Seafood Lasagna from the Holidays

Really lobster lasagna! But I'm getting ahead of myself.

Christmas Eve I had planned to make a Seafood Lasagna. In the days leading up to Christmas I had a power outage for 27 hours and then again for 7 hours on Christmas Eve. It put me way behind on all the things I had left until the last minute. We ended up grabbing Chinese on Christmas eve which is not a bad idea. Why bother cooking Christmas Eve when you're busy with the last minute details?! Definitely something to keep in mind for future busy Christmas Eves (some years I'm completely organized but some years I'm like an unmade bed...)

We ended up having the seafood lasagna on Christmas Day. This past holiday season lobster prices bottomed out around here so I picked up 2 really cheap and thought I'd add them to the lasagna. How decadent! When I cooked and picked through them I was amazed at how much meat they had. I usually have lobster in the summer months around my birthday. But what a difference getting them during the high season! Needless to say, I will revisit lobsters next year during the holidays.

Once I picked through the 2 lobsters I had so much meat that I decided to skip the other seafood, hence my lasagna went from being a "seafood" lasagna to just being a "lobster" lasagna. And it was perfectly elegant for Christmas day.

A couple of good cheats - I got the store made fresh lasagna sheets (no precooking required)and I used 2 packs of prepackaged sauce, a 4 cheese sauce and a light alfredo sauce. Again, this is a special occasion lasagna so decadent is mandatory!

Lobster Lasagna - Serves 12 and freezes beautifully!

Ingredients:

• 2 cups mushrooms
• 2 onions
• 3 small zucchini
• 3 garlic cloves, diced
• 1 tbsp dried thyme
• 1/2 tbsp celery seeds
• 2 lobsters (or crab meet and shrimp), cooked and picked
• 1 1/4 c feta cheese
• 250ml (1c) cottage cheese, reduced fat
• 1 package of frozen spinach, thawed and drained
• basil, fresh 1/4 cup chopped or 1 tbsp dried
• 1 package 300ml 4 cheese sauce
• 1 package 300 ml light alfredo cause
• 1 package of fresh lasagna noodles
• 2 cups shredded part skim mozzarella
• 1 cup shredded parmesan
• 1/4 cup flat leaf parsley, chopped

Instructions:

1. Preheat the oven to 375 degrees
2. Saute the mushrooms, onions, zucchini, garlic, thyme and celery seeds until soft. Remove from the heat
3. Toss in the lobster and mix, put aside
4. Combine the feta cheese, cottage cheese and spinach, set aside
5. Combine the 2 packages of sauce, set aside
6. Toss the mozza and parm
7. Pour a thin layer of sauce in the bottom of a 13 X 9 inch baking dish
8. Place a layer of noodles on the sauce
9. Top with 1/3 of the cheese mix, 1/3 of the lobster mix, 1/4 of the sauce and 1/4 of the mozza/parm mix.
10. Repeat 2 more times, ending with noodles, sauce and mozza/parm.
11. Bake at 375 for 40 minutes until golden on top. Let stand 15 minutes. Sprinkle with Parsley.

Enjoy! Nice thing about this recipe is that you can make it ahead. You can even cook it for about 25 minutes a day or two ahead and then heat it through on the day of serving, covered for 20 minutes then uncover for 5 - 10 until golden.

Comfort foods for sick days

You know I love my freezer but never was it more apparent than the week before last when I was home sick with a severe episode of the flu. You know it's the flu when you constantly think to yourself "even my eyeballs hurt". And they did. So you can imagine how grateful I was that my freezer had lots of comfort foods. I have homemade turkey soup, leftover turkey hash and turkey pot pie. Turkey is my comfort food. Although this time I craved salads. Luckily I had romaine lettuce on hand. But there were points during the week and a half of illness ( yup, that long) I did have periods of extreme nausea which is definitely turkey soup time.

I always make turkey pot pie out of the leftover turkey and gravy. Just throw in some veggies of your choice and some form of crust. I've used leftover carrots and turnip and put a layer of mashed potatoes for the crust. Ooo, I've even done a mashed potato and stuffing mix for the crust. That is always yummy. This time I used frozen broccoli, diced turnip and some of my own roasted corn. For the crust I used the Pillsbury cresent rolls. When I cook it I undercook the crust, freeze it and then when I go to reheat it, the crust ends up perfect.

Serious comfort food.

This time of year it's really important to keep some good comfort foods (and cold meds) on hand. You never know when the flu or cold will take you down! So whatever means 'comfort' to you - stock up! And next year I'll be getting that flu shot....

Tofu and Carrot Ginger Dressing

As I mentioned, I got a new cookbook for Christmas from the Moosewood Collective called Simple Suppers. I came across a recipe for sesame tofu... Hmmm, sounded interesting. A couple of times when out for sushi I've had the fried tofu and it's quite tasty. So I wanted to give this sesame tofu recipe a try. It was deadly simple. Brush the tofu with soy sauce and honey mixed together then roll the tofu around in the sesame seeds. Be sure you have a really hot pan to sear the tofu in. I used a combination of canola and sesame oil in the pan but you don't need a lot. I used about 1/2 tbsp to do 2 pieces. The tofu had a great crispy crust while being light inside. I used the firm tofu.


Give it a try!

So with this meal I had a Japanese inspired salad. When we go out for sushi we often comment on the salad dressing. So I decided that, given the obscene amount of lettuce I had on hand, I should attempt to make the dressing to go with my Japanese inspired tofu. I did a little research, tweaked the recipe based on what I had and ended up with the perfect dressing

Carrot-Ginger Dressing
Serves 4-6

Ingredients:

• 1/2 cup tofu, firm or medium
• 1/2 cup grated carrots
• 2 tbsp lemon juice
• 1 1/2 tbsp grated ginger
• 1 tsp wasabi powder
• 1 1/2 tbsp rice wine vinegar
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tsp honey

Instructions:

1. Blend in a blender, food processor or with a hand (immersion) blender.

You could use the silken tofu but then you'll want to use miso paste instead of soy and maybe add some salt.

YUM!

Easiest Heuvos Rancheros Ever!

Hello! No, I have not broken a limb. Yes, I am still eating. I've just been incredibly slack about blogging. Somehow sitting in front of a computer over the holidays sounded way too much like work since I sit in front of a computer most days and get paid for it. I do have some fantastic recipes to share so stay tuned. What got me off my lazy non-blogging butt this morning however was my breakfast. It was so fantastic I just have to share!

I got a new cookbook for Christmas, Moosewood Restaurants "Simple Suppers". Veggies meals made super simple. Just browsing through it gave me inspiration for 3 meals for the upcoming week. I'm looking for quick things to whip up when I come home and it's already dark and all I really want to do is get in my jammies and curl up in bed. I spent the last week turning to the carton of eggs in my fridge and thinking "there is something in there that would make a quick healthy dinner, but what?" Well I came across Heuvos Rancheros in the "Simple Suppers" cookbook. I was thinking of doing something with salsa and eggs but I didn't think to do it quite like this. You actually poach the eggs in the salsa. Hang on, I'll give you the recipe. There are no pics. I ate it so quickly this morning that it never dawned on me to take a pic! This was a great brunch meal but I would absolutly make it for dinner. Nutritious too!

Ingredients:

• Salsa (enough to fill a pan about 1/3 inch, about 1/3 cup per person)


• Egg (one or two per person)


• Cheese, cheddar or monteray jack, shredded (1 ounce per person)


• Green onions, chopped (optional)

Instructions:

1. Pour the salsa in a non-stick saute/frying pan big enough to fit the number of eggs you are going to cook. I used a small individual size pan to make one egg for me.


2. Heat over medium heat until simmering


3. Gently pour in each egg, leaving space around each egg.


4. Once the egg is cooked to your liking, sprinkle on the grated cheese and green onion.


5. Melt the cheese and serve by taking a flat spatula and lifting out each egg with the salsa under it.

You can put this on a tortilla but I had some toast with mine to sop up the liquid.

You can also add corn or black beans to make the meal more hardy. You could saute some onions and peppers before you put the salsa in the pan for more veggies.

I still can't believe how tasty this was. Enjoy!

Let's talk about squash

Like me squash?!

This is a butternut squash. Done giggling? His name is Richard. Now let's commit a little squashicide.

First we must cut him up.

Scoop out the seeds and place it cut side down on a baking sheet. Roast in a 400 degree oven for 30 -40 minutes. You'll know, the squash will be soft when you poke it with a fork. This huge squash is my squash for the winter.

Once it's cooked scoop it out of the skin. I ended up with about 8 cups of squash.

Can't be bothered roasting a whole squash? I hear ya, some days are just like that. You can get the frozen diced butternut squash by arctic gardens at the Sobeys here in Atlantic Canada. You can make both of the following recipes with it.

Okay, picture time is over. Now lets talk recipes. First I made a butternut risotto. You know how I love my risotto...http://thegourmetgoddess.blogspot.com/2007/11/risotto-again-and-rumblings-of-future.html and http://thegourmetgoddess.blogspot.com/2006/09/lets-talk-risotto.html

Bottom line for the butternut squash risotto, add the cooked butternut squash at the end and just heat through. It's awesome. I also add some dried sage because it compliments the squash so nicely. You can use summer savory if you have it instead (newfies will have that one on their shelves).

The other fav I have for butternut squash is soup. I made mine a coconut curry squash soup but you can keep it simple and just use some sage or cinnamon and nutmeg in place of the curry. Instead of coconut milk add a bit of whipping cream, just a cup to smooth it out. This recipe makes 8 servings so a cup of cream won't summons the heart patrol into your kitchen but the flavour is really nice with it so don't leave it out.

Ingredients:

• 1 tbsp vegetable, canola or grape seed oil
• 1 tbsp minced garlic
• 1 tbsp minced ginger
• 4 stalks of celery, chopped
• 2 onions, chopped
• 4- 6 cups of broth, chicken or veggie
• 3 tbsp green curry paste (for the milder soup, use curry powder)
• 3 apples, peeled and diced
• 6 cups of squash
• 1 can of coconut milk, light

Instructions:

1. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat
2. Saute the onions, celery, ginger and garlic until soft
3. Add the broth and bring to a simmer
4. Add in the curry, apple and squash. Cook until soft
5. Puree the soup with an immersion blender (stick blender), blender or potato masher
6. Pour in the coconut milk and heat through

This freezes beautifully. I make one batch for the winter and that's it!

This is for Rosalie who made my quite proud when she said she reads my blog and tries my recipes. It's humbling to realize people actually read what I write. I hope you enjoy my recipes. More people read this blog than my knitting blog yet less leave comments. So it's a shock to hear that someone tries my recipes. Thanks Rosalie.

Wharf Wraps

I have been meaning to share with you the best spot for fish and chips on the planet. Yes, I said "on the planet" because, seriously, it is. Wharf Wraps is another restaurant in Fisherman's Cove in Eastern Passage Nova Scotia. And it is totally worth the trip. Luckily for me it's just a 2 minute drive! While waiting to be seated we heard someone say that it was the best place for fish and chips so we had to try it out. I don't even particularly like fish and chips but this is to die for. I have guest coming for both the Canadian and the American Thanksgiving and you can rest assured there will be fish and chips consumed on both occasions.

The fish is huge. It's a 10 oz haddock fillet! And the breading is so tasty. I took some of mine home because there was no way I could finish the whole thing and it was even delicious the next day warmed in the oven. It wasn't greasy but it was nice and moist. You have the option of homemade tartar sauce or the Kraft packet. I like a place that attempts to make their own tartar sauce, shows a bit of passion for making good food. The decor is ketchy but not as overkill as Boondocks. I can see myself in snuggled in there during the cold winter months with a cup of chowder. That will be the true test, how is their chowder. I'll let you know when I find out.

New England Clam Bake

Now that's a meal worthy of a 40th birthday! During our cottage getaway, Granny Tan and I attempted a paired down version of a New England Clam Bake. I'd seen a few recipes floating around and thought it was worth a try.

First we introduced Clancy to the lobster. My dogs have already met a lobster or two along the way but this was Clancy's first. He found it a little skittish.



We only had mussels, clams and lobster for our clam bake. We were suppose to head to the market but we never wanted to leave the cottage the whole time we were there. Typically a NE Clam Bake also has corn, potatoes, chicken and sausage but we're purists. Just seafood please.

Most recipes call for seaweed to put on the bbq to steam the mussels and clams open but I couldn't find any. Okay, I didn't take the time to walk one block from my house to get some from the shore. But I did get some dulse from the seafood market. I soaked that in water for a couple of hours then took the dulse out and used the water as the base in my pot to steam the mussels and clams. I added a wack of salt to give us that salt water taste. And I threw in some lemons, cause we had 'em. The lobsters were cooked ahead and just warmed on top of the mussels and clams.

I also did a flavoured butter mixed with chives and sweet paprika. What a flavour! It was great with the mussels but the lobster just screamed 'traditional' butter which we had too.

Finish off with libations and a great meal was had by all.



Okay there may have been a lot of libations...



So far '40' is great!

The Local Hangout.

So this past weekend we ventured over to my new local spot, Fisherman's Cove. It's a quaint little cove full of shops, fish places, a couple of restaurants, a pub and an awesome coffee shop! But first let's talk about the restaurant. Boondocks is a touristy spot run amok. The decor is a little embarrassing in it's overkill with the ocean theme. So you can imagine my trepidation at trying the food. However I had to venture in. Mom and I stopped in for a bowl of chowder a couple of weeks ago when I was first getting settled in the new pad (see other blog about the move) and the chowder was delicious. However the service was really slow and the place was almost empty and the bun they served with the chowder was not exactly fresh. But the chowder was good. And I know chowder! So I was prepared to give this restaurant another chance.

So during our very rainy Saturday this past weekend, we grabbed The Kid and headed over for a meal. Tim and I had just been to about every store in the greater Dartmouth area so we were seriously hungry and feeling the need for good seafood. Well first off, there were no basic options on the menu for The Kid. They must have a kids menu but of course they didn't offer it to a kid who is as tall as us.... Most of the menu is seafood. Which was great for Tim and I but what about the kid... He settled for the ribs. It was an expensive meal at $21.99 but we knew if he didn't like the ribs then we would love the leftovers the next day. So all was good. Tim got the fish and chips and I got the fried clams. Healthy eating had officially gone to hell in a hand basket for the day!

We started bravely with the calamari. Oh my goddess! It was seriously good. Fresh and tasty. Not a chewy bit to be found. This had to be fresh not frozen. Even The Kid had a taste and liked it. It was served with a spicy Tzatziki sauce. Seriously. This was good stuff. Okay bring on the main course. I'm ready!

The Kid's meal was huge. Definitely built for sharing. He really liked them too! He had fries and even a half corn on the cob. I didn't try the corn but I can't image that it was local so it should have been fairly starchy after it's journey from where ever. The Kid said it was good (after we cut it off the cob due to braces interference) and he has had the really good, straight off the stalk stuff. So he should know good corn. The veggies on the side were a bit overcooked but seemed fresh. And the pile of ribs?! There was a mound. And they were tasty and tender. Well worth the money. Next time I get a rib craving I know where I'll be heading! Wonder if they do take out?

As for our seafood. Tim's fish was so light and flaky that even The Kid enjoyed a taste. And my clams were great. The batter had a sweetness to it that balanced nicely with the clams.

I had a lovely Jost Pinot Grigio with my meal. It was lovely.

There are many more dishes to be tried at Boondock's and I look forward to doing my fair share of sampling.

As I mentioned in the beginning, there is also a fantastic coffee shop, Sea Gulps. They have great coffee, a quaint shop and a nice looking patio on the water in the inside of the cove. I had a Creme Brulee latte. It was awesome. I look forward to buying my beans from them in the future!

And where will I be buying my seafood from now on? Well there are at least 4 retail seafood shops. This really is God's country...

Two Chowder Tips, A Breakfast Idea and Some Skin Arsed Dogs

Okay I know I've talked chowder (just enter "chowder" in the search area top left) before but last night I made a yummy one of corn, shrimp, clams and scallops. I mashed about 3/4 of the potatoes to thicken it. One of my favorite tricks to keep it light but thick. I like mine thick personally, some people say that's just wrong but it's your chowder, you do it however you like. I won't tell. I also used some liquid hickory smoke since I had no bacon in the house. The flavour is great, rich and salty without the added fat or sodium! I had some last night and I'm taking some tomorrow for lunch. I love chowder when it's had a chance to fester. (yes the picture is sideways and no, I don't know why)

Since I've been back to work I have been taking breakfast on the go. Usually a english muffin toasted with cheese and ham but on Sunday I made a croissant to go. I took the multigrain Pillsbury refrigerated crescent roll, put a slice of deli meat (I had toscan turkey and some ham) and a slice of cheese, (I used swiss and provolone) and rolled them up as usual. I cooked them as per the instructions on the tube and they were great. Best part, I wrapped them, completely cooled in plastic wrap and they kept well. I had them for breakfast on Monday and Tuesday. Just 15 seconds in the microwave and they were good to go!

This is the view from my deck at the moment. Gotta love summer!
So this is my new bad boy. Stay tuned for some bbqing fun with this baby! Isn't he pretty?! I just need to pick up some propane...


So Granny Tan and I are heading away for a Most Excellent Cottage Getaway in just 9 more sleeps. So I got the dogs prepped. Mr Twist..(does Dakota, on the left, look green to you too? I won't tell you what I came home to today since this is a blog about food... it would turn you green, trust me. poor fella)

And this is miss em. She is one sassy girl with her summer shave. Nice tushie too!

This is where granny tan and I are going. Do you think it will be relaxing?

And this is the kitchen. Expect good blogs after that our trip!

Tuna, Tomato, Basil and Cheese Pasta Salad

I am having the most lovely lunch. I made it last night. Simple and tasty. It kept well and fresh, no wilting of the basil overnight. Definite plus!

It's a tuna pasta salad! The pic is not great since I took it with my cell phone but you get the idea. (can you get a tripod for your cellphone camera?!)

Here is the ingredient list: (serves 2 - 3 big lunches)

• 1/2 of a 375g box of whole wheat penne
• 1 can of tuna packed in water
• 1 tomato, diced
• 1/2 cup finely shredded or grated parmesan or mozza cheese (I used a bit of both)
• dash of salt or Ms. Dash (I used a bit of both)
• splash of extra virgin olive oil. I used about 1 1/2 tbsp for the whole salad
• a couple of leaves of basil, torn by hand

Instructions:

1. Cook the pasta according to the package. Drain
2. Toss tuna, tomatoes, pasta and cheese in a bowl.
3. Add in the salt/Ms. Dash and olive oil and mix well
4. Add in the basil and toss lightly.

Enjoy! I certainly am. I see this one going on my chick weekend cottage getaway next month! Now there will be some good cooking. We are starting to plan the menu now and the holiday is 3 weeks away! Stay tuned.

Tomato Tart

I'm tired too after a long week... Move over Emily, I'm gettin' in for a snuggle. These days I'm keeping my cooking quick and simple!

Tim had bought a bunch of tomatoes when he hit the grocery store because they looked so fresh. They were on the vine and they were nice. But there was no way he would eat them all this week in salads and on sandwiches so I decided I would make something with them. I wanted something we could take for lunch this week so I settled on a tomato tart.


First I started with some Pillsbury pizza dough but puffed pastry would have been excellent too. I spread the dough out in a deep dish pie dish and precooked it like the instructions on the package say (400 for 8 minutes). I had some dough leftover so I made another tart base in a small casserole dish. You don't need anything special, just a baking dish with sides. You can spread the dough as far up the side as you like or as little as you like.

I brushed the cooked dough with a olive oil/balsamic mixture, going light on the balsamic. I didn't have any fresh basil but I did have some freeze dried basil (yup, it comes that way) so I sprinkled that on the crusts. I would have used fresh or if I didn't have anything else on hand I would have used some dried Italian seasoning. Then I thinly sliced the tomatoes and placed a layer on the crust. I topped that with goat cheese, finely shredded asiago, parmesan and mozza. I did another layer of tomatoes and then another of cheese. I even threw on some feta. We had a lot of little bits of cheese so I used them up. It wasn't all cheese. I cooked for another 12 minutes at 400.

Yum! I had 2 slices right then and there, some for lunch the next day and guess what I'm having for lunch today?! And this dish would freeze well so guess what I'll be making when tomato season hits us full force....

Marinating your meat.

Are you ready for some BBQ?! Yes it is finally that time of the year. I know some of you have been bbqing for a while now but it is slow to warm up here in Atlantic Canada. We are at the point now where it's still perfect, warm but not yet hot. Some call it spring...we call it lucky. Typically we go from cold and rainy to full on hot. Spring is not an Atlantic Canadian season. Now Fall, that we get, in spades. The Fall is amazing here. Come, visit, see, do, it's fantastic! But I digress.

I wanted to talk about bbqing. Last night I did some steaks on the barbie at my mom's. It can be hard when using a strange grill to get them just like you like them. Ours were a little overdone. However, they weren't dry or tough because we had marinated them in some Worcestershire sauce, apple cider vinegar and Ms. Dash grilling seasoning overnight. Mom mentioned that she never plans ahead to get that much marinating time on her meat before it hits the bbq. Most of us don't.

So here's a simple solution. Put your meat in the marinade before you freeze it! Then as it freezes and defrosts all those great flavours are getting into the meat. And if you use an acid, like fruit juice, vinegar, etc (wine may impede the freezing process so use only a little) the meat fibers will be nice and tender when they hit the grill. I do this a lot in the summer time with beef, pork, lamb and chicken. You have to be more careful with fish since it take marinades quickly. I just leave fish and seafood out of this freeze ahead marinate process. 20 minutes in a marinade is enough for fish or seafood to get infused with flavor and you don't risk cooking the fish or seafood before hitting the bbq with the acid in the marinate. Easy!

Goat Cheese Stuffed Chicken and Orzo Salad

I am sitting here eating the most wonderful lunch. I've actually debated trying to get a pic of it from my camera phone to share with you but I know that the camera on my phone isn't that good....Friday night Tim made a real tasty supper. He flattened out some chicken breasts, stuffed them with a little bit of goat cheese, then dipped the breasts in beaten egg and then some Italian seasoned bread crumbs. He then heated some olive oil in a saute pan and cooked them on the stove. We had some sauteed asparagus with roasted garlic with it. Tim had taken out an extra breast to make some for lunches. See this is the whole "cook once, eat more than once" mentality. It's easier just to make extra when you cook and then have it for another meal or lunch. We ended up with 3 portions of stuff chicken out of that one breast that was just perfect for lunches.

Sunday I made a side dish to go with the leftover chicken. I took some asparagus and red onion and diced them up nice and small then sauteed them in a non stick pan with some cooking spray. I put some orzo on to boil. Once it was cooked I drained it and tossed it with the asparagus, red onion, some goat cheese and a pinch of salt (it needed it). I finished it all off with a splash (about 1 tbsp for 4 -5 lunch side servings) of this wonderful pumpkin oil Tim brought back from Austria. You could use a good olive oil if you don't have the pumpkin oil. And I now have another serving to enjoy with something else later in the week. My goddess, I love planning ahead!

New Employee

Wondering why I haven't been blogging about anything tasty lately? I'm newly employed, homeless and dead tired. Yup, The Gourmet Goddess has gone back to the real world. I'm also working in another city so I'm staying with my folks while I find a place of my own. All this means that at the end of the day I get a home cooked meal 'mom' style. Last night we had stew. It was over +20 C but stew seemed like a good idea to my mother. In her defence, there are so many black flies on her deck, there is no way to bbq without being eaten alive before you actually eat!

I am going to talk about lunches though, since I'm back to packing them. I have a couple of different sandwich ideas. One is with sliced tomatoes, fresh mozzarella (the kind in water, not the hard stuff) and basil. I put a little bit of balsamic vinaigrette on the bread for an extra kick of flavour. A crusty bun of some sort is best. Tasty! The other sandwich idea I think I have spoken of before but it is so tasty that it's worth mentioning again. Hummus, veggies and feta on a tortilla wrap. Oh - my- goddess, it is tasty. Be mindful of the soggy tomato syndrome though. I put the hummus on the tortilla when I'm packing my lunch and dice up tomatoes, cucumber, peppers, just a bit of red onion (working with people all day, must be nice!) and feta and put them in a separate container. At lunch time I just open up the tortilla and add in my veggie/feta mix. Super healthy as well as super tasty.

What about snacking? Well if you sit at a desk all day it's impossible not to snack. I like some Wasa and cheese. Wasa is a brand name of what I call Swedish crisp bread although you see it all over Europe. Wasa is apparently made in Germany but I swear it used to say "made in Sweden". There is a crown on the logo and there hasn't been a monarchy in German in quite a while. Sweden, on the other hand, has a royal family, lovely people, not blond, oddly enough ... That's a myth, that all swedes are blond. There are some of the best colourists in Sweden...

Some other light snacks:

• Veggies and dip, ranch or hummus
• Baked tortillas and salsa (I like to take the Weight Watchers tortillas, cut them into triangles, sprinkle with some tex mex seasoning, toast them and then have them with salsa. You can do this ahead of time or on the job if you have a toaster oven around)
• Cup of soup is a good one especially if the AC in your office is set to frigid
• Popcorn, either popped ahead (I use a pan and oil and do it the old fashioned way at home) or popped in the micro on site. the snack size bags are great but be honest, everyone comes for by for a visit when they smell fresh popcorn coming from your desk.
• Cheese and crackers. This is not a common snack but lots of us need a carb and some protein to get through the day. My favs - Low fat triscuits and light cheddar.
• Laughing cow cheese (light is like 1 point for 2 wedges!), light cream cheese or even peanut butter on crackers, wasa, cucumber slices (okay, maybe not with peanut butter)
• Melon wedge wrapped in prosciutto. Now that's decadent!

Thing is you are likely going to snack. Plan for it instead of against it. I plan a morning and afternoon snack. I usually have either fruit or yogurt for my morning snack, not exciting but it does the trick. If I don't eat everything in my lunch then I already have them for tomorrow's lunch bag. A lot of us are grazers, eating smaller bits more frequently. This is considered more healthy and can put a couple of nice dents in your workday. Make sure to count your lattes or special coffees as treats or snacks. They are full of calories and need to be recognized as more than just a drink! Speaking of which, I'm going for a skinny vanilla latte right now. My afternoon is looking brighter already!

Tomato and the Sandwich

Wow, it's been a while since I blogged. I've started a new job so I've been busy and living off the food in my freezer (all homemade and healthy!). So I haven't had any new recipes to share. But I do have a tip.

Since I started a new job I'm back to packing lunches. I enjoy a good lunch, it can really punctuate your day with a pleasure point. Some of you may remember my hummus, veggie and feta wrap. It's one of my favs. I brought it the first day of work. Wheee! Well, make that almost whee.... I had made it up the night before like a good little well prepared worker bee should. However, the next day by lunchtime the tomato had managed to make the whole thing soggy. What was I thinking? I'm not some newbie here, I've packed a lunch or two in my day. So here's my tip. Are you ready?? It's a big one! Pack your tomatoes for sandwiches separately and insert them into the sandwich right before consuming. Yeah, I know, it's not rocket science.

Orzo, a underated pasta

Last night I whipped up a quick dish for a late dinner. I had taken out some chicken tenders (the long bits that are inside a chicken breast. Don't have any? Just use a chicken breast) and some frozen chopped spinach the day before. I had some feta that I wanted to use since I had just bought another package of it, no need to have 2 packages of feta in the fridge. And I had picked up some of the new Kraft Pure Olive Oil based dressing on sale at the grocery store. I usually make my own dressings but with summer approaching and salad season about to hit me hard, I like to have some quick options on hand. I picked up the sun dried tomato and the balsamic vinaigrette. I now have a total of 4 ready to go dressings in my fridge and tonight I'm making a grilled shrimp caesar salad with my own homemade low fat caesar dressing... Yep. that's logical. Hey, the store bought dressings last a couple of months so I'm good for the summer. Back to last night's dinner.

So I had some chicken and spinach. I thought I'd do them in a sort of saute pan supper. Pasta? sure. I pulled out some orzo, the rice shaped pasta. This is a great pasta for salads and mixed dishes. I boiled 3 handfuls (fancy measuring, eh?).

Warm Orzo Salad

Ingredients:

• Orzo (3 handfuls for 3 small meals)
• 2 tsp olive oil
• 1/4 cup chopped red onion
• 1/2 cup chopped red and orange pepper
• 6 oz. chicken tenders or breast meat, diced
• 2 cups frozen spinach
• 1/2 cup crumbled feta
• 2 tbsp sun dried tomato salad dressing

Instructions:

1. Cook Orzo according to instructions on package. Set aside when done.
2. Heat oil in a pan over medium high heat
3. Saute red onion and peppers until tender
4. Add chicken and saute until cooked through
5. Add in spinach and cook until heated through
6. Toss in Orzo and salad dressing and heat through
7. Put on plates and top with feta.

You can do this dish without the chicken for a great vegetarian dish or a nice side dish. You can also serve it cold! Orzo is great for cold pasta salads. The shape and texture is really nice.

Unstuffed Shells

I decided to make a big batch of stuffed shells. They freeze beautifully. And I was in the mood for some cheesy goodness. So I put them on the menu, got groceries for the week and then realized I forgot to pick up the pasta shells. D'uh! Okay, not to worry, I can improvise. So I made unstuffed shells. Or you could call it an italian mac and cheese, depending on your perspective.

It tasted as good as it looks.

I simply cooked some pasta I had on hand, in this case macaroni and put the tomato sauce on the bottom and top with the cheese mixture or 'stuffing' in the middle. I mixed the macaroni with the cheese and spinach mixture but you could layer sauce, pasta, cheese mixture, pasta and sauce. Top with cheese and this is a less messy dish than stuffing shells!

Necessity is the mother of invention.

Thai Burgers made with a KISS

I can't believe how long it's been since I shared from my kitchen! Wow, I've been busy. I've been sitting on this one for a week now so I'm going to post it to give you something to think about for now but stay tuned. I still have the ragu recipe to share and am working on an unstuffed shells cheese dinner!

I realized as I was eating this one that it was definitely worth sharing. Wanna bite?

This is a Thai Burger done the KISS way (keep it simple, silly!). Usually when I approach burgers I go overboard with the flavours. That can be good but it doesn't have to be that complicated. Just a few authentic flavours can make your burger go from ordinary to extraordinary! Here's what I did for these.

Thai Burgers for 4

Ingredients:

• 1 lb of extra lean beef, pork or chicken
• Lime Zest of 1/2 a lime or 2 tsp of lime juice
• 3 tbsp bread crumbs
• 1 egg
• 1 tbsp each of fish sauce, garlic chili sauce and peanut butter (I use the all natural, no additive type)

That's it. Mix gently and make into patties.

I made a spread to go on the buns

Thai Burger Spread:

Ingredients:

• 4 tbsp mayo, light works well here
• 4 tsp red curry paste
• 4 tsp or less, depending on taste, soya sauce
• Blend and keep refrigerated until ready to use.

I have a few more recipes written down for easy ethnic burgers that I'll post after I try them. What sounds good in my head usually works but it would be best if I'm sure first, don't you think?

Hot cheese, hot cheese!

This morning I woke up to find the right side of the roof of my mouth quite sore and swollen. I couldn't think of what I could have possibly have eaten that had gotten jammed that far into my gums. I had flossed since the last time I had popcorn. Oh wait I had a cheese and salsa quesadilla for a snack last night. Maybe I had jammed a bit of crispy tortilla in my gums. Oh wait, it's a burn. That's right I burned the roof of my mouth. Wow, this was bad, it is really swollen. Thank goodness gum heals fast (I know this from my gum surgery a year and a half ago). Sad part, I was sober so my stupidity for eating the quesadilla while it was too hot was just my stupidity. And the fact that I couldn't remember doing it this morning is just me trying to think before I open my eyes in the morning...

On a more positive note, I whipped up a great side dish last night. It was so beautiful yesterday that I just had to bbq. I had some green beans that I wanted to cook while they were still nice and fresh so I grilled them. I also grilled a slice of red onion and a chunk of red pepper. Then I cut everything into bite size pieces and tossed them with one tablespoon (for one serving) of goat cheese. It made the most lovely sauce. A truly tasty dish that went perfectly with my bbq'ed chicken breast. Lovely.

Pizza Pops? Not around here! And a salmon pasta recipe.

I have been cooking. Oddly enough, when I procrastinate over everything else, I still like to get in the kitchen and bang my pots and pans around. Friday night I made a delicious, quick pasta dish that was definitely company worthy. And everything came out of the freezer! It was the perfect Friday night dish. Pour a glass of wine and feel like you are totally indulging yourself.



This recipe was for one person but you can do the math to make it for more (see word problems really do have a real life application...). I started with a salmon fillet and about 10 asparagus spears. Yup, the asparagus was frozen. Arctic Garden has a wonderful resealable package of frozen asparagus. Perfect for pasta! I just put on some rotini and while that was cooking I made the rest in a saute pan. I cut the asparagus into 1/2 inch pieces and diced the salmon also in 1/2 inch pieces. I sprayed the pan with nonstick spray. I seared the asparagus until it started to brown a little. I then added in a tablespoon of cream cheese and between 1/4 and 1/2 cup of white wine. I tossed in the salmon and cooked it for a minute or two and then added the pasta right from the water with a slotted spoon. I like to save my pasta water in case I need it to add to the sauce. I used a tablespoon of the pasta water just to make the sauce more saucy. I let it all cook together for just a minute. On a plate, sprinkle with parmesan and I had dinner! It was yummy. If guests show up unexpected I know what I'll be serving. And the cream cheese? Well you can use the light or flavoured or flavoured light - it's up to you. I would not attempt this with the fat free stuff. It's too altered to work well but I find that with most 'fat free' substitutions. Stick with reduced or light products and you'll be fine.



Okay on to Saturday night. I was feeling frisky for some stromboli. I had a pillsbury pizza dough in the fridge. About this dish - it is perfect for making ahead for after school snacks or lunches. It is great cold! Make up a batch or two on Sunday with the kids, with ingredients they like and they'll have healthy quick after school snacks all week. It's way better than those pizza pop thingies.



You can use any dough you like. I drop the heat as recommend on the package because I'm stuffing the dough so longer lower is the rule. Shape your dough in a circle or rectangle. Put in your cheese first, then your sauce then any other toppings. Fold and seal. That's it. I cooked mine at 375 for 20 minutes. I made 2 different types. One was mozzarella, spinach, red onion and goat cheese. The other was fontina and asiago cheese, pancetta, porchetta and basil. Both had my standard pizza sauce. Un-freakin-believable! So easy and so tasty!





I managed to grab this pic before there was none left. Yes, I'm home alone, what's your point? It makes a fantastic breakfast too...