Category: Main Dishes

Grilled Chicken Salad

Here’s another Mother’s Day recipe – I made this grilled chicken salad with a vinaigrette dressing, mango, and pita and tzatziki on the side.  The salad makes a nice light and tasty meal.

I watched this TED talk by a young girl named Lauren Hodge who speaks about her research on reducing the carcinogenic effects of grilling.  She says that you can reduce the carcinogens by up to 90% in grilled chicken simply by marinating it in lemon juice.  Great information, and inspiring to hear someone so young being so dedicated to research.  A helpful and tasty tip – thanks Lauren!

What you need:

2 chicken breasts, boneless and skinless

juice of 1 lemon

1 teaspoon brown sugar

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon pepper

1 clove garlic, crushed

1 teaspoon dry oregano

1 teaspoon sumac (available in middle eastern shops)

2 tablespoons olive oil

What you do:

1. Combine all the ingredients in a shallow pan or ziplock bag.  Allow to marinate for 1/2 hour to a few hours.

2.  Grill the chicken for about 4-5 minutes per side, until no longer pink.  Be careful not to cook it too long.  This will not only dry it out, but also increases the carcinogens in the meat.

3.  While the chicken is grilling, prepare the salad with vinaigrette and mango on the side.

4.  Slice the chicken and arrange it on the salad.

Cilantro Pesto

Often, when I don’t know what to cook, I open up my Rebar cookbook.  I’ve tried a lot of the recipes, loved a lot of them, but only blogged a few.  This pesto is a nice change from the usual, with cilantro, pumpkin seeds, lime juice and jalapeno peppers.  I served it tossed with some baked spaghetti squash, but it would also be great on regular pasta. This recipe is half the original, and makes about 2/3 cup of pesto, plenty for a few people.

What you need:

1 bunch clean cilantro, stems chopped off

1/4 cup toasted pumpkin seeds

1/4 jalapeno pepper, chopped with seeds

1 garlic clove

2 teaspoons fresh lime juice

2 tablespoons grated parmesan or asiago cheese

1/8 teaspoon salt

2 tablespoons olive oil

What you do:

1.  Toast the pumpkin seeds slightly in a dry frying pan.  They toast really fast, so just turn the heat to medium-low and shake them around every half a minute or so.

2.  Put all the ingredients except the olive oil into a food processor.  I just have a little handheld one, and that works fine. Puree until everything is chopped to little bits.

3.  Pour in the olive oil, a little at a time, until it is combined.

Ready to go!

Lamb Chops with Pistachio Tapenade

These little chops are so easy and tasty – I’ve fallen in love with them.  I don’t cook lamb very often, so I wanted to find an amazing recipe, and after much searching I found it at Smitten Kitchen.  Olives and nuts, well right there you’ve got an amazing combination that works so well with the lamb.

If you want to try out this recipe on someone, feel free to invite me over!

I served them with tiny baked potatoes roasted with some duck fat, rosemary and salt, along with a green salad with vinaigrette, strawberries and toasted slivered almonds.

What you need:

1 rack of lamb or 6-8 chops

1/3 cup unsalted pistachios, toasted

1/3 cup pitted green olives

1 & 1/2 tablespoons capers

1 clove garlic, chopped

2 teaspoons fresh oregano

1 & 1/2 tablespoons parsley

olive oil

zest of 1 lemon

salt and pepper

What you do:

1.  Cut the rack of lamb into chops, the salt and pepper each one.  Let these sit while you prepare the tapenade.

2.  To make the tapenade, place the pistachios, capers, garlic, oregano, parsley and lemon zest in a food processor.  Add a little olive oil at a time to make it into a thick paste.

3.  Preheat the oven to 425 F.  Heat a frying pan to medium-high, then add some olive oil.  Cook the lamb chops for 2 minutes per side, or until they are browned.  Remove the chops to a baking pan and smear some of the tapenade on each.  Place the chops in the oven and cook for 4-5 minutes, which will give you lovely rare chops.

4.  Remove the chops from the oven and let them rest 5 minutes before serving.  Savour!

Cocoa Veggie Chilli

I can pretty much guarantee that you won’t miss the beef in this chili.  I know, that’s a pretty bold statement, but it’s got so much depth to the flavour that you might not miss the meat.  And if you’re vegetarian, well then you’ll be celebrating!  I served this one with a bit of avocado on top, and some corn bread on the side.  Yum!  A little plain yogurt and cilantro would also be great.

This recipe is from the Vancouver Sun’s Six O’Clock Solutions cookbook.  I’ve just made a few alterations like substituting olive oil for vegetable oil, using red instead of green peppers, quinoa instead of bulgur, and I added some grated carrot.  I also let it cook a lot longer than the recipe suggests, as I believe a slow-cooked chili is a tastier chili.  But if you’re in a hurry, go ahead and cut the cooking time.

What you need:

1 tablespoon olive oil

2 large sweet onions, chopped

1 tablespoon chili powder

1 tablespoon ground cumin

1/4 teaspoon cayenne pepper

2 red bell peppers, chopped

1-2 grated carrots

3 garlic cloves, minced

3 tablespoons cocoa powder

1 – 795 mL can chopped tomatoes, with liquid

1/2 cup water

1 – 398mL can kidney beans, drained and rinsed

1- 398 mL can black beans, drained and rinsed

1/2 cup quinoa

1 can sweet corn

salt and pepper

What you do:

1.  Heat the oil in a large pot on medium heat, then add the onions and saute until translucent.

2.  Add the red peppers, garlic, chili powder, cumin and cayenne and stir for another minute or so.

3.  Add the cocoa, tomatoes, carrots, water and beans and bring to a boil.  Lower the heat to a simmer and cook for half and hour to and hour.  (here is where you can do a shortcut if you’re in a hurry – just add the quinoa now and let it cook for about 15 minutes)

4.  Add the quinoa and cook for 15 minutes, or until the grains are tender.

5.  Add the corn, and salt and pepper to taste.  Enjoy!  And enjoy the leftovers!

 

Veggie Breakfast Hash with Spinach Scrambled Eggs

For a big brunch here’s a healthy alternative full of veggies to the usual bacon and egger.  And if you’re not into a vegan/vegetarian breakfast you can add a bit of bacon or sausage.  I served it with some grilled tomatoes instead, and a big pot of tea.

What you need for the hash:

a few small potatoes

1/2 sweet or red onion, chopped

1-2 cloves garlic, finely diced

red/yellow/orange pepper, chopped

salt and pepper, to taste

a spring of fresh thyme and rosemary

butter/ olive oil

What you need for the eggs:

1 egg per person

a little water

salt and pepper

spinach, roughly chopped

butter/ olive oil for frying

What you do:

1.  Steam the potatoes for 15 or so minutes.  If they are large potatoes you can cut them up a bit so they cook faster. Or you could poke a few holes in them and microwave them until they are softened.

2.  Heat a tablespoon or so of butter/olive oil.  Throw in the onions and cook for a few minutes, then add the garlic and peppers, cooking until they are softened a bit.

3.  Chop or slice the potatoes, then remove the peppers and onions from the pan.  Add a little more butter/ olive oil, then add the potatoes.  Chop the thyme and rosemary and throw it in with the potatoes.  Let the potatoes fry until browned, then add the veggies, and salt and pepper to taste.

4.  Crack the eggs into a bowl and beat them a little with a fork, and add a little water, a teaspoon or so per egg.  Add a little salt and pepper.

5.  Add some butter/ olive oil to the pan, then  add the egg.  Add the chopped spinach, give the eggs a stir or two, and they’re done.

Serve it up right away while it’s hot!

Coq au Vin Blanc

I’m in love with this recipe.  It takes a bit of planning, but it is so worth it – so much flavour!  The chicken needs to be marinated, and it really does taste so much better when you use homemade chicken stock.

You’ll want a nice crusty loaf of bread to go with this, to soak up the delicious juices.  And a nice glass of wine can’t hurt.

The recipe is from Country Living’s One-Dish Country Suppers book, and I’ve adapted it a bit.

What you need for the marinade:

3 cups dry white wine

1 cup chopped onion

1 carrot, sliced

1 stalk celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

2 tablespoons olive oil

2 tablespoons fresh parsley

8 whole black peppercorns

1/2 teaspoon salt

6 pounds of bone-in, skinless chicken pieces (breasts might be a little dry for this one)

What else you need:

4 slices bacon, chopped

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 large sweet onion, cut into large chunks

5 medium carrots, but into 1 inch chunks

2 stalks celery, sliced

2 cloves garlic, chopped

1 shallot, chopped

1/4 cup  flour

3 cups chicken broth (homemade is best!)

1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar

1 bay leaf

1 tablespoon fresh thyme leaves

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/4 teaspoon ground pepper

3/4 lb small potatoes

What you do:

1. To marinate the chicken, cook all the marinade ingredients (except the chicken!) for about 5 minutes.  Let it cool to room temperature, then pour it into a container with the chicken and refrigerate for at least 4 hours, or overnight.

2. Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat it dry.  Strain and save the liquid.

3. In a large pan, cook the bacon until crisp.  Remove the bacon, then brown the chicken in the bacon fat.  Remove the chicken and most of the fat.

4. Add the olive oil and onions, cooking until lightly browned.  Add the carrots, celery, garlic and shallot, and cook for 5 more minutes.

5. Meanwhile, in a bowl stir a little of the marinade liquid into the flour, mixing so there are no lumps.  Add the rest of the marinade liquid and mix, ensuring there are no lumps.

6.  Add the flour and marinade mixture to the pot with the chicken.  Then stir in the chicken broth, bay leaf, thyme, salt and pepper.  Reduce the heat and cook for about 45 minutes

7.  Add the potatoes, then cook for about 20 minutes, or until the potatoes are tender.

8.  After a long-deserved wait you have a fabulous dinner to sit down to.  Top each portion with a little of the bacon, and enjoy a nice glass of wine with it!

Kim’s Fabulous Mushroom and Arugula Risotto

Stuck for a dinner idea, I asked a friend what I should make for my company tonight.  She said risotto, so I thought about the arugula I had in the fridge and what else I could do with it to make the risotto amazing.  So I found some great shiitake mushrooms and a few other thing, and set to work.  Really, there’s a bit of chopping and a whole lot of stirring, so it’s easy but well worth it, all creamy and comfort-foody.  The sherry is optional, but I love mushrooms cooked in sherry.

I served this with a salmon fillet poached in white wine with salt, pepper and a little lemon.

What you need:

2 tablespoons butter

1/2 sweet onion, minced (or white onion – but sweet ones don’t seem to make me cry as much)

2 cloves garlic, minced

10-12 button mushrooms, shopped

10-12 shiitake mushrooms, sliced

a few splashes of sherry (optional) (I used Oloroso Nutty Solero from Spain

1 cup arborio rice

1 cup white wine

3-4 cups chicken stock or water, heated

salt and pepper to taste

1 large handful arugula

1 cup frozen peas

1/2 cup grated parmesan

What you do:

1.  Heat the butter, then add the onions and garlic, cooking until translucent.

2.  Add the mushrooms and the sherry and cook until the mushrooms are softened.

3.  Add the rice and stir until the edges of the rice start to become translucent.  Add the wine and bring to a boil, stirring. Keep stirring until most of the liquid has been absorbed.

4.  Add about 1/2 cup of stock at a time, bring to a boil each time, stirring constantly.  Keep adding more liquid and absorbing it until the rice is cooked.

5.  Add salt and pepper to taste, then add the arugula,peas and Parmesan, over the heat, until combined.  Serve it right away, but it’s also good for leftovers.

 

Roast Chicken in a Romertopf Clay Roaster

I love a roast chicken because it’s delicious, you can cook a whole meat in one dish, and you get to make soup out of the bones.  I have a Romertopf clay baker, but had never used it for cooking a chicken – if you don’t have one, you can use any other covered dish that fits a chicken and all these veggies.  I found this to be a great dish to make for company, because I could throw it in the oven an hour before anyone came over, and then I had time to do some of the last minute jobs, such as relaxing a bit.

What you need:

a whole roasting chicken

1 lemon

a few springs of thyme

salt and pepper

a few potatoes

a sweet potato

a few carrots

1 bulb of garlic

1 onion

butter or olive oil

a few splashes of white wine (optional)

What you do:

1. Immerse the Romertopf  in water for 15-30 minutes.  This needs to be done to avoid cracking when it is in the oven.

2.  Cut up all the veggies and place them in the bottom of the roaster.  I also placed some around the sides of the chicken.

3.  Run your fingers between the skin and breast of the chicken to loosen the skin up.  Push a few springs of thyme under the skin.  Rub the chicken with a little butter or olive oil.  Place it, breast side up, in the roaster.  Stick the lemon whole or cut in half into the cavity of the chicken.  Salt and pepper the chicken and veggies liberally, and add a few splashes of wine.  Add some more thyme on top of the veggies.  I also put in a rosemary branch.  Put the lid on top of the baking dish.

4.  Place the Romertopf baker in a cold oven, then turn it up to 400F.  If you are using another type of baker, feel free to preheat the oven.  Let the chicken bake for 1 & 1/2 hours.  I didn’t even peek at mine, hoping for the best, and it turned out perfect.  Mine browned with the lid on, but if you find yours is still a little pale, feel free to pop it back in the oven for a few minutes.

5.  Let the chicken rest for about 20 minutes with the lid on before carving it.

There was quite a bit of liquid in the bottom of the baking dish, so I pulled the chicken out and drained it.  Because the chicken is literally ‘falling off the bone,’ it was a little difficult to take it out whole, so you could use a turkey baster to remove the liquid.

See this link for chicken broth.  You can use the bones and skin instead of the chicken pieces the recipe calls for.  If you didn’t make gravy with it, you could also add the juices that were drained off.

Ricotta Pastries

Recently I made up some homemade ricotta, and a few days later some empanadas.  Wanting to use up the last of the ricotta, I stuffed a few of them with this filling made in the style of my mom’s vareniki (Mennonite perogies).  She makes fruit vareniki and these amazing cottage cheese ones… yum!  So I thought the ricotta would be a suitable substitute, and work well with the pastry – oh, was I ever right!

In my original recipe I used only butter in the pastry, but this time I used half butter, half lard, and found the pastry turned out a little flakier – I like!  Of course you can just use butter if you wish.

What you need for the filling:

one recipe ricotta or one tub from the store

one egg

salt and pepper

What you need for the pastry:

2 & 1/4 cups flour

1 & 1/2 teaspoons salt

1/4 cup cold unsalted butter, cut into 1/2-inch cubes

1/4 cup lard (or use 1/4 cup more butter)

1 large egg

1/3 cup ice water

1 tablespoon distilled white vinegar

1 egg for brushing on the pastry, mixed with a little water

What you do:

1.  To make the pastry, blend the cold butter and lard into the flour and salt with a pastry blender or your fingers (works best with colder hands).  Mix the egg, water and vinegar, and add them to the flour mixture.  Mix with a wooden spoon until combined, then wrap in plastic wrap and refrigerate for at least an hour.

2.  Mix the ricotta, egg, and salt and pepper (to taste) with a fork.

3.  Have a little bowl of water handy for sealing the edges of the pastry.

4.  Sprinkle flour on your work surface and form the dough into disks, rolling out to about 1/2 cm thick.  Cut out circles with a large cookie cutter or the edge of a bowl.

5.  Fill the pastry with a tablespoon or so of ricotta.  Dab a little water around half of the edge of the pastry, then fold the pastry over and seal.

6.  Place the pastries on a baking sheet, which does not need to be greased.  Cut small slits in the tops of the pastries, then brush them with a little of the egg.

7. Bake at 400F for 20-25 minutes.

Let them cool slightly before serving.

Korean Soba Noodle Salad

The public library is one of my favourite places to look for new recipes.  I recently signed out Robin Asbell’s Bio Vegan cookbook, and found this recipe.  It’s easy, healthy, filling and tasty.  I love most fruits, but I’m not a big fan of pears.  Asian pears, however, don’t have the same graininess that regular pears have, and when julienned they almost seem like pieces of apple.

Soba noodles are made from buckwheat, which is gluten-free and high in fibre, among many other health benefits that you can read about here.

The salad is served cold, so it made a great leftovers lunch at work the next day.  The pears can turn brown, so if you think you’re not going to eat it all the day you make it, you might want to leave some of the Asian pears out until serving.

What you need:

1/4 cup agave syrup

1 tablespoon sriracha or other hot sauce (or start with a little less and add more to your taste)

1 tablespoon dark miso paste

1 tablespoon soy sauce or tamari

1 tablespoon sesame oil

3 tablespoons toasted and ground sesame seeds

200 grams soba noodles, before cooking

1 medium cucumber, seeded and julienned

1 Asian pear, julienned

170 grams extra-firm silken tofu, cut into small cubes

What you do:

1.  Cook the soba noodles according to the directions on the package, drain and rinse with cold water.

2.  Whisk together the agave syrup, hot sauce, tamari, sesame oil, and 2 tablespoons on the sesame seeds.

3.  Combine the sauce with the cooled, well-drained noodles.

4.  Top it off with the cucumber, pear, tofu, and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.