Italian Ragu Sauce

Check out my complete Olympic menu and recipe links here.

This is super simple and deadly delicious. No pre-browning of the meat required. It's inspired by Jamie Oliver's trip to Italy. I've been doctoring up jars of pasta sauce since I was 9. It was probably my first adventure in flavours!

In North America we tend to make an interpretation of Italian food that is very heavy and fattening and then we feel obligated to limit how often we indulge. Oddly enough, Italians eat Italian food every night and have one of the lowest rates of heart disease. So I'm always trying to incorporate authentic Italian food into my menus so I can eat them more often and feel great about it. This sauce totally rocked! I hope you like it too.

Authentic Italian Ragu Sauce
Serves 6 - 8

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp olive oil
• 1/2 red onion. chopped
• 1 yellow onion, chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 28 oz/796ml and 14 oz/398ml can of diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 3/4 lb lean ground beef
• spring of rosemary
• 1 bay leaf
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Heat the olive oil in a pot over medium high heat
2. Saute the onions until soft
3. Toss in the garlic and saute for just 30 seconds until fragrant
4. Mix in the rest of the ingredients (yup, even the ground meat)
5. Cover and simmer for 1 hour or so over medium low heat
6. Pull out the rosemary and bay leaf and serve over pasta

*If you don't love rosemary, pull it out after 30 minutes.
This is a great one to get on the stove on the weekend and then freeze for meals during the week. The flavours are so simple but amazing. Gone of the days of adding even more herbs and spices to jars of already over complicated sauces! Simplicity rules!!

2010 Vancouver Olympics Menu, Meal Ideas and Recipes

As promised here is my menu for the Olympics. I have chosen to stick with countries in the northern hemisphere. There were so many to choice from that I had to set some criteria. So I chose countries that are having winter as we watch the winter Olympics. And I didn't want to do anything too spicy because I have discovered that when I eat spicy I get really cold a little while after and this is no time of year to reduce your internal body temperature. I will save those spicy recipes from those spicy countries for my World Cup menu this summer! That'll be big fun!

I found that most of the cold weather countries have meat and potato type diets. I know this was not rocket science but my research into "official national dishes" confirmed it. It was hard not to have potatoes every night! I am trying to mix it up as best as I can. This menu can best be described as comfort food. But as most of us curl up by a fire or under a blanket to watch the games I'm guessing warming comfort foods are a pretty good idea.

I'll keep this as the master list. Even when I make a recipe after this posting, I'll come back here and link it to the recipe so you can use this as the Olympics Index! See if there is something that tickles your fancy and then click on the link to check out the recipe.

2010 Vancouver Olympics Menu

Friday, Feb 12 - Belguim - Mussels and Bread ( you can do fries but I already have more potato meals planned then usual)
Sat, Feb 13 - Poland - Perogies and Kielbasa
Sun, Feb 14 - China - (Valentine's day and Chinese New Year!) Chinese Noodle and Pork Soup - I went out instead for Chinese! See the restaurant review for Fan's Restaurant.
Mon, Feb 15 - Spain - Paella
Tues, Feb 16 - Great Britain - Shepherd's Pie
Weds, Feb 17 - Japan - Teriyaki Salmon, Veg and Rice
Thurs, Feb 18 - Italy - Pasta and Ragu
Fri, Feb 19 - USA - Burgers and Sweet Potato Fries
Sat, Feb 20 - Switzerland - Cheese Fondue with Veggies and Bread
Sun, Feb 21 - Austria - Goulash
Mon, Feb 22 - Greece - Stuffed Peppers
Tues, Feb 23 - France - French Onion Soup
Weds, Feb 24 - Sweden - Swedish Meatballs
Thurs, Feb 25 - Canada - Mac and Cheese
Fri, Feb 26 - Germany - Wiener Schnitzel and Spatzle
Sat, Feb 27 - Korea - Bulgogi (Beef BBQ served in Lettuce Leaves)
Sun, Feb 28 - Norway - Fiskboller (Fish Balls)

I'm pretty excited! I might not have each meal on the exact night I have listed here. I can't be that strict, it depends on what I feel like! Go Canada Go!!

Happy Super Bowl Sunday!!!

Oh my goddess I'm excited! It's like Christmas. The first thought I had when I woke up this morning was "YAHOO, it's here, it's Super Bowl Sunday!". I wait all year for this day. The two top seeds from each conference are playing off which is unusual. Usually the game is very one sided. So this one should be good. My folks are coming over to watch with me. I already had food planned but thought it might not be enough so I've added Broccoli and Cheese Stromboli to the menu. I made them up last night and I'll just reheat them during the game. Easy and cheap!

Broccoli and Cheese Stromboli
Serves 6 - 8 as snacks

(For some reason the formating is not working today, my apologies)
Ingredients:
1 lb frozen pizza dough
2 cups diced broccoli, fresh or frozen
1 cup shredded cheddar and/or mozzarella
2 tbsp pesto sauce
1/2 cup tomato/pizza sauce

Instructions:
Heat oven to 400F/200C degrees and spray a baking sheet with veg oil
Divide defrosted dough into 8 equal pieces
Flour surface and roll out each piece into a rectangle (I didn't roll out the dough, I stretched it by hand and I had thin spots that resulted in blowouts. Next time I'll use my rolling pin {empty wine bottle} for better results)
Drizzle each dough piece with pesto sauce down the middle, about 1 tsp
Top pesto with broccoli and cheese, divided between all 8 pieces
Drizzle a bit of tomato sauce on top of each, again about 1 tsp
Roll up each Stromboli and place seam side down on baking sheet
Bake for 20 minutes until the dough is nice a golden
Serve with more tomato/pizza sauce for dipping

Don't worry if you don't have pesto on hand (I have some in a tube). You can just drizzle a little pizza sauce on the bottom. Overall don't put too much sauce in or you'll end up with a messy hot sauce torpedo. Make these ahead, only baking 15 minutes, cool and refrigerate. Reheat at 350 for 10 - 15 minutes until it's heated through. These would be fin for a Friday night with the kids!

I expect to be hoarse by tomorrow morning. Tomorrow I'm posting the finalized Olympics Menu!! Stay tuned!

Swedish Meatballs

I realized last night that the Olympics run for 17 days, not 14. I have to add 3 more recipes to my menu. Not a problem, I had picked 14 out of my list so I just need to go back and pick 3 more. It works out well too because there are 3 full weekends and it's a lot more fun to prepare an international meal and enjoy it on the weekend when you aren't rushed and are more likely to be enjoying some Olympic viewing at the same time.

Check out my complete Olympics menu and recipe here.

I got another meal into the freezer. Swedish Meatballs! It's pretty simple. You can cheat and buy low sodium, lean frozen meatballs and a can of beef gravy. To bump up the Swedishness, you can add some lingonberry sauce to the gravy. It can be found in jars in larger grocery stores. For those of you up north, lingonberries are also called partridge berries, red berries or low bush cranberries. I find they are less tart than cranberries.





Swedish Meatballs

Serves 4 -6

Ingredients:
Meatballs:

• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced finely
• 1/2 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1/4 tsp dry mustard
• 1/4 tsp nutmeg
• 1 lb lean ground beef
• 1 egg
• Salt and pepper
• Butter

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 1/4 cup beef broth
• 1/2 beer
• 2 tbsp lingonberry sauce
• Salt and Pepper

Instructions:

1. Heat olive oil in a frying pan
2. Saute onion in pan until softened
3. Soak bread crumbs in milk for 5 minutes in a large bowl
4. Add onions and remaining 'meatball' ingredients except butter to bowl
5. Mix until just blended
6. Roll into 1/2 inch balls
7. Preheat oven to 350
8. Heat butter in frying pan over medium heat.
9. Brown meatballs on all sides
10. Meanwhile, melt 'sauce' butter in a saucepan over medium high heat
11. Whisk in flour until blended
12. Pour in broth and beer, whisk until blended
13. Heat until bubbly and thickened
14. Add in lingonberry sauce
15. As meatballs are browned, place in baking pan (lasagna style pan works well)
16. Pour sauce over meatballs and cook for 10 - 15 minutes until the meatballs are cooked through.
17. Serve with potatoes or pasta and steamed veggies.

Double the recipe! This will be a great meal to get on the table quick for the kids! Freeze in individual serving sizes for quick freezing and defrosting.

SUPER BOWL!!

Granny Tan reminded me that I hadn't shared my Super Bowl plans on the blog. I've been so caught up with Olympics menu planning! First of all I got an air popper for Christmas so I'll be having some popcorn for snacking but I'm also planning some old favorites for Super Bowl. Boneless Chicken Wings and Sweet Potato Fries.

I've blogged about boneless wings before but here's the recipe I've come up with over a few trials.

Happy Healthy Snackin' Boneless Chicken Wings
Serves 2 -3

Ingredients:

• 1 1/2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs (about 8)
• 1/2c BBQ sauce of your choice
• 3 cloves roasted garlic
• 2 tbsp honey
• 3 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 10 - 15 splashes of Tabasco (add more or less if you like it more or less spicy)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 400 degrees
2. Trim any visible fat from the thighs and cut into 3 - 4 lengthwise strips. Place in a baking pan, arranging the thigh strips to look like wing pieces
3. Mix the remaining ingredients together and pour over thighs
4. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes
5. Turn the oven to broil and turn the heat up to 450
6. Take 'wings' out of pan and place on a broiling sheet (or alternately, drain off sauce into a pot if your baking pan is broiler safe. The Pyrex, glass ones are usually NOT safe for the broiler)
7. Place 'wings' under the broiler for 2 - 5 minutes until brown and a bit crispy
8. Meanwhile, simmer the sauce on the stove until it's reduced and thick for dipping.

Sweet Potato Fries
Serves 2 -3

Ingredients:

• 2 large sweet potatoes, cut into fries
• 2 tsp garlic powder
• 2 tsp paprika
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp onion powder
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 tbsp ketchup
• 2 tbsp mayo

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 400 (and cook them with the wings above, if you are cooking them alone, cook them at 425 for 30-35 minutes and skip the broiling part at the end)
2. Toss sweet potato fries with the garlic powder, paprika, oregano and onion powder and drizzle with the olive oil
3. Place on a greased cookie sheet or sheet pan
4. Bake for 35 - 40 minutes and, if necessary broil them with the 'wings' to brown
5. While the fries are baking, mix the ketchup and mayo for dipping.

Go Saints Go! (Although I do love me some Peyton....)

Greek Stuffed Peppers

Here's another recipe for the Olympics! I made enough to enjoy now and some to freeze for later, during the games. I'm researching and finalizing the menu this week. And getting some great input! Thanks for your thoughts and comments. It's going to be a fun February. But first we have to get through the Super Bowl!!!! I can't wait for Sunday!!

Check out the entire Olympics Menu and Recipe links here

Okay, back to the recipe. I used mild Italian sausage from a local farmer. It was sooooo yummy. However, you can use plain ground beef or lamb but you may want to increase the amount of seasoning. Brown up the meat, add the recommended amounts and then see if you need more. Are you wondering why I used Italian sausage and not Greek? Well that's what I had on hand and the seasonings weren't that different. Basil is the hallmark of Italian food and there was no basil in these sausages. They worked really well.... see above reference to "yummy"!

Greek Stuffed Peppers
Serves 6



Ingredients:

• 6 peppers, cut in half with the seeds and white ribs cleaned out
• 4 cups of cooked brown rice
• Olive oil
• 1/2 cup diced red onion
• 3 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3/4 - 1 lb mild Italian sausage, either diced or removed from casing
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 2 tsp dried mint
• 1 tsp cinnamon
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 cup crumbled light feta
• 1 cup shredded parmesan, divided (2/3 cup to mix in the sausage mix, 1/3 cup to sprinkle on top)
• 1/4 cup yogurt or creamy Greek dressing for serving

Instructions:

1. Spray a shallow pan with olive oil or non-stick spray.
2. Also spray or rub the outside of the peppers with olive oil
3. Place rice in a large bowl
4. Heat 1 tbsp olive oil over medium high heat in a large saute pan
5. Brown onions in pan
6. Add garlic, sausage, oregano, mint and cinnamon and brown until the sausage is cooked through
7. Add sausage mixture to the bowl with the rice
8. Add the tomato paste, feta and 2/3 cup of the parmesan to the bowl and mix well
9. Spoon mixture evenly into the 12 pepper halves and top with remaining parmesan cheese
10. Bake at 375 for 35 - 40 minutes
11. Serve with a dollop of yogurt or creamy Greek dressing on each pepper half.

More Olympics Planning

I was reviewing my freezer contents yesterday as I looked for something for supper and discovered I already have 2 meals done for my Olympic menu! Spanish Paella and British Shepherds Pie. The only way I can do international meals every day during the Olympics is to have at least half of them already in the freezer. Even though it's the Olympics, life will go on as usual for those 2 weeks. And since I eat out of my freezer at least 50% of the time, I can't imagine trying to cook every single night! Once you start cooking more when you do cook and stockpiling your freezer, it becomes the only way to cook. Cooking nightly becomes a thing of the past!

Tonight I'm doing Greek Stuffed Peppers and getting the Chinese BBQ Pork in to marinate. The Pork will be used in a 2 part meal. First I'll have some of it with some stir-fried Bok Choy this weekend and then I'll freeze the leftovers and they will be ready to go for a Pork Noodles Soup during the games.

I'm finalizing the list so stay tuned!

Olympics!

I just had an idea! I'm getting pretty excited about the Olympics. I left out my Christmas Lights after the holidays so that I could light them up during the Olympics as we Canadians are being asked to do! I'm also going to knit myself a pair of red mitts. The red mittens that are being sold by the Olympic committee here in Canada are lovely but lined with polyester which I'm allergic to. Then I came up with another brain storm to get involved and show support!

During the Olympics I'm going to make meals based on countries participating in the games. This idea dawned on me this morning when I had a passing urge for Swedish Meatballs. I was thinking how I never had them in Sweden when I used to travel there quite regularly even though it's touted as the national dish. I was thinking about the ground beef I bought yesterday for Greek inspired stuffed peppers. As I mentioned, once I got home I realized that I had some mild Italian sausage that would work in the stuffed peppers. So now I'm thinking I'll do the stuffed peppers with the sausage in honour of Greece's participation in the games and make Swedish Meatballs in honour of the Swede's participation in the games.

Here's a preliminary list of countries and meal ideas:
China - BBQ Pork Noodles soup
Hungary/Austria - Goulash (I have an authentic Austrian cookbook so I'll find something good in it)
Sweden - Swedish Meatball (I also have an authentic cookbook from Sweden!)
Greece- Stuffed Peppers
Japanese - still to be determined
Spain - I have Paella already made and in the freezer!
Jamaica - I'll do something Jerk!
Switzerland - I'm thinking a fondue/raclette meal
France - Perhaps a onion soup
Belgium - mussels and fries
Mexico - fish tacos
Poland -perogies and Kielbasa would be fun!
Germany -maybe spatzle and schnitzel

Some other countries I have to investigate and determine what I can make that represents their cuisine:
Russia
Denmark
Norway

If anyone has ideas or if there is a country I'm not including in my list and you know of a recipe I should try from that country - please let me know! This is going to be so much fun! Stay tuned, the blogging should be interesting....

And as per my usual flare - some of these meals will be make aheads. The Olympics run for 2 weeks and life will go on as usual for most of us. There won't always be time to cook every night so we'll get some meals in the freezer now so we can pull them out during the Olympics. I'm already planning!

Grocery Store Finds!

I just got back from grocery shopping. As I go through the store I typically keep a running tally as I add things to my cart. It's just rough, I round up, I don't keep an exact tally with a calculator or anything. But it is amazing how many things you'll pass over when you are watching your total add up. It's a great way to stop yourself from overindulging in extras that aren't on your list!

HOWEVER, I do encourage you to pick up unplanned bargains in the veggie aisle. I got a good deal on 4 packs of peppers. So on the spot I changed my plans and added Stuffed Peppers to my menu. I grabbed some lean ground beef (I didn't have any ground meat at home.... although now that I think of if I did have some lean mild Italian sausage that I could of used. oh well) and some feta to make some Greek inspired stuffed peppers. I'll share the recipe when I make it. I'll also roast and freeze some of the peppers since I picked up a pack of red and a pack of green for a total of 8 peppers.

They also had the most wonderful looking baby bok choy.

So now I'll add something Asian to my menu. I have been hankering for a Chinese noodle soup....

The point is that it is better to build your meal plans around what looks good and is priced well at the store instead of setting down a plan and then ending up overpaying for less than best produce. And don't forget frozen this time of year. I hit a few good deals on some frozen veggies too. Best part about buying frozen? I don't have to worry about using them before they go bad!

Enjoy!

Beef and Barley Soup

I had picked up some sirloin when it was on sale a couple of weeks ago. It's the dead of winter in these parts and soups are still high on my priority list. Sunday was Conference Championship day for the NFL. When I'm watching football I want something either in a pot or in the oven, ready to go. I didn't intend to blog about this because it was just plain old beef and barley soup but it had such a fantastic flavour it ended up being totally bloggable!

When you make soup with barley it will continue to thicken as it sits. So if you are going to freeze it, when you defrost it you will have a gloopy soup. Add water when reheating. Simple. However, if you don't want to dilute the flavour add some of the flavour essentials once the soup has cooled down before you put the leftovers in the freezer. Then when you add the water you will still have the great flavour you had the first time around. I put a little dab of Dijon, a squirt of Worcestershire sauce and a sprinkle of Emeril's Essence in each single serving container before I popped them in the freezer. I keep one out in the fridge and treated it the same. It too will need water added when I reheat it.

Beef and Barley Soup


Serves 8

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 2 ribs celery, chopped
• 2 large carrots, chopped
• 13/4 - 1 lb beef, diced
• 2 tbsp Dijon mustard
• 40 shots/shakes Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 tbsp Emeril's Essence
• 2 cloves garlic, fresh or roasted, minced
• 2 tsp Montreal Steak spice
• 2 tsp fresh Rosemary, chopped
• 9 oz can of tomatoes
• 3 1/2 cups beef broth
• 2 cups water
• Salt and Pepper
• 2/3 cup pearl barley
• 3/4 cup turnip, small diced (I used frozen)
• 1 1/5 cup butternut squash, small diced (I used frozen)

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large soup pot over medium high heat
2. Saute the onion, celery and carrots until soft, about 5 minutes
3. Add the beef and brown a bit, 3 - 5 minutes
4. Add the next 9 ingredients from Dijon mustard to water and let simmer for 30 - 60 minutes
5. Check for taste and add salt and pepper as necessary
6. Add the barley and simmer 30 minutes.
7. Add in the turnip and butternut squash and simmer 10 minutes, if using frozen. Cook until tender if using fresh, about 20 minutes

Enjoy!

Paella (versus Jambalaya)

Check out my entire Olympic menu and recipes here.

Paella. Sigh.... seriously delicious dish. I'm also a big Jambalaya fan which is not really different from Paella. They are variations on the same dish, one Spanish and the other Creole. The basic ingredients are the same. The differences are the Spanish Paella typically uses Chorizo sausage, smoky paprika and Saffron. The Creole Jambalaya uses Andouille sausage and Cayenne pepper. Either way, awesome dish! Super to make for a big crowd; for the big game, after an afternoon of skating or an elegant evening in with good friends, a nice bottle of wine and a roaring fire. A perfect make ahead meal so it's ready to go when you are. Damn I'm hungry. Luckily I have some waiting for me for lunch. Oh and did I mention the leftovers are great for lunches and it all freezes beautifully?!

You can use any combination of seafood, poultry, ham or sausage. If you are using shrimp or mussels, add them just before serving so they don't end up over cooked and rubbery. I leave out the mussels for any of the leftovers I'm freezing.

This is also a great recipe to substitute brown rice for white rice. The dish is so rich and flavourful that you'll never notice the difference. I don't always like to use brown rice especially in dishes that are mild. It can change the flavour too much but in heavily seasoned, sauced or flavoured dishes, brown rice works perfectly. I'm like that with whole wheat pasta too. It's hard to change over completely when you were raised on white rice and pasta but we all do what we can. ; )

One more tip, I find that freezing dishes with peppers in them tends to make the pepper bitter. Try using roasted peppers. You can buy them in a jar or I make my own. Just toss them in the oven (I use my toaster oven). Place them right on the rack close to the top burner element with the oven set on broil. Rotate them all around as they get black on each side. Typically it takes about 20 minutes. Put the peppers in a bowl and cover with plastic wrap. Once they have cooled the skins peel off easily, remove the seeds and voila! You have roasted peppers. I do up a bunch when peppers are cheap and wrap them up individually and freeze them. Or you can just buy a jar.....

Paella
Serves 6 -8

Ingredients

• 1 Tbsp olive oil
• 2 -3 chorizo sausages, diced or casing removed
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 chicken breasts, bone in, cut into 4 -5 pieces each
• 2 chicken thighs, bone in, cut into 3 -4 pieces each
• Pinch of Saffron
• 1 Tbsp smoky Spanish or Hungarian paprika. I used half sweet and half spicy paprika
• 2 tsp fresh thyme and rosemary or 1/2 dried of each
• 2 tsp cumin
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 3 large red and/or green peppers
• 32 oz, 798ml can of diced tomatoes
• 1.5 cups of brown rice
• 2 cups or more of water
• 1 lb shrimp, shells removed
• 2 cups of frozen peas

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a large pan over medium high heat. You want something with a large bottom. Either a large saute pan or a wide pot.
2. Add in chorizo and onion and brown, about 5 minutes
3. Add in and saute chicken pieces until brown
4. Add in the saffron, paprika, thyme, rosemary, peppers and garlic and cook until the peppers are softened, about 2 - 3 minutes
5. Toss in your tomatoes, rice and water, reduce the heat and simmer until the rice is tender. Keep an eye and add more water if necessary. This can take 20 - 30 minutes, depending on your rice.
6. Add in your shrimp and cook until they are opaque and cooked through.
7. Toss in the peas, mix and serve.

You can use boneless chicken for quick convenience but the flavour from cooking with meat on the bone is lost. I use boneless when I'm in a hurry but when I'm making a big pot for entertaining, I use the bone on.

Beef and Broccoli Lo Mein

I made this recipe based on an old Cooking Light recipe. I'll say it one more time, if you want a great recipe resource - pick up Cooking Light Magazine! It's a great resource and an even better value.




This recipe was so good that next time I'm going to double it. As it is, I had seconds last night and only have enough for a lunch today (which I can not wait for!)


The list of ingredients looks long but you can take some short cuts, buy bottled, minced garlic and ginger or those frozen cubes. Pick up either pre-cut broccoli or use frozen. I used frozen last night and it tasted great. Pre-mix the soya mix the night before. The longer the brown sugar has to melt into the sauce, the better. And last but certainly not least, when you make pasta make extra and freeze the leftovers for an occasion just like this!


Beef Broccoli Lo Mein


Serves 3- 4




Ingredients:

• 2 cups cooked spaghetti
• 1/2 tbsp sesame or peanut oil
• 3 tbsp soya sauce
• 2 tbsp brown sugar
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 2 tsp garlic chili pepper sauce (more if you like it spicy)
• 1 tbsp ginger, finely chopped or minced
• 4 cloves of garlic, finely chopped or minced (I used roasted garlic for a sweeter, milder flavor)
• 1 onion, sliced
• 3 cups broccoli, chopped
• 1/2 lb or 225g of beef , thinly sliced

Instructions:

1. Heat oil in a wok or saute pan over medium high heat
2. Mix the soya sauce, brown sugar, oyster sauce and garlic chili pepper sauce
3. Saute the ginger and garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds
4. Add the onions and saute until soft
5. Add in the broccoli and cook until vibrant green
6. Toss in the beef and saute until cooked through
7. Toss in the spaghetti and soya sauce mix until heated through

Enjoy!

Reusable Grocery Bags

Here's a important tip for those of us being environmentally conscience and using the reusable bags. These bags get dirty. And I don't mean on the outside. I mean on the inside! They have tested some of these bags and found traces of nasty bacteria like salmonella. Yikes! Most people will wash out their bags if they spill something in them but even if you are keeping your bags clean, you should make sure you do a proper washing of them regularly.

I don't mean you need to wash them every week. That would defeat the purpose of an 'environmentally friendly bag' if you used a lot of water (a non-renewable resource) and energy to clean them all the time. But I do recommend washing the cloth ones in the machine and thoroughly soaking the plastic ones in a sink of hot soapy water ever couple of months. Be sure to wash out any spills immediately. When buying meats or fish, wrap them in plastic before putting them in the bag. That plastic can then be put in your recycling bag when you get home and you'll still be a good little environmental doobie.

My cloth bags said to wash them by hand and hang to dry but really that's not going to kill the bacteria. I did a full load in a hot wash with a cold rinse and then dried them in the dryer. The logo on the front of some of them started to peel but a proper wash is necessary. If you don't use a good bit of hot water you won't kill the bacteria. The heat from the dryer also gives the bacteria a run for it's money. Hanging the cloth bags to dry only provides an environment for any bacteria or mould to flourish.

After soaking the plastic bags in hot soapy water, I turn them inside out and dry them with a towel then place them in the sun. Do it right when you do it and you shouldn't have to wash them too often. I'll keep you posted if I hear of any more findings.

Quick and Easy Thai Coconut Curry Sauce with Shrimp and Pasta

I could not believe how easy this recipe was. And the taste was unbelievable!! I used some shrimp and salmon but you could use just one or the other. If you want to make it super easy, just toss in some frozen Asian veggie mix. You can use any medium pasta or rice.

Thai Coconut Curry Sauce
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 12 ounces dried medium pasta
• 1 can of light coconut milk (you need a minimum of 1 cup)
• 2 Tbsp fish sauce
• 2 Tbsp brown sugar
• 2 tsp corn starch
• Vegetable oil to coat pan
• 2 tbsp minced fresh ginger
• 3 tsp Thai red curry paste
• 1 pound of shrimp, salmon or a combo of the two
• 3 green onions, sliced
• 1 cup of snow peas, sliced
• 1 medium red pepper, diced

Instructions:

1. Put the water on to boil the pasta as per the package instructions
2. Combine the coconut milk, fish sauce, brown sugar and cornstarch in a bowl and set aside
3. Prep the veggies, peel the shrimp if necessary
4. Heat the oil in a wok or saute pan over medium high heat
5. Saute the ginger and curry paste until fragrent, about 30 seconds
6. Add in the coconut mixture and bring to a boil
7. Toss the remaining ingredients and simmer until the shrimp are cooked, 3 - 5 minutes
8. Serve over the drained pasta.

Simple but so tasty! To make it more authenitcally Thai (which is spicy, spicy, spicy!!) add in some dried or fresh red chilies, finely diced with the ginger and curry paste in step 5.

Sales Flyers and a Cheap Pasta Dinner

Yesterday I hit the sales at the grocery stores. I saved over $85! Checking out the sales flyers and stocking up on what's on sale is an important step in managing your food budget. Now you don't have to stock up like the Great Depression is about to hit. It's not necessarily budget savvy to buy more items than you can use within the next 6 months. And watch expiry dates, it's not good to buy 5 blocks of cheddar at half price if you will only go through 2 of them before their best before date. Even frozen goods are really only good for about 6 months max in your freezer and this includes meats.

Once you hit the sales, let those sales items dictate your menu. Pasta was crazy cheap this week. And now that the anti-carb insanity is over (no, really, it is soooo over) pasta is a great meal. Especially if you are trying to lose a few pounds. You can easily portion control your meals, it freezes well for leftovers, it's filling, cheap and hearty for the dead of winter. 1 cup is a serving size. At $1 - $1.50 for almost 2 pounds (900grams) of dried pasta, that's a lot of meals for your buck!

Here's a quick, cheap, easy, healthy pasta recipe.

Pasta and Tomatoes
Serves 4 (double and freeze!)

Ingredients:

• 3/4 lb - 345g dried pasta
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 1 onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 32 ounce/798ml can of diced tomatoes
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1/2 cup grated parmesan cheese

Instructions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil
2. Cook pasta according to package instructions
3. Meanwhile, heat a frying pan with olive oil over medium high heat
4. Saute the onions until soft, add in the garlic and heat for about 1 minute
5. Add the tomatoes and oregano and simmer while the pasta cooks, 5 minutes or so
6. Drain the pasta and put back in the pot.
7. Add the tomato mixture to the pot and toss
8. Serve with the cheese sprinkled on top.

You can add more veggies, throw in some meat, play with the seasoning.... have fun. The point is though, you can do a simple meal, you don't have to be a gourmet goddess to put a nice healthy meal on the table. Cheap meal, did I mention 'cheap?!

Leftover Mashed Potatoes

I warned you that this one was coming!

Salmon Cakes

Serves 3-4

Ingredients:

• 1 can salmon, skinless and boneless
• 1 1/2 cup mashed potatoes
• 1 green onion, finely chopped
• 1 egg

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375
2. Spray a baking sheet with olive oil
3. Mix all the ingredients together
4. Bake 20 -25 minutes until browned

The mixture may be pretty loose depending on how creamy your mashed potatoes are. Don't worry, the cakes will still set up nicely.

You can saute these up in a pan but it's nice to just toss them in the oven and forget about them until they are done. I never like to stray too far from a saute pan on the stove top so baking is easier when you've got other things on the go! Steam some veggies and dinner is done. Any leftover salmon cakes?! Serve with an over easy egg for breakfast. Very Maritimes!

Potato and Leek Soup

Serves... well that depends on how big your pot is!

Ingredients (yes, the list is this short!):

• Potatoes
• Leeks
• Water
• Salt
• Butter
• Chives or parsley (optional)

Instructions:

1. Now how do you figure out the proportions? Take your big pot, fill it 1/4 with potatoes, 1/4 with chopped leek, fill almost to the top with water and throw in a bit of salt.
2. Simmer until the potatoes and leeks are tender, about 30 minutes over medium/low heat
3. Puree the soup with a stick blender, stand blender, food processor or your average, everyday potato masher.
4. Add a couple of tablespoons of butter and your herbs, taste, add a bit more if necessary. If you are using a big pot you could add up to 1/2 cup of butter. Don't panic, you want to taste a hint of butter and if your pot is really large and you get about 10 servings, it's not that much per serving!
5. Add more salt and pepper if necessary. This recipe is really about your taste.

This is a great starter to warm you up while you are waiting for supper to come together and it's filling so you'll eat less in your main course. I like it for lunch. I made a big pot and it freezes beautifully so I have some ready to go for the rest of the winter!

Enchilada!

Here's another one to add to the "quick, cheap and healthy" list! Veggie Enchiladas. I shook the cupboards and this is a result of what fell out. I'm eating some of the leftovers for lunch as we speak. Yum! It's a nice change from all those holiday meals. This makes a big dish so you`ll have lots of leftovers!



Veggie Enchiladas
Serves 8 - 10


Ingredients:

• 1 medium onion, chopped
• Large jar of salsa, your choice of mild, medium or hot
• 798ml can of black beans
• 1 cup frozen corn
• 1 red pepper, diced
• 2 cup (or more!) shredded cheddar cheese
• 9 whole wheat tortillas (I had these in my freezer)

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 375 degrees
2. Put the chopped onion in a bowl, cover with water and microwave on high for 2 minutes
3. In a 9 X 13 inch lasagna style pan, spread a layer of the salsa
4. Top with a single layer of tortillas, breaking up pieces to ensure you have the layer fully covered
5. Spoon on half of the beans, corn, onions, red pepper, salsa and 1/3 of the cheese
6. Top with another layer of tortillas
7. Spoon on the rest of the beans, corn, onions, red pepper and salsa and 1/3 of the cheese
8. Top with the final layer of tortillas
9. Bake for 20 minutes then sprinkle with remaining cheese and bake 10 minutes longer
10. Let stand for 5 minutes

Enjoy!

Back to Reality....

You know the holidays are officially over when you put away the decadent holiday cookbooks and pull out the "healthy meals in minutes" cookbooks in your collection. Well that's what happened to me this morning. No more cookies for breakfast. No more shots of alcohol added to mid afternoon drinks. No more blatant disregard for fats or lack of veggies. I bought a lot of butter in my holiday prep shopping but, happily I still have most of it. Butter keeps for quite a while in the fridge and freezes beautifully so I'm well stocked until about mid- summer.

Leftover Mashed Potatoes:


I wanted to mention another idea for leftover mashed or boiled potatoes. SOUP! Now hang on, I know I talked about using leftover veggies in soup but this is an another take on the idea. Mashed potatoes can be used in any puree type soup or as a healthy thickener in a chowder. Having light soups on hand this time of year is a great way to get back on track after all that holiday binge eating. I'm going to take some leftover mashed potatoes and make it into a potato leek soup. Toss some into pureed broccoli soup for a creamy finish. Got boiled potatoes... just mash them up!


Another great use for mashed potatoes is cakes. Fish cakes, veggie cakes, crab cakes, cakes for everyone! Can of salmon mixed with some finely diced green onion, mashed potatoes, little of your favorite seasoning and voila! You have fine salmon cakes. Add a salad or veggies on the side and dinner is done! Gotta love leftover mashed tatties.


Super Quick Dinner!


Cheap, easy and tasty at the end of the day? Here's one I bet you've forgotten about. All you need is fresh or frozen spinach, eggs, cheese and a little finely diced red onion and garlic powder if you're feeling frisky. Saute your onion and spinach until soft, pour on your beaten egg and sprinkle with garlic and cheese. Diner's ready! Add a slice of multigrain bread and a some fruit and you have a beautiful balanced meal. Oh, and if you bought a bag of fresh spinach... the remaining spinach is great on the side with those salmon cakes I mentioned above...

Time Tip:


Whenever I grate cheese I grate more than I need and then I have it on hand for omelets, sandwiches, to top soups or throw into dishes. I eat a lot of cheese so instead of grating it a few times a week, I grate once and eat often. Sounds simple but so often we forget to make the effort. It's the little things that make our lives run smoothly!

Winter Brunch - Stromboli!

This year for Christmas morning I had prepared a stromboli the night before. This is a great brunch idea for after winter skates, fuel before a game of shinny or snuggled around the fireplace.

All you need is either some frozen pizza dough and the fillings of your choice. Here's what I used.

Breakfast Stromboli
Serves 6 -8

Ingredients:

• 1 frozen pizza dough
• 1 cup diced ham
• 3 eggs, beaten
• 1/4 cup diced red onion
• 1/2 cup frozen spinach, defrosted and drained
• 1/2 cup shredded mozzarella cheese
• 1 Tbsp honey mustard
• 1/2 tsp dry mustard powder

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 425
2. Saute the onions until soft
3. Add the eggs and scramble
4. Roll out the dough to form a rectangle about 1/4 inch thick
5. Smear the dough with honey mustard
6. Sprinkle the ham, spinach, egg and onion mix and top with cheese along the centre of the dough
7. Sprinkle the dry mustard on top of the filling.
8. Wrap dough up to form a log.
9. Place on a cookie sheet and bake for 15 - 20 minutes.

You can have this all ready the night before. Refrigerate until ready to bake. Let sit at room temperature for 20 -30 minutes before putting in the oven.

Tasty!

FIREBALL!

One thing I love in the winter is Fireball. For those of you unfamiliar with this tasty elixir, it's like winter warmth in a glass. Cinnamon whiskey!

Here is a great cocktail to try on these long winter nights. Take a highball glass, fill it with ice, toss in a shot of Fireball and top up with cranberry cocktail. Wowzers!

Another one of my favorites is hot chocolate with Irish Cream. Not all that original but definitely worth a mention. Whipped cream anyone?!

Right now it's snowing here, calm peaceful snow. There is something about snow that is so cozy... Happy New Year!

Holiday Cookies and Squares

Now you may be saying - hold the phone! It's Christmas Eve's Eve. What's done is done! - But these treats are super easy and will bring you joy well into the New Year. The first is a Swedish Gingerbread cookie. I have a collection of 40 holiday cookie cutters. Yes, you read that right.... 40. But wait, it gets better, I don't have a rolling pin. I'm not much of a baker and I don't feel the need to buy a tool I'm only going to use once or twice a year. So what do I use to roll out these cookies?! Why an empty wine bottle, what else?! And it works perfectly.

Swedish Pepparkakor

Makes about 8 - 10 dozen

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup molasses
• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 cup sugar
• 1 egg, beaten
• 2 1/2 cup flour
• 1/4 tsp baking soda
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp cinnamon
• 1/2 tsp ginger
  

Instructions:

1. Heat molasses in a small saucepan until boiling, let boil for one minute
2. Add butter and sugar and stir until the butter is melted
3. Let cool to room temperature then stir in egg
4. While molasses mixture is cooling, sift together the remaining ingredients in a large bowl.
5. Mix in molasses mixture to flour mix in bowl
6. Cover and chill overnight
7. Roll out a workable chunk of dough on a lightly floured surface. Cut into shapes
8. Bake at 350 for 5 minutes.

These freeze beautiful! And with such a big batch you can give them as gifts to everyone you visit over the holidays or enjoy them all winter with your afternoon tea, as part of the bedtime milk and cookie routine or even as a nibble with your morning coffee.

This next recipe is an old family favorite. This is my Nana's recipe that she used to make for me. I made them this year in her honour. Miss you Nana!

Peanut Butter Chocolate Chip Squares

Makes 16 cut from a square baking pan

Ingredients

• 1/2 cup butter
• 1/2 peanut butter (the regular kind, not the healthy 'just nuts' stuff, I tried - it doesn't taste the same at all)
• 1 cup brown sugar, packed
• 2 eggs
• 1 tsp vanilla
• 1 cup flour
• 1 tsp baking powder
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 1 cup chocolate chips
• Icing sugar

Instructions

1. Preheat oven to 350
2. Beat butter, peanut butter, eggs and brown sugar together until fluffy
3. Add in the vanilla
4. Beat in the flour, baking powder and salt until well blended
5. Fold in the chocolate chips
6. Bake at 350 for 30 -35 minutes. You may find the middle is a bit soft. I turn down the heat to 340 at 30 minutes and cook for another 8 - 10 minutes. Or you can put the pan on your burner where the heat from the oven escapes after you take it out of the oven.
7. Once the pan has cooled, sprinkle with icing sugar.

(I need to pick up some icing sugar...)

I'm doing a prime rib roast with Yorkshire puddings, potato parsnip mash and roasted root veggies for Christmas dinner. I'm also doing my lobster lasagna for a special meal over the holidays. Good eats will be had by all!

I wish you all the best of the season and a most wonderful New Year.

Veggie and Pasta al Forno

I made this recipe a while ago and was just eating the frozen leftovers. It's so daggon tasty (and I have the notes from when I made it) that I thought I'd share. It was based on leftover cooked pasta. I always make too much pasta so I freeze what I don't need and then I have it when I want to make a casserole!



This is a great recipe to make before the holidays and have ready to pull out of the freezer on a night you don't feel like cooking or when you have guests over (planned or drop ins!). I got 6 plus servings out of this but some were more lunch size than dinner size. Make double and you'll have a spare dinner ready to go when you need it most.



Veggie and Pasta al Forno
Serves 4 -6



Ingredients:

• 3 cups cooked medium pasta such as penne, fusilli, bowties or wagon wheels


• 3 cups cooked and chopped veggies. I used broccoli, cauliflower and green onion


• 4 cups shredded 3 cheese mix. I used swiss, cheddar and mozza (use light were possible!)


• 1 tsp salt


• 2 tsp garlic powder


• 1/2 - 3/4 cup light sour cream


• 3/4 cup bread crumbs


• cooking spray.

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350


2. Spray a casserole dish with cooking spray, use one big dish or individual ones


3. Mix together the pasta, veggies, cheese, salt, garlic powder and sour cream.


4. Pour into casserole dish or dishes


5. Sprinkle with bread crumbs and spray the crumbs with cooking spray


6. Bake until bubbly, about 30 - 40 minutes.

Holiday Veggie Leftovers

I've been meaning to share some leftover ideas for the veggies from your big holiday meals. There are always lots of ideas of what to do with the leftover meat but what about those veggies?! Well I have 2 ideas for you.

Risotto! Yup, I'm talking about it risotto again. Here's the basic recipe from my"Lets Talk Risotto" post. Leftover veggies, mashed or diced, are a natural to make into a risotto. Just heat them a bit in the microwave before adding them at the end of the cooking time. Make a big pot! Nothing is nicer when folks drop in then being able to offer them lunch or a snack of yummy risotto and it's a nice break from the deluge of turkey or ham sandwiches. I made one Thanksgiving weekend with the leftover can pumpkin I had opened to make pumpkin biscotti. You can use your leftover carrots, turnip, parsnip, squash, brussel sprouts, asparagus.... about the only thing I wouldn't use is potatoes and I already mentioned freezing your mashed potatoes for Shepard's pie later. Everything has a purpose!

Okay, what other use can you make out of those leftover veggies... SOUP! The mashed veggies can be made into a pureed soup while the diced, chunked or whole veggies can make a great broth soup with barley, pasta or rice or creamy soups. Leftover sweet potato, squash or pumpkin makes great pureed soups while leftover carrots, turnip and even potatoes go great in a hearty pea soup. Leftover green veggies like broccoli or asparagus make great creamy soups. (the underlined items are recipes here on this blog, not descriptions of the items!)

And most of these leftovers freeze beautifully! Just be mindful that pasta and barley in soup will continue to absorb liquid so you can end up with a gloppy soup. If you want to freeze those types of soups, freeze the pasta or barley separately.

Happy Holidays!

Leftover Tips - Potatoes and Gravy

We're roundin' the corner to the holiday season. And it's time for a reminder to make good use of those leftovers. I just pulled together a quick Shepherds Pie with some goodies out of my freezer. After the holiday's you'll be grateful for any quick fixes you can scrounge from your freezer.



Multi-step dishes become a lot simpler when you simply defrost some of the steps. Save all your gravy, no matter how little you think you have. Even a small amount will make a good base for more gravy or sauces.



Any mashed root veggies freeze well and you can use them as toppers for casseroles.



For my Shepherd's Pie I used some leftover Chicken and Turkey Gravy. I wanted to empty out some of the leftovers out of my freezer before I start piling in new leftovers from the upcoming holiday meals. Even though I'm using ground beef, these gravies will still work. I added a bit of Worcestershire sauce and the leftover gravy into the pan where I had browned the onions and beef. I heated it until it bubbled and thickened a bit more. I would have mixed some cornstarch with a bit of water if it was too thin but today that wasn't necessary.



I used leftover mashed potatoes, potato scooped out to make double stuffed potatoes and leftover potato parsnip mash for the topping for my pie. Defrost and mix them together. I used a frozen mix of veggies; broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, peas and corn for the middle. So the only real work I had at prep time was to dice the onion and brown it with the ground beef.



You could also use any leftover beef bits you have instead of ground. That's how the dish was originally made. Sometimes you get tired of eating the leftovers. That's when it's time to freeze what's left. You can do this pie with beef or even your leftover chicken, turkey or pork. I'm telling you now, come those cold January nights you'll be glad to have these comfort foods to throw together a casserole. And if you cook like I do, you'll have make one to eat now and one to put in the freezer for another night!

Horseradish Dipping Sauce

Last night I had sweet potato fries with my steak. I made a little dip for the fries and it ended up being great with the grilled steak too.

Horseradish Dipping Sauce - Serves 1 -2
Ingredients

• 2 tbsp mayo
• 1 tbsp sour cream
• 1/2 tbsp horseradish
• 1/2 tbsp ketchup

Mix, adding more horseradish if you want a bigger kick.

This is a nice way to bump up a meal a bit! Yum!

Quick and Easy Harvest Pork Chops with Potato Parsnip Mash

Here is a quick recipe that tastes like fall on your plate! The instructions list for the pork chops looks long but it's quick.

Easy Harvest Pork Chops - Serves 4

Ingredients

• olive oil and/or butter
• 4 center loin pork chops
• 2 apples (I used Gala but whatever tickles your fancy will work), cored and cut each into 8 to 12 wedges.
• 1 cup apple juice
• 2 tsp finely chopped fresh rosemary

Instructions

1. Heat oil and/or butter in a skillet that you have a lid for. (I used both olive oil and butter)
2. Cut slits in each pork chop so you can stuff apple slices inside.
3. Heat apple slices until golden on both sides. Remove from heat and let cool a bit so you can handle them
4. Stuff each pork chop with as many apple wedges as you can. Don't worry if they are mushed in tight. You'll use any remaining wedges.
5. Return the pan to the heat.
6. Saute the pork chops on both sides until browned.
7. Add apple juice and sprinkle with rosemary, throw in any remaining apple wedges.
8. Turn heat down to medium low, cover and simmer for 10 - 15 minutes until the pork chops are cooked through. Check occasionally to ensure the liquid has not completely evaporated. If it has, add more.
9. Take out the pork chops and cover with foil on a plate and let rest for 5 minutes.
10. While the pork chops are resting, reduce the juice in the pan if it is not already thickened, by simmering it over medium-low heat.

Serve with the potato parsnip mash and drizzle the pan juice over it all

Potato Parsnip Mash - Serves 4

Ingredients

• 2 medium potatoes
• 4 medium parsnip
• 1 tbsp butter
• 1/4 cup milk
• 2 tsp dried sage
• 1/2 tsp each garlic and onion powder.

Instructions

1. Peel and dice the potatoes and parsnip.
2. Put in a saucepan with water and bring to a boil. Cook until tender.
3. Mash potatoes and parsnip with remaining ingredients.

Salt and Pepper both dishes as necessary.

Sorry there are no pictures but it was so simple I didn't think I'd blog about it until after I ate it. It was super tasty!!

Squash Lasagna

Okay before you turn up your nose... it's spaghetti squash in place of noodles. Sort of. I just baked this off in the oven and it's so dagg-on tasty that I had to blog about it straight away (while I try not to eat it all right here and now)! So here goes..

Here's another light, cheap, healthy meal. This one tastes like those heavy italian casseroles that we all love but it's not heavy or hard on the waistline. And I mentioned cheap, right?!

And as per usual, it freezes beautifully.

Spaghetti Squash Lasagna - Serves 8

Ingredients (by layer):

Squash layer:

• Spaghetti squash, roasted and scooped out
• 1 tbsp each, fresh basil, oregano and thyme and/or 2 tbsp pesto sauce (use whatever combo you want)
• salt and pepper

Sauce layer:

• 28 oz can of diced tomatoes
• 2 tbsp tomato paste
• 1 tsp each garlic powder and onion powder
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• salt and pepper

Cheese layer:

• 1 500ml tub of 1% cottage cheese
• 1 cups finely shredded part skim mozzarella cheese
• 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan

Topping:

• 1 cup finely shredded part skim mozza
• 1/2 cup finely shredded parmesan

Instructions:

1. Cut the squash in half, scoop out the seeds, sprinkle the inside with olive oil and place cut side down on a baking sheet coated in olive oil.
2. Roast the squash in a 375/190 degree oven for about 45 minutes until you can easily poke the skin with a fork. Let cool and then scoop out the strands.
3. Mix each layer in it's own bowl
4. Spray your casserole with cooking spray.
5. Start with a thin layer of squash, followed by a thin layer of sauce and all of the cheese layer mix. Top with the rest of the squash and then the rest of the sauce. Top with the topping layer.
6. Bake for 25 - 35 minutes and pull out of the oven if you want to freeze it. Otherwise, finish cooking until golden, about 45 minutes total.

Remember, if you want to make a couple of homemade frozen meals out of this recipe, use smaller serving size casseroles. They cool down quicker, freeze quicker, defrost quicker and reheat quicker! Pull them out of the oven before they brown but just as they start to bubble. Cool down completely and freeze.

Both tomato paste and pesto are now readily available in most grocery stores. It's a much easier way to use both. How many times have you had a recipe call for a tbsp or so of tomato paste and only had the small can on hand. What do you do with the rest?! The tubes are so convenient.

Bon appetit!

Curry Squash Soup

Here is a quick, cheap, filling soup to make. Perfect this time of year as the farmers' markets are full of squash. I used acorn and buttercup (not butternut) squash in this soup. Acorn squash has an amazing flavour. Butternut squash has been the darling as of late but try some of the other varieties, you'll be impressed. Oh, and they are cheap!!! If you have a really hard time cutting them in half then it is time for a new knife or a trip to the sharpener. A properly sharp knife will make including squash in your menu less of a fight with the beast of the garden and a heck of a lot safer.

Curry Squash Soup - Serves 4 -6
Ingredients:

• 1 buttercup squash, medium
• 1 acorn squash, medium
• 1 tbsp Olive Oil
• 1 onion, chopped
• 1 tsp fresh grated ginger
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 1/2 tsp each curry powder, cumin and coriander
• salt and pepper to taste

Instructions:

1. Cut your squash in half and scoop out the seeds.
2. Place them cut side down in a 375 degree oven on a cookie sheet rubbed with olive oil.
3. Roast until soft, about 35 - 40 minutes. You should be able to poke them easily through the skin with a fork
4. While letting the squash cool a bit, heat the olive oil in a saucepan over medium heat.
5. Saute the onions until they are soft, about 3 minutes. Add in the ginger and cook until you can smell the ginger, about 30 seconds or so.
6. Scoop out the squash and add to the saucepan with the remaining ingredients.
7. Stir until blended and heat through.
8. If you want, blend the soup to make it smooth but you'll find it's pretty much a puree already.

Tasty! And this freezes beautifully. I had it as a main meal with a salad and multigrain role. It also makes a filling lunch or an excellent first course in place of a salad for a bigger meal.

Thanksgiving Cocktail

Happy Long Weekend!!


Nothing says "long weekend" more than a cocktail. This is the Canadian Thanksgiving weekend and for the first time in .... wow, I can't even remember.... I'm on my own for the weekend. And I'm really looking forward to it. I have a list of choirs, a possible trip to the look off in the Annapolis Valley with 3 dogs (we'll see how adventurous I get), a full schedule of football - both college and NFL, and for the first time in years I get to do the meal my way! My mother's husband doesn't like it when I mash the turnip and carrots together, my mom doesn't like brussels sprouts and always buys a huge bird and my ex always wanted cornbread stuffing. This year I'm mashing the turnip and carrot together, making regular stuffing and I'm only cooking a turkey breast on the bone!

But first, to kick off the long weekend, a cocktail! This is a Spiced Cran-Apple Martini. And if it doesn't put you in the mood for the holiday then nothing will. It will even make your relatives more tolerable if you drink enough of them. But I don't encourage that! If you can't tolerate your relatives find somewhere else to spend the holiday. Really. It's okay.

Spiced Cran-Apple Martini:
1 oz spiced rum
2 oz cranberry cocktail
1 oz apple juice
diced candied ginger

Add rum, cranberry and apple juice in a martini shaker and mix. Pour into a martini glass and garnish with the diced candied ginger. Enjoy!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers

It may be fall but there are still some barbecue days left. And nothing prolongs the joys of summer more than burgers! These are very simple but super tasty. And if you make 8 small patties and then assemble them by putting the cheese in the middle of a bottom patty, leaving space around the edge then put the top patty on and pinch the edges. It works really well! See how well the cheese stayed inside the burger.

Goat Cheese Stuffed Turkey Burgers - Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb ground turkey
• 2 tsp each finely chopped fresh rosemary and thyme
• salt and pepper, sprinkle some all over the mix based on your preference
• 1 tbsp squeeze of fresh lemon
• 4 1/2 slices of goat cheese, a small log will be more than enough

Instructions:

1. Mix turkey, rosemary, thyme, salt, pepper and lemon.
2. Form into 8 thin patties
3. Lay out 4 patties, place goat cheese slice on each, top with remaining patties and pinch sides to close in cheese
4. Barbecue until cooked through, it's turkey so cook it completely, I did them about 8 - 10 minutes per side.

I served these with some whole wheat buns toasted, a slice of tomato and a slather of mayo. Very simple, super delicious!

Bolognese Smacked Full of Veggies

Now is the time of year to get out your crock pots and get some hearty dishes on the go (and into your freezer!) I had a bunch of veggies that I wanted to use up before hitting the farmers' market again this weekend. So what's a girl to do? Bolognese!!

Here's what went into mine:

2 onions

4 ribs of celery, diced

3 medium carrots, diced

1/2 a bulb of fennel, diced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 medium zucchini, shredded

1/2 head of cauliflower, chopped fine

4 -5 ounces/140 g beef , diced

8 - 9 ounces/250g pork, diced

2 cans of tomatoes

1 can tomato paste

1 cup milk

2 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp nutmeg

1 tsp ground porchini mushroom powder (you can use fresh mushrooms if you like)

salt and pepper

I sauteed all the veggies first (yes, I had to fill the pan and saute three times to get it all done)

I dumped them into the crock pot as each pan full was ready. Then I did the same for the meat. Stir in everything else and that's it. I let it simmer on high for 4 hours but you could easily prep this ahead and let it simmer on low all day while your at work. Make lots because it freezes beautifully. All you'll have to do in the future is boil some pasta and dinner is done!

Throw in what ever veggies you have on hand. This is a great way to create a tasty quick dish for future meals. If you have picky eaters, use a food processor or blender to puree cooked or frozen and defrosted veggies to sneak them in.

What a great meal! And now - on to football. Tonight is opening night!!!! ARE YOU READY FOR SOME FOOTBALL?!?!?!!? Wheeeeeeeeeee!

Tandoori Beer Can Chicken and Warm Curry Potato Salad

As Summer draws to a close there is still time for some good barbecuing. The great part about these dishes? They can been done indoors as well as outdoors. I beer can chickens and turkeys all year long. It's such a good way to ensure a moist bird. This recipe doesn't even need to be beer canned as I discovered while trying to make it while on vacation on one of those newer low top barbecues. Just put the bird on it's back and pour some of the leftover marinade in the cavity. It steams up quite nicely!

Tandoori Beer Can Chicken - Serves 2 -4 (buy 1 1/2 - 2 lbs per person)

Ingredients:

• 3 - 4 lb chicken
• 1 lemon
• 1/2 tsp sea or kosher salt
• 2 cloves garlic, chopped
• 1 cup yogurt
• 1/2 tbsp ground ginger, cumin, coriander, turmeric
• 3 cardamon pods
• 1 tsp cayenne pepper ( more if you like it extra spicy)
• *mix up the spices however you like, most Indian homes have their own special spice blend so feel free to create your own, add whatever spices make you think of Indian food!
• red food colouring (optional)
• 1 beer or pop can, half emptied out
• 1/2 red onion, cut in chunks

Instructions:

1. Cut the lemon in half and squeeze about 1/4 cup of juice in a glass or plastic bowl, add in salt.
2. Make some cuts into the meat all over the chicken to allow the marinade to really get in there.
3. Toss the chicken in the lemon and salt and let sit at least 15 minutes but no longer than an hour.
4. Rinse the chicken and pat dry
5. In the lemon juice and salt bowl, remove any of the salt residue left at the bottom, try to leave about 1 tbsp lemon juice, add more if necessary.
6. Add in everything from garlic to red food colouring from the ingredient list. Mix.
7. Add in the chicken and make sure the marinade is all over the inside and outside of the bird
8. Let sit for 6 - 12 hours
9. Prepare the bbq for indirect grilling or set the oven for 425 degrees
10. Empty your beer can another 1/4 and add in some of the marinade to bring the can up to 1/2 full
11. Stuff the chicken with the cut up chunks of red onion and the leftover lemon in both the bottom and the top.
12. Place the chicken on the beer can and put on the grill. If you aren't beer canning it, put the chicken on it's back and pour some of the marinade into the cavity.
13. If cooking in the oven, start at 425 and reduce to 350 after the first 15 minutes. This is a little harder to do on a bbq but you should start high and then reduce the temp as it starts to brown. Check it after the first 15 minutes and adjust as necessary
14. Cook until the legs are loose or the temp reads 180 degrees with a meat thermometer. (about 1 1/4 - 1 1/2 hours for a 3 - 4 lb bird)

Warm Curry Potato Salad

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup Mayo
• 1/2 tbsp Madras Curry Powder (or regular curry powder if you can't find Madras)
• 2 tsp Sugar
• 2 tbsp White wine vinegar
• 3 Green Onions, chopped
• Any Combo of the following -
• White potatoes
• Sweet potatoes
• Green beans
• Peas
• Cauliflower

Instructions:

1. Mix up Mayo through green onions, adjust to meet your tastes! ( I never measure)
2. Boil potatoes, blanche green beans, peas and/or cauliflower.
3. Mix it all together and enjoy!

You can toss some of the diced leftover chicken into the potato salad for a quick lunch of leftovers. Enjoy!

Eggplant Parmesan on the Barbecue

Here is a great interpretation of a baked classic, redone for the bbq, making use of in season veggies. Fun, quick and pretty daggon nutritious. Got big eaters? Throw on a piece of meat to go with it for a heartier meal.




Grilled Eggplant Parmesan- Serves 4 -6

Ingredients:

• 1 Eggplant, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 1 Zucchini, sliced lengthwise into 1/2 inch thick slices
• 2 large tomatoes, sliced into 1/2 inch thick slices
• Handful of fresh basil and oregano leaves
• 1/2 cup each, shredded mozzarella and parmesan
• salt and pepper

(I had some leftover polenta so I baked it in a pan and then grilled it to make another layer. You can buy polenta in the tube, slice it and grill it if you like or you can leave it out. You can also slice up tofu, grill it and add it as another layer to bump up the nutrients and add a layer of creamy goodness!)

Instructions:

1. Heat your grill to high.
2. Grill your eggplant and zucchini until tender.
3. Grill your tomato until heated, about 1 minute per side (too long and you'll have mush!)
4. Assemble your parmesan but layering eggplant, cheese, herbs, tomato, zucchini and repeat. End with cheese and herbs.

Enjoy!

Polenta (and can you really do that with tofu?!)

I just had a thought.... is it wrong to wrap tofu in bacon? I was just thinking about what to have tomorrow and remembered I picked up some bacon on sale "buy one get one free" at the Sobey's. I went for the toilet paper sale but that's another story. I buy it(bacon) on sale and separate it into 2 pieces per package and freeze it. Then I just the right portion for chowders, making fresh bacon bits or even for the occasional breakfast. Don't ask me why wrapping tofu with it came to mind. I think it would freak out some earth muffin vegetarian vibe out there in the universe resulting in some sort of plague against meat. So maybe not.

On another note, I made polenta for the first time. EASY!! And really tasty. I kept it super simple. This is great in place of potatoes, rice, couscous, noodles, etc. And you can change the flavorings to suit your meal or your own taste buds!

Italian Polenta
Serves 4
Ingredients:

• 1 cup water
• 1 1/4 cup cornmeal
• 1 1/3 cup water
• 3 ounces grated parmesan
• 5 big leaves of basil, chopped
• Salt to taste

Instructions:

1. Put 1 cup water and cornmeal in a bowl and let soak.
2. Put the rest of the water in a pot and bring to a boil
3. Add the cornmeal mixture to the boiling water and reduce to low.
4. Simmer until thickened, it will happen quickly, just a couple of minutes
5. Stir in the cheese until blended
6. Stir in the basil
7. Taste and add salt to taste
8. Serve!

(I do have some great recipes for the freezer for veggies coming into harvest this time of year. I swear I'll get them up soon...)

Thai Coconut Curry Seafood Chowder

I'm waiting for the fog to lift around here. It's been hanging around for well over a week now. I can't find the BBQ through the fog.... In the meantime I've been having a little fun with some ethnic foods. I love seafood chowder and this dish was a refreshing variation. The Thai ingredients can be found at larger grocery stores. I used haddock but you can use any white fish and/or shrimp, scallops, mussels... you get the idea. This recipe is so quick and tasty that you'll turn to it again and again~

Thai Coconut Curry Seafood Chowder

Serves 6 - 4 points per serving

Ingredients

• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1/2 lb haddock fillets, cut into cubes
• 1 cup snow peas, sliced
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms
• 4 oz rice noodles
• 1 tbsp red curry paste
• 1 tbsp lemon juice
• 2 tbsp Thai fish sauce
• 1 14 oz can light coconut milk
• 1/2 cup chopped cilantro

Instructions

1. Heat the chicken broth in a sauce pan to a boil over medium high heat
2. Toss in the fish and veggies
3. Reduce the heat to medium, simmer for about 3 minutes until the fish is almost cooked through
4. Add in the noodles
5. Stir in the curry paste, lemon juice, fish sauce and coconut milk and heat through
6. Stir in the cilantro and serve.

Enjoy!

Greek Fajitas

ADDENDUM!
I forgot to mention to marinate the meat. I use a little olive oil, lemon juice, garlic and fresh or dried mint and oregano. I toss in the red onion and pepper when I remember. Let the meat marinate for a couple of hours or overnight. Definitely a good step.

Glad Midsommardag!! Today is the longest day of the year and is celebrated as "Midsummer" in Sweden. It's one of my favorite times of the year. All employers in Sweden are required by law to allow their employees a minimum of 3 weeks off during the summer and many start their vacation with the Midsommar holiday. What a wonderful country! But I must return to the reality that is Atlantic Canada. Today is wet, windy and gross. I'm trying to focus on the fact that this rain will help my garden grow. I just hope all that wind doesn't break off my young cucumber plants...

As summer gets into full swing I often think of Mediterranean inspired meals. Wraps are fun, simple and convenient for summer dining. Here is a great turn on a Greek wrap but I'm calling mine a fajita because as I was assembling it I thought of how this concept was very similar to a Mexican fajita.

You can use whatever meat and veggie combo you like! This is great for picky kids because they can add what they want.


Ingredients:

• tortillas
• hummus
• pork
• red peppers
• red onion
• tomato, diced
• cucumber, diced
• feta, diced
• Greek dressing (I use a creamy Greek feta dressing and mix it with half yogurt)

Use enough of each ingredient for however many people you are serving. Don't worry about having too much, leftovers are great thrown in an omelet the next morning!

Instructions:

1. Grill the meat, peppers and onion. Slice each.
2. Serve the tortillas on a plate with all the other ingredients laid out for assembly.
3. Let everyone make their own!

Don't forget the napkins!

Frozen Tofu and Wrapped White Fish

First let me tell you about my frozen tofu. Last time I bought tofu it was too much for a meal so I froze half of the block. I had read some interesting reviews about frozen tofu. Mostly that the texture changes. I used mine last night. I defrosted it, pressed it under a heavy weight to get the moisture out ( I have discovered this step helps whenever using tofu in stir fries or when sauteing or barbecuing - see my simple tofu recipe) then barbecued it as per simple tofu recipe. Perfect! So freeze away!

I wanted to touch upon a simple, tasty and kid friendly fish recipe. I have talked about wrapping up fish before. Tonight I did it again and realized I hadn't proclaimed the wonder of such a simple act in a while. I'm a huge fish lover so when I meet someone who isn't I always feel a little sad. This simple dish may get the most ardent anti-fish lover eating the healthy stuff!

I had a piece of cod, sprinkled on some parmesan and wrapped it in some prosciutto. 375 for 15 minutes. Perfect. Try any cheese/meat combo on any of the white fish types, sole, haddock, tilapia, etc. My goddess it was good! Next time I might try havarti and ham....

Stuffed Pork Loin and Twice Baked Potatoes

I made this meal while hobbling around in my ever so sexy moon boot ( walking boot for my broken foot) so it's pretty quick and easy.

First I started with some potatoes. I had new red potatoes hanging around. New potatoes have pretty thin skins so instead of baking these potatoes, scooping out the insides, mixing it with the other ingredients and stuffing it back in the skins, I tossed everything together and baked it in a casserole dish. It worked just as well.

Twice Baked Potatoes
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 small to medium new potatoes
• 1 cup broccoli
• 1 cup cauliflower
• 1/2 cup red onion, diced
• 1 cup light sour cream
• 1 cup light cheddar cheese, shredded
• Salt and Pepper
• Chives (optional)

Instructions:

1. Bring a pot of water to boil
2. Dice the potatoes, broccoli and cauliflower to roughly the same size, about 1/4 inch
3. Cook the potatoes in the boiling water until fork tender. If using fresh broccoli and cauliflower, add them to the boiling water for 2 -3 minutes at the end to blanch. (I used frozen and skipped this step)
4. Mix the potatoes, broccoli, cauliflower, red onions, sour cream and 3/4 cup of the cheese. Salt and pepper to taste.
5. Pour the mixture into a baking dish, I used a square pan.
6. Sprinkle the remaining cheese on the top.
7. Bake at 350 for 40 minutes
8. Before dishing out, top with chopped chives if using.

I used the leftovers for breakfast, adding to sauteed red peppers and making it into a frittata with a little more cheese. Yum!




Stuffed Pork Loin
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb lean pork loin, boneless
• 3 slices prosciutto
• 1 tbsp fresh oregano
• 1 tbsp fresh basil
• salt and pepper to taste
• Onion and garlic powder to sprinkle around the outside.
• 1/2 tbsp olive oil
• Cooking twine or tooth picks
• 1/2 cup white wine, apple juice or chicken broth
• 1/4 cup 10% cream or blend

Instructions:

1. Preheat oven to 350 degrees
2. Butterfly open the pork for stuffing
3. Layer the prosciutto inside the pork, top with the herbs, salt and pepper
4. Roll up the pork and secure with twine or toothpicks
5. Sprinkle the outside with salt, pepper, garlic and onion powder
6. Heat the oil on high in an oven safe saute skillet if you have one. Otherwise use whatever skillet you have.
7. Sear all sides of the pork.
8. Put the pork in the oven, moving it to a sheet pan if your saute skillet isn't oven safe.
9. Cook for 25 minutes
10. Remove the pork from the pan and tent with aluminum foil and let sit for 10 minutes
11. Heat the saute pan over med high heat.
12. Pour in the white wine and scrap the bits off the bottom of the pan with a wooden spoon.
13. Let simmer until the liquid is reduced about half.
14. Stir in the cream.
15. Serve over the pork.

It sounds more complicated than it really is. And hey, it's barbecue season so if you just want to throw the rolled up pork loin on the 'cue then go for it!