Another winter storm on our way...

...which means its time for some comfort food for dinner. Tonight we're having Chili con Carne and this great Cornbread Muffin Recipe I found from a Cooking Light Magazine (October 2007). Hope you enjoy them as much as we did...

Chili con carne

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil
1 large onion
2 tbsp minced garlic
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
1 lb extra-lean ground beef
796 ml (18 oz) can crushed tomatoes
1 cup beef stock
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsp sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
398 ml (14 oz) can beans in maple syrup

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pan and add the onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chilli and cumin and cook for 1 minute.

Add the ground beef and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned, breaking up any lumps with a fork as it cooks.

Stir in the tomato, stock, oregano and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Run a hand blender to thin out the meat mixture.

Stir in the tomato paste and beans. Cook for 5 minutes to heat the beans, then serve with cornbread to mop up the juices.


Corn Bread Muffins
from: Cooking Light, OCTOBER 2007

Ingredients

2/3 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 cup yellow cornmeal
1 tablespoon sugar
1 1/2 teaspoons baking powder
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/2 cup (2 ounces) cheddar cheese
1/2 cup reduced-fat sour cream
1/4 cup thinly sliced green onions
1 (10-ounce) can cream-style corn
Dash of hot sauce
1 large egg, lightly beaten
Cooking spray

Directions

Preheat oven to 375°.

Lightly spoon the flour into dry measuring cups; level with a knife. Combine flour and next 4 ingredients (through salt) in a large bowl. Combine cheese and remaining ingredients except cooking spray in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add to flour mixture; stir just until moistened.

Divide batter evenly among muffin cups coated with cooking spray. Bake at 375° for 17 minutes or until golden brown. Cool in cups 2 minutes on wire racks; remove from pans. Cool completely on wire racks.

Enjoy!

Baby Shower...

I am a firm believer that every baby should be showered with love, friends and family, whether its the first, second or seventh child. Maybe you don't need an elaborate baby shower with hundreds of gifts but why not get everyone together and celebrate the meaning of life with some laughter, some yummy home-cooked food and a few games. So we decided to throw a small and intimate baby shower for our cousin, who is expecting her second baby any day now.


Below are some games we played to get everyone up and moving:

Baby Pictionary
Create playing cards with the words below that have to do with babies. Divide into teams of 3 and give each team a pen or pencil and pad of paper. Each round, one person from each team views a card and draws the word or phrase for her team to guess. No words can be used. The team that guesses correctly first earns one point. Set a timer for two minutes to keep the game moving along. If the timer goes off before a team guesses correctly, allow someone new from each team to draw and choose a new card. After playing 5-10 rounds, each team adds up their points and the team with the most wins. A prize should be given to each person on the team. Here are some of the words we had:

Contractions
Formula
Dirty diaper
Crawling
Pacifier
Circumsion
Burp pad
Baby wipe
Water broke
Due date
Morning sickness
Umbilical cord
Cravings
Stretch marks

Any guess what this word was?

Baby Sock Game
(Materials: 14 pairs of baby socks that can be given to the mommy to be after the game, timer). Take the 14 pairs of new baby socks of different styles and colors and mix them up. Next, start and timer and tossed them in the middle of the floor, each guest has 30 seconds to try and "match" as many socks as they can.

Guess Mom's Tummy Size
Materials- String or yarn and scissors)
Have each woman pull the yarn to the size they believe would fit perfectly around the Mother-To-Be's center of her pregnant tummy. After everyone cuts their string, compare the results to the Mommy-To-Be's actual tummy. Give a prize to the woman who is the most close! In this case our strings were soooooooooooo long that we had to invite the daddy-to-be to stand back to back with his wife and then had everyone measure around BOTH their tummies to see who was the closest. Crazy to think that alot of the strings were still too long :)

Pregnant for a Day Co-Ed Game
Don't tell the object of the game up-front. Make a statement to the women in attendance-- "How many of us women wished that men could be pregnant just for one day?" Ask the men to come to the front of the room. Hand each man a balloon. For each man that doesn't have on shoes with shoe laces, tie the piece of yarn around each of his slip on shoes to mimic a shoestring. Instruct each man to blow up his balloon and tell each man when to stop filling it with air. The balloons should be filled with enough air that it could fit under each participant's shirt, yet be a bit uncomfortable for them to sit down and tie their shoes without popping the balloon. Start the game and whoever ties their shoes without popping the balloon, or lifting their feet from the floor wins. This game usually provides some great picture moments. At the end of the game we had all our "pregnant" men pose with the mommy-to-be.

Do You Know What It Is
Sort the following items into paper bags (one item per bag) and number the bags 1-10
1. Bottle
2. Aspirator
3. Bib
4. Yellow Rubber Ducky
5. Shampoo
6. Hanger
7. Onesie
8. Wash cloth
9. Ear Medicine dropper/Ear syringe
10. Receiving Blanker

Give each guest a pad and pen and have them number 1-10 and then hand out the bags randomly to the guests. Each guest or team at the baby shower will try to figure out what is in each bag based on what they can feel and/or hear (the bags can not be opened). The bags are passed around until everyone has had a chance to touch and write down their answers. The mother-to-be then opens each bag and shows it to the guests. The guest who gets the most correct gets a prize. (A clue that was passed to the guests... The first letter of each item spells out baby shower)

Finish the Baby Rhyme
As the new mom was opening her gifts, a part of a nursery rhyme was read out loud that was to be finished by the individual who gave the gift she was opening. It was a great activity for the gift opening section and a great laugh. (some of us had remembered them quite differently ;)

1) Mary had a little lamb, it's _____________.
2) Baa, baa, black sheep, _____________?
3) Mary, Mary, quite _____________?
4) Rub-a-dub-dub, three men in a tub, ____________?
5) Pat-a-cake, ________________!
6) Little Jack Horner, sat in a corner, ______________
7) Little Miss Muffet, sat on a tuffet, ________________
8) Peter Piper picked _____________.
9) One, two, buckle my shoe, _____________.
10) Peter, Peter, pumpkin-eater, ____________.

Answers to the questions.
1) fleece was white as snow
2) have you any wool
3) contrary, how does your garden grow?
4) and how do you think they got there?
5) pat-a-cake, Baker's man
6) eating his Christmas pie;
7) eating her curds and whey
8) a peck of pickled peppers
9) three four, knock at the door
10) had a wife but couldn't keep her

Laundry
This game is a lot of fun and any age can play. You need 2 laundry baskets and assorted size and shape balloons. Place a basket at either side of the room or at any distance, and place the inflated balloons in the starting basket. The object of the game is to have the players fit as many balloons between their legs and waddle to the other basket and without using their hands get the balloons in the basket. This game is really funny because sometimes the balloons stick to the players legs, fall out or if the squeeze their legs too tight the balloons will pop.

Have fun!

Quick Lunch

I remember being in college and I came across a recipe in a Chatelaine magazine that had a twist on the classic tuna salad. I had passed on the recipe to my family and since then this recipe has gone through many changes, deletions and additions. This has been my take on the recipe and a favorite around here whenever a quick lunch is needed.



Tuna Salad

Ingredients


1 cup of rigatoni, penne or elbow macaroni pasta
1 tbsp salt
2 small cans of tuna, drained
¼ cup chick peas
¼ cup of chopped stuffed pimentos
4 mini pickles, sliced
¼ red onion, chopped (or ¼ cup green onions, chopped)
1 tbsp of hot pimento paste
2 tbsp of mayo

Directions

Bring water to boil. Add salt and pasta. Cook for 10-12 minutes. Drain.


In a bowl add tuna, chick peas, pimentos, pickles, green onions, pimento paste, mayo. Mix well. Then add pasta and mix well. Place in bowls .


Serves 2


Enjoy!

So much bread leftovers...

...is that even possible? In our household, yes! So I decided to try another cooking challenge combining all my leftovers with cinnamon and ended up with french toast for dessert...

Dessert French Toast with Fresh Berries and Cinnamon Vanilla Sauce

Ingredients

4 large eggs

1/2 cup evaporated Milk

2 tablespoons melted unsalted butter

1 tablespoon granulated sugar

1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

1/4 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pinch salt

1 French baguette

3 tablespoons granulated sugar

2 teaspoons cornstarch 2 cinnamon sticks

1 cup evaporated Milk

1 teaspoon vanilla extract

1 pint fresh berries (strawberries, blueberries and/or blackberries)

Powdered sugar, vanilla ice cream or fresh whipped cream (optional)

Directions

FOR FRENCH TOAST:

WHISK together eggs, evaporated milk, butter, sugar, cinnamon, vanilla extract and salt in a medium bowl. Slice bread 1-inch thick on the diagonal. Place bread in a flat-bottomed shallow dish. Pour egg mixture over bread and turn bread to coat evenly. Let soak for 2 minutes. Melt butter in a large non-stick skillet over medium heat. Add bread and cook on each side until golden, about 2 minutes per side.

FOR CINNAMON VANILLA SAUCE:

COMBINE sugar, cornstarch and cinnamon sticks in a double boiler. Bring water to a boil and then gradually stir in evaporated milk into sugar mixture. Cook over medium heat, stirring constantly, until mixture comes just to a boil and slightly thickens. Remove from heat and remove cinnamon sticks; stir in vanilla extract.PLACE 2 slices of French toast on plates. Arrange berries on top of each slice; spoon sauce over berries. Garnish with cinnamon, powdered sugar, ice cream or whipped cream, if desired. Serve immediately.

Hope it warms your tummy like it did ours. Enjoy!

I'm not a salmon fan...

...but this recipe won me over! I came across it while reading a baby magazine, I think but boy am I glad I tried it... Even our 14-month baby loved it!

Sesame Salmon Fillets with Red Onion & Ginger Cream

Ingredients

454g salmon fillet (4 pieces)
Salt and pepper to season
3 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
1 tbsp butter
½ small red onion, thinly sliced
1 ½ tbsp minced ginger
2 tbsp rice vinegar
1 cup heavy cream

Directions

Sprinkle salmon with salt and pepper; press tops into seeds. Place skin down on buttered, foil lined baking sheet. Bake in 450 degree oven for 10-15 minutes or just until white juices appear.

In a large skillet, melt butter over medium heat. Sauté onions and ginger until soft, about 5 minutes. Stir in vinegar until it evaporates. Stir in cream and bring to a boil. Boil for 2 minutes and season with salt and pepper.

Spoon sauce on serving plates and top with salmon. I served it with a prosciutto & chick pea salad and boiled baby carrots.

Enjoy!

What did I get myself into?

I decided to join the Daring Bakers Challenge and of all recipes to start with, this month our challenge was Julia Child's French Bread hosted by Bread Chick Mary of The Sour Dough and Sara of I Like to Cook.

My biggest fear about baking has always been making my own bread although deep down inside I always wished I was a natural baker… so for 25 days of the month of February, I procrastinated and questioned dropping out of this month’s challenge. If I hadn’t done it this month, I don’t think I’d have ever have tried making it on my own. Can’t believe what a wonderful support team the girls on DB are. After having looked at the 16 page recipe and 7-9 hours needed to complete this recipe, I had to ask my sister for help. She was able to condense the recipe down to 1 ½ pages… I was starting to see some light at the end of the tunnel.

I made the recipe and it wasn’t as difficult as I had thought. The hardest part of this challenge was to wait 2 hours for the bread to cool and with the apartment smelling like fresh bread, after about an hour of waiting, hubby and I caved in… We cut a piece and as we spread the butter, slowly seeing it melt, I instantly knew this was going to be heaven. I’ve been won over and will definitely have to try this recipe once again…

Pain Francais (French Bread)

(From Mastering the Art of French Cooking: Volume Two by Julia Child and Simone Beck)

Recipe Quantity:

3 - baguettes (24” x 2”) or batards (16” x 3”)

Making French Bread:

Step 1: The Dough Mixture

(1 ¾ tsp) 1 package dry active yeast

1/3 cup (75ml) warm water,

3 ½ cup all purpose flour, measured by scooping

dry measure cups into flour and sweeping off excess

2 ¼ tsp salt

1 ¼ cups tepid water

Directions

Stir the yeast in the 1/3 cup warm water and let liquefy completely while measuring flour into mixing bowl. When yeast has liquefied, pour it into the flour along with the salt and the rest of the water.

Stir and cut the liquids into the flour with a rubber spatula, pressing firmly to form a dough and making sure that all the bits of flour and unmassed pieces are gathered in. Turn dough out onto kneading surface, scraping bowl clean. Dough will be soft and sticky.

Depending the humidity and temperature of your kitchen and the type of AP flour your use, you may need to add additional flour or water to the dough. If the dough is super sticky, add additional flour one handful at a time until the dough is slightly sticky and tacky but not dry. If the dough is dry and feels hard, add 1 Tbsp of water a time until the dough is soft and slightly sticky.

Turn dough out onto kneading surface, dough will be soft and sticky. Let the dough rest for 2 – 3 minutes.

Step 2: Kneading

Start kneading by lifting the near edge of the dough and flipping the dough over onto itself. Scrape dough off the surface and slap it down; lift edge and flip it over again, repeating the movement rapidly. In 2 -3 minutes the dough should have enough body so that you can give it a quick forward push with the heel of your hand as you flip it over. Continue to knead rapidly and vigorously in this way. If the dough remains too sticky, knead in a sprinkling of flour. The whole kneading process will take 5 – 10 minutes. Let dough rest for 3 – 4 minutes. Knead by hand for a minute.

Step 3: First Rising

You now have approximately 3 cups of dough that is to rise to 3 1/2 times its original volume. Wash and fill the mixing bowl with 10 1/2 cups of tepid water (70 – 80 degrees) and make a mark to indicate that level on the outside of the bowl. Pour out the water, dry the bowl, and place the dough in it (Very lightly grease the bowl with butter or kitchen spray as well to prevent the risen dough from sticking to the bowl).

Cover the bowl with plastic, and top with a folded bath towel. Let rise free from drafts. Dough took 3 hours to rise to 10 1/2 cups. (I had the oven on at 300 degrees the entire time to keep the apartment warm). When fully risen, the dough will be humped into a slight dome.

Step 4: Deflating and Second Rising

With a rubber spatula, dislodge dough from inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface, scraping bowl clean. If dough seems damp and sweaty, sprinkle with a tablespoon of flour. Lightly flour the palms of your hands and flatten the dough firmly but not too roughly into a circle, deflating any gas bubbles by pinching them. Lift a corner of the near side and flip it down on the far side. Do the same with the left side, then the right side. Finally, lift the near side and tuck it just under the edge of the far side. The mass of dough will look like a rounded cushion. Slip the sides of your hands under the dough and return it to the bowl. Cover and let rise again, this time to not quite triple, but again until it is dome shaped and light and spongy when touched. Dough took 2 hours to rise.

Step 5: Cutting and resting dough before forming loaves

Loosen dough all around inside of bowl and turn out onto a lightly floured surface. Making clean cuts with a large knife, divide the dough into 3 equal pieces for long loaves (baguettes). After you have cut each piece, lift one end and flip it over onto the opposite end to fold the dough into two; place dough at far side of kneading surface. Cover loosely with a sheet of plastic and let rest for 5 minutes before forming.

Step 6: Forming the loaves

After the 3 pieces of dough have rested 5 minutes, form one piece at a time, keeping the remaining ones covered.Working rapidly, turn the dough upside down on a lightly floured kneading surface and pat it firmly but not too roughly into an 8 to 10 inch oval with the lightly floured palms of your hands. Deflate any gas bubbles in the dough by pinching them. Fold the dough in half lengthwise by bringing the far edge down over the near edge. Being sure that the working surface is always lightly floured so the dough will not stick and tear, seal the edges of the dough together. Flatten the dough again into an oval with the palms of your hands. Now, by rolling the dough back and forth with the palms of your hands, you will lengthen it into a sausage shape. Start in the middle, placing your right palm on the dough, and your left palm on top of your right hand. Roll the dough forward and backward rapidly, gradually sliding your hands towards the two ends as the dough lengthens. Deflate any gas blisters on the surface by pinching them. Repeat the rolling movement rapidly several times until the dough is 16 inches long, or whatever length will fit on your baking sheet.

Step 7 &8: Final Rise

Sprinkle the baking sheet with corn meal and place the baguette dough on it. Cover with plastic and towel once again and let rise for an additional hour. Preheat oven to 450 degrees about 30 minutes before estimated baking time.

Step 9: Slashing top of the dough – la coupe.

The top of each piece of dough is now to be slashed in several places. I made 3 slashes with some cooking scissors I had handy.

Step 10: Baking – about 25 minutes; oven preheated to 450 degrees (230 degrees C).

As soon as the dough has been slashed, moisten the surface with a soft brush dipped in cold water and slide the baking sheet onto rack in upper third of preheated oven. (I placed a bowl of water with ice cubes on the lower rack to create some steam in the oven) Rapidly paint with cold water after 3 minutes, again in 3 minutes, and a final time 3 minutes later. Moistening the dough at this point helps the crust to brown and allows the yeast action to continue in the dough a little longer. The bread should be done in about 25 minutes; the crust will be crisp, and the bread will make a hollow sound when thumped.

If you want the crust to shine, paint lightly with a brush dipped in cold water as soon as you slide the baking sheet out of oven.

Step 11: Cooling – 2 to 3 hours

Cool the bread on a rack so that air can circulate freely around each piece. Although bread is always exciting to eat fresh from the oven, it will have a much better taste when the inside is thoroughly cool and has composed itself.

This is what mine looked like when all was said and done...

and here's a picture of my sister's French bread...its funny how we can all have the same recipe but end up with a very different end product.

Here's looking forward to next month's challenge. Enjoy!

It's a Cold February Night...

My husband kept mentioning this homemade chicken & rice soup, his mom used to make for him all the time when he was a child. So here’s my attempt at making a Filipino dish called Arroz Caldo and I have to admit I really loved it too! What a great dish to make on a cold February night…

Chicken Congee (Arroz Caldo)

Ingredients

2 tablespoons of oil
1 tablespoon minced garlic
1 tablespoon minced ginger
1 onion, chopped
1 rotisserie chicken, deboned, chopped
1 cup long grain rice
7-8 cups of water or chicken stock
2 tablespoons patis (fish sauce)
½ tablespoon black pepper
1 chicken bullion cube
3 stalks green onions, chopped
Fried minced garlic
1 lemon, sliced into wedges

Directions

In a pot heat oil, then sauté garlic, ginger and onions. Cook until onions are softened and translucent. Add chicken and heat through. Add rice and stir to coat with oil. Pour in chicken stock to cook the rice. Season with patis, black pepper and bullion cube (if used water instead of chicken stock).

Continue cooking over low heat until rice is done. Approximately 30-40 minutes, stirring occasionally.

Serve topped with chopped green onions, fried garlic and a wedge of lemon.

Enjoy!

Smoked Salmon Penne with Asparagus

I was looking through a decorating magazine and came across this recipe by Michael Smith. I just love how he throws ingredients together and always seems to make a yummy dish. I made some changes based on what I had in the fridge so here goes. I'm not a salmon fan but hubby is and he really liked how this came together...

Smoked Salmon Penne with Asparagus

Ingredients

500 g vegetable penne
1 bunch of asparagus, chopped
125 g (1/2 cup) cream cheese, softened
4 green onions, chopped
1 lemon, juiced and zested
½ tbsp of Dijon mustard
2 tbsp of capers
8 ounces of smoked salmon
Salt and pepper, to taste
½ bunch of fresh dill, chopped

Directions

Bring a large post of salted water to a boil. Add pasta. Cook to al dente (8-10 minutes). After 6-8 minutes add the asparagus to the pasta and continue to cook until pasta is ready.

Line bowls with smoked salmon.

Reserve 1 cup of the pasta water. Drain the pasta. Place the pasta back into the pot with ½ cup of pasta water.

Immediately add cream cheese, green onions, lemon juice, zest, mustard and capers. Toss well, melting the cheese and forming the creamy sauce. Add more pasta water if needed. Season with salt and pepper.

Place pasta on salmon bowls and top with dill. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Portuguese Comfort Food for a cold & wintery day...

So we've been getting a range of weather over the last couple of weeks, from the very warm to the very bitter cold. I think I've finally found the perfect soup recipe "Sopa de Couves to get us through those cold winter nights.

Sopa de Couves (Kale Soup)




Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
1 medium onion, coarsely chopped
2 cloves garlic finely chopped
2 tablespoons tomato paste
1 tablespoon pimento paste
8 cups of water (or low-sodium chicken stock)
1 leg of Portuguese chouriço sausage
8 mini white potatoes, peeled and quartered
½ bag of baby carrots, cut in thirds
1 tablespoon coarse salt or to taste
1/3 cup elbow macaroni pasta
½ bunch fresh kale or collard greens, rinsed and sliced thinly
1 pound (2 1/2 cups) dried red kidney beans soaked overnight covered by cold water

Directions

Heat olive oil. Add onion until soft and fragrant. Then add garlic, tomato paste and pimento paste and sauté for 1 minute.

Add 8 cups of water and chouriço. Bring to a boil and cook for 30 minutes.

Remove chouriço and cut into quarters. Add back to the water. Add potatoes and carrots. Cook for 10 minutes.

Add salt, pasta and kale to the pot and simmer for about 10 minutes.

Add beans, reduce heat to medium-low and continue to simmer for another 5-10 minutes. Soup is ready when the pasta is done and the kale is tender.

Note: Add a touch of red wine to soup and serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

Yummy Turkey...

I've made many turkeys since moving into this apartment but never as yummy or juicy as this one...

Roasted Turkey

Ingredients

1 (6.5 kg) turkey
Garlic salt
4 tbsp hot pimento paste, divided
2 lemons, quartered1 medium onion, quartered
½ cup unsalted butter (1 stick), melted
2 tbsp garlic, pureed
1 cup red wine
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup water
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1 Spanish onion
8 carrots, peeled and cut in 2-inch chunks 1 bag of small yellow potatoes

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F.

Remove turkey parts from neck and breast cavities and wash the turkey inside and out. Dry bird well with paper towels, inside and out. Place the turkey in a large roasting pan. Liberally salt and pepper the inside of the turkey cavity. Stuff the cavity with the lemons and onion.

Melt the butter. Add the pureed garlic and 2 tbsp of hot pimento paste. Sprinkle the turkey with salt and brush the outside of the turkey with the butter mixture. Tie the legs together with string and cover the wing tips with foil.

Mix the wine, chicken stock and water and pour ½ into the roasting pan. Set aside the remaining ½ for later.

Peel and slice the remaining onions, toss them with olive oil, and scatter them around the turkey.
Roast the turkey for 1 hour. Lower the oven temperature to 325 degrees F and tent the turkey with foil. Continue to roast, consistently basting the turkey with the wine mixture for about 3 hours more.

Toss the onion, carrots and potatoes with the vegetable oil and add to the roasting pan. Return the pan to the oven and continue to roast for about 1 1/2 hours more, or until the juices run clear when you cut between the leg and the thigh. Remove the turkey to a cutting board and cover with foil for 20 minutes. Stir the vegetables and return the pan to the oven. Continue to cook the vegetables while the turkey rests. Slice the turkey and serve on a platter with the roasted vegetables.

Enjoy!

Happy New Year....

Okay its been way too long since my last post and its catch-up time... We've had a rough start to 2008 but no need for it to define the upcoming year ahead of us.

Hubby and I wanted to start the New Year with having our family over for a nice lunch. Here was our Menu:

New Years Day Menu

Appetizer:
Individual Ham & Cheese Quiches

Main:
Roasted Turkey
Stuffing with sautéed vegetables (mushrooms, red peppers, onions)
Roasted Vegetables (carrots, red onions, small yellow potatoes)
Spinach Salad (mandarin oranges, slivered almonds and red onion slices)

Desserts:
Toblerone Chocolate Fondue (strawberries, pound cake, ladyfingers, angel food cake)
Squares

Another pork recipe...

With so much pork defrosting in the fridge, I was glad to come across this recipe in my archives...

Honey-Soy Glazed Pork Chops
(from Good Housekeeping)

Ingredients

4 boneless pork loin chops
¼ teaspoon coarsely ground black pepper
3 tablespoons honey
2 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
½ teaspoon cornstarch
1 garlic clove, minced
2 green onions, sliced for garnish

Directions

Sprinkle 1 side of each pork chop with black pepper

Heat skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot spray with cooking spray. Add pork chops, pepper side down and cook about 4 minutes or until browned. Reduce heat and continue to cook chops until they just lose their pink colour. Transfer chops to platter, cover with foil to keep warm.

In a cup, mix honey, soy sauce, balsamic vinegar and cornstarch until smooth.

Add garlic to skillet, cook for 30 seconds. Stir honey mixture into skillet (mixture will boil) and cook for 1 minute (stirring constantly). Spoon sauce over pork chops and sprinkle with green onions for garnish.

Serve with wilted spinach and baked sweet potato or fluffy rice.

An old favorite...

In the process of baby proofing and decluttering our apartment, I came across some of my old (college) recipe cutouts... Now I remember why I had kept these recipes this long. It was perfect timing too because I had a large package of boneless pork loin defrosting in the fridge with no idea what to do with them.

Pork and Broccoli Stir-Fry
(adapted from the Milk Calendar: Millenium Edition)

Ingredients

2 tbsp cornstarch, divided
3 tbsp soy sauce, divided
1 tbsp sherry
1 lb lean boneless pork, cut in thin strips
1 cup milk
½ tsp hot pepper sauce (or to taste)
1 tsp of dark sesame oil
1 bunch broccoli
2 tbsp Mazola oil
1 cup baby carrots, halved or sliced
1 onion, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 tbsp minced gingerroot (or 2 tsp ground ginger)
2 tbsp oyster sauce

Directions

In bowl, stir together 1 tbsp of cornstarch, 1 tbsp soy sauce and sherry. Add pork and stir to coat well.

In separate bowl, stir milk with remaining cornstarch, soy sauce, hot pepper sauce and sesame oil; set aside.

Separate broccoli into florets.

In wok, heat oil over high heat. Add pork mixture, carrots and onion. Stir-fry for 4 minutes or until meat is lightly browned. Stir in garlic, ginger and broccoli; stir-fry for 2 minutes.

Stir in milk mixture; cook, stirring often, for 4 minutes or until sauce is thickened and broccoli is tender-crisp. Add oyster sauce and heat through.

Enjoy!

Chocolate fondue...yummy!

After a long week of many assignments and college open houses, we wanted to treat my little sister to a fun evening.... So chocolate, cake and strawberries was on the menu (actually it was the only thing on the menu...oops). Not the healthiest but oh so yummy!

Having never used my fondue pot, I was a little worried but this couldn't have been any easier.

Toblerone Chocolate Fondue

Ingredients

300 grams of Toblerone chocolate
½ cup of heavy (whipping) cream, room temperature
1 ½ tablespoons of Blue Curacao (orange flavoured) liqueur

Directions

1. Over a double boiler melt Toblerone chocolate.
2. Slowly stir in heavy cream and the liqueur.
3. Add to fondue pot (over low heat) and serve with pound cake and strawberries.

Enjoy!

Wonton Soup

This is always a very quick soup to make and great for those cool and brisk November days...

Shrimp & Pork Wonton Soup

Ingredients

2 tablespoons oil
1 medium onion, minced
3-4 cloves garlic, minced
4 cups of reduced-sodium chicken stock
4 cups of water
1 package (300g) Leek & Pork Wontons
½ cooked chicken breast (leftovers), chopped
2 teaspoons fish sauce
¼ cup chopped green onions

Directions

Heat the oil in a pot. Saute the onions until transparent, 2-3 minutes, then add garlic and sauté until fragrant, 1-2 minutes.

Pour in the chicken stock and water and bring to a boil. Add the wontons. Stir them slowly (in case they stick to the pot).

Bring water to a boil and then reduce heat to medium and cook for 4-5 minutes. After they float to top, add the chicken and shrimp. Simmer until the shrimp turns pink, another 1-2 minutes.

Season with fish sauce and garnish with green onions.

Back to blogging my favorites...

Okay so the month of November has been very busy for me as I get myself ready to return to work after having spent a wonderful year watching my little baby grow. What a blessing it has been!

But that doesn't mean I didn't cook in November it was more about the eating our favorite and easy dishes than of trying new recipes.

Here's a favorite of our home: Filipino Beef Steak (Bistek). It's very similar to a Portuguese dish my mom used to cook for us on special Sundays.

Bistek: Filipino Beef Steak


Ingredients

Marinade:
1/4 cup lime juice
1/4 cup dark soy sauce1 pound of beef sirloin, thinly sliced
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon ground black pepper

¼ cup oil
1 large red onion, thinly sliced
2 cups of mushrooms, sliced
½ teaspoon salt

Directions

In a bowl, mix lime juice and soy sauce. Add beef, garlic and ground pepper. Mix well and let marinate in the refrigerator for 30 minutes.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and sauté the onion until soft. Add mushrooms and sauté until onions are slightly browned. Set aside.

Pan fry the beef slices in batches in the same frying pan, removing them as they brown (1-2 minutes on each side). Pour the marinade into the skillet, add salt and boil for 1 minute.

Return the beef slices, reserved onion rings and mushrooms to the pan and simmer for 1-2 minutes.

Serve at once.

Enjoy!

Adobo Chicken

This dish took a long time to develop, after many hit and misses, although hubby never seemed to complain, I think I've finally perfected Chicken Adobo. This dish is a regular for us now especially served over hot steamed rice.

Chicken Adobo

Ingredients

8 boneless chicken thighs or any cut of chicken, quartered
2-3 cloves chopped garlic
1 medium to large chopped onion
1 tsp of black pepper
1 bay leaf
1/3 cup vinegar
3 tbsp soya sauce
½ cup of water

Directions

In large sautee pan (aluminum pots may react with the vinegar), heat pan with about 2-3 tablespoons of cooking oil (veggie or canola will do)

Brown the chicken then place in a plate.

Saute chopped garlic and onions in the pot - cook until translucent.

Add chicken to the pot and add vinegar, bay leaf, soya sauce, water and pepper.

Bring to a boil, stir and then let simmer on low heat for about 20 minutes. This ensures almost all the liquid is gone, and then it naturally fries itself in the oils left in the pan.

Serve over hot steamed rice.

Enjoy!

Pasta, cheese.... mmm... Lasagna

I took this dish over to our friend's home as we tried to get all of our friends together for a night of good food, lots of laughter and tons of babies... :) It's easy and when served with garlic bread and ceasar salad, its a quick and complete meal. The night was topped off with Hershey’s Perfectly Chocolate Cake that just hit seemed to hit the right spot.

Helena’s Meat Lasagna

Ingredients

1 pound lean ground beef
1 medium yellow onion, finely chopped
1 tablespoon hot pimento paste
700 ml of Ragu or tomato sauce
1 can of tomato paste
1 can of water
1 package of whole mushrooms, chopped
1 red bell pepper, chopped
1 green bell pepper, chopped
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2 cups shredded mozzarella cheese
2 tablespoons of Italian seasoning
2 tablespoons of parmesan cheese
1 package oven-ready lasagna noodles

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.

Brown beef in a large frying pan over medium-high heat, adding chopped onion and pimento paste to meat as it cooks. When meat has browned, drain off fat and place in a large pan.

Then add tomato sauce, tomato paste and water. Use your hand blender to mince meat. Then add chopped mushrooms and bell peppers. Simmer for 20 minutes.

Lay a small amount of the tomato sauce mixture. Then sprinkle eggs over the mixture. Sprinkle with mozzarella cheese and then lay noodles lengthwise across bottom of casserole dish. Add a layer of meat mixture, eggs, then cover with mozzarella cheese and repeat for a total of 3 layers. Finish with a layer of cheese and bake for 30 minutes or until bubbling.

Remove from heat and let stand for 15 minutes before cutting and serving.

Enjoy!

Cake... and its better than sex??? Well almost :)

I tried this cake for a baby shower we went to and everyone really seemed to like it... Nothing was left behind... Gotta like those days :)

Almost Better Than Sex Cake



Ingredients

1 marble cake mix
1 cup semisweet butterscotch chips
¾ cup to 1 can (14 oz.) sweetened condensed milk
Caramel topping
12 ounces Cool Whip
1 bag of toffee candy bits, crushed

Preparation

Heat oven to 350 F.

Grease and flour 9 x 13 inch pan. Prepare cake mix as directed on package; pour into prepared pan. After 10 minutes of baking, sprinkle with chips. Continue baking until cake is done.

Do not remove cake from pan. While cake is still hot, poke holes in it with handle of wooden spoon. (I made slits in the cake - careful not to go all the way through or else it becomes to difficult to serve) In a separate saucepan over low heat (or microwave), heat the caramel sauce with the sweetened condensed milk. Pour over the cake so it runs into the slits/holes. Let cool.

Frost the cake with the whipped topping and sprinkle with candy bits to decorate the top.

Serves 16

Enjoy!

Helena’s Famous Beer Chicken

At my last visit to Portugal, I had watched my aunt make a very quick and easy chicken dish and since then I've made some changes to the original recipe but continue to keep it in my cooking repertoire. It is one of my hubby's favorite meals.

Helena’s Famous Beer Chicken

Ingredients

4 skinless chicken thighs with bone
½ package of Knorr onion soup
¼ cup of (low-sodium) vegetable broth
1 bottle of beer
1 tablespoon of pimento paste
1 teaspoon of white wine vinegar
1 tablespoon of cornstarch, dissolved in 1 tbsp of water

Directions

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees F.
2. Spray a rectangular baking dish with non-stick cooking spray. Wash the chicken and place in baking dish.
3. Sprinkle with onion soup. Pour in broth and beer. Stir in pimento paste and vinegar.
4. Bake for 1 hour or until chicken is done.
5. Take the chicken juices and place in a pan. Reduce. Add cornstarch to thicken.
6. Pour sauce over chicken and serve.

Enjoy!

Giada's Pork Chops

Today's dinner was a twist on Giada's Pork Chops with Sweet Onion Marmellata. It was absolutely yummy, especially when served with couscous and a side salad or green beans and steamed baby carrots.

Pork Chops with Sweet Onion Marmellata




Onion Marmellata:
1/4 cup olive oil
4 large onions, thinly sliced (about 3 pounds)
1/4 cup quince marmalade
1 tablespoon chopped fresh thyme (or ½ tsp of dried thyme)
1 teaspoon garlic salt
1 teaspoon hot pimento paste
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar

Pork Chops:
2 cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon garlic salt
2 tablespoons of hot pimento pepper
2 tablespoons of water
4 to 6 boneless pork loin chops

For the onion marmellata, place a large, heavy pot over medium-high heat. Add the olive oil and the onions. Stir to combine and cook until starting to sizzle, about 2 minutes. Add the remaining ingredients. Reduce the heat to low. Cover the pot and cook over low heat for 2 hours, stirring every 30 minutes to scrape up any brown bits. The onions should be a soft, jam-like consistency and a deep mahogany color.

Meanwhile, for the pork chops, combine the garlic, salt, and pepper in a small bowl. Using your fingers, work all the ingredients together until well combined. Rub the mixture over the pork chops. Cover with plastic wrap and reserve in the refrigerator.

About 20 minutes before the onions are finished, remove the pork chops from the refrigerator. Place a grill pan over medium-high heat or preheat a gas or charcoal grill. Grill the pork chops to medium, about 7 minutes a side depending on thickness. To serve, spoon the onion marmellata over the pork chops. Sprinkle with the chopped parsley. Serve immediately.

Enjoy!

Chicken Leftovers...

After last night's chicken we had lots of chicken leftovers and a favorite of my hubby's is Chicken Squares... It'll become one of your faves too.

Chicken Squares



Ingredients

3 ounces cream cheese softened
1 tablespoon butter melted,
2 cups chopped cooked chicken
1 tablespoon chopped green onion
2 tablespoons of pesto
1 tablespoon of sundried tomatoes (or roasted red peppers)
1/2 teaspoon hot pimento paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
8 ounces refrigerated crescent rolls

Directions

Preheat oven to 350°F.

In a medium mixing bowl, combine cream cheese and butter. Add the rest of the ingredients; mix well.

Divide crescent rolls and form into 4 rectangles, pressing edges together to seal. Divide chicken mixture among the rectangles. Fold dough over mixture and press edges with a fork to seal. Place on an ungreased baking sheet. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes or until golden brown.

Serves: 4

Enjoy!

Mexican Birthday Party (cont'd)

As for drinks we had the following specialty drinks on our menu:

Strawberry Daiquiri Jell-O Shot

3 packages of strawberry jello
3 cups of hot water
2 cups of rum, chilled

Mix the jello with the hot water until sugar dissolves. Then add the chilled rum and place in small cups. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Margarita Jell-O Shot

3 packages of lime jello
3 cups of hot water
2 cups of tequila, chilled

Mix the jello with the hot water until sugar dissolves. Then add the chilled tequila and place in small cups. Refrigerate for at least 4 hours.

Notes: Next time I would add one more cup of water as we found these shots very strong :)

Margarita Punch

1 can frozen limeade, thawed
1 can water
1 can of ice
1 can of a good tequila
1 bottle of Corona beer
1 lemon, thinly sliced
1 lime, thinly sliced

Mix all of the above ingredients together and serve in a pitcher.

Thank you to my fellow nesties for all of their great suggestions!

Mexican Birthday Party (cont'd)

Our main dishes included a Taco Bar & Chili con carne.... We did serve the chili with sweet corn muffins but the recipe needs some tweaking so I'd rather not post it...

Our Taco Bar included the following:

Soft Tacos
Hard Tacos
Ground beef
shredded chicken
bell peppers
tomatoes
lettuce
sour cream
cheddar cheese
onions
olives
jalapenos

Chili Con Carne

Ingredients

1 tbsp oil
1 large onion, chopped
2 cloves garlic, crushed
1 tsp chilli powder
1 tbsp ground cumin
2 lb ground beef
12 ¾ oz can of crushed tomatoes (400g)
1 cup beef stock
1 tsp dried oregano
2 tsps of sugar
2 tbsp tomato paste
12 ¾ oz can of red kidney beans, rinsed and drained (400g)

Directions

Heat the oil in a large pan and add onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chilli and cumin, and cook for 1 minute.

Add the meat and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned, breaking up any lumps with a fork as it cooks.

Stir in the tomato, stock, oregano and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the tomato paste and beans and season. Cook for 5 minutes to heat the beans, then serve with cornbread to mop up the juices.

Heat the oil in a large pan and add onion. Cook over medium heat for 5 minutes or until soft and golden. Add the garlic, chilli and cumin, and cook for 1 minute.

Add the meat and cook for 5 minutes, or until browned, breaking up any lumps with a fork as it cooks.

Stir in the tomato, stock, oregano and sugar. Bring to the boil, reduce the heat and simmer, partially covered, for 1 hour, stirring occasionally.

Stir in the tomato paste and beans and season. Cook for 5 minutes to heat the beans, then serve with cornbread to mop up the juices.

Mexican Birthday Party...

Hubby’s Mexican birthday party was a success and here are some of the dessert recipes that made it a hit...

Mini white chocolate and raspberry tarts

Ingredients

1 ½ boxes of frozen tart shells
1 package cream cheese, softened
½ cup sweetened Condensed Milk
1 large egg
¼ cup white chocolate chips
1 teaspoon vanilla
1 can raspberry pie filling

Directions

Preheat oven to 425˚F.

Place tart shells on a cookie sheet with one teaspoon of pie filling in each tart. BAKE for approximately 10 minutes or until shell is golden.

Remove from oven and lower heat to 350° F

In bowl of electric mixer, beat cream cheese until smooth; gradually add condensed milk. Add egg, beating well. Blend in vanilla. In a heatproof bowl set over a pot of barely simmering water, melt chocolate. Slowly stir into cream cheese mixture.

Spoon about 1 tbsp (15 mL) cream cheese mixture over each filled tart shell.

Bake for 15-18 minutes or until puffed and set. Do not overcook or else your cheesecake will crack (like mine did above). Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Top with pie filling. Refrigerate for 1 hour.

Makes: 18 tart shells

Mini Pecan Pies

Serves: 8

Ingredients

1 cup dark corn syrup
1 cup sugar
1 cup pecan halves
3 eggs beaten
2 tablespoons butter melted
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
1/8 teaspoon salt
1 box of frozen tart shells

Directions

Preheat the oven to 400°F.

Combine corn syrup, sugar, pecans, beaten eggs, melted butter, vanilla and salt in a large bowl; mix well. Pour into frozen tart shells and bake for 5-10 minutes.

Lower oven temperature to 350°F and bake an additional 15 minutes, or until a knife comes out clean when inserted into the center of pie. Cool on wire rack and top with a tsp of Cool Whip before serving.

Makes: 12 tart shells

Mini Leche Flans

Ingredients

1 cup granulated sugar
1 big can Evaporated Milk
6 large egg yolks
2 eggs
1 can Sweetened Condensed Milk
1 tsp of grated lime rind

Directions

Preheat oven to 350° F.

Heat sugar in small, heavy-duty saucepan over medium-low heat, stirring constantly, for 3 to 4 minutes or until dissolved and caramel colored. Quickly pour onto bottom of small muffin/custard containers; swirl around bottom and sides to coat. Set aside.

Combine remaining ingredients. Strain. Pour into prepared containers. Place containers in large roasting pan; fill roasting pan with warm water to about 1-inch depth.

Bake for 45 to 50 minutes or until toothpick inserted near center comes out clean. Remove flan from water. Cool on wire rack. Refrigerate for 4 hours or overnight.

To Serve: run small spatula around edge of container. Invert serving plate over container. Turn over; shake gently to release. Caramelized sugar forms sauce.

Serves: 16

Some mini desserts...

Ever have frozen tarts in the back of the fridge and not sure what to do with them? Here are some great tart recipes that can be made as pies but since we're portion conscious, we find the mini tarts really help us to stick to our meal plan.

Butterscotch Cheesecake Nibbles

Ingredients
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6 frozen tart shells
1/2 cup Butterscotch morsels
1/2 pkg (4 oz.) cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 tablespoon all-purpose flour
1 large egg
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Place tart shells on a cookie sheet with 5-6 morsels in each tart. Bake for approximately 12 minutes or until shell is golden.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and flour in large mixer bowl until creamy. Add egg and vanilla extract; beat well. Spoon heaping tablespoon of cream cheese mixture into each tart shell.

Remove from oven and lower heat to 350° F

Bake for 15 to 17 minutes or until just set and not browned. Remove from oven to wire rack. While still warm, top cheesecakes with remaining morsels. Morsels will soften but will retain shape. Cool completely. Refrigerate.

Fresh Fruit Tarts

Ingredients

6 frozen tart shells

Filling:
1/2 pkg (4 oz.) cream cheese at room temperature
1/3 cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
Strawberries or fruit in season

Glaze:
¼ cup water
¼ cup orange juice
¼ cup sugar
¾ tbsp cornstarch
Dash of salt

Directions

Preheat oven to 375° F.

Place tart shells on a cookie sheet. Bake for approximately 12-15 minutes or until shell is golden. Cool.

Beat cream cheese, sugar and vanilla in large mixer bowl until creamy. Spread over tart shells and place strawberries on cream cheese mixture.

Combine glaze ingredients in a small saucepan. Cook until bubbly and glaze thickens. Spoon over filled tarts. Garnish tarts with a tsp of Cool Whip when serving.

Enjoy!

Cantonese Fried Rice

Cantonese Fried Rice




Ingredients

For the rice:
1 cup rice (we only had basmati rice)
2 cups of cold water
½ cup frozen peas

For the pork:
1/8 cup soy sauce
1/8 cup oyster sauce
1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
1 teaspoon minced garlic
1 teaspoon sesame oil
1/2 pound pork tenderloin

For the rest of the recipe:
¼ cup of Corn oil
½ red bell pepper, chopped
2 green onions, chopped
2 eggs, lightly beaten
½ cup mushrooms, chopped
½ pound of small cooked and peeled shrimp
2 tbsp light soya sauce

Directions

Place water and rice in a heavy large saucepan. Bring to a boil; reduce heat. Cover and simmer over very low heat and cook about 18 minutes or till rice has absorbed all the liquid. Once done, remove from heat and add the frozen peas and cover.

Pork: In medium bowl, add soy and oyster sauce, ginger and garlic, and sesame oil. Add pork and let marinate for 1 hour in the refrigerator.

Heat a wok over high heat, add half the corn oil. Add the marinated pork until no longer pink. Add bell pepper, green onion and stirfry for 1 minute. Remove. Pour in beaten eggs and tilt pan to spread thinly. Cook till firm underneath. Break up egg with a spatula, add the mushrooms and remove from pan. Wipe out pan.

Heat remaining corn oil over high heat and add rice, tossing and cooking for 2 minutes. Add bell pepper, onions, eggs and mushrooms. Add cooked shrimp and soya sauce. Cook and toss over high heat until heated through.

Enjoy!

Monday's Family Night

Thought I'd greet hubby this evening with a special meal.... It's pretty corny I know but Mondays is our family night. All 3 of us sit in front of the tv watching The Bachelor and just relax preparing ourselves for the week. But what's family day without a good meal, so today was Portuguese Barbecued Chicken with couscous and sauteed vegetables. I also made some Cantonese Fried Rice just as an extra dish. We topped dinner with either a Butterscotch Cheesecake Nibble or a Fresh Fruit Tart.

Portuguese Barbecued Chicken

Ingredients

2 1/2 lb chicken
1/4 cup olive oil
3 large cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp of hot pimento paste
1/3 cup lemon juice
1/2 tsp salt

Directions

Rinse chicken and pat dry. Place chicken in heavy plastic bag.

In skillet, heat olive oil over low heat. Cook garlic for 3-5 minutes. Let stand until cool.

Combine oil and garlic with paprika, pimento paste and lemon juice. Pour over chicken; turn to coat and close bag. Refrigerate for 6 hours or overnight, turning several times.

Remove chicken from marinade and sprinkle chicken with salt. Reserve marinade. Truss the bird to ensure securely tied. Insert the rotisserie rod through the chicken and place in George Foreman's Rotisserie Grill. Cook for 90 minutes, brushing chicken often with reserved marinade.
Makes 4 servings.

Hubby's Upcoming Surprise Birthday Party

Hubby's 31st birthday is coming up and with everyone having a busy September, seeing our family has been pretty rare. With that in mind, I decided to throw him a surprise birthday party. Knowing he's a pretty smart cat, all the planning and grocery shopping had to be on the sly.

On hubby's birthday party menu is a Mexican Fiesta for 25 featuring the following:

Appetizers
Jalapeno Poppers (Costco ready-made) with ranch dressing
Nachos with salsa, sour cream and cheddar cheese

Main Dishes
Taco Bar (both soft & hard tacos)
Chili con carne with sweet corn muffins
Mexican Rice

Desserts
mini pecan pies
mini brownies
mini white chocolate and raspberry cheesecakes
mini flans

Drinks
Margarita & Strawberry Daiquiri Jell-O Shots
Margarita punch
Corona with limes
Pop: Coke, Diet Coke, Sprite

Stay tuned for the recipes...

Another Successful Giada Recipe

It was girl's night and I had volunteered to bring dinner with me. With all the varying tastes, I wasn't sure what to bring but once again Giada came through. Our main dish included: Giada's Garlic & Citrus Chicken and our side d