Sausage Cheese Balls.... and list of excuses

Wow, has it been a while. I've been really busy getting ready for the gardening season and baby season. I've knit hats and booties for 3 different babies plus it's birthday month around here so that's more knitting. Whew! I still have a 7 day healthy menu to post. I'll get around to it....

But speaking of all things baby - I went to a baby shower this past weekend and I made a great party dish that is deadly simple. Sausage Cheese Balls are really easy and can be made ahead, even frozen before cooking. I like to make a batch at Christmas time. They are perfect for cocktails or tapas parties but also for having along with a brunch menu!

Sausage Cheese Balls - Makes 50 - 75 balls

Ingredients:

• 3 Cups Bisquick
• 1 lb sausage meat, flavour of your choice, casings removed and crumbled
• 2 cups grated cheddar cheese
• dash of Tabasco sauce

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a large bowl.
2. Shape into 1/2 inch balls
3. Freeze until needed or
4. Bake at 350 for 20 - 25 minutes until lightly browned

Enjoy!

Red Beans and Rice

I love this recipe. The beans and rice make a complete protein so it's an excellent meatless meal. It's also deadly cheap and super, super easy. Seriously, beyond simple. You can use brown rice if you like but it makes the fiber content really, really high (so drink lots and lots of water to avoid a backlog....) You can also spice it us as much as you like. Get out the Tabasco!




Red Beans and Rice
Serves 4 - 6

Ingredients:

• Olive oil
• 1 large onion, diced
• 1 roasted red pepper, diced (or you can use a fresh one)
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 tsp dried oregano
• 1 tbsp cajun seasoning
• 19oz/540 ml can of red kidney beans, do not drain
• 28 oz/796ml can of diced tomatoes, no salt added
• 3/4 cup long grain rice
• 1 1/2 cup water
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• salt and pepper to taste
• 1 cup shredded cheddar cheese

Instructions:

1. Coat the bottom of a saucepan with oil and heat over medium
2. Add the onions and peppers and cook until soft
3. Add all the remaining ingredients, bring to a simmer, cover and cook until the rice is done. (the rice package should give you a pretty good idea of how long this will take)
4. Serves sprinkled with cheese

Dang this is good!

Indian BBQ - Acorn Squash Perfection

Okay, I know I never posted a Paralympics menu. Man have I been busy lately! And I haven't even touched the backyard yet. I'm hoping to clear out some old bushes and put in a blueberry bush, some tomatoes, maybe some peppers. On the side of the house, in space that we cleared last year, I am planning on planting some root veggies, potatoes, onions and maybe some garlic. But I digress.

Since I didn't get a menu up for the Paralympics, I thought I'd share what I did pull together as a "Healthy Menu" with links to all the recipes. I'll try to get that up in the next couple of days.

But to talk about the meal I had tonight... YUM. BBQ season is officially full on around here. I did a Tandoori Beer Can Chicken which is definitely going to be a summer mainstay! I also did 2 acorn squash. Super simple.

Acorn Squash Perfection:
Cut the squash in half and scoop out the seeds. Drizzle with honey, toss in some onion slices and sprinkle with curry powder. Roast while doing a chicken or roast on the bbq, about 350 F for an hour or so, until you can poke a fork into the flesh. Don't drain out the liquid that accumulates in the centre! Put it in a bowl and scoop out the flesh and add it. Add a little butter and mash. That's it. You'll be amazed.

Excuses, Excuses, Excuses

Quick note. Broken Mom on the mend. Trying to help out as much as possible while being motivated by warmish sunny weather to clear yard, plant things.. oh, and take down outdoor Christmas lights (left up, not because I am beyond lazy {which I am} but to show support during the Olympics), wash and shave large hairy dogs, etc, etc, etc. Just realized Paralympics start tonight. Menu is roughed out. Will share at soonest possible opportunity (maybe tonight... if I have any energy after running errands with gimp mother and shaving said hairy dogs....)

Leftover Turkey Curry

Are you wondering why I'm talking about leftover turkey in March? I froze some from my holiday bird and now I'm going to make use of it. I've made turkey curry before but this time I'm going to use a basic sauce that will make it a more " European style" curry sauce. That's what it made me think of when I tasted it, it tasted like something I would have had in Sweden. So I wouldn't call this a seriously authentic Indian dish. I'm using the sauce recipe from the Fiskboller as the sauce recipe for this curry sauce. It's just the right sauce for this dish (how many times did I just say 'sauce'?!). And this is a one pot meal!

Leftover Turkey Curry
Serves 6 -8



Ingredients:

• 1 lb dried pasta, penne or fusilli work well
• 3 cups broccoli, diced
• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 medium onion, diced
• 1/2 inch fresh ginger, grated
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 cups chicken broth
• 2 tsp curry powder (or more if you like)
• 1 tsp fenugreek
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 2 cups diced leftover turkey or chicken
• 8 frozen cilantro cubes or 1/4 cup fresh, finely chopped

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Add broccoli in for the last 4 minutes
2. When pasta is cooked, drain and set aside
3. Heat butter in empty pasta pot
4. Saute onions until soft, 3 - 5 minutes
5. Add ginger and garlic and cook 30 seconds
6. Add flour and whisk for 30 seconds
7. Add chicken broth a little at a time, whisking until incorporated and thickened
8. Add curry and fenugreek
9. Add salt and pepper to taste
10. Toss in turkey and heat through
11. Add pasta, broccoli and cilantro and fold in until blended.

**A couple of notes.

If you don't have fenugreek then don't worry, turmeric would be nice too but just plain curry powder does just fine.

The cilantro cubes I speak of are the frozen packs you can find in the produce section. You can also use the tube of cilantro, just give a squeeze! Obviously fresh is best but I keep the frozen cubes on hand because it's a herb I often use but never seem to have and when I do buy it I never use it all and it goes bad in my fridge. You can skip it. The flavor will be different but still quite yummy.

Use whole wheat pasta if you want to up the nutrients.

Enjoy!

Scary fridges, freezers and other bedtime stories...

I just came back from my mom's. She fell and hurt herself quite badly so I headed over to help out for the day. My first task was to decide what I'd make for dinner. This required a review of her fridge and freezer. I was seriously depressed when I found an expired box of fresh spinach, unopened and a 3 pack of romaine hearts gone bad. I even found a cream cheese that was unopened and expired Nov 2009 in the back of a shelf! Then I played the "Name That" game while trying to identify frozen meat packs hiding in the freezer. People, people, people label EVERYTHING that goes into your freezer. It's a simple task that makes life so much easier in the long run. Tomorrow I'm going to do an inventory of her freezer contents and get a list done up for the freezer door so she'll know what she has without having to poke around and play the "Name That" game every time she goes to cook.

Mom had a just made a Pete's run the day before her accident. If you live anywhere near Halifax or even visit once in a while, you've been to Pete's for a top notch selection of veggies. If you're not lucky enough to live here, then if you ever head this way plan a trip, even if it's just for snacks. It's a fun spot. Mom had veggies at home she had forgotten about plus she bought a bunch of stuff at Pete's so I wanted something that would make a big dish with lots of leftovers and use a lot of her veggies. So what did I do?!

Lasagna! It's a great way to use a whole lot of veggies. (and I managed to identify some ground beef to throw in as well) For today's edition I used leeks, onion, mushrooms, zucchini, asparagus and tomatoes. Man was it tasty. And Lasagna doesn't have to be too complicated. Fresh lasagna noodles freeze right in the package and are ready to go when you are or buy the ones that don't need boiling. You don't have to get really complicated with the sauce or you can buy something already to go. Today I just used a can of tomatoes and tomato paste with some italian seasoning sprinkled in. And the very best part.... tons of leftovers that freeze beautifully!

I'd like to take this opportunity to speak to the issue of overbuying. Either make a list of what you need or want before you go to the grocery store or as soon as you get home, take your receipt and sit down and make a menu plan. Go through the items you bought and determine what will go bad first then use it first. And so forth and so on. Don't assume you'll remember what you bought or what you planned to use the items you purchased for. WRITE IT DOWN!! It is the simplest and most effective advice I can give you.

And now we bring you the Paralympics!

The fun continues! The Olympics may be over but now we need to show our Paralympians the same support. What they do is even more awe inspiring! I'm hoping we get the same type of television coverage. Nothing is so exciting as watch live events with the all the thrills, chills and spills! I'm going to do my part and develop a Vancouver 2010 Paralympics Menu.

So what do the Paralympics represent? Athletes - well that's obvious. Determination - sure. Commitment - definitely. Over coming obstacles - yup. Living with Challenges above and beyond the average - oh yeah. So how am I going to represent the Paralympic experience in a menu? Hmmm. I've done the international winter menu for the Olympics, I'm going to do a summer inspired international menu for the World Cup this coming June. I think the best thing I can do are meals that are simple, uncomplicated, tasty, healthy and quick. Because that's what every Paralympian needs! (and so do most of us on a daily basis!!) Meals healthy enough for athletes, quick for busy people, simple for those who aren't masters in the kitchen.

So stay tuned for the offical Paralympic Menu. The game start in just 11 days! And once again - Go Canada Go!!

Fiskboller

The last meal of the Official Olympic Menu... I'm a little sad. This winter has sure been made a lot more fun with the Olympics to cheer for. Tomorrow is going to be one sad Monday! But even without the Olympics to inspire me, I can still find a lot of joy in the kitchen, cooking internationally. Winter is a great time to experiment in the kitchen. You can travel to exotic locations without leaving your house!! And we all need a little "getaway" in the dead of winter. I really loved the Korean Barbecue last night.

I just realized that the paralympics run March 12 - 21. We have shown so much love and support for the Olympics. I hope we have the same enthusiasm for our paralympians! What they do is even more thrilling!

Okay, on to tonight's meal. Fiskboller which are Norwegian Fish Balls.

Fiskboller
Serves 4

Ingredients:
Balls:

• 1 lb white fish, cod, haddock, pollack
• 2 eggs
• 1/2 cup milk
• 1 cup flour to form a nice dough
• 1 clove roasted garlic
• Salt and Pepper

Sauce:

• 2 tbsp butter
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 2 tsp curry powder
• 2 cups leftover simmer broth

Instructions:

1. Mix all ingredients in a food processor until smooth, you want the dough to form a nice ball
2. Bring chicken, fish or veggie broth or water (I used plan ol' water and it worked great) to boil in a large pot
3. Form balls with two spoons and drop into the simmering water.
4. They are cooked when they firm and float to the top.
5. Strain the leftover broth and use it to make a nice white sauce.
6. Melt butter over medium high heat in a saucepan
7. Add flour and cook for about 30 seconds
8. Whisk in white wine and curry powder until thick
9. Add in enough leftover broth to make a smooth sauce.

Serve with some steamed veggies or a nice salad and you have a complete meal.

I'm thinking of something special to do for the Paralympics next month so stay tuned!

Korean Bulgogi

Tonight's meal from the Olympic Menu is Korean Bulgogi which is just marinated barbecued beef. It's easy to make this very authentic dish with ingredients from your local grocery store.

Even the marinating stage looks tasty....I'm drooling already!

Korean Bulgogi

Serves 4

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 4 tbsp soy sauce


• 2 cloves garlic, minced


• 3 green onions, finely chopped


• 1 inch piece of ginger, peeled and grated (I cut fresh ginger into chunks and freeze then it's easy to grate it and I always have fresh ginger in the house)


• 1 tsp sesame oil (if you can't find this, double the amount of sesame seeds)


• 1 tbsp brown sugar


• 1 tbsp sesame seed

• 1 lb finely sliced lean beef


• large lettuce leaves


• shredded carrots and green onions


• soy sauce for dipping


• kimchi, if you can find it!

Instructions:

1. Mix the marinade ingredients together and toss the sliced meat in it. Marinate for at least 1 hour


2. Set a pan over high heat or use an indoor grill set on high.


3. Sear the meat


4. Set out the meat and remaining ingredients for everyone to make their own.


5. Roll the meat in the lettuce leaves with shredded carrots, green onions and kimchi and dip in the soy sauce.

If you have an indoor grill or raclette and can place it in the middle of the table, diners can cook their own meat which is exactly how the Koreans would enjoy this meal.

Mani deuseyo!

Wiener Schnitzel and Spaetzle

Tonight's selection from the Olympic Menu is a salute to Germany. Typically Wiener Schnitzel is made with veal, that is the traditionally correct way to make it. However, believe it or not, veal can be hard to find in my local grocery store. So I'm going to use the very acceptable substitute - pork. Some traditionalists will tell you this is not an acceptable substitute but many others will tell you it's just fine. And increasingly popular given that many people are opposed to eating veal and pork is readily available and cheaper. You can use which ever you like, I won't tell.

Schnitzel is incredibly easy. Perfect for a Friday evening in! Don't feel like making the Spaetzle? Serve Schnitzel with pasta or potatoes.
Wiener Schnitzel
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 4 veal sirloin, scallopini or boneless pork chops


• 2 eggs


• 1 cup bread crumbs


• salt and pepper


• 1 tbsp butter


• 1 lemon, cut into 8 wedges

Instructions:

1. If the meat is not already thin, pound out to 1/4 - 1/2 inch (about 2cm)


2. Heat butter over medium high heat in a frying/saute pan


3. Beat eggs in a dish and place bread crumbs on a plate with salt and pepper


4. Dip meat in eggs, then in bread crumbs


5. Saute meat in butter until cooked through


6. Squeeze one wedge of lemon on each piece of meat, serve the remaining wedges with each piece as garnish

Spaetzle
Serves 4

Ingredients:

• 2 cups flour


• 2 eggs


• 3/4 cup water


• 1 tsp salt

Instructions:

1. Set a large pot of water on to boil


2. Mix all the ingredients together


3. The water needs to be boiling before you proceed!


4. Push the batter mix through a colander or grater into the water (or use a ricer if you have one)


5. The dough bits should cook 2 -3 minutes, they will float to the top when done.


6. Remove with a large slotted spoon and drain


7. Toss with some butter or your favorite cheese and enjoy!

Serve the Schnitzel and Spaetzle with some steamed veggies or a salad and you have a nice balanced meal!

We interrupt these Olympics for a brief moment of appreciation.

I was just watching a segment on TV about our PEI bobsleigher Heather Moyse. I think I've spent most of these Olympics a little moist in the eyes. Amazing. Prince Edward Island, Canada is one of the most beautiful places. I highly recommend a visit at least once in your life. I'm heading over that way in the fall and I can't wait. Maybe it's part of being a Maritimer, but PEI gives me a sense of peace. And my camera really gets a workout!

My mom has been thoroughly enjoying the Olympics. She's watched everything with full intensity and passion. And I mean EVERYTHING! She's right there, cheering on our athletes. A lot of these sports she doesn't really understand, like a lot of us, but she's been learning as we go along. I hope everyone out there has been enjoying these games as much as my mom has. I'm running out of clean red attire to wear! Must go put on a load of laundry...

I've been enjoying the Olympics all the more with my Olympics Menu. Last night I had Swedish Meatballs... what a yummy comfort meal to curl up in front of the TV with! I might have to make them a regular winter addition to my yearly menu. One big batch, divided and frozen will be a nice addition to the comfort food selection in my freezer next winter.

It's been a wonderful winter (even if the weather hasn't been very wintery around here...). I hope everyone is enjoying theirs as well. Not liking winter so much? Might I recommend lighting some candles (carefully!), curling up with some comfort food, opening up a nice bottle of wine or putting on a pot of apple cider and watching an event or two while cheering on your national athletes. And don't worry, spring is right around the corner!

Mac and Cheese of Olympians!

Why do I call this Mac and Cheese of Olympians? Because it's part of my Olympics Menu and because it has spinach! If it makes Popeye strong imagine what it does for Olympians! No patience or time to make homemade mac and cheese? KD fans - add veggies to your KD! Kids don't like spinach? Try a can of tomatoes, some chopped broccoli or cauliflower. Even peas will do! At least it will get the kids used to seeing some colourful veggies in their Mac and Cheese. I love one dish meals, so by adding veggies dinner is done. Easy!

Mac and Cheese of Olympians

Serves 6

Ingredients:

• 3/4 - 1 lb dried pasta, I used Scooby Doo pasta.
• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 onion, finely chopped
• 3 tbsp flour
• 2 1/2 cup milk
• 3 c shredded cheese, I used old cheddar and white cheddar
• 1 pkg chopped spinach, DO NOT Drain
• 1/4 tsp freshly ground nutmeg
• 1 tbsp each, Dijon and Worcestershire sauce
• 1/2 - 3/4 cup bread crumbs
• 1/2 c shredded cheddar for top
  

Instructions:

1. Cook pasta according to package instructions. Drain but don't rinse!
2. Preheat oven to 350
3. In the same big pot you used to cook the pasta, melt the butter over medium high heat
4. Add the onions and saute until soft
5. Add the flour and whisk until blended
6. Slowly add milk and continue whisking until blended and thickened, reduce heat to medium
7. Add 1/2 c of the cheese and whisk until melted, continue adding 1/2 c at a time until it's all incorporated
8. Stir in the Dijon, Worcestershire sauce and nutmeg
9. Fold in the spinach and then the pasta
10. Pour the mixture into casserole dishes. I like individual casseroles as they freeze quickly and defrost quickly. But if you have a big family one big casserole will do!
11. Top with bread crumbs and cheese
12. Bake for 20 -30 minutes until bubbly and golden on top.

Cheers! Back to the games!

Austrian Goulash

A lot of the countries have their own form of ragout. Ragout is simply braised beef, using a cheap cut of meat so it's a good way to make a hearty meal go far for less. And nothing smells nicer than beef braising in the oven on a chilly winter day. Add rosemary and tomatoes and you have the Italian version. Add herbs de Provence and red wine and you have a French Version. A Goulash is the Austrian version with paprika and sour cream. Simple and very tasty. Here's the Austrian version in honour of their participation in the Vancouver Olympics as part of my Olympic Menu.

Austrian Goulash
Serves 4 (double this recipe, it freezes perfectly!)

Ingredients:

• 2 tbsp bacon fat or beef suet
• 1 large onion, diced
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 3 tbsp sweet paprika
• 1 tbsp red wine vinegar
• 1 tbsp tomato paste
• 3/4 lb lean beef cut into chunks
• 3 cups water
• 1 tsp dried oregano or marjoram
• salt and pepper
• 1/2 cup sour cream or balkan style yogurt

Instructions:

1. Heat oven to 300 F
2. Heat bacon fat in a large oven safe pot over medium high heat
3. Add onion and cook until soft
4. Toss in the garlic, paprika and tomato paste and cook 30 seconds
5. Add beef, water and oregano
6. Bring to a boil
7. Salt and pepper to taste
8. Cover and place in oven for 2 1/2 hours.
9. Remove from even and stir in sour cream or yogurt
10. If the sauce is too runny, reduce on the stove top by simmering until the liquid is the consistency of a nice gravy.

Serve with boiled potatoes and carrots.

Guten Appetit!

Japanese Teriyaki Salmon, Veggies and Rice

It snowed last night! Now it really feels like the Olympics! But that also meant the big dig out. Luckily my neighbor got a snowblower for Christmas and this was the first time they could use it so they cleared everyone's driveway. I just had to tidy up and clear a path to my backyard. Still a good work out but not unmanageable. And tomorrow morning I'll have to clear the end of the driveway again but that's okay it'll be another workout!

Tonight's meal should have been a quickie but the brown rice takes 30 minutes or more. I'm making a big batch to freeze some for meals in the future. Next time I need rice I can just pull it out of the freezer and not have to wait a half hour or more. It's the only way to get supper on the table fast during the week.

Tonight I'm really keeping it simple. Brown rice, frozen Asian mixed veggies and a piece of salmon. I'm going to bake the salmon in the toaster oven covered in Teriyaki sauce. I'll stir fry the veggies and throw some of the same Teriyaki sauce on it. Serve it all over the rice and that's it, dinner - done!

A stir fry can really come together quickly with frozen Asian mixed veggies or pre-cut veggies from the grocery store. Add you pre-made rice or noodles and you can literally put dinner on the table in about 15 minutes!

My end result:

Yum !

(sushi would have also made a nice Japanese meal tonight....)

Now back to the games!

French Onion Soup

Here's my recipe for French Onion Soup. It's pretty traditional a la Julia Child's Mastering the Art of French Cooking. This is one of my favorite winter recipes. So simple but so delicious. Wonder how to get that nice melted cheese on top? You can put some toasted bread on the top of the soup, top with cheese and put under the broiler. I have soup bowls just for this purpose. But if you are not sure your bowls can handle this then sprinkle your cheese on thick slices of toasted bread and either bake them at 450 or broil them on a baking sheet until melted and lightly browned. (Watch closely because they can brown up pretty fast!) You can then just place these right on the top of the soup. Viola! This is a great way to handle the melted cheese component if you want to pack this up for lunches. Just heat your soup and then top with the toasted cheese bread, made ahead or toasted while the soup heats. Don't worry if the bread is really hard and crunchy... all the better to absorb the soup!

French Onion Soup
Serves 4 - 6 as a main course, 6 -8 as a starter

Ingredients:

• 3 tbsp butter
• 1 tbsp olive oil
• 3 mutant large onions, or 5 cups onion sliced (I had mutant large onions on hand)
• 1 tbsp brown sugar
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 tsp fresh thyme leaves
• 1 tsp salt
• 4 cups beef stock + 4 cups water or 8 cups store bought fat free beef broth
• 1/2 cup white wine
• 1 tbsp Worcestershire sauce
• French bread, cut in thick slices
• Gruyere or Emmentaler Cheese, shredded

Instructions:

1. Heat butter and oil over medium low heat in a large pot until the butter is melted
2. Add onions, cover and cook over low heat for 30 minutes
3. Add sugar and turn heat up to medium, stir often and cook until the onions are golden.
4. Add flour and salt and cook 1 - 2 minutes
5. Add stock through Worcestershire sauce, cover, reduce heat and simmer for 30 minutes
6. Salt and Pepper to taste
7. Serve in bowls with toasted bread slices and cheese melted on top (see above note)

This meal isn't due until later in the Olympic menu but I do love to make my meals ahead when I have time. This one freezes beautifully. Don't pre-toast the bread, just slice it up and freeze it. It will be just the right texture for this dish when you are ready to eat it.

Back to the Games!

Fan's Restaurant for Chinese New Year

Last night we went out for Chinese New Year. I had Chinese Pork, Bok Choy and Noodle Soup on the menu in honour of Chinese New Year but then I got invited out. So out for Chinese food I went!

I had investigated Chinese Restaurants in the area around Christmas time when we spoke of doing Chinese again for Christmas Eve. In the hustle and bustle of preparing for Christmas, picking up dinner instead of making it on Christmas Eve is a wonderful idea. However we used the same place as the year before in Halifax, the Silver Dragon which we drive right by on the way home from the Christmas Eve service at my Nana's church. It's really good but out of the way from here for regular take out. I do keep a copy of their take out menu in the car so I can order their seafood noodles for take out when I'm over that way!

So for Valentines Day/Chinese New Year we tried Fan's Restaurant. I'd read a couple of reviews and it seemed like a safe bet. The place was pretty busy but it was Chinese New Year after all. There were a few Chinese people eating in the restaurant. It's always a good sign if you see some folks of whatever nationality the restaurant is actually eating in the restaurant.

I started with a Tsingtao, a beer from China. I always like to drink a beverage from the nation whose cuisine I'm eating. It's a natural match. They claim to specialize in Northern Chinese Cuisine. The menu items were not named like I'm used to. I didn't see Almond Guy Ding or chicken chow mein or items like that but instead the items were more simply named. The menu was quite large and very overwhelming but I find that in most Chinese places. We settled on the dinner for 3 and, as usual, ended up with way too much food. They didn't have egg rolls, just spring rolls which were quite tasty. They were also quite greasy. They arrived at our table immediately after placing our order. Which was great because we were hungry.

Next was soup. The wonton filling in the wontons in the soup was perfect. We followed that with Ginger Fried Shredded Beef, Sweet and Sour Pork Tenderloin, Stir Fried Mixed Vegetables with Shrimp and Chicken Fried Rice. It was all quite tasty. I don't like the deep fried Sweet and Sour dishes we typically get around here but this one was well done. I like to go with some basics the first time I go to an ethnic restaurant before I venture off to dishes that aren't familiar to me. It gives me a better idea of how good the restaurant really is. Fan's definitely peaked my interest to try other items on the menu. The only complaint I had is that they brought each dish out separately with time in between. So we got our Fried Rice and then a few minutes later the Stir Fried Veggies and then we were waiting for the rest before digging in. We ended up starting to eat the first 2 main dishes while waiting and then adding the final two main dishes to our plates as they showed up. It would have been really nice to have gotten them all at once.

One item on the menu that is part of their claim to Northern Chinese Cuisine is the Peking Duck. I'd really like to try it. They also do Dim Sum during lunch time on Saturday's and Sunday's. I'd love to go back and try that. They recommend reservations so they must do it well to be that busy! Overall it was a good meal and if you're craving Chinese this is a good spot.

Tonight is Spanish Paella from my Olympic's Menu. Buen Apetito!

Happy Valentine's Day and Chinese New Year!

I made some special devil's food chocolate cupcake for Valentine's day. I had filled the cups up half way and then put in a heart shaped marshmallow. However, they floated to the top during baking. Now this does end up being rather interesting. However, you don't get a nice dollop of marshmallow in the centre. So I frosted them and put another marshmallow on top.
Cute eh? The cupcakes... just a mix. The frosting is also store bought. Cheating is okay!

Yes they were as good as they look. But I can now confirm that 2 lbs is a bit much, even as a meal unless you are a huge eater. 1.5 lbs per person for a main meal is plenty. I could not finish the last 5 mussels..... But I did enjoy my meal. I threw in a little cream, just about 1/4 cup into the wine and garlic broth I steamed the mussels in before I poured it over the them in the serving dish. Great start to the Olympic menu

As I watched the opening ceremonies, I was pleased to see the countries I chose to represent on this menu each have a good number of athletes representing them in most or all of the events. Greece had to be included even though there are countries there with more athletes. Tonight is Polish Perogies and Kielbasa. Poland has been in every winter Olympic games since the beginning! Glad I had them on the menu! I'll be having a nice healthy salad on the side and my kielbasa is turkey kielbasa so it will be a pretty healthy meal.

Back to the games!

Olympic Opening Ceremonies

As I watch the Opening Ceremonies I'm immensely proud that the First Nations were so well represented. It's amazing that the four leaders of the four host first nations were given such respect in the official stands, sitting right behind Michealle Jean, our Governor General. The dancers and their costumes were so beautiful.

It was devastating today to here of the young Georgian man who lost his life on the Luge track. I wondered how it would be handled. Of course you want to pay the most respect possible. But what would be right? I think they are doing a fine job of respecting his Olympic spirit. His teammates are clearly devastated but they will stay and compete. I suspect that Nodar Kumaritashvili would have wanted that. I have shed many a tear today in my silly sappiness but the ones I shed when I heard that this young man lost his life just so he might feel what it was like to be an Olympian were tears well spent. I will think of him every time someone goes down that track and every time I hear of an athlete from the former Soviet Republic. Rest in Peace.

While the Olympics are fun to watch and I've created a menu to go along with them, I am continually reminded that these guys train hard. In other words, they get off their fleshy bottoms and MOVE!! I'm feeling immensely inspired. So during the Olympics I'm going to get out and move every day. Even if I just let one of my big hairy dogs drag me around the block. At least I'll be moving! So aside from feeling extra proud to be a Canadian, I'm going to try to be a healthy Canadian. I was enjoying a glass of white wine after my Mussels and instead of getting another glass, I had a nice mug of Earl Grey. Much healthier!

And when the Canadian team entered the Opening Ceremonies.... yeah, the flood gates opened. Congrats to all the qualifying athletes from all countries. May the games begin!

Good Foodie Hobby

Tonight is the Opening Ceremonies for the 2010 Vancouver Olympics. Wheeeee! My mussels are in the fridge for the first meal of my official Olympics Menu. To go with all these Olympic festivities, I have indulged in one of my most productive hobbies! Wine Making!! Last night I filtered off a batch of Chablis. Most of the wine tastes better if you let it sit for 1 - 3 months. I try to do that. No, really, I do try...

For those of you not Canadian, we pay a lot of tax on alcoholic beverages so the hobby of making homemade wine and beer has flourished here over the years. I've been doing it for close to 15 years. I've always used kits which include the fruit juice and necessary chemicals. My grandmother used to make homemade wine out of any berries or fruit that grew in her yard, which is pretty neat but all that grows in my yard is chives so I'm thinking I'll stick with the kits.

When I first started making wine it was quite the complicated task. I found a place that would make it for you but that was in New Brunswick and when I moved back to Nova Scotia last year I discovered there were no such places here. I'm back to doing it myself. But between a proper laundry sink, a small room I can properly control the temperature and these improved, practically fool-proof kits, it's a lot easier than I remember. And the results are really good!

A few tips; first of all there are lots of great sites on the internet that show you what to do so check them out, secondly when you have to stir to de-gas - stir like your freakin' life depends on it! (this step is beyond important, stir, shake, beat it to death), lastly filter your wine. No matter how careful you try to be, sediment makes it into some of the bottles. You went through all the effort to make the wine, don't skimp out at the end.

For anyone who's a foodie (and a wino) this is a fun hobby. And you get to indulge in the results!

And now we take you back to the games. My outdoor lights are on starting tonight for the duration of the games as per requested by someone sounding official. My neighbors might think I'm a nutter but oh well. Go Canada Go!

Easy Olympic Meals

There are a few meals in my Olympics menu that are quick and easy and won't be made ahead so here's what I'm doing.

Check out my complete Olympic menu and recipe links here.

Belgium Mussels
Get 1.5 - 2 lbs a mussels per person. Wash them, toss out any that won't close, pull of the fuzzy beards. Get a big pot. I put in a couple of cloves of garlic, roughly chopped, some white wine and some water or chicken broth just to fill up the pot about an inch or 2. Toss in your mussels and set the pot over high heat. Once the liquid starts to boil, steam the mussels about 4 minutes. I serve the mussels with the leftover pot liquor and bread to sop it all up with. You could take out the mussels and add a little cream to the pan, heat through and then pour over the mussels in their serving dish. Remember to throw out any mussels that don't open.

Polish Perogies and Kielbasa
This one is super easy. I buy frozen perogies. Just follow the directions on the package. Typically there are directions to cook them up in a pan with butter. Even if there isn't, cook them as directed then put them in a pan set over medium high heat with veg oil and a smidgen of butter for flavour. Slice or dice some kielbasa and throw it into the pan too. Serve with some steamed veggies or a salad and that will be my easy polish inspired meal.

Switzerland Cheese Fondue
Yes, you can make a fondue cheese recipe but most recipes call for Kirsch with is not something most of us have on hand (it's German cherry brandy). I'm really cheating on this one. In your deli cheese section you can find packages of fondue cheese. All you have to do is melt it in your fondue pot. Don't have a fondue pot? Heat in a pot on the stove over low. I'm going to have grilled veggies and bread with mine and I might add some grilled chicken. If you don't have time, simply grab a french stick loaf of bread and some pre-cut veggies from the grocery store. How easy is that?!

Italian
Pizza counts! Order in or pull one out of the freezer - done!

USA
Burgers and Fries, Cheesesteaks, Subs or Heros sandwiches, these are all great options. Any Americans out there have some recommendations?

Germany
Grab some bratwurst from the grocery store. Serve them on the a bun with some sauerkraut.

Show you're support for Canada!
Donairs! Mac and Cheese, Fish Cakes, Chowder, Pea Soup. Anything from a pub! It's easy to show your support.

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!