At Home with Helena

Just had to share it with you...

2010-02-01T07:44:00.000-05:00

I just had to share this recipe with you. I found it on meals.com and it was a great way to use any leftover pork I had from the previous night. I just sliced it up and then added it to the recipe as it called for it. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did.

Fettuccine with Creamy Pork & Asparagus Sauce

Ingredients:

12 oz. (3/4 lb.) dry fettuccine pasta, broken in half
2 teaspoons butter
1 medium onion, chopped
1 lb. ground pork
salt and ground black pepper to taste
1 1/2 cups (about 1/2 lb.) fresh asparagus, tips and tender stalks cut into 2-inch pieces
1/2 cup white wine or chicken broth
1 can (12 oz.) NESTLÉ® CARNATION® Evaporated Milk
3 oz. grated queso fresco or Parmesan cheese or more to taste
Chopped fresh parsley or cilantro (optional)

Directions:

COOK fettuccine according to package directions.

MEANWHILE, MELT butter in large skillet on medium low heat. Add onions; cook until lightly golden about 3 minutes. Add ground pork; cook on medium heat stirring constantly, until no longer pink; drain. Stir in asparagus tips. Season with salt and pepper. Add wine; bring to a boil and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 10 minutes to reduce. Reduce heat to low; add evaporated milk. Simmer, stirring occasionally, for about 5 minutes.

COMBINE pork and asparagus sauce with drained fettuccine. Serve immediately sprinkled with a little queso fresco and parsley, if desired. Remaining cheese can be served along with pasta and sauce.

Enjoy :)

This is so yummy... you've got to try it!

2009-07-22T06:53:00.002-04:00

Okay maybe this isn't the most traditional summer meal but then again we haven't been experiencing the hottest summer either... In the freezer I had some beef shanks that were part of the Holy Spirit offering we had received from our local church a couple of weeks ago. It's quite the tradition for Azorean portuguese families. I found this great recipe for Osso Buco from Giada, made a few changes to it by using the beef shanks instead of the veal shanks indicated in the recipe and I was extremely impressed with how it turned out... I think you'll like it too!

Helena’s Take on Osso Buco

Ingredients:

1 sprig fresh rosemary
1 sprig fresh thyme
1 dry bay leaf
2 whole beef shanks (about 1-2 pound per shank)
1 lb of stewing beef, cubed
Sea salt and freshly ground black pepper
1/4 cup butter
1 onion soup mix
4 carrots, sliced
3-4 stalk celery, sliced
2-3 cloves of garlic
1 tablespoon tomato paste
1 tablespoon hot pepper paste
½ cup dry white wine
½ cup water
2 cups chicken stock
3 tablespoons fresh flat-leaf Italian parsley, chopped
1 tablespoon lemon zest
1 raw garlic clove, thinly grated

Directions

For the beef shanks, pat dry with paper towels to remove any excess moisture. Season each shank with salt and freshly ground pepper.

In a large Dutch oven pot, heat butter until melted. Add bee shanks and stewing beef to the hot pan and brown all sides, about 3 minutes per side. Remove browned shanks and reserve.

In the same pot, add the onion soup mix, carrots and celery. The salt in the soup mix will help draw out the moisture from the vegetables. Saute until soft. Add the tomato paste and mix well. Return browned shanks and stewing beef to the pan and add the white wine, water, hot pepper paste and garlic, reduce liquid by half, about 5 minutes. Add rosemary, thyme, bay leaf and 2 cups of the chicken stock and bring to a boil.

Lay beef shanks and stewing beef at the bottom of the crockpot, pouring out all liquids, spices and juices from your pot. Set crockpot to high (4 hours) to ensure meat is tender and falls off the fork.

Once done, carefully remove the cooked shanks from the pot and place in decorative serving platter. Remove bay leaf, rosemary twig and oregano twig before serving. Pour all the juices and sauce from the pot over the shanks.

Garnish with traditional gremolada of: chopped parsley, lemon zest and grated raw garlic and serve with a saffron rissotto.

Enjoy!

Starving... What's to Eat?

2009-07-17T05:57:00.004-04:00

Okay so I'm still going through that stretch where I refuse to buy any more groceries until we've used what we have in our cupboards and our fridge... The only problem with that is I tend to pig out on the quick and easy to find snacks in the cupboards because by the time I'm scouting about, I'm way past the hungry point...actually more like starving!!

But I was determined to set a good example for my little one. So after having spent the morning cutting out all the recipes in magazines I had collected over the last couple of months, I came across this cookingwithphilly recipe. Although for the last little while I have really deterred from making pasta (for no particular reason to be honest), I had all of the ingredients on hand and with an approximate time of 20 minutes until it was ready, I just had to do it...

Wow, was I glad I did it. This is a great alternative to an alfredo pasta recipe, although it is still quite creamy without being overwhelming. I had leftover chicken breast on hand and threw it in for the last couple of minutes to create our main dish although this would be a great side dish if you don't have any chicken. Once done, I split the pasta among bowls and containers so that lunch was done for the next day and to ensure we didn't eat the whole thing ;)

Even the 2-year old enjoyed this recipe too...

Easy Creamy PHILLY Spaghettini

Prep 5 minute(s)
Ready in 20 minute(s)
Serves: 4 1-1/2 cups (375 mL) each

Ingredients

300 g (1/3 of 900-g pkg.) spaghettini pasta, uncooked
1-1/4 cups 25%-less-sodium chicken broth
1 Tbsp flour
1/3 cup PHILADELPHIA Light Cream Cheese Spread ( I only had the brick and it worked out great too!)
3 Tbsp KRAFT 100% Light Parmesan Grated Cheese, divided
1/4 tsp ground nutmeg
1 leftover chicken breast, thinly sliced
2 Tbsp chopped fresh parsley

Directions

Cook pasta as directed on package.

Meanwhile, beat broth and flour in medium saucepan with whisk until well blended. Add cream cheese spread, 2 Tbsp. Parmesan, nutmeg and leftover chicken; cook 2 min. or until mixture comes to boil and thickens, stirring constantly.

Drain pasta; toss with sauce in large bowl. Sprinkle with remaining Parmesan and parsley.

Enjoy!

Tiramisu Tarts

2009-05-27T13:09:00.005-04:00

Anyone who knows me, knows I'm a sucker for desserts, more so if they are small and in individual serving sizes... Anything to get away from the guilt ;) When I came across this fun recipe on the Tre Stelle website, I tweaked it a little for what I had in the cupboards that day and brought it with me to a family party during the long weekend. Everyone seemed to enjoy it and it was very easy to put together that morning.

Tiramisu Tarts

Ingredients:

1 ½ pkg (255 g) frozen sweetened mini tart shells
2 cups (500 ml) Mascarpone cheese
1 ½ tbsp strong brewed coffee or coffee liqueur (Kahlùa or Tia Maria)
3 tbsp (30 mL) brown sugar
100g P.C. dark chocolate, melted
cocoa for garnish, if desired

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375

Bake unfilled tart shells in an oven for 10-12 minutes or until golden.

In a medium bowl combine Mascarpone, coffee liqueur and brown sugar; stir until combined and set aside or refrigerate until ready to use.

Spoon teaspoonfuls of melted chocolate into the bottom of each baked tart shell. Swirl around to ensure a taste of chocolate in every bite.

Place Mascarpone mixture into a Ziploc bag. Close the bag and cut a hole out of one end of the bag. Pipe out mixture into each tart shell. Place in refrigerator until ready to serve.

Sift cocoa over each just before serving.

Makes 18 tarts

Enjoy!

An overnight Crockpot Success..

2009-05-27T13:01:00.003-04:00

I needed some chicken for my Buffalo Wing Dip and had a chicken in the fridge that was ready to be used and the herbs in my balcony garden were starting to grow so nicely. I came across this crockpot recipe for a chicken and it was perfect for my dip as the chicken was so tender and just fell off its bones. The rest of the chicken and bones, I used to make some chicken stock and store in the freezer for a later recipe.

Chicken with 40 Cloves Garlic

Ingredients:

2 sprigs fresh thyme
2 sprigs fresh rosemary
2 sprigs fresh sage
2 sprigs fresh Italian parsley
40 cloves garlic, unpeeled
1 onion, chopped
1 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 whole chicken
2 stalks celery

Directions:

Place sprigs of thyme, rosemary, sage, parsley and half of the garlic in chicken cavity. Place celery in stoneware. Put chicken on top of celery. Add remaining garlic around chicken. Sprinkle salt and pepper over chicken. Cover; cook on Low 8 - 10 hours (High 4 - 6 hours). To serve, place chicken, onions, garlic and celery on serving platter.

Note: You can squeeze roasted garlic out of skins onto toasted French bread slices and spread with knife topped with some crumbled goat cheese and a little rosemary. Yummy!

Enjoy!

A Light of Success in the Valley of Darkness...

2009-05-27T12:49:00.003-04:00

...Wow the last couple of weeks have been muddled with many recipes that wouldn't dare make it on to this blog - yes, they were that bad!!! But as always through every long bad streak, there is always some little success that ever so slowly brings you out of those cooking doldrums and for me it was this recipe. I found it on one of my discussion boards tweaked it for a party that I was going to, so here goes:

Buffalo Wing Dip

Ingredients:

1 ½ packages low-fat cream cheese, softened
1 cup P.C. Buffalo Wing sauce, mild
1 cup Ranch dressing
2 cups cooked chicken - shredded or diced
1 cup shredded Cheddar cheese

Directions:

1. Preheat the oven to 350 degrees
2. In a medium bowl, stir together the cream cheese and hot pepper sauce until well blended. Mix in the Ranch dressing and chicken. Spread into a 9x13 inch baking dish. Sprinkle cheddar cheese over it.
3. Bake for 30 minutes in the preheated oven. Serve warm with tortilla chips and celery.

Note: use an already cooked rotisserie chicken from your local grocery store for a quick option to the chicken needed in this recipe.

Enjoy!

The Kickoff starts today...

2009-04-28T07:36:00.003-04:00

The Kickoff to the theme of my 34th year on this Earth starts today: This is going to be my healthiest year EVER!!

Okay there I've said it and now actions will have to speak louder than words...

How did I come up up with the theme?
I've been subscribing to a daily inspiration email message from Neale Donald Walsh, the author of Conversations with God. The last one that I received that really drove me to a plan of action was this one:

On this day of your life, Helena, I believe God wants you to know...

...that taking better care of yourself is not merely a matter of good health, it is a measure of spiritual evolution.

Some people take better care of their car than they do of their body. Most people, in fact, pay little attention to their body until something goes wrong. Yet why create that kind of situation?

Look at what you are eating. How much and how often do you exercise? When was your last check-up? Are you treating your physical vehicle as if it is Divine? Good for you if you are. If you aren't...why not?

That is not to say that there won't be some potholes on the roadway and not all fuel going into this theme over the next year will be all no carbs, high protein, low fat, limited calories but I will aim to find a balance so that the goal of healthyness is rewarded with ultimate prize of happiness and fulfillment.

First plan of action: celebrate my birthday today with my girls and hubby. We're heading out to the closest Olive Garden. Their salad and breadsticks to die for... (never mind all of entrees on their menu). How do we plan to burn off this meal... A huge shopping spree at the Walden Galleria across the street :) It's a win, win situation for all... Second item on our to-do list: purchase a double jogging stroller so that the girls will join me on this year's new summer activity of choice: rollerblading along the waterfront...

So here I go and hope you will join me too... Enjoy!

Our Italian Themed Bridal Shower

2009-04-28T07:19:00.002-04:00

In preparation for my brother in law's upcoming wedding, this wweekend we threw his beautiful bride-to-be a bridal shower with an Italian theme to honour her heritage. Here is a summary of what we did:

Our Italian Inspired Bridal Shower

Décor
Red and white checkered tablecloths with small potted herbs as centerpieces. Great background music includes: Il Divo

Menu
Serve up a traditional Italian feast with a variety of pastas, variety of sauces (white, red, marinara), fresh Parmesan Cheese, antipasto salad, garlic bread and tiramisu and gelato desserts, iced tea and a good Chianti.

Top off the bridal shower with a homemade cookie buffet of cannoli, pizzelles, Mostaccioli, Pignoli, tiramisu, biscotti, and amaretti cookies.

Games

Door Prize

When the guests first arrive have them fill out a piece of paper with their wedding date or, if they are single, their birthday. The person with the date closest to the bride's wedding date wins the prize.

Name the Pasta
Created 10 bags with each bag holding a different variety of pasta. Number each bag from 1-10. Whoever guesses the most correct names win.

Trivia about the bride
Guests had to complete 10 trivia questions on the bride-to-be. The person with the most correct answers wins a prize.

Guessing Game

We played this game during our lunch. We filled a large glass jar with uncooked pasta. Have each guest guess how many pieces are in each jar. The person who guesses the closest to the true number of items in each jar gets to takes the goodies home and the fabulous recipe attached to it (or an Italian cookbook).

Read his Mind
Then we tested the bride-to-be on how well she knew her fiancé by asking her the following 12 questions.
1. What is his favorite pizza topping?
2. Where did you go on your first date?
3. What is his favorite drink?
4. If he could star in any tv show, which tv show would he pick?
5. If Steve were spending an evening at home, what would he most likely be doing?
6. What is the first movie you saw together?
7. If Steve were a superhero, who would he be?
8. What animal would Steve compare you to?
9. What is his grandmother’s names?
10. What was Steve’s first job?
11. How many clocks are in Steve’s room?
12. Name one thing Steve own’s that you will throw out the first chance you get?
13. Name one activity your fiancé does with you ONLY because he loves you?

We asked all the guests to write on a piece of paper a number from 1-12 to represent how many questions the bride-to-be would get right. The bride-to-be’s answers would have to match the pre-recorded answers from her fiancé, that we played off a host laptop. Her punishment for wrong answers was based on her own personal vice… red wine. We made red wine jello shots instead of the hard liquor variety for her to spoon out every time she got a question wrong. For all our guests who didn’t guess correctly how many the bride-to-be would get correct, also had to take a jello shot

Roll the Cannelloni
You need a pair of pantyhose, an orange and a cannelloni. Put a cannelloni on the floor and an orange in one leg of the pantyhose. Tie the other leg (of the pantyhose) around your waist. The object is for you to swing your hips and hit the cannelloni (that you placed on the floor) across a designated area in the best time. You could also have 2 teams and have a relay.

Who Wears the Pants
The groom joined us before we began to open gifts and included him in our next game. Give each of the future bride and groom a roll of toilet paper. The first to completely unroll the toilet paper "Will be the One Who Wears The Pants in the Marriage". Everyone was laughing so hard and routing them on. It goes quickly once they figure out how to unravel it the fastest.

Prizes
Prizes included pasta bowls, wooden spoons, cheese shakers, gourmet olive oils, glass containers filled with pasta, red and white checkered place mats & napkins, Italian cookbooks and the Godfather movies on DVD.

Favors
Departing guests went away with delicious chocolate and white chocolate dipped biscotti cookies packaged in pretty bags tied with red and green ribbon with a tag that read “Amore Dolce: A love so sweet” Other sayings could be: “Sweet Beginnings!” or “How sweet it is that you could celebrate with us”

Guestbook
When guests arrived they participated in the door prize game and were also able to sign a Guestbook of photos of the bride-to-be and her fiancé. Alternatively, the guest book could be empty, have the guests sign it and then add pictures of the shower later on.

Kids Games and Activities

Cannelloni Bowling
Have the children colour their cannellonis and leave one white. Roll the white one into the centre of a room and take turns to see who can roll their cannelloni closest to the white one.

Cannelloni and Spoon Races
Cannelloni, a spoon and an area to run are all you need for this game. Variations could include relays and obstacle courses. To make it easy for younger kids, place the cannelloni lengthwise on their spoon or give them a smaller tubular pasta piece on their spoon. For the older kids place the cannelloni standing up on their spoon. If it tilts or falls over the kids have to start all over…

Find your Name Pasta
Write the name of each child on a cannelloni piece of pasta. The person that finds their own name wins a prize. Bigger pieces of pasta for small kids and smaller ones for the bigger kids.

Duck Walk Race
Have the kids line up at the Start Line, squat down and grasp their ankles with each hand from behind. On GO, they waddle to a designated Finish Line. They can't let go of their ankles or the are disqualified. The first child over the Finish Line wins a prize.

Dress Up Activity
The kids were asked to make with all the leftover pasta hats and necklaces for themselves and the bride-to-be. Once completed all the kids and the bride-to-be posed for photos.

Kids Prizes and Favors
Kids Prizes included: princess, Hannah Montana and Pirates of the Carribbean temporary tattoos. All kids left the day with animal-shaped collapsible tote bags filled with giant sidewalk chalk, that I found for $0.49 at a post-Easter sale.

I'll post pics soon but in the meantime enjoy!

Filipino Fish... mmm...

2009-04-23T08:02:00.002-04:00

The original recipe that I used came out of a Learn how to cook Filipino Homestyle Dishes book that I have at home, although I did find an almost identical recipe at Pinoy Recipe. I’m not familiar with cooking fish but I couldn’t get myself to fry this fish, so I cooked it in the oven in a cup of white wine with some salt and pepper. I really don’t know what type of fish this is as I got it from our local grocery’s store's fish monger and it was very yummy! Reminder to self next time… ask what the fish is called :)

Escabeche
(Fried Fish with Sweet and Sour Sauce)

Ingredients:
1 red snapper or grouper fish, cleaned and scaled (about 2 lbs)
½ cup plain flour mixed with ½ tsp salt, for dredging
½ cup cooking oil
1 medium carrot, peeled and cut into 2” chunks
1 medium green pepper, cut into ½-inch strips
1 medium red pepper, cut into ½-inch strips
1 medium cucumber, peeled and cut into ½-inch rounds
2 boiled potatoes, quartered
Fresh coriander leaves (cilantro), to garnish

Sweet and Sour Sauce
½ cup sugar
½ tsp of salt
4 tbsp tomato ketchup
½ cup vinegar
1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in ½ cup water

Directions:

Score the red snapper with slits all over and dredge in flour.

Heat oil in a wok and fry the fish and fry the fish about 10 minutes on one side and 7 to 8 minutes on the other side, until completely cooked and fish flesh is no longer glassy. Remove from pan and drain on paper towels. (Alternatively, I placed the fish in a glass baking dish, with all of the vegetables, seasoned with salt and pepper and cooked it in a cup of white wine & a cup of water, for 30 minutes at 375)

To make the sauce, combine sugar, vinegar, water and tomato ketchup in a saucepan. Add carrot, cook for about 5 minutes, then add peppers and cucumber. Simmer without stirring, for a further 3 minutes or until vegetables are tender yet firm. Stir in cornstarch mixture and simmer until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.

Arrange fish on a serving platter and arrange vegetables around fish. Pour sweet and sour sauce over fish.

Garnish with fresh coriander.

A Casserole...

2009-04-23T06:57:00.003-04:00

I know, I know. This may sound like your typical family meal but I've never made a casserole before, so when I came across this recipe and tweaked it to make it a little more healthier :) it seemed easy enough...

Since hubby and I have gone overbudget this month (we both aren't sure how or why), I decided the only ingredient that would be cost efficient in this recipe would be tuna. On a side note my mom would kill me to be serving fish with dairy... But I have to admit this dish was yummy...

My Creamy Tuna Noodle Casserole

Ingredients:

3 cups Farfalle noodles, prepared according to package directions
3 tablespoons butter
227g (8 oz) of mushrooms
1/2 cup chopped onion
1/2 cup of frozen peas
1 tbsp garlic, minced
3 cans (3 oz. each) tuna, drained and flaked
1 can (10 oz. each) low-fat condensed cream of mushroom soup
1/2 can (6 fl. oz.) evaporated Milk
2/3 cup crushed ranch potato chips

Directions:

Preheat oven to 375° F. Grease small square baking dish.

Melt butter in large saucepan over medium heat. Add musrooms, peas and onion; cook, stirring occasionally, for 1 to 2 minutes or until vegetables are tender. Stir in noodles, tuna, soup and evaporated milk; mix well. Pour into prepared casserole dish. Sprinkle with potato chips.

Bake for 25 to 30 minutes or until chips are golden brown.

Next time, I might try one of the following substitutions for a little twist on a good thing:

use codfish instead of tuna (I am Portuguese afterall)
add 1/2 cup Monterey jack cheese before adding the chips
add 3/4 cup shredded mozz and 1/4 cup taco cheese.
add 2 stalks of celery and ½ cup of onions instead of peas and mushrooms
use whole wheat noodles and wheat crackers instead of chips

Enjoy!

My Baked Treat of the Week...

2009-04-15T08:36:00.003-04:00

...a caramelized pear tart recipe I had found in last week's grocery flyers... At a cost of less than $5.00 to make as I had many of the ingredients already at home, it was going to help me stay on budget too... but was it yummy??? oh yes, it was heard over Easter dinner as I had taken the tart to my in-laws for dessert.

The original recipe can be found on the Loblaws website. I didn't find that 3 pears was sufficient for this recipe so next time I will double it and use 6 pears. I also added 2 apples and substituted a tablespoon of vanilla extract for the pear brandy, as I didn't have any handy.

Caramelized Pear Tart

Ingredients:

3 pears, peeled and quartered (next time use 6 pears)
2 apples, peeled and quartered, optional
2 tbsp unsalted butter
½ cup sugar
1 pie shell
2 eggs
2/3 cup 15% table cream
5 tbsp powdered almonds
1 tbsp vanilla extract (or pear brandy)
vanilla ice cream, to taste

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to (350°C)

2. Caramelize pear and apple sections in butter with sugar, approximately 10 minutes.

3. Arrange pears in pie shell. Mix together eggs with remaining sugar, cream, powdered almonds and vanilla extract, if using. Pour mixture over pears and apples.

4. Bake in oven for about 25 minutes. Let rest 3 minutes prior to serving with vanilla ice cream.

Enjoy!

Words of hope, love and inspiration...

2009-04-14T07:50:00.003-04:00

As many of you know, I have been truly blessed to have married into a BIG wonderful, religious, supportive and loving Filipino family. To this day I sometimes still feel challenged at trying to remember everyone's name and where they fit in our family tree. But every day I seem so in awe of them all and today was going to be no exception. Here is a little excerpt of an email that came through my inbox from one of our uncle's who wanted to provide a little message of hope to the young couples in our family regarding marriage and the challenges they may or are facing:

"We’ve been married for 31 years but our marriage is not perfect, no one’s is, nothing is
and nobody is. For that period of time, we fought/argued so many times, some serious, some silly, some petty; over finances, about our beliefs, values, about our careers, about raising our children, other people we’re jealous of, over almost everything. We said words you wouldn’t imagine we’re capable of saying, words that hurt, words that are hard to take back. But each time, we’re able to reconcile, one of us or both of us would say ‘Sorry’ (a lot of people say, saying ‘Sorry’ is a sign of weakness, a sign of surrendering something or giving the other party a blanket “you-can-do-whatever-you-want-from-now-on” authority but it’s not, it’s actually a sign of courage, of maturity and of love and respect- we believe in that) and then, there’s forgiveness…..and…… we moved on and each time, our relationship got more resilient, our bond got stronger. We became more mature and understanding to each other, more open and yes,….. more loving and forgiving… So our marriage lasted this long….. not because of me, not because of your Auntie but because of our love and respect for each other, because of our children, because of you, our family….and most of all, because of us…and God, the third party in a marriage."

Hope it provides you with a source of inspiration too. Enjoy!

Hoisin sauce...

2009-04-14T07:42:00.002-04:00

Since I had to go out of my way to purchase a bottle of hoisin sauce for the previous recipe, I thought I would look for a side dish that also used hoisin sauce too...

Funny the things you can find online when you are doing a simple search ;) but luckily I came across this Chicken and Hoisin Fried Rice and I was so happy with the end result. The only change I made to the recipe was to eliminate the chicken and made the rice earlier in the day in the rice cooker.

Chicken and Hoisin Fried Rice

Ingredients:

1 cup long-grain rice
1 Tbsp vegetable oil
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
1 cup diced red bell pepper
1/3 cup chicken stock
1 cup diced snow peas
3 Tbsp low-sodium soy sauce
1 1/2 tsp minced fresh garlic
3 Tbsp hoisin sauce
1 tsp minced fresh ginger
2/3 cup chopped carrots
2 green onions, chopped

Directions:

1.Bring 1 1/4 cups of water to a boil in a saucepan. Stir in the rice. Cover, reduce the heat to low and cook for 12 minutes. Remove from the heat. Let stand, covered, for 10 minutes. Transfer to a bowl. Cool.

2.While the rice is cooking, preheat the barbecue or a non-stick grill pan to medium-high and spray with cooking oil. Cook the chicken for 6 minutes per side, or until cooked through and no longer pink in the center. Dice and set aside.

3.Whisk the stock, soy sauce and hoisin sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

4.Cook the carrots in a pot of boiling water until tender-crisp, about 4 minutes. Drain.

5.Spray a non-stick wok or large skillet with cooking oil, add the vegetable oil and place over high heat. Add the red peppers, snow peas, garlic, ginger and carrots; cook for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Add the cooled rice and cook, stirring, for 2 minutes longer. Stir in the stock mixture and the chicken. Cook for 1 minute longer, until heated through.

6.Serve immediately, garnished with green onions.

Enjoy!

Chicken Thighs... Thai style...

2009-04-14T07:35:00.002-04:00

I was browsing through the canadian living website the other day and came across this Thai Thighs recipe. Always looking for a new way to do chicken, this one caught my eye. Plus, it helped that it used one of my favorite ingredients of all time: peanut butter! I didn't make any revisions to the original recipe. Hubby and I were quite impressed and now this will be a new dish in our rolling monthly menus.

Thai Thighs

Ingredients:

1/3 cup (75 mL) Minced green onions
2 cloves garlic, minced
3 tbsp (50 mL) hoisin sauce
2 tbsp (25 mL) peanut butter
1 tbsp (15 mL) Minced gingerroot
1 tbsp (15 mL) soy sauce
1 tbsp (15 mL) sesame oil
1 tbsp (15 mL) lemon juice
1/2 tsp (2 mL) hot pepper sauce
2 lb (1 kg) chicken legs or thighs
2 tbsp (25 mL) Chopped fresh coriander or parsley

Directions:

In bowl, combine 1/4 cup (50 mL) of the onions, garlic, hoisin sauce, peanut butter, ginger, soy sauce, sesame oil, lemon juice and hot pepper sauce. Arrange chicken in shallow baking dish. Spoon sauce over chicken and bake in 375°F (190°C) oven for 45 to 50 minutes or until golden brown and juices run clear when pierced with a fork. Sprinkle with remaining green onion and coriander.

Enjoy!

P.S. Sorry for no pictures this week but life has been too hectic... I know cheap excuse for a photography student :)

Bananas in a brownie...

2009-04-13T14:45:00.002-04:00

I love bananas as much as the next guy but with bananas ripening by the minute in our dry and hot apartment, the thought of making another banana bread or breakfast shake just didn't get me going. So when I came across this recipe that used bananas in a "brownie" on meals.com, I jumped right in... Gosh these were delicious!! I wonder if these bars count as an extra serving of a fruit ;)

Banana Mini Morsel Bars

Ingredients:

2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon salt
3/4 cup (1 1/2 sticks) butter or margarine, softened
2/3 cup sugar
2/3 cup packed brown sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
3 medium mashed ripe bananas
1 large egg
2 cups (12-oz. pkg.) NESTLÉ® TOLL HOUSE® Semi-Sweet Chocolate Mini Morsels
Powdered sugar

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Grease a 15x10-inch jelly-roll pan.

COMBINE flour, baking powder and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, granulated sugar, brown sugar and vanilla extract in large mixing bowl until creamy. Beat in bananas and egg. Gradually beat in flour mixture; stir in morsels. Spread into prepared jelly-roll pan.

BAKE for 20 to 30 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool completely in pan on wire rack. Sprinkle with powdered sugar.

My tips: The variations made to the original recipe above included using butterscotch chips instead of the mini morsels (I really enjoy that combination) and eliminating the powdered sugar altogether. Next time, I will line my baking sheet with parchment paper to add an extra element of protection from the bottom of the bars burning.

Enjoy!

Spinach leftovers...

2009-04-13T14:37:00.003-04:00

As much as hubby and I are trying to be healthy and staying on our grocery budget for the month, salads and greens always seem to be items that we don't "get around" to using very often although we always include them in our weekly grocery lists :) But I was refusing to throw a pound of spinach away and came up with the following recipe. Although the base of this recipe was from a recipe on meals.com, I've included below my changes to it. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did...

Spinach Pie

Ingredients:

1 tsp olive oil
3 green onion, chopped
8 cups of loosely packed spinach
1 pie crust
3 large eggs, lightly beaten
1 1/2 cups crumbled feta cheese
2 portobello mushrooms, chopped
1/2 orange sweet pepper, chopped
3/4 cup evaporated milk
2 tablespoons all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons fresh dill
2 teaspoons fresh parsley
1/2 teaspoon ground black pepper
1/4 cup grated Parmesan cheese

Directions:

Preheat oven to 350° F.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and sauté until tender. Stir in the spinach and then turn off the heat. The spinach will start to wilt down, but not much. Let cool slightly.

To the spinach mixture, add eggs, feta cheese, milk, flour, dill and pepper in medium bowl; pour into pie crust. Top with Parmesan cheese.

Bake for 35 to 40 minutes or until set; let stand for 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Easter has come and gone...

2009-04-13T14:12:00.003-04:00

...leaving tons of leftovers in our fridge, lunch and dinner is taken care of for today which gives me some spare time to blog of some fun recipes I have tried recently :)

I'm always interested in adding veggies to my daughter's dinner plate and came across this recipe on the back of a Rice Krispies cereal box for Savoury Sweet Potato fries. She likes the cereal and fries is a favorite too, how about combining the two?

My daughter didn't take to the fries very well but hubby and I couldn't stop ourselves from enjoying each and every one of them and since they were baked and not fried, it didn't leave us with a guilty after taste ;)

Savoury Sweet Potato Sticks

Ingredients:
3 medium sweet potatoes (about 750 g/1 1/2 lbs)
3 cups RICE KRISPIES* cereal crushed to 375 mL (1 1/2 cups)
1/4 tsp each: garlic powder onion powder and salt (or seasoning salt)
1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
1/2 cup all-purpose flour
4 egg whites
4 tbsp water

Directions:

1. Wash sweet potatoes (or peel if desired). Cut lengthwise into 1 cm (1/2-inch) slices. Cut slices into 1 cm (1/2-inch) sticks.

2. In large plate or shallow pan, mix together crushed cereal and seasonings. Place flour on second plate. In medium bowl, beat egg whites and water.

3. Coat potatoes with flour, shaking off excess. Next dip in egg mixture, then coat with cereal mixture. Place in single layer on foil-lined baking sheet coated with cooking spray.

4. Bake at 200°C (400°F) about 25 minutes or until lightly browned and tender when tested with sharp knife. Serve hot with salsa or roasted garlic mayonnaise if desired.

Enjoy!

Taco Leftovers

2009-04-07T10:19:00.004-04:00

A couple of weeks ago for March Break we hosted a fun sleepover for the kids in our family and a Doggie Birthday Party for our little jack russell Dumbo who turned 13 years old. Where has all the time gone. A quick and easy dinner for the kids of soft and hard tacos became a quick Taco Pizza lunch for me the next day.

Taco Pizza

I had some Lebanese flatbreads in the fridge, mixed it with mild salsa, then spread the meat mixture on the bread and topped it with shredded cheddar cheese. I placed it in a preheated oven of 350 and baked it for approximately 12 minutes until the cheese had melted and it was heated through.

Enjoy! I know I did :)

Baked Leftovers...

2009-04-07T10:08:00.005-04:00

I found this great recipe for pumpkin bread on Meals.com. I had some leftover pumpkin that I really wanted to use and needed to bake a recipe for the week so this one was it :)

We froze some of the leftovers in little freezer bags with 2 slices. The night before we would take them out to thaw, butter the slices in the morning and it became a great alternative for breakfast. Even our little toddler loved it which makes any recipe an added bonus in our home.

Spiced Pumpkin Bread

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
5 teaspoons ground allspice or pumpkin pie spice
2 teaspoons baking powder
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
1/2 teaspoon salt
1 cup LIBBY'S® 100% Pure Pumpkin
1 cup packed brown sugar
1/2 cup Apple NESTLÉ® JUICY JUICE® All Natural 100% Juice
2 large eggs
2 tablespoons vegetable oil
1 teaspoon vanilla extract

Directions:

PREHEAT oven to 350° F.

SIFT flour, allspice, baking powder, baking soda and salt into medium bowl. Combine pumpkin, sugar, Juicy Juice, eggs, oil and vanilla extract in large bowl; stir well. Stir in flour mixture just until moistened. Spoon into greased 9 x 5-inch loaf pan.

BAKE for 65 to 70 minutes or until wooden pick inserted in center comes out clean. Cool in pan on wire rack for 10 minutes; remove to wire rack to cool completely.

Enjoy!

More Leftovers...

2009-04-07T09:53:00.006-04:00

So hubby and I tried very hard last month to stay on budget and for the first time in a year we both actually made RRSP contributions (who would have thought especially with being on mat leave). Although the temptation was there to go out to eat (many times!) we had to think twice in most cases. This day was going to be no exception so I looked very quickly in the fridge to find something I could throw together I came across some leftovers from our Slowcooker Pot Roast

Visiting my handy dandy Canadian Living Magazine, I found this great recipe for the beef leftovers. Not having had any pizza dough, I used the fresh Portuguese buns I had picked up that morning for my base and turned them into an open-faced sandwich... Wow was this every quick and delicious!!

Philly Cheese Steak Pizza

Ingredients:
1 tbsp (15 mL) extra-virgin olive oil
1 sweet green pepper, sliced
2 cloves garlic, minced
Half sweet onion, sliced
2 cups (500 mL) sliced mushrooms
1 tsp (5 mL) dried oregano
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 lb (500 g) pizza dough
1/2 cup (125 mL) pizza sauce
8 slices provolone cheese
1 cup (250 mL) thinly sliced cooked roast beef

Preparation:
In large skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; sauté green pepper, garlic, onion, mushrooms, oregano, salt and pepper until onion is golden and no liquid remains, about 5 minutes. Set aside.

On lightly floured surface, roll out pizza dough to fit 12-inch (30 cm) pizza pan. Spread with pizza sauce. Arrange half of the cheese over sauce; spoon vegetable mixture over top. Top with roast beef and remaining cheese.

Bake in bottom third of 500°F (260°C) oven until crust is golden and cheese is bubbly, about 10 minutes.

Enjoy!

Mini Meat Loaves... what a perfect portion size too!

2009-03-26T07:40:00.003-04:00

I've been making this recipe for years but for whatever reason never seemed to have written it down until today. I had some leftover ground beef from the tacos we made for the kids sleepover and this was the perfect and easiest recipe to use it in.

Note: Please don't mind the paper plates but I was determined to not do any dishes that night! LOL!

Mini Meat Loaves

Ingredients:
1 tablespoon olive oil
½ chopped yellow onions
1 tsp minced garlic
1 tsp Italian seasoning
1 tsp salt
1 tsp freshly ground black pepper
1 egg, beaten
2 tsp Worcestershire sauce
2 tsp red wine vinegar
1 pound extra lean ground beef
1/2 cup plain dry bread crumbs
1/2 cup ketchup

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Spray a muffin tray with nonstick cooking spray.

Heat the olive oil in a medium saute pan. Add the onions, garlic, seasoning, salt, and pepper and cook over medium-low heat, stirring occasionally, for 8 to 10 minutes, until the onions are translucent but not brown. Remove from heat and allow to cool slightly.

In a bowl, add egg, worcestershire sauce and red wine vinegar.

In a large bowl, combine the ground beef, onion mixture, bread crumbs, and egg mixture, and mix lightly with a fork. Don't mash or the meatloaf will be dense. Divide the mixture into 6 muffin tins, filling the remaining muffin areas with water to prevent any burning. Spread about a tablespoon of ketchup on the top of each portion.

Bake for 30 to 35 minutes, until the meat is cooked through. Serve with mushroom mashed potatoes and steamed carrots

Enjoy!

Great side dishes...

2009-03-26T07:05:00.002-04:00

Determined to not have any of the veggies in the fridge go to waste, I made the following 3 side dishes to go along with the Crock Pot Spare Ribs. All 3 recipes can be found in the Canadian Living magazine Make Ahead Meals Boy, was I impressed...

Green Beans and Sherried Mushrooms (p.68)

Ingredients:
1 lb green beans, trimmed
1 tbsp extra-virgin olive oil
1 package mushrooms, chopped
1 clove garlic, minced
1 tsp dried thyme
¼ tsp each salt and pepper
1 tbsp each dry sherry and butter

Directions:

In skillet blanch beans in boiling water, until tender-crisp and colour deepens, about 5 minutes. Drain and chill under cold water, pat dry.

Wipe out skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; sauté mushrooms, garlic, thyme, salt and pepper until golden all over, about minutes.

Add sherry; cook until evaporated. Add beans and butter; cook, stirring, until beans are hot and butter is melted.

Basmati Rice with Pesto (p.70)

Added 1 ½ cups of rice to 1 ¾ cups of water in the rice cooker and once done added 2 tbsp of pesto… Stir well. Yummy alternative to just your plain rice.

Crunchy Coleslaw (p. 48)

Ingredients:
1/4 cup (50 mL) vegetable oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) lemon juice
1 tbsp (15 mL) dijon mustard
1 clove garlic, minced
1/4 tsp (1 mL) each salt and pepper
1 ½ cups (375 mL) shredded cabbage
½ cup (250 mL) grated carrots

Directions:

In a separate bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, mustard, garlic, salt and pepper. Add cabbage, and carrots; toss to coat.

Enjoy!

Spare Ribs... and still on budget...

2009-03-26T06:48:00.003-04:00

Okay so I've fallen behind already with trying to keep up with my weekly list of updates but I have been cooking regularly so that's always a bonus right? With a goal this month to really try to stay on budget and not to waste food, I'm so excited to say that we've been really good about it (even with hosting a birthday party and a sleepover for 10 kids) . Yes, there is always room for improvement but we are in much a better position than where we were a couple of months ago. With only a couple more days left in the month, we'll see if this month will be a success or a learning experience :)

In the meantime, while at the grocery store a couple of days go, I came across a sale with 2 racks of sideribs for the low price of $6.00. With only a mere 24 hours before meeting the expiry date, threw these ribs into the crockpot and dinner was ready in just a couple of hours with some yummy side dishes too. The original recipe can be found using the link below as I've made changes to the recipe that are reflected already below.

Crock Pot Spare Ribs

Ingredients:

1/2 cup Ketchup

1/2 cup BBQ sauce
1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
1 cup Water
1/4 cup Vinegar
1 tbsp Brown sugar
1 tsp Sugar
1 tbsp Dehydrated onion
2 racks of side ribs, (cut in 4 ribs)

Directions:

Combine all ingredients in crock pot and stir well. Add the spare ribs. Cook on LOW for 8 hours. Once ready, pour crockpot liquid into a pan to thicken sauce. I added a tbsp of cornstarch dissolved in 1 cup of cold water to the liquid, put it to heat until it reduced and thickened to my likening. I then took the sauce and poured it on the ribs in the crockpot, although you could serve it on the side with the ribs.

Serve with pesto rice, crunchy coleslaw and/or green beans with sherried mushrooms.

Enjoy!

Picture of the Week

2009-03-23T07:37:00.003-04:00

Pantuffas

Setting: Aperature Priority
Lighting: Natural
ISO: 560
f4.0
Shutter Speed: 1/30

Enjoy!

Picture of the Week

2009-03-11T16:04:00.003-04:00

Here's my favorite picture of the week...

Our new addition

Setting: Aperature Priority
Lighting: Natural
ISO: 500
f4.8
Shutter Speed: 1/30

Enjoy!

Mini Quiches...

2009-03-10T09:53:00.002-04:00

I'm a Quiche Virgin...

This was my first time making a quiche, don't know why but I've always shied away from them. I made them as minis as I wasn't sure how they'd turn out. Didn't realize how easy and delicious they could be... The original recipe came from the Better Homes and Garden website but not having enough time to make my own dough I bought ready-made unsweetened tart shells for my base. The original recipe can be found by following the link below but the recipe below reflects the changes I made to the original recipe.

Individual Ham and Cheese Quiches

Ingredients:
2 packages unsweetened tart shells (12 per package)
½ cup shredded mozzarella cheese
½ cup finely chopped sweet red pepper
¼ cup finely chopped cooked ham
1 tbsp thinly sliced green onion
2 tbsp all-purpose flour
¼ tsp Italian seasoning
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground black pepper
2 eggs, slightly beaten
2/3 cup Evaporated Milk

Directions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees F.

2. Place tart shells on a baking sheet. Bake in preheated oven for 7 minutes or until pastry is slightly golden. Remove from oven. Reduce oven temperature to 350 degrees F.

3. In a medium bowl combine cheese, red pepper, ham, green onions, milk, eggs, flour, salt and black pepper; mix well. Spoon mixture into shells, filling 3/4 full.

4. Bake for 20 to 25 minutes minutes or until filling is set. Let stand 5 minutes before serving. Cool slightly; lift quiche from cup with tip of knife. Serve warm or cool and freeze for later entertaining.

Kitchen Tip: To make one large quiche: Line a 10-inch tart pan with removable bottom with one piecrust (reserve remaining piecrust for another use). Line with double thickness of foil. Bake in 400 degrees F. oven for 7 minutes. Remove foil; bake 8 to 9 minutes longer or until pastry is set, dry and lightly browned. Spoon mixture evenly in shell. Bake in 325 degrees F oven for 30 minutes or until set. Let stand 10 minutes before serving.

Enjoy :)

A Christmas Post in March???

2009-03-10T09:09:00.006-04:00

I've been meaning to post these cookie recipes since Christmas but haven't had a chance. It's only 9 weeks late...oops...

This Christmas we decided since we were attending many holiday parties that we would create some holiday tins filled with cookies. The "we" ended up becoming only "me" but hubby took care of the kids while I baked, so it was definitely a collaborative effort :)

Since I didn't have any favorite cookie recipes I decided to try the following new ones and they were a hit! The Ranger cookies were very easy to make but keep an eye on them as they can burn very quickly around the edges. The Gingerbread cookie recipe came from a company that does alot of holiday fundraising at Sherway Mall during the Christmas season and they were very happy to share their recipe. They make tons of these cookies and at the mall children can come up and decorate them and they are sold to the public to raise money for local charities. I found this recipe needed a little tweaking for next time but not sure yet what it will be...but keep tuned for a variation of this recipe in next year's post. The sugar cookie recipe came from Ashlee's website and it was a hit too... although I didn't have time to ice them this time around. Just another excuse to attempt this recipe once again :)

Ranger Cookies (from Betty Crocker)

Ingredients:

1 package Betty Crocker Oatmeal Mix
½ cup butter/margarine
1 tbsp water
1 egg
¾ cup Rice Krispies cereal (Vanilla flavored)
½ cup flaked sweetened coconut

Directions:

Heat oven to 375°F (190°C). In large bowl, stir all ingredients until soft dough forms.
Drop dough by rounded teaspoonfuls 2 inches (5 cm) apart onto ungreased baking sheet.
Bake 10 to 12 minutes or until edges are golden brown.
Cool 1 minute; remove from cookie sheet. Cool completely.

Kitchen Tip: Toss 1/2 cup peanut butter chips, chocolate chips or a combo of both into the dough for extra flavour.

GINGERBREAD COOKIE (The Gingerbread Cookie Factory)

Ingredients:

½ cup sugar
½ cup shortening
1 egg
½ cup light molasses
2 ¼ cup flour
4 tsp pumpkin pie spice
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
½ tsp all spice

Directions:

Cream sugar and shortening.
Add egg and molasses; blend.
Mix in dry ingredients.
Chill dough for 1 hour. Roll out dough to 1/8 in. thickness. Cut into desired shapes.
Bake at 350 degrees for 8 to 9 minutes.

Ashlee's My Famous Sugar Cookies

Ingredients:
1 1/2 cups butter
1 1/2 cups granulated sugar
1/2 cup powdered sugar
4 eggs
1 tsp. vanilla
1/2 tsp. almond extract
1 tbsp. lemon zest
5 cups flour
2 tsp. baking powder
1 tsp. salt
Powdered sugar, for rolling

Directions:

Preheat oven to 400 degrees. Line a cookie sheet with parchment paper.

Cream butter and sugars in a mixer for 5 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, mixing thoroughly. Add in vanilla, almond, and lemon zest. Sift in flour, baking powder, and salt a little at a time. Do not over mix, this process should take about one minute.

Chill dough for up to a week in the fridge, or roll out and cut right away. Bake cookies for 12 minutes.

Ice with basic buttercream if desired.

Enjoy :)

March's Book of the Month...

2009-03-10T07:25:00.003-04:00

I love to read anything really from textbooks, magazines to novels and even camera manuals ;) With the pressures of everyday life as a mom of 2, the last couple of weeks found me with very little time and interest in taking on a new book. But when my sister lent me this book I immediately placed it on my bedside table as my next read. Little did I realize that 6 weeks had passed and I still hadn't picked it up...

So when I finally got around to it, I was hooked and would definitely recommend it to anyone who wants an easy read and a good laugh...

Sophie Kinsella's Remember Me?

Anyone else read it? What did you think?

Leftovers in a Pie...

2009-03-10T07:21:00.002-04:00

With so many leftovers from last night’s Slow Cooker Pot Roast, I was excited once again to revisit my Canadian Living Special Issue magazine… With 3 options for these leftovers, I decided to select The Shepherd’s Pie recipe on page 46. Now if leftovers could taste like this all the time, I’d be in heaven and have way more time for myself. This recipe was definitely a keeper for our family, hope you think so too…

Canadian Living Shepherd’s Pie

Ingredients:

1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 large onion, chopped
1 tsp (5 mL) dried thyme
2 tbsp (30 mL) all-purpose flour
4 cups chopped cooked Sirloin Tip Oven Roast
1 cup Porcini Mushroom Jus (recipe below)
1 bag of small potatoes (454 g)
1 large carrot, peeled and shredded
1 cup (250 mL) milk, warm
4 tsp (20 mL) butter, softened
1/2 tsp (2 mL) each salt and pepper
1 cup (250 mL) leftover peas & corn

Directions:

In large nonstick skillet, heat oil over medium-high heat; cook onion and thyme, stirring occasionally, until softened and golden, about 5 minutes.

Sprinkle with flour; cook, stirring for 1 minute. Add beef, jus and ½ cup water; simmer for 2 minutes. Spread in 8-inch square glass baking dish.

In saucepan of boiling salted water, cover and cook potatoes (with skin, chopped in ½ ) until tender, about 8 minutes. Drain potatoes and return to dry saucepan; mash together with warm milk, butter, salt and pepper until smooth.

Scrape beef mixture into 8-inch (2 L) square glass baking dish. Cover with shredded carrots, peas and corn; spread mashed potatoes over top. Bake in 400°F (200°C) oven until filling is bubbly and potatoes are golden, about 40 minutes.

Make-ahead: Cover and refrigerate for up to 24 hours; add 20 minutes to baking time.

Porcini mushroom Jus:
1 pkg (14 g) dried porcini mushrooms
1 tbsp (15 mL) vegetable oil
1 clove garlic, minced
Pinch dried thyme
Pinch salt
1 tbsp (15 mL) brandy or sodium-reduced beef stock
1-1/2 cups (375 mL) sodium-reduced beef stock

Preparation:

Soak mushrooms in 1 cup (250 mL) boiling water for 20 minutes. With slotted spoon, remove mushrooms and chop. Strain liquid and set aside.

In saucepan, heat vegetable oil over medium heat; fry garlic, thyme, salt and mushrooms until softened, about 2 minutes. Add brandy; cook, stirring, until no liquid remains.

Add stock and reserved pan/mushroom juices; bring to boil. Reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for about 8 minutes or until reduced to about 2 cups (500 mL).

Note: I ended up using all of this jus in my Shepherd’s Pie as it was that yummy :)

Enjoy!

A Birthday Party on a budget...

2009-03-09T17:09:00.002-04:00

This weekend I was determined to host a dinner party for 11 guests at our place, to celebrate our special friend’s birthday but I was hesitant to spend anymore than $40 to do it. In the past I’ve never really had a budget and usually found myself stepping into the grocery store and coming out with more than $100 worth of groceries, some of which never got used but this time it would be different. I would schedule and plan out each component of the meal and head to the store only once with my list. I’m proud to say it worked…
Our Birthday Menu consisted of:

Roasted Garlic - Garlic Bread
Helena’s Meat Lasagna
Baked Ravioli in Alfredo Sauce
Caesar Salad
Fresh Fruit Tarts
Ice Cream Birthday Cake (my gift to the birthday boy)

Some of the above are my tried and true favorites but I did try a new recipe that I created from a variety of different recipes I found online and this one was a favorite among all of our guests. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did…

Baked Ravioli in Alfredo Sauce

Ingredients
3 pkg.frozen Four Cheese Ravioli, cooked, drained, as per package
6 tablespoons unsalted butter
½ small red onion, minced
½ tsp minced garlic
1 package of sliced mushrooms
2 cup heavy cream
1 cup finely grated Parmigiano-Romano cheese
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
2 tablespoon Parmesan Cheese
2 tablespoon bread crumbs

Directions

Preheat oven to 400º F. Grease an 8-inch-square baking dish.

Bring a pot of water to a rolling boil then add salt. Add ravioli and cook for 8 minutes to al dente.

While the pasta is cooking, melt the butter in a medium saucepan over medium-high heat. Add shallots, garlic. mushrooms and saute until tender. Add heavy cream and cheese, and bring to a boil. Cook until sauce has reduced slightly, about 5 minutes. Remove from the heat. Add salt and pepper to taste. Stir in pasta. Pour into prepared baking dish. Sprinkle cheese and bread crumbs over pasta mixture; cover with foil.

Bake for 20 minutes. Uncover; bake for additional 5 minutes or until golden brown.

Enjoy!

Frugal dinners and yummy leftovers...

2009-03-09T16:44:00.004-04:00

..who would have thought...

My husband and I are really trying to make healthier and more frugal choices for our meal. Some months we can rack over $800 on grocery bills and dining out… Lord, forgive us for the amount of food that some months we may throw out due to spoilage or lack of time and ideas as to what to do with all of the food in our fridge.

So during a grocery store run for little essentials, I came across a Canadian Living Special Issue: Make Ahead Meals: Cook Now, Save Time Later. So this month this little magazine of 96 pages will be my inspiration.

Today I start with a recipe from page 45: Sirloin tip Oven Roast with Porcini Mushroom Jus … This basic recipe was to provide for at least another 4 recipes that would use leftovers but of course I had to make a little change to accommodate for my lack of time, placed it into the Slow Cooker with all of my vegetables for a one pot dish…

Slow Cooker Pot Roast

Ingredients
3 pounds outside round roast
6 cloves garlic, minced
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 tsp each dried thyme and pepper
1 packet dry onion soup mix
1 cup beef stock
3 carrots, chopped
1 onion, chopped
12 mini white potatoes
1 stalk celery, chopped

Directions

Mix the garlic, oil, thyme and pepper. Rub over top and sides of roast. (Will do this next time: Brown on all sides in a large skillet over high heat)

Place onions in slowcooker. Mix onion soup mix with beef stock and add to slowcooker. Place roast in the slowcooker and sprinkle remainder of ingredients around the roast.

Cover and cook on low setting for 8 to 10 hours or on high for 6 hours.

P.S. Sorry for the lack of pictures this week but couldn't seem to capture a picture before we all dug into the yummy meals...

Picture of the Week

2009-03-03T07:11:00.006-05:00

After having lost my first DSLR camera at the airport on our way back from our Mexican vacation last year, I made a pact with myself when my hubby surprised me with another DSLR camera (Nikon D60) that I would learn how to use all of its features (aside from the Auto feature :)

It's been a year on my own with very little improvement and so I decided to take action out of my hands and enroll in a course... If that's not motivation to get out and do it I don't know what is...

Now I'm learning how to use my camera and taking LOTS of pictures. So I've decided to share them with you by posting them right here. In addition to the photo I'll also indicate details in case you want to replicate the photo with your own camera too.

Enjoy!

Title: My protogee
Setting: Aperature Priority
Lighting: Natural
ISO: 800
f5.3
Shutter Speed: 1/6

2009-02-28T08:37:00.008-05:00

I'm such a fan of Katie's Good Things Catered blog and I was so excited to try these recipes when I saw them on her blog... I just love mushrooms and poppyseeds yum!! (just not together of course...hehehe...) The tart has now become one of my hubby's favorite side dishes. The poppy seed loaf was very moist and although everyone loved it, I think I would use a little less butter next time and make them into the mini loaves as directed in the recipe.

Wild Mushroom, Caramelized Onion, Bacon and Herb Tart

Ingredients:

1/2 recipe pie dough
1 Tbsp unsalted butter
1 medium onion, sliced thinly
8 oz. wild mushrooms, sliced
1 Tbsp balsamic vinegar
6 strips cooked bacon
1 garlic clove
1/8 tsp salt
1/8 tsp ground pepper
1/2 tsp herbs de Provence
3 oz. Camembert, diced small
1 Tbsp beaten egg

Directions:

-In medium saucepan, over medium low heat, add butter to melt.
-When pan is heated and butter is melted, add onions and stir to combine.
-Cook onions down, stirring occasionally, until beginning to turn golden brown, about 15 minutes. -Preheat oven to 400 degrees and line baking sheet with parchment.
-Add mushrooms to onions and cook until browned but not burned, an additional 10 minutes.
-Add balsamic vinegar and stir to combine well.
-Add bacon, garlic, salt, pepper and herbs and cook, stirring, until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
-Remove from heat and set aside.
-Roll out dough to a rough 12" round.
-Place onion mixture in center of dough and spread out evenly, about 1.5" from the edges.
-Scatter Camembert around edges of onion mixture and fold dough edges into tart, pleating for presentation and leaving the center open.
-Brush edges of dough with beaten egg and place in oven to bake.
-Bake tart until edges are golden brown and tart is heated through, about 25-30 minutes.
-Remove from oven and let cool to just warm before cutting and serving.

Lemon Poppy Seed Mini Loaf

Ingredients:
2 cups all-purpose flour
2 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1/2 c. unsalted butter, softened
1/2 c. shortening
2 c. granulated sugar
4 large eggs, room temp
2 c. buttermilk, room temp
1 tsp vanilla extract
juice of 1/2 lemon
zest of 2 large lemons
2 Tbsp poppy seeds

Directions:
-Preheat the oven to 350 degrees and prepare mini loaf pans (or 1 large loaf pan)
-In large bowl, combine flour, baking powder, salt, lemon zest, poppy seeds and whisk to combine; set aside.
-In medium bowl, combine buttermilk, vanilla, lemon juice, and whisk to combine; set aside.
-In bowl of stand mixer, add butter, shortening, and sugar and beat on high until light in color and fluffy, about 3 minutes.
-Reduce speed to medium and add eggs, one at a time, combining thoroughly before adding the next.
-Reduce speed to low and add flour mixture in three parts alternating with milk mixture, starting and ending with flour and mixing until incorporated.-Scrape batter into pans and spread evenly.
-Place in oven and bake until golden brown and toothpick inserted into center of loaf comes out clean, about 30 minutes (or 45-55 for a large loaf).
- Makes about 8 mini loaves

Enjoy!

Turkey and maple syrup...what a combination!

2009-02-28T08:09:00.005-05:00

I know there are so many recipes out there for turkey but being a stickler for sticking to something that is tried and true, I've always had a hard time deviating from the recipe that I've always used. Although I was so glad to come across this recipe in an email I had received. I had never tried basting a turkey with maple syrup but being Canadian, I knew I had to try it... This recipe was a hit at our family gathering and perhaps our new family favorite...

Maple-Roasted Turkey with Smoked Bacon and Stuffing

Cook Time: 4 hr 30 min

Ingredients:
4 tablespoon butter
1 large onion, finely chopped
½ chourico, diced
3 packages of stuffing (2 packages of seasoning)
1 large egg, lightly beaten
1/2 cup heavy cream
2 cups chicken stock
1 cup white wine
1 (12 to 14 pound) PC Real Butter basted turkey
1 cup pure maple syrup
1/4 cup hot water
8 strips smoked bacon
1/4 cup all-purpose flour
1/2 lemon, juiced

Directions:
Preheat the oven to 325 degrees F and remove the top rack.

In a saute pan, melt 4 tablespoons butter, add the onions and chourico, cook and stir for 15 minutes until soft and golden. Remove from heat. Put the cornbread in a large mixing bowl and scrape the sauteed onion mixture on top. Add the packages of seasoning, egg, heavy cream, and just enough chicken stock to moisten the stuffing without making it soggy (about 1/2 cup.) Toss well to combine.

Remove the neck and gizzards from the inside of the turkey and discard. Rinse the with cold water, pat dry. Sprinkle the cavity and skin liberally with salt and pepper. Fill the bird with the stuffing without packing too tightly; cook the remaining stuffing separately in a buttered baking dish. Truss the turkey; place it on a rack in a large roasting pan with remaining chicken stock and wine, and put into the oven.

Meanwhile, in a small mixing bowl, whisk together the maple syrup and hot water to thin the glaze out a bit; use this to baste the turkey every 30 minutes (starting at the 1 hour mark). The turkey should take about 4 ½ hours to cook. If the legs or breast brown too quickly, cover with foil.

About 2 hours into cooking, shingle the strips of bacon oven the turkey breast to cover; continue to roast and baste. The turkey is done when an instant-read thermometer inserted into the meatiest part of the thigh registers 170 degrees F (the thigh juices will also run clear when pricked with a knife.) Transfer the turkey to a cutting board and let rest for 20 minutes before carving, so the juices can settle back into the meat.

Skim off the excess fat from the pan drippings with a spoon and place the roasting pan over 2 burners set on medium-high heat. Using a wooden spoon, scrape up brown bits stuck to bottom of pan. Whisk the flour into the drippings, stirring as it thickens to prevent lumps. Add the remaining chicken stock and bring to a simmer; season with salt and pepper and hit it with a squeeze of lemon juice to brighten the flavor. Simmer for 5 minutes and then strain to remove any particles.

Enjoy!

Note: Please be careful as the turkey may look ready visually because of all of the sugar in the baste the skin darkens very quickly but that is not a direct reflection on whether the turkey is cooked on the inside. In this case, a thermometer reading is imperative!

Nutella Frosted Brownies

2009-02-28T07:40:00.004-05:00

This brownies were quite the hit at my husband's birthday party. I don't remember where I found this recipe but we're lovers of Nutella so I knew I had to try it... The only change I made to the recipe was instead of swirling the Nutella with a toothpick, I placed batter into the muffin tin, added the spoonful of Nutella as is and then added more muffin batter on top... It was quite the chocolate-y suprise when you bit into the cupcake...

Nutella Frosted Cupcakes

Ingredients:

10 tbsp (140 grams) butter, softened
3/4 cup white sugar
3 eggs
1/2 tsp vanilla
1 3/4 cups (200 grams) sifted ap flour
1/4 tsp salt
2 tsp baking powder Nutella, approx. 1/3 cup

Directions:

Preheat oven to 325F. Line 12 muffin tins with paper liners.

Cream together butter and sugar until light, 2 minutes. Add in eggs one at a time, until fully incorporated. Don't worry if the batter doesn't look smooth. Add vanilla. Stir in flour, salt and baking powder until batter is uniform and no flour remains.

Using an ice cream scoop, fill each muffin liner with batter. They should be 3/4 full, if you're not using a scoop. Top each cake with 1 1/2 tsp Nutella. Swirl Nutella in with a toothpick, making sure to fold a bit of batter up over the nutella.

Bake for 20 minutes.

Remove to a wire rack to cool completely.

Makes 12

Enjoy!

I'm Back...

2009-02-28T07:32:00.003-05:00

Okay I'm back and this time its for good...After a long hiatus, ending work, starting maternity leave, having a little baby, our new house being delayed again, family challenges along the way, its time to start getting this blog back up and running!

But we're going to do things a little differently this time around, I will promise the following:

1. To bake a recipe once a week
2. To make a filipino dish once a week
3. To make a portuguese dish once a week
4. To incorporate my latest hobby of photography by including a favorite pic in the blog, and
5. I'll include tips that I've found very helpful or touch on any recent projects that I'm working on and what my progress is with them...

and so this list will guide me along the way over the next couple of weeks and I'll revisit it later on and see if its working or not :)

In the meantime, let's get this party started...

Helena :)

Back Again... :)

2008-10-16T10:29:00.004-04:00

The last couple of weeks have not seen the arrival of our new baby yet but at the same time neither did my desire to start cooking too! But having started mat leave, its about time to stat getting back into the swing of things... So I start with something close to my heart and especially sweet. I was offered a recipe from my cousin, tweaked it with some others I found on websites and came up with the following:

Chocolate Macaroon Brownie

Brownie:
1 1/3 cups all purpose flour
1 tsp baking powder
½ tsp salt
1 cup butter
1 cup baking cocoa
4 eggs, beaten
2 cups sugar
1½ tsp vanilla extract
1 tsp almond extract
½ cup chopped nuts

Filling:
1 can (14 oz) sweetened condensed milk
3 cups flaked/shredded coconut
1 tsp vanilla extract

Icing:
¼ cup butter, softened
1 tsp vanilla extract
2 cups confectioners’ sugar (icing sugar)
½ cup baking cocoa
¼ cup milk
¼ cup chopped nuts (optional)

Directions:

Combine flour, baking powder and salt; set aside. In large saucepan, melt butter. Remove from heat and stir in cocoa until smooth. Blend in eggs, sugar and extracts. Stir in flour mixture and nuts.

Pour into a parchment lined 13 in x 9 in x 2 in baking pan.

In small bowl, combine condensed milk, coconut and vanilla. Spoon over brownie base.

Bake at 350o for 30-35 minutes or until a toothpick inserted near the centre comes out clean.

For icing, in small bowl, combine sugar, cocoa, butter, vanilla and enough milk to achieve desired spreading consistency.

Spread over filling. Sprinkle with nuts (optional). Cool in pan. Cut into bars.

Enjoy! (I know we did!)

More Summertime BBQing ....

2008-08-09T07:20:00.003-04:00

Hubby and I have recently found out our new home purchase has been delayed for another year. We were so excited to be moving out of our little apartment and finally having a place to call our own. One of the things we have been looking forward to the most is its rooftop deck and being able to own a bbq of our own... now there's a heartbreaker :(

So we've decided no need to wait until then to grill and we have started practicing with some recipes now and taking them to my sister's place for grilling there. Here's a great chicken skewer recipe with the slightest hint of lemon... Great for a hot summer's day like today... We served them with some vegetable skewers that were marinaded in Italian salad dressing. Great accompaniment to this bbq.

Lemon Chicken Kabobs
By: The Canadian Living Test Kitchen

Ingredients

1 lb (500 g) boneless skinless chicken breasts
2 tbsp (25 mL) olive oil
2 tbsp (25 mL) lemon juice
3 cloves garlic, minced
½ tsp (2 mL) each dried thyme and salt
½ tsp (2 mL) poultry seasoning ( I added)
¼ tsp (1 mL) pepper

Directions

Cut chicken into 1-inch (2.5 cm) pieces. In bowl, whisk together oil, lemon juice, garlic, thyme, salt, pepper and poultry seasoning. Add chicken and toss to coat. Put all ingredients into a resealable bag and refrigerate for up to 24 hours.

Once ready to BBQ, soak bamboo skewers in water for 30 minutes. In the meantime, seed and cut pepper into 1 inch chunks. Alternately thread chicken and pepper onto skewers. Cook on greased grill, until the chicken is browned and no longer pink inside, 12 to 16 minutes.

Enjoy!

Filipino BBQ

2008-08-09T07:14:00.005-04:00

Anyone who knows me, will tell you how much I absolutely love filipino BBQ. I've tried numerous times to obtain the ever famous recipes from my in-laws with no luck but this year I am happy to announce that my father-in-law was more than happy to share the recipe to his Filipino pork BBQ sticks... and they were just as yummy as ever!

Dad's Filipino pork BBQ sticks

Ingredients

1 pound pork tenderloin, cubed
¼ cup soy sauce
5 cloves garlic minced
2 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 tablespoon brown sugar
¼ cup tomato ketchup

Directions

Add all ingredients to a resealable bag and marinade overnight. Before barbecuing, soak wooden skewers in water for 30 mins.

Thread pork through skewers and BBQ.

Serve with vegetable shish kebobs and hot steaming rice.

Enjoy!

My Ice Cream Machine is on overload....

2008-08-07T16:46:00.004-04:00

My ice cream machine is on overload and I'm loving it... Having recently purchased a case of mangoes and not being able to finish eating all of them, decided to put them to good use especially for the upcoming hot summery days... What better way to enjoy them than in a refreshing sorbet!!

Mango Sorbet

Ingredients

3/4 cup of sugar
1 cup of water
1 tbsp freshly grated lemon zest
5 cups of ripe mango
1 lemon, juiced
1 large egg white

Directions

Bring sugar, water and lemon zest up to a simmer in a saucepan, stirring until sugar has dissolved. Then bring to a boil for just 1 minute. Cool liquid before chilling.

Purée mango and lemon juice with a hand blender. Stir sugar syrup into purée and pour into an ice cream maker. Once sorbet has thickened slightly (about 8 minutes), whisk egg white lightly and pour into ice cream maker. Continue to thicken in ice cream maker for about 20 minutes and then transfer sorbet to a container and freeze until firm, about 4 hours.

Enjoy!

Frozen, creamy and it needs Nutella...yummy!

2008-08-07T16:37:00.005-04:00

Original recipe is from Giada De Laurentiis and I have to admit this may be the best homemade gelato that I've ever had. Soooooooo creamy. What a keeper!

Chocolate-Hazelnut Gelato

Ingredients

2 cups whole milk
1 cup heavy cream
1/3 cup sugar, plus 1/4 cup
4 egg yolks
½ teaspoon pure almond extract
1 tablespoon unsweetened cocoa powder
½ cup Nutella spread (recommended: Nutella

Directions

In a saucepan combine the milk, cream, and 1/2 cup sugar over medium heat. Cook until the sugar dissolves, about 5 minutes.

Meanwhile, in a medium bowl whip the egg yolks with the remaining sugar using an electric mixer until the eggs have become thick and pale yellow, about 4 minutes. Pour ½ cup of the warm milk and cream mixture into the egg mixture and stir. Add this mixture back into the saucepan. Cook over very low heat, stirring constantly, until the mixture becomes thick enough to coat the back of a wooden spoon, about 10 to 15 minutes.

Place a strainer over a medium bowl and pour the warm custard mixture through the strainer. Stir in the almond, cocoa powder and hazelnut spread until it dissolves. Chill mixture completely before pouring into an ice cream maker and follow manufacturer's instructions to freeze. To serve, scoop gelato into serving bowls and top with chopped/toasted hazelnuts.

Please note: I’ve incorporated some of the changes I made to the recipe including lowering the sugar from ½ cup to a 1/3 cup, using almond extract instead of vanilla extract, adding 1 tablespoon of unsweetened cocoa powder and omitting the ½ cup of hazelnuts. For the original recipe please visit the www.foodnetwork.com website.

It's a rainy summer day...

2008-08-07T16:02:00.006-04:00

...and I've been up to my old vices. What better way to spend a rainy day than playing with your little girl and cooking up a storm... Hmm... can't wait to share all the recipes with you...

With bananas ripening so quickly in this heat, I wanted to find a new recipe to incorporate them and this bread was fantastic especially for making a great breakfast toast for our mornings.

Banana-Nut Bread
From: The Great American Home Baking Collection

Ingredients

2 1/3 cups all purpose flour
3 teaspoons baking powder
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, softened
1 cup granulated sugar
3 large eggs
3 large ripe bananas, mashed
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
½ cup slivered almonds

Directions

Preheat oven to 350 degrees. Grease a 9x5 inch loaf pan

Mix together flour, baking powder, baking soda and salt.

Beat together butter and sugar at medium speed until light and fluffy. Add eggs, 1 at a time, beating well after each addition.

Beat in bananas. Graduatlly beat in flour mixture until well blended. Stir in lemon zest and nuts. Spoon batter into prepared pan. Bake bread until a toothpick inserted in center comes out clean, 55 minutes. Transfer pan to a wire rack to cool for 10 minutes. Turn bread out into rack to cool.

Enjoy!

Our Canada Day Picnic (...cont'd)

2008-07-05T08:20:00.006-04:00

I know that most people are advised to not try new recipes while entertaining but I always find its the perfect opportunity to try something new and get a cross-section of feedback. So although the following tart recipe didn't look the prettiest as the filling had caved in quite dramatically after being cooled, guests seemed to really enjoy this treat. I'll have to work on getting it to retain its shape in the future :)

Rum Butter Tarts with Toasted Pecans
LCBO Spring 2007 Issue
By: Marilyn Bentz Crowley

Pastry
1¼ cups (300 mL) all-purpose flour
¼ tsp (1 mL) salt
¼ cup (50 mL) cold butter
2 tbsp (25 mL) cold lard or shortening
½ tsp (2 mL) lemon juice
2 to 3 tbsp (20 to 45 mL) ice cold water

Filling
1 egg
½ cup (125 mL) brown sugar
¼ cup (50 mL) corn syrup
2 tbsp (25 mL) dark rum (I used regular white rum)
½ tsp (2 mL) pure vanilla extract
¼ cup (50 mL) melted butter
¼ cup (50 mL) coarsely chopped toasted pecans or walnuts

Directions

1. Combine flour and salt in a medium bowl. Cut in butter and lard until butter pieces are about the size of small peas. Stir lemon juice into 2 tbsp (25 mL) water. Stir into flour mixture, adding up to 1 tbsp (15 mL) more water if needed to just moisten. Press together to form a ball of dough; then flatten, wrap and chill for 30 minutes.

2. Coat cups of a standard 12-cup muffin pan generously with cooking spray or lightly butter. Roll out pastry until thinner than usual for pie crust, about 1/8-inch (0.5-cm) thick. Use a 3-inch (8- cm) cookie cutter (or upturned glass) to cut into rounds. Press into cups forcing dough two-thirds to three-quarters up sides. Use scraps to fill in any breaks, low sides or thin parts. Freeze 10 minutes while making filling.

3. Preheat oven to 400ºF (200ºC).

4. Beat egg lightly with a fork. Gradually add brown sugar, corn syrup, rum, vanilla and melted butter. Stir until smooth. Divide ¼ cup (50 mL) nuts among homemade shells or ½ cup (125 mL) among frozen purchased shells; spoon in filling. Bake 15 minutes or until filling is bubbly and browned. Cool in pans on racks; then run a knife around edges of tarts. Remove tarts from pans. Covered tarts keep for a day or 2 at room temperature and freeze well.

Makes 12 tarts

Enjoy!

Note: I was pressed for time, so for the pastry I purchased frozen sweetened tart shells and then proceeded directly to step 3.

Our Canada Day Picnic (...cont'd)

2008-07-05T08:11:00.003-04:00

This recipe was passed to me by hubby's cousin Leslie and what a hit it was... It was also my first time at making any type of yummy square. So glad I tried it... Next time after baking and cooling, I'll put it in the fridge for about an hour before serving to settle the caramel into a more firmer consistency.

Chocolate Caramel Nut Bars

Ingredients

1 cup butter, softened
1/2 cup firmly packed brown sugar
2 cups flour
1 cup mini semi-sweet chocolate morsels
¼ cup caramel chip morsels
1 bag (340 g) caramels (about 43 caramels), unwrapped
1/4 cup whipping cream
1 cup chopped walnuts

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 350°F. Line 15x10x3/4-inch baking pan with foil. with ends of foil extending over sides of pan; set aside. Beat butter and sugar in large bowl with electric mixer on medium speed until light and fluffy. Add flour; beat on low speed until mixture is well blended and crumbly. Press dough firmly into prepared pan.

BAKE 15 to 17 minutes or until edges are golden brown. Remove from oven. Sprinkle with chocolate and caramel morsels ; cover with foil. Let stand 5 minutes or until chocolate is melted. Spread evenly over crust.

MICROWAVE caramels and cream in microwaveable bowl on MEDIUM 4 minutes or until caramels begin to melt. Stir until caramels are completely melted. Spread evenly over chocolate layer; sprinkle with walnuts. Cool on pan on wire rack. Remove dessert from pan, using foil handles. Cut into bars.

Makes 2 dozen squares.

Enjoy!

Our Canada Day Picnic (...cont'd)

2008-07-05T08:02:00.001-04:00

This has been one of my long time favorite pasta salads and I'm glad to get to share it with you...

Greek Pasta Salad

Ingredients
8 ounces rotini pasta
1/3 cup olive oil
2 tablespoons balsamic vinegar
1 lemon juiced (3 tbsp lemon juice)
2 cloves large garlic crushed
2 teaspoons crushed dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
1 medium cucumber peeled and cut into 1/4-inch rounds
1 cup cherry tomatoes halved
1/2 cup kalamata olives
1 cup crumbled feta cheese

Directions

Cook pasta according to package directions; rinse with cold water and drain.

In a bowl combine oil, vinegar, lemon juice, garlic, oregano, salt and pepper; whisk well and set aside.

In a large bowl, combine pasta, cucumber, tomatoes and olives. Mix with dressing; toss well to coat. Gently fold in feta cheese. Refrigerate until served.

Enjoy!

Our Canada Day Picnic (...cont'd)

2008-07-05T07:35:00.002-04:00

These were quite the hit at our picnic but next time I would bake these wings in the oven at 350 degrees for an hour… I find you have a better appreciation for the different flavours when this recipe is baked and not grilled.

Grilled Asian Chicken Wings

Ingredients:

1/4 cup soy sauce (60ml)
1/3 cup fresh lemon juice (80ml)
1/2 cup honey (60ml)
1/4 cup Asian sesame oil
4 cloves minced garlic
2 tablespoons grated fresh ginger (30ml)
3 tablespoons peanut oil (45ml)
1 teaspoon dried chili flakes (25ml)
Pepper to taste
2 lbs of chicken wings

Directions:

In a bowl whisk together soy, lemon juice, honey, sesame oil, garlic, ginger and dried chili flakes.

Rinse the chicken wings under cold water and pat dry with paper towels. Place the meat in a large resealable plastic bag and pour marinade overtop. Seal the bag and toss to distribute the marinade evenly. Refrigerate for at least 2 hours up to 24 hours turning occasionally.

Preheat the grill to medium heat.

Remove the wings from the bag, place on a tray and discard the marinade. Pat the excess marinade off of the chicken and drizzle with oil. Season lightly with salt and pepper.

Oil the grill. Grill 10 minutes per side or until the skin is crispy and golden brown and when pierced in the thickest part the juices will run clear. Remove from grill and tent with foil. Let rest for 5 minutes. Serve hot or cold.

Enjoy!

Our Canada Day Picnic

2008-07-05T07:26:00.003-04:00

I have to tell you that I absolutely love to celebrate Canada Day surrounded by all of our friends and family but most importantly its the one day of the year that I don't have to cook...hubby mans the BBQ and I can sit back and enjoy the company of others :) Here's a look at our menu for this year's 6th Annual Canada Day Picnic. (* recipes are included below - all other items were contributed by guests)

Menu:

Appetizers:
Nachos & Dip
Chips for the kids

Main:
* Grilled Asian Chicken Wings
Sausages
Hamburgers
Filipino pork BBQ sticks
Grilled chicken breast
Grilled pork chops

Sides:
* Greek pasta salad
Citrus green salad
Brazilian Bean stuffing
Rice

Desserts:
* Rum Butter Tarts with Toasted Pecans
* Chocolate Caramel Nut Bars
Chocolate & strawberry trifle (pictured above)
Chocolate chip cookies

Drinks:

Pop

Iced Tea

Juice boxes for the kids
Bottled Water

Beer

Zinfandel Wine

In a Caribbean frame of mind...(cont'd)

2008-06-14T18:41:00.002-04:00

I also made this Cucumber and Carrot Salad to help tone down the heat in the jerk chicken. What a great summer salad if you are looking for one!

Cucumber and Carrot Salad

Yield: 4

Ingredients:

1 x cucumber, sliced thinly
2 x carrots, grated
Half a red onion, sliced thinly
2 x fresh grated ginger
1/4 cup cider vinegar
2 tbsp honey
1/4 cup olive oil
1 bunch fresh mint, chopped
salt and pepper

Directions:

Put ingredients into a medium sized bowl and toss well. Adjust seasoning.

In a Caribbean frame of mind...(cont'd)

2008-06-14T18:35:00.004-04:00

Caribbean Salad

For the Salad Base:

6 cups of mixed salad greens
3 x green onions, sliced
1/2 cup of fresh cilantro leaves
1 cup shredded coconut, toasted
1 x mango, peeled, pitted and sliced

For the Coconut Lime dressing:

Zest and juice of 2 limes
1/2 cups of coconut milk
1 tbsp of fresh ginger, grated Salt and pepper

Directions:

Put dressing ingredients into a jar with a tight fitting lid and shake well. Add salt and pepper to taste. Toss with the greens.

Enjoy!

In a Caribbean frame of mind...(cont'd)

2008-06-14T18:34:00.000-04:00

Reggae Rice
Yield: 4

Ingredients:

1 cup of basmati or 1 cup of white rice
1 x 28 oz can of whole tomatoes
1 x can of black beans, rinsed
1 tsp of ground allspice
1 x cubanella or 1 x chili pepper, minced
2 x green onions, sliced thinly
1/4 cup of fresh cilantro, minced
1 tsp of salt
pinch of pepper

Directions:

Put rice, tomatoes, black beans, allspice and salt and pepper into a medium-sized saucepan. Place over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. Turn heat down and let simmer until liquid has absorbed and rice is tender, about 20 minutes. Fluff with a fork and add green onions and cilantro just before serving.

In a Caribbean frame of mind...

2008-06-14T18:28:00.004-04:00

Anyone who knows me knows how much I love Chef at Home with Micheal Smith... Well not too long ago he was creating a Caribbean Meal and thought that I would try it out for a couple of friends who had stopped by for dinner... We had jerk chicken, reggae rice, caribbean salad, a cucumber & carrot salad and topped it off with banana rum coconut smoothies... (obviously mine was a mocktail ;)

For our jerk chicken, I used a bottle of jerk seasoning that my father-in-law had given us with the chicken legs and thighs I had in the fridge. The longer it marinates the spicier it is so be careful with how long you keep it marinated...

Banana Rum Coconut Smoothies
Yield: 2

Ingredients:

4 x bananas
2 cups of pineapple juice
1 can of coconut milk
pinch of ground allspice
1 tsp of vanilla extract
4 oz of vanilla extract
Juice of 1 lime

Directions:

Place all ingredients into a large pitcher and puree with an immersion blender or alternately, puree in a blender.

Enjoy!

P.S. I'll post additional recipes from the caribbean meal shortly!

French Toast...

2008-06-04T07:33:00.006-04:00

I've been wanting to try this recipe since the first time I saw it being made on the FoodNetwork's Healthy Appetite. Plus to hear that it was healthy... what an added bonus :) I was so glad when I realized last night that I had everything in my cupboard to make it for breakfast... It was absolutely delicious and I couldn't believe how wonderful the smell was in our home as it baked in the morning.

Peach French Toast Bake

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Inactive Prep Time: 8 hours
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

Cooking spray
1 large whole-wheat baguette (about 8 ounces)
4 whole eggs
4 egg whites
1 cup low fat milk
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
5 cups sliced peaches, fresh or frozen
1/2 lemon, juiced about 1 1/2 tablespoons
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1/4 teaspoon ground cinnamon

Directions

Spray a 9 by 13-inch baking pan with cooking spray. Slice the baguette into 1/2-inch slices and arrange the slices in a single layer in the baking pan. Whisk together the eggs, egg whites, milk and vanilla. Pour the egg mixture over the bread in the pan. In a medium bowl, toss peaches with the lemon juice and 1 tablespoon of the brown sugar. Scatter the peach slices evenly on top of the bread. Combine the remaining brown sugar and cinnamon and sprinkle over the top. Cover and refrigerate overnight.

Preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Uncover and bake for 40 minutes.

Serving suggestion: Top with a dollop of vanilla yogurt, a drizzle of maple syrup and a side of Canadian bacon.

Nutrition Information
Nutritional Analysis per Serving Calories 263
Total fat 5 grams Saturated fat 1.3 grams
Protein 12 grams Carbohydrates 42 grams
Fiber 3 grams

Enjoy!

Having a Chocolate Craving?

2008-05-29T06:53:00.002-04:00

Had a craving for something chocolate-y and with a few things in my cupboard, I was able to make this recipe I found on http://www.meals.com/ Boy, they weren’t kidding when they said, “You haven't had a real chocolate chocolate chip cookie until you've tried this one! “ I made a few variations to accommodate for what I had so you will have to visit the site to get the original recipe.

Ultimate Chocolate Chocolate Chip Cookies

Preparation Time: 10 mins
Cook Time: 10 mins

Ingredients

6 triangle pieces of Toblerone chocolate
1 cup mini Semi-Sweet Chocolate Morsels
1 1/3 cups all-purpose flour
½ teaspoon baking soda
½ teaspoon salt
½ cup butter, softened
½ cup packed brown sugar
¼ cup granulated sugar
1 teaspoon vanilla extract
2 large eggs

Directions

PREHEAT oven to 375° F.

MELT Toblerone pieces in a double broiler over low heat; stir until smooth. Remove from heat.

COMBINE flour, baking soda and salt in medium bowl. Beat butter, brown sugar, granulated sugar and vanilla extract in large mixer bowl. Add eggs, one at a time, beating well after each addition. Beat in melted chocolate. Gradually beat in flour mixture. Stir in chocolate morsels. Drop by rounded tablespoon onto ungreased baking sheets.

BAKE for 8 to 9 minutes or until cookies are puffed. Cool on baking sheets for 2 minutes; remove to wire racks to cool completely.

Enjoy!

Summer is in the Air with this Sangria Punch

2008-05-29T06:42:00.003-04:00

There is just something about bringing out the glass pitcher and getting it full of fresh summer ingredients that helps me cool off in the warm weather. I came across this recipe on http://www.kraftcanada.com/EN/ and it is quite the hit around here. Hope you enjoy it as much as we did!

Sangria Punch

Prep: 5 min
Ready In: 5 min
Serves: 8

INGREDIENTS

1 pouch CRYSTAL LIGHT Raspberry Ice Low Calorie Drink Mix
4 cups low-calorie cranberry juice cocktail
1 cup orange juice
1 Tbsp. fresh lime juice
3 cups club soda (we used Perrier)
2 seedless oranges, sliced (we used 1 orange)
2 limes, sliced (we used 1 lime)

DIRECTIONS

EMPTY drink mix into large pitcher. Add juices; stir until drink mix is completely dissolved.

REFRIGERATE until ready to serve.

STIR in club soda and fruit. Serve over ice cubes in tall glasses.

Note: For an even fruitier punch, add 1 cup mixed berries with the sliced citrus fruit.

60 Calories per serving (Serving Size = 1 cup)

Helena’s Note: For an alcohol-friendly version of this recipe, you could substitute the club soda for Prosecco (a softer version of champagne)

Yummy...Spanakopita

2008-05-27T07:35:00.005-04:00

This was my first time using puff pastry and what better recipe to use than Elly’s Cheater’s Spanakopita. Although it was a lot easier to make than I expected I know for next time I’ll be a little better prepared and have prettier spanakopita to look at ;) Nevertheless it was extremely yummy and fit perfectly into our Greek midweek dinner.

Puff Pastry (Cheater's) Spanakopita

INGREDIENTS

1 tsp olive oil
3 green onion, chopped
2 tbsp fresh dill, to taste
2 tbsp fresh parsley, to taste
1/2 lb. fresh spinach leaves, chopped
4 oz. feta cheese, crumbled
2 eggs, beaten, divided
salt and pepper, to taste
1 box (2 sheets) puff pastry dough, thawed

DIRECTIONS

Preheat oven to 375.

In a large skillet, heat the olive oil until shimmering. Add the onions and sauté until tender. Stir in the spinach and then turn off the heat. The spinach will start to wilt down, but not much.

Meanwhile, roll the puff pastry dough into a square, on a lightly floured surface and then cut each sheet into 9 equal squares by making 2 horizontal cuts and 2 vertical cuts.

To the spinach mixture, add the feta, parsley, dill and salt and pepper to taste. Beat one egg and add that into the mixture. Mix.

Spoon about 1-2 Tbsp. of the spinach mixture in each puff pastry square. Brush the sides of the square with a little water and then being 2 opposite sides together to form a triangle. Press with your fingers to seal. Place on a baking sheet. Beat the second egg and then brush the tops of the triangles with the egg.

Bake for about 20-25 minutes or until golden.

Enjoy!

April's Daring Baker Challenge

2008-05-25T06:54:00.004-04:00

These cute little bites of cheesecake, held on a stick and dipped in chocolate and, if you like, decorations, are sure to make you smile. The cheesecake is New York style, the pops can be jazzed up with different toppings, and they are FUN…just right for a party.

Cheesecake Pops
From Sticky, Chewy, Messy, Gooey by Jill O’Connor

Makes 30 – 40 Pops

Ingredients

5 packages cream cheese at room temperature
2 cups sugar
¼ cup all-purpose flour
¼ teaspoon salt
5 large eggs
2 egg yolks
2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
¼ cup heavy cream
Boiling water as needed
Thirty to forty 8-inch lollipop sticks
1 pound chocolate, finely chopped – you can use all one kind or half and half of dark, milk, or white
2 tablespoons vegetable shortening
Assorted decorations such as chopped nuts, colored jimmies, crushed peppermints, mini chocolate chips, sanding sugars, dragees) – Optional

Directions

Position oven rack in the middle of the oven and preheat to 325 degrees F. Set some water to boil.

In a large bowl, beat together the cream cheese, sugar, flour, and salt until smooth. If using a mixer, mix on low speed. Add the whole eggs and the egg yolks, one at a time, beating well (but still at low speed) after each addition. Beat in the vanilla and cream.

Grease a 10-inch cake pan (not a springform pan), and pour the batter into the cake pan. Place the pan in a larger roasting pan. Fill the roasting pan with the boiling water until it reaches halfway up the sides of the cake pan. Bake until the cheesecake is firm and slightly golden on top, 35 to 45 minutes.

Remove the cheesecake from the water bath and cool to room temperature. Cover the cheesecake with plastic wrap and refrigerate until very cold, at least 3 hours or up to overnight.
When the cheesecake is cold and very firm, scoop the cheesecake into 2-ounce balls and place on a parchment paper-lined baking sheet. Carefully insert a lollipop stick into each cheesecake ball. Freeze the cheesecake pops, uncovered, until very hard, at least 1 – 2 hours.

When the cheesecake pops are frozen and ready for dipping, prepare the chocolate. In the top of a double boiler, set over simmering water, or in a heatproof bowl set over a pot of simmering water, heat half the chocolate and half the shortening, stirring often, until chocolate is melted and chocolate and shortening are combined. Stir until completely smooth. Do not heat the chocolate too much or your chocolate will lose it’s shine after it has dried. Save the rest of the chocolate and shortening for later dipping, or use another type of chocolate for variety.

Alternately, you can microwave the same amount of chocolate coating pieces on high at 30 second intervals, stirring until smooth.

Quickly dip a frozen cheesecake pop in the melted chocolate, swirling quickly to coat it completely. Shake off any excess into the melted chocolate. If you like, you can now roll the pops quickly in optional decorations. You can also drizzle them with a contrasting color of melted chocolate (dark chocolate drizzled over milk chocolate or white chocolate over dark chocolate, etc.) Place the pop on a clean parchment paper-lined baking sheet to set. Repeat with remaining pops, melting more chocolate and shortening (or confectionary chocolate pieces) as needed.

Refrigerate the pops for up to 24 hours, until ready to serve.

Hope you enjoy them as much as my co-workers and I did :)

Miss Julie’s Famous Banana Bread

2008-05-25T06:30:00.002-04:00

This recipe was passed to me from my sister many years ago and if I remember correctly as far back as when I was living off campus in college. I’ve used this recipe numerous times to save those ever ripening bananas. My favourite variation includes substituting the raisins for a ¼ cup of butterscotch chips. (Tip: coat the butterscotch chips in flour to prevent them from settling to the bottom of the banana bread)

Miss Julie’s Famous Banana Bread

Ingredients

2-3 very ripe bananas
2 eggs
¾ cup sugar
2 cups flour
½ tsp salt
1 tsp baking powder
½ cup raisins

Directions

Preheat oven to 350.

In a large bowl mash bananas and eggs, beat until foamy.

In a separate bowl, sift dry ingredients. Then fold into foamy mixture.

Add raisins.

Bake 1 hour.

Enjoy!

Mushroom Mashed Potatoes

2008-05-23T07:18:00.003-04:00

I do try to incorporate a picture into each of my posts simply because I don't usually try a recipe from a cookbook unless there is a picture that I can reference myself to. This will be one of this exception posts as I'm not sure why but I wasn't able to capture a photo before engulfing my meal all down....oops!

Mushroom Mashed Potatoes

Ingredients

1/4 cup (1/2 stick) butter or margarine
1 package of small Portobello mushrooms
1 bag of small yellow potatoes, skin on, quartered
1 cup Evaporated Milk

Directions

Place potatoes in large saucepan. Cover with water; bring to a boil. Cook over medium-high heat for 15 minutes or until tender; drain.

In a small saucepan, melt butter until foamy; add 1 clove finely chopped garlic and finely chopped mushrooms. Cook over medium heat for 4 to 5 minutes or until liquid has evaporated.

Return potatoes to saucepan; add evaporated milk and sautéed mushrooms. Beat with hand-held mixer until smooth. Season with salt and ground black pepper.

Enjoy!

Note: this is a great pairing to my mini meatloaf recipe.... :)

What have I been up to?

2008-05-23T07:00:00.002-04:00

I am constantly on the web, viewing other blogs from food, to events to this great one I came across from a beautiful mom of 3 named Claudia. She is one of the most creative individuals I have met to date and on her blog http://www.highlowaha.com/she posts these ideas - a new one daily.

I was asked to host her Flat Stanley (her goal is for Flat Stanley to travel among her loyal blog readers) and here is a glimpse of our adventure...

Flat Stanley, who'd have ever thought he'd be my companion for the 6 weeks that were to follow, eh? He starts off his voyage in Toronto. Where to go? What to do? Felt like an unfamiliar guest I was unprepared for. The uneasiness settled and I became more comfortable with our new guest. Stanley joined me everywhere. He was alongside my little girl and I as we watched and cheered at a local semi-finals hockey game. They won and I could feel Flat Stanley's smile grow wider just a little...He was there with us as we travelled and shopped the chic Queen Street West (fashion district) for a prom dress for my little sister's upcoming big day. He travelled through the downtown core in our famous TTC transit subway system. We saw the CN Tower, the tallest standing structure but my fear of heights had us watching from below than from atop! But a few days into Flat Stanley's visit and I was sure he must have brought with him a bug of some sort. I was feeling nauseous, crappy and tired all the time… A quick pee stick later and Flat Stanley was escorting our little family to our OB's office as we heard the news that we are expecting a new addition to our family. Was this Flat Stanley multiplying??? The next couple of weeks had us stuck at home as I tried to recover from morning sickness. Flat Stanley tried and day after day I could sense him holding my hair back as I made daily visits to the porcelain God. Relief was in sight, parties to attend in April and as my birthday rolled around, hubby surprised us all with a one-week vacation to Mexico. So here was Flat Stanley, although destined for Canada was now on his way with us to Mexico to enjoy the sun, the sand and maybe a few tequila shots with my husband ;) A great time was had although an unpleasant finale shocked us, as we learnt that our camera was lost and did not make it to our home. A camera can be replaced but not as much can be said for the 675 pictures that documented our trip and our follies with our guest: Flat Stanley. So I share with you the only picture I was smart enough to store on my computer before we had left and wish Flat Stanley all the best as he moves to his next new destination...

Helena

Daring Bakers...is it really for me?

2008-05-23T06:45:00.007-04:00

What did I get myself into again this month? This month's challenge (March) was going to be the Perfect Party Cake courtesy of Dorie Greenspan's Baking from my Home to Yours... Making cakes overwhelm me but I can't say that I don't love to devour them. This one was no exception. Not wanting to experiment away from the original recipe (and risk making something that was not edible) I stayed true to the recipe...

PERFECT PARTY CAKE

Words from Dorie

Stick a bright-coloured Post-it to this page, so you’ll always know where to turn for a just-right cake for any celebration. The original recipe was given to me by my great dear friend Nick Malgieri, of baking fame, and since getting it, I’ve found endless opportunities to make it – you will too. The cake is snow white, with an elegant tight crumb and an easygoing nature: it always bakes up perfectly; it is delicate on the tongue but sturdy in the kitchen – no fussing when it comes to slicing the layers in half or cutting tall, beautiful wedges for serving; and, it tastes just as you’d want a party cake to taste – special. The base recipe is for a cake flavoured with lemon, layered with a little raspberry jam and filled and frosted with a classic (and so simple) pure white lemony hot-meringue buttercream but, because the elements are so fundamental, they lend themselves to variation (see Playing Around), making the cake not just perfect, but also versatile.

For the Cake

2 ½ cups cake flour
1 tablespoon baking powder
½ teaspoon salt
1 ¼ cups whole milk or buttermilk (I prefer buttermilk with the lemon)
4 large egg whites
1 ½ cups sugar
2 teaspoons grated lemon zest
1 stick (8 tablespoons) unsalted butter, at room temperature
½ teaspoon pure lemon extract

For the Buttercream

1 cup sugar
4 large egg whites
3 sticks unsalted butter, at room temperature
¼ fresh lemon juice (from 2 large lemons)
1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract

For Finishing

2/3 cup seedless raspberry preserves stirred vigorously or warmed gently until spreadable
About 1 ½ cups sweetened shredded coconut

Getting Ready

Centre a rack in the oven and preheat the oven to 350 degrees F. Butter two 9 x 2 inch round cake pans and line the bottom of each pan with a round of buttered parchment or wax paper. Put the pans on a baking sheet.

To Make the Cake

Sift together the flour, baking powder and salt.

Whisk together the sugar and lemon zest in a mixer bowl or another large bowl and rub them together with your fingers until the sugar is moist and fragrant.

Add the butter and working with the paddle or whisk attachment, or with a hand mixer, beat at medium speed for a full 3 minutes, until the butter and sugar are very light.

Beat in the extract, then add one third of the flour mixture, still beating on medium speed.

Beat in half of the milk-egg mixture, then beat in half of the remaining dry ingredients until incorporated. Add the rest of the milk and eggs beating until the batter is homogeneous, then add the last of the dry ingredients. Finally, give the batter a good 2- minute beating to ensure that it is thoroughly mixed and well aerated. Divide the batter between the two pans and smooth the tops with a rubber spatula.Bake for 30-35 minutes, or until the cakes are well risen and springy to the touch – a thin knife inserted into the centers should come out clean.

Transfer the cakes to cooling racks and cool for about 5 minutes, then run a knife around the sides of the cakes, unfold them and peel off the paper liners.

Invert and cool to room temperature, right side up (the cooled cake layers can be wrapped airtight and stored at room temperature overnight or frozen for up to two months).

To Make the Buttercream

Put the sugar and egg whites in a mixer bowl or another large heatproof bowl, fit the bowl over a plan of simmering water and whisk constantly, keeping the mixture over the heat, until it feels hot to the touch, about 3 minutes. The sugar should be dissolved, and the mixture will look like shiny marshmallow cream.Remove the bowl from the heat.Working with the whisk attachment or with a hand mixer, beat the meringue on medium speed until it is cool, about 5 minutes.Switch to the paddle attachment if you have one, and add the butter a stick at a time, beating until smooth.Once all the butter is in, beat in the buttercream on medium-high speed until it is thick and very smooth, 6-10 minutes.

During this time the buttercream may curdle or separate – just keep beating and it will come together again.On medium speed, gradually beat in more lemon juice, waiting until each addition is absorbed before adding more, and then the vanilla. You should have a shiny smooth, velvety, pristine white buttercream. Press a piece of plastic against the surface of the buttercream and set aside briefly.

To Assemble the Cake

Using a sharp serrated knife and a gentle sawing motion, slice each layer horizontally in half. Put one layer cut side up on a cardboard cake round or a cake plate protected by strips of wax or parchment paper.Spread it with one third of the preserves.Cover the jam evenly with about one quarter of the buttercream.Top with another layer, spread with preserves and buttercream and then do the same with a third layer (you’ll have used all the jam and have buttercream leftover).Place the last layer cut side down on top of the cake and use the remaining buttercream to frost the sides and top. Press the coconut into the frosting, patting it gently all over the sides and top.

Serving

The cake is ready to serve as soon as it is assembled, but I think it’s best to let it sit and set for a couple of hours in a cool room – not the refrigerator. Whether you wait or slice and enjoy it immediately, the cake should be served at room temperature; it loses all its subtlety when it’s cold. Depending on your audience you can serve the cake with just about anything from milk to sweet or bubbly wine.

Storing

The cake is best the day it is made, but you can refrigerate it, well covered, for up to two days. Bring it to room temperature before serving. If you want to freeze the cake, slide it into the freezer to set, then wrap it really well – it will keep for up to 2 months in the freezer; defrost it, still wrapped overnight in the refrigerator.

Playing Around

Since lemon is such a friendly flavour, feel free to make changes in the preserves: other red preserves – cherry or strawberry – look especially nice, but you can even use plum or blueberry jam.

Fresh Berry Cake

If you will be serving the cake the day it is made, cover each layer of buttercream with fresh berries – use whole raspberries, sliced or halved strawberries or whole blackberries, and match the preserves to the fruit. You can replace the coconut on top of the cake with a crown of berries, or use both coconut and berries. You can also replace the buttercream between the layers with fairly firmly whipped sweetened cream and then either frost the cake with buttercream (the contrast between the lighter whipped cream and the firmer buttercream is nice) or finish it with more whipped cream. If you use whipped cream, you’ll have to store the cake the in the refrigerator – before serving.

Enjoy!

Crockpot... could it get any easier?

2008-05-23T06:32:00.003-04:00

There is a restaurant close to our home that has absolutely the best BBQ ever!! Everything from ribs, barbequed chicken to pulled pork sandwiches. People flock to this small restaurant often waiting in line as the smell from the grill envelops them... Pulled pork is what I had on the brain but the I wasn't brave enough to go out and weather the storm so I pulled the crockpot out of its dusty cupboard and decided I was going to try to replicate these sandwiches at home. Never suspected it could be this easy...

BBQ Pulled Pork Sandwiches

Ingredients

1 pork shoulder roast (about 2 ½ pounds)
1 tbsp minced garlic
1 bottle (21 ounces) President’s Choice BBQ Sauce
2 tbsp fresh lemon juice
2 tsp brown sugar
2 medium onion, chopped, divided
8 hard rolls

Directions

Place 1 chopped onion along bottom of slow cooker. Rub garlic all over pork shoulder. Place roast in slow cooker on onion. Cover. Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 5-6 hours.
Remove pork; shred meat with 2 forks. Discard any fat and any liquid in slow cooker. Return pork to slow cooker and top with remaining onions.
In a separate bowl, combine barbecue sauce, lemon juice and brown sugar. Cover pork in slow cooker with this mixture. Cover; cook on low for 2 hours or on high for 1 hour longer.

Serve on hard rolls with coleslaw and potato salad.

Enjoy!

Trying my hand at a new stir-fry...

2008-05-23T06:25:00.002-04:00

I always wanted to try my hands at a teriyaki dish and although this one was pretty good, my suggestion for next time would be to the cut the chicken breasts into even smaller pieces. The pieces seemed a little overwhelming for me but I've learnt for next time :)

Chicken Teriyaki Stir-fry

INGREDIENTS

MARINADE

½ cup soy (125ml)
½ cup sherry (125ml)
½ cup brown sugar (125ml)
¼ cup rice wine vinegar (62ml)
1 tbsp garlic, minced (15ml)
1 tbsp ginger, minced (15ml)

STIRFRY

4 Chicken breasts, thinly sliced
1 tbsp corn oil (15ml)
Head of broccoli
1 zucchini
1 tbsp of cornstarch (dissolved in 2 tbsp of water)

DIRECTIONS

Add all of the marinade ingredients into a sauce pan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat and simmer for 5 minutes just until flavor is infused. Let the sauce cool to room temperature.

Cut the chicken breasts into strips and place in a sealable plastic bag. Pour cooled marinade over top and place in the fridge to set up for a minimum of 2 and up to 4 hours.

Cut broccoli into small flowerets. Heat a wok over high heat. Add corn oil. Stir-fry broccoli for 1 minute. Push to one side of wok and add the beef and zucchini. Stir-fry till chicken turns brown and is cooked. Add marinade and cornstarch and stir for 2 minutes until it becomes thick.

Serve over rice.

Enjoy!

Food Funk...

2008-05-23T06:24:00.000-04:00

Wow it’s been how long since I’ve updated my blog?? Much has happened since then (hosted Flat Stanley, went on a Mexican vacation, found out we are welcoming a new addition to our family, celebrated another beautiful birthday, made a prom dress for my little sister) but what an incredibly long cooking funk it’s been for me…I’ve just had so little motivation over the last couple of weeks to create any new and special recipes and to be honest most of the time it became easier to step out and get a bite to eat then to labour over a hot stove. But I’m glad to be back and I’ll have a few blog updates for you today.

Enjoy!

Another winter storm on our way...

2008-03-06T19:20:00.003-05:00

...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...

2008-03-02T07:18:00.011-05:00

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

2008-03-02T07:11:00.004-05:00

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...

2008-02-29T06:32:00.003-05:00

...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...

2008-02-29T06:25:00.002-05:00

...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?

2008-02-29T06:11:00.006-05:00

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...

2008-02-19T18:35:00.005-05:00

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

2008-01-24T06:53:00.000-05:00

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...

2008-01-24T06:41:00.001-05:00

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...

2008-01-24T06:33:00.000-05:00

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....

2008-01-24T06:24:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-12-03T19:43:00.001-05:00

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...

2007-12-03T19:34:00.000-05:00

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!

2007-12-03T19:13:00.000-05:00

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

2007-12-03T19:05:00.000-05:00

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...

2007-12-03T18:51:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-07T11:47:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-07T11:33:00.000-05:00

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 :)

2007-11-07T11:21:00.000-05:00

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

2007-11-07T11:12:00.000-05:00

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

2007-10-17T19:08:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-10-16T22:40:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-15T20:46:00.000-04:00

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)

2007-10-15T20:41:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-10-15T20:37:00.000-04:00

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...

2007-10-15T20:19:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-15T20:15:00.000-04:00

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

2007-10-15T20:00:00.001-04:00

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

2007-10-11T08:34:00.001-04:00

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

2007-10-11T08:09:00.000-04:00

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 dish was a take on Giada's Baked Penne with Roasted Vegetables.

Garlic and Citrus Chicken

Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Yield: 6 servings

Ingredients

1 (3-5 pound) whole roasting chicken, neck and giblets discarded
1 lemon
Salt and freshly ground black pepper
1 orange, quartered
1 lemon, quartered
1 head garlic, halved crosswise, plus 3 garlic cloves, chopped
1 can reduced-sodium chicken broth
1/4 cup frozen orange juice concentrate, thawed
1/4 cup fresh lemon juice
2 tablespoons olive oil
1 tablespoon chopped fresh oregano leaves
Kitchen string or butcher twine

Directions

Position the rack in the center of the oven and preheat to 400 degrees F.

Clean the chicken with water and the juice of a lemon. Pat the chicken dry and sprinkle the cavity with salt and pepper. Stuff the cavity with the orange, lemon, and garlic halves. Tie the chicken legs together with kitchen string to help hold its shape. Sprinkle the chicken with salt and pepper.

Place a rack in a large roasting pan. Place the chicken, breast side up, on the rack in the pan and place in the oven with half of the chicken broth. Lower the oven to 375 degrees F. Roast the chicken for 1 hour, basting occasionally. Whisk the orange juice, lemon juice, oil, oregano, and chopped garlic in a medium bowl to blend. Brush some of the juice mixture over the chicken, after it has baked for 1 hour. Lower the oven to 350 degrees F and continue roasting and basting the chicken with the juice mixture about 30-45 minutes longer. Transfer the chicken to a platter. Tent with foil while making the sauce (do not clean the pan).

Place the same roasting pan over medium-low heat. Whisk in any remaining broth and simmer until the sauce is reduced to 1 cup, stirring often, about 3 minutes. Strain into a 2-cup glass measuring cup and discard the solids. Spoon the fat from the top of the sauce. Serve the chicken with the pan sauce.

Baked Ziti with Roasted Vegetables

Prep Time: 25 minutes
Cook Time: 40 minutes
Yield: 6-8 servings

Ingredients

1 red pepper, cored and cut into 1-inch wide strips
2 zucchini, quartered lengthwise and cut into 1-inch cubes
10-12 mushrooms, halved
1 red onion, peeled and sliced into 1-inch strips
1/4 cup extra-virgin olive oil
1 teaspoon salt, divided
1 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper, divided
1 tablespoon dried Italian herb mix
340g whole wheat ziti pasta
2 cups marinara sauce
1 ½ cup grated mozzarella
1 cup frozen peas, thawed
1/3 cup grated Parmesan
1 tablespoon butter, cut into small pieces

Directions

Preheat the oven to 450 degrees F.

On a baking sheet, toss the peppers, zucchini, squash, mushrooms, and onions with olive oil, 1/2 teaspoon salt, 1/2 teaspoon pepper, and dried herbs. Roast until tender, about 15 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring a large pot of salted water to a boil over high heat. Add the pasta and cook for about 6 minutes. Since you will be cooking the pasta a second time in the oven, you want to make sure the inside is still hard. Drain in a colander.

In a large bowl, toss the drained pasta with the roasted vegetables, marinara sauce, cheese and peas. Gently mix, until all the pasta is coated and the ingredients are combined.

Lower the oven to 350 degrees. Place the pasta into a 9 by 13-inch pan. Top with Parmesan and butter pieces. Bake until top is golden and cheese melts, about 30-40 minutes.

Enjoy!

Day After Thanksgiving

2007-10-11T07:41:00.000-04:00

My cousin has recently gave birth to twins and after having celebrated Thanksgiving with 2 turkeys she was at a loss as to what to do with all the leftovers. So during a recent visit, I thought I'd help out by using those leftovers and leaving behind a quick meal. So I made the following:

Thanksgiving Soup

Serves: 6-8

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 small bag of baby carrots, roughly chopped (340g)
2 stalks celery trimmed and chopped
1 medium onion peeled and chopped
900 ml (reduced sodium) chicken broth
2 cups roasted turkey diced
2 tbsps of hot pimento paste
1/4 teaspoon salt
1 lemon juiced

Directions

In a heavy saucepan heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Reduce heat and add carrots, celery and onion; cook until soft and golden brown, 5 to 6 minutes. Add chicken broth, turkey, and pimento paste; bring to a boil. Simmer soup uncovered for 10 to 15 minutes. Season with salt to taste. Before serving squeeze in the juice of a lemon.

You can also add leftover rice, corn or any fresh vegetables you have on hand to this basic soup recipe.

Enjoy!

Gelato...a great way to end the summer

2007-09-16T18:06:00.000-04:00

Inspired by a recent tasting of Cherry Gelato at Moozoo, a local gelataria in the Old Port in Montreal, we couldn't wait to come home and try our hands at making Gelato. Not having made it before I wasn't really sure what to expect but this recipe was easy to make and oh so mouth watering...

Chocolate Gelato

Serves 4

Ingredients

1 ¾ cups skim milk (375 ml)
¼ cup whipping cream (35% MF)
150 grams of caster (superfine) sugar*
½ tsp vanilla extract
¼ tsp instant coffee granules
100 grams of grated Lindt dark chocolate (85% cocoa)

Directions

Put the milk, cream, sugar and vanilla in a saucepan over medium heat. Cook, stirring constantly, until the sugar has dissolved and the milk is just about to boil. (Steam will begin to rise from the saucepan). Remove from the heat and stir in the coffee and chocolate. Continue to stir until the chocolate has melted. The mixture will become smooth, have a consistent colour but will be slightly runny. Cool slightly at room temperature and then refrigerate overnight.

Transfer to an ice cream machine for approximately 20 minutes and freeze for at least 5 hours. Soften in the fridge for 30 minutes before serving.

*I didn’t have superfine sugar so I placed 150g of granulated sugar into my food processor and ground the sugar for 15 seconds to create the superfine sugar.

Helena Tip I tend to keep the small 125 ml plastic containers that the baby food comes in and find them especially handy especially for treats like this gelato. Before freezing, I place the gelato into the individual containers. Once I'm ready to enjoy my dessert, I remove one container to soften. This ensures that I limit myself to one serving and I'm not so tempted to finish the entire bucket :)

Enjoy!

Pasta and Vodka...yum!!!

2007-09-16T17:59:00.000-04:00

Desperate to cook something without having to go to the grocery store to pick up anything, I had all of the ingredients at home to make the following dish...

Fettucine alla Vodka

Serves 4

Ingredients

2 tablespoons olive oil
¼ cup chopped onion
1 tablespoon tomato paste
2 medium cloves garlic, minced
1 teaspoon hot pimento paste
200 grams frozen cooked shrimp
2 cups of diced tomatoes (with ¼ cup of liquid)
Garlic salt
1/3 cup vodka
1/2 cup heavy cream, room temperature
340 grams whole wheat fettucine (1 package)
Salt to season
2 tablespoons minced fresh basil leaves
Grated Parmesan cheese

Directions

Heat oil in large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add onion and tomato paste and cook, stirring occasionally, until onions are light golden around edges, about 3 minutes. Add garlic and pepper flakes; cook, stirring constantly, until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add shrimp (or ½ cup of diced sausage)

Stir in tomatoes and 1/2 teaspoon salt. Remove pan from heat and add vodka. Return pan to medium-high heat and simmer for 10-12 minutes. Stir in cream and cook until hot, approximately 2-3 minutes.

Meanwhile, bring 4 quarts water to boil in large Dutch oven over high heat. Add 1 tablespoon salt and fettucine. Cook for 9 minutes (al dente), then drain pasta (reserve ¼ cup of pasta water). Add sauce to pasta and toss over medium heat until pasta absorbs some of sauce, 1 to 2 minutes, adding reserved cooking water if sauce is too thick.

Divide among pasta bowls. Sprinkle with basil and parmesan cheese.

Serve with a Caesar salad and garlic bread.

Enjoy!

This was a really good recipe. Next time I’d like to try this recipe with 1 cup of diced chouriço instead of the shrimp…hmmm... now I'm looking forward to another chilly weekend :)

Comfort Food on a chilly Saturday

2007-09-15T10:40:00.000-04:00

The chill is settling in the air ever so slightly and as a result, today I'm all about the comfort food. I'll start with a Portuguese Caldo Verde - a potato and vegetable puree. Very traditional and you've probably tasted it as the first course at a typical Portuguese wedding.

Caldo Verde (Creamy Portuguese Potato & Greens Soup)

Makes 6-8 servings

Ingredients

2 tsp olive oil
2 large onions, diced
2 cloves garlic, minced
250 grams spicy chouriço (or spanish sausage)
4 medium potatoes, peeled and halved (750 grams)
8 cups chicken stock
1 tsp of salt
2 cups of finely shredded collard greens
4 cups water

Directions

In a large pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Add the onions and cook until they are translucent. Add the garlic and cook for 2 minutes. Add all the ingredients except the water and collard greens. Bring to a boil. Lower the heat to medium and simmer until the potatoes are tender, about 45-50 minutes.

In a separate pot, combine water, 1 tsp of salt and collard greens. Bring to a boil and simmer for 5-7 minutes. Drain greens and place in a pot.

When the potato mixture is cool enough to handle, remove chouriço, slice it thinly and set aside. Transfer the mixture to a blender or food processor and purée. Return to the pot. Add the greens and combine well. Season with salt and pepper if necessary. Ladle soup into bowls and serve with crusty bread.

Enjoy!

A New Twist on a Hawaiian Pizza

2007-09-04T18:38:00.000-04:00

I just recently had a baby and I don’t think anyone told me how difficult it would be to lose all of the baby weight. It’s been 8 months. I guess I had this fantasy that it would just melt away… boy was I wrong…

So hubby and I decided to change our ways and lead a more healthy lifestyle. If not for ourselves but for our child, who will look to us as she grows. As I was sitting at our local bookstore looking for some inspiration, I came across Jorge Cruise’s 3-hour diet cookbook. The recipes all looked so easy to make… An added bonus when you have a little one at your side. Bought the book, came home and tried his recipes… Wow is all I can say … This is the first time I’ve found a cookbook with balanced meals that closely mirrors the Canada Food Guide and that taste Great!!

Here’s my take on the Pineapple Ricotta Pizza recipe from Jorge’s book (page 122).

Helena’s Hawaiian Pizza

Ingredients

2 Greek-style thin pitas
¾ cup skim-milk ricotta cheese
3 pineapple rings (drained if canned)
2 slices of prosciutto (Italian cured ham)
1 roasted pepper
½ cup of shredded part-skim mozzarella cheese
2 cups of mixed salad greens
2 tbsp fat-free raspberry salad dressing

Directions

Preheat the oven to 350 F. Line a baking sheet with aluminum foil.

Place the pitas on the baking sheet and top with the ricotta, pineapple, prosciutto, roasted pepper and mozzarella cheese. Sprinkle the top with some Italian seasoning.

Bake until the cheese melts and the pitas are crisp. (approximately 15 minutes)

Meanwhile, toss the salad greens with the dressing in a large bowl and divide among the two plates.

Serve each person one pizza and one salad.

Enjoy!

A Filipino Classic

2007-09-03T14:19:00.000-04:00

Every so often, I like to treat hubby to a traditional filipino meal (just like he would have at home). This is my version of Caldereta, a rich beef stew. I like to serve it over some hot steamed rice and a side of corn, although you could add potatoes to it (for the last 20 minutes of cooking) and omit the rice and corn altogether for a heartier meal. It's also a great meal for those cold autumn evenings that will soon arrive.

Caldereta (Filipino Beef Stew)

Ingredients

¼ cup olive oil
2 tablespoons crushed garlic
1 chopped onion
2 lbs beef sirloin, cubed
3 cups of beef stock
2 tbsp tomato paste
Salt and pepper to taste
1 tsp cornstarch (dissolved in water)
1 ½ cup baby carrots
2 cups chopped mushrooms

Directions

Heat oil in a saucepan then sauté onions over medium heat. Add garlic and tomato paste. Then add cubed beef until beef browns. (Approximately 5 minutes). Add beef stock and allow all the ingredients to simmer for about an hour. *

Season to taste with salt and pepper. Then add baby carrots, chopped mushrooms and dissolved cornstarch in water. Bring to a boil, then allow to simmer for 20 minutes (or until carrots are tender). Serve with hot steamed rice.

*For a make ahead dish, you could stop the cooking process here, allow the stew to cool and put in the fridge. Once ready to serve, place in a saucepan and continue with the rest of the recipe.

Enjoy!

A Short Road Trip...

2007-09-03T09:03:00.000-04:00

Yesterday, Hubby and I went for a short road trip to visit the Our Lady of Fatima Shrine in New York. It was absolutely breathtaking...

But no road trip is complete without taking along some sandwiches and salads to munch on. So I decided to make some ham & swiss cheese sandwiches (made with a french stick) and 2 side salads: coleslaw and chickpea salad. Sorry no pictures today but here's the recipe:

Prosciutto and Chickpea Salad

Ingredients

1 can chickpeas
4 oz. thinly sliced prosciutto (or Portuguese salami)
1 medium red onion, cut in half and sliced
½ red pepper, sliced
1 tsp Dijon mustard
¼ cup Extra virgin olive oil
1 ½ tbsp Red wine vinegar
Romaine lettuce

Salt and freshly ground pepper to taste

Directions

Cut prosciutto into thin strips. Combine ham, red onion, red pepper, and the chickpeas and mix.

Whisk together mustard, olive oil and red wine vinegar. Season with salt and pepper.

Toss the vinaigrette with the chickpea mixture and serve on a bed of romaine lettuce, washed and cut in thin strips.

Makes 4 servings.

Enjoy!