Pops De Milk » Yum!

Chicken Pilaff

Pops De Milk — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 14:36:59 +0000

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.

Green Chili…again

Pops De Milk — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 02:09:40 +0000

Ever since the first time I made this Green Chili, I’ve been dreaming about it, plotting and scheming to make it again. At last, I decided it was time and tonight I died and went to pork heaven. Just as before, each piece of slowly cooked pork melted in my mouth and the sweet spice from the green tomato and pepper sauce pricked at my taste buds, making me close my eyes and say, “Mmmm….”

Serve this dish with a side of white rice, beans, and a warm tortilla. A nice white wine also compliments the meal, a chardonnay perhaps.

Recipe here.

Bean and Veggie Stew

Pops De Milk — Tue, 19 Jan 2010 00:43:01 +0000

Oh it’s been such a long time since I last posted! I was away for the holidays and since coming back a week ago, I’ve had to fight the immense feeling of procrastination. It’s been a tough battle but I’ve finally come through.

The holidays were wonderful and delicious but oh so unforgiving to my figure. One of the most common things people put on their New Years resolutions is to lose weight. I am one of those people and every year I add it to my list of goals but every year I end up putting that goal back on the list because I was unsuccessful. This year I’ve altered that goal. Instead of writing “Lose Weight” at the top of my list I’ve written ”Eat healthier.” It’s realistic, it’s safe, and I won’t feel pressured and later feel inclined to give up.

To start with my healthier lifestyle, I made this tasty, satisfying, and amazingly nutritious vegetarian stew.

Makes about 6 servings

3 garlic cloves, minced

2 celery stalks, chopped

1 onion, chopped

6oz mushrooms, chopped

1/2 red and green peppers, chopped

2 carrots, minced

14oz canned tomatoes, crushed or diced

4 or 5 pickled peppers, chopped

1 can mixed beans, drained

8oz red kidney beans, drained

1 can green lentils, drained

About 1 cup frozen corn

About 1 cup beer

Generous squeeze of mustard

Cayenne pepper to taste

1/4 tsp oregano

1/2 tsp cumin

Heat a bit of olive oil in a large pot and sauté the onion, celery, and garlic. Once the onion is soft, add the mushrooms, peppers, and carrot. Cook until mushrooms are soft and then add the rest of the ingredients. Bring to a boil then lower heat, cover, and cook on low for about 20 minutes. Remove lid and continue to cook on low for another 20 minutes. Serve with a bit of shredded cheese and cilantro.

Lemon Squares

Pops De Milk — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 15:54:15 +0000

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

Pops De Milk — Sat, 14 Nov 2009 23:22:23 +0000

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:

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.

I will call this post “delicious”

Pops De Milk — Sat, 07 Nov 2009 22:03:31 +0000

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.

Halloween

Pops De Milk — Thu, 05 Nov 2009 22:21:42 +0000

Alright, so this post is kinda late but, better late than never, right? This year, Jay and I had a very quiet Halloween with three friends, a couple of scary movies, really “gross” food, and a last minute pumpkin carving contest. It seems like tradition now for me to make Vampire Cupcakes especially because I think this is the third time I’ve made them. My friend sent me the link to Baking Bites a while back and I instantly fell in love with the cupcake recipe (found here). Trust me, they are worth the effort. Only thing is, when you’re making the marshmallow frosting, don’t over beat the eggs or the frosting will over time get hard and crunchy. Not a big deal and our friends insisted it added to the cupcake experience but I personally prefer to have my frosting soft.

And now comes the “gross” food…

Gnarled and mangled shortbread fingers with sliced almonds for nails. A couple of the fingers lost their “nails” and I glued them back on with leftover “blood” (cherry filling).

BBQ “Bat” wings (recipe here). Sweet and yummy.

My personal favourite, gutted flesh worms (instructions here). Honestly, this was delicious.

Jay had originally allotted 45 minutes to carve our pumpkins but that was just impossible. I think it took us close to two hours to carve these beauties:

Acorn Squash and Roasted Garlic Soup

Pops De Milk — Thu, 29 Oct 2009 14:27:21 +0000

I know I’m not the only one when I say that fall is the perfect season for baking and filling our tummies with lovely heavy food. I suppose we do this in preparation for winter. I simply love to eat a big bowl of thick and creamy soup, the kind of soup that warms and satisfies. I know I made this soup at the beginning of this month for Thanksgiving, but it’s so delicious I had to make it again. Well, this time I showed Jay how to make it and he took over in the kitchen. We adapted the recipe a bit but the original recipe can be found here at Epicurious.

Acorn Squash and Roasted Garlic Bisque, makes about 4 servings
1 acorn squash
1 head of garlic
Olive oil
1 onion, chopped
2 carrots, chopped
2 stalks of celery, chopped
2 tbsp butter
3 cups of chicken broth
1/2 cup whipping cream

Preheat oven to 350F. Cut the squash in half and remove seeds. Spray a bit of oil over each half and place face down in a baking pan. Do not peel the head of garlic but cut it in quarters, then wrap tightly in foil and place on the baking pan with the squash. Bake for approx 40 minutes. Once cooked, let the garlic and squash cool a bit. Scoop out the softened flesh from the squash and set aside. Unwrap the garlic and mash with a fork.
Melt the butter in a pot over medium heat. Add the onion, carrots, and celery and sauté until soft. Next, add the broth (we used 3 cups of water and a chicken flavoured bouillon cube) and squash and cook on low for about 15 minutes. Add the garlic to the soup. Puree the soup in batches in a blender or food processor until nice and smooth. Return to heat and stir in the cream. Add salt and pepper to taste and serve. It has such a lovely colour and Mm! So warm and yummy.

Chicken Parmesan

Pops De Milk — Wed, 28 Oct 2009 16:20:50 +0000

Jay celebrated his 30th birthday yesterday and I took him to see the Body Worlds exhibit at the Science Centre. I’d never been and I was beyond impressed. After walking around for hours, looking at the posed remains of humans, we headed back home to eat. I made a very simple dinner of chicken Parmesan, rice, and salad.
The chicken Parmesan I made last night is a variation from the recipe found on Nervous Chef’s blog here.

Chicken Parmesan, serves 2-4 depending on how hungry you are
4 chicken thighs, I didn’t remove the skin or bones
1 cup milk
2 eggs
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tsp Frank’s Redhot
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 cup breadcrumbs
1 tsp garlic powder
2 tsp onion powder
Pinch of salt and pepper

1 14 oz can of crushed tomatoes
1 5 oz can tomato paste
1/2 tsp garlic powder
1 tsp onion powder
1 tbsp sugar
3 cloves garlic, minced
1 onion, diced
1 tsp marjoram
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp rosemary
Water
Salt and pepper to taste

Parmesan cheese
Mozzarella cheese

Mix together in a large bowl the milk, eggs, garlic powder, onion powder, Frank’s Redhot, salt, and pepper. Place the chicken pieces in the bowl, cover, and place in the fridge to soak for 4 to 6 hours.
Once you’re ready to start cooking, make the sauce by heating about a tablespoon of oil in a saucepan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook until soft. Stir in the garlic and cook another 30 seconds before adding the crushed tomatoes and tomato paste. Stir in the sugar, marjoram, oregano, rosemary, salt and pepper. Fill the empty can of tomato paste with water and add that water to the pot. Lower heat and simmer.
Preheat oven to 325F. In a shallow plate or bowl, combine the breadcrumbs, garlic powder, onion powder, and salt and pepper. Cover each chicken piece in the bread crumb mixture making sure each piece is well coated. Heat oil in a frying pan and fry the chicken until just brown on each side.
In a baking dish, large enough to fit the chicken pieces without overlapping, pour half the tomato sauce on the bottom. Place the chicken in the pan and pour the remainder of the sauce over top. Sprinkle grated Parmesan cheese on top and bake for about 25-30 minutes. Remove from oven and sprinkle grated mozzarella cheese and put back in the oven for about 6 to 8 minutes more.
I served this with fried rice with corn and a simple salad. Jay was very happy and he absolutely loved the tomato sauce.

Sweet Shrimp Salad

Pops De Milk — Fri, 23 Oct 2009 19:25:31 +0000

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.