Archive for the 'Must repeat' Category

Chicken Pilaff

I own this great cookbook called Dinner With Friends by Jane Price. I’ve tried several recipes from this book in the past and they, for the most part, have been amazing. Last night this book introduced me to a new way of cooking rice with chicken or meat without having to first cook the rice. Before you begin the whole cooking process you start by soaking the desired amount of rice in cold water for at least 30 mins. When you start cooking the onions, garlic, and meat or chicken, you drain and the rinse the rice and once the meat is browned you add it to the pot. Cook it for a couple of minutes and then add wet ingredients like broth and in this case, about 6 oz of diced tomatoes. Just enough liquid to cover the chicken and rice. Cover the pot with a lid and let it simmer for about 20 mins or until liquid is absorbed and rice is cooked. Easy! Now I’m excited to try these steps with other types of meat and different spice combinations. Maybe some shrimp, rice, tomatoes, lots of garlic, and heavy cream.

Overall the instructions in the book were clear and shown in order of preparation and cooking, which I like because it means I don’t have to go searching for a step or a missing ingredient. If you’re not crazy about the taste of cloves, like Jay is, you can omit them or just put in very little. The recipe calls for crushed cloves for the chicken rub (called baharat) and later whole cloves for the entire dish. I only added the cloves to the baharat and it was more than plenty. Originally this was supposed to be a chicken and almond pilaff but guess what, I completely forgot about the almonds and I even have a whole stash I meant to use for cooking. No matter, it was still amazing. Unfortunately, once it was cooked it looked like a huge pot of slop. I don’t know what it is about me and slop these days. But, do try it out.

Recipe can be found here on Google Books.

Lemon Squares

Several weeks ago, after embarking on the ludicrous writing adventure, I found myself stuck. Writer’s block. So what did I do? I baked. I procrastinate by baking. And thanks to the lovely AsiaJo over at Frock and Fork, I found exactly what I needed to make on that day of mental stuckness. Lemon Squares (recipe here). Let them cool completely as they are quite soft when they come out of the oven. These easy to make squares were so delicious and perfectly sweet. Addictive too. I had to hide them so I wouldn’t eat them all in one sitting.

Two fantastic soups

These days, when I think of Weight Watchers I don’t think about the points – I’m not really counting points or following the diet, I just like to think I’m eating a little healthier. Instead I think about how yummy my dinner is going to be. Of course, there are some Weight Watchers meals that leave a lot to be desired but for the most part they are tasty and quick and easy to make. This past week, from the Turn Around Program Cookbook I’ve made two incredible, filling, delicious soups. When I was flipping through the book I first saw the Beef and Potatoes soup and I bookmarked the page right away because how could I say no to beef? And the fact that the meat is cooked in a mild spicy tomato mixture makes it even better. The next soup that caught my eye was Shrimp Bisque. I have heard of fish soup before but I’d never imagined eating pureed shrimp. I was dubious about this one but the end result was delicious and smile-inducing.

I’ve made a few modifications to the soups:

Shrimp Bisque

serves 4, 3 points per 1 cup serving

3/4 lb medium shrimp, peeled and de-veined (reserve the shells)

1 bouillon cube dissolved in 3 cups of water (chicken or vegetable would work, I used mushroom flavour) or 3 cups of broth

2 1/2 cups water

2 tsp unsalted butter

2 shallots, chopped

1/4 cup long grain rice

1 tbsp tomato paste

Pinch of cayenne pepper

Salt to taste

Place the shrimp shells in a large pot and cover with the broth and water. Cook and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for 10 minutes to allow the flavours to blend. Strain the broth and discard the shells. Set aside the broth. Melt the butter over medium heat and then add the shallots and cook until softened, about 5 minutes. Stir in the reserved broth, the rice, and tomato paste. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for about 20 minutes or until rice is tender. Stir in the shrimp, salt, and cayenne pepper and cook until shrimp are ready, about 3 minutes. Scoop out 8 shrimp or so from the pot and place on a cutting board, chop and set aside. Let the soup cool about 5 minutes and then puree in batches in a blender or food processor. Return to heat and simmer until heated through. Serve with chopped shrimp on top and a dollop of home made salsa for an added kick.
Check out this other recipe too:
Shrimp Bisque on Foodista

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Shredded Beef and Potato Soup with Chimichurri

serves 6, 5 points per 1 cup serving

1 pound boneless bottom round steak, trimmed and cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces

Salt

3 cups beef broth or 1 beef flavoured bouillon cube dissolved in 3 cups water

14oz diced canned tomatoes

3 or 4 pickled jalapeño peppers, chopped.

1/3 cup fresh cilantro, chopped

Juice of half a lime

1 garlic clove, minced

1/4 tsp crushed red pepper

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion, chopped

2 cups diced potato

Heat a bit of oil in a large pot over medium-high heat and add the beef and salt. Cook and turn the beef until lightly browned, about 5 minutes. Add the broth, tomatoes, and jalapeño peppers. Bring to a boil then lower heat and simmer for one hour. Scoop out the beef to a cutting board and let it cool. Set aside the broth and tomato liquid. Shred the beef with two forks or do what I did and use your fingers. To make the chimichurri, combine the cilantro, lime juice, garlic, a dash of salt, and the crushed red pepper and set aside. Heat the oil in a large pot over medium heat and add the onions, stirring until softened. Add the potatoes and the broth-tomato liquid and bring to a boil then reduce heat and simmer for about 15 minutes or until potatoes are tender. Add the beef and simmer for another 2 minutes. Serve with chimichurri on top.

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I will call this post “delicious”

Jay and I agree that pizza is one of those things we could never get sick of. When I think of takeout and ordering food I automatically think of pizza. In my mind, there are three constant ingredients – dough, sauce, and cheese. After that, the pizza is an empty canvas begging to be filled with colourful toppings that result in a picture of deliciousness. The pizza I made this week was inspired by a Weight Watchers recipe from the Turnaround Program Cookbook, which consisted of goat cheese, caramelize onions, tomatoes, and black olives but I added a few other toppings. The dough recipe came from Engineer Baker (recipe here).

Pizza, makes 6 servings

1 tsp olive oil

1 onion thinly sliced

Salt

2 tsp butter

8 plum tomatoes, chopped (about 3 1/2 cups) I used about 2 cups of canned crushed tomatoes

1 tsp sugar

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1 pound prepared fresh or thawed frozen pizza or bread dough

4 oz goat cheese, crumbled

10 black olives, pitted and chopped

1 tbsp chopped fresh thyme, or 1 tsp dried

First start the pizza dough and follow preheating instructions. About a half hour before the dough is ready to be baked, start caramelizing the onion by heating the oil in a skillet/pan, then adding the onions and salt. Cook over medium heat, stirring frequently until the onion is golden, about 15 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside. In the same pan melt the butter and add the tomatoes and sugar. Stir frequently until most of the liquid evaporates, about 10 minutes. Add the vinegar and simmer about a minute. When the dough is ready, spread the tomato mixture over top along with the onions and the rest of the toppings. On my pizza I added crumbled feta cheese, fire roasted red peppers, and roasted tomatoes. Bake for about 15 to 20 minutes or until the goat cheese looks slightly toasted on top.

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Sweet Shrimp Salad

After a gruelling, yet satisfying, turbo sculpt workout I craved a big bowl of salad. Believe me, a few years ago I would not have craved a salad after a workout – I would have probably ran to the closest McDonald’s for a Quarter Pounder, fries, and a coke. I have changed my ways and if I were to eat a whole burger from McDonald’s right now I’d probably get an upset stomach.
Anyway, today’s salad started out with sautéed shrimp with garlic powder, lettuce, onions, cucumbers, celery, and feta cheese. It’s when I get to the dressing that I tend to experiment a bit. Today I mixed about a teaspoon of mustard, two dashes of Frank’s Redhot, and about a teaspoon of rice wine vinegar. It was tart and sour and spicy of course, not bad but it was missing a bit of sweetness. So, I added about a teaspoon and a half of guava jelly. Don’t ask me why I reached for the guava jelly jar, I just did. And it was lovely. Once the salad was tossed and I was ready to drizzle the dressing over it, inspiration struck. I felt daring and experimental so I grabbed the pineapple I had cut up this morning. Now, I have to add here that I absolutely do not like fruit in salads and yet I still felt inclined to add fruit. Chunks of pineapple over the salad and spicy-sweet dressing over top made a delicious and refreshing salad. The sweetness from the pineapple was a good compliment to the feta cheese and the spice from the dressing. I think I’ll be adding fruit to my salads from now on. I guess it’s an acquired taste.

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A cure for hangover

It’s Saturday morning, I crack open my crusted eyes and push back the wave of nausea followed by the pulsating beat of a headache. This is what happens when you stay up all night getting loaded and playing Street Fighter IV and Trash Panic on the PS3. When I finally drag myself to the living room our friend, Gabo (aka Kitchen Drunkard) who stayed the night, is already up and playing Street Fighter. Where he gets the energy to play so soon I don’t know. After saying good morning and having a nice greasy breakfast of bacon and eggs, Jay, Gabo, and me continue to play some more games.

A while later our stomachs are rumbling again. Still feeling groggy, I am not in the mood to make anything but somehow Gabo gets both Jay and I excited about making gnocchi. Thankfully we have all the necessary ingredients and after a quick look online for a recipe, we get down to work.

First, we boil 3 lbs of potatoes until they’re soft and tender. We leave the skin on the potatoes for more flavour and once they’re cooked, we peel them. We let the potatoes cool down a wee bit before mashing them and then we add one egg and two cups of flour. We have to use loads of flour for dusting because the dough is super sticky. We separate the dough into four sections and then we roll each section into a long thick strip, which we cut into about 1 and 1/2 inch-sized pieces. Each piece is shaped by rolling it over the back of a fork, allowing a tiny pocket to form on one side while impressing the fork tines on the other side. They look like larva to me. Yum.

Once the gnocchi is shaped it goes into a pot of boiling water to cook for a few minutes. You know they’re ready when they start to float up. But keep an eye on them because they may stick to the bottom.

Gabo cooks up a sauce for the gnocchi with Classico pesto, mild blue cheese and bacon. The aroma is amazing and it tastes like soft chewy potatoes in delicious pesto and cheese sauce. This recipe makes enough for plenty of leftovers which is fine by me because I cannot wait to have some more!

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Gnocchi dough rolled out and ready to be cut.

Jay cutting the dough into 1 and 1/2 inch pieces (approx)

Jay cutting the dough into 1 and 1/2 inch pieces (approx)

Gabo shaping the dough into gnocchi.

Gabo shaping the dough into gnocchi.

Amazing gnocchi!

Amazing gnocchi!

After jog salads

There is no greater feeling than that of falling into your apartment with sweat pouring down your face, neck, chest and legs after a gruelling jog. And nothing rewards a good jog as well as a salad does. It’s a much deserved treat you know you won’t regret or feel guilty about later. Oh and did I mention these treats are amazingly delicious?

Tuesday’s Shrimp Salad

5 large, raw, peeled shrimp

3 or 4 white mushrooms, sliced

1/4 cup sliced white onion

About 4 or 5 romaine lettuce leaves

1/4 cup diced red bell pepper

1/4 cup chopped artichoke hearts

2 or 3oz feta cheese, crumbled

Sauté the shrimp with the mushrooms and onions until cooked and soft. Toss with the rest of the ingredients and add a splash of olive oil and fresh lemon juice.

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Thursday’s Tuna Salad

4 or 5 romaine lettuce leaves

White onion slices, however many you want

6 cherry tomatoes, halved

Cucumber slices, however many you want

1 tbsp olive oil

1 tbsp balsamic vinegar

1/2 can of tuna mixed with:

1tbsp mayo

1 pickle, diced

Squeeze of lemon juice

Fresh ground pepper

Toss the lettuce, onion, tomatoes, and cucumbers together. Mix the vinegar and oil and pour over the salad. Mix the tuna, mayo, pickle, lemon juice, and pepper and place on top  of the salad.

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Nutty French Toast

Was feeling ravenous this morning. Eggs and bread usually take care of the morning hunger but I always have sunny side up with two slices of toast. This morning, I made French toast for maybe the second time in my life.

2 eggs

1/4 tsp almond extract

Cinnamon

Walnuts

2 slices of Jay’s homemade bread

Mix the eggs and almond extract, dip the bread and sprinkle it with cinnamon. Place bread in a heated pan with oil (or butter…I wish I hadn’t forgotten to buy butter…) and sprinkle some crushed walnuts on top. Pour in remaining egg mixture and cook about 1-2 mins on each side. So yummy and nutty.

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Honey Teriyaki Salmon and Rice

This was definitely a winner! From the Weight Watchers Turn Around Program book I made this amazing salmon last night. The recipes in that book are alright but some are fantastic. Here’s the recipe:

Makes 4 servings, is worth 4 points per fillet

1/4 cup reduced-sodium soy sauce

1 tbsp chopped peeled fresh ginger

1 tbsp honey (I used raw unpasteurized)

1 tbsp fresh lemon juice

1 garlic clove, crushed (I used 2 cloves cuz I love garlic so much)

4 (1/4 lb) skinless salmon fillets (I left the skin on the salmon and removed it during cooking)

Mix all the ingredients, minus the salmon, in a small bowl until the honey dissolves. Pour the mixture into an airtight container or ziploc bag and add the salmon. Coat the salmon well and refrigerate for 6-24hrs, turning it over occasionally. I think I might have only marinated the fish for 5hrs but it was still amazing.

Spray a ridged grill pan or nonstick skillet with nonstick spray and set over medium heat. I just poured a bit of olive oil in a frying pan, worked just as well. Place the salmon fillets in the pan, keep the marinade, and cook about 5 mins on each side, turning the fillets and brushing them with reserved marinade. About a few mins before they were cooked I removed the skin. I think the skin added so much flavour the salmon.

While the salmon was cooking I made rice with leeks.

Earlier that day, when Jay and I went to buy groceries, Jay picked up a large bunch of leeks. “Those aren’t on the list,” I said. “I want to make soup at some point this week,” he said. We had a tiny fight at the grocery store because after I had spent an hour working on our weekly menu he decided to pick up the leeks and extra vegetables for a soup that was not on the menu. Then I noticed a tag on the leeks that had a recipe for rice and leeks. Easy to make. “Very well, Jay, we shall take the leeks.”

Recipe for rice with leeks, Makes 2 servings

1 tbsp butter (I used oil cuz I forgot to buy butter…sigh)

1 leek, rinsed and chopped

1 tbsp tomato paste

Dash of oregano

Cooked rice, about 1-2 cups I’d say

In a pot, sautee the chopped leeks until soft. Add the tomato paste and oregano and combine. Add the rice and mix well. At this point, the salmon fillets were almost ready and I had extra marinade so instead of throwing it out, I poured the rest of the marinade into the rice until it was cooked and absorbed.

As I said, the salmon was amazing and the rice was perfect with a bit of grated Parmesan on top. The salmon had the right amount of salt and sweetness.

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What I did with a Tex-Mex Mushroom Ragout

A few days ago I made a vegetarian dinner from the Weight Watchers Turn Around Program book. It’s called Tex-Mex Mushroom Ragout and this is how it’s made:

Makes 2 Servings:

1 onion, chopped

1 garlic clove, minced

1/2 lb fresh cremini or white button mushrooms, quartered

1/2 lb fresh portobello mushrooms, stems removed and diced

1 (15oz) can pinto beans, rinsed and drained

1 (4.5 oz) can chopped green chiles

1 tbsp ground cumin

1 tsp dried oregano

1 tsp dried thyme

1/4 tsp cinnamon

1/4 tsp salt

1/4 fresh ground pepper

4 tsp fresh lime juice

In a pan, cook onion until soft, about a minute. Add the garlic and stir constantly for about 20 secs then add the mushrooms. Cook until mushrooms have released their liquid and then reabsorbed it, about 5 mins. Stir in the beans, chiles, spices, and salt and pepper. Bring to a simmer and cook until thickened (I’m not sure what they mean by this because I didn’t notice any “thickening”) for about 15 mins. Serve and squeeze some of the lime juice on top. I sprinkled some shredded Havarti cheese.

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It was tasty and flavourful…but not as fantastic as I thought it could be. It’s more of a side dish than as a main meal as the book says it should be. It’s very good because it has lots of protein and fibre but if you’re eating a whole bowl of the stuff, it can be a little boring. Needless to say I didn’t eat a full serving and I put the rest away in a container.

Two days later my little sister came over and she was hungry. “You have food at your place right? I’m reeeeeaaaally hungry.” Unfortunately I hadn’t done any groceries yet and I didn’t have much in my fridge except the leftover ragout. I brought out the container and told my sister to try it but she didn’t seem too keen on it, “Hm, smells spicy…do you have anything else?” Sigh.

1/4 of a jar of Classico pasta sauce

3/4 of a can of diced tomatoes

generous splash of heavy cream

1 1/2 servings of leftover Tex-Mex Ragout

Make 2 servings of whatever pasta you like, I used angel hair. Heat the ragout in a pot along with the tomatoes and pasta sauce, stir. Once it’s heated, add the cream and stir until it’s all blended and heated through. Serve over noodles.

So very yummy! I think I’ll be making more pasta sauces like this one.

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