Tuesday, October 6, 2009

Menu for the Week of Monday, October 5th

Okay. I'm still getting organized here. Thanks for checking back in.

Monday-already passed
Tuesday-that's today, already passed
Wednesday-Tomato Lentil Pasta
Thursday-Chicken Pot Pie with Pie Crust
Friday-Frittata Dinner, served with Salad Greens and Tatsu's Baguette

Cheers! Have a great week!

Saturday, September 26, 2009

Menu for the Week of Monday, September 28

And after a long, long summer break . . . Long Branch Supper Club is back!

Welcome to the back to the blog and thank you for visiting. I've made some changes and some improvements to the format and I am hoping that this site will be used more frequently by all of you to find out about the weekly menus and all the recipes for you to try in your own homes.

Without further delay, here's the menu for this week.

Monday-Macaroni & Cheese
Tuesday-Spaghetti Dinner (meat and vegetarian) served with Tatsu's Baguette
Wedesday-Curried Chickpeas served with Basmati Rice
Thursday-Frittata served with Greens and Tatsu's Baguette
Friday-Baked Chicken Breast with Spinach, Rapini, and Goat's Cheese

Happy Ordering!

Jean Stephens

Thursday, April 30, 2009

Rosemary and Orange-Glazed Chicken

What can I say, it's a family favourite! This recipe is from www.williams-sonoma.com. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 quarter chicken legs
3 sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lb. total, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well and finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
To make the marinade, in a small bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, garlic, vinegar, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until blended. Place the chicken in a large sealable plastic bag or large bowl and pour in the marinade, coating the chicken evenly. Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Preheat an oven to 425°F. Place the chicken and the marinade in a large, heavy roasting pan. Arrange the sweet potatoes and leeks around the chicken, making sure to coat the vegetables with the marinade. Roast until the chicken shows no sign of pink when the thickest parts are cut into near the bone, the skin is brown and crisp, and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir the chicken and potatoes once or twice while cooking. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Place the pan with the sweet potatoes over medium-high heat, and add the orange zest and juice and chopped rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the potatoes are very soft and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Arrange the sweet potatoes around the chicken and pour the sauce over the meat. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve immediately. Serves 8. Diane Rossen Worthington, Author, Seriously Simple (Chronicle Books, 2002).

Wednesday, April 29, 2009

Pasta with Arugula and Walnuts

This recipe can be found on www.marthastewart.com. It was originally published in Everyday Food, April 2008. I love that it's simple and really healthful!

Prep: 10 minutes
Total: 25 minutes

Ingredients
Serves 4
12 ounces farfalle (bow-tie pasta)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
4 garlic cloves, thinly sliced
4 tablespoons butter (or olive oil for a vegan option)
1 pound baby arugula (or a mixture of arugula and baby spinach)
1 can (15 ounces) cannellini beans, rinsed and drained
1/3 cup walnut pieces, toasted

Directions
Cook pasta in a large pot of boiling salted water until al dente. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta, and set aside.
Place pasta pot over medium heat. Add garlic and 1 tablespoon butter; cook, stirring, until garlic is fragrant, about 2 minutes.
Add arugula to pot; toss just until wilted. Add beans, pasta, and remaining 3 tablespoons butter; season with salt and pepper. Toss, adding enough reserved water to mixture to coat pasta. Alternatively, you can add milk or almond or rice milk for a creamier texture. Garnish with toasted walnuts.

Shepherd's Pie

This recipe comes from my friend Martha. It was published in Everyday Food, November 2007. I found this recipe on her website. Enjoy!

Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 35 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups mashed potatoes

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large (5-quart) heavy pot or Dutch oven over high. Cook beef, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add thyme, ketchup, and flour; stir until combined. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are warmed through and liquid has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon beef mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Spread potatoes evenly over beef; using a fork, decorate potatoes with lines and peaks. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until potatoes are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Monday, April 27, 2009

Roasted Tofu and Broccoli, served with Jasmine Scented Rice

This is one of Joe's favourite dinners and I love making it 'cause I know that dinner time will go really smoothly. There's no coaxing, bribing, yelling, etc. for him to finish his dinner. And it's soooo healthy for him!!

This recipe comes from www.pc.ca and I found it in an edition of the Insider's Report

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 tsp olive Oil
1 tsp sesame Oil
1 pkg (454 g) tofu, firm or medium, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup frozen corn
Sauce: soy sauce, orange juice, sesame oil, rice vinegar, grated ginger. Or, PC Memories of . . . sauce.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss tofu and broccoli with oilve and sesame oils. Place into a 13 x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish, and distribute so everything is mostly in a single layer.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Sprinkle corn over top; bake 1 minute longer or until corn is heated through. Drizzle with sauce and serve with rice. If desired, garnish with sesame seeds.

Tuesday, April 7, 2009

Curried Chickpeas served with Basmati Rice

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
3 carrots, cut up into bite size pieces
2 medium yams, cut up into 1/2" cubes
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups chickpeas, cooked
1/2 cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, ginger, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir in potatoes, carrots, and yams. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through. Add peas 5 minutes before serving to warm. Serve over Basmati rice and enjoy!

Wednesday, April 1, 2009

Frittata served with Salad and Tatsu's Baguette

Hello Friends and Neighbours and Guests!

I am also preparing a vegetarian option for tonight! In the past, I have made this Frittata in a cast iron skillet, cooking the egg mixture on the stove and then popping it into the oven to bake until complete. With the number of people who enjoy this dinner, I found a recipe on http://www.marthastewart.com/ that prepared this dish in a pie plate and baked in the oven from start to complete. Either way, this is a great dinner!

Tatsu's is a wonderful local bakery and you can find out more about them at http://www.tatsusbread.com/. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk (cow's, goat's, almond, rice . . . whatever suits your family)
olives, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, spanish red onions
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce (optional)
1 cup shredded white cheddar or any cheese that suits your family (optional), tonight I will be using Goat's Milk Cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, toss olives, red peppers, artichokes, onions, oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, hot-pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. If using a hard cheese, stir in the cheese now. If using a soft cheese, crumble the cheese after the egg mixture is poured into the pie plate.
Pour egg mixture over vegetables and ensure even distribution of egg and veg. Bake until puffed and set in the middle, and a paring knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Meaty Spaghetti Dinner served with Tatsu's Baguette

Hello Friends, Neighbours, and Guests!

This spaghetti sauce was made for me by my dear cousin when Cole was a newborn. She and her husband and their little guy came for a visit and after all the fun we had together, all there was left to do was to eat and eat and eat all the spaghetti sauce she had made. What a wonderful treat, not to have to cook, what with a 4 year old and a newborn and no sleep, etc. Thanks Katharine for your recipe, for all my friends to enjoy!

Tonight's dinner will be served with spaghetti noodles and Tatsu's Baguette, www.tatsusbread.com. Bon Appetit!

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 large onion, diced
½ lb lean ground beef
227 g white mushrooms, sliced or chopped
1 tsp each dried oregano, dried thyme
½ tsp each salt, pepper, ground nutmeg
1 can diced tomatoes
1 can pasta sauce

Directions
In a large dutch oven, brown the beef over medium heat. Remove excess fat. Add olive oil and onions and saute until onions are soft. Add mushrooms along with the oregano, thyme, salt & pepper, and nutmeg. Cook until fragrant, about 3 minutes. Add tomatoes and pasta sauce. Bring the pot to an almost boil, stirring frequently. Turn the heat down to low and simmer for 1 hour.
Cook pasta to desired texture, toss with suace and serve with Tatsu's Baguette, mmmmmm!

Wednesday, March 25, 2009

Rosemary and Orange-Glazed Chicken

Tonight's dinner comes from williams-sonoma.com and it's a keeper. I used yukon gold potatoes and carrots as well as sweet potatoes. I forgot to chop up some onions but I'll include those in my next serving. I didn't have oranges so I just used orange juice although the zest would have been amazing! I served tonight's dinner with short grain and brown sweet rice. I'm calling it a hit! I hope you enjoyed it too!!

Ingredients:
For the marinade:
Zest and juice of 2 oranges
4 garlic cloves, minced
2 Tbs. Champagne vinegar
2 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary
2 Tbs. olive oil
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste
8 quarter chicken legs
3 sweet potatoes, about 1 1/2 lb. total, peeled and cut into 1 1/2-inch chunks
2 leeks, white and light green portions, rinsed well and finely chopped
Zest and juice of 1 orange
1 Tbs. finely chopped fresh rosemary, plus sprigs for garnish
Salt and freshly ground pepper, to taste

Directions:
To make the marinade, in a small bowl, combine the orange zest and juice, garlic, vinegar, rosemary, olive oil, salt and pepper and stir until blended. Place the chicken in a large sealable plastic bag or large bowl and pour in the marinade, coating the chicken evenly. Seal the bag or cover the bowl with plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes or up to 4 hours. Preheat an oven to 425°F. Place the chicken and the marinade in a large, heavy roasting pan. Arrange the sweet potatoes and leeks around the chicken, making sure to coat the vegetables with the marinade. Roast until the chicken shows no sign of pink when the thickest parts are cut into near the bone, the skin is brown and crisp, and the sweet potatoes are tender, about 1 hour and 10 minutes. Stir the chicken and potatoes once or twice while cooking. Using tongs, transfer the chicken to a warmed platter and cover loosely with aluminum foil. Place the pan with the sweet potatoes over medium-high heat, and add the orange zest and juice and chopped rosemary. Cook, stirring, until the potatoes are very soft and the sauce is slightly thickened, about 2 minutes. Taste and adjust the seasonings with salt and pepper. Arrange the sweet potatoes around the chicken and pour the sauce over the meat. Garnish with rosemary sprigs and serve immediately. Serves 8. Diane Rossen Worthington, Author, Seriously Simple (Chronicle Books, 2002).

Tuesday, March 24, 2009

Linguine with Spring Vegetables

This recipe comes from Martha Stewart's website. Since it's Spring, I'm looking for dinner options that are lighter. I can't wait for all of us to see how this turns out. Happy Eating!

Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3/4 pound linguine
1/2 1b asparagus (tough ends removed), cut into 1-inch lengths
1 medium zucchini, halved lengthwise (quartered if large) and thinly sliced
4 ounces sugar snap peas (stem ends trimmed), halved
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 cup heavy cream (or non-dairy alternative or optional)
1 tablespoon butter, cut into pieces (or olive oil)
2 tablespoons fresh tarragon leaves

Directions
In a large pot of boiling salted water, cook pasta 4 minutes short of al dente; add asparagus, zucchini, and snap peas. Cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 3 minutes. Reserve 1/2 cup pasta water; drain pasta mixture, and set aside.
In the same pot, bring cream and butter to a simmer. Toss in pasta mixture and enough pasta water to create a thin sauce (it will thicken as it stands). Season with salt and pepper, and top with tarragon.

Monday, March 23, 2009

Tomato Lentil Pasta

Tonight's dinner is a vegan recipe from Canadian Living, Special Issue Winter 2009. It's a super easy dinner to prepare and it is very, very tasty! Have a great Monday and have a great dinner!!

Makes 4 cups
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 45 minutes

Ingredients
2 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 onion, diced
1 carrot, diced
1 rib celery, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 bay leaves
¾ tsp salt
¼ tsp pepper
¼ tsp dried thyme
¾ cup dried green lentils
1 can diced tomatoes
¼ cup dry red wine or water
2 tbsp chopped celery leaves and/or fresh parsley

Directions
In large shallow Dutch oven, heat oil over medium heat; cook onion, carrot, celery, garlic, bay leaves, salt, pepper and thyme, stirring occasionally, until vegetables are softened, about 8 minutes.
Stir in lentils, tomatoes, wine and 1 ½ cups (375 mL) water; bring to boil. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, until thickened and lentils are tender, about 35 minutes. Discard bay leaves. Stir in celery and/or parsley leaves.
Cook desired pasta, something hearty like Rotini or Rigatoni. For the kids, try Elbow or Small Shell Pasta

Tip: Meat eaters may want to sauté 1 pz (30g) pancetta, diced, with the vegetables for extra flavour.

Friday, March 13, 2009

Soy-Braised Tofu served with Jasimine Scented Rice

This has become a family favourite! It's a hearty vegetarian and vegan meal and our whole family enjoys it. It's a quick and easy dish to prepare. If you want something on the side, chinese greens of any sort, sauteed in olive oil and garlic slices would be a great compliment!

Happy Eating!

Thursday, March 12, 2009

1/4 Chicken Dinner

Hello Folks!

Tonight is 1/4 chicken dinner night, kind of like the one you get from Swiss Chalet, but minus Marcus the magician on the first Friday of every month.

I'm serving this dish with roasted vegetables and these really cute little croisants.

Bon Appetit!

Wednesday, March 11, 2009

Curried Chickpeas served with Basmati Rice

Dear Diary,

Tonight we're having curried chickpeas served with Basmati rice. This dish is a favourite of everyone's as I have a ton of orders for it. The secret is the Garam Masala. This is a "must-have-in-every-pantry" kind of spice. Let me know if you want some as I have lots and lots of it (although I might need it for my own pantry) so I take that back, but I think I can handle giving out samples for taste.

Also, last night I had the Shepherd's Pie. I made this dish a couple of weeks ago and froze it. This is a test for me and I wanted to see how my dinners would fare as frozen entres. Well, let me tell you that it was as goo as the day I made it. It was fabulous! I will have to keep this in mind when I'm making bigger batches. I also have a frozen mac and cheese. I'll keep you posted on how that turns out thawed, baked and eaten!

Enjoy the dinner!

Friday, March 6, 2009

Turkey Pot Pie with Cornbread Crust

Thanks neighbour Lori for putting me onto this recipe. It has become a family classic! The original recipe comes from Oprah's website and is originally made with chicken.
Enjoy!

Ingredients
Filling:
1 Tbsp. olive oil
1 Tbsp. unsalted butter
1 medium Onion , chopped
1/4 cup flour
2 cups chicken stock
2 cups chopped Roasted Chicken
1/2 cup frozen sweet petite peas
1 potato , diced and boiled
1 1/2 cup chopped, cooked carrots
1/2 tsp. salt
Cracked pepper
Dash of hot sauce
Crust:
3/4 cup white or yellow cornmeal
3/4 cup flour
1 Tbsp. baking powder
1 1/2 Tbsp. sugar
1/2 tsp. salt
3/4 cup milk
1 large egg
2 Tbsp. olive oil

Directions
To make filling: Preheat the oven to 400°. Spray a 2-quart casserole with cooking spray. In a large sauce pan, heat olive oil and unsalted butter together. Add onion and sauté until tender, about 4 or 5 minutes. Add in flour until blended. Slowly stir in 2 cups of heated chicken stock, whisking well. Cook mixture over medium heat until thickened and bubbly, about 4 minutes. Stir in chicken, peas, potato, carrots, salt, pepper and hot sauce. Pour into a 2-quart ovenproof casserole dish coated with cooking spray and spread mixture evenly.
To make crust: In a bowl, stir cornmeal, flour, baking powder, sugar and salt. Stir milk, egg and canola oil until well combined. Stir wet ingredients into dry ingredients. Spoon the batter evenly on the filling. Bake until the top is golden brown, about 22 to 25 minutes.

Thursday, March 5, 2009

Happy Birthday Dinner-Mac and Cheese!

Here's a special Happy Birthday to one of my customers! Happy Birthday to you!

Tonight, we're having Macaroni and Cheese. I have made this dinner countless number of times and it's always a hit! This recipe comes from my friend Martha. My secret is to use different cheeses. Tonight, I'm using White Old Cheddar, Medium Cheddar, and Colby cheeses.
Bon Appetit!

Ingredients
Serves 12
8 tablespoons (1 stick) unsalted butter, plus more for dish
6 slices good white bread, crusts removed, torn into 1/4- to 1/2-inch pieces
5 1/2 cups milk
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly grated nutmeg
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper, or to taste
4 1/2 cups grated sharp white cheddar cheese (about 18 ounces)
2 cups grated Gruyere cheese (about 8 ounces) or 1 1/4 cups grated Pecorino Romano cheese (about 5 ounces)
1 pound elbow macaroni

Directions
Heat oven to 375 degrees. Butter a 3-quart casserole dish; set aside. Place bread in a medium bowl. In a small saucepan over medium heat, melt 2 tablespoons butter. Pour butter into bowl with bread, and toss. Set breadcrumbs aside.
In a medium saucepan set over medium heat, heat milk. Melt remaining 6 tablespoons butter in a high-sided skillet over medium heat. When butter bubbles, add flour. Cook, whisking, 1 minute.
While whisking, slowly pour in hot milk. Continue cooking, whisking constantly, until the mixture bubbles and becomes thick.
Remove pan from heat. Stir in salt, nutmeg, black pepper, cayenne pepper, 3 cups cheddar cheese, and 1 1/2 cups Gruyere or 1 cup Pecorino Romano; set cheese sauce aside.
Fill a large saucepan with water; bring to a boil. Add macaroni; cook 2 to 3 minutes less than manufacturer's directions, until the outside of pasta is cooked and the inside is underdone. (Different brands of macaroni cook at different rates; be sure to read the instructions.) Transfer macaroni to a colander, rinse under cold running water, and drain well. Stir macaroni into the reserved cheese sauce
Pour mixture into prepared dish. Sprinkle remaining 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 1/2 cup Gruyere or 1/4 cup Pecorino Romano, and breadcrumbs over top. Bake until browned on top, about 30 minutes. Transfer dish to a wire rack to cool 5 minutes; serve hot.

Wednesday, March 4, 2009

Frittata served with Salad and Tatsu's Baguette

If you're making this dinner at home, use whatever is in your fridge like broccoli and cheddar, mushrooms, spinach. You can also include ingredients in your pantry like sun-dried tomatoes, sunflower seeds, olives. Let your imagination run wild and have fun with it . . . after all, it's dinner time!

Ingredients
Serves 4
1 tablespoon olive oil
Coarse salt and ground pepper
6 large eggs
1/2 cup milk (cow's, goat's, almond, rice . . . whatever suits your family)
olives, roasted red peppers, marinated artichokes, spanish red onions
1 tablespoon Dijon mustard
1/4 teaspoon hot-pepper sauce (optional)
1 cup shredded white cheddar or any cheese taht suits your family (optional)

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees. In a 9-inch deep-dish pie plate, toss olives, red peppers, artichokes, onions, oil; season with salt and pepper. Set aside.
Meanwhile, in a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, milk, mustard, hot-pepper sauce, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/8 teaspoon pepper. Stir in cheese.
Pour egg mixture over vegetables and stir to distribute them. Bake until puffed and set in the middle, and a paring knife inserted into the center comes out clean, 45 to 50 minutes.

Tuesday, March 3, 2009

Roasted Tofu and Broccoli, served with Jasmine Scented Rice

This is one of Joe's favourite dinners and I love making it 'cause I know that dinner time will go really smoothly. There's no coaxing, bribing, yelling, etc. for him to finish his dinner. And it's soooo healthy for him!!

This recipe comes from www.pc.ca and I found it in an edition of the Insider's Report

Serves 4
Ingredients
4 tsp olive Oil
1 tsp sesame Oil
1 pkg (454 g) tofu, firm or medium, cut into 1-inch cubes
1 head of broccoli, cut into bite size pieces
1 cup frozen corn
Sauce: soy sauce, orange juice, sesame oil, rice vinegar, grated ginger. Or, PC Memories of . . . sauce.

Directions
Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.
Toss tofu and broccoli with oilve and sesame oils. Place into a 13 x 9-inch (3 L) baking dish, and distribute so everything is mostly in a single layer.
Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until broccoli is tender. Sprinkle corn over top; bake 1 minute longer or until corn is heated through. Drizzle with sauce and serve with rice. If desired, garnish with sesame seeds.

Thursday, February 26, 2009

Vegetarian Lasagna

I'm back! I've spent the last few days on an intensive project and if you've been looking for recipes, I'm sorry that I didn't update my blog.

Today, we're having Vegetarian Lasagna. This is a new recipe for me so I will update this blog entry later tonight with all the ingredients and directions.

Thursday, February 19, 2009

Curried Chickpeas served with Basmati Rice

I have been making this dish since I was in university. Funny, I was on allrecipes.com and found a hauntingly similar recipe to mine and have taken the best of both and voila, here it is.

I cook the rice with cardamom pods just for added flavour . . . very aromatic.

Please keep in mind that I make adjustments to each family's orders according to their dietary needs. Enjoy!

INGREDIENTS
Serves 4
2 medium potatoes, cubed
2 carrots
1 medium yam
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, diced
1 garlic clove, minced
2 teaspoons curry powder
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 teaspoon ground ginger
1 teaspoon cumin
1 teaspoon salt
1 can diced tomatoes
2 cups chickpeas, cooked
1/2 cup frozen peas

DIRECTIONS
Heat oil in a skillet over medium heat. Stir in onion and garlic, and cook until the onions are soft and translucent. Stir in curry powder, garam masala, ginger, cumin, and salt. Cook for 1 or 2 minutes, stirring. Pour in tomatoes and chickpeas. Stir in potatoes, carrots, and yams. Cover and simmer for 35 minutes until the vegetables are cooked through. Add peas 5 minutes before serving to warm. Serve over Basmati rice and enjoy!

Frittata served with Salad and Tatsu's Baguette

I've mixed up the dinner plans. Frittata was supposed to be served yesterday and Roasted Tofu & Broccoli today. Sorry for the confusion. I will be serving the Frittata tonight.

This is something I just whipped up one day. It was dinner time, there were no dinner arrangements (result of a busy day, I'm sure) and all of these ingredients were in my pantry. Lucky for me!

I've been making this dish from imagination so tonight, I'll be sure to measure out the ingredients so that you will have it for future reference.

Ingredients
Eggs
Milk (Almond, Goat's, Cow's, depending on the order)
Spanish Red Onions
Roasted Red Peppers
Marinated Artichokes
Pitted Black Olives

Salad Greens and Tatsu's Baguette

Cheers!

Tuesday, February 17, 2009

Pasta with Ricotta, Baby Spinach, & Toasted Almonds

Tonight's dinner is also from my friend Martha. I found this recipe on her website and it was originally published in Everyday Food, March 2004.

Actually, you will notice that many, many of my dinner ideas come from Martha. I will always reference the sources and I will always note any adjustments I make to the recipe on this blog.
Bon Appetit!

Prep: 5 minutesTotal: 20 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 6
1/3 cup almond slices
Coarse salt and freshly ground pepper
1 pound pasta-penne, rigatoni, fussili, etc.
2 garlic cloves, minced
1 1/2 pounds baby spinach, well washed
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 cup part-skim ricotta cheese
1/4 cup freshly grated Parmesan cheese

Directions
Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Spread almond slices on a rimmed baking sheet; toast in oven, tossing occasionally, until golden, 6 to 8 minutes; set aside.
Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Add pasta, and cook according to manufacturer’s directions.
In a saute pan, heat olive oil, add garlic until fragrant. Add spinach and 2 tablespoons of water and steam for 2 minutes. Add the ricotta cheese and season generously with salt and pepper. Toss well with the pasta. Serve immediately, topped with a little more ricotta, almond slices, and Parmesan.

Monday, February 16, 2009

Shepherd's Pie

This recipe comes from my friend Martha. It was published in Everyday Food, November 2007. I found this recipe on her website. Enjoy!

Prep: 20 minutesTotal: 35 minutes
Ingredients
Serves 4

1 pound ground beef
1 medium onion, chopped
1 garlic clove, minced
1/4 teaspoon dried thyme
2 tablespoons ketchup
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
10 ounces frozen mixed vegetables (no need to thaw)
Coarse salt and ground pepper
3 cups mashed potatoes

Directions
Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Heat a large (5-quart) heavy pot or Dutch oven over high. Cook beef, breaking up meat with a spoon, until no longer pink, 4 to 5 minutes. Add onion and garlic; cook until softened, about 4 minutes.
Add thyme, ketchup, and flour; stir until combined. Add 1/2 cup chicken stock and vegetables. Cook until vegetables are warmed through and liquid has thickened, about 3 minutes. Season with salt and pepper.
Spoon beef mixture into a 2-quart baking dish. Spread potatoes evenly over beef; using a fork, decorate potatoes with lines and peaks. Place dish on a rimmed baking sheet, and bake until potatoes are lightly browned, 10 to 15 minutes. Serve.

Sunday, February 15, 2009

Welcome to Long Branch Supper Club Blog

Hello Friends,

Aaahhh, this is an exciting day for me. I'm getting with the program and I've got a "blog". I will keep you updated with the day's dinner recipe and healthy living tips. And of course, I would love your feedback.
This is a public blog so feel free to notify any of your friends who may be interested in my little community project.
Happy ordering and happy blogging with me!

Bon Appetit!
Jean