goes on since I'm usually in the living room painting my toe nails :)

Anywho, I usually throw in a Bay leaf and some barley while the stew simmers. And like all stews it ALWAYS tastes better on the second day. And no pics because... like I said, it tastes very good ;)

Finally!!! An amazing alternative for chicken breasts!

This will be a quick little post. When I saw that President's Choice had launched a meatless Chicken patty I was kinda skeptical. It's made with Gardein which I'm not a huge fan of.

BUT! PC has definitely changed my mind with this new product.

1. The price is great. 8 patties for 9.99. That's almost the same as buying any of their "real" meat in a box
2. It holds its shape during cooking. Which means you can BBQ it, slice it and stir fry, pan fry etc.
   
3. It actually has a nice texture. Not too soft like Tofu, but not chewy like past "fake meat" products.
4. AND FINALLY! It cooks like chicken. Which is REALLY IMPORTANT when doing any kind of split meal. Your recipes, methods and cooking times don't have to change or adapt.

Last night I used a patty in my fajitas. They cooked quickly and absorbed all the yummy spices.

Now that I've got a freezer full of these guys, I'm really excited about trying out some chicken recipes I've passed on before. Tune in since I'll be posting lots!!!

Anywho, I suggest you go and buy it and try it for yourself. Available in the freezer section at any Zehrs, Lobalws, Real Canadian Superstore.

Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup with Perogies

There is something very comforting in a nice warm bowl of soup. Especially on days when you come home wet, tired and hungry. Again, thanks to Fine Cooking magazine, I was able to throw a couple of standard staples in my pantry to make this soup. I've kinda merged two of their recipes, which just goes to show you how versatile it really is.
To make this soup anytime, I would suggest always having these items in your cupboards: Canned diced tomatoes and a jar of roasted red peppers.


Tomato and Roasted Red Pepper Soup

• 1 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 Tbs of butter
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 2 Tbs of flour
• 3 cups of vegetable or chicken stock
• 1 1/2 tsp sugar
• 1/2 Tbs of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• kosher salt and pepper to taste
• 1 roasted red pepper, diced
• 1 28 oz can of diced tomatoes

1. In a large dutch oven, heat up oil and butter over med-low heat
2. Add onion and garlic and cook until onion is soft (8 minutes) You want the onions to be brown but not burnt. The longer you spend time on this, the sweeter the onions will be :)
3. Add flour and stir to coat
4. Add broth, tomatoes, roasted red pepper, sugar, thyme, bay leaf and 1/4 tsp of salt and pepper. Stir to mix and bring to a simmer.
5. Reduce heat, and cover. Continue cooking for 30 more minutes.
6. Remove bay leaf. Use an immersion blender or food processor to blend until creamy.
7. To top it off, I add a mixture of goat cheese, sour cream, salt and pepper a little bit of olive oil.
   

While the soup was simmering and continuing with slow cooking onions=sweet, I decided to make some perogies. Thinly slicing some onions and cooking them with some oil over a low heat in a large skillet. I seasoned with some salt, pepper and herbes de provence.
Pulling the perogies from the freezer and boiled them for about 5 minutes. Drained and tossed them in the skillet with the by now shruken golden brown and sweet onions.

Something comforting for those cold winter nights

This month's issue of fine cooking magazine has been a tempting and tasty read. So far I've tried two of their recipes and I have a feeling this issue will be dogeared and covered in stained in NO time.

Tonight I tried making their Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese. It's pretty straight forward and if you follow the instructions and TAKE YOUR TIME (which I'm guilty of NOT doing when making M&C) it turns out beautifully.

Here is my modified version (theirs feeds an army and I also used whatever cheeses I had on hand). Instead of breadcrumbs, I smashed up some garlic and rosemary croutons and I also added some nutmeg and chili powder (omitting the Tabasco and Worcestershire sauce)

Classic Baked Macaroni & Cheese

• 2 Tbs of butter
• 1 Tbs of olive oil
• 1 med onion finely diced
• 3 Tbs of flour
• 1 tsp of Dijon mustard
• 2 cups (5oo ml) of Homo milk (heated)
• 1 tsp of thyme
• 1 bay leaf
• 2 cups of shredded cheese (I used a combination of old cheddar, Monterrey jack and goat cheese)
• pinch of nutmeg and chili powder
• 4 cups of small pasta (shells or macaroni)
• 1 Tbs of olive oil to coat your baking dish
• 1/2 cup of breadcrumbs
  

1. In a heavy bottom pot, melt butter and oil over medium heat. In another pot, begin boiling water for pasta
2. Add onions and cook until they are softened (4-5 minutes)
3. Add flour and cook for 1 minute
4. Add mustard and whisk in warmed homo milk
5. When mixed, add thyme, nutmeg, chili powder, bay leaf and a pinch of salt
6. Simmer on low for about 10 minutes. Begin cooking pasta for 10 minutes.
7. Add the cheese to the sauce and mix until blended (don't over blend or it will get oily!)
8. Drain pasta and mix with cheese sauce
9. Add pasta mix to baking dish and top with breadcrumbs
10. Bake at 400 C for 15 minutes. Let rest for 5-10 minutes.

Mini Burgers for quick and easy appetizers

I've often seen meatballs served as cute little finger foods at parties. IF you are really ambitious you can make your own meatballs, but the grocery stores now sell so many kinds (veal, turkey, chicken, beef AND veggie) that you can easily pick and choose your favorites.

Taking the meatball up a notch, I decided to make them into mini burgers. This is ridiculously easy that it doesn't really warrent a recipe step. I bought a variety of mini buns from Ace Bakery (sold at Loblaws). Simmered the meatballs in some Diana honey garlic sauce. To each burger I added some baby spinach leaves and monteray jack cheese. Easy!

Psst! I'm about to share my curry secrets :)

I love curry. There is something about it's warmth and it's smell that makes me think it's the ultimate comfort food. So, when I say curry; every family, every region and every country has their own particular recipes and secrets.

So, I'm about to share my secret Channa Masala recipe. I've brought a pot of this stuff to my inlaw's Christmas party and within minutes see it DEVOURED (also, noting there were still lots of meat dishes left over)

It's a good idea to start with a good base, so either make your own personal curry powder blend, or make sure you buy the good stuff. If you are stuck with Patak's or any other paste, then cut back on the oil (since it has so much of it already in the jar).

Channa Masala (Chickpea Curry)

• 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
• 2 cloves of garlic minced
• 1 thumbsized ginger minced
• 1 diced onion
• 3 Tbsp of good curry powder mix
• 1/2 can of coconut milk
• 1/4 cup of cashew butter (almond or hazelnut butter is also good)
• 1 can of chickpeas
• 2 cups of diced butternut squash
• 2 cups of diced sweet potato
• 2 cups of vegetable stock
• 1/4 cup of chopped coriander

1. Heat up oil in dutch oven. Cook garlic, ginger and onions for about 2 minutes. Add curry powder and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes until you can smell the curry
2. Add squash, sweet potato, chickpeas. Mix and cook for 1 minute
3. Add coconut milk, cashew butter and stock, making sure to scrap up any bits on the bottom of pan. Stir in about half of the coriander
4. Bring to boil, then simmer with lid on for 20 minutes
5. Spoon over bowls of rice, garnish with remaining coriander
   

The following recipe was a trial for me. It is originally known as Vij's Marinated Lamb Popsicles. Well, fresh lamb is hard to come by, but judging from what my husband told me, this sauce would go really well with it. Instead I tried chicken drumsticks, which were just as tasty (again, according to my husband :) )

Marinated Chicken Drumsticks with a Cream Curry Sauce

Meat

• 5-6 chicken drumsticks (or lamb chops)
• 1/4 cup of sweet white wine
• 2 Tbsp of grainy Dijon Mustard
• 1/2 Tsp of salt
• 1/2 Tsp of black pepper

Curry Sauce

• 1 cup of whipping cream
• 1 cup of low fat sour cream
• 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 Tsp of salt
• 1/4 Tsp of paprika
• 1/4 Tsp of cayenne pepper
• 2 Tbsp of lemon juice
• 1 Tbsp each of finely minced garlic and ginger
• 1/2 Tsp of tumeric

1. In a bowl, mix white wine, mustard, salt, pepper and meat. Marinade for at least 2 hours in the refrigerator
2. Preheat a cast iron grill or BBQ to medium high. Grill chicken until cooked
3. Meanwhile, in a bowl, combine cream, sour cream, salt, paprika, cayenne and lemon juice.
4. In a saucepan, heat up oil and saute garlic/ginger until golden.
5. Stir in tumeric and continue cooking for one minute
6. Stir in cream mixture and cook on low-medium until thickened, about 5 minutes
7. To serve, place chicken on plate and pour sauce over. Or ladle into a bowl and use it as a dipping sauce.

On a cold cold day... serve up Thai Hot Pot Soup with crispy Tofu and Shrimp

A few years ago while visiting Thailand, I was lucky enough to participate in a traditional Thai cooking class. This was amazing since I had already spent a week feasting on delicious and tasty nibbles throughout the country. One thing I learned is that the best places to eat are found in the little stands that are hidden in various alleys and streets.
Street cuisine is fresh, fast and tasty. And with our cold blistering windchill of a -25 days, a nice steaming Thai hot pot soup should do the trick.

Now, I call this a Thai Hot Pot soup instead of some authentic Thai name since I'm using the "elements" of Thai cuisine rather than an authentic recipe.

I first want to talk about some of the great vegetarian alternatives there are out there. In this recipe I used Pete's Tofu2Go Tasty Thai and McCormick's All Vegetable Chicken Stock.
I'm not a huge fan of Tofu since I can never get the flavour to properly infuse the Tofu. Pete's Tofu (or anything else like this ) is great since they mould the Tofu with the flavours inside. To add a different dimension, I also pan fried strips of this tofu to give it a crispy coating.


Thai Hot Pot Soup with Crispy Tofu and Shrimp

Crispy Tofu

1. Slice the Tofu into strips
2. Meanwhile, heat a small frying pan with about 3-4 Tbsp of vegetable oil
3. When oil is shimmering, quickly take your tofu and dab in flour. Be sure not to do this flour step too early or the flour will get gummy
4. Fry Tofu for 2 minutes per side until golden brown
5. Transfer to paper towel lined plate
   
   
   

Thai Hot Pot Soup

• 1 Tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 Tbsp each of minced garlic and ginger
• 1 Tbsp each of minced green onions, coriander and mint
• 1/2 can of coconut milk
• 1 stalk of lemongrass (if not available half of one lemon)
• 1/2 Tbsp of Thai Green curry paste
• 6 cups of All Vegetable Chicken Stock
• 1Tbsp of brown sugar
• 1 cup of diced Butternut Squash
• 1 cup of diced Sweet Potato
• 1/2 cup of baby corn or corn kernals
• 1/2 cup of snow peas, cut in half
• 1/2 package of rice noodles
• lime zest

1. Heat up oil in large dutch oven. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute
2. Add lemongrass/lemon, green curry paste and brown sugar and cook another minute
3. Add squash, potato and cook until softened (3-4 minutes)
4. Add stock and coconut milk, bring to a boil and then simmer for 5 minutes
5. Add snow peas, corn, coriander and mint. Add rice noodles. Continue simmering for a few more minutes.
6. When ready to serve, fish out lemongrass/lemon. Add zest of lime.

Shrimp

In a small bowl, melt 1/2 Tbsp of butter. Add zest juice of lime/ and a pinch of cayenne pepper. Add to shrimp and toss to coat. Grill or pan cook shrimp.

Assembly

In a bowl, arrange Crispy tofu and tofu/shrimp. Top with hot soup.

Crispy Tofu for Vegetarian Thai Hot Pot Soup

Thai Hot Pot Soup with Crispy Tofu and Shrimp

Cleaning out the Fridge: Ginger Teriyaki Fried Rice

There is this restaurant in Ottawa called Shanghai that serves the BEST Chinese food I've had in a long time. One of my favorite dishes is their Ginger Teriyaki Fried Rice. How much do I love it? Well, I ordered it at our rehearsal dinner the night before our wedding, and we went there for some post honeymoon dindin the night after our wedding. Yeah, I may have a slight addiction when the staff recognize you. Sigh.

Anywho, I think I've managed to get a good copy of this dish. Even though Fried Rice sounds like an easy dish to make, I always made the mistake of cooking everything at once, which inevitably makes everything soft and mushy. By cooking each component one at time allows it to brown and cook properly. The best way to do this is to cook on high: this will give the right texture and crispyness to your veggies, won't make them soggy. This in my opinion is THE best nutriotional way of cooking veggies (as opposed to boiling or steaming.. yuck!)
This cooking technique makes it ideal for a split menu.

I call this a cleaning out the fridge dish because really, you don't need all these vegetables. Sometimes I'll raid my crisper and just add stuff that is on its last legs. I use my rice cooker to cook my rice. If you don't have one, that's okay, as long as it is day old rice. I have used freshly made and old rice and the older rice just seems to withstand the whole cooking process better.

Ginger Teriyaki Fried Rice

• 2 Tbsp of canola oil
• 1 cup of meat of your choice (cooked/leftover chicken/beef strips, shrimp if raw, that's okay)
• 1/2 Tbsp of Sesame Oil
• 1 thumb size piece of ginger finely minced
• 2 garlic cloves minced
• 3 large eggs
• 3 cups of cooked rice (brown or white)
• 3 cups of veggies (I use baby corn, water chestnuts, carrots, celery, broccoli, bokchoy and snow peas)
• 1 Tbsp of Soy Sauce
• 1/4 cup of Teriyaki Sauce
• 1 Tbsp of Chinese Chili sauce (the one with the Rooster)
• 1 green onion finely sliced
• 1/4 cup of freshly chopped coriander (optional)

1. Heat up your wok or skillet. If you are using uncooked meat, make sure they are cut small and equal sized to ensure even cooking. Season meat with sesame oil, salt and pepper and cook until almost done (It will continue cooking later on). If using cooked meat, skip this step.
2. Remove meat and wipe out wok.
3. Meanwhile, whisk your eggs in a small bowl with salt, pepper and some of the green onions.
4. Heat 1 Tbsp of canola oil. Add eggs and allow to set. You are basically making an omelet. Once set, break up into pieces using your spoon or spatula.
5. Remove eggs amd wipe out wok.
6. Heat remaining oil on high in wok. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute (be sure not to burn!)
7. Add your veggies and saute for 2-3 until they begin to soften. Move veggies aside and pour soy sauce, chili sauce and teriyaki sauce.
8. Add rice to center of bowl. Quickly mix in veggies and add in your cooked eggs. Continue cooking and stirring for 1 minute.
9. Add remaining green onions and coriander, cook another minute.
10. Take out half of fried rice and set aside (this is now your vegetarian meal). In wok add in your meat and mix.

Help me! A vegetarian is coming to my house and I don't know what to do!

Okay, before heading for hills and collecting a basket of grass for us, let me say a little something. For some reason, when I'm invited to a dinner party and I mention I'm a vegetarian, a look of polite horror crosses their face. I didn't say I was allergic to air/water and your cat. I only don't want to eat a big chunky piece of meat.

A lot of people put undo stress on themselves, wondering "What on earth can I serve this person". Here is a list of things you probably, no... DEFINITELY shouldn't do.

1. Make extra salad. "That should be good enough right?" WRONG!
2. Pick the meat out of the dish. "They won't notice right?" WRONG!
3. They can eat the side dishes. "I made mashed potatoes and peas". Nice sentiment, but hardly palate pleasing.
4. "Some hippy sold me a tofu slab. I can just put that right on the plate". Not really wrong, but no fun either.

I'll use this weekend as an example of what you CAN do.

My inlaws came to vist and they, like my DH love their meat. I made a Beef Roast with a rich gravy. There is a great article about this in my favorite magazine Fine Cooking http://www.taunton.com/finecooking/articles/braising-is-quick-choose-right-cut.aspx?ac=ts&ra=fp.

The side dishes I chose to make is where you can be creative and more importantly, feed your vegetarian guest.

Some of these dishes have already appeared in my blog: Tomato and Zucchini gratin, Butternut Squash Ravioli, Braised Sugar Snap Peas and a Rapini and Cannellini toss. All great side dishes with lots of flavour and colour. Here is why:

1. Gratins. These are elegant simple dishes that can be made ahead of time. They present well, heat well and are excellent way of packing lots and lots of veggies for those who don't like it. Also, they can be a wonderful light main for lunch or in this case, a vegetarian
2. The ravioli was just something I had in the freezer from my last batch. Throw them in hot water, a quick butter cream sauce and we are done
3. The peas were easy to make. I braised them in a skillet with a little water. Braise until all the water has evaporated and toss in some good olive oil and a 1 tsp of Oregano
4. Rapini is loaded with vitamins and will keep that vibrant green for a while (unlike Broccoli which can turn a pale sad green with overcooking). Toss in some beans for protein and you've got yourself a classic Italian dish.

And most importantly, everyone is happy :)

Prosciutto wrapped chicken with a tomato zucchini gratin

When I browse through my cooking magazines and books, I like to look for recipes that make an ideal vegetarian main, but can also be a tasty side dish for my meateater husband.
Gratins fit the bill quite nicely. They are usually an excellent way of serving many vegetables, easily portable for potlucks and just look dang pretty when they come out of the oven. All bubbly goodness...
Tonight's dinner is a wonderful example of where me and my husband both win :)

Tomato and Zucchini gratin

• 1 onion thinly sliced


• 1 Tbsp of thyme


• 1 zucchini thinly sliced


• 4 roma tomatoes


• 1/4 freshly grated parmesan cheese


• salt and pepper to taste


• 2 Tbsp of olive oil
  

1. Thinly slice tomatoes and place on a dish to allow any juices to drain.


2. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp of olive oil. Slowly cook the onions until they become soft and light brown, 20 minutes. You want them to be golden and not burnt. Doing this allows the onions to be come sweet and soft.


3. Meanwhile, in a bowl toss zucchini with 1/2 the thyme and season with salt and pepper and remaining oil.


4. In gratin dish (or ramekin if you want to serve individual gratins) place onions. Top with remaining thyme


5. Add a row of sliced tomatoes. Sprinkle some parmesan cheese and place a row of zucchini on top. Repeat until gratin is filled.


6. Top gratin with remaining cheese


7. Bake at 375 C for 60-70 min, until golden brown.

Spinach and Basil Pesto

• 1 cup of chopped baby spinach


• 1 cup of chopped basil leaves


• zest of 1 lemon


• juice of half a lemon


• 1 garlic clove minced


• 1/2 cup of olive oil


• 1/4 cup of toasted pine nuts


• 1/4 roasted pine nuts
  

1. In your food processor, add basil, spinach, lemon zest and juice, garlic and pine nuts.


2. Start blending and slowly add olive oil. Blend until smooth. Stopping and scrapping down sides if necessary.


3. Scoop out pesto into a bowl and add parmesan cheese. Stir until blended.

I used this pesto with some fun looking pasta which name escapes me at the moment :)

Prosciutto wrapped Chicken stuffed with goat cheese and rosemary

• 2 pieces of chicken (I used thighs)


• 2 Tbsp of goat cheese


• 1 Tbsp of freshly chopped rosemary


• 1 Tbsp of Dijon Mustard


• 1/2 Tbsp of olive oil


• 2 thin slices of prosciutto


• salt and pepper to taste

1. 1. Lay our your chicken thighs. It's easier to stuff the inside of the thigh and wrap around than vice versa. Place 1 Tbsp of goat cheese and half of the rosemary inside. Fold the chicken



2. 2. Rub the outside of the meat with Dijon mustard and sprinkle salt and pepper on both sides



3. 3. Wrap the prosciutto around your chicken bundle.




4. Place bundle seam down on your tray.



5. Pour oil over bundles. This will give it a nice crispy coating
   


6. Bake at 400 C for 20 minutes. To make sure chicken is done, gently prick to see if juices run clear

For extra points I added a little roasted red pepper sauce. Silly easy to do. Just get a jar of roasted red peppers. Take a couple of peppers and their oil and puree (this is where a handy Magic Bullet :) )

Breakfast Frittata: where everyone wins!

When I woke up Saturday morning, I turned to my husband and said "Let's have a frittata for breakfast". He grumbled and said it would be too much work. Which is High-larious since I'll be the one making it... let me worry about work.

Anywho, I ran downstairs while he started a load of laundry. By the time he was done, so was breaky. In the end, he had a tasty meal and I had clean clothes. Everyone wins!

Frittatas may sound complicated, but they are a great thing to serve when you have vegetarians and meat eaters together. I used a regular sized cast iron pan, but if you are really ambitious you could use 2 (one meat one veggie).
To satisfy my husband's meat urges, I placed a thin slice of prosciutto on his plate with this frittata. Serve with slices of baguette.

Potato and Spinach Frittata for 4

• 5 large eggs
• 3/4 cup diced potato
• 1/2 cup of chopped spinach
• 1 Tbsp Cajun Spice (paprika, chle, parsley, cumin salt and pepper)
• 1 Tbsp of olive oil
• 1 Tbsp of freshly chopped Rosemary
• 1 Tbsp of milk
• A few thin slices of cheddar cheese
• Prosciutto slices

1. Heat up cast iron pan on medium
2. In a bowl toss potatoes, olive oil and cajun seasoning
3. Add potatoes to cast iron. Cook until brown and crisp. Add rosemary
4. In same bowl, whisk eggs with milk. Whisking add bubbles which will make the frittata light and fluffy
5. Top with chopped spinach and cheese
6. Pop into a preheated oven at 400 C for 5 minutes or until frittata has settled and browned. (jiggle the pan.. should be slightly firm)
7. Cool cut and serve

Light and Quick: Grilled Rosemary Chicken Salad and Tortilla Pizza

Since my darling husband has announced that he wants to lose weight, I've been on the look out for tasty low fat meals. When I suggested salad for dinner he gaffawed and said "That won't be filling! Not so! :)
I decided to make a grilled chicken salad with mixed greens and yummy vinaigrette.
I also threw together a tasty tortilla pizza. Using tortilla shells instead of an actual dough cuts back on the heavy carbs, but still delivers that classic pizza taste. You can top it anyway you like it, but I kept tonight's version simple.

To make this a split menu, I used my toaster oven to bake my fake chic'ken patties from Schneiders.

Grillled Rosemary Chicken with a Fig Balsamic Vinaigrette.

For the chicken

• Chicken Thighs or Breasts (For him one thigh was a enough :) )


• 1 Tbsp of olive oil


• 1 Tbsp of freshly chopped Rosemary


• salt and pepper to taste

Vinaigrette

• 3 Tbsp of olive oil


• 1 tsp of honey


• 1 Tbsp of Fig preserve or marmalade


• 1 Tbsp of Dijon Mustard


• 2 Tbsp of Balsamic Vinaigrette


• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat Grill to high (I used my Jamie Oliver grill)


2. Rub olive oil and sprinkle salt, pepper and rosemary over meat


3. Place on grill. To get a nice seared crispy coating, resist the urge to move or flip your bird. Cook for 5 minutes


4. Flip and cook for another 4 minutes until done


5. Let meat rest and when cooled enough, slice into strips


6. For vinaigrette mix dijon, honey, fig preserve. Slowly whisk in olive oil


7. Light dress salad and chicken with vinaigrette

Tortilla Pizza

• 1 flat whole wheat tortilla


• olive oil to brush


• shredded cheese (be creative! You can use Edam, Fontina, Mozzarella, Parmesan, Provalone etc...)


• 1 Tbsp Spinach Basil Pesto (from last week)

1. Brush both sides of tortilla with oil


2. Spread Pesto to edges and then top with cheese


3. Bake in toaster oven or oven at 400 C for 5 minutes or until cheese has melted and browned

Not to toot my own horn, but when darling husband took a bite into the salad and chicken, his eyes lit up. Good? Mmmmm very good (he even sounded shocked as he said it)

Always adding something new to your basic lasagna

Everyone has their own lasagna recipe they use again and again. There are variations, but you typically stick to a tried and true formula. And while I do LOVE lasagna, I wanted something a bit heartier.
I'm absolutely in love with Giada de Laurentiis. She has some fantastic authentic Italian recipes and I decided to combine a couple of them.
First, I made a lovely homemade tomato sauce which after 2 hours of simmering, was TOTALLY worth it. I used this sauce for her Individual Vegetable Lasagna recipe http://www.foodnetwork.com/food/recipes/recipe/0,,FOOD_9936_22901,00.html .

Giada's Simple Tomato Sauce

• 1/2 cup extra-virgin olive oil


• 1 small onion,


• chopped 2 cloves garlic,


• chopped 1 stalk celery,


• chopped 1 carrot,


• chopped 2 (32-ounce) cans crushed tomatoes


• 4 to 6 basil leaves 2 dried bay leaves


• Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper

1. In a large casserole pot, heat oil over medium-high heat


2. Add onion and garlic and saute until soft and translucent, about 2 minutes. Add celery and carrot and season with salt and pepper. Saute until all the vegetables are soft, about 5 minutes.


3. Add tomatoes, basil, and bay leaves and reduce the heat to low


4. Cover the pot and simmer for 1 hour or until thick.


5. Remove bay leaves and taste for seasoning

The key to this sauce is to let it simmer slowly over a long time. IT does reduce and become absolutely rich with flavour.

For the lasagna I basically followed her recipe with some minor changes. I used a mixture of ricotta AND cottage cheese (increase protein content and creamyness).

I served the lasagna with a lovely tossed salad with a lemon orange zest vinaigrette.

Tools for the Split Kitchen

I've been living with my darling meat eater for almost 7 years now, and i've picked up a few tips and tricks to making the act of "dinner" easier.

Just because you have a meat eater and a vegetarian living together, doesn't mean you need separate pots and pans for everything. However, having multiple utensils is handy.

Here is a list of cooking tools are that handy to double up on.

Pots and Pans

• Medium sized sauce pan
• Large Dutch oven
• skillet or frying pan

Utensils

• Wooden spoons
• Ladles
• Spatula
• Tongs
• Pastry Brush

Miscellaneous

• Ramekins
• BBQ tools! (flipper, tongs, brush)

By having a couple of spares of these, you can make cooking a split meal easier and faster.

Roasted Chicken: Part 2.. oh.. we're not even close to being done yet!

Nothing is more comforting on freakishly cold winter nights than a bubbling hot pie. Which really used to bum me out since everyone always insisted on sticking large pieces of meat in it.. Sigh.



This recipe is adapted from http://www.wish.ca/20minute/




Although the recipe has you making your own creamy filling, i've become even lazier and used a can of low fat broccoli soup!

This is uber fast to make, toss the incredients together and bake... perfect for a work night! Especially great is if you can get your meat lover partner to touch all them chicken bits for you ---->



Chicken (and not so Chi'ken) Pot Pies

• 1 garlic clove minced


• 1 tbsp of canola oil


• 4 cups of frozen veggies ( I used the Beta pack from PC)


• 1 can of low fat Broccoli Soup


• 1 cup of shredded/diced chicken (use that roasted chicken!)


• 1 Chi'ken Breast diced (optional)


• 1 cup of milk (for filling)


• 1-1/3 cup Biscuit mix


• 1/2 cup Parmesan


• 2/3 cup of milk (for topping)


• 1 egg mixed with 1 tbsp of milk


• 1/2 tbsp of thyme

1. In a skillet heat up oil and garlic and cook for 1 minute


2. Add frozen veggies and cook for 4 minutes until softened


3. Stir in soup, milk and simmer for 5 minutes


4. Meanwhile, prepare topping mixture. In a large bowl combine (Biscuit, milk, cheese and thyme)


5. In your prepared ramekins, add your chicken or chi'ken. Add your veggie/cream mixture.


6. Top with biscuit mix. Brush with egg/milk mixture


7. Bake in 400 F oven for 15 mins until brown
   
   

Side by side lovely pot pies. Right inside the yummynesssss

Wild Mushroom Tart... mmm lattice work

If you really like mushrooms, then this meal is for you. The initial quantity of mushrooms will make you think i'm a freak, but trust me.. after they have cooked, they will shrink to less than half their size! This dish is really easy to make and looks quite elegant (so your guests will think you are clever and such a chef!)

MMM makes me think of danish pastries!

Wild Mushroom Tart with Parmesan Broccoli Orzo

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 shallot chopped
• 1 clove garlic minced
• 8 cups of sliced mushrooms (Cremini, Portobello, Shitaki, Oyster etc...)
• 1/4 cup of Sherry
• 2 cups finely packed of baby spinach
• 1 tsp thyme
• 1/3 cup sour cream
• 1/4 grated Parmesan Cheese
• 1 roll of thawed Puff Pastry
• melted butter
• sliced almonds

1. In a large skillet on medium heat, add olive oil, garlic, thyme and shallots. Cook for one minute


2. Add mushrooms and continue cooking until they have shruken in size and have lost their moisture


3. Add sherry, and continue to cook until liquid is fully absorbed


4. Add spinach and cook until slightly wilted


5. Turn off heat and add sour cream. Stir until blended.


6. Roll out pastry sheet. Place mixture in middle. Using kitchen shears, cut diagonal strips towards the mixture


7. Like a weaving basket, criss cross your pastry strips over the mixture


8. Brush with melted butter. Add slivered almonds on top


9. Bake at 350 F for 30 minutes until brown

Parmesan and Broccoli Orzo

Orzo is one of those elegant little dishes that have popped up recently. Although it IS a pasta and cooks likes a pasta, it has the shape and size similar to rice and the ability to absorb an incredible amount of flavour.

In a large saucepan, I boiled the orzo (about 1 cup) for 10 minutes. In the last two minutes I added my little florets of broccoli.

Drain and return to the pot. Stir in some freshly grated parmesan, a little bit of cream (I had 35% Whipping cream on hand, but any % will do) and salt to taste.

Roasted Chicken: A Vegetarian's Best Friend

As a vegetarian, the one thing that creeps me out is touching raw meat. I hear even some meat eaters get the hibbie jibbies...

So, to make sure my hubbie gets his meat fix, a nice fully roasted chicken will do the job.

The price is reasonable, and comparing it to buying chicken parts... well, roasted chicken sounds just fantastic! My next step is to find a place that will sell a roasted free range chicken...luckily there are lots of farmers around here who are jumping on the whole organic free range/sell small trend.

So with chicken in hand, I thought I would reuse that yummy enchilada sauce I had made a couple of weeks ago.

Here is one tip that any split family household should have.

One of the easiest things you can do to make your life easier is to have a duel set of cooking equipment. I don't necessarily mean you must have 2 of every kitchen appliance out there! But have

2 frying pans

2 sauce pans

2 cookies sheets

is not only a great idea for any split family to have.. but great for any budding chef!

In each frying pan, I sauted some sliced mushrooms/garlic and corn. Hubby carefully shreaded some of his chicken (while of course nibbling on some for himself) and added it to his sauce.

For my "meat" I used Schneiders Meatless Meatballs. I really like their texture/consistency and they can hold up in any time of stew or bake. These guys are great for simmering sauces since they will soak up any flavours you toss at them!

In the meantime, I used my trusty rice cooker to make up some lovely long grain rice. Sauted some green beans in brown butter sauce and voila!

No such thing as too much garlic... or is there?

Let me just start by saying I love garlic! I don't understand what people mean when they complain of "garlic breath", for I have no idea what that smells like :)

Tonight's dinner was going to be quick and easy, low key and comforting. I made my easy Red lentil soup with carrots and red peppers. This is a great recipe to do on a busy night since red lentils cook up quickly

• 1 medium onion chopped
• 1 clove garlic mined
• 1 pinky sized ginger minced
• 1 1/2 cup of red lentils
• 3 carrots, peeled and diced
• 1/2 red pepper diced
• 2 pieces of roasted red pepper diced
• 1 cup crushed tomato
• 4 cups of veggie stock
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

1. In large dutch oven, saute onions, garlic, ginger until softened (5 minutes)
2. Add carrots, peppers, cook for 3 more minutes
3. Add lentils, cook for 1 minute
4. Add stock and bay leaf. Simmer on low for 10-15 minutes until lentils are soft.
5. Using immersion blender, puree until desired smoothness (don't forget to take out the bay leaf!)
6. Add crushed tomatoes, simmer for 2-3 minutes
7. Add salt/pepper to taste.

I top this soup with a little sour cream blended with minced green onions and chili powder. It adds a nice creamy zing to the mix and looks pretty :)

Now, nothing goes better with soup than a tasty sandwich. Using some yummy whole wheat Miche bread from Loblaws, or any whole wheat bread/foccacia will do.

Slice bread and brush a little olive oil on each side. On one slide, add some creamy goat cheese (again with Loblaws/PC, they have a yummy goat cheese spread!), some thinly sliced roasted red peppers and baby spinach. I grilled mine using a panini press/grill from Jamie Oliver's TFal line. Grill each side for 3-5 minutes on low-med heat.

As you can see from above, for added zing, while on the grill, you can rub a garlic clove over the bread. The heat and texture will melt the garlic. First time I did it was a sucess, the second sandwich... woooooweee.. i think I may have overdone it :(
Lesson: be gentle with the garlic rubbing :)

Butternut Squash Ravioli and Tortellini (DECADENCE!)

This isn't a split recipe, but it is a damn tasty one. I also don't have any "real" measurements, as I was eyeballing the whole thing. I'll try to give estimations when I can.

From start to finish, this recipe is a challenge. However, by spreading out some of the steps, it isn't so bad. For the filling, I had some butternut squash that I had roasted a couple of days earlier. On a baking sheet, I had placed the pieces of squash and rubbed them with some olive oil and seasoned with salt and pepper. Roasted them for about 80 minutes at 400 deg.

Along for the ride were two foiled wrapped garlic heads. Roasted garlic can keep for days and is handy to have for so many recipes.

The other added bonus for this recipe was that I could finally crack open my newest kitchen toy: KitchenAid Food Processor, given to me by my darling husband for Christmas (Schanks sweetie!)

So, into the bowl went my Butternut Squash (I probably had about a 1 1/2 cups), 1/2 cup of ricotta cheese, 2 roasted garlic cloves, a pinch of sage and cinnamon and salt and pepper to taste. A couple of tbsp of olive oil was also added. Mix until smooth.

At this point, I snuck a taste (Yes the blade had stopped running!) and OH MY LORD... sweet yummy DECADENCE!!)

The key to making these guys is

1. Patience


2. Mise en Place

The first because these can be kinda tricky to make. The second part is French for "Have everything in place". I generally do this in all my cooking, but here it is crucial. Treat it like a little pasta making factory assembly line!

I used one package of won ton wrappers for the dough. Take them out and keep them wrapped in a damp paper towel (they'll fold easier this way). You will need to have"

1. Butternut Squash Filling


2. Won Ton wrappers wrapped in damp paper towel


3. Bowl of Water


4. Pastry brush


5. Melon Baller (not necessary, but when else am I going to use this guy?)


6. A couple of cookie sheets pre dusted with flour


7. Extra flour for your work surface.

I decided to try and make Ravioli and it's pretty straight foward. Lay your noodle down, plop a melon ball size of filling (say 1/2 tbsp). Wet the edges with water, place another noodle on top. Make sure to squeeze out any excess air. You can crimp the edges with a fork. Once done, place them on your cookie sheet, then pop in them into the freezer. Once frozen, they can be placed into a ziplock baggie.

Now for some tortellini...

I suppose that once you start making one type of stuffed pasta, the others are just as easy to do. So, for funsies, I played around and attempted to make tortellini.



The first step is to place a 1/2 tbsp of filling in the center of your square dough. Wet the edges and fold into a triangle (left).
Next, brush a little more water on the tips and bring them together (almost like folding a diaper!). Pinch to secure. At this point, you should have something that resembles the pope's hat (middle).
Lastly, bring the last point in and pinch, again adding more water if need be.

The finished product!

Butternut squash tortellini with a brown butter cream sauce with sage and hazelnuts

• 24 tortellini
• 2 tbsp of butter
• 1 tbsp of 35% cream
• 1 tsp sage
• 2 tbsp of crushed hazelnuts
• salt and pepper to taste

Set a large pot of water to boil, season with salt. While this is heating up, start with your sauce. The tortellini don't take that much time to cook (3 minutes MAX!) so you want your sauce to be ready beforehand.

Melt the butter in a small saucepan. The first time I did this, it started as a beautiful cream colour to burnt black. As my husband looked over my shoulder he reminded me how easily butter burns... fine fine.

The second time, I took my time and gently melted the butter and heated until it turned a lovely caramel colour. Once it reaches that point, take it off the heat and add your sage, cream, salt and pepper.

Once your water is boiling, add your tortelini. After a minute or two, they will start to rise from the bottom. Once they start floating at the top (2 minutes) they are done. Fish them out with a slotted spoon and toss them in your sauce.

Add your hazelnuts and grated parmesan cheese.

Now to describe this flavour. ... almost like little pillows of sweet savoury heavenly goodness. The filling melts on your tongue and does a lovely dance with the creamy butter and nutty hazelnuts. DELISH!

Spicy Enchiladas or (How to kill my husband)

One of the major differences between hubbie and I is are tolerance for spicy heat. I can handle way more than he can, so I have to constantly remind my hand to back away from the chilies.

The enchilada sauce came from http://www.cuisineathome.com/. The recipe calls for 8 dried chilies, and since I only had smoked chipotle peppers, I thought I could get away with it. Alas, 8 of one, is a heck of a lot spicier than 8 of another. I even had tears running down my eyes, pity my poor husband if he even stepped in the same room.

Anywho, one way to cut the sauce, is to mix it with crushed tomatoes, til you get the spicyness to your liking. This way, you could make a hot and mild version, and the leftovers freeze well.

The split

The easy "split" part of this recipe is the filling. I started by making a bean based filled. To add creamyness I threw in some cottage cheese, which really added a lot of low fat richness. Once this filling was done, I had my "veggie" version. For hubbie's meat version, he blended his mix with some previously browned ground beef from yesterday's dinner. You could also use precooked rotisserie chicken, which hubbie thinks he may try at a later date. Tada!

Enchilada Sauce

• 1/4 cup of vegetable oil
• 2 cups of chopped onions
• 6 smashed garlic cloves
• 1 28oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2-8 dried smoked chipotle peppers, shredded and deseeded (start with 2 if you like it mild)
• 2 cups of veggie stock
• 1 tsp sugar
• salt to taste

1. Heat up oil is a sauce pan and then add onions, garlic and peppers. Cook until onions are soft, around 4 minutes
2. Add tomatoes and cook for 2 minutes more
3. Add stock, sugar and salt. Bring to boil, then reduce heat and simmer for 15 mins.
4. Allow sauce to cool, then using an immersion blender, puree until smooth.

Enchilada Filling

• 1 tbsp of vegetable oil
• 1 can of beans, drained and rinsed(pinto, black, kidney, mexican...whatever you have in the pantry)
• 1 clove of garlic minced
• 1/2 tbsp of cumin and oregano
• 2 cups of chopped baby spinach
• 1 cup of corn niblets (frozen or canned)
• 1 cup of no fat cottage cheese
• salt and pepper to taste

1. Heat up oil in a large skillet. Add garlic and cook for 1 minute. Add beans, cumin and oregano. Cook for 5 minutes
2. Add corn and spinach and cook until spinach has wilted
3. Mash mixture using a potato masher
4. Add cottage cheese, mix until blended

Festive coloured filling, ole!

Assembly

• Enchilada sauce
• Enchilada filling
• Cheese for topping. We had some nice 2 year old Balderson cheddar that gave it a nice bite, though you can use regular cheddar or monteray jack.
• 8-12 tortillas
  
  

The assembly of these little guys was pretty easy. We used the small tortillas, although we did have some larger whole wheat ones, that I just cut in half. Place about 2 tbsp of your mixture inside your little tortilla and roll them up.

Place your little rolled up babies seam down inside your ceramic dish, already precoated with enchilada sauce. Once all your little guys are rolled up, top them up with more sauce. Add some cheese and bake them in an oven at 400 deg for 15-20 minutes, until they are nice and golden brown.

Dirty Texmex Rice

While your enchiladas are baking away, making this rice is a breeze, ESPCIALLY if you have a rice cooker. With all this hype about slow cookers, i'm surprised people don't love this guy as much. I've had this one since first year university.. soo... say 11 years? (ouch, that dates me) I still use it constantly and it never fails me.

This recipe is so easy, I can't even bother writting it up recipe style. All I did was throw in a cup of texmex basmati rice, 1 tsp of tumeric, 1 bay leaf and one roasted garlic clove. Turn it on and 10 minutes later, you have some tasty lovely fluffy rice!

Serve your enchiladas with some dirty tex mex rice, and a little ramekin filled with guacamole and sour cream.