APPLE CHEDDAR BRUSCHETTA
1 baguette (sliced on the diagonal in 24 slices)
2 red-skinned apples, sliced very thinly
24 thin slices of sharp white cheddar cheese
½ c sweet Asian chili sauce
Olive oil
Place bread place slices on a parchment lined (only because it makes life so much easier) baking sheet. Drizzle olive oil over bread slices and place under broiler until just starting to crisp. Remove from oven.
Top each slice of bread with 2 apple slices and 1 slice of cheese. Broil once again until cheese is a golden color. Remove from oven and drizzle with chili sauce.
Monday, March 29, 2010
- Spanish Chicken & Rice
Labels:
Pasta and Rice
SPANISH CHICKEN & RICE
1 T vegetable oil
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts
2 Chorizo sausages, sliced
1 onion, chopped
1 red or green bell pepper, chopped
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 T tomato paste
2 tsp paprika
¼ tsp hot pepper flakes (optional)
1½ c long grain white rice
3½ c chicken broth
2 tomatoes, chopped
1 bag (10 0z/300 g) prewashed baby spinach
In a large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat. Brown chicken and transfer to a plate. Add sausages, onion and pepper to skillet and sauté for about 5 minutes or until sausage is browned. Add garlic, tomato paste, paprika and hot pepper flakes (if using); sauté for 15 seconds. Add rice, chicken broth and tomatoes, scraping up any brown bits at the bottom of the pan. Bring to a boil, stirring occasionally. Reduce heat, cover and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 10 minutes or until the liquid is partially absorbed, return chicken to pan, cover and simmer, adding more broth if necessary, for 10 minutes or until rice is tender, liquid is absorbed and chicken is no longer pink inside. Remove from heat and, using a fork, gently stir in spinach. Cover and let stand for about 5 minutes or until spinach is wilted.
Serves 4.
Notes:
1. I am not a spicy food lover and I do not like most sausage concoctions but I have to say I really liked this dish. It was mildly spicy and if you don’t like spice at all, leave out the peppers and don’t eat the sausage (I didn’t eat the sausage but it does add a lot of flavour).
2. This dish took about 30 minutes to make!
Monday, March 22, 2010
- Lemon Chicken
Labels:
Main Dishes
LEMON CHICKEN
3 T butter, divided
4 c sliced white mushrooms
6 green onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ c flour
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
½ c chicken broth
¼ c dry white wine
1 T sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ c lemon juice
¼ c sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large skillet, melt 2 T of the butter over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, green onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until just softened. Transfer to a 12 c casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Remove chicken to a plate, reserving the remaining flour mixture. Wipe out skillet and melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Brown chicken and transfer to casserole. In the skillet, whisk together reserved flour mixture, chicken broth, wine, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Pour over chicken, cover and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and bake, uncovered for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
Serves 4
3 T butter, divided
4 c sliced white mushrooms
6 green onions, sliced
2 cloves of garlic, minced
¼ c flour
¼ tsp paprika
¼ tsp salt
¼ tsp freshly ground black pepper
4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-size pieces
½ c chicken broth
¼ c dry white wine
1 T sugar
1 tsp lemon zest
¼ c lemon juice
¼ c sliced almonds, toasted
Preheat oven to 350°.
In a large skillet, melt 2 T of the butter over medium heat. Sauté mushrooms, green onions and garlic for about 5 minutes or until just softened. Transfer to a 12 c casserole dish. In a large bowl, combine flour, paprika, salt and pepper. Add chicken and toss to coat. Remove chicken to a plate, reserving the remaining flour mixture. Wipe out skillet and melt the remaining butter over medium-high heat. Brown chicken and transfer to casserole. In the skillet, whisk together reserved flour mixture, chicken broth, wine, sugar, lemon zest and lemon juice. Bring to a boil, stirring constantly. Reduce heat and simmer, stirring occasionally, for 2 to 3 minutes or until thickened. Pour over chicken, cover and bake for 20 minutes. Sprinkle with almonds and bake, uncovered for 10 minutes or until chicken is no longer pink inside.
Serves 4
Monday, March 15, 2010
- Stir Fried Broccoli
Labels:
Salads and Vegetables
STIR-FRIED BROCCOLI
3 T chicken broth
1 T dry sherry
3 T oyster sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp plus 1 T vegetable oil
1½ lbs broccoli florets cut into ¾ inch pieces, stalks trimmed and cut into ¼ inch slices
¼ tsp sugar
Whisk broth, sherry, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Combine the garlic, pepper flakes and 1 tsp vegetable oil in a second small bowl.
Heat remaining 1 T vegetable oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add broccoli and sprinkle with sugar; cook, stirring frequently, until broccoli is well-browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Push broccoli to sides of skillet to clear center; add oil-garlic mixture and cook, mashing with rubber spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir to combine garlic mixture with broccoli. Add chicken broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until florets are cooked through, stalks are tender-crisp and sauce is thickened, 30 to 45 seconds. Serves 4.
3 T chicken broth
1 T dry sherry
3 T oyster sauce
1 tsp toasted sesame oil
1 tsp cornstarch
1 tsp brown sugar
1 clove of garlic, minced
1/8 tsp red pepper flakes
1 tsp plus 1 T vegetable oil
1½ lbs broccoli florets cut into ¾ inch pieces, stalks trimmed and cut into ¼ inch slices
¼ tsp sugar
Whisk broth, sherry, oyster sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch and brown sugar together in a small bowl. Combine the garlic, pepper flakes and 1 tsp vegetable oil in a second small bowl.
Heat remaining 1 T vegetable oil in a 12 inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until just beginning to smoke. Add broccoli and sprinkle with sugar; cook, stirring frequently, until broccoli is well-browned, 8 to 10 minutes.
Push broccoli to sides of skillet to clear center; add oil-garlic mixture and cook, mashing with rubber spatula, until fragrant, 15 to 20 seconds. Stir to combine garlic mixture with broccoli. Add chicken broth mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until florets are cooked through, stalks are tender-crisp and sauce is thickened, 30 to 45 seconds. Serves 4.
- Pulled Pork
Labels:
Main Dishes
PULLED PORK
Pork:
1 c plus 2 tsp table salt
½ c plus 2 T sugar
3 T plus 2 tsp liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt roast (about 5 lbs), cut in half horizontally
¼ c mustard
2 T ground black pepper
2 T paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Barbeque Sauce
1½ c ketchup
¼ c light or mild molasses
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T hot sauce
½ tsp table salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Dissolve 1 c salt, ½ c sugar and 3 T liquid smoke in 4 quarts of cold water in a large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 tsp liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 T sugar, remaining 2 tsp salt and cayenne pepper in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325°.
Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on a wire rack in a shallow roaster that has been sprayed with Pam and lined with tin foil (see Note 2). Place a piece of parchment paper over the pork then cover with a sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.
Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. If, unlike me, you have any extra liquid in the bottom of the roaster, carefully pour off the liquid into a fat separator and reserve for the sauce. Return the pork to the oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender and internal temperature registers 200° on thermometer (approximately 1½ hrs). Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 mins.
While the pork rests, heat the sauce in a saucepan and add ½ c of defatted liquid from the roast (I didn’t have any liquid at all) into the sauce.
Remove the tin foil lining from the roaster. Using 2 forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1/2 or all of the sauce (I used it all) and serve on buns of your choice.
Serves 8 - 10.
Notes:
1. Everyone enjoyed this but it was a bit spicy for me. I would make the same recipe again but if I was making it for people with “delicate” tastebuds, I would reduce the amount of black pepper, cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
2. Originally I could not figure out why the pan had to be lined with tin foil and the meat cooked on a wire rack. My racks took quite a beating and I then realized that the wire rack had some kind of reaction with the rubs and that would have happened to the roaster if the meat was placed directly on the bottom of the pan. My racks took quite a beating but the final result was worth it.
Pork:
1 c plus 2 tsp table salt
½ c plus 2 T sugar
3 T plus 2 tsp liquid smoke
1 boneless pork butt roast (about 5 lbs), cut in half horizontally
¼ c mustard
2 T ground black pepper
2 T paprika
1 tsp cayenne pepper
Barbeque Sauce
1½ c ketchup
¼ c light or mild molasses
2 T Worcestershire sauce
1 T hot sauce
½ tsp table salt
½ tsp ground black pepper
Dissolve 1 c salt, ½ c sugar and 3 T liquid smoke in 4 quarts of cold water in a large container. Submerge pork in brine, cover with plastic wrap, and refrigerate for 2 hours.
While pork brines, combine mustard and remaining 2 tsp liquid smoke in small bowl; set aside. Combine black pepper, paprika, remaining 2 T sugar, remaining 2 tsp salt and cayenne pepper in second small bowl; set aside. Adjust oven rack to lower middle position and heat oven to 325°.
Remove pork from brine and dry thoroughly with paper towels. Rub mustard mixture over entire surface of each piece of pork. Sprinkle entire surface of each piece with spice mixture. Place pork on a wire rack in a shallow roaster that has been sprayed with Pam and lined with tin foil (see Note 2). Place a piece of parchment paper over the pork then cover with a sheet of aluminum foil, sealing edges to prevent moisture from escaping. Roast pork for 3 hours.
Remove pork from oven; remove and discard foil and parchment. If, unlike me, you have any extra liquid in the bottom of the roaster, carefully pour off the liquid into a fat separator and reserve for the sauce. Return the pork to the oven and cook, uncovered, until well browned, tender and internal temperature registers 200° on thermometer (approximately 1½ hrs). Transfer pork to serving dish, tent loosely with foil, and let rest for 20 mins.
While the pork rests, heat the sauce in a saucepan and add ½ c of defatted liquid from the roast (I didn’t have any liquid at all) into the sauce.
Remove the tin foil lining from the roaster. Using 2 forks, shred the pork into bite-sized pieces. Toss with 1/2 or all of the sauce (I used it all) and serve on buns of your choice.
Serves 8 - 10.
Notes:
1. Everyone enjoyed this but it was a bit spicy for me. I would make the same recipe again but if I was making it for people with “delicate” tastebuds, I would reduce the amount of black pepper, cayenne pepper and hot sauce.
2. Originally I could not figure out why the pan had to be lined with tin foil and the meat cooked on a wire rack. My racks took quite a beating and I then realized that the wire rack had some kind of reaction with the rubs and that would have happened to the roaster if the meat was placed directly on the bottom of the pan. My racks took quite a beating but the final result was worth it.
Monday, March 1, 2010
March 1, 2010
I just realized that I have posted my 100th recipe! Thank you to everyone for checking out my blog!
- Whole Wheat Cinnamon Waffles
Labels:
Brunch
WHOLE WHEAT CINNAMON WAFFLES
Yields about 8 waffles depending on size of waffle iron
2 eggs
1 ½ c Buttermilk (or regular milk mixed with 1 T lemon juice)
¼ c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ c all purpose flour
½ c whole wheat flour
¼ c oat bran
2 T white sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pam
Preheat an electric waffle iron and spray liberally with Pam.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the 2 flours, oat bran, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Spoon about 1/3 c batter per waffle into iron. Close lid and cook until waffles are golden brown and steam stops coming out the sides.
Notes:
1. I know these sound too healthy to be good but they are delicious and you don’t taste all the healthy stuff. I wouldn’t have tried them if my daughter-in-law hadn’t told me about them (thanks Sherie).
2. I found myself grateful for a couple of things after I made the batter. Firstly, I was able to cook 1 batch (enough for my granddaughters) before the life of my waffle iron came to an end and secondly that I spend so much money on groceries that I discovered I had enough points for a free Cuisinart waffle iron from Save-On Foods.
Yields about 8 waffles depending on size of waffle iron
2 eggs
1 ½ c Buttermilk (or regular milk mixed with 1 T lemon juice)
¼ c vegetable oil
1 tsp vanilla extract
¾ c all purpose flour
½ c whole wheat flour
¼ c oat bran
2 T white sugar
1 T baking powder
1 tsp ground cinnamon
Pam
Preheat an electric waffle iron and spray liberally with Pam.
In a medium bowl, whisk together eggs, buttermilk, oil and vanilla. In another bowl, whisk together the 2 flours, oat bran, sugar, baking powder and cinnamon. Add egg mixture to flour mixture and stir until just combined.
Spoon about 1/3 c batter per waffle into iron. Close lid and cook until waffles are golden brown and steam stops coming out the sides.
Notes:
1. I know these sound too healthy to be good but they are delicious and you don’t taste all the healthy stuff. I wouldn’t have tried them if my daughter-in-law hadn’t told me about them (thanks Sherie).
2. I found myself grateful for a couple of things after I made the batter. Firstly, I was able to cook 1 batch (enough for my granddaughters) before the life of my waffle iron came to an end and secondly that I spend so much money on groceries that I discovered I had enough points for a free Cuisinart waffle iron from Save-On Foods.
- Chocolate Mud Pie
Labels:
Desserts
CHOCOLATE MUD PIE
1 8 oz pkg. chocolate wafers (crushed)
1/2 c butter + 3 T
1 1/2 pints coffee ice cream, softened
1/3 c cocoa
2/3 c + 2 T sugar
1 1/3 c whip cream
1 T + 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate (for garnish)
In small saucepan over low heat, melt 1/2 c. butter. Add the chocolate crumbs and stir with a fork to combine. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate (or use a spring form pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 mins. Cool crust completely on wire rack.
Once the pan has cooled, carefully spread coffee ice cream onto crust; freeze until firm, about 1 1/2 hrs.
In large saucepan over medium heat, cook cocoa, 2/3 c sugar, 1/3 c whipping cream and 3 T butter until mixture is smooth and boils. Remove from heat and stir in 1 T vanilla. Cool mixture slightly then pour over coffee ice cream. Return pie to freezer, freezing at least 1 hour.
TO SERVE: In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat remaining whipping cream with 2 T sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie. Garnish with chocolate curls.
Notes:
1. Remember this dish that was so popular 20 years ago? It is still delicious and I probably hadn't made it in 2o years!
2. Coffee ice cream can be expensive but I found that the Safeway Lucerne brand works very well at half the cost of many of the others!
1 8 oz pkg. chocolate wafers (crushed)
1/2 c butter + 3 T
1 1/2 pints coffee ice cream, softened
1/3 c cocoa
2/3 c + 2 T sugar
1 1/3 c whip cream
1 T + 1 tsp vanilla extract
2 squares semi-sweet chocolate (for garnish)
In small saucepan over low heat, melt 1/2 c. butter. Add the chocolate crumbs and stir with a fork to combine. Press into the bottom and sides of a 9" pie plate (or use a spring form pan). Bake at 375 degrees for 10 mins. Cool crust completely on wire rack.
Once the pan has cooled, carefully spread coffee ice cream onto crust; freeze until firm, about 1 1/2 hrs.
In large saucepan over medium heat, cook cocoa, 2/3 c sugar, 1/3 c whipping cream and 3 T butter until mixture is smooth and boils. Remove from heat and stir in 1 T vanilla. Cool mixture slightly then pour over coffee ice cream. Return pie to freezer, freezing at least 1 hour.
TO SERVE: In small bowl, with mixer at medium speed, beat remaining whipping cream with 2 T sugar and 1 tsp vanilla until soft peaks form. Spread whipped cream over pie. Garnish with chocolate curls.
Notes:
1. Remember this dish that was so popular 20 years ago? It is still delicious and I probably hadn't made it in 2o years!
2. Coffee ice cream can be expensive but I found that the Safeway Lucerne brand works very well at half the cost of many of the others!
- Japanese Chicken Breasts
Labels:
Main Dishes
JAPANESE CHICKEN BREASTS
Serves 8 easily
6 chicken breasts
3 beaten eggs
2½ c flour
1 c butter
Slice chicken into really thin pieces (much like slicing salmon for lox). Dip in slightly beaten egg and then in flour. Fry in butter until deep brown (remember if the chicken is sticking to the pan it is not ready to flip over – it should flip easily) and crisp. Place in shallow casserole dish (this part can be done ahead of time).
Preheat oven to 350°.
Sauce:
6 T soya sauce
6 T water
2 c white sugar (I know, I know)
1 c white vinegar
1 tsp salt
Add all sauce ingredients to a saucepan and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the casserole dish with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for a further 15 - 30 minutes, basting the chicken with the sauce occasionally during baking time.
Notes:
1. If I had not tasted this recipe at a friend’s (thanks Bonnie) house I would never have made it based on the simple ingredients. This is delicious and I can’t imagine anyone (kid or adult) not liking it.
2. The original recipe is for Japanese Chicken Wings and in the proportions that I have indicated for the balance of ingredients, you would need 6 lbs of wings.
3. This recipe goes well with Jasmine rice.
4. I usually get the chicken and the sauce done early in the day, refrigerate it until it is time to bake and then pour the sauce over the chicken.
Serves 8 easily
6 chicken breasts
3 beaten eggs
2½ c flour
1 c butter
Slice chicken into really thin pieces (much like slicing salmon for lox). Dip in slightly beaten egg and then in flour. Fry in butter until deep brown (remember if the chicken is sticking to the pan it is not ready to flip over – it should flip easily) and crisp. Place in shallow casserole dish (this part can be done ahead of time).
Preheat oven to 350°.
Sauce:
6 T soya sauce
6 T water
2 c white sugar (I know, I know)
1 c white vinegar
1 tsp salt
Add all sauce ingredients to a saucepan and cook until the sugar has dissolved. Pour the sauce over the chicken. Cover the casserole dish with tin foil and bake for 30 minutes. Remove tin foil and bake for a further 15 - 30 minutes, basting the chicken with the sauce occasionally during baking time.
Notes:
1. If I had not tasted this recipe at a friend’s (thanks Bonnie) house I would never have made it based on the simple ingredients. This is delicious and I can’t imagine anyone (kid or adult) not liking it.
2. The original recipe is for Japanese Chicken Wings and in the proportions that I have indicated for the balance of ingredients, you would need 6 lbs of wings.
3. This recipe goes well with Jasmine rice.
4. I usually get the chicken and the sauce done early in the day, refrigerate it until it is time to bake and then pour the sauce over the chicken.
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