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).
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
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.
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!
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!
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!
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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