Recipe #16: Butternut Squash Flastbread with Cheddar and pine nuts

I'm not sure if I've said it before or just thought it, but butternut squash is an under-rated "vegetable" (because squash is actually a fruit, but I don't see it making an appearance in a fruit salad anytime soon!). It has such a hearty, nutty flavour which is only made better by pairing it with cheese!

I cheated a bit and used a pre-shaped gluten-free pizza crust so I didn't have to wait for pizza dough to cook. Just as delicious and ready faster! (you could use a pita or wrap as well - really anything would work as a delivery system to put the delicious toppings together and cook them) Since I wasn't cooking the flatbread for the full half hour, I pre-cooked the butternut squash pieces in the microwave with a bit of water so that they had started cooking and softening by the time I put them in the oven.

Ingredients

1 pound store-bought pizza dough, hawed if frozen
Cornmeal for the pan
1 pound butternut squash - peeled, seeded, and sliced 1/4 inch thick
1/2 red onion, thinly sliced
1/4 cup pine nuts
1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Salt and pepper
1 1/2 cups grated extra sharp cheddar cheese (6 ounces)
1 bunch arugula, thick stems discarded (about 4 cups)

Instructions

Heat oven to 400F. Shape the dough into a large oval and place on a cornmeal-dusted baking sheet.
In a large bowl, toss the squash, onion, pine nuts, thyme, 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Scatter over the dough and sprinkle with the cheese.
Bake until golden brown and crisp, 25 to 30 minutes.
Toss the arugula with the remaining tablespoon of oil and 1/4 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Serve with the flat bread.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely  xoxo

Recipe #15: Broccoli and Feta Quiche

Years ago, my mom gave me the best formula for quiche. Six eggs, 1/2 cup milk and put whatever you'd like! It's a no fail combination that makes perfect quiche every time. It freezes fairly well though I wouldn't let it sit in the freezer too long.

This particular quiche was inspired by some feta cheese that needed to be used. I had some pearl onions that I tossed it, some broccoli for a vegetable and sundried tomatoes to balance my feta and perhaps give the quiche a bit of a Mediterranean twist. No olives for me! But could have worked.

The crust is from a bakery that sells gluten-free products and if I didn't tell you that it was gluten-free, y'ad never know because it tastes that good! It could just as easily be another pre-made pie shell or if I was more adventurous, make my own? Not yet!

Ingredients

1 frozen pie shell
6 eggs
1/2 cup milk
broccoli
sundried tomatoes
onion
feta cheese

Instructions

Preheat oven to 350F. Take pie shell out of freezer and arrange ingredients in the pan evenly. Mix eggs and milk together - pour egg/milk mixture over top of ingredients in pie shell. Add salt, pepper and any other seasonings you would like.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #14: Roasted Mushroom and Chicken Curry

I made this recipe before and when I found it in my book, I remembered why I kept it and had this urge to make it again. I'm not sure if I used the exact mushrooms specified, but my grocery store sells a package with an assortment of fancy mushrooms that all got tossed in the pot - should have taken a picture of one set as they were still all stuck together like they had grown from one source and plucked as one mushroom! Surprisingly the chicken thighs stay moist when roasted with the mushrooms and both retain their firmness. This is another curry where I just love the vegetables (and fruit!) thrown in and the unexpected flavour combination. So much more than mushrooms and chicken!

This photo was taken with the sun coming in the window and the slight spring chill in the air almost makes the steam visible. I was going to retake it in different lighting, but I think it still allows you to see the colours and heartiness of this curry. The main sauce is a pale red cream from the coconut milk and red curry paste.

Ingredients

1 lb mixed fresh mushrooms halved (crimini, white, stemmed shiitake)
1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, quartered
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp canola oil
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper

Sauce
1 tbsp canola oil
1/2 cup each chopped onion and celery
1/2 dried cranberries
3-4tsp Thai red or green curry paste
1/2 tsp each salt and pepper
1 cup reduced salt chicken broth
1 cup lite coconut milk
1 medium red pepper, seeded and chopped
1 Granny Smith apple, unpeeled, chopped
2 tbsp chopped cilantro
1 cup basmati rice

Instructions

1) In large bowl, mix mushrooms, chicken, garlic, oil, salt and pepper. Place in single layer in large greaased baking pan. Bake at 400F for 20 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, prepare sauce. In a 12 inch nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium heat. Cook and stir onions, celery and cranberries 3-4 minutes. Add curry pste, salt and papper; continue cooking for 1 minute, stirring constantly.
3) Add chicken broth and coconut milk; bring to a boil. Cover and simmer 10 minutes.
4) Add roasted mushrooms, chicken and juices to skillet; return to a boil.
5) Add red pepper, apple and cilantro. Simmer, uncovered, 5 minutes, stirring often.
6) Serve curry over cooked rice. Garnish with additional chopped cilantro.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #13: Chicken Tetrazzini Florentine

One of my favourite dishes that my mom used to make is chicken tetrazzini so when I saw this recipe, I knew I had to try it. It is definitely on my list of comfort foods - so spinach could only make it better, right? I only hesitated for a second or two about putting the spinach into the boiling water with the noodles. It's apparently called "blanching" to put it into boiling water to cook it quickly and rinsing with cold water is less for the pasta, but more for cooling off the spinach and ensuring it stops cooking. I opted for gluten-free linguini noodles instead of the suggested spaghetti and I love the effect of the thicker noodle. The recipe calls for rotisserie chicken which I was only too happy to pick-up at the grocery store instead of making my own, but leftover chicken could also be substituted. The rotisserie chicken did add a nice flavour though that I wasn't expecting, but will reach for again. I used just enough mozzarella to cover the top of the baking dish instead of the 1.5 cups suggested, but we definitely didn't feel that it was missing anything on the cheese factor! The one thing that I think I'll do next time (and there will be a next time!) is probably just plain cream cheese and do my own herb seasonings, plus some freshly ground pepper will definitely just bring it all together well.

It's great for company as it's super easy to prepare and could probably be made in advance then just pop it in the oven. The recipe says that it serves six, but between three of us for dinner plus lunches the next day, I still had lunch for myself for probably another three days! It froze and reheated well. It's a good thing it was delicious as I've been eating it for days!

Ingredients

300g spaghetti, broken into thirds
1 pkg baby spinach leaves
1 tbsp oil
1 pkg sliced fresh mushrooms
1 onion, chopped
2 cups milk
1 tub Philadelphia Herb & Garlic light cream cheese spread
4 cups shredded rotiserie chicken
1/4 cup parmesan cheese
1 1/2 cups mozzarella shredded cheese

Instructions

1) Heat oven to 350F.
2) Cook spaghetti in large saucepan as directed on package, omitting salt and adding spinach to the boiling water for the last minute.
3) Meanwhile, heat oil in nonstick skillet on medium heat. Add mushrooms and onions; cook and stir 4 minutes or until mushrooms release liquid. Add milk and cream cheese spread; cook 3 to 5 minutes or until cheese is melted and sauce is well blended, stirring constantly.
4) Drain spaghetti mixture in colander; rinse with cold water. Drain well. Return to saucepan. Add chicken, mushroom sauce and 2 tbsp parmesan; mix well. Pour into 13x9 inch baking dish sprayed with cooking spray; cover.
5) Bake 25 minutes. Top with mozzarella and remaining parmesan; bake, uncovered, 8 to 10 minutes or until spaghetti mixture is hot and bubbly and mozzarella is melted. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #12: Slow-cookered Chicken Tikka Masala

I'm always on the look out for recipes that I can put in my slow cooker. I have a busy schedule and after sleep, the second thing to go is usually eating right. But I enjoy eating! And I enjoy eating delicious things that are good for me. This is mostly tomato based with protein and some cucumbers on the side!

To make it even better, I know I should have swapped for brown rice (fibre whereas white does not!), but I've got a container of basmati rice that will just get dusty if I don't use it every now and then. I forgot to pick up cilantro (it happens) so I decided just to opt for fresh cucumbers on the side and save the idea of a 'relish' for another day.

Ingredients

1 15 ounce can crushed tomatoes
1 medium onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, chopped
2 tablesppons tomato paste
2 teaspoons garam masala
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
1/2 English cucumber, halved and thinly sliced
1 tabplesoon fresh lemon juice
1 cup basmatic rice
1/2 cup heavy cream

Instructions

1) In a 4-6 quart slow cooker, combine thetomatoes, onion, garlic, tomato paste, garam masal, 3/4 tsp salt and 1/4 tsp pepper. Place the chicken on top of the vegetables, cover, and cook until the chicken is tender, on low for 7-8 hours or on high for 3-4 hours.
2) In a small bowl, toss the cucumber, cilantro with the lemon juice and 1/4 tsp salt/pepper. Cover and refrigerate for up to 8 hours.
3) Twenty minutes before serving, cook the rice according to the package instructions.
4) Just before serving, stir the cream into the tikka masala. Serve over the rice with the cucumber relish.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

p.s. I happen to have garam masala on hand at all times, but I thought this was a great tip with the recipe:
Garam masala is a mixture of spices often used in Indian cooking. If you can't find it in the spice aisle of your supermarket, you can make your own by combining 1/2 tsp cumin, 1/4 tsp cinnamon, 1/4 tsp coriander, 1/4 tsp black pepper, 1/8 tsp ground cloves, 1/8 tsp nutmeg and a pinch of cayenne.

Recipe #11: Chicken with Feta, Roasted Red Peppers and Potatoes

I saw this recipe in Real Simple magazine and just had to try it! Thankfully, most of the time the title of the magazine has influenced the recipe - they're 'real simple'! And delicious. I'd never roasted red pepper before and designated this task to the sous chef visiting that night. And the feta cheese that I bought was not only preservative/additive free, but was firm and tasty.

The two differences between their recipe and what I ended up doing (and not the fact that cauliflour is on the plate instead of broccoli - I did make broccoli, I just ate it all before taking a picture and gotta have some veggies on my plate!) was the lack of chicken cutlets and a skillet. At that point, not having toothpicks was a small detail. I had chicken breasts and tried to beat them up and make them flat, but ended up just slicing them in half and tenderizing each side of the half. With no skillet or pan that can transfer from stovetop to oven without melting pieces, I skipped right over the stove stop and put the chicken breasts (now stuffed with roasted red pepper/feta mixture) into a greased baking dish. I was really impressed how well they stayed together! I'll definitely be making this one again.

Ingredients

1/2 bunch broccoli (florets)
1 pound red new potatoes (about 10), halved
3 tablespoons olive oil
1/2 cup finely chopped roasted red peppers
2 ounces Feta, crumbled (1/2 cu)
8 thin chicken cutlets (about 1 1/2 pounds)
1 tablespoon choped flat leaf parsley

Instructions

1) Heat oven to 400F with the racks in the upper and lower thirds. On a rimmed baking sheet, tosss hte broccoli and potatoes with 2 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon black pepper. Roast on the botton rack, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 18 to 20 minutes.
2) Meanwhile, in a small bowl, mix together the red peppers and Feta. Season the chicken with 1/4 teaspoon each salt and black pepper. Dividing evenly, roll up the red pepper mixture in the cutlets (about 1 heaping tablespoon each) and faste each closed with a toothpick.
3) Heat the ramining tablespoon of oil in a large ovenproof skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken, seam-side up, until brown, 3 to 4 minutes. Turn the chicken, transfer the skillet to the top rack, and roast until cooked through, 14 to 16 minutes more. Remove the toothpicks. Serve the chicken with the vegetables, sprinkled wiht the parsley.

Enjoy!!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #10: Vegan Mulligatawny Detox Soup

I was feeling a serious lack of vegetables (whom I love) in my life when I stumbled upon this recipe (http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2007/03/vegetarian-mulligatawny.html). I'm a huge fan of most of the recipes that I've tried from Karina's website (Mmmm beef in pomegranate sauce and leftover gravy) and this recipe seemed to be calling out to me. Vegetables and curry and turmeric? What more could a girl ask for!

Just look at all the vegetables in it! Once I put them all in the pot, I seriously felt like I was a real soup cook. I love my slow cooker too - slowly, but surely the smells from it started to fill my kitchen. Adding the coconut milk brought the colour from a red-ish broth to the beautiful rich orangey-red cream coloured soup that you see before you.

I decided to try both "options" to see which I liked better - both leaving it chunky and pureeing it. Following my own taste and a taste tester (my Mom!), the flavours were nice, but didn't have the kick in spices that I was hoping for (and it wasn't just my taste buds!). I personally preferred the puree option, so smooth and vegetable-y beside my grilled cheese.

The next time that I make this soup (and I will because how can I resist all these vegetables?), I'll double (okay, maybe triple) the spices listed so that it has some more intricate flavours besides vegetable overload. I did question the quantity of spice compared to the rest of the ingredients, but since I'm new to making soup, I second guessed myself and trusted the recipe/description. I also did not know how to test soup flavours since it was boiling hot. The secret? Take a small scoup and put it into a bowl to cool so you don't burn your tongue while testing! Who knew? My mom :)

Ingredients
1 tablespoon avocado oil
4 cloves garlic, minced
1 inch fresh ginger, grated
2 teaspoons mild GF organic curry powder
1 teaspoon organic turmeric
1/2 teaspoon cayenne pepper, more or less, to taste
1 medium sweet or red onion, peeled, diced
4 medium carrots, peeled and diced
1 cup cauliflower florets, chopped
2 large Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored and diced
1 medium sweet potato, peeled and diced
2 heaping cups thinly shredded cabbage
1 quart fresh spring water
2 cups organic fresh veggie juice blend (or your fave V8-style juice)
1 14-oz. can organic chick peas, drained
A small pinch of sea salt, to taste
1 14-oz. can coconut milk, stirred
Juice from 1 medium lime, or to taste
1-2 teaspoons gluten-free brown rice syrup

Instructions

Combine all of the ingredients in a slow cooker except the coconut milk, lime juice and brown rice syrup. Cover and cook on high according to your manufacturer's instructions for cooking vegetable soup. When the veggies are tender, add in the coconut milk and lime. Taste test. Add brown syrup to taste. Heat through 15 minutes.

Options: If you desire a smooth soup, puree the soup with a hand held immersion blender (or puree- carefully- in small batches, tightly covered, in a blender or food processor) until smooth. Return the puree to the soup pot. Heat over low heat until serving. If you prefer more texture, puree only half the soup, or mash lightly with a potato masher until you have the consistency you desire. It is also beautiful left as is, as a hearty, chunky stew.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #9: Caribbean-Style Pork

I was flipping through one of the many cookbooks that I own and doing a new test - if there is nothing in here that I want to cook now or in the immediate future, why do I own this book? And luckily for this book, there was a few! First up - a taste of the Caribbean!!

Pork tenderloin is the base for this dish and an interesting combination of flavours that I never had while I was in the Caribbean - but sounded like they would work out all right. I'm a fan of one pot dinners if I'm using a slow cooker so next time I make this, I'll probably throw some more vegetables besides pepper in - and yes, I will definitely make this again! Cookbook stays!

And because I am a nervous crockpot user at the best of times, I couldn't figure out how all the veggies and pork were going to "stew" together. I might have added about 1/2 cup of pineapple juice to start things off! Knowing what I know now, I probably would skip that step - the juices showed up and stewed everything beautiful, and the pineapple flavour either didn't stick around or was lost by the strength of the other flavours.

Ingredients

2 lbs lean boneless center-cut pork loin roast
1 tsp olive oil
2 cups chopped red bell pepper
6 green onions, cut into 1 inch pieces
cooking spray
2 tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 tbsp fresh lime juice
2 tbsp creamy peanut butter
1 tsp cumin seed, crushed
1/2 tsp salt
1/2 tsp crushed red pepper
2 garlic cloves, minced
4 1/2 cups hot cooked basmatic rice
2 tbsp diagnoally sliced creen onions

Instructions

1. Trim fat from roast; cut roast into 1-inch pieces. Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Add pork; saute 5 minutes or until browned.
2. Place pork, bell pepper, and green onions in a 4 quart electric slow coker coated with cooking spray; stir well.
3. Combine hoisin sauce and next 7 ingredients in a small bowl; stir until well blended. Pour mixture over pork; stir well.
4. Cover with lid; cook on high-heat setting 1 hour. Reduce to low-heat setting and cook 5 to 6 hours. Serve over rice; sprinkle with green onions.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #8: Apple Chicken Curry

I remember when I found this recipe in a "Hope Blooms" newsletter released by the Canadian Cancer Society. I love curry and I'd had chicken curry - but apples? Okay, maybe this could work because I do love apples. The most important thing for this recipe is that the apples are of the perfect crunchy sweet variety that still come out firm after cooking. The original recipe recommends B.C. Brand Sunrise or Royal Gala, but I am currently loving Ontario Honeycrisp. In the fall, I would buy one or two apples of different varieties (Canadian of course!) to increase my apple repetoire, but I've been stuck on this variety for a few months now. I'm an apple-a-day kind of girl and whether that is keeping the doctor away or just makes me happy, we'll see...

This is my second time making this dish and I had forgotten until it was done how very much the chicken is not the star! It's all about the apples! If you wanted, you could probably not even include the chicken breast, though I would add more chickpeas to make sure that it is still a strong source of protein. For some reason, the grocery store had an abundance of green, yellow and orange peppers, but no red peppers! I think visually the picture is missing the red, but the orange was still a good choice for substitution. Thank goodness for a little bit of red apple peel peeking through! I'm a bit of a curry fan so I might have doubled (okay, fine tripled the curry powder - but it was a really weak variety), but I'd start with the recommendation and see how you like the taste. Gluten-free flour substituted just fine!

I would recommend a little bit of Sean Paul to help you keep the rhythm as you prepare this dish... ;)

Ingredients

2 tbsp butter
1 large chicken breast, skinless, boneless and cubed
1 tbsp vegetable oil
2 stalks celery, chopped
1 large onion, chopped into chunks
2 cloves garlic, minced
2 apples, unpeeled, chopped
1 red bell pepper, cut in large chunks
1 can chickpeas, drained and rinsed
1 tbsp curry powder
1 tsp hot pepper flakes
4 tbsp flour
3 cups chicken broth

Instructions

In a large saucepan, cook chicken in butter until brown and cooked throughout. Remove from heat and set aside. In the same saucepan, heat vegetable oil and sautee celery, onion and garlic until soft. Add apples, pepper, chickpeas, cooked chicken and spices and cook for 2 minutes. Sprinkle on flour and cook for 3 minutes. Add broth. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 5 minutes or until sauce thickens. Serve plain or over rice garnished with yogurt, cilantro and apple wedges.

[I went with about 1/3 cup rice just because rice and curry go together like curry and roti in my world... I did use the curry by itself in a sandwich later in the week - mmmmmm.....]

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo 

Recipe #7: Tender Beef and Sweet Potato Saute

I remember when I first read this recipe I was like cumin, beef and cinnamon? I'm intrigued... with sweet potatoes? Must make this... Glad I did! This is my second time making this recipe and although it was definitely delicious this time, I have fonder memories of it from the first time around. I think perhaps that I let the beef brown much longer the first time which allowed the butter that everything else was sauteed in to have stronger flavour and a darker colour on the sauce. Either way, love me a little Cuban flavour with beef and sweet potatoes! You can eat this by itself or on top of rice/couscous. This picture shows it on its own, but I did mix up some quinoa to eat with leftovers. Might have snuck in a red pepper that was looking for a good home before it went to the bad side when I tossed in the green pepper. More veggies, yes please! I was a bit lazy too and didn't chop the sweet potato up smaller, but I've made a note for next time.

Ingredients

1 lb boneless beef sirloin or other grilling steak
1 tsp ground cumin
1/4 tsp ground cinnamon
Salt and pepper
1 tbsp butter, divided
1 onion, halved and thinly sliced
2 cups diced sweeet potato (about 1; peeled if desired)
3/4 cup reduced-sodium beef broth or stock
2 tbsp all-purpose flour [gluten-free for me!]
1 1/2 cups milk
1 sweet green pepper, chopped
2 tbsp tomato paste

Instructions

1. Trim off fat from beef and cut across the grain into thin strips [since this is my second time making this, I actually cut into strips and then smaller pieces - just makes it easier for lunches!]. In a bowl, sprinkle beef with cumin, cinnamon and 1/4 tsp each of salt and pepper. In a large skillet, melt half of the butter over medium-high heat. Brown beef srips in three batchs, adding more of the butter as necessary; transfer into a clean bowl.
2. Reduce heat to medium. Melt remaining butter in skillet; add onoin and swet potato and saute for about 3 minutes or until onion is softened. Add beef broth, increase heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, scarping up browned bits. Whisk flour into milk and graudally stir into skillet; bring to a boil, stirring. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring often, for about 5 min or until sweet potatoes are almost tender.
3. Stir in green pepper. Simmer, stirring often, for 3 min or until green pepper is tender-crisp and sauce has thickened. Stir in beef with accumulated juices and tomato paste; simmer for 2 min or until beef is hot. Season to taste with salt and pepper.

[Options for the "adventurous" that I did not use, but maybe next time: Add 1/4 to 1/2 tsp of cayenne pepper with beef. Stir in 1/4 cup each of raisins and sliced green olives and 1 tbsp drained capers with green pepper. Really I would maybe do the cayenne pepper and raisins... olives and capers are not for me! But maybe you?]

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #6: Shepherd's Pie, with a Twist

I have no grand illusions.  I know that my mother makes the best shepherd's pie in the world. The kind of shepherd's pie that when you eat it, you know you've come home and everything is going to be okay. To me, shepherd's pie was comfort food before I knew what comfort food was - tied with homemade macaroni and cheese that oozes excessive cheesiness. I don't even know the recipe for my mom's shepherd's pie which I am sure is the same recipe that her mom used - some day I'll ask for it. But if I ask her for the recipe, does that mean that I can't ask her to make it for me when I come home? I'd rather not tempt fate.

With this in mind, I did set out to make the second best shepherd's pie in the world. In my beautiful new casserole dish from my parents. I recently made a beautiful Beef in Pomegranate Juice (http://glutenfreegoddess.blogspot.com/2008/01/beef-in-pomegranate-sauce.html) that was divine and made cups of delicious pomegranate beef gravy that I could not begin to even think about throwing out. But what does one do with beef gravy? Google it. And google suggests - make shepherd's pie!

To start, I tossed a bag of mini potatoes in boiling water. As the potatoes were boiling, I cooked up a package of lean ground beef until it was well cooked and added the sweet pomegranate gravy that I had defrosted. Set aside. I sprayed the brand new casserole dish that I got for Christmas contemplated vegetables while the potatoes were still boiling. I had a bundle of asparagus that I cooked in the microwave on a plate, but was missing something so I grabbed a package of Green Giant brussel sprouts from the freezer and cooked them up.

I layered the pomegranate ground beef on the bottom, asparagus pieces and brussel sprout halves in the middle with mashed potatoes (and a little bit of butter) on top. Might have topped the whole things off with some shredded white old cheddar... Bake at 375F for about half an hour or until it smells like goodness when you open the oven/gravy is bubbling up from the bottom layer. Perfection.

These flavour combinations will definitely be making an appearance in my casserole dish in the future!

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely  xoxo

Recipe #5: Chicken with Potatoes, Bacon and Cabbage

Sometimes what looks like the most boring thing on the plate ("beige" dinner) can actually be delicious. I'm thinking chicken fingers and fries... cheese perogies and sour cream... and this new recipe! This recipe cheats a little from straight beige as it's sprinkled with pink bacon. It has some lovely flavour combinations that you can't really see from a photo - thankfully I've posted the recipe so you can atleast read the subtle flavours...

Bacon, not so subtle. And it's pink so it's breaking with the mold. Loving Naturally Select bacon - no preservatives!! (and their whole line of lunch meat including hot dogs!). I used small new potatoes to start which made them get even crispier and flavourful. I like cabbage. It is definitely underrated as a vegetable - not just for coleslaw and sauerkraut. I didn't have any whole-grain mustard on hand so a bit of President's Choice new black-label sweet chipotle mustard might have jumped in with the cider vinegar. I baked the chicken instead of cooking it in the skillet because I don't really have a true skillet, let alone two, and baking just felt healthier. Instead of straight salt and pepper, I seasoned it with Herbamere.

Ingredients

3/4 pound new potatoes, thinly sliced
2 tablespons olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
4 6-ounce boneless, skinless chicken breasts
3 slices bacon, chopped
1 small shallot, minced
1 tablespoon whole-grained mustard
3 tablespoons cider vinegar
1/2 small head savory cabbage (8 ounces), cut into 1/2 inch strips

Instructions

Heat oven to 425F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the potatoes with 1 tablespoon of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until golden brown and tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with 1/2 easpoon salt and 1/4 teaspoon pepper; cook until golden brown and cooked through, 6 to 7 minutes per side.

In a second large skillet, cook the bacon over medium heat until crisp, 5 to 7 minutes; remove. Add the shallot, mustard, and vinegar and cook, stirring frequently, until the shalot is soft, 2 minutes. Add the cabbage and cook, tossing, until wilted, 2 to 4 minutes more. Serve with the chicken and sprinkle with the bacon.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #4: Tortellini with Butternut Squash, Mushrooms, and Fontina

This recipe is a little counter productive for someone who is trying to reduce wheat in their life, but I'm a sucker for cheese and tortellini (right up there with fresh bread and butter in my gluten world). Plus butternut squash is probably one of the best kept secrets out there (close behind spaghetti squash, though less of a secret). It's misleading because it just looks like a boring orange vegetable, but has this surprising flavour that just makes everything around it taste better. Next time, I'm definitely going to buy the pre-chopped package at the store as there are definitely better uses for my time than trying to chop a butternut squash (google it --> awkward shape, thick skin, it was the most labour intensive part of this recipe). I'm always a bit hesitant about cooking with mushrooms, but button mushrooms are just so cute and keep their firmness when being roasted that I was pleasantly surprised.

I opted out of fancy cheese and just used a delicious old cheddar that I had on hand - definitely needs a cheese with a nice bite to it for this recipe just to enhance the other flavours. The next time I cave and make this recipe (or magically discover a gluten-free cheese tortellini), I'll probably opt for dry sage as I discovered that I'm not a huge fan of a lot of fresh sage, texture-wise and intense flavour (even though I chopped it up).

Ingredients

1 small butternut squash (2 pounds), peeled and cut into 1-inch cubes
1/2 pound button mushrooms, stems trimmed and halved (if large)
1/4 cup fresh sage leaves
2 tablespoons olive oil
Kosher salt and pepper
1 pound fresh or frozen cheese tortellini
2 ounces fontina or Gruyere, grated (1/2 cup), plus more for serving

Instructions
Heat oven to 450F. On a rimmed baking sheets, toss the squash and mushrooms with the sage, oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast, tossing once, until tender, 20 to 25 minutes.

Meanwhile, cok the tortellini according to the package directions. Reserve 1/2 cup of the cooking water; drain the tortellini and return to the pot. Add the vegetables, fontina, 1/4 cup of the cooking water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and toss gently to coat (add more cooking water if the pasta seems dry). Sprinkle with additional fontina.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #3: Pork Chops with Roasted Beets and Oranges

The disaster formerly known as this recipe was a bit of a turn off for me. I like porkchops and I was feeling a bit adventurous about trying the beets with oranges and arugula! I confess that there is something about a purple root vegetable that isn't that appealing to me. I thought that perhaps I didn't like pickled beets (not a huge fan of pickled anything), but as pretty as these beets are, I still don't like the taste of beets. They taste like purple dirt. End of story. No nice way to say it. They're so pretty and they dye everything they touch purple, but they're not tasty. I'm also not sure what happened with the arugula, it didn't wilt like I thought it would and didn't stay fresh like it should for a salad so it looked kind of lost in the veggie side (so I just took it out). I think I'll roast oranges again with something - maybe sweet potatoes? They were delicious at least!!

So glad that I opted to make one of my favourite vegetables with this recipe - spaghetti squash! Delicious and nutrious and unfortunately very seasonal. I've already eaten one, I hope that I have enough time to grab another one before the season is up! It was the saving grace for this meal. The pork chop was pretty good - I baked it instead of putting it in the skillet and seasoning it is pretty standard for me before putting it into the pan.

Ingredients

1 pound beets, peeled and cut into 1/2 inch wedges

4 tablespoons olive oil

Kosher salt and black pepper

2 oranges, cut into large chunks

6 cups baby arugula (5 ounces)

4 bone-in pork chops (1 inch thick; about 2 pounds total)

1 tablespoon dried oregano

1 tablespoon dried thyme

Instructions

Heat oven to 450F. On a rimmed baking sheet, toss the beets with 3 tablespoons of the oil, 1/2 teaspoon  salt, and 1/4 teaspoon pepper. Roast until beginning to soften, 13 to 15 minutes. Add the oranges to the baking sheet and roast, tossing once, until the beets and oranges are tender, 15 to 17 minutes more. Add the arugula and toss to combine.

Meanwhile, heat the remaining tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Season the poke with the oregano, thyme and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and peppr and cook until browned and cooked through, 7 to 9 minutes per side. Serve with the beets and oranges.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #2: Tomato Soup with Roast Beef, Cheddar, and Horseradish Panini

Next up, a delicious twist on an old classic. I've actually never made soup before (that wasn't from a package) so perhaps tackling a tomato soup with only a small blender was a bad idea. The mess in my kitchen is likely evidence of that. 

You might ask yourself when you look at the picture - why is that sandwich so small? And that is because I used a loaf of gluten-free cheese bread which made a surprisingly delicious grilled cheese-roast beef-arugula sandwich. 

I am not a fan of horseradish so I vetoed that. I used parmesan cheese sprinkled on the tomato soup and on the sandwich went with a sweet chipotle honey mustard instead of the horseradish spread. Excellent choice if I do say so myself!

Ingredients

2 tablesppons olive oil, plus more for the grill pan

2 large onions, chopped

4 gloves garlic, chopped

1 28-ounce can whole peeled tomatoes

3 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

1 teaspoon dried thyme

Kosher salt and black pepper

1/2 cup sour cream

2 tablespoons prepared horseradish

8 slices sandwich bread

8 ounces thinly sliced roast beef

8 ounces sharp white Cheddar, sliced

2 cups baby arugula

Instructions

Heat the oil in a large saucepan over medium-high heat. Add the onions and garlic and cook, stirring often, until softened, 5 to 7 minutes. Add the tomatoes (with their juices), broth, thyme, and 1/2 teaspoon each salt and pepper. Simmer, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened, 15 to 20 minutes. Working in batches, in a blender, puree the mixture until smooth.

Meanwhile, in a small bowl, stir together the sour cream and horseradish. Form sandwiches with the bread, roast beef, Cheddar, arugula, and half the horseradish mixture. Heat a lightly oiled grill pan over medium heat and cook the sandwiches until the cheese is melted, 5 to 6 minutes per side. Top the soup with the remaining horseradish mixture and serve with the sandwiches.

Enjoy!

Sincerely,

Sincerely xoxo

Recipe #1: Salmon with Gingery Green Beans and Bok Choy

In attempt to eat more naturally and less boxed foods for both my health and my taste buds, I will be tackling new recipes that test my boundaries for what I am comfortable cooking - both with new items and flavour combinations. In honour of my friend Query, I have agreed to blog about this adventure and hope to both amaze and delight with photos and recipes.


Thanks to a family blessing, there are certain additives and preservatives that don't agree with my body. This can be extremely frustrating in a world of pre-made foods where everything is preserved for "freshness" and presented in a convenient package for ease and time efficiency. There's actually something amazing about having a shopping list where most of the items can be found in the grocery store permimeter (produce, deli, bread, dairy - good things!).


First up, this delicious salmon with gingery green beans and bok choy. I was excited for this recipe as I love fish but confess that I have never bought real fish before (why would you buy it when you can catch it with a fishing rod?) and as much as I love vegetables, I had never attempted to purchase and cook bok choy before. The most difficulty with this meal was the twenty minutes waiting at the fish counter in the grocery store to select my salmon while the grocery store employee was busy fileting the fish of the order before me.


This recipe and the next five are from a magazine called "Real Simple". I love their recipes because they are just that 'real simple' and show how delicious food can be with both fresh and minimal ingredients. The salmon itself was cooked in a frying pan with a little bit of salt that brought out the delicious fishy flavour. The green beans, bok choy and carrots were tossed in the pan after cooking oil with ginger, garlic and green onions. That's it!

Ingredients

2 tablespoons plus 1 teaspoon canola oil
1 1/4 pounds skinless salmon filet, cut into 4 pieces
Kosher salt
4 scallions, thinly sliced
2 cloves garlic, thinly sliced
1 tablespoon finely chopped fresh ginger
3/4 pound green beans, trimmed
3/4 pound baby bok choy, halved lengthwise
4 small carrots, cut into thin strips

Instructions

Heat 1 teaspoon of the oil in a large non-stick skillet over medium-high heat. Season the salmon with 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook until opaque throughout, 4 to 5 minutes per side.


Meanwhile, heat the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil in a second large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the scallions, garlic, and ginger and cook, tossing, until fragrant, 30 seconds. Add the green beans, bok choy, carrots, 1/4 cup water, and 1/2 teaspoon salt and cook, tossing occassionally, until the vegetables are tender, 4 to 6 minutes. Serve with the salmon.


I confess the recipe recommends serving the salmon drizzled with Sriracha or Asian chili-garlic sauce, but I didn't have any on hand. And the fish didn't need it! If anything, I might have put a little lemon on the salmon, but that's my favourite for fish anyway.


Enjoy!!


Sincerely,
Sincerely xoxo